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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., April 29, 2008 – When BISSELL Pro Cycling’s Richard England sprinted to a Stage 5 win, sharing the podium with the likes of Rory Sutherland and George Hincapie, all self-set precedents were instantly nullified. “It was really a coming-of-age race for the team,” said England. “We were able to go from disappointment to elation in less than 24 hours. The confidence we’ll take from this tour should help to propel us through this season. No longer should we feel like we cannot compete against the big sprinting teams, and we can be confident on any terrain.”
The BISSELL Pro Cycling Team entered the 2008 Tour of Georgia presented by AT&T with expectations of a solid Team Time Trial result. “We came here with a team that, on paper, should have had a top five result in Team Time Trial,” said Director Sportif Glen Mitchell. “We had some bad luck with Tom Zirbell’s mechanical, and Ben Jacques-Maynes was still struggling with lung congestion from Redlands. We had great legs and with a bit of added frustration we went out in stage 5 with the plan to show what we can do. We were focused and motivated and we had a day we will all remember.”
England’s Stage 5 victory, perfectly executed by his teammates in the final corner to the uphill finish in Dahlonega, is only half the story. After numerous attempts, the tour’s longest stage finally allowed a break of four domestic riders, including BISSELL’s Teddy King, to solidify with 150 km still left to race. King was rewarded for his efforts, gobbling up 10 KOM points en route, by taking over the KOM jersey at day’s end. “It was definitely nice to have such a successful day today after suffering some bad luck in the TTT,” said King.
Mark Olson, Team BISSELL Manager, had also approached the tour imagining the likely prospect of a top five Team Time Trial result. But the Stage 5 results coupled with a solid showing all week superceded any disappointment that may have been felt following the Tour of Georgia’s premiere Team Time Trial. “We had Garrett Peltonen in the break on Stage 1, Scott Zwizanski in the break on Stage 3, and the guys continued to stay active out there, putting in strong attacks to get a break to succeed,” explained Olson. “When you’re battling with Pro Tour teams and Tour de France podium finishers, we need to be realistic, and in those cases, we’re working for visibility for the sponsors. The team’s results in Georgia have changed our definition of realistic. We couldn’t have asked for anything more here. The team has a unique camaraderie and we’re learning that this manifests in ways we could never predict.”
“I think everyone has gained confidence from Rich's win and from the efforts of this team throughout the week,” added Team BISSELL’s co-captain, Aaron Olson. “Hopefully, we’ll build on that in the weeks to come.”
The weeks to come for Team BISSELL include Tour of Gila, Joe Martin, and Mt Hood. Climbing specialist and three-time Tour of Gila winner, Burke Swindlehurst will be looking to unleash his legs on the brutal climbs that define New Mexico’s 22nd annual stage race.
ABOUT BISSELL
BISSELL Homecare, Inc. is based in Grand Rapids, Michigan and is a 132-year-old floor care innovator and international marketer of home cleaning products, including sweepers, vacuums, deep cleaning machines and cleaning formulas sold at retail locations worldwide. The company, in its fourth generation of family leadership, is the seventh oldest privately held manufacturing company in the United States.
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