Cycling Illustrated

Jang Takes King of the Mountains Jersey in Japan

May 21, 2013 by Sprint Finish Leave a Comment

Jang Takes King of the Mountains Jersey in Japan

Jang Takes King of the Mountains Jersey in Japan

Mino, Japan – Champion System Pro Cycling Team’s

At the finish, Chan Jae Jang had traded his South Korean national road champion jersey for the red jersey of king of the mountains. (Champion System Pro Cycling Team photo.)

Chan Jae Jang took the lead in the king of the mountains classification after featuring in a breakaway on Tuesday’s Stage 2 of the Tour of Japan while teammate Adiq Othman notched a top 10 finish.

Champion System Assistant Director Franky Van Haesebroucke said he asked his riders to approach the 160.7-kilometer race on a seven-lap circuit course like a one-day race, not a stage race.

The day started with various breakaway attempts, but it was Champion System’s Jang and Ji Min Jung (Team KSPO) that finally escaped on the initial summit of the only categorized climb on the circuit. The duo eventually gained a nine-and-a-half minute lead with Jang cresting first each time over the climb.

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Filed Under: Champion System, Champion System Pro Cycling Team, News Tagged With: Japan, Mino

Beyer Earns Most Courageous Rider Jersey at California

May 14, 2013 by Sprint Finish Leave a Comment

Beyer Earns Most Courageous Rider Jersey at California

Santa Clarita, Calif. – Champion System Pro Cycling Team’s Chad Beyer earned Amgen’s Breakaway from Cancer® “most courageous rider” jersey at the Amgen Tour of California after spending much of Tuesday’s Stage 3 in a four-man break.

Champion System General Manager Ed Beamon said having a rider in the breakaway was the team’s main objective.

“It was Chad that we wanted in the move because we thought it was a good opportunity for him to potentially get a little time back,” Beamon said.

I pulled through and looked back by Kevin Mullervy

April 30, 2013 by Sprint Finish Leave a Comment

The Twilight Criterium
by Kevin Mullervy (Champion Systems p/b Stans No Tubes

The Twilight Criterium

by Kevin Mullervy (Champion Systems p/b Stans No Tubes

Athens Terrapin Twilight is unlike any other crit we race all year. With Athens being a big college town the atmosphere is very unique. It has a much younger crowd then we see all year. There are thousands of college kids out there just having a good time and looking for a good show. It seems like the whole college comes out and fills the course with wall to wall people and you can’t even hear yourself think.

Having a small squad for Champion System p/b Stan’s No Tubes we had to play our cards right to get a good result. It helped out a lot to get a call up and not have to worry about getting good position at the start. Right from the start I could tell I had really good legs. I felt very comfortable in the pack and did not feel under pressure the whole race. I really wanted to get in a breakaway but I knew if United Healthcare were not in it, it would be unlikely to stay away. UHC have won every crit they have entered this year in the US, so I know a lot of guys wanted to break that streak.

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Filed Under: Champion System, News Tagged With: Terrapin Twilight Criterium

Charlotte Presbyterian Invitational by Kevin Mullervy

April 17, 2013 by Sprint Finish Leave a Comment

Keven Mullervy (Champion System p/b Stan’s No Tubes)

Charlotte Presbyterian Invitational

by Keven Mullervy (Champion System p/b Stan’s No Tubes)

When the race schedule comes out at the beginning of the year, many riders put a star next to the Presbyterian Invitational. With it being the highest paid crit and a great course, many teams want to make an impact at this race. Going into the weekend, I knew all the “A” squads would be there to get a result.

With over 120 guys on the start list, I was very fortunate to get a call-up for being 6^th overall in the USA Crit Series. I didn’t have to line up super early and I wouldn’t have to fight to move up during the first few laps.

From the gun there were many attacks and a few guys getting a small gap, but nothing serious developed. It was still fast, but a lot of guys were looking at each other at the front to see who would chase. Before I knew it I was hearing the bell for the mid-race prime. It got super fast and single-file, and an 11-man break rolled off the front. Many teams had at least one rider in there, so the whole peloton sat up and blocked the road and the break got 40 seconds.

Champion System’s Gang Xu Most Aggressive in Trentino Opener

April 16, 2013 by Sprint Finish Leave a Comment

Champion System’s Gang Xu Most Aggressive in Trentino Opener

Champion System’s Gang Xu Most Aggressive in Trentino Opener

Lienz, Austria — Champion System Pro Cycling Team’s Gang Xu earned the most aggressive rider jersey on the opening stage of the Giro del Trentino Tuesday.

Tuesday’s opening day featured two stages: a 128.5-kilometer road race and a 14.1-km team time trial.

Heading into the road race, Xu said that recently he had been feeling strong and was anxious to make an impact.

“I really wanted to help the team,” Xu said. “I knew my best opportunity would be to try to make the breakaway.”

