Men's Teams to Watch
TEAM UnitedHealthcare
If there’s one team who could be called the New York Yankees of American Cycling, it’s Team United Healthcare. Ever since the team’s inception, they’ve fielded one of the top teams at the Nature Valley Grand Prix.
Under the HealthNet, OUCH and UnitedHealthcare names, they have had an almost unbroken string of victories since 2005, when John Lieswyn took the title. The one misstep was in 2007. Although they won five of the six stages, the yellow jersey eluded them. They came storming back in 2008, winning three of five stages and taking the top two podium spots overall. Last year, they claimed three stages, two by Aussie Hilton Clarke and one by his countryman Rory Sutherland, whose win in Stillwater earned him the yellow jersey for the third consecutive time. Sutherland will try to match Kristin Armstrong’s record of four consecutive wins with the support of teammates Clarke and Tasmanian Karl “Ten” Menzies, our 2006 champion.
www.teamunitedhealthcare.com
KELLY BENEFITS STRATEGIES - OptumHealth
The only Minneapolis-based pro team, Kelly Benefits Strategies OptumHealth is bringing the heat. 2010 was a year of frustration for this team. They held the lead in the Nature Valley Grand Prix through the first five stages only to see it slip away with a little more than a lap to go, when UnitedHealthcare’s Rory Sutherland launched a blistering attack with a lap to go in Stillwater. They still managed to secure the 2nd and 3rd steps of the podium.
Their leader this year may well be Andrew “Baj” Bajadali, a rider best known for his tenacious performance at the 2006 US Pro Road Championships, where he was the only domestic rider to hang with Tour de France veterans George Hincapie (Discovery) and Levi Leipheimer (Gerolsteiner). The fact that Hincapie and Leipheimer were on different teams should have given Baj a chance at the win, but Leipheimer had signed with Discovery for 2007 and the two future teammates ganged up on Baj, who ended up finishing 6th.
www.kbsprocycling.com
BISSELL PRO CYCLING
What happened to KBS-OH in 2010 was an instant replay of Bissell’s fate in 2009. Team Bissell held the yellow jersey from the opening time trial and successfully defended it through the five of the six stages, holding a slim 7-second lead going into Stillwater. The group was all together with a lap to go when Rory Sutherland (UnitedHealthcare) attacked. The Bissell team couldn’t match Rory’s acceleration, and those 7 seconds evaporated. Bissell lost the yellow jersey by a mere 3 seconds.
Bissell will return to the Nature Valley Grand Prix in 2011 with a score to settle. Their likely leader is Ben Jacques-Maines, who won the 2004 Nature Valley Grand Prix. However, their ringer may be Frank Pipp, who won the 2007 Stillwater Criterium and is riding really well this year, which he proved by winning the 2011 Joe Martin Stage Race.
www.bissellprocycling.com
JAMIS SUTTER HOME
Team Jamis Sutter Home/, formally known as Team Colavita, nearly claimed the 2009 Nature Valley Grand Prix. When Teams OUCH (now United Healthcare) and Bissell were too busy watching each other, Team Colavita claimed successive stage victories in Saint Paul, Cannon Falls and Minneapolis, along with precious time bonuses. When the dust settled in Stillwater, their riders were third, fourth and fifth by only 21, 29 and 35 seconds, earning them the 2010 Nature Valley Grand Prix team title.
Their 2011 Nature Valley Grand Prix roster includes Cuban Luis Amaran, the top ranked rider in North America last year. Amaran finished a mere 28 seconds behind Sutherland in 2010 and is anxious to add the Nature Valley Grand Prix to his resume.
www.jamissutterhome.com
JELLY BELLY
One of the most popular teams on the U.S. pro circuit, Jelly Belly is known for their aggressive riding and fan-friendly demeanor. Their easy-to-spot jelly bean jerseys and free sweets make them a fan favorite as well. Jelly Belly sees themselves as the upstart team, which can surprise the bigger teams with frequent attacks and bold sprints.
Jelly Belly targeted the Sports Beans King of the Hills competition, sponsored by the Jelly Belly Candy Company since 2006. They claimed this jersey in 2007, 2008 and 2010, most recently by Brad Huff who, at 180 lbs, is an unlikely climber but is well suited to the short, steep power climbs that you’ll find in the Nature Valley Grand Prix. They haven’t revealed their plans for 2011, so stay tuned.
www.jellybellycycling.com
TEAM EXERGY
This team loves the wind. Partly because, with riders like former US Elite National Champions Matt Cooke and Remi McManus and PanAm Games Champion Carlos Alzate, windy conditions can give them an advantage. But mostly because their title sponsor, the Exergy Development Group, focuses on renewable energy, with a particular emphasis on wind turbines.
This will be Team Exergy’s first visit to the Nature Valley Grand Prix. Based in Boise, Idaho, they’ll find no mountains here. But four of our six stages are hilly and less than 30% of the starters complete the full distances on the last day in Stillwater.
www.teamexergy.com
V AUSTRALIA
Our Summer is their Winter. This Australian pro team races a full North American calendar, allowing them a year-round program. The were ranked #1 on the 2010 USA Cycling National Racing Calendar.
A key rider to watch is Chris Winn. Chris won a spot on the 2009 Nature Valley Cycling Team through the Nature Valley Pro Ride program. He then returned in 2010, with the goal of winning the Nature Valley Top Amateur jersey. Winners of that jersey have always gotten pro contracts the next year and Chris was no exception. Besides his accomplishments on the bike, Chris is a prolific blogger, so you can follow his exploits throughout the year, including his experiences at the 2011 Nature Valley Grand Prix.
www.pegasusracing.com.au
NATURE VALLEY CYCLING TEAM
Nature Valley is offering amateur racers the chance at the full pro experience. Six regional races across the country selected top amateur racers to live out their dreams of racing in the big leagues at the Nature Valley Grand Prix. The men’s team will be coached by five-time World Champion and double Olympic Silver Medalist Marion Clignet from France.
These riders face the challenges of one of the hardest stage races in the country, but are also challenged by never having met their teammates and coaches. They’ll also be watched by the pro team managers and, if they race well, could achieve their lifetime goals of getting a pro team contracts.
You can follow their exploits on the Nature Valley Pro Ride web site.
www.NatureValleyProRide.com