Joe Cooper ready for Tour de Perth defence

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Joe Cooper (Avanti) added the Oceania title to his palmares (Image credit: Allen Scurr/Cycling Australia)

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Joe Cooper on the way to victory (Image credit: Allen Scurr/Cycling Australia)

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Joe Cooper (Huon Salmon-Genesys) blazes the Rottnest TT, takes stage and race lead at Tour de Perth (Image credit: Mark Gunter - markgunter.com.au)

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All you can do is laugh as Nathan Earle and Joe Cooper (Huon-Genesys) clown around at Kundasang (Image credit: Tour of Borneo)

Avanti Racing Team manager Andrew Christie-Johnston has an eye for talent and clearly knows a good cyclist when he sees one. Since co-founding the Australian UCI Continental team in 2000 under the name Praties – and later Genesys Wealth Advisors – with fellow Tasmanian Steve Price, who still serves as the team's directeur sportif, Christie-Johnston has rostered not just some of the nation's best, but rather some of the world's very best cyclists.

Cooper scorches Rottnest time trial

Cooper unbeatable in Border time trial

Joe Cooper claims Oceania time trial title