PARTRIDGE RE-SIGNS FOR RECYCLING

• Friday, 22 June 2007
• Simon Richardson
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Rob Partridge has re-signed for the Recycling.co.uk team after several months racing in Italy.

Despite riding well in Europe, the Welshman was suffering from a lack of racing due to the regulations in Italy limiting the number of foreign riders a team could field.

Both Partridge and Dale Appleby moved to Tuscany to ride for VC Seano in early 2007, after a season with Recycling.co.uk, but the ruling meant they were only riding every alternate weekend.

“The racing was good, I was always able to get up there, but cracking the top ten was really hard,” Partridge, now back in the UK, explained. “I felt I was improving through the year but I would have two weeks between one-day races so couldn’t get any form from them, and the team couldn’t finance a two tier programme.”

With his team about to enter a busy period of racing, and with Shaun Snodden out long-term due to tendonitis, team manager John Herety was keen to get Partridge back on his squad, “he’s only had about 19 days of racing this year,” he said. “He’s going better than ever, but this is his last year as an under-23 and this is an opportunity to show himself off.

“It suits both parties as we doing the Tour of Ireland and the Tour of Britain, and we need seven riders. That’s asking a lot of a squad of eight with one injured.”

The move comes within the UCI’s June transfer window, and although the team is awaiting final confirmation of the signing from the governing body, they’re ready to field Partridge at this Sunday’s Ryedale Grand Prix where the team will look to defend Chris Newton’s overall Premier Calendar lead.

“It’s a good programme for the rest of the year, so I couldn’t turn it down,” Partridge said. “It's great working with John and Charlie [Jackson, team owner]. John’s knowledge really comes through in the races, and Chris Newton as well has so much knowledge.

“Charlie is so supportive and passionate about the sport, it’s great to work with people like that.”

Team website: www.recyclingteam.com