tsmoha wrote:
Definitely a nice performance by Mandri. Makes me feel sad about not battling a bit more for him in the transfer-season Just kidding: congrats to a nice result!

On the decisive stage 6, Trent Lowe was part of the decisive attack on the stages finale. His strong performance launched him several places up the GC into a commendable 7th place, given the high pedigree of the competition, including eventual winner Alejandro Valverde.


Trent's performance earned him 70 ranking points, putting him just ahead of the team's Lithuanian star, Tomas Vaitkus in the overall rankings in 37th, pending the updated points from the recent Vuelta a Majorca.

Meanwhile, Konovalovas and Simon Richardson both shone brightly at the Tour Mediteranean, a race the team had targeted to do well in. The two finished 6th and 7th respectively, giving the team a good overall points haul. At present, the team are 10th, with 347 points.

It wasn't long ago that the team announced their wildcard entry to the British PT ranked race, the East Midlands Cicle Classic, and just yesterday, the team finished with a strong performance. In the company of true legends of cobblestone racing, with the likes of Boonen and Cancellara, Cyclevox were able to finish with 2 riders in the top 20. Namely, Van Der Velde and Knees in 11th and 17th respectively.

The two fought bravely to stay within the leading groups, and whilst they were unable to match the attacks of the true stars, they stayed with the chasing group, with Van Der Velde eventually winning the group's sprint.



Home fans were thrilled to see the British Team's jersey so proudly on display - especially as home favourite, Geraint Thomas, had a disappointing race by all measures.

The race was eventually won by Tom Boonen in a sprint from a reduced group of elite specialists.

It's been an invigorating and exciting couple of months for cycling fans the world over, only made greater still with the influx of new teams. Cyclevox were one such team, and were talked about quite a bit, and with great expectations before the season kicked off.

You were undoubtedly one of the most talked about new teams prior to the season, particularly in the english-speaking media. Things seem to have quietened down a bit now though - do you feel as if the team has performed as expected?
Indeed, we were talked about a fair bit, and while that was a little added pressure, it's not like anyone was expecting us to win every race we entered - in fact, many reviews were somewhat unflattering on the whole. But, yes - I think we've achieved the best we can, and have only finished outside the top 10 on one occasion so far, and that was of course the ProTour classed East Midlands Classic.

A pretty impressive statistic that. However, the highest race position you've achieved is fourth, and the highest stage placing is 2nd. For a team looking to pick up stage wins, is it concerning that you've yet to pick up a stage win?
Not concerning, no - although it is of course something we're looking to rectify. Many teams around us have taken strong wins, and even of the other new teams, there's been a great amount of success. Ferarri spring to mind, who have taken a few wins already this season. Other, more established teams like Rapha [Condor - Qhubeka] and Volkswagen seem to racking up a lot of wins, although they're of a much higher pedigree; it's not too much of a concern if we can't match them.

And, Docker's second place at the final stage of the TDU - is that a positive sign, or should he have claimed the win?
Definitely a positive sign. Davis was unbeatable in his home race, and Docker was one of the only people to have pushed him to the line. We're certain that Mitch [Docker] will pick up a few wins for us soon.

You just mentioned Ferarri who, of course have the Italian Champion Caruso riding for them. By comparison, your team lack that clear-cut superstar rider. Is this a concern, that you might not be able to hit the highest marks?
I think it's unfair to say that our riders aren't superstars, as each of them are in their own right. However, no, it's not a concern. We have a great deal of depth and talent riding under our colours, and many riders capable of matching with the best. Trent [Lowe] showed that in the Tour of San Luis, keeping up with the likes of Valverde, a former world champion.

After strong races all throughout January and February, with the team claiming top 10s consistently, the team entered april with enthusiasm and high-spirits; results were there for the taking.

However, things did not work out quite so well.

After a strong show in the PT-rated East Midlands Cicle classic, came a brief foray into South Africa with the Cape Argus Cycle Tour. Estonian national champion, Rene Mandri, already with a top 10 to his name this season, was to be the team's leader. However, it was young Peter Williams who showed the team off best, in the break of the day.

