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Prestige Women's Series details

Race website - Nature Valley Grand Prix

Nature Valley Grand Prix is first 2006 Series event

This week’s Nature Valley Grand Prix will be the first event of the 2006 Women’s Prestige Cycling Series.  This Series, which began in 2004, highlights women’s racing in North America.  Other 2006 Series events include the International Tour de ‘Toona and the Bermuda Grand Prix.

Webcor-Platinum returns as the team to beat in the 2006 Series.  Their roster includes 2005 Series champion Christine Thorburne and 2005 Series Best Young Rider Erinne Willcock.  Team scoring provides bonus points for riders under the age of 26, so Webcor-Platinum’s early season acquisition of Alisha Lion, runner-up in the 2005 young rider competition, puts them in a strong position to repeat as the top Series team in 2006.

Thorburne may be challenged for the early lead by Colavita – Cooking Light’s Tina Pic and TEAm Lipton’s Kori Seehafer.  Pic, primarily known as a sprinter, finished a close second in last year’s tough Nature Valley Grand Prix and is currently ranked #1 on USA Cycling’s National Racing Calendar.  Seehafer, a product of the Minnesota racing scene, finished third at the Nature Valley Grand Prix last year.

Willcock will be tough to beat for the Series Best Young Rider competition.  She’s showing good form this year, as evidenced by her recent win at the Joe Martin Stage Race.  Likely challengers include teammate Alisha Lion and Victory Brewing’s Lauren Franges. 

The sprinter’s title is up for grabs this year.  Ina Teutenberg appeared to have a lock on the title in 2005, but then dropped out of the running when her team failed to send a squad to the Bermuda Grand Prix.  With Teutenberg racing in Europe this year, the sprinter’s competition is likely to be a three-way race between Colavita’s Tina Pic and Gina Grain and TEAm Lipton’s Laura Van Gilder.

About the Women’s Prestige Cycling Series 

The Women’s Prestige Cycling Series began in 2004 with the goal of highlighting women’s racing by giving them a spotlight that they don’t have to share with the men. The Series grew out of meetings that began in Minnesota in 2003 at the first Yoplait Women’s Cycling Summit Conference hosted at the Nature Valley Grand Prix. The Summits, now sponsored by Yoplait Nouriche, take place twice a year: at the Nature Valley Grand Prix in June and at the Interbike trade show in September.

Visit www.WomenCyclists.com for more information.