AUSTRALIAN cycling legend John Trevorrow will renew his association with the Tour of Tasmania next week.
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Trevorrow, 65, won the Tour of Tasmania when it was first run as a pro-am in the late 1970s and then for many years was the promoter and tour director of the state’s major road cycling event.
Now working for Cycling Australia, the former Olympian has been appointed race director for the tour that begins in Hobart on Tuesday.
‘‘I’m pleased to be back, I really enjoyed my time in Tassie before and I’m looking forward to a tough tour that has attracted a quality field,’’ he said.
It will be Trevorrow’s first involvement since Luke Roberts won the 2002 tour in a very close finish.
‘‘I beat home Luke’s father Wayne when I won the Tour of Tasmania,’’ he said.
Under the directorship of Trevorrow, the race was won two years running by a young Cadel Evans before he went on to win the Tour de France.
Next week’s tour had been reduced from eight stages to six starting with the teams’ time trial up Mount Wellington and ending with a 30-lap criterium around the Mersey Bluff in Devonport on Sunday, October 5.
Trevorrow said he was amazed at the depth of talent since he became involved in the National Road Series.
‘‘In the Tour of Gippsland we had 160 riders and there were still 100 in the mix with a day to go,’’ he said.
‘‘The depth of riders goes well down the list.’’
Trevorrow said the Tour of Tasmania had been given a boost with an entry from the Drapac cycling team.
‘‘Drapac haven’t been competing in the National Road Series and will bring a lot of interest to the race,’’ he said.
As for an outright winner, Trevorrow is leading towards New Zealander Joe Cooper or Adelaide’s Tim Roe.
Riding for the Hobart-based Avanti team, Cooper leads the NRS after a podium finish in Canberra last week.
Roe rides for the Budget Forklifts team and is second to Copper on the national table.