Team SpiderTech Earns Amgen Tour of California Invite

by Lenny B

Saturday, April 10, 2010 at 06:47 AM EDT

The first-ever Canadian team to compete in America's biggest bike race will ride against the world's best

St. Catharines, Ontario - Canada's only UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) continental squad, Team SpiderTech powered by Planet Energy is ready for their close up. The cycling team comprised of Olympians and national champions will make their debut at the fifth Amgen Tour of California, the most prestigious bike race in the United States that rides from May 16-23, where they will compete against a world-class field featuring three-time defending champion Levi Leipheimer with teammate seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong (RadioShack), Saxo Bank's Andy Schleck and Fabian Cancellara, and Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia). Team SpiderTech powered by Planet Energy will be the first Canadian entry in the 1280-kilometre stage race that travels from Nevada City to Thousand Oaks over eight days comprised of teams from Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Italy, Netherlands, Switzerland, and the U.S.

"Team SpiderTech powered by Planet Energy are preparing well for the challenges ahead at the Amgen Tour of California. We are happy about the invitation and are excited about the opportunity to compete against the best teams and riders in the world," said team director Steve Bauer. "The team's sprinters fared very well in last fall's Tour of Missouri where our Martin Gilbert won the final stage. However, the boys know bunch sprints will be rare at the Amgen Tour of California thus when they occur, they will need to be at the top of their game to score a great stage result. The squad is diligently preparing and elevating their fitness and skills. Personally, I am looking forward to AToC to watch our team evolve in competition alongside some of my former teammates."

Off to a strong start this season, Team SpiderTech powered by Planet Energy has already collected ten UCI victories, which ranks them fifth in wins behind ProTour teams Liquigas-Doimo, HTC-Columbia and Cofidis. Amongst the riders scoring stage wins at the Vuelta a Cuba, Vuelta Independencia Nacional (Dominican Republic) and Vuelta Ciclista al Uruguay were Gilbert, Keven Lacombe, Ryan Roth, Guillaume Boivin, Bruno Langlois and Éric Boily. Cycle Sport Management Inc. built the team with lofty goals in mind: to be the first Canadian team to compete in the Tour de France and to become Canada's first ProTour team.

Individual riders' performances at upcoming races such as UCI events Vuelta Telmex and Tour of the Battenkill, and NRC (National Racing Calendar) events Tour of the Gila and the Joe Martin Stage Race will help Cycle Sport Management Inc. select the eight-man Team SpiderTech powered by Planet Energy roster that will take the Amgen Tour of California start.

After being held for four years in February, the Amgen Tour of California will make its first May start, which will allow the race passage through the high mountains in the Sierras along with the first-ever mountaintop finish in Big Bear Lake. The route will visit sixteen host cities that showcase the Golden State's scenic and historic areas in what has become one of the most important races on the international calendar.

Additional information about Team SpiderTech powered by Planet Energy is available at www.cyclesportmanagement.com.

This article originally appeared on Triple Crankset.