Michael Creed (Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth) and the rest of the Kelly team set the pace for the field for most of the race. (Image credit: Matthew Moses)
USA Cycling announced on Monday the 12 teams registered as UCI Continental Teams in the United States, as well as the two US-based squads registered as UCI Women's Teams for the 2012 racing season.
The 12 Continental Teams are in addition to the two US-based UCI ProTeams (BMC Racing, and Garmin-Cervelo) and the two Professional Continental Teams (Team Type 1-Sanofi and UnitedHealthCare Pro Cycling Team) previously announced by the UCI. This means that all together, the United States houses 16 professional men's cycling teams recognized by the UCI.
US-based UCI Continental Teams for 2012 include: Bissell Cycling, BMC Hincapie Sportswear Development Team, Bontrager Livestrong Team, Chipotle Development Team, Competitive Cyclist Racing Team, Jamis/Sutter Home, Jelly Belly Cycling Team, Kenda/5-Hour Energy Cycling Team, Team Exergy, Team Mountain Khakis/Smartstop, Team Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies, and Wonderful Pistachios Cycling
For 2012, the Kelly Benefit Strategies team will be known as Team Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies thanks to a new title sponsor. Last year Optum was a secondary sponsor. The squad has signed Tom Zirbel for 2012.
Team Mountain Khakis/Smartstop is making a return to this UCI registered continental team list.
Bontrager took over title sponsorship from Trek for the Bontrager Livestrong Team. The team is now indepedent from Radioshack because in 2011, the association meant that it wasn't allowed to race the Amgen Tour of California, Tour of Utah or USA Pro Cycling Challenge due to being part of the same organization. Chipotle Development Team, on the other hand, has not implemented such a separation and has plans to race in Europe.
In addition, two US-based women's squads are registered with the UCI in 2012: Exergy TWENTY 12 and Team TIBCO/To the Top.
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Team rosters follow.
Bissell Cycling Andy Baker (USA) Chris Baldwin (USA) Chris Barton (USA) Patrick Bevin (NZl) Andrew Dahleheim (USA) Benjamin Jacques-Maynes (USA) Carter Jones (USA) Chase Pinkham (USA) Kevin Pipp (USA) Jeremy Vennell (NZl) Eric Young (USA)
BMC Hincapie Sportswear Development Team Isaac Enderline (USA) Tyler Karnes (USA) Parker Kyzer (USA) Ty Magner (USA) Alder Philip Martez (USA) Andrew Joseph Meyer (USA) Tanner Putt (USA) Mike Stone (USA) Edison Blair Turner (USA) Alesksa Velickovic (Srb) Jovan Zekaica (Srb)
Bontrager Livestrong Team Josh Atkins (NZl) Ian Boswell (USA) Nathan Brown (USA) Lawson Craddock (USA) Jasper De Buyst (Bel) Joe Dombrowski (USA) Ryan Eastman (USA) Gavin Mannion (USA) Dale Parker (USA) Jasper Stuyven (Bel)
Chipotle Development Team Joshua Berry (USA) Robert Bush (USA) Robin Carpenter (USA) Andzs Flaksis (Lat) Evan Hyde (USA) Andrei Krasilikau (Blr) Adam Leibovitz (USA) Michael Midlarsky (USA) Lachlan Morton (Aus) Anders Newbury (USA) Alister Ratcliff (USA) Thomas Scully (NZl) Robert Squire (USA) Daniel Summerhill (USA) Steele Von Hoff (Aus)
Competitive Cyclist Racing Team Chad Beyer (USA) Ian Burnett (USA) Cesar Grajales (Col) Phil Grenfell (Aus) Cole House (USA) Max Jenkins (USA) Nate King (USA) Francisco Mancebo (ESP) Tommy Nankervis (Aus) Mike Olheiser (USA) Thomas Rabou (Ned) Taylor Sheldon (USA) David Williams (USA)
Jamis/Sutter Home Fernando Antogna (Arg) Alejandro Borrajo (Arg) Anibal Borrajo (Arg) James Driscoll (USA) Bradley Gehrig (USA) Carson Miller (USA) Philip Mooney (USA) Luis Romero Amaran (Cub) Eric Schildge (USA) John Simes (USA) Petrus Van Dijk (Ned) Kyle Wamsley (USA) Tyler Wren (USA)
Jelly Belly Cycling Team Menso De Young (USA) Luis Enrique Davila (Mex) Alex Hagman (USA) Nic Hamilton (Can) Sergio Hernandez (USA) Charles Huff (USA) Sean Mazich (USA) Semerson Oronte (USA) Jeremy Powers (USA) Scott Stewart (USA) Ricardo Van Der Velde (Ned)
Kenda/5-Hour Energy Cycling Team Gregg Brandt (USA) Luca Damiani (Ita) Nathanial English (USA) Philip Gaimon (USA) Chad Harltey (USA) Stephen Housely (USA) Isaac Howe (USA) Andrew Jacques-Maynes (USA) Roman Kilun (USA) Max Korus (USA) Patrick Lemieux (USA) Paul Mach (USA) Shawn Milne (USA) Jonathan Murphy (USA) James Stemper (USA) Robert Sweeting (USA) Curtis Winsor (USA)
Team Exergy Carlos Alzate Escobar (Col) Andre Alzate Escobar (Col) Kai Applequist (USA) Benjamin Chaddock (Can) Matt Cooke (USA) Zachary Davies (USA) Andrew Diaz Corales (Col) Sam Johnson (USA) Quinn Keogh (USA) Logan Loader (USA) Conor Mullervy (USA) Kevin Mullervy (USA) Fred Rodriguez (USA) Morgan Schmitt (USA) Serghei Tvetcov (Mda)
Team Mountain Khakis/Smartstop Neil Bezdek (USA) Thomas Brown (USA) Jon Hamblen (USA) Luke Keough (USA) Shane Kline (USA) Travis Livermon (USA) Chris Monteleone (USA) Clay Murfet (Aus) Jerome Townsend (USA) Benjamin Zawacki (USA)
Team Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies Jesse Anthony (USA) Andrew Bajadali (USA) Colton Barrett (USA) Alexander Candelario (USA) Marsh Cooper (Can) Michael Creed (USA) Michael Friedman (USA) Chad Haga (USA) Kenneth Hanson (USA) Cheyne Hoag (USA) Ian Moir (USA) Reid Mumford (USA) Cody O’Reilly (USA) Christopher Parrish (USA) Sebastian Salas (Can) Michael Sherer (USA) Thomas Soladay (USA) Thomas Zirbel (USA) Scott Zwizanski (USA)
Wonderful Pistachios Cycling Eric Bennett (USA) Taylor Bertrand Barrett (USA) Yosvany Falcon (USA) Sterline Magnell (USA) Victor Riquelme (USA) Collin Samaan (USA) Iggy Silva (USA) Erik Slack (USA) Brett Tack (USA)
Team TIBCO/To the Top Megan Guarnier (USA) Lauren Hall (USA) Lauren Hecht (USA) Joanne Kiesanowski (NZl) Amanda Miller (USA) Lindsay Myers (USA) Jennifer Purcell (USA) Kendall Ryan (USA) Samantha Schneider (USA) Jennifer Wheeler (USA) Tara Whitten (Can) Erinne Willock (Can)
