Zabriskie wins pro time trial championship

Zabriskie motored to a 32-second win over defending champ Chris Baldwin to claim his second national title as a pro (photo: Casey B. Gibson)

Greenville, S.C. (September 1, 2006)�USA Cycling awarded its first-ever professional time trial national championship Friday to David Zabriskie (Salt Lake City, Utah/CSC) who outpaced 54 other pro cyclists to claim a stars-and-stripes jersey.

Zabriskie, 27, beat defending elite men�s time trial champion Chris Baldwin (Boulder, Colo./Toyota-United) by a 31.97-second margin after Baldwin crashed in the final 400 yards of the 20.13-mile course.

The only American in history to win a stage in each of cycling�s three grand tours � the Tour de France, the Giro d�Italia and the Vuelta a Espa�a � Zabriskie clocked a winning time of 41 minutes, 49.59 seconds on a rolling course to capture his second-career national time trial title as a pro. Zabriskie captured the 2004 elite men�s national title as a member of the U.S. Postal Service Team when the race was open to both professional and amateur riders alike.

�I rode the course once yesterday; it turned out to be a lot harder today than I was expecting it to be,� Zabriskie said. �I knew the course was short, and I knew it would really be an intense effort. When I went through the time check, I believed that I was 20 seconds ahead, and to me that wasn�t enough time. I really started digging as deep as I could go.�

At the race�s midway mark, Baldwin held an eight-second advantage on Zabriskie and was on pace to defend his title before an eleventh-hour crash derailed his hopes. Entering one of the course�s final turns too fast, Baldwin locked up his rear wheel and crashed. The crash resulted in a flat tire that necessitated a bike change, and the slow, uphill restart that followed made it all but impossible for Baldwin to remain a threat. At the line, Baldwin still turned in the second-fastest time, posting a 42:21.56.

�It�s pretty ironic, commented Baldwin afterwards. �I�m usually the guy who knows every inch of the course and am pretty meticulous about pre-riding. I only rode it once, the day before. At 20 miles per hour, it's totally different than coming into it hot at 40 miles per hour with a narrow tire and a disc (wheel).�

Jason McCartney (Coralville, Iowa/Discovery Channel) completed the podium, placing third with a time of 42:41.00.

Podium L to R: McCartney, Zabriskie, Baldwin (photo: Casey B. Gibson)

As professional cycling continues to grow in America, the inaugural USA Cycling Professional Time Trial National Championship was a departure from the past in which professional and amateur riders competed in the same event to decide one champion. Earlier this year, the elite race awarded a national title to the best rider on a non-UCI-registered team at the USA Cycling National Festival at Seven Springs where Matt Cooke (Washington, D.C./LSV Kelly Benefit Strategies) earned a national title.

Zabriskie, one of only five Americans to wear the yellow jersey in the Tour de France, now sets his sights on the UCI Road World Championships in Salzburg, Austria September 21. Although net yet officially selected, Zabriskie has met the automatic qualification criteria and has expressed his interest in competing for a rainbow jersey.

The USA Cycling Professional National Championships conclude Sunday with the 121-mile road race. For the first time in the 21-year history of the event, the race will feature an all-American field.

2006 USA Cycling Professional National Championships
Greenville, S.C.
Sept. 1-3

Time Trial Results

1. Dave Zabriskie (Salt Lake City, Utah/CSC) 41:49.59 (46.48kph)
2 Chris Baldwin (Boulder, Colo./Toyota-United) +0.31.97
3. Jason McCartney (Coralville, Iowa/Discovery Channel) +0.51.41
4. Mike Friedman (Boulder, Colo./TIAA CREF) +1.08.41
5. Bernard VanUlden (Belmont, Calif./Navigators Insurance) +1.25.47
6. Danny Pate (Colorado Springs, Colo./TIAA CREF) +1.28.41
7. Tom Abb Zirbel (Boulder, Colo./Priority Health) +1.29.68
8. Jeff Louder (Salt Lake City, Utah/Health Net-Maxxis) +1.37.72
9. Chris Wherry (Boulder, Colo./Toyota-United) +1.48.08
10. Mike Creed (Colorado Springs, Colo./TIAA CREF) +2.12.41

About USA Cycling
Recognized by the U.S. Olympic Committee and the Union Cycliste Internationale, USA Cycling promotes American cycling through its 56,000 members and 2,000 annual events. USA Cycling associations include the BMX Association (BMX), National Off-Road Bicycle Association (mountain bike), U.S. Cycling Federation (road/track), the National Collegiate Cycling Association and the U.S. Professional Racing Organization (professional men�s road). For more information visit www.usacycling.org or contact, USA Cycling Director of Marketing and Communications, Andy Lee at 719-866-4867.

This Article Published September 1, 2006 For more information contact: