Sunday, August 09, 2009

So Kiss Me And Smile For Me...

Well our posts are packed, we're ready to go...


Back in March, the Triple Crankset celebrated its three-year anniversary. As we have grown over the years, it became readily apparent that we would have to switch to another blogging platform other than Blogger. We had pushed it to its limits. Frankly, our last redesign probably had those using Internet Explorer questioning whether we knew anything about design or creating a website.

So after three years we say goodbye to Blogger and enter a new, and hopefully better phase with the Triple Crankset.

As of today, we have relocated. The URL, www.triplecrankset.com will remain the same. But this site will be defaulted back to its original blogspot.com extension.

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The Triple

Team Type 1’s Ilesic Second, Kelly Benefit's Veillux Victor At Charlotte

Charlotte, N.C. – They didn’t win the race, but Team Type 1’s Aldo Ino Ilesic and Valeriy Kobzarenko made a memorable showing Saturday night at the Presbyterian Hospital Invitational Criterium.

In front of a massive crowd in Downtown Charlotte, N.C., the pair integrated themselves into the decisive breakaway of the 50-mile (80 km) National Racing Calendar (NRC) event.

But it was David Veilleux (Kelly Benefit Strategies) who pulled off the most heroic move of the night, soloing to victory from Ilesic, Kobzarenko and eight others who had left the field behind at the race’s halfway point.

Ilesic went on to finish second, winning the sprint of the remaining breakaway riders. Karl Menzies (OUCH presented by Maxxis) was third.

“He surprised us,” Ilesic said of Veilleux’s move that earned him a check for $12,500. “No one expected he would go. And only two guys were pulling to bring him back, Kobzarenko and Luis Amaran (of Colavita-Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light). I had to wait for the sprint. That was my job.”

Veilleux made his move with two-and-a-half laps to go of the 1.25-mile (2 km) course. With only Team Type 1 and Colavita-Sutter Home having more than one rider in the breakaway, it was up to them to take up the chase.

“His gap was growing lap-by-lap, even with 10 guys chasing him,” Team Type 1 Director Sportif Vassili Davidenko said of Veilleux. “He was amazing.”

Kobzarenko also put on an impressive show of force, integrating himself in nearly every significant breakaway during the race. The Ukrainian showed the strength that earned him the King of the Mountains title at the TD Bank International Championship in Philadelphia in June.

“Kobza was a super teammate,” Davidenko said. “I’m happy tonight because all of our guys rode aggressively and we were so close to winning the race. If it had come down to a sprint, Aldo would have easily won.”

Ilesic had hoped to score Team Type 1’s 50th victory of the season in his adopted hometown after winning a pair of races at the Giordana Crossroads Classic earlier this week. Now he turns his attention to Sunday’s Hanes Park Classic in Winston-Salem, N.C. The professional women will race for 50 minutes at 1:45 p.m. EDT, while the 90-minute professional men’s race begins at 3:05 p.m. EDT.

Thursday, August 06, 2009

USA CRITS Series Continues with Presbyterian Hospital Invitational

2008 Winners Alejandro Borrajo and Katherine Carroll look for repeat in Charlotte

Athens, GA - The Presybterian Hospital Invitational Criterium hits the streets of Charlotte, North Carolina Saturday, August 8 as the USA CRITS National Series rolls into town. The 3rd stop of the Series will see the top men's and women's criterium racers take on the 1.2 mile course in hopes of moving up in the Series Overall and cashing in on the $75,000 prize list.

Team Mountain Khakis has dominated the races in the Series this year, slotting three riders in the top five of the Overall Competition and leading the Team Competition by 508 points over Kelly Benefit Strategies and Colavita-Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light. Tom Soladay is in the VeloNews Red, White, and Blue Leader's Jersey and plans to not give it up, saying, "I'm going to be at all the remaining races. The team is going to be at all the races. Last year, the team competition was so close, we missed it by 3 points, and Adam placed second. We are not going to let that happen again."

The Winston-Salem-based team will certainly have its hands full Saturday night with a full Colavita squad looking to defend its 2008 win in Charlotte in Alejandro Borrajo. Borrajo and his hit squad will be in full force looking to make up lost time and points in the Team Competition, as well as another win in the USA CRITS Series. Luca Damiani already took top honors at Iron Hill Twilight Criterium in July.

Look for Kelly Benefit Strategies to be in the mix to protect Jake Keough's second place standing in the Series. Keogh will be racing in the Champion System Best Young Rider Jesey.

On the women's front, the Team and Individual Overall competitions are much closer. Laura Van Gilder (Mellow Mushroom) is in the Overall lead, while teammate Kristen Lasasso is 99 points back in 2nd. Team Vanderkitten is leading the Team Competition with Team Kenda only 64 points behind. Fireworks will be flying on Saturday night as Tina Pic and her Colavita squad will be in the mix, as well as 2008 Presybterian Hospital Invitational winner Katherine Carroll and 2009 National Criterium Champion Brooke Miller and their TIBCO squad. Watch for 2008 Overall USA CRITS Champion Jennifer Wilson and the 2008 Team winner Vanderkitten fight for position as they seek a second Overall title.

Men's Overall Standings
1. Tom Soladay (Team Mountain Khakis) - 423 pts
2. Jake Keough (Kelly Benefit Strategies) - 396 pts
3. Mark Hekman (Team Mountain Khakis) - 380 pts

Men's Lap Leader Standings
1. Russ Langley (Battley-Harley Davidson) - 37 laps
2. Kyle Wamsley (Colavita-Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light) - 22 laps
3. John Murphy (OUCH presented by Maxxis) - 16 laps

Men's Best Young Rider Standings
1. Jake Keough (Kelly Benefit Strategies) - 396 pts
2. David Guttenplan (Team Mountain Khakis) - 245 pts
3. Isaac Howe (Team Mountain Khakis) - 222 pts

Men's Team Standings
1. Team Mountain Khakis - 1538 pts
2. Kelly Benefit Strategies - 1030 pts
3. Colavita-Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light - 763 pts

Women's Overall Standings
1. Laura Van Gilder (Mellow Mushroom) - 483 pts
2. Kristen Lasasso (Mellow Mushroom) - 384 pts
3. Jennifer Wilson (Team Vanderkitten) - 376 pts

Women's Lap Leader
1. Cath Cheatley (Colavita-Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light) - 19 laps
2. Lauren Tamayo (Team TIBCO) - 10 laps
3. Jacquelyn Crowell (Team Type 1) - 9 laps

Women's Best Young Rider
1. Jessie Maclean (Verducci/Breakaway) - 217 pts
2. Jacquelyn Crowell (Team Type 1) - 206 pts
3. Samantha Schneider (Team Type 1) - 205 pts

Women's Team Standings
1. Team Vanderkitten - 1262 pts
2. Team Kenda - 1218 pts
3. Altarum Women's Cycling Team - 988 pts

USA CRITS Remaining Schedule
Presbyterian Hospital Invitational, Charlotte, NC - August 8
Chris Thater Memorial, Binghamton, NY - August 30
TX TOUGH GRAND PRIX, Dallas, TX - September 17 (men only)
USA CRITS Finals, Las Vegas, NV - September 24

Team Type 1's Ilesic Makes It Two Straight At Crossroads Classic


Concord, N.C. – Team Type 1’s Aldo Ino Ilesic notched his fifth victory of the season – and won his second race in two nights – Wednesday at the Cabarrus Creamery Criterium in Concord, N.C.

Ilesic beat Eric Barlevav (Team Mountain Khakis) and Neil Bezdek (GS Mengoni) to the line at the end of the hour-long race. The criterium was the second in a series of five races this week that make up the ninth annual Giordana Crossroads Classic.


Tuesday night, Ilesic won a three-up sprint from a breakaway at the Mocksville Criterium in Mocksville, N.C. His victories are the 48th and 49th of the season for the Team Type 1 men’s professional squad.

Ilesic said his confidence is riding high heading into Saturday’s Presbyterian Hospital Invitational Criterium in Charlotte. The event is one of the richest one-day races in the country, with a $12,500 prize to the winner of the men’s race.

“I’ve had to do a lot of work the past two nights – beating quality competition with no help because I was racing without teammates here,” he said. “Tonight, the Mountain Khakis team was attacking me all the time with six or seven guys. I was having to pull things back all the time on my own.”

Despite donning the yellow jersey of overall leader of the Crossroads Classic, Ilesic said he will not participate in the remaining three races on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Instead, the 24-year-old Slovenian said he would like nothing more than to score the team’s 50th win in Charlotte, his adopted hometown.

“I didn’t plan to do the whole series. I just wanted to do them as a warm-up for Saturday,” he said. “Now I have two rest days coming up. I’m really focused on the race in Charlotte because it’s where I live. I would love to win it.”

Joining Ilesic in Saturday’s 50-mile (80 km) race will be teammates Joe Eldridge, Ken Hanson, Daniel Holt, Valeriy Kobzarenko and Shawn Milne. Hanson is the reigning USA Cycling Elite criterium champion while Milne won the 2006 edition of the race. Eldridge is one of four riders on the Team Type 1 men’s pro team who has Type 1 diabetes.

The Team Type 1 women will be led in Charlotte by newly-crowned USA Cycling Under 23 criterium champion Samantha Schneider. She will be joined by Jacquelyn Crowell, Jen McRae, Morgan Patton, Alison Powers and Kori Seehafer. Patton is one of two riders on the women’s pro squad who has Type 1 diabetes.

Photos: Courtesy Jon Safka Photography

Women’s Prestige Cycling Series Finale Shakes Up Standings

Team classification takes unexpected twist and the Sprints tie is broken

Minneapolis, MN - The Women’s Prestige Cycling Series began in 2004 with the goal of highlighting women’s racing by giving them a spotlight that they don’t have to share with the men. Organized by the Nature Valley Grand Prix, the Series grew out of meetings that began in Minnesota in 2003 at the first Women’s Cycling Summit Conference hosted by that event.

The 2009 Women’s Prestige Cycling Series began at the Redlands Bicycle Classic (March 26 – 29), followed by the Joe Martin Stage race (May 7 – 10) and then the Nature Valley Grand Prix (June 10 – 14) before concluding at the Cascade Cycling Classic (July 21 – 26).

Team Classification - The season long see saw battle between Team TIBCO and Webcor Builders ended in TIBCO’s favor at the Women’s Prestige Cycling Series grand finale at the Cascade Cycling Classic. Although Webcor’s guest rider Evelyn Stevens won the stage race, she wasn’t eligible for the Series. TIBCO finished with a wide margin and Webcor dropped to third, behind Team Type 1.

1. Team TIBCO - 1319
2. Team Type 1 - 819
3. Webcor Builders Cycling Team - 786
4. ValueAct Capital Cycling Team - 677
5. Colavita Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light - 437


Sprint Classification – The most dramatic fight for the jerseys was in the Sprint classification, where Tina Pic (Colavita Sutter Home) had been tied on points with Alison Powers (Team Type 1), with the edge going to Powers because of the tie breakers. By the end of the Cascade Classic, Pic had it all sown up the Series Sprint competition and Powers had slipped to fourth.

