Olympics Staff Bios
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Print Bill Peterson: Chairman, USA Cycling Board of Directors
William (Bill) Peterson was elected Chairman of USA Cycling's Board of Directors in March of 2010 and re-elected for a second term in April 2012. The Florida resident is a dynamic senior executive with over 20 successful years growing and directing companies for some of the world's leaders in sports, entertainment, events, and hospitality. He recently launched a private firm called Solve4 that focuses on management and project consulting. Prior to launching his own company he served as Chief Operating Officer of the United Football League, Peterson led efforts to re-launch five new teams in the outdoor professional football league. Peterson formerly served as Executive Vice President of Centerplate, at the time, a large public hospitality company with over 28,000 employees. Also a former vice president with Anschutz Entertainment Group in Los Angeles, Peterson drove its Sports Division, which manages everything from the David Beckham Academy to corporate-sponsored cycling, track and field and tennis events. Peterson was an integral part of the initial development of the Tour of California and served as the point person for two UCI Track Cycling World Championships. While at Anschutz, he also held the position as managing director of the Home Depot Center outside Los Angeles where he spearheaded the construction of the nation's only 250-meter, indoor velodrome.
His career highlights also include working with the National Football League's European operation for almost 10 years, the last two as managing director and then President.
Peterson earned his Bachelor of Science in health, physical education and recreation from Lock Haven University in Pennsylvania. He has also served on advisory boards for: the Los Angeles Sports Commission, LA Triathlon, Long Beach Convention and Visitors Board, California State University, Dominquez Hills Education and the Board of Governors for Major League Soccer. He has been married for 13 years to his wife Lisa and they have two daughters.
Steve Johnson: USA Cycling President & Chief Executive Officer
As USA Cycling’s President & Chief Executive Officer, Steve Johnson oversees all facets of the official governing body for all disciplines of competitive cycling in the United States. Prior to his appointment as CEO by the USA Cycling Board of Directors in May of 2006, Steve Johnson worked for the organization in a variety of capacities since 1999. Although a native of Portland Ore., Steve considers Utah his home, having lived there nearly 40 years before joining USA Cycling. With a Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology and a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Utah, Steve served as a professor in his alma mater’s Exercise and Sports Science Department from 1985-2000 and is a former director of the school’s Human Performance Research Lab. Following his 15-year teaching and research career, Steve came to USA Cycling as a high performance consultant in 1999 where he was responsible for developing and launching several innovative programs including the successful National Development Program and USA Cycling’s Coaching Association. He was named the organization’s Chief Operating Officer in 2000 and in the same year created the USA Cycling Development Foundation, which has since raised over 12 million dollars for athlete development. In 2002, Steve also became the governing body’s director of athletics, overseeing all athletic programs from developmental to elite across all disciplines of competitive cycling. Under Steve’s tenure as Director of Athletics, the United States Cycling Team won three Olympic medals at the 2004 Games in Athens where Steve served as Team Leader.
A former competitive cyclist himself, Steve began an amateur road racing career in 1979 that yielded eight national titles. At the masters level, Steve won four road race national championships, three criterium championships and one time trial title. Growing up in Utah, Steve became an avid alpine ski competitor and coach, and served as the director of sports science for the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (formerly U.S. Skiing) in Park City from 1991-93. He currently resides with his wife, Kris, in Larkspur, Colo.
Sean Petty: USA Cycling Chief Operating Officer
USA Cycling’s Chief Operating Officer, Sean Petty oversees the Sponsorship, Membership, National Events, International Relations, Officials, Anti-Doping and Information Technology departments for the national governing body. Sean’s experience in cycling dates back to 1985 when he joined the Southland Corporation, the parent company of 7-Eleven, as sports marketing manager. While at Southland, he managed the 7-Eleven Cycling Team program – the first American team to compete in the Tour de France. Following his tenure there, Sean joined USA Cycling in 1994 as managing director of the U.S. Professional Racing Organization. In 1997, he was promoted to director of athletic performance, a role in which he managed elite athlete development and training programs in all Olympic disciplines. In 2001,
he was named Vice President of Marketing and was responsible for securing sponsorships and other financial support for USA Cycling’s programs, athletes and events. Sean is also a member of the UCI
Road Commission, which oversees elite men’s and women’s, U23 men’s and junior men’s and women’s racing for the international cycling federation. A native Texan, Sean earned a Bachelor’s degree in journalism from Texas A&M University. Afterwards, his career experience included positions as director of marketing for the Southwest Conference (1992-94), public relations coordinator for Baylor University Medical Center (1983-85) and work for Hill & Knowlton, Inc. (1980-82), the world’s largest public relations firm. Sean has attended four Olympic Games and numerous world championships in various capacities. In 2000, he was the Team Leader for the U.S. Olympic Cycling Team in Sydney which brought home three medals. Sean resides in Monument, Colo. with his wife, Gayle, and children.
