Brammeier in his national champion’s kit at a training camp last month; it sounds like he’s ready for the new season
By Graham Healy
National Road Race Champion Matt Brammeier starts his season this Sunday when he lines up in the Tour of Qatar.
It will be his debut race for the Champion System team, where he will hopefully have more opportunities to ride for himself than he has had in the past.
Brammeier recently completed a training camp in southern California with his new team, and his form particularly impressed the team’s general manager Ed Beamon.
Beamon, who previously managed both Ciaran Power and David O’Loughlin at Navigators said: “I have a good feeling about Chun Kai Feng and Chan Jae Jang; both look really solid. But the guy who really looks motivated and fired up is Matt Brammeier.”
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Due to the flat nature of the terrain, the stages in Qatar generally tend to suit sprinters.
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In previous editions of the race, strong cross winds have also helped to create echelons on some stages, and if that happens again this year it could be a major factor in forming the general classification.
The riders will also face a 14-kilometre team time-trial on Monday, and the Champion System team can expect to struggle against some of the World Tour teams.
Last year, Brammeier helped his then team-leader Tom Boonen to win the race overall for a fourth time. Boonen will be missing from the race this year due to injury.
There will still be a very strong line-up in the race with the likes of Fabian Cancellara (Radioshack), Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma-Quick Step), Taylor Phinney (BMC) and Edvald Boassan Hagen (Team Sky) all expected to do well.
Following on from Qatar, Brammeier’s team will stay in the region, as they are also taking part in the Tour of Oman, which starts on February 11th. This second race may offer the Champion System team more opportunities than Qatar, as the stages tend to split the field up more.
The two races will provide Brammeier a great platform for the upcoming classics season, where the team have gained invites to Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, amongst other races.
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