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6 New Riders To BMC

Posted on 01. Sep, 2010 by lyne.

Riders from Belgium, France, Italy and Switzerland are among the six joining the BMC Racing Team that already includes current world road champion Cadel Evans, U.S. national road champion George Hincapie and past world road champion Alessandro Ballan.

Stronger Team For 2011. The new riders signing on with the BMC Racing Team are Belgians Yannick Eijssen and Greg Van Avermaet, Italians Manuel Quinziato and Ivan Santaromita, Frenchman Amaël Moinard and Swiss Johann Tschopp. The acquisitions will strengthen the U.S.-based team that led the Tour de France and the Giro d’Italia in its first Grand Tour appearances and won Flèche Wallonne. “We wanted to find riders who could not only fill our needs, but also fit well within ‘the family’ that is the BMC Racing Team,” President Jim Ochowicz said. The BMC Racing Team is still evaluating talent and considering future signings, Ochowicz said.

All-Around Talents. Directeur Sportif John Lelangue said Moinard, Santaromita and Tschopp will strengthen the BMC Racing Team’s stage racing roster, while Eijssen is a promising young climber who will be nurtured along gradually. Quinziato and Van Avermaet will mix nicely with the team’s established classics team of Hincapie, Ballan, Marcus Burghardt and Karsten Kroon, Lelangue said. “The talent we have acquired will be beneficial to our stage racing group, to our roster for the Grand Tours and to our team for the Classics,” Lelangue said. “That’s the reason we’re representative all season and that’s important to us.”

New Rider Bio Capsules:
Yannick Eijssen (BEL). The 21-year-old is a promising climber who won four races this year – including becoming the first Belgian to win the Under 23 Ronde de l’Isard – and was runner-up at the Under 23 national road championships. “I want to be a good support rider for our leaders and hope I can measure my performances with the team’s other climbing specialists,” he said.

Amaël Moinard (FRA). King of the Mountains and winner of the final stage at Paris-Nice this year, the 28-year-old has spent all six of his professional seasons with the French Cofidis squad. “Racing with great champions such as Cadel Evans, George Hincapie and Alessandro Ballan is a good opportunity for me to grow,” Moinard said. “I think I can be a good teammate in the difficult stage races or the Classics.”

Manuel Quinziato (ITA). The 30-year-old Classics specialist is a runner-up at KBC Driedaagse De Panne-Koksijde (2008) and has ridden for Liquigas (2006-2010), Saunier Duval-Prodir (2005) and Lampre (2002-2004). “I believe that the BMC Racing team is the team of the future,” Quinziato said. “They think modern and are technically advanced about materials and training. I think it’s the best place for me to keep growing as a rider.”

Ivan Santaromita (ITA). Runner-up in the Italian road national championships and winner of Settimana Coppi e Bartali, the 26-year-old comes to the BMC Racing Team from Liquigas-Doimo (2008-2010) and Quick Step (2005-2007). “I chose the BMC Racing Team because it is an outstanding team with great riders where I can continue my professional growth with new opportunities and the chance to also pursue my personal ambitions,” Santaromita said.

Johann Tschopp (SUI). Winner of Stage 20 of the Giro d’Italia over the Gavia pass, the 28-year-old has ridden for BBox-Bouygues Telecom (2007-2010) and Phonak Hearing Systems (2004-2006). “I hope to help the BMC Racing Team in the mountains,” Tschopp said. “I’m also happy to be back in the ‘Andy Rihs family,’ where I started my career. It’s exciting to be with a team with a Swiss sponsor that is so international in nature.”

Greg Van Avermaet (BEL). The 25-year-old sprint specialist spent the past four seasons with the Omega Pharma-Lotto organization – riding with Cadel Evans – and won a stage of the Vuelta a España and the points classification in 2008. “The Classics are always very important races for a Belgian rider,” Van Avermaet said. “I like the Tour of Flanders and the Amstel Gold Race the most. But I also want to be a rider who is not only strong for the Classics, but also in the Grand Tours.”

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Prize $ Equality in MAC Cross

Posted on 30. Aug, 2010 by lyne.

The Champion System MAC Cyclocross Series has announced a radical increase of the Women’s prizes at every event of this year’s 11-race series. Effective immediately and starting with the UCI Nittany Lion Cross in Trexlertown Pennsylvania on September 11, every race in the Champion System MAC Series will pay equal prize money to the top three Elite Women as to the top three Elite Men.

