It has been a busy week for the UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team. Over the course of the past few days, the Team introduced its 2013 squad in Scottsdale, Arizona at its annual sponsor summit, new acquisition Danny Summerhill was named to US Men’s Elite Cyclo-cross Worlds Team, and eight of the 21 riders representing this year’s edition of the UnitedHealthcare Blue Train arrived in Argentina today, January 17, for the start of the upcoming Tour de San Luis.
Sponsor Summit 2013
The 21-rider roster met with sponsors and a host of media in Scottsdale, Arizona, where the athletes and management discussed the plan and direction for the Team this season. Sponsors and media were also able to see how the Team’s work at the FASTER Wind Tunnel and Performance Center in Scottsdale will help continually improve performance on the bike. Highlighting last weekend’s three-day summit, pro cycling race announcer and coach, Chad Andrews, hosted the Team presentation dinner where he conducted an engaging Q&A with riders, team directors and title sponsor, UnitedHealthcare.
General Manager and Team Director, Mike Tamayo, commented, “This was a great sponsor summit for us. This is an important event we do each year. We are very happy to have 13 outstanding riders return to the Team along with eight great new additions. These 21 guys have come together quickly and we are confident they will race well as a unit. This is a solid group of strong professionals and high character guys and we are excited about where we can go in 2013.”
Danny Summerhill Named to 2013 US Men’s Elite Cyclo-cross Worlds Team
In other Team news, new arrival Danny Summerhill, (who joined Team UnitedHealthcare in August 2012), finished in 4th place at Cyclo-cross Nationals and was subsequently named to the 2013 US Men’s Elite Worlds Team. The Colorado native enjoyed an outstanding Cyclo-cross season and his nod to the squad representing the US in Louisville, Kentucky, February 2-3, makes it two consecutive years a member of Team UnitedHealthcare has made the US Cyclo-cross Worlds team. (Chris Jones was tapped in 2012).
Ambassadors for Healthy Living & Healthy Lifestyle: Team in the Community
Known for its work in the community, Team UnitedHealthcare also announced it will continue engaging communities and young people across the US in educational discussions and activities designed to help people develop healthy habits from an early age. In 2012, the squad conducted several dozen events in local communities they were racing in stateside and will continue to do the same in 2013.
Official Roster for the 2013 Tour de San Luis
As the Pro Continental unit’s final pre-season training camp and sponsor summit came to a conclusion in Scottsdale yesterday, the eight riders competing in this year’s Tour de San Luis departed for Argentina. The unit arrived in South America today, January 17, fully prepared for its first race of the 2013 season. Sandwich, Massachusetts native and one of the fastest men in America, Jake Keough (USA) (who enjoyed four top 10 finishes in the race’s 2012 edition, including 3rd in Stage 2 and 5th in Stage 7) will join fellow teammates, Alessandro Bazzana (ITA), Philip Deignan (IRE), Lucas Euser (USA), Robert Förster (GER), Marc de Maar (CUR), Jeff Louder (USA), and John Murphy (USA), at the start line in San Luis this weekend in search of its first result of the year.
TEAM UNITEDHEALTHCARE ROSTER FOR THE 2013 TOUR DE SAN LUIS:
Alessandro Bazzana (ITA)
Philip Deignan (IRE)
Lucas Euser (USA)
Robert Förster (GER)
Marc de Maar (CUR)
Jake Keough (USA)
Jeff Louder (USA)
John Murphy (USA)
Mike Tamayo (USA), Team Director
THE 2013 UNITEDHEALTHCARE PRO CYCLING TEAM ROSTER:
Jake Keough (USA)
Hilton Clarke (AUS)
Robert Förster (GER)
Marc de Maar (CUR)
Jeff Louder (USA)
Ben Day (AUS)
Jonny Clarke (AUS)
Brad White (USA)
Chris Jones (USA)
Philip Deignan (IRE)
Karl Menzies (AUS)
Davide Frattini (ITA)
Adrian Hegyvary (USA)
Lucas Euser (USA)
Alessandro Bazzana (ITA)
Luke Keough (USA)
Aldo Ilesic (SLO)
Kiel Reijnen (USA)
Martin Irvine (IRE)
Danny Summerhill (USA)
John Murphy (USA)
Photo by Jonathan Devich, epicimages.us
