DESPITE the pouring rain, a good crowd of riders and spectators turned out to watch Liverpool Century's Jamie Shirlaw sprint across the finish line first after 52mins 52secs during Race Two of his club's Circuit Criterium at Litherland Sports Park on Wednesday, August 6, starting at 7.15pm.]]>
MORE than 250 turned up at Thornton Crematroium last Friday afternoon to pay their last respects to Merseyside cycling legend, Ken Matthews.]]>
Former greats at Ken's funeral included the likes of Ian Emmerson, Pete Mathews, Frank Lyon, Andy Wilkinson, Harry Welch, George Hewitt, Stan Brittain and Jack Lowe.
An article celebrating the life and achievements of Ken will be published in Cycling Weekly this Thursday.
Matthews, former cycling correspondent for the Liverpool Echo, passed away on Thursday, July 31, in Aintree Hospital at the age of 83.
He covered the sport for the Echo from 1955 to 2006, when he retired due to ill health. He also reported for numerous media organisations, including BBC Radio Merseyside and Cycling Weekly magazine.
At the age of 18, he began four years' service in the RAF as an aircrew member with a squadron at Mildenhall.
After completing one Tour of Ops (30) on Lancaster Bombers, including raids on the Mohne and Eder Dams in the Ruhr, Matthews was made a warrant officer.
In 1946, he was demobbed and so began his lifelong service to the sport of cycling. He helped to form a new club, the Melling Wheelers, who changed their name to Kirkby Cycling Club in 1963, when they moved into Kirkby Stadium.
KJM, as he was known, assisted in the design of the new banked cycle racing track at there and as club secretary helped KCC gain much success at home and abroad.
He was still acting as chairman even after their HQ, now called Kirkby Sports Centre, was closed in August 2007.
His own racing career ended when he was 32 due to his commitments as an official, but in 2001 he received British cycling's Gold Badge of Honour award for his diverse roles over the years, including senior commissar, race commentator and, in the 1970s, GB team manager.
He was chairman of countless organisations, including the Liverpool Time Trials CA, the Dover Cycling Fellowship and the Merseyside Veterans Time Trials Association.
As a race promoter, he organised the Eddie Soens Memorial Race at Aintree for 40 years. In June 2002, he was awarded a replica Manx Sword of State from the Isle of Man's Tourism Minister for his 57 years service as a race official to Manx Cycling Week.
During the same year, he received the Aintree Village Council Civic Award. A hardworking, loyal and popular figure, his drive and enthusiasm for cycling was unstoppable. He will be sadly missed.
LITHERLAND'S Go-Ride cycling scheme for children has gone from strength-to-strength since its initial conception in 2006 - thanks mainly to the dedication of volunteer coaches from Liverpool Mercury.]]>
MORE than 250 turned up at Thornton Crematorium last Friday afternoon to pay their last respects to Merseyside cycling legend, Ken Matthews.]]>
Former greats at Ken's funeral included the likes of Ian Emmerson, Pete Mathews, Frank Lyon, Andy Wilkinson, Harry Welch, George Hewitt, Stan Britain and Jack Lowe.
An article celebrating the life and achievements of Ken will be published in Cycling Weekly this Thursday.
Matthews, former cycling correspondent for the Liverpool Echo, passed away on Thursday, July 31, in Aintree Hospital at the age of 83.
He covered the sport for the Echo from 1955 to 2006, when he retired due to ill health. He also reported for numerous media organisations, including BBC Radio Merseyside and Cycling Weekly magazine.
At the age of 18, he began four years' service in the RAF as an aircrew member with a squadron at Mildenhall.
After completing one Tour of Ops (30) on Lancaster Bombers, including raids on the Mohne and Eder Dams in the Ruhr, Matthews was made a warrant officer.
In 1946, he was demobbed and so began his lifelong service to the sport of cycling. He helped to form a new club, the Melling Wheelers, who changed their name to Kirkby Cycling Club in 1963, when they moved into Kirkby Stadium.
KJM, as he was known, assisted in the design of the new banked cycle racing track at there and as club secretary helped KCC gain much success at home and abroad.
He was still acting as chairman even after their HQ, now called Kirkby Sports Centre, was closed in August 2007.
His own racing career ended when he was 32 due to his commitments as an official, but in 2001 he received British cycling's Gold Badge of Honour award for his diverse roles over the years, including senior commissar, race commentator and, in the 1970s, GB team manager.
