Bissell Pro Cycling Team Holds Strong in 5th Overall; Jacques-Maynes in Top Ten
Sacramento, CA., – Bissell Pro Cycling held tough through sporadic showers during Stage Two’s 187.2 kms Santa Rosa to Sacramento jaunt to finish with the bunch and maintain their solid fifth place overall team standing. Positioning themselves safely in the front with cycling’s sprint giants, Richie England and Garrett Peltonen finished out the day in 14th and 15th respectively.
BPC remains the top ranked US Continental team in the 2008 Amgen Tour of California, well ahead of many European Pro Tour teams.
The eight-man BPC team received the same finishing time as today’s stage winner, Tom Boonen, putting them just three seconds ahead of his squad, Team Quick-Step, in overall standings. Jacques-Maynes holds onto tenth in GC.
According to Director Sportiff, Glen Mitchell, “All the guys are feeling good. There seems to be a number of different cold and flu strains going around in the Peloton and we are keeping our fingers crossed that it stays at bay. Once one gets something, it tends to spread like wildfire.”
Added Team Manager, Mark Olson, “Spirits are high. Thus far, we’ve having an exceptional Tour.” He continued, “We did what we could today against the big boys and fact of the matter is, we were up there in good position, banging elbows with the world’s best sprinters. Glen and I really couldn’t ask for anything more.”
RANDOM TEAM NOTES: Team BISSELL’S Head Mechanic, Ben Oliver, was one of the unfortunate of the traveling cycling circus to have caught a nasty flu bug. During yesterday’s Stage from Sausalito to Santa Rosa, he spent the better part of the day with his head tucked into a make-shift ‘motion sickness’ bag. Santa Rosa Press Democrat’s Bob Padecky was along for the ride and journaled the days events, including Oliver’s ill-fate, in today’s paper for all reader’s to see. According to Team Mark Olson, Oliver, while not feeling 100%, is quickly improving.
