European Training Centre gives GreenEdge access to "best facilities"

Should GreenEdge be successful in gaining a UCI ProTour licence later this year, cyclists will have the benefit of using the Australian Institute of Sport's European Training Centre which was opened in March, in the northern Italian province of Varese.

It's a base that GreenEdge General Manager, Shayne Bannan, has used in his previous roles as Cycling Australia's National Performance Director and the Australian Institute of Sport's Head Cycling Coach.

"The national program has been based in this region for a long time for good reason. The roads are ideal for training and it's a good central point for travelling to races around Europe," Bannan said at a media presentation for the centre.

"Being able to use the AIS European Training Centre, under the commercial agreement we have with them, is going to give our riders access to the best facilities and support staff available.

"Working with the AIS, rather than trying to recreate our own training centre, makes perfect sense. Not many cycling teams, regardless of how big their budget is, are going to be able to provide the sort of support our riders will be able to access.

"This will not only be important for our team once it's established but will also attract the best from around the world. We'll have rehabilitation and recovery facilities, a world class gymnasium, science labs for testing to aid the development of training programs for riders, as well as educational support for life after cycling.

"There aren't many teams in the world, if any, that can offer a rider this level of support for them to then achieve their career goals."