He was chairman of countless organisations, including the Liverpool Time Trials CA, the Dover Cycling Fellowship and the Merseyside Veterans Time Trials Association.
As a race promoter, he organised the Eddie Soens Memorial Race at Aintree for 40 years. In June 2002, he was awarded a replica Manx Sword of State from the Isle of Man's Tourism Minister for his 57 years service as a race official to Manx Cycling Week.
During the same year, he received the Aintree Village Council Civic Award. A hardworking, loyal and popular figure, his drive and enthusiasm for cycling was unstoppable. He will be sadly missed.
ORGANISERS of the Tour of Britain have got something special up their sleeves when the final stage reaches Liverpool, the European Capital of Culture for 2008, on Sunday, September 14 - the chance for club riders to race on the circuit before the Pros.]]>
Prior to the arrival of the big race, a series of support races are being promoted by Merseyside Cycling Development Group (MCDG) with sponsorship from The Liverpool Culture Company.
The short but challenging circuit is in the shadow of Liverpool's world famous 'Three Graces' - The Liver Building, Port of Liverpool Building and Cunard Building, and will use the same finish line as The Tour of Britain.
There will be races for Youth A, B & C riders, a Regional B race for 3rd & 4th category seniors, juniors and women and finally a National B race for Elite, 1st, 2nd & 3rd category seniors and juniors.
Racing is due to get underway at 10.30am with durations to be determined by the anticipated arrival time of the Tour of Britain. Riders are encouraged to pre-enter for the support races and entries are being taken now with a closing date of 5th September 2008.
Full details of the races are available via a link on the British Cycling North West Region website www.bc-nw.co.uk and the organiser, Tom Greep, can be contacted on 07753 840241
Boardman inside British Cycling's 'Secret Squirrel Store', where they keep all of their equipment
SIXTEEN years have passed since Chris Boardman rode his way into the record books with his stunning performance at the Olympic Games in Barcelona, writes James Pearce.]]>
The Hoylake rider became a household name overnight as he clinched gold in the individual pursuit.
A successful career also saw him break the world hour record three times and land bronze in the individual time trial at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta before his retirement in 2000.
His meticulous attention to detail earned him the nickname ‘The Professor’ and Boardman’s passion for the sport is as great as ever.
In recent years, he has been busy behind the scenes helping to mastermind the resurgence of British cycling and his hard work has paid off in stunning fashion.
At the World Championships in Manchester this year, Britain claimed an unprecedented nine golds and are tipped to dominate at the Beijing Olympics in August.
Boardman, now 39, who still lives in Wirral, has three roles in the job at the National Cycling Centre based at Manchester Velodrome.
He is part of the four-strong senior management team working alongside performance director Dave Brailsford, psychiatrist Steve Peters and head coach Shane Sutton.
Boardman is also the director of coaching and head of research and development.
“By preference, it’s not a frontline job and I don’t coach riders,� he said. “I have a relationship with one or two like Bradley Wiggins, but I try not to get between the athletes and the coaches.
“I coach the coaches and act as a mentor to them. For the new guys who have come in over the last 18 months, it can be daunting for them. It’s been a case of getting them to believe in themselves. After enjoying a level of success, we also have to ensure nobody gets over confident.�
As head of research and development, Boardman has been at the forefront of the technological advances which have left their rivals trailing.
With one thousandth of a second sometimes the difference between success and failure, no stone has been left unturned.
And with grants worth £500,000 from UK Sport, everything from pedals to helmets has been refreshed or redesigned.
Boardman, who famously won gold in Barcelona on the radical one-piece carbon fibre Lotus bike he helped to invent, has also gone outside the sport to consult research experts in motor racing and aerospace. His motivation is the quest for perfection.
“As well as the bikes themselves, clothing, helmets and shoes are all my responsibility and it’s really fascinating work,� he said. “There were so many questions from my era and now we’ve turned up another 10 questions.
“We thought we would close the book in three years, but there’s room for even more improvement and we’re about to start another four-year cycle.
“We’ve worked very hard from playing catch-up with Australia to making sure we are ahead of the world. These days, it’s a case of more and more investment for less return, but I’m pretty confident we’ve surpassed everyone in every area.
“We’ve spent a lot of time over the past three years in wind tunnels in Southampton working with the university there.
