Pan American Road and Track Championships Squads Announced
4/11/11 - USA Cycling has named 16 athletes to the team that will represent the United States at the UCI Pan American Road and Track Continental Championships next month in Bogota, Colombia.
Competition will open with the time trials and road races on May 5th and May 8th. In the men’s events, a young but talented pair of Americans will represent the red, white and blue. Jacob Rathe (Portland, OR/Garmin) earned an automatic nomination to the squad by virtue of his 93rd-place ranking in the UCI Americas Tour Rankings. He’ll be joined in the race against the clock, as well as on the road race course, by discretionary pick and time trial specialist Lawson Craddock (Houston, TX/Trek-Livestrong).
In the women’s time trial, Amber Neben (Lake Forest, CA/HTC-Highroad) and Evelyn Stevens (Dennis, MA/HTC-Highroad) will both race the clock as discretionary selections. Following the time trial, Stevens and Mara Abbott (Boulder, CO/Diadora-Pasta Zara) received automatic nominations to compete in the road race by means of their 22nd- and 18th-place spots in the most recent UCI Individual Rankings. The pair will be joined on the road course by discretionary picks Neben and Theresa Cliff-Ryan (Cedar Springs, MI/Colavita-Forno D’Asolo).
Following the two days of road competition, the track contests will take place May 11-15. Two automatic nominees will lead the men’s team: Dean Tracy (Portland, OR/Project 2012) and Jimmy Watkins (Bakersfield, CA/OUCH Pro Cycling). Tracy and Watkins will team up with discretionary teammate Michael Blatchford (Cypress, CA/Project 2012) in the team sprint. Watkins will also compete in both the sprint and the keirin along with discretionary team member Kevin Mansker (Long Beach, CA/Momentum Coaching Group). Other discretionary picks to represent the red, white and blue on the track in Colombia are Kit Karzen (Beverly Hills, CA/NOW-MS Society), who will contest the omnium, and T.J. Mathieson (Redondo Beach, CA/Momentum Coaching Group p/b Atomic) who will test his skills in the kilometer time trial.
The women’s team at the velodrome will be comprised of four discretionary nominees. Christin Walker (Houston, Texas) and Tela Crane (Seattle, WA/Lake Washington Velo) will join forces for the team sprint before both competing in the keirin. Walker will also contest the sprint and the 500-meter time trial, along with Dana Feiss (Telford, PA/CPT-Home Depot Center Team). Cari Higgins (Boulder, CO/Peanut Butter & Co TWENTY 12) will represent the U.S. in the omnium.
UCI Pan American Road and Track Championships
Bogota, Colombia
May 5-15
Men’s Road
Jacob Rathe (Portland, OR/Garmin) - Road Race, Time Trial
Lawson Craddock (Houston, TX/Trek-Livestrong) – Road Race, Time Trial
Women’s Road
Amber Neben (Lake Forest, CA/HTC-Highroad) – time trial, road race
Evelyn Stevens (Dennis, MA/HTC-Highroad) – time trial, road race
Mara Abbott (Boulder, CO/Diadora-Pasta Zara) – road race
Theresa Cliff-Ryan (Cedar Springs, MI/Colavita-Forno D’Asolo) – road race
Men’s Track
Dean Tracy (Portland, OR/Project 2012) - team sprint
Jimmy Watkins (Bakersfield, CA/OUCH Pro Cycling) – team sprint, sprint, keirin
Michael Blatchford (Cypress, CA/Project 2012) – team sprint
Kevin Mansker (Long Beach, CA/Momentum Coaching Group) – sprint, keirin
Kit Karzen (Beverly Hills, CA/NOW-MS Society) – omnium
T.J. Mathieson (Redondo Beach, CA/Momentum Coaching Group p/b Atomic) - kilo
Women’s Track
Christin Walker (Houston, TX) – team sprint, sprint, keirin, 500-meter time trial
Tela Crane (Seattle, WA/Lake Washington Velo) – team sprint, keirin
Dana Feiss (Telford, PA/CPT-Home Depot Center Team) – sprint, 500-meter time trial
Cari Higgins (Boulder, CO/Peanut Butter & Co TWENTY 12) – omnium
