The UnitedHealthcare pro cycling team announced its 2015 men’s roster on Monday, with an eye to balancing ambitions on the international circuit with the demands of the American race calendar.
The team adds new riders for 2015 that it hopes will bolster a roster that delivered strong performances in 2014, such as Kiel Reijnen’s win at the Philadelphia Cycling Classic, multiple top-10 performances at the Amgen Tour of California and Tour of Utah, and Reijnen’s stage 1 win at the USA Pro Challenge.
Newly-signed Slovenian Janez Brajkovič will be UnitedHealthcare’s GC threat. Brajkovič won the 2012 Tour of Slovenia, 2010 Critérium du Dauphiné, and 2007 Tour de Georgia. The 30-year-old started his professional career in 2005 after winning the U23 world championship time trial in 2004, and confirmed his abilities as a top-level general classification contender when he rode to ninth place overall in the 2012 Tour de France. Fully recovered from injuries that plagued his 2014 season, Brajkovič is motivated to realize his potential with the UnitedHealthcare team.
Winner of stage 13 of the 2014 Giro d’Italia, Italian Marco Canola joins UnitedHealthcare. He also claimed the king of the mountains classification at the 2014 Tirreno-Adriatico.
Daniele Ratto also joins the team after a stint with Cannondale. Ratto surged to victory in stage 14 of the 2013 Vuelta a España, and with podium results at the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya, Vuelta a Burgos, and Gran Premio Llodio, he has proven himself to be a top-tier all-rounder.
Reijnen returns for 2015 following a successful season capped off by a trip to world championships after winning the points competition at the 2014 USA Pro Challenge. Reijnen has the ability to survive elite selections, making him a dangerous sprinter at the end of the hardest races and stages.
Climbers Lucas Euser and Isaac Bolivar are back to apply their climbing abilities, and likely to aid Brajkovič in stage races.
The UnitedHealthcare criterium squad is also ready for 2015, with Karl Menzies, Adrian Hegyvary, Brad White, Ken Hanson, Hilton Clarke, Carlos Alzate, and Luke Keough returning for the coming season. John Murphy earned the stars and stripes of the national criterium champion late in 2014, and will wear the UnitedHealthcare colors in 2015.
The team has also signed promising young talent in Tanner Putt and Federico Zurlo. Putt joins the program as the U.S. U23 national road champion. He made his mark in the U23 world championship road race, taking 13th in the finale. With top-10 results at the 2014 Tour of Utah, 2014 U23 Liege-Bastogne-Liege, and 2013 USA Pro Challenge, Tanner has potential.
Zurlo joined the team as a stagiaire for the six-stage 2014 Tour of Denmark, where he managed second in the king of the mountains classification. With dozens of victories in the junior and U23 ranks, the 20-year-old has shown the drive and tenacity that UnitedHealthcare seeks in a young, up-and-coming rider.
“We have a well-rounded and immensely capable squad assembled for 2015,” said general manager Mike Tamayo. “When you have a sponsorship commitment into the future, like that of UnitedHealthcare, we have to think beyond results of today. We have hired some impressive talents for 2015 but also hired some young up-and-coming riders for the future. We’re excited to hit the road and start racing.”
UnitedHealthcare 2015 men’s roster
Adrian Hegyvary (USA)
Alessandro Bazzana (ITA)
Brad White (USA)
Carlos Alzate (COL)
Chris Jones (USA)
Daniele Ratto (ITA)
Danny Summerhill (USA)
Davide Frattini (ITA)
Federico Zurlo (ITA)
Hilton Clarke (AUS)
Isaac Bolivar (COL)
Janez Brajkovič (SLO)
John Murphy (USA)
Jonny Clarke (AUS)
Karl Menzies (AUS)
Ken Hanson (USA)
Kiel Reijnen (USA)
Lucas Euser (USA)
Luke Keough (USA)
Marco Canola (ITA)
Robert Förster (GER)
Tanner Putt (USA)
The UnitedHealthcare team will present the 2015 program on Monday, December 8, 2014 in Asheville, North Carolina.