January 17/04 9:41 am - 2004 Team Announcements

Posted by Editor on 01/17/04
 

Rocky Mountain Business Objects Announces 2004 Team
Courtesy Rocky Mountain Business Objects

Rocky Mountain Business Objects Mountain Bike Team, formerly Rocky Mountain Crystal Decisions has some exciting new additions to the 2004 squad.

2002 and 2003 Junior National Champion and 2002 Relay World Champion, 19 year old Max Plaxton, will join 3 time World Champion and Olympic Silver Medalist Alison Sydor as the newest additions to the squad.

Plaxton blazed on to the scene 2 years ago when his family moved to Canada from Spain where Max had his initial cycling development, but he attributes his vast progression to working with assistant National Cycling Center Coach Houshang Amiri based in Victoria. Max has been awarded the most Promising Male Athlete in 2002 and 2003 by the Pacific Sport National Cycling Center and shows brilliant form in National and International competition. Plaxton was 5th at the 2003 Junior Worlds in Lugano Switzerland as well as supporting the Relay team with a scorching lap, one of the fastest of all categories, to pull them in to the lead. The Relay Team took Bronze to add to his Gold from 2002 in Kaprun. "I am happy to be team mates with one of the Worlds Best athlete's in the sport, Alison Sydor," said a low key Plaxton, " and Rocky Mountain has some strong development riders to work with like 2003 Canadian Junior Silver Medalist Brad Fairall".

Alison Sydor (Photo) starts the season as the only pre selected Olympic MTB Team member on the continent. At the 2003 Worlds in Lugano, concluding one of her strongest seasons in the past 3 years, Sydor thrilled the crowd by flawlessly leading the women's field for the majority of the race. In the finale she was only bettered by 16 seconds and a hard charging Sabine Spitz of Germany. This performance, along with credentials of a dozen World Championship medals since 1991, earned her a vote of confidence and well deserved automatic selection as one of the three women to race at Athens in Mountain Bike.

Plaxton and Sydor join 2 Time Olympian and Trans Alp Champion Lesley Tomlinson who will attempt a three peat on the arduous 650k Trans Alp with US team mate Gretchen Reeves in July of 2004 and to repeat her 2002 win of the 24hr Solo World Championships . Marathon specialist Karl Platt of Germany finished 2003 with some impressive World Cup finishes which have re-established his position to acquire one of three Olympic spots owned by the German men. Karl is also scheduled to join 1996 Olympian Andreas Hestler in a quest to win the ever growing, Trans Rockies in 2004. Karl's experience as 2002 Trans Alp champion will be invaluable in the crushing stage race. Andreas will otherwise focus primarily on Norba Nationals as will 2003 US Worlds Team member Gretchen Reeves.

Rocky Mountain Business Objects look forward to an exceptional season in 2004 with partners Shimano, Marzocchi , Haywood Securities, Vittel Energy ,Easton, Maxxis, Sugoi, Fox Racing, Cane Creek, Fi'zi:k, PowerBar, Kleinwalsertal, Champion Nutrition, Bell .


Webcor 2004 Women's Team
Courtesy Webcor

San Francisco, CA--Webcor Builders, one of the San Francisco Bay Area's largest construction firms and sponsor of the Webcor Professional Cycling Team, is pleased to announce the 2004 line-up for the new Webcor Women's Cycling Team.

"Webcor Builders sponsored a women's team at the HP Challenge long before we sponsored a men's team," said Webcor Builders CEO Andy Ball. "We were really excited about what Karen [Brems] had done at the Olympics and had always thought it would be great to have an elite women's team," Ball explained.

"The perfect opportunity to start a women's team presented itself when T-Mobile stepped up and sponsored a women's race at the San Francisco Grand Prix. This year we are pleased to be able to balance what we do for the men and provide an opportunity for women to take the next step in their cycling careers," said Ball.

"We have a vision of a 'home grown' team," reported Karen Brems, who will both manage and ride part-time for the team. A former Olympian, Elite World Time Trial Champion (as Karen Kurreck, in 1994) and 1997 USPRO National Road Champion, Brems brings experience to a team of talented female athletes given the chance by Webcor Builders to race at a national level.

"What's great about our roster is that the riders all know each other, like each other and are fully prepared to support one another," Brems added.

Christine Thorburn, whose breakout 2003 season was capped off with a 6th place finish at the T-Mobile International and a spot on the 2003 World's Team, will be joined by Felicia Greer, Catherine Malone, Yukie Nakamura and Stefanie Graeter at National Racing Calendar competitions. These riders will race at regional events with Lisa Norris, Kimberly Boester and Carrie Thrasher, who join the Webcor Women's Cycling Team from the Alto Velo Bicycle Racing Club, a 250-member Northern California racing club that Webcor Builders has sponsored for the past five years.

The team will compete a full NRC schedule, with a focus on The Women's Prestige Series organized by Gianna Roberge, as well as contest select Northern California races

Roster:
Christine Thorburn (USA)
Felicia Greer (Can)
Catherine Malone (USA)
Yukie Nakamura (Jpn)
Stefanie Graeter (USA)
Kimberly Boester (USA)
Lisa Norris (USA)
Carrie Thrasher (USA)
Karen Brems (manager/rider) (USA)