November 7, 2003 – -The T-Mobile Professional Cycling Team confirmed its roster for the 2004 season today, announcing the return of eleven members from the 2003 squad and one new addition. The diverse combination of athletes on board for next year gives T-Mobile the unprecedented possibility of qualifying riders for the 2004 Olympic Games in each of cycling's three disciplines: mountain, road, and track.
With a focus on top-level international racing, T-Mobile will direct its preparation and resources towards two major goals, the Olympic Games and the World Championships. In pursuit of these goals, T-Mobile will compete largely on the European circuit, laying the foundation for success when it counts the most.
Returning in 2004 will be Kim Anderson (Colorado Springs, Colo.), Kristin Armstrong (Boise, Idaho), Dede Barry (Boulder, Colo.), Kimberly Bruckner (Boulder, Colo.), Dotsie Cowden (Santa Monica, Calif.), Mari Holden (Colorado Springs, Colo.), Lara Kroepsch (Boulder, Colo.), Tanya Lindenmuth (Trexlertown, Pa.), Amber Neben (Irvine, Calif.), Stacey Peters (Portland, Ore.) and Chris Witty (Park City, Utah).
Joining the veteran core of riders will be Lynn Gaggioli (Santa Rosa, Calif.). Gaggioli, who rode for the Velo Bella program last season, adds a strong sprint element to T-Mobile referenced by three stage wins and the overall victory at last year's criterium-filled International Cycling Classic and the CapTech Classic. Gaggioli, who was the only non-T-Mobile rider to claim a podium spot in the U.S. Women's National Championship Road Race last year, hopes to bring even more success to the T-Mobile program.
With an eye on the Olympic Games in Athens next August, Witty and Lindenmuth represent T-Mobile's hope on the track. Witty, best known for her accolades on the ice as an Olympic Gold Medalist in speedskating, returned to cycling late last year and quickly rose to success capturing a U.S. National Championship in both the 500m Time Trial and the Sprint as well as two medals at the Pan American Games. Lindenmuth's equally impressive résumé on the track includes gold medal efforts in the Keirin and Sprint at last Summer's Pan Am Games, as well as a second place finish in the 500m Time Trial at the Mexico City World Cup. Both Olympians in 2000, Witty and Lindenmuth are considered medal contenders for Athens.
On the road, Three-Time Defending U.S. National Time Trial Champion, Bruckner, is poised for a return to racing after successful surgery to remove a cancerous soft tissue tumor cut her 2003 season short. One of the most successful American women in the peloton on the international level in recent years, Bruckner symbolizes U.S. Olympic medal potential on the road.
Joining Bruckner is a long list of qualified candidates including U.S. National Road Race Champion, Neben. After a 2003 season that also saw her win the Tour of Montreal and place third at the U.S. National Time Trial Championships, Neben's credentials as a strong climber and all-around rider arms T-Mobile with a weapon to contest for victories in virtually any type of race.
Armstrong enjoyed a breakout season in 2003 that gave her a start for the U.S. National Team at the World Championships where she placed 13th in the Time Trial. A bronze medal in the time trial at the Pan Am Games and international recognition after placing 9th overall at the International Thuringen Rundfhart has wet her appetite for success as she counts on an even stronger 2004 campaign.
Barry, the ever-aggressive veteran who led the American team at last month's World Championships in both the time trial (8th) and road race (11th), continues to be a force on the global scene after taking a stage win and second overall at the Giro della Toscana shortly after animating the inaugural T-Mobile International in San Francisco with her insistent trademark style. A second place effort to Bruckner in the U.S. National Time Trial Championships indicates an element of versatility in her quest for a trip to Athens.
Holden, the 2000 World Time Trial Champion and Olympic Silver Medalist returns in 2004 and brings essential leadership and experience to the table along with her storied past as she prepares for a season on both the road and the track.
Anderson, who split her time between the dirt and the pavement last year, will again focus her efforts on both mountain biking and road events as she has a legitimate opportunity to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Team in either discipline. A fourth place finish at the Wachovia Liberty Classic and a third place showing at the NORBA opener in Big Bear, Calif. in 2003 shows her potential in two directions.
Cowden and Peters both add versatility as strong all-arounders while Kroepsch will add strength on the criterium scene.
To the helm returns Director, Jim Miller (Fort Collins, Colo.), who's philosophy on putting together the team could best be described as the old cliché, “If it ain't broke, don't fix it,” in reference to the almost carbon copy of last year's roster even after the demise of several U.S. powerhouses in women 's cycling. With other notable squads discontinuing their sponsorship of professional cycling teams, there were several qualified riders on the market, but keeping essentially the same team and therefore the cohesiveness intact will hopefully provide the T-Mobile Professional Cycling Team with a recipe for success in 2004. “The group of women we have on board heading into an Olympic year gives us the right mix of talent, experience, and leadership we need to meet our goals,” says Miller. “The eleven riders that we are bringing back plus the addition of Lynn certainly provides us with a solid foundation for continued success. Simply put, we're looking forward to a tremendous season ahead.”
T-Mobile Professional Cycling Team 2004 Roster:
Kim Anderson (Colorado Springs, Colo.) Kristin Armstrong (Boise, Idaho) Dede Barry (Boulder, Colo.) Kimberly Bruckner (Boulder, Colo.) Dotsie Cowden (Santa Monica, Calif.) Lynn Gaggioli (Santa Rosa, Calif.) Mari Holden (Colorado Springs, Colo.) Lara Kroepsch (Boulder, Colo.) Tanya Lindenmuth (Trexlertown, Pa.) Amber Neben (Irvine, Calif.) Stacey Peters (Portland, Ore.) Chris Witty (Park City, Utah)
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