The team was launched in the summer of 2010 with the aim of becoming New Zealand’s first ever UCI ProTeam and has set a goal of riding the Tour de France by 2015. The team plans to compete in events on both the US and the Oceania calendars during 2011.
The team has revealed that its first international appearance will be the Professional Criterium in Singapore on Saturday, March 5, held during the OCBC Cycle Singapore 2011 event. It is one of the first night-time cycling races in the Asia Pacific to be fully lit for television. Tim Gudsell (the 2011 New Zealand National criterium champion), Mike Northey, Roman Van Uden and Shem Rodger will be riding for Pure Black Racing in Singapore.
In the interim, Gudsell, Northey, Glen Chadwick, Scott Lyttle and James Williamson will ride in the Trust House Cycle Classic from January 26-30. The five- stage UCI Oceania Tour event will be PureBlack Racing's final race in New Zealand before beginning its 2011 international programme.
The remainder of the team will prepare for the new season at a training camp at Lake Karapiro.
"Everyone on the team will complete an extensive programme at Karapiro, before we launch Pure Black Racing onto the international circuit," team manager, Carl Williams said in a statement.
"In any team sport there's a point when you transition from domestic to international competition. While we realise that PureBlack Racing has a lot to learn, we are committed to being competitive, as a team, in our first year in the UCI Continental competition."
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2011 PureBlack Racing Continental team roster Daniel Barry Glen Chadwick Timothy Gudsell Taylor Gunman Marc Langlands Scott Lyttle James McCoy Michael Northey Shem Rodger Michael Torckler Roman Van Uden James Williamson
Stephen is the most experienced member of the Cyclingnews team, having reported on professional cycling since 1994. He has been Head of News at Cyclingnews since 2022, before which he held the position of European editor since 2012 and previously worked for Reuters, Shift Active Media, and CyclingWeekly, among other publications.
