Rodriguez withdraws from world championships
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Print Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sept. 19, 2013) -- USA Cycling announced Thursday that Freddie Rodriguez (Berkeley, Calif./Jelly Belly Cycling) has withdrawn from the 2013 UCI Road World Championships to be held in Toscana, Italy, Sept. 22-29. Rodriguez was an automatic nomination to the team after winning the road race in Chattanooga at the 2013 Volkswagen USA Cycling Professional Road & Time Trial National Championships on Memorial Day.
"It is a great honor to be on the U.S. team for the worlds, especially at the age of 40," said Rodriguez. ”However, in reviewing the course, it will no doubt be suited for an athlete with a different skill set than me. I look forward to future world teams where the course may be better suited for me. Being totally unselfish with the situation, I will forego a position on this year's team and now yield to someone with climbing skills better suited for this year's course. I wish Team USA well."
The 40-year-old Rodriguez will be replaced on the American team contesting the road race by Matthew Busche (Wauwatosa, Wis./RadioShack Leopard Trek), a veteran of three world championship teams. The 28-year-old Busche has posted top-10 general classification finishes this year at the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah (5th), Amgen Tour of California (6th) and the Tour of Austria (7th). He also placed ninth in the road race and seventh in the time trial at the Volkswagen USA Cycling Professional Road & Time Trial National Championships, and placed third behind Chris Froome and Alberto Contador on stage 5 of the Criterium du Dauphine.
Busche joins the other riders on America’s elite men’s team: Chris Horner (San Diego, Calif./Team RadioShack Leopard Trek), Alex Howes (Boulder, Colo./Garmin-Sharp), Taylor Phinney (Boulder, Colo./BMC Racing Team), Peter Stetina (Santa Rosa, Calif/Garmin-Sharp), Andrew Talansky (Napa, Calif./Garmin-Sharp) and Tejay van Garderen (Boulder, Colo./BMC Racing Team). Phinney and Talansky will also be contesting the individual time trial in Italy.
2013 UCI Road World Championships
Toscana, Italy
Sept. 22-29
Elite Men
Matthew Busche (Wauwatosa, Wis./RadioShack Leopard Trek)
Chris Horner (San Diego, Calif./Team RadioShack Leopard Trek)
Alex Howes (Boulder, Colo./Garmin-Sharp)
*Taylor Phinney (Boulder, Colo./BMC Racing Team) – competing road race and time trial
Peter Stetina (Santa Rosa, Calif/Garmin-Sharp)
*Andrew Talansky (Napa, Calif./Garmin-Sharp) – competing in road race and time trial
*Tejay van Garderen (Boulder, Colo./BMC Racing Team)
Elite Women
*Mara Abbott (Boulder, Colo./Exergy TWENTY16)
Megan Gaurnier (Mountain View, Calif./Rabobank-Liv-Giant)
Kristin McGrath (Boise, Idaho/Exergy TWENTY16)
*Shelley Olds (Gilroy, Calif./Team TIBCO-To the Top)
*Carmen Small (Durango, Colo./Specialized-lululemon) – competing in road race and time trial
*Evelyn Stevens (Dennis, Mass./Specialized-lululemon) – competing in road race and time trial
*Jade Wilcoxson (Talent, Ore./Team Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies)
U23 Men
*Nathan Brown (Covington, Tenn./Bontrager Cycling Team) – competing in road race and time trial
*Lawson Craddock (Austin, Texas/Bontrager Cycling Team) – competing in road race and time trial
*Tanner Putt (Park City, Utah/Bontrager Cycling Team)
*Nathan Wilson (Elk Grove, Calif./Bontrager Cycling Team)
Gavin Mannion (Dedham, Mass/Bontrager Cycling Team)
Juniors Men
William Barta (Boise, Idaho/BYRDS (Boise Young Rider Dev Squad))
*Miguel Bryon (Miami, Fla./DCM Cycling Team)
*Geofferey Curran (Tustin, Calif./Get Crackin’-VRC)
*Michael Dessau (Boulder, Colo./Slipstream-Craddock Junior Development) – competing in time trial only
*Zeke Mostov (San Francisco, Calif./ Slipstream-Craddock Junior Development) – competing in road race and time trial
Justin Oien (Escondido, Calif./MRI Endurance Elite Juniors)
*Logan Owen (Bremerton, Wash./California Giant Cycling)
Juniors Women
Kelly Catlin (Arden Hills, Minn./Gopher Wheelmen) – competing in road race and time trial
*Hanna Swan (Alpine, Calif./Strive Racing) – competing in road race and time trial
Sara Youmans (Ketchum, Idaho/Stranamanti Cycling - Keller Rohrback Cycling)
* - Automatic nomination
Freddie Rodriguez in the Stars-and-Stripes jersey after winning the 2013 U.S. Pro Road Championships in Chattanooga. (photo by Casey Gibson)
The 40-year-old Rodriguez will be replaced on the American team contesting the road race by Matthew Busche (Wauwatosa, Wis./RadioShack Leopard Trek), a veteran of three world championship teams. The 28-year-old Busche has posted top-10 general classification finishes this year at the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah (5th), Amgen Tour of California (6th) and the Tour of Austria (7th). He also placed ninth in the road race and seventh in the time trial at the Volkswagen USA Cycling Professional Road & Time Trial National Championships, and placed third behind Chris Froome and Alberto Contador on stage 5 of the Criterium du Dauphine.
