Premier Sports Partners For 2009!

Time Pro Cycling will be re-named as Premier Sports Partners for 2009, but will remain a Continental team. The outfit has also signed six new riders, including Mark Hekman, for the season and brought in former Masters National and World Champion Jason Snow to direct the outfit.

"There were not many guys out there with our mindset looking to be directors," said team owner Erik Saunders. "Finding Jason was a relief to us all. Snow is going to help us stay with that Old School Fury that small teams tend to lose as they grow.

"We started this as a no money, six rider U23 team and we want to stay close to what it means to be young privateers," he added.

For the time being, Time Pro Cycling enters the USA Crits Finals tomorrow evening in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA in second place. Adam Myerson sits in second place 38 points adrift, while the team also holds second in the team standings behind Toshiba-Santo.

2009 Premier Sports Partners roster: Andy Baker, Jackie Simes, Eric Barlevav, David Guttenplan, Mike Stoop, Tom Soladay, Daniel Ramsey, Jon Hamblen, Adam Myerson and new additions Mark Hekman, Phillip Gaimon, Logan Loader, Will Hoffarth, Spencer Beamer, and Issac Howe.

ING Capital Criterium

Over the weekend, TIME Pro Cycling was in Washington DC for the ING Capital Criterium...Nick and Adam take up the storytelling from here:

Nick:
Time Pro Cycling ran a more active race than any team there, including Garmin and Kelly Benefits (with EIGHT riders!), and we had a guy off the front for a total of probably 1/2 of the race! We won two $1,000 premes outright, the first when I attacked a break just as it was being swallowed up and rode a lap solo, the second came when Tom Soladay was solo off the front for almost 10 laps, and I even performed my trademark flying-lap to take second on the preme for $500! Jon Hamblen was super active at the front, as always, chasing down anything dangerous and just being an incredible workhorse, while Adam stayed safely tucked away in the field getting ready for the inevitable sprint.

The course was held on Pennsylvania avenue, just ten blocks away from the capital . . . beautiful! There were many spectators, and awesome kids race, and generally top-notch organize and funding. We were taken out to a very nice restaurant, Sonoma, and given free reign on their ultra-expensive menu, then slept in one of DC's longest-running hotels, the Hotel Harrington, again provided by the race organization. My hat is off to them!

After our excellent race, it was just heartbreaking to get taken out in the final lap.



Adam:
On Sunday I was on Hilton Clarke’s wheel in the first 5 or 6 guys, coasting through the first turn on the final lap, and then next thing I know someone’s going across my front wheel and I was on the ground. I never even saw who or what took me down. $10,000 to win, less than a lap to go, and there I was, flat on my back with a bike that looked like I had been hit by a car.

Ramsey Wins San Francisco Leg Of USA Crits!

TIME Pro Cycling's Daniel Ramsey took the penultimate leg of the 2008 USA Crits Series in San Francisco at the inaugural running of the San Francisco Twilight Criterium. Ramsey, one of the more experienced members of the Time squad, was the beneficiary of a mechanical that that took third place finisher Jorge Alvarado (Kahala/Lagrange) out of the final moments of competition.

"I was just trying to keep pressure on the other teams so mine could make a move. I bridged up on the final break and no one came with me. Alvarado and I started working well together. He's a strong rider but he broke his saddle...unlucky for him. He told me to go ahead. So the win was easy."


Photo: Larry Rosa Photography

118 men initially rolled to the line of the one-kilometer course on Union Street in downtown San Francisco to contest the $10,000 prize purse. Alvarado was aggressive from the start, figuring into a five man break that also included Alessandro Bazzano (Successful Living). Bazzano spent much of the evening out in front of the field, continually chasing down moves and eventually nabbing the mid-race prime. Every break that managed to establish even a momentary gap over the main field, however, caused a high-speed reaction from the pack. At one point, those riders who had yet to call it a night were stretched out on course in a 15-second-long single file.

With three laps remaining, Alvarado, Ramsey and Successful Living's fast man Ricardo Escuela established what would be the evening's winning effort. The trio held a 13-second gap over the remainder of the peloton, but Alvarado's unfortunate mechanical put the race in Ramsey's hands. This is the second USA Crits victory for the Time squad, whose Eric Barlevav won a dramatic sprint finish at this year's Harlem Skyscraper Classic in early June.

Guttenplan Wins Glencoe GP!

David Guttenplan and Tom Soladay suited up for the 2nd annual Glencoe Grandprix just north of Chicago, IL this past Sunday. It was a flat 75-minute everyman for themselves criterium. After coming close to wins at both races of the Marion Classic the two previous days, the Time riders had only the win on their minds. In the first 15 minutes of the race Soladay found Guttenplan on his wheel and drove the pace, Guttenplan pulled through and did the same. This, forming the winning break of David Guttenplan (TIME), Tom Soladay (TIME), Andy Crater (Wheel & Sprocket), Chad Hartley (Jittery Joes) and two riders from ABD. Soladay immediately attacked for 5 laps to only have Guttenplan join him as the 4 other riders rotated to get back on terms. Before the two Time riders were brought back Soladay attacked again while Guttenplan again sat on the four riders. When Soladay was finally brought back Guttenplan attacked within the next lap, bringing with him last years champion from ABD. Hartley and Crater were tired of chasing as a Time rider sat on. Guttenplan dragged the ABD rider to the field as Soladay sat up from the break to pilot Guttenplan to the line by hitting the front for the last half of the final lap. Into a headwind, Gutt started his sprint from 250 meters to take the win over his break companion in a photo finish.

Barlevav Fourth in U23 Crit Champs

after a big day that saw TIME Pro Cycling make EVERY SINGLE BREAKAWAY, Barlevav finished in 4th place behind winner Justin Williams (Rock Racing), Jake Keogh (Kelly), and Daniel Holloway (Garmin-Chipotle)... BBQ reports that at 150 meters he was passing on the right when the door slammed shut on him and he was forced to touch the brakes and watch as his chance to win was taken away... after you get a big win (Harlem) its frustrating to agiain be so close so many times... USPRO Crit is coming up and TIME is full of darl horse candidated for the jersey... we are looking forward to finishing off a great season!...

Great Night in Charlotte!

In front of an electric crowd in Charlotte NC, TIME Pro Cycling showed its intentions in one of the USA's most prestigious events. Dan Ramsey and Tom Soladay made the break of nine that battled for first place. The race was taken by Olympian Allejandro Borrajo, followed By Frank Pip and Emile Abraham. Soladay finished an excellent sixth after Ramsey controlled attacks in the finale, ending up 9th. Tom was hopeful that his sprint would carry him onto the podium, but in the end he was slightly outclassed by an A-list group. Tom chalks it up to slightly bad legs and remains MOTIVATED for the future. Tom is a first year pro and has shown that he doesnt lack much in top events. He sees himself bringing in a big win or two by the end of the year. We believe it!

Ramsey wins, then Ramsey wins, then Ramsey wins again.

It was three in a row in the opening weekend of the Crossroads Series (http://www.crossroadscyclingclassic.com/).

Daniel Ramsey won the first night in Taylorsville, NC then followed that up with another in Lenoir, NC and then again in Morganton, NC...

The series takes a break monday then comes back tuesday, culminating sunday with the Hanes Park Classic NRC event in our home town Winston-Salem, NC. Saturday night we are looking forward to the Presbyterian Healthcare Classic in Charlotte, NC where we will be working to widen Adam Myerson's narrow lead and score more team points to get closer to overtaking Toshiba-Santos in that competition as well.