The North Iowa Spin multi-sport team has confirmed that two Iowa native professional cyclists will be on the start list for the Monson and Sons Criterium and Road race that are a part of the Bicycle Blues and BBQ Festival, July 9 and 10, 2011, in Clear Lake, IA. Tom Zirbel of Boulder, CO and Nick Frey of Ft. Collins, CO, both of whom race for Jamis-Sutter Home Pro Cycling Team, will be lining up to race against the best cyclists in the Midwest. Tim Putnam, Race Director said, “To have this caliber of racers competing in our races will to take our race to the next level. With our race being an Iowa Championship event and having a regional draw, we are looking to have the largest and the fastest field ever. This is our seventh year for the festival weekend, we are excited for the racers and spectators as it will an exciting and competitive race weekend.”
Tom Zirbel, a native of Clear Lake, made his debut on the pro circuit racing in 2006 and rode with Bissell Pro Cycling for 2009 and 2010. He just finished in 2nd place at the USPRO National Time Trial Championship. Tom finished second to David Zabriskie, of the Garmin-Cervelo team, who has won this event 6 out of the last 8 years. Tom was the NRC Champion in 2009 with top 10 overall finishes in all of the major US stage races and numerous victories and podium placements. In 2009, he was second in the USPRO Time Trial Championships and fourth in the World Time Trial Championships. In 2010, at a local race in Austin, TX, Tom broke the record time set by time trial legend and seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong.
Nick Frey, a native of Des Moines, started his competitive cycling career at age 13 when he raced with a local junior team and nearly made the podium in his first Junior National Road Race. Nick is a 2009 graduate of Princeton University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Nick was the 2007 Espoir National Time Trial Champion and won the juniors race at the Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic in 2005. While at Princeton, Nick spent over 18 months of researching and developing bikes made from bamboo, resulting in high-performance, expertly engineered bamboo bicycles. Nick started his own company called Boo Bicycles in 2009.
The races start at noon on Saturday, July 9, with the Iowa State Criterium Championships. The crit is a fast, multilap event on a 0.9-mile technical course starting and ending at City Park in Clear Lake. There will be special race categories for kids ages of 10-12, 13-14, 15-16, and 17-18, as well as men’s and women’s categories with varying age groups and race skill levels. The top Iowa finisher in each category will receive a gold medal. There is a total cash purse of $6,100 for the adult racers. The road race will begin at the Surf Ballroom at 10:00 AM on Sunday, July 10. The 82- and 42-mile courses end on B-35, south of Clear Lake near the water treatment facility. The awards ceremony will be held near Clear Lake State Park after the completion of each category with a purse of $3900.
Information for the The Monson and Sons Criterium and Road Race and all the Bicycle, Blues and BBQ Festival events can be found at www.bicyclebluesbbq.com. Check the website and see the race flyer for complete details or contact Tim Putnam at northiowaspin@yahoo.com|