The new Champion System MAC points leader jersey, design by Sommerville Sports

Series Director Mike Hebe also announced cash incentives for amateur women racing in the Category 3/4 division. “As a series, I feel that we definitely respect the effort that the Elite Women put forth,” said Hebe. “Any way that we can help to offset a disparity in prize money is a good thing. We’re thrilled to be able to make this work not just for one or two days at any given venue, but throughout the season for all 11 races of our series,” he added. “This is an experiment for 2010 that we hope can springboard equal pay and bigger women’s fields into the future.”

According to the official statement, the Elite Women’s division at Champions System MAC races must now pay at least $494 to win for the Series’ nine UCI-sanctioned races (nearly double the UCI standard). At MAC’s two domestic USAC-sanctioned races, the previously announced women’s top prize of $250 will remain, but will now be supplemented by complete parity with the men’s purse through all 13 paying positions. The prize money increase is the result of a recent collaboration between MAC series leadership and members of the Mid-Atlantic racing community.

Amateur Women Benefit too.  As part of the same announcement, Hebe also revealed that “gambler’s” primes have been added to the Amateur women’s races at every stop of this year’s Champion System MAC Series. “This prime will award $25 to the first 45+ Woman AND $25 to the first Cat 3/4 Woman to hit the bell lap,” explained Hebe. “This prime is not to award a race winner. It is to entice someone to make a decision about racing. Beginner classes need to hone their tactical skills and this can do that. If there is a group, this is a great chance to attack, or counter the person who went for the prime.”

Further, Hebe also announced a one-time incentive of $50 to the highest-ranking Category 3 Woman who “races up” and enters the Elite race at the second non-UCI race of the season at Fair Hill, Maryland. The course at Fair Hill is located just west of the University of Delaware, the alma mater of a certain Katie Compton, who rode extensively at Fair Hill and was MAC’s first woman’s champion. “Fair Hill is late enough in the season that, hopefully, this will entice someone to challenge themselves and use that race for experience and their Cat 3/4 drop race,” said Hebe, referring to the best-10-of-11 scoring system used by the Champion System MAC Series this year.

The addition of these prizes marks an exciting update to MAC’s history of both depth and breadth in women’s races. In addition to Compton and Georgia Gould, who both won MAC championships early in their careers, last year’s series champion Laura Van Gilder, who intends to defend her title, and runner-up Maureen Bruno Roy both went on to represent the United States at the 2010 Cyclocross World Championships.

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Stacked Field For CrossVegas

Posted on 30. Aug, 2010 by lyne.

CrossVegas organizer Brook Watts sounded like a Las Vegas odds maker as he described the field that he has managed to bring together for the September 22nd race.

“The winners of the CrossVegas titles are going to come from the best field ever assembled in America. Whether you break it out by national champions attending where we’ve got 8 nations covered. Or if you look at the international rankings we’ve got 3 of the top 10 riders in both the Elite Men and Elite Women categories. If you look at it from another level you’ve got the returning champions from the previous editions of CrossVegas. And then to really top it off you’ve got a dozen “wild card” contenders and any one of those riders could draw an ace on race day!”

CrossVegas 2009 winners: Jamey Driscoll (Cannondale Cyclocrossworld) and Katie Compton (Planet Bike)

Talk about a great problem to have as a race organizer. For the first time in America a gathering of national champions from 8 nations that includes  Tim Johnson (Cannondale – Cyclocrossworld.com) of the USA, Geoff Kabush (Team Maxxis-Rocky Mountain) of Canada, Marco Fontana (Cannondale Factory Racing)  of Italy, Francis Mouray (Francaise des Jeux) of France, Geert Wellens (Champion System) of Belgium (Elite Category), Joachim Parbo (KCH Leopard Cycles) of Denmark and Zoltan Tisza (Tecnofilm Bentonexpressz 2000) of Hungary.  And Katie Compton (Planet Bike) of USA and Katerina Nash (Team LUNA Chix) of the Czech Republic for the Elite Women.

In addition to the national champions the Elite Men’s field will be stacked with riders from the top 20 U.C.I. ranking. Riders like 5th ranked Gerben De Knegt of Holland (Rabobank Continental Team),  Mouray at 7th, Christian Heule of Switzerland (Rendementhypo Cycling Team) ranked 9th and American Jonathan Page (Planet Bike) ranked 18th. Joining 5th place Compton and 7th place Compton in the Elite Women’s field will be 16th place Amy Dombroski of the U.S. (Team LUNA Chix).

