Friday, March 29, 2024

Endura Racing Team Launch 2009

-

HomeStoriesEndura Racing Team Launch 2009

“Hi Ed, I’ve finally heard from Cycling Weekly — they want 300 words, but also if you want to do “Minute With” interviews with some of the riders, that’d be good also.” Time for a piece about the Endura Racing Team launch…

Jeez! Work from “The Comic” and a brief too — I’m so used to rolling up at races with a camera, pencil and notebook then just doing what I want, that I’d forgotten about that word count stuff.

Maybe if I make a good job, I’ll get to do Girvan again; they haven’t forgiven me for last year, when I forsook ‘Comm One’ at Girvan for a team car at Milan-San Remo.

Saturday 09.45, The Dynamic Earth Building – what an excellent venue for the occasion, and the first time I’d been in the place; it’s a wonderful setting, with Salisbury Crags and Miralles Associates’ stunning Scottish Parliament giving your eyes almost too much to take in.

Endura Racing Team
“Our Dynamic Earth” – the venue for the launch.

As Martin and I were coming in, the boys were heading out for the photo opportunities; first of all on the grassy mound in front of the building, then among the rock garden over on the right — all good stuff.

It was a bit grey and pretty blowy but the new Endura jerseys brightened the morning up just fine; personally I’d have kept more of the tartan, but I’m the boy that said that Mark Cavendish would never make a good pro.

Endura Racing Team
The guys look ready to rock this year.
Endura Racing Team
PedalPower dominated the domestic races last year.

Inside to the warm and Greg Byron, and it was ‘PowerPoint’ time; background, programme, goals – Premier podiums + ten UCI races per season + a start in the The Tour of Britain – and then time for the riders.

Endura Racing Team
Interviewing James is never a problem, it’s getting time with the other riders that’s the trick!

James McCallum: a medallist in the Commonwealth Games and 2007 British crit champ — even more impressive was his win in the Smithfield nocturne, not long after, with the whole field watching his every move in that shiny new skinsuit.

James always has a word for the press — we like that!

Endura Racing Team
James makes VeloVeritas feel welcome! Or was he just doing star-jumps to keep warm?!

David Smith: a new face for me, but I rider that I’ve heard a lot about; you can’t survive three seasons in France if you don’t have ability and character.

Let’s hope his name appears plenty of times in the notebook this year.

Endura Racing Team
David was ready to come back to the UK after 3 years in France.

Kevin Barclay: We didn’t get to see much of Kevin’s win in the 2008 Scottish crit champs, but we didn’t miss that he’s looking much leaner today than we’ve seen him in the past.

I think he was thrown to the lions too early at Plowman Craven and too much was expected of him; but I know that Gary Hand won’t let that happen here.

It’s always good to see a Kingdom of Fife man in the limelight; it is however, quite depressing for me that I raced against his dad!

David Lines: Winner of the 2008 Scottish criterium series, the last time I saw him in action was at the ‘cross champs — he looked happier today.

Endura Racing Team
David used ‘cross to keep in trim over the winter months.

Alistair Robinson: Not a rider I know an awful lot about, but I remember him looking classy on a FELT in the Trossachs, last season.

Endura Racing Team
Alistair is ready to take the step up to Continental level.

Gary Hand: With Jonathan McBain, the man behind the new squadra; his face graced VeloVeritas many times last year – including topping and tailing the 2008 Super Six series in beautiful East Lothian at Gifford and Saltoun.

With his motivation on a new high this year and a strong team to support him, why shouldn’t he be on the podium in Premier Calendar races?

Endura Racing Team
Gary already looks lean and healthy, and is one of the forces behind this exciting new team.

Duncan Urquhart: Is on Army business in Cyprus, but is back in business with the goal of riding the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

If he can just ride a little more with his head than his legs, he’ll be a big winner for Endura in 2009.

Endura Racing Team
Callum rode well in last autumn’s tour de Trossachs classic time trial.

Callum Wilkinson: File under ‘up and coming,’ with experienced riders around him to advise, this season could be the breakthrough year for the slim, classy ex-bicycleworks rider.

Endura Racing Team
A lad from Vancouver in front of a Spanish-designed Scottish parliament building. A good sign that Endura is going international!

Josh James: All the way from Vancouver Canada and an honorary Fifer at the moment, living in Saint Andrews, that’ll do for me!

