Travis Meyer, l, in stage four (Image credit: Mark Gunter)
By Les Clarke in Adelaide, Australia
The brothers Meyer have certainly been visible during racing in this week's Tour Down Under in Australia. After elder sibling Cameron went on the attack late in the stage to Victor Harbor, younger brother Travis got in on the act with a -plus-kilometre break during stage four.
Having dislocated his shoulder on the stage to Stirling, Garmin-Slipstream's Meyer impressed his more experienced colleagues with a gutsy display in his first professional stage race. He took part in a breakaway that included Lance Armstrong during the third day of the race.
Not wanting to be outdone, the younger Meyer broke away in the second kilometre of racing as the peloton began its journey to Angaston on day four and aimed for a stage victory. "I had a look at Cam on the TV, and I was really impressed by the way he rode," Travis Meyer said to Cyclingnews.
"It doesn't surprise me; I've seen my brother do that plenty of times. I definitely wanted to get my face up there – I've been in hiding in the peloton pretty much all week. I initiated the break and it didn't quite work out, but I got my name up there."
Despite not being a ProTour team, the UniSA-Australia composite formation has been outstanding in the Tour Down Under thanks to the likes of young, development squad riders Jack Bobridge and Travis Meyer, and experienced-hand Matt Wilson animating the racing this week.
"We're making an impression on this race," said Meyer. "I think being the early season and racing with the pros gives us even more of an opportunity to get up there and mix it with them. Not to say we couldn't when they're going as well, but definitely in the early part of the season we can give it to them we showed that with Cam yesterday, and Jack Bobridge, who's obviously been strong all week."
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Of his escape during stage four, Meyer said, "Until the hill, I was really feeling quite good, and it was quite easy; it suits my style of riding just to chop off all day in a small group.
"Obviously the hill took it out of us a bit and it started to get windy and there were deader roads. Through the Barossa it got to us, and it was pretty hard towards the end. It was quite nice at the start, though."
Given the pedigree of both these riders, it won't be last time we see more special performances from these two young Aussie riders at the highest level.