Returning are 2009 CrossVegas champions Jamey Driscoll of the U.S. (Cannondale – Cyclocrossworld.com) and  Compton who also won in 2008. Ryan Trebon (KONA), winner of CrossVegas 2007 and 2008 will be returning. Trebon and Compton are CrossVegas’ only 2-time winners.

Stressing that this preliminary list was sure to grow as the countdown to September 22nd proceeds Watts said “Don’t under estimate the other great riders who will be coming to CrossVegas” and began listing Americans Jeremy Powers (Cannondale – Cyclocrossworld.com), Adam Craig (Rabobank-Giant). Georgia Gould (Team LUNA Chix) and Meredith Miller (Cal Giant-Specialized). Tim Van Nuffel of Belgium (Vangoethem-Prorace), Martin Grujan of Switzerland (Cannondale Factory Racing), CrossVegas 2009 Silver medalist Chris Jones (Rapha-FOCUS) and Davide Frattini from Italy (HUDZ- Subaru). “I’ve probably missed a half a dozen top guys and gals that are capable of turning CrossVegas upside down.”

Watts concluded by saying, “CrossVegas is fortunate to have an abundance of talented riders who want to start their season in front of the largest crowd in American cross racing. The real winners are sure to be the spectators.”

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Amaran On Track To Win NRC

Posted on 27. Aug, 2010 by lyne.

It’s nearly official: Luis Amaran of the Jamis/Sutter Home Men’s Cycling Team presented by Colavita is set to finish the 2010 road racing season as the USA Cycling National Racing Calendar (NRC) champion.

While the NRC season officially concludes with the 27th annual Chris Thater Memorial on Sunday, August 29, Amaran holds such a wide lead in the points tally that no rider is likely to overtake him for the #1 ranking.

Luis Amaran (Jamis/Sutter Home)

Amaran made his debut on the North American pro circuit in 2008, hand-picked by Directeur Sportif Sebastian Alexandre. A native of Cuba, Amaran had distinguished himself as a member of the Cuban National Team and raced for several years in Spain where he finished second overall at the Vuelta Avila in 2007. The following year, he accepted Alexandre’s invitation to join the Colavita/Sutter Home Men’s Team presented by Cooking Light, the predecessor to the Jamis/Sutter Home squad.

“We always thought of Luis as our secret weapon,” said Alexandre. “With his strength and power, we knew from day one that he could win both single-day and stage races.”

Last year, the depth of Amaran’s talents was already on full display. Racing alongside sprinters Alejandro Borrajo and Sebastian Haedo, Amaran finished in the top 10 at major stage races and 10th overall in the NRC individual standings.

In 2010, Amaran captured his first overall NRC victory at the Joe Martin Stage Race. Other highlights of Amaran’s 2010 season include winning the stage two road race at the SRAM Tour of the Gila ahead of three-time Amgen Tour of California champion Levi Leipheimer. In addition, Amaran made eight podium appearances and finished in the top 10 of seven major stage races.

“I am lucky to have found a team that’s committed to working together,” said Amaran. “It’s been a long season and I am grateful to all of my teammates for their support in race and after race.”

Amaran will not be on the roster for the Chris Thater Memorial. The criterium squad of Andy Guptill, Jamey Driscoll, Guido Palma, Ignacio Pereyra, and Jackie Simes will race to secure Jamis/Sutter Home’s ranking in the overall team standings.

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Massive Purse for Cincy ‘Cross, $10K for women

Posted on 27. Aug, 2010 by ken.

Last year, the UCI3 ‘cross festival in Cincinnati offered a jaw-dropping $10,000 in prize money just for the women alone. This year, they’re doing it again as October’s Cincinnati UCI3 Cyclocross Festival will feature the largest weekend prize purse for women cyclocross racers anywhere in the world, matching last year’s unprecedented $10,000 cash purse. It’s part of a massive total prize list that totals nearly $30,000 for the annual three-day race weekend October 8-11.

To get an idea of the scope of the prize money, consider that the winner of the Women’s UCI Elite race on the event’s third and final day will win $2,351, which translates to 61% more money than the total UCI mandated minimum purse for the entire women’s field that many major races pay. All three races of the UCI3 Festival will pay prize money according to the formula devised by current U.S. Mountain Bike XC Women’s Champion Georgia Gould, where the top three women’s finishers are paid according to the UCI men’s minimum standard.

