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North American briefs: Grajales to Navigators; Page and Wilkerson to Colavita
Climbing sensation Cesar Grajales is the latest addition to the Navigators Insurance cycling team's 2005 roster. Grajales made his mark as a world-class climbing specialist when he attacked Lance Armstrong, Jens Voigt, and Chris Horner to win the Dodge Tour de Georgia's stage 6 at the top of Brasstown Bald Mountain this past April.
The Colombian highlander joins Aussie stars Nathan O'Neill and sprinter Hilton Clarke as three of the Navigators squad's new recruits. The full roster that will include many returning players and a few new names will be announced shortly.
“The Navigators Insurance team will give me the chance to compete internationally,” Grajales said, “and I am really looking forward to climbing with some of the popular names in cycling, and anxious to prove I can be competitive with the best.”
The team also announced its continuing relationship with Ernesto Colnago, the world's most renowned frame builder, through 2007. Grajales and company will enjoy racing on Colnago's C-50.
“Two great pieces of news from our recent trip to Interbike,” team director Ed Beamon announced. “We are very proud to be representing Colnago for several more years, and we have added another marquis rider to the lineup. We are really looking forward to giving Cesar the opportunity to face off against some of the world's best climbers, and we know from this year's Dodge Tour de Georgia that he is up to the task. Cesar really helped to establish the credibility of the Jittery Joe's squad with his results here in the USA. We sincerely appreciate the efforts of their director, Micah Rice, and hope we can take as good care of this exceptional athlete as Jittery Joe's has.”
The team will begin its 12th season as a UCI professional team in 2005, starting in Australia with the Jacob's Creek Tour Down Under in January, followed by another spring campaign in Western Europe.
Colavita ‘crosser
So far in this off-season, the Colavita Olive Oil squad has been at the forefront of North American road racing newsmakers.
First, there was the announcement that Colavita Olive Oil would be returning as the title sponsor of one of this continent's most successful UCI Trade Teams.
Then ex-Saturn star Frank McCormack signed on as the team's directeur sportif for 2005, followed by the departure of three of its biggest stars — Nathan O’Neill, Will Frischkorn and Ivan Dominguez — and the re-signing of much of the remainder of the squad's 2004 roster, including road captain Mark McCormack.
And, just last week, there was the addition of former Alessio pro Davide Frattini as a top stage-race threat. Now, as the team begins to finalize its roster, it has formally announced the inking of Jonathan Page and Derek Wilkerson for 2005. Page, 28, is the top American cyclo-cross racer internationally, and the winner of the national cyclo-cross championship for the past two years. Though he has specifically focused on ‘cross over the last two seasons, Page is also an accomplished and versatile road racer. A two-time junior national road champion and member of several world road championship teams, Page won the overall titles in the Grand Prix of Bermuda and the Green Mountain Stage Race in 2002, as well as the points jersey in the Fitchburg Longsjo Classic, in 2002.
Wilkerson, 25, also comes to the Colavita Olive Oil squad from the dirt, having spent much of 2004 racing cross-country for Hillenbrand-Specialized. But Wilkerson’s pedigree definitely tilts towards road racing: the winner of the 1999 U.S. elite national criterium championship, Wilkerson turned pro that year for Mercury, before heading on to stints with Jelly Belly and the U.S. under-23 national team. An all-rounder with a fast finish, his 2003 road results include 2nd in a stage of the Valley of the Sun, as well as 5th overall in the recent CycleFest National Racing Calendar event. Team director Frank McCormack, who is very familiar with both racers, is highly enthused about the addition of Page and Wilkerson
“Mark and I have spent years racing against Jonathan all over New England,” McCormack said, "and we know just what a talented and determined competitor he is. Jonathan does everything pretty well. And Derek, he's one of those invaluable types who's both an accomplished domestique and a winner in his own right. Combined with Juan Jose [Haedo], Derek should really help us in the sprints." The Colavita Olive Oil Professional Cycling Team expects to announce one additional racer signing in the immediate future.
