With the world cyclo-cross championships this weekend in Zeddam, The Netherlands, I can’t help but pull for Canadian Lyne Bessette to bring home a medal. While the elite North American men may not have strong chances to podium this year, Bessette does. After dominating the North American circuit in October and November, Bessette has shown she can ride with the world’s best, taking third behind Daphny Van Den Brand at the January 15 World Cup in France and seventh last weekend at the World Cup final at Hoogerheide, The Netherlands, 1:14 behind repeat winner Van Den Brand.

In a quick e-mail exchange from the Netherlands, Bessette said she was "very excited" about her upcoming race.

"I’ve had the best setup here since Christmas," she said. "Staying with a friend of Eric Wallace’s near Bruxelles, then Stu [Thorne] joined me for the last two World Cups and world’s. Norm Thibault is doing a great job as our Team Canada director … Kris Westwood broke his ankle the week before."

The course is flat with a lot of corners, one nasty downhill off-camber and 40 stairs just before a long uphill pavement section, Bessette said.

"The weather is cold and sunny and the course icy, but they put some sawdust on it so we could stay upright," she added. "Jesse Anthony helped me through the course yesterday and it was nice to ride with a New England guy. Of course, I would love to have [husband] Tim [Johnson] here."

Eric Wallace, sporting a Canadian national jersey at last year's MTB worlds

Photo: Neal Rogers

Heading up the U.S. elite men’s team is three-time national champion Jonathan Page, who became the first ever American to win an elite UCI cyclo-cross race in Europe when he won the Grand Prix du Nouvel-An in Pétange, Luxembourg, on New Year’s Day.

Current national champion Todd Wells turned down his spot on the national team, opting to prepare for the upcoming road season, as did Ryan Trebon, who came back to the United States after a death in the family.

Look for race coverage from VeloNews correspondent Rob Jones all weekend.

2006 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships
Race schedule (Zeddam local time)
Saturday
Juniors, 11:30 a.m.
Espoirs (under-23 men), 2:30 p.m.
Sunday
Women, 11:30 a.m.
Elite men, 2:30 p.m.

U.S. team
Elite men
Jonathan Page (Cervelo), Northfield, New Hampshire
Jonathan Baker (Primus Mootry), Boulder, Colorado
Barry Wicks (Kona), Corvallis
Erik Tonkin (Kona), Portland, Oregon
Jeremy Powers (Jelly Belly), Niantic, Connecticut

Elite women
Barbara Howe (Velo Bella), Larkspur, California
Ann Knapp (Kona), Des Moines, Washington
Maureen Bruno-Roy (Independent Fabrication), Arlington, Massachusetts
Rhonda Mazza (Vanilla Bicycle-Sellwood Cycle), Portland, Oregon
Christine Vardaros (Lotto-Belisol), Mill Valley, California

U23 men
Troy Wells (TIAA-CREF), Durango, Colorado
Jesse Anthony (Clif Bar), Beverly, Massachusetts
Adam McGrath (Redline), Portland, Oregon
Brady Kappius (TIAA-CREF), Littleton, Colorado
Dan Neyens (Broadmark), Seattle, Washington

Junior men
Daniel Summerhill (TIAA-CREF), Centennial, Colorado
Alex Howes (TIAA-CREF), Golden, Colorado
Bjorn Selander (Alan Factory), Hudson, Wisconsin
Chance Noble (Scary Fast), Camarillo, California
Patrick Ethan Gilmour (Coyote), Ludlow, Vermont

Team manager for hire
One familiar face that isn’t lined up to return to the race circuit in 2006 is former Maxxis team manager Eric Wallace. After a series of successful managing stints — Bolla-Bianchi (1999-2000); Saturn and Timex (2001); Volvo-Cannondale (2002); Trek-Volkswagen (2003); and Maxxis (2004-05) — Wallace enters the New Year unsure what role, if any, he’ll have in the cycling industry. I caught him at home in Seattle, Washington, to see what he’s been up to since his season ended at the world mountain-bike championships in Livigno, Italy, where he helped the Canadian national team, supporting Maxxis rider Geoff Kabush.

VeloNews: What have you been up to?

Eric Wallace: Nothing. Skiing. Riding, when it’s not raining. It’s gotten old. I haven’t ridden my bike this much in I don’t know how long. I’m riding more than when I was actually racing.

VN: It seems like you had a pretty successful season at Maxxis last year, with Geoff Kabush winning the NORBA series and taking a silver medal at the Angel Fire World Cup. Why did you decide to leave?

EW: It was kind of a mutual decision. Maxxis wanted to go a different direction. I think, financially, they wanted to change directions. I wasn’t part of their plan, and I had accomplished what I wanted to there.

VN: What have you heard about the team’s leadership for 2006?

EW: [2005 mechanic] Gary Wolff will be wrenching and managing the team, from what I’ve heard, which is interesting. It seems more domestic teams are going that direction because financially it doesn’t make sense to have a separate manager and mechanic. But the marketing side of it takes a big hit.

VN: So have you been looking for another team-manager type of position?

EW: If something good is available and out there, yes, but I’m thinking of heading into the marketing side of things. Marketing, or possibly a teaching type of thing — maybe riding clinics of some sort. That’s something I’ve thought about over the last little while.

VN: With your background on the road with Saturn, have you also been looking into management positions on the road?

EW: A little bit, not a whole lot. Once I made the decision I was leaving Maxxis, most road teams had settled in and had their directors picked out.

VN: Are you looking for work outside the cycling industry?

EW: I have been going back and forth. I love the industry, and I don’t really want to leave. I already miss it. This time of year I’m normally up to my eyeballs in work. I’m not doing anything right now, and it’s weird. I’m working with a triathlete-clothing company called Sub-17, and I’m also working with a friend to get a wine importation/distribution company going here in Seattle, but those are small, just hobbies more than anything else.

VN: Have you looked into starting up a new team?

EW: Yeah, I’ve thought really hard about it. That was something that I pursued a little last fall, but I don’t have any monetary sponsors right now. But that is something that, eventually, no matter where I go, I will have another team at some point.

VN: After Saturn pulled its sponsorship, Tom Schuler had a hard time lining up sponsors right away. But his Team Sports company is back, with Advantage Benefits-Endeavour last year and Target Training in 2006. It seems like sometimes team management has to start over fresh, building up each year.

EW: That’s true. Schuler is a good friend of mine, and we talk all the time. I’m actually heading up to stay with him in a few weeks to do the Birkebeiner ski race in Wisconsin. He’s always got something up his sleeve, so I’m sure we’ll discuss some ideas.

VN: Have you given any thought to working with national federations?

EW: I spoke with Gerard [Bisceglia] at USA Cycling about their collegiate cycling programs. I was one of the final three guys, they were considering, but the guy they hired [Kam Zardouzian] has more experience in collegiate cycling, versus mine, in professional cycling.Something will come up, I just don’t know what yet.

VN: Will we see you out at the races at all this year, doing any kind of networking?

EW: I’ve been talking with the folks over at Medalist Sports, who are putting together the Tour of California and the Tour de Georgia. I might come out to California some race commentating. Nothing’s concrete yet.

Mum’s the word on United Pro Cycling
We’ve been getting quite a few emails inquiring about the status of the new United Pro Cycling team. Unfortunately, I don’t have much to report — yet. While the team is confirmed for the inaugural Amgen Tour of California, the team’s Web site shares very little information, other than "Coming February 2006," and links to a few rumor-generated stories written about the team, including a piece I wrote back in October.

In that piece, I wrote that riders signed to the team include Tony Cruz (from Discovery Channel); USPRO champ Chris Wherry, sprinter Ivan Dominguez and climber Justin England (all from Health Net-Maxxis); sprinter Juan Jose Haedo (from Colavita Olive Oil); national time-trial champion Chris Baldwin (from Navigators Insurance); all-arounder Mariano Friedrick (from Jelly Belly); and rising talent Ivan Stevic (of Aerospace Engineering).

What more I can tell you is that this team has been extremely tight-lipped — more so than almost any team I’ve dealt with in the years I’ve been writing about skinny guys in Spandex. Team officials, which include former U.S. Postal Service rider Frankie Andreu and former Saturn pro Harm Jansen, are not going to announce their official roster, title sponsor, bike sponsor or anything else until the beginning of February. Why, I couldn’t tell you. Maybe they’re still finalizing sponsors. But if it’s suspense they are after, mission accomplished. Look for more news on the team in the coming weeks. Hell, the start of the Tour of California is less than a month away…

Health Net-Maxxis for California
Speaking of the Tour of California, Health Net-Maxxis has finished its 2006 training camp in Buellton, California, and announced its eight-man California squad.

"We’ve put together a team for California that we feel can contend for the win in just about every stage, as well as a place on the final podium," said team director Jeff Corbett. "New guys like Nathan O’Neill and Hayden Roulston give us even more power, while Tim Johnson gives us another highly talented and experienced tactician on the road."

The remainder of the team’s roster features five veterans: sprinters Gord Fraser and Greg Henderson; 2005 NRC individual points title winner Scott Moninger; superdomestique Mike Jones; and team captain Mike Sayers.

"The Amgen Tour of California provides a great stage to show the strength of our team," Corbett said. "And with the team and our title sponsor – as well as a number of our industry sponsors – based in California, we intend to make a good showing during the race."

In addition, a second five-man squad will prepare for the Tour of Taiwan in early March, a trip that will be led by assistant team director Gustavo Carrillo.

Health Net-Maxxis for the Amgen Tour of California
Gord Fraser, Can
Greg Henderson, NZ
Tim Johnson, USA
Mike Jones, USA
Scott Moninger, USA
Nathan O’Neill, Aus
Hayden Roulston, NZ
Mike Sayers, USA

Alternates:
Karl Menzies, Aus
Doug Ollerenshaw, USA
Jeff Louder, USA