Sohrabi leads in UCI race wins

With the year almost a third of the way through, it may come a surprise to some to hear that the number one ranked UCI race winner of the 2011 season to date is Iranian rider Mehdi Sohrabi of the Tabriz Petrochemical Team. Sohrabi has scored 10 victories so far this season on his Ridley Noah bike: five stages and the overall at the Kerman Tour, two stages and the GC at the Jelajah Malaysia and a stage of the Tour de Taiwan, leaving him three notches ahead of the likes of Philippe Gilbert and young Italian sprinter Andrea Guardini (Farnese Vini). Known as a powerful all-rounder, the bulky Sohrabi is a double Asian Road Race Champion (2006, 2010) and won the overall 2010 UCI Asia Tour title, which he also leads so far in 2011.

Following a busy early season, where the Tabriz Petrochemical Team won the UCI Asia Tour's Tour of Thailand, Tour of Taiwan and Jelajah Malaysia the squad will line up for a May double billing on home turf; The International Tour of Azerbaijan and the International Presidency Tour.