Katie Compton (Planet Bike) swept the UCI3 'cross festival in 2009

In addition to the $10,000 cash prize money designated toward the Elite Women, a further $14,000 cash is on tap for the Elite Men, who will be competing in two UCI C2 events, as well as one of only eight hugely important UCI C1 events to be held in America this year. With only his five best C2 and six best C1 scores counting toward a male rider’s ranking, results in the limited number of C1 races will play a huge role in determining starting positions for other races throughout the year, including the National Championships. This is especially true since C1 races essentially pay twice as many points as C2 races.

Beyond the Elite racers, another $2,550 in cash prizes at the Cincinnati UCI3 Festival has been designated toward the domestic USAC-sanctioned Masters and Junior classes. And, thousands of dollars in additional merchandise prizes will be also be awarded to the amateur classes over the course of the weekend.

The UCI3 Festival, now in its third year as the world’s only three-day cyclocross festival, takes place at three venues in the immediate vicinity of Cincinnati Ohio from October 8 through October 10. Registration is currently running at 100% above last year’s record pace.

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Verge NECCS Kickoff Approaches, New Women’s Series Announced

Posted on 27. Aug, 2010 by jeffrey.

The 2010 cyclocross season is fast approaching and while fresh tubular tires are being stretched, the Verge New England Championship Cyclo-Cross Series is preparing for its newest edition. The series gets under way on the weekend of September 18th and 19th when UCI-level cyclocross returns to northwest Vermont with the twelfth annual Green Mountain Cyclocross Weekend. This will also be the introduction of the Women’s Category 3/4 series, which joins the other eight competitions with a prestigious Verge NECCS Series jersey on the line.

Once again, the first weekend of the season will be hosted by the Catamount Outdoor Family Center in Williston, Vermont. This venue has hosted cyclocross races since 1999 including a weekly training series entering its twelfth season that regularly hosts over fifty riders. Elite racers such as Jamey Driscoll and Josh Dillon have cut their teeth in these training races before competing on a national level. As in years past, the course will be in true Vermont style with a lot of climbing, wide and sinewy grass and some technical sections.

Dan Timmerman (Richard Sachs-RGM) won the overall Verge NECCS last year

The host venue, the Catamount Outdoor Family Center is a focal point of northwest Vermont. Covering over 500 acres, it plays host to a mountain bike training series, trail running races and XC skiing. In addition to recreation, the Center is a model for education, agriculture, forestry, conservation and historic preservation. Still a family-owned operation, it is a key part of the Chittenden County community.

Also, it is with great pleasure that the series organizers announce that as a result of the growing popularity of cyclocross on the grassroots level there will be a women’s category 3/4 series this year. The field size of the women’s 3/4 race has grown dramatically over the past few years and has produced several racers that have gone on to compete at the top level nationally. As with the other competitions, there will be points awarded at each race, a series leader’s jersey worn by the strongest and most consistent performer with a champion crowned at the series end at the NBX GP of Cross on December 5th.

The 2010 Verge New England Championship Cyclo-Cross Series will be contested over five weekends. Rounds one and two will take place in Williston, VT at the Green Mountain Cyclocross Weekend on September 18 and 19. Rounds three and four will be Downeast Cyclocross in New Gloucester, Maine on October 16 and 17. The 20th Edition of the Cycle Smart International will be rounds five and six on November 6 and 7 in Northampton, MA. Bay State Cyclocross and the NBX GP of Cross will hold the final four rounds of the series in Sterling, MA on November 28 and 29 and in Warwick, RI on December 4 and 5, respectively.

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Anthony Victorious at Festningsrittet After Powerful Team Effort

Posted on 24. Aug, 2010 by lyne.

Kelly Benefit Strategies Pro Cycling battled crashes, injuries, and some of the top Continental teams in Europe to claim the top GC prize at Festningsrittet, one of Norway’s premiere stage races. Jesse Anthony topped the overall podium Sunday in beautiful downtown Kongsvinger after his second 2nd place finish in as many days, with teammate Neil Shirley joining him in the top five overall.

