James Smettem, Chairman of the Manx Road Club, said:
“The club has gone from strength to strength since our association with Manx Telecom, and we are extremely grateful for our sponsor’s continued support.”
David Smith, Manx Telecom’s Marketing Director, said the company was delighted to continue the sponsorship deal and wished all of Team Manx Telecom’s riders every success in the season ahead.
The club’s impressive membership list includes the reigning World Road Race Champion and Tour de France green jersey winner Mark Cavendish. The Manx Missile is favourite to win road race gold at the 2012 Olympics, and he could be joined in Great Britain’s London 2012 team by Team Manx Telecom clubmates Peter Kennaugh and Ben Swift - who are also both members of Cavendish’s Team Sky squad. Also on the club’s roll of honour in recent years are 2007 World Under-23 Road Race bronze medallist Jonny Bellis and 2010 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Mark Christian. Both Bellis and Christian will be racing for the An Post-Sean Kelly team in 2012. In addition, Tom Black, Tim Kennaugh, Chris Nicholson and Chris Whorrall - who have all competed in Team Manx Telecom colours - are all racing at elite level this year. Black is riding for UK Kovert Racing, Kennaugh with Rapha Condor in the UK, Nicholson with VC Ardennes in Belgium, and Whorrall with the MGK-Vis Norda team in Italy. Anna Christian - sister of Mark Christian - will be racing in the UK for the Scott Contessa Epic Race Team.
The list of professional and international riders who have been members of the Manx Road Club goes back decades, and includes Steve ‘Pocket Rocket’ Joughin, the Manxman who won the British pro road race title in 1984 and 1988. So it’s appropriate that his ProVision cycle clothing company has once again manufactured the new Team Manx Telecom kit.
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