Irish cyclist Chris McGlinchey, who is ranked World No 1 on Zwift at present, has signed for new British team Spectra Wiggle p/b Vitus.
The new squad is taking an approach similar to EF
Education-Nippo; tackling road racing but also intent on taking on records and
challenges along with way.
It is also a gender-balanced team and while it is not a UCI-registered squad this year, it will be a UCI-registered team for cyclocross by the autumn and will also compete in MTB races.
McGlinchey (27) is an accomplished cyclocross rider, a former downhill rider, was 2nd in the road race at the National Road Championships in 2017 and is an Irish road international; a mix that makes him ideal for the new team's plans.
Spectra Wiggle p/b Vitus will ride the traditional pro road circuit in Britain including the Tour Series and National Points Series and will have riders in cyclocross World Cup races.
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The challenges and records the riders will take on
include Grinduro and TransPyrenees as well as the British Coast to Coast,
Pennine Bridleway, and South Downs Way records.
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Team principal and rider, Bruce Dalton, said the team wanted to help “build a different path for the sport” and he believed that process must start with teams.
“We want to inspire others to do the same and for riders to look beyond riding just one style of cycling,” he said.
Operations manager Josh Hand said: “We were keen to try and get out of the rut that cycling has been in, repeating the same thing with an expectation of different results.”
Wiggle’s head of marketing, Sarah Pain, said she believed the team offered an “exciting new perspective”.
Vitus Bikes brand marketing, Alex James, said Vitus was “excited to be working with a team that’s going out with the intention of doing something different within cycling”.
As well as Irish rider McGlinchey, the new team line-up
includes: Beth Crumpton, Abbie Taylor, Hannah Larbiester, Hannah
Payton, Xan Crees, Amira Mellor, Mikey Mottram, Ian
Field, Ben Chilton, Dan Barnes and Bruce Dalton.
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