1. Tina Pic, Colavita Sutter Home - 429
2. Joanne Kiesanowski, Team TIBCO - 286
3. Gina Grain, Webcor Builders Cycling Team - 275
4. Alison Powers, Team Type 1 - 250
5. Kirsty Broun, Lip Smackers- 165


Individual Classification – In contrast, there were no surprises in the individual classification. Alison Powers seeming insurmountable lead going into Cascade just got wider and the top three positions were unchanged.

1. Alison Powers, Team Type 1 - 616
2. Katharine Carroll, Team TIBCO - 388
3. Katheryn Mattis, Webcor Builders Cycling Team - 285
4. Joanne Kiesanowski, Team TIBCO - 246
5. Christina Ruiter, Value Act Capital - 231


Young Rider – Webcor’s Rebecca Much maintained her lead in the Series Best Young Rider classification, despite losing ground to TIBCO’s Julie Beveridge. Alexis Rhodes (Webcor Builders) fell from second to third because she didn’t attend Cascade.

1. Rebecca Much, Webcor Builders Cycling Team - 649
2. Julie Beveridge, Team TIBCO - 528
3. Alexis Rhodes, Webcor Builders Cycling Team - 429
4. Amanda Miller, Lip Smackers – 352
5. Tiffany Cromwell, Colavita Sutter Home - 264

Cavendish Highlights Team Columbia–HTC Roster for Upcoming Tour of Missouri

Three-time world-champion Michael Rogers and 2007 Tour of Missouri winner George Hincapie also named as part of the squad

Jefferson City, MO - Mark Cavendish, who won six stages during the recently completed Tour de France, headlines a star studded international Team Columbia-HTC squad for this year's Tour of Missouri, scheduled for September 7 – 13, 2009.

Joining Cavendish are three-time world champion Michael Rogers and superstar lead-out man Mark Renshaw, both of Australia, Canadian Michael Barry, a stage winner in last year's Tour of Missouri, as well as former Italian time trial-champion Marco Pinotti.

"It is a very important part of our mission to contribute to the growth of racing in the US. The Tour of Missouri is a very well-run and promoted race that is attracting top teams from around the globe and is increasingly recognized as a top international event," said Bob Stapleton, the general manager and owner of Highroad sports, the company that runs Team Columbia – HTC. "We're pleased to be able to bring a top roster to the Missouri in the hope of repeating our success of last year and to be a part of a great spectacle for the fans of cycling in America."

American stalwart George Hincapie, who broke his collarbone in the last week of the Tour de France, is day to day, according to Stapleton, and a final decision on his participation will be rendered at the end of the month.

"To have the world's top sprinter, second place overall finisher from last year's race, and the 2007 race champion all on the same roster coming, it's a beautiful thing," said race director Jim Birrell. "Like last year, they certainly should be a team to contend with for both the overall classification title and individual stage wins."

Added Cavendish, a three-time tour of Missouri stage winner in 2008 and winner of more than 20 races this year: "I really enjoyed Tour of Missouri last year. Cycling fans in America are genuinely enthusiastic about watching us race which makes for a great atmosphere."

Tour organizers have also reached an agreement to feature Cavendish on several marketing materials, including the official map guide for the Tour. Columbia sportswear is the official clothing sponsor for the 2009 Tour of Missouri.

The race begins in St. Louis on Monday, September 7, Labor Day, with a 10-lap, 75-mile circuit race that will be fast and flat and favor a sprinter taking the leader's jersey. On Tuesday, September 8, the race will transfer south to Ste. Genevieve with a 112.4-mile road race to Cape Girardeau. The terrain is hilly to moderate and features finishing circuits.

On Wednesday, September 9, cyclists will face their toughest challenge of the race, with a hilly 114.3-mile stage in the Northern Ozark Mountains from Farmington to Rolla. After a short transfer on Thursday, September 10, the race will proceed from St. James to Jefferson City, with the circuit finish featuring a steep 300-meter uphill sprint to the finish.

Riders will be able make up time Friday, September 11, during the individual time trial at Sedalia with an 19-mile race against the clock around Missouri's State Fairgrounds. On Saturday, September 12, cyclists will race from Chillicothe to St. Joseph while hitting moderate to hilly terrain.

The weeklong journey through the Show-Me-State concludes with a hilly circuit through the streets of Kansas City, Sunday, September 13. The Kansas City circuit will feature two king of the mountain points with more than 3000 feet of climbing over 72 miles. "I think they did a great job of capturing the challenging terrain of the state," said Rory Sutherland, the current national race calendar leader in the United States and a rider in the past two Tours of Missouri.

Though a stellar world-class field was presented last year, the three-year-old race is expected to be even better as the Tour of Missouri was granted an upgrade to one of the top five-ranked events outside Europe by international and national federation's for cycling last month.

The upgrade has drawn top pro tour teams Astana, Cervelo Test Team, Columbia- HTC, Garmin- Slipstream, Liquigas, Saxo Bank and Quickstep, all recent Tour de France teams, of which won 14 of 21 stages of the world's biggest race. Domestic teams participating in 2009 include BISSELL Pro Cycling Team, BMC Racing, Colovita / Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light, Jelly Belly, Kelly Benefit Strategies, OUCH presented by Maxxis, and Team Type 1. Canada's top team Planet Energy rounds out the field.

Photo: PhotoSport International

Former World Champion Will Compete At Glencoe Grand Prix

Glencoe, Ill. – The field for this year’s Glencoe Grand Prix presented by AT&T grew more impressive with the announcement that 2008 world omnium champion Hayden Godfrey will be competing in Sunday’s Pro-I-II race.

Godfrey is a 14-time New Zealand national champion who won the third world track title of his career in cycling’s version of the pentathlon. The omnium consists of five events: a 200-meter flying start time trial, five kilometer scratch race, three kilometer individual pursuit, 15 kilometer points race and a one kilometer time trial.

Glencoe Grand Prix Race Director Jon Knouse said news of Godfrey’s participation is creating quite a stir for the third edition of the race that boasts an $11,500 prize list.

“It's not every day a world champion comes to town,” Knouse said. “The people of Glencoe and the Glencoe Grand Prix are over the moon and thrilled to have Hayden Godfrey race with us in our community.”

Joining Godfrey for Sunday’s 70-minutes-plus-two-laps Pro-I-II race will be Jason Allen and Josh England. All three are members of the New Zealand-based Subway-Avanti Pro Cycling Team. They will be vying for a $5,000 prize purse that will also include 10 primes of $100 each.

“We're hoping this will give some of the top regional racers an added incentive to come out,” Knouse said. “Competing against these guys will be something they can tell their grandkids about.”

Cyclists of all abilities and categories will begin racing at 8 a.m. on a four-corner, 0.9‐mile course through the city’s downtown streets. Last year, the Glencoe Grand Prix was voted “Race of the Year” by the Illinois Cycling Association.

Riders are encouraged to pre-register online at www.bikereg.com. Same-day race registration opens at 7 a.m. and closes a half-hour prior to each race. Finish line (chip) timing is provided by Ultramax Events and SRAM will provide neutral support.

A complete schedule of race distances and times is available on the official race website: www.glencoegrandprix.com.

2009 Interbike Exhibitor List On Par with Last Year; Major Exhibitors Returning

With many category-specific events and show features, Interbike continues to serve as the annual gathering place for the cycling industry


SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif. - Interbike continues to be the place for gathering members of the bike industry at the 2009 Interbike International Expo and Outdoor Demo in Las Vegas the week of September 21-25. While at the five-day event, attendees and media will see the latest products and technologies from every major bicycle, component and accessory manufacturer in the cycling industry.

"This year's Interbike is shaping up to be among our strongest shows," said Andy Tompkins, Interbike's show director. "Just as in years past, attendees will have the opportunity to meet with all their key suppliers along with enjoying the comradery and networking the show naturally provides. Regardless of individual sales and marketing strategies, manufacturers recognize the value of participating in the week-long industry event. We are looking forward to another successful show."

Advanced Sports Inc. is one of the 1,100 brands preparing to participate in next month's industry event.

"Interbike provides us the opportunity to tell our complete brand story and meet new and existing customers, especially with our Breezer, SE and Kestrel lines," said Pat Cunnane, president of Advanced Sports, Inc., parent company of Breezer, Fuji, Kestrel and SE Bicycles. "Even with a tough economy, Interbike is the place to be. Last year at Interbike we successfully launched the Breezer line of commuter bikes, and this year we are looking forward to a successful relaunching of Breezer mountain bikes as well."

Interbike will also host 65 new exhibitors including SANYO, a major electronics company that chose Interbike to launch one of its first electric bikes for the North America consumer bike market.

"While SANYO is exhibiting at Interbike for the first time, we are not newcomers to the cycling industry," said David Cabanban, business development manager for SANYO North America Corporation. "Our first product was a bicycle lamp, and Interbike offers us the perfect stage to place our latest innovations in electric bike technology in front of top industry influencers and allow retailers and the media to ride the future."

Kicking off with the only industry demo event of its kind, the Interbike Outdoor Demo gives attendees the chance to put the latest bikes and accessories through real-to-life testing. Amid the backdrop of Bootleg Canyon, home to one of International Mountain Bicycling Association's (IMBA) "Epic Rides," Outdoor Demo will provide an extensive groomed trail network, downhill-specific trails and dirt-jumping section. Returning features will also include a closed-cyclocross course set up and managed by CrossVegas LLC.

For road bike dealers and enthusiasts, Outdoor Demo will also include a closed road loop for demos and the annual Tour de Lake Mead. The 24-mile ride to Lake Mead and back continues to be a fun networking opportunity and a great way to give retailers and journalists an extended demo on vendor's latest bikes and gear.

Once inside the expo at the Sands Convention Center, Interbike will host a number of product launches, business meetings and events tied to recent growth in the commuter and electric bike categories.

After positive feedback from attendees and exhibitors alike, the Urban Legend Fashion Show will highlight a range of stylish, smart, sexy and professional clothing that fit into everyday life and work great on a bike. Instead of a traditional catwalk, a road loop will be laid out in the main exhibit hall. Urban Legend attendees will gather in and around the loop, while models ride among the audience. The innovative layout, inspired by Momentum magazine, allows the models to display urban cycling apparel and bikes in action and allows each attendee a front row seat.

The Light Electric Vehicle Association (LEVA) will be hosting two seminars during the Interbike Expo aimed at helping retailers sell more electric bikes (e-bikes) and how to trouble shoot repairs for e-bikes.

BMX, a vibrant category that is also an important gateway for youth into many of the other cycling categories, will be prominently displayed at Interbike with a professionally built BMX track at Outdoor Demo, the BMX Zone, Rail Jam and a special BMX editorial section in the Interbike Event Guide produced by RideBMX magazine. For more information please see Interbike's recent press release.

Once the tradeshow workday is done, Interbike participants are invited to attend the third annual CrossVegas and USA CRITS Finals on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, respectively.

CrossVegas competitors will include both Elite Women's and Men's races along with the Wheelers and Dealers race for industry members. Interbike will provide complimentary shuttle service for attendees from The Sands to the race location from 6:00 p.m. -11:00 p.m., shuttles leaving every 15 minutes.

