December 17, 2004 “” USA Cycling named today the athletes that have been selected to the U.S. National Track Cycling Talent Pool. It is from this pool that athletes will be drawn to represent the United States in all major international track cycling events during the 2004/05 season.

Winners of the USCF Elite National Track Championships in Frisco, Texas in September and winners at the Los Angeles Time Trials in November were all considered and in most cases, time standards were applied. For riders who fell short of the implemented time standards, his or her long range potential and past performances were taken into account and considered for an at-large coaches’ selection into the talent pool.

Riders also qualified at the first round of the 2004/05 UCI Track World Cup series in Moscow in November by also meeting time standards.

Further coaches’ selections were made based on participation on a 2004 U.S. National Team at an international competition and performances in the aforementioned events.

A developmental squad of U23 riders was also chosen.

Men’s Sprint Squad
-Stephen Alfred (Capitola, Calif.)
-Michael Blatchford (Cypress, Calif.)
-Giddeon Massie (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
-Christian Stahl (Bethany, Conn.)

Alfred and Blatchford qualified automatically by meeting time standards. Alfred clocked a flying 200m time of 10.649 at the Moscow World Cup to qualify. Blatchford’s 10.710 at nationals propelled him to an elite national championship as an 18-year-old and earned him a spot in the talent pool. Massie and Stahl, both members of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team, were coaches’ selection.

Men’s Sprint Development Squad
-Kevin Belz (Irving, Texas)
-Aaron Kacala (Racine, Wis.)
-Andy Lakatosh (Trexlertown, Pa.)
-Ryan Nelman (Houston, Texas).

Belz placed in the top-four in the match sprint at nationals and Kacala won the kilometer time trial at the L.A. Time Trials. Lakatosh was fourth in the keirin at the 2004 Sydney World Cup and Nelman was fourth in the keirin at the 2004 UCI Junior World Championships.

Women’s Sprint Squad
-Becky Conzelman (Cincinnati, Ohio)
-Tanya Lindenmuth (Trexlertown, Pa.)
-Jennie Reed (Kirkland, Wash.).

Conzelman was an automatic selection as a result of meeting the 11.870 time standard in the sprint at nationals. Lindenmuth, the Pan American sprint champion, and Reed, winner of the 200m time trial at the L.A. time trials were coaches’ selection.

Women’s Sprint Development Squad
Rachel Herring (New Tripoli, Pa.)

Herring finished fourth in the sprint at the 2002 UCI Junior World Championships.

Men’s Endurance Squad
-Jame Carney (Boulder, Colo.)
-Brad Huff (Fair Grove, Mo.)
-Bobby Lea (Taneytown, Md.)
-Colby Pearce (Boulder, Colo.)
-Marty Nothstein (Orefield, Pa.)
-Matt Stephens

Carney was the only automatic selection as the points race national champion who met the time standard of 37:20. Stephens and Huff comprised the national championship team in the madison and Lea was the individual pursuit winner. Pearce won the points race at the 2004 Sydney World Cup and Nothstein earned a coaches’ selection as a member of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team.

Men’s Endurance Development Squad
-Mike Friedman (State College, Pa.)
-Josh Kerkhof (Battleground, Wash.)
-Gui Nelessen (Bellemead, N.J.).

Nelessen and Friedman have USCF national championships to their credit in the team pursuit and Kerkhof won the scratch race in Frisco.

Women’s Endurance Squad
-Ashley Kimmet (Trexlertown, Pa.)
-Erin Mirabella (Racine, Wis.)
-Becky Quinn (Quakertown, Pa.).

All three members of the talent pool were coaches’ selection. Kimmet is the current national champion in the points race. Mirabella was a bronze medalist at the Olympic Games in the points race and Quinn’s near miss to the world championship podium — a fourth place finish in the scratch race in Melbourne — was a solid international performance.

Women’s Endurance Development Squad
-Larssyn Staley (Beaverton, Ore.)
-Anna Webb (San Diego, Calif.)

Staley was the last American track rider to capture a world championship, winning the points race at junior worlds in Moscow in 2003. Webb was one of the top espoirs at the 2004 USCF National Championships.

The coaching staff at USA Cycling has also added an additional qualifying event to accommodate riders who may not have had the opportunity to compete in the first three qualifying events. This final event will take place at the ADT Event Center velodrome in Carson, Calif. on January 29, 2005. Positions are still available for both men’s and women’s sprint and endurance squads.