Lapthorne back in business as Australian aims for GC
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Stuart Shaw from the Australian Capital Territory follows through Drapac Professional Cycling teammate Victorian David Pell.(Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
Darren Lapthorne dons his second yellow jersey.(Image credit: Adrian Rumney/www.adrianrumney.com)
Adam Semple from Western Australia rode a great race to win the MARS sprint points competition.(Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
A resurgent Darren Lapthorne will lead the Drapac squad at the upcoming Tour de Langkawi, with the Australian threating to be back to the kind of form that saw him win the Australian national road championship in 2007.
Coming off a strong result in the NZ Cycle Classic where he finished second overall behind Jay McCarthy, Lapthorne is eyeing a bid at the general classification with the race's key difficulty up Genting Highlands well-suited to the Australian's style. Lapthorne will be joined by Adam Semple who the team believe can also feature high up in the overall.
"In 2010 we focussed on the general classification with Peter McDonald who finished fourth and won the king of the mountains classification, we are confident in achieving an equally impressive result this year with a two-pronged attack," said Sporting Director Agostino Giramondo.
The team added that freedom will still be given to breakaway specialists Rhys Pollock and Floris Goesinnen who came close to stage wins on two occasions in last year's race. Adam Phelan will also be making his return to racing after an enforced break while he recovered from a head injury sustained at a team training camp in December.
Drapac have previously voiced their ambitions to achieve more success in Asia with the Tour de Langkawi among the team's biggest objectives.
