| 07/27/2001 | First Round of Team Selections for Inivest Grand Prix NameWith under two months remaining until the 2001 Univest Grand Prix, the list of teams automatically qualifying was
released from the offices of Sparta Cycling today.
Now in its fourth year, the Univest Grand Prix has developed into North America's #1 amateurs-only event, and is now so popular that an extensive selection process is required in order to pick the very best entries. Says race director John Eustice: "Last year, we had 55 teams vying for 30 spots. This year, we have over 70! So the selection process is a key one in the success of the race."
And, if the automatic selections are any indication, this year's Univest Grand Prix field will be the strongest in the history of the event. Twenty of the maximum thirty teams were named today, including seven of the expected eight foreign entries. Chief among those are Colorado Altitude Training Systems/Belgium, which includes 2000 Univest winner Bert Dewaele, and Alderfer's Auction House/France, which features newly-crowned French
Elite National Road Champion Guillaume Lejeune.
However, they will definitely have their work cut out for them this year, as the U.S. contingent includes the Boise Stars Elite Cycling Team of U.S. Elite National Road Champion Remi McManus; the Mercy Fitness Cycling Team, which last year took both the U.S. Elite and Espoirs National Road titles; Broadmark Capital, which has been impressing against the nation's top pros all season in the Pacific Northwest; and Wheelworks/Cannondale, which performed so well at another Sparta Cycling event in May, the Housatonic Valley Classic.
But it isn't just the men who have had to go through a selection process this year. With nearly forty women's teams expressing interest in competing, they too are undergoing close scrutiny. "Last year's women's race was a hard-fought affair, and the field numbered close to 70 starters", says Eustice. "However, I think things will be even better on both counts this year." Two of the top three teams from the 2000 event- Procter & Gamble and jane Cosmetics- will be returning with their top riders from last year, while, in the place of the now-defunct Charles Schwab team of last year's winner, Leigh Hobson (who has since retired), there will be a whole slew of elite women's teams from across the country. Among these are the VeriZon Women's Cycling Team of current U.S. National Criterium Champion Laura Van Gilder; Goldy's/Grove Street Place, featuring former Goodwill Games winner Brooke Blackwelder; Litespeed/Atlanta Velo, with 2000 Olympian Iona Wynter; and the 800.com Women's Cycling Team,
which has won stages in such world-class events as the Redlands Classic and the Montreal World Cup Race
Series this season.
There are ten 'wild card' berths remaining in both the men's and women's fields. These final teams will be announced next month, along with six reserves for each race.
THESE TEAMS ARE NOW CONFIRMED FOR THE UNIVEST GRAND PRIX
Men
1 ABC/Tonissteiner (Bel)
2 Alderfer's Auction House/France (Fra)
3 Alderfer's Meats/Pennsylvania All-Stars (PA)
4 Atlas Cold Storage/Ital Pasta (Ont)
5 Boise Stars Elite Cycling Team (ID)
6 Broadmark Capital Cycling Team (WA)
7 Colorado Altitude Training Systems/Belgium (Bel)
8 Emassy International Racing Team (Aus)
9 G.S. Mengoni USA (NY)
10 Gomart Cycling Team (WV)
11 Kissena Elite Cycling Team (NY)
12 Lombardi Sports/OFOTO.com (CA)
13 Mercy Fitness Cycling Team (AK)
14 Ready Pac-Knapp's Team Racing (NJ)
15 Snow Valley Cycling Team (MD)
16 Saturn Developmental Cycling Team (MA)
17 UPMC/Pittsburgh Cycling (PA)
18 Volkswagen Les Aisles (Que)
19 Wheelworks/Cannondale (CT)
20 Yum Yum Bake Shops/Netherlands (Ned)
Women
1 800.com Women's Cycling Team (OR)
2 CRCA/Dash.com (NY)
3 CRCA/RLX Polo Sport (NY)
4 Genesis Scuba/FFCC (GA)
5 Goldy's/Grove Street Place (ID)
6 Jane Cosmetics Cycling Team (CA)
7 Lateral Stress Velo/Trek/VW (MD)
8 Litespeed/Atlanta Velo (GA)
9 NEBC/Cycle Loft (MA)
10 Olbas Women's Cycling Team (Sui)
11 Procter & Gamble (CO)
12 Saturn Developmental Cycling Team (WI)
13 Snow Valley Cycling Team (MD)
14 Spokesman/Santa Cruz (CA)
15 Talgoamerica Women's Cycling Team (PA)
16 Trek/VW Midwest (IN)
17 TREK Women's Cycling Team (PA)
18 Tri-State Velo/Amoroso's (PA)
19 Verizon Women's Cycling Team (CT)
20 Wheelworks/Independent Fabrications (CT)
The Univest Grand Prix, North America's premier international amateur race, will be held in Souderton, PA on September 15th. For more information, please visit our website at www.univestgrandprix.com, or
contact:
John Alsedek
Media Director
Sparta Cycling, Inc.
(717)439-3593 cell
jcalsedek@hotmail.com
Presenting sponsors Leidy's Premium Pork Products, Rosenberger's Dairies, Bergey's Dealerships, Clemens Markets, and WFMZ-69 join the Univest Corporation of Pennsylvania in providing the major funding for the
event.
The title sponsor of the event, the Univest Corporation of Pennsylvania, as well as its subsidiaries Union National Bank, Pennview Savings Bank, Fin-Plan Group, and George Becker Associates, Inc., offer financial services to over twenty Montgomery and Bucks County communities.
Sparta Cycling, Inc., is a cycling event producer, producer of related television programs and creator of cycling training programs. The company has extensive experience in all aspects of cycling event production.www.univestgrandprix.com
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