March 2009 Entries
V-CLUB TRAINING CORNER
We’ve teamed up with Marilyn Trout, certified USA Cycling Elite Coach to answer V-Club members’ training questions. You can view her coach profile at: http://www.trainingpeaks.com/coachdirectory/searchbydiscipline.asp#MarilynTrout
Send your cycling inquiries to Marilyn, and for a limited time, if yours is selected to be answered in our V-Club column, VeloWear will send you a $20 gift certificate that can be used towards any purchase on VeloWear.com. To submit your inquiry, e-mail her at trout_mic@msn.com, and type “V-Club Training Question” in the subject line of the e-mail.
V-Club member David Coker is our 15th winner of a $20 VeloWear gift certificate! His question is below...
PREPARING FOR A CENTURY WITH LIMITED TIME
Dear Marilyn,
I live in Colorado Springs and have a target this year of riding at least 3 centuries in Colorado, including Copper Triangle (not really a century, but tough enough). I did two last year. However, my work schedule limits my cycling to primarily on the weekends. My biggest problem has been altitude given the limited training. During the Sunrise Century last year, I had to take the turn off at Ward as I was feeling light headed and weak. This year I've started to run twice a week to boost my cardio capacity in hopes that this will minimize the altitude impact I've felt.
Therefore, I have a couple of questions:
1) Will the running actually help? If so, how much do you recommend?
2) What other activities can help to prepare me for these events?
Any other suggestions would be most appreciated.
Please note that I'm a 200+ pound cyclist who completes Colorado centuries in about 7 hours and runs a 9-10 minute mile.
David,
To do two Colorado centuries on a limited training schedule is admirable. No doubt you are extremely motivated to achieve your cycling goals, have a high pain threshold and once committed to something, you are very tenacious. To tackle the mountains, a cyclist must have these qualities in good measure.
As Peg Labiuk so aptly introduces her training answer, “This is another question that appears simple, at first.” Although your questions basically deal with using your century prep time in cross-training, any activity other than cycling, you have included a number of ingredients that complicate things enough to deserve some sifting.
Let’s take a look back into the Sunrise Century turn off at Ward, Colorado with an elevation 9,450 feet. Indeed, there are a number of likely culprits for being “light-headed and weak”; altitude, dehydration, a bit of the “bonk” and/or training preparation.
Nutrition: During the century, you need to drink 16 to 32 oz. of fluid and consume 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrate or close to one gel/half a bar per hour. Starting several days prior to the event, keep the fluid intake up and don’t skimp on the carbohydrates the day before and for breakfast before the ride. Even slight dehydration will negatively impact performance so fluid replacement is that much more important at altitude for the body to function optimally during a mountainous, endurance event. (“Avoiding the Bonk” includes some more nutritional details.)
Altitude: There is no doubt that altitude negatively affects our performance. When I first came to Colorado, someone mentioned that the state has everything a person could want… except oxygen. How true that is! A well-trained athlete can definitely be humbled by its effects. In your case, since you live and train at 6,000+ feet, I don’t believe that altitude is the critical point that will determine you feeling strong during your Colorado centuries. However, I do believe changing the dynamics of your abbreviated training time would benefit you greatly. From your information, the one ingredient that impacts my answer the most – limited training time.
This is the way my coaching mind works…
What is the cycling goal? 3 mountain centuries
What are the parameters we have to deal with to get to that goal? Training time available: 6-8 hours in ~ 4 days/week (mostly weekends), 3-4 months before 1st century, lives in “flat”, rolling and hilly terrain, possibly in need of an indoor trainer
Will running help? What other activities can help prepare for centuries? There is really no other activity that can replace specific work in the saddle when you ride primarily on weekends and have a few hours during a busy work week. As TrainingBible author, Joel Friel, says, “eliminate all nonbike types of training from your schedule so you can focus your precious time on the fitness most specific to your event – riding your bike…There’s no room for mistakes or wasted saddle time. You must make the best use of every minute.”
Scientific studies have shown that it takes at least three days a week for aerobic capacity to improve with the critical frequency being four. One study actually found a tripling of the average increase in fitness when workouts went from three to four per week. Considering this, the amount of time before your first event and knowing that you must do specific cycling work, there is no way around it, you’ll need to sit in the saddle 1-2 more days during the week. You’ll have to figure out what the best days are to carve out an hour of cycling. For some cyclists, the only way to do that is to jump on the indoor trainer before work. I don’t know if you have a trainer and a heart rate monitor, but I strongly suggest that you get a heart rate monitor to dial in your training, indoor or out, and if you want to be in complete control of getting the workouts in regardless of the weather, daylight or schedule, you’ll need to invest in an indoor trainer.
Before I share some specific training suggestions, here’s a few ingredients to consider:
Endurance: Before your first event, aim to complete a ride at least 50% of your century time. For you, that would be ~ 3.5 hour ride. It seems to me that you do OK with the entire distance it’s the intensity/demands of the mountains that take their toll on you.
Weight: Since you mentioned your weight…trimming down to carry less up the climbs is equivalent to adding several more hours of training time per week without doing the training. Eliminating 200-500 calories/day will make a difference in your ability to climb better. (Time Trialing 101 gives a few more specifics with regards to weight and performance.)
Hills: You are fortunate to have some great climbs just “out your backdoor.” Include them in your weekend rides and as you get fitter, you can add threshold intervals that will increase your ability to sustain higher intensity workloads just as you have encountered in and around Ward.
2-3 hour Midweek Training Suggestion:
The ride time should be at least 30-45 minutes including at least a 10 minute warm-up, 15-30 minute specific training and a 5 minute cool down. (Training Zone details can be found in “Training Through a Collarbone Fracture”.)
Monday/Thursday - 4-5 sets x 3 minute (reps) zone 3 with 3 minutes recovery (try to get HR to zone 1 with easy spin)
Wednesday (Optional 3rd day) - easy zone 1,2 :30 spin
As your fitness increases you can put the intervals on two days “back to back”. You can also increase your interval work time to 4', 5', 10' with the same amount of rest between intervals while keeping the same zone 3 intensity:
2 x 10’ at tempo (sub-lactate/aerobic) with 10’ recovery between efforts – the primary object is to have even pacing from beginning to end of the interval without going over lactate threshold (anaerobic) throughout the effort. (You can also add some variety by doing 1 x10’, 10’ recovery, followed by 2x5’ with 5’ between efforts.)
Monday/Thursday - 1-2 x 10' zone 3 with 10' easy recovery spin between sets
Wednesday (Optional 3rd day) - easy :30 zone 1/2 spin
Other Training Suggestions:
The next step in the fitness build would be to increase the intensity of the interval to a threshold zone.
ie) 3-5x 5' at threshold with 5' recovery between efforts –steady effort/ pacing just under threshold.
