November 20/02 11:12 am - Dionne & Moore to Saturn, Saturn 2003 Final Roster

Posted by Editoress on 11/20/02
 

Dionne & Moore Join Saturn for 2003
Courtesy Giana Roberge, Team Saturn

Saturn finalized the roster for the 2003 cycling team by adding two men and two women to bring the total number of athletes to 22.

On the men's side, Canadian Charles Dionne will bolster the finishing speed of the Saturn Team. The 23-year-old from St. Redempteur, Quebec, gained fame as one of the top young riders in North America when he stunned the peloton by winning the San Francisco Grand Prix in September. Completing the men's roster of 13 is Australian Nathan O'Neill. O'Neill has raced the past three years for the Italian Ceramiche Panaria Team and is looking forward to bringing his strength as a time trialist and all-around rider to the Saturn squad. Twenty-eight-year-old O'Neill represented Australia at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney in the time-trial event, and went on to finish eighth in the 2001 World Championships in the same event.

Saturn Cycling Team men's director, Andrzej Bek, is very happy with how the team has come together. "With Chris Horner, Nathan O'Neill, Trent Klasna and Tom Danielson, we have a very competitive General Classification roster. Also, we have Charles Dionne, Tim Johnson, Will Frischkorn, Phil Zajicek, Rahsaan Bahati, Ivan Dominguez and Victor Repinski as young guys growing into the sport who will be eager to both work hard for their leaders and learn to win. Our veterans Mark McCormack and Eric Wohlberg will be great teachers and carry on the strong Saturn tradition of professionalism."

On the women's side Australian Katie Mactier and Canadian Amy Moore round out the nine-woman roster and add experience and horsepower to the mix. Twenty-seven-year-old Mactier comes off the Italian Michela Fanini Record Rox Team where she rode in support of Regina Schleicher's pursuit of the Women's World Cup Series. Mactier was the 2001 Australian Road Champion and has been a member of the Australian National Team for several years.

Canadian Amy Moore, formerly Jarvis, comes to the Saturn Cycling Team from the Rona Team with a depth of experience as a top domestique or support rider. Alongside her former Rona teammate Manon Jutras, Moore will ride in support of her Saturn teammates Lyne Bessette, Ina Teutenberg and Laura Van Gilder.

American phenoms Junior World Champion Sarah Uhl, U.S. Espoir National Road Champion Megan Elliot and 2002 U.S. National Road Champion Jessica Phillips round out the squad and with the guidance of the likes of Teutenberg and Van Gilder will likely be Olympic hopefuls for 2004 and beyond.

Saturn Cycling Team women's director, Giana Roberge, is looking forward to the 2003 racing season, "I foresee a fresh new approach to our racing style. I am excited to work with both veterans and youngsters (with a closet full of impressive jerseys) and bring a competitive team to the women's peloton."

The entire Saturn Cycling Team will gather in Detroit on January 14 for Saturn training and photo shoots before heading to California for seven days of training in Buellton, which is located near Santa Barbara. The men's team kicks off its season at the Tour de Langkawi in Malaysia, with the women's season beginning in Australia with the Tour de Snowy and the first race of the Women's World Cup Series.


Men's Roster
Rahsaan Bahati (USA)
Tom Danielson (USA)
Charles Dionne (CAN)
Ivan Dominguez (USA)
Will Frischkorn (USA)
Chris Horner (USA)
Tim Johnson (USA)
Trent Klasna (USA)
Mark McCormack (USA)
Nathan O'Neill (AUS)
Viktor Repinski (BEL)
Eric Wohlberg (CAN)
Phil Zajicek (USA)

Women's Roster
Lyne Bessette (CAN)
Megan Elliot (USA)
Manon Jutras (CAN)
Katie Mactier (AUS)
Amy Moore (CAN)
Jessica Phillips (USA)
Ina Teutenberg (GER)
Sarah Uhl (USA)
Laura Van Gilder (USA)