News – Wales to have its own pro team

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St David’s Day, 2015, celebrated by Eifion Weinzweig as he reveals plans to launch a Welsh professional cycling team next year

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News – Wales to have its own pro team

PRESS RELEASE - We are Wales PRO Cycling Team 

The ‘We are Wales’ Pro Cycling Team is the brainchild of Bridgend-born Weinzweig, who has joined forces with his former professional coach Yann Dejan to create a new team to represent Wales on the professional circuit throughout Europe.

Weinzweig-Dejan Cycling decided the time was ripe for Wales to have its own team to support following the huge successes in recent years of the legendary Nicole Cook and Geraint Thomas. ‘WAW’ will be headquartered in Cardiff Bay. The aim is for the ‘WAW’ team of riders to focus on a progressive approach to the Pro-Continental level within three years, while at the same time promoting a positive image of Wales.

“It’s very exciting to be able to finally announce the creation of the project which Yann and I first started three years ago. Our desire has always been to create something very special for the people of Wales, a team they can be proud  to call their own,” said the 27-year-old Weinzweig, who was educated at Ysgol Llanhari.

“We all know how passionate Welsh fans are about sport and ‘WAW’ will give them another professional team to follow in what is a rapidly growing sport. The ultimate dream is to one day support a Welsh rider through to the finish of the Tour de France, but that is a long way in the future.

“We are confident of having the necessary finance in place for Year 1 of the project in the next few months, our support teams are signed-up and ready to step into action later this year and we aim to announce our team of 12 riders at the start of 2016.

“We want to provide a platform for the Welsh economy to attract global investment into the region as well as engaging with local communities in Wales. One of our key objectives is to develop a long lasting legacy for young cyclists in Wales.”

The ‘WAW’ project has been using the blur Group plc’s commercial platform to help raise the £11.1m needed to fund the team for the next four years. “The continued adoption of the blur platform by enterprise customers is a very exciting confirmation of the robustness and flexibility of the blur platform,” said Philip Letts, blur Group CEO.

“We are delighted that our platform was chosen to help facilitate this project and enable it to come into fruition. Our network connects sellers and buyers and to date we have had 50,000 businesses use the platform and we are most pleased that this project tapped into our extensive network to raise the necessary funds.”

The plan is to base the team of riders at an elite camp in northern France under the expert direction of Director of Performance, Yann Dejan. They will travel to races from there and make regular returns to Wales for promotional work and other events.

“Having worked with Eifion for the best part of eight years, first as a rider and now as a business partner, I’ve learned a lot about my Celtic cousins. Taking the experience and heritage that comes from cycling in Brittany and giving it to this magical and sport-crazy country, Wales, is going to be an intoxicating mix”.

“It is going to be wonderful to see a Welsh team performing on the professional circuit in cycling and Eifion and I both intend to make it a success.”

Background
• Yann Dejan: Team Co-Principal and Director of Performance
Yann Dejan is a certified Elite Level coach, having developed his techniques working with Tour de France coaches. Yann has coached multiple professional cyclists from Europe, Asia and Africa over the last 15 years. He has experience as manager and sporting director of several teams in Asia and France, and has coached and directed the following teams:
• UCK Vannes
• Geumsan-Cello
• Team Bretagne
• GinsengGeumsan

• Eifion Weinzweig: Team Co-Principal and Director of Medicine
Eifion Weinzweig formally rode at elite level in France at the UCK Vannes team for 5 years. Eifion founded the Weinzweig group of companies specialising in athletes’ medical preparation and anti-doping programs as well as oncology and immunology, and corporate performance.

• In 2014 Weinzweig Group’s clients achieved over 60 top 10 results at Elite and Professional level sport as well as Tour de France participations, Tour of Italy participations and World Championship participations.

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