The United Healthcare Pro Cycling Team heads to China for the 2011 Tour of Qinghai Lake with a strong roster for stage victories. Jonny Clarke, Robert Förster, Max Jenkins, Adrian Hegyvary, Jake Keough, Brad White, and Scott Zwizanski represent the American squad in China. Team Director Eric Greene leads the first-year pro continental outfit.
United Healthcare has had podium spots this season thanks to Förster, Keough, Hegyvary, and Zwizanski. The quartet can rely on a strong backbone of support riders in White, Clarke and Jenkins.
Förster won a stage in the Tour de Langkawi and a stage in the Vuelta a Asturias. He also sprinted to third place in the Philadelphia International Championship. Zwizanski returned from injury straight to the podium of Canada's Tour de Beauce last week.
Keough also had several high placings. In last weekend's Manhattan Beach Grand Prix he ended up in third place. "This Team has been racing as a unit all season and that has been critical to our success," says Keough, who recently turned 24. "On Sunday, it was just Adrian [Hegyvary] and I racing in the Manhattan Beach Grand Prix, yet the teamwork element was still there."
The team spirit goes beyond the racing, says Keough. "Despite his shoulder injury and having just had surgery, Hilton [Clarke] and his wife Jamie met us at the airport, where we put our bikes together and rode to the race. On the way there and once we were there, Hilton helped guide us through the race by putting together a solid plan for the two of us. Simply put, these are the kind of guys we have on this Team. Quality."
Teammate Christian Meier powered his way to a second place finish in the Canadian National Cycling Championships Elite Time Trial, finishing behind Svein Tuft (Team SpiderTech). On the rolling and windy 21.7-kilometer circuit, Meier finished just inside of a minute behind winner Tuft. His silver medal confirmed his consistency on the podium at Canadian Nationals. He was 13 seconds ahead of third-placed David Veilleux (Team Europcar).
Team Roster for the 2011 Tour of Qinghai Lake:
Jake Keough (USA), Robert Förster (GER), Jonny Clarke (AUS), Adrian Hegyvary (USA), Brad White (USA), Max Jenkins (USA), Scott Zwizanski (USA)