Jesse Anthony (Kelly Benefit) Wins in Norway - photo c KBS

Shirley, along with the rest of the team, ran won of his best races of the year, putting in several efforts that would prove crucial to teammate Anthony’s overall crown. Performance Director Jonas Carney described the race as “highly tactical”, and a genuine team effort was imperative for the team to pull out the win against such a competitive field.

Sunday’s third and final stage, 171k from Charlottenberg into downtown Kongsvinger, would be KBS’ last chance to win the race outright, and things looked promising for the only American team after two hard days of racing.

“We knew the race would inevitably be fought and won on the 5 closing circuits through downtown Kongsvinger, but there was a tough stretch of road to get there first,” said  Carney. “The Thuringer Energie team was our our main competition for the GC, and they had the help of the entire German National Team for this race, whose goal was to defend the sprint jersey. There was one big climb leading into the circuits, and this was where we wanted to apply a lot of pressure.”

The stiff pace up the aforementioned climb saw the Thuringer Energie team lose 5 of their 6 riders — everyone except race leader Marcel Kittel. The German National team also lost 5 of 6, and Carney saw the perfect opportunity begin to open up. He put Shirley, Scott Zwizanski, and Alex Candelario on the front in the group of 35 and they pushed the pace for the next 100k, keep this fortunate gap as wide as possible.

The race would be fought and won on the five 5.6km finishing circuits in Kongsvinger, running over some of toughest, twistiest roads of the race.  Zwizanski set up Shirley to attack on the biggest climb of the circuit, and he launched successfully but the group was able to reel him back in. Anthony counter-attacked immediately, and his timing couldn’t have been better.

“(Anthony’s) attack was timed well, and he slipped away with one rider from Glud/Marstrand and one from Joe Piels Cyclingteam with 20k to go,” said Carney after the race. “They gained 20 seconds on the front group, and the race leader from Thuringer was forced to chase. He brought back quite a bit of time, but with his teammates dropped, he was unable to reel it in all the way on his own.”

Anthony sensed the opportunity and finished strong, taking second on the stage and completing the race with a six second gap on race leader Marcel Kittel and the rest of the chasers, enough to snatch the overall GC victory from Thuringer-Energie. Shirley finished 7th on the stage and 5th on GC, one of his top results for the year.

“Cando, Ryan and Zwiz were amazing teammates today, they looked after Neil and I amazingly well for the entire race,” said Anthony after the race. “It feels great to finally win a race in Europe, and I couldn’t be happier to deliver the win after some really heroic efforts by the rest of the guys.”

“This is an important win for our team,” added Carney. “Joe Piels, Thuringer Energie, Joker Bianchi, Sparebanken, and Glud/Marstrand are strong, respected Continental teams in Europe. Even after losing our strongest rider (Veilleux) to a crash in the first stage, we still came out on top. I couldn’t be more proud of the efforts by our guys through this tough and unique race.”

The three day, UCI 2.2 ranked stage race marked the first time KBS has raced in Scandinavia, and when they weren’t busy maintaining the race’s persistent pace, riders were treated to host of beautiful sights and sounds through Norway and Sweden’s rolling, lush countrysides.

“When we weren’t covering moves, it was hard to ignore the beautiful scenery that Sweden has to offer,” said Neil Shirley after the first stage. “At one point we were speeding along a one-lane road with dense forest on our left and a massive and magnificent lake to our right. I was wishing I had a camera in my jersey pocket.” (Read an in-depth race report on Stage 1 from Neil Shirley)

The first stage, 140k from the race’s central hub in Kongsvinger to Arvika, Sweden, took place on twisty roads and constantly rolling terrain. In what proved to be the trend for the entire race, attacks flew early and the pace stayed hot throughout. The team worked to have at least one rider in every breakaway, and things were going well as the race headed across the border into Sweden.

Neil Shirley attacked hard up the stage’s final steep slope, and three other riders were able to bridge across. The gap hovered between 20-25 seconds, but the chasers were bearing down hard and the gap started to plummet. Coming into the final kilometer, the lead was reduced to seconds and just as Shirley was about to cross the line, the field came thundering down. Shirley finished fourth after his efforts, just shy of his first European podium.

Despite the near miss, the race was a considerable success and put Shirley and Candelario in the top ten on GC heading into Stage 2.

Stage 2, a tough 197km trek in and around Kongsvinger, gave the team an opportunity to move further up the GC. With Veilleux forced to abandon after his crash, the team was down to 5 riders, and climbing specialists Neil Shirley and Jesse Anthony would be the go-to-guys for a brief but nasty uphill finish.

