ONE Pro Cycling will ride Boardman Bikes in 2017 after the British UCI Continental signed a three-year partnership with Chris Boardman’s eponymous brand.
The team will race on the Boardman AiR 9.8 during the 2017 season, with the British team set to start the season at the Dubai Tour on January 31.
Also at the team’s disposal for 2017 will be the Boardman TTE 9.8 time trial bike and the lightweight Boardman SLR Race 9.8 for hilly races and training.
The partnership will also include access to the Boardman Performance Centre, and with it the wind tunnel and physiological testing facilities – all of which is set to open later this year.
The team rode Factor Bikes in 2016, but with Factor stepping up to the WorldTour to sponsor Ag2r-La Mondiale this season, it is another British brand Matt Prior’s team has turned to.
And the team CEO said: “I am delighted to welcome Boardman as ONE Pro Cycling’s official bike sponsor. From our initial meetings I was hugely impressed by the way they operated and their vision for the future.
“This is a brand that is clearly heading in the right direction and doing it the right way. The announcement of Boardman’s new Performance Centre is a great example of how the company is evolving.
“In particular, the chance to work alongside Boardman in their own cycling-specific wind tunnel will be a great asset to our team’s development. I am thoroughly looking forward to working with Chris and all the team at Boardman.
“To be working with a British bike brand is something I’ve always wanted for ONE Pro Cycling and this I’m sure is the start of a very successful relationship for both parties.”
ONE Pro Cycling raced at UCI ProContinental level in 2016, but took the decision to step back down to UCI Continental level in 2017 following the withdrawal of key sponsorship.
However, after winning the team classification at the Abu Dhabi Tour and making their WorldTour debut at the Tour de Pologne, they remain ambitious of advancing back to cycling’s second tier and maybe even beyond.
For now, however, the team’s calendar – which is still to be confirmed – is likely to include the Tour Series criterium races, British Cycling’s domestic calendar and, qualification pending, the Tour of Britain.
On their new partnership with the team, Chris Boardman concluded: “It’s great to be back in the peloton and even better to be doing it with a fantastic UK team.
“Along with the opening of our performance centre, 2017 promises to be an exciting one.”
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