First Riders Selected for Nature Valley Pro Ride

Reminiscent of the PGA’s Q-School, the Nature Valley Pro Ride gives Elite level riders the opportunity to not only compete against the professionals, but as you will read below, also get the “star” treatment. Last weekend, two riders qualified for this summer’s Nature Valley Grand Prix by claiming victories in their respective races at the Jefferson Cup.


Minneapolis – Last Sunday’s Jefferson Cup in Charlottesville, Virginia, was the opening salvo for the 2009 Nature Valley Pro Ride. The winners of the elite races, Adam Farabaugh, (Hershey Cancer Institute-GPOA-Cannondale) and Amity Elliott (JuicePlus; above) have been invited to the Nature Valley Grand Prix to race on the Nature Valley Cycling Team.

“Without [the Nature Valley Pro Ride], women like me, in between levels, may never get a shot at the national level and without the proper support it makes it that much harder”, said women’s winner Amity Elliott. “I know... training for 5 hours and then after waiting tables for 8 hours with a bachelors degree is just plain hard. I am very happy to have had another shot at the spot and actually get it.”

The Nature Valley Pro Ride designation was a major factor in the race. “A lot of the men and women were specifically gunning for the invitation to the Nature Valley Grand Prix”, said Tracy Lea, who managed the selection at the Jefferson Cup. “Most of them were very disappointed to miss the trip and a lot of them were asking me when the next qualifier was being held. These riders have not given up on their dreams of winning a trip to the Nature Valley Grand Prix.”

Each rider selected in the Nature Valley Pro Ride will receive a travel stipend, free entry, housing accommodations, and full team support. They will make public appearances, get pre-race introductions, participate in autograph sessions, and race in front of crowds in excess of 50,000 during this five-day stage race. This program provides riders with a full professional experience and is only available to the Nature Valley Pro Ride winners.

Next up on the Nature Valley Pro Ride will be Hillsboro Roubaix near Saint Louis on Saturday, April 4. Other events will be Wente Vineyards Road Race and Criterium in the San Francisco Bay Area (April 25 & 26), the Glenwood and Longbranch Road Races near Seattle (May 2 & 3), the San Luis Rey Road Race near San Diego (May 3) and the Bear Mountain Road Race in New York (May 10).

Visit www.NatureValleyProRide.com for more information.

Photo: Jason O. Watson