Fiordifrutta Announces 2007 Team

Fiordifrutta, an Italian producer of organic jams and honeys, is proud to announce the roster of one of the highest ranked US amateur cycling teams. The team has spent the last five years near the top of the National Racing Calendar points classification and has graduated nine riders to the professional ranks in the last few years. The squad is based entirely in New England and it racked up twenty-nine wins in 2006, racing a full road and cyclocross season.

During a snow free week in Connecticut in March, the team started its season with a training camp including a tour of Rigoni USA which provides the title sponsorship for the fifth straight year through its Fiordifrutta brand. “Fiordifrutta is pleased to have a long-term relationship with such a fast group of racers who are great ambassadors for my product” said Rigoni USA’s Claudio Mucci. The team is also pleased to have performance testing support from Incline Training in Massachusetts which is run by PhD physiologist and former Webcor director Jay Gump. The team’s schedule for 2007 includes NRC and National Championship events as well as regional races on the East coast.

The squad has always focused on the development of younger riders, and continues as the nation’s premier program to help riders step up to the next level of cycling. For 2007, the team is pleased to graduate Dan Timmerman to Kodak/ Sierra Nevada and Mike Cody to Jelly Belly as they transition to ride for professional teams.

Other team riders who have moved onto careers in professional cycling include: Jonathan Page (Prime Alliance, Colavita/Sutter Home, Morgan Blue), Mike Jones (West Virginia, Healthnet), Shawn Milne (Navigators, Healthnet), Justin Spinelli (Saeco, Navigators), Matt Svatek (Sportsbook.com), Mike Dietrich (Kodak/Sierra Nevada), and Phil Wong (Jittery Joes). Team riders who have ridden for the US National Team in Europe include: Oliver Stiler-Cote, Shawn Milne, Darby Thomas, Robbie Dapice, Donny Lopez, Matt White, and Johannes Huseby. Team members have held more than thirteen National Championship titles.

The team in 2007 is a strong force of thirteen riders, consisting of seven returning veterans and six new additions. The veterans are highlighted by team leaders Josh Dillon and Matt White. Last year, Dillon won a stage at Virginia’s Tour of Shenandoah and put in a 9th place ride at the elite national road championships. White comes off a strong 2006 season with a 15th place finish at elite road nationals and he is a cyclocross superstar, finishing 3rd in the NRC cyclocross standings behind Tim Johnson and Ryan Trebon.

New additions for 2007 include Jamey Driscoll who won the 2006 collegiate national cyclocross title as well as the under 23 title in the Crank Brothers US Cyclocross Grand Prix. Cory Burns comes to the squad with two stage race overall wins from 2006 in Owasco, NY and in Fitchburg, MA for the category 2’s.

Fiordifrutta also welcomes Toby Marzot and Josh Lipka, two nineteen year old riders who will quickly develop into top amateurs. Marzot represented the US at the 2005 and 2006 Cyclocross World Championships, and Lipka is a two-time New England Junior Time Trial Champion.

Hayden Brooks is a new signing from Australia where he just finished 12th in his national time trial championships for under 23’s. He has two solid seasons of race experience in the US including a 3rd place overall GC finish among the under 23’s at the NRC’s Nature Valley Grand Prix. The final newcomer is Will Riffelmacher, a former world class rower who jumped from category 4 to category 2 in 2006.

Returning riders include cyclocross strongman Johs Huseby who was 2nd at the 2005 National Cyclocross Championships for 30-34 Men, and Chris Rozdilsky and Todd Nordblom whose combined tactics and strength make them a part of every team win. Rider managers Chris Peck and Curt Davis continue with the team, and Peck’s 16th place finish at elite road nationals and Davis’s 7th place prologue result at the Green Mountain Stage Race prove that they are as strong as ever.

Complete rider bios can be found below and the team is also happy to announce the following supporting sponsors:

Cannondale (Frames, Forks and SI Cranks)
Biemme (Clothing)
Clif Bar (Nutritional Products)
Rudy Project (Helmets and Eyewear)
Mavic (Wheels)
Michelin (Tires and tubes)
Northwave (Shoes)
Time (Pedals and Stems)
Selle Italia (Saddles)
Sock Guy (Socks)
Pedros (Bike care products)
Elite (Bottle cages and trainers)
Headsweats (Headgear)
Thomson (Seatposts)
Kool Stop (Brake Pads)

Team roster:

Hayden Brooks (1)
Cory Burns (1)
Josh Dillon (1)
Jamie Driscoll (2)
Johannes Huseby (1)
Josh Lipka (2)
Toby Marzot (2)
Todd Nordblom (2)
Chris Rozdilsky (1)
Matt White (1)
Will Riffelmacher (2)
Curt Davis (1) rider-manager
Chris Peck (1) rider-manager

Hayden Brooks, Age 20, Category 1, Hadley, MA by way of Australia

Hayden is Fiordifrutta’s first ever Australian signing, and he started off 2007 with a 12th place finish in his home country’s national time trial championships for under 23’s. He will spend the season living in Massachusetts, and has been based in Georgia for 2005 and 2006 so he knows the US style of racing. He is a young rider with a lot of potential as proven with his 3rd place overall GC finish at the NRC’s Nature Valley stage race in the under 23’s.

12th 2007 Australian National Time Trial Championships, Under 23
3rd 2006 Nature Valley Grand Prix NRC, Overall GC, Under 23, MN
1st 2006 BRADA Tour of Jamaica, Stage 4

Cory Burns, Age 24, Category 1, Watertown, NY

Cory is a new to the squad and is on the fast track to cycling success. He beat many pro riders to win the 2006 Owasco Stage Race and also took the Cat 2 overall title at the Fitchburg Stage Race. Cory is an all around rider and his email address of wannabeapro@hotmail.com shows he is determined to succeed.

