Jack Haig (Orica GreenEdge) lines the bunch out for Caleb Ewan(Image credit: Con Chronis)
Daryl Impey (Orica-GreenEdge)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Christopher Juul Jensen (Orica-GreenEdge)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Adam Yates (Orica-GreenEdge)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Orica-GreenEdge's Christian Meier at the early-season Classic Sud-Ardèche(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Orica-GreenEdge head to Liege-Bastogne-Liege with 2014 champion Simon Gerrans leading its eight-rider team. Gerrans skipped the mid-week La Fleche Wallonne having finished 11th at Amstel Gold Race last Sunday and will be aiming for his first one-day victory since the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal in September 2014.
"We have a good history of results in the race especially with Simon Gerrans victory here in 2014," said sports director Matt White. "The weather forecast for Sunday is not great and if the snow actually arrives it will make for an epic edition of the race."
"It is arguably the hardest one-day race on the calendar, the last 80kilometres are really difficult and this year we have an additional cobbled climb in the last three kilometres. It is short but steep and after 250kilometres of racing the climb could change the whole perspective of the finale."
Gerrans had a less than ideal title defence in 2015 as he started with just eight race days in his legs due to injury and then crashed twice during La Doyenne. The 35-year-old starts the race in much better form and condition this time round and in contention for the victory.
Gerrans can call upon Michael Albasini, seventh at Fleche, Daryl Impey, Christian Meier and Paris-Roubaix winner Mathew Hayman for assistance along with Liege debutants Chris Juul Jensen, Jack Haig and Adam Yates.
"The atmosphere in the team is really positive. We have performed well in our last few races and we go into Liège-Bastogne-Liège with the aim of supporting Simon and protecting him until the final," added White.
"We definitely have a plan to be competitive, we've got a nice mix of youth and experience in the team and we want to perform well in the big races. For the young guy's like Jack (Haig) this is a great opportunity to experience one-day racing at the highest level."
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Orica-GreenEdge for Liege-Bastogne-Liege: Michael Albasini, Simon Gerrans, Jack Haig, Mathew Hayman, Daryl Impey, Chris Juul Jensen, Christian Meier and Adam Yates.
