Cycling News Roundup 24 May 2006
US Pro Cycling Tour Triple Crown UCI Points, Team News, Health Net Top NRC Ranks, Stelvio XRP,

Commerce Bank Reading Classic Secures UCI Sanctioning
Valuable UCI Points Up For Grabs in All Triple Crown of Cycling Events
The Commerce Bank Triple Crown of Cycling Benefiting Fox Chase Cancer Center has pulled off a last minute coup. With an 11th hour decision by the UCI, the governing body of international cycling, the Commerce Bank Reading Classic has been granted official approval for prestigious UCI sanctioning.

Final UCI approval was held up until Pro Cycling Tour, race organizers, could present course details. According to course designer, Jerry Casale, “This was not a simple matter of switching the Thursday race from Trenton, NJ to Reading, PA. The UCI needs to be certain that road closure approvals and adequate safety precautions are in place. We worked closely with Reading city officials to make sure they were completely pleased with the plan before we submitted it. Considering that we confirmed Reading as the June 8 venue late last month, this was done in record time.”

Playing a key role in their final decision was the fact that throughout its 21 year history the Pro Cycling Tour’s Philadelphia race series has been in good standing with the UCI and Sean Petty of USA Cycling strongly endorsed the new venue. The green light was finally given and the Commerce Bank Reading Classic was added to the list of UCI races along with the Commerce Bank Philadelphia International Cycling Championship and the Commerce Bank Tom Bamford Lancaster Classic.

With all three races in the Commerce Bank Triple Crown of Cycling slated as UCI events, this week of cycling presents a golden opportunity for the 23 professional men’s and 24 professional women’s teams competing to amass valuable international UCI ranking points. In the eyes of the international cycling community, these points ultimately determine the success of both the team and the individual riders that ride for it.

Just as important to race organizers is to ensure that each course has unique characteristics. “The Reading course will favor the strong power climbers,” said PCT technical director, Ron Ruggiero. “Add Lancaster as a tough technical course and Philly as the one that favors good all rounders who can go the longer distance and you have three very different races. The rider who does well in all three will certainly have to be a top, top pro.”

The Commerce Bank Tom Bamford, Reading and women’s Liberty Classics will be designated as category 1.1 UCI races with the winner of each event receiving 80 UCI points. The final race of the Commerce Bank Triple Crown of Cycling, the Commerce Bank Philadelphia International Cycling Championship which is continuing as a 1.HC category UCI event will award a whopping 100 UCI points to the winner and is at the same level in terms of prestige as the biggest European professional Semi-Classic races which draw hundreds of thousands of spectators.

In addition to awarding these coveted UCI points, the Pro Cycling Tour will be required to run the races under strict UCI rules that designate specific timing protocol, race course set up and prize money minimums.

With the addition of the Commerce Bank Reading Classic to the list of UCI races on tap for the Triple Crown week, the pressure will be placed firmly on the shoulders of the dominant team’s leaders. These stars of cycling would be well advised to keep a close eye on the underdogs as there will be no lack of incentive for them to take their shots at climbing to the top step of the podium.

Pate wins, Friedman 5th in Stage 2 of FBD Ras
Danny Pate soloed to victory in today's stage of the FBD Ras! The 180 kilometer stage is the second in the eight day FBD Ras in Ireland.

Only 30 kilometers into the rolling stage, Pate was on the attack with a group of ten. Over the next three hours some of these riders were dropped, while others were able to bridge across to the break, but with 10 kilometers left Pate remained. Sensing the right moment, Pate attacked his three remaining breakaway companions and rode solo to the finish to win by 27 seconds. Soon after Pate's three breakaway companions finished, Michael Friedman came storming across for 5th place on the day.

Stage 5
Another day of breakaways and crazy racing greeted Team TIAA-CREF in today's stage of the Ras. Mike Friedman covered a breakaway to protect Danny Pate's lead yesterday, but ended up taking the lead. Today, as Friedman marked rival Chris Newton, Pate covered a dangerous move and barely kept the lead in the TIAA-CREF family.

