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DEC
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Note:
Pete Lopinto and Dan Schmatz were added
to the team in May.
SAN FRANCISCO (December 21, 2004) – Principal Sports Management
Group announced today the formation of the Ofoto/Sierra Nevada Professional
Cycling Team, combining the resources of both sponsors' existing programs.
The ten-rider Ofoto/Sierra Nevada squad includes four riders and one manager
from each of Sierra Nevada’s and Ofoto’s 2004 teams, along
with two newcomers.
The returning Ofoto team members are Jackson Stewart, 2003 Canadian National
Champion Dominique Perras, Tim Larkin, Scott Zwizanski, and Ofoto/Sierra
Nevada Racing Manager Robin Zellner.
Returning from the Sierra Nevada team are 2004 Nature Valley GP Champion
Ben Jacques-Maynes, 1996 and 2000 New Zealand Olympian Glen Mitchell,
Russell Hamby, John Hygelund, and Ofoto/Sierra Nevada Operations Manager
Kurt Stockton.
The two new riders are 2004 New Zealand Olympian Hayden Godfrey (ex-Health
Net/Maxxis) and neo-pro Ian Dille (ex-Snow Valley).
Regarding the new team members, Stockton said, “Hayden and Ian are
talented riders who will add a good deal of experience to the team and
we are absolutely confident that their personalities will be a good fit
for our program.”
The young Ofoto/Sierra Nevada team – with only Mitchell, Perras,
and Larkin over age 30 (birthdates below) – will bring a balanced
attack in support of stage race leaders Perras and Jacques-Maynes, sprinters
Godfrey and Stewart, and all-arounder Hamby. Mitchell and Larkin will
serve as the team's co-captains.
Describing the rider selection process, Zellner said, “Kurt and
I weighed all our personnel decisions carefully and based them on what
we know about the guys we’ve worked with in the past and the good
things we heard about the new guys from people we trust.”
The Ofoto/Sierra Nevada Professional Cycling Team is licensed as a UCI
Continental Team and will be operated by Zellner and Stockton, co-owners
of the newly formed Principal Sports Management Group LLC.
“It was our decision to move in a new direction with our cycling
team and we’re really excited about our partnership with Sierra
Nevada, who shares our commitment to cycling and our belief in its potential
to promote our brands,” said David Rich, Vice President of Marketing,
Ofoto, Inc.
Similarly, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. President Ken Grossman said, “We’ve
always seen the need for a co-sponsor to take our program to the next
level and we believe that this mix of sponsors, staff, and riders is going
to turn a lot of heads next season.”
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