Team Raleigh-GAC signs Alexandre Blain for 2013
Alexandre Blain has managed to find a new home for the season ahead after signing with Team Raleigh-GAC for the 2013 season.
The cyclist was delighted after signing with the UCI professional continental side, "Signing for Team Raleigh brings new goals for me for the 2013 season," said Blain.
“The development project that Cherie [Pridham, Raleigh team manager] proposed looks really interesting and I'm looking forward to helping the team achieve its goals".
He further added that, "My experience will help the younger riders on the squad develop their potential as bike riders and ensure we all work together to secure race victories.
"My early season goals are to ride well in UCI 2.1 stage races where the team have already been invited. Good results at these races will help to access the bigger races in Europe," Blain concluded.
The 31-year-old marked his professional debut with Team Cofidis in 2008 and stayed with the team by the end of 2009.
He joined Team Endura Racing in 2010 and served the team for two years before the side announced its merger for the 2013 season with the Professional Continental NetApp squad.
The newly-formed side will go by the name, Team NetApp-Endura in 2013 season and eight Team Endura riders have already been given the contracts for the new side that will join nine cyclists from Team NetApp in the new squad.
The final list of seventeen cyclists to represent Team NetApp-Endura in the season ahead include, Jan Barta (27, Cze), Cesare Benedetti (25, Ita), Iker Camano Ortuzar (33, Spa), Zakkari Dempster (24, Aus), Russell Downing (34, GBr) and Markus Eichler (30,
Ger).
Bartosz Huzarski (31, Pol), Blaz Jarc (24, Slo), Leopold Koenig (24, Cze), Jonathan McEvoy (23, GBr), Erick Rowsell (22, GBr), Andreas Schillinger (29, Ger), Daniel Schorn (23, Aut), Michael Schwarzmann (21, Ger), Scott Twaites (22, GBr), Paul Voss (26,
Ger), Alexander Wetterhall (26, Swe) will also ride along the new side in 2013 season.
Despite a superb show of his abilities in the 2012 season, the French failed to make it through the final team’s squad and had to find a different home to continue his professional pursuit.
His commendable performances in the 2012 season include first place finishes at the Maldon Dengie Tour and the Rutland-Melton Circle Classic 2012.
Blain occupied the third overall position at the Mi-Aout Bretonne and third at the Beverbeek Classic 2012.
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