USA Cycling announces full Olympic cycling squad
USA Cycling has added the final three names to its 24-member Beijing Olympic cycling squad. Roadies Amber Neben (Irvine, California) and Christine Thorburn (Sunnyvale, California) and mountain biker Mary McConneloug (Chilmark, Massachusetts) are the latest additions to the squad that will represent the United States in China next month. They join the 21 riders USA Cycling announced on July 1 (list below). The three earned discretionary selections and were nominated by a nine-person selection committee. A second Games for Thorburn[nid:79896]
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USA Cycling has added the final three names to its 24-member Beijing Olympic cycling squad.
Roadies Amber Neben (Irvine, California) and Christine Thorburn (Sunnyvale, California) and mountain biker Mary McConneloug (Chilmark, Massachusetts) are the latest additions to the squad that will represent the United States in China next month.
They join the 21 riders USA Cycling announced on July 1 (list below).
The three earned discretionary selections and were nominated by a nine-person selection committee.
A second Games for Thorburn
Photo: Action Images
Thorburn will compete in the road race and the individual time trial in Beijing. She finished just out of the medals in fourth in Athens four years ago in the time trial.
Neben has international wins
Photo: Casey B. Gibson
Heading to her first Olympic Games, Neben will do the road race with Thorburn and Kristin Armstrong. Currently ranked ninth in the world, Neben is one of the most decorated American cyclists on the international circuit. She has overall victories in the 2005 and 2006 Tour de l’Aude and the 2007 Route de France Feminin, as well as a second-place finish in the 2007 Thuringen Rundfahrt der Frauen. Neben also earned back-to-back bronze medals at the 2006 and 2007 USA Cycling Elite Road National Championships, finished third overall at the 2007 Giro di San Marino and placed fourth at the 2007 Fleche Wallonne World Cup.
McConneloug Miss Consistency this year
McConneloug joins Georgia Gould on the two-woman cross-country mountain bike squad. McConneloug has been a model of consistency on the 2008 World Cup circuit, placing 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th in the five races to date.
This week USA Cycling also confirmed a discretionary nomination for Sarah Hammer (Temecula, California) to compete in the women’s points race. On July 1, Hammer was announced as an automatic qualifier for the individual pursuit.
All nominations are subject to the approval of the United States Olympic Committee.
Final USA Cycling Nominees:
Men’s Road
1. George Hincapie, 35 (Greenville, South Carolina) Road Race
2. Levi Leipheimer, 34 (Santa Rosa, California) Road Race, Time Trial
3. Jason McCartney, 34 (Coralville, Iowa) Road Race
4. Christian Vande Velde, 32 (Boulder, Colorado) Road Race
5. David Zabriskie, 29 (Salt Lake City, Utah) Road Race, Time Trial
Women’s Road
1. Kristin Armstrong, 34 (Boise, Idaho) Road Race, Time Trial
2. Amber Neben, 34 (Irvine, California) Road Race
3. Christine Thorburn, 38 (Sunnyvale, California) Road Race, Time Trial
Men’s Track
1. Michael Blatchford, 22 (Cypress, California) Team Sprint, Match Sprint
2. Adam Duvendeck, 26 (Santa Barbara, California) Team Sprint
3. Michael Friedman, 25 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) Madison
4. Bobby Lea, 24 (Mertztown, Pennsylvania) Points Race, Madison
5. Giddeon Massie, 26 (Zionhill, Pennsylvania) Team Sprint
6. Taylor Phinney, 18 (Boulder, Colorado) Individual Pursuit
The United States also has one start position in the men’s Keirin. The athlete who will contest the Keirin will be announced at a later date.
Women’s Track
1. Sarah Hammer, 24 (Temecula, Calif.) Individual Pursuit, Points Race
2. Jennie Reed, 30 (Kirkland, Wash.) Match Sprint
Men’s Mountain Bike
1. Adam Craig, 26 (Bend, Oregon)
2. Todd Wells, 32 (Durango, Colorado)
Women’s Mountain Bike
1. Georgia Gould, 28 (Ketchum, Idaho)
2. Mary McConneloug, 37 (Chilmark, Massachusetts)
Men’s BMX
1. Kyle Bennett, 28 (Conroe, Texas)
2. Mike Day, 23 (Santa Clarita, California)
3. Donny Robinson, 25 (Napa, Calif.)
Women’s BMX
1. Jill Kintner, 26 (Seattle, Washington)
