US Continental team Subway has finalised its roster for 2005. The squad consists of 12 elite men and seven elite women riders, and will kick off its season with a camp in Merced, California, between February 25 - March 7. The camp will also overlap the first NRC race of the year McLane Pacific, which will serve as the team's first official race outing.
Seven riders will return from 2004 to the men's team, with the five new additions all under 26 years old. With only three riders over age 30, Subway will function as a development team, focusing on UCI races and top National Racing Calendar races in the U.S. "I'm looking forward to taking this group of riders to the biggest races in the US and teaching these guys to race and present themselves as pros," said returning Manager/Director René Wenzel. "We have some great young talent and some older guys who are really committed to the team. I think we'll surprise a lot of people this year."
Returning to the Subway team is Australian Cameron Hughes of Scotts Head, Australia, as well as 2001 Elite US Champion Remi McManus of Boise, ID. David Richter of Seattle, WA returns as one of the teams sprinters, while the team's virtual "Jared", youngster Omer Kem of Salem, OR returns slimmed down from 162 to 145 pounds for 2005, making the 2003 Oregon Pro Mountain Bike Series Champion a threat in the hills. Sprinter Nathaniel Cornelius (Lexington, KY), Todd Cornelius (Indianapolis, IN), and Robbie Yost (Murfreesboro, TN) are also returning.
New to the team is road convert Ryan McKenzie, a seven-time Canadian National Champion on the track from Calgary, Alberta. The team is also adding Joshua Carter of Fairview Heights, IL, Peter Femal (Appleton, WI), Kevin Vanes (Indianapolis, IN), and Scott Walters (Oak Brook, IL).
On the women's side, the team includes the winner of the 2004 Tour of Somerville and American Criterium Series Champion Melissa Sanborn of McKenzie Bridge, Oregon. Climber Suz Weldon of Briar, Washington, winner of the state's Best All-round Rider competition in both 2003 and 2004, Sima Trapp (Boise, ID) and Nichole Wangsgard (Longmont, CO), Liza Rachetto (Boise, ID), Emily Westbrook (Seattle, WA), and Crystal Yap (Logan, UT) round out the women's team.
Like the men, the women's team will also go after a strong NRC showing. "Our women's team has a particularly good mix of sprinting, time trialing and climbing talent. With strong direction, we expect this team to win a lot of races," said Wenzel. That direction will come from Wenzel himself, along with assistant directors Erin Hartwell (two-time Olympic medalist) and former racer Kendra Wenzel (team Saeco-Timex).
Team Subway will again be aboard Fuji bicycles, riding the same new carbon framesets as Judith Arndt did in her 2004 World Championship ride.
Team roster
Men:
Joshua Carter - 26 - Fairview Heights, Illinois - USA
Nathaniel Cornelius - 27 - Lexington, Kentucky - USA
Todd C. Cornelius - 26 - Indianapolis, Indiana - USA
Peter Femal - Appleton, Wisconsin - USA
Cameron Hughes - 33 - Scotts Head - AUS
Omer Kem - 23 - Salem, Oregon - USA
Ryan McKenzie - 22 - Calgary, Alberta - CAN
Remi McManus - 30 - Boise, Idaho - USA
David Richter - 35 - Seattle, Washington - USA
Kevin Vanes - 25 - Indianapolis, Indiana - USA
Scott Walters - 23 - Oak Brook, Illinois - USA
Robbie Yost - 23 - Murfreesboro, Tennessee - USA
Women:
Liza Rachetto - 31 - Boise, Idaho - USA
Melissa Sanborn - 33 - McKenzie Bridge, Oregon - USA
Sima Trapp - 32 - Boise, Idaho - USA
Nichole Wangsgard - 33 - Longmont, Colorado - USA
Suz Weldon - 37 - Briar, Washington - USA
Emily Westbrook - 33 - Seattle, Washington
Crystal Yap - 32 - Logan, Utah - USA
Manager/Director: René Wenzel
Express Racing Business Director: Daniel Byrne
Assistant Director: Erin Hartwell
Assistant Director: Kendra Wenzel
Sponsors (partial list)
Subway (www.subway.com), Fuji Bicycles (www.fujibikes.com), Truvativ cranks (www.truvative.com), Byrne Specialty Gases (www.byrnegas.com), FSA (men) (www.fullspeedahead.com), Rudy Project (www.rudyprojectusa.com), OS Cycling (www.oscycling.com), Santini (ts.cycling@verizon.met), Active Sports Cream (www.puracare.com), Essentia Water (www.essentia.com), Speedplay (www.speedplay.com), N-Zymeceuticals (www.nzymeceuticals.com), Santiam Bicycles (www.santiambicycle.com), Bio-Energy), Inc. (www.bioenergy.com), Mortimer's Downtown Boise (www.mortimersidaho.com), Smartbikeparts.com (www.smartbikeparts.com), Bacardi (www.bacardi.com), Wenzel Coaching (www.wenzelcoaching.com), MOAB Bikes (www.moabbikes.com), Galaxy Granola (www.galaxygranola.com).
Website: www.expressracing.net
