Leda Cox signs for American Pro Team

British rider Leda Cox has signed an initial one year deal with American Elite Women’s team, “America’s Dairyland” and will leave England in Early March to embark on a full season of American racing.

Leda Cox

The move comes after 4 years of racing with European based squads including the Dutch team, Vitron-Wilstra and the Italian teams, SS Lazio-Ladispoli and Team Saccarelli. 2008 will see her racing in the US classics such as the UCI Mount Hood stage race, the Redlands Classic, the Gila Stage race and the Tour of Toona to name a few.

Cox’s 2008 team, “America’s Diaryland” is predictably sponsored by the national milk marketing board and the kit is a distinctive cow skin design. Bikes are by Trek who are supplying a one-off series of Madone 08 WSD bikes to the team. She will be living in the team house in Boulder, Colorado and no doubt getting used to the many miles of travelling involved in racing in the US from there.

On the eve of this new chapter in her career Cox was full of aniticpation: “I’m really excited about this completely new challenge. Unlike the European races, where I have ridden most of the races before, each one of these will be new and I think that is a good thing at this stage in my career. I had signed for a European UCI team but the team’s management pulled out just a few weeks ago so in a way this was an unexpected but very welcome change. I’m also hoping that living and training at altitude in Boulder will be a big boost for me. I’ve been told that the US scene will suit my riding style. We’re riding a lot of crits in amongst the stage races and one day classics and I’m looking forward to sampling kermesses Stateside style!”

Cox hopes to be back in the UK for the national champs but of course it’s dependent on her team’s schedule. For more information on Leda and her cycling career go to: www.ledacox.co.uk