The newly formed IF Racing officially opened its season this past weekend in Somerville, Massachusetts, at the Independent Fabrication factory. Team Director Jonathan Bruno called together the newly expanded U25 Development program and Pro Mountain Bike Team for a weekend of team building followed by a team presentation on Sunday to their sponsors, family, friends and the media at Lionette's the Garden of Eden Market.
The team spent Saturday on Thompson Island in the Boston Harbor performing many teambuilding exercises led by Outward Bound staff. The climax was when every rider, including those scared of heights, climbed a 30-foot pole and launching themselves off.
In addition to its efforts to promote environmental sustainability and healthy choices in conjunction with similarly minded sponsors, the team will participate in an after school cycling program for Boston Public Schools, where Bruno teaches high school and helped launch cycling the program, and support a scholarship for public school students.
11 time US national champion and ex-pro Todd Yezefski (formerly of Nerac and TIAA-CREF) will lead the development team of young, talented riders from across the New England states on their new SSR road bike made from the Reynold's latest 953 stainless steel.
On the mountain bike side, Trish Stevenson will join Harlan Price to bolster the team's endurance racing efforts off road. Asheville's Stevenson is returning to full time racing after suffering a broken back in late 2006. Both cross country riders, who will be riding Ti Deluxe 29ers, are dominant figures in the National Ultra Endurance series as well as 12 hour and multi-day stage races across the North and Central America. This season, Price will venture overseas to contest a World Cup Marathon in France in October.
Independent Fabrication for 2008 Adam Branfman (U25) (road) Jonathan Bruno (road) David Berryman (road) John Hanson (U25) (ex-pro) (road) Tom Gosselin (U25) (road) Stan Jurga (road) Luke Krisch (U25) (road) Thomas Lebosquet (road) Greg Montello (road) Harlan Price (mountain) Sam Silver (U25) (road) Trish Stevenson (mountain) Jerome Townsend (U25) (road) Andrew Walters (U25) (road) Kevin Wolfson (U25) (road) Todd Yezefski (ex-pro) (road)
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