Michael Storer on Tour de France selection: "It shows the faith the team has in me"

It was one of the most surprising transfer of this past winter, as Michael Storer moved away from Team DSM after a breakthrough season to move into a much difference structure by signing a two-year deal with Groupama-FDJ. The Australian however, seems highly motivated by it and his goals for this summer as he was announced early on the year that he is set to make his Tour de France debut alongside David Gaudu and Thibaut Pinot.

“This team is as much into the details as DSM, maybe even more sometimes. It’s a very, very good set-up here. There are some very traditional elements as well, but when it gets into the science, we do things so very well. They really look after the riders and try and get the best out of everyone. And that’s exactly what I was looking for," he said regarding the feel in his new team, in an interview with VeloNews.

After winning the Tour de l'Ain, two stages at the Vuelta a España and the KOM classification, it was confirmed that Storer had reached the level he was talked of at an under-23 level. Very soon after, his departure from Team DSM meant a big change in his sporting career, but one he is excited about.

Asked about his thoughts on being selected so early for this year's Tour de France, Storer said, “That was definitely a relief. I wanted to do the Tour de France for the first time, and it shows the faith the team has in me by announcing that I’d been selected six months before it.”

He has made his season debut at the Tour de la Provence this past week, struggling in the crosswinds but putting on a solid performance at the queen stage where he finished 14th. His goals lay ahead though in the spring, as he is scheduled to be at Paris-Nice, Volta a Catalunya, Tour of the Alps and the Tour of Romandie in seek of mountain stages where he can obtain his first win with the French team.