Synergy Baku bracing for Slovenia competition
By Nigar Orujova
The Synergy Baku Cycling Project is ready to compete in the Tour of Slovenia, UCI 2.1 slated for June 19-22.
"The Synergy cyclists will go up against four ProTour and eight Professional Continental teams," Azerbaijan Cycling Federation reported.
The four-stage race covers a total of 514 kilometers, with the Azerbaijani team looking to liven things up.
The arrangement of team will be the same as that of GP Judendorf on June 15, where Markus Eibegger finished third. Matt Brammeier will join the team as well.
"It is a big honor for us to be at this big race attended by high-ranking teams," Sport Director Stefan Rucker said. "For our young guys like Samir Jabrayilov and Tural Isgandarov, it is a great experience to compete with the best riders in the world and I hope they can learn a lot."
"Both Markus and Matt have competed at top levels. Now, it's a great chance to show their quality and surprise their fans with a surprising move," he said.
The participating teams include Cannondale, Orica-GreenEdge, Katusha and Lampre-Merida, featuring Chris Horner, who is riding as part of his build-up to the Tour de France.
The team's goal is to play the role of a joker, seeking its chances wherever it can, to show itself and see how well it can do.
"We won't hide, we will try everything and enjoy some great days of racing," Rucker said.
The race starts with an 8.8 km time trial in the Old Town of Ljubljana on June 19 evening.
The second stage features some moderate climbing but a possible sprint finish is expected. Stage three to be held on June 21 features four ranked climbs, including a mountaintop finish. The closing stage will be a bunch sprint.
Synergy Baku Cycling Project for the Tour of Slovenia include Max Averin, Matt Brammeier, Markus Eibegger, Tural Isgandarov, Samir Jabrayilov, Connor McConvey, Jan Sokol and Alex Surutkovych.
Synergy Group is the main sponsor of the first professional cycling team of Azerbaijan "Synergy Baku Cycling Project", which shows remarkable results this year.