Tim Elverson has unveiled a 19-man squad to do battle in the colours of Canyon dhb p/b Bloor Homes next season.
The owner and sports director has retained the services of eight members of this year’s Canyon Eisberg line-up.
And he has added 11 new faces, among them two Belgians, as he prepares for the UCI Continental team’s third season.
Matt Bostock, Alex Colman, Stijn de Bock, Jacob Hennessy, Rob McCarthy, Dan Pearson, Tom Stewart, Jacob Vaughan, Ollie Wood and first-year senior Callum Macleod have all signed up.
Meanwhile, Lincoln Grand Prix champion Alex Richardson returns to the team having raced in its inaugural season in 2017.
Re-signing are Andrew Tennant, Max Stedman, Charlie Tanfield, Alex Paton, Rory Townsend, Ryan Christensen, Charles Page and Louis Rose-Davies. Elverson said:
“I’m very pleased with the team we have signed. It’s a big squad but that is intentional as we will be running a split calendar, racing both at home and on the continent.
“I’ve been able to bring in some exciting young guys and some race-winning experience to enhance them.
“The average age is just above 23, so continues the process of developing young talent, which is very important to me.”
The 2019 squad, designed in Lego figures. Please credit @glorious.cc
Manxman Bostock has ridden for the 100% ME squad for the past three seasons, while his former team-mate Hennessy arrives from Mitchelton - BikeExchange.
McCarthy, Wood and Tour de Normandie champion Stewart were all part of the now-defunct JLT Condor squad. Similarly, Pearson spent the past two campaigns with Aqua Blue Sport.
Former national junior champion Vaughan returns to England following a season with the Lotto Soudal under-23 squad.
Colman, 20, also arrives from the Lotto Soudal under-23 squad and de Bock, 24, makes the move following two years with Cibel Cebon.
Elverson’s decision to recruit two Belgian riders may come as a surprise to some but he believes they will add an extra dimension to his team, especially with an increasing European programme. He added:
“We have raced a lot on the continent in the past couple of years. I like the Belgian and Dutch style of racer and that is generally how I set my team up.
“I thought it was worth a look. I wasn’t going to go just based on CVs. I wanted to wait until I got to know people, saw them race and was happy they fit.
“I like the attitude of Stijn and Alex. They will really suit our programme. It is easier, in a way, to leave riders in Belgium and come back for the big British races.
“I still want our development riders to primarily be British because that is what it is all about - bringing on young UK talent.
“But they need to have their eyes opened to lots of different styles, so having Belgian riders in the team will do nothing but help them.”
Existing (eight): Andrew Tennant, Alex Paton, Charles Page, Charlie Tanfield, Louis Rose-Davies, Max Stedman, Rory Townsend, Ryan Christensen
New (11): Alex Colman, Alex Richardson, Callum Macleod, Dan Pearson, Jacob Vaughan, Jacob Hennessy, Matt Bostock, Ollie Wood, Rob McCarthy, Stijn De Bock, Tom Stewart
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