Fiordifrutta Cross Team Stronger than ever!

Fiordifrutta is pleased to announce their cyclocross team for 2005. Fiordifrutta is an Italian organic jam imported into the US by Rigoni USA. Fiordifrutta added both Matt White and Michael Cody to the team this year – both having represented the US at the Cyclocross World Championships. Returning to the team for the fall cycling spectacle are veterans Johannes Huseby, Chris Peck, Jon Hamblen, and Curt Davis.

Huseby and Davis are both expecting children early this fall, so their early assault will be truncated, but watch for them over the later portion of the season. Fiordifrutta has also added former team member Shawn Milne to the program for cyclocross. Milne has proven great success on the road both domestically and in Europe over the last few years and looks to bring some of this experience into the realm of cyclocross.

White, Huseby and Hamblen enjoyed frequent visits to the podium last year and look to continue this trend over the course of the next few months. Cody had a shortened season last fall and looks forward to being a threat in both US Gran Prix of Cyclocross events and New England Championships of Cyclocross races. Peck returns from a fall off last year to a full campaign for 2005. Davis will make sure the team follows his strict training regiment and that they frequently eat Fiordifrutta Organic Jam.

Being a New England based program, the team greatly anticipates having the National Cyclocross Championships in nearby Providence, Rhode Island. Both White and Huseby finished on the podium in 2004 and they hope this year to be on the top step in Roger Williams Park. The team also hopes to send as many riders as possible to the World Championships in Holland. You will also be able to see the always noticeable Fiordifrutta squad at many of the stops throughout the US including the US Gran Prix of Cyclocross Series, New England Cyclocross Series, Mid-Atlantic Championship Series, and the North Carolina Cyclocross Series.

Cross Team Roster
Chris Peck – Rider/Manager
Curt Davis – Rider/Manager
Johannes Huseby
Jon Hamblen
Matt White
Michael Cody
Shawn Milne

Former team sponsor Belmont Wheelworks would like to announce the following event:

Liberty Seguros Cycling Team Visits Belmont Wheelworks, October 2

Belmont Wheelworks and Liberty Mutual are pleased to invite bicycle racing lovers of all stripes to what will surely be one of the most exciting and informative events of the year. Join us as we welcome the star riders of the Liberty Seguros cycling team on October 2nd to Belmont Wheelworks for an afternoon with some of the world's pre-eminent bicycle racers including Roberto Heras and Joseba Beloki. Click here for the full details.

Date: October 2, 2005
Time: 2pm - 5pm
Place: Belmont Wheelworks - 480 Trapelo Road - Belmont
Event Hightlights: Screenings of team videos, a question and answer session (don't worry- interpreters will be on hand), autograph signings, and of course, refreshments!

Timmerman 4th at Bear Mountain Fall Classic, September 11

After finishing 2nd at the Green Mountain Stage Race, Dan Timmerman was psyched to continue to put his good form to use at NY’s Bear Mountain. Timmerman and Chris Rozdilsky put themselves in the first move of the day, with Roz pulling strongly for the next 40 miles to ensure the group’s success. However, the group was brought back by the UPMC and Louis Garneau teams that had missed this move.

Mike Cody and Matt White covered the front for the next few miles until just two fourteen mile loops remained in the race. On the climb, Chris Peck and Timmerman powered off the front in a 10 man group with Peck working to try to keep the gap up. As the bell rang with one to go, the front group had split, with Timmerman in front with Davide Frattini (Colavita) and Melito Heredia (GS Gotham/Toga). But by the finish, these two riders left Timmerman to suffer in the second group where he outsprinted most of them for 4th place on the day. Roz did a great job to lead out Cody for 12th and Roz hung in for 16th.

Hamblen Wins 4th Street Criterium, Winston Salem, NC, September 9th

Vying for a second consecutive win at the 4th Street Criterium in his home base of Winston Salem, NC, Fiordifrutta’s Jon Hamblen and friend Jacob Fetty came up with a winning strategy. The plan, ride just slightly faster than everyone else... a crazy idea that just might work. Jon practiced his cornering all week, spending hours on the Xbox racing MotpGP3 and honing his high speed cornering technique. Sometimes racing as Biaggi but mostly racing as Rossi, Hamblen plugged away through simulated 200 mph crashes and driving rain, never quitting for the evening unless he had put in the fastest lap time. It took a lot of sweat, coffee, and thumb muscle but the hard work would prove to pay off handsomely.

When the gun fired Friday night in downtown Winston, Hamblen began playing his move. By the first corner Jon had a 5 second gap with one rider, Eric Murphy (Aerospace Eng), on his wheel. Amazingly, these were also the two smallest riders in the field. The two quickly built a 15 second lead by the end of the first 1km lap. Aided by Eric's Aerospace team and Fetty, the gap grew over the next thirty laps until the two small riders lapped the field. Since Hamblen's Michelin tires were gripping so well and he was not content to ride and crash with the field on this demanding night time course, he decided to have another go at attacking.

Jacob put in two laps of hard pulling to set up Jon for the attack and Jonny hammered hard off the front. Murphy was quick to find his wheel as were a few other riders, one of Eric's quick Serbian Aerospace teammates (whose name is not pronouncable or easily spelled), Carl Menzies (Advatage Benefits/Endeavor/etc), Charlie Storm (BTD), Chad Gibson (Outdoor Lighting), and several others. This group rode hard, except for the two Advantage Benefits/etc riders who chose to sit on, and lapped the field with ten laps remaining. In the closing laps Fetty and the Aerospace team took control of the field and kept the pace high. However, Jon and Eric agreed to drift to the back of the field and avoid the inevitable last lap crashes. They would sprint each other for the win instead of competing with the corner-divers and unskilled bike drivers. On the finish stretch Hamblen accelerated hard and Murphy eased up slightly, aware that this was Hamblen's home town race. A very nice gesture from the biggest little guy on the racing circuit

Timmerman Takes 2nd Overall at Green Mountain Stage Race, September 2-5

A seven-man Fiordifrutta squad battled with Target Training, Broadmark Capital, and Louis Garneau teams this past labor day weekend in the hills of Vermont. The racing started on Friday with a mass start hill climb prologue which saw Dan Timmerman and Phil Wong finish in the top 10, with Chris Peck sneaking into the top 25. Saturday’s stage was relatively uneventful for the General Classification as it ended in a massive field sprint, but the whole stage was nullified after yellow line violations and general lack of traffic control made the stage extremely dangerous.

Sunday’s queen stage was 100 miles including three giant climbs, finishing on top of Appalachian Gap after a stretch of road with 20% gradient. In the first break of the day, Chris Rozdilsky represented the squad, but this move was brought back after 40 miles by the Broadmark Capital team. The Louis Garneau team then went on the attack, but Mike Cody and Matt White were able to bring back the group and set up Peck and Larry Perera to control the last few miles before the final climb. At the finish, Timmerman took second to race leader Anthony Colby (Target Training) with Wong in 11th.

The final day’s criterium saw the team control any dangerous moves with Phil Wong spending the majority of the race in the front 3 positions in the field! Timmerman sprinted to 12th on the stage, which was good enough for him to lock up 2nd spot overall, with Wong in 9th, Rozdilsky in 17th, and Peck in 19th.