Rider Roster for USA Pro Cycling Challenge

The preliminary startlist of riders has been announced for 2012

Which professional cyclists will be coming to Colorado to race in the 2012 USA Pro Cycling Challenge in less than 2 weeks? Some really fast ones. And not just the typical American race good ones, the race organizers have arranged an excellent mix of riders and teams. We can expect a good race with a variety of stage winners and good contenders for the overall win.

*Omega Pharma-Quickstep has 2 riders still to name to their team roster.
*Official website: http://www.usaprocyclingchallenge.com/teams 

UCI ProTeams

Astana Pro Team (KAZ) 

Janez Brajkovic (SLO)

Sergey  Renev (KAZ)

Tanel Kangert (EST)

Robert  Kiserlovski (CRO)

Dimitriy Muravyev (KAZ)

Yevgeniy Nepomnyachshiy (KAZ)

Evgeny Petrov (RUS)

Fabio Aru (ITA)

BMC Racing Team (USA) 

Cadel Evans (AUS)

Mathias Frank (SUI)

Ivan Santaromita (ITA)

Michael Schär    (SUI)

Johann Tschopp (SUI)

Taylor Phinney (USA)

George Hincapie (USA)

Tejay Van Garderen (USA)

Garmin-Sharp-Barracuda (USA) 

Thomas Danielson (USA)

Tyler Farrar (USA)

Nathan Haas (AUS)

Alex Howes (USA)

Peter Stetina (USA)

Christian Vandevelde (USA)

David Zabriskie (USA)

Lachlan David Morton (AUS)

Liquigas-Cannondale (ITA) 

Timothy Duggan (USA)

Valerio  Agnoli (ITA)

Damiano Caruso (ITA)

Edward King (USA)

Paolo Longo Borghini (ITA)

Vincenzo Nibali (ITA)

Ivan Basso (ITA)

Moreno Moser (ITA)

Omega Pharma-QuickStep (BEL) 

Levi Leipheimer (USA)

Martin Velits (SVK)

Peter Velits (SVK)

Matt Brammeier (IRL)

Jeroen Hoorne (BEL)

Francesco Chicchi (ITA)

RadioShack-Nissan-Trek (LUX) 

Christopher Horner (USA)

Jakob Fuglsang (DEN)

Andy Schleck (LUX)

Benjamin King (USA)

Andreas Kloden (GER)

Thomas Rohregger (AUT)

Jens Voigt (GER)

Oliver Zaugg (SUI)

UCI Professional Continental Teams

Champion System Pro Cycling Team (CHN) 

Craig Lewis (USA)

Chris Butler  (USA)

Matthias Friedmann (GER)

Pengda Jiao (CHN)

Biao Liu (CHN)

Aaron Kemps (AUS)

Cameron Wurf (AUS)

Gang Xu (CHN)

RusVelo (RUS) 

Matvey Zubov (RUS)

Ivan Rovny (RUS)

Dmitry Kozontchuk (RUS)

Artem Ovechkin (RUS)

Sergey  Firsanov (RUS)

Arkimedes Arguelyes Rodriges (RUS)

Alexander Mironov (RUS)

Sergey Klimov (RUS)

Team SpiderTech powered by C10 (CAN) 

David Boily (CAN)

Flavio de Luna (MEX)

Lucas Euser (USA)

Caleb Fairly (USA)

Hugo Houle (CAN)

Ryan Roth (CAN)

Zachary Bell (CAN)

Brian Vandborg (DEN)

Team Type 1-SANOFI (USA) 

Kiel Reijnen (USA)

Alexander Efimkin (RUS)

Julien El Fares (FRA)

Javier Megias Leal (ESP)

Georg Preidler (AUT)

Rubens Bertogliati (SUI)

Alessandro Bazzana (ITA)

Daniele Colli (ITA)

UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team (USA) 

Rory Sutherland (AUS)

Karl Menzies (AUS)

Philip Deignan (IRL)

Robert Forster (GER)

Jacobe Keough (USA)

Benjamin Day (AUS)

Christopher Jones (USA)

Jeffry Louder (USA)

UCI Continental Teams

Bissell Pro Cycling (USA) 

Christopher Baldwin (USA)

Jeremy Vennell (NZL)

Ben Jacques-Maynes (USA)

Carter   Jones (USA)

Frank Kevin Pipp (USA)

Eric Young (USA)

Julian Kyer (USA)

Joseph Schmalz (USA)

Bontrager Livestrong Team (USA) 

Joshua  Atkins (NZL)

Charlie  Avis (USA)

Lawson Craddock (USA)

Joseph Lloyd Dombrowski (USA)

Ryan Eastman (USA)

Connor O’Leary (USA)

James Oram (NZL)

Gavin Mannion (USA)

EPM-UNE (COL) 

Rafael Infantino Abreu (COL)

Giovanni Manuel Baez Alvarez (COL)

Francisco Jarley Colorado Hernandez (COL)

Ramiro Rincon Diaz (COL)

Robigzon Leandro Oyola Oyola (COL)

Freddy Orlando Piamonte Rodriguez (COL)

Eduard Alexander Beltran Suarez (COL)

Javier Eduardo Gomez Pineda (COL)

Optum Pro Cycling p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies (USA) 

Jesse Anthony (USA)

Andrew Bajadali (USA)

Alexander Candelario (USA)

Michael Creed (USA)

Tom Zirbel (USA)

Sebastian Salas (CAN)

Marsh Cooper (CAN)

Michael Friedman (USA)

Team Exergy (USA) 

Kirk Carlsen (USA)

Andres Diaz Corrales (COL)Mathew Cooke (USA)

Noe Gianetti (SUI)

Morgan Schnitt (USA)

Fred Rodriguez (USA)

Serghei Tvetcov (MOL)

Sam Johnson (USA)

PEDAL DANCER COMMENTS 

Who will be going for the win? 