“We’ve been working with a huge amount of equipment and have gone into fine detail. Lottery funding in cycling has been absolutely crucial. Over the past three years, we’ve been limited only by imagination, not finances.
“The fact is as soon as you know what a bike looks like you are restricted. You need people who know nothing about the sport to come in and look at it from a different perspective.
“That’s why we’ve worked with Formula One guys from Honda and BAE Systems to look at the aerodynamics. We’ve brought in a variety of talented people with knowledge in various areas.
“But despite all the progress we’ve made, the rider is still the most important part and a huge part of it is the riding position. What we try to do is just polish everything else to the optimum degree.�
A lot of Boardman’s work is top secret and not even performance director Brailsford knows what equipment is in British Cycling’s ‘Secret Squirrel Store’ in Manchester ahead of Beijing.
“Dave is so keen and enthusiastic, and even he admits he would blab about it if he knew what we had,� said Boardman. “We’ve got some really interesting stuff for the Olympics and everything is new from the clothing, to the helmets, bikes and wheels – it has made a significant difference.
“Every new element was used at the Worlds in Manchester, but we didn’t put everything out there en masse. Everyone is comfortable with what we’re doing, we’ve worked rigidly within the rules and I’m confident that everyone will be happy.
“We’re probably better prepared than anyone else in the world and it’s a great feeling knowing you have done your job to the max.
“As a rider, it’s desperately frustrating if you train to the nth degree but are giving something away to your rivals.�
Boardman admits the biggest hurdle facing riders in Beijing will be the growing sense of expectation.
At the World Championships in Manchester in March, the British team won as many titles as the rest of the world put together.
West Lancashire's Bradley Wiggins won three golds, while Victoria Pendleton, Chris Hoy and Rebecca Romero picked up two apiece, sparking feverish speculation about what the team could achieve at this year’s Olympics.
“What happened at the Worlds was unprecedented in the history of the sport and we will probably not see anything like that again,� he said. “I think we were all surprised by the level of success. The coaches and athletes train and prepare for success, but you always expect fate and the opposition to get in the way.
“It was one of those occasions where everything went right and it was pretty special. It certainly threw up a whole new set of challenges. The public perception and the media interest is massive now, while the expectations of coaches and athletes have gone up.
“We’ve reached a point where if we come away with three golds from Beijing people will think British cycling has failed, but you have to remember that although we won nine golds at the Worlds, they are not all Olympic disciplines.�
But Boardman admits it would still be a major surprise if cycling isn’t Britain’s most successful sport.
He said: “In the team pursuit we are incredibly strong, then you’ve got Chris Hoy dominating in the keirin, Vicky Pendleton in the sprint, Bradley Wiggins in the individual pursuit and Shanaze Reade in the BMX.
“That’s feasibly five golds and then you’ve also got the team sprint. If everything comes together it should be a very exciting time.�
Boardman, who was forced to retire after struggling for two years with a strain of osteoporosis, insists he doesn’t miss life on the track.
“I enjoy being fit and healthy, and that’s enough for me,� he said. “It was very satisfying while I was there, but riding was highly stressful and very intense. I’m quite happy to be where I am now, watching from the sidelines. It’s a very different lifestyle. It seems like a different life and I’m very comfortable with that.�
Andy Grice will be aiming to turn up the heat on clubmate Dave Hilton
THE RACE for Southport’s 10-mile championship is gathering pace as riders scramble for valuable points, writes Paul Mayor.]]>
With Dave Hilton electing not to ride every event gives lesser mortals a chance. In Dave’s absence, Rob Hurst has been the man to beat but he will be not compete this Thursday as he is riding in the Alps with Andy Cargill and Terry Wignall.
Andy Grice may be able to take advantage of the situation and he is certainly in good form having recorded a personal best time of 23 minutes and 2 seconds in the Preston Wheelers event at Garstang on Tuesday evening.
Other riders continue to come up with some excellent times with Colin Baldwin recording 24-33 in the Prescott Eagle 10, Bill Lloyd 2-10-29 in the Ferryhill Wheelers 50 and B Sedgewick 1-1-26 in the Heanor Clarion 25.
The club will be holding its Track Night at the Manchester Velodrome on Nov 26. IInterested parties should contact Colin Baldwin.
Another event not to miss is the club’s open 25 for which Dave Hilton is taking entries.
Meanwhile, Southport’s Bill Bradley memorial ride takes place on July 27 , starting at the Preston Arena.
