Melbourne, Australia – February 1, 2015 – Velocio-SRAM will make their debut for the 2015 season at the Ladies Tour of Qatar (February 3-6) Doha, Qatar.
The seventh edition of the four-day stage race is renowned for flat roads, windy conditions and sprint finishes. Australian riders Tiffany Cromwell and Loren Rowney have already been racing in January in warm conditions in Australia, while the rest of the squad have been preparing for Ladies Tour of Qatar at a training camp in Mallorca, Spain. Former 2012 stage winner Trixi Worrack, will be joined by the Individual Time Trial World Champion Lisa Brennauer and debut riders Alena Amialiusik and Barbara Guarischi to make up the six rider Velocio-SRAM roster.
Barbara Guarischi will debut for the team at Ladies Tour of Qatar. (c)BrakeThrough Media
Italian rider Guarischi says she is looking forward to racing with her new team. “I have had a later start to the pre-season than in previous years, but after already two team training camps I feel I am in good shape,” said Guarischi. “This is my fourth year at Qatar and always there are a mix of riders in the peloton who are in good early season form, and those that can grab the opportunities for positioning in the cross winds,” states Guarischi. “We have a very strong team at this race and we come into Qatar as a unified team with one clear goal.”
Although the team has potentially four riders who can win from a bunch sprint, it will also be aggressively looking for opportunities of well-timed attacks throughout each stage. Directeur Sportif Ronny Lauke says the team will be aiming for immediate success. “The team has been known as an animating team who always leaves a footprint in the races,” said Lauke. “We want to continue that path in the new season, and Qatar is a great opportunity for us to work on our execution towards the final kilometres of the race.”
The team will visit Carbon Wheels bike shop, located at Al Maha Center 10, Salwa Road, Doha on February 4 at 19:00 hours. The riders are excited to take part in a Question and Answer evening with the shop that stocks products from many of the team’s Sponsors including SRAM, Cervelo and Lezyne. The Carbon Wheels bike shop have formed a women’s cycling group, the Veloettes, and work hard to encourage the local women cycling community in Doha by providing training rides, tips, support and an online forum. Everyone is welcome to attend the evening and can look for further information on our social media pages.
