Culverwell is ‘good to go’ on 9 May
SAM CULVERWELL is set to finally shake off his racing shackles on Liberation Day.
After racing only once abroad in 2020 and seeing the planned March restart scrapped due to Covid, the Guernsey professional is hopeful of getting the wheels turning again at the Fleche Ardennaise on 9 May.
The 20-year-old is a delighted component of Trinity Racing’s roster for the tough Belgian single-day race, which covers 180km and incorporates 4km of vertical ascent over 19 hills.
‘I am looking forward to a good, attritional race to get going again,’ Culverwell said.
‘Organisers are confident that the race is happening. We have got entry and as long as we can get to the race and get on the start line, and it’s not cancelled last-minute, we’re good to go.’
Later this May, Culverwell will head to France for the four-day Tour de la Mirabelle.
This May double-bill will give the youngster a proper chance to showcase his progression as a cyclist, having functioned primarily as a domestique when he did get to race France’s mountainous Ronde de l’Isard late last season.
‘There has been a lot of training since the end of the 2019 season,’ he said.
‘Hopefully when we get the season kicked off, it will be full gas from then and we have an uninterrupted season from May onwards.’
What that may consist of remains uncertain, but the U23 Giro d’Italia in June and a potential Tour of Britain appearance in September are big focuses.
Culverwell has already captured the imagination of the British cycling media.
Popular cycling blog The British Continental has named him in its ‘U23s 10 men to watch in 2021’ listing, repeating his inclusion last year.
Praising his Belgian kermesse wins during a breakout 2019 season, they wrote ‘he’ll be no shrinking violet when it comes to some of Europe’s tougher races’, while tipping him for extra opportunities given former colleague Tom Pidcock’s step-up to Team Ineos.
‘No pressure,’ was Culverwell’s initial reaction via Twitter.
He added upon further reflection: ‘It’s great to be on that list again, especially when you look at the other names on there. That’s pretty cool.’