“The finish was on a cobbled road through an old tunnel and into a courtyard inside a medievil fortress at the top of a 1200 meter-long climb,” said Anthony after the race. “It’s hard to imagine, but it is a pretty awesome scene when you actually see it. It’s really cool how some of these European races incorporate the local history into the event.” (Read an in-depth race report from Jesse Anthony on Stage 2 )

After a long day of attacks and chases through rolling hills, the peloton finally reached the epic final climb. With around 400 meters to go, the road steepened significantly and Anthony was able to open up a small gap and dig in full-tilt for the final few hundred meters. Shirley followed the surge of riders who chased, and kept himself in perfect position to pounce. Anthony lost his gap and was passed by powerful German rider Marcel Kittel in the final few hundred meters, settling for second on the stage. Shirley completed his stupendous effort in 4th place, keeping his high place in the GC, and Anthony moved into second overall, setting the team up nicely for the victory it would claim the following day.

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Haskell returns to Glencoe to defend her Grand Prix title

Posted on 13. Aug, 2010 by lyne.

Two-time defending champion Devon Haskell will lead a four-rider Team TIBCO/To the Top squad in Saturday’s Glencoe Grand Prix. The race will be run on the same course and the same day as the men’s U.S. Pro Criterium Championship.

“I’m really happy to be back racing in Chicago,” said Haskell, who began her racing career while in school at the University of Chicago. “I’d definitely like to make it a three-peat in Glencoe, but I know we’ll be happy if the title stays within the team, no matter which of us wins.”

The course will go in a different direction with a different configuration from previous editions of the race. At just over 2 km and with 10 turns, the course is longer and more technical than the Downers Grove course that hosted the men’s and women’s national criterium championships the past 24 years.

Glencoe offers up enough climbing to cause separations and encourage attacks, in particular, the one-block climb up Hazel Avenue, followed by five blocks of false flat until the final turn and a fast run to the line. Unlike the Downers course, the last turn is wide open.

U23 criterium national champion Samantha Schneider, who will join Haskell in Glencoe, had a chance to preview the course earlier this year.

“I rode it with the promoter a couple months ago and it’s a really beautiful course,” Schneider said. “It has some similarities to Downers Grove but it’s more technical, which really adds to the criterium racing. But the last corner should be a lot safer than at Downers Grove. The town re-paved the roads so they’re super smooth. And the promoter has done a great job with the course to make it spectator friendly. The finishing straight goes right through the middle of downtown Glencoe. It should be a lot of fun to watch.”

If the race comes down to a sprint, Schneider will be one of the favorites. But if the hillier portions of the course cause the pack to splinter, the finish may suit Haskell or teammates Megan Guarnier and Meredith Miller.

Team TIBCO/To the Top for the Glencoe Grand Prix, August 14, 2010:
Megan Guarnier, USA
Devon Haskell, USA
Meredith Miller, USA
Samantha Schneider, USA

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Team Type 1 Aims To Continue Success At Glencoe

Posted on 13. Aug, 2010 by lyne.

Five riders – including three Americans – will represent Team Type 1 Saturday at the Glencoe Grand Prix, home to the AT&T USA Cycling Professional Criterium National Championship in Glencoe, Ill.

Joe Eldridge, Ken Hanson and Shawn Milne will be vying to win the stars-and-stripes jersey that goes to the first American across the line at the end of the 62-mile (100 km) race. Teaming with them will be Aldo Ino Ilesic, winner of six stages at three different UCI races abroad, and Martijn Verschoor, who will join Eldridge as Team Type 1’s two riders with Type 1 diabetes in the race.

Ilesic figured prominently in a nearly race-long breakaway Saturday night at the Presbyterian Hospital Invitational Criterium in Charlotte. But when the original group of 12 escapees that included Ilesic reshuffled inside of 10 laps to go , the Slovenian was unable to latch on.

“They began attaching each other and another split happened,” Team Type 1 Director Sportif Vassili Davidenko said. “Aldo made a lot of efforts to stay with the first riders, but he was fighting alone and he simply ran out out of gas.”

Dan Holt, in sixth place, was Team Type 1’s top finisher in the 50-mile (80 km) race.