Hill work simulation: 4-6 x 1-3' in a gear that allows only about 60 rpm with 5' easy spinning between efforts. This is a strength workout so no specific HR zone is observed other than you must remain aerobic during the effort and full recovery between.
If you need to consolidate your training some weeks due to a full schedule, you can combine your tempo and strength work; for instance, 1 x 10' zone 3 with 10' recovery followed by 3 x 3' @ 60 rpm with 5' easy spin between efforts. Whether it be 1 or 2 days later, it would help recovery to follow this with an easy spin day, even :30 will work wonders.
David, continue to do your weekend hilly rides, add a couple specific, higher intensity cycling sessions during your week and you’ll be able to enjoy the mountains of Colorado for hundreds of miles this season.
All the best,
Marilyn
Posted by Jeff Sobul in Team News on March 30th, 2009
Redlands, CA - “We were going for the overall win or bust today,” said team directeur sportif Mike Tamayo.
The team wasted little time lighting up the field on the difficult Sunset Loop course, initiating numerous breaks. Brad White was the first to get off the front along with Cesar Grajales (Rock Racing) and Frank Pipp (Bissell).
When that move was brought back, Karl Menzies went off the front with three other riders. The most dangerous move of the day came when Tim Johnson escaped with Peter Stetina (Garmin-Holoweko Partners-Felt). The duo opened up a lead of over a minute that put Stetina in the virtual race lead, with Johnson a threat to the top of the standings, as well.
The aggressive racing was part of a plan to soften up the field and set up Rory Sutherland for a late bid to wrest the overall title away from Jeff Louder (BMC), who was less than half a minute ahead of Sutherland.
“The course is selective on its own,” Johnson said. “But we wanted to make it more selective and disrupt BMC’s rhythm.”
“Rory was waiting for the finish,” Tamayo added. “The last time up the climb, he put in his attack.”
Sutherland pushed over the top of the climb with a 0:20 advantage on the pack. But the attack had served to isolate race leader Jeff Louder (BMC) on the final climb. However, Louder got some unexpected help when Fly V Australia spearheaded the chase in an effort to protect the 3rd overall position of their rider, Ben Day.
Sutherland was caught just before entering the circuits in downtown Redlands, setting up the sprint finish won by Kyle Wamsley (Colavita-Sutter Home). Sutherland finished 15th on the stage, and a five-scond time bonus moved him up to 6th overall.
“The team rode a great race today,” Johnson said. “We just didn’t have much to show for it at the end of the day.”
Notes:
While the main race was being run out on the Sunset Loop, a pro/1/2 criterium was being held in town on the same course that the stage race used the day prior. OUCH Presented by Maxxis riders John Murphy and Bobby Lea were part of that field.
Murphy was part of a three-man break that lapped the field during the race. Once the trio had rejoined the back of the main field, Murphy found teammate Lea’s wheel. Lea executed a perfect lead-out into the final turn on the course and Murphy sprinted to the win.
Posted by Jeff Sobul in Team News on March 29th, 2009
Redlands, CA - Andrew Pinfold came off a strong lead-out by teammate Rory Sutherland to earn 2nd place in Stage 2 Redlands Classic Downtown Criterium. Sutherland kept pushing to the line after dropping off Pinfold and came across in 5th place.
“The guys rode a great stage today,” said team director Mike Tamayo. “We were aggressive all day and kept the pressure on to the end.”
OUCH Presented by Maxxis wanted to make the team of race leader Jeff Louder (BMC) work to keep him in yellow.
“Cam (Evans) and Karl (Menzies) got into an early break of seven guys and that put the pressure on BMC to chase because Cam is only a little over a minute down on Louder,” Tamayo said.
Not long after that move came back, Menzies again went on the attack, this time with teammate Tim Johnson, who was 1:28 back coming into the day.
When that move was chased down, it became apparent that the criterium was headed for a sprint finish. But with two laps to go, Kirk O’Bee had a dig that came back with only 500 meters remaining. Jelly Belly led that chase but lost control of the front on the last lap.
Coming into the final two turns, Pinfold found Sutherland’s wheel and the Australian all-arounder, currently sitting 8th overall at 0:27, took Pinfold to the final corner for the sprint to the line. Pinfold narrowly missed out on the win, finishing behind Jackson Stewart (BMC).
Notes:
Following the stage, the team assembled at the Voler Team Apparel tent in the race expo and signed autographs. “The turnout was fantastic,” Tamayo said. Floyd Landis participated in the signing, despite dropping out of the race early in Stage 1 Friday due to illness.
The Redlands Bicycle Classic is one of the top stage races for women in North America and always draws a strong field. The top North American teams were all there as well as Team Columbia and Nurnburg from Germany.
REDLANDS RESULTS:
RACE REPORTS:
PROLOGUE:
We started the race with an uphill prologue time trial.
Here is Janel's Report:
Thursday, March 26: Prologue, The Sun Time Trial
The riders: Katheryn Curi Mattis, Amy Dombroski, Nikki Butterfield, Gina Grain, Erinne Willock, Alexis Rhodes, Rebecca Much, Janel Holcomb
And staff: Karen Brems, Dave Drumm, Jeremy Fliss, Ryan Bontrager
Today marked the beginning of the Redlands Bicycle Classic and the first race for the complete 2009 Webcor Builders Cycling Team. The prologue is an individual time trial, 5 kilometers long, that starts flat, but after a quick little climb and descent, climbs for the final 3km. The last kilometer is particularly challenging as it climbs 400 feet to the finish line.
Shortly after 9am, the staff drove down to the start to set up our team area with our shiny-clean green Leopard bicycles, trainers for warm-ups, team tent & chairs, and everything we could need to prepare for the challenging time trial. As the press circled our area, we hopped on our bikes, turned on our music, and began our warm-ups. Who could resist coming by to take a look at the ladies in green?!
Gina, our sprinter-specialist, was first off, and when asked later how things went, she assured us that she made it to the top of a steep hill, so figured she found the finish line. Little did she know, despite her modest assessment of her time trial, she had a solid finish in 57th place (out of 138 starters!). Amy, U23 Cyclocross Champion, and Erinne, Canadian Olympian, finished 40th and 42nd, respectively.
Our Aussie riders completed the course in nearly the same time, fighting a close battle for who is the cooler Australian on our team (they both rock!). They finished less than 2-tenths of a second a part, with Nikki taking 32nd place and Alexis grabbing 30th place.
