In the lead up to their international race block, RoxsoltAttaquer will use the NRS Battle on the Border and Mersey Valley Tour as critical race preparation. The time trials of both races will be crucially important for RoxsoltAttaquer, with the distances replicating the time trials that will be raced in Europe later in the year.
“The Australian Subaru NRS is of a very high standard and while the racing is a little shorter and size of the peloton smaller it serves as great preparation for international racing,” said Kelvin Rundle, RoxsoltAttaquer team owner.
“We know that a top 10 in a NRS stage means we will be competitive overseas.”
RoxsoltAttaquer’s purpose is to develop riders from Australia and New Zealand to be European race ready. 2017 represents the team’s third year as an NRS team and the second year the team has embarked on overseas racing.
The team already boasts solid results from the 2016/17 summer season. Sharlotte Lucas grabbed top four placings at both the New Zealand National Road and Oceania Road Championships while emerging rider Rylee McMullen also had a strong race. Lydia Rippon and Ruby Livingstone showed solid form with top ten finishes. Josephine Meldgaard grabbed a second place in the recent New South Wales Criterium Championships.
April’s Battle on the Border, the second women’s event of the Subaru NRS, marks the start of the RoxsoltAttaquer's 2017 NRS season. With the majority of the team coming from New Zealand this shows that overseas riders are seeking out the National Road Series as the perfect proving ground for a pro cycling career.
“You just need to see the quality of both male and female riders that have come from the NRS that are now racing the UCI WorldTour and UCI Women’s Tour to see that the NRS is a very solid platform for producing exceptional riders,” said Rundle.
“I can see within a few years a situation where teams from Asia and New Zealand will be racing in Australia as part of the NRS.”
After the USA, RoxsoltAttaquer will depart for Europe for further racing during July, before returning to Australia for the Tour of the King Valley and the second half of the Subaru National Road Series season.
The team will be joined by former Orica-Scott racer Loren Rowney, who recently retired from professional racing, as Sport Director for the international season.
Rowney will join the team at the UCI Winston-Salem Classic weekend (May 27-29), followed by the Oklahoma City Pro-Am Classic weekend (June 2-4), Saint Francis Tulsa Tough (June 9-11) before finishing with the Tour of America’s Dairyland (June 15-25).