Hanson also has to be considered one of the favorites in Glencoe, which replaces Downers Grove after 24 years as the championship venue. He finished 10th last year and was the winner of the elite national criterium title in 2008. His three wins this season have all come in criteriums: Historic Roswell, Stage 5 of the Nature Valley Grand Prix and the San Rafael Twilight Criterium.

Davidenko said Team Type 1 hopes to continue the success it experienced last month with top 10 finishes at the Tour of Qinghai Lake and a pair of stage wins and second overall at the Tour do Rio.

“After China and Brazil, our guys lost some speed, but we have a week to get organized and be ready,” he said. “We’ll do our best with five riders in Glencoe.”

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Team USA for MTB World Championships

Posted on 11. Aug, 2010 by lyne.

A total of 53 athletes were nominated to represent the United States at the 2010 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Mont Sainte Anne, Quebec, September 1-5.

Seven men and seven women will wear the red, white and blue while competing for world titles in the elite cross country races.

As the reigning national champion, and winner of the 2010 USA Cycling Pro XCT, Todd Wells (Durango, Colo./Specialized) earned the only automatic nomination to the elite men’s cross country squad. He’ll be joined on the course by discretionary nominees Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Boulder, Colo./Subaru-Trek), Adam Craig (Bend, Ore./Giant), Sam Schultz (Missoula, Mont./Subaru-Trek), Michael Broderick (Chilmark, Mass./Kenda-Seven-NoTubes), Carl Decker (Bend, Ore./Giant), and Spencer Paxson (Seattle, Wash./Team S&M Young Guns).

Todd Wells (Specialized) at 2010 Sea Otter

Three women received automatic nominations to compete in the elite women’s contest in Mont Saint Anne. Georgia Gould (Fort Collins, Colo./Luna) earned her nomination by way of winning the national championship cross country race as well as the overall USA Cycling Pro XCT. In addition, the Colorado rider earned a silver medal in the third stop on the World Cup and is currently ranked fifth in the overall World Cup standings. As the highest ranked American woman in the UCI rankings, in sixth-place, Willow Koerber (Durango, Colo./Subaru-Trek) also picked up an automatic nomination to the team. In addition to her UCI ranking, Ms. Koerber met several other qualifications to receive an automatic nomination, including finishing second in the first two World Cups, and currently sitting in third in the overall World Cup standings. With a fourth-place effort in the fifth stop on the World Cup circuit, Katie Compton (Colorado Springs, Colo./Planet Bike) also earned an automatic nomination to the team. Gould, Koerber, and Compton will join forces with four discretionary nominees:

Mary McConneloug (Chilmark, Mass./Kenda-Seven-NoTubes), Heather Irmiger (Boulder, Colo./Subaru-Trek), Kelli Emmett (Colorado Springs, Colo./Giant), and Allison Mann (Murietta, Calif./Rock N Road).

Eight U23 athletes and eight junior athletes were also nominated to represent the U.S. in the U23 and junior cross country competitions in Quebec. See below for a complete roster.

As the reigning national champ in the elite men’s downhill discipline, Aaron Gwin (Morongo Valley, Calif./Yeti Fox Shox Factory Race Team) received the lone automatic nomination to the men’s downhill contingent. In addition to winning the national title, Gwin also met the selection criteria by virtue of his fourth-place effort in the second World Cup and his third-place effort in the third World Cup this season. Gwin will be joined in the elite men’s downhill time test by discretionary nominees Luke Strobel (Issaquah, Wash./Evil Bikes), Kyle Strait (Huntington Beach, Calif.), Logan Binggeli (Saint George, Utah/KHS Bicycles), Tyler Immer (Rancho Murieta, Calif.), Brad Benedict (Auburn/Specialized), and Duncan Riffle (Santa Barbara, Calif./Giant).

Four women will wear the Team USA jersey in the elite women’s downhill contest. The squad will be led by the only automatic nomination, reigning national champion Jill Kintner (Seattle, Wash./Transition Racing). Discretionary nominees include Melissa Buhl (Chandler, Ariz./KHS Bicycles), Jacqueline Harmony (Sedona, Ariz./KHS Bicycles), and Leigh Donovan (Murietta, Calif./Intense Cycles).

Eight junior riders were nominated to compete in the junior men’s and women’s downhill contests in Mont Saint Anne. Please see below for a complete roster.

