Photos from Rapha (Franklin’s) Point

The pictures below are from Andy Pike, who has been following Rapha Condor JLT at the Sun Tour, Down Under. The team, in their freshly designed kit bearing the name of new sponsor JLT, are having a serious early-season test in the cycling-mad state of Victoria.

“Yesterday we welcomed big crowds to the newly claimed Rapha Point, formerly known as Franklin’s Point. I’m still buzzing from the atmosphere.” - Andrew Pike

The youngsters are getting stuck into a very early season block of racing, having completed the trio of Bay criteriums in Melbourne. It's proving excellent, if tough, preparation for the year ahead, with the experienced Kristian House showed his mettle by placing second in the hilly Portarlington round of the Bay Series. But the conditions got even tougher for the boys in black as the Sun Tour got underway. Forty-degree heat, strong winds and crashes were endured by all, with Aaron Buggle having to undergo surgery on his elbow. The team will now head to Bendigo for a six-week training camp. We wish them well for the coming season and speedy recovery to Aaron and Mike Cuming, who also suffered injuries in the crash. Reflecting on events so far, Team Manager John Herety said:

“There is a lot to take away from these first races. We’ve come in to a really intense period of the Australian racing calendar and the challenges have been pretty exceptional, but I’m really pleased with what the boys have shown me.

Read more on the Rapha Condor JLT website. »