The USA CRITS Finals are the grand finale to the 2009 USA CRITS National Series and will be held at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. The event will feature Pro Men, Pro Women and Amateur competitor categories along with an Industry Cup, all on a fast and technical 1-kilometer course.

For more information about the week-long Interbike Expo and Outdoor Demo event, please visit www.interbike.com.

Twenty-Five Corporate Partners for 25th National Pro Cycling Championships

Volunteer Positions Still Available for Greenville Hospital System USA Cycling Professional Championships

Greenville, S.C. - With one month until the nation's top professional athletes vie for the prestigious U.S. national cycling championships, a solid roster of 25 local and national businesses have committed to support this prestigious event. Organizers expect over 60,000 spectators for the Greenville Hospital System USA Cycling Professional Championships, now in its fourth year in Greenville, S.C., which will take place August 29-30, 2009.

Greenville Hospital System University Medical Center (GHS), one of the largest not-for-profit healthcare providers in South Carolina, returns for a fourth year in partnership, third year as title sponsor, for the championship weekend. Both the City of Greenville and County of Greenville return as official event hosts, providing valuable public safety support that is vital to all spectators and competitors. One of the new sponsors for 2009 is Duke Energy, which joins as the event's presenting sponsor of the Individual Time Trial Championships held at CU-ICAR.

"Obviously, we are grateful for the continued public and private support of the Greenville Hospital System USA Cycling Professional Championships, especially during these challenging economic times," noted Chris Aronhalt, managing partner of Medalist Sports, which produces the event on behalf of USA Cycling, Inc. "The Championships are a perfect fit to the Greenville community in many ways - a world-class cycling event which brings national attention to Greenville, promotes health & wellness activities, and, at the same time, raises significant fundraising dollars for the local cancer community."

Having commitments from 25 sponsors with a month to go to the 2009 GHS USA Cycling Professional Championships allows organizers to get a head start on activation programs. In addition to providing product and services for the Championships, Medalist Sports encourages all corporate and community partners to support the P3 charitable events and to get involved with volunteerism.

Nearly 400 volunteers are put into action each summer for this event, now in its fourth year in Greenville, S.C. Volunteers typically come from the Southeast, and some come from as far away as California for the weekend event. For many cycling fans, it is the best way to watch the event, and score an official T-shirt and complimentary Subway lunch at the same time. Others find it matter of community pride to help the city host an event that receives a national spotlight for the region, such as local RoundTowners, Hands on Greenville, Greenville Hospital System and Greenville Spinners Bicycle Club.

"We've come to consider the USA Cycling Professional Championships our signature event in Greenville, and we are just as excited to be a part of this today as we were four years ago," added Jim Bourey, City Manager of Greenville.

On Saturday, Aug. 29, the 20.7-mile Professional Individual Time Trial Championship will return to the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR). On Sunday, Aug. 30, the 110-mile Professional Road Race Championship will be contested, utilizing a start/finish location in the West End section of downtown Greenville and challenging athletes with four climbs over Paris Mountain on the north side of Greenville County. Both courses will also host new races for the U.S. Handcycling Series, presented by the Paralyzed Veterans of America, giving these elite athletes a final tune-up for the world championships in Europe in September.

2009 marks the fourth year of the Stars and Stripes Challenge and a partnership with the Palmetto Peloton Project (P3). Last year a record $110,000 was presented for cancer research by P3 with Stars and Stripes Challenge events. In the three years that the P3 organization has partnered with the Championships, it has raised over $400,000. Recreational cyclists, with advance registration, again can challenge themselves to the same road race course as the pros, including the Paris Mountain climb, or enjoy a six-mile Family Fun Ride. Funds this year will be distributed to GHS' Oncology Research Institute, the Lance Armstrong Foundation and Activate Upstate. Event details and registration can be found at www.p3ride.org.

This summer will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Professional Road Race Championship. After 21 years in Philadelphia, Pa., the Professional Road Race Championship moved to Greenville in 2006. That same year the Professional Individual Time Trial Championship was added to the schedule. USA Cycling, Inc., which sanctions the event, extended a three-year licensing agreement for 2009 to keep the dual championship in Greenville. Strong corporate and community support are key factors in keeping this event in the Southeast.

2009 Sponsors:
  • AT&T
  • AVF Creations, official web services and technology provider
  • AVIS/Budget, official rental car agency
  • Budweiser of Greenville and Michelob Ultra, official beer products
  • City of Greenville, host sponsor
  • County of Greenville, host sponsor
  • COSTCO Greenville, providing food and beverage supplies for volunteers and P3 charitable events
  • CU-ICAR, official host of the Individual Time Trial Championships
  • DUKE ENERGY, presenting sponsor
  • Entercom Radio, official media partner (B93.7, WORD, Rock 101, and The Planet)
  • GO Magazine, official media partner
  • GREENVILLE HOSPITAL SYSTEM, Title Sponsor
  • Greenville News, official media partner
  • Hincapie Sportswear, official cycling merchandise vendor
  • Hilton Greenville, official hotel
  • Icelandic Glacial, official water
  • Jani-King, official commercial cleaning services
  • Level 42 Vodka, providing spirits for hospitality functions
  • MAVIC, providing neutral support services to both events
  • Rosen Associates Development
  • Sutter Home, providing wine for hospitality venues
  • Universal Sports Television, official media partner (recap show Sept. 12 at 4:00 p.m. EST)
  • Wachovia, official banking services
  • WYFF-4, official media partner (recap show Sept. 5 at 1:30 p.m. EST)
  • Yakima, official roof rack/bike rack equipment
Applications for all volunteer positions, maps of race courses and updated events schedules are available online at the official event web site - www.usacyclingchampionships.com.

Schedule of Events

Saturday, August 29, 2009
  • 11:00 a.m. - USA Cycling Professional Individual Time Trial Championship
  • Tbd - Time Trial for US Handcycling Series, presented by Paralyzed Veterans of America
  • Start/Finish - Millenium Dr. at CU/ICAR Greenville, S.C. 29607
  • Cost - free for all spectators watching both Time Trials
Sunday, August 30, 2009
  • 7:30 a.m.- Stars and Stripes Challenge Bicycle Ride
  • Start/Finish - S Main & Camperdown streets in downtown Greenville, S.C.29601
  • Cost - $50 adults advance registration for Stars and Stripes Bicycle Ride
  • 10:00 a.m.- Stars and Stripes Challenge Family Ride
  • Location - Falls Park
  • Cost - Free for all families
  • 1:00 p.m.- USA Cycling Professional Road Race Championship
  • Tbd - Criterium for US Handcycling Series, presented by Paralyzed Veterans of America
  • Start/Finish - Main & Camperdown streets in downtown Greenville, S.C.29601
  • Cost - Free for all spectators watching Road Race

Wind Tunnel Tests Prove That Speedplay Pedals Are Faster!


San Diego, Calif. - In recent wind tunnel testing, Speedplay, Inc. has discovered the aerodynamic importance of pedal choice. The first known wind tunnel test of clipless pedals, conducted at the San Diego Air & Space Technology Wind Tunnel, established a notable difference in the coefficient of drag when comparing Speedplay pedals to other brands.

"In order to measure the wind resistance of pedals, I created a fully-articulated robotic cyclist to accurately replicate a real-life racing scenario and to eliminate human variance in the wind tunnel," explained Speedplay's pedal designer, Richard Bryne. "The robotic cyclist pedaled the bike at a cadence of 100 rpm and at a speed of 30 miles per hour in each test."

Speedplay Zero pedals bested the two other clipless pedal brands tested by posting a substantially lower coefficient of drag score. While each of the other pedal brands posted the same coefficient-of-drag score of .243, Speedplay pedals produced a lower drag score of 237. The reduction in wind drag of Speedplay pedals, when converted into time saved, results in an incredible 33 seconds per hour advantage. "I suspected Speedplay pedals would prove to be more aerodynamic than the others because of their minimal frontal area, but even I was surprised by the margin of difference," said Bryne.

To put the significance of this speed advantage into perspective, using Speedplay pedals is comparable to switching from a standard front wheel to a deep-profile, aerodynamic front wheel, according to available data. This aerodynamic advantage is important to competitors because it is easier to gain speed by reducing drag than by increasing power.

The result is also good news for speed seekers who appreciate good value, since a change to Speedplay pedals is an inexpensive way for a cyclist to gain a meaningful increase in speed.

For more information, visit www.Speedplay.com/33seconds

Team Type 1 Goes 1-2 In Under 23 Criterium Championship


Bend, Ore. – Team Type 1 put the finishing touches on an already successful week of racing at the USA Cycling Elite National Championships with a 1-2 finish Sunday in the women’s Under 23 criterium.

Samantha Schneider and Jacquelyn Crowell attacked the field a third of the way into the race and rode away to finish first and second, respectively, in the 21-mile (35 km) race through the downtown streets of Bend, Ore. Lauren Hecht (Webcor Alto Velo) won the field sprint for third.

For the four days of the event, Team Type 1 came away with two gold medals, a silver, a bronze, and a fifth-place podium finish. It was an impressive performance that brought a big grin to the normally stoic face of Women’s Team Director Jack Seehafer.

“We’re definitely pleased with our performance,” Seehafer said. “It’s been a really good first year for us.”

Crowell’s silver medal adds to the gold she won in the Under 23 individual time trial on Friday. In the same event, Team Type 1’s Alison Powers earned a bronze medal in the elite ranks. And on Thursday, Team Type 1’s Kori Seehafer finished fifth in the elite road race.

In Sunday’s criterium, Crowell and Schneider bided their time in the back of the field as a flurry of attacks went off in the first 10 trips around the six-tenths-of-a-mile course during the 35-lap race. But with 22 laps to go, Crowell attacked with Schneider on her wheel and the pair quickly built a seven-second lead.


“I think we caught a lot of people off guard,” Schneider said of the attack through the second-to-last turn on the rectangular course.

Trading pulls on the front, the two ticked off lap-after-lap, averaging 26 miles per hour as their lead grew to 10 seconds, then to 15, then 20, but was pegged back to 10 with 14 laps remaining.

“I was getting a little worried when the gap dropped back down,” Seehafer said. “The field was actually getting organized and working together.”

But Schneider and Crowell produced their second-fastest lap of the race to push the lead back to 16 seconds and deflate the spirit of the chase behind. When their advantage grew to 38 seconds with three laps to go, the only question remaining was who would cross the finish line first.

Crowell said the decision was an easy one.

“The goal today was to get Sam a win and that’s what we did,” she said.

Schneider said she was happy to earn the victory – her second on the season – and the right to wear a special stars-and-stripes jersey for one year in every criterium she races.

“I think it was pretty fair,” Schneider said. “She (Crowell) got the time trial championship and I got the criterium.”

Photos: Courtesy Team Type 1

Cobb Cycling Introduces Newest Saddle: The Max

John Cobb Builds on Success of His V-Flow Saddle Line with New Model


Tyler, TXCobb Cycling has announced the immediate availability of its Max saddle, the latest addition to John Cobb’s line of rider-friendly bicycle saddles. Cobb has worked with many of the best cyclists and triathletes in the world, including Lance Armstrong, Greg LeMond, and top international Ironman pro triathlete Kate Major, and has been considered one of the foremost authorities on aerodynamics, ergonomics, biomechanics and component design for over two decades.

