 May 7th, 09. Land Rover - ORBEA team are enjoying their first win since becoming a professional team cycling this year, and its all thanks to kiwi Roman van Uden.
This is the biggest win of my career. I was stoked, things are all coming together at the moment.
Roman van Uden the 20 year old youngster from Auckland, won the 23rd Annual SRAM Tour of the Gila Silver City Downtown Criterium this weekend. "This is a huge win for the young Land Rover-ORBEA squad," said co-founder Norrene Godfrey "especially in our first year as a professional cycling team."
Victory! Photo courtesy Brian Hoder, Veloimages.com
"Along with the stage win, the team continued to show aggressive racing by being represented in the major breaks and by learning to work cohesively as a team," shared Godfrey, "and it's a great confidence boost as we go into the next races."
Land Rover-ORBEA has two core missions, to raise funds and awareness for the Lance Armstrong Foundation and to help develop young cycling athletes into the next generation professional athlete.
After the race, Lance Armstrong himself complimented the Land Rover-ORBEA squad on their professionalism both on and off the bike - as our team handed out LIVESTRONG wristbands to the crowd and to all the kids who participated in the kids' event, further spreading the word and mission of the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
There are four kiwis in the eleven man Land Rover-ORBEA squad:
- Roman van Uden
- Logan Hunn
- Mike Northey
- Aaron Tuckerman
Van Uden's win
Photo courtesy Brian Hoder, Veloimages.com
A big field, strong winds and tricky corners made it difficult for the men's race around the 1.04 mile course that had 80 feet of climbing per lap.
"I got into a good position, guys were riding pretty fast at the front, crashes took out Levi and a few other guys and I snuck through, so we had gaps forming behind.
A rider shot through the front trying to get away a bit with half a mile to go and then sat up and I snuck around him outside on the very last corner, he sort of opened a gap and it gave me enough room to take the win." commented van Uden.
In an interview with LandRover-ORBEA friend and supporter, Lyne Lamoureux of Podium Insight, van Uden said "I don't get fazed by how good the other riders are, I just do my race."
"I hold my own pretty well in a criterium, so I don't have a problem finding a gap or things like that. I still get abused by some riders, not much has changed, I guess it's just my style of riding." laughed van Uden. "I think, generally, other riders recognize us a bit more but I still feel like I'm doing my own thing" said van Uden on his team's new professional status.
"This is the biggest win of my career. I was stoked, things are all coming together at the moment, it's been a good race for the team" said van Uden. "I got to chat with Lance [Armstrong] afterwards when he came up to thank Norrene [Godfrey] for all her hard work for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. "
Land Rover-ORBEA schedule
Mike and Roman can win some stages
Next on the team's race schedule is the Joe Martin Stage Race in Fayetteville, Arkansas May 7-10th where the young team will be looking to keep the winning streak alive. Godfrey told RoadCycling.co.nz she predicts good things from the kiwis in her team.
"I expect both Roman and Mike Northey to do very well as this stage race suits them perfectly. Aaron Tuckerman might be able to pull off a high GC placing too, but Mike and Roman can win some stages"
After Joe Martin, the team will be leading a LIVESTRONG ride in Portland, Oregon on May 24th, racing TD Bank Philadelphia International Championship in Philadelphia June 7th and the Nature Valley Grand Prix in Minneapolis, Minnesota June 11th - 14th.
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