Wednesday, November 15, 2006

TEAM BARLOWORLD GEARED TO DEFEND 94.7 TITLE FOR THIRD YEAR

South African-sponsored professional cycling outfit, Team Barloworld today confirmed a strong contingent of riders who will defend the team’s title at the tenth Pick ‘n Pay 94.7 Cycle Challenge on Sunday, November 19.

Team Barloworld have always been represented by a diverse group of skilled sprinters, climbers and all-rounders, who secured the team their Pick ‘n Pay 94.7 Cycle Challenge wins in 2004 and 2005.

This year is no different as the team includes South African’s Ryan Cox, James Perry and Jock Green, while the international riders comprise of Hugo Sabido (Por), Gianpaolo Cheula (Ita) and Felix Cardenas (Col).

Team Barloworld will be led by the highly respected Italian team manager Claudio Corti and directeur sportif Valerio Tebaldi, an ex-professional cyclist who won a stage of the Tour de France in 1988 and 1989.

The team has secured 15 wins this season and the most noteworthy wins are by Felix ‘the mountain cat’ Cardenas who bagged three victories within a month in the latter part of the year, while Italian Gianpaolo Cheula was the overall general classification winner on the eight day Peace Race (Course de la Paix) in the Czech Republic earlier this season.

Cox, Perry and Green, who returned to home soil in October, have been familiarizing themselves with the change in climate and adapting to South African roads through the local races they competed in.

Italian sprinter Giosué Bonomi who was to also feature in the 94.7 Cycle Challenge, has returned to Italy with a fractured wrist sustained after crashing during the Bakwena Cycle Challenge in Pretoria on Sunday.

Hugo Sabido has also sustained an injury to his wrist following an accident early this morning caused by a car which skipped a red traffic light. Sabido was taken to hospital for x-rays , the results of which are not conclusive at this stage, however the rider will be monitored over the next 48 hours and an official statement will be released.

Barloworld have confirmed a number of events leading up to the 94.7 Cycle Challenge and these include a team signing session at the 94.7 Expo at the Sandton Convention Centre on Friday, November 17 from 16h30 to 17h30.

Team Barloworld will also be giving away a Cannondale bike to a lucky rider spotted wearing the Team Barloworld kit during the race on Sunday.

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