He was unfortunately unable to cling on to the high pace of eventual winner Sambris, though. Mandri remained entirely anonymous throughout, however. He stuck with the leaders and was able to grab 10th place overall.

Next, came Giro Del Trentino in Italy. Van Der Velde and Casar would lead the team in a two-way attack, but the two were somewhat out of their depths with a top-notch field to contend with.
In the opening time trial, both performed nearly identically, finishing some 35 seconds down on the eventual leader.


On stage 2, the pair fought bravely, attacking one after another, in the hope to get some time back; but it was all for nought. The two ended the day in 17th and 27th on GC respectively. This trend was to continue for the remaining two days, and Van Der Velde was the highest placed of the two after the four stages were up, just 20th overall.

On to the cobbles next, and more disappointment. Christian Knees led the team in a field way out of his league; the best he could manage was 26th as the specialists stole the day.

This run of bad races has left the team bottom of the table, some 100 points behind the next placed team, Japanese based Meiji-Fuji.

The next few races are vital to getting things back on track; Lithuanian Ignas Konovalovas looks to secure a strong overall position at the Presidential Tour of Turkey, and with a route made up of hilly stages and a time trial, the race is ideal for him to do well in.

Also, is the Tour of the Czech Republic, where Vaitkus will be looking for the sprints, and Van Der Velde and Mandri will be hoping to cling on through the hilly finales.

It was a terrific week for the Lithuanians amongst the team, as both spearheaded efforts to get the team's season back on track, and off the bottom of the rankings. It was Vaitkus who shone brightest though, taking two stages and the coveted green jersey at the hotly contested Tour of the Czech Republic.



The jersey came as a reward of Vaitkus' strong and intelligent sprinting, taking two wins, despite competition that included Britain's Mark Cavendish and Pokerstars' leader, Eric Mohs.



Meanwhile, in Turkey, Konovalovas battled his way to 6th overall. A strong showing in the opening time trial put the National TT champion into a good position to challenge for the overall, despite a dominant looking Kessler. Eventually, it was a smart breakaway move that sealed the overall win for California Giant; and with Peter Sagan and Ben Hermans both performing well in the sprints, Konovalovas slowly slipped down the rankings. 6th overall, however, is still respectable, and gives the team undoubted hope for the future.

Having previously been at the bottom of the table, things were looking bleak. However, the team began battling, with the highlights coming from strong performances from the team's lithuanians.

At the Tour De Beauce, however, it was Ricardo Van Der Velde and Trent Lowe who fought bravely to haul in more points for the team. Van Der Velde was present in all the key stages, to claim 4th overall. Lowe was a little off in just a couple of stages, but still fought bravely and supported the Dutchman throughout, and still claimed 11th on the GC.

The team were also present in a number of breakaways throughout the race, with young Scott Thwaites claiming the mountain jersey for a single day.

Unfortunately, it is rumoured that the team's lacking performance isn't working to attract sponsors, and the team's future is in question at the time being.

CountArach wrote:
Excellent, welcome back! Your thread is one of my favourites of the teams. Your performance at Beauce should keep you well off the bottom of the table.

Understandably, it was the british races that were top of the priorities for the British based Cyclevox team. However, as with the rest of the season, it was the team's Baltic riders who shone the brightest. In Wales, Rene Mandri showed an excellent display of climbing prowess and battling spirit to claim 9th at the finish.


A few days later, and Mandri's superb form continued as he fought bravely amongst fierce competition in the Manx international, a race which the team's sponsored had flagged up as 'a key race; a must-win on home ground.'



Mandri fought bravely to try and make that goal a reality, by going solo for 15km to join the break of the day. Once there, Mandri showed that he was the strongest, by decimating the bunch as soon as the roads began to rise. However, fierce chasing from fellow Brits Rapha Condor, with aid from Venchi and Pirelli, and the favourites were soon upon the break. The Estonian showed his national colours well, and claimed 13th overall.

