Woodfin resident named top cyclist by USA Cycling

Press release from USA Cycling...

USA Cycling will award its annual “Athlete of the Year” designations on Nov. 5 at the 2011 U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame Induction ceremony in Davis, Calif.
 
Developmental mountain biker Stephen Ettinger (Cashmere, Wash./BMC Mountain Bike Development Team) will receive the men’s award while the women’s designation will go to the foursome of Sarah Hammer (Temecula, Calif./OUCH Pro Cycling), Dotsie Bausch (Irvine, Calif.), Jennie Reed (Seattle, Wash./OUCH Pro Cycling), and Lauren Tamayo (Asheville, N.C./Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12) for their success in the team pursuit. 
 
“Being recognized as ‘Athletes of the Year’ for the Women's Team Pursuit is such an honor,” said Reed. “We've all been working hard and continuing to get faster and faster, so it's always nice to be recognized for our hard work and achievements.  These women motivate and push me every day to reach a higher level.”
 
In the last two years, American women have experienced unprecedented team pursuit success. On May 12, 2010, Sarah Hammer, Dotsie Bausch, and Lauren Tamayo set the world record for the team pursuit—3:19.569—becoming the first team ever to break the 3:20 barrier. This achievement set the stage for the UCI Track World Championships, where the USA women had never won a medal. At the 2011 Worlds in the Netherlands, the determined trio of Hammer, Bausch, and Jennie Reed rode like the wind to reach the gold medal round against Great Britain and eventually earned the silver medal, another landmark for American cycling.