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New Team for 2011 - Twenty3c-Orbea

Story posted November 15 | Team Press Release

Star line-up for 2011 season
New elite British professional cycling team, Twenty3c – Orbea, have announced their entry into the UK racing scene. Taking over the title sponsorship from previous sponsor, For Goodness Shakes!, UK-based independent bike shop 'Twenty3c' have come on board as new title sponsor alongside Orbea. “It is wonderful to announce Twenty3c as a title sponsor for 2011"  said team manager James Whatling.

"Their knowledge, attention to detail and passion for the sport mirrors our own and all contributes to a partnership that will support the riders and help the team to continue its progression and growth. Twenty3c is a forward thinking, innovative company and one of the leaders in bikefit in the UK. To be able to use their comprehensive bike fitting service to enable the riders to maximise their potential on their Orbea Orca bikes is invaluable and their technical support will be priceless as we compete across the UK and Europe in 2011.”

“The prospect of partnering Orbea in the creation of this team is a very exciting opportunity for Twenty3c" said Ceri Dipple, managing partner of Twenty3c. "For a business like ours, it's fantastic to be involved with high level athletes and a professional team, not only to help the progression of the team and all of the athletes, but also to learn from them to drive our own standards and skills as high as possible. We will be working closely with the riders over the winter to fine tune their riding positions to allow them to get the very best out of their Orbea Orca team bikes and then making sure that they arrive at the start line with the very best equipment in the UK peloton. For Twenty3c, this is a long term project to take the team to the very highest level."

Renny Stirling, Orbea UK, “Orbea is proud to be supporting the Twenty3c-Orbea team in 2011. It has been exciting to watch the progression of this team to where it is now, and with the talented riders that have been signed for 2011. I'm really looking forward to watching the team in action in the forthcoming season.”

The Twenty3C – Orbea team line-up for 2011 is:

• Lewis Atkins: Criterium specialist. Nine wins in 2010, including a bronze medal at the 2005 National Junior Championships. (West Drayton)
• Mike Cuming: Talented young climber and time triallist. Four wins in 2010 including the final round of the Rudy Project Series. (Stoke On Trent)
• Kristian Downs: Talented young all rounder. (Basildon);
• Andrew Griffiths: Back racing in the UK after spending three years in Belgium with Beveren 2000 and New Heebra Lombarden. 2010 British National Espoirs Time Trial Champion. (Hornchurch)
• Gunnar Gronlund: Strong climber from Sweden. Gunnar has represented his country in MTB before moving to the road. (Skara, Sweden)
• Rob Jackson: Promising young rouleur from Kent (Canterbury)
• Andy Lyons: Ex GB rider, winner of the 2010 Eastern Regional Road Race Championship (Chelmsford);
• Rafa Rodriguez Segarra: Strong all rounder and former Contempolis rider from Spain. Rafa won Stage 1 of the Volta Ciclista a Galicia, GC of the Volta Ciclista del Llagosti and the GC of the Trofeo Moros y Cristianos in 2010 (Elche, Spain)
• Dean Shannon: Criterium specialist. Three wins in 2010 including the Barry Elcome Memorial (Southend);
• Rob Sharman: Winner of the 2005 Premier Calendar overall. Represented GB in the 2005 World Road Race Championships and the 2006 Commonwealth Games. (Derby)
• Marcel Six: Team Captain. Won six races in 2010 including the Wally Gimber Trophy, 4th in the 2010 National Criterium Championships. (St Albans)
• James Whatling: Team Manager (Brentwood)

“It's taken a lot of work to get where we are and I'm really proud of the team that's come together. We've got a fantastic mix of youth and experience, and the one thing that runs through the whole team is talent,” added Whatling. “In 2010 the Orbea-For Goodness Shakes! team secured 9th place in the National Rankings with a budget that was less than 5% of some of our competitors. In 2011,Twenty3c-Orbea are going to shock a lot of people. In the Premier Calendar, National Circuit Series and The Tour Series (invitation permitting) this team will be fighting for wins and it is not unrealistic for the team to aim to be one of the top three teams in the UK in 2011.”

About Twenty3c
Twenty3c is an independent bike shop based in Swinfens Yard, Stony Stratford, Milton Keynes. The company has over 20 years experience of bike fit and bike building knowledge, having helped hundreds of customers enjoy their cycling through their personal bike set-up and quality bike builds. Alan Finch has built
a reputation as one of the country’s leading bike build specialists through his knowledge, experience and attention to detail, and has built hundreds of bikes for elite level athletes, sportive and recreational riders.

Alan and Ceri Dipple work closely with each customer or athlete to ensure that their bike fit is correct not only when walking out the door but over an unlimited period of time. Bike fitting is undoubtedly a skill but will not work without a personal, ongoing relationship with each rider, the feedback that each customer provides is invaluable to achieve the perfect bike fit. What Twenty3c's customers get is not just a state of the art bike fit but their very own bike fit consultant that will work with them to help achieve their goals.

About Orbea
The beginnings of Orbea reach deeper into history than nearly any other bicycle manufacturer, to 1847 when the Orbea brothers began their metal tubing business in the Basque region of northern Spain. In 1930, the brothers narrowed their focus to making bicycles, a natural progression given that cycling is an integral part of the lives of the Basque people. Orbea’s commitment and love for cycling keeps them thinking creatively about the next opportunity to improve your ride, and ensures that Orbea bikes remain a product of skilled craftsmanship and personal pride. From concept to manufacturing, an Orbea bicycle takes six months to two years to create, and each bike carries a lifetime guarantee for its original owner.

Orbea bikes have tasted a great deal of success both on and off road. Samuel Sanchez rode the new Orbea Orca to fourth place in the 2010 Tour De France, and Euskaltel-Euskadi rode to great success in the 2010 Vuelta a Espana on the new Orca, claiming three stage wins and holding the leaders jersey with Igor Anton. Orbea bicycles won two gold medals in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games with Samuel Sanchez (Road Race) and Julien Absalon (Mountain Bike), and Euskaltel-Euskadi team rider, Romain Sicard, won the U23 World Championships in Mendrisio in 2009 on his Orbea Orca.