Unlucky for some, the number 13, and certainly for the team however. It is believed that the team's current two key sponsors, Cyclevox and ITV, have pulled their backing for next year. This has yet to be confirmed, but sources suggest that Endura will be the only remaining sponsor come the next season, along with the aid of a ' yet unnamed, small british bike manufacturer.'

Whilst speculation of who this manufacturer may be, and whether or not the rumours are indeed true, there have been reports of the team management being in talk with businesses from the Baltic region of Estonia and Lithuania, where the team's three star riders hail from, as well as Latvia. AirBaltic are just one of a number of companies who have been suggested to be a future sponsor.

Management have been talking down rumours, insisting that 'there are plenty of races left to ride, and plenty of chances to improve still. That comes first; publicity and sponsorship second.'

Baltic-based sponsorship speculation continues
Earlier this week, the current Cyclevox team manger, A N Freeman, was spotted boarding a plane at Heahtrow Airport, London. The plane, from Latvian-based aviation company, airBaltic, was believed to be flying the DS to Riga, the Latvian capital.

Speculation as to the emergence of an all-baltic team began, following extremely successful seasons for the team's three baltic cyclists; Lithuanians Ignas Konovalovas, Tomas Vaitkus and Estonian national champion, Rene Mandri. However, following this business trip from the team's manager, it seems it is quite likely that a contingent of baltic-based businesses (possibly even airBaltic themselves) are interested in sponsoring the team, a result of the increased exposure the team has received in Lithuania and Estonia in particular.

At present, the only baltic-based team is Lithuanian continental team, Ekspla - Maxima. Other baltic stars in cycling are Rein Taaramae, currently riding in Le Tour De France for the Franco-belge-based team, Carmeuse - Boyguess Telecom; Tanel Kangert, of the Pearl Adidas outfit, and Latvians, Saramontins and Smukulis, of Trilux - Falke. Bacardi - Ignis in particular is also home to a numver of Lithuanians.

However, conflicting information is that the team's current clothing provider, Endura, have extended their contract with the team for another year. It is yet unclear as to whether they will simply remain the team's clothing manufacturer, or will be remaining on as a sponsor during a transitional year for the team. Many of the team's cyclists are british, and indeed the team themselves are based in South Wales; uprooting and moving everything would be an expensive ordeal, so at present, things are vastly uncertain for the team's future.

Speculation seemingly confirmed as to future of Cyclevox team

For a while now, there has been much speculation as to the future of the struggling Cyclevox team, who have consistently found themselves battling just to not finish in last place, a battle fought between themselves, Portugese-based Cerne, and both Asia's and Australia's flagship teams, Meiji - Fuji and Oz, respectively.

Latest rumours suggested an influx of baltic sponsors, whilst the team remained based in Britain for licensing and fiscal reasons. Endura were believed to be the title sponsor; and, unwittingly, the scottish clothing company confirmed such rumours today. A picture was briefly uploaded and then removed from their own website, showing Estonian rider Rene Mandri in a new kit, holding a custom Planet X bicycle.

The image was, of course, removed in an instant (it is still a possibility that this was more than a mere accident). However, at CyclingNews.com, we were able to obtain the picture before it was deleted, shown below.



Of course, it is still possible that this could be a red herring, but it is highly unlikely considering the consistency of the rumours.

Realistically now, then, the only speculation is whether Rein Taaramae is on the team's shopping list or not.

Cyclevox were, for the most part of the season, hanging around the lower reaches of the Continental standings, shining for little more than the odd stage win or top 10 overall. However, in the closing races of the season, before the winter break sets in, the team were very prolific in their obtaining of race wins.

And the riders securing these strong positions were none other than the team's star Baltic riders, Tomas Vaitkus of Lithuania, and Rene Mandri of Estonia, as well as a strong showing by the ever consistent Ignatas Konovalovas.

