Champion System has been forced to change its planned line up for the Tour of Beijing, which starts on October 11th, after Taiwanese champion Kai Feng has been barred from taking part by his national federation. The five-day Chinese race, which will once again be the closing event of the International Cycling Union (UCI) WorldTour, is one of the biggest events of the year for the Chinese-registered Professional Continental team, and general manager Ed Beamon is clearly angry at having to leave one of his star riders at home for political reasons.
"We were looking forward to having Kai Feng wear his new Taiwan national champion jersey for the first time in Beijing, but the Taiwan Federation has banned his participation and threatened to bar him from any future national team competitions if he joins the team in China's premier event," Beamon said. "I am both saddened and sickened by the provincial pettiness the Taiwan Cycling Federation has displayed.
“Our goal as a team has always been to provide the greatest opportunity for our athletes, and especially to give our Asian cyclists the chance to challenge themselves and push their limits in international competition."
Kai Feng will be replaced in the team’s eight-man roster by former Japanese time trial champion Ryota Nishizono. The line-up will include three Chinese riders in Gang Xu, Pengda Jiao and Biao Liu, as well as Korean Chun Jae Jang, Irish champion Matt Brammeier (pictured) and Americans Chad Beyer and Chris Butler.
"In terms of the importance, no doubt Tour of Beijing is one of the most important races in my season," former Chinese champion Xu said. "I have prepared very seriously for this race. I will be there to protect our general classification riders and to ensure the best positions for them on the mountain stages.”
Despite the number of Asian riders in the team, Butler will be the overall leader, and is eager to take on the World’s biggest teams for one final time this season.
"The course is perfect for me, and there are way too many reasons why I am extremely motivated to get results at this race," Butler said. "Deep down, I think every guy really enjoys the exotic experience of the race even though it is far away and at the end of the season."
Champion System Pro Cycling Team for the Tour of Beijing
Chad Beyer, Matt Brammeier, Chris Butler, Chun Jae Jang, Pengda Jiao, Biao Liu, Ryota Nishizono, Gang Xu