Canadian champion Leah Kirchmann (Optum Pro Cycling)(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Leah Kirchmann (Optum p/b Kelly Benefits Strategies) wins the Tour de Delta Women's UCI Race(Image credit: Greg Descantes)
Lex Albrecht (Optum) signals her win in remembrance of her grandfather on his birthday(Image credit: Jonathan Devich)
Ally Stacher (Specialized-Lululemon) was the designated “Gangsta Gunner” for her team today. She did an amazing job protecting(Image credit: MarcoQuezada.com/NYVelocity)
Staying with the team is the current Canadian road race, time trial and criterium champion Leah Kirchmann, veteran Janel Holcomb and three emerging young riders, Annie Ewart (Canada), Brianna Walle and Maura Kinsella (both United States).
Joining the outfit for next season is Ally Stacher who spent the last three years with Specialized-lululemon along with Alison Tetrick (Astana BePink), Lex Albrecht (TWENTY16 Pro Cycling), Jasmin Glaesser (Team TIBCO) and German rider Ariane Horbach .
"I'm excited to be back with Optum p/b KBS for 2015," said Kirchmann who will lead the team next year. "The team provides me with everything I need to be successful, and I consider my teammates as a second family on the road. I've worked hard to get to a place in my athletic career where people now expect results, and I look forward to helping my team succeed to the best of my abilities."
Having spent this season as the team's Assistant Director, McCarty will change roles in 2015 to the Women's Performance Director.
"With Pat at the helm for 2015, we're putting our program in the best position to be successful," said Performance Director Jonas Carney. "Pat had an excellent professional career in his own right and knows what it takes to win. He did a great job last year in his first year as a director, and we are excited to have him as a leader for 2015."
Excited by his new role, McCarty outlined several specific goals for the upcoming season.
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"Before we started assembling a roster for 2015, we first determined our specific goals," said McCarty. "In 2014, we targeted the team time trial at the world championships in Ponferrada, Spain, and we finished 4th – an exceptional result. We will again make that race a major goal, especially with the world championships in Richmond, Virginia next summer.
"We will again target National Racing Calendar events, the US national championships, La Course by Le Tour de France, the Women's Tour of Britain, and work hard to defend Leah's championships."
2015 Optum Pro Cycling presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies Women's Roster: Lex Albrecht (Canada), Annie Ewart (Canada), Jasmin Glaesser (Canada), Janel Holcomb (United States), Ariane Horbach (United States), Maura Kinsella (United States), Leah Kirchmann (Canada), Ally Stacher (United States), Alison Tetrick (United States), and Brianna Walle (United States).
