Fifteen Set to Compete in Hoogerheide after First Round of Nominations

Colorado Springs, Colo. (December 23, 2008)-USA Cycling has announced the
first round of nominations to the United States National Team for the 2009
UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in Hoogerheide, Netherlands, Jan.
31-Feb. 1.

Five athletes were named to each of the elite women’s, U23 men’s and junior
men’s squads based on competitive performances over the course of the last
year.

After capturing her fifth consecutive USA Cycling Cylco-cross National
title, Katie Compton (Colorado Springs, Colo./Spike) received an automatic
nomination and will lead the elite women’s squad. Compton is currently
ranked third in the world behind Dutchwoman Daphny van den Brand and World
Cup leader Hanka Kupfernagel (GER). After her silver-medal-performance at
the World Championships in 2006, with two World Cup victories and a trio of
top-three finishes already this season, Compton is not only an automatic
qualifier to the squad, but looks to be a favorite in Hoogerheide.

Winning the USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Calendar, Georgia Gould (Fort
Collins, Colo./Luna) is another automatic qualifier for the elite women’s
squad. After finishing second at the recent USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National
Championships and third in the sixth round of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup
series in France on Dec. 21, the Olympic mountain biker also looks to be a
serious contender on the cyclo-cross world stage.

Discretionary nominations to the elite women’s team went to Rachel Lloyd
(Fairfax, Calif./Proman-Paradigm), Laura Van Gilder (Cresco, Pa./C3-Sollay)
and Sue Butler (Portland, Ore./Monavie-Cannondale.com).

In the U23 men’s division, Nick Weighall (Millcreek, Wash./Rad Racing)
earned the only automatic nomination to the team with his victory at the USA
Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships.

Discretionary selections to the men’s U23 team went to Nicholas Keough
(Sandwich, Mass./Jittery Joe’s-Sonic Cyclo-cross), the 2006 world
championship silver medalist in the junior men’s category Daniel Summerhill
(Englewood, Colo./Clif Bar), as well as last year’s national champion Bjorn
Selander (Hudson, Wis./Ridley Factory Team) and Will Dugan (Burlington,
Vt./RGM Watches).

With a fifth-place finish in the junior race at the Pijnacker (NED) World
Cup, Luke Keough (Sandwich, Mass./CL Noonan) earned one of two automatic
nominations to the junior men’s team. Zach McDonald (Bainbridge Island,
Wash./Classic Cycles) earned the other after narrowly defeating Keough at
the 2008 USA Cycling Cylco-cross National Championships in Kansas City.

Gavin Mannion (Dedham, Mass./Hot Tubes), Eric Emsky (Fall City, Wash./Rad
Racing) and Chris Wallace (Shawnee, Kan./KCCX-Verge) all earned
discretionary nominations and will make up the remainder of the junior men’s
squad.

The elite men’s nominations will be announced on Jan. 14 following the next
round of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup in Belgium.

2009 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships

Hoogerheide, Netherlands

Jan.31-Feb.1

U.S. Team:

Elite Women

Katie Compton (Colorado Springs, Colo.)

Georgia Gould (Fort Collins, Colo.)

Rachel Lloyd (Fairfax, Calif.)

Laura Van Gilder (Cresco, Pa.)

Sue Butler (Portland, Ore.)

U23 Men

Nick Weighall (Millcreek, Wash.)

Nicholas Keough (Sandwich, Mass.)

Daniel Summerhill (Englewood, Colo.)

Bjorn Selander (Hudson, Wis.)

Will Dugan (Burlington, Vt.)

Junior Men

Luke Keough (Sandwich, Mass.)

Zach McDonald (Bainbridge Island, Wash.)

Gavin Mannion (Dedham, Mass.)

Eric Emsky (Fall City, Wash.)

Chris Wallace (Shawnee, Kan.)