DURANGO, Colo. — As the Fort Lewis College cycling team gears up for the road portion of its season, Skyhawk Director of Athletics Gary Hunter announced today the hiring of Elke Brutsaert as interim women's coach and Dan Bowman as interim road coach.

“I'm excited to have Elke and Dan as a part of the staff and hope their experience will lead us to another national championship,” said Hunter.

Brutsaert began her cycling career on the road, racing collegiately for the University of Maine. She eventually switched her focus to professional downhill mountain bike racing for Schwinn Bicycles and became a force on the international scene. After retiring from racing in 2001, she began working for Durango Mountain Camps so that she could pass on her knowledge to other riders of all levels. Brutsaert's skills aren't just limited to bicycles. She also has 10 years' experience as a massage therapist and six years as team therapist and road manager for various pro mountain biking teams.

“While Elke is mainly known for her prowess as a downhill racer, she has raced in many of the other cycling disciplines,” said FLC Director of Cycling Operations Dave Hagen. “She also brings an extensive background in coaching, conditioning, massage therapy, and structural balance that was honed during her years as the team sougnier for Olympic level athletes.”

Bowman has ridden professionally in many competitions around world since 2004. Among his career highlights are: second place overall at the 2009 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic; seventh overall at the 2009 Tour de Thailand; first place at the 2008 KOM Competition Tour de Nez; second overall in the 2005 Tour of Virginia; first in the USA Cycling Collegiate National time trial; and 14th overall at the 2005 Tour de Normandie in France.

“Dan, who is an alumnus of FLC cycling, brings with him many years of pro road experience racing around the world,” said Hagen. “That experience will pay huge dividends in the team tactics it takes to be successful in road racing.”

In addition to hiring new coaches, Hagen believes the road racing team has great potential this spring. Ivie Crawford, a top junior from California, is just one of the new additions along with a strong freshman class.

The Skyhawks start their season at the Colorado College Criterion on March 10 in Colorado Springs, Colo.

USA Cycling sponsors collegiate championships in the disciplines of track racing, mountain biking, cyclocross, and road racing. The Skyhawks currently lead the overall collegiate omnium with their national title in last fall's mountain biking championships and runner-up finishes in last fall's track nationals and last month's cyclocross championships.

In its history since the sport's collegiate inception, the Skyhawks have won 18 national championships in mountain biking, cyclocross, and road racing.