August 2012

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Aug. 28, 2012 – The BISSELL Pro Cycling Team is proud to announce a new signing for 2013, Phil Gaimon. 

The addition of Gaimon to the team brings a solid GC rider with climbing and time trial strength. His ranking as fifth in the NRC Individual standings reflects his impressive 2012 results which included the overall win at Redlands, time trial and KOM victories at San Dimas, and a podium at Cascade Classic.

“The BISSELL Pro Cycling team is very excited about bringing Phil Gaimon into the program,” said Director Omer Kem of the 26-year-old rider. “Phil has shown tremendous talent and will have the opportunity to grow as a professional with the BISSELL Pro Cycling team in 2013." 

Gaimon will start his fifth year as a pro and will add great strength to BISSELL tour squad.

For updates on BISSELL Pro Cycling year round, visit www.Bissellprocycling.com.

ABOUT BISSELL HOMECARE, INC.

A 136-year-old company, Grand Rapids-based BISSELL Homecare, Inc., is the top-selling brand in floor care appliancesi with an expanding presence worldwide. As an innovator of cleaning products, BISSELL produces and sells vacuums, sweepers, deep-cleaning machines, bare floor cleaners and cleaning formulas at retail locations across the globe. The company is in its fourth generation of family leadership.

* Based on NPD sales data

Unbelievable crowds lined the 103 miles from Golden to Denver in the sixth stage of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge. BISSELL’s Boulder residents Chris Baldwin, Frank Pipp, Carter Jones, Julien Kyer, as well as, many of the pros racing today who call the city their home have dreamt of this stage and it didn’t disappoint.

Attacks came immediately following the neutral start in Golden and soon a 14 man break which included BISSELL’s Chris Baldwin took shape. The group of 14 pushed out a four minute advantage while Carter Jones (BISSELL) and Joey Rosskoph (Team Type One) put in a lengthly chase. Meanwhile, a BMC led peloton ripped apart the main group in heightened pursuit of the leaders. As the riders approached the town of Nederland, the two chasers were eventually reabsorbed while the fourteen leaders made their way toward the Lee Hill climb. As the lead group neared the category 2 climb, attacks mounted and the group was torn apart. A group of eight from the original break did came back together but the climb eventually shattered the break and the chasing peloton. It was every man for himself as riders faced the final 4 kilometers up Flagstaff Mountain. Rory Sutherland (United Healthcare) bridged up and surpassed the leader to take the win. The fight for the yellow jersey was aggressive from behind as Levi Leipheimer dueled Christain Vende Velde (Garmin) and Tejay van Garderen (BMC) for the overall race lead. Levi crossed fourth with enough advantage to step into the yellow jersey.

BISSELL rider Chris Baldwin had an outstanding race riding aggressively in the break all day to take fifteenth on the stage. Carter Jones and Julian Kyer also had a great race on their home roads.

Stage six of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge will likely go down in the books as the best stage in US racing history.

Stage 5 of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge was a fast day with an average of 29 mph for 118 miles. BISSELL’s Carter Jones made the early break of seven riders which got away on the only climb of the day, a category one climb up Hoosier Pass. The leaders built a maximum gap of 5:40 before the field began to bring them back. Jones worked hard in the break taking third on the second intermediate sprint in Woodland Park, but the gap fell to a minute. As the lead group entered the Garden of Gods, Jones attacked with just 16 miles to go. Nibali (Liquigas) countered and took two others with him. The field was back together on the finishing circuits in Colorado Springs, and Tyler Farrar (Garmin) took the win. Chris Baldwin, Julien Kyer, and Carter Jones finished with the same time. The three BISSELL riders are steadily moving up in the GC and look forward to tomorrow’s stage into Boulder where all three BISSELL leaders call home.

Thursday’s stage from Aspen to Beaver Creek was the shortest of the tour but certainly delivered great excitement. The 97 mile day took the riders again over Independence Pass only nineteen miles from the start, and the majority of the course was over 9,000 feet adding to the severity. 

