Downing looks forward to USA racing

Former British road race champion Russell Downing (Health Net – Maxxis) will rejoin his US based team next week after his 7th place finish in the Archer GP in England last weekend. Downing left that race a bit frustrated, but not too unhappy with his finish.

"All the teams were represented in the break so my group didn't want to work and you can’t bring it back on your own," said Downing: "I did a few stints on the front and the group was splitting. But just when I thought we might get a group together across to the break we would go around the corner and everyone would sit up. It was very frustrating and I thought I would wait until the finishing circuit and when our group split again the lead came down to two minutes then went back up to three again. That left a little bit too much for us to do in the end. The weather was brilliant; it was like being back in America."

"I am staying here for a while," said the Doncaster born professional: "I go back to the USA on the 26th and we have got a few criterium races lined up before we go to a training camp in preparation for what was originally the US Pro champs week in Philadelphia. Then we have nine days of racing in Arkansas before we go to Philadelphia where we are looking for a big result."

Downing’s first event back in the USA is the Athens Twilight criterium on the 28th of April. "There should be big crowds there and it should be quite exciting," Downing continued: "I absolutely love it in America and the racing suits me down to the ground. The team is brilliant and everything is really professional."