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TWENTY CYCLISTS HONORED AS 1999 VISA/USA CYCLING ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. (Feb. 21, 2000) -- Olympians Lance Armstrong (Austin, Texas), Marty Nothstein (Trexlertown, Pa.), Alison Dunlap (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Kent Bostick (Oak Ridge, Tenn.) headline 20 riders who were named 1999 VISA/USA Cycling Athlete of the Year, USA Cycling Executive Director/CEO Lisa Voight announced Monday.
Each discipline -- cyclo-cross, mountain bike, road, track and BMX -- is represented among the 20 recipients, as well as elite, junior and masters riders. The criteria were based solely on the rider's 1999 accomplishments. VISA presents each winner with a $1,000 prize and an award.
"The United States has one of the largest populations of competitive cyclists in the world, so the accomplishments of these USA Cycling members are particularly special," said USA Cycling Chief Operating Officer Philip Milburn. "USA Cycling and VISA are especially proud to honor such great individuals, who are great achievers on and off the bicycle."
Armstrong and Karen Dunne (Colorado Springs, Colo.) were the winners in the elite road category, while Dunlap and Eric Carter (Temecula, Calif.) captured the elite mountain bike awards. Nothstein and Erin Veenstra (Colorado Springs, Colo.) won the elite track cycling honors, and Marie McGilvary (Tampa, Fla.) and Danny Nelson (Simi Valley, Calif.) were the BMX recipients.
On the junior scene, Michael Creed (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Sarah Uhl (Perkasie, Pa.) collected the award for track cycling, while Kathy Pruitt (Lake Almanor, Calif.) and Matt Kelly (Colorado Springs, Colo.) won the mountain bike awards. Brad Buccambuso (Logan, Utah) and Allie Warfel (Lancaster, Pa.) were the winners for road cycling. Creed, Kelly and Warfel are members of the 2000 USA Cycling Resident-Athlete Program at the U.S. Olympic Complex in Colorado Springs.
A 1996 Olympian, Bostick who rides on the road and track, and track cyclist Cynthia Goodman (Redondo Beach, Calif.) won the overall masters cyclist of the year honor, and Stanford University's Megan Troxell (Palo Alto, Calif.) and Alex Candelario (Boulder, Colo.) of the University of Colorado were the recipients of the collegiate cyclist honors.
Kelly and Dunlap collected the cyclo-cross award, which was presented for the first time in 1999.
"In an effort to create additional awareness of the sport and cyclists' achievements across all disciplines, Visa, along with USA Cycling, created the VISA/USA Cycling Athletes of the Year Award," said George Perry, director, Event and Sponsorship Marketing, Visa U.S.A. "This award is just one aspect of Visa's long standing partnership with USA Cycling and the Olympic movement to support current and potential Olympians."
Visa is one of USA Cycling's long standing partners and provides financial and marketing support to USAC Championship events, athlete and development programs, and actively works with USAC to promote cycling at the retail level where Visa payment systems are the preferred payment choice of USA Cycling worldwide. |
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