New Zealands Only International Pro Cycle Team Chomps into the Tour of NZ and World Cup

New Zealand's first and only international pro cycling team, Jazz Apple Cycling, launched its 2009 season at The Viaduct in Auckland on Friday night (20 FEBRUARY, 2009).

The team led and managed by former Olympian Susy Pryde, is represented by riders from New Zealand, USA, CANADA and Australia who have been in camp in Matakana prior to racing in the NZ Womens Tour of New Zealand and the World Cup Road Race around Masterton 25-28 February. 

Pryde expected a strong showing in the Tour. Dotsie Bauer is a double national champion in the US, Steph Roorder is a Canadian national champion, Rosara Josephs and Pryde are both Olympians and Lauren Ellis won her first world cup race this year. Ruth Corset dominated the North American scene in 2008 and with Malindi Maclean who recently won the New Zealand Criterium champs the team this year is even stronger on paper than the team that ran a very successful North American campaign in 2008.

JAZZ Apple Cycling took the opportunity on Friday to present the new riders and a new look uniform on its home turf. Pryde said it was the first time that the team had been able to gather its riders from around the world in New Zealand prior to the season and was a fantastic way to kick off the 2009 programme.

ENZA Internationals Jazz Apple brand manager Campbell Naish told those attending that all the Jazz Apple Cycle team riders and Susy Pryde who has pioneered this team from its inception are fantastic ambassadors for ENZA’s flagship apple JAZZ.

“Each rider is a world class athlete able to challenge the best riders in the world. They are multidimensional individuals who reflect the values represented by JAZZ apples. ENZA is thrilled to have been with the team since its inception.”

Now in its fourth year the JAZZ Apple cycling team has risen from a development team to a globally recognised force in pro cycling and has done it primarily with support from its New Zealand sponsors.

This year the team will ride in New Zealand, Australia, and Asia. The focus of the campaign will be North America where the team will take on the best professional riders over a four month season from April to August.

The team launch was attended by luminaries of the sport such as Gavin Stevens and Ian Richards, both Commonwealth Games gold medallists on the bike. The MC for the evening was John Harrison, another Kiwi who like Pryde built up a professional road cycling team from scratch in North America.

JAZZ Apple Cycle Team Roster

Susy Pryde – Founder, Manager, Rider
Dotsie Bausch – Team Captain
Ruth Corsett – Townsville, Australia
Rosara Josephs – Cambridge, UK (Kiwi)
Lauren Ellis – Ashburton, NZ
Malindi Maclean – Clevedon, Auckland
Steph Roorda – Vancover, Canada