For those who do not wish to take the longer route from Southport, the ride goes through the Trough of Bowland and some of the North of Englands most beautiful countryside.
BIKENUT has teamed up with Liverpool City Council to help improve cycling to and from the city centre as part of Liverpool's Cycle Strategy. Use the link below, fill in the questionaire and help make Liverpool an even more cycling-friendly city.]]>
here.]]>
WEST Lancashire’s adopted son Bradley Wiggins will enjoy a homecoming of sorts after his High Road team confirmed they will take place in this year’s Tour of Britain.]]>
Wiggins, together with fellow team-mates at High Road, including Mark Cavendish and Roger Hammond, have been named in the provisional line-up for the Tour of Britain, which takes place this September.
The 2008 eight-day event gets underway in London on September 7 before ending in a spectacular circuit around Liverpool on September 14 to mark the city’s celebrations as European Capital of Culture.
Although the exact route of the final stage from Blackpool to Liverpool has not yet been confirmed, it is expect to run a similar course to the 2006 race and take in the majority of climbs Wiggins trains on when he is at home in West Lancashire.
Last time the North West stage of the Tour ran from Blackpool to Liverpool, it attracted 60,000 spectators. This year, as the region hosts the final leg to coincide with Liverpool08, the Tour is expected to attract even more spectators.
Stage 8 of the 2008 race is likely to start in Blackpool, taking in steep climbs across Trough of Bowland and Waddington Fell before heading through Tarleton, Banks, Southport, Formby, Thornton, Crosby, Bootle and then finishing with several spectacular, fast-paced laps around the heart of Liverpool City Centre.
Mick Bennett, Tour of Britain technical director, said: “Team High Road is the first of a number of exciting announcements in the 2008 team line up.
“Having a team that includes Cavendish, Wiggins and Hammond on the roads of the UK just after the Olympics is a mouth-watering prospect to say the least.
“Mark and Roger in particular have contributed a great deal to the success of the race in recent years and it's great to have them back again."
Kit Gilham, centre, wearing his pink King of the Mountains jersey together with the rest of his Kinesis UK team-mates and manager, Chris Truett, far left
SOUTHPORT’S Kinesis UK cycling team were given a huge boost when one of their riders climbed to mountain glory, writes Philip Kirkbride.]]>
Kit Gilham claimed the King of the Mountains jersey in the eight-day FBD Insurance Ras in Ireland.
The prestigious pink jersey win by Gilham has made cycling teams around the world take real notice of the team.
Gilham was trailing in eighth place in the mountains competition but winning four of the five climbs on the penultimate day, as well as his victory in stage five of the race, helped him take the jersey.
Kinesis UK team manager Chris Truett said: “It was absolutely fantastic and to come away from such a big race with a jersey was beyond our beliefs.
“When Kit came into contention the rest of the team just defended - we said to them we were there to race and there to race hard.
“We didn’t expect this whatsoever, it’s just hard enough getting round and there were some really strong teams there with the Germans, French and Norwegians - Kit’s efforts just boost the whole team.We’ve got a young squad who are the fourth best team in the country but we have a small budget in comparison to other teams.�
The progress made by the squad at the UCI 2.2 event in Ireland means invitations to some of the world’s most renowned races are coming thick and fast.
In two weeks the squad will race in the Tour of Serbia, with all their expenses paid. However, an invitation for a race in Canada has had to be turned down due to lack of finances.
MORE than 200 children are expected to take part in the first-ever North West Three-day Youth Stage Race next weekend in Southport, Preston and Litherland.]]>
Liverpool Mercury, Southport and Ribble Valley Juniors have teamed up to host the three-day youth stage event, which has attracted competitors from afar afield as Ireland and the Isle of Mann, at their respective clubs from June 13-15.
Southport will host the Stage 1 time trial at their Victoria Park track on Friday, June 13, before the second day of racing switches to Ribble Valley Junior’s headquarters at Preston Arena on Saturday, June 14.
Litherland Sports Park based Liverpool Mercury will then host the final and decisive Stage 3 circuit race at the £5.5m venue in Boundary Road, Litherland, on Sunday, June 15.
