McCarthy on form after fifth place in Australian nationals
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Jay McCarthy (Tinkoff - Saxo) (Image credit: Bettini)
Jay McCarthy (Tinkoff Team)(Image credit: Tinkoff Team)
The Tinkoff Saxo team in Croatia(Image credit: Tinkoff-Saxo)
Jay McCarthy (Tinkoff-Saxo)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Jay McCarthy and Peter Sagan after the win for Tinkoff-Saxo
Oscar Gatto(Image credit: Tinkoff Team)
Tinkoff Team is ready to seize opportunities during Tour Down Under from January 19-24 in Australia. Jay McCarthy is proven to be on good form, having just placed fifth at the Australian National Championships and is accustomed to the heat, but director Lars Michaelsen remains cautious and ready to adapt for all stages.
"With the exception of Jay McCarthy, who raced in two criteriums and took fifth at the Australian National Championships, this is the first race of the season for our guys here," Michaelsen said in a team press release. "As a result, we will have to tackle Tour Down Under on a day-by-day basis. Obviously, they have been thoroughly prepared during the European winter period but it still is early to know where they stand in terms of form.
"Of course, that doesn't mean we aren't motivated. We are here to give our absolute best and we will try to seek every opportunity we can and seize it. There is no doubt about that but we will adapt our strategy to the current situation every day. All our riders are motivated and ready to fight for each other from the start of the first stage."
Tinkoff's team at the Tour Down Under will include Ivan Rovny, McCarthy, Michael Gogl, Oscar Gatto, Adam Blythe, Michael Valgren and Manuele Boaro. The riders met for a pre-season training camp in Adelaide to get ready for the start of the season.
"We came to Adelaide much earlier this year and took advantage of the conditions to train. This is a good way to build a platform and the foundations not only for this race but for the challenging year ahead of us."
