2006 Team rostersFiordifrutta 2006Fiordifrutta, an Italian producer of organic jams and honeys, has announced the 2006 roster of its cycling squad, one of the highest ranked US amateur teams. The team has spent the last five years near the top of the National Racing Calendar points classification and its riders held the #1 USCF road and criterium rankings for much of 2005. The squad consists entirely of riders from New England and it racked up thirty wins in 2005. The team started its season with a training camp in Connecticut in mid February including a tour of Rigoni USA which provides the title sponsorship for the fourth straight year through its Fiordifrutta brand. "Fiordifrutta is pleased to have a long-term relationship with such a fast group of racers who are great ambassadors for my product" said Rigoni USA's Claudio Mucci. The training camp will also include performance testing at Incline Training in Massachusetts which is run by PhD physiologist and former Webcor director Jay Gump. The team's schedule for 2006 includes NRC and National Championship events as well as regional races on the East coast. The squad has always focused on the development of younger riders, and continues as the nation's premier program to help riders step up to the next level of cycling. For 2006, the team is pleased to graduate Mike Dietrich to Kodak/Sierra Nevada, Phil Wong to Jittery Joes, and Jon Hamblen as they move on to ride for professional teams. Other team riders who have moved onto careers in professional cycling include: Justin Spinelli (Saeco, Navigators), Jonathan Page (Prime Alliance, Colavita/Sutter Home), Mike Jones (West Virginia, Healthnet), Shawn Milne (Navigators) and Matt Svatek (Sportsbook.com). Team riders who have ridden for the US National Team in Europe include: Oliver Stiler-Cote, Shawn Milne, Darby Thomas, Robbie Dapice, and Donny Lopez. Team members have held more than twelve National Championship titles. The team in 2006 is a strong force of thirteen riders, consisting of nine returning veterans and four new additions. The veterans are highlighted by team leader Dan Timmerman, who comes off a strong 2005 season with a 2nd place GC finish at the Green Mountain Stage Race and a 3rd at the criterium in the NRC's Tour of the Gila. Matt White and Michael Cody also return for their second season with Fiordifrutta. White is a strong all-around rider who finished 5th at the 2005 National Criterium Championships for under 23 men, while Cody used his sprinting power to win the points jersey at the 2005 Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic and a UCI Cyclocross Race in North Carolina. New additions for 2006 include Buck Miller who has spent the last four seasons riding as a professional for the Jet Fuel team out of Canada. He ended 2003 as Canada's number one UCI ranked under 23 rider, and had a 9th place overall finish at the 2005 Nature Valley Grand Prix. Vermont's Josh Dillon comes to the squad as one of America's top amateurs with multiple New England wins and an 18th place overall finish at the 2005 Redlands Stage Race. Fiordifrutta also welcomes Todd Nordblum and Ben Zawacki, who are two young riders who will quickly develop into top amateurs. Zawacki won the first heat qualifier at the 2005 Junior National Criterium Championships, while Nordblum rapidly rose through the USCF ranks last year in just his second season of racing. Returning riders include cyclocross superstar Johs Huseby who was 2nd at the 2005 National Cyclocross Championships for 30-34 Men, and Larry Perera, Chris Rozdilsky and Josh Gewirtz whose combined tactics and strength make them a part of every team win. Rider managers Chris Peck and Curt Davis continue with the team, and the seven wins between them in 2005 prove that they are as strong as ever. Team rosterMike Cody (1) SponsorsTeam website: www.rigoniusa.com/team Cannondale (Frames, Forks and SI Cranks) Team website: www.rigoniusa.com/team Team biosMichael Cody, Age 24, Category 1, Longmeadow, MA Mike graduated from UVM in 2005 and quickly took advantage of his opportunity to become a full time cyclist. He won the points jersey at the Fitchburg-Longsjo stage race against the nation's top pros. He has fantastic cyclocross skills, and has represented the US at the World Cyclocross Championships, and had a UCI cross win in 2005. 1st 2005 Fitchburg-Longsjo Stage Race, Points Jersey Josh Dillon, Age 26, Category 1, Burlington, VT Josh has long been a strongman in New England and joins us from the Louis Garneau team, which is more widely known by their nickname "The Green Goblins" due to their fluorescent green kit. Josh has won numerous New England races and with strong results in the past at NRC races, he knows 2006 is his year to succeed. 