Colavita/Sutter Home Team Presented By Cooking Light announced its roster for the upcoming Tour de Toona, taking place from July 23 to 29 in Pennsylvania
The men's team Directeur Sportif, Tom Schuler announced that Canadian sprinter Charles Dionne, winner of the 1998 International Tour de Toona, is returning to reclaim his title. He will be joined by Davide Frattini, who finished in the top 10 of last year's Tour de Toona, Pennsylvania native Tyler Wren, Anthony Colby, Peter Hatton, Andy Guptill, Dan Vaillancourt and Johnny Clarke, a new addition to the roster.
"We've organized one of our strongest squads for the 2007 Tour de Toona," said Schuler. "Charles Dionne is racing in winning form, which we expect will continue at the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro where he is representing Canada in the road race just two days before the start of the Tour de Toona."
"We'll also be relying on Anthony Colby's climbing talents, which he used to scale Georgia's Brasstown Bald, the state's highest peak, fast enough to capture 3rd place in Stage 5 of this year's Tour de Georgia," Schuler continued. "And our newest recruit, Johnny Clarke of Australia, who just took second place at a Superweek road race, is ready for his first stage race with the full squad."
The women of the team have also made the final selection and Team Director Jim Williams announced that Alex Wrubleski, Alison Powers, and Iona Wynter-Parks, three of the top 10 finishers from last year's race, will lead the squad that will also include Dotsie Bausch, Mackenzie Dickey, Andrea Dvorak, Sarah Tillotson, and guest rider Annette Buetler.
"We will be bringing a powerhouse roster to the 2007 Tour de Toona, one of our favourite races on the NRC calendar," said Williams. "Alison Powers, who just turned in a phenomenal performance in Italy at her debut at the Giro d'Italia Femminile, won the gold medal in the time trial at this year's Pan American Championships and will be representing the US at the 2007 UCI Road World Championships in Stuttgart in September."
"Dotsie Bausch is also looking forward to returning to Pennsylvania," said Williams. "Earlier this month, she finished just two minutes behind the current world time trial champion at the US National Time Trial Championships in Seven Springs, capitalizing on her back-to-back podium finishes in UCI time trial events."
"We're equally well prepared to contest the road race and criterium stages of the Tour de Toona," Williams continued. " Alex Wrubleski, who finished second in last year's Tour de Toona, just won her second consecutive silver medal at the women's Canadian National Criterium Championship and Iona Wynter-Parks, Sarah Tillotson, Mackenzie Dickey, and Andrea Dvorak have been riding exceptionally well on the road all season."
