Spidertech has ProTour aspirations
The team formerly known as Planet Energy will ride under the SpiderTech (tape-based therapeutic supports supplier) banner for 2010 as a UCI continental team.Planet Energy will continue as the team’s presenting sponsor.
Along with the name change comes a significantly bolstered roster. The team is built around some of Canada’s most promising riders, including Guillaume Boivin and Simon Lambert-Lemay.
They will join the strong group of veteran Canadians already on the team, including Mark Batty, Eric Boily, Martin Gilbert, Keven Lacombe, Bruno Langlois, François Parisien, Andrew Randell, Ryan Roth and Charly Vives.
Young guns Flavio De Luna, from Aguascalientes in Mexico, and David Boily, from Québec, have the chance grow into savvy racers, while track specialist Stéphane Cossette completes the team’s specific criterium line-up.
The most familiar new name on the roster is ex-Pro Tour rider Lucas Euser, formerly of Garmin-Slipstream. Euser, who suffered a knee injury while training in Spain in May of 2009, will — initially — continue his rehabilitation. If his health allows, Euser, a climbing specialist, will add experience and climbing depth to the team.
During the team’s official launch held in Toronto, Ontario at the Royal Ontario Museum, Steve Bauer, Canada’s most accomplished cyclist, turned director and manager of Team SpiderTech presented by Planet Energy, audaciously disclosed his team’s lofty goals: To become the nation’s first ProTour team and produce a Canadian Tour de France winner.
In 1988, Bauer won the opening stage of the Tour de France and wore the race leader’s yellow jersey in 1988 for five days before finishing a step from the podium in 4th place. Two years later, he led the Tour for nine days.
Amongst the big-ticket items auctioned to support the squad, the final yellow jersey Bauer wore during the 1990 Tour de France sold for a winning bid of $23,500.
SpiderTech will ride Argon 18’s Gallium Pro road model. The unique design offers three different height head tube options, which vary in 10mm increments in each frame size. For its races against the clock SpiderTech will use the E-114 time-trial machine.
The Vuelta a Cuba will be the first race of the season for Spidertech. Last year it finished this tour with five stage wins and second place in the general classification.
Nativo Concept grows
The six-man elite squad joins Devinci Cycles to become Nativo Concept PG-Devinci Cycles for 2010.
Luis Arevalo will direct the team as it pursues a global race schedule.
Leading the 2010 team is Michael Joannisse, who has proven himself with nine podium finishes, including three days in the leader’s jersey at the Tour of Quebec in 2009. The supporting cast includes the champion of Quebec and Deaflympics silver medalist, Simon Gagnon-Brassard as the designated team sprinter. Mathieu Roy (2007 Battenkill winner) and Hugues Lapointe, join Benoit Lussier and Jean-Michel Lachance serve as support.
After a month long January training camp in Texas, the team will compete in the Tour of Dominican Republic in February. Then travel to the northern tip of Africa for the Tour of Morocco and the Tour of Phosphates, which is also held in Morocco. It cites the Tour of Taiwan as a mid-season highlight, and will finish the season at the Tour of Costa Rica in December.
Nativo Concept PG-Devinci will ride Devinci’s LEO SL road frames and LEO T2 time trial frames. Both bikes use Devinci’s DMC carbon frame technology and their Carbon Super Leggera forks. SRAM supplies its RED component group and SRAM S40 and SRAM S80 wheel models for road stages and time-trialing, respectively.
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