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Filed Under: Champion System, Champion System Pro Cycling Team, News Tagged With: Trentino Opener

Champion System’s Lewis, Traksel Out With Injuries

April 12, 2013 by Sprint Finish Leave a Comment

Champion System’s Lewis, Traksel Out With Injuries

Hong Kong, SAR – The Champion System Pro Cycling Team will be without Craig Lewis and Bobbie Traksel for races next week due to injuries suffered recently in and out of competition.

Traksel underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee earlier this week after experiencing pain in some early-season races. Despite the discomfort, he still earned “most aggressive rider” honors at the Tour of Oman and finished third on Stage 2 of Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen.

“I had already had a few weeks of problems with my right knee and the most important part of the spring was over,” Traksel said. “It was a choice between surgery now or after the season. But to put it off any longer would have meant more problems and pain.”

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Filed Under: Champion System, News Tagged With: Champion Systems

Feng Wins King of the Mountains Jersey at Taiwan

March 24, 2013 by Sprint Finish Leave a Comment

Champion System Pro Cycling Team’s Chun Kai Feng won the king of the mountain classification Sunday at the Tour de Taiwan. (Photo courtesy Champion System.)

Feng Wins King of the Mountains Jersey at Taiwan

Taipei City, Taiwan — Champion System Pro Cycling Team’s Chun Kai Feng took home top honors in the king of the mountains classification Sunday at the Tour de Taiwan after securing and protecting the jersey since Friday’s Stage 5.

Champion System Assistant Director Chris Wherry said he was proud of the team’s overall effort to preserve the jersey in a race that saw Zach Bell win Stage 4 and teammate Adiq Othman earn four top five finishes, including fifth on the final stage.

Champion System’s Othman Third on Penultimate Stage in Taiwan

March 23, 2013 by Sprint Finish Leave a Comment

Champion System’s Othman Third on Penultimate Stage in Taiwan

Champion System’s Othman Third on Penultimate Stage in Taiwan

Linshanbi Recreational Area, Taiwan – Champion System Pro Cycling Team’s Adiq Othman finished third Saturday on Stage 6 of the Tour de Taiwan while teammate Chun Kai Feng kept his lead in the king of the mountains classification with a day to go.

The 126-kilometer stage from New Taipei City to Linshanbi Recreational Area saw a break of three before the first categorized climb. On the descent, a large chase group featuring Othman and Feng formed and caught the early escapees prior to the summit of the second categorized climb. Feng, who began the day in the KOM jersey, struggled before the summit. But Othman attacked a kilometer from the top to take first place points and protect Feng’s lead. With no categorized climbs remaining in the race, the move secured Feng’s hold on the jersey.

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Filed Under: Champion System, Champion System Pro Cycling Team, News Tagged With: Tour de Taiwan

Feng Takes King of the Mountains Jersey at Taiwan

March 22, 2013 by Sprint Finish Leave a Comment

Feng Takes King of the Mountains Jersey at Taiwan

Feng Takes King of the Mountains Jersey at Taiwan

Kanpanzan, Taiwan – Champion System Pro Cycling Team’s Chun Kai Feng took the lead in the king of the mountains classification after featuring in the breakaway on Friday’s Stage 5 of the Tour de Taiwan while teammate Adiq Othman notched another top five finish.

Feng, winner of last year’s king of the mountains competition, spent the three previous stages in the break, fighting for points. The Taiwan native began the day four points behind the previous KOM jersey wearer, Chen Lu Qin (Max Success Sports Cycling Team).

The race started with a flurry of attacks. When Dennis Van Niekerk (MTN Qhubeka) escaped, Feng and Champion System teammate Zach Bell followed and the trio gained a lead of more than two minutes on the peloton. Through the intermediate sprint, Bell and Feng went 1-2. Over the first categorized climb, Feng took top honors, moving him into the KOM lead.

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Filed Under: Champion System, Champion System Pro Cycling Team, News Tagged With: Champion Systems

Champion System’s Zach Bell Wins Tour de Taiwan Stage 4

March 21, 2013 by Sprint Finish Leave a Comment

Champion System’s Zach Bell Wins Tour de Taiwan Stage 4

Champion System’s Zach Bell Wins Tour de Taiwan Stage 4

Metropolitan Park, Taiwan - The Champion System Pro Cycling Team earned its first win of the season when Zach Bell beat six fellow breakaway riders to the line on Thursday’s Stage 4 of the Tour de Taiwan.

Champion System was front and center right from the start when Chun Kai Feng escaped at kilometer zero and 16 riders followed, including Bell. From this front group, Bell and six other riders attacked with 50 kilometers remaining in the 115 km race. The group built a lead of nearly two-and-a-half minutes.

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Filed Under: Champion System, Champion System Pro Cycling Team, News Tagged With: Tour de Taiwan