Both Kodak EasyShare Gallery and Sierra Nevada have extended their co-title sponsorship of the Kodakgallery.com/Sierra Nevada Pro Cycling Team into the 2006 season, fielding a team of 12 riders, six of which are returnees. Veteran climber and former Canadian National Champion, Dominique Perras, and Ben Jacques-Maynes, a former collegiate national champion and overall winner at the Nature Valley Grand Prix in 2004, headline the returning riders.
They are accompanied by Pete Lopinto, a solid support rider and criterium specialist, Dan Schmatz, a veteran sprinter with a strong leadership presence, Jackson Stewart, another sprinter who looks to continue improving to his climbing and overall riding, and Scott Zwizanski, who placed 2nd overall at the Bermuda Grand Prix in September 2005.
New to the team are Kiwi sprinter Jason Allen, who joined McGuire-Langdale during the 2005 season, Jesse Anthony, winner of six U.S. cyclocross championships in the junior and U-23 ranks, Skyler Bishop, who made his pro debut with Health Net in 2003, Mike Dietrich, a standout on the highly regarded Fiordifrutta amateur team, Martin Gilbert, a stage winner at the Tour du Beauce in August 2005, and David Robinson, who makes the jump from the TIAA-CREF development team.
Operations Manager, Kurt Stockton said in a statement, "We've brought back six guys that have been a good fit for our program and who ride well together. Of the new riders, we think that Jason [Allen] and Martin [Gilbert] will turn into excellent finishers, and Jesse [Anthony], Mike [Dietrich], Skyler [Bishop] and David [Robinson] will give us more depth in all kinds of events."
The team's racing manager, Robin Zellner added, "Next season looks like it will be more balanced among the teams in North America, and these twelve guys will be competitive in every race we enter."
Team roster
Jason Allen, August 17, 1981, Blenheim, New Zealand
Jesse Anthony, June 12, 1985, Beverly, MA
Skyler Bishop, May 23, 1983, Del Mar, CA
Mike Dietrich, May 29, 1981, Tucson, AZ
Martin Gilbert, October 30, 1982, Chateauguay, Quebec
Ben Jacques-Maynes, September 22, 1978, San Jose, CA
Pete Lopinto, September 1, 1980, Boulder, CO
Dominique Perras, February 11, 1974, St-Lambert, Quebec
David Robinson, December 21, 1983, Bend, OR
Dan Schmatz, May 21, 1974, Longmont, CO
Jackson Stewart, June 30, 1980, Los Gatos, CA
Scott Zwizanski, May 29, 1977, Downington, PA
Staff
Kurt Stockton, Operations Manager, Smartville, CA
Robin Zellner, Racing Manager, Larkspur, CA
Joanne Fusco, Soigneur, Bellevue, WA
Josh Kadis, Marketing Manager, San Francisco, CA
