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Written by Staff reports
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Wednesday, 14 June 2006 |
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 Although it's often individual racers who capture the public's attention, road events like the Tour de Nez favor those riders with a strong team of other cyclists supporting them. Read up on some of the teams and individual riders who will be coming to this year's Tour de Nez.
Tour de Nez Racer bios:
Team Kodak/Sierra Nevada
Ben Jacques-Maynes: A former US National Under-23 and US Collegiate Champion in the sport of cyclocross — in short, a cross between road and mountain bike racing — as well as US Collegiate Criterium Champ, Jacques-Maynes has become one of the nation’s top ranked domestic road-racing pros; he is currently ranked 8th in the nation. He also holds a dual degree from the University of California at Santa Cruz in Economics and Environmental Studies. Jacques-Maynes grew up racing with his twin brother and former Sierra Nevada teammate, Andy.
 Jackson Stewart: Stewart comes to the Tour de Nez on fire having recently won the Lancaster Classic, the first leg of the highly prestigious "Philly Week" races of the Commerce Bank Triple Crown. Also a former U.S. Madison Championship on the track — that’s a hair-raising fast and fierce type of race on a banked Velodrome; for starters, track bikes have no brakes! — Stewart is not only wicked fast, according to his team, he’s also pretty darned funny. And he’s a model: Stewart has served as a body double for Lance Armstrong in several of Nike’s television spots. In life off the bike, Stewart earned his degree in Business Management from San Jose State University.
Skyler Bishop: A young, 23, up-and-coming racer, Bishop returned to the pro ranks this year after taking a two-year hiatus to finish his degree in Environmental Studies which he earned from the University of California at Santa Cruz. Formerly a mountain bike racer, Bishop previously raced for Health Net presented by Maxxis. Bishop’s passion outside of bike racing is photography which he plans to pursue as his career when he hangs up the bike. When not racing these days however, he can be found working for the San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy on the restoration of impacted watersheds. It is an extension of his college thesis on the interpretation of vegetation using aerial photography.
David Robinson: Lanky and lean — at 6’4” he weighs in at a mere 155 pounds — Robinson only started racing in 2003 but almost immediately made a big impression; notably, he has been mentored by one of the US’s most successful racers, Chris Horner. He has since placed in the top 5 of the US Under-23 National Championships and raced throughout the US and Europe. A strong team rider, he hopes to one day be a contender in European pro racing.
Team Navigators
 Phil Zajicek: Zajicek is a former Junior National Champion with a ton of racing talent. A strong all-around rider — that means he can go super fast on lots of different terrain — he recently won the grueling La Vuelta de Bisbee stage race in Arizona. During his career, Zajicek has also earned top results in major stage races in China, Great Britain and North America; he also previously raced in Europe with Belgium team Kortrijk Groening Spurters and Italian amateur team Cantina Tollo. Away from the bike, he can be found restoring classic sports cars, hiking, rock climbing, or reading his favorite Jack Kerouac novels. For more about Zajicek, check out his blog: www.philzajicek.com
Bernard VanUlden: VanUlden is a former mountain bike racer who excels in races against the clock; in the bike-racing world, they’re called time trials. In the field, he’s known for his aggressive racing and working hard for his team. Away from the bike, he earned his bachelor’s degree from University of California, Los Angeles and enjoys backpacking and snowboarding.
 Team Health Net presented by Maxxis
Scott Moninger/Team Health Net: The Man! Moninger won the Tour de Nez overall last year with impressive rides. Among his shows of strength in the 2005 Tour: he rode away from the competition — seated calmly and strongly in the saddle on the last climb up Highway 267, no less — in the road race for the win and lapped the field in the Truckee Criterium, also for the win! Ever the threat and a seasoned veteran in the field, Moninger recently surpassed the 250-win mark for his career!
Kyle Gritters: A gritty sprinter, Gritters wowed the crowd at last year’s Tour de Nez with a 3rd place finish in the brutally fast Reno Criterium — there were two racers off the front so that means he won the field sprint. Already a former US Under-23 National Criterium Champion, this is only Greitters’ third season as a pro and only fourth year racing. But bike racing isn’t his only passion; earlier this year he missed the Central Valley Classic to get married. When not riding Gritters can be found drawing, painting, playing tennis, and designing furniture.
 Karl Menzies: Tazmanian Menzies (no kidding, he’s from Tazmania) burst onto the North American scene in 2005 by finishing 5th overall for the season in the NRC (National Racing Calendar) points — in essence, he was the 5th best US pro — in his first pro season! A big guy at 182 pounds, he’s a powerhouse who can’t be counted out in any terrain, even climbs! “I’m just really strong,” he says. And he’s not kidding. Quite the comedian as well, he’s “just a fun guy to be around,” says his team. For his size and unwavering strength, he suffers nicknames like “Big Unit” and “Ten Men-zies” (get it, ‘cause he’s as strong as ten men).
Roman Kilun: Kilun is a developing stage race threat, as evidenced by his 3rd place overall showing at last year’s Sea Otter Classic, a hotly contended national caliber race. Such is his love for racing, Kilun is taking time off from law school to race full time this year.
Doug Ollerenshaw: Ollerenshaw returns to racing at the Tour de Nez after having suffered a fractured hip while racing earlier this year in France. A strong racer, he won the final stage of last year’s Sea Otter Classic with an epic solo victory that sealed his over title there. Not only strong, but wicked smart too, Ollerenshaw has earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in mechanical engineering.
Garrett Peltonen: A former Collegiate National Time Trial Champion and winner of five races last year, including the Illinois State Criterium Championship, in his first pro season, Peltonen is known for his tenacity. An all-around strong rider, he’s also known as an all-around funny guy by his team. Check out his blog for some pure entertainment: http://garrettpeltonen.missingsaddle.com/.
Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team
Chris Baldwin: The current US Time Trial Champion — a title he has earned twice in three years — Baldwin has won 16 races as well as a Silver Medal at the 2003 Pan-American Games. His interest in cycling goes back to his teen years when he hung out at the local bike shop so much that the shop owner finally gave him a job. Encouraged by the staff there and supported by his parents, he began his racing career. A tough and versatile rider, Baldwin is known for his tenacity and ability to be a strong team player. While not racing, Baldwin’s other interests include water and snow skiing, woodworking, and reading his favorite Steinbeck novels.
 Chris Wherry: What more can we say, Wherry is last year’s USPRO Road Champion. The man can race! And he’s been doing so for 20 years. He got hooked on the sport as a kid when his parents took him to watch the Coors Classic in his hometown of Boulder, Colorado, and started racing full time right out of high school. An all-round rider who enjoys long, hard and highly tactical races, Wherry is among a rare group of riders who possess speed, endurance and climbing strength. When he’s not cycling, he enjoys hiking, camping, snowboarding, fly fishing or chasing his new love, surfing.
Heath Blackgrove: A New Zealander, Blackgrove started cycling when he was 11 years old after going to races with his father. His first big result was winning the New Zealand National Under-17 Time Trial title in 1996. In total he has won 11 national titles in his home country including the road time trial in every age category from junior under-17 to elite. He is also an Olympian having represented New Zealand in the Road Race and Time Trial at the Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. An all-round cyclist and team player, Blackgrove is strongest on rolling to hilly terrain as well as in time trials. For the past two seasons, he has spent his career racing overseas.
 Ivan Dominguez: Not the average story: Dominguez began cycling at age 13 and has been racing competitively for the past 14 years. Born and raised in Havana, Cuba, Dominguez is a two-time Pan-Am Games Gold Medalist and former Cuban National Champion. He remains the country’s current 4 km record-holder, a title he’s owned since 1997. But Dominguez chose to defect to the US while traveling to the here in 1998 for the Goodwill Games with the rest of the Cuban National Cycling Team. Speaking no English and knowing no one in the United States but an uncle in Miami, he made ends meet by working at a shoe factory. He continued racing and landed himself a spot on the Saturn Professional Cycling Team. Seizing the opportunity with a top US squad, he racked up 20 major wins in his first two seasons with them. While Dominquez is widely recognized as one of the top sprinters in the country today, his speed is also backed by endurance and climbing strength.
Jose Manuel Garcia: A two-time Mexican National Champion on the road and track, Garcia’s career spans eight years; he was inspired to take to bike racing in his youth by watching his father race in the amateur ranks. In 2004 and 2005, while still racing professionally in Mexico, Garcia started doing local races throughout Southern California and where he was noticed and picked up by the Toyota-United team. A fast, aggressive rider, he is a fierce competitor. When not racing, Garcia enjoys spending time with his two-year-old son, Leonardo.
Tony Cruz: Former Reno resident as well as Reno Wheelman Club member, 2004 Tour de Nez Champion Cruz is back! A former USPRO Criterium Champion, Cruz won the 2000 US Olympic Trials Road Race which earned him a spot on the US team for the Sydney Olympic games. For this, he landed a spot on the legendary US Postal Team — Lance Armstrong’s team — which he raced for in Europe and the US for the past five years. Additionally, in 2004, Cruz earned four top-10 stage finishes at the Vuelta a Espana, one of the world’s most prestigious and challenging bike races. Having raced since he was 12, Cruz returns to Reno to defend his title. It doesn’t get better than this!
Team Priority Health
 Glen Mitchell: New Zealander Mitchell (he now resides in Santa Rosa, California) comes to the Tour de Nez after some highly impressive rides at the prestigious “Philly Week.” This two-time Olympian and two-time National Road Race Champion for his home country is a man to watch! When he's not riding, Glen enjoys less intense activities like fishing, taking in the latest movie, or walking his rottweiler, Rumor.
Tom Zirbel: A top-five finisher in the 2005 National Time Trial Championships, tall man Zirbel, at a height of 6’4’, who sports a mullet that he claims has been "clinically proven" to boost his competitive abilities, loves “epic road races and stage races.” With it’s challenging road race and speedy criteriums, the Tour de Nez should prove to be a perfect venue for “Thor,” as he’s known, to show off his strengths.
Jake Rytlewski: Returning to the Tour de Nez for a second time, this former two-time top three finisher in Collegiate National Championships on the road and track and Indianan has raced all over the world. But ask him what his favorite place to race is and he’ll say “the front.” His motto: “Win everything or help the team win everything. Just win, Baby!” In addition to a full racing schedule, Jake keeps up a strong GPA at Marian College in Indianapolis.
Robbie King: A competitive man, before King got into racing bicycles, he raced small sailboats and earned top finishes in several championships. As a bike racer, he’s won the both the National Collegiate Criterium Championship and the National Collegiate Road Race Championship. And just last year he placed in the top ten of the US National Criterium Championships. He’s fast and fierce!
Tommy Nankervis: Having placed last year in the top five of both the US Road Race and Criterium National Championships, expect to see this Aussie at the front of the field. Additionally, note that when done racing, Nankervis aspires to work as a lion tamer. And he also wants people to know that you won't find kangaroos roaming backyards in Australia.
 Team Jelly Belly
Alex Candelario: A wicked fast sprinter — he won the first race he ever entered — and all-around strong team rider (and dear friend of the Tour de Nez staff), this former Collegiate National Champion is back to defend his Reno Criterium title. Off the front for a good part of last year’s crazy-fast crit with pro Eric Saunders, he took the final sprint with enough of a lead to do the two-arm victory salute under the finish banner. When not racing, Candelario is off the to beach to pursue his new-found passion: surfing.
 Andrew Bajadali: Coming off of a win at NRC race, the Tri Peaks Challenge in Arkansas, “The Baj,” returns to the Tour de Nez after having finished second overall last year. A strong stage racer, seasoned competitor and awesome climber, Bajadali spent the better part of the last couple of seasons racing overseas. Off the bike, Bajadali enjoys camping and playing golf.
Caleb Manion: A long time racer, Tasmanian Manion (he, along with Karl Menzies is from Tasmania too! Who knew? Two Tasmanians at the Tour de Nez!) won his first race; he was nine years old! As co-leader in stage races for Team Jelly Belly, expect to see him turn in some strong rides. And he says that what he misses most about not being home is home so let’s make him feel welcome!
Dave McCook: Fast man McCook has been on the racing circuit for a long time! He started racing and winning races at age 15 and has been a force ever since. A threat in any sprint, this former US National Criterium champ placed second last year in two US National Championship events. Something few people know: McCook worked as a florist when he was 14 years old; and his favorite band is The Monkeys.
Matty Rice: Another Tasmanian (that’s three people!), Rice has been racing since he was 12. While he does love a good game of cricket and is certified to operate a crane (which he does in the off-season), Rice is a strong team player in all types of terrain especially when the courses get tough.
Team Saunier Duval Pro Cycling Team
 Aaron Olson: After making an impressive appearance at last year’s Tour de Nez, Olson comes back to Reno in 2006 after having competed in one’s of the world’s most prestigious bike races, the Giro d’Italia — that’s the equivalent of the Tour de France for Italy — with his new European-based team Saunier Duval; a breakthrough year for Olsen, this season marks his entrée into the pro European racing scene. That said, the Tour de Nez is excited to welcome him back; expect strong rides from this emerging international racer, teammates or no.
Team Successful Living
Ryan Yee: A second-year pro, Yee has impressive slate of junior and amateur victories and has finished in the top 10 of several national –caliber races this year. Yee says he started cycling because, “I was already shaving my legs so cycling was a natural fit.”
Daniel Ramsey: Four-year veteran of professional cycling, Ramsey has is a strong all-around rider with numerous regional and national top finishes. A a new dad, Ramsey says his daughter, Lara, “is my motivating factor in my training and racing.”
 Gordon McCauley: McCauley is the current New Zealand national champion; need we say more? No. But if you want to learn more, visit McCaughly’s blog at: http://gordons-world.blogspot.com.
Jeremiah Wiscovitch: A second year pro, Wiscovitch lost a close friend in a fatal car crash in which Wiscovitch was a passenger. Realizing “that you can’t take life for granted,” he has aggressively pursued cycling success; and is increasingly finding it. When not on the bike, he loves to play video games, paint with watercolor, knit, and take long walks on the beach.
Drew Miller: With over 15 years of racing experience in his legs, Miller has earned more than 90 amateur and pro victories. A family guy who also has a career as a mechanical engineer, when Miller isn’t racing, he enjoys playing golf, reading and traveling.
Curtis Gunn: A strong team riding, Gunn is a second year pro, with at least 75 road and track race victories in his career. He also formerly held the World Hour Record in the 30- to 34-year-old amateur division. Gunn is also a 7-time national champion in that age category. Gunn began riding his bike to loose weight; having dropped 70 pounds he began racing in 2003.
Full pro team rosters:
Team Priority Health
Glen Mitchell, Santa Rosa, CA
Tom Zirbel, Boulder, CO
Jake Rytlewski, Indianapolis, IN
Robbie King, Brentwood, NH
Tommy Nankervis, Michigan
Team Successful Living
Ryan Yee, Ojai, CA
Daniel Ramsey, Ventura, CA
Gordon McCauley, Auckland, New Zealand
Jeremiah Wiscovitch, Riverside, CA
Drew Miller, Flagstaff, AZ
Curtis Gunn, Tucson, AZ
Team Kodak/Sierra Nevada
Ben Jacques-Maynes, Berkeley, CA
Jackson Stewart, Los Gatos, CA
Skyler Bishop, Walnut Creek, CA
David Robinson, Bend, OR
Team Navigators Insurance Cycling
Phil Zajicek, Tucson, AZ
Bernard VanUlden, Belmont, CA
Team Health Net presented by Maxxis
Kyle Gritters, Bermuda Dunes, CA
Roman Kilun, Berkeley, CA
Scott Moninger, Boulder, CO
Karl Menzies, Tasmania
Doug Ollerenshaw, Portland, OR
Garrett Peltonen, Sacramento, CA
Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team
Chris Baldwin, Boulder, CO
Chris Wherry, Boulder, CO
Heath Blackgrove, Boulder, CO
Ivan Dominguez, Chatsworth, CA
Jose Manuel Garcia, Chatsworth, CA
Tony Cruz, Long Beach, CA
Team Jelly Belly
Alex Candelario, San Francisco, CA
Andrew Bajadali, Boulder, CO
Caleb Manion, San Marcos, CA
Dave McCook, Mountain View, CA
Matty Rice, San Marcos, CA
Team Saunier Duval Pro Cycling Team
Aaron Olsen, Eugene, OR
Team Broadmark / Hagens-Berman
Adam Curry, Portland, OR
Andrew McDermid, Spokane, WA
Chad Nikolz, Seattle, WA
Dan Neyens, Seattle, WA
Morgan Schmitt, Roslyn, WA
Sam Johnson, Walla Walla, WA
Sean Van Horn, Seattle, WA
Taylor Kneuven, Portland, OR
Team Pacific State Bank / Anderson Homes
Todd Hennings, Napa, CA
Team Velo Europa-Cyfac
Art Rand, Santa Cruz, CA
RHVilla/Montano Velo
Christian Kearney, Oakland, CA
Aaron Odell
Dennis Guikema, Oakland, CA
Jesse Mendonca, Santa Clara, CA
Joshua Snead, Larkspur, CA
Team AxleyUSA.com / The Valley CBC
Derik Archibald, Washington State
Jonny Sundt, Seattle, WA
Michael Pruitt, Seattle, WA
Team Wild Oats / Al's Barbershop
Craig McCartney, Lafayette, CA
Team Club One Fitness/Jamba Juice
Ben Stafford, Santa Cruz, CA
Brian Lamb, Palo Alto, CA
Chris Crawford, Woodside, CA
David Pierce, Palo Alto, CA
Graham Simpson, Carmel Valley, CA
Rand Miller, Palo Alto, CA
Pro Peloton Velo
Johnathan Baker, Boulder, CO
Team Cal Giant /Village Peddler
Chris Lieto, Danville, CA
James Mattis, Mountain View, CA
John Hunt, Fairfax, CA
Matthew Willinger, Walnut Creek, CA
Max Jenkins, Walnut Creek, CA
Michael Telega, Dana Point, CA
Patrick Briggs, Walnut Creek, CA
Patrick Dunaway, Oakland, CA
Salvador Borrego-Crum, Watsonville, CA
Team Webcor/Alto Velo
Brain Buchholz, San Carlos, CA
Mike Margraf, Auburn, CA
Team Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory
Mitch Moreman, Durango, CO
Team BMC Racing Team
David Rodriguez, Fremont, CA
Hector Hernandez, Santa Rosa, CA
Jason Klikna, Merced, CA
Justin Hale, Merced, CA
Ken Hanson, San Luis Obispo, CA
Kyle Barbary, Berkeley, CA
Osvaldo Olmos, San Luis Obispo, CA
Owen Laine, Menlo Park, CA
Team Einstein's Cycling
Brain Kendall, Golden, CO
Whitney DeBroux, Boulder, CO
Team GS Lombardi Sports/Klein
Bill Howard, San Geronimo, CA
Darin Devine, Mill Valley, CA
Eric Riggs, Antelope, CA
Paul Sumner, San Rafael, CA
Team Spine
Alton Dunnigan, Vallejo, CA
Par Caurant, Alabny, CA
Paul Reichardt, Berkeley, CA
Lance Doherty, Edmonton, Cananda
Shawn Rosenthal, Davis, CA
Mike Buckley, Davis, CA
Tom Skiles, Reno, NV
Team Eclipse Racing
Emiliano Jordan, Tucson, AZ
Jarod Gilyard, Tucson, AZ
Jason Karew, Tucson, AZ
Kyle Colavito, Tucson, AZ
Scott Blanchard, Tucson, AZ
Shane Peltonen, Tucson, AZ
Team Arete' Racing/Vellum Cycles
Mack Chew, San Francisco, CA
Team CenturyTel
Matthew Hall, Boulder, CO
Photos by Court Leve/Tahoe World: Top of page, Alex Candelario and Scott Moninger. All other photos courtesy of race teams.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 22 June 2006 )
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