Cobb developed the Max – available in both white and black – to provide maximum comfort for triathletes, time trialists and cyclists of all disciplines. The lowered nose section combined with the deeply cut pressure-relief trough is designed to reduce pressure on the perineum, which includes a man’s prostate area and a woman’s most sensitive soft tissue. The Max utilizes the same narrow rear section of Cobb’s popular V-Flow models which does two things: 1) it encourages male and female riders to sit further back on the saddle, even when in an aero position, better incorporating their skeletal system for support via their sit-bones, and 2) it also facilitates the more natural rotation of a rider’s hips for better efficiency and power.

One feature of the Max saddle is a new, higher density foam. “Ongoing testing with riders who spend a lot of time on their bikes demonstrated that a firmer surface can provide longer-lasting comfort if the seat is shaped correctly,” explained Cobb. “The new foam will save weight while providing enhanced comfort for long rides and high volume training.” Cobb also explained that the rail design of the Max will make it easier for riders to achieve ideal positioning and proper setback for UCI-sanctioned events: “It boasts one of the longest sets of rails available, so the Max will easily adjust to a rider’s desired position.” The Max weighs 255 grams and is readily identified by its distinctive shape.

Team Type 1’s Leal Is Mexican National Time Trial Champion

Ameca, Jalisco, MexicoVeronica Leal rode to victory in the rain last Saturday at the Mexican individual time trial championships, earning Team Type 1 its second national title in as many days.

Leal was 10 seconds faster than Pan American gold medalist Giuseppina Grassi in the 12.4-mile (20 km) race against the clock over soggy streets in Ameca, Jalisco. Fernanda Jurado was third, 42 seconds behind Leal, who completed the distance in 28 minutes and 25 seconds.

Leal was happy to have exacted a measure of revenge against the rider who beat her by nearly 90 seconds last week in a time trial of nearly the same distance. It also erased memories of her runner-up finish to Grassi in this same race a year ago.

“I’m extremely excited and very grateful to the people who have supported me,” Leal said. “I have been training for this since January and it’s been my goal to win all along. I’m extremely thankful for all the things Team Type 1 has given me this year. I’m very happy to be part of such a great team.”

Team Type 1 Women’s Team Director Jack Seehafer said he wasn’t surprised at Leal’s performance.

“We knew she had the capability and the big thing was that she was continuing to get used to her Orbea Ordu time trial bike,” he said. “The whole team is exited about her win. It was something we talked about at the beginning of the season.”

The victory was the 30th for the Team Type 1 women’s professional squad in its inaugural season. Team Type 1 is currently No. 1 in both the team and individual standings of the National Racing Calendar (NRC). Leal’s teammate, Alison Powers, also won the Women’s Prestige Cycling Series (WPCS), an overall competition comprising stage races around the United States between March and July.

Leal’s time trial success follows a gold medal performance Friday by Jacquelyn Crowell in the Under 23 time trial and a bronze by Powers in the elite time trial at the USA Cycling National Championships in Bend, Ore.

Photo: Courtesy Wenceslao Rodriguez

Team Type 1’s Crowell Earns Gold, Powers Bronze In Time Trial


Bend, Ore.Jackie Crowell made history with her victory last Friday in the Under 23 time trial at the USA Cycling Elite National Championships in Bend, Ore.

In winning the 21-mile (35 km) race against the clock, the 21-year-old earned Team Type 1’s first national title. Jerika Hutchinson (Team TIBCO) was second, 14 seconds behind, and Rachel Warner (Charlottesville Racing Club) was third.


Team Type 1’s Alison Powers earned a bronze medal in the elite women’s time trial over the same distance, finishing 23 seconds behind the winning time of Jessica Phillips (Team Lip Smackers). Evelyn Stevens (Century Road Club Association) was second, one second behind Phillips’ winning time of 50:35.


The Team Type 1 women’s professional squad was created this year as an extension of the already successful program of Race Across America (RAAM) and professional men’s teams founded by Phil Southerland and Joe Eldridge. Every team includes athletes who have Type 1 diabetes who are striving to instill hope and inspiration for people around the world affected by diabetes.

Team Director Jack Seehafer said the two medal-winning performances add to an already outstanding season. Team Type 1 leads the National Racing Calendar (NRC) standings, Powers is No. 1 in the individual NRC competition and she recently won the Women’s Prestige Cycling Series (WPCS).

“I know Alison is a little bit disappointed, but she gave it her all out there,” Seehafer said. “It’s a good motivator for the off-season for her. I think we’re really going to end the season pretty strong and go out and try and win some criteriums now.”

By virtue of her victory, Crowell earns the right to wear a stars-and-stripes jersey in time trials next year. Friday’s national title was her sixth after earning five as a junior (under the age of 18), including two in the time trial discipline.

“But this will be the one I am most proud of because it’s at the elite level,” she said.

Crowell said equipment and good advice helped make the difference. Her time was the 14th fastest overall on a day when temperatures in the 90s and wind made the race against the clock all the more difficult.

“I had our mechanic, Paul (Mazurek) put a 55 tooth chain ring on the front, which was the key to winning,” she said. “And my Orbea Ordu (bike) was awesome. I also have to thank our director, Jack, who has helped me so much in my first year as a professional. He’s been very supportive.”

Following a day off, Crowell, Morgan Patton and Samantha Schneider will look to reach the podium again for Team Type 1 in Sunday's 21-mile (35 km) Under 23 criterium. Patton is one of two riders on the women’s team who has Type 1 diabetes.

In the elite men’s time trial, Team Type 1 Elite Team member Jeff Bannink had a problem with his saddle a third of the way into his 21-mile (35 km) time trial. The end result was a 46th place finish for the rider from Beaverton, Ore., who was one of eight members of this year’s squad that won RAAM in record time.

Photos: Courtesy Carson Blume Photography (top); Team Type 1 (middle & bottom)

Friday, July 31, 2009

Wiggins Walking the Walk

With his fourth placed finish in the recently completed Tour de France, it would be easy for some in this ultra skeptical, almost completely cynical, world of professional cycling to doubt the performance of Bradley Wiggins (Garmin-Slipstream).

But whether it has been in Olympic competition on the track or during even the lesser known road races, Wiggins has always been at the forefront of offering himself up for testing. With the backing of Team Garmin-Slipstream, which has been dedicated to total transparency and ethical sportsmanship since its inception, the team, at the request of Wiggins, has released his hemoglobin and off score data from 2008 training camp through the 2009 Tour de France. This profile indicates no evidence of blood manipulation.


“Brad is an exceptionally talented athlete and it was great to see him do so well in the Tour de France. He’s always been an outspoken advocate of clean cycling. He requested that we release his results after the Tour and his decision makes me and the entire team proud,” said Jonathan Vaughters, CEO of Slipstream Sports.

We can only hope that measures such as these can lead to a greater transparency within the sport, and a cleaner peloton now and in the future.

Team Type 1’s Seehafer Fifth At Elite Road Nationals, Crowell Third For U23

Bend, Ore.Kori Seehafer’s bid for a solo victory at the USA Cycling Elite National Championship Road Race came up a few miles short Thursday.

The Team Type 1 rider was caught and passed by a group of four riders within three miles of the finish of the 67-mile (107.5 km) race that was run on the challenging Awbrey Butte circuit around Bend, Ore.

Seehafer finished fifth as Meredith Miller (Team TIBCO) soloed to the win, ahead of Christina Ruiter (ValueAct Capital Cycling Team) and Kristen Lasasso (Team Lip Smacker).

Amy Drombroski (Webcor Builders Women's Professional Cycling Team) earned the Under 23 national title while Team Type 1’s Jacquelyn Crowell finished third in that category. The elite and age group categories competed together on the course that included more than 1,000 feet of climbing on each of the four laps of a 17-mile (27 km) circuit.

Seehafer said she did what she could to hang on after attacking with 15 miles to go and building a 35-second gap that forced a reaction from the field and the formation of the eventual four-rider chase group.

“I got caught at the right turn at the base of the last climb,” Seehafer said after her best finish at road nationals since a sixth-place in 2007. “I stayed with them until you take the right turn – about five kilometers from the finish. At that point, I was hurting and got dropped on the little climb. Then I caught up with them, only to watch Meredith attack and get off solo. Then I got dropped again.”

Initially, the group chasing Seehafer numbered five and included Team Type 1’s Jen McRae, who – like teammates Alison Powers, Samantha Schneider and Crowell – had been monitoring riders trying to mount the chase.

“I ended up covering the decisive move that went to Kori, but I just couldn’t say with them on that climb,” McRae said.

Seehafer said if she had to do it all over again, she would have kept riding hard after catching the four.

“My mistake was that when I caught them after chasing back, I should have gone straight through them instead of sitting up,” she said. “I just don’t have the acceleration after an effort like that.”

Crowell, who finished second in the USA Cycling Collegiate National Road Race Championships earlier this year, was pleased with her third-place finish among riders 23 or younger. More important than a strong finish, she said, was to try and help Seehafer get the win.

“I saw the attack with Amy (Drombroski) go and my teammate, Jen (McRae), was immediately on it,” Crowell said. “Once you see your teammate on an attack you can’t do anything. So I just let it go and hoped it would come back.”

Powers, Seehafer and Crowell will compete in the individual time trial Friday. Team Type 1’s Jeff Bannink is entered in the Elite men’s division. He was one of eight riders who have Type 1 diabetes who competed in – and won – the Race Across America (RAAM) in June.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Team Type 1 Women Aim For National Titles

Bend, Ore. – The Team Type 1 women’s professional squad has its sights set on challenging for a national title or two at this week’s USA Cycling Elite National Championships in Bend, Ore.

The first-year team’s best chances to put riders on the podium come in Thursday’s road race, the Elite and Under 23 individual time trials on Friday and Sunday’s Under 23 criterium.

Team Type 1’s Alison Powers is favored to successfully defend her national title in the 21-mile (35 km) elite time trial. Teammates Kori Seehafer and Jacquelyn Crowell will also race against the clock over nearly the same course that they did in last week’s Bend Memorial Clinic Cascade Cycling Classic.

Team Type 1 Director Jack Seehafer said that is one factor playing into his riders’ favor.

“Also, with it being a longer course, it definitely suits Alison and Kori,” he said. “In a sense, it’s good that Alison lost the time trial during Cascade because she’s focused and fired up to get the job done.”

Last year, on a hilly course that ran through Santiago Canyon in Irvine, Calif., Powers beat Mara Abbott (Team Columbia-HTC) in the time trial by 99 seconds.

In Thursday morning’s 67-mile (107.5 km) Awbrey Butte Circuit Race – another course used in last week’s Cascade Classic – Kori Seehafer will be Team Type 1’s protected rider. Each of the four laps of the 17-mile (27 km) circuit feature more than 1,000 feet of climbing. Brooke Miller (Team TIBCO) is the defending champion.

“Because of the climbing, it’s definitely going to eliminate a lot of the sprinter-type riders,” Jack Seehafer said. “It is definitely going to favor more of an all-around rider. Hopefully, we can get Jen (McRae) up and over the climb because we need her at the end. Depending on how the race is going, we might have Alison (Powers) shut it down early, just to make sure she’s good and ready for the time trial the next day.”

Weather may play also play a factor in the ultimate selection, Jack Seehafer said.

“It’ll be a cool morning start and in the 90s by the time they finish,” he said. “It won’t be as bad as it was for some of the road races during Cascade. That might make for more aggressive racing.”

Following a day off, Crowell, Morgan Patton and Samantha Schneider look to reach the podium for Team Type 1 in the 21-mile (35 km) Under 23 criterium. Last year’s race came down to a field sprint for the stars-and-stripes jersey, with Beatriz Rodriguez beating Kacey Manderfield and Amara Boursaw.

“We’ll look for Jackie to get in a breakaway because she has the motor and that’s her style of racing,” Jack Seehafer said. “If it comes down to a field sprint, we’ll be looking at Sam or Morgan.”

Patton is one of two riders with Type 1 diabetes on the Team Type 1 women’s professional team. She must carefully monitor her blood sugar level during competition because her body does not naturally produce insulin.

Team Type 1 Elite Team member Jeff Bannink, who also has Type 1 diabetes, is competing in the elite men’s 21-mile (35 km) individual time trial on Friday. Last month, the 38-year-old Beaverton, Ore., resident was a member of the Team Type 1 squad that bettered the Race Across America (RAAM) record on its way to winning the 3,012-mile (4,861 km) transcontinental race.

Monday, July 27, 2009

Kenda's Numainville Victorious at 2nd Annual Chicago Criterium

Chicago, IL – Fresh from a Gold Medal performance in the 99km road race at the Pan American Games in Hidalgo, Mexico, Joëlle Numainville (Team Kenda) would win Sunday's 2nd Annual Chicago Criterium ahead of Laura Van Gilder (Mellow Mushroom) and Sarah Caravella (ALAN), respectively.

The 21-year-old barely had time to celebrate her Pan American victory for her native Canada before she boarded a plane destined for Chicago. She would arrive late on Saturday night to join her teammates.

Because of the short turn around, the goal for the 50-minutes plus 2-laps criterium was to respond to any moves put forth by the peloton to protect Numainville and ensure no missed opportunities for a win.

The team, which included Catherine Walberg, Ashley James, Christy Keely and team captain, Kristin Wentworth executed to perfection. With the largest presence of the thirty-five woman field, Team Kenda would also win several primes during the women's Cat 1/2/3 race to go along with the overall victory.


In the final lap several riders shuffled, but Numainville’s only concern was to grab a good wheel despite being marked by several riders. Joëlle indicated that she was confident in her ability to drill it straight into the finish and thanked her teammates for their help in making the win possible.


Results - Women 1/2/3

1. Joëlle Numainville (Team Kenda)
2. Laura Van Gilder (Mellow Mushroom)
3. Sarah Caravella (ALAN)

Photos:
Paul Forsythe

Triple Exclusive - An Interview with PROMAN's Nicola Cranmer


At the highest level of the sport, the Directeur Sportif, or sporting director, manages the daily operations of the cycling team. Often times you will see them following their riders in the team car, communicating with them about tactics, race situations, or upcoming terrain, and even provide some mechanical assistance. But at the lower levels of the sport, the responsibilities of the sporting director, or team manager, can run the full gambit of things, from pinning race numbers on jerseys or filling water bottles to sending out newsletters or even being the team masseuse.

Such is the life of Nicola Cranmer, Team Manager for the PROMAN Hit Squad. Since founding the California based women’s cycling team in 2006, Nicola has taken it from regional amateur team to national elite professional team, and now to UCI track team. In doing so, she has helped foster the dreams of the individuals she has worked with as well as precipitated the agenda of all women in cycling.

Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down with Nicola to discuss PROMAN’s newly formed Junior Development program, garner her perspective on women’s cycling, and explore her own passions as a cyclist.

Granny’s 30 (G): From your bio, you stated that you were previously an apprentice jockey, did you grow up around horses?

Nicola Cranmer (NC): Yes, you could say that in a sense, the horses were mostly on television; it certainly wasn’t a glamorous poetic introduction to them.

My dad is a huge horse racing fan, so I grew up with him jumping up and down on the edge of the sofa screaming ‘go on my son, come on come on! Betting on horses is legal everywhere in England and its quite common to pop down to the local bookies on a Saturday morning, get some fish and chips and a few pints and either watch racing at home or at the pub. My dad would bet a few pounds on a horse for himself and for me. Mostly I picked horses for their name back then, later on form. I was one of those girls that had every inch of her bedroom wall covered with pictures of horses; most of my friends had pictures of Duran Duran, Starsky and Hutch or the Human League, horses most certainly kept me out of trouble [that came later].

My mum when she was younger used to baby-sit for one of the leading thoroughbred trainers in England – Sir Gordon Richards; she stayed in touch with him and occasionally rode his horses. I remember one day I must have been about seven or eight I watched my mum riding, she was challenged by the man she was riding with to a race, they galloped across a field neck and neck it was very exciting, my Mum won the ‘race’ and it left quite an impression on me. I was then hooked. We were quite poor growing up although I didn’t realize it at the time, so I could never afford to have a horse of my own. I worked in a riding school on the weekends in exchange for free riding lessons; I knew I wanted to make a career out of it. My grandparents lived in a village where there was a training facility, so when I finished my secondary modern school, I moved in with them and worked for one of the leading trainers in the UK.

G: Were you ever into equestrian riding or was it purely racing? If racing, what type, flat or steeplechase?

NC: I competed in gymkhanas at about age 12 and a little cross-country; I went straight into thoroughbred racing at age 16. I was fortunate enough to work in the top yard in the country for a trainer, David Elsworth. In my first year in horse racing, one of the horses I took care of, Melindra won at Royal ascot, I got to meet the queen mum, that’s where the glamorous side of horse racing came in. Melindra was a very sassy two year old filly that was rescued by a police woman from a knackers yard, (slaughter house) turns out she was a really good sprinter, of course it was a rags to riches story that the media loved. It’s sort of the equivalent of an unknown rider winning Flanders.

It was a mixed yard, both flat and steeplechase.

G: How did you get into the sport of cycling? Did you ride prior to your move to California…before your mountain biking days?

NC: The only bike riding I ever did in England was a way of avoiding drinking and driving, although you could still get arrested for being drunk on a bike. The good thing was the local police man rode a bike and I was pretty sure I could out ride him if I needed to

There is a huge pub culture in England and it’s just what you do, if you weren’t paralytic by 11pm (pub closing) it just wasn’t a good night out. It’s weird thinking about it now, but it’s part of life there. I was 17 at the time. I lived in a little village and would ride my bike to the pub – skirt, heels and all. I think my bike had 3 gears but I didn’t really ever use them. It also had a dynamo light which was really tricky when riding home from the pub at night, struggling up the hill with the light getting dimmer and dimmer and finally stopping at the top, the first few feet of the descent it was pitch black until the dynamo got working again! Once in a while my skirt would get sucked into the oily chain, I mostly wore black then so it didn’t bother me much. It would have been far too sensible and not very fashionable to put trousers and trainers (sneakers) on.

I moved to California in 1986, primarily because I needed to take some time off from riding horses due to an injury, I decided to move to California for six months. While I was here I met a guy, Dan Lewbin, then expert National XC Champ, in the local bike shop – Planeaway Bikes, formerly the Koski Brother’s Cove Bike Shop in Tiburon (The Koski Brothers are the less known pioneers of mountain biking), who asked if I would like to go riding one day. I actually purchased a road bike first and would go on long rides by myself. I had no clue as to what I was doing. I would pack a lunch; slices of cheese, ham or salami and weird things like that…sometimes I would be out there all day.

I eventually borrowed a mountain bike and went riding with Dan and his friends who belonged to a sort of renegade outlaw team, DFL - "Dead Fucking Last," I quickly became a ‘member.’ At that time, mountain bike racing was so fun with classic races like Shasta Lemurian, Revenge of the Siskyous, TNT, Rockhopper, etc. These were more point-to-point or big epic loop races, which have now been replaced in favor of more spectator friendly lap races. It was good times, with bands and kegs at the finishes. I was naturally quite good and progressed quickly from sport to expert cross country, then to pro downhill. I raced for WTB and later PROFLEX. WTB now sponsors my team with tires and saddles.

In 1997, my life abruptly changed and so did my bike racing career, which I hesitate to call a career as I wasn’t getting paid. While riding my mountain bike on a Mount Tam fire road, I got a speeding ticket (yes, the state park rangers would literally hide behind trees on fire roads with radar guns), which led to a refusal of entry back into the US due to an over stayed visa. As I was not allowed to be let back into the US for over two years, I moved back to London, and signed with Lennox Lewis’s sports agency as a mountain biker.

My three years back in the UK were pretty incredible though. I met some wonderful people; one of them would eventually be the title sponsor of the team that I was to start 8 years later. It’s quite a long story, but a fascinating one for another day!

I moved back to the States in 2001 and then found myself back on the bike again. Simon Andalib, former Village Peddler employee/bike racer, was responsible for getting me back into racing, and pro mountain biker Chris Greene was a huge support and training partner.

G: What was your motivation behind starting up a cycling team?

NC: My main motivation…racing on a co-ed team I noticed that the men got more support than the women. This was frustrating so I decided to form a women’s team. I quickly found a shop sponsor, Paradigm Cycles, which at the time was owned by Julia Violich. Julia who is also the current 40+ national XC champ and 2nd placed finisher at Masters Worlds, has since sold the shop, and assists as our sponsorship director. It would be impossible running the team without her support.

Our title sponsor came to us very quickly too, and we wouldn’t be where we are today without them. PROMAN – PROject MANagement is a German engineering company, one of the biggest in the world, they certainly don’t need the advertising. They sponsor the team solely to assist its athletes attaining their goals and dreams; a very unique situation. I am eternally grateful for their support.

G: When you decided to start up the team, what was the hardest thing about starting it up? What turned out to be easier than you thought?

NC: The title sponsor came very easily, that was huge! Starting the team was actually one of those serendipitous moments where everything flowed. Not saying anything was really easy, it’s always been hard work, which is something I am not afraid of. I think the hardest thing is being taken seriously. It seems you have to pay your dues in road cycling for people to respect you. The team is rolling into its 4th year and I think we are gaining respect both on and off the bike. The road scene is pretty tight knit and I would say much of the respect is gained off the bike; integrity and a good sense of humor go a long way. There have been times that have challenged me beyond what I thought was my capacity but I seem to be coming out of it all OK. I have certainly made plenty of mistakes along the way. I don’t pretend to be anything I’m not, I don’t pretend to even know what I am doing – I am just doing it to the best of my ability with what I know. I think it’s a continual learning process and I enjoy pushing myself to become better at what I do. I love the sport of cycling and intend to be here for a long time. It’s a wonderful community of people and I have forged friendships that will last a lifetime.

