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Rapha Condor Sharp 2010 · 28/01/10

The Journey Continues


©Rob Rowlands (Abandoned Bicycle Photography)

As it enters its 4th season the Rapha Condor Sharp professional cycling team once again takes to the road with lofty ambitions. 2009 was a fantastic season for the team, capped by the victory of Kristian House in the National Road Race Championships in Abergavenny, last June.

For 2010 the team will be looking to continue its rise up the continental ranks with a squad that mixes some well known faces with new blood joining the team for the first time. The squad has been assembled with a view to performing in a UK calendar heavily laden with criteriums whilst at the same time preparing for the the Tours of Britain and Ireland to which the team hopes to be invited later in the year.

Team manager, John Herety, described how the 2010 Rapha Condor Sharp team came together and some of the factors that dictated his choices in selecting riders over the winter:

In 2009 we went into the winter with a lot of uncertainty over the UK calendar; we didn’t really know what the Tour Series was going to be and what effect that would have on the calendar – we had to hedge our bets a little to make sure we weren’t left exposed.

For 2010 the certainty that the Tour Series will continue and the growth of the National Circuit Series means we’ve been able to invest in a number of riders who can focus on that side of the sport whilst at the same time ensuring we’re well equipped for the bigger road and stage races. The squad splits into three really, guys for the crits, guys for the road and those who can do both. I think we’ll perform well on all fronts this year.

But as well as increasing its strength in depth the team has shown its ambition to step up another level when they race against the pro-continental and pro-tour opposition with the signing of Zak Dempster, someone who John Herety expects to use the team as a stepping stone to bigger things:

Signing a rider like Zak is an indicator of how far we’ve come as an organisation. Guys like Zak and Darren Lapthorne are ambitious and talented riders who know that the kind of programme we can provide will give them the chance to shine in places that will get the attention of the big team. I think that’s a good sign and I take it as a compliment when that type of rider picks up the phone to us.

So if Rapha Condor Sharp sees itself as a rung on the ladder for ambitious individual riders, does that mean the team itself sees itself staying firmly in the continental ranks? John Herety is clear that riders passing through the team is just part of the process of growth for his team.

Riders come and go and you’ll see some of the riders in the squad are familiar, some have moved on, others are new, I think that’s natural. I’m always happy when riders are able to move on to bigger things, it can only be good for us as it will attract more ambitious riders to be part of what we do. I look at a rider like Matt Cronshaw and I’m really pleased that he’s grabbed the opportunity we gave him, we want to see more riders like him finding their place in the sport. If we can do that as a team we’ll always be winning and that’s what we’re here to do.

The team will essentially be running a two tier programme throughout 2010, with riders flipping between the two halves of the team depending upon their objectives, fitness and form giving riders something to prove if they want to be selected for the biggest races – something John Herety thinks will prove positive for the team.

The Rapha Condor Sharp team gets its season underway with a three week training camp in Malaga followed by one of the world’s biggest criteriums in Singapore, the Tour of Taiwan, and Tour of Normandy. The first UK racing engagements for the team will come with the Roy Thame Cup and the Jock Wadley Memorial. You can of course keep up to date with all the latest news from the team here at www.raphacondorsharp.cc and via twitter.

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