Season in the Books '07 Domestic Road
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2007 Season Rewind: U.S. Women’s National Team—page 10 ’07 domestic road season in the books Page 2—Levi Leipheimer, Discovery Channel close out inaugural USA Cycling Pro Tour with overall titles. Laura Van Gilder, Webcor Builders win women’s NRC crowns; Rory Sutherland, Health Net claim men’s titles. Road Worlds - p. 7 Day 1—Armstrong wins third straight medal; U.S. scores three top-five finishes. Arielle Martin takes a run on the BMX track at the Norris Penrose Events Center in Colorado Springs during USA Cycling’s BMX Camp. Photo: Casey Gibson www.usacycling.org September 27 2007 Page 2 Cover: 2007 domestic road racing season in the books Inaugural USA Cycling Pro Tour; NRC conclude in Michigan this month The domestic road season ended this month as Levi Leipheimer and his Discovery Channel squad won the Pro Tour titles after dominating the series’ debut year. Laura Van Gilder and Webcor Builders claimed the women’s NRC titles a day earlier, while Rory Sutherland (AUS) and Health Net were crowned men’s champs earlier this month. Levi leads from start to finish in the domestic pro calendar’s debut season The inaugural USA Cycling Professional Tour con- 381 points, winning the individual title by a 162- cluded on September 16th with Levi Leipheimer point margin over George Hincapie (Greenville, SC.). (Santa Rosa, Calif.) and the Discovery Channel Pro German Bernard Eisel won both the Commerce Bank Cycling Team named the overall winners. Lancaster Classic and the Commerce Bank Reading 2007 was the first year in which UCI-sanctioned Classic, collecting 200 points and third-place overall. races were separated from the National Racing Cal- Philadelphia International Championship victor Juan endar (NRC). The 13-race series spanned seven Jose Haedo (ARG) finished fourth with 198 points months—seven months that were dominated by and Tour de Georgia winner Janez Brajkovic (SLO) Leipheimer and the Discovery Channel squad. rounded out the top five with 136 points. After opening the calendar with an overall victory at Backed by Leipheimer’s career-best season, the Dis- the Amgen Tour of California in February, covery Channel Pro Cycling Team also benefited Leipheimer led the new series from start to finish from performances by several other team members and dominated the individual time trial stages at all to help solidify its overall team title. Hincapie won three major international stage races. He captured the overall classification at the Tour of Missouri and wins in the prologue and stage-5 time trial of the placed second to Leipheimer at the USA Cycling Amgen Tour of California, the stage-4 time trial at Professional Championships while Slovenian team- the Tour de Georgia and the stage-3 time trial at the mate Brajkovic captured the overall Tour de Georgia Tour of Missouri. He also won the Tour de Georgia’s title in April. signature stage atop Brasstown Bald for a total of With three individuals in the top five, the Discovery seven Pro Tour wins in 2007. Channel Pro Cycling Team scored a total of 810 Earlier this month, he claimed his first pro road title points to finish ahead of Team CSC (560), Team Slip- at the USA Cycling Professional Championships. stream powered by Chipotle (311), T-Mobile (299) and Navigators Insurance (251). When the calendar ended this month at the Tour de Above: Levi defends his Tour of California prologue Leelanau in Traverse City, Mich., Leipheimer had Continued on next page... win before taking the event’s overall victory and best- ing teammate George Hincapie (bottom) by 162 points for the overall win in the inaugural Pro Tour. www.usacycling.org September 27 Page 3 Cover story continued... Van Gilder, Webcor Builders win women’s NRC titles National Racing Calendar After first earning the women’s NRC crown in 2002, Laura Van Gilder captured the WOMEN’S INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS title a second time this month when the 2007 series came to an end along with the 1. Laura Van Gilder 1,614 Pro Tour at the Tour de Leelanau. Webcor Builders earned the women’s team honor. (Cresco, Pa./Cheerwine) 2. Mara Abbott 1,267 (Boulder, Colo./Webcor Builders) 3. Kristin Armstrong 1,143 (Boise, Idaho/Team Lipton) WOMEN’S TEAM STANDINGS 1. Webcor Builders 4,468 2. Cheerwine 3,870 3. Aaron’s Pro Women’s Team 3,120 MEN’S INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS Left: 2nd and 3rd in the NRC, Mara Abbot (right) and Kristin Armstrong stand on the podium at the USA Cycling National Festival after Abbot scored the 1. Rory Sutherland 1,355 elite women’s road race crown. Right: Sutherland celebrates on his way to the men’s individual NRC title. Photo: Casey Gibson (AUS/Team Health Net presented by Maxxis) With