1st 2005 Palmer Road Race, MA Josh Gewirtz, Age 22, Category 1, Bethany CT Josh is a sprinter/all-around team rider who excels in criteriums where he narrowly missed the starts and stripes jersey in 2005 by finishing 2nd in the National Collegiate Criterium Championships. Josh is a student at Colorado College but will spend most of the racing season at home in Connecticut. 2nd 2005 Collegiate National Criterium Championships, Div 2 Johannes Huseby, Age 31, Category 1, Somerville, MA Johs was a member of the 2003 US Cyclocross World's Team in Monopoli, Italy. He had a breakthrough 2005 season with a strong New England spring campaign and solid results in the long road stages of the Tour of CT. Johs is also a former National Collegiate Cyclocross Champion and the Boston area account manager for Cannondale. 2nd 2005 National Cyclocross Championships, 30-34 Men, RI Buck Miller, Age 23, Category 1, Ontario, Canada Buck comes to Fiordifrutta after four years riding for the Jet Fuel Coffee Pro Team. He ended 2003 as Canada's number one UCI ranked under 23 rider, and had great results in 2005 at NRC races as well as internationally. Buck spends the winters in Tucson, AZ and the summer in Massachusetts. 1st 2005 Jackonville Cycling Classic - Sprint Competition, FL Todd Nordblum, Age 20, Category 2, Andover, MA Todd is new to the team for 2006 and joins us after a successful 2005 when he went from category 5 to category 2 in his second year of racing. He goes to school at Colorado College and enjoys climbing and time trialing. 1st 2005 Lake Auburn Road Race, Cat 3, ME Larry Perera, Age 29, Category 1, Cape Cod, MA Larry came to the team in 2005 after two years in the pro ranks racing for upstart teams Sportsbook.com and Sharper Image/Mathis Brothers. He is a proven race winner who will be a huge asset to the squad. The off season finds Larry training with Dan Timmerman in South Carolina. 1st 2004 Massachusetts Road Race Championships Chris Rozdilsky, Age 31, Category 1, Bethel, CT 2006 is Chris's second year with the team after a solid 2005 where he led the team logistically at many NRC races. Chris is a personal trainer and coach who works with many clients and athletes in the Connecticut area. Many of the team riders use Chris as a resource for training and planning their season. 2nd 2004 Unionvale Road Race, NY Dan Timmerman, Age 25, Category 2, Clay, NY Dan will be the team captain for 2006 after an extremely successful 2005 where gained top results at many NRC events. He made the podium at the Tour of Gila criterium, and placed 2nd at the Green Mountain Stage Race in Vermont. Dan can sprint and climb and is a threat to win any race that he enters in 2006. 1st 2004 and 2005 Tour of the Hilltowns, MA Matt White, Age 23, Category 2, Longmeadow, MA Matt is one of the nation's top cyclocross riders represented the US at the 2005 World Championships. Although in the past he considered himself a cross specialist, he had a great season on the road in 2005 with a 5th place finish at the National Criterium Championships for under 23 men. Matt runs a high-end bike shop in Somers, CT when he is not racing and training. www.fittoride.com 4th 2004 National Cyclocross Championships, Under 23, OR Ben Zawacki, Age 18, Category 1, Weare, NH Ben has had a fantastic career as a junior where he rode for the Colavita team, and joins Fiordifrutta for his first year as a senior. Although he claims that sprinting is not his specialty, his resume reads like a true speedster's dream. 1st 2005 National Criterium Championships, Junior Men Heat 1 Qualifier Curt Davis, Age 34, Category 1, Sandy Hook, CT Curt has been one the nation's strongest amateurs for many years, with one of his top results being a 3rd place at the Elite National Road Race Championships. Although he claims that he is retired, 2006 may see him take another crack at helping the team. Curt is an engineer at Cannondale, as well as co-manager of the team. 1st 2004 Wachusett Circuit Race, MA Chris Peck, Age 35, Category 1, Southbury, CT Chris brings a wealth of experience to the team, which he puts to use both on the race course and as team director. He ended his 2005 season with seven cyclocross wins, and is ready for a strong 2006 effort. Chris is an engineer at Cannondale, and designed the frames that the team competes on. 1st 2005 Canton Cup Cyclocross, Ma
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