RadioShack rider, Jens Voigt, broke clear from a breakaway group of nineteen on the slopes of the Pass and stayed out all day to take the win. BISSELL’s Julien Kyer and Carter Jones were part of the fifteen man break that took early control. On the slopes of the first KOM at Independence Pass, Voigt escaped from the break to capture the full points with Kyer crossing in fourth and Jones in eighth. Over the next 75 miles, Voigt built a maximum of two minutes on the chasers and six minutes on the peloton. With a fast pace from the peloton, the field began to close in on the chase group, and with thirty miles to go the chasers were reabsorbed leaving a solo Voigt to forge ahead. Voigt  fought over the Battle Mountain cat 3 climb and the uphill finish at Beaver Creek to take the solo win almost three minutes ahead of his chasers. BISSELL’s Chris Baldwin crossed 3:25 back and it was an outstanding day of tough racing for BISSELL.

The queen stage of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge from Gunnison to Aspen delivered the anticipated excitement as Tom Danielson (Garmin) made it to line just ahead of the first chase group which included BISSELL rider Chris Baldwin.

For a third day in a row, a large breakaway with eighteen riders formed just past the neutral zone and BISSELL’s Frank Pipp was there. By the first cat 3 KOM at Taylor Park, the gap was already to 3:15. BMC patrolled the front of the peloton to ensure that the break didn’t get too much leeway. The next challenge, was the monstrous Cottonwood Pass KOM which did capture some victims from the lead group as a major reshuffling occurred. The lead group maintain a three minute gap at the top of the KOM as both the break and chase groups settled. As the leaders approached Independence Pass the gap had a one minute lead and the field was completely strung out. With the top of the KOM quickly approaching, Danielson attacked the break and took the descent in the lead. As Danielson entered Aspen city limits, the gap was tight and the finale was uncertain; however, Danielson held off his chasers to take the win. Chris Baldwin finished in the first chase group only two seconds back for 10th place and Carter Jones crossed with the next group at just over two minutes back.

The action happened quickly in Tuesday’s stage 2 from Montrose to Crested Butte as twelve riders including BISSELL’s Chris Baldwin escaped early and quickly formed a five minute gap. The leaders maintained the significant gap for most of the uphill day and only began to show signs of fatigue with ten miles to go. As the lead group approached the final few miles the gap fell to forty seconds instigating an attack from EPM-Une rider Camilo Castiblanco. Meanwhile, the pressure from the chasers shattered the main field as riders including Tejay van Garderen (BMC) and Christian Vandevelde (Garmin) launched into the lead. On the final kilometer pitch to the finish, van Garderen  passed Vandevelde to take the stage win and grab the race lead.

BISSELL riders raced solidly with Carter Jones as the team’s top finisher. Wednesday’s queen stage over Cottonwood Pass and Independence Pass is sure to see another shake-up.

Sixteen teams started the USA Pro Cycling Challenge today racing125 miles from Durango to Telluride. Moderate temperatures welcomed the riders; however, sporadic rain tested them across two intermediate sprints and three KOMs.

Attacks started immediately with Jeremy Vennell joining the early action, but the move was brought back as more ensued. As the first sprint point neared, three groups formed off the front. With a little over twenty miles into the race, the three groups merged creating a lead group of 22 and included BISSELL’s Ben Jacques-Maynes. The leaders quickly had a gap of over five minutes with BMC patrolling the front of the peloton. The gap hovered between four and five minutes over the middle portion of the course leading up to the category 2 climb up Lizard Head Pass. With fifty miles to go, Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas) attacked the break and was joined by Tom Danielson (Garmin). The move splintered the group. Eight riders eventually chased back to the leaders while the remnants of the break fell back into the peloton. The new ten leaders battled at the front while United Healthcare and BMC worked at the front of the field. As the break approached the Lizard Head Pass KOM, Danielson attacked and had a solo run for a few miles before being caught by a group of three including Nibali and Garmin reinforcement, Peter Stetina. The battle continued with the two Garmin riders attacking the break, but they were eventually reabsorbed as counter attacks took off. With less than 2 miles to go, the peloton was back together and a field sprint was imminent. Garmin’s Tyler Farrar took the win and BISSELL riders Chris Baldwin, Carter Jones, and Julian Kyer finished with the same time.

