the team formed for the 2012 season as part of a scheme to promote cycling talent in australia, and not come into such difficulties suffered by another australian team – pegasus sports – which folded without contesting a race due to sponsorship issues. much of the team's ridership is australian, almost entirely anglophone, and the team competes under an australian licence; as such, becoming the first australian team to be part of the top-tier of professional cycling. its manager is shayne bannan, the former performance director of cycling australia, while team's senior director sportif is ex-professional road cyclist matt white, who had a similar role at before being sacked.