United States U23 National TT Champion, Rebecca Much, had a fantastic ride – finishing the grueling course in 11:52.81 and taking home 16th place. This is proof of her return to tip-top form for the 2009 season. This girl is fast and gunning for top spots in all her time trials this year!
When most of the riders had gone off, Janel was sitting in second place with a time of 11:47.08, but there were some power-house riders yet to go, and, at that point, the rider in first was faster by 40 seconds. That was a huge gap and there was not much chance to hold on to the spot.
Luckily, Katheryn, was still out on the course, and we knew that she would be flying on her sleek Leopard TT1. As we waited, the results started to trickle in… Mara Abbott of Team Columbia was holding onto first place, while Ina Yoka Teutenberg, also of Columbia, finished only 3-tenths of a second behind that! Current US National TT Champion, Alison Powers grabbed another top spot, just 10 seconds behind Ina. But when the win came, it was decisive. Finishing the race in 10:40.67, nearly 27 seconds faster than 2nd place, was current World TT Champion, Amber Neben.
Janel’s time was good enough for 6th place, but it was our World Cup race winner, Katheryn, who had the best Webcor finish for the day with a fantastic 5th place, with a stellar time of 11:42.15.
With such a strong showing from the entire team, we are poised to make an impression on the peloton, tomorrow. We are taking eight incredibly strong and saavy women to the line, and the road race will be a dynamite day of racing!
STAGE 1:
The first road stage of the Redlands Classic was a hard one with aggressive racing and howling wind. Webcor was active all day.
Here is Katheryn's report:
Stage 1 Redlands Bicycle Classic
The City of Beaumont Road Race
116.82km, 3 laps of a 38.94km circuit
This was the second year of running the Beaumont Road Race and this year they extended the circuit a bit, taking advantage of some new roads being put in. The course was mostly flat with a couple rollers and a twisty climb, descent, climb through Bogart County Park. What added the biggest obstacle to the race was the wind – it was mostly a strong wind from the East/South East. As there were some long open sections, we would have to be heads up to teams putting it into the gutter to try and break it up.
Right from the gun things were fast and strung out as riders pushed the pace. We all did a great job of staying in good position to ensure representation in any possible splits or breaks in the peloton. The plan was to have me go for the time bonus sprints that came 14km into the circuit. Nikki did a great job getting me into position and I ended up about 5th in the sprint but needed to be top 3 to get time. The wind definitely helped to neutralize any major attacks and it was not until we got up over the climb that the excitement started.
First Tibco went to the front on a significant crosswind section and blew things apart. Nikki did a great job of being up there but so were all the main GC contenders. I did my best to close the gap but with four Tibco riders and others in the break driving it, it was hopeless. Fortunately with the help of Colavita and we were able to bring the break back. Also at this time Alex had the major un-fortune of double flatting and getting a very very very slow wheel change from Neutral support. She never caught back to the peloton.
Things were a bit mellow for a while due to the strong head-cross wind section and despite a few attempts by Columbia to get a break off, things stayed together. The group was together going over the QOM the second time and nervously anticipated hitting the crosswind section again. There was a flurry of attacks as we turned toward the start/finish stretch and three riders separated themselves from the group. Eventually they were joined by two more and a break consisting of Alex Wrubleski (Columbia-HighRoad), Kori Seehafer (Team Type 1), Chrissy Ruiter (Value Act Capital) and teammates Joanne Keisonawski and Julie Beveridge (Tibco) managed to gain a maximum of 45” on the field. Again, with the help of Colavita, Erinne and Nikki did a great job of pulling the break back right before the first climb.
To prevent any more attacks, Amber Neben sat on the front and set steady tempo up both the small climbs. Columbia and Tibco then drove it through the crosswind section and definitely caused some serious splitting in the field. Rebecca, Janel and I maintained good position with the main group coming into town and I was able to finish with the same time as the other major GC contenders. Janel and Rebecca were a bit behind and lost a few seconds. Gina and Nikki rolled in just over a minute back, followed a few minutes later by Erinne.
Alex, who had TTT’d with a couple other gals for 60+k’s rolled in with a big group that also included Amy.
STAGE 2:
The 2nd road stage was the criterium in downtown Redlands. This is always a fun race for both riders and spectators. We were honored to have loyal sponsors Martin Boost of Willis HRH and Tom Sammons of DFP come out to watch the team race. The Webcor team rode a good race and finished on the podium.
Here is Gina's report:
Green-front-green-front-green green green-front front. One lap to go "and WEBCOR IS AT THE FRONT" ding ding ding ding one to go, one to go!!!" That was pretty much how the WEBCOR team rode today's criterium--at the front, large and in charge.
We had 2 things in mind #1- keep our GC riders Katheryn and Janel safe, keep their GC and have them finishing with the group with no time splits and #2-to try to win the race. How proud was I when the entire Webcor team was up at the front, policing the pack and covering pretty much anything that was happening in the race.
Alexis, Erinne, Nikki, Amy, and Rebecca were sergeant major's on the road stomping on anything that looked like a realthreat. Karen's words "Cover and Kill" the breaks... meaning cover the breaks but don't drive it, just sit in and hopefully neutralize the breaks is what they did. Not only did they do that, but they also thought smartly about whose job it was to chase things down, and not chasing things down that didn't really pose a threat. Really impressive. Katheryn shadowed Ina T. (Team High Road) as much as possible in case she tried to do anything sneaky to gain more time to catch the yellow jersey, and Janel (editors note: who rode one of the best crits I have ever seen her race) sat in great position near the front like a good GC rider does :-)).
Coming into the final laps of the crit, the peloton was together, Erinne took the lead of the leadout and bombed through a corner snuggling between two massive Tibco riders, trumping them, and controlling the leadout. Soon, after tossling and jossling of the sprinters and all the mismash behind that (which is what sprinters like to do) I settled myself nicely behind Alexis who was in perfect position to lead me out. She settled herself at the right time behind Kim Anderson (Team High Road) at 1 lap to go. I knew that Alex and Kim could take the last lap on their own and drop me off at the last corner. I sat pretty (probably smiling :-)) behind them because it was perfect...however a small hesitation of a split second on the back side made a bit of a shuffle of the sprinters, I had to regain one spot in a corner and it was Alex, Ina , and then me going through the last corner. My big master plan to beat ina was to rush her through the last corner and slingshot off her...didn't quite work :-) I think Tina slungshot off me!!!!
After a photo finish Tina did nip me at the line for 2nd and I came 3rd. I think that the green of WEBCOR stamped a lasting impression on the streets of Redlands this afternoon. Great job!!
