Gaby Day pro bike

Global Racing Team have signed a new sponsorship deal which will fund a new initiative to find and train top riders from the UK for the 2012 Olympics.

Swift Group will now sponsor the Belgian based team, from 1 January 2008. The sponsorship will open a new route to young riders who want to race professionally with a view to entering the Olympics in 2012. Global Racing has been established for three years and was the first ever British women?s professional team.

Manager Stefan Wyman said: ?One of the major differences in the programme is that we will constantly be reviewing new talent and feeding riders into the team on a phased basis so that we can give as many people as possible the chance to make it to the top of the sport. British cycling is doing a great job to take its selected riders forward and provide them with opportunities to succeed. We intend to continue to allow other riders to have an alternative route in cycling.?

Swift Racing has redesigned several leading riders for 2008 including Helen Wyman, Louise Moriarty and Debby van den Berg. Olympic rider Toni Bradshaw joins them along with Commonwealth Games Medallist Emma Davies Jones. The most recent addition to the squad is Alice Monger-Godfrey, who won a bronze medal in the under-23 National Championships.

This is another great boost for women's cycling after it was announced that Nicole Cooke will be the leader of a British-sponsored professional team in 2008 after leaving the Raleigh-Lifeforce squad.

2008 Riders

Emma Davies Jones UK

Alice Monger-GodfreyUK

Gabby DayUK

Helen WymanUK

Louise Moriarty Ireland

Jenny FayIreland

Toni BradshawNew Zealand

Marina Duvnjak New Zealand

Ine BeyenBelgium

Lien BeyenBelgium

Debby van den BergHolland

Sigrid JochemsHolland

Sarah Reynolds UK Junior

2008 Race Program (Selected Major Events)

16 MarchHet Volk (Belgium)

6 April Tour of Flanders (Belgium)

23 AprilFleche Wallone (Belgium)

27 AprilCheshire Classic (UK)

11 MayOlverston Road Race (UK)

16 MayTour de L?aude (France)

7 JuneOmloop Humsterland

19 JuneSter Eilanden

2 JulyGP Gerrie Knetemann

16 JulyTour of Brittany

1 AugustWorld Cup Sweden TTT

3 AugustWorld Cup Sweden

10 AugustHolland Hills

24 AugustGP Plouay

RELATED LINKS

Pro Bike: Gaby Day's Billato Gran Premio

EXTERNAL LINKS

www.teamswiftracing.com

www.swiftleisure.co.uk

www.gabbyday.com

www.helenwyman.com

www.emmadaviesjones.co.uk

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Founded in 1891, Cycling Weekly and its team of expert journalists brings cyclists in-depth reviews, extensive coverage of both professional and domestic racing, as well as fitness advice and 'brew a cuppa and put your feet up' features. Cycling Weekly serves its audience across a range of platforms, from good old-fashioned print to online journalism, and video.