ZABRISKIE
HOLDS OFF PATE TO DEFEND USA CYCLING
PROFESSIONAL INDIVIDUAL  Time Trial
CHAMPIONSHIP
THE CLIFFS VALLEY PROVIDES EXCITING FINISH FOR COMPETITION FOR STARS
AND STRIPES JERSEY
TRAVELERS REST, S.C. (September 1, 2007) – David Zabriskie (Team CSC) successfully defended his title for the USA Cycling Professional Individual Time Trial Championship. Zabriskie had a winning time of 39 minutes and 34 seconds over the 18.7-mile course. Only one second defined the Gap for second place, taken by Danny Pate of Team Slipstream/Chipotle, who finished at 39’35”. The podium was completed by Pate’s teammate, Tim Duggan, who finished third at 39’42”.
Dave Zabriskie repeates as ITT Champion
Photo by Casey Gibson
“Coming to the finish I heard (someone say) ‘he’s got to finish in two seconds’, and I started sprinting. It’s exciting. I think I see good things for the team (Slipstream/Chipotle) after today,” said Zabriskie, a 28-year-old resident of Salt Lake City, UT, who will be riding for Team Slipstream/Chipotle in 2008.
Colorado Springs native Danny Pate finished third last year in the USA Cycling Professional Road Race Championship. A member of Team Slipstream presented by Chipotle, the seven-year veteran was expected to do well again in the time trial discipline, having won the 2001 Under-23 Time Trial World Championship. His teammate, Duggan, was the third rider to start today’s time trial course out of a field of 33. A two-year pro from Boulder, CO, Duggan held on to the best time of the day until Pate crossed the line 25 riders later.
Other notables in the Top 10 included Bobby Julich (Team CSC) in 5th (40’23”23), Tyler Hamilton (Tinkov Credit System) in 6th (40’23”34), and 2006 ITT runner-up Chris Baldwin (Toyota-United) in 8th (40’33”). Hamilton won the gold medal in the ITT at the 2004 Olympic Games, and Julich captured the bronze that same year.
The event marked the return of Saul Raisin to Competition
Photo by Casey Gibson
The USA Cycling Professional Individual Time Trial Championship marked the return to pro racing for Saul Raisin. The Credit Agricole rider has missed competition for 16 months due to severe head injuries sustained from a crash in the Circuit de la Sarthe in France last year. While Raisin finished four minutes behind Zabriskie in 33rd position, the dozens of friends and family members who traveled to The Cliffs Valley finish line from his home in Dalton, Ga. were not disappointed.
“After my accident, my first goal, and goal for my team and my family and all my loved ones, was just for me to live a normal life again, and you know, I have that. And after that, my goal was to get back to racing… About halfway through the race it hit me, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m racing’,”’ stated Raisin at the post-race press conference.
Like last year, the USA Cycling Professional Individual Time Trial, presented by the Cliffs, took riders on a rolling course from The Cliffs at Mountain Park to The Cliffs Valley, both located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Huge crowds lined the finish line area, located at the community soccer fields of The Cliffs Valley, near the scenic Ben Wright-designed Cliffs Valley golf course.
At the awards ceremony, the event host, The Cliffs Communities, donated a $10,000 check in the name of the Time Trial winner to Zest Quest, a not-for-profit children's health initiative in the Upstate of South Carolina. The presentation was made to Rick Fisher, executive director of Zest Quest, by Scott Beville, president of sales and marketing for The Cliffs Communities, and Zabriskie. The Zest Quest program will be implemented in 13 elementary schools during the 2007-2008 school year.
The USA Cycling Professional Time Trial Championship presented by The Cliffs is part of the Greenville Hospital System USA Cycling Professional Championships and a full weekend of activities for Labor Day weekend in Greenville. Saturday night following the Time Trial, the Championship Block Party will be held in downtown Greenville from 6-10 p.m. On Sunday a fundraiser bicycle ride for recreational cyclists, the “Stars and Stripes Challenge”, will begin at 7:00 a.m. The main event for the day, the USA Cycling Professional Road Race Championship, will begin at 1:00 p.m. at Broad and Main streets, and expected to finish between 4:15-5:30 p.m. The USA Cycling Professional Road Race Championship will consist of a total of 10 circuits - three short start laps in the downtown area, four longer laps over Paris Mountain, and conclude with three finish laps in the downtown area. Maps, information about road closures and live race streaming video are available at the official event website, www.usacyclingchampionships.com.
