Tom Faiers signs for ProTour squad Footon-Servetto
- Thursday, 29 October 2009
- 5 Comments
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Britain's Tom Faiers will be racing with Spanish team Footon-Servetto in 2010. Based in Spain, the former tri-athlete has turned pro after making his own way up through the amateur ranks.
Born in Cheltenham, the 22-year-old Faiers moved to Spain after taking part in a Graham Baxter-run training camp near Murcia in 2006.
Local riders of the calibre of Luis Leon Sanchez and Alejandro Valverde recognised his talent and Faiers decided to stay on to see if he could make a go of amateur racing.
After six months travelling to races in Spain under his own steam, Faiers first raced for a Madrid-based amateur club, Fuenlabrada, then moved on to the Camargo squad, based in Santander, in 2008. In 2009 he won three races and had his best year to date and was talent spotted by Footon manager Joxean Fernandez Maxtin.
"People have barely heard of me in the UK because I've not done a single day's racing there," Faiers told Cycling Weekly.
"But when I came out here and riders like Sanchez saw what I could do, staying with them on the climbs, they encouraged me to make a go of it, and I have."
"It's all come through very quickly, the deal was only signed a couple of weeks ago."
Faiers first full meeting with Footon-Servetto will be at a team get-together at the end of November.
Reader comments
Add your commentsOctober 29 14:01
IAN ESSEX
Looks like Dave Brailsford/Sky have missed out on this guy (ie Tom Faiers ), and he's British, despite the surname!
October 29 15:41
Matt
Great news for Tom, nice to see someone getting stuck in and being recognised. Good luck to him!
October 29 19:00
Baz
Yes, well done Tom ; there don't seem to be many places for British riders in Sky anyway, let alone a neo-pro. At the risk of going off the subject, what does Ian Essex mean by "... British,despite the surname" ? I reckon tha't's a very old English name, probably Anglo-Saxon, Ian!
October 30 09:09
Mark Jones
Well done Tom, good to see another Brit on a ProTour team. It's disappointing that Sky don't appear to show any interest in Brits like him and Adam Blythe who have made it off their own back (would Russ have had got that contract had he not won the Tour of Ireland?). It's great that we have a British based ProTour team (if they sort their paperwork out), but I feel there is a need for another team with all the Academy riders coming through and Premier Calendar riders who perhaps deserve a chance and hopefully Team Raleigh will help to fill this gap if they progress as planned.
October 30 10:44
Roger
Well what s good surprise.
I sort of remember Tom when he was a runner 7/8 years ago. He is the same age as as my son, he just disappered from the scene after a few years like so many do.
A good runner, but nothing particularly special . perhaps a bit small of rhis age. No wonder he can climb. Amazing and brill to see he resurface as a biker.