There is no beating around the bush when you ask either the riders or sports director at the ARA Australian Cycling Team what the drive is as they line up amongst the top teams in the world at the Santos Tour Down Under.
“We’re not the belle of the ball here, we’re the little sister that gets invited at the last minute and she’s trying to make an impression” team sports director Martin Barras told Cyclingnews straight after his riders, Fergus Browning and Zac Marriage had spent 126km off the front, mostly with just the two of them.
As a result they were jointly recognised with the most competitive rider award and Browning also scooped up the mountain classification. But importantly, too, they got noticed.
The reason why they want to get noticed is equally straightforward.
“We are both looking for European contracts and there is no better way than to put your name out there in front of the best DS’ and the biggest teams in the world,” Marriage told reporters after the stage.
“So yeah, I just grasped every opportunity, hopefully to get them talking about us, and maybe we’ll get a contract out of that. Who knows?”
The pair initially flew out of the field with Bastien Tronchon (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) but he sat up with around 108km of racing still to go. Marriage and Browning, however, were not going to let their time in the spotlight, and the chance to prove their ability, pass so quickly.
Browning, who has been racing for the now-folded Trinity road team in 2024 has already proved himself on a number of occasions. He won the Australian National Championships U23 road race in 2024 despite being hit by a car on his last training ride the day before and he also won stage 1 of the Tour de l’Ain last season. Nevertheless, he still ended the year without a European-based team contract.
“I just need the opportunity and need someone to take the gamble of signing me for the year,” Browning told Cyclingnews in December at the Tour of Bright, as he was hard at work training to get ready for the Australian summer racing.
The focus, in particular, was on making the most of this national team spot which would deliver his debut WorldTour race. However, he also collected two silver medals in the U23 men’s category of the Australian Road Championships with his domestic team CCACHE x Bodywrap) along the way.
“To start it off like this is awesome, and to be on semi-home roads in front of a lot of people that I know is so special,” Browning told reporters straight after collecting the mountains jersey, which the team will be looking to defend in the coming stages.
“For sure, we’ll look at trying to carry it through the tour. We’re obviously trying to look for every opportunity.”
It is clear that there is determination to leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of a place in the world of professional cycling in Europe via the team.
Marriage, the new Australian U23 time trial champion could also be seen powering up Willunga Hill on Saturday, in the opening stage of the new ProVelo Super League. Later in the day he then raced the Villawood Men’s Classic with the Australian team and after that on Sunday he lined up with his domestic squad (Butterfields Ziptrak) in the ProVelo crit.
“I did the first two rounds of the ProVelo series to get another opportunity to get a Jayco stagiaire [contract],” said Marriage of the series which will deliver the opportunity to the U23 winner. “So a few points on the board, but the big focus is this week.”
