Team Chipotle to target European events in the 2012 season
Garmin-Cervelo’s development team, Chipotle, is all set to welcome the coming season. The team announced that it will focus mainly on the European races in the coming year.
It has signed a total number of 15 riders and Director Chann McRae is optimistic for the team’s positive performance in the season ahead.
Two new inclusions in the squad for the upcoming season will be the collegiate national champion Adam Leibovitz and Alister Ratcliff.
Chann also mentioned that his side will try to compete in as many races as possible, which will polish the cyclists for the World Tour events.
He also briefed that the cyclists must be given full opportunity to learn as much as they can at the continental level because there is no time to learn at the World Tour level.
The team will be seen in action at the Paris-Tours instead of the US National Race Calendar in California.
McRae mentioned, “Redlands is fun and historically a great race, but we need our guys in Normandy in the gutter just killing it at mach speed for four hours straight with crashes left and right, learning how to position and all that stuff. That's something
that you don't get at a race like Redlands exactly”.
He also pointed out that the team has set up a house in France that is located close to most of the UCI 2.1 and 2.2 races.
Rae stated that one reason why he chose to race in Europe instead of the US is because, “you're flying to 80 percent of the races. And in the US you don't get start money. You're having to find meals for the riders, you're having to book the hotels”.
McRae shared that all the team members are waiting for big results as the only way to ride in the World Tour team is by performing at the continental level.
Four US riders included in the team will participate in the Under 23 national team during the national championships.
The team has not yet announced its full roster but it is believed that Chipotle will be seen in action in most of the 2.1 and 2.2 UCI race events in the coming season.
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