TRIA Orthopaedic Center Your Cycling Blog

Composite Team of Top Female Collegiate Cyclists Will Race in Nature Valley Grand Prix

Minneapolis (May 24, 2010) – USA Cycling and the organizers of the Nature Valley Grand Prix announced today the selection of the fourth annual Fiber One Collegiate Women’s All-Stars team. The All-Stars include six female collegiate riders chosen to compete against professional cycling teams in the Nature Valley Grand Prix, June 16-20.

The team was selected at the 2010 USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Championships, held May 7-9, in Madison, Wis. Selection of this year’s team was based on the final overall standings (omnium). Riders on the Fiber One Collegiate All-Stars Team represent different collegiate teams who are not members of a professional or elite amateur team already registered to attend the Nature Valley Grand Prix.

The 2010 Fiber One Collegiate All-Stars include:
Jennifer Purcell – Midwestern State University
Elle Anderson – Dartmouth College
Rita Klofta – DePauw University
Flora Duffy – University of Colorado-Boulder
Leia Tyrrell – Oregon State University
Kimberley Turner – Seattle Pacific University

Seattle Pacific’s Kimberley Turner said it was her goal to place well enough at collegiate nationals to earn a spot on the Fiber One Collegiate All Star Team.

“As a full-time student, it’s definitely hard to balance academics and training,” Turner said, “but it’s amazing to see all the hard work paying off. I am so excited to have the opportunity to race with some of the top women in North America.”

Leia Tyrrell of Oregon State University said an article about the Fiber One Composite Team piqued her interest.

“It is such an amazing opportunity for a student, who may not otherwise have the resources to go to such a big race,” Tyrrell said. “I am ecstatic that I got a spot on the team.”

“We’re always on the lookout for rising stars,” said Team TIBCO/To the Top Director Linda Jackson. “We pay particular attention to the Fiber One Collegiate All Stars team at the Nature Valley Grand Prix. Devon Haskell and Amanda Miller came to my team from that program, but virtually every team in the women’s peloton includes alumni from the Fiber One Collegiate All Stars.”

Several alumni of the Collegiate All Star Team are racing for professional cycling teams, including: Erica Allar (Penn State) & Carla Swart (Lees-McRae College), Team Vera Bradley; Devon Haskell (University of Chicago) & Amanda Miller (Colorado State), Team TIBCO/To the Top and Kristin McGrath (Fort Lewis College) & Sinead Miller (Marian College), Peanut Butter & Co TWENTY12.

Along with the honor of selection to the team, each all-star cyclist receives free entry into the 2010 Nature Valley Grand Prix plus host housing, a support staff comprised of a team manager, mechanic and soigneur, an operating budget, clothing and a travel stipend.

About the Nature Valley Bicycle Festival
The Nature Valley Bicycle Festival is one of the nation’s top celebrations for the bicycle culture, with tens of thousands of cycling enthusiasts, pro athletes and avid recreational riders converging on Minnesota each June. Its professional racing event, the Nature Valley Grand Prix began as a one-day criterium in Saint Paul in 1999.  Its schedule and prestige have grown steadily until now, in its 12th year, it is ranked at the top of the USA Cycling National Racing Calendar. The 2010 Nature Valley Grand Prix schedule includes a unique mix of three criteriums (short circuit races), two road races and a time trial as the stages of the race move from downtown Saint Paul, to Cannon Falls, to Minneapolis, to Menomonie, Wisconsin and finally culminates in Stillwater. The Nature Valley Bicycle Festival is a volunteer run event, with all proceeds donated to Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, the festival’s benefiting charity. For more information visit www.naturevalleybicyclefestival.com

About USA Cycling
Recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and the Union Cycliste Internationale, USA Cycling is the official governing body for all disciplines of competitive cycling in the United States, including road, track, mountain bike, BMX and cyclocross. As a membership-based organization, USA Cycling comprises 66,500+ licensees; 2,200 clubs and teams; and 34 local associations. The national governing body sanctions 2,650 competitive and non-competitive events throughout the U.S. each year and is responsible for the identification, development, and support of American cyclists. To learn more about USA Cycling, visit www.usacycling.org.

Uncategorized   Tags: Collegiate All-Stars, Collegiate Cycling, Fiber O, Fiber One Collegiate All-Star Team, Nature Valley Grand Prix,   Comments Off  

Minneapolis (May 7, 2010) – Fiber One, a General Mills brand, is the new title sponsor of the Collegiate All-Star Team for the Nature Valley Grand Prix that is being selected at this week’s USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Championships.

The six collegiate racers who earn spots on the composite team will wear their school jerseys but compete as the “Fiber One Collegiate All-Stars,” wearing team shorts at the Nature Valley Grand Prix in June.

The USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Championships are taking place today through Sunday in Madison, Wis. Eligibility for the special squad is based on the final individual overall (omnium) standings for female riders who are not members of a team that is already registered to compete in the Nature Valley Grand Prix. Each team member receives complimentary entry into the Nature Valley Grand Prix, free host housing, a support staff comprised of a team manager, mechanic, soigneur and massage therapist, team clothing and a travel stipend.

“The Fiber One Collegiate All Stars is one of the coolest programs that we have,” Nature Valley Grand Prix Director David LaPorte said. “Collegiate cycling is growing by leaps and bounds. This is a chance to showcase that part of the sport. It also help us connect the sport with people since the program resonates with the alumni of the schools that the riders represent and even with the alumni of those schools’ arch rivals.”

“I’m really excited to have Fiber One on board as a title sponsor”, said Fiber One Collegiate All-Stars Manager John Barron. “Cycling is a lifetime sport and Fiber One’s healthy lifestyles message is an excellent fit.”

Past Fiber One Collegiate All-Stars team members are a Who’s Who of young up-and-coming talent in the professional ranks, including: Kristin McGrath (Fort Lewis College) and Sinead Miller (Marian University), now both racing for the Peanut Butter and Co–Twenty12 team, Amanda Miller (Colorado State), now competing for Team TIBCO, and Erica Allar (Penn State) and Carla Swart (Lees McRae College), both now racing for Team Vera Bradley Foundation.

The 2010 edition of the Nature Valley Grand Prix will be run in East Central Minnesota and Western Wisconsin from June 16-20.

Uncategorized   Tags: Collegiate Cycling, Fiber One, Fiber One Collegiate All-Star Team, Nature Valley Grand Prix, Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12, Team TIBCO/To The Top, Team Vera Bradley Foundation,   Comments Off