Subaru NSWIS ready for year two and to support MS

After a breakthrough season in 2014, the Subaru NSWIS & MS Development Cycling Team is ready to kick off its second year at the 2015 season launch at Sydney Olympic Park on Wednesday, February 25.

The team’s opening season saw Subaru NSWIS & MS make huge strides in its development, including Ayden Toovey winning the Best Young Rider classification at the Tour of Gippsland, all under the guidance of former Commonwealth Games gold medallist Ben Kersten and one of Australia’s most successful cyclists Brad McGee.

The 2015 lineup includes Toovey, Jordan Payne, Sam Jenner, Harrison Carter and Nathan Bradshaw from the inaugural season, as well as NSWIS scholarship track specialists Tirian McManus and Jackson Law. New riders Chris Bryan and Nick Yallouris have joined the team for the upcoming season.

Toovey said he is looking forward to his second year as part of Subaru NSWIS & MS, and plans on improving on the success he enjoyed in year one.

“It was an honour to be part of the first year of Subaru NSWIS and experience the team environment.

“We had some great moments in races but also learnt a lot when things weren’t going our way, so now we’ll be able to take what we learnt and apply that to the second year of racing, which is exciting,” Toovey said.

Buoyed by the success of 2014, the team has now expanded its partnerships with MS, the organisers of the celebrated MS Sydney to the Gong Bike Ride, coming on board as the team’s major charity partner, which also brings a name change to Subaru NSWIS & MS. 

“We’re thrilled to be the charity partner for the Subaru NSWIS team as there is clear synergy between our aspirations to grow the iconic MS Sydney to Gong Bike Ride and Subaru NSWIS’ development of elite cyclists in NSW,” said Dyranda Hortle, General Manager, Marketing MS.

Ms. Hortle added that the new name, Subaru NSWIS & MS, will raise the profile of what is Australia’s most common neurological disease and increase the support the organisation can provide for people living with multiple sclerosis.

While also adding Brennan IT and Park Bikes to its stable of supporters, coach Kersten said the added backing, in addition to naming partner Subaru, bike supplier Trek, Bont, Bontrager and Champion Systems is an excellent indication of the progress the team is making.

In addition to the men’s team, a women’s team has also been established for the upcoming season. Named Subaru NSWIS NKC, the team will support a number of young female riders during the women’s National Road Series in 2015, with riders coming from the state’s Hunter region, Bathurst and Manly to compete under the one banner.

Both Subaru NSWIS & MS and Subaru NSWIS NKC fit within the NSWIS Cycling Program, which has experienced great success since the Institute’s inception in 1996. Most recently at the 2015 UCI Track World Championships NSWIS rider Ashlee Ankudinoff won women’s team pursuit gold and Kaarle McCulloch won women’s team sprint bronze.

Subaru NSWIS & MS begins its 2015 campaign at the Blayney to Bathurst during April, with all riders scheduled to take part, before going on to compete in nine of the Cycling Australia Subaru National Road Series. All up the team will compete in 25 races throughout the state and nation, totaling a solid 61 race days.

The Institute’s Principal Partner is ClubsNSW, which provides over $1 million a year in sponsorship support.