STAGE 3:
The Sunset loop is the classic final stage of Redlands every year. It is a tough 10km circuit with not a flat km anywhere. Ina Tuetenburg definitely had her "climbing legs" on for this race in addition to being one of the best sprinters in the world. She started the day 2 sec. down on Amber Neben and gained a 3 sec. time bonus on the first QOM sprint while Amber was 4th and out of the bonuses. That meant that the tables turned and Team Columbia was now in the race lead and it was Amber that needed to get away from Ina or somehow beat her at the finish to gain a time bonus (not likely).
The Webcor team rode hard and was the only team to still have 5 riders in the front group with a lap to go. Alex made a great attack and was the only rider to gain any significant time on the field during the race. She was not able to stay away in the end, but we had another podium finish for the stage. Katheryn maintained her 5th overall and we ended up 3rd on team GC behind Tibco and Columbia. It was truly a team race with each and every rider having an impact on the final outcome.
Here is Nikki's Report:
Race Report- Stage 3 Redlands Cycling Classic, Sunset Loop
First off a quick introduction, I am one of the ‘new Aussies’ (Nikki Butterfield and Alexis Rhodes) and I am sure I can say on both Alexis’ and my behalf it is great to be a part of Webcor in 2009. It is really refreshing to be part of a well-organized team with great sponsors (that you aren’t trying to get out of using!), great management and strong, motivated, and enjoyable to be around team-mates!
Stage 3 was always going to be a tough one. The Sunset loop has a 4km climb each lap and we rode it 9 times! Ina started the day only 2 seconds down on Amber so time bonuses were the theme of the day, the first of which was on the first climb. Poor Janel managed to get a flat in one of the fastest ‘neutral’ starts in the world, and unfortunately never made it back on to the group because of the race for those valuable seconds on the first climb from the GC riders…… despite Gina’s valiant efforts to chase her back on!
That left us with 5 riders (Katheryn, Erinne, Rebecca, Alexis and I) and we all rode well to be amongst the final group in the closing stages. Alexis made a great attack with 4 laps to go and stayed away solo until 2 to go. Erinne made numerous attacks once Alexis was back after the call from Karen on the sidelines but nothing was going anywhere with Amber desperate to get back the 1 second she needed to win the race and Ina keen to keep Amber in sight. I made one attack myself but was more concerned with making sure Katheryn had me there to help cover in case Amber ‘lit it up’ on the last couple of climbs to shake Ina off her wheel. Katheryn did a great job of conserving and rode her 5th place on GC all the way to the finish. I was able to position myself well enough to sneak across the line in 3rd place for the day.
There is a quite a gap between now and the next race (3 ½ weeks!) so it is all about training for the next little bit.
It is very exciting to think what we are capable of collectively and from my perspective am happy with our ‘opening’ race for the season. The best is yet to come.
We’ve teamed up with Marilyn Trout, certified USA Cycling Elite Coach to answer V-Club members’ training questions. You can view her coach profile at: http://www.trainingpeaks.com/coachdirectory/searchbydiscipline.asp#MarilynTrout
Send your cycling inquiries to Marilyn, and for a limited time, if yours is selected to be answered in our V-Club column, VeloWear will send you a $20 gift certificate that can be used towards any purchase on VeloWear.com. To submit your inquiry, e-mail her at trout_mic@msn.com, and type “V-Club Training Question” in the subject line of the e-mail.
AVOIDING THE BONK
V-Club member Mike Jarvis is our 14th winner of a $20 VeloWear gift certificate! His question that follows was answered by Peg Labiuk (nee Peggy Maass), a collegue of Marilyn Trout, and a certified NCCP level 3 coach with a career in international road and track racing. She is a World Championship medalist, World Record holder, U.S. Olympic Team member, former British national team coach and Kreb's Cycle co-founder (British Columbia, Canada).
I am a 22 year old cyclist who recently discovered the sport. I found I have a problem hitting the "wall" on some of the rides I join in on (40+ miles). I found a calorie calculator online and it says I burn around 3000 calories for a 50-mile ride. Do you have any nutrition tips to keep me from dying in rides over 40 miles? Usually I eat some cereal beforehand, take a Clif bar and a carb powder mix in one of my drinks.
Hi Mike,
This is another question that appears simple, at first. I'd love to tell you that all you have to do is eat more on your ride to avoid hitting the wall. While there is some truth to that, it involves more than just caloric intake.
The simple part is that, yes, you could eat a better breakfast than processed cereal. Would you eat cake for breakfast? Essentially a processed cereal breaks down into simple sugars like that. Eat something more substantial, like a poached egg, bagel with protein (peanut butter, cheese), yogurt, even a hearty soup would be better than simple sugars. I'm a fan of oatmeal (preferably made from whole grain like steel-cut oats) with nuts and dried fruit. It is also important to eat and drink regularly during the ride, not when the "idiot light" goes on and you are hungry or thirsty. It's too late to replenish then. Use the rule of thumb of consuming 1 bottle over each hour and eating every hour. You'll have to experiment with drinks and pocket foods to find what works for you.
Now the not so easy part is that it will take more training to not "hit the wall" in a 40 mile ride. Often "weekend warrior" athletes go out and ride harder and longer than any other training ride of the week. Your muscles and muscle glycogen stores are not trained to sustain that effort, so you run out of gas before the end of the ride. Therefore, you need to cover those bases with two rides: one longer, and one harder. The longer one should cover the distance and then some, but at an easy pace to adapt your muscles and aerobic energy system to the distance. The second ride could be at the harder group ride pace, but shorter distance. Usually referred to as a "tempo" or race-pace ride, it's helpful to have a tool like a heart rate monitor or power meter to regulate the effort. That can also be accomplished by timing the same route each week, making note of weather conditions and gearing used. Most people find it more interesting to train in shorter intervals at an elevated effort to improve conditioning. Whatever you choose, at the beginning keep your effort slightly below that of the group. That will give your body a chance to improve without burying yourself each time out.
In addition, it's not enough to just look at nutrition and training. In cycling, drafting is a huge advantage. Honestly, do you draft well in the group? What cadence and gearing do you choose compared to more seasoned riders? The more effective you are at positioning yourself in the pack and riding efficiently, the more energy you will conserve and reserve for the crucial efforts like climbs. I would certainly also recommend a bike-fitting to ensure that you are in a beneficial riding position. It's hard to ride efficiently and have good skills if your set-up isn't conducive to that.
