Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling is extremely proud to announce that Annette Edmondson will be part of the black and orange team in 2015. Winner of a Commonwealth Gold Medal in the Scratch Race at Glasgow 2014, as well as a Silver in the Individual Pursuit, 22-year-old “Nettie” from Adelaide, South Australia, is one of the most exciting talents to come out of Australia in recent years.
“I’m really excited to race for and be a part of Wiggle Honda in 2015,” said Edmondson. “After two years of racing in the professional road circuit with Orica-AIS I’m looking forward to changing things up and getting to know new riders and staff.
“I’m excited to be racing alongside the team of talented and experienced riders and hope to learn as much from them as possible. I hope to play a key part in sprint lead-outs, and look forward to ‘having a crack’ myself when opportunities arise.”
As a Bronze Medallist in the Omnium at London 2012, Nettie will be another of Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling’s riders to be combining her road racing with targets on the track as she builds towards the next Olympic Games. First identified by the South Australian Sports Institute at the age of 13, she comes from an extremely talented family; younger brother Alex, who was also part of Australia’s Olympic squad in 2012, is the current Individual Pursuit World Champion.
“Due to my priorities aligning with the track as I work towards Rio in 2016, my road program will be significantly reduced,” Nettie said. “However I will be targeting races in the middle of the season such as Tour of Chongming Island in China and The Women’s Tour of Britain. My main objectives are to continue to develop as a road sprinter, effectively combine my track and road seasons and make a positive difference to the Wiggle Honda team in 2015!”
Much of Nettie’s 2014 season saw her focus on the track in Glasgow, but this did not prevent her from taking a World Championship Silver Medal as an integral part of the Orica-AIS Team Time Trial squad. As well as numerous Australian and Oceania Championships on the track, 2013 saw her achieve considerable success on the road, including a stage and final overall victory in the Tour of Chongming Island, and the prestigious Geraardsbergen stage of the Lotto-Belisol Belgium Tour on the town’s iconic Muur.
“This is one of our biggest signings of 2015,” said Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling Managing Director Rochelle Gilmore. “At the young age of 22 Nettie has already won the Commonwealth Games and taken medals at the World Championship and at the Olympic Games on the track… Not to mention her Bronze & Silver medals in the 2013 and 2014 Road World Championships in the TTT!
“It has been a real pleasure providing a stable road program for our track and MTB specialists to date and it’s an honour that Nettie, with the support of Gary Sutton and Matthew Gilmore, has chosen Wiggle Honda as Nettie’s road team for 2015.
“Nettie has established herself as a respected role model in the world of Women’s Sport and represents a healthy balanced lifestyle and, she has a very bubbly and charismatic personality,” Rochelle Gilmore added. “I’m absolutely delighted that Annette Edmondson will represent Wiggle Honda and our partners during 2015.”
With the addition of Edmondson, Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling has now confirmed seven of its line up for 2015. Olympic Champion Dani King, who has been part of the squad since its birth in 2013, will be joined by two-time Giro d’Italia winner Mara Abbott, Belgian Champion Jolien D’hoore, Italian Time Trial Champion Elisa Longo Borghini, Breton Champion Audrey Cordon-Ragot and exciting young British talent Anna Christian.
