Endura Racing Team and other GB teams

[timturpinfleck]

I have to say how impressed I am with the ambition the Endura Racing Team who had the nerve to compete in the Tour of the Med, Haut Var and Murcia. I will miss looking out for their results as they return to compete in the Premier Calendar but hope they have done enough to warrant a place in the Tours of Ireland and Britain.

They started with a baptism of fire or should I say ice with the temperatures in the Tour of Med but have adjusted well and were unlucky in Haut Var as things went against them. The hard work paid off with a string of good performances from Blain, Wilkinson and Bauer; superman finished in the top 10 on 3 occasions, Blain was always there and won the Intermediate sprints jersey and Bauer did well in the TT. The team finished a respectable 10th, not bad for a new team and one where some of the riders have only recently turned full-time. Sky must be regretting not signing Wilkinson, Blain is one hell of a signing and Bauer is definitely one for the future.

This has to send a message out to our other teams UCI continental teams to have a go in the bigger races if they get the opportunity in the future. Wouldn't it be nice to be supporting home based teams in races like these on a more regular basis, as I am sure it will do them no harm as Endura have shown they can compete with the best and who knows in time they could even beat the bigger teams to win stages or get podium places as they gain experience and sign bigger names in the future.

Thanks to Brian Smith and Stephen Roche for helping to organise these races for the team and I hope to see them challenging Sky and Columbia for a podium place in the ToI and ToB later in the year.

 

[Michele]

Does anyone know how they could get a spot for Tour of Med/Haut Var/Murcia?
I mean, they must have some connections with the organizers or so, no?

 

[thehog]

I mean, they must have some connections with the organizers or so, no?

...or money.

 

[timturpinfleck]

Brian Smith and Stephen Roche - I just managed to find the following which I read back in January which explains how..............

A former teammate of Lance Armstrong and twice a British Road Race champion, Scotland's Brian Smith (Cyclevox), was a key part of helping the team not only find a hotel in the region but also get a place in the race.

"I keep in touch with Stephen (Roche) and at first, Endura were thinking about Majorca for training. Part of the team name however, Equipe, is French and DSD (a team sponsor) have just opened in Monaco, so I asked Stephen about us staying at his hotel".

One thing led to another and Brian learned that the co-organiser of the Tour of the Med is his old director sportif from the famous Paris club, the ACBB, Claude Escalon. Roche also contacted the Haut Var organisers and helped get the team a ride there. Asked whether races like the 'Med' were going to be okay for Endura which is essentially a new team in 2010, Brian replied "yes, it's fine. I think these races are more controlled than some of the other smaller races by the bigger teams and will help Endura in their learning curve."

Having raced in the pro peloton himself, Brian is keen to see British teams do the same and says that it's not only Endura he will help but any other British team that wants to race abroad. "I have many contacts in the world of cycling and want to see British teams do well and if you don't ask, you don't get!"

 

[timturpinfleck]

...or money.

There's only one British team with money and it aint Endura

 

[Reverend_T_Preedy]

I think what Endura have done is great and good luck to them. They had a great Tour of Murcia.

Wilkinson could make a decent classics rider but I can see the reason they didn't pick him. Maybe with a year with Endura and a decent showing abroad may give him a chance.

Motorpoint will be at the tour of Ireland, TOB and Tour of Denmark. Endura are racing the Tour of Missouri this year as well as some other European races. Looks good for the domestic teams this year.

Looking forward to seeing how Dan Fleeman gets on for Raleigh this year.

 

[dse1969]

It's great to see smaller teams doing well in bigger races. Bauer is a huge talent from NZ & I'm amazed he isn't riding Pro Tour this year. He would be a perfect domestic for the classics. He beat Julian Dean & Hayden Roulston in a 3 up sprint for the Kiwi National Road title a month or so ago and knows how to ride in tough conditions which is what the majority of Kiwi races are raced in. He finished 2nd at the Tour of Southland in Nov last year with a weak team, again beating some quality riders (Roulston DNF, MacCaully, Floyd Landis!).
The results from many of the races so far this year I think have shown that the gap is closing between the Pro Tour teams & the next level with lots of wins coming for Pro Conti squads.
Maybe there could be a football-like promotion & relegation system in place in the future?

 

[timturpinfleck]

It was a great win for Bauer in the national Road title and shows what a big coup it is for Endura to have got hold of this guy and Blain. The gap between Pro Tour and Pro Continental teams is getting smaller when you look at how well Vacansoleil have been doing, but what impressed me about Endura is that they're only a UCI European team so the gap between them and the Pro Tour teams is bigger still.

I think that they have said that they plan to go Pro Continental next year, as may Rapha and later Raleigh (not sure about Motopoint and Sigma Sport). Add to this Maggie Backstedt's Team Sprocket who have British riders then there should be more opportunities for our home based riders to progress in the future. This will also provide feeder teams for riders to progress from the Academy and then onto Sky and other bigger teams if they impress (as with Dowsett at Livestrong).

 

[timturpinfleck]

Looking forward to seeing how Dan Fleeman gets on for Raleigh this year.

I think he will do well at Raleigh as they appear to have a team with some good climbers, so should hopefully be able to support him. I'd like to see a Brit winning the Tour of Britain this year and I believe it is meant to be the hardest route yet (not difficult after last year's dissapointment) so maybe it will suit our lads. With podium places for Stannard and Wiggins so far and Wilkinson's performance in Murcia, I feel the Brits could do better than last year (once Cav starts winning again).