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News: Endura Racing Back to Europe

With the Halfords Tour Series and Premier Calendar won, Endura Racing now have their sights on the Tour of Britain

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Last weekend, Endura Racing may well have ridden their final Premier Calendar Road Race of the season and now have a busy programme of European stage races which they hope will help put them in the best shape for the Tour of Britain in September. With that big goal not for two months, some of the team are taking a break right now whilst others will be racing in Portugal tonight(where Iker Camano of Endura Racing won the prologue) in a short stage race there.

Tour of Med winner at the start of the year Jon Tiernan-Locke (second) from right; is one of many riders in Endura Racing who will be aiming to be part of the six man team for the Tour of Britain.

“We have a selection of races ahead” explained the director sportif Julian Winn. “Our August looks quite healthy and we have some good prep races for the Tour of Britain. I do have to back everyone down though at the moment just to make sure everyone is firing for that second half.

Races include …other invites to be confirmed
– Tour Alsace (July 25, 5 days) France
– Paris-Corrèze (Aug 1, 2 days)
– Vuelta Ciclista a León (Aug 7, 5 days) Spain
– La Mi-Août en Bretagne (Aug 9, 4 days) France
– GP Stad Zottegem (Aug 21, 1 day) Belgium
– Druivenkoers – Overijse (22-Aug 22, 1 Day) Belgium

With a squad of winners, picking a team of six for the Tour of Britain will not be easy and Winn explains that this will be done by looking at what their best chances are in the race. “If we think we could win the race with Jon Teiran Locke, and I’m not saying it is Jon but with what he has done this year shows he can ride for the GC, so we’d have to take people who can ride at the front and support him.”

Julian added though that the team also have riders who would have a good chance in a bunch kick such as Scott Thwaites and Zak Dempster so there are options for the team and Julian says they will face that decision closer to the time.
“I have an idea of who I want the team to be in my head but I think it will be self selective. It won’t only be about who is going really well but also about how they fit into the team dynamic for the race. What can that person bring to the group for the race.”

Asked what now for the British season, Julian explained, I don’t want to be disrespectful to the British crits, but they are not part of the big picture for us. When they form part of a weekend with a Premier Calendar, then that is fine but the riders have sat in a van enough going back and forward and what I am conscious of is when they are doing that, they don’t get the quality training.

When we do the crit, for sure, we do them to win but I’d rather they were getting in quality training because if they don’t win, it makes more of a headline than if they do win. The National Crit Series isn’t part of the big picture. The Tour Series was key and that was mission accomplished. The Premier Calendar was important and the overall was a bonus and the European races are important too. The Tour of Britain though is the next key goal.”

Asked why the team may not be at the final Premier Calendar race, Julian explained how the team have two stage races, Vuelta Ciclista a León (Aug 7, 5 days) Spain and La Mi-Août en Bretagne (Aug 9, 4 days) France and potentially, Scott Thwaites and Erick Rowsell could be selected for the Europeans which is also on the same weekend. The upshot is that the team simply may not have any riders left to do the race.

Asked how long it takes to prepare for a race like the Tour of Britain, Julian replied “I think it started in January because you’re always trying out different combinations of riders to see what works and see who has what qualities and you are always chopping and changing. I was also keen for the younger riders to see that they are not just crit riders and I think that has worked well too.”

Julian explained how he expects the Tour du Poitou Charentes stage race to be the final one before the Tour of Britain which will give him time to bring the team together a week or so before the event and perhaps do some recce rides. Secret ones…

 

 

 

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