April 4/08 1:43 am - American Eagle Tour of Pennsylvania Announces Teams

Posted by Editor on 04/4/08
 

American Eagle Tour of Pennsylvania Announces Teams

Eleven Elite Cycling Teams from around the United States have been selected from over fifty applications to compete in the American Eagle Outfitters Tour of Pennsylvania Presented by Highmark Healthy High 5, a U-25 cycling stage race taking place from June 24 through June 29, 2008. The lucky eleven will face the seven international squads from Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Ireland, Netherlands and South Africa that were named on March 18th. With two more international squads to be announced shortly, organizers will reach the event's full field size of twenty, six-man teams by mid-April. A wait list has been established with the possibility of adding two more domestic teams if the field can be expanded from 120 riders to 132.

The six day stage race offers $150,000 in total prize money, the richest in the world for Espoir class riders and has stimulated young American squads to make sure they are fully prepared to take on the World's best. Typical is California's ZTeaM, a squad that has hired nine-time Tour de France veteran and two-time Olympian, Frankie Andreu to manage the team and make sure it's up for the challenge.

The American Eagle Outfitters Tour of Pennsylvania Presented by Highmark Healthy High 5 -- begins with a prologue time trial and circuit race in Philadelphia on June 24th and will have start/finish locations in Downingtown, Carlisle, Camp Hill, Bedford, Latrobe and Ligonier, before concluding in Pittsburgh on June 29 after nearly 450 miles of racing. The race is a signature sporting event for Pittsburgh 250, a commission established to celebrate Pittsburgh's 250th anniversary in 2008.

Selected teams to date:

International Teams

1 Argentina (ARG) Esco-Telefonicos
2 Australia (AUS) Praties Cycling Team
3 Belgium (BEL) Johan Bruyneel Cycling Academy
4 Canada (CAN) Team RACE
5 Ireland (IRE) Pezula Racing
6 Netherlands (NED) Global Cycling
7 South Africa (RSA) Konica Minolta Cycling Team
8 Germany (GER) (TBD)
9 International (TBD)

Domestic Teams

10 Arizona Team Waste Management/Racelab U23
11 California California Giant Strawberry Farms
12 California ZTeaM
13 Colorado VMG/Felt
14 Minnesota Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast Pro Cycling
15 New England Fiordifrutta Cycling Team
16 New York Sakonnet Technology U25 Team
17 North Carolina DLP Racing/Texas Instruments
18 North Carolina Time Pro Cycling
19 Ohio Team Inferno Pro Cycling
20 Pennsylvania PA Lightning