WALKER RETIRES AND LAVERY JOINS SYNERGY BAKU CYCLING PROJECT

Australian to remain part of Project

Synergy Baku Cycling Project has further personnel changes, as Will Walker has announced his retirement from riding and Irishman Philip Lavery (wiki article) has joined the team. Walker will stay associated with the Baku setup, in a back room capacity as coaching staff.  

Lavery, 23, has ridden for two other Continental ranked teams, and was with an amateur French team last season, before serving as a stagiaire for the Cofidis Team. He did not get a pro contract with Cofidis when it did not become ProTour. Assuming his career was over, he sold his bikes and took a full-time job. Baku is happy to give him a further chance at cycling success.

He will make his debut for Baku on 23rd of February  at the GP Izola in Slovenia.

“Initially when the place become vacant, we looked to the Azerbaijan Federation or riders from the regions” said team manager David McQuaid. “However, when putting our 2014 squad together we purposely listed three young Azeri riders as Baku Trainees, part of the team set-up for camps, etc., in order to assist and nurture their development and then coming on board as stagiaires on August 1st. And given the nature of our early season races in both Asia and particularly Europe it was still felt that this was the correct approach."

"There certainly has been a lot going on of late, not just the pre-season set up,” McQuaid continued. “In Will's case or scenario he was never under pressure from us regarding his immediate future and I had the chance to sit with him face to face at the Sun Tour for a good talk. We will figure something out, I firmly believe that and Will firmly believes that. Right now that is all Will needs going into and during a period of some pretty complex heart surgery"

"Regarding Philip, he is an incredibly gifted rider. Being that he is Irish has nothing to do with it. But it does mean that I have seen him in the past put in some pretty incredible rides at the Ras or the Nationals. It was sad for him to see his stagiaire placement didn't work out in France last year, he had a great season, shame it ended in that way. During these recent weeks I spoke to McCann and he was all for the idea of filling that place with Philip."

“I'm very grateful to the Baku team and staff for the opportunity to continue my career in a winter that has been very difficult to secure a contract,” Lavery said.

“For the Azeri riders, I am just 23 years old but I have been a professional for 4 years, so I feel that I bring a big amount of experience. I also have a lot of growth to come so this can be an asset to other young riders, as we grow together.”

Lavery brought in four first-place finishes with his amateur team last year and was second in the Irish national road race, behind new Baku teammate Matt Brammeier. In 2012 he was National U-23 road champion.

Walker, 28, has had to retire due to heart problems. He had previously skipped the 2010 and 2011 seasons, but made a two-year comeback and hoped to continue with Baku this season. However, the heart problems re-occurred during his first race this year, the Australian National Championships and he made the decision to end his active career.

“The ventricular tachycardia I encountered at the national championship was enough for me to instantly decide that I was not ever going to race again,” Walker said. “I had  a clean bill of health while riding for Drapac the last two years, apart from a light episode at the Tour of the Great South Coast, and looked to be staying comfortably on top of it. However on the day of the road race, I knew something was not right, but I pushed through it, I had worked hard, was in great shape and had made a good split in the race that would have put me into a great position to gain a result.

“Pushing through in hindsight was not a wise move and the result of that was sustained ventricular tachycardia for nearly an hour at 270 beats, and by far the worst episode I have ever had.”

Walker has undergone surgery in the last few days to correct further complications which have come up. “I had a procedure to get an icd (implantable cardioverter defibrillator), that has pacemaker functions. I am now on beta blockers,” he said.

 He helped the team in the Herald Sun Tour, and when he has recovered from this surgery, decisions will be made concerning his future.

“Into the future, my intensions are to stay involved with the Synergy Baku cycling team, however in what capacity is still to be discussed.  Seeing a project grow, from ground up will naturally be a very exciting process and I hope I will be able to have some great input into mentoring and looking after the upcoming riders,” Walker said.