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Colavita Sutter Home strong in Quad Knofp Sequoia Cycling Classic time trial
Exeter, California
Exeter Time Trial, 30km

By Kirsten Robbins
Pictures by Mitch Freidman

In the women's race:

Colavita/Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light's Alison Powers flew over the thirty-kilometer time trial course at the Quad Knopf Sequoia Cycling Classic in a winning time of 46:35:00.

The entire Colavita/Sutter Home women's team placed in the top thirty of the $10,000 time trial. The course suited Powers strengths on the rollers and fast descents and the team's Blue time trial bikes and aero Profile Design set up sliced through the wind perfectly. "The course was awesome," Powers said. "It had climbs, flats, rollers, wind and descending -- it was an everything course and I really liked it. I went in expecting a strong performance. I am so happy that I was able to do that. I had huge support from my team."

A former down hill skier, Powers suited the technical descending into tight corners on the course. "I felt great on the descent and I left everything I had on the course, there were no places that I could have gone harder."

Powers arrived to the finish nineteen seconds ahead of second placed Leigh Hobson from Cheerwine and twenty seconds ahead of Webcor-Builder's Amber Rais. Another very impressive rider was by Powers teammate Sarah Tillotson who muscled her way over the time trial circuit in a speeding time of 47:35.

Colavita/Sutter Home's time trailing strength runs deep with riders like Andrea Dvorak and Alex Wrubleski who also finished in the top thirty. Wrubleski is the current Canadian national time trial champion and is just on the outskirts of her season's peak. "I'm really happy with the performances of the Colavita/Sutter Home women across the board," said Director Jim Williams. "It was a great ride for Sarah Tillotson to be a little less that a minute back on Alison Powers today. Alex is coming around too and I know she is right where she needs to be for the team. We can't have everyone peaking right now."

Powers is looking forward to the opportunity to test her legs against TEAm Lipton's world time trial champion Kristin Armstrong and Webcor-Builder's Olympian Christine Thorburn. "It is always fun to judge myself against Christine and Kristin but they were not here," Powers said.

In the men's race:

Colavita/Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light's Anthony Colby succeeds to a podium against the best time trialists in the US. Colavita/Sutter Home's Sequoia Cycling Classic included Charles Dionne, Davide Frattini, Tyler Wren, Anthony Colby, Alejandro Acton and Peter Hatton.

Hatton had just come off of a top thirty finish in the recent Amgen Tour of California and was looking for payback in the time trial. "I did some training back in Durango after the Amgen Tour of California and played it safe," Hatton said. "I did some group rides and I have been working on my time trial a lot this year. I was a bit jaded from losing so much time in the Tour of California time trials so I had focused on them for the passed month in hopes to come back ready for them."

Colby placed third against arguably North America's best time trialist Priority Health's Ben Jacques-Maynes and Toyota-United's former US national time trial champion Chris Baldwin. "It might be surprising to some but we always knew he was capable of such an impressive result," Williams said.

The course was wind stricken on the return and it played into Colby's advantage to know the course form years passed. "It was one of those rides where even though I was suffering I knew it was a good day," Colby said. "You only have so many of those days of being fresh and fit, five at most. So it was a good day for me. I did this race last year and I knew how to race it. I had the race planned to the tee on how my pace was going to go. I figured I would crack at the end but I didn't. I took the head wind coming back into account. That helped a lot."

News and information about the Colavita/Sutter Home Cycling Teams presented by Cooking Light is available at www.TeamColavita.com.

About the sponsors of the Colavita/Sutter Home Cycling Teams presented by Cooking Light

Colavita USA imports and distributes the #1 brand of Italian extra-virgin olive oil in the U.S. as well as durum wheat semolina pasta, a full selection of balsamic and wine vinegars, and many other fine Italian products. A family-owned business headquartered in Linden, NJ, Colavita has championed the sport of cycling throughout its 25+-year history. The company supports the Colavita New Jersey U19 Racing Team, the largest junior cycling team on the East Coast, as well as recreational cycling clubs in 10 states, including California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, South Carolina, and Texas. Through its charitable arm, the Colavita Foundation for Children, the company provides bicycles and helmets to children in need. To learn more about Colavita USA, please visit www.Colavita.com.

Trinchero Family Estates is wholly owned and operated by the Trinchero family, Napa Valley vintners since 1948. The company produces the wines of Sutter Home, Trinchero, Montevina, Wild Bunch, Trinity Oaks, Folie à Deux, Menage à Trois, the number one alcohol-removed wine, Fre, and imports Angove's, Reynolds Vineyards and Little Boomey wines of Australia. For more information, visit www.tfewines.com .

Founded in 1987, Cooking Light ( www.cookinglight.com) is the world's largest food magazine. Each month, more than 11 million consumers turn to Cooking Light to "eat smart, be fit and live well." CookingLight.com provides daily food and fitness updates, healthy recipes and nutrition advice to millions of unique visitors every year.

For the 2007 season, the Colavita/Sutter Home Cycling Teams presented by Cooking Light will be riding RC7 bikes supplied by Blue Competition Bicycles. The bikes will be fully equipped with Shimano components, wheels, shoes, and pedals and Profile Design handle bars and stems. Team jerseys are provided by Voler Team Apparel. Additional sponsors of the team include: Amino Vital nutrition , Maxxis tires, Specialized helmets and glasses, Rotor chain rings, Headsweats head wear, Park Tools, Purple Extreme Chain lube, Thule Racks, Suzuki Cars, San Marco Saddles, Cheetah Bars and figs, socks by Defeet, LavAzza Coffee, The Olive Garden Restaurants, and Trainers supplied by Saris.

For more information about the sponsors of the Colavita/Sutter Home Cycling Teams presented by Cooking Light, please visit www.TeamColavita.com.

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