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Do you want the chance to have a full pro experience at the North Star Grand Prix?
The
Medica Collegiate All Stars will be back for 2016. This women’s program, started in 2007, is a partnership between USA Cycling and the North Star Grand Prix, a high-end stage race
on the USA Cycling Pro Road Tour held June 15 – 19 in Minnesota. The goals of this program are to give collegiate women a full pro experience, to identify women who have the talent to ride for professional teams and to promote cycling as an intercollegiate
sport.
 Team
selection will be made at the USA Cycling Collegiate Road Nationals using an omnium from the road race and criterium. Three riders from Division 1 and three from Division 2 will be invited to participate in the North Star Grand Prix (June 15 – 19) along with
a pre-race residential camp June 10 – 14. The pre-race camp will be held mostly at Wisconsin farm, where team members can get to know each other and be coached in some of the finer points of professional stage racing.
Participating women will receive free race entries to the North Star Grand Prix, professional coaching, team support, ground transportation, housing, team uniforms, media
opportunities and a generous travel stipend.
The coach of the Medica Collegiate All Stars will be Patricia Schwager, a six-time Swiss National Champion. She raced for a number of European teams, including Kristin
Armstrong’s Cervélo Test, Nederland Bloeit with Marianne Vos and Faren-Kuota. She is currently working with US-based Team TIBCO-SVB and a member of Alison Powers’ coaching program, where she coaches ten riders. She
has two diplomas from
the Swiss Federal Office of Sport as a Cycling Coach and is also a
Baker with a Pastry Chef diploma.
This will be a great experience, regardless of your long term cycling goals. But it’s a particularly important opportunity if you’d like to be considered for a pro team
contract. The pro team managers will be at the North Star Grand Prix and look to the Medica Collegiate All Stars as a source of undiscovered talent. Alumna include World Champion and Rio Olympic Team Member Kelly Caitlin, National Criterium Calendar and
USA Crits Champion Erica Allar, National Champion Amanda Miller along with other professionals like Katie Hall (UnitedHealthcare), Carla Swart (HTC/Highroad and South African Olympic Team member) and Kristin McGrath (various pro teams), among many others.
Selection for participation in the Medica Collegiate All Stars is an honor that will be a highlight of your race resume’. It’s also a unique opportunity to experience
what it would be like to race as a professional. This has been a life-changing experience for many women, and it can be one for you, too!
For more information, contact team manager
Jill Cederholm-Mairs or follow on
twitter.
Emily Palmer
Membership Programs Manager
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