The Navigators Insurance Cycling Team has announced a collaboration with the Belgian based Cycling Center that will increase its investment in the growth and development of American cycling. The team will use the Hertsberge, Belgium center as its base for the expansion of the European part of its schedule. In addition, the Cycling Center based amateur team will serve as a developmental program for America’s longest running professional cycling team.
Navigators team manager Ed Beamon said, "The Cycling Center relationship offers us an opportunity to strengthen our ties with developing American talent, and hopefully provide an opportunity to guide a few young riders toward the professional ranks. We have had several members of the team who have come through the Cycling Center system, and now we will have the opportunity to pay closer attention and offer some direction in the development of these young guys."
Former Navigators riders Jeff Louder and Brian Sheedy are both Cycling Center 'graduates', and 2007 as are team member Kristian House, and Team Training Analyst Craig Upton. "I think another really important aspect of this is the Cycling Center’s commitment and passion for ‘Clean Sport’." Beamon said. "We want to be working in an environment where these young guys are learning how to win and be competitive based on their hard work, focus, and determination, and that’s a message they are going to get in this program."
The man behind the Cycling Center, Bernard Moerman is pleased to work with the American team. "This is an opportunity that we have been waiting several years for. We have strong ties to the Belgian cycling community, but our real mission is and has been to work with American athletes, and provide a comfortable yet competitive environment for them to grow as cyclists, and hopefully professionals." The agreement with the Navigators will offer the clients of the Cycling Center a unique opportunity. "In working with the Navigators, we have an opportunity to see exactly what a top professional team is looking for in a developing amateur," continued Moerman, "and we will be able to feed their staff information regarding our top guys."
2007 Navigators Roster: Ben Brooks (AUS) Glen Chadwick (NZL) Hilton Clarke (AUS) Matt Cooke (USA) Benjamin Day (AUS) Oleg Grishkin (RUS) Kristian House (GBR) Valeriy Kobzarenko (UKR) Sergey Lagutin (UZB) Darren Lill (RSA) David O’Loughlin (IRL) Ciaran Power (IRL) Viktor Rapinski (BLR) David Rodriguez (USA) Bernard Van Ulden (USA) Kyle Wamsley (USA) Michael Wolf (USA) Phil Zajicek (USA)
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