Team Plowman Craven Madison launched

New British pro team announced to the sound of bagpipes

Britain's newest road racing team was unveiled at the Madison IceBike expo yesterday. The squad were led into the launch to the sound of bagpipes played by Scottish team member Evan Oliphant.

Team Plowman Craven Madison has been created through the merger of the Pearl Izumi and Plowman Craven teams, and will focus on the domestic season including the Premier Calendar races.

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"2009 looks like it will be even better for us and I'm impressed with the amount of talent we have for a relatively young squad," Team owner and MD of Plowman Craven Simon Barnes said. "The guys rode with distinction at the Tour of Mallorca two weeks ago and we've been invited out to more races as a result."

The young team made up of 11 riders includes 21-year-old 2007 under-23 criterium series winner Jon Mozley; Evan Oliphant; Tour of the North winner Tom Murray; Jeroen Janssen, winner of the Warwick national series; 20-year-old sprinter Stephen Adams; Tom Barras, who had eight wins in 2008, including the Tour of Bermuda; 25-year-old Jon Tiernan Locke, who took five wins in 2008; and James Millard.

Scottish cyclo-cross champion Ross Creber made the transition from the dirt to the road after spending 2008 with the Great Britain under-23 mountain bike academy. He will support fellow Scot Oliphant in the Premier Calendar races. Tony Gibb postponed his retirement when he heard about the merger of the two teams. He will star in the circuit races for the team.

Team Director Cherie Pridham, one of only two female managers in the sport in Europe, is delighted to have realised her long-time dream of managing a professional team. "This is a great bunch of guys and it's a dream come true for me to be working with them," she said.

The team's next race is the Eddie Soens on March 7, before the start of the Premier Calendar with the Bikeline Two-Day on March 14 to 15.