So What?

Nationals is, in effect, Olympic Trials for the track cycling community. So you could say that, at the end of the day, the upshot of Elite Nationals--or at least one of the main outcomes--is embodied in the press release below.

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Six more athletes added to 2008 USA Cycling Track Talent Pool

Colorado Springs, Colo. (October 18, 2007)—Following this month’s USA Cycling Elite Track National Championships, six additional athletes have qualified for the 2008 USA Cycling Track Talent Pool – the group of athletes eligible to represent the United States at major international competitions throughout the 2007-08 season, including the Olympic Games in Beijing next summer.

In winning an elite national title in the men’s individual pursuit as a junior in his first-ever track race, 17-year-old Taylor Phinney (Boulder, Colo./TIAA-CREF) met the automatic time standard of 4 minutes, 37.01 seconds with a time of 4:35.55 in his qualifying round.

Another newcomer to the discipline of track cycling, Dotsie Bausch (Irvine, Calif./Colavita-Sutter Home-Cooking Light) qualified for the Talent Pool in just her third-career competitive track race. Bausch won a national title in the women’s individual pursuit, clocking a time of 3:44.35 in her qualifying round to eclipse the automatic time standard of 3:49.12.

Joining Phinney in the men’s endurance discipline of the Talent Pool is Bobby Lea (Mertztown, Pa./Toyota-United). Lea gained entry as part of the winning madison team at the national championships. Lea won a national title while paired with Colby Pearce (Boulder, Colo./Cody Racing), who was previously qualified to the Talent Pool.

Adam Duvendeck (Santa Barbara, Calif./Momentum) and Giddeon Massie (Colorado Springs, Colo./T-Town Express) were also named to the Talent Pool as sprinters. Duvendeck met the automatic time standard after qualifying first in the 200-meter heat of the men’s sprint. Duvendeck clocked a time of 10.59 seconds to equal the 10.59-second automatic time standard. Massie was named to the Talent Pool after capturing a national title in the men’s keirin.

After Bausch was the lone addition to the women’s endurance pool, Liz Reap (Jim Thorpe, Pa./T-Town Express) was the sole addition to the sprint pool. Reap clocked a 35.947 on her way to winning a national title in the women’s 500-meter time trial, surpassing the automatic time standard 35.98.

Following the USA Cycling Elite Track National Championships, the following riders have now qualified for the 2008 USA Cycling Track Talent Pool:

Men’s Endurance
Michael Friedman (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
Brad Huff (Fair Grove, Mo.)
Bobby Lea (Mertztown, Pa.)
Colby Pearce (Boulder, Colo.)
Taylor Phinney (Boulder, Colo.)

Men’s Sprint
Ben Barczewski (Breinigsville, Pa.)
Michael Blatchford (Cypress, Calif.)
Adam Duvendeck (Santa Barbara, Calif.)
Giddeon Massie (Colorado Springs, Colo.)

Women’s Endurance
Kristin Armstrong (Boise, Idaho)
Sarah Hammer (Temecula, Calif.)
Dotsie Bausch (Irvine, Calif.)
Becky Quinn (Quakertown, Pa.)
Christen King (Huntington Beach, Calif.)
Lauren Franges (Asheville, N.C.)

Women’s Sprint
Jennie Reed (Kirkland, Wash.)
Liz Reap (Jim Thorpe, Pa.)

The final opportunity for athletes to qualify for the Talent Pool, and thus be eligible for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team, is Dec. 11-12 in a USA Cycling Talent Pool Qualifier at the ADT Event Center in Carson, Calif.

The first major international competition of the 2007-08 season is the first round of the UCI Track World Cup in Sydney, Nov. 30-Dec. 2. The U.S. National Team roster for Sydney, as well as the second World Cup and official Olympic Test Event in Beijing, Dec. 7-9, will be announced next week.

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