Don't let the name fool you. 

He may have a strong German heritage, but Heinrich Haussler, the cheerful cyclist pictured above, is a fair dinkum, true blue Aussie.

The ‘Racing Kangaroo' as he is affectionately known on the European circuit was born in Inverell in outback New South Wales to a German father and Australian mother. He was raised Down Under, but left the country aged 14 to fulfil a dream of being a professional cyclist.

Haussler has retained a truly ocker accent (just watch a recent interview he did with SBS's cycling central), thicker than another Australian export Harry Kewell, and his surfer blonde hair perfectly fits in with Australia's beaches.  

Haussler has been racing on a German licence, but still retains an affinity with the country of his birth and has always thought of himself as an Australian. In July 2010, he voluntarily sacrificed his German citizenship for the chance to officially be called an Australian.

Official records will say that stage 13 of the 2009 Tour de France was won by a German, but reality says otherwise. Haussler won that stage with typical Australian grit and determination by breaking off the front of the bunch and riding 50km up steep hills to a solo victory.

Haussler is an underrated and unheard of rider in Australia, simply because of his heritage. As well as that Tour de France victory, he has won a stage of the Spanish Grand Tour - the Vuelta a España - is experienced at the one-day classics, finishing second in the Milan-San Remo, seventh in the Paris Roubaix, and this year won the points classification at the Paris-Nice.

This week Haussler's transition from unknown German all round cyclist to a fully-fledged Australian will be complete as he gets to pull on the green and gold jersey for the first time at the UCI Road World Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The course in Copenhagen is shaping up to be a sprint finish, likely in a mass bunch. A climb just a kilometre from the finish looms as an obstacle, so Milan-San Remo winner Matthew Goss will be Australia's protected rider and the best chance we have of producing the 2011 world champion.

Sprint finishes are not just won in the final 200m by one individual. It takes a whole team effort to protect the rider, keep him hidden within the peloton and out of the wind, control the race in the final few kilometres, and then launch their man to victory at the end. 

This type of racing will perfectly play into Australia's hands this week. As the third-ranked nation in the world, Australia has the luxury of being able to enter nine riders in the men's elite road race and have picked an extremely strong team for a sprint finish. while other nations only have a couple of riders.

Haussler won't just be easing into life on the Australian team - he will be an integral member. Haussler, team captain Stuart O'Grady, Victorian Simon Gerrans and Canberra pair Matthew Hayman and Michael Rogers provides the team valuable experience. They will set the race up for a defined leader, most likely Goss, and any one of them could be an outsider for the win, particularly if a breakaway succeeds.

Sprinters Baden Cooke and Chris Sutton will be back-ups should Goss not have the legs on the day. Simon Clarke is the bolter on the nine-rider team.

Australians love pulling on the green and gold jersey on one of the few occasions they get to wear it every year. The nine-riders have a true team culture. Although they will all want to win on the day personally, they know realistically if Australia is to step onto the top step of the podium, it will take a complete team effort and sacrifice. 

The Australians want one of their own wearing the rainbow jersey, and will be doing everything they can to send the leader on the day to the line. They don't ride for themselves, and this is what has made Australia the most successful nation at the last two world championships.

Haussler gets to experience this unique atmosphere for the first time next week. The local Inverell lad finally gets the chance to mix with colleagues O'Grady, Gerrans, Goss and co.

Hopefully, being around the team will raise Haussler's profile in Australia. Little is known about the 27-year-old, but his passion for the green and gold runs deep.

The world's fastest man Mark Cavendish and current world champion Thor Hushovd will be the favourites for Sunday's men's elite road race.