Update: Rob Stannard elevated to WorldTour team early

20-year-old Rob Stannard has been elevated to join WorldTour team Mitchelton-SCOTT for Tre Valli Varesine and the remainder of the 2018 season.

The recent 2018 Piccolo Lombardia winner had originally been signed by the Australian outfit from 2019, having spent the last two seasons with continental team Mitchelton-BikeExchange, but will start earlier than anticipated, joining the squad this week in Italy.

Rob Stannard

“I am really excited to be riding with the team, it is great for my development to be able to do some races already this year with the team at this level. It is a really good stepping stone for me, I know the roads for Tre Valli Varesine, I live and train in the area so it is really nice to be able to race close to home so it is a great race for me to start at with the team.

“I am really excited, I don’t really know what to expect but I’m sure I will be learning the whole time and hopefully I can be part of the team’s success in these first races.”

Dave McPartland - Sport director

“The Italian races are on courses that should suit a rider like Rob so it is a great place for him to start. It will be a great experience for Rob to get a head start on next season and I think with Tre Valli we can expect him to be there most of the day and on roads that he is familiar with.”

Rob Stannard

Age: 20

Nationality: Australian

Place of Birth: Sydney