Will the real Heinrich Haussler please stand up?

Trying to unpack the ever evolving story of Heinrich Haussler's racing licence is a perplexing exercise, writes Anthony Tan.

Heinrich Haussler wins stage 13 of the Tour de France Source: AAP

With American sprinting ace Tyler Farrar cleaning up at the Eneco Tour and Lance Armstrong-mania sweeping through Ireland, it was easy to miss a small piece of news last week.

And unless you were a German or Australian, you probably wouldn't have taken much notice, or even if you did, may not have cared.

I noticed. I cared.

It centred on Heinrich Haussler's decision to keep his German racing licence through to at least 2010, the year the world road championships come to Australia.

That's right, in September next year, the crème de la crème of the cycling world will be coming to our shores and with Haussler, we have - had - a potential winner-in-waiting.

Over the weekend, I trawled through my suitcase that accompanied me during this last Tour de France. Sooner rather than later, I'll need to replace ol' faithful, or at the very least find a new handle, which broke on the day of the fourth stage team time trial in Montpellier.

Yes, it's a little sad, but for some bizarre reason, I recall these useless tidbits rather well. Probably because I distinctly remember lugging 25 kilos' worth of crap in and out of the car, and up and down hotel staircases for more than a fortnight, and sans handle, with a certain degree of exasperation and difficulty.

Anyway, it was not the suitcase itself, but what was in the suitcase that was important, as it contained my notes from each of the twenty-one stages, and on those sheets of ruled paper, quotes from the various stage winners.

Stage one, two, three… Ah, yes, here we go: the thirteenth stage from Vittel to Colmar.

In case you'd forgotten, Haussler chose to break away with Christophe Moreau just three kilometres into a seriously tough, two-hundred-kilometre stage.

In mind-numbingly cold, driving rain and against the odds, the pair was joined by a few more before the boyish, slightly girlish-faced German revealed what he intended to do ever since the stage route was announced, methodically dropping his companions with a metronomically captivating display of power.

So emotional was Haussler that when he crossed the line solo, three-minutes-and-thirty-four seconds short of the five-hour mark, he broke down and cried.

The entire performance was fantastic to watch, especially in light of his intention to change his racing licence from Germany to Australia at the end of the year, something the Inverell-born (his Mum and Dad are Australian and German, respectively, allowing him the benefit of two passports) Cervélo TestTeam rider had thought about doing the last few years.

Afterwards, that intent was confirmed to reporters in Colmar: "Next year I'm going to be riding for Australia," Haussler stated, telling my colleague and Sydney Morning Herald journalist Rupert Guinness that we can already celebrate his victory as an Australian win. "Yeah, I'd say so," he said in the typically laconic fashion us Aussies are renowned for.

"I moved to Germany when I was 14 to turn pro; it was my dream to turn pro. But, as I'm starting to get older, I feel more Australian. That's why I made the decision. It's always been in the back of my head."

At the post-race press conference, before I asked Haussler a question about the stage, I jokingly told him that he forgot to mention the women are better-looking in Australia when asked his reasons for changing his racing identity. He grinned a cheeky grin. I was beginning to like this guy – not many people get my lame jokes, let alone smile or laugh at them!

When Haussler rode for his previous team, Gerolsteiner, which no longer exists, the German-registered squad naturally wanted him to keep his German racing licence. Now that he's with Cervélo, Haussler said, it doesn't matter where his licence is registered. "That's why I want to ride for Australia."

If the decision was made in his mind, and he'd told reporters so at the world's biggest bike race, what on earth brought about the change?

"I would like to start in the BDR (Bund Deutscher Radfahrer, the German cycling federation) jersey in my former homeland," Haussler was quoted as saying, referring to next year's world championships in the Victorian seaside town of Geelong. "The course is good for me. In 2010, I will plan my season so that I can be there."

After what I so convincingly heard at the Tour, this just doesn't sound like Haussler talking. And in a year where the world championships is on home turf – an incredibly rare occurrence – and what's more, suit him to a T, why wouldn't he want to ride – and win – in the green and gold?

I'm desperate to talk to him. But before I do, I invite you (via the comments) to send any theories you may have on his allegiance or questions you'd like to ask Heinrich.

I'll do my best to pose these to him, and of course, ask him why he decided against relinquishing his German licence.