We are at a point in the team’s growth where we are outgrowing our title sponsor. Although PROMAN will continue to support us I need to generate more sponsor dollars to give the athletes what they deserve. There is just so much that I want to do. We rely on private donations from fans, family and friends, even cyclists from other teams have contributed in the past. Without this kind of support we would not exist. We are definitely a community effort.

G: As Team Manager for PROMAN Hit Squad what are your responsibilities?

NC: Well, this may take a while, I do everything from securing sponsorships, order clothing, take care of logistics, update the blog, write newsletter, fill water bottles, recruiting and even occasionally massages, I was a massage therapist for 11 years – you name it I do it. It wouldn’t be fair to say I am a one-woman show, but I do take care of the meat of the project and I couldn’t do it without the help of the team and friends. I definitely need to delegate more. I think most people have no idea what goes into running a team. I really almost have three teams to run, road, cross and track, which is split into two categories domestic and UCI. The UCI team has been a challenge; one of our riders Shelley Olds has excelled beyond belief and will continue to do so.


I formed the UCI team two years ago to enable Shelley to compete at the highest level of track racing, the World Cup circuit. Last year we were in Sydney, Beijing, LA and Copenhagen. This year Manchester and Melbourne, and she raced Copenhagen with the US National team. It’s been a great experience and an interesting one. I sit at managers’ meetings at these World Cup events and I am the only woman team owner in a room of about 150 managers and coaches, there are other women coaches and managers but very few (by the way, some assume I am the masseuse).

I would like to see more women in leadership roles in cycling especially in track racing. Working with former Saturn director, Giana Roberge has been instrumental in my growth and confidence. Her years of experience brought professionalism and high expectation to the team. I have learned a lot from her and take my responsibilities very seriously. Giana has since stepped away from her directing role with the birth of her first child. One of my biggest responsibilities is to the athletes on the team who not only show ability on the bike but passion loyalty, dedication and a trust in me to assist them with their goals.

Shelley Olds plays an important role as my partner on the team, her dedication and vision is so strong. Shelley has had opportunities to join other teams, and certainly get paid better, but she is determined to create the kind of environment that will allow her to follow her dream of the 2012 Olympics. She is a natural leader and has inspired me to reach for higher goals than I would have imagined. Her fiancé Rob Evans has also been a significant in developing a business strategy for the team for the future. Tim Brennan, team mechanic and sounding board, has also been a dedicated supporter of the team, taking care of everything technical and just basically being a good ear when times get rough. My ringtone on his phone is the pinball machine…I think that tells you a lot!


Julia Violich has also been a rock. She is a dedicated supporter of everything cycling, who I could not do without. We are also very fortunate to be joined by Cari Higgins, 4-time elite track champ. Cari fits well into our program, she has a strong track focus and dedicates much time to mentoring juniors in her hometown of Boulder, CO. Rachel Lloyd is another key member, she keeps things dirty with her Cross and Super D skills and is also a natural with the juniors. All team members contribute in one way or another and without the support of these people there would be no team.

I would also be remiss if I did not mention any and all of our sponsors: PROMAN, Violich Farms, Paradigm Cycles, BMC Bikes, Cane Creek Wheels, SRAM Bike Components, Enduro Bearings, Rudy Project, Voler Clothing, JL Racing Clothing, Skins, Northwave Shoes, WTB Tires & Saddles, Arundel Cage & Bar Tape. Sapim Spokes, Velocity Rims, Dumondetech Lube, Pure Swiss Water, Mez Design, CLIF Bar, Peet's Coffee & Tea, Whole Athlete, Marin Spine & Wellness, Larkspur Hotels, Northpoint Advisors, and Brake Through Media.

G: Some former band/orchestra members who have gone up front [of the band] with the baton have stated that it's hard to jump back in [for whatever reason], have you found that with your managing a team and racing for it?

NC: The first two years it was not a problem for me to manage and race as we were racing at a regional level and the team was smaller. Things changed; however, going into the third year when NRC races came into the picture, and now UCI. It’s very important to have a solid foundation by which to operate a team, and I have come to terms that I will be racing less. I am ok with that. I think racing with the team on occasion has its definite advantages. Although all the girls appreciate what I do as a manager there is nothing quite like sacrificing your personal race for another, it forms a deep bond and a different level of appreciation.

Managing has its own set of challenges to keep me focused. I will jump in a few crits this year to help my teammates but I will focus mostly on track racing. My goals will be at Masters Track Nationals and hopefully Masters Track Worlds. But the girls on the team are so dedicated and focused that they deserve more attention, although they constantly remind me to focus on myself. My priority as far as the team goes is them. If I can provide a situation where all they have to worry about is racing their bike I will be happy. That being said, most of the current team members are very active in the team’s growth off the bike as well. We do have a great support crew.

G: Mountain or Road?

NC: Mountain for the soul, the big drop offs and technical descents, road for the grace, sprints and team efforts

G: Road or Track?

NC: Track for the speed and tangibility and to increase power for the road

G: Crits or Stage Races?

NC: Crit slut all the way! I am starting to appreciate more and more the beauty and challenges of the stage race though.

G: With your title sponsor (PROMAN) in Dusseldorf, Germany has there been any talk/consideration of the team racing in Europe?

NC: Yes we have considered racing the road team in Europe, it’s very expensive to send a team but we certainly hope to, the Spring Classics would be a priority if we had the budget. The UCI track team has raced two World Cup seasons overseas. Since we first chatted, PROMAN riders, Shelley Olds, Rachel Lloyd & Megan Guarnier, Ashley Dymond and Coryn Rivera have raced for the US National team in Europe. Shelley competed in Italy on the track and was on the podium all three days of racing and was on the podium at a World Cup. Megan also competed in races in Italy, Belgium and France, including the Spring Classic – Tour of Flanders. Both Shelley and Megan also recently competed in the Giro d’Italia Femminile. Betina Hold also headed to Europe to race for the Canadian National Team.

We have Jim Miller to thank for these opportunities internationally. These kinds of experiences are invaluable to our athletes and will add to the depth of our young squad. Jim has developed an outstanding women’s program and works very closely with developing domestic teams. He is very modest in regards to his achievements but I am very grateful for his focus on women’s racing.

I also want to mention two other people, Michael Engleman and Kristin Armstrong. Michael Engleman’s contribution to women’s cycling in the form of The U.S Women’s Cycling Development Program (USWCDP) is crucial to the maintenance & growth of the sport. Likewise, Kristin Armstrong's contribution to cycling as a whole and to women's cycling specifically is immeasurable. The newly formed Kristin Armstrong Academy is instrumental in the development of our young riders.

BMC bicycles, based in Switzerland and distributed by QBP, is working with the team for the second year. We had an opportunity to visit the facility last summer, and it is an amazing place. All the guys who work for BMC are a great. We are the first U.S women’s team that BMC has worked with and I am really grateful for their support, and the support of women’s racing.

G: Where do you see PROMAN/ Racing in the future…with a full U23 Development squad…as a UCI team racing both in the US and in Europe?

NC: My vision for the team has become apparent and crystal clear in the past couple of months. Creating our junior program is very exciting.

The junior development compliments our elite program offering accomplished riders an opportunity to pass along experience and wisdom. It is my hope that the team can offer the juniors an environment where they can develop their cycling skills, achieve their personal goals in competition and to encourage and maintain a healthy lifestyle as well as creating future ambassadors for women's cycling. It’s easy to talk the talk but we are truly walking it and have an international vision for our development program.

I feel that an investment in junior riders, girls in particular, is crucial to the growth of women's racing in the US. Recently appointed USAC athletic director, Jim Miller, has assured me that he will continue to focus on women's development. Miller has successfully developed the women's road endurance program that has resulted in world class contenders and Olympic gold.

It was an easy choice for us to include juniors in our program. You don't get the instant podium gratification that you would if I used the budget to hire elite riders, but PROMAN team members are in this for the long haul and we hope to contribute more to women's cycling than a win on any given weekend. Don't get me wrong, its fun to win and see the athletes achieve their performance goals but we are dedicated to taking this program well past the podium and helping secure the future of women’s cycling.


Although we are the USA’s premiere women's track team, our focus is definitely more diverse, spanning road, cross track and mountain. I feel it’s important to expose all of our juniors to every discipline defining a focus can come much later. It is my goal to get two of our juniors to World Cup level in the next two years. I would like to do it sooner but to compete at the elite World Cup level the rider has to be at the racing age of 18. Our riders range from ages 12 – 16 years old. The two I have in mind will be ready as soon as they are 17-years-old, so in 2010 and 2011 expect to see two of our juniors racing Track World Cups…the Road to 2016 Olympics is already being paved.


We currently have four junior girls from the Bay Area, where the team is based. We wanted to be very hands on in our first year in order to discover the needs of these young athletes. We plan on expanding it into a national program in the future. We have also added Coryn Rivera, who at 16-years-old holds 21 national titles, road, track and cross, to the roster. She will be focusing on Junior Worlds as well as some NRC races. On junior gearing, she has wins at this year’s Manhattan Beach Grand Prix, the San Rafael Twilight Criterium, and on Saturday she pulled off her biggest win in the Downtown Bend Criterium, which is part of the Cascade Cycling Classic.

Current National champions, Shelley Olds and Cari Higgins and I will be scouting for new juniors throughout the year. It’s our aim to establish more programs throughout the US over the next few years. Budget is our only limiting factor. I am finding many more companies, even industry sponsors, are keen to assist in the development of future athletes. I am hoping that this is an indicator of a promising future for our program; after all it secures their future consumer base! It is apparent that there is a need for more junior girls programs; this was evident by the number of resumes I received from many aspiring athletes, mostly from the USA but also from Australia, Ecuador and Mexico.

Our program is designed to take care of a rider from junior through elite. There are other junior programs as well as pro women's teams out there, but its in-between where lots of girls fall through the cracks. It’s my hope to bridge that gap. While focusing on juniors with world level potential, it’s my hope to offer a club program to young girls that just enjoy riding and competing at regional levels but will have a support system and resources to tap into. Again, the infrastructure for this is set and the wheels are in motion, it just requires a bigger budget.

Supporting juniors comes with a lot of responsibility, which we take very seriously, there are challenges involved. Of course there is a huge emphasis and encouragement on schoolwork.

The junior are an integral part of the team, their unbridled enthusiasm, is infectious and breathes vibrancy into it.

G: PROMAN won the NCNCA Women's Premiere Series in 2006 & 2007, had exceptional results at the 2008 US Track Nationals…what are the team goals this year…your personal goals?

NC: As far as team goals, a national jersey in every discipline wouldn’t be too farfetched: road, track, mountain and cross. And to see the team grow and succeed both on and off the bike, community is a big part of the plan for PROMAN Racing. I would also like to see continued development of women’s track and road racing in the US. A goal is to add more women’s stages to the Amgen Tour of California, and this could potentially happen. This year’s criterium, while a little early in the NRC calendar, was even more well received than last year. It’s very important for women’s racing to be associated with the rolling Amgen Tour of California media machine and other U.S tours.

