Tour of the Battenkill Announces Preliminary Pro Teams
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The Tour of Battenkill is attracting many of the top teams from around the world. (Photo by Dave Kraus/krausgrafik.com)
Professional teams and riders are excited that the event is once again back on the UCI calendar and are looking forward to the 2012 edition.
"We are tremendously excited and hungry to return to the Battenkill. This is the toughest American classic and it demands the perfect rider and equipment to step onto the podium. We are more than confident that our roster and Kenda Tires will get us there.", said Kenda/5-Hour Energy p/b Geargrinder team owner Chad Thompson, who's long-time sponsor Kenda Tires is the Official Tire Sponsor for the event.
The 2011 race, though not a UCI event, featured a tough battle and a heartbreak 2nd place for Optum Pro Cycling Presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies' Jesse Anthony.
"The Tour of the Battenkill is sure to provide another tough day of bike racing here in the US. Even though we fell painfully short of the victory last year, Team Optum presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies will be extremely motivated and determined to win Tour of the Battenkill in 2012", said Anthony who went on to overall victories at the Univest Grand Prix, the Nature Valley Grand Prix, and an epic stage win at the Tour of Utah in 2011.
The event grows internationally with the addition of Continental teams from Great Britain in 2012. Highlighting the European contingent is Team Raleigh-CAC who recently signed former US Pro Criterium Champion American Dan Holloway and British Circuit Race Champion Graham Briggs.
Team IG-Sigma Sport, also of Great Britain, will be fielding a strong team that includes former Garmin-Cervelo rider Daniell Lloyd.
Among the Elite-level teams accepting invitations are the New York-based Stan's Notubes / AXA Equitable Elite Cycling and CRCA-Champion Systems/Stan's Notubes Elite Cycling Teams.
The popular Pro/Am event, scheduled for Saturday, April 14, is part of the Stan's Notubes Great American Cycling Series with events scheduled for New York, Michigan, Vermont, and Colorado in 2012.
The preliminary list of teams accepting invitations to the UCI event are as follows:
| Bissell Cycling | USA |
| Competitive Cyclist Racing Team | USA |
| CRCA/Champion System/Stan's NoTubes | USA |
| Équipe cycliste EKOÏ.com/Gaspésien | CAN |
| Hagens Berman Elite Cycling | USA |
| Hincapie Sportswear Development | USA |
| Kenda-5 Hour Energy p/b Geargrinder | USA |
| Team Optum p/b Kelly Benefit | USA |
| Stans Notubes/AXA Equitable Cycling | USA |
| Team IG-Sigman Sport | GB |
| Team Raleigh-GAC | GB |
| Team Type 1-Sanofil | USA |
Additional professional and elite teams are to be announced in the coming weeks.
This Article Published January 31, 2012 For more information contact:
