The organisers of America's Univest Grand Prix, which will be held over the weekend of September 9-10 in Souderton, PA, have announced a field of 28 teams for the UCI 1.2 classified event. Top US teams Navigators Insurance Company and Toyota-United Pro will headline the roster, along with Team TIAA-CREF, recent winners of the USPRO National Criterium Championships.
Russian Vassili Davidenko (Navigators), now a resident of Mt. Arlington in New Jersey, will face tough challengers Argentinean sprinter Juan-Jose Haedo (TUP) and his teammate Ivan Dominguez. New Jersey-based Colavita Olive Oil Professional Cycling Team will also be sending a powerful team featuring former USPRO Champion Mark McCormack and Italian Davide Frattini. Strong international professional squads from Mexico, Germany, Poland and Canada will look to take advantage of the in-fighting between the U.S. teams and take the win in Souderton on Saturday and the lion’s share of the $20,000 prize list. Last year’s second-place finisher Amos Brumble, an Elite with CCB-Volkswagen, will return to the roads of Montgomery and Bucks counties to challenge the professional class of riders.
Sunday’s Univest Grand Prix of Doylestown Criterium will feature the sprinters. Team TIAA-CREF will arrive in Doylestown with the past two winners of the 50-lap circuit race, Chad Hartley (2004) and Mike Friedman (2005). They will be looking to capitalize on their recent strong showing at the USPRO National Criterium Championships. Expect Haedo, Oleg Grishkine (Navigators) and former US Criterium Champion Frank Pipp of TargeTraining to also figure prominently in the flat, fast race.
The weekend will also feature a 100 km cyclosportif event on Saturday, September 9, which will be led by former pro and cycling commentator Frankie Andreu, who will also be announcing the live television broadcast of the Univest Grand Prix on 69 WFMZ-TV.
The recreational ride will benefit the Indian Creek Foundation for the developmentally disabled, and will take place on the Univest Grand Prix race-course, starting in Souderton at 8:00am.
Full team roster: Navigators Insurance Cycling Team, Toyota-United Pro, Colavita Olive Oil-Sutter Home Wine, Sparkasse – Etta Maes Antiques (Germany), TECOS – Alderfer Auction (Mexico), MBK-Scout – Doylestown Hospital (Poland), Heinz von Heiden/Hanover – Wolf Block (Germany), Calyon-Litespeed, Canada, Team TIAA-CREF, TargeTraining, AEG-Toshiba-JetNetwork, Rite Aid , Priority Health, VMG Racing, Canadian National Team, Garneu-Optik, Jet Fuel Coffee, Ital Pasta transport Belmire, CRCA/Sakonnet Technology, Fiordifruitta, CCB-Vokswagon, GS Mengoni, LSV/Kelly Benefit Strategies, Kenda/Raleigh, Pactimo/Kane Bikes, GS Lombardi Sports, Nature’s Path presented by Fuji, Abercrombie & Fitch
More information www.univestgrandprix.com
