Team News: Raleigh GAC sign Yoeri Havik 2017

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Cherie Pridham Racing (Raleigh GAC) is pleased to announce the signing of Dutch Six Day Star, Yoeri Havik

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Team News: Raleigh GAC sign Yoeri Havik 2017

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The second rider to sign for Cherie Pridham Racing (Raleigh GAC in 2016) for the 2017 season is Dutchman Yoeri Havik who was fifth in the recent London Six Day. Yoeri, with partner Wim Stroetinga, won the Madison chase on the very first day of the London 6 Day and then followed that up with third on Day 2 and second in the Madison on Day 5.

Yoeri has a rich history in the 6 day scene and his winter has a packed programme of racing for the rider who’s victories include the Amsterdam one with Paris Roubaix winner Niki Terpstra in 2014. But his talents on a bike go beyond the boards and onto the road. When Britain’s Andy Fenn was having his first pro win in Challenge Mallorca, who was 6th – Yoeri was!

Team boss Cherie Pridham says of Yoeri , “six day riders are part of a big family and fit in well with the British race programme. As a rider, Yoeri suits what we as a team are trying to achieve for our sponsors in the racing we do.”

“We have been aware of his desire to come and race here for many months now and he is such an easy going person, it’s like we have known him for years. He is clearly a talented bike rider both on the road and the track.”

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“Coming from the Netherlands, he is a very ‘savy’ rider on the road because in that country, you have to know how to race the road to survive the bike races. He’s a quick and aggressive rider who likes to race hard and will bring a lot of experience to the team despite only being 25.”

Yoeri has also raced the Revolution series against many of the riders he will now cross pedals with on the road in Britain so is no stranger to the UK shores. He says of being offered a contract to ride for the team “I’m really happy to sign for Cherie as I have a real good feeling since our first contact. I can see Cherie just loves the sport of cycling like me and she’ll do everything within her power for the team and her riders”.

Asked what he is looking forward to in 2017, he replies “Of course I’m looking forward to the “big races” we could do with the team, like hopefully the Tour of Britain. At the same time, I look forward to every other race in the UK. They will all be new to me and that’s always exciting”.

“I want to focus myself on blocks of racing like I focus myself on blocks of racing on the track. For now, I focus on the Six Days plus the new style Olympic omnium. With Team Raleigh GAC, their racing schedule and their good organization, it’s a great opportunity for me to combine the two in a good way”.

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On the type of races Yoeri enjoys most, he replies like any winner would do “the ones I win ;-) — I like races where a big breakaway group gets away and then I try to attack them in the final or win the sprint”.

To learn more about Yoeri, the team asked him to name his career highlight and unsurprisingly it was an emotional win in the Amsterdam 6 (2014) together with Niki Terpstra. “That was a big highlight for me.”

“Before the race there was some kind of pressure to win, because I rode with Niki. Then my grandfather had a heart attack on the Derny and I crashed on top of him. He was in a coma for the rest of the Six Day. That week was pretty emotional, but when I look back (with my grandfather being healthy) I’m proud of how I carried on”.

“On the road, it must be my win in the ZLM Tour Nations Cup U23 in 2013. The Nations Cup races were the most important races as an Under 23 and the ZLM Tour in Zeeland (Netherlands) was the most important for the Dutch selection. That was my biggest victory till then”.

So, as we can see, Yoeri is a very multi-talented rider who says he’ll be spending the winter riding in circles in 6 day races on tracks all over Europe including Gent so those who did not see him winning in London, can see him race in Gent among others. Fingers crossed too he will be racing in the Revolution open in Manchester at the end of November.

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