This Year’s Teams
PureBlack Racing launched in July 2010, aiming to become New Zealand’s first international UCI ProTour road cycling team. Olympians, professional athletes, business figures, politicians and government agencies from around the country have shown strong support for the venture by attending the launch in Auckland.
Lead by America’s Cup yachtsman, Star Class World Champion and Olympian, Carl Williams, PureBlack Racing will compete in UCI’s US Continental Tour in 2011 with the ultimate aim of becoming a ProTour Team with entry to the Tour de France by 2015.
Team PureBlack Racing grew out of Team Bici Vida, a domestic high performance cycling team, which Williams launched on his return from Valencia. From day one Williams’ vision was to build a world-class international cycle team in New Zealand, establishing it as a fully professional sports organization.
Bici Vida launched onto the New Zealand scene at the PowerNet Tour of New Zealand in November 2009. Starting with a core team of talented U23 riders, the team enjoyed exceptional success in New Zealand in its first year.
Achievements include Southland U23 classification winner, 1st and 2nd in the Hamilton Open, 1st in Taupo Street Race, 1st Taupo Avanti Classic, 1st Festival of Cycling Criterium, stage wins at Tour de Vineyards, U23 Road Champion, 1st SRAM Tour de Ranges, 1st The REV, wins at the BioSPORT City Criterium series and most recently 1st and 2nd in the four day BDO Twin Coast Cycle Challenge.
As the young Bici Vida team learned the benefits of making sacrifices for team success, their victories grew. Five of the Bici Vida team have crossed the line first this season alone. After the team’s success and watching New Zealand’s strong cycling showing during the Beijing Olympics, Williams knew the timing was perfect. “We just had a Kiwi take three podium finishes in the Tour de France. What better time to launch a New Zealand team to compete against the best in the world,” says Williams.
While Bici Vida’s success on the road came down to having the best people in the right places on the bikes, the team’s rapid and successful development came from having the right people off the bikes. Carl was joined by investor and entrepreneur, Greg Cross, as Business Director; former Executive Director at Owens Group, Rick Ellis, as Chairman; and cycling veteran Benny Devcich, as Director Sportif. That same team is now the driving force behind PureBlack Racing.
Elbowz Racing Team’s goal is to be a professionally run, high profile team, that supports local children’s charities through outreach programs, awareness, and donations.The team is comprised of young, up-and-coming talent, mentored by experienced, seasoned veterans. Each rider was handpicked based upon their strength and personality, to build, what Elbowz Racing Team believe, is one of the most promising teams to ever come out of Texas. Our 2011 schedule will focus primarily on the USA Criterium schedule, select US National Calendar and UCI Events, as well as regional races.
UCI Continental team Bissell Pro Cycling Team , General Manager Glen Mitchell, outlined one of the team’s goals for the season to be the top ranked team in the country at the conclusion of the National Racing Calendar (NRC). “The NRC has always been an objective for us because we are structured around racing the domestic season,” Mitchell said. ”We want to be seen at all the top domestic races that we can and that includes the UCI races and the NRC races. We have a good program to target as many of those races as we can. All things going good, it would be great to end the season with the best rider or the best team. That is what we are here to do, to lift our game and aim to be the best team domestically.” With their early season success at Merco this could be Bissell’s year.
We had great success in 2010 and we plan on having even greater success in 2011 due to new additions to the team and a more ambitious agenda. You can find us racing any and every race in the southwest as well as the USA Crit Series and any NRC race we can make it to. http://www.sklzcycling.com/
Team Mountain Khakis p/b SmartStop
Team Mountain Khakis p/b SmartStop began as Time Pro Cycling in 2006. The team has grown into its current incarnation under the guidance of team owners Jamie Bennett and Pat Raines, both former professional cyclists and North Carolina residents. Team Mountain Khakis has experienced great success in the USA Crits Series in recent years, winning the overall title two times, once with Mark Hekman in 2009, and again with Isaac Howe in 2010, as well as the team overall three years in a row.
Team Mountain Khakis p/b SmartStop exists to give young riders a chance at becoming career professional bike racers. To meet this goal we have created a program that is capable of providing a framework of success by establishing a strong national caliber elite team focused on performance, learning, mentoring, and development in a positive and fostering atmosphere. This program is built for the riders and designed to be sustainable, it is intended to give the riders maximum exposure at events and allow them to showcase their abilities and chase their dreams. This combination of developmental and practical environments produces a well-rounded rider capable of making the step to the next level in the sport and pursuing a career.
We want the riders to go for the big victory and learn from their mistakes if they fall short. We do not want them to have a sole focus on medals or results, but on learning the TRADE of cycling. We are committed to developing riders who will have their best years riding for another team on a bigger level after they graduate from our program. Thankfully we have the support of some really great people and sponsors who understand our goals and support our vision of becoming the most recognized program in the country at developing and nurturing young talent. The team has “graduated” over 15 riders to date and our current roster is poised to continue that trend. Follow all of the action from the 2011 racing season at www.teammountainkhakis.com.
Team Type 1We strive to instill hope and inspiration for people around the world affected by diabetes. With appropriate diet, exercise, treatment and technology, we believe anyone with diabetes can achieve their dreams.
Team Type 1’s method to improve the lives of those impacted by diabetes is demonstrated on two fronts, athletics and diabetes community outreach.
