Vitória–ASC (UCI code: ASC) was a Portuguese cycling team in the UCI Continental category that was formed from the association between União Ciclista de Vila do Conde from Vila do Conde and Vitória Sport Clube from Guimarães. The professional team was dissolved in 2007 due to a lack of support and investment in the team, however, continuing with basic training.

History União Ciclista de Vila do Conde is a Portuguese cycling team that is currently only under-23 and also races predominantly in cyclocross. The team was founded in 1998, at the time under the name ASC–Guilhabreu–Vila do Conde, and was professional between 2002 and 2007 with the intention of asserting itself as a professional road cycling team.

However, it was in the last three years, 2005, 2006 and 2007, as a professional team that it achieved the European status of UCI Continental Tour, just one category below the UCI WorldTour. The first of these three years the team operated under the name ASC–Chenco Jeans. In the following two years, the União Ciclista from Vila do Conde joined Vitória SC from Guimarães and was therefore renamed Vitória–ASC and had an initial budget of 350 thousand euros.

From 2008 to 2011, the U.C. Vila do Conde team and Vitória SC continued to be associated under a new format, based on a project to develop athletes with more emphasis on under-23 road cycling. The team was renamed ASC–Vitória–RTL and had a much smaller budget, between 70 and 80 thousand euros.

Since 2012, the team has been called ASC–KTM–Vitória in national road cycling races.

It was also in 2011 that Vitória SC began cross-country cycling with an amateur team called Vitória SC–Bikeworld, participating in regional and national competitions.

Team roster

Major wins 2002 Overall Circuito Montañés: Óscar Serrano Points classification: Óscar Serrano Stage 4: Rafael Milá Stage 5 & 7: Óscar Serrano Stage 1 Volta ao Alentejo: Rubén Galván Portuguese Under-23 Time Trial Championship: Sérgio Paulinho Teams classification Volta a Portugal do FuturoThe riders on the squad were Sérgio Paulinho, Hermano Vieira, Sérgio Ribeiro, Bruno Pires, Gilberto Sampaio, Bruno Neves and Ricardo Santos Points classification: Sérgio Paulinho Mountains classification: Sérgio Paulinho Prologue, Stage 2, 3 & 4: Sérgio Paulinho 2003 Sprints classification Volta ao Algarve: Óscar Serrano Points classification Circuito Montañés: Óscar Serrano Stage 5a & 6 Stage 3 Volta a Portugal: Victoriano Fernández 2004 Young rider classification GP M.R. Cortez–Mitsubishi: Sérgio Ribeiro Sprints classification Volta ao Alentejo: Óscar Serrano 2005 Stage 1 Volta a Portugal: Fidel Chacón

2006 Stage 1 GP Abimota: Pedro Costa

2007 Winner Clássica de Amarante: José Rodrigues Winner Circuito de São Bernardo, Alcobaça: Gilberto Sampaio Winner Circuito de Nafarros: José Rodrigues Stage 4b GP Vinhos da Estremadura: José Rodrigues Points classification: José Rodrigues

2010 Stage 3 Volta às Terras de Santa Maria Feira: Bruno Borges Winner of Portuguese Under-23 Cup: Bruno Borges

2011 Winner of Troféu Festival da Bicicleta, cyclocross, Elite/Under-23: Mário Costa National Championship, Track, Speed, Under-23: Leonel Coutinho Stage 3 & 5 Volta a Portugal do Futuro: Leonel Coutinho 2012 Stage 1 Volta a Portugal do Futuro: David Rodrigues Mountains classification Under-23 Stage 1 GP Liberty Seguros: Rui Barros Young rider classification Under-23 GP Liberty Seguros: David Rodrigues

Notable cyclists Some Portuguese cyclists passed through Vitória-ASC, such as:

Sérgio Paulinho Sérgio Ribeiro Bruno Pires Bruno Neves Rui Costa José Mendes Daniel Silva Márcio Barbosa Bruno Lima João Cabreira Mário Costa David Rodrigues Pedro Costa

Notes

External links - União Ciclista de Vila do Conde - Vitória SC Cycling From CyclingArchives, ProCyclingStats, Memoire-du-cyclisme.eu and cyclingnews & & & & & & & & & 2010 team 2011 team 2012 team

References