NRS team feature: Data#3 Symantec Racing Team

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Data#3 Symantec Racing Team at the 2014 Tour of Poyang Lake(Image credit: Data#3 Symantec Racing Team)

The Data#3 Symantec Racing Team have been racing in the National Road Series (NRS) since the 2007 season with several wins and podiums to its name during the last eight years. In 2015, the team will race under a Continental licence as it enters the third year of its five year plan and have recruited riders and staff, building a structure required for it to race sustainably at a higher level.

CN: Looking back, how would judge your 2014 NRS season?
Into our eighth season, it was another conservative building year and I'd consider it a successful one, from team harmony, results, happy sponsors and riders! We have developed some young Australian and NZ talent. We achieved our first NRS stage win, our first top 10 general classification result at an NRS tour (Battle on the Border), our best result at QLD Road Team Series, competed at a World Cup event in Spain and leaving the best till last, our first tour GC win at the 12 stage Tour of Poyang Lake, China. All of our riders improved their own results over the course of the year.

CN: What was different about the team this year, compared to last?
We ramped the program up, both Elite, Women's and Masters. At Elite level we did the most number of race days, UCI NZCC, Nationals, stack of NRS, over to Asia, back to NZ with Southland. It is a very long year of racing. Bringing on the two Frasers (Northey and Gough), bringing back David Melville, on-boarding quality riders such as Correy Edmed, Ben and Jacko Carman and Szollosi helped raise the bar to a new level for the team and we saw our existing roster all develop over the course of the year. It culminated in the boys winning the Tour of Poyang Lake. While not a UCI event, it had a stack of Continental level riders, was 12 stages over a 2 week period in a foreign country.

This is a hard sport so we need certainty in the commitment level to training and availability for racing in amongst work, study and god help them a social life. On-boarding is so important to get right, it means the only off-boarding is a successful development of a rider up the cycling food chain or retiring with satisfaction. It isn't so much about results, or potential for results. It is how the team will function as a single unit toward a clear goal.

CN: What is your team philosophy?
The Data#3 Symantec Racing Team's vision is to be an exceptional cycle racing team – one that unites riders to enable team success; inspires our riders to contribute on and off the bike every day; and rewards sponsor's confidence and support. The Data#3 Racing Team is particularly focused on:
• young rider talent development (on and off bike) and supporting pathway progression
• as a corporate cycle team, enabling differentiated business/trade connections
• assisting the promotion of healthy active lifestyles within its sponsorship community
• charitable support of New Hope Cambodia

CN: What are your thoughts on the NRS calendar in terms of length and location?
There has been very positive progression in the shaping of the NRS calendar. My personal preference though would be to see cycling focus on a racing season of around 7 months from October to April, then let riders experience different racing styles in Europe, Asia or the USA over our winter months. Condensing the racing season, to me, makes sense to sponsors, TV, riders and management.

CN: Are there any major changes to the team in 2015?
Yes - mega. There are 8 new riders coming on to complement our existing roster which is largely renewing, a stack of new sponsors, new sports directors. Same culture. We have submitted our Continental licence application to Cycling Australia and the UCI. I am excited to see the team come together, challenge in races and progress upward. I'd like to see a few of our riders push into Europe in 2016. Peter Richards (Teco Training) and Peter Zijerveld (Dutch Cycling Federation) are the teams Sports Directors.