January 5, 2007 (Ottawa, ON) — The Canadian Cycling Association (CCA), in collaboration with Team R.A.C.E. (Race Against Cancer Everywhere) and Symmetrics Pro Cycling are pleased to announce that both professional teams have received a Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) track sanction starting January 2007. They are the first two Canadian teams to officially be granted this label.

“We are very excited to have Julia Bradley, a former Canadian National Champion in the Women’s Points Race and multiple national medalist in Women’s Pursuit, Keirin and Scratch Race, representing our new track team,” said Team R.A.C.E. Communications Director Fredrik Carlberg. “We are delighted to support a track team at the international level as a means of increasing the profile and credibility of Team R.A.C.E. and its important charitable endeavours.”

“The Team R.A.C.E. charity movement represents an amazing cause, and I’m very proud to have the opportunity to bring my team to the International Track Cycling circuit in 2007,” said Bradley from her home in Toronto.

“Symmetrics Pro Cycling is very excited to extend its program beyond road into the track cycling world. The primary goal of our track program is in the pursuit of Olympic selection. We have a number of strong riders on the road and it only made sense to extend our program and offer our riders more opportunity to chase the Olympic dream,” commented Kevin Cunningham, Symmetrics Pro Cycling Team Director. “Our first step is to begin working toward the Pan Am Championships in May 2007 to establish a benchmark in our performance.”

Part of the Symmetrics track squad © Canadian Cycling Association (Cam Evans, Christian Meier, Svein Tuft, Zach Bell)

The Symmetrics Pro Cycling Track Squad includes the following riders in the women’s field: Mandy Poitras, Anne-Brit Ericksen and Noe Cooper. In the men’s field: Svein Tuft, Zach Bell, Christian Meier, Cam Evans, Marsh Cooper, Andrew Pinfold and Jeff Sherstobitoff.

This new status will allow both Symmetrics Pro Cycling and Team R.A.C.E. members to join the UCI World Cup circuit for the remaining 2006-2007 season. Riders will make their debut in Los Angeles January 19-21, followed by the Manchester, England UCI World Cup on February 23-25.

The development of UCI track trade teams is a major new asset for Canada, as riders will now enjoy a new structure, other than the National Team, to fully develop their potential and pursue their professional aspirations in cycling. The growth of professional Canadian track teams will also leverage the need for Canada to get an indoor 250m velodrome, an essential facility to perform at the highest level.

Team R.A.C.E Announces 2007 Elite Road Team and formation of UCI Professional Track Team

Completing a successful year of transition from Gears Racing to Team R.A.C.E., the organization has forged ahead with its mandate to develop Canada’s international-caliber cycling athletes while promoting awareness of Canadian cancer charities.
The Elite Road Team for 2007 includes:

Elite Road Team
– Kevin “Buck” Miller
– Dustin MacBurnie
– Adam Thuss
– Mark Pozniak
– Eric Robertson
– Andrew Hunt

Steve Bauer and Michael Moore will be sharing the Team Manager role as Team R.A.C.E expands its presence on the North American road race calendar in 2007.

Team R.A.C.E. is pleased to announce that the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) has confirmed the registration of their professional track team for the 2006-2007 competitive season. First on board is Julia Bradley, a former Canadian National Champion in the Women’s Points Race and multiple national medalist in Women’s Pursuit, Keirin and Scratch Race. Julia will be representing Team R.A.C.E. at international meets in Los Angeles and Manchester. “The Team R.A.C.E. charity represents an amazing cause, and I’m very proud to have the opportunity to bring Team R.A.C.E. to the International Track Cycling circuit in 2007,” said Bradley from her home in Toronto.

Paul DeVries of lead sponsor, Planet Energy, believes, “Our sustained financial commitment to developing promising and elite cyclists is important to the growth of the sport in Canada. Leveraging the team’s popularity to promote a healthy, active lifestyle while raising awareness of cancer charities, broadens the benefits to all Canadians.”

Team R.A.C.E. also fields competitive men’s and women’s masters racing teams and a club program for recreational cyclists of all abilities. Members support a number of fundraising efforts including the Gears 24 Hour Spin, Coast to Coast ride across Canada, the Tour For Kids cycling adventure and Canadian entries in RAAM. Over $4.5 million has been raised from these events in the last four years.

Title sponsors for Team R.A.C.E include Planet Energy, Gears Bike Store, and Specialized Canada. Other sponsors include Sugoi, Torys LLP, and The Boomerang Group.

Any inquiries regarding the Elite Road Team please contact Kevin Wallace of Gears Bike Shop at gears@idirect.com. For inquiries regarding the Masters and club program, contact Fred Carlberg at fc@boomart.net

Symmetrics Pro Cycling Announces New UCI Professional Track Squad

Look for the familiar yellow-and-black colours attacking velodromes around the world! Canada’s number one Pro team, Symmetrics Pro Cycling, has expanded its program with the news that it becomes the country’s first UCI Track Team.

With an already successful spring behind the road teams – with victories all over the Americas, and top results at the commonwealth games – the expansion to the track was natural. Case in point – Symmetrics already has one of Canada’s top trackies on the squad, points and scratch racer extraordinaire Mandy Poitras (a former silver medallist at the Track Worlds, no less.). Svein Tuft, Canada’s top ranked road cyclist will also be putting in some hard time on the track in 2007 after capturing National Championship gold medals in the team pursuit and individual pursuit.

To add even more horsepower to the squad Symmetrics has signed Zach Bell and Anne-Brit Ericksen. Bell who, this past year, nabbed four medals at the National Track Championships in Dieppe, New Brunswick – he won gold in the men’s points race, gold as part of the team pursuit, silver in the individual pursuit and silver in the men’s scratch race. At the Pan Am Championships this year, Bell took a bronze medal in the pursuit. Riding at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Bell took 9th overall and broke the decade-old pursuit record set by Olympic medalist Brian Walton. Bell’s arrival to the S-Team marks the squad’s continued focus on the velodrome in preparation for the upcoming Olympics as well as Pan Am Games and Commonwealth Games. Ericksen brings added strength on the women’s side with National Championship gold medals in the 500 metre TT, Women’s sprint and the Keirin.

Pursuiting is a discipline where Symmetrics Cycling will shine when it comes to track racing. By having a bevy of the country’s top time triallists, it means having several riders who would excel nationally, and internationally, in the 4-km test. With 4-5 potential individual pursuiters, that also means assembling a team pursuit squad with a real chance of Olympic qualification – something Canada has desperately lacked for several years. Team pursuit is the ultimate statement of teamwork, organization and speed: Three things the S-Team prides itself in. Shortly, team management will be considering other Canadian athletes that can round out the team in order to attain its pursuiting goals.

“Symmetrics Pro Cycling is very excited to extend its program beyond road into the track cycling world. The primary goal of our track program is in the pursuit of Olympic selection. We have a number of strong riders on the road and it only made sense to extend our program and offer our riders more opportunity to chase the Olympic dream.” commented Kevin Cunningham, Symmetrics Pro Cycling Team Director. “Our first step is to begin working toward the Pan Am Championships in May 2007 to establish a benchmark in our performance.”

Symmetrics Pro Cycling Track Squad includes the following riders:

Men
– Svein Tuft
– Zach Bell
– Christian Meier
– Cam Evans
– Marsh Cooper
– Andrew Pinfold
– Jeff Sherstobitoff

Women
– Mandy Poitras
– Anne-Brit Ericksen
– Noe Cooper

For more information about Symmetrics Cycling and to view complete race schedules, visit: www.symmetricscycling.com.