Gerben de Knegt won't see conditions like these in Vegas © Dan Seaton
CrossVegas is boasting what its promoters describe as “the strongest field ever assembled in American cyclocross,” and the Rabobank-Giant team will be at the center of the European invasion bolstering the ranks. From the Rabo-Giant team:
The Rabobank Cycling Team is now the longest-running road cycling team in the pro peloton with a strong heritage in cyclocross. It began in 1996 –now in its 15th year – and for the past two years has partnered with Giant Bicycles as its bike sponsor. In 2010, Rabobank decided to add MTB cross country racing to its ranks, which already consisted of Pro Tour, U23 road and Elite cyclocross.
To this end, Rabobank restructured their teams and created separate road and off -road programs. Giant Bicycle, already the road bike sponsor, decided to step up a notch and become not only the bike sponsor for the new off-road team, but also its co–sponsor, creating the Rabobank-Giant off-road team.
The cyclocross team consists of eight riders, led by Elite riders Dutchman Gerben de Knegt and Belgian Bart Aernouts, ranked sixth and fifth respectively in the world at the end of last season in February.
The team also boasts of six very talented U23 riders who will be itching to take on the big guns this season. The team coach is Dutchman Richard Groenendaal, former Junior and Elite world cross champion, and a multi-time World Cup winner to boot. The team’s goal is to prepare young talented riders for a good career in cyclocross and to continue the great tradition that Rabobank has brought to cyclocross over the years.
Adam Craig is no stranger to CrossVegas' tough course © Mia Sullivan / studiomproductions.com
And where better to start your first cyclocross race of the season than in Vegas!? CrossVegas will be the team’s first cyclocross race of the season and we are delighted to announce that two top riders will attend the race with the intention of mixing it up with the best of the rest.
Gerben de Knegt and Lars van der Haar will be racing for the first time in Las Vegas, and accompanying them will be USA’s Adam Craig who is also on the Rabobank – Giant Team, as Adam’s swaps his MTB bike for the cyclocross bike. Craig is no stranger to CrossVegas, with a podium appearance in 2008, and he’s consistently a crowd favorite with his bunny-hopping skills.
All riders will be racing on the new Giant TCX Advanced SL.
Giant riders for CrossVegas:
• Gerben de Knegt – 5th UCI world ranking 2010, Dutch Champion 2002 and 2006
• Lars van der Haar – 2nd overall in World Cup juniors and Dutch Junior Champion 2009, 10th World Championships 2010 U23.
• Adam Craig – 2009 US National Champion Short Track, 3rd place CrossVegas 2008
• Kelli Emmett – 4th place CrossVegas 2009
• Carl Decker – 14th place CrossVegas 2009
CrossVegas 2010 –the highlight of the early season ’cross scene — is scheduled for Wednesday evening September 22nd in Las Vegas.
Heading into its fourth year, CrossVegas has become a fixture on the US cyclocross calendar attracting almost 10,000 spectators to the stadium-like setting of Desert Breeze Soccer Complex in Las Vegas. The race takes place after the first day of the Interbike Show and attracts bicycling industry members from around the world as well as cycling and ’cross enthusiasts from throughout the U.S.
More information about the star-studded lineup at CrossVegas available here.