In addition to the downhill competitions, the World Championships will also feature elite four-cross competitions for gravity racers. The U.S. squad will be led by automatic nominees and reigning national champions Ross Milan (Arvada, Colo./Yeti-Cycles) and Neven Steinmetz (Boulder, Colo./Ellsworth Bikes). In the men’s contest, Milan will be joined by Barry Nobles (Wetumpka, Ala.), Mitch Ropelato (Ogden, Utah), and Blake Carney (Camarillo, Calif.).

Complete U.S. Team roster:

Elite Men Cross Country
Todd Wells (Durango, Colo./Specialized)**
Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Boulder, Colo./Subaru-Trek)
Adam Craig (Bend, Ore./Giant)
Sam Schultz (Missoula, Mont./Subaru-Trek)
Michael Broderick (Chilmark, Mass./Kenda-Seven-NoTubes)
Carl Decker (Bend, Ore./Giant)
Spencer Paxson (Seattle, Wash./Team S&M Young Guns)

Elite Women Cross Country
Georgia Gould (Fort Collins, Colo./Luna)**
Willow Koerber (Durango, Colo./Subaru-Trek) **
Katie Compton (Colorado Springs, Colo./Planet Bike) **
Mary McConneloug (Chilmark, Mass./Kenda-Seven-NoTubes)
Heather Irmiger (Boulder, Colo./Subaru-Trek)
Kelli Emmett (Colorado Springs, Colo./Giant)
Allison Mann (Murietta, Calif./Rock N Road)

U23 Men Cross Country
Tad Elliott (Durango, Colo./Sho-Air-Specialized) **
Rob Squire (Sandy, Utah/Garmin-Felt-Holowesko)
Russell Finsterwald (Colorado Springs, Colo./Subaru-Trek)
Stephen Ettinger (Cashmere, Wash./Arlberg Sports)
Jack Hinkens (Edenprairie, Minn./Trek-Co-op)
Mitch Hoke (Colorado Springs, Colo./Tokyo Joe’s)

U23 Women Cross Country
Sage Wilderman (Fraser, Colo./Team Totally Wired)**
Lydia Tanner (San Clemente, Calif./Montana State University)

Junior Men Cross Country
Skyler Truijillo (Fort Collins, Colo.)**
Zach Valdez (Hemet, Calif.)
Seth Kemp (Campobella, S.C.)
Tony Smith (San Rafael, Calif./Whole Athlete)
Will Curtis (San Rafael, Calif./Whole Athlete)

Junior Women Cross Country
Alicia Rose Pastore (Curango, Colo./Rocky Mountain Chocolate)**
Sofia Hamilton (San Anselmo, Calif./Whole Athlete)
Essence Barton (Thousand Oak, Calif.)

Elite Men Downhill
Aaron Gwin (Morongo Valley, Calif./Yeti Fox Shox Factory Race Team)**
Luke Strobel (Issaquah, Wash./Evil Bikes)
Kyle Strait (Huntington Beach, Calif.)
Logan Binggeli (Saint George, Utah/KHS Bicycles)
Tyler Immer (Rancho Murieta, Calif.)
Brad Benedict (Auburn/Specialized)
Duncan Riffle (Santa Barbara, Calif./Giant)

Elite Women Downhill
Jill Kintner (Seattle, Wash./Transition Racing) **
Melissa Buhl (Chandler, Ariz./KHS Bicycles)
Jacqueline Harmony (Sedona, Ariz./KHS Bicycles)
Leigh Donovan (Murietta, Calif./Intense Cycles)

Junior Men Downhill
Sam Powers (Lyons, Colo./Redstone Cyclery)**
Bryson Martin (Stevenson Ranch, Oakley)**
Neko Mulally (Reading, Pa./Trek World Racing)
Mitch Ropelato (Ogden, Utah)
Nate Furbee (Los Osos, Calif.)
Evan Powell (Boulder, Colo./Yeti Fox)
Trevor Trinkino (Evergreen, Colo./Yeti RPM)

Junior Women Downhill
Kelsey Anderson (Novato, Calif.)

Men Four-Cross
Ross Milan (Arvada, Colo./Yeti-Cycles)**
Barry Nobles (Wetumpka, Ala.)
Mitch Ropelato (Ogden, Utah)
Blake Carney (Camarillo, Calif.)

Women Four-Cross
Neven Steinmetz (Boulder, Colo./Ellsworth Bikes)**

** denotes automatic nomination

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