INDIANAPOLIS, Aug. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Fort Lauderdale, Florida, native and resident A.J. Smith won the first-ever RACE TO REPLACE at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this morning, Saturday, August 12, 2006. The RACE TO REPLACE, a fundraiser for Indiana University Cancer Center and the Lance Armstrong Foundation, was held to generate U.S. excitement for cycling and The Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team. Smith won the 25-34 age bracket with an overall time of 52:42.4 in the 10-lap, 25-mile race; a total of 365 cyclists from 33 U.S. states competed in four age brackets. As the winner of the RACE, he earns the honor of wearing the Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team (DCPCT) jersey and racing as an honorary member of the Team for one day in the U.S. Pro Championships on September 1 in Greenville, South Carolina. Armstrong also led nearly 1,000 riders on a fun "Lap with Lance" around the Speedway for cycling enthusiasts from ages 13 and up.
Overall men and women's winning results (by age category) are as follows:
* 18-24 -- Bennet van der Genugt (Bloomington, Indiana) at 57:29.0
* 25-34 -- A.J. Smith (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) at 52:42.4
* 34-49 -- Christopher Gottwald (Vineland, New Jersey) at 55:22.6
* 50+ -- Daniel Waite (Dayton, Ohio) at 1:00:52.1
"Discovery's commitment to the sport of cycling was the reason I came out to Indy to support this special event," said Armstrong at the post-RACE press conference. "Discovery Channel is a good storytelling company and the RACE is a good way to tell the story of cycling. Keeping cycling at top of mind at this critical time in the sport's history is important. And I have a special relationship with this city since I spent time here with treatment."
"It was awesome!" said Smith. "Once I heard that Discovery was putting on this race, I knew I had to enter. Despite four crashes and two knee injuries I suffered this year, I just knew I had to compete."
"Today's RACE TO REPLACE has been a fantastic experience for cyclists, fans and families from all areas of the country," noted Ken Dice, Executive Vice President of Marketing, U.S. Networks, of Discovery Communications, Inc. "All of our partners -- the International Motor Speedway, Trek, AMD, Capital Sports & Entertainment, Professional Sports Marketing -- have believed in this event from the beginning. It represents cycling's growing popularity in the U.S. and inspires thousands of folks -- no matter what age or skill level -- to engage and participate in something they are passionate about."
"We've absolutely exceeded our expectations in every way," added Terry Angstadt, Vice President of Marketing for the International Motor Speedway. "People showed up, they contributed, they took part, and it was a fantastic day. It was a big win for The Lance Armstrong Foundation and the Indiana University Cancer Center."
Discovery Communications Inc.'s RACE TO REPLACE is a multi-tiered promotional campaign that launched in April 2006 to generate interest in cycling. The RACE included the August 12 event, original Webisodes at http://www.race2replace.com/ and promotional spots across all of Discovery Communications, Inc.'s various networks.
Discovery Communications, Inc. is the leading global real-world media company. Discovery has grown from its core property, the Discovery Channel, first launched in the United States in 1985, to current global operations in 170 countries and territories with nearly 1.4 billion cumulative subscribers. DCI's over 100 networks of distinctive programming represent 27 network entertainment brands including TLC, Animal Planet, Travel Channel, Discovery Health Channel, Discovery Kids, Discovery Times Channel, The Science Channel, Military Channel, Discovery Home Channel, Discovery en Espanol, Discovery Kids en Espanol, Discovery HD Theater, FitTV, Discovery Travel & Living (Viajar y Vivir), Discovery Home & Health and Discovery Real Time. DCI's other properties consist of Discovery Education and Discovery Commerce, which operates more than 100 Discovery Channel Stores in the U.S. DCI also distributes BBC America in the United States. DCI's ownership consists of four shareholders: Discovery Holding Company , Cox Communications, Inc., Advance/Newhouse Communications and John S. Hendricks, the Company's Founder and Chairman.
