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All-American field gathers in Greenville for national championships

Published: Aug. 31, 2006
The road race
The road race

American cycling will mark a major turning point Sunday when the first winner of an all-American professional road championship is crowned in Greenville, South Carolina. After 21 years of awarding the USPRO stars-and-stripes jersey to the first American across the line – no matter how many foreigner riders finished ahead of him - USA Cycling decided last year to get in line with top cycling nations and hold an American-only national championship, citing a matured U.S. peloton that has grown to more than 160 professionals.

Rights to host the event, which until this year has always been organized as the USPRO international invitational in Philadelphia, were put out to bid, and Georgia-based Medalist Sports, organizers of the Amgen Tour of California and Ford Tour de Georgia, won out, moving the re-branded 2006 USA Cycling Professional Championships to Greenville over Labor Day weekend. For 2006, competitors must be American members of UCI-registered trade teams only; no amateurs will be permitted to race.

Concerns over Tropical Storm Ernesto grew as Greenville was bombarded by heavy rain Wednesday into the evening, but the weather subsided Thursday, and the forecast for Friday's 10 a.m. time trial calls for a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 2 p.m., with temperatures in the low 80s. Ernesto, which landed in Florida on Wednesday after having briefly become the Atlantic storm season's first hurricane near Haiti, was not actually expected to regain hurricane strength with 74-mph winds, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

While some applauded the decision to limit the national championship field to American riders, the result may prove to hinder some of the strongest riders in the 121-mile road race. ProTour team riders Levi Leipheimer (Gerolsteiner) and Dave Zabriskie (CSC), for example, come to the race without teammates, while Greenville resident and hometown favorite George Hincapie will be supported by only one Discovery Channel teammate, Jason McCartney. McCartney won a spot on the 2004 U.S. Olympic team at the team qualifier, a similar all-American event. Though McCartney may not have been the strongest rider in the race, his then-Health Net-Maxxis squad played the numbers and came away with the win.

Hincapie has had a strong season, often overshadowed with disappointing results. He was in the best position of his career to win Paris-Roubaix in April when his steerer tube failed, sending him down hard on the cobbles and separating his shoulder. Like Leipheimer, Hincapie’s hopes of contending for the overall at the Tour de France were shattered after the first time trial. Hincapie nearly pulled off a redeeming overall win at the ENECO Tour of Benelux, but was taken out in a controversial move by Gerolsteiner’s Stefan Schumacher in the final 100 meters of the last stage, losing to Schumacher by just one second.

Leipheimer, too, had a disappointing Tour, but won the Dauphiné Libéré in June and finished second behind CSC’s Jens Voigt at the Tour of Germany earlier this month. Leipheimer recently announced that he and Hincapie will be teammates at the Discovery Channel team in 2007.

Missing from the event are top Americans Chris Horner and three-time national road champion Fred Rodriguez, both riding the Vuelta a España for their Davitamon-Lotto squad. Discovery Channel’s Tom Danielson is also racing the Vuelta, while CSC riders Christian Vande Velde and Bobby Julich decided to sit out the national championships, likely due to the late-season spot on the calendar. (Both Julich and Vande Velde raced May’s Giro d’Italia and July’s Tour de France.) Also missing is former national espoir and USPRO criterium champion Tyler Farrar, who will race the Tour de l’Avenir with his French ProTour squad Cofidis.

The 121-mile road race, presented by Charter Communications, a broadband communications company, includes five passes over Paris Mountain, just five miles north of Greenville and one of the most prominent ridges in South Carolina. There will be five full laps of 21.85 miles, followed by three finishing circuits of 3.76 miles each. Zabriskie, who has been in Greenville this week, described the Paris Mountain climb as a “constant grade for three kilometers, and the last 300 meters is a little steeper, about 10 percent. Five times up that should make some select groups.”

None of the top five riders in USA Cycling’s NRC rankings (Floyd Landis, Greg Henderson, Nathan O’Neill, Sergey Lagutin and Juan Jose Haedo) will compete. Landis is currently under suspension for a doping infraction after winning this year’s Tour de France and the other four are foreigners.

Those teams with the numbers on their side include domestic squads Health Net-Maxxis, TIAA-CREF and the Toyota-United team of defending national champion Chris Wherry. Health Net, winner of the title last year when Wherry rode for the squad, brings 10 men, including 2005 NRC individual rankings winner Scott Moninger. Moninger will have the help of domestiques such as Tim Johnson, Kirk O’Bee and Doug Ollerenshaw.

Wherry comes to the race with eight teammates, including former national time-trial champion Chris Baldwin and former Olympian Tony Cruz. Asked what sort of dynamics he expects to see in a race where three of the strongest riders are virtually without teammates, Wherry said one of two possibilities could emerge.

“I think that there’s a good possibility that because of the toughness of the course, one of those guys could break it down to a small enough group that they can manage it,” Wherry said. “I wouldn’t discount any of those guys just because they don’t have the numbers. The only thing that could play into a team that has numbers is if a guy gets away early in the race and there’s nobody to help chase. Then those guys are on their own. If they have to bring back a sizeable gap, they might be in trouble. But the course is hard enough that I don’t foresee those guys having too much issue with it.”

