Worlds!!!!

This just in: 4 riders from team TIAA-Cref/Clif Bar have been selected to race in the world championships! Both Troy Wells and Danny Summerhill earned automatic nominations after their winning rides at nationals and Brady Kappius and Alex Howes both earned spots through coaches selection due to their strong season of racing.

Wish us luck and thanks for reading!

TIAA-CREF/Clif Bar Strikes Gold at Cross Nationals

December 12, 2005


Summerhill photo courtesty of Chris Milliman

After a hugely successful season the TIAA-CREF/Clif Bar Team traveled to the National Cyclo-Cross Championships in Providence this past weekend with their sites set on both the Junior and U23 titles. With the main focus of the team being the development of young cyclo-cross talent the weekend would provide a national stage to prove the success of the program. The race weekend got started early on Friday afternoon with Brandon Dwight picking up a third place finish in the highly competitive 35-39 Masters category. Brandon was forced to contend with New England’s first major blizzard of the year serving up white-out conditions that caused many competitors to abandon with hypothermia. By the end of the day over four inches of wet snow would fall on the course setting the stage for a test of fitness and character in the U23 and Junior races to be contested the following day.

Saturday began with the highly anticipated U23 race and expectations of a final showdown between USGP champion Jesse Anthony (Clif Shot) and his year long rival Troy Wells. Setting out for their fifty minute race on the extremely technical course that would force riders to negotiate both frozen ruts and thick mud, TIAA-CREF/Clif Bar rider Zak Grabowski got the hole-shot and set a blistering pace for the first lap. Not far behind, as expected, Troy Wells was again dueling with Anthony but an untimely puncture for the Clif Bar rider early on the second lap would allow Wells to bridge the gap to Grabowski who put in a big effort to slingshot the inspired Wells and a resurgent Brent Bookwalter off the front of the strung out field. Troy eventually left Bookwalter behind and struck out on his own in pursuit of his first National title. After initially establishing a health thirty second gap on second place, a rejuvenated Anthony began applying pressure from behind and by the last lap had closed to within five seconds of Wells. With one final push Wells was able to hold on and took an emotional win in front of his family and thousands of cheering fans. Brady Kappius confirmed his status as a rising cross talent as well and took a well deserved sixth place as a first year U23 rider.

With one title already secured, team manager Ben Turner turned to his squad of well trained juniors to contend with last years Junior National Champion Bjorn Selander. Three riders quickly established themselves at the front of the race and TIAA-CREF/Clif Bar once again had a numerical advantage with Danny Summerhill and Alex Howes keeping a close watch over the strong Selander. With half the race over, Selander had pulled Summerhill away from the slowing Howes and seemed to have improved his chances of repeating his title but with two laps remaining Selander suffer a mechanical forcing him to run to the pit for a bike change. Summerhill, no stranger to wining national titles, having taken three on the road earlier this year (crit., TT and road), cruised in for the win with Howes just holding off a charging Salender for second.

The US National Cyclo-Cross Championships marks the end of the domestic cyclo-cross season. In Europe, the heartland of cross, the racing is starting to heating up and with the peak of the season just around the corner, TIAA-CREF/Clif Bar will be sending five riders overseas to test their skills against the best in the world. Wells, Kappius, Summerhill, Howes and Dwight will take a short rest and then travel to Belgium for a barrage of holiday cross races in preparation for the World Championships to be held in the Netherlands on January 28-29.

Off to Europe!

photo of Troy Wells courtesy of Jonathan McElvery

With a successful US race season wrapping up and the all-important national championships looming in early December, four members of the TIAA-CREF/Clif Bar cyclocross team have been selected to join US national cyclocross coach Geoff Proctor at his prestigious Euro Camp III. The riders are Alex Howes and Danny Summerhill as juniors, along with Brady Kappius and Troy Wells in the U23 ranks.

Based in Belgium and running from December 22 until January 5, the camp is intended to give the top tier of US 'cross racers the chance to compete against the world's best in the heartland of cross during the holiday rush of 'cross racing. Each rider will be able to race up to seven times at World Cup, Superprestige, and GVA Series events, with most riders attending the camp going on to compete at the world championships in Zeddam, The Netherlands on January 28-29.

BikeReg.com backs TIAA-CREF/Clif Bar European Cyclo-Cross Fundraiser

BikeReg.com, the leading online bicycle race/event registration website has announced the creation of a page dedicated to raising funds for the four TIAA-CREF/Clif Bar Cyclo-Cross Team riders who will be extending their season past the traditional end of cross racing in the US.

This fundraiser is a necessary source of financial assistance for these top young racers. Participation in the Euro Camp requires that they pay their own expenses - for travel and the support they receive in Belgium. US Worlds Team members (except for the National Champion) must pay for their entire trip package as well.

BikeReg.com is donating the service fees from pledges made via this page, so 100% of all donations will go directly to the riders.

For more information or to donate and help these riders on their way to Europe please follow the link below.

http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?EventID=2869





For more information on the TIAA-CREF/Clif Bar Cyclo-Cross Team go to http://bouldercyclesport.com/site/intro.cfm

TIAA-CREF/Clif Bar Team Members (National) –

Alex Howes (Junior)
Tejay van Garderen (Junior)
Walker Savidge (Junior)
Danny Summerhill (Junior)
Brady Kappius (U23)
Zak Grabowski (U23)
Peter Stetina (U23)
Troy Wells (U23)
Zach Taylor (U23)
Ian MacGregor (U23)
David Robinson (Elite)
Stuart Gillespie (Elite)
Colby Pearce (Elite)
Dan Bowman (Elite)
Bryan Smith (Elite)
Will Frischkorn (Elite)
Chad Hartley (Elite)


Staff –
Ben Turner – Team director, sponsorship coordinator, team coach,
Elite racer
Brandon Dwight – Team manager, Elite racer
Nick Legan – Team mechanic
John Verheul – Team coach, assistant manager, Masters 35+ racer
Reed McCalvin – Team soigneur
Kevin Reichlin – Team chiropractor
Marc Gullickson – Team PR/Communication manager, sponsor liaison

2005 Team TIAA-CREF/CLIF BAR Cyclo-Cross Team Sponsors

TIAA-CREF (Fortune 80 financial services company)
CLIF BAR (the Natural Performance Enhancer – energy food/drinks)
Javelin (Primitivo cross frames)
Hincapie (race clothing)
SWIX (base layers and outerwear)
ACA (American Cycling Association)
Curve (socks)
Cyclocrossworld.com (cross-specific parts)
Crank Brothers (pedals)
Fi’zi:k (saddles, bar tape)
FSA (parts)
Challenge (tires)
Shimano (parts, shoes)
Giro (helmets)
Oakley (eyewear)
Pedro’s (bike care)
Sixtufit (muscle care)
Alpha Q (forks)
Mavic (wheels)

team pictures