James Lowsley-Williams warmed up for his BIKE Channel Canyon debut and insisted: We’re going to put on a seriously good show.
The 25-year-old, from Oaksey in Wiltshire, will begin his 2017 campaign at the Perfs Pedal in Portsmouth on Sunday.
He will line up alongside Chris Opie, Rob Partridge, Rory Townsend, Mitchell Webber and Alex Richardson after signing for Britain’s newest professional outfit.
And the ex-UK Youth rider can’t wait to get started for his new team and former Pedal Heaven sports director Tim Elverson.
Lowsley-Williams, who has spent the past three seasons with NFTO, said:

“I raced Perfs once with UK Youth but since then I’ve always been in sunnier climes at this time of year.
“Tim was wanting to work with the new guys before it gets busy. And the way he operates, I was very happy to race Perfs.
“I think with the team we have, even if we are not firing on all cylinders yet, we are going to put on a seriously good show.
“It is probably the fittest I have ever been at this time of year, even after spending three months in America and organising my cyclocross event.
“But you are never going to know until you actually get into a race. So Perfs will be a good start for me.
“I’ll be able to see where I’m at and then I’ll have a good couple of weeks to tighten up the screws before it gets heavy.
“And it is also a good way to get the team’s name out and get some early press, which is a no-brainer for sponsors and getting morale going.”

Lowsley-Williams is relishing a change of scenery after three years with NFTO and reckons the first impressions of BIKE Channel Canyon are extremely exciting. He said:

“I’m really excited to start afresh. Rob and I are great friends, same with Opie. But everyone in the team seems super friendly and everyone wants the same which is a successful and fun year.
“The emphasis is on making it enjoyable, being happy and motivated. And when morale is high, the wins come.
“There are no big egos. I have raced in teams with big egos and it doesn’t work. This just feels like a reincarnation of UK Youth.
“UK Youth were so successful because morale was so good in the team. Everyone was best mates and I see this team going in the same direction.”