Today's stage went up the most difficult climb of the Ras, and it was here that Irish National Champion, David O'Loughlin made his attack that almost took the lead from our boys! Luckily Pate chased in time and regained the race leader's jersey by just one second.
Tomorrow is another tough stage, followed by a decisive team time trial on Friday.

Skil-Shimano signs Floris Goesinnen
Skil-Shimano has reinforced the team, with a view to the upcoming stage races, with Dutch rider Floris Goesinnen. The 22-year old is now riding Olympia’s Tour for Van Vliet-EBH Advocaten and this team has given their full cooperation with his transfer to the Pro Continental team of Skil-Shimano.
Goesinnen is an all round rider and gave proot to that this season with top three results in de Ronde van Drenthe (second), Omloop van de Glazen Stad (third), the Friesche Wouden Klassieker (second) and his fifth place in the Hel van het Mergelland. These strong performances drew the attention of management and sports directors of Skil-Shimano.
Goesinnen will sign a contract till the end of 2007. He is likely to make his debut for his new team at the Skoda - Tour de Luxembourg which will start on May 31.

Damiano Cunego visits his fans and signs some autographs at the start of  Stage 17. Photo courtesy Lampre/Fondital.

There was no satisfaction for the curiosity of the people that were waiting for the Giro on the street of Plan de Corones: because of the bad weather conditions, the Giro's organization change the course of the 17th stage, cancelling the Passo delle Erbe climb and fixing the finish line on the top of Passo Furcia, instead of Plan de Corones.
Pieopoli won, reaching the finish line with Basso. We saw the great determination of Cunego on the climb: Damiano covered the climb at his own pace and in the final part found a good speed that permitted him to finish 7th at 41" from the winner.
A performance of heath, that showed the pride of Damiano: "In the final part I recovered some positions - said Cunego, adding in a funny way - maybe on the street without asphalt I could had show the characteristics improved in cross country race in my youth." Then, said seriously: "I think that the jury had made the right chosen, eliminating the final climb".
 

Health Net/Maxxis tops the NRC Rankings
The Health Net Pro Cycling Team Presented by Maxxis is once again on top of the most recent USA Cycling NRC team standings. The team standings, which are taken by compiling the points of team's top five riders on the individual standings, have Health Net Presented by Maxxis in first with 2275, a solid 377 and 537 points ahead of ProTour teams Discovery Channel and Phonak respectively. Toyota-United is the next highest placed domestic team with 1673 points.

O'Neill and Fraser second and third
Nathan O'Neill (793) and Gord Fraser (682) of Health Net Presented by Maxxis are sitting second and third respectively on the NRC individual standings behind Floyd Landis (Phonak), who has earned 1270 points on the strength of his overall titles in the Tours of California and Georgia. High placing's in both California and Georgia, as well as the overall title at Redlands have given O'Neill his ranking, while a recent string of wins, including three stages and the overall title of the Joe Martin Stage Race, have put Fraser in the top 3.
Scott Moninger, last year's overall NRC individual points champion, is 9th with 396 points.

2006 NRC - Men's Individual Standings
Rank Name Team Total Points
1 LANDIS Floyd PHONAK 1270
2 O'NEILL Nathan HEALTH NET 793
3 FRASER, Gordon HEALTH NET 682
4 ZABRISKIE Dave CSC 655
5 DANIELSON Tom DISCOVERY CHANNEL 615
6 BALDWIN, Chris TOYOTA- UNITED PRO   544
7 HINCAPIE George DISCOVERY CHANNEL 415
8 POPOVYCH, Yaroslav DISCOVERY CHANNEL 405
9 MONINGER Scott HEALTH NET 396
10 HAEDO, Juan Jose TOYOTA- UNITED PRO 377
11 JULICH Bobby TEAM CSC 355
12 LEIPHEIMER Levi GEROLSTEINER 345
13 ENGLAND, Justin TOYOTA- UNITED PRO  315
14 BRAJKOVIC, Janez DISCOVERY CHANNEL 309
15 CATALUNA Jose Enrique Gutierr PHONAK 295
16 JACQUES-MAYNES Ben KODAKGALLERY./S-NEVADA 291
17 BLACKGROVE, Heath TOYOTA- UNITED PRO  266
18 COLBY, Anthony TARGETRAINING 266
19 MENZIES Karl HEALTH NET 259
20 MANION Caleb JELLY BELLY CYCLING TEAM 242