Jim Miller — Team Leader & USA Cycling Vice President of Athletics — From: Casper, Wyo./Lives: Colorado Springs, Colo.
A successful professional cyclist in his own right, Jim coached several cyclists on the side and eventually retired from racing in 1999 to focus solely on his flourishing coaching career. After developing several notable cyclists, Jim came to USA Cycling to run its women’s road program in 2002. After earning Coach of the Year distinctions from the U.S. Olympic Committee in 2003 and 2004, Jim was promoted to director of endurance programs, overseeing the development of American junior, U23 and women endurance athletes in road and track cycling. Following the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games where he coached Kristin Armstrong to the gold, Miller was awarded the USOC’s highest coaching honor, the Order of the Ikkos. Miller was soon promoted to USA Cycling’s director of athletics and, after making significant strides toward the USA Cycling National Development Program’s goal of developing the next generation of American cyclists, was named Vice President of Athletics in 2010. Jim also provides day-to-day training programs for athletes such as four-time world championship medalist Kristin Armstrong, and rising international stars Tejay van Garderen and Ben King. A native of Casper, Wyo., Jim also earned a Bachelor’s degree in exercise physiology from Colorado State University. The 2012 Games will be Jim’s third after serving as the women’s road coach in Athens and Beijing where his athletes brought home silver (Dede Barry ‘04) and gold (Kristin Armstrong ’08). Miller resides in Colorado Springs, Colo., with his wife and two children.
Ken Whelpdale — Team Leader — From: Toronto, Canada/Lives: Mallorca, Spain
USA Cycling’s team leader in London, Whelpdale has worked in cycling for 15 years. A native of Toronto, Whelpdale worked as a mechanic and operations manager with various professional teams in the early part of his career before opening his own sports operations and logistics company, 3F Sports. Whelpdale resides in Mallorca, Spain and has served as the team leader for more than 30 world championships, Pan American and Olympic Games.
Mike Sayers — Men’s Road Team Director — From: Sacramento, Calif.
The current Director Sportif for the professional BMC Racing Team, Sayers was a professional cyclist for 13 years riding with the likes of Comptel-Colorado Cyclist, Mercury, Health Net and BMC. The Sacramento, Calif. native also contested the 2000 Road World Championships for the U.S. and retired from racing in 2008. Sayers currently serves as USA Cycling’s men’s director sportif for the Road World Championships and sits on the Board of Directors for the Sacramento Valley Velodrome Project.
Jackson Stewart — Women’s Road Team Director & USA Cycling Women’s Endurance Program Director — Lives: Los Gatos, Calif.
Following a successful, nine-year career as a professional cyclist that included the BMC Racing Team among others, Stewart joined the coaching ranks as USA Cycling’s women’s endurance program director in 2010. He’s since guided the USA Cycling women’s program to numerous wins including the 2011 Giro di Toscana and 2012 Tour of New Zealand. He holds a B.S. in Business Management from San Jose State University and resides with his wife and two sons in Los Gatos, Calif.
Mike King — BMX Director & USA Cycling’s BMX Programs Director — From: San Diego, Calif.
Born and raised in southern California, San Diego native Mike King has been involved in competitive off-road cycling since 1975 when he entered his first BMX race at the age of five. The BMX Hall of Fame inductee collected numerous accolades as a BMX competitor, including the 1987 Supercross world title, before switching to mountain bike racing in 1993. As a mountain biker, Mike went on to enjoy similar success and won a world championship in the dual slalom discipline that same season. With nearly three decades of experience in BMX and mountain bike racing, Mike became the BMX program director for USA Cycling in 2007 and now oversees the governing body’s day-to-day BMX operations, including its resident athlete program at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif.
James Herrera, CSCS, CISSN — BMX Coach — From: El Paso, Texas/Lives: Colorado Springs, Colo.
A certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) and sports nutritionist (CISSN), Herrera has been coaching cyclists for more than 20 years and working with USA Cycling’s BMX program since 2007. USA Cycling’s 2011 Coach of the Year, Herrera has coached several amateur and professional athletes of numerous disciplines to world and national titles. A native of El Paso, Texas, Herrera holds an M.S. in exercise physiology from the University of Texas – El Paso. Herrera is the founder and owner of Performance Driven, a high performance coaching business, based near his home in Colorado Springs.
Neal Henderson — Track Coach — Lives: Boulder, Colo.
Henderson has been at the forefront of applying scientific principles in the lab and on the field to improve athlete performance. USA Cycling’s 2009 National Coach of the Year and 2007 Developmental Coach of the Year, he formulated additional tools and protocols for aerodynamic drag analysis, which helped determine the specific power required for cyclists to attain a given speed. The results helped pace the U.S. women’s team pursuit squad to the silver medal at the 2011 UCI Track Cycling World Championships. The U.S. Olympic Committee’s 2011 Doc Counsilman Science Coach of the Year award winner, Henderson earned his undergraduate degree in exercise & sport science from Pennsylvania State University and his Master’s degree in kinesiology from the University of Colorado-Boulder. He lives with his family in Boulder, Colo., where he is the director of the sport science department at the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine.
Benjamin Sharp — Track Endurance Director & USA Cycling Director of Endurance Programs — From: Indianapolis, Ind./Lives: Colorado Springs, Colo.
Benjamin has been with USA Cycling since 2007 when he joined as the organization’s junior endurance program manager. During his tenure with the national governing body, he has played a major role in developing USA Cycling’s junior endurance programs as well as the USA’s team pursuit program; which has been considered one of the best in the world since Sarah Hammer, Dotsie Bausch, and Lauren Tamayo set a world record and, along with Jennie Reed, earned the world championship silver in 2011.
The 2001 Elite Criterium National Champion and an eight-time collegiate national champion, Sharp was a competitive cyclist from 1988-2003. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from Indiana University, and prior to becoming a national-level cycling coach was a high school Spanish teacher.
Jamie Staff — Track Sprint Coach & USA Cycling Track Sprint Program Director — From: Ashford, England/Lives: Lake Forest, Calif.
Staff, a British Olympic gold medalist born and raised in Ashford, England, joined USA Cycling in 2010. A member of the gold-medal winning team sprint squad in Beijing, Staff’s accolades on the track include a keirin world title (‘04) and team sprint world titles (’02 and ’05). Attracted to the track late in his career, the 39-year-old got his start in BMX, winning a world title in that discipline in 1996 and attaining world number one status in 2000 and 2001. Staff now manages USA Cycling’s Sprint Track Program based at the Velo Sports Center at the Home Depot Center outside of Los Angeles and resides with his family in Lake Forest, Calif. Staff will coach Bakersfield, Calif. native Jimmy Watkins in the men’s sprint event on the track in London.
Marc Gullickson — Mountain Bike Coach & USA Cycling Mountain Bike Programs Director — From: Palo Alto, Calif./Lives: Colorado Springs, Colo.
A former competitive mountain bike and cyclo-cross racer, Marc Gullickson has represented the United States at 12 UCI Mountain Bike and Cyclo-cross World Championships throughout his career. As USA Cycling Mountain Bike Programs Director, Marc now manages all aspects of the national governing body’s development and elite athlete programs. Born in Palo Alto, Calif., Marc began his athletic career as a cross country skier after moving to upstate New York at the age of 12. Marc went on to compete as a member of the University of New Hampshire cross country ski team where he studied exercise physiology. After using cycling as cross training for skiing he became a full-time bike racer by the age of 20. Before his retirement in 2004, Marc competed for 13 seasons on the domestic and international mountain bike and cyclo-cross circuits. Gullickson has served as the head coach for the U.S. at nearly a dozen mountain bike and cyclo-cross world championships as well as Pan American and Olympic Games. He now resides in Colorado Springs, Colo. with his wife and two children.
Chris Devos – Road Therapist — From / Lives: Oostrozebekem, Belgium
Chris De Vos started his path as a soigneur in 1997 and graduated from soigneur school in 1999. He began working with the riders of the USA Cycling National Development where he accompanied them to road and cyclo-cross world championships around the world. In 2010, De Vos joined BMC Racing Team and was a part of the contingent at all of the world tour classics and contributed to Cadel Evans’ victory at the 2011 Tour de France. Chris is married to Mieke and the couple has two daughters, Lisa and Laura. The family lives in Oostrozebekem, Belgium.
James Green – Road Therapist — From: Laurieton, New South Wales, Australia/Lives: Sydney, Australia
James Green has been a part of the USA Cycling support staff since 2009, working at various international events for the Mountain Bike, Track and Road programs. After spending three years with the Australian cycling program in Europe, Green served as part of the medical staff at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. After that, Green moved to the United States where he worked with the Saturn Cycling Team. Since moving back to Australia, Green has served in various medical capacities for Australia professional football teams. He now lives in Sydney where he is the physical preparation coordinator for the Sydney Swans of the Australia Football League. Green was born in Laurieton, New South Wales, Australia.
Felice Beitzel, Ph.D. L.M.T. – Mountain Bike/Track Therapist — From: Monbulk, Victoria, Australia/Lives: Bend, Ore.