Tomorrow’s 99 miles from Montrose to Crested Butte will inevitably provoke an early breakaway with the challenging climbs coming in the first sixty five miles on one of the shortest stages of the week.

Stage 6 of the Tour of Utah was a harrowing new addition to the race with a seventy five mile loop from Park City including almost seven thousand feet of climbing. The two KOM climbs were the target for Ben Jacques-Maynes and the BISSELL squad as they focused on retaining the KOM jersey, but the unprecedented Wolf Creek and Empire Creek climbs were daunting challenges. 

Ben Jacques-Maynes and Carter Jones made it into the day’s major breakaway coming on a flat run into the town of Kamas, and three more riders were able to bridge across just prior to the climb bringing the number in the lead group to fourteen. However, it was a battle up the mountain with Tim Duggan (Liquigas) who was only six points behind Ben in the KOM competition. An EPM-UNE rider took off from the group early in the climb to take full points, but BJM and Duggan dueled behind for secondary points. Ben crossed third to add six points to his total while Duggan grabbed five points for fourth. This additional point over Duggan gave Ben a seven point lead. The break regrouped on the descent but a charging BMC Team was closing in. On the slopes of Empire Pass, the break blew apart and Levi Leipheimer (Omega Pharma) surged past. Leipheimer crested the Empire Pass climb to take maximum points, but neither Jacques-Maynes nor Duggan received any of the secondary points securing the final KOM victory for Ben. Final attempts were made to reach Leipheimer but he went on to take the stage win almost one minute ahead of his challengers. 

BMC rider Johann Schopp crossed with the chase group but had enough time to hold his overall lead. Chris Baldwin crossed for eighteenth which secured his top twenty place in the final general classification.

BISSELL’s Ben Jacques-Maynes regained the KOM jersey today on the Queen Stage. The stage has historically been the most difficult of the tour with 102 miles of racing, over 10,000 ft. of climbing including 4 KOMs and a mountain top finish.

The day started in Park City with the first KOM coming just twelve miles into the race. Ben Jacques-Maynes was within 1 point of reclaiming the KOM jersey so he had his sights on the mountain tops and was able to take full points on the category 4 climb. From there, the day’s break was established and Chris Barton was there for BISSELL. The group initially included three but later two riders joined them. There were other attempts to bridge. Eventually the field settled and the break was given some freedom. At forty six miles into the stage, the gap had grown to 4:25. On the slopes of the second KOM, the pressure among the leaders grew and Chris fell off the pace. However, Ben Jacques-Maynes was ready to fill Barton’s void as he was among five chasers. As the leaders were approaching the second KOM, the chasers were close behind and Ben was able to take points as the sixth rider across the climb. With the points he had accumulated from the day’s first two KOMs, BJM took over the classification. On the descent, the chase group closed in on the leaders. Within one mile  of the top of the third KOM, the groups had combined to form a lead group of ten. Jacques-Maynes had only one thought, and solidly took full points on the Sun Crest KOM. With only 12.5 miles to go, the gap stood at 1:55, but the lead group was further reduced to seven riders. With a long day in their legs and the field charging up Little Cottonwood Canyon, the group shattered. It was every man for himself in the final miles up the climb, and scattered groups crossed the finish. Chris Baldwin had a strong presence up the climb and finished as BISSELL top rider in 25th place. This result moved him into 22nd in the general classification.

“America’s toughest stage race” has more in store tomorrow with a new Park City loop covering 77 miles with 2 KOMs and a 2.15 climb with grades hitting 22%.

