Chinese Pro Continental team continues to build
Former BMC Racing Team rider Chad Beyer has fixed his sights on returning to race in Europe once again, and has joined the Champion System team for 2013.
The 26 year old American won the points jersey in the 2010 Tour de Romandie, that season marking the midpoint in a three year spell with the BMC Racing Team. He moved to the Competitive Cyclist Racing team this year and was second overall in the SRAM Tour of the Gila plus the mountains classification winner in the Rutas de America. He also clocked up three top ten finishes in the Tour de Beauce.
Determined to return to racing in some of the big European events, he’s fully focused on the season ahead. “Whether I’m helping a teammate win, or I have the opportunity to go for a result myself, I think stage races will be my biggest focus,” he stated.
“While I’m not a one day specialist, I think I can also contribute quite a bit to that front as well. I enjoy those tough one days, and am ready to leave it all out there this year. My main goal is to continue to improve and I’m specifically focused on improving my time trial ability.”
According to general manager Ed Beamon, the 2011 Giro d’Italia finisher will add both depth and strength to the stage racing squad. “He has not only proven his ability on the tough climbs, but he can mix it up at the finish and help us out as we contest stage races and one day classics.”
Also coming on board is the highly promising young German rider Fabian Schnaidt. He showed his ability by taking the national under 23 title last season and this year won a stage of the Tour of Qinghai Lake, as well as stages in the Oberösterreichrundfahrt and the Tropicale Amissa Bongo.
The 22 year old is stepping up from the German continental squad Team Specialized Concept Store, and embraces the thought that he will be doing some big races around the globe in 2013.
“I’m happy to be joining Champion System because it gives me the opportunity to ride with some of the best riders in the world,” he said. “When I was young and started cycling, I dreamed about being a professional and now the dream comes true. I like the race schedule very much and think there is a good mix of events.”
Beamon believes that his signing plus the recent news that 2010 Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne winner Bobbie Traksel is coming on board promises well for next season’s bunch sprints.
“When you add Clinton Avery, Matthias Friedemann and Mart Ojavee to that mix, we should definitely be there with good numbers at the end of those kind of races,” the American stated.
The Champion System squad is Asia’s first Pro Continental team and has the long term goal of securing a WorldTour licence and riding the Tour de France.