The 26-year-old has quickly gained a reputation as a strong climber after a string of impressive results this season both in the domestic Australian National Road Series - winning the individual's title - and abroad, including wins at the New Zealand Cycle Classic, Tour de Taiwan and Tour of Japan.

Earle, who rode with Team Sky’s fellow Tasmanian Richie Porte for two years for the Praties squad (Huon Salmon, now Avanti) between 2008 and 2009, has firmly established himself as a rider ready to make the step up to WorldTour level.

Nathan Earle said: “It’s a really good feeling to have signed for Team Sky. This was the next step I was looking to take and I’m lucky enough to be signing with the most well-drilled team in the pro peloton. I’m just excited to get amongst that and work for the team. It’s pretty special and I can’t wait to get started next year."

His now former Avanti Racing Team will soon announce it's first signings for the upcoming 2015 campaign and with Earle now confirming to leave the team, the fans will hope for at least one equally strong new arrival.

Ian Butler wrote:
Oh

I need a new guy to cheer for.

TheManxMissile wrote:
What have you done

Drapac Professional Cycling has announced three more riders to join its ranks for 2015. Travis Meyer (Orica-GreenEdge), Will Clarke (coming off free agency) and Adam Phelan (Jayco-WTA) all join the Australian team as it returns to the Pro-Continental ranks.

It's more good news for the team, which was quite succesfull in 2014 - with Robbie Hucker finishing 2nd in the NRS and also winning the prestigious Grafton to Inverell.. a few days before, Drapac also announced the addition of riders like Jack Anderson (Budget), Lachlan Norris (Jayco-VIS), Wes Sulzberger (Orica), Jai Crawford (Huon Genesys) and top sprinters like Jonathan Cantwell (Saxo-Tinkoff) and Wouter Wippert (former Lotto Belisol)!

"It's a heavy upgrade to compete on the new level we are", said manager Jonathan Breekveldt. "We are delighted to see some WT-riders joining this project, which is just to make the next step! Of course we will still try to be competitive in the NRS, so we should be a true force in Australia next season."

2015 Roster (with former team)
ANDERSON Jack (Budget)	MEYER Travis (GreenEdge)
CANTWELL Jonathan (Saxo)	NORRIS Lachlan (Jayco-VIS)
CLARKE William (FA)	PALMER Thomas
CRAWFORD Jai (Huon)	PHELAN Adam (Jayco-WTA)
GOESINNEN Floris	RUDOLPH Malcolm
HUCKER Robbie	SULZBERGER Wes (GreenEdge)
JOHNSON Benjamin (FA)	SULZBERGER Bernard
KERBY Jordan (Budget)	WIPPERT Wouter
LAPTHORNE Darren

Leaving the team
DAVISON Luke (Synergy Baku)
WALKER William (Synergy Baku)
WALKER Johny (-)
POLLOCK Rhys (-)

Robbie Hucker had his breakthrough year in 2014 and may now even aim for the NRS title! Given that the team will still race all events, he's just one of several outstanding riders on the Drapac squad next year though.

It’s been a long road to recovery for South Australian Tim Roe, but the former BMC man says he’s now feeling better than he ever has on a bike and is confident the 2015 season will reflect the talent he knows he has.

Roe will join Australian Continental team Budget Forklifts for 2015, a coup for the domestic outfit, and a marked step down for Roe after three years in Europe, and two in the WorldTour. But for Roe it's a very much calculated move, and one he hopes to bounce back from by 2016. Sometimes the way forward requires a detour.

At the Budget Forklifts team camp this week, Roe appears more relaxed, more at peace, and more enthusiastic about what the future holds than he ever has been - and that does not bode well for his NRS competition.

“I think I can win the NRS,� said Roe. "I see this is as a chance to refocus myself, as a chance to show again what I know I can do.� - A week ago he broke Damien Howson’s record up the well-known Adelaide climb, Norton’s Summit, and now on numbers and feel Roe says he’s going better than he ever has.

2015 Roster (with former team)
BARRY Daniel (Node4)	PRETE Joshua
CUPITT Michael	ROE Timothy (BMC)
EVANS Karl	SIMPSON Myron (Subway)
GOUGH Westley (FA)	TALBOT Brodie (Kangaroos)
HORGAN Samuel	VINK Michael
JUEL Kristian	WILLIAMS Marc
KERRISON Jesse	WINDSOR Blair
LOFT Peter	WITMITZ Sam
NANKERVIS Tommy (Bissell)	WOHLER Alex

Leaving the team
ANDERSON Jack (Drapac)
McCARTHY Jon (-)
KAUFFMANN Jacob (Gardeau - Québecor)
KERBY Jordan (Drapac)

From the left: Sam Witmitz, Kristian Juel, Josh Prete, Sam Horgan, Michael Vink, Tim Roe - a winning team?