Colavita/Sutter Home Cycling Teams Triumph at Tour of Somerville
One Team, Two Victories


photo: Kurt Jambretz

Linden, NJ (May 27, 2008) -- The Colavita/Sutter Home Cycling Teams presented by Cooking Light made history at the 65th annual Tour of Somerville.  Racing less than 30 miles from the Linden, NJ headquarters of co-title sponsor Colavita USA, Sebastian Haedo of the Colavita/Sutter Home Men’s Cycling Team and Tina Pic of the Colavita/Sutter Home Women’s Cycling Team sprinted past world-class competitors to claim victory in the oldest continuously run major cycling race in the US.
“Now in our sixth year in pro cycling, it’s fitting that the Colavita/Sutter Home Cycling Teams come together in triumph on our home turf at the Tour of Somerville,” said John A. Profaci, Vice President of co-title sponsor Colavita USA. “It’s been years since pro cycling has seen one team win the men’s race and the women’s race at the same event.  We’re very proud to add a new chapter to Somerville’s cycling history.”
 
Sebastian Haedo and Kyle Wamsley of the Colavita/Sutter Home Men’s Cycling Team scored a one-two victory punch in the 50-mile Kugler-Anderson Memorial Tour of Somerville. In a nod to New Jersey-based sponsors Colavita USA and Jamis Bicycles of Northvale, Haedo said, “This was a very important race for us because of our sponsors.  We really wanted to win.”  
 
With two laps to go, the Colavita/Sutter Home riders Andy Guptill, Davide Frattini, Luca Damiani, Gustavo Artacho, Anibal Borrajo, and Luis Amaran lined up to protect sprinters Haedo and Wamsley.  As Haedo put it, “once we knew it was going to be a field sprint for the finish, we knew we could win.”
 
The Colavita/Sutter Home Men’s Cycling Team’s first-ever win at The Tour of Somerville marks the 14th individual victory for the squad in the 2008 season. Director Sportif Sebastian Alexandre credits “great team chemistry and flawless execution” to the extraordinary results, which so far total three overall team victories and more than 20 podium appearances, including Wamsley’s second place finish at the 2008 Bike Jam/Kelly Cup in Baltimore.

photo: Marco Quezada

Five-time US National Criterium Champion Tina Pic of the Colavita/Sutter Home Women’s Cycling Team presented by Cooking Light extended her criterium victory streak by capturing the 20-mile Kugler Women’s open, her third win at Somerville since 2000.  Acknowledging the hard work and dedication of teammates Iona Wynter Park, Andrea Dvorak, Kristin McGrath, Shontell Gauthier, Nichole Wangsgard, and Tiffany Cromwell in her eighth win of the season, “My team did everything,” said Pic, “They are so good, they just go out there and pull and pull and pull.”
 
Gauthier herself proved a force to be reckoned with, capturing her first win of the season at Baltimore’s 2008 Bike Jam/Kelly Cup. The trio of Dvorak, McGrath, and Wangsgard provided a perfect lead-out, setting Gauthier free to sprint with 200 meters to go.
 
Racing continues next weekend at the CSC Invitational in Arlington, VA.

 

About the sponsors of the Colavita/Sutter Home Cycling Teams presented by Cooking Light

Cycling is more than a sport for the Colavita/Sutter Home Cycling Teams presented by Cooking Light.  It’s a heritage, passed down from generation to generation. Colavita/Sutter Home champions cycling’s future through support of pro men’s and women’s teams; the Colavita New Jersey U19 Racing Team, the largest junior cycling team on the East Coast; as well as recreational cycling clubs in 9 states, including California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico, South Carolina, and Texas. Visit www.ColavitaSutterHome.com <http://www.ColavitaSutterHome.com>  to learn more.
 
Colavita USA imports and distributes the #1 brand of Italian extra-virgin olive oil in the U.S. as well as durum wheat semolina pasta, a full selection of balsamic and wine vinegars, and many other fine Italian products.  A family-owned business headquartered in Linden, NJ, Colavita has championed the sport of cycling throughout its 25+-year history. Through its charitable arm, the Colavita Foundation for Children, the company provides bicycles and helmets to children in need.  To learn more about Colavita USA, please visit www.Colavita.com <http://www.Colavita.com> .
 
Sutter Home Winery is wholly owned and operated by the Trinchero family, Napa Valley vintners since 1948.  The company produces the wines of Sutter Home, Trinchero, Montevina, Wild Bunch, Trinity Oaks, Folie à Deux, Ménage à Trois, Napa Cellars, the number one alcohol-removed wine, Fre, and imports Angove’s, Reynolds Vineyards and Little Boomey wines of Australia.  For more information, visit www.tfewines.com <http://www.tfewines.com/> .

Founded in 1987, Cooking Light (www.cookinglight.com/cooking <http://www.cookinglight.com/cooking> ) is the world’s largest food magazine. Each month, more than 11 million consumers turn to Cooking Light to “eat smart, be fit and live well.” CookingLight.com provides daily food and fitness updates, healthy recipes and nutrition advice to millions of unique visitors every year.
 
For the 2008 season, the Colavita/Sutter Home Cycling Teams presented by Cooking Light will be riding Jamis super-light Xenith SL road frames and the revolutionary Xenith T2 time trial bikes supplied by Jamis Bicycles, designed and marketed by the G. Joannou Cycle Company (GJC) of Northvale, NJ. Established in 1937 by the father of CEO and President Carine Joannou, GJC ranks among the largest bicycle companies under private ownership in the US.  For more information about Jamis and to view the complete line of bicycles, please visit www.JamisBikes.com <http://www.JamisBikes.com> .
 
The bikes are fully equipped with Shimano components, wheels, shoes, and pedals, Easton handlebars, stems, and seat posts, Fizik saddles, Vittoria tires, and TRP Brake levers for time trial bikes.  Team jerseys are provided by Giordana; helmets, glasses, and bags are supplied by Rudy Project.  Additional sponsors of the Colavita/Sutter Home Cycling Teams presented by Cooking Light include American Suzuki Motor Corporation, Dominator Clothing, GU Sports, and Headsweats.

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