NAMIBIAN cyclist Dan Craven has announced that he has now become a member of the Rapha Condor Team for the 2009 season.
In an e-mail yesterday, Craven said after a fantastic four years riding for the amateur squad, Team Fidi BC.com with Fabrizio Biaggi and Davide Bortoluzzo, he has now taken a step up in his cycling career.
‘This signals a very important change in my cycling career as I move up the ranks and transfer to England, the European country with the most exciting future prospects for cycling. This is evident by looking at Britain’s medal count in the track cycling events at the recent Olympics, even though the level of domestic road racing still has a bit further to improve,’ he said,
Rapha Condor is a continental team with sponsors based in London while most of the team’s riders live in the vicinity of Manchester.
This year they proved to be the strongest team in Britain and racked up good results when competing internationally.
Rapha performance road wear is a brand that brings new standards of design to cycling clothing. Every detail developed with the rider in mind, with pared-down styling, a tailored fit and quality construction making every product beautiful to wear and a pleasure to own.
Condor Cycles brings over 60 years of bike-building expertise to the team, creating custom-made bicycles for their customers.
‘I first became interested in the team when racing against them at the 2.2 ranked Tour du Loire et Cher in France but only recently made further contact. Ben Greenwood, one of my new team mates whom I know from his racing stint in Italy in 2006/2007, was responsible for the introduction to manager John Herety and things moved along quickly from there,’ said Craven.
He said: ‘My only hesitation to join the team was because I was still waiting to hear from a Pro Continental team. Although they wanted me they had yet to offer me a contract and I eventually realised that the trust I felt to Rapha Condor was way more important than stepping up another level.
‘The team boasts an Olympic medal winner in Chris Newton and the only other foreigner with me is the Australian, Darryl Lapthrone, 2007 Australian National Champion.
‘Another change will be that I plan on studying part-time.
‘My training for 2009 has just started and is moving along nicely as my body has been responding very well to the power training that I have started using over the last twelve months,’ he said.
