Way to go Rebecca and XXRacing. - TF
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GREETINGS FROM ITALY

From today's edition of VeloNews.com:

It took less than 23 minutes on a Monday afternoon in Italy for
18-year-old Rebecca Much of Chicago to make a name for herself in bike
racing.

Much, now a college student at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado,
won a silver medal in the opening race of the 2004 road world
championships, finishing second to Tereza Hurikova of the Czech
Republic
in the junior women's time trial.

After accepting her medal with the blue waters of Italy's Lake Garda
shimmering in the background, Much, who was competing at the world
championships for the first time, revealed a bit of inspiration that
helped her cover the 15.75km course in a time of 22:19.

"I got to borrow my teammate Dede Barry's time trial helmet," said
Much,
who also won a TT title at the U.S. nationals earlier this summer. "And
she got silver in the Olympics."

Much's second-place finish ended a U.S. medal drought at world
championships dating back to 2001, when Danny Pate won the Under-23
men's time trial in Portugal. Though she began racing three years ago,
Much says only recently did she actually get serious about it.

"This was the first year I actually trained over the winter and stuff,"
she said after edging out Australian Amanda Spratt by less than half a
second to earn silver.

The helmet wasn't the only thing Much borrowed for her ride on Monday.

"Everybody hooked me up," she said. "I didn't have a disc wheel or
anything. The whole team in general has been awesome. Amber Neben is my
roommate, and she's just been talking to me the whole time."