Endura Racing Team
Josh has the usual Candadian laid-back, long-voweled laconic drawl, and the confidence of a young man about to do big things.

Gordon Murdoch: Super Six winner and general beast of a man, surely Premier podium places are within his grasp?

Scott McCrae: Always a presence in the Scottish races I watched last year.

One wee point, Greg — it would have been nice if the guys were facing the audience and not a bad idea is to ask each rider a couple of questions, it makes it all a little more interesting.

Endura Racing Team
James answers a few of the assembled journailsts, friends & families’ questions.

Sponsor time and Jim McFarlane was to the point; he wants to use the team as a vehicle to get his products better known to the road fraternity, not just mountain bikers; he wants to use the squad for research and development of new product; and he wants to ‘put a little back’ into the sport.

Other sponsors got a mention — Giant for those mean looking TCR’s; MET for helmets and Extreme Nutrition for race food and supplements.

I got my ‘Minutes With’ Gary, James, Dave and Josh — watch for them in The Comic over the next few weeks — but a minute isn’t really long enough for Jamesy!

So far, so good — but now it’s all down to what happens when the flags begin to drop.

Like last year, VeloVeritas will be at Gifford for the first Super Six to see if Gary Hand can carry on where he left off last season.

As we left, Greg asked me about other team launches I’ve attended; ‘best not dwell,’ I explained, ‘the last one I was at was Saunier Duval — and we know what happened to them!

With thanks for having us to Team Endura Racing and wishing them ‘all the best for 2009.’

Ed Hood and Martin Williamson
Ed Hood and Martin Williamson
Ed and Martin, our top team! They try to do the local Time Trials, the Grand Tours and the Classics together to get the great stories written, the quality photos taken, the driving done and the wifi wrestled with.

Related Articles

Vanilla Bikes

You'll have seen the adverts on various websites for Vanilla Bikes, inviting you to have a look at their on-line shop and their top quality - if a little unusual - product lines, and when we spotted that the shop team was beefing up it's roster for the coming season, we thought we better find out a little more about this young company.

Callum Macgregor – organiser of the Duncan Macgregor Memorial

Last weekend saw the Duncan Macgregor Memorial road race take place in Fife. The race almost didn't happen, so we thought we'd ask organiser, Callum Macgregor what the story was.

Danilo di Luca, to the victor, the spoils…

When Sci'Con set out to celebrate the victory of Danilo di Luca in the 2007 Giro d'Italia, what better way than with an all-pink Aerotech Evolution Art. 70 rigid bicycle case, produced as a single specimen colored to match the Giro d'Italia winner's jersey.

Endura Racing Team Presentation

Endura Racing Team was today unveiled to the UK press, media and special guests at the Porsche Human Performance centre at Silverstone. The launch followed months of hard work and dedication from the whole of the Endura Racing set-up, and culminated with many of the attendees leaving with a sense that this team are on the cusp of a great season in 2010.

At Random

The 1978 Tour de Trossachs Remembered

When Ed Hood said he and VeloVeritas editor Martin Williamson were going out to watch the Tour de Trossachs it brought back my memories of watching the race for the first time in 1978. When I started my reminiscences it was going to be all about the Trossachs but one thing led to another and now we are looking at the early career of Robert Millar and the state of Scottish cycling.

John Archibald solos to the Scottish Road Championship 2019

A man who can wheel about with Ineos World Tour beasts Ian Stannard and Ben Swift then win the Stockton Grand Prix with a 100 kilometre solo break was never going to have too much trouble with the Scottish Road Championship 2019 – and so it proved; John Archibald solo - ed to a four minute victory across the Backwater Dam on a bright but breezy day in the Angus hills.

The Last Three Nights of the Rotterdam Six Day 2019

Kris heads straight for breakfast from the camper but I’m not man enough for that, I need the shower to bring me to life before I can face Rotterdam Six Day 2019, Day Four...

Glasgow Sprint Grand Prix 2017

VeloVeritas took a wee run over to Glasgow on Saturday to the Glasgow Sprint Grand Prix; here are some snaps we took which we hope you like. In the language of the Gael, Glasgow is the ‘Dear Green Place’ and right across the road from the splendid Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome it’s even more sublime that that – ‘Paradise.’ At least that’s what the Celtic fans call their Parkhead ground.