So, to recap, you can take the following steps to work towards completing the ride with good energy:
· Eat a substantial breakfast
· Drink 1 bottle/hr and eat each hour
· Train at least one over-distance ride (@ easy pace)/week
· Train at least one tempo or interval ride/week
· Check bike position
· Work on drafting and bike handling skills
Take heart that this combination of factors isn't easy to perfect. If it were, Alberto Contador would have just won the Paris-Nice race. He didn't lose because he didn't eat enough. He lost because he didn't pace his effort and tried to do too much. His glycogen stores were depleted, he made emotional decisions, and burned himself out. See, it happens to the Pros, let alone to riders new to the sport. Good for you for asking the question and seeking to avoid "the bonk".
Best spinning for your upcoming 100,
Peg
2009 Redlands Bicycle Classic Names Christine Thorburn as the 2009 ‘Legends Award’ Recipient
From a 3/13/09 DailyPeloton.com post
Within the community of professional cyclists live a few legends; Christine Thorburn is one of those legends. Thorburn’s dedication and self motivation represent the true essence of professional cycling; along with personal sacrifice and unrelenting determination Thorburn did everything right to leave an enduring impression on the sport. For her efforts she will be recognized by The Redlands Bicycle Classic Organizing Committee and honored as the recipient of the 2009 ‘Legends Award’.
As one of a few American cyclists to experience success on the world stage, Thorburn has “palmares” that include a silver medal at the ’05 Pan Am Games; two top five finishes at the UCI World Championships, including a bronze medal; not to mention taking home five medals over the years in U.S. National Championship competition. Most notably Thorburn’s ticket to the world stage came via Redlands with a win at the '04 National Timetrial Championship (held in Redlands), which solidified her spot on the '04 Olympic team. She continued her local dominance by winning the '05 edition of the Redlands Bicycle Classic.
Along with her legendary race results, Thorburn has managed to accomplish many things off her bicycle too, including graduating from Stanford with a medical degree. It was this balance and display of commitment that caught the attention of the Redlands Bicycle Classic Organizing Committee and ultimately awarded her the 2009 Redlands Bicycle Classic ‘Legends Award’.
After being chosen as the 2009 ‘Legends Award’ recipient Thorburn was touched by the honor, “I am incredibly honored to be awarded the 2009 Redlands Bicycle Classic ‘Legends Award’,” said Thorburn. There are so many amazing athletes and individuals who have raced the RBC over the 25 years of its existence that I do not feel particularly special among them. The list of winners reads as a ‘who's who’ in North American road cycling.”
Race Director Dan Rendler shared his own excitement with the RBC Organizing Committees’ choice for the 2009 ‘Legends Award’ and said, “Christine is an excellent ambassador for the sport of professional cycling. I have had the pleasure of getting to know her over the past several years and found her to be an athlete and person of high integrity with exceptional character on and off her bicycle; she is well deserving of this award, my family and I wish her the best as she transitions into the next phase of her life.”
Thorburn continued her sentiments for the Redlands area by saying “Redlands has been a special place for me since my first visit in 2004. The volunteers and host families make the RBC so much more than a bike race – it feels like my home away from home. Thank you for this amazing honor as I transition from my cycling career to the next phase of my life.”
Come see all the speed, talent and skill, and be part of the ceremony that honors a legendary American athlete on March 28th, 2009 in downtown Redlands.
For more information, including race times, distances and volunteer opportunities, visit www.redlandsclassic.com.
About the Redlands Bicycle Classic - The Redlands Bicycle Classic is an all-volunteer organization, including the race directors. The 24th Redlands Bicycle Classic is scheduled for March 26th – 29th, 2009. The event was founded in 1985 by a community group, chaired by then-Mayor Carole Beswick, to promote awareness of downtown Redlands. Since that time, professional cyclists from around the world have been racing in this event, which is centered around the city of Redlands, California. The Redlands Bicycle Classic is on the USA Cyling (USAC) National Racing Calendar (NRC).
About PossAbilities - PossAbilities is a community outreach program of Loma Linda University Rehabilitation, Orthopaedic, and Neurosciences Institute. Membership to PossAbilities is free and there are no age restrictions. For more information: www.mypossabilities.com
About CH&E Investments - CH&E Investments is a Redlands based real estate investment firm dedicated to supporting the community through a partnership with PossAbilities.
March 6-8, 2009 - Tucson, AZ - The Webcor duo of Janel and Rebecca went to Tucson for some early season racing in good weather at the 3-day Tucson Bicycle Classic. They had a great time and took 1st and 3rd overall!
Here is Janel's report:
This past weekend, Rebecca Much and Janel Holcomb descended upon Tucson, AZ to represent Webcor Builders in the 23rd Tucson Bicycle Classic. The 3-day stage race consisted of a short time trial (TT) on Friday, a 60-mile road race (RR) on Saturday, and a 39-mile circuit race (CR) on Sunday.
On Friday, 22 women took to the start of the 3-mile TT. It was a gorgeous course! Downhill for the first half, the course then gradually worked its way up, winding through cacti, toward the desert mountains. A great place to see a sunset, and a very cool place to have a TT! As with any TT, you may feel generally good or bad about your efforts once you've finished, but you never really, truly know how to feel until you hear the results. Back at Rebecca's after the race, we had eaten, grocery shopped, eaten (again!) and finally got the call... I finished in 2nd place, 4 seconds behind the Tucson-TT-specialist, Melissa McWhirter (Veloforma), and Rebecca was 3rd, only one second further behind. Not too shabby, but we went into the RR anxious to take over the lead.
Saturday was a bright and early morn; we were up and heading to the course before 5:30am. Our race started before sunrise and, had we not been racing, I'm sure we would have loved it! The course was a 20-mile loop, starting with a 5-mile gradual drag up a 2% climb. After that, the course rolled through the hills (again, gorgeous!) for 5-8 miles before heading back into town on a straight, slightly downhill road with a right hand turn about 600m from the finish line. We did three laps... On lap 1, there was a time bonus sprint. We planned to go for it, launching Rebecca early, then me, so hopefully one of us got closer to being in the "virtual" leader's jersey. Well, it turned out that only five miles into the race, at a sprint line we couldn't find, our legs (and brains?!) were still asleep. Rebecca had a good go for it with three other riders, but the 10 and 5 seconds were swept up by two other women further down on General Classification (GC). When we hit the rollers on lap two, it was time to animate the race. Rebecca and I traded attacks in excellent style, got some distance on the pack a number of times, but the pack had us marked and things always came back together. The third lap was similar, maybe even a few more promising breaks, but nothing stuck. Coming into the final eight miles, it was team meeting time; we made an on-the-road decision that one of us should attack at the turn before the finish, draw out the antsy riders, and the other one of us would capitalize on the pack action and go for the win if the pack did, in fact, react. Who was going to make the first move? Well, we were both feeling fine, so we figured whoever had the better position would attack first. When it came time for the finish, a hole opened up on the right side of the road as people started to watch each other, so I made the move; at first I was thinking the pack would catch (it was a long way to the line!), but soon realized they weren't. So, I sprinted, sprinted, sprinted, and, just at the last moment, Joelle Numainville of Team Kenda Tire came around. Rebecca finished 8th, holding on to 3rd place in GC, and my 2nd place in the RR gave me a 10-second bonus, which meant I had taken over the yellow jersey.
