On his first European World Tour stage race, Cameron Scott finished on the second step of the podium on the 2.3km Tour de Romandie Prologue in Payerne.

With the short and technical 2.3km parcour featuring 12 corners, the team opted for Merida’s aero road bike, the Reacto, over the TT Bike and the set-up paid dividends, as Nikas Arndt and Matevž Govekar also put in solid performances, finishing 8th and 13th, respectively. 

Cameron Scott was the last rider up for TBV and showed great technical cornering through the course, and marginally missed out on the win, finishing less than a second behind the winner, Maikel Zijlaard (Tudor Pro Cycling): “I’m pretty happy about this result. It’s actually my first WorldTour stage race in Europe, so to be on the podium is quite nice and satisfying. To be honest it’s probably the best opportunity for me to get a result for myself. So, to be able to pull it off is really satisfying.”

Asked about the course, Cameron commented: “The shorter, the better for me. I grew up in Australia doing lots of crits and track racing, so this course was almost perfect.”

Sports Director Neil Stephens believes the result is a great start and morale boost for the team ahead of a hard week of racing: “The team performed really well today. First of all, it was a brilliant ride by Cameron Scott, who came in as a late reserve, and to be able to perform and run second in the stage is a fantastic effort. The other two riders who were targeting today’s stage were Nikias Arndt, who finished 8th, and Matevž Govekar in 13th place, which is really good. We’ve also got to mention Damiano, who finished up there with the best of the GC guys, so overall, I’m really happy with the day.

Tomorrow is a tricky circuit, so it’s nice to be up there with a good position behind the bunch. More importantly, this is a great morale boost for the guys. For the young guys this week, we want to give them the best chance, and if you work hard and give it a go, you can achieve great things.”