With the race open to all American professionals, the developmental TIAA-CREF squad brings an astounding 15 riders to the start line, including current national under-23 champion and Greenville resident Craig Lewis. Mike Creed, Will Frischkorn and former world U-23 time-trial champion Danny Pate, the runner-up to Wherry at the national road-race championship last year, will lead the team.

While TIAA-CREF began in 2004 as a younger, developmental squad, in Lewis and Brad Huff the team has taken this year’s U23 and USPRO criterium national titles, and in a “what could have been” result, Mike Friedman finished as the first American at the former national championship event in Philadelphia in June. Many are pointing to Hincapie, who won the national road title in 1998, as the race favorite. But given that Lewis has a greater knowledge of the road-race course than any rider in the field, and the largest team, a TIAA-CREF win would be far from an upset.

Defending champ Wherry acknowledged that Hincapie has to be considered a favorite, but didn’t discount his own chances. After a rocky start to the season due to a parasitical infection, Wherry’s season has been a success, with an overall win at the Cascade Classic and two stage wins at the Tour of Utah earlier this month, including a time-trial victory.

“George is the hometown guy and he’s coming off some good form over in Europe, but I don’t doubt my chances at all,” Wherry said. “I’ve got good form and I’ve got a team behind me. Hopefully that will be enough.”

Other top names of domestic cycling competing in Greenville are 2004 national road race champion Mark McCormack, who brings four Colavita Olive Oil-Sutter Home Wine teammates, Phil Zajicek, who brings just three Navigators Insurance teammates, and Andy Bajadali, who brings seven Jelly Belly teammates.

Time trial: Zabriskie’s to lose?
The undulating 20.15-mile individual time trial, presented by The Cliffs Communities, begins at 10 a.m. on Friday, September 1, at the entrance of The Cliffs at Mountain Park located just north of Greenville. Close to 70 athletes are expected, and riders will depart in one-minute intervals, with the finish expected close to 1:00 p.m. The Cliffs Communities are seven private, gated residential communities nestled in the heart of the Carolina Preserve.

The time trial
The time trial

Hincapie’s name is not on the start list for Friday’s time trial. The Discovery Channel rider could have been one of a select few that could hope to defeat Zabriskie, the 2004 national time-trial champion who has won time-trial stages at both the 2005 Tour de France and Giro d’Italia. This year Zabriskie won a pair of time trials at the Dauphiné Libéré in June. Hincapie, however, has said he is coming to race solely in the road race and will skip the time trial.

“I’d like to hope that [Toyota-United teammate Chris Baldwin] is going to defend his championship from last year,” Wherry said, “but when you’re going up against one of the best time trialists in the world, it could be a Zabriskie show for sure. There’s no doubt that Dave is the favorite. Everyone knows he can out time-trial anyone in the world.”

Zabriskie, who is extending his 2006 season to compete at the world time-trial championship at the end of September, acknowledged that he might be the race favorite but said he doesn’t allow that to play a factor in his mental preparation.

“I’m not overconfident,” Zabriskie said. “I sill train, and I still have to take the race as if I could lose and be serious and not make mistakes. I never go into a race overconfident. People may say I am the favorite, but I never say it to myself. I always think anybody could win. But I feel good; things should go well.”

Other riders that have a legitimate shot at defeating Zabriskie include McCartney, Baldwin and Pate. Like Hincapie, Leipheimer, the 1999 national time trial champion, is bypassing the time trial to focus on the road race. Dark-horse picks include Navigators Insurance rider Bernard Van Ulden, who finished third behind Baldwin at last year's time-trial championship, and Priority Health rider Tom Zirbel, fourth last year. Zabriskie and McCartney were both absent from last year's time-trial championship.

First out of the start house will be honorary Discovery Channel rider A.J. Smith, winner of the team’s Race2Replace event in Indianapolis earlier this month. Asked if he can live up to the hype and produce a quality time trial in Greenville, Smith said he can sustain high wattages, but “175 pounds doesn’t go up hill well.”

For the road race, Zabriskie predicts the humid summer heat in Greenville could play a determining factor. “Some of it will depend on weather,” he said. “People will have to gauge their efforts. If it’s hot and humid and people try to go out early and try to stay to finish, that might be a mistake. But if the weather is agreeable it could be really aggressive all day long.”

A weekend of festivities
Professionals will compete for over $60,000 in prize money, and over 30,000 spectators are expected throughout the weekend. Bonus prize money will also be given to professional cyclists in the Verizon King of Paris Mountain competition, and a race-fan bonus will be awarded by local business BI-LO and radio station B93.7 during the road race championship. The fans with the best tailgate party will be awarded a $500 BI-LO gift card on the final lap of the race, as determined by judges from BI-LO and B93.7.

In addition to the championships, Greenville will host a festival and interactive expo for race fans and visitors called Rock and Roll for Cancer Research. This Saturday festival will include fundraiser bicycle rides, expo with health and wellness exhibits, four free concerts, headlined by Sister Hazel, and an athlete presentation ceremony from 6 to 7 p.m.