Sunday was even earlier, a little chillier, but even more fun. Since Rebecca was only 5 seconds behind 2nd place McWhirter, we had multiple approaches to Sunday's circuit race. Our plan was to get Rebecca some bonus time at the intermediate sprint and the finish, perhaps moving her into 2nd or 1st in GC, or even go for a break that would move her into the race lead. The next layer to our plan was to defend the leader's jersey. If we could do a combination of all these things, why not?! :) To defend our lead, we primarily needed to watch McWhirter, her teammate, and seven women from the Specialized Design for Women Team (they held 4th place on GC, not too far behind). The course was really quite fun – lots of rollers on the first half of the course, narrow roads that twisted and turned, and a sprint finish that was slightly uphill – a great course to play and control things on. Play and control, we did! For nearly half of every lap, I stayed on front to keep an eye on things, control part of the road, and set pace if it got too slow; the pack seemed content to let me pull them along for the most part. And, all the while, Rebecca kept an eye on things and chased down anyone who tried to make a move. The intermediate sprint didn't quite go our way, but we were very happy to let Joelle take the 10 bonus seconds, and Chloe Forsman (pro mountain biker for Luna) take 5 seconds because they weren't GC threats. Rebecca and I continued to cover moves, pull the race along, and keep control of things, knowing that Rebecca still had a chance at time bonuses at the finish, but I couldn't let McWhirter or Sborz (Specialized) get time bonuses there. Specialized and Veloforma tried to get away and tire us out, but we managed to hold things together. On the final lap, I was up front for the first two miles and Rebecca took control as we approached the descent. Rebecca kept the pace high enough to neurtalize attacks and help me stay in good position. As we came toward the final kilometer, the attacks started in earnest and, after I chased down the first big attack at 300 meters, the sprint was on with a drag race between Rebecca, Joelle, and Chloe. Rebecca took 3rd, picking up 5 seconds, and I finished in 4th. Rebecca's bonus seconds TIED her with Melissa McWhirter for time, but she needed one more second (or a higher placing in the RR) to pass her in GC.
So, it was a very fun and successful weekend for our Webcor Builders team of two! We had a blast, took home the overall win and 3rd place, plus multiple top-3 placings in each stage. We're excited for team camp to start next week so we can get ready for a full Webcor representation at Redlands!!
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V-CLUB TRAINING CORNER
We’ve teamed up with Marilyn Trout, certified USA Cycling Elite Coach to answer V-Club members’ training questions. You can view her coach profile at: http://www.trainingpeaks.com/coachdirectory/searchbydiscipline.asp#MarilynTrout
Send your cycling inquiries to Marilyn, and for a limited time, if yours is selected to be answered in our V-Club column, VeloWear will send you a $20 gift certificate that can be used towards any purchase on VeloWear.com. To submit your inquiry, e-mail her at trout_mic@msn.com, and type “V-Club Training Question” in the subject line of the e-mail.
V-Club member Lindsey Bishop is our 13th winner of a $20 VeloWear gift certificate! Her question that follows was answered by Peg Labiuk (nee Peggy Maass), a collegue of Marilyn Trout, and a certified NCCP level 3 coach with a career in international road and track racing. She is a World Championship medalist, World Record holder, U.S. Olympic Team member, former British national team coach and Kreb's Cycle co-founder (British Columbia, Canada).
I'm a mountain bike racer who began 'cross racing recently and is now getting into road racing. I've been using my new road bike on group training rides lately, but here and there I still take out my 'cross bike on group training rides. Is it just me or does the cyclocross bike, even with road tires on it, behave differently -from rolling speed to how it handles turns and climbs- than the road bikes around it? Aside from the obvious physical differences of the 'cross frame, like the brakes and general geometry, why does it feel more challenging to handle than a road bike on large group rides? And is it dangerous to train and race on a 'cross bike when surrounded by road bikes?
Lindsey’s question looked simple, at first…
When comparing two bikes, the first factor is the frame dimensions. Lindsey reports that the road bike is a Team Fuji, 54 cm. The Felt F60X cross bike is a 55 cm. Ok, that’s a one cm frame size difference. She assures me that she had both professionally fitted and her positions are identical. So, let’s continue down a checklist of possible reasons why the bikes perform so differently.
Usually, cross bikes have slightly higher bottom brackets for better clearance (harking back to toe-clip dragging days). Indeed, the cross bike BB drop is 55 mm, while the road bike drops more, at 69 mm for 1.4 cm lower. That may make the cross bike feel less stable on the road. Another way of measuring that type of difference is the standover height. The road bike is 774.3, vs. cross bike 797, or 2.27 cm taller, a higher center of gravity all ‘round. Handling a bike like that could feel more cumbersome, especially when standing out of the saddle climbing, rocking the bike back and forth, a technique not often used on slippery cyclocross courses.
Since she notes that the Felt seems to roll faster than the road bikes around her in a paceline, I look for two things: wheelbase and weight differences. The cross bike is a whopping 229.7 mm longer and weighs in a hefty 23.5 lbs. If the Team Fuji is the RC model, it currently lists under 17 lbs. She did say the bike was a few years old, so she has to weigh it to know for sure. It looks like the cross bike is about 6 lbs heavier though. Now, it may cost her more energy to get that bike rolling, but it could carry more momentum, especially on downhills.
So far we have a cross bike that is larger, has a higher BB, longer wheelbase, taller standover height, and weighs more. All of that would contribute to the bike’s ride she is concerned with. But, I wouldn’t leave it at just that. Now I’ll look at some of the more minor differences that compound the experience. Although each bike manufacturer describes their bikes with varying terms, I could chart most of the tube lengths and angles:
| |
Felt |
Fuji |
Difference |
| Frame |
55 cm |
54 cm |
1 cm smaller |
| HT |
150 |
129 |
2.1 cm shorter |
| HA |
72 |
73.5 |
1.5 d steeper |
| ST C-T |
550 |
540 |
1 cm smaller |
| SA |
73.5 |
73 |
.5 d less steep |
| TT |
560 |
540 |
1 cm smaller |
| CS |
420 |
410 |
1 cm smaller |
You can see the trend that the road bike is built smaller and has steeper angles than the cross bike. If the road bike fits Lindsey well, I’m going to suggest that she could have gone with a smaller cross bike. The Felt comes in a 53 cm, much closer in measurements to the road bike. It would be a smaller frame to maneuver, reduce standover height, wheelbase, and maybe cut some weight. While she’s at it, if Felt could upgrade this up and coming cross rider and Colorado State Champion (Cat 3) to a light weight F1X, she’d move up the ranks even more quickly.