Levi Leipheimer (USA) (Omega Pharma-Quickstep)

Tejay van Garderen (USA) (BMC)

Cadel Evans (AUS) (BMC)

Chris Horner (USA) (RSNT)

Jakob Fuglsang (DEN) (RSNT)

Janez Brajkovic (SLO) (Astana)

Tom Danielson (USA) (Garmin-Sharp-Barracuda)

Timmy Duggan (USA) (Liquigas)

Vincenzo Nibali (ITA) (Liquigas)

Other key riders who should shine:

Taylor Phinney, Evgeny Petrov, Peter Stetina, all of the Liquigas team, all of the RadioShack Nissan Trek team including Jens Voigt, Andreas Kloden and Ben King, Tyler Farrar, Rory Sutherland, David Boily, Jeffry Louder, Rafael Infantino Abreu, Tom Zirbel and David Zabriskie.

Some of the riders I look forward to seeing:

Ivan Basso, Edward (Ted) King, Andy Schleck, Alexander Efimkin, Philip Deignan, Christian Vandevelde, Benjamin Day, Christopher Baldwin, Lucas Euser, Caleb Fairly, Joseph Lloyd Dombrowski, Michael Creed, and Fred Rodriguez.

A few notes: 

George Hincapie - will be retiring after this race (George Hincapie is retiring). George will have a number of friends in the peloton. You will see him hanging close to Tejay and Peter Velits as he tends to mentor the younger riders. George was best man at Freddy Rodriguez's wedding in 2001, they have been friends since they raced in the US juniors program. I bet George's father and brother Rich will be at the race as well (story of Hincapie Sports)

Freddy Rodriguez x2 - there are 2 Freddy Rodriquez on the roster, Freddy Rodriguez (USA) of Team Exergy and Freddy Orlando Piamonte Rodriguez (COL) of team EPM-UNE (COL). Just call the first one by his nickname Fast Freddy.

Peter Velits and Martin Velits - are brothers, from Slovakia (Omega Pharma-Quickstep) (read: Pedal Dancer: Word of the Day at the TDF: le frère).

Taylor Phinney - the local boy from Boulder, raced in the Vuelta a Espana last year, this will be his first USPCC. His parents Davis Phinney and Connie Carpenter-Phinney, will probably be at the race as well.

Tejay van Garderen - his Father Marcel will be working with the yellow Mavic crew.

Tommy Danielson - I am so happy to see Tom on the startlist leading team Garmin-Sharp-Barracuda, it is a sign that he has recovered from the Tour de France.

Levi Leipheimer - is back! Will he win again in 2012?

Phil and Paul will be there, so will Bob Roll!!

PRESS RELEASE

Official press release write-up by USA Pro Cycling Challenge - they make the race sound so exciting!

World’s Top Professional Cyclists Confirmed for 2012 USA Pro Challenge
Tour de France Winners and World Champions Set to Compete in America’s Toughest Cycling Race

Denver (Aug. 8, 2012) – Marking one of the best fields ever assembled on American soil for a professional cycling race, the provisionary team rosters* for the 2012 USA Pro Challenge have been confirmed. Taking place August 20-26, the race will travel through 12 host cities, taking riders and fans on a scenic tour through the Colorado Rockies. Emphasizing the competitive level of the field, the race will include six of the top 13 finishers from this year’s Tour de France – Vincenzo Nibali (ITA) of Liquigas-Cannondale, Tejay Van Garderen (USA) of BMC Racing,  Cadel Evans (AUS) of BMC Racing Team, Janez Brajkovic (SLO) from Astana Pro Team, and RadioShack-Nissan-Trek riders Andreas Kloden (GER) and Chris Horner (USA).

“The talented group of international and domestic cycling stars set to participate in the 2012 USA Pro Challenge is a testament to the growing stature of the race,” said Shawn Hunter, CEO of the Pro Challenge. “With Olympic medalists and Tour de France champions battling it out in the Rockies, this field is one of the best that has ever competed on American soil.  The competitive level of this field is going to make for seven days of nonstop action; it’s going to be one great week of cycling.”

The USA Pro Challenge will include 10 of the top 12 finishers from last year, including the top 5. Also featured will be Taylor Phinney (USA) of BMC Racing Team who recently secured two fourth place finishes at the London Olympics. Three of the past four USPRO National Champions in the road race (Tim Duggan - 2012, Ben King - 2010, George Hincapie - 2009) will line up in Colorado, as well as two former Giro d’Italia winners – Ivan Basso (ITA) and Vincenzo Nibali (ITA) of Liquigas-Cannondale.

The elite professional roster of teams, which includes 126 riders from 24 countries, is comprised of six teams that competed in the Tour de France, five Pro Continental teams and five Continental teams. Following is the preliminary complete list of riders that will be competing in the 2012 USA Pro Challenge.

Please also see

PEDAL DANCER FAN PAGE: 2012 USA PRO CYCLING CHALLENGE

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