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Team TIAA-CREF - 2005
Team Report - Tour of Normandie - March 23, 2005, by Beth Seliga
TIAA-CREF's opening shots fired in Europe
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Team TIAA-CREF started their own Invasion of Normandy today in the team's first big race of the year. Leader Will Frischkorn scored a significant top 5 result against some serious opposition, as the first day of racing featured a very technical 5.6km prologue, which was made even more challenging by the ever-present fog.
Argentine rider Martin Garrido Mayorga (Duja/Tavira) surprised the European
riders with his win, closely followed by Mathieu Heijboer and Michiel Elijzen
of Rabobank.
In addition to Will's fine fourth place, TIAA-CREF landed three riders in the
top fifteen, with Collegiate champ Bryan Smith taking 11th and Dan Bowman grabbing
14th, 11 seconds behind. The team itself took second on the day in the team
standings, only knocked off the top step of the podium by Rabobank's development
team.
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While most fans are familiar with the Dutch firm's pro team, their development team is a force to be reckoned with (Thomas Dekker led them last year with 14 wins around Europe!). Such a strong showing will surely boost the morale of the TIAA-CREF boys in their first international blooding. "I am super pleased that the guys have obviously worked hard all winter and I think that this good prologue result is going to help with team morale for the race" said Directeur Sportif Jonathan Vaughters.
Normandie's next challenge is a 208km charge through what should be windy and rainy conditions (of which there is no shortage in Normandy in Spring). The peloton is sure to be torn apart in the foul weather with echelons forming and reforming all day.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by
Beth Seliga/
- Will Frischkorn pushes hard out of the hard blocks
- Nerves aside - getting the countdown
- Thomas Fothen (German National Team)
- The TIAA-CREF boys put it in and came away with second on Team GC
- It's time to hit the straps
- A German national team rider sets off
- Bryan Smith gives it his all close to the finish
- The French Police team did ok...
- How ya doin'... Will Frischkorn is presented
- Yes, we are you looking at you!
- Musings behind the Credit Agricole banner
- The Normandie team were down on the time sheets
- Setting out for a crack at 5.6km can't be that hard...
- Get 'em into it young...
- Timmy Duggan set to go
- Keep looking straight ahead
- Ian McGregor about to blast off
- Frischkorn corners well on his way to fourth
- It was really a day for the kids
- The TIAA-CREF boys are presented
