Vogels sees Tour de Perth as valuable stepping stone

Former World Tour cyclist Henk Vogels says National Road Series events such as the Tour de Perth beginning in Fremantle tomorrow have become legitimate stepping stones to the international circuit.

The Woodside Tour de Perth will kick off its third year on the NRS circuit with a prologue through the streets of Fremantle, followed by stages at Perry Lakes and Kalamunda before the event wraps up at Langley Park on Sunday.

Local teams Navitas Satalyst, OTOC Vault and Wormall Civil CCS will go into the race with teams boasting some of WA’s most successful young riders, some on the verge of breaking through to senior ranks and pressing for a World Tour spot.

Vogels, the first WA rider to compete in the Tour de France, said a strong ride in the season-opening Perth event would be worth plenty in the eyes of international teams on the lookout for future recruits.

“We’re seeing roughly three or four per year coming out of races such as the Tour of Perth, Tour of Gippsland and other NRS races,” Vogels said.

“Now we have guys like (performance manager) Allan Peiper from BMC who keep a very close eye on what’s going on in the local races.

“It’s very important that we nurture this field in Australia.”