Matthew Busche leads a chase group in the late stages of the 2013 U.S. Pro Road Championships. (photo by Casey Gibson)
2013 UCI Road World Championships
Toscana, Italy
Sept. 22-29
Elite Men
Matthew Busche (Wauwatosa, Wis./RadioShack Leopard Trek)
Chris Horner (San Diego, Calif./Team RadioShack Leopard Trek)
Alex Howes (Boulder, Colo./Garmin-Sharp)
*Taylor Phinney (Boulder, Colo./BMC Racing Team) – competing road race and time trial
Peter Stetina (Santa Rosa, Calif/Garmin-Sharp)
*Andrew Talansky (Napa, Calif./Garmin-Sharp) – competing in road race and time trial
*Tejay van Garderen (Boulder, Colo./BMC Racing Team)
Elite Women
*Mara Abbott (Boulder, Colo./Exergy TWENTY16)
Megan Gaurnier (Mountain View, Calif./Rabobank-Liv-Giant)
Kristin McGrath (Boise, Idaho/Exergy TWENTY16)
*Shelley Olds (Gilroy, Calif./Team TIBCO-To the Top)
*Carmen Small (Durango, Colo./Specialized-lululemon) – competing in road race and time trial
*Evelyn Stevens (Dennis, Mass./Specialized-lululemon) – competing in road race and time trial
*Jade Wilcoxson (Talent, Ore./Team Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies)
U23 Men
*Nathan Brown (Covington, Tenn./Bontrager Cycling Team) – competing in road race and time trial
*Lawson Craddock (Austin, Texas/Bontrager Cycling Team) – competing in road race and time trial
*Tanner Putt (Park City, Utah/Bontrager Cycling Team)
*Nathan Wilson (Elk Grove, Calif./Bontrager Cycling Team)
Gavin Mannion (Dedham, Mass/Bontrager Cycling Team)
Juniors Men
William Barta (Boise, Idaho/BYRDS (Boise Young Rider Dev Squad))
*Miguel Bryon (Miami, Fla./DCM Cycling Team)
*Geofferey Curran (Tustin, Calif./Get Crackin’-VRC)
*Michael Dessau (Boulder, Colo./Slipstream-Craddock Junior Development) – competing in time trial only
*Zeke Mostov (San Francisco, Calif./ Slipstream-Craddock Junior Development) – competing in road race and time trial
Justin Oien (Escondido, Calif./MRI Endurance Elite Juniors)
*Logan Owen (Bremerton, Wash./California Giant Cycling)
Juniors Women
Kelly Catlin (Arden Hills, Minn./Gopher Wheelmen) – competing in road race and time trial
*Hanna Swan (Alpine, Calif./Strive Racing) – competing in road race and time trial
Sara Youmans (Ketchum, Idaho/Stranamanti Cycling - Keller Rohrback Cycling)
* - Automatic nomination
This Article Updated September 25, 2013 @ 05:22 PM For more information contact:
