Team News – Raleigh’s Belgian Trip

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Team Raleigh GAC made the short hop across the Channel to Belgium to compete in the Omloop van het Waasland last weekend.

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Team News – Raleigh’s Belgian Trip

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Raleigh took ‘superman’ to Belgium where he was 14th in the second race of the year.

A team of eight riders took to the cobbles of the 190km UCI 1.2 race, which featured a number of other British teams. The event was the second race of the season for the team and the main objectives for the team were to make sure Raleigh GAC riders were involved in all the action at the front of the race.

Team principal, Cherie Pridham, said: “The plan for the race was to be aggressive and make sure we had one or two riders in every substantial break. “The riders got stuck into the racing and there were Raleigh GAC riders in every break of any consequence.”

Both Karol Domaglaski and Matti Manninen both featured in the breaks with Karol involved in a seven man group who managed to open up a gap of nearly a minute on the peloton before being pulled back into the group It was then a matter of making sure team captain Ian Wilkinson was in the best possible position to sprint for the line.

Cherie said: “The lads worked really hard once the race came back together and did a great job of protecting Wilko. “He managed to finish 14th and was the first British racer home so that was great.”

The only blemish on an otherwise positive weekend was for Andy Hawdon who crashed heavily and broke his collarbone as well as four ribs. Cherie said: “The accident is just one of those things, it happens in bike racing. I know Andy is a tough rider and I’m sure we will see him back on the road soon. “Overall I am very pleased with how the two races so far have gone and it has been a solid start to the season with lots of positives to build on over the coming weeks and months.”

The team races next this weekend at the Wally Gimber Trophy in Dulwich, London, and the weekend after seeing the team’s first stage race get underway in Totnes. Last night also saw the announcement of this year’s Tour of Britain route. Stage six will finish in Nottingham, the home city of Raleigh, as well passing through Derbyshire on many of the roads that Team Raleigh GAC riders use as training routes from their base in Derby.

The list of teams that are taking part in the race has yet to be announced however Raleigh GAC’s name is in the hat.

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