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Zappi Ecstatic as Jack Kirk Takes Team`s First Win

Story posted April 13, 2010; Fusion Media Services Ltd

Up-and-coming Under 23 rider Jack Kirk took Team Zappi’s first win on his Sabbath Monday’s Child bike in the Elite/1/2 Glade CC & Hainault RC Spring Road Race. Kirk, only 20, is part of the development-focused Team Zappi’s, headed up by former Italian professional cyclist Flavio Zappi, who finished 12th in the 1984 Milan San Remo. Impressively, Kirk beat prolific Elite rider Simon Gaywood (Team Corley Cycles) as well as a handful of well-known UK riders.

Speaking after the race, Flavio Zappi said of the result: “It was a fantastic team effort; we had five riders in the top 20. Jack [Kirk] really proved he was strong today. I raced just to help the boys with tactics and it worked perfectly; it was brilliant.”

He continued: “We attacked on the second of the eight laps on the climb as we wanted to have a big presence in the breakaway. We got four in the break and then we attacked again and managed to create a new break. It was then down to Jack, who attacked at the bottom of the climb with 2km to go and won with 30 seconds gap ahead of Simon Gaywood.”

Jack Kirk was using Sabbath’s race pedigree frame, the Monday’s Child. The UK titanium bicycle manufacturer wanted to support talent development within cycling and found Zappi’s as the perfect outlet. The team aims to promote development of young riders in the Oxford area. Zappi, now 49, raced three Giro d’Italias and was 12th in the 1984 Milan San Remo. Zappi is well-known in Oxford for his cyclist-friendly Zappi’s Café.

Jack Kirk’s progress in the format of Team Zappi’s has been impressive, the team’s climber has proved he’s one of the strongest when the gradient changes. “Jack needs a pure climbing race to do very well and all of his results have come not because they’re perfect courses but because he’s so strong and an aggressive rider,” said Zappi. “If you give him a proper course, I can’t see many riders being able to keep with him on the climbs. I’m looking hard to find that perfect race for a climb longer than a mile and I think we’ll continue to do very, very well.”

Zappi is also pleased with the team-building and the progress shown from all of the riders. “The team is doing great, we are now top ten in the national rankings, considering we are a much smaller team than the people ahead of us,” he explained. “I think a lot of people are taking notice; we race as a team and that’s the key, I started in December talking about this, we emphasis a lot about tactics."

The team are now looking to build on the performance as the season schedule gets busier.

Result
1. Jack Kirk     Team Zappi's
2. Simon Gaywood - Team Corley Cycles/Cervelo/Alpha R.C         
3. Marcel Six - Orbea - For Goodness Shakes
4. Jason White - www.Cyclepremier.com - Metaltek
5. Ashley Cox  Team Corley Cycles/Cervelo/Alpha R.C
6. Darren Barclay - Arctic - Premier Racing Team
7. Dean Shannon - Orbea - For Goodness Shakes
8. Mark Wordsworth - Team Corley Cycles/Cervelo/Alpha R.C
9. Andy Lyons - Orbea - For Goodness Shakes        
10. Thomas Kirk - Team Zappi's