The brand new British Continental team Bike Channel Canyon launched this weekend at the London Bike Show, welcoming Chris Opie from One Pro Cycling to spearhead the team.
Opie won the traditional UK season opener, the Perfs Pedal Race, last weekend, and during his time with One Pro Cycling won races like the Ronde Van Midden Nederland (UCI 2.1) and a stage of the Tour of Korea, as well as placing second in Arnhem-Veenendaal Classic (UCI 1.1) amongst WorldTour competition.
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'The team’s worked really hard up to today and everyone’s loving being part of the team. With our first race win at Perfs last weekend we’re off to a winning start,' said Opie. 'Bike Channel Canyon are here to race fast and race aggressively. Having the world’s best bike brand behind us alongside a media broadcaster, we’re going to give our fans something really exciting to be part of.'
The Bike Channel Canyon team will be using bikes courtesy of their second title sponsor, with Canyon's Aeroad CF SLX and Ultimate CF SLX being the chosen models. The team bikes will be built up with Shimano Dura Ace 9100 and Hunt wheels.
Meanwhile the management hope that co-title sponsor, Bike Channel, will offer an added dimension to the team and the way it is broadcast.
'Bike Channel Canyon represents a new model of race cycling team,' says Bike Channel's founder and CEO, Filippo Ubaldini. 'This winning partnership will bring fans an unparalleled experience in the world of pro-cycling, promoting the very essence of what it means to be a dedicated professional cyclist.
'We are delighted to announce this new UCI Continental team; another positive step in the channel’s continued development with excellent opportunity to collaborate with a brand that shares our core values. BIKE Channel viewers can look forward to exclusive documentaries, profiles and behind-the-scenes access, which will explore the lives of the riders in a unique and personal way.'
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Full team
Dexter Gardias, Jack Pullar, Rory Townsend, Rob Partridge, George Atkins, James Lowsley-Williams, Sam Lowe, Harry Tanfield, Alex Richardson, Max Stedman, Joe Fry, Jake Womersley, Mitch Webber and Matt Nowell.