Tomas Vaitkus has been the team's shining star throughout the season, kicking things off at their first ever race with fourth at the Down Under Classic. Midway through the season, he shone again, claiming the team's first jersey, with the points classification at the Tour of the Czech Replubic. However, he's gone even better, and managed to retain outstanding form throughout the entire season, to claim the team's first ever race win, at the Tour De Faso.



The competition perhaps wasn't as fierce as anticipated, but that merely allowed Vaitkus to shine, and see off competition from Blythe and Crocket, to take the overall, as well as the points jersey and several stage wins.

Estonian national champion Rene Mandri was also in action, in china, and ensured that his national colours were the first to cross the line in the Tour of Taihu. Expected to end in a sprint finish, all eyes were on sprint king, Bennati, to take the race. However, a high paced race and bad conditions saw his Puma - SAP team struggle to control the entire race. This posed the perfect opportunity for a break away, late in the day. Mandri had attempted several teams along the route, but with the finishing line in site, he made his move.



With the break guaranteed success, Mandri showed his strength and intelligence, by beating off the opposition in the final sprint to claim the win. Docker was also present, claiming 8th from the bunch, and garnering an extra haul of points from the trip to Asia.

Mandri had shown glimpses of this form a little while earlier, riding strongly in Germany to take 5th overall on the Deutschland Tour. Alex Coutts also rode well in Germany to claim 8th in the GC.

Finally, Ignas Konovalovas, who has claimed numerous top 10s this season in Hilly-rated stage races, repeated that feat once more, to take 7th in the Herald Sun Tour.

This late season success has seen the team catapult themselves out of the bottom of the rankings and firmly into the top 20. Final season rankings are still to come, but it is unlikely that the team will reach their goal of a top 15 finish.

Regardless, all at the team are thrilled with these results, and whilst no one was available for comment, we can assume the team's new baltic sponsors are more than pleased with this late success, and will be hoping that the Baltic riders can show similar form in their new black and flo-green kit next year.

Bring on 2013!

Following announcements of the soon to be renamed Cyclevox team, and their shifting focus to the Baltics, Cycling news obtained an exclusive interview with team manager, A N Freeman.

Excited by the relative success of his team, which many thought would fall at the first post, A N Freeman was already looking optimistic as he began to prepare for the seasons ahead. However, when asked about this new baltic switch, he said the following:

'Perhaps it was never my initial intentions. Being a brit, and being largely involved in British Cycling as a whole, I did expect to remain head of a british based team. However, the success of the baltic riders amongst our ranks is undeniable, so it's understandable to have garnered interest from that region.

Signing Konovalovas was always our intentions, as I knew he was a strong rider who could bring in good results for the team. As for Vaitkus, he seemed like a good deal: it was clear he was a talented rider, but it never seemed he had the opportunity to shine fully - I like to think we gave him that chance.

As for Mandri, well he showed his class by wrestling the National title away from riders with such class as Taaramae (Carmeuse - Boyguess) and Kangert (Pearl Adidas), and so was definitely always a target of ours.

As for new riders, we've got our eyes on several - some are very young, and will take time to develop to their full potential, and others will need just a season or two at the top level to reach their full capabilities, but we hope that in two to three seasons, we'll have a largely baltic roster, capable of racing at the highest level.

Working from the ground up is essential, as their isn't a vast wealth of talent from that region already riding in the peloton, aside from our three guys and the two Estonians mentioned earlier, there's a few Lithuanians at Bacardi, a couple of Latvians at Trilux and of course young Tom Skujins, who is certainly going to be a superstar one day.

Would we like them on our team? Eventually. Maybe some of them next season, but the focus will be rebuilding what we already have in our ranks, and supporting it with some young, developing talent. We may need to add another leader, perhaps to garner us some more points in the mountain stage races, and there are a number of avenues we are exploring right now as to who that could be.

Thanks, we're looking forward to next season.'

As are all of us here at CN.com. Best of luck to the manager for the coming season, and more importantly, the coming renewals and transfers.