May 29, 2004 (Hackettstown, NJ) – Insurance’s David McKenzie scored the victory earlier today over teammate Jeff Louder in the “Frank ‘Nap’ Torpey Memorial – Hills of Somerset County” Road Race. David and Jeff finished together about 1-minute ahead of 3rd place finisher Alejandro Acton (UPMC/Mike Fraysse) in this 87-mile benefit race for the U.S Bicycling Hall of Fame (www.usbhof.org).

Under nearly perfect racing conditions (60 degrees F) with a clear-blue sky and a steady wind from the west, the field of Professional and Elite competitors began the day on Main St. in Somerville in front of the USBHOF museum and the Morgan-Stanley building (which serves as the 200m mark for Monday’s Classic ‘Tour of Somerville’ Criterium). This popular event takes the racers through 15 of Somerset County’s most scenic towns and contains several trips up and over the two Watchung Mountains of this suburban, central New Jersey region. In typical New Jersey fashion, the racing action started out fast as the peloton headed toward the hills. Several groups of 5-7 riders were able to gain an advantage for short distances before the speeding pack of riders reeled them back in. The definitive break came with about 30-miles remaining when 5 riders escaped, and were soon joined by Jeff Louder to make it an even 6. With 10-miles remaining, McKenzie attacked and created a lead of nearly 1-minute over the rest of the lead group. Jeff Louder soon bridged up, and the duo stayed out in front until they crossed the finish line together, in front of the crowd on the AT&T Bridgewater campus. It was David McKenzie’s 2nd victory of the year.

This is the start of the Memorial Day Holiday (3-day weekend), and the traditional start of summer in the U.S. With several major races on the calendar throughout the U.S. this weekend, most of the major teams are splitting their squads before heading to Philadelphia, PA for the start of the Wachovia series of races on Tuesday. The crowded calendar is a good mix of road races and criteriums as the professionals fine-tune their form for perhaps the most important week of racing for American teams and athletes, which culminates with the Wachovia USPRO Championship in Philadelphia on Sunday June 6. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the 156-mile event that is used to crown the U.S. National Professional Road Champion. Although the name has changed several times due to consolidation of banking institutions (from CoreStates, to First Union, to Wachovia), this immensely popular event has become a Philadelphia institution. One of many that this historic city is famed for.

In addition to today’s benefit race, the Navigators Insurance team will be competing in:

Baltimore, MD (later today)

Sunday May 30 – CSC Invitational Clarendon Cup (Arlington, VA)

Monday May 31 – Tour of Somerville (Somerville, NJ)

Tuesday June 1 – Wachovia Invitational (Lancaster, PA)

Thursday June 3 – Wachovia Classic (Trenton, NJ)

Sunday June 6 – Wachovia USPRO Championship (Philadelphia, PA)