Back to basics for PureBlack Racing

Glen Chadwick, the team's "go to guy" for the week ©RoadCycling.co.nz

Aug 8th, 11. NZ team PureBlack Racing say they are focused on doing the basics well in this week's Tour of Utah, their biggest race to date.

"It's back to basics for us this week! The highest level of competition we will come across this year in a stage race means we need to focus on doing the basic things right," Sports Director Carl Williams told RoadCycling.co.nz

The Tour of Utah, UCI 2.1 event from August 9-14, will see the first year Kiwi team face off against the highest level of team in the world of cycling - the UCI World Tour teams of HTC Highroad, Garmin Cervelo, RadioShack and BMC. 

The Kiwis have earned podiums and jerseys in almost all the events they have entered this year - the US peloton are getting used to seeing the Kiwis out the front both in breakaways and at the finish line.

At the Tour of Utah, the team is focused on another solid showing.

"First and foremost it will be making the breakaways, being active at the front of the race until the big guns take over," Williams said.

"We will also fight for a podium finish on one of the stages."

The PureBlack Racing team for the prologue plus five stage tour is Glen Chadwick, Tim Gudsell, Dan Barry, Mike Northey, Scott Lyttle, Roman Van Uden, Mark Langlands and Louis Crosby, who got a late call back from Australia where he was racing with PureBlack's U23 development team.

For experienced riders Gudsell and Chadwick, racing against pro-tour teams is nothing new and no doubt their experience will be invaluable as the tour progresses.

Williams said 34 year old Chadwick is the "go to guy", or team leader, for the week and the team will look to support him in the critical part of the mountainous stages. 

Off the bike, the team has goals too.

"Developing the team infrastructure to handle the demands of a high level event like this is another focus,"  said Williams who explained they usually have three staff and one car in events' caravans - this tour requires seven staff and two cars.

"We are also learning to handle the increased media attention, which can be a big distraction with more cameras, reporters, helicopters etc." he said.

Williams said they have developed a detailed stage by stage plan and the whole team is fired up to be part of this race and to show they deserve the invitation they earned with their earlier performances this season.

As well as the PureBlack Racing Kiwi team are five other Kiwis in the 128 rider Tour of Utah peloton; Hayden Roulston (HTC Highroad), Patrick Bevin and Jeremy Vennell (Bissell Pro Cycling), Jack Bauer (Endura) and George Bennett in his stagiare role with RadioShack.

Tour of Utah

• Full Tour of Utah results
• Kiwi is Tour of Utah Sprint Champion
• Up and down day for Kiwis at the Tour of Utah
• Leipheimer leaps into Utah lead
• Van Uden and his battle for the orange jersey
• Images of Jack Bauer's Utah success
• Jack Bauer wins at the Tour of Utah
• PureBlack leader on tough opening road stage
• Bennett thrives on first day as RadioShack stagiare
• Roman Van Uden out front in Utah
• Bobsled challenge for Roman Van Uden
• Youngest Kiwi at Utah keen for action
• Jack Bauer flies in tough uphill prologue
• Back to basics for Pure Black Racing