Jeremy Vennell was BISSELL’s man in the break on stage 4, the longest day of the tour at 134 miles. Right from the neutral, attacks erupted and it didn’t take long to get a group established. Vennell escaped off the front with five others, but the field fought them hard. The gap grew slowly at first, but by the first sprint point at fifteen miles into the stage the margin had increased to three minutes. With twenty six miles in their legs, the gap ballooned to 10:55; however, Garmin began to see the threat so began to control the chase. The gap hovered at about eight minutes through the mid-section of the course, but the race still had a long way to go. At the Mountain View sprint a little over 93 miles into the race, the group was still working well together and Vennell took the sprint. The gap then began to fall quickly and by the final sprint it had dropped to 1:35 with only fifteen miles to go. The leaders fought hard and the gap fluctuated in the final miles. Giving it all they had, the group was finally caught just before the finish. The anticipated field sprint ensued with Jake Keogh (United Healthcare) taking the win. BISSELL riders Baldwin and Kyer held their GC positions.

With the day’s first KOM just ten miles into stage three, attacks flew from the start. As solo moves rattled off, Lucas Euser (Spidertech) timed his effort to take the first KOM at North Ogden, and the large group came back together on the descent. As Garmin patrolled the front of the peloton, a break of five riders escaped off the front and this new group of leaders fought it out for the first sprint points which came 23 miles into the day. As the five riders approached the day’s second climb of Trapper’s Loop, the gap had increased to 2:50, and Tim Duggan (Liquigas) took full points. Under the watchful eye of Garmin, the gap slowly grew out to a manageable four minutes; however as the final climb neared, the margin was reduced to 2:30. The ascent began to claim its victims and by the top of Big Mountain Johann Tschopp (BMC) was the sole leader. With six miles left in the race, Tschopp was finally reabsorbed and the field dashed for the finish. Rabobank rider, Michael Matthews, who had been in the break all day took the sprint for the win. BISSELL riders Chris Baldwin, Julien Kyer, Carter Jones, and Ben Jacques-Maynes finished in the lead group. Baldwin and Kyer hold onto their places in the top twelve of the general classification.

The BISSELL Pro Cycling Team finished with the fourth fastest time in the team time trail Wednesday at Miller Motorsports Park just behind dominate pro tour teams including Garmin, Rabobank, and Radioshack. The team time trial is a rare event in US racing and is the first time to be included in the Tour of Utah. The race was three laps totaling 13.4 miles and high temperatures and strong wind made conditions even more demanding. 

The forth place result places BISSELL riders Baldwin and Kyer tied for eleventh in the GC and Jacques-Maynes retains the KOM jersey. Thursday’s race will head back to the mountains for the 85.7 miles from Ogden to the University of Utah.

Less than ten miles into the opening stage of the Tour of Utah, BISSELL’s Ben Jacques-Maynes made it into the day’s breakaway and raced to take three of the four KOM’s winning the KOM jersey.

Stage One of “America’s Toughest Stage Race” lived up to its billing with 130 miles of racing and over 10,000 ft. of climbing. The four categorized climbs included two times up Trapper’s loop in differing directions, Hogsback, and North Ogden Pass. Just out of Ogden, a group of eight riders escaped, but the pressure on the group soon whittled it down to four including BJM. The four worked well together and quickly built a two minute gap. Champion System rider, William Clarke, worked diligently to bridge across and almost ten miles later was rewarded when he finally made contact with the leaders. The five leaders had a maximum gap of twelve minutes within the first thirty two miles of the race. The climbs eventually wore on the leaders and by the second time up Trapper’s Loop riders began to fall off. Jacques-Maynes solidly held his place in the lead group as others came and went. Garmin and Radioshack came to the front of the peloton and led the chase. By the final climb up North Ogden Pass, the leaders were finally caught by an elite chase group. Counter attacks flew from there and speeds topped out on the descent back into Ogden. A select group of forty riders re-entered the city and United Healthcare’s Rory Sutherland launched himself on the final corner to take the win. BISSELL’s Chris Baldwin and Julien Kyer finished in the lead group to take tenth and twenty-first, respectively.

Wednesday’s stage two at Miller Motorsports Park marks the return of the team time trial to US racing and is the first time that the Tour of Utah has included this team competition. The 13.5 mile race on an automobile race course will be fast and exciting with over a dozen turns on a flat course.