TWO of the highest profile products of Tasmania’s pioneering cycling team have paid a glowing tribute to the launchpad it provided them.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
As Andrew Christie-Johnston and Steve Price take a step back from the Hobart-based team they launched as Praties, Richie Porte and Will Clarke said they would never have reached the sport’s elite level without them.
The Launceston-raised pair will team up at WorldTour outfit Trek Segafredo next year, but have never forgotten how they got there.
“ACJ and Steve Price were the reason I was lucky enough to turn pro – they did everything for me,” Porte said.
“I would never have made a pro had it not been for these guys from Tasmania who picked me up. I would not have had the opportunities I had without their help.
“They frequently took on guys that did not meet other criteria but who went on to ride WorldTour.
“Guys like Michael Drapac and Gerry Ryan are very rich men who have invested a lot in cycling. ACJ is not quite in that league but probably had more success in turning guys pro.”
Porte rode with Praties in 2008 and ’09 during which he won the Tour of Tasmania which catapulted the former triathlete onto the national cycling radar.
A move to the semi-pro ranks in Italy led to lucrative stints with Saxo Bank, Sky and BMC, a string of top-flight stage race wins including Paris-Nice twice and made him a regular contender at the Tour de France.
Clarke, also 33, assisted Porte’s home-state tour win, joining Praties in 2009 before a roller-coaster career which included WorldTour outfits AG2R La Mondiale, Leopard Trek and Argos-Shimano.
“Andrew really helped me get along when I first started out,” he said.
“He even paid for flights for me to get to Belgium and race in kermesses in 2010 and I went pro the next year.”
A month ago Christie-Johnston announced a change of focus after 18 years with the team. He will no longer run the National Road Series powerhouse but instead assist fellow sport director Tom Petty in a combined Continental team.