Colavita/Sutter Home Women’s Team Signs Powerhouse Sprinters for 2009

Set to start their season at the Amgen Tour of California, the women of Colavita/Sutter Home have reloaded for 2009. With the notable exception of Alison Powers, the team has added two Olympians, the USA Crit Series Champion and one of the most promising riders in the Women's peloton, in her stead.

Linden, NJ -- Colavita/Sutter Home Women’s Cycling Team has re-signed Tina Pic (inset), the #1 rider on the NRC circuit, who dominated the 2008 season with 12 individual victories and six podium finishes. Adding to its firepower for 2009, Colavita/Sutter Home has recruited Olympians Cath Cheatley and Rachel Heal and USA Criterium Series Champion Kelly Benjamin. Colavita/Sutter Home’s first race of the season will be the Amgen Tour of California Women’s Criterium February 15, 2009.

Managing the team as Director Sportif will be Jamaican Olympian and veteran Colavita/Sutter Home cyclist Iona Wynter Parks, who retired from competition at the end of the 2008 season after nine years on the pro circuit, where she achieved numerous top 10 finishes in road racing and world rankings on the track.

“What excites me most about working with this squad is that the riders have proven themselves not only as athletes but also as team players,” said Wynter Parks. “We’ve signed a great combination of accomplished North American sprinters and strong, savvy all-arounders. These women all recognize the importance of great teamwork, which we will use to our advantage in stage races and single-day events.”

“We’re looking forward to kicking off the year at the Amgen Tour of California,” Wynter Parks continued. “Criteriums are our strength and we are highly motivated to race hard and well there.”

The 2009 roster for the Colavita/Sutter Home Women’s Cycling Team includes returning riders Tiffany Cromwell (AUS), Andrea Dvorak (USA), Shontell Gauthier (USA), Tina Pic (USA), and Nichole Wangsgard (USA). New signings include Erica Allar (USA), Kelly Benjamin (USA), Cath Cheatley (NZ), Rachel Heal (UK), Heather Logan (Can), and Stacy Marple (USA).

About the riders of the Colavita/Sutter Home Women’s Cycling Team

Erica Allar -- A talented, up-and-coming sprinter, Erica captured numerous podium finishes racing for Aaron’s Professional Women’s Cycling Team last year. She won the U23 National Criterium Championship in 2007 and has consistently finished in the top 10 at Philadelphia’s Liberty Classic.

Kelly Benjamin – A former firefighter, Kelly (inset) was a top sprinter with Cheerwine Professional Cycling Team for the last three years. In 2008, Kelly took the overall title for the USA Criterium Series last year, recording over 10 victories and podium spots on the NRC circuit.

Cath Cheatley – A World Track Championships Points race bronze medalist currently ranked #5 in the NRC, Cath represented her native New Zealand at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, competing in both the road race and the points race on the track. She is a former New Zealand national champion on road and track and claimed NRC victories in 2008, including single-day criteriums and stage races.

Tiffany Cromwell -- Tiffany delivered Colavita/Sutter Home’s first win of the 2008 season with her victory at the Garrett Lemire Memorial Grand Prix and never looked back. The Australian speedster went on to win the Sea Otter Classic and a top 10 ranking in the US Speedweek Criterium Series before heading off to Europe as a member of the Australian National Team.

Andrea Dvorak – Andrea’s versatility was on full display in 2008. The former triathlete with a law degree from the University of Virginia finished third at the CSC Invitational criterium and raced to top 10 finishes in the Tour of the Gila Mogollan Road Race and Fitchburg Longsjo time trial. At Nature Valley Grand Prix, Andrea finished fourth in the criterium stage and ninth overall.

Shontell Gauthier -- In her first season with Colavita/Sutter Home, Shontell capped off an impressive series of top 10 finishes with a victory at the Bike Jam/Kelly Cup.

Rachel Heal – Rachel joined the North American peloton in 2006 as a member of Team Victory Brewing following a distinguished racing career in Europe. She won the Bronze Medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2002 and represented the UK in the road race at the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004. Rachel earned 13 podium finishes as a member of the British national Team before turning pro in 2004. She comes over from Team TIBCO.

Heather Logan -- A former ice hockey player who went to numerous championships as a member of the Canadian National Team, Heather has used her toughness and work ethic to produce impressive results in only two seasons of pro cycling. She won the winter national points race on the track, provincial criterium championships, placed fourth in the 2008 National Road Championships, and held her own in the top finishing group at the International Tour of Thuringen stage race against Olympic contenders competing for selection by their respective countries.

Stacy Marple – A former competitive diver working towards completing her doctorate at the University of California at Berkeley, Stacy has distinguished herself as a strong climber with the strength and stamina to achieve top 10 results in tough stages races like the Redlands Bicycle Classic. Stacy comes over from Team Cheerwine.

Tina Pic – One of the most decorated cyclists in the North American women’s peloton, Tina claimed the overall NRC Champion title for 2008, the fifth time in her career. The five-time US National Criterium Champion raced to victory at nearly every major criterium, including the Mt. Tabor Criterium stage of the Mt. Hood Cycling Classic, Tour of Somerville, Fitchburg Longsjo Classic, Chris Thater Memorial Grand Prix, and Priority Health Grand Cycling Classic, 12 individual victories, including Fitchburg Longsjo and the Tour of Somerville, and captured the overall US SpeedWeek Criterium Series title.

Nichole Wangsgard – Nicky opened the 2008 season with a 5th place finish at the Tour of California Women’s Criterium. A savvy all-arounder with a doctorate in education, she went on to win the criterium at the Joe Martin Stage Race and took second in the Wells Fargo Twilight criterium.

Photos: Leonard Basobas