Maxxis is once again celebrating the success of its sponsored riders following last weekend’s road cycle race, the Tour of Quanzhou Bay. Members of the Bike Canyon bicycle team competed in a race that saw over 95 riders take on a 289km journey around Southeast China’s coast. While there, the supported riders stole the show, with Max Stedman taking home the champion title, and team mates Harry Tanfield and Rory Townsend earning victories in the ‘Most Stage Wins’ category.
The event took place from 2 – 4 December in China’s Fuijan province, with races being split into three stages. The first day of events saw riders cycle the 86.7km journey from Huian to Jinjan, tackling steep ascends and challenging sprints. In the International Men’s category, 23-year-old Harry crossed the line first, closely followed by team mate, Rory.
It was this determination and commitment to the sport that saw Bike Canyon team members, Harry, Max and Rory take home 1st, 2nd and 4th places respectively in the Most Stage Wins category, having dominated the most number of races across the three day event.
Creating further successes for the team, 21-year-old Max displayed endurance and strength as he tackled the remaining 202.10km of racing over the last two days. His win didn’t come easily, however, as during his final climb in Anxi, he came head-to-head with Austalian rider, Drew Morey. Towards the end of the race, the Maxxis rider quickly started to lose momentum and risked succumbing to the Australian’s fight. However, with the finish line only metres away, Max found one last ounce of strength and sprinted to the end, passing the post just two seconds ahead of his closest competitor. This saw the Crowthorne-born talent soar to success and clinch the leader’s jersey, marking Bike Canyon’s first UCI win.
The riders each took on the race on Maxxis’ specialist tubular racing tyres, Campiones, which are designed with supple, high-TPI casing to provide the ultimate in ride quality and feel. The three compunds used in the tread lower rolling resistance and increase cornering grip. Boasting Aramid Composite, rather than Vectran or regular Aramid breakers, the Campione is well-equiped to help riders to the finish line.
Commenting on the riders’ successes, Maxxis’ managing director, Derek McMartin, said: “The Tour of Quanzhou is not an easy challenge. Pair the hundreds of kilometres of steep climbs with the stifling humidity of the Chinese climate, and you can appreciate just how much strength and stamina is needed to complete a race of this sort. We’re all very pleased to know that our tyres played a great part in helping these talented riders achieve such impressive results. A great success all round.”
For more information on Maxxis and the Campione tyre, click here.