Zirbel and Powers claim 2009 USA Cycling National Racing Calendar titles

A pair of Boulder, Colorado residents, Tom Zirbel of the Bissell Pro Cycling squad and Alison Powers (Team Type I) have been announced as the overall, individual 2009 USA Cycling National Racing Calendar champions. 

The season-long calendar, which pays out more than one million dollars in prize money, annually determines the top road cyclists and teams that compete on the domestic Pro-Am circuit. The Colavita-Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light Pro Cycling Team claimed the men's team honors, while Team TIBCO took home the overall women's team title.

Following 26 total events, Zirbel unseated two-time defending champ Rory Sutherland (AUS/OUCH-Maxxis) to earn his first National Racing Calendar title. Powers took over the women's NRC title from five-time champion Tina Pic (Buford, Ga./Colavita-Sutter Home) to also earn her first domestic Pro-Am title.

The 2009 NRC again featured a broad collection of road races, stage races and criteriums and ultimately crowned two distinct winners considered well-rounded riders in different types of road races. Time trial strongman Zirbel accrued the majority of his points through time trial stage victories at major NRC events including the Tour of Utah, the Tour of Elk Grove, Cascade Cycling Classic, the Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic and the Nature Valley Grand Prix. He also placed second in the Tour of the Gila time trial, just seconds behind Levi Leipheimer and ahead of Lance Armstrong. Zirbel also posted top overall finishes at the Redlands Cycling Classic (2^nd), the Nature Valley Grand Prix (2^nd), the Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic (3^rd) and the Tour of Elk Grove (3^rd).

Powers, another strong time trialer won two major events on the 2009 NRC, the Redlands Cycling Classic and the Joe Martin Stage Race. She also pulled in top three finishes at the Tour of the Gila (2^nd), the Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic (2^nd), the Nature Valley Grand Prix (3^rd) and the Cascade Cycling Classic (3^rd).

When the points were tallied after the 26 races on the 2009 NRC, Zirbel was able to squeak out the overall men's NRC title by only seven points ahead of Lucas Sebastian Haedo (ARG/Colavita-Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light), 1127-1120. Defending champion Rory Sutherland (AUS/OUCH-Maxxis) accrued 952 points to come in a close third while his Australian teammate Karl Menzies (AUS/OUCH-Maxxis) and Alejandro Barrajo (ARG/Colavita-Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light) rounded out the top five.

In the women's standings, Powers took the commanding victory with 1,291 total points. Olympic gold medalist Kristin Armstrong (Boise, Idaho/Cervelo-Lifeforce) accrued 905 points despite only contesting a handful of NRC races.  Joanne Kiesanowski (NZL/Team TIBCO) placed third with 670 points, defending champ Tina Pic (Buford, Ga./Colavita-Sutter Home) was fourth with 632 and Catherine Cheatley (NZL/Colavita-Sutter Home) a close fifth with 625 points.

With the top-five individual efforts per team contributing to a squad's overall standing, last year's runner-up Colavita-Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light Pro Cycling Team claimed the 2009 men's team title with 2,831 points over runner-up Bissell Pro Cycling at 2,531. The Ouch presented by Maxxis squad was third (2,015) while the Team Type I men's squad and BMC Racing rounded out the top five. 

With three women inside the top 15, the Team TIBCO squad used a balanced attack to overtake Power's Team Type I, 2,415 - 1,988. The Colavita-Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light Pro Cycling Team came in third, while the Webcor Builders Women's Professional Cycling Team grabbed fourth and the Valuact Capitol Cycling Team fifth.

For complete team and individual standings from the 2009 NRC, click here: www.usacycling.org/nrc. 

USA Cycling will release the 2010 National Racing Calendar during the Interbike trade show in Las Vegas, Sept. 23-25.

 

2009 National Racing Calendar

Final Overall Standings:

Men's Individual Standings

1. Tom Zirbel (Boulder, Colo./Bissell) 1127

2. Lucas Sebastian Haedo (ARG/Colavita-Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light) 1120

3. Rory Sutherland (AUS/OUCH-Maxxis) 952

4. Karl Menzies (AUS/OUCH-Maxxis) 660

5. Alejandro Barrajo (ARG/Colavita-Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light) 565

Men's Team Standings

1. Colavita-Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light Pro Cycling Team 2831

2. Bissell Pro Cycling 2531

3. Ouch presented by Maxxis 2015

4. Team Type I 1531

5. BMC Racing 1388

Women's Individual Standings

1. Alison Powers (Boulder, Colo./Team Type I) 1291

2. Kristin Armstrong (Boise, Idaho/Cervelo-Lifeforce) 905

3. Joanne Kiesanowski (NZL/Team TIBCO) 670

4. Tina Pic (Buford, Ga./Colavita-Sutter Home) 632

5. Catherine Cheatley (NZL/Colavita-Sutter Home) 625

Women's Team Standings

1. Team TIBCO 2415

2. Team Type 1 1988

3. Colavita-Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light Pro Cycling Team 1835

4. Webcor Builders Women's Professional Cycling Team 1342

5. Valuact Capitol Cycling Team 1314