You can see Lightening Fast Lindsey on the cover of the March issue of “Peak Region Cyclist” Magazine, sporting her favorite Voler clothing, of course. She is primarily a Pro cross-country mountain bike racer, 2007 National Champ in Expert 19-24, with impressive results in Super D as well. I would take the mountain bike position into account then too, especially in considering what length cranks to ride. The road bike is a good venue for trying shorter cranks to get the rpms up, but maybe the cross bike should be most like the mt. bike position.
She isn’t sure what the handlebar widths are, but thinks around 40 cm. The Felt website lists a 44 cm bar comes on the 55 cm frame. The Team Fuji was formerly owned by Mike “Meatball” Friedman, fast man of the road and track, Team Slipstream Chipotle. He’s a big guy, so I would think that he would ride wide bars. So, our rider needs to get out a tape measure, and measure the bars, center to center. Women generally have narrower shoulders, so unless she has changed the bars, I bet both bikes have HBs too wide. A friend could measure across her shoulders, AC joint to AC joint, to get a guideline for what width she should be using. Handlebar width greatly affects the rider’s ability to handle a bike, especially in cornering. Lindsey might consider a women’s road bike too. Mostly, I like the packages – like the short reach brakes and narrower carbon handlebars that come with the Felt ZW1. Otherwise, she can change components to dial the fit and make the bikes her own.
Finally, she wants to know if she should ride the cross bike while surrounded by roadies. I believe you should train on what you will race. So, depending upon the season, yes, she should ride the cross bike. To get more comfortable with it’s handling, take it out cornering in a parking lot, practice getting out of the saddle for climbs and sitting back down smoothly, and riding closely on a wheel. I like using running tracks for drills – no cars, lines to follow, non-stop pedaling around the sweeping turns. Since she lives in Colorado Springs, she can access the velodrome – maybe get a fixie off Mr. Freidman, or hop on the Pikes Peak BMX track for variety. Now there’s a bike with small wheels, short wheelbase that just begs to get air.
Give Lindsey credit for feeling the differences in her rides and wanting to learn more about the machines. A few resources I use to help sort out the frame dimensions are Momentum Magazine (www.momentumplanet.com) and custom frame builders like Calfee (www.calfeedesign.com). Now she too, can talk the techie talk.
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For Immediate Release:
"Dare to dream".........PROMAN rider Shelley Olds to race Track World Championships in Pruszkow, Poland.
It only seems so recently that I got a call from Shelley that she had won her first cat 4 race. It was one of the best messages I had ever received and i kept it for months. She was so ecstatic and I could see her desire to win early on. Fast forward 3 years later and she will be representing the USA at the track world Championships. The ultimate goal being the London Olympics 2012.
Shelley is a dedicated athlete, dedicated to her training, her team and her family. I am so proud of her. The PROMAN team and Shelley have worked tremendously hard to get to this place. We formed a UCI track team 2 years ago and attended every world cup. We did this by generous donations from family, friends and even fellow racers. This grass roots team has shown that anything is possible. Shelley earned her spot with consistent top ten results in both world cup points and scratch races and finishing the world cup season in Ballerup with a bronze medal.
Shelley finished overall in the UCI standings
5th Scratch
10th Points
and overall in the world cup standings
6th points
7th scratch
"There are so many people to thank for the opportunities set before us, i cannot begin to name names in fear of leaving someone out. We are so grateful for all of the support."
~ Nicola
"I just received the news and I could not be happier. I am so proud to be representing our country on the track at the World Championships. It's an absolute honor. It has taken so much work and support from many people to get to this point and its another step towards 2012. I have a month of hard work ahead of me as I prepare, but I am looking forward to having fun with it. I am ready for the challenge and excited for what lies ahead of me."
~ Shelley
Original article appears at http://proman-paradigm.blogspot.com/2009/03/shelley-olds-selected-for-worlds-team.html
Posted by Jeff Sobul in
Team News on 03 8th, 2009
Buy Ouch Team Clothing at Velowear.com today!
Mexico City, Mexico - In front of tens of thousands of fans in the heart of one of the world’s most populous cities, Canadian Andrew Pinfold finished off a perfectly executed lead-out with the sprint win in the final stage of la Vuelta Mexico. It was the team’s second stage win of the eight-day race.
Pinfold was on the tail end of a full lead-out train, with the winning effort coming at the end of a 77km stage that saw the team help control the race from start to finish.
“Right from the start, we sent Brad White and Pat McCarty to the front to help the Serramenti-Diquigiovanni team of race leader Jackson Rodriguez keep control of the race,” said directeur sportif Mike Tamayo.
When a nine-rider break went up the road, it was OUCH Presented by Maxxis that led the chase to bring it back with about 15 km to go.
“With six kilometers to go, we took over,” Tamayo said.
The team sent Floyd Landis, Cameron Evans, Karl Menzies, Roman Kilun and Pinfold to the front to join McCarty and White and lined it up. “It’s great to have that kind of horsepower up front for a lead-out,” Tamayo added.
Going into the final kilometer, Kilun was on the front, with Menzies and Pinfold glued to his wheel. Kilun dropped off the duo at about 450 meters to go. Menzies dialed it up, taking Pinfold through the sweeping turn around the landmark Independence Monument on El Paseo de la Reforma in the heart of the city and giving him a clear shot to the line.
Pinfold easily bested the Burgos Monumental duo of Joaquin Sobrino and Enrique Mata.
“I had Roman and Karl looking after me. And when Karl goes like that, you can’t help but win,” Pinfold said. “The guys rode amazing. Everyone did their jobs today. When that happens, so do the wins.”
Menzies carried enough momentum after his lead-out to come through in 6th place on the stage.
Notes
Pinfold’s stage win capped off a highly successful week for OUCH Presented by Maxxis in Mexico. In addition to the win in Stage 8, Cameron Evans also delivered the win in Stage 6. Karl Menzies successfully defended his lead in the Sprinter’s competition on the final day to bring home the win in that competition.
Pinfold also added a 2nd place in Stage 2, as well as a 3rd place in Stage 4. Menzies added a 4th place in the opening stage, while Landis finished 6th in Stage 7.
