Tim Elverson warmed up for another season of breathtaking Tour Series action and declared: We’re up for the scrap.
Ten rounds of city centre circuit racing begin in Redditch on Tuesday before the winning team is crowned in Stevenage on Monday, May 29.
The Tour Series was where Elverson first started mixing it with the big boys as a sports director with Pedal Heaven.
His squad was crowned top non-UCI team in 2015 before clinching round wins in Redditch and Portsmouth, as well as the sprints jersey with Rory Townsend, last season.
It is no surprise then that Elverson is relishing the prospect of tackling the unique competition with his new team, BIKE Channel Canyon.
And he reckons he has the firepower to give title favourites JLT Condor a run for their money. Elverson said:
“I do like a bit of Tour Series. I am right up for it. I like a good scrap and the Tour Series is certainly a good scrap.
“It’s definitely where Pedal Heaven first started to mix it back in 2014. We then had a good year in 2015 and last season was very good.
“The Tour Series is what my teams are best known for, I guess. It allowed me to cut my teeth with the big boys and, without doubt, it is something I would love to win.
“My teams have won rounds and I would like to do that again with BIKE Channel Canyon. I’d like to win a race individually, too, as I haven’t done that yet.
“I would love to win the series but then so would all the other teams. Without doubt, JLT have a very strong squad for this.
“But I don’t look at it and think we have no chance. We have every chance and I’m sure we will be up there scrapping with the likes of JLT, Madison and ONE Pro.”
Elverson will announce his five-man squad for Redditch on Tuesday morning. Racing begins with a team time trial at 2.45pm before riders roll out for the opening crit at 7.30pm.
The Tour Series is a team-driven competition, with the cumulative time of all five members of each squad determining the finishing positions.
It is crucial you have strength in depth, with each outfit naming 12 men for the three-week competition. Elverson added:
“I will probably rotate a key nine riders, of which eight will race this week. We are obviously doing the Ras and have Lincoln on Sunday, so I have to move things around.
“This is definitely the strongest squad I have gone into a Tour Series with, though. It has taken me ages to pick five for Red