Increased media exposure for Women’s racing is necessary to leverage more sponsorship dollars. Last year, PROMAN hosted the first International Style Omnium at Hellyer Velodrome. Because of its success, it will now be contested at the national level at the USAC Track Nationals in October.

G: What was your best moment on a bicycle…the worst?

NC: Best - Thousand Esses (Laguanitas fire break) it was a beautiful summer day or at least I remember it that way. I was riding with a few guys and we were going to poach some illegal single track, this trail was particularly challenging and there was a section near the top of the trail that very few people had conquered. That particular day I felt really confident dropping into the trail, I even said out loud that I was going to clean it today. It actually wasn’t even a trail but a firebreak; it was steep and loose. The guys I was riding with started ahead of me and they were waiting at the most difficult section as we were going to practice it. Well I was relaxed and happy and started in on the descent, I gracefully approached the difficult section with my eyes fixed on the trail ahead, it felt like I just floated over it and continued on, past my friends and just kept going. My friends were astonished, as was I. That was about 13 years ago and they still talk about it. The trail seems to have gotten steeper over the years and the drop off even bigger, but hey that’s the stuff legends are made of and that day, in my mind, I was one!

Worst moment had to be riding in the Mount Shasta area the day began clear and sunny but at about the 4th hour of riding a snow storm blew in and I had a long road descent, I was the most cold I had ever been, I could barely brake and my tears froze! I felt cold for days after.

G: Your most memorable race…your most forgetful?

NC: Let’s start with the worst. Worst race would have to be as a cat 3 on the road – Snelling road race. I was on third wheel going into the final half kilometer, with the field a few meters behind, this was a very rough road aptly named the cheese grater. I had a front tire blow out and went down immediately, after that it was carnage; the noise was something I will never forget, half the peloton rode over me. I ended up with some separated ribs, lots of road rash and tire burns on my neck and back where I had literally been ridden over. There were gals who were far worse off than me, including Tracey Ford who was racing for a rival team and she lost the tip of her finger. I felt really awful. Although it was an accident and no one blamed me, it was a tough time for sure. I personally contacted all involved that I knew were hurt.

Most memorable...I have won several races but somehow the moments that spring to mind are the races I have performed a solid lead out or bridged a team mate to a break or brought back a break. I do get great satisfaction out of team work, but yes its fun to win. One particularly memorable moment was helping Tracey Ford win the Fidelity Burlingame Criterium 2 years ago. Yes, the same Tracey who had lost the tip of her finger in the horrible Snelling crash!

Burlingame was a goal race for her. I had flown back the night before from my managerial duties at Nature Valley GP where Shelley Olds ended up 6th in the GC. I was feeling like crap, it had been a tough week. During the race I felt as though I could not hold my position, with three laps to go I could see that Tracey was not in a good spot, she was 2nd wheel and would find herself at the front much too early. I am not sure what happened in that moment but I knew that I was committed to helping her win, I went from the back of the field to the front, picked up Kristin along the way, leaving Tracey third wheel, I put the hammer down and went as hard as I could for over a lap to ensure no surge from behind, I pulled off with two turns to go leaving Kristin to finish the job for Tracey. Tracey won and was so grateful. It’s amazing where you can find strength when someone is depending on you. We have a lot of gals on the team that will bury themselves for the cause. It wasn’t a national level race but the satisfaction of helping a team mate achieve a goal was what mattered.

G: What did you think about Georgia Gould's petitioning the UCI for "Equal Pay"?

NC: I signed it and I agree that women should get equal pay but I am not sure if contacting the UCI directly on this is the only answer, although of course they have the power to implement the rule. It’s the race promoters who need to understand that women deserve equal pay – it’s a numbers game when you look at it from a business perspective and more men generally enter the races. But yes, absolutely women dedicate just as much of their lives to training and racing and in my opinion actually make more sacrifices so they deserve equal pay. This is different as it is salary but in a UCI track trade team contract, minimum wage (approx $12,000) is to be paid to both male and female racers annually.

G: You've stated that the team is somewhere in between a professional team and an amateur one. What are the unique challenges that you're confronted with "straddling both canoes," so to speak?

NC: The biggest challenge is man power. I want to be able to support a regional team as well as a pro team but it’s become apparent that I cannot do it all and will be focusing on a UCI track trade team and a small road team in 2009. This will allow me time to contribute in other areas of cycling, such as race promotion and to do a better job of managing. I am determined to make a stamp in the world of track racing, there needs to be more support for women also in road racing too but there are already some strong women ambassadors for the road.

G: You have two riders in Shelley Olds and Rachel Lloyd who have proven that they can compete on a world stage, how do you support their efforts while building that team of riders to support them?

NC: Both Shelley and Rachel’s disciplines; track and cyclocross are not so team oriented, it’s the road racing that brings the team together. They both enjoy being part of a team during the road season as it takes the pressure off the individual performance. Shelley’s goal was to podium at a track World Cup this year and to develop as a track racer with the ultimate goal of the Points race at the 2012 Olympics. She achieved the first goal. I have decided to put a strong focus in this area; it is something I love to do.

Rachel had similar goals for this year, which perhaps will be her last at the World Cup level of cyclocross. It was a difficult decision for me, but this season, so Rachel could get the level of support she deserves, she will be racing on another team with a very strong cross identity. With an already stretched out budget with increasing costs of international travel it seemed like the best thing for Rachel. It was a tough choice for both of us as she is very loyal and we are also great friends. She has rejoined us for road races in 2009.

G: Riders and teams come and go, but women’s cycling seems to be getting hit fairly hard with sponsors pulling out for the 2009 season. First, what is appealing about women’s cycling relative to men’s cycling? What do you think should change in women's cycling to get people, and sponsors, more interested and excited about it?

NC: This is a question that quite honestly bewilders me. I see the massive marketing potential in women athletes but it seems to be a sentiment that is not shared. There is a fine line between exploiting women's sexuality and women’s athleticism in cycling...it seems to be defined as one or the other, I think marketing strategists are confused by this. I recently spent time at the Amgen Tour of California and I was reminded of how the cycling industry is run primarily by men who show very little interest in women's cycling. Yes, some companies dedicate a few sponsorship dollars and product to a couple of teams for PR purposes, but in large part most companies are not very interested in the true development of women’s cycling. Men's teams get far more. There are a few industry companies; however that have put thought into women’s products. I have always been incredibly grateful for all the support but this gratitude can easily turn into frustration.

I believe women are far better ambassadors for the sport and the products they represent, for example, whenever the team travels internationally we take an extra few days to visit sponsors or dealers where their products are sold or we visit local schools. Team members will make time for shop rides or rides with local clubs. We are always well received wherever we go. Team members constantly reach out to the public to promote their sport. I can honestly say this is true of most women’s teams.

Women’s racing is exciting, I know that the top women’s teams in the U.S are very conscious of the comparisons to men's racing and race aggressively and hard to keep it exciting.

There are many parallels between the cycling industry I am now immersed in, and the world of horse racing and soccer that I grew up in. The struggle for women is very apparent. I am not one for sugar coating and there is a lot of smoke and mirrors in women's cycling and I certainly don’t want to sound bitter but it’s a sport that is struggling to gain the attention and exposure it deserves. The women racers and team managers make incredible compromises and sacrifices to ensure that their teams are out there on the circuit. Demographics show that women purchase more bikes than men and support the sport financially.

So what's the problem?

I wish I knew the answer. Surely it cannot all be a focus on the Tour de France and other grand tours? I notice in certain popular online cycling magazines that the men and the women can compete in the same NRC event and the men's headline is always first and in bold and the women's underneath in a smaller font!

I do know that the bigger races in the USA should all include a women's event; it helps to be a part of a big media machine like Amgen Tour of California or Tour of Missouri as both of these races are working hard to include a women's event, it my hope to see an extension of the criterium at ATOC. A three day stage race would be a good start.

That being said, we are forging ahead with a new program model that will ensure longevity and continued growth in the sport. We have a team of very bright future stars, I used to love the expression, "sky’s the limit," but I think we can go further.

Photos: Rob Evans (first through third, fifth and seventh); Bob Cullinan, CycleTo (fourth and sixth)

Sunday, August 09, 2009

So Kiss Me And Smile For Me...

Well our posts are packed, we're ready to go...


Back in March, the Triple Crankset celebrated its three-year anniversary. As we have grown over the years, it became readily apparent that we would have to switch to another blogging platform other than Blogger. We had pushed it to its limits. Frankly, our last redesign probably had those using Internet Explorer questioning whether we knew anything about design or creating a website.

So after three years we say goodbye to Blogger and enter a new, and hopefully better phase with the Triple Crankset.

As of today, we have relocated. The URL, www.triplecrankset.com will remain the same. But this site will be defaulted back to its original blogspot.com extension.

Please visit our new site at http://triplecrankset.com.

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The Triple

Team Type 1’s Ilesic Second, Kelly Benefit's Veillux Victor At Charlotte

Charlotte, N.C. – They didn’t win the race, but Team Type 1’s Aldo Ino Ilesic and Valeriy Kobzarenko made a memorable showing Saturday night at the Presbyterian Hospital Invitational Criterium.

In front of a massive crowd in Downtown Charlotte, N.C., the pair integrated themselves into the decisive breakaway of the 50-mile (80 km) National Racing Calendar (NRC) event.

But it was David Veilleux (Kelly Benefit Strategies) who pulled off the most heroic move of the night, soloing to victory from Ilesic, Kobzarenko and eight others who had left the field behind at the race’s halfway point.

Ilesic went on to finish second, winning the sprint of the remaining breakaway riders. Karl Menzies (OUCH presented by Maxxis) was third.

“He surprised us,” Ilesic said of Veilleux’s move that earned him a check for $12,500. “No one expected he would go. And only two guys were pulling to bring him back, Kobzarenko and Luis Amaran (of Colavita-Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light). I had to wait for the sprint. That was my job.”

Veilleux made his move with two-and-a-half laps to go of the 1.25-mile (2 km) course. With only Team Type 1 and Colavita-Sutter Home having more than one rider in the breakaway, it was up to them to take up the chase.

“His gap was growing lap-by-lap, even with 10 guys chasing him,” Team Type 1 Director Sportif Vassili Davidenko said of Veilleux. “He was amazing.”

Kobzarenko also put on an impressive show of force, integrating himself in nearly every significant breakaway during the race. The Ukrainian showed the strength that earned him the King of the Mountains title at the TD Bank International Championship in Philadelphia in June.

“Kobza was a super teammate,” Davidenko said. “I’m happy tonight because all of our guys rode aggressively and we were so close to winning the race. If it had come down to a sprint, Aldo would have easily won.”

Ilesic had hoped to score Team Type 1’s 50th victory of the season in his adopted hometown after winning a pair of races at the Giordana Crossroads Classic earlier this week. Now he turns his attention to Sunday’s Hanes Park Classic in Winston-Salem, N.C. The professional women will race for 50 minutes at 1:45 p.m. EDT, while the 90-minute professional men’s race begins at 3:05 p.m. EDT.

