The German-based T-Mobile women’s team completed its 2008 roster last week, with ten returning riders and three new signings, including American national champion Mara Abbott.

After finishing the season at the top of the UCI rankings, the powerhouse T-team women’s is aiming even higher in 2008. In addition to Abbott, who spent 2007 with Webcor Builders, team director Anna Wilson and team manager Kristy Scrygmeour added German national champion Luise Keller as well as young talent Madeleine Sandig.

“We are extremely happy to have finished the season accomplishing our goal to be the number one ranked team on the UCI calendar,” Scrygmeour said. “In fact we are so happy with the team that we are not making many changes for 2008. Our three new riders have proven themselves to be great riders, willing to work in a team, and they are all excited to be joining the ten returning riders to form a bigger and better team.”

After a slow start to 2007, the team hit top gear in the second part of the season with Chantal Beltman's World Cup win in Sweden, Judith Arndt's commanding overall win at the Thuringen-Rundfahrt and three stage wins at the Giro d'Italia Femminile among the highlights. In total the team recorded 31 UCI-ranked race wins, including Ina Teutenberg’s unprecedented sweep of the women’s Pennsylvania Triple Crown, plus numerous podium places.

Wilson said she is confident that the team can carry that momentum forward into the new season.

“I am excited about next year as the team gelled together better and better as this season unfolded,” Wilson said, adding that team has set clear goals for 2008. “We will be aiming to win the early World Cups of the season and maintain our status as the number one team in the world. That is a huge feather in our cap and one that we are very proud of as we place teamwork as the most important pillar of the team.”

In the only change to the management set-up, Ronny Lauke was appointed as sporting director to work alongside Wilson and team coach Petra Rosner, both former members of the world number-one Saturn women’s team of 2001 and 2002. Lauke joined after working with German continental team Wiesenhof.

“I want to learn about women’s cycling at every level and quickly get myself up to speed,” said Lauke. “It is an honor for me and a leap of faith from the world’s number one team to bring me on board. But it is a challenge I am looking forward to.”

2008 T-Mobile Pro Women’s Cycling Team RosterMara Abbott* - USA
Kim Anderson - USA
Judith Arndt - Germany
Kate Bates - Australia
Chantal Beltman - Netherlands
Luise Keller* - Germany
Emilia Fahlin - Sweden
Alex Rhodes - Australia
Ina-Yoko Teutenberg - Germany
Madeleine Sandig* - Germany
Linda Villumsen - Denmark
Anke Wichmann - Germany
Oenone Wood - Australia(* new to the team)

Aaron’s Unveils 2008 Pro Women’s Cycling Roster
Domestic-based Aaron’s Corporate Furnishings Pro Women’s Cycling Team recently announced an enhanced roster for 2008.

Team director Carmen D’Aluisio’s squad, which finished third overall in the NRC team standings, will feature a mix of old and new riders with five young recruits joining six key returning riders.

Leading the returning riders is Katharine Carroll, winner of the Athens Twilight Criterium, the Joe Martin Stage Race and the Sprint Jersey and final stage of the Tour Cycliste Feminin International de l'Ardeche. Carroll was ranked fifth overall in the final 2007 NRC individual standings.

Also returning is Felicia Gomez, fourth ranked rider on the NRC standings and the winner of the Queen of the Mountains Jersey and a stage at the Mount Hood Stage Race.

Division I Collegiate National Champion Rebecca Larson (winner of the Sprint Jersey at the Nature Valley Grand Prix), U.S. Masters National Time Trial Champion Kristin Sanders and second-year pro Carmen McNellis round out the returning riders. Catherine Powers will also return to the team part-time, while balancing her new teaching career.

“We’re starting with an incredibly strong base,” D'Aluisio said. “To have so many returning riders from last year’s team gives us a solid foundation from which to build. The commitment of these riders, as well as the hard work by all the people behind the scenes, has helped this team improve so dramatically in just a few years.”

Joining Aaron’s in 2008 are U23 U.S. Criterium National Champ Erica Allar, U23 Canadian Time Trial National Champion Julie Beveridge, Canadian standout Allison Testroete, cycling track star Anna Lang and Lipton powerhouse Meredith Miller.

Racing for her first time at August’s national criterium championships in Downers Grove, the 29-year-old Lang took the final turn in first position and finished third to round out the podium, an amazing feat considering she had been forced to finish the final four laps stuck in the 53x12 after a brush with another rider mangled her rear derailleur cable.

“We’re excited to have some of the top U.S. and Canadian talent joining the team,” D'Aluisio said. “And we’re determined to reach our goal of becoming the top-ranked team in the country.”

The Aaron’s Pro Women’s Cycling Team is beginning just its third year, and continues to be supported by Aaron’s Corporate Furnishings.

“We’re proud to be a part of this sport and even more proud to sponsor this team,” said Don Lange, Vice President of Marketing for Aaron’s Corporate Furnishings.

2008 Aaron’s Pro Women’s Cycling Team RosterErica Allar*Julie Beveridge*Katharine CarrollFelicia GomezAnna Lang*Rebecca LarsonMeredith Miller*Carmen McNellisCatherine PowersKristin SandersAllison Testroete*(* denotes new to the team)

Hammer returns to action after back injury
Having spent the summer recovering from a debilitating back injury that forced her to miss the Pan Am Games, two-time World Champion cyclist Sarah Hammer is back on track in her pursuit of Olympic gold. The 24-year-old put some racing kilometers into her legs at the October 3-6 National Track Championships, held at the ADT Center in Carson, California, where Hammer trains twice a week. Hammer and coach Andy Sparks decided to ease back into action, thus Hammer sat out the individual pursuit, an event in which Hammer has twice been world champion. Instead Hammer, who lives in Temecula, California, competed in both the men’s and women’s team pursuit.

Using the men’s event early in the week as training, Hammer proved to be firing on all cylinders in the women’s team pursuit, a new event that will be held for the first time at the 2008 world track championships. Teaming with national sprint and keirin champion Jennie Reed and newly crowned individual pursuit champion Dotsie Bausch, Hammer helped power the women over the three kilometers to a national championship in a time of 3:34.783. “It was so much fun to race with Jennie and Dotsie. It was our first time (racing) together so we’re only going to get smoother and faster,” said Hammer. “It felt good to be racing again. There was no pressure so I was able to just get out there and enjoy myself. More importantly, the back gave me no problems and I’m very happy about that.” With the track cycling season just getting underway, Hammer will next compete at the November 30- December 2 World Cup event in Sydney, Australia. In March, she’ll be racing for a third consecutive rainbow jersey title in the individual pursuit, but her primary goal remains Olympic gold in Beijing next August, where she is favored to become the first American woman to win a medal on the track since Rebecca Twigg medaled in 1984.

USA Cycling and the U.S. Olympic Committee are already working closely with Hammer to help her gear up for the Games. Felt Bicycles is currently putting the finishing touches on a custom-designed track bike for Hammer. For more information about Hammer, visit www.sarahhammer.us.