Radio and TV presenter Simon O’Brien got together with fellow cyclist this week to help launch the TravelWise Summer Cycle campaign this week. From left to right: Karen Stevens, Liverpool City Council's cycling officer; Claudia Stuerk, Liverpool City Council; Jane Moore, TravelWise officer; City Talk’s Simon O'Brien and Victoria Naylor, events co-ordinator at Café Sports England; Gordon Ross, programme director of Music, Liverpool Culture Company
RADIO & TV presenter Simon O’Brien set the wheels in motion to help launch the TravelWise Summer Cycle campaign. The initiative is designed to encourage people in Sefton and across Merseyside to cycle, whether as a way to enjoy fresh air, fitness and fun or as a sensible commuting option.]]>
Everyone is being encouraged to join in, from those who are keen to re-discover cycling to absolute beginners. The campaign includes:
1. a programme of free TravelWise Bike Time led rides.
2. the Liverpool Cycle Festival at Williamson Square on Saturday 21st June from 11am – 4pm, where people can find out everything they would ever like to know about pedal power.
3. free cycling maps to illustrate the best cycle routes in Sefton and across Merseyside.
The Sunday TravelWise Bike Time rides are set to take place in Sefton and the other Merseyside boroughs between now and September. These are led by experts at Cycling Solutions and are open to people of all ages and abilities - a great way to ‘discover’ Sefton while keeping fit. All rides start at 2pm and last between one and three hours. A tea stop is included and there is no need to book. The Bike Time rides are a wonderful way to enjoy the city and the countryside landscapes of Sefton and other areas of Merseyside.
The Bike Time rides have been designed to showcase the main attractions in each local area. For example, the Sefton bike rides will pass by the Anthony Gormley statues on Crosby beach. More than 500 people have taken part in TravelWise cycling events over the past three years and it is estimated that more than 1,000 people will join in the enhanced activities this summer alone.
Two Sunday Bike Time Rides are planned for the Sefton area – ‘Ainsdale Lanes’ on June 22 and and ‘Sefton Lanes’ on July 20. On June 22, cyclists will set out from Ainsdale Station at 2pm and will follow the Transpennine Trail, the Leeds Liverpool Canal and the Cheshire Lines Path. The ride will last approximately two hours, and there will be a tea stop at the Scarisbrick Arms.
On July 20, cyclists will meet at Blundellsands and Crosby Station – again at 2pm – and take a three-hour journey through Little Crosby and Ince Blundell Park, stopping for tea at the Garden Centre Café on Back O’ the Town Lane.
Another highlight of the Summer Cycle campaign will be the Liverpool Cycle Festival - a must for people who would like to try out some of the more weird and wonderful bikes around. Visitors to the free event can try out a whole host of unusual bikes, from trikes to tandems and there will even be an obstacle course and slalom for those who really want to put their skills to the test. For those ‘back-seat’ cyclists, there will also be an opportunity to take a virtual bike ride – an amazing training experience that gives the same physical challenges as out on the road.
History buffs can go back in time and take a close look at cycles through the ages at a vintage bike display. And ‘smoothie’ lovers can mix a healthy drink using fresh fruit and static pedal power! You’ll also be able to pick up one of the new cycle maps covering all areas of Merseyside for free.
Neil Scales, Chair of the Local Transport Plan Partnership and Chief Executive and Director General of Merseytravel, said: “Cycling is a great way for both children and adults to enjoy fresh air, fitness and fun, whether cycling is a leisure activity or simply an easy, practical and environmentally-friendly way to commute to work.
More…
"I’m sure there are lots of people who have bikes hidden away in the shed at home. The aim of the Summer Cycle campaign is to encourage those people to dust off the cobwebs and get back on their bikes.
“The TravelWise Bike Time events are great, sociable fun for everyone and are free to join, offering the motivation and encouragement of cycling as a group. Our Bike Time events also provide an easy solution for families looking for an inexpensive way to entertain the kids during the summer holidays.�
Visit www.LetsTravelWise.org/cycling to download a copy of the programme of Bike Time events, to find out more about cycle training and to order free cycle maps. Alternatively, call 0151 330 1253 for further information.
MATT CRONSHAW has extended his lead at the top of the Liverpool Echo Star Trophy standings.]]>
The Kinesis UK rider picked up five points after his impressive second place in the Clayton Sprint over 50km on the Bashall Eaves course.
Cronshaw is now on 22 points, seven clear of Graeme Goulding (Kuota Biemme Spinergy).
Andy Fenn (Dolan RT) leads the way in the Trophy junior competition after his strong performances in the recent Isle of Man Tour.
Elsewhere, St Helens CRC’s John Rigby won the Liverpool Mercury Dolan Circuit Race at Litherland Sports Park.
