News Shorts: More teams announced for Evans race

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Organisers of the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race have confirmed that seven Continental squads have signed up to take part in the race on February 1.

 Team GB announce squad Newport Para-cycling International event

British Cycling has announced a 16-strong squad for this month’s Newport Para-cycling International event. The racing runs from January 30 to February 1 with the team including Jody Cundy, Neil Fachie, Sophie Thornhill and Rachel James as well as Steve Bate, Adam Duggleby, Megan Giglia, Sally Hurst and Liz Saul who all make their debut for Great Britain.

Gesink will lead Lotto NL-Jumbo in Algarve

Robert Gesink will lead the eight-rider squad that Lotto NL-Jumbo will send to the Volta ao Algarve in February. The Dutchman underwent heart surgery last year and returned to racing in August at the Tour of Poland.

The 28-year-old, who finished third at Algarve in 2006, won the Tour of California in 2012 and the Tour of Oman in 2011. He will come to the race following two weeks of altitude training before his first major goal, Tirreno-Adriatico.

Gesink will be joined by Paul Martens, Sep Vanmarcke, Tom van Asbroeck, Bram Tankink, Robert Wagner, Kevin de Weert and Maarten Wynants in the UCI 2.1 race in Portugal.

Lotto NL-Jumbo is one of 18 teams confirmed for the 41st Volta ao Algarve. The others are Astana, Ettix-QuickStep, Cannondale-Garmin, Katusha, Lotto Soudal, Sky, Bora-Argon 18, Caja Rural-Seguros RGA, RusVelo, Wanty-Groupe Gobert, Efapel, LA Alumínios-Antarte, Louletano-Ray Just Energy, Optum-Kelly Benefit Strategies, Rádio Popular-Boavista, Team Banco BIC and W52-Quinta da Lixa

Sicily training camp planned for Tinkoff Saxo

Tinkoff Saxo will have another training camp at Mount Etna when 23 riders, excluding the squad bound for the Santos Tour Down Under, gather on Friday to begin two weeks of work as a build up for the coming season.

Riders and staff will meet at JSH Hotels’ resort Il Picciolo Etna at the base of Mount Etna on Sicily, an area that features ideal terrain for simulating race conditions. Head Coach Bobby Julich will oversee the training and progress of the riders.

“A camp like this allows us to fully concentrate on training – both as individual riders and as a team,” Julich said. “The trip to Kilimanjaro was about getting together and building a strong team spirit, while the first camp at Anfi on Gran Canaria was used to lay the foundation after the off-season. But this camp on Sicily will be much more specific, getting the riders up to race speed, simulating race situations and pushing the general condition further.”

Tibco adds SVB as co-title sponsor

The TIBCO women's UCI cycling team will enter their 11th season with a name change as longtime sponsor Silicon Valley Bank steps up to assume a co-title sponsor role in 2015. The new team name will be Tibco-SVB.

"SVB’s increased support is a great example of how active Silicon Valley Bank is in the community and how supportive they are of women and an active, healthy lifestyle," said Team Tibco founder Linda Jackson. "With the Rio Games less than two years away, this is an important season for our riders in their quest to earn a spot on the 2016 Olympic team. Having additional sponsorship will make their efforts that much easier."

Silicon Valley Bank President and CEO Greg Becker said the sponsorship is a natural fit for his company.

"We’re excited to expand our relationship with the team," Becker said "We’ve worked closely with Team TIBCO-SVB for eight years and continue to be impressed with how they connect with our values of being driven and dedicated."

The Team will announce additional sponsors for the 2015 season in the coming weeks.