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PROTOUR ATHLETES BRING STARPOWER TO GREENVILLE HOSPITAL
SYSTEM USA CYCLING PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Hincapie, Julich, Leipheimer,and
Zabriskie Among the 150 U.S.
Professionals Vying For Stars and Stripes Fame
Several elite ProTour riders, who have gained
fame and fortune at prestigious European cycling events, like the Tour de
France, are confirmed to compete Labor Day weekend in the Greenville Hospital System
USA Cycling Professional Championships. Race
organizers confirmed today that George Hincapie (Discovery Channel Professional
Cycling Team), Bobby Julich (Team CSC), Levi Leipheimer (Discovery Channel), and
David Zabriskie (Team CSC) are among the athletes who will compete in one or
more of the dual championship events September 1-2.
"We are very pleased to see George, Dave and Levi
return along with many of the top Pro Tour riders who don't often compete in
the United States. This will
be a great, quality field for both the Time Trial and road race," said Sean
Petty, Chief Operating Officer for USA Cycling, Inc. "For some of the riders,
this will be an excellent tune up for the World Championships later in the
month. Dave Zabriskie's outstanding performance last year in the time trial at
The Cliffs was a great prelude to his medal winning performance at the Worlds."
Other top names in domestic cycling who will compete in
Greenville are: Best Young Rider in the 2003 Tour de Georgia Saul Raisin (Credit
Agricole), National Racing Calendar* men's individual points leader Ben
Jacques-Maynes (Priority Health presented by Bissell), former Road Race
National Champion Chris Wherry (Toyota-United Pro), 2006 USPRO Time Trial
runner-up Chris Baldwin (Toyota-United Pro), and third place finisher in the
2006 USA Cycling Professional Road Race championship Danny Pate (Team
Slipstream).
"The prestige of the USA Cycling Professional Championships for
road racing has a long tradition in America. The move from Philadelphia to Greenville last year was a
huge success, for both the athletes and the spectators. We anticipate record crowds in the Greenville
this year throughout the holiday weekend as there is so much to see and do - three days of festivities, two great
championship events and spectacular natural beauty of the Upstate," said Chris
Aronhalt, Managing Director of Medalist Sports and Executive Director for the Greenville
Hospital System USA Cycling Professional Championships.
The first race in the Greenville Hospital System USA Cycling
Professional Championships will be held on Saturday, September 1, the USA
Cycling Professional Individual Time Trial Championship, presented by The
Cliffs. This 18.7-mile race against the
clock will be contested from The Cliffs at Mountain Park to The Cliffs
Valley, approximately 30 minutes north of Greenville. Last year was the
inaugural time trial championship for U.S. professionals and
it was won by Zabriskie of Salt Lake City.
The USA Cycling Professional Road Race Championship will
take place on Sunday, September 2, beginning at 1:00 p.m. in downtown Greenville. Over 100 competitors will battle on a
110-mile course, won last year by Greenville resident Hincapie.
The USA Cycling Professional Road
Race Championship, a one-day road race which began in 1985, was previously held
in Philadelphia, Pa. Past winners of the prestigious Stars and Stripes jersey
for the road race discipline, which signifies the American champion, include
speed skating Olympic champion Eric Heiden (1985), Lance Armstrong (1993), Hincapie (1998) and Fred Rodriguez (2000,
2001, 2004).
The final fields for both the
Individual Time Trial and the Road Race will be confirmed the final week of
August. Professionals will compete for over $60,000 in prize money, and the
rights to wear the prestigious Stars and Stripes jersey for one year. The events are sanctioned by USA Cycling, the
governing body for the sport of cycling in the United States, and managed by Medalist Sports.
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