Unique NRC/UCI Designated Univest Grand Prix draws talented field
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Print Souderton, Penn. –The Univest Grand Prix – the final race on both the National Racing Calendar (NRC) and the UCI America Tour calendar – will showcase some of the top cycling talent on the domestic and international racing circuit this weekend.
Headliners include recent Tour de L'Avenir runner-up David Boily and past Tour of Missouri stage winner Martin Gilbert (both of Team SpiderTech powered by C10) and Nature Valley Grand Prix champion and Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah stage winner Jesse Anthony. In all, more than 150 racers on two dozen teams will compete in two days of racing in the 14th edition of the event in Pennsylvania.
Promoter John Eustice said this year's field continues a rich tradition of attracting present and future cycling talent while also setting a new standard with its dual UCI (1.2) and NRC (1.HC) classification for Saturday's road race. Past Univest Grand Prix participants include 2011 Grand Tour stage winners Tyler Farrar (Tour de France), Juan José Haedo (Vuelta a España), 2005 world road champion Tom Boonen (runner-up as an amateur in 1999), and 2003 Under 23 world road race champion Sergey Lagutin.
"I’m big proponent of the UCI-NRC combination,” Eustice said. “I think that’s the future of high level domestic American road racing. American racing with a European structure. It's a fantastic combination.”
Saturday's 100-mile road race in Souderton, Penn., includes 12 laps of a 6.5-mile circuit, followed by five laps of a 4.5-mile finishing loop. The challenging, three-leaf clover circuit means spectators will see the field more than 50 times. The race will be preceded by the Cyclosportif 100K, a fully-supported bicycle ride through three counties on many of the same roads traditionally used for the professional race. Sunday is the Univest Criterium, a 50-mile race that includes 36 laps of a 1.4-mile course in the heart of Doylestown, Penn. Both days feature a family festival, expo, and kid’s races.
The races are somewhat of a homecoming for Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth's Anthony, who grew up in nearby Beverly, Mass.
"After traveling to Asia and Europe this year, as well as racing in the biggest events in the U.S., it is exciting for me to have such a high-caliber event in the northeast," Anthony said. "I do not get to race in this region of the country very often, so I really look forward to the opportunity to perform on a stage this big on the East Coast."
The UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team, which is second in the NRC team standings, brings a line-up that includes Jake Keough, the No. 2 rider on the NRC individual standings.
"Half of our team is coming off the USA Pro Cycling Challenge in Colorado and the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah, while the other half is flying back from three weeks of racing in Italy," UnitedHealthcare General Manager/Director Sportif Mike Tamayo said. "Univest will be a great way to cap off the season for these guys with good form. We've got speed and we have breakaway riders and are looking forward to a good race."
Other riders to watch are 2008 U.S. track team Olympian Bobby Lea (Pure Energy), 2009 U.S. national time trial runner-up Tom Zirbel and fellow Bissell Pro Cycling teammates Kyle Wamsley and Frank Pipp, Clayton Barrows (Stan’s No Tubes AXA), Jackie Simes (Jamis/Sutter Home), Luis Amaran (Jamis/Sutter Home) and Christian Helmig (Elbowz Racing). Amaran and Pipp sit in third and fifth place in the NRC individual standings, respectively. Bissell, UnitedHealthcare and Jamis/Sutter Home hold the top three spots on the NRC men’s team standings.
About Univest Corporation
Headquartered in Souderton, Pa., Univest Corporation of Pennsylvania (www.univest.net) and its subsidiaries serve the financial needs of residents, businesses, and nonprofit organizations in Bucks, Chester, Montgomery and Lehigh counties. For more information on Univest Corporation of Pennsylvania and its subsidiaries, please visit www.univest.net.
About Sparta Cycling
Sparta Cycling (www.spartacycling.com)provides race promotion services to deliver world-class events that meet the needs of sponsors, teams and riders, spectators and supporting communities.
About the USA Cycling National Racing Calendar
Currently in its 15th season, the National Racing Calendar (NRC) is the premier season-long domestic road cycling series sanctioned and owned by USA Cycling. With an overall ranking system that determines the best individual male and female cyclists, as well as the best teams in the U.S., the NRC features the nation’s top Pro-Am road race events, boasts a total prize purse of more than one million dollars, and is open to both professional and amateur cyclists. For more information on the NRC, visit www.usacycling.org/nrc. Recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and the Union Cycliste Internationale, USA Cycling is the official governing body for all disciplines of competitive cycling in the United States, including road, track, mountain bike, BMX, and cyclo-cross.
