Veloforma/Zym sets goals for 2009 and beyond

The Veloforma/ZYM Women's Professional Cycling Team has set its sights on the US National Racing Calendar (NRC) for 2009 and on UCI registered trade team status longer term.

Based in the Pacific Northwest portion of the US, the Veloforma/ZYM team, which collected 63 wins in 2008, is looking to expand. "We plan to be at bigger races this year in preparations for our future," said team owner Mark Duff. "This has been our goal from the beginning. In 2010, our goal is to add a European sponsor in order to help us set our sights on becoming a UCI team and having Europe on our racing schedule." Veloforma remains as title sponsor and is joined by ZYM Hydration Products as a presenting sponsor.

During its inaugural year, the team collected some notable finishes including the Tour of Willamette Stage Race overall women's title, the Eugene Cycle Celebration and the FIAC National Six Day Championships. Other highlights included a podium finish at the US National Road Championship race, two stage wins at the Elkhorn Cycling Classic and a fourth place finish at the Cascade Classic. The team also swept the top three women's podium spots in the Oregon Bicycle Racing Association's Oregon Cup, the premier series for elite racers in Oregon.

Five Oregon-based riders will return including Rebecka Hartkop, Susan Peithman, Tina Brubaker, Alice Pennington and Miranda Moon. As part of the plan to expand beyond the Pacific Northwest, Robin Secrist of Washington State, Sabrina Savage and Melissa McWhithers from Arizona and Christina Smith from Texas are joining the team. Duff is talking with other riders who may round out the roster.

The team will contest the Tour of the Sun in Arizona, Redlands Bicycle Classic, the Oregon Pro Cycling Classic (formerly the Mt. Hood Cycling Classic), Philadelphia's Liberty Classic, the Manhattan Beach Gran Prix, the Cascade Cycling Classic, and the Priority Health Cycling Classic and Ann Arbor Cycling Classic in Michigan in 2009.