The US elite amateur Team Inferno announced this weekend that it would register as a UCI Continental team for 2009, under the name Kenda Pro Cycling presented by Spinergy.
In 2008, the team had a number of Australian and New Zealand riders including Hayden Godfrey and Jeff Hopkins, but the new squad will be all American. "Many teams have collapsed in this pained economy and as such, fewer teams will exist domestically in 2009. This means American racers will be without a home, and to have talented racers from abroad take the few openings that remain simply is not in the best interests of American cycling," read the team's press release.
The team will also be supported only by bicycle industry sponsorship. "Apart from the newly announced Cervélo Test Team, which is a Pro Tour [sic] team, we are the only other professional team of its kind that I know of. And, we are a single citizenship team. This means our entire roster can line-up at our National Championship races," stated director Chad Thompson.
The team will focus on the Tour de Georgia and the Tour of Missouri for 2009.
2009 Kenda Pro Cycling p/b Spinergy roster:
Professional – Chad Burdzilauskas, Jaime Gandara, Bennet van der Genugten, Remi McManus, Benjamin Renkema, Jacob Rytlewski, Tyler Stanfield, Timothy Swain, Scottie Weiss, Matthew Winstead.
Elite – Marco Aledia, James Baldesare, Jeffrey Braumberger, Ryan Gamm, Richard Harper, Ryan Rish, Russell Stevenson, Chadwick Thompson.
Team updates are available at www.kendaprocycling.com or www.infernoracing.org