2006 NRC - Men's Team Standings
Rank TeamName Team Points
1 HEALTH NET 2314
2 TOYOTA- UNITED PRO CYCLING TEAM 1912
3 DISCOVERY CHANNEL 1898
4 PHONAK 1738
5 JELLY BELLY CYCLING TEAM 1226
6 CSC 868
7 NAVIGATORS INSURANCE CYCLING TEAM 725
8 DAVITAMON LOTTO 686
9 KODAKGALLERY.COM- SIERRA NEVADA 616
10 TEAM CSC 615
11 TARGETRAINING 528
12 GEROLSTEINER 438
13 COLAVITA OLIVE OIL/ SUTTER HOME PRO  432
14 SUANIER DUVAL - PRODIR 379
15 JITTERY JOE'S - ZERO GRAVITY PRO TEAM 328
16 CREDIT AGRICOLE 309
17 T-MOBILE 294
18 QUICK STEP-INNERGETIC 257
19 ORBEA 250
20 TEAM TIAA-CREF 242
21 PRIORITY HEALTH CYCLING TEAM 201
22 AEG-TOSHIBA-JET NETWORK 187
23 TEAM EINSTEIN 161
24 PRODIR- SAUNIER DUVAL 114
25 CALIFORNIA GIANT - VILLAGE PEDDLER 76

One South
Stelvio XRP
Columbus Tubing and Carbon
 Stelvio XRP is made from Columbus Airplane tubing, the 2nd lightest tubing made by Columbus. Because of its very lightweight and relative low cost as well as ease of fabrication, it is the choice of many pro teams. It has been used by Rabobank, Mapei and Cofidis, among other others. The ride is comfortable and stable for hours in the saddle.

Columbus Airplane is a triple-butted 7000 series aluminum with mega-shaped tubes for both the top tube and downtube. The top tube is 1.2mm at the butt and is drawn down to 0.7mm at the center. The down tube is 1.3mm and 1.9mm thick at the butts and is drawn down to 1.0 mm in the center.

Frameset features Columbus Airplane Aluminum front triangle; carbon seat and chain stays; Carbon XRP fork w/carbon steer tube; Cane Creek Integrated Headset. Available in Italian Racing Red only (shown.)

Compact Geometry and available in 3 sizes:
Medium: Effective TT length 53.9cm / Size Range equivalent: 53-55cm
Large: Effective TT length 56.4cm / Size Range equivalent: 56-58cm
X-Large: Effective TT length 58.4cm / Size Range equivalent: 59-61cm
Unbelievable value and very limited at this price! Normally $1000 now 785.00 here.

AEG/TOSHIBA/JetNetwork Wins Stage at Tri-Peaks,
Takes Overall Lead
On the second day of racing at the Tri-Peaks Classic stage race in Russellville, Arkansas, Bruno Langlois of the AEG – TOSHIBA – JetNetwork Professional Cycling Team infiltrated the early break along with teammates Frank Travieso and Ryan Trebon. After three major climbs and almost 85 miles off the front, Langlois attacked with Tom Zirbel (Priority Health) with two miles to go and then handily beat him to the line. Travieso outsprinted the likes of Gord Fraser (Health Net) and Ivan Dominguez (Toyota-United) to take an impressive 3rd on the day.

Langlois’ victory moves him into the overall lead and is reminiscent of his performance at last month’s Tour of Shenandoah, where he also won a stage and moved into the overall lead. With a strong performance in yesterday’s opening stage criterium, in which he helped Emile Abraham to a fine 3rd place result, Langlois has a sizable lead going into tomorrow’s final stage, which concludes with an 18% climb up Mt. Nebo. Holding off some of the country’s best climbers won’t be easy, but Langlois and team are determined to find a way to win. Regardless of tomorrow’s outcome, the AEG – TOSHIBA – JetNetwork boys are hitting their stride heading into next month’s Commerce Bank Triple Crown of Cycling held in and around Philadelphia, PA.

Tri-Peaks Classic, Russellville, AK
Stage 1
1. Ivan Stevic (Toyota – United)
2. Ivan Dominguez (Toyota – United)
3. Emile Abraham (AEG – TOSHIBA – JetNetwork)

Stage 2
1. Bruno Langlois (AEG – TOSHIBA – JetNetwork)
2. Tom Zirbel (Priority Health)
3. Frank Travieso (AEG – TOSHIBA – JetNetwork)

Kodakgallery.com/Sierra Nevada Pro
After some rest and local success over the last two weeks, the Kodakgallery.com/Sierra Nevada Pro Cycling Team is ready to jump back into the National Racing Calendar fray with a string of East Coast criteriums.

This past Sunday, the team's Bay Area duo of Ben Jacques-Maynes and Jackson Stewart followed up their 1-3 result at the Cat's Hill Classic last weekend with a win at the Pacific State Bank GP in Stockton.

After both KGSN riders rolled away in an eight-rider break under a steady rain, Stewart attacked with Brent Miller (Arete Racing) in the last 10 laps and took the win, while Jacques-Maynes finished fourth after keeping an eye on the other five riders left contention.

Looking ahead to the few weeks, Racing Manager Jonas Carney commented, "There's a lot of hard racing and traveling almost every day, and we'll be fresh and ready to race. We chose to give the team some time at home this month, and I think it'll pay off."

Starting on Friday, May 26, with the Raleigh Twilight, the team's itinerary will have them stopping off in Baltimore for the Kelly Cup on May 27 and then in New Jersey on May 29 for the Tour of Somerville before wrapping up in Virginia with the CapTech Classic on June 1 in Richmond and the CSC Invitational on June 3 in Arlington.

For the Raleigh and Baltimore races, Kodakgallery.com/Sierra Nevada will start seven riders: Pete Lopinto, Dan Schmatz, Martin Gilbert, Scott Zwizanski, Jackson Stewart, Skyler Bishop, and Jason Allen.

They'll be joined by Jesse Anthony and Mike Dietrich for the Tour of Somerville.

Then, Ben Jacaques-Maynes and Dominique Perras will arrive for CapTech, where they'll race alongside Zwizanski, Stewart, Allen, Anthony, Dietrich, and an eighth rider yet to be selected.

From there, the eight riders for the CSC Invitational will be Lopinto, Schmatz, Gilbert, Zwizanski, Stewart, Allen, Anthony, and Jacques-Maynes.

The next day, the Commerce Bank Triple Crown of Cycling kicks off in Pennsylvania with the Lancaster Classic, followed by the Reading Classic on June 8th and the Philadelphia International Championships on the 11th.

Ed Rudolph Velodrome
Track Cycling: Season Opener
The Ed Rudolph Velodrome will kick off the Thursday Night Racing Series on Thursday, May 25. The velodrome is expecting riders in great numbers because they will earn double Rider of Year participation points throughout the night. This format will provide excitement among the competitors because this format provides an element of suspense as we wait and see who will be the Rider of the Year (ROTY) point’s leader.

The Season Opener is sponsored by Turin Bicycles. Turin has been in business for 41 years. The shop is located in the suburb of Evanston, a city north of the City of Chicago.

This season promises to be extremely exciting as the schedule calls for an increase number of races for women, juniors and masters riders.
On-site registration for this week’s events will take place from 5:45 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. Racing begins at 7:00 p.m.
A full race program can be found by visiting www.northbrookvelodrome.org

About the Ed Rudolph Northbrook Velodrome: The newly resurfaced velodrome, located just north of Chicago suburban Village of Northbrook. Several fundraising efforts helped save the facility. The velodrome attracts cyclist from multiple states. (www.northbrookvelodrome.org)
About Turin Bicycle Evanston Ltd: The firm has called Evanston its home since 1965. Turin takes pride in fitting bikes to individual customers to ensure that cycling will be a positive experience. In addition, the bike store serves as an educator to the community by hosting several clinics during the year as it aims at teaching individuals about the sport of cycling. (http://turinbicycle.com)

Volunteer Sign-Up in Place for 2006 Capitol Classic:
A Bicycle Ride & Race for Autism Awareness
Volunteers are needed for the inaugural Capitol Classic: A Bicycle Ride & Race for Autism Awareness (www.bikeforautism.org). This exciting fundraiser takes place on Sunday, June 4 from 9am to 5pm in Saint Paul, on the streets surrounding the Minnesota State Capitol.

Volunteers will work two- or three-hour shifts between 8am and 6pm. Some available opportunities include race registration, race marshals, award ceremony assistants, event stewards, and race attendants. Volunteers can offer their energy, support, and assistance by emailing event organizer Jay Dworsky at jdworsky@circuitsport.com or by calling 612-327-1599.

The Capitol Classic features plenty of cycling, live music, healthful-food options, and wellness expos, plus an action sports demonstration presented by Skatewave. All proceeds will benefit the Autism Society of Minnesota www.ausm.org.

The event kicks off with a criterium race—a short, lapped cycling affair approximately one kilometer in distance. The day will continue with numerous other cycling events that showcase the prowess of highly skilled local amateurs of all ages and both genders, with prizes awarded to race winners. Spectators and cyclists alike will have numerous other opportunities to demonstrate support for autism during the day and to have a blast doing so. For example, the autism-awareness ride invites individuals to bicycle the race course for 30 minutes. Participants will be of all ages, abilities, and disabilities, and this is an exciting forum to pedal a race course with friends and family. All the cycling action will be visible from the start/finish line, located just off the south steps of the capitol.
The Capitol Classic is an awesome opportunity for volunteers to help out a great cause and event while enjoying an up-close and personal look at the mesmerizing skills developed by the weekend-warrior cyclists visible almost year-round on the streets of the Twin Cities.

The Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM) is an organization of families, educators, caregivers, and professionals committed to supporting individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). It exists to enhance the lives of individuals with ASD, and its primary goals are to inform and educate families, professionals, and the community about ASDs and promising interventions that individual needs; to advocate for appropriate services and rights for people with ASD and their families; and to support families and individuals through services and relationships. AuSM seeks to realize its mission through education support, collaboration, and advocacy.
Circuit Global Sports Management (CGSM), facilitates strategic alliances between corporate partners and professional lifestyle sport teams and athletes. Previous clients include Cadillac, Timberland, DKNY, Dollar Rent a Car, Kelly Benefit Strategies and Jeep.

Clarification of National Mountain Bike Series Rule Change
The National Mountain Bike Championships at the Infineon Raceway on July 14-16, 2006 will ALSO be a National Mountain Bike Series (NMBS) race ONLY for the Downhill event.

Due to the number of international Downhill racers who compete in the U.S. during the summer, the Downhill event at the Infineon Raceway will count towards NMBS series points as well. This is the ONLY event at the Infineon Raceway venue that will count towards the NMBS.

The paragraph in the "2006 National Mountain Bike Series Rule Changes Across All Disciplines" Press Release regarding the fact that there are seven (7) races in the Downhill (DH) Series with two (2) drops allowed in any race except the series finals in Snowmass, CO is correct.

X-Fusion Sponsors USA National Mtn Bike Championships
USA Cycling announced today X-Fusion as the title sponsor for its 2006 National Mountain Bike Championships this summer.
The 2006 USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships brought to you by X-Fusion is scheduled for July 13-16 in Sonoma, California as part of the Infineon Technologies Cougar Mountain Classic and is expected to welcome approximately 1,500 competitive off-road cyclists from across the United States.

The USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships brought to you by X-Fusion represents the culmination of the domestic mountain bike season as over 150 national titles will be on the line in Sonoma across a wide spectrum of ages, abilities and disciplines.

X-Fusion’s support of the event, along with a supplemental contribution from Infineon Raceway, also means a $25,000 prize purse is up for grabs in the 12 men’s and women’s pro events. Competitors in the pro ranks of the Cross Country, Short Track, Mountain Cross, Downhill, Marathon and Super D will compete for a $1,000 cash prize to compliment his or her stars and stripes jersey, gold medal and title of national champion. Additional cash prizes will be paid out five deep - $500, $250, $150, and $100 respectively. Furthermore, an added $1,000 bonus will be on the line for any pro rider that wins two national titles over the weekend.