Team Type 1 is active every day of the year in diabetes related events to provide hope and inspiration to those living with diabetes and to their families. Team Type 1 participated in over 700 diabetes related events in 2010 alone. These events include appearances and presentations at all diabetes conferences, community events, presentations to medical professionals in the diabetes field and delivery of life-saving diabetes supplies and medication to those in need. The team’s outreach extends well beyond the United States. This year over 400 children of Rwanda will receive the necessary supplies and medication to allow them the ability to manage their diabetes and live a longer and healthier life.
Team Type 1’s worldwide mission to inspire and change perceptions of what is possible with diabetes all began with a single cycling event in 2005. Eight cyclists, all living with type 1 diabetes entered the Race Across America in 2005 with the mission to show that anything is possible, even while living everyday with type 1 diabetes. Team Type 1 was given little attention in the 2005 Race Across America. The diabetes and cycling community believed that competing in a 3,000 mile, non-stop cycling race wasn’t possible. Not only was it possible it was winnable. Since Team Type 1’s first participation in the Race Across America, the team has won the race four times and still holds the Race Across America record for the fastest trans-continental crossing in just 5 days, 9 hours and 5 minutes, set in 2009.
Team Type 1 has since expanded to include a Professional Men’s and Women’s team, a Development Team, a Triathlon Team, an Elite team, a Running Team and Team Type 2. All of the current programs consist of athletes living everyday with diabetes and strive to provide hope and inspiration to all people affected by diabetes.
The programs within Team Type 1 compete in many high profiles events worldwide from the Race Across America to the major tours of professional cycling. In 2011 the Professional Men’s Team will continue with the mission of earning a coveted position in the 2012 Tour de France. The newly introduced Team Type 1 Running Team will continue the teams’ trans-continental history with a RUN Across America. The Triathlon Team, Development Team, Elite Team and Team Type 2 will also continue to compete on the largest stages of domestic racing to raise awareness, change perceptions and inspire the worldwide diabetes community to properly manage diabetes and live a healthier life with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. www.teamtype1.org
Kenda/5 HourRoster: Issac Howe, Chris Monteleone, Rob White, Jonny Sundt, Patrick Lemieux, Scottie Weiss, Greg Brandt www.kendaprocycling.com
UnitedHealth CareOverall, we have our sights set on having a successful season racing in the US as well as being competitive in Europe in 2011. Our three main goals for the year are to:
1. Further Our Tradition of Excellence in Cycling, 2. Continue to be a Dominant Force Domestically and be Competitive Internationally, and 3. Enhance the Success of Our Partnerships with Our Sponsors. Roster: Hilton Clarke, Jonny Clarke, Davide Frattini, Adrian Hegyvary, Jake Keough, Boy Van Poppel, Bradley White www.uhcprocycling.com
Team TIBCO
Team TIBCO traces its origins back to the Palo Alto Bicycle shop in 2002. Olympian Linda Jackson became involved with the team in 2005, with the goal of helping aspiring female athletes make it to the top. In just four years, Team TIBCO has risen from being a local cycling team to # 1 in North America. The team won the 2009 USA Cycling NRC team competition, the Women’s Prestige Cycling Series team title, and was named top team in North America by VeloNews. To top it off, Meredith Miller won an epic U.S. National Road Championship.
In 2010, Team TIBCO made its first foray into European racing, and will expand that schedule for the 2011 season, participating in some of the largest races in the world. Also last year, the organization grew into a family of three teams – the Team TIBCO UCI team, San Francisco-based Team TIBCO II amateur team, and Team TIBCO Juniors – totaling nearly 50 women. The expansion furthers the Team’s mission to provide a long-term platform for its riders to reach their full potential in local, national and international competitions, while serving as role models for youth across America to pursue a life of health and fitness.
These talented and exciting Team TIBCO Cyclists are coming to the Grove:
Jennifer “Wheels” Wheeler, Kendall “Ken Doll” Ryan, and Samantha “Sam” Schneider
www.teamtibco.com
facebook: /teamTIBCO
twitter: @teamTIBCO
Primal/MapMyRide
Primal/MapMyRide Professional Women’s Racing powered by BH Bikes consists of eight talented national-caliber bike racers. Formed in November 2010, the team’s goal is to support and promote women’s cycling through the use of women’s specific products and access to the team using GPS-based social media. Cycling fans can follow and interact with team members at www.primalprowomensracing.com.
Riders racing Tour de Grove: Tiffany Pezzulo (UT), Nicky Wangsgard (UT), and Megan Hottman (CO).
The eight-member team aims to support professional women’s cycling and create an avenue for better feedback on the development of women’s specific technologies. BH Bikes is sponsoring the team with its women’s specific Cristal road bike, a top-level road bike with geometry and sizing based on the company’s European design experience, input from high-end bicycle retailers and fitters, and customer feedback. Team members also use SIDI’s women’s specific Genius 6.6 shoes, clothing from Primal’s women’s line, and will be involved in future product development with all of the team’s sponsors.
Additional support of Primal/MapMyRIDE is provided by FSA, Nique, McDonald Audi, Retül, Reynolds, Smith Optics, and Vittoria as second tier sponsors. Third tier sponsors are Breeze Bars, Enzo’s Cycling Products, Giro, OS Performance, Lizards Skins and Treads.com.
Over the course of the training season, team members will also be using the iMapMyRIDE smartphone application which tracks and broadcasts speed, distance, and heart rate to the team’s group page on mapmyride.com and the team’s home page. Cycling fans and potential racers will be able to learn from team members’ training regimes by monitoring that data, reading team members’ blog posts and interacting with them by using the site’s social media tools.
For more information about Primal/MapMyRIDE Professional Women’s Racing powered by BH Bikes, go to www.primalprowomensracing.com.
