Busy time for Tasmanian cyclists in Europe

Austria

Nathan Earle helped his Israel Cycling Academy teammate Ben Hermans to victory in the Tour of Austria.

The Belgian won the eight-stage race by 18 seconds prompting plenty of celebration after the 163.2km final stage into Wels.

“Super proud to be a part of this team and this win,” Earle said on Facebook.

“We turned ourselves inside out to defend [Ben] and we did it. Last time I raced this tour was 2014 and we won it then, so cool to win again.”

Earle, 30, of Hobart, came in 105^th on the final stage to place 66^th on general classification.

Last time I raced this tour was 2014 and we won it then, so cool to win again

Nathan Earle

Twenty-one places and about 19 minutes behind him was Will Clarke, of Campbell Town.

Riding for Education First-Drapac, the 33-year-old, who won a stage of the race two years ago, achieved a best result of 12^th in the 152.8km leg to Feldkirch. 

Italy

Amy Cure pulled out of the Giro d'Italia Internazionale Femminile after the eighth of 10 stages.

West Pine’s dual Olympian was one of seven “DNF”s in the 121.6km San Giorgio di Perlena to Breganze stage of the longest race on the female calendar.

Cure’s Wiggle High5 teammate Elisa Borghini, of Italy, finished the stage second to sit ninth overall.

Cure, 25, had a best finish of 68th in the 15km individual time trial from Lanzada to Diga di Campo Moro. 

France

Richie Porte said he was confident his BMC team would be able to help him through the dreaded 156.5km ninth Tour de France stage across the cobblestones to Roubaix.

Launceston’s 33-year-old specialist climber, who sits 10th overall with the Alps on the horizon, said having the likes of Paris-Roubaix winner Greg van Avermaet alongside him would be priceless through 21.7km of pavé across 15 sectors.

"It's nerve-racking going into [that] stage,” Porte said. 

“It's not what we are used to but we have the team for it.

“We've got some of the strongest guys in the race so hopefully, we stay out of trouble." 

Macey Stewart has been named in Wiggle High5’s six-rider team to contest La Course by Le Tour de France on Tuesday.

The Devonport 22-year-old, who has based herself in Spain while in Europe, joins compatriot Grace Brown, Eri Yonamine, of Japan, and Brits Elinor Barker, Grace Garner and Lucy Garner tackling the one-day 112.5km race from Annecy to  Le Grand-Bornand.

Stewart’s last race was the Internationale Lotto Thüringen Ladies Tour in Germany.