News – Russell Downing joins CULT Energy Pro Cycling

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NFTO Pro Cycling’s Russell Downing has signed a one-year contract with the team CULT Energy Pro Cycling

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News – Russell Downing joins CULT Energy Pro Cycling

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CULT Energy Pro Cycling is happy to announce that the British rider Russell Downing has signed a one-year contract with the team. Downing will be the fifth rider to officially join the team.

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“Russell is an amazing rider with great talent; He has great experience both at continental level but also at Pro tour level which he gained at Team SKY in 2010-2011. Russell is ready to step up the game together with CULT Energy Pro Cycling in the major UK races in 2015″ Sporting Director Michael Skelde states.

“I’m delighted to be returning to pro continental racing with Cult Energy Pro Cycling for 2015. The team looks very exciting with a great mix of young and experienced riders. I’m Looking forward to joining the squad next year” Russell Downing said in the team press release.

The Cult Energy Pro Cycling squad has been racing at a UCI Continental level in recent years but is Pro Continental in 2015 and the Danish team is currently making a number of important signings. Speaking to Russell shortly after the team made the announcement, he explained how signing for the team a few days ago all came about very quickly. “I got a message from Martin Mortensen (also a team rider) who I knew from racing saying the team were looking for British rider and was I interested?”

‘Fonzy’s new team are looking to get their products known in the UK hence signing a British rider for what is largely a Danish team with a Luxembourg connection. The team apparently have a lot of young riders and will be looking to riders like Russell, 4th in the Commonwealth Games and 10th in RideLondon, to pass on their experience.

The South Yorkshire rider though is as good as ever turning the pedals around if what we saw on the British roads this year. “I’m mega excited to be back in Europe and raring to go” says the Stockton Grand Prix winner who in order to win a record breaking fifth Lincoln GP will have to win the British Road Champs which is on that circuit in 2015.

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Dean, now retired, and Russell, going as strong as ever.

Being part of a ProConti team and the silly UCI rules that stops riders in such teams riding British events including UCI 1.2 events, a rule introduced apparently to stop Lance Armstrong dominating US events way back when, means Russell won’t be racing in the UK much in 2015 but he is hoping his team gets a ride in the British UCI events due to be held in Yorkshire, Wales, London and round Britain.

“I am mega relieved to have found a team for next season” he told VeloUK. “I came back to the UK this year for a reason, to ride alongside my brother Dean in his retirement year and then crashed out two days before the Tour Series. So that knackered those plans up. I put that behind me though and was doing mega miles for the Tour of Britain. During that period, I got a last minute call up for the Commy Games and did a ‘ride’ there”.

Saying to Russell he seems as strong as ever on the bike, he explained “I am probably training a little bit different now especially since I broke my collarbone and I have felt really strong and I don’t feel I’m 36 years old. Pro Conti is where I think I should be and it’s great to get the opportunity to do it for another year, maybe longer.”

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Signing pre winter says Russell is very helpful in helping him put 2014 behind him and after a little break, getting stuck in as only Russell can to the winter training to prepare for a cracking season in Europe. Russell will continue to be based in South Yorkshire adding that this does mean spending a lot of time in airports and travelling.

“Where I live is probably one of the best in the country being a UK bike rider with three or four airports within an hour and the area is great for training as well. It isn’t as glamorous as many think but it’s what we love to do”.

Russell has a team training camp in December before looking ahead to whatever the race programme is in 2015 and we wish him all the best and hope his race programme is every bit as exciting as he deserves.

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