Felice Beitzel, Ph.D., is a licensed massage therapist, soigneur and physiologist, who works alongside BMX coach James Herrera at Performance Driven. She’s accompanied USA Cycling at various track and BMX events. In 2002, Beitzel completed her bachelor’s degrees in science and physiology at the University of Melbourne before earning her doctorate in muscle physiology from the same school in 2007. A native Australian, Beitzel moved to Bend, Ore., in 2008 to pursue her passion of cross-country skiing. While there, she was recruited to work with the Giant Bicycles Mountain Bike Team as a soigneur.
Bernard Condevaux, PT, SCS, CSCS — BMX/Mountain Bike Therapist — From: Detroit, Mich./Lives: Denver, Colo.
Bernard Georges Condevaux is a physical therapist and a sports clinical specialist certified by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties. Condevaux, who grew up in Detroit, Mich., and graduated from Wayne State University in 1987, is not a stranger to the Olympics, having worked with USA Cycling at the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games as well as the 2011 Pan American Games. He also has worked with USA Cycling at all of the mountain bike world championships since 1995. He also has worked pro tour team Quick Step-Omega Pharma at the Amgen Tour of California in 2010 and 2012. Condevaux, who wrote a chapter on cycling injuries for the Encyclopedia of Sports Medicine in 2011, now lives in Denver, Colo., where he works as a physical therapist and market manager for Select Physical Therapy as well as previously working as a rehabilitation consultant with the Colorado Rockies, a major league baseball club, and the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League. Condevaux has been married for 17 years, the couple has two daughters, two dogs and two cats.
Kevin Grove — Road Mechanic — From: Atlanta, Ga./Lives: Girona, Spain
Kevin Thomas Grove received his USA Cycling Mechanics License in 1988 and hasn’t looked back. He grew up in Atlanta, Ga., and graduated from Pennsylvania State University in 1996 with a degree in exercise physiology before earning a Masters degree in sports psychology from the University of Northern Colorado. In the interim, Grove worked with various professional cycling teams, including Comptel Colorado Cyclist, Mercury, Autotrader.com Women’s team and the Navigators Cycling Team before taking focusing on his Masters degree. He then became a mechanic for TIAA-Cref-5280 Cycling Team, which evolved into the Garmin-Sharp team. He currently works with the BMC Racing Team. Grove, his wife and their three kids live in Girona, Spain.
Thomas Neb — Mountain Bike Mechanic — Lives: Durango, Colo.
Thomas Neb has worked as a mechanic in five world championships for either USA Cycling or Giant Bicycles. He served as the team mechanic for Giant from 2002-08 after his career as a mountain bike cyclist. He competed in the mountain bike trials world championships in 2000 and 2001 after graduating from the University of Kentucky in 1997. When he is not on the road, Neb manages a bike shop, San Juan Cycles, in Durango, Colo., where he resides.
Andrea Smith — Press Officer & USA Cycling Director of Communications — From: Hampton, Ga./Lives: Colorado Springs, Colo.
As the Director of Communications for USA Cycling, Andrea works to raise the overall awareness of USA Cycling’s programs across all disciplines and levels of the sport – with the ultimate goal of growing competitive cycling in America. The 33-year-old came to USA Cycling after heading up the media and public relations team at Snowshoe Mountain Resort in West Virginia. Prior to her work in the ski industry, Smith assisted in public relations and development duties at the non-profit HospiceCare in Charleston, W. Va. Her roots however are in sports, having obtained an M.S. in athletic administration from Marshall University in Huntington, W.Va. while working for the Thundering Herd in athletic media relations. The Hampton, Ga. native obtained her bachelor’s degree in communications from Georgia College & State University while playing softball for the Bobcats.
Dave Gaylinn — Press Officer & USA Cycling Communications Manager — From: Upper Saddle River, N.J./Lives: Denver, Colo.
Dave Gaylinn grew up in the northeast corner of New Jersey before graduating from Syracuse University with dual Bachelor degrees in broadcast journalism and political science. After several season-long internships with various teams in the National Football League sent Gaylinn criss-crossing the United States, he landed a full-time job as the public relations manager for the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League. He spent three seasons working in Grand Rapids, Mich., before he landed the public relations manager position with the Denver Broncos of the NFL. He spent five years working with the Broncos before joining USA Cycling as the communications manager. In all, Gaylinn has worked as a volunteer with the NFL at five Super Bowls as well as serving an integral role in the 2004 AHL All-Star Classic in Grand Rapids. Gaylinn lives in Denver and is engaged to be married in late Sept. 2012.
Steve Coupens, M.D. — Medical Doctor — From: Oklahoma City, Okla.
Ian Sherburne — Road Mechanic — From: Alaska/Lives: Belgium
Doug Thralls — Track/BMX therapist — Lives/From: San Diego, Calif.
Thomas Wood — Track Mechanic — From: Philly, Pa./Lives: Los Angeles, Calif.
Paul Wood — BMX Mechanic — Lives/From: Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
William (Bill) Peterson was elected Chairman of USA Cycling's Board of Directors in March of 2010 and re-elected for a second term in April 2012. The Florida resident is a dynamic senior executive with over 20 successful years growing and directing companies for some of the world's leaders in sports, entertainment, events, and hospitality. He recently launched a private firm called Solve4 that focuses on management and project consulting. Prior to launching his own company he served as Chief Operating Officer of the United Football League, Peterson led efforts to re-launch five new teams in the outdoor professional football league. Peterson formerly served as Executive Vice President of Centerplate, at the time, a large public hospitality company with over 28,000 employees. Also a former vice president with Anschutz Entertainment Group in Los Angeles, Peterson drove its Sports Division, which manages everything from the David Beckham Academy to corporate-sponsored cycling, track and field and tennis events. Peterson was an integral part of the initial development of the Tour of California and served as the point person for two UCI Track Cycling World Championships. While at Anschutz, he also held the position as managing director of the Home Depot Center outside Los Angeles where he spearheaded the construction of the nation's only 250-meter, indoor velodrome.
His career highlights also include working with the National Football League's European operation for almost 10 years, the last two as managing director and then President.
Peterson earned his Bachelor of Science in health, physical education and recreation from Lock Haven University in Pennsylvania. He has also served on advisory boards for: the Los Angeles Sports Commission, LA Triathlon, Long Beach Convention and Visitors Board, California State University, Dominquez Hills Education and the Board of Governors for Major League Soccer. He has been married for 13 years to his wife Lisa and they have two daughters.
Steve Johnson: USA Cycling President & Chief Executive Officer
As USA Cycling’s President & Chief Executive Officer, Steve Johnson oversees all facets of the official governing body for all disciplines of competitive cycling in the United States. Prior to his appointment as CEO by the USA Cycling Board of Directors in May of 2006, Steve Johnson worked for the organization in a variety of capacities since 1999. Although a native of Portland Ore., Steve considers Utah his home, having lived there nearly 40 years before joining USA Cycling. With a Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology and a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Utah, Steve served as a professor in his alma mater’s Exercise and Sports Science Department from 1985-2000 and is a former director of the school’s Human Performance Research Lab. Following his 15-year teaching and research career, Steve came to USA Cycling as a high performance consultant in 1999 where he was responsible for developing and launching several innovative programs including the successful National Development Program and USA Cycling’s Coaching Association. He was named the organization’s Chief Operating Officer in 2000 and in the same year created the USA Cycling Development Foundation, which has since raised over 12 million dollars for athlete development. In 2002, Steve also became the governing body’s director of athletics, overseeing all athletic programs from developmental to elite across all disciplines of competitive cycling. Under Steve’s tenure as Director of Athletics, the United States Cycling Team won three Olympic medals at the 2004 Games in Athens where Steve served as Team Leader.
A former competitive cyclist himself, Steve began an amateur road racing career in 1979 that yielded eight national titles. At the masters level, Steve won four road race national championships, three criterium championships and one time trial title. Growing up in Utah, Steve became an avid alpine ski competitor and coach, and served as the director of sports science for the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (formerly U.S. Skiing) in Park City from 1991-93. He currently resides with his wife, Kris, in Larkspur, Colo.
Sean Petty: USA Cycling Chief Operating Officer
USA Cycling’s Chief Operating Officer, Sean Petty oversees the Sponsorship, Membership, National Events, International Relations, Officials, Anti-Doping and Information Technology departments for the national governing body. Sean’s experience in cycling dates back to 1985 when he joined the Southland Corporation, the parent company of 7-Eleven, as sports marketing manager. While at Southland, he managed the 7-Eleven Cycling Team program – the first American team to compete in the Tour de France. Following his tenure there, Sean joined USA Cycling in 1994 as managing director of the U.S. Professional Racing Organization. In 1997, he was promoted to director of athletic performance, a role in which he managed elite athlete development and training programs in all Olympic disciplines. In 2001,
he was named Vice President of Marketing and was responsible for securing sponsorships and other financial support for USA Cycling’s programs, athletes and events. Sean is also a member of the UCI
Road Commission, which oversees elite men’s and women’s, U23 men’s and junior men’s and women’s racing for the international cycling federation. A native Texan, Sean earned a Bachelor’s degree in journalism from Texas A&M University. Afterwards, his career experience included positions as director of marketing for the Southwest Conference (1992-94), public relations coordinator for Baylor University Medical Center (1983-85) and work for Hill & Knowlton, Inc. (1980-82), the world’s largest public relations firm. Sean has attended four Olympic Games and numerous world championships in various capacities. In 2000, he was the Team Leader for the U.S. Olympic Cycling Team in Sydney which brought home three medals. Sean resides in Monument, Colo. with his wife, Gayle, and children.