“I’m really happy with the way the team performed this week,” Tamayo said. “We set a goal of coming to Mexico to get us ready to launch into the first part of the domestic season. The team raced exceptionally well. The sprinters are looking strong and they were communicating very well with each other during the race. I can’t ask for anything better than how the guys did down here.”
Race Results
Original article appears at http://www.teamouch.com/2009/03/pinfold-sprints-to-stage-8-win-in-mexico-city-menzies-wraps-up-sprints-competition-at-la-vuelta-mexico/
Submitted by V-Club Member Bill Kaufman, Oakland, CA
Two years ago I peered through the window of the exercise studio at my local YMCA and saw a group of fit women being led through a series of exercises by an energetic athletic trainer. I joined the class that day as its only male member. Over the past two years in body sculpture classes I have used weights, bands, steps, bosus and experienced some of the most difficult and rewarding exercises I have ever done. From multiple types of lunges, planks, pushups, duck walks, wall slides to presses, curls, squats, the list goes on and on. Not to mention crunches, yoga stances, pilates movements. All this has made me a much better cyclist able to take on seven day bike tours with much less road time prep as in the past. And yes more men have joined the class including some cyclists who came over from the spinning class. If you want to improve your core, glute, arm, and back strength, find some good body sculpture classes. The results will surprise you.
I am a 64-year-old cyclist who has done tours of Yellowstone, Glacier, Bryce and Zion, Hawaii. This summer I will be doing a tour of Prince Edward Island and I am on the waiting list for the Oregon and Washington Bicycle Rides.
V-Club Training Corner
We’ve teamed up with Marilyn Trout, certified USA Cycling Elite Coach to answer V-Club members’ training questions. You can view her coach profile at: http://www.trainingpeaks.com/coachdirectory/searchbydiscipline.asp#MarilynTrout
Send your cycling inquiries to Marilyn, and for a limited time, if yours is selected to be answered in our V-Club column, VeloWear will send you a $20 gift certificate that can be used towards any purchase on VeloWear.com. To submit your inquiry, e-mail her at trout_mic@msn.com, and type “V-Club Training Question” in the subject line of the e-mail.
02-14-09 San Jose Classic Criterium Built by Webcor
The 2009 racing season opened today with the San Jose Classic Criterium Built by Webcor. It was a great race in downtown San Jose and Webcor's sprinter Gina Grain took 2nd by mere inches to Laura Van Guilder, giving the team lots of motivation to place one better tomorrow! We were also honored to have many of our Bay Area sponsors in attendance at the race to cheer on the team and meet for lunch after the race: Webcor, including CEO Andy Ball, Serious Materials, PlanWell, ClickSafety, Leopard Cycles, Enterprise, Finelite, Rosendin, Valley Crest, and Karl Ehlert Chiropractic. Even the rain held off for our race!
Here is Gina's report:
"I love working hard!" This is a direct quote by Kathryn Mattis tonight after the race, and it was consistent with the way the entire Webcor team raced this afternoon in our first race of the season, sponsored by yours truly – the #1 Women's Professional Cycling Team sponsor in North America – Webcor Builders. What an honor it was today to slip on the brand new spandex design of Webcor Builders and tear around the course as a team once again. The continuous support year after year shows after entering the first race of the season and having the chemistry and team organization flow from the previous year; it was just down to business as usual. Every single person on the team, including staff, did their respective job and made the day a success.
Out on the course, the team was attentive, covering major moves and bringing back anything that we didn't "approve!" In addition, Katheryn Kamakazi and Rebecca the Raver were both very active in being in major breaks that got up the road. Amy the Arrow and Erinne the Expert manned the field and looked after me in the pack. I unleashed a few of my secrets in winning two primes and showing Laura Van Guilder how to win the race, as I thought that winning the race sponsored by our own sponsor Webcor Builders would be rude – we thought we would leave that until tomorrow.
What a privilege to meet and re-greet a lot of our sponsors after the race at a luncheon and chat about product and the upcoming exciting year. The Leopard bikes we are riding this year are Cornering Canons and I can't wait to lay into every single corner this coming season.
Let the season be UNLEASHED!
Ann Arbor, MI December 16th, 2008 - Kenda USA has announced that it is renewing their sponsorship of the US based mountain bike team for the third year after assuming title sponsorship from Ford Motor Company in 2007. Jim Wannamaker, Kenda USA North American Marketing Director - Bicycle Division says that continued sponsorship for the team is not only important for Kenda, but also for the continued success of the sport in North America. "Despite the economic downturn, we made a conscious decision to support our flagship team of athletes who are as committed to the sport as we are." Wannamaker said. Indeed, in addition to the team sponsorship, Kenda will play an important role in all of the major US races next season with sponsorship of the US Cup series of races being held across the country with a finale in Las Vegas coinciding with Interbike.
Sponsors:
Joining Kenda this season will be Tomac Bikes. Athletes will have the option of riding the Type-X carbon hard tail or the Carbide full-suspension bike. "This partnership brings full circle the relationship between Kenda and Tomac as a new generation of athletes ride the bikes of a mountain bike pioneer and legend." said Joel Smith, Tomac Bikes COO. Hayes Bicycle Group, back for a second season with the team. They will showcase products from all their divisions including Hayes Brakes, Manitou suspension, Sun Ringle wheels and Answer bars and stems. Other sponsors include: Voler team clothing, WickWerks cranksets, KMC Chains, Specialized helmets and shoes, Crank Brothers pedals, Ergon grip and packs, HydraPak and GelBot hydration products, Finish Line lubricants and cleaning products, Genuine Innovations inflation products, Kinesys sunscreen products, Joan C. Banfield Foundation, and Mighty Good Coffee.
Athletes:
The team has several returning athletes along with two new recruits and will focus on a mix of endurance and ultra-endurance racing. "This diverse group gives us the flexibility to compete in a broad range of events from the US Cup and the NUE Series to single day epics like Leadville and stage races like the American Mountain Bike Classic." says team director David Myers. Several members of the team also plan on competing at the two World Cup races in Canada. The team will also be present at the Kenda Fest in Hancock, MA
2009 Team
Zephanie Blasi, Frenchtown, MT
Colin Cares, U23, Colorado Springs, CO
Amanda Carey, Victor, ID
Heather Holmes, Salt Lake City, UT
Danielle Musto, Grand Rapids, MI
Andy Schultz, Tucson, AZ
Kathy Sherwin, Heber City, UT
David Myers, Director
Ted Bentley, Mechanic and Event Manager
Wendy Caldwell, Community Programs