Veteran Canberra cyclist Mathew Hayman will continue to pass on his vast experience to young Australian star Caleb Ewan after signing a two-year contract extension with Orica-GreenEDGE.
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The deal will see Hayman, 37, enter his 16th and 17th seasons as a professional after joining GreenEDGE from Team Sky in 2013.
The 2006 Commonwealth Games gold medallist in the road race, Hayman showed his worth at the Vuelta a Espana where he helped young stars Ewan and Esteban Chaves to three stage wins.
"I have been here two years now and it was a big move to come, but I have really enjoyed my time so far," Hayman said.
"I have been a part of some great wins and for me it wasn't a hard decision to return again. I don't think when I turned professional I thought there would ever be an Australian team, certainly not at this level.
"It's exciting, it's young and it's dynamic, so hopefully I have something to add to that. We have a really good mix of guys now and we seem to be able to win on all fronts and all terrains and that's exciting."
Hayman still has aspirations of competing for his own results, but his priority is doing what is best for the team.
"I still get excited about riding the Belgian classics," Hayman said. "If you don't have any personal ambition it's hard to do all the training. The classics are tough and it's really tough to get onto the podium. In the next two years, I hope I can have a stellar year and achieve that.
"I am still ambitious for my own results, but I take a lot of satisfaction out of helping the young guys and I hope that they enjoy it and take it all on board too."
Ewan is one of the up-and-coming stars of Australian cycling. The 21-year-old broke through for his first stage win of a grand tour when he claimed the fifth stage of this year's Vuelta a Espana in Spain.
GreenEDGE sport director Matt White said Hayman played in important mentoring role.
"We have been in a little bit of a transitional phase with a lot of the older guys coming to the end of their career, but with the role Mat plays, it's crucial he is around the young guys to pass that knowledge and information on," White said.
