Aqua Blue Sport aim to repeat success in July

It has been a momentous June for Aqua Blue Sport but now we refocus and hunt for glory in July.

June was light on events for the team but attention was firmly on bringing the best Aqua Blue Sport performance to the Tour de Suisse.

Larry Warbasse’s victory on Stage Four, high in the Swiss Alps, has confirmed the team’s strategy of attacks and exciting racing. Lasse Norman Hansen’s stunningly tactical pursuit of the King of the Mountains jersey was as much a team effort as an individual one.

Twelve riders rode at the seven National Championship races. Our riders performed well with a stunning third place for Conor Dunne as he launched a heroic last stand attack. But it was late at night, European time, when the best result was declared.

Warbasse took the US National Championships in a three-up sprint – he will wear the Stars and Stripes for the next year – a worthy champ.

Now as the dust settles on June we face into July, fortified by the victories of the previous month, and with renewed vigour we focus on repeating those feats.

Much of the cycling world will focus on the Tour de France but there is a full alternative race calendar operating in tandem.

First up on the programme will be the mountainous Österreich-Rundfahrt-Tour of Austria on July 2nd to July 8th. It is a seven-day stage race that starts with an uphill prologue. It will then travel across the peaks and valleys of the stunningly beautiful terrain of Austria. There will be hors categorie mountains, plunging descents and plenty of opportunities for Aqua Blue Sport to hunt for victories.

The team will then move on to Belgium for July 19th for the GP Pino Cerami one day semi-classic held annually in Hainaut, Belgium. Since 2005, the race is organized as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. It is named in honour of Giuseppe 'Pino' Cerami.

Then we make our way from the Flemish area to the French speaking Eastern reaches of the country for the Tour de Wallonie. The terrain will change to longer climbs but Aqua Blue Sport will again be hunting stages and GC ambitions.

The Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic will take place on July 30th in one of the great cities of the world. It will be another World Tour outing for the team that will see the peloton ride out into the English countryside and then return to the city by the Thames.

Stephen Moore, General Manager, said Aqua Blue Sport is looking forward to July’s competitions.

He declared: “We have had a fantastic June – it really exceeded all of our expectations.

“We have got our first win and we now know for certain that anything is possible. We are going to perform to our highest level at the upcoming races.

“These races are just as important to us as a Grand Tour and we will give our loyal fans an opportunity to see the blue and gold on the roads of Europe.”