On Saturday morning, a rest day for the riders, The Palmetto Peloton Project fundraising ride will take place. This recreational bicycle ride, presented by BI-LO and Dasani, benefits the Oncology Research Institute of the Greenville Hospital System as well as the Lance Armstrong Foundation. It will allow an estimated 500 amateur cyclists to ride some of the same roads as the professionals and help support cancer research. Ride options include a metric century (64 miles), a 40km route (25 miles) and a family fun ride in Cleveland Park. Registration information and ride details are available at www.palmettopelotonproject.org.

Free live audio broadcasts of the time trial and road race are available at the official race Web site www.usacyclingchampionships.com.

A Google Earth view of the road-race course can also be seen at www.usacyclingchampionships.com.

Start lists

Time trial
Discovery Channel: Jason McCartney, A.J. SmithTeam CSC: Dave ZabriskieToyota-United Pro: Chris Baldwin, Tony Cruz, Justin England, Mariano Friedick, Chris Stockburger, Josh Thornton, Chris Wherry, Sterling MagnellNavigators Insurance: Bernard Vanulden, Phil ZajicekCaico Pro Cycling: Ryan BarnettJittery Joe's: Austin King, Marc AndersonKodakgallery.com-Sierra Nevada: Jesse Anthony, Michael Dietrich, Ben Jacques-Maynes, Jackson Stewart, Scott ZwizanskiHealth Net-Maxxis: Tim Johnson, Roman Kilun, Jeff Louder, Scott Moninger, Doug OllerenshawPriority Health: Edward King, Jake Rytlewski, Brian Sheedy, Tom ZirbelSuccessfulliving: Curtis Gunn, Daniel RamseyVorarlberg-Volksbank: Tyson ApostolNerac-Outdoorlights.com: Thad Dulin, Mike Norton, Justin SpinelliRite Aid: Mike Beers, Peter PenzellTIAA-CREF: Blake Caldwell, Steven Cozza, Mike Creed, Will Frischkorn, Mike Friedman, Brad Huff, Craig Lewis, Danny Pate, Bryan Smith, Troy Wells, Peter StetinaJelly Belly: Nick ReistadColavita Olive Oil-Sutter Home: Zak Grabowski, Todd HerriottAEG-Toshiba-Jetnetwork: Eric Keim, Jake RubeltTeam Einstein's: Clayton Barrows
Road race
Discovery Channel: George Hincapie, Jason McCartneyGerolsteiner: Levi LeipheimerTeam CSC: Dave ZabriskieToyota-United Pro: Chris Baldwin, Tony Cruz, Justin England, Mariano Friedick, Bobby Lea, Sterling Magnell, Chris Stockburger, Josh Thornton, Chris WherryNavigators Insurance: Shawn Milne, T. Burke Swindlehurst, Bernard VanUlden, Phil ZajicekJittery Joe's: Marc Anderson, Evan Elken, Austin King, Neil Shirley, Phil WongCAICO Pro Cycling: Ryan BarnettKodakgallery.com-Sierra Nevada: Jesse Anthony, Michael Dietrich, Ben Jacques-Maynes, Jackson Stewart, Scott ZwizanskiHealth Net-Maxxis: Kyle Gritters, Tim Johnson, Mike Jones, Roman Kilun, Jeff Louder, Scott Moninger, Kirk O'Bee, Doug Ollerenshaw, Garrett Peltonen, Mike SayersPriority Health: Eddy Hilger, Robbie King, Edward King, Jake Rytlewski, Brian Sheedy, Tom ZirbelSuccessfullliving: Ryan Yee, Curtis Gunn, Daniel Ramsey, Adam Livingston, Drew Miller, Alexi MartinezJelly Belly: Kirk Albers, Andrew Bajadali, Alex Candelario, Brice Jones, Dave McCook, Jeremy Powers, Nick Reistad, Corey SteinbrecherVorarlberg-Volksbank: Tyson ApostolNerac-Outdoorlights.com:Thad Dulin, Jon Hamblen, Daniel Holt, Mike Norton, Justin Spinelli, Scott EdgeTargettraining:William Elliston, Eneas Freyre, Daniel Greenfield, Andrew Guptil, Wesley Hartman, Frank Pipp, Todd WellsRite Aid: Joshua Taylor, John DeLong, Ryan DeWald, Christoph Herby, Russell Langley, Peter Penzell, Brad Viera, Jon WirsingTIAA-CREF: Rahsaan Bahati, Blake Caldwell, Steven Cozza, Mike Creed, Will Frischkorn, Lucas Euser, Mike Friedman, Chad Hartley, Brad Huff, Craig Lewis, Ian MacGregor, Danny Pate, Bryan Smith, Troy Wells, Peter StetinaColavita Olive Oil-Sutter Home: Zak Grabowski, Todd Herriott, Mark McCormack, Jonathan Page, Tyler WrenAEG-Toshiba-JetNetwork: Chris Frederick, Eric Keim, Hugh Moran, Keith Norris, Jake Rubelt, Greg WolfVMG Racing: Zach Bolian, Alexander Boyd, Todd Henriksen, Rudy RobainaTeam Einstein's: Clayton Barrows

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