1st 2006 Owasco Stage Race, Overall GC, NY
1st 2006 Fitchburg Stage Race, Overall GC, Cat 2, MA
1st 2006 Fitchburg Stage Race, Stage 1 TT, MA

Josh Dillon, Age 27, Category 1, Burlington, VT

Josh has long been a strongman in New England and had a breakthrough 2006 season with strong results nationally. He finished 11th in the Tour de Beauce time trial against some of the world’s top professionals, and took eighth at elite road nationals. He knows 2007 is his year to step it up even more.

1st 2006 Tour of Shenandoah, Stage 4, VA
9th 2006 Elite Road National Championships, PA
1st 2006 Capital Region Road Race, NY
18th 2005 Redlands Classic, Overall GC, NRC, CA

Jamie Driscoll, Age 20, Category 2, Jericho, VT

Jamie is famous in the cycling community for two things: his mullet and his cyclocross speed which won him the Crank Brothers Cyclocross national series for under 23 men. He finished off 2006 winning the collegiate national cyclocross championships and finishing 4th in the under 23 nationals. Jamie is excited to bring his cyclocross power to the road, and he will be a force to be reckoned with.

1st 2006 Collegiate National Cyclocross Championships, RI
4th 2006 National Cyclocross Championships, Under 23, RI
1st 2006 Crank Brothers Grand Prix Cyclocross Series, Under 23

Johannes Huseby, Age 32, Category 1, Somerville, MA

Johs was a member of the 2003 US Cyclocross World's Team in Monopoli, Italy. He had a solid 2006 season with a podium finish at the UCI cyclocross race in Northampton, MA. Johs is also a former National Collegiate Cyclocross Champion and the Boston area account manager for Cannondale.

2nd 2005 National Cyclocross Championships, 30-34 Men, RI
2nd 2004 National Cyclocross Championships, 30-34 Men, OR
1st 2006 Putney Cyclocross, MA

Josh Lipka, Age 19, Category 2, Cheshire, MA

Josh is UNH student who shows tremendous cycling potential. He is a two time winner of the New England Junior Time Trial Championships, and has made a rapid rise through the cycling ranks. He looks forward to continuing to push his cycling development and dedication.

8th 2006 Fitchburg Stage Race, Overall GC Cat 2, MA
1st 2004 and 2005 New England Time Trial Championships, Junior

Toby Marzot, Age 19, Category 2, East Falmouth, MA

Charles “Toby” Marzot is another new recruit for 2007 and this 19 year old rider has a bright future ahead of him. The Dartmouth student represented the US at the under 23 Cyclocross World Championships, and won the under 23 title of the Verge New England Cyclocross series in 2006.

1st 2006 Verge New England Cyclocross Series, Overall, Under 23
5th 2006 Housatonic Hills Road Race, CT

Todd Nordblom, Age 21, Category 2, Andover, MA

Todd returns for a second year with the team, and had an extremely successful 2005 when he went from category 5 to category 2 in his second year of racing. He goes to school at Colorado College and enjoys climbing and time trialing.

1st 2004 New England Prep School Champion, Men’s A
1st 2004 Concord Criterium, Junior, NH

Chris Rozdilsky, Age 32, Category 1, Bethel, CT

2007 is Chris’s third year with the team after a solid 2006 where he led the team logistically at many NRC races. Chris is a personal trainer and coach who works with many clients and athletes in the Connecticut area. Many of the team riders use Chris as a resource for training and planning their season.

2nd 2004 Unionvale Road Race, NY
2nd 2004 Tour of Ohio Stage 1
10th 2004 Tour de Toona Stage 3, PA

Matt White, Age 24, Category 1, Hadley, MA

Matt is one of the nation’s top cyclocross riders and he represented the US at the 2005 World Championships. Although in the past he considered himself a cross specialist, he had a great season on the road in 2006 with a 15th place finish at the Elite National Road Championships.

8th 2006 Elite National Cyclocross Championships, RI
15th 2006 Elite National Road Championships, PA
4th 2004 National Cyclocross Championships, Under 23, OR
5th 2005 National Criterium Championships, Under 23 Men, UT

Will Riffelmacher, Category 2, Age 25, NY, NY

A Harvard graduate who currently lives in NYC, Will jumped from Category 4 to 2 in 2006, and looks to be on a fast track to cycling success. He is a former world class rower, and also won the KOM competition at the Tour de Toona for Cat 2 men.

1st 2006 Tour de Toona KOM Competition, Cat 2, PA
10th 2006 Fitchburg Stage Race, Overall GC Cat 2, MA

Curt Davis, Age 35, Category 1, Sandy Hook, CT

Curt has been one the nation’s strongest amateurs for many years, with one of his top results being a 3rd place at the Elite National Road Championships. Curt is coming off a brief “retirement” period, but he realized that he can still help manage twin boys and bike racing at the same time. Curt is an engineer at Cannondale where he takes care of frame needs for all of Cannondale’s top teams, and he is also co-manager of the team.

7th 2006 Green Mountain Stage Race, Stage 1, VT
5th 2006 National Cyclocross Championships, 35-39 Men, RI

Chris Peck, Age 36, Category 1, Southbury, CT

Chris brings a wealth of experience to the team, which he puts to use both on the race course and as team director. Chris is the vice-president of R&D at Cannondale, and competes with Curt Davis for the title of rider with the least hours of training per week.

16th 2006 Elite Road Race National Championships, PA
1st 2006 BCA Cyclocross, MA
1st 2003 Vermont 50 Mile Mountain Bike Race