Team TIBCO-SVB announced its 2015 roster Friday, including three new recruits that should help bolster the American UCI team's international firepower.
New Zealander Emily Collins, German Kathrin Hammes and Australian Joanne Hogan will join the longstanding US squad that won both the team and individual rankings of USA Cycling's 2014 National Racing Calendar and the Women’s Prestige Cycling Series.
Collins joins TIBCO-SVB after two seasons with Wiggle-Honda, where she achieved solid results that included wins at the Omloop van Het Hageland and the New Zealand National Criterium Championship in 2013.
“Emily has shown throughout her career that she can take a leadership role when the situation warrants it, but can also ride strongly for her teammates,” said Ed Beamon, Team TIBCO-SVB General Manager and Sports Director. “She has an aggressive racing style that fits well with our Team. We’re looking forward to giving her more opportunities and room to grow.”
Collins, as well as Hogan, have already started their season at the Mitchelton Bay Cycling Classic in Australia.
Hammes comes to the team following a strong 2014 season. She won a stage of the UCI Tour de l’Ardeche and posted top-15 overall results at Ardeche and the Thuringen Rundfahrt. She also won the World University Cycling Championship Road Race and finished 2nd in the WUC time trial.
“Kathrin has been improving steadily in her career, but 2014 was definitely a breakout year with her stage win at Ardeche,” Beamon said. “She has a big engine, is a strong time trialist and a very hard worker. We’re also looking forward to helping Kathrin continue to develop her talent.”
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Hogan was a consistently good performer throughout 2014 for the Bigla squad, taking a win at the Fleche Wanzoise in Belgium while finishing in the top 10 Overall of the Thuringen Rundfahrt and top 15 of the Fleche Wallone World Cup. In 2013, she started her season with 2nd in the Australian Road Championships, and finished by winning the Oostkamp kermesse in Belgium.
“Jo brings us a great amount of experience,” said team Founder Linda Jackson. “She’s competed in all the major races internationally and she’s able to do well in all types of races.”
Collins, Hogan and Hammes join a returning group that made up the majority of the 2014 squad, including 2014 NRC individual overall champion Lauren Stephens and three-time New Zealand Olympian and team captain Joanne Kiesanowski. They’re joined by two-time Swiss time trial champion and Joe Martin Stage Race stage winner Patricia Schwager, sprinter Kendall Ryan, climber Krista Doebel-Hickok, who got her first big NRC win at the Cascade Cycling Classic in 2014, as well as Sara Headley and young Canadians Alizee Brien and Anika Todd.
Doebel-Hickok, Hammes, Headley, Ryan, Stephens and Todd are presently in Argentina to contest seven days of racing that begins January 10 at the UCI 1.2 Grand Prix San Luis, followed by the UCI 2.2 Tour de San Luis from January 11-16.
2015 Team TIBCO-SVB Roster: Alizee Brien (CAN), Anika Todd (CAN), Emily Collins (NZL), Joanne Kiesanowski (NZL), Joanne Hogan (AUS), Kathrin Hammes (GER), Kendall Ryan (USA), Krista Doebel-Hickok (USA), Lauren Stephens (USA), Patricia Schwager (SWI), Sara Headley (USA)
