November 5/04 11:54 am - Navigators Announces 2005 Roster

Posted by Editoress on 11/5/04
 

Navigators Insurance Cycling Team Announces 2005 Roster
Courtesy Navigators Insurance Cycling Team

The New Jersey based Navigators Insurance Cycling Team announced its 2005 roster today. In addition to the six new signings already announced, the team will have nine members of the 2004 squad returning.

2000 Olympic gold medallist Marty Nothstein will again represent the New York based Insurance Company on the track and road. The 2003 winner of the NYC Invitational will take advantage of the UCI's new World Cup track calendar before switching gears and refocusing on the road. With the new World Cup schedule set to start this month, culminating with the World Championships in March, this affords a much better opportunity for America's most successful track star to focus his energies on achieving another World medal, without distracting from his road ambitions.

Team director Ed Beamon is excited about the new format, and offered: "This is a great opportunity for Marty to help put the U.S.A. back on the map in International Track competition, and focus on a World Championship medal opportunity in his forte skill. Even better, after a short break, he will be able to give 100% attention to the road, something he was not able to do in an Olympic year, and I think America is going to see what a dangerous threat the big man can be in U.S. road racing". Nothstein added, " It has been my ambition for several years to finish my career as a Navigator, and I am really pumped with the adjustments the team has made to the roster. I am happy to be back as a part of this group, and I am really looking forward for the opportunity to excel on the track and the road circuit this year".

Returning riders joining Nothstein are fellow Americans, Chris Baldwin, Jeff Louder, Kirk OBee, and Phil Zajicek, Canadian Mark Walters, Russia's Vassili Davidenko, Siro Camponogara of Italy, and the Emerald Isle's Ciaran Power.

The team is registered as a Professional Continental team, and will begin the season in Australia at the Jacobs Creek Tour Down Under Jan 18th-23rd. JCTDU is the first race on the 2005 International Calendar, and the Navigators Insurance Team is the only American team to ever compete in this event.

The 2005 Navigators Insurance Cycling Team Roster:
Chris Baldwin (USA) 2003 USA National TT Champion
Hilton Clark (AUS)
Siro Camponogara (ITA) Winner Stage in Tour de Delta
Vassili Davidenko (RUS) Multi Russian National Champion, and Olympian
Cesar Grajales (COL) 2004 Tour of GA stage winner
Oleg Grichkine (RUS) Multi Russian National Champion, and Olympian
Jeff Louder (USA) 2004 Stage winner and Yellow Jersey in Tour of Qinghai Lake
Shawn Milne (USA) Neo
Marty Nothstein (USA) 2000 Olympic Champion (match sprint), Three Time World Champion
Kirk OBee (USA) 2001 USA National Criterium Champion
David O'Loughlin (IRL) 2004 IRL National Road Champ, 2003 IRL National TT Champ
Nathan O'Neill (AUS) 2004 Australian National TT Champion
Ciaran Power (IRL) 2004, 13th Olympic RR, '03 Winner Milk Ras
Mark Walters (CAN) 2002 Winner First Union USPRO Championship, multi Canadian Nat. Champ
Phil Zajicek (USA) 2004 Race Leader Tour of Qinghai Lake