Axeon to conclude successful 2016 season in Alberta, USA Pro Road Tour continues at Gateway Cup, Horner, Pate, Acevedo to Bucks County criterium
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Jarlinson Pantano (IAM Cycling) and Rafal Majka (Tinkoff) on the attack
Irish U23 champion Eddie Dunbar rides for Axeon-Hagens Berman this year(Image credit: Axeon-Hagens Berman)
The women line up for the final Gateway Cup race(Image credit: Matt James)
Danny Pate (Rally Cycling) sets the pace for his teammates Brad Huff and Tom Zirbel. By virtue of time bonuses Brad Huff took the leaders jersey from his teammate Zirbel. (Image credit: Matthew Moses)
Chris Horner in action at the Winston-Salem Classic.(Image credit: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us)
Pantano had a highly successful Tour de France, winning stage 15 in Culoz and coming second on two other mountain stages in Morzine and Finhaut-Emosson. He impressed so much that he replaced Nairo Quintana on Colombia's team for the Olympic Games. Pantano confirmed he would ride for the team in August, but the official announcement came from the team today.
"This team has always drawn my attention. It's magnificent to join my dream team starting January 2017," Pantano said. "It goes without saying that my stage victory in this year's Tour de France has changed things a lot for me, but it doesn't prevent me from keeping my feet on the ground. So my ambitions for next year are pretty simple. First of all, I want to support the team and do my job as well as possible in whatever the team asks me to do during the race for our leaders. Secondly, I want to adapt to the team, to all the riders and the staff; I am excited to join the Trek family. And last but not least, when I get an opportunity to go for the win, I will give it my all."
General Manager Luca Guercilena looked forward to the Colombian's entry to the team. "I am convinced Jarlinson will be of great added value to the team. He has already proven to be a force in stage races, and will be a great support for our GC riders in the Grand Tours. And, as we have witnessed this year, Jarlinson can win stages and go for the GC in one-week stage races. He performs very well in mountain stages, and can do well when it comes to a sprint with a reduced group. We are excited to have him join Trek-Segafredo next year."
Axeon Hagens Berman team to conclude successful 2016 season in Alberta
American squad Axeon Hagens Berman will end a successful 2016 season at the Tour of Alberta that starts today in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. The team is hoping that their trademark aggressive style of racing will garner them a stage win before the race concludes on September 5 in Edmonton.
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"With the variety of riders we take to Canada, we hope to be aggressive in the breakaways and score a couple of good finishes," Axel Merckx said in a team press release. "All season long, the guys have been proving it in some pretty outstanding and amazing ways. So we expect nothing short of that in our last team race of the year."
The team will line up without US road champion Greg Daniel, who broke his collarbone at the Tour of Utah and will next race at the World Championships in Qatar.
The team's line-up will include Eddie Dunbar, who won a stage at An Post Ras, Chad Young, Jonny Brown, Colin Joyce, Justin Oien, Phil O'Donnell and Tyler Williams.
"It is a race that should suit me well and has a good level, so I'm really excited about it," Williams said. "It will be a bit of a different crew of guys at this race, so I am sure everyone has big ambitions. It should be a fun and exciting week."
Axeon Hagens Berman have had 15 wins this season with Daniel securing the US road title and the overall at Tour de Beauce. Nielson Powless won Joe Martin Stage Race, and stages at Tour de Beauce and Tour de l'Avenir. Adrien Costa also won a stage at Tour de l'Avenir. Tao Geoghegan Hart won Trofeo Piva and a stage at Tour de Savoie Mont Blanc. Logan Owen won the U23 Liege-Bastogne-Liege. And Ruben Guerreiro kicked off the year with a win at GP Palio.
USA Pro Road Tour continues at Gateway Cup
The USA Cycling Pro Road Tour will continue at the Gateway Cup this weekend. The four days of criterium racing starts on Friday and will conclude on Labour Day Monday in Missouri.
Neilson Powless (Axeon Hagens Berman) is currently leading the PRT men's standings ahead of Travis McCabe (Holowesko-Citadel) and Ty Magner (UHC).
Samantha Schneider (ISCorp Cycling p/b SmartChoice MRI) is leading the PRT women's standings ahead of Coryn Rivera (UHC) and Kristin Armstrong (Twenty16-Ridebiker).
The Gateway Cup Criteriuum Omnium is a four-day event and the 23rd stop on the Pro Road Tour. The twilight event will start with the Tour de Lafayette, held on a square, 0.9-mile course around Lafayette Square in St. Louis. The women will begin racing at 8:15 p.m. for a 55-minute race and the men will start at 9:15 p.m. for a 60-minute criteirum.
The Omnium will continue at the Tour de Francis Park, held on a square circuit around Francis Park in the neighbourhood of St. Louis Hills. The women's race will begin at 4:30 p.m. for 55 minutes of racing and the men will begin at 5:30 p.m. for 75 minutes of racing.
The Giro della Montagne is the third event of the Omnium weekend and features a rectangular circuit. The 55-minute women's race will start at 3:10 p.m. and the 70-minute men's race will start at 4:25 p.m.
The Gateway Cup will conclude with the Benton Park Classic. Held on a figure-8 loop, it will mark the most challenging of courses throughout the weekend. The 55-minute women's race will begin at 1:05 p.m. and the 75-minute men's race will start at 2:05 p.m., after which the winners of the men's and women's Omnium will be crowned.
Horner, Pate, Acevedo to Bucks County Classic criterium
Following the Gateway Cup on Labour Day weekend, the Pro Road Tour will move to Pennsylvania for two days of racing at the UCI 1.2 Reading 120 on September 10 and the Thompson Criterium of Doylestown on September 11.
Former WorldTour riders, who now race for US domestic teams: Danny Pate (Rally Cycling), Chris Horner (Lupus) and Janier Acevedo (Jamis) are confirmed to be on the start line for the Sunday criterium.
"The combination of the two events - combined with the Reading 120 the day before - makes this a perfect event for people of all ages," Race director John Eustice said. "Fans can see Tour de France riders in a perfect spectator event without having to go all the way to Europe."
The Pro Road Tour will then finish at the Mayors Cup in Boston on September 17.