Headliners include recent Tour de L'Avenir runner-up David Boily and past Tour of Missouri stage winner Martin Gilbert (both of Team SpiderTech powered by C10) and Nature Valley Grand Prix champion and Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah stage winner Jesse Anthony. In all, more than 150 racers on two dozen teams will compete in two days of racing in the 14th edition of the event in Pennsylvania.
Promoter John Eustice said this year's field continues a rich tradition of attracting present and future cycling talent while also setting a new standard with its dual UCI (1.2) and NRC (1.HC) classification for Saturday's road race. Past Univest Grand Prix participants include 2011 Grand Tour stage winners Tyler Farrar (Tour de France), Juan José Haedo (Vuelta a España), 2005 world road champion Tom Boonen (runner-up as an amateur in 1999), and 2003 Under 23 world road race champion Sergey Lagutin.
"I’m big proponent of the UCI-NRC combination,” Eustice said. “I think that’s the future of high level domestic American road racing. American racing with a European structure. It's a fantastic combination.”
Saturday's 100-mile road race in Souderton, Penn., includes 12 laps of a 6.5-mile circuit, followed by five laps of a 4.5-mile finishing loop. The challenging, three-leaf clover circuit means spectators will see the field more than 50 times. The race will be preceded by the Cyclosportif 100K, a fully-supported bicycle ride through three counties on many of the same roads traditionally used for the professional race. Sunday is the Univest Criterium, a 50-mile race that includes 36 laps of a 1.4-mile course in the heart of Doylestown, Penn. Both days feature a family festival, expo, and kid’s races.
The races are somewhat of a homecoming for Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth's Anthony, who grew up in nearby Beverly, Mass.
"After traveling to Asia and Europe this year, as well as racing in the biggest events in the U.S., it is exciting for me to have such a high-caliber event in the northeast," Anthony said. "I do not get to race in this region of the country very often, so I really look forward to the opportunity to perform on a stage this big on the East Coast."
The UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team, which is second in the NRC team standings, brings a line-up that includes Jake Keough, the No. 2 rider on the NRC individual standings.
"Half of our team is coming off the USA Pro Cycling Challenge in Colorado and the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah, while the other half is flying back from three weeks of racing in Italy," UnitedHealthcare General Manager/Director Sportif Mike Tamayo said. "Univest will be a great way to cap off the season for these guys with good form. We've got speed and we have breakaway riders and are looking forward to a good race."
Other riders to watch are 2008 U.S. track team Olympian Bobby Lea (Pure Energy), 2009 U.S. national time trial runner-up Tom Zirbel and fellow Bissell Pro Cycling teammates Kyle Wamsley and Frank Pipp, Clayton Barrows (Stan’s No Tubes AXA), Jackie Simes (Jamis/Sutter Home), Luis Amaran (Jamis/Sutter Home) and Christian Helmig (Elbowz Racing). Amaran and Pipp sit in third and fifth place in the NRC individual standings, respectively. Bissell, UnitedHealthcare and Jamis/Sutter Home hold the top three spots on the NRC men’s team standings.
About Univest Corporation
Headquartered in Souderton, Pa., Univest Corporation of Pennsylvania (www.univest.net) and its subsidiaries serve the financial needs of residents, businesses, and nonprofit organizations in Bucks, Chester, Montgomery and Lehigh counties. For more information on Univest Corporation of Pennsylvania and its subsidiaries, please visit www.univest.net.
About Sparta Cycling
Sparta Cycling (www.spartacycling.com)provides race promotion services to deliver world-class events that meet the needs of sponsors, teams and riders, spectators and supporting communities.
About the USA Cycling National Racing Calendar
Currently in its 15th season, the National Racing Calendar (NRC) is the premier season-long domestic road cycling series sanctioned and owned by USA Cycling. With an overall ranking system that determines the best individual male and female cyclists, as well as the best teams in the U.S., the NRC features the nation’s top Pro-Am road race events, boasts a total prize purse of more than one million dollars, and is open to both professional and amateur cyclists. For more information on the NRC, visit www.usacycling.org/nrc. Recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and the Union Cycliste Internationale, USA Cycling is the official governing body for all disciplines of competitive cycling in the United States, including road, track, mountain bike, BMX, and cyclo-cross.
This Article Published September 15, 2011 For more information contact:
