Manly, a Team Pursuit and Points Race World Champion, previously spent five seasons with the team, while Baker, also a World Champion in the Team Pursuit event, spent one year with the squad back in 2017.
With this previous experience and understanding of how the Australian outfit works, the elite pair are motivated to see what they can achieve in 2022. Older and wiser, the Australian duo have high ambitions as they make their comeback to the Women’s WorldTour peloton, hoping to add extra firepower to the squad and looking to build on their past experiences of racing overseas.
“It’s really special to be returning to GreenEDGE Cycling with my priority focus now being on the road," said Manly. "I have many friends in the team already and it feels right to be returning to the team that has helped me develop over the years.
"I will keep in touch with the track, but it won’t be what I prioritise. I am most looking forward to being back racing regularly and chasing some new goals with the girls.”
Manly and Baker were part of the team pursuit squad that finished fifth at the Tokyo Olympics, Baker also teaming up with Annette Edmondson in the madison, then the duo joined forces for the same event at the world championships, the pair finishing sixth.
Baker was a last-start winner on the road, taking out the final stage of the Santos Festival of Cycling, the replacement event for the Tour Down Under in 2021, winning the sprint in Victoria Park.
“I’m really excited to be joining GreenEDGE Cycling again, I was with the team only briefly in 2017, but it actually feels like a new and fresh start," said Baker. "I’m grateful for the opportunity to give back to the team and I’m looking forward to working with the girls and having a successful season together.
"I’ll be based in Europe for the entire season and setting myself up in Girona and Andorra. I’ll be keeping in touch with the track throughout the year and will hopefully compete at the Commonwealth Games, but road will be a priority for me this year.
"I’m honestly unsure what to expect next season, I don’t have a huge amount of experience in the Women’s WorldTour peloton, but I’m looking forward to the new challenge and learning lots to contribute to the team success.”
The combination of a road career with the track might be a help with their competitiveness in the velodrome, with a number of the world and Olympic champion German team mixing their attentions between the road and track.