Jim Miller — Team Leader & USA Cycling Vice President of Athletics — From: Casper, Wyo./Lives: Colorado Springs, Colo.
A successful professional cyclist in his own right, Jim coached several cyclists on the side and eventually retired from racing in 1999 to focus solely on his flourishing coaching career. After developing several notable cyclists, Jim came to USA Cycling to run its women’s road program in 2002. After earning Coach of the Year distinctions from the U.S. Olympic Committee in 2003 and 2004, Jim was promoted to director of endurance programs, overseeing the development of American junior, U23 and women endurance athletes in road and track cycling. Following the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games where he coached Kristin Armstrong to the gold, Miller was awarded the USOC’s highest coaching honor, the Order of the Ikkos. Miller was soon promoted to USA Cycling’s director of athletics and, after making significant strides toward the USA Cycling National Development Program’s goal of developing the next generation of American cyclists, was named Vice President of Athletics in 2010. Jim also provides day-to-day training programs for athletes such as four-time world championship medalist Kristin Armstrong, and rising international stars Tejay van Garderen and Ben King. A native of Casper, Wyo., Jim also earned a Bachelor’s degree in exercise physiology from Colorado State University. The 2012 Games will be Jim’s third after serving as the women’s road coach in Athens and Beijing where his athletes brought home silver (Dede Barry ‘04) and gold (Kristin Armstrong ’08). Miller resides in Colorado Springs, Colo., with his wife and two children.
Ken Whelpdale — Team Leader — From: Toronto, Canada/Lives: Mallorca, Spain
USA Cycling’s team leader in London, Whelpdale has worked in cycling for 15 years. A native of Toronto, Whelpdale worked as a mechanic and operations manager with various professional teams in the early part of his career before opening his own sports operations and logistics company, 3F Sports. Whelpdale resides in Mallorca, Spain and has served as the team leader for more than 30 world championships, Pan American and Olympic Games.
Mike Sayers — Men’s Road Team Director — From: Sacramento, Calif.
The current Director Sportif for the professional BMC Racing Team, Sayers was a professional cyclist for 13 years riding with the likes of Comptel-Colorado Cyclist, Mercury, Health Net and BMC. The Sacramento, Calif. native also contested the 2000 Road World Championships for the U.S. and retired from racing in 2008. Sayers currently serves as USA Cycling’s men’s director sportif for the Road World Championships and sits on the Board of Directors for the Sacramento Valley Velodrome Project.
Jackson Stewart — Women’s Road Team Director & USA Cycling Women’s Endurance Program Director — Lives: Los Gatos, Calif.
Following a successful, nine-year career as a professional cyclist that included the BMC Racing Team among others, Stewart joined the coaching ranks as USA Cycling’s women’s endurance program director in 2010. He’s since guided the USA Cycling women’s program to numerous wins including the 2011 Giro di Toscana and 2012 Tour of New Zealand. He holds a B.S. in Business Management from San Jose State University and resides with his wife and two sons in Los Gatos, Calif.
Mike King — BMX Director & USA Cycling’s BMX Programs Director — From: San Diego, Calif.
Born and raised in southern California, San Diego native Mike King has been involved in competitive off-road cycling since 1975 when he entered his first BMX race at the age of five. The BMX Hall of Fame inductee collected numerous accolades as a BMX competitor, including the 1987 Supercross world title, before switching to mountain bike racing in 1993. As a mountain biker, Mike went on to enjoy similar success and won a world championship in the dual slalom discipline that same season. With nearly three decades of experience in BMX and mountain bike racing, Mike became the BMX program director for USA Cycling in 2007 and now oversees the governing body’s day-to-day BMX operations, including its resident athlete program at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif.
James Herrera, CSCS, CISSN — BMX Coach — From: El Paso, Texas/Lives: Colorado Springs, Colo.
A certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) and sports nutritionist (CISSN), Herrera has been coaching cyclists for more than 20 years and working with USA Cycling’s BMX program since 2007. USA Cycling’s 2011 Coach of the Year, Herrera has coached several amateur and professional athletes of numerous disciplines to world and national titles. A native of El Paso, Texas, Herrera holds an M.S. in exercise physiology from the University of Texas – El Paso. Herrera is the founder and owner of Performance Driven, a high performance coaching business, based near his home in Colorado Springs.
Neal Henderson — Track Coach — Lives: Boulder, Colo.
