Pendragon Sports, the company which organises the Tour of Wessex, is set to launch a road racing team for 2009.
Dave Clarke, who rode for Team Lacuna this year, and George Richardson will be the team?s two high-profile riders.
The Tour of Wessex cyclo-sportive has been established for a few years now and next year there will be a two-day Premier Calendar stage race too.
Now Nick Bourne, of Pendragon Sports, has founded a team based in the South West. The team currently takes the name Pendragon, but sponsors will be named in the new year. However, Kalas Sportswear has already been confirmed as a secondary sponsor.
The team will be managed by Brian Johnson, a key figure in South West cycling.
He confirmed the team will be competing in Premier Calendar and National Circuit Race Series events, and hopes to secure an invitation to ride the Tour Series of televised criteriums too.
He said: ?We?re certainly looking to as full a race programme as we can, with the Premier Calendar and Circuit Race Series key to that. We?d like to do the Tour Series but we?ll have to see how that pans out.?
The team will be a huge boost for cycling in the South West, Johnson said. ?The thing is, there?s nowhere for good riders to go once they are ready to move up a level. There?s no logical next step down here, so we want to provide good riders from the South West with the opportunity to compete at a national level more regularly.
?As an individual or club rider that is a really big commitment, but with a team, led by some really good, experienced riders, they can step up and ride some big events.?
PENDRAGON SPORTS TEAM 2009
David Clarke
George Richardson
James Williams
Douglas Dewey
Jack Adams
Graham Lackford
Tom Collier
Matt Ewings
Team name may change as sponsors are announced.
A couple of other riders may be added in the new year
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