X-Fusion will also provide suspension products for expert categories through a post-race lottery system amongst podium finishers. In total, three Cross Country and three Downhill suspension packages will be awarded. Additional X-Fusion branded apparel and soft goods will be awarded to amateur category participants.

“X-Fusion is proud to be part of the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships,” commented Alex Wheeler, U.S. marketing manager for X-Fusion. “X-Fusion shares USA Cycling’s commitment to raising the level of mountain bike competition in the United States and when the opportunity to sponsor the National Championships came along we saw it as a perfect fit. The fact that it is now being held in Sonoma as part of the Infineon Technologies Cougar Mountain Classic is a bonus for X-Fusion as a relative hometown event. Infineon Raceway is a fantastic venue and we expect the racing will be fast, furious and challenging. X-Fusion will also use the opportunity to debut its 2007 product line of high performance suspension products which includes our fully redesigned Vector Series coil shocks and our long awaited suspension fork line.”

With the new qualification system underway for the 2008 Olympic Games, the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships brought to you by X-Fusion also plays an integral part in the number of start positions the United States will receive in the sport of mountain biking in Beijing. As a UCI-recognized national championship event, the winner of the men’s and women’s Cross Country disciplines receive 110 UCI points each – a figure that directly factors into the depth of the United States’ presence at the 2008 Games.

“X-Fusion’s support of USA Cycling’s Mountain Bike National Championships provides a welcome enhancement to the event,” commented Steve Johnson, chief executive officer of USA Cycling. “A prize list will further augment the level of competition and help to provide a more competitive atmosphere for athletes and spectators alike.”

For more information on the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships brought to you by X-Fusion, visit www.cmclassic.com.
Event registration is currently available at www.sportsbaseonline.com.

About X-Fusion: X-Fusion is a global designer and manufacturer of world-class, high-performance suspension products. X-Fusion produces a complete line of rear shock models under the model names O2, Vector and Glyde utilizing technologies such as PowerValve damping and Dual Chamber air springs. X-Fusion distributes its products throughout North America, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.x-fusion-shox.com or contact Alex Wheeler, US Marketing Manager at 408-269-1588.”
About USA Cycling: Recognized by the U.S. Olympic Committee and the Union Cycliste Internationale, USA Cycling promotes American cycling through its 54,000 members and 2,000 annual events. USA Cycling associations include the BMX Association (BMX), National Off-Road Bicycle Association (mountain bike), U.S. Cycling Federation (road/track), the National Collegiate Cycling Association and the U.S. Professional Racing Organization (professional men’s road). For more information visit www.usacycling.org or contact, USA Cycling Director of Marketing and Communications, Andy Lee at 719-866-4867.

Destination: Bike Jam 2006
Three riders will journey from New York City to Baltimore next week
Baltimore, MD – In an effort to promote bike riding, David Torres, Carolyn Hare and Shannon Anderson will bike from New York City on Monday, May 22 and end their journey on Saturday, May 27 at Patterson Park, the home of Baltimore’s Kelly Benefit Strategies’ BikeJam 2006.

This will be the second bike trek for Torres, who last year rode from New York to Philadelphia alone. This year, however, Torres, a 45-year old director of security for a large hotel in NYC, wanted to share the experience with some other riders when he finished and as a result Hare, a 25-year old saleswoman from Brooklyn, N.Y., and Anderson, a restaurateur and artist from North Carolina, responded to an online ad and will join Torres in his adventure. All three of the riders will meet for the first time on the first day of the journey.

The trio begins their journey on Monday, May 22 at 4 a.m. at the Days Inn on 94th and Broadway and will head towards the George Washington Bridge. Along the way they will make five stops: Edison, N.J. (Monday), Bordentown, N.J. (Tuesday), Philadelphia, Pa. (Wednesday), Wilmington, Del. (Thursday), Aberdeen, Md. (Friday) before arriving at Patterson Park around 2:30 p.m. on Saturday just in time for the start of The Kelly Cup Men’s Professional Race. When they arrive at Patterson Park, they will complete a ceremonial first lap with the riders. At each stop, they will spend the night in a hotel before departing for their next stop. All-in-all the journey will encompass 250 miles.

Kelly Benefit Strategies’ BikeJam 2006, the Mid-Atlantic’s largest cycling festival, consists of 12 road races for riders from beginner to professional. The one-mile road course has become a favorite among racers. Held in historic Patterson Park near Baltimore’s famed Inner Harbor, the course is flat and fast but contains slight elevation changes and a few turns to add to the excitement. For those not taking part in the races, there will be the Toyota Family Fun Festival, which features a Bike Trials and Stunt Show, a Bike and Health Expo, a Kids’ Activities Pavilion, Food and Live Music and a helmet giveaway for the kids courtesy of CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield.

Kelly Benefit Strategies’ BikeJam 2006 is being put on by Corrigan Sports Enterprises, a leader in sports promotions in the Baltimore/Washington D.C. region. Founded in 1991, CSE owns and operates the following events: Under Armour Baltimore Marathon, The Charm City Challenge All-Star Basketball Game, The Capital Classic, the Toyota Pro Beach Volleyball Series, the Scion Trash & Jam (Extreme Sports) and BikeJam.

Kelly & Associates Insurance Group is Maryland’s leading provider of benefits to employers. They have been a part of BikeJam for the last three years as the title sponsor of both the men’s and women’s professional bike races. In addition, they assist in the event’s yearly donation to the Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital.

The world’s toughest mountain bike marathon
15th of July - Salzkammergut Trophy
Bad Goisern, Upper Austria
The Salzkammergut Trophy is the most popular Mountain Bike marathon in Austria! Last year more than 2000 participants from 32 nations tackled one of the four distances. After successfully hosting last year’s UCI Marathon World Cup 2005, this year we are focusing again on our extreme bikers.

The longest course is 203 km and has unbelievable 6.818 meter change in altitude – this is the toughest marathon in the World! The drop out rate is about 30 to 50% so this challenge is even daunting for such Adrenalin Junkies like Gerrit Glomser and Wolfgang Fasching. Besides being in great physical shape, athletes need above all great technical driving skills. The course is identical with last year’s Marathon World Cup course; it’s only two laps instead.
The routes 101 km (3387 m) or 53 km (1663 m) also demand a good physical shape, and newcomers may challenge the 25 km beginners’ marathon. Tomorrow’s stars tackle the Junior Trophy in Gosau!

Even children may join in
Children and young people aged from four to fourteen can demonstrate their bike skills in the Junior Trophy in Gosau on July 15th. According to their age-group, the junior bikers will tackle a course from 500 metres up to a sweat-bursting 12 kilometres. The future stars will be cheered by an enthusiastic audience just like the big one of today! That is why the Junior Trophy attracts more and more entrants every year – in 2005 there were more than 100 junior bikers from Austria, Germany, Italy and the Czech Republic.

The Organisers
For years the Salzkammergut Trophy has been regarded as one of the best-organised marathons in Europe and was recently awarded with the “Bikeboard-Award” by the readers of Austria’s biggest mountain-biker magazine, the Mountainbike Revue, and it has been amongst the front runners for years in the international popularity ranks. This is a tribute not only to the town of Bad Goisern, the tourism association, locals clubs, the police force, the Austrian Red Cross and the Mountain Rescue Team but also to more than 500 volunteer helpers and many excited spectators all along the perfectly marked route.

The Venue
For many years the Salzkammergut region has spellbound more and more mountain bikers. Especially the various towns and villages - Bad Goisern, Gosau, Hallstatt, Obertraun, Bad Ischl, and the Ausseerland area - have been investing a lot of time and effort to encourage mountain bike tourism resulting in more than 1.300 km sign posted tracks!
The unique combination of breath-taking mountains and sparkling lakes is a delight to every biker, and the Dachstein-Hallstatt region, which is listed as part of the world's cultural heritage, forms the perfect backdrop to this high-ranking marathon event. "The UCI Marathon World Cup with more than 2,000 active participants, thousands of spectators, and numerous representatives of the media is an excellent advertising for our region and for Upper Austria as a paradise for mountain bikers,” says Philipp Außerweger from the Upper Austrian Tourism Association.
www.salzkammergut-trophy.at