Henderson has been at the forefront of applying scientific principles in the lab and on the field to improve athlete performance. USA Cycling’s 2009 National Coach of the Year and 2007 Developmental Coach of the Year, he formulated additional tools and protocols for aerodynamic drag analysis, which helped determine the specific power required for cyclists to attain a given speed. The results helped pace the U.S. women’s team pursuit squad to the silver medal at the 2011 UCI Track Cycling World Championships. The U.S. Olympic Committee’s 2011 Doc Counsilman Science Coach of the Year award winner, Henderson earned his undergraduate degree in exercise & sport science from Pennsylvania State University and his Master’s degree in kinesiology from the University of Colorado-Boulder. He lives with his family in Boulder, Colo., where he is the director of the sport science department at the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine.
Benjamin Sharp — Track Endurance Director & USA Cycling Director of Endurance Programs — From: Indianapolis, Ind./Lives: Colorado Springs, Colo.
Benjamin has been with USA Cycling since 2007 when he joined as the organization’s junior endurance program manager. During his tenure with the national governing body, he has played a major role in developing USA Cycling’s junior endurance programs as well as the USA’s team pursuit program; which has been considered one of the best in the world since Sarah Hammer, Dotsie Bausch, and Lauren Tamayo set a world record and, along with Jennie Reed, earned the world championship silver in 2011.
The 2001 Elite Criterium National Champion and an eight-time collegiate national champion, Sharp was a competitive cyclist from 1988-2003. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from Indiana University, and prior to becoming a national-level cycling coach was a high school Spanish teacher.
Jamie Staff — Track Sprint Coach & USA Cycling Track Sprint Program Director — From: Ashford, England/Lives: Lake Forest, Calif.
Staff, a British Olympic gold medalist born and raised in Ashford, England, joined USA Cycling in 2010. A member of the gold-medal winning team sprint squad in Beijing, Staff’s accolades on the track include a keirin world title (‘04) and team sprint world titles (’02 and ’05). Attracted to the track late in his career, the 39-year-old got his start in BMX, winning a world title in that discipline in 1996 and attaining world number one status in 2000 and 2001. Staff now manages USA Cycling’s Sprint Track Program based at the Velo Sports Center at the Home Depot Center outside of Los Angeles and resides with his family in Lake Forest, Calif. Staff will coach Bakersfield, Calif. native Jimmy Watkins in the men’s sprint event on the track in London.
Marc Gullickson — Mountain Bike Coach & USA Cycling Mountain Bike Programs Director — From: Palo Alto, Calif./Lives: Colorado Springs, Colo.
A former competitive mountain bike and cyclo-cross racer, Marc Gullickson has represented the United States at 12 UCI Mountain Bike and Cyclo-cross World Championships throughout his career. As USA Cycling Mountain Bike Programs Director, Marc now manages all aspects of the national governing body’s development and elite athlete programs. Born in Palo Alto, Calif., Marc began his athletic career as a cross country skier after moving to upstate New York at the age of 12. Marc went on to compete as a member of the University of New Hampshire cross country ski team where he studied exercise physiology. After using cycling as cross training for skiing he became a full-time bike racer by the age of 20. Before his retirement in 2004, Marc competed for 13 seasons on the domestic and international mountain bike and cyclo-cross circuits. Gullickson has served as the head coach for the U.S. at nearly a dozen mountain bike and cyclo-cross world championships as well as Pan American and Olympic Games. He now resides in Colorado Springs, Colo. with his wife and two children.
Chris Devos – Road Therapist — From / Lives: Oostrozebekem, Belgium
Chris De Vos started his path as a soigneur in 1997 and graduated from soigneur school in 1999. He began working with the riders of the USA Cycling National Development where he accompanied them to road and cyclo-cross world championships around the world. In 2010, De Vos joined BMC Racing Team and was a part of the contingent at all of the world tour classics and contributed to Cadel Evans’ victory at the 2011 Tour de France. Chris is married to Mieke and the couple has two daughters, Lisa and Laura. The family lives in Oostrozebekem, Belgium.
James Green – Road Therapist — From: Laurieton, New South Wales, Australia/Lives: Sydney, Australia
James Green has been a part of the USA Cycling support staff since 2009, working at various international events for the Mountain Bike, Track and Road programs. After spending three years with the Australian cycling program in Europe, Green served as part of the medical staff at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. After that, Green moved to the United States where he worked with the Saturn Cycling Team. Since moving back to Australia, Green has served in various medical capacities for Australia professional football teams. He now lives in Sydney where he is the physical preparation coordinator for the Sydney Swans of the Australia Football League. Green was born in Laurieton, New South Wales, Australia.
Felice Beitzel, Ph.D. L.M.T. – Mountain Bike/Track Therapist — From: Monbulk, Victoria, Australia/Lives: Bend, Ore.
Felice Beitzel, Ph.D., is a licensed massage therapist, soigneur and physiologist, who works alongside BMX coach James Herrera at Performance Driven. She’s accompanied USA Cycling at various track and BMX events. In 2002, Beitzel completed her bachelor’s degrees in science and physiology at the University of Melbourne before earning her doctorate in muscle physiology from the same school in 2007. A native Australian, Beitzel moved to Bend, Ore., in 2008 to pursue her passion of cross-country skiing. While there, she was recruited to work with the Giant Bicycles Mountain Bike Team as a soigneur.
