Rory Townsend, the Irish elite men's road race champion, has parted company with UK Continental team WiV SunGod, after six seasons with the British squad, and will ride for a New Zealand team next season.
The 27-year-old enjoyed a strong season this year, which included his national title win in Kanturk, Co Cork, in June and a stage win in Rás Tailteann in May. Townsend also won two races in Belgium in August. He scored solo victories in GP Lucien Van Impe and days later in Omloop Mandel-Leie-Schelde Meulebeke.
Next year he will ride for Bolton Equities Black Spoke, an established team from New Zealand which competes at Continental level and has a full race programme in Europe.
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"I am so excited for this opportunity. Bolton Equities Black Spoke are a team that I have admired for the last couple of years, and I couldn't be happier making the step up with them," Townsend said.
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"I hope I can help the team with my experience of European racing, as well as delivering results in sprints and classic-style races.”
The team's roster this year included former Kiwi TT champion Michael Vink, who has now signed for UAE Team Emirates and Aaron Gate, who won International Tour of Hellas (2.1) this year as well as the Commonwealth Games road race title, three golds on the track at the same Games and and a stage at Skoda Tour Luxembourg (2.Pro).
Bolton Equities Black Spoke rode a full schedule of one-day races and stage races in Europe this year and it should offer Townsend the chance to compete in a large number of events through the 2023 campaign, including at races like Baloise Belgium Tour.