ten wins throughout the 37-race series, Van Cheerwine (3,870) and Aaron’s Professional 2. Ben Jacques-Mayne 1,326 Gilder (Pocono Pines, Pa./Cheerwine) earned 1,614 Women’s Cycling Team (3,120). (San Jose, Calif./Priority Health p/b Bissel) points to score the title ahead of three-time defend- The men’s NRC series ended September 6 at At- 3. Chris Baldwin 1,226 ing champ Tina Pic (Dahlonega, Ga./Colavita-Sutter lanta’s 100K Classic where Aussie Rory Sutherland (Boulder, Colo./Toyota-United) Home-Cooking Light). Mara Abbott (Boulder, Colo./ and Team Health Net presented by Maxxis claimed Webcor Builders) was second with 1,267 points, the titles. After 37 events, Sutherland edged Ben MEN’S TEAM STANDINGS while Kristin Armstrong (Boise, Idaho/Team Lipton) Jacques-Mayne (San Jose, Calif.) of Priority Health 1. Team Health Net p/b Maxxis 4,432 was third with 1,143. presented by Bissel by 29 points, 1,355-1,326. Chris 2. Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team 4,114 Van Gilder’s first victory came at the Garret Lemire Baldwin (Boulder, Colo./Toyota-United Pro Cycling 3. Navigators Insurance 2,088 Memorial Grand Prix in April. She also won two Team) was third with 1,226. Sutherland’s overall USA Crits SE Series stages, stage 2 of the Joe Martin title came down to the season’s final race. Entering Stage Race, the Raleigh Criterium, the Kelly Cup, the Atlanta event on Labor Day, he was six points USA Cycling Pro Tour the CSC Invitational, the Crystal City Classic and behind then-leader Jacques-Mayne but placed stages 4 and 7 of the Tour de ‘Toona. eighth in the field sprint finish to score 35 points and INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS take over the lead. Webcor Builders claimed the overall team title after 1. Levi Leipheimer 381 several key performances that included Abbott’s Contributing to the Aussie’s point total was an over- (Santa Rosa, Calif./Discovery Channel) elite women’s road race and U23 time trial wins at all win at the Joe Martin Stage Race in May, and 2. George Hincapie 219 the USA Cycling National Festival at Seven Springs. second-place efforts at the Central Valley Classic in (Greenville, S.C./Discovery Channel) Abbott also won a stage of the Redlands Bicycle March, the Nature Valley Grand Prix in June and the 3. Bernard Eisel 200 Classic and a stage and the overall classification at International Tour de ‘Toona last month. He also (Germany/T-Mobile) the Tour of the Gila. Teammate Amber Rais (Palo won two stages each at the Redlands Bicycle Classic Alto, Calif.) won the Infineon Technologies Cougar and the Joe Martin Stage Race and a stage of the TEAM STANDINGS Mountain Classic Circuit Race as well as three stages Nature Valley Grand Prix. 1. Discovery Channel Pro Cycling 810 and the overall title at the Tri-Peaks Challenge. Team Health Net presented by Maxxis earned its (United States) Katheryn Curi (Mountain View, Calif.) added an- fourth consecutive team NRC title, securing 4,432 2. Team CSC 560 other NRC victory for the team in a Tour de ‘Toona points throughout the season to best Toyota-United (Denmark) stage, while Rachel Heal (GBR) captured a stage at Pro Cycling Team (4,114) and Navigators Insurance the Tour of the Gila. 3. Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle (2,088). (United States) Webcor earned 4,468 points to best Van Gilder’s www.usacycling.org September 27 2007 Page 4 Member Announcements Club of the Year applications now available COVER: Domestic road season concludes—2 Leipheimer, Discovery Channel crowned champs after USA Cycling’s ‚Club of the Year‛ awards the following seven categories: Junior, Mas- Pro Tour’s debut season. Van Gilder, Webcor Builders recognize USA Cycling clubs that have made ter, Track, Mountain Bike, Women, Collegiate named women’s champs as NRC concludes; Suther- exceptional efforts to develop programs and Development, and New programs. land, Health Net top men’s standings. promote all aspects of competitive cycling. All clubs wishing to be considered for a USA 2007 Club of the Year Applications available—4 USA Cycling will announce three overall Cycling Club of the Year award must submit It’s that time of the year again! Applications for Club awards: Division I (76+ members), Division II an application to: of the Year awards must be postmarked by November (30-75), and Division III (1-29). 30. Winners will be announced December 14. USA Cycling, Club of the Year Awards are decided by how active and well- 1 Olympic Plaza New membership discount from eSoles—4 rounded a club was in 2007 in proportion to Colorado Springs, CO 80909 New partnership with eSoles entitles all USA Cycling membership. Factors include number of members to 10% discount on eSoles custom insoles. events held, competitive results, clinics and Applications are available here.