Jerseys Up for Grabs at 2003 Elite Roads

SEVEN SPRINGS, Pa. (May 19, 2003) –  Hundreds of cyclists from across the country will converge to the southwest corner of Pennsylvania for their shot at National Championship jerseys in road race and individual time trial events to be held Tuesday and Wednesday, May 21-22 at Seven Springs Mountain Resort in Pennsylvania. 

Situated at 2,990 feet, the resort will host the two-day championships beginning with the time trial event Wednesday. The relatively flat course will start and finish at picturesque Laurel Hill State Park, four miles east of the resort.  The start/finish of the road race will be located at the base of the resort.

Kimberly Bruckner (Boulder, Colo.) of Team T-Mobile looks to defend her title in the women’s individual time trial event while 2002 men’s runner-up Chris Horner (Saturn Cycling Team) will look to take the men’s top spot as 2002 National Time Trial Champion Dylan Casey has retired and will not compete.  Bruckner, 32, will have a host of eager riders looking to clock the day’s fastest time, as riders put their fitness on the line for 34.5 km of smooth pavement.

Bruckner will be joined by a sizeable T-Mobile team consisting of both riders from their Global and National teams. Teammate Amber Neben looks to improve on a pair of second-place finishes in Nashville last July. Bruckner, Neben and the rest of the Global team are coming off a two-week tour of Europe where the team competed in several one-day classic races finishing their demanding European campaign with the four-day Gracia Tour in the Czech Republic. Neben will be especially tough on the time trial course as the Irvine resident most recently powered to a superb stage victory in the individual time trial at the Gracia Tour.

Also set to compete is defending Espoir women’s champion Megan Elliott who will ride under the colors of the Saturn Cycling Team and will contest for a second national championship jersey in the road race.

On the men’s side, several spirited riders will look to attack and take the elite men’s title.  Top riders include Chris Horner (Saturn) and teammate Tom Danielson.  Danielson, 25, started off his 2003 campaign off strong with a spectacular overall victory in the international stage race in Malaysia – the Tour de Langkawi.

Also contesting for the stars and stripes jersey will be Jonathan Vaughters, formerly of the Credit Agricole Professional Cycling Team based in France.  The 29 year-old currently spins for the Prime Alliance squad and looks to make his mark on the domestic scene with a solid performance in Pennsylvania.