Saturday, February 9, 2008

Team High Road now American

The pro Team High Road cycling team officially relocated its team headquarters to San Luis Obispo, Calif., inheriting Team Discovery's mantle as the sole United States-based UCI ProTour team for the 2008 racing season. The move, officially approved on Monday by the UCI, brings the number of U.S.-registered professional cycling teams to 18.

“We are an International team and proud of it,” says team owner Bob Stapleton. “We are open to committed athletes from wherever they come from. One of the simple pleasures of this team is the international diversity and personal character each athlete brings to the team.”

Team High Road’s 2008 roster currently includes three Americans including George Hincapie (Greenville, S.C.) and USA Cycling National Development Team alumni John Devine (Dixon, Ill.) and Craig Lewis (Spartanburg, S.C.). The three athletes are part of an international roster than includes 29 riders from 15 different countries.

Team High Road also operates a UCI-registered women’s team which includes U.S. National Champion Mara Abbott (Boulder, Colo.) and fellow American Kim Anderson (Colorado Springs, Colo.).

No change in the European operations is anticipated. “We remain committed to our European operations centre in Germany and our excellent staff located there,” adds Stapleton.

Team High Road opened the 2008 UCI ProTour with an overall victory at the Tour Down Under in Australia last month where German Andre Greipel won the overall classification. The team is next scheduled to compete at the Amgen Tour of California, Feb. 17-24.

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