The UK’s first UCI Trade Team for women has today been announced. Team FBUK (www.teamfbuk.com) have gained professional team status and have started the year as they mean to go on.
With a strong international line up to their team,
they are confident they can build upon the huge success of 2005 and
form a strong and stable team for the future.
The
year has started in spectacular style with Helen Wyman winning the UK
National Championships on Sunday with a dominant performance in the
women’s race sponsored by Schwalbe. Behind her teammates Gabby Day
(4th) and Clare Gross (6th) were in very
impressive form. Louise Day was also on the podium as she picked up
a silver medal in the veterans race.
With
the past few weeks being a waiting game to see if the UCI would grant
professional status to the team, Team Manager Stefan Wyman has added
two major signings to the squad for 2006.
Line
Ramsrud of Norway, who appeared as a guest rider for the team in the
2005 Tour of Brittany has joined on a full time basis along with
former Luxemburg National cyclo-cross and road champion Suzie Gadart.
Both riders bring international experience to the squad a sound
European basis for what will be a hectic year of both UK and
Continental racing.
UCI
Trade Team status should allow the team to gain starting positions in
some of the world’s biggest races and therefore provide the riders
will opportunities to race at the highest level every week.
The
past few weeks have also seen the team management increase with Rene
Groot of Holland and Marc Godart added to the roster to ensure that
the team has the best opportunities to succeed and progress as the
year develops.
Team
Manager Stefan Wyman is very happy with the progress made over the
winter and says, “When we set this team up 2 years ago, it was a
distant dream to gain Trade Team Status. This has now been achieved
and we are already seeing the rewards. Two major signing and
international sponsors coming on board look likely to help secure the
long-term future of the team. We’ve even got a fan club now with
members in several different countries”
Those
international sponsors include Abus (www.abus.de)
who have provided great support to the team in the past few weeks
including crash helmets and Tim Harris Import Exports in Belgium.
Also
see:
www.teamfbuk.com
www.helenwyman.com
www.claregross.co.uk
www.gabbyday.com
www.uci.ch
De Pinte
Erika Vilunaite
Silvia Parietti