Thursday, August 06, 2009

USA CRITS Series Continues with Presbyterian Hospital Invitational

2008 Winners Alejandro Borrajo and Katherine Carroll look for repeat in Charlotte

Athens, GA - The Presybterian Hospital Invitational Criterium hits the streets of Charlotte, North Carolina Saturday, August 8 as the USA CRITS National Series rolls into town. The 3rd stop of the Series will see the top men's and women's criterium racers take on the 1.2 mile course in hopes of moving up in the Series Overall and cashing in on the $75,000 prize list.

Team Mountain Khakis has dominated the races in the Series this year, slotting three riders in the top five of the Overall Competition and leading the Team Competition by 508 points over Kelly Benefit Strategies and Colavita-Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light. Tom Soladay is in the VeloNews Red, White, and Blue Leader's Jersey and plans to not give it up, saying, "I'm going to be at all the remaining races. The team is going to be at all the races. Last year, the team competition was so close, we missed it by 3 points, and Adam placed second. We are not going to let that happen again."

The Winston-Salem-based team will certainly have its hands full Saturday night with a full Colavita squad looking to defend its 2008 win in Charlotte in Alejandro Borrajo. Borrajo and his hit squad will be in full force looking to make up lost time and points in the Team Competition, as well as another win in the USA CRITS Series. Luca Damiani already took top honors at Iron Hill Twilight Criterium in July.

Look for Kelly Benefit Strategies to be in the mix to protect Jake Keough's second place standing in the Series. Keogh will be racing in the Champion System Best Young Rider Jesey.

On the women's front, the Team and Individual Overall competitions are much closer. Laura Van Gilder (Mellow Mushroom) is in the Overall lead, while teammate Kristen Lasasso is 99 points back in 2nd. Team Vanderkitten is leading the Team Competition with Team Kenda only 64 points behind. Fireworks will be flying on Saturday night as Tina Pic and her Colavita squad will be in the mix, as well as 2008 Presybterian Hospital Invitational winner Katherine Carroll and 2009 National Criterium Champion Brooke Miller and their TIBCO squad. Watch for 2008 Overall USA CRITS Champion Jennifer Wilson and the 2008 Team winner Vanderkitten fight for position as they seek a second Overall title.

Men's Overall Standings
1. Tom Soladay (Team Mountain Khakis) - 423 pts
2. Jake Keough (Kelly Benefit Strategies) - 396 pts
3. Mark Hekman (Team Mountain Khakis) - 380 pts

Men's Lap Leader Standings
1. Russ Langley (Battley-Harley Davidson) - 37 laps
2. Kyle Wamsley (Colavita-Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light) - 22 laps
3. John Murphy (OUCH presented by Maxxis) - 16 laps

Men's Best Young Rider Standings
1. Jake Keough (Kelly Benefit Strategies) - 396 pts
2. David Guttenplan (Team Mountain Khakis) - 245 pts
3. Isaac Howe (Team Mountain Khakis) - 222 pts

Men's Team Standings
1. Team Mountain Khakis - 1538 pts
2. Kelly Benefit Strategies - 1030 pts
3. Colavita-Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light - 763 pts

Women's Overall Standings
1. Laura Van Gilder (Mellow Mushroom) - 483 pts
2. Kristen Lasasso (Mellow Mushroom) - 384 pts
3. Jennifer Wilson (Team Vanderkitten) - 376 pts

Women's Lap Leader
1. Cath Cheatley (Colavita-Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light) - 19 laps
2. Lauren Tamayo (Team TIBCO) - 10 laps
3. Jacquelyn Crowell (Team Type 1) - 9 laps

Women's Best Young Rider
1. Jessie Maclean (Verducci/Breakaway) - 217 pts
2. Jacquelyn Crowell (Team Type 1) - 206 pts
3. Samantha Schneider (Team Type 1) - 205 pts

Women's Team Standings
1. Team Vanderkitten - 1262 pts
2. Team Kenda - 1218 pts
3. Altarum Women's Cycling Team - 988 pts

USA CRITS Remaining Schedule
Presbyterian Hospital Invitational, Charlotte, NC - August 8
Chris Thater Memorial, Binghamton, NY - August 30
TX TOUGH GRAND PRIX, Dallas, TX - September 17 (men only)
USA CRITS Finals, Las Vegas, NV - September 24

Team Type 1's Ilesic Makes It Two Straight At Crossroads Classic


Concord, N.C. – Team Type 1’s Aldo Ino Ilesic notched his fifth victory of the season – and won his second race in two nights – Wednesday at the Cabarrus Creamery Criterium in Concord, N.C.

Ilesic beat Eric Barlevav (Team Mountain Khakis) and Neil Bezdek (GS Mengoni) to the line at the end of the hour-long race. The criterium was the second in a series of five races this week that make up the ninth annual Giordana Crossroads Classic.


Tuesday night, Ilesic won a three-up sprint from a breakaway at the Mocksville Criterium in Mocksville, N.C. His victories are the 48th and 49th of the season for the Team Type 1 men’s professional squad.

Ilesic said his confidence is riding high heading into Saturday’s Presbyterian Hospital Invitational Criterium in Charlotte. The event is one of the richest one-day races in the country, with a $12,500 prize to the winner of the men’s race.

“I’ve had to do a lot of work the past two nights – beating quality competition with no help because I was racing without teammates here,” he said. “Tonight, the Mountain Khakis team was attacking me all the time with six or seven guys. I was having to pull things back all the time on my own.”

Despite donning the yellow jersey of overall leader of the Crossroads Classic, Ilesic said he will not participate in the remaining three races on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Instead, the 24-year-old Slovenian said he would like nothing more than to score the team’s 50th win in Charlotte, his adopted hometown.

“I didn’t plan to do the whole series. I just wanted to do them as a warm-up for Saturday,” he said. “Now I have two rest days coming up. I’m really focused on the race in Charlotte because it’s where I live. I would love to win it.”

Joining Ilesic in Saturday’s 50-mile (80 km) race will be teammates Joe Eldridge, Ken Hanson, Daniel Holt, Valeriy Kobzarenko and Shawn Milne. Hanson is the reigning USA Cycling Elite criterium champion while Milne won the 2006 edition of the race. Eldridge is one of four riders on the Team Type 1 men’s pro team who has Type 1 diabetes.

The Team Type 1 women will be led in Charlotte by newly-crowned USA Cycling Under 23 criterium champion Samantha Schneider. She will be joined by Jacquelyn Crowell, Jen McRae, Morgan Patton, Alison Powers and Kori Seehafer. Patton is one of two riders on the women’s pro squad who has Type 1 diabetes.

Photos: Courtesy Jon Safka Photography

Women’s Prestige Cycling Series Finale Shakes Up Standings

Team classification takes unexpected twist and the Sprints tie is broken

Minneapolis, MN - The Women’s Prestige Cycling Series began in 2004 with the goal of highlighting women’s racing by giving them a spotlight that they don’t have to share with the men. Organized by the Nature Valley Grand Prix, the Series grew out of meetings that began in Minnesota in 2003 at the first Women’s Cycling Summit Conference hosted by that event.

The 2009 Women’s Prestige Cycling Series began at the Redlands Bicycle Classic (March 26 – 29), followed by the Joe Martin Stage race (May 7 – 10) and then the Nature Valley Grand Prix (June 10 – 14) before concluding at the Cascade Cycling Classic (July 21 – 26).

Team Classification - The season long see saw battle between Team TIBCO and Webcor Builders ended in TIBCO’s favor at the Women’s Prestige Cycling Series grand finale at the Cascade Cycling Classic. Although Webcor’s guest rider Evelyn Stevens won the stage race, she wasn’t eligible for the Series. TIBCO finished with a wide margin and Webcor dropped to third, behind Team Type 1.

1. Team TIBCO - 1319
2. Team Type 1 - 819
3. Webcor Builders Cycling Team - 786
4. ValueAct Capital Cycling Team - 677
5. Colavita Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light - 437


Sprint Classification – The most dramatic fight for the jerseys was in the Sprint classification, where Tina Pic (Colavita Sutter Home) had been tied on points with Alison Powers (Team Type 1), with the edge going to Powers because of the tie breakers. By the end of the Cascade Classic, Pic had it all sown up the Series Sprint competition and Powers had slipped to fourth.

1. Tina Pic, Colavita Sutter Home - 429
2. Joanne Kiesanowski, Team TIBCO - 286
3. Gina Grain, Webcor Builders Cycling Team - 275
4. Alison Powers, Team Type 1 - 250
5. Kirsty Broun, Lip Smackers- 165


Individual Classification – In contrast, there were no surprises in the individual classification. Alison Powers seeming insurmountable lead going into Cascade just got wider and the top three positions were unchanged.

1. Alison Powers, Team Type 1 - 616
2. Katharine Carroll, Team TIBCO - 388
3. Katheryn Mattis, Webcor Builders Cycling Team - 285
4. Joanne Kiesanowski, Team TIBCO - 246
5. Christina Ruiter, Value Act Capital - 231


Young Rider – Webcor’s Rebecca Much maintained her lead in the Series Best Young Rider classification, despite losing ground to TIBCO’s Julie Beveridge. Alexis Rhodes (Webcor Builders) fell from second to third because she didn’t attend Cascade.

1. Rebecca Much, Webcor Builders Cycling Team - 649
2. Julie Beveridge, Team TIBCO - 528
3. Alexis Rhodes, Webcor Builders Cycling Team - 429
4. Amanda Miller, Lip Smackers – 352
5. Tiffany Cromwell, Colavita Sutter Home - 264

Cavendish Highlights Team Columbia–HTC Roster for Upcoming Tour of Missouri

Three-time world-champion Michael Rogers and 2007 Tour of Missouri winner George Hincapie also named as part of the squad

Jefferson City, MO - Mark Cavendish, who won six stages during the recently completed Tour de France, headlines a star studded international Team Columbia-HTC squad for this year's Tour of Missouri, scheduled for September 7 – 13, 2009.

Joining Cavendish are three-time world champion Michael Rogers and superstar lead-out man Mark Renshaw, both of Australia, Canadian Michael Barry, a stage winner in last year's Tour of Missouri, as well as former Italian time trial-champion Marco Pinotti.

"It is a very important part of our mission to contribute to the growth of racing in the US. The Tour of Missouri is a very well-run and promoted race that is attracting top teams from around the globe and is increasingly recognized as a top international event," said Bob Stapleton, the general manager and owner of Highroad sports, the company that runs Team Columbia – HTC. "We're pleased to be able to bring a top roster to the Missouri in the hope of repeating our success of last year and to be a part of a great spectacle for the fans of cycling in America."

American stalwart George Hincapie, who broke his collarbone in the last week of the Tour de France, is day to day, according to Stapleton, and a final decision on his participation will be rendered at the end of the month.

"To have the world's top sprinter, second place overall finisher from last year's race, and the 2007 race champion all on the same roster coming, it's a beautiful thing," said race director Jim Birrell. "Like last year, they certainly should be a team to contend with for both the overall classification title and individual stage wins."

Added Cavendish, a three-time tour of Missouri stage winner in 2008 and winner of more than 20 races this year: "I really enjoyed Tour of Missouri last year. Cycling fans in America are genuinely enthusiastic about watching