News: Strong Endura Racing Team for CiCLE Classic

With lots of racing in their legs from a busy racing programme in Europe, the Endura Racing team are fielding a strong team for the British UCI event, the Tesco Cicle Classic on Sunday. The team for the event will be an all British line-up with Rob Hayles, Scott Thwaites, Dave Clarke, Rob Partridge, Callum Wilkinson and Evan Oliphant.

“We are missing Ian Wilkinson who broke his collarbone” says director sportif Julian Winn. “It was one of the races he was focusing on but we’re now looking to a rider like Scott Thwaites to step up to the mark and have some freedom in the race. Scott is a very talented and capable rider and is on the verge of breaking though.”

“We also have a lot of other cards to play. Rob Partridge (above)  has really good form at the moment and then you throw in Dave Clarke as well so we have options. I would be happy for any of those guys to make the selection in the break. Everyone will have a role to play in the race and as long as we have a rider in that front group fighting it out for the win, I don’t mind who it is. It’s about who has the legs on the day and the others getting behind that rider for the good of the team.”

With the races reputation for being hard on tyres and hands, some of the riders will have their Look bikes equipped with thicker bar tape and tyre sponsor, Contential, will be supplying some wider than normal tyres, Gator Hard Shells, to cope with the rough farm tracks.

Endura Racing in France
The team will also have a squad racing in two French UCI races over the weekend, the Tour de Finistere (1.1) on Saturday and the CiCLE Classic equivalent in France, the Tro Bro Leon (1.1). “I think we have a good chance in  Finistere with three riders Iker Camaño, Rene Mandri and Maarten de Jonge who can play a major part in that race with the climb on the finishing circuit.

Tro Bro meanwhile says Julian, is very much like the CiCLE Classic. “Alex Blain (above) lives and breathes Tro Bro” Julian explained. “It is about him that race as he’s very motivated by it but you need luck as well. Some of the sectors are 2k long, it’s dusty and rocky and if you puncture, its almost game over.  It is a tremendous race.”

Racing in France will be Iker Camaño, Rene Mandri, Maarten de Jonge, Alex Blain, James Moss, Jack Bauer, Jack Anderson and Alexander Wetterhall.

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