Bernard Condevaux, PT, SCS, CSCS — BMX/Mountain Bike Therapist — From: Detroit, Mich./Lives: Denver, Colo.
Bernard Georges Condevaux is a physical therapist and a sports clinical specialist certified by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties. Condevaux, who grew up in Detroit, Mich., and graduated from Wayne State University in 1987, is not a stranger to the Olympics, having worked with USA Cycling at the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games as well as the 2011 Pan American Games. He also has worked with USA Cycling at all of the mountain bike world championships since 1995. He also has worked pro tour team Quick Step-Omega Pharma at the Amgen Tour of California in 2010 and 2012. Condevaux, who wrote a chapter on cycling injuries for the Encyclopedia of Sports Medicine in 2011, now lives in Denver, Colo., where he works as a physical therapist and market manager for Select Physical Therapy as well as previously working as a rehabilitation consultant with the Colorado Rockies, a major league baseball club, and the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League. Condevaux has been married for 17 years, the couple has two daughters, two dogs and two cats.
Kevin Grove — Road Mechanic — From: Atlanta, Ga./Lives: Girona, Spain
Kevin Thomas Grove received his USA Cycling Mechanics License in 1988 and hasn’t looked back. He grew up in Atlanta, Ga., and graduated from Pennsylvania State University in 1996 with a degree in exercise physiology before earning a Masters degree in sports psychology from the University of Northern Colorado. In the interim, Grove worked with various professional cycling teams, including Comptel Colorado Cyclist, Mercury, Autotrader.com Women’s team and the Navigators Cycling Team before taking focusing on his Masters degree. He then became a mechanic for TIAA-Cref-5280 Cycling Team, which evolved into the Garmin-Sharp team. He currently works with the BMC Racing Team. Grove, his wife and their three kids live in Girona, Spain.
Thomas Neb — Mountain Bike Mechanic — Lives: Durango, Colo.
Thomas Neb has worked as a mechanic in five world championships for either USA Cycling or Giant Bicycles. He served as the team mechanic for Giant from 2002-08 after his career as a mountain bike cyclist. He competed in the mountain bike trials world championships in 2000 and 2001 after graduating from the University of Kentucky in 1997. When he is not on the road, Neb manages a bike shop, San Juan Cycles, in Durango, Colo., where he resides.
Andrea Smith — Press Officer & USA Cycling Director of Communications — From: Hampton, Ga./Lives: Colorado Springs, Colo.
As the Director of Communications for USA Cycling, Andrea works to raise the overall awareness of USA Cycling’s programs across all disciplines and levels of the sport – with the ultimate goal of growing competitive cycling in America. The 33-year-old came to USA Cycling after heading up the media and public relations team at Snowshoe Mountain Resort in West Virginia. Prior to her work in the ski industry, Smith assisted in public relations and development duties at the non-profit HospiceCare in Charleston, W. Va. Her roots however are in sports, having obtained an M.S. in athletic administration from Marshall University in Huntington, W.Va. while working for the Thundering Herd in athletic media relations. The Hampton, Ga. native obtained her bachelor’s degree in communications from Georgia College & State University while playing softball for the Bobcats.
Dave Gaylinn — Press Officer & USA Cycling Communications Manager — From: Upper Saddle River, N.J./Lives: Denver, Colo.
Dave Gaylinn grew up in the northeast corner of New Jersey before graduating from Syracuse University with dual Bachelor degrees in broadcast journalism and political science. After several season-long internships with various teams in the National Football League sent Gaylinn criss-crossing the United States, he landed a full-time job as the public relations manager for the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League. He spent three seasons working in Grand Rapids, Mich., before he landed the public relations manager position with the Denver Broncos of the NFL. He spent five years working with the Broncos before joining USA Cycling as the communications manager. In all, Gaylinn has worked as a volunteer with the NFL at five Super Bowls as well as serving an integral role in the 2004 AHL All-Star Classic in Grand Rapids. Gaylinn lives in Denver and is engaged to be married in late Sept. 2012.
Steve Coupens, M.D. — Medical Doctor — From: Oklahoma City, Okla.
Ian Sherburne — Road Mechanic — From: Alaska/Lives: Belgium
Doug Thralls — Track/BMX therapist — Lives/From: San Diego, Calif.
Thomas Wood — Track Mechanic — From: Philly, Pa./Lives: Los Angeles, Calif.
Paul Wood — BMX Mechanic — Lives/From: Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
This Article Updated July 19, 2012 @ 09:00 PM For more information contact:
