The ‘Forme Procycliste SanLamere’ cycling team was launched in early March and since then have been on the road with UCI and elite races in Croatia and France either side of the Dengie Marshes Tour and before the Tesco Rutland-Melton International CiCle Classic; the first major UK race of the season.
The teams’ first foreign racing of the season was at the UCI 1.2 Porec Trophy on 13th March. The race went right from kilometre zero with strong winds battering the peloton and resulting in splits in the bunch, with echelons forming and breaking up throughout the race. The team rode well to position Jack Adams in the longest break of the day after 50km though the front of the race was to later regroup and break up again before the finish. Jack Adams eventually finished 49th and Stephen Gallagher 51st for ‘Forme Procycliste SanLamere’ on a day where over half of the field failed to finish the race.
The team then continued in Croatia with the UCI 2.2 Istrian Spring Trophy, a four day stage race containing teams such as Rabobank and Katusha continental as well as Michael Rasmussen and his Christina Watches – Onfone team. The team acquitted themselves well throughout the very testing race and showed their ability against more established competition. With the An Post Ras an objective for the team later in the season it was important for the team to compete in a high level stage race as part of their preparations.
After an unsuccessful weekend at the Dengie Marshes Tour where ‘Forme Procycliste SanLamere’ paid the price of punctures the team travelled to Brittany for a weekend of Elite National races. On Saturday 9th April the team raced the Circuit d’Armorique in Finistere where Jack Adams finished in 29th place, with support from Rob Orr (33rd), Dexter Gardias (40th) and Will Fox (49th). After a hard day racing on the Saturday the team took to the start line at Redon-Redon, a 160km race against some of Frances’ finest amateur teams as well as teams such as the Itera – Katusha under 21 set up. The race saw a single rider finish just ahead of the main bunch with Jack Adams (49th), Dexter Gardias (72nd) and Adam Rayner (141st) coming home safely in the uphill charge to the line for 2nd place.
The teams’ most recent race and one of the biggest but also most difficult races of the season was the UCI 1.2 Tesco Rutland – Melton CiCle Classic. The team rode well from the start to position themselves at the front of the peloton during the two laps of Rutland Water. An untimely puncture for Rob Orr after 50km unfortunately meant that he rejoined the peloton just before the first real sector of the race, and despite the efforts of team-mate Will Fox was unable to reach the front of the race as the peloton started to fragment.
Dexter Gardias and Adam Rayner helped keep Jack Adams in position over the first sectors of the race, with Jack twice escaping the front group during the mid section of the race before being brought back. With the race reaching its climax a shipped chain saw Jack lose touch of the front group during the final crossing of the Sommerberg, eventually finishing in 32nd place. Rob Orr punctured a second time before the finish and came home in 87th. Special thanks go to Continental Tyres and also to the teams’ casual clothing provider www.sueme.com for their assistance at Rutland before the race and at the feed zone.
PHOTOS FROM THE RACE BY VELOUK
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