Rigby finished in 1:00.23 to claim victory ahead of clubmate Jeff Freeman. Liverpool Century RC’s Dan Gibson triumphed in the latest round of the Bert Owens 500m Handicap, winning in 41.62secs.
STEPHEN BAILLIE from Withington Wheelers took the honours in the John Cull Memorial Road Race at Bickerstaffe, in 1 hour 58 minutes 37 seconds, writes Linda Tully.]]>
Ian Mitchelson, Hambleton RC was next to cross the line two seconds later in this 80km event for third and fourth category riders. Patrick Hanfling, FP Mailing CT was third, at five seconds.
Shane O’Neill, GS Surosa was first in the Ron O’Brien Memorial Road Race at Rainford in 1 hour 53 minutes. Colin Humphrey, Active Cycles Corbridge was next at four seconds and at a further 42 seconds, Nathan Harrison of Lancashire RC was third in this 80km event organised by St Helens CRC.
Dave Hilton, Southport CC won the inter-club 10- miles time-trial on the Tarleton course in 22 minutes 46 seconds. S Geraci, Team Swift AS, was second in 23.08 and Southport’s Jim Henderson third in 23.39. Southport also has the fastest veteran on standard in Bill Lloyd. He did 24.46 to produce a plus of 7 minutes 14 seconds.
In the inter-club 10 miles TT at Rainford, former Kirkby CC rider-turned-professional James Stewart, KFS Special Vehicles did 20 minutes 29 seconds. Steve Ludden, Forza Cycling was next with 21.53 and Ashurst Bike Club’s Phil Ellison was third in 22.22.
The Stage 2 route of this year’s Tour of Britain was launched recently. After the first hectic day of racing around the streets of London, the Milton Keynes to Newbury race will provide a chance for some of the world’s finest to gain lengthy time gaps on the main field.
The start of Stage 2 will take place outside Milton Keynes Central station before heading out to Bletchley then Aylesbury. The major challenge of the day will be the King of the Mountains climb at Streatley.
The grand finale of the Tour will be in Liverpool on Sunday 14th September, the route yet to be officially announced.
Matt Cronshaw, Kinesis UK is currently leading the Liverpool Echo Star Trophy Senior competition with 22 points.
Graeme Goulding, Kuota Biemme Spinergy is next on 15 points and his team-mate Christopher Burrows third on 14 points. The next event in this season long competition is on 25th May at Lach Dennis, organised by CDNW.
SOUTHPORT based Kinesis UK’s impact of the British racing scene has been so great this year that they have been hand-picked to take part in two top UCI ranked foreign events in 2008.
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Headed up by manager Chris Truett, James Sampson, Kit Gilham, Matt Cronshaw, Tom Last and Josh James have been invited to take part in the prestigious the FDB Insurance RAS in Ireland and the Tour of Serbia.
For the next two months, Kinesis will see turn their attention away from domestic racing and towards the higher ranked races in a bid to develop the riders and prove that they can compete at a superior level.
Strong team and individual performances in tough races such as The Girvan, Bikeline two-day, Chas Messenger and Tour of The Reservoir have brought the team to the forefront of British racing.
Kinesis UK will still continue to race the Premier Calendar series, where the team has already had two podium places, but they will take five riders to Ireland to complete in the eight day tour, which starts in Navan on Sunday, May 18.
The event will take the team right round southern Ireland, where the cyclists will cover more than 850 miles in eight days at a average speed of 30mph.
Kinesis will be competing against 27 teams from places such as France, Germany, Norway, Bulgaria, Poland, Netherlands, Britain and Ireland.
Kinesis UK manager Chris Truett said: “Although the upcoming events will be a tough test for a young team like Kinesis, participation in them is in-keeping with our ethos of developing young riders.
“Without a doubt, I believe that my riders are ready for this new challenge. In fact, it’s thanks to their performances in the first part of this season that led to the team’s invitations to these prestigious events.
“We are well aware that after such a successful start to the year, it is necessary to keep on putting in the hard work in order to maintain and even improve on this, especially competing in such tough events.
“Myself and all the team would like to than our sponsors, Kinesis UK, Sram, Reynolds, High-5, Fizik, Oval, Cratoni and Vittoria, for their continued support. Without them, the team would be unable to grow and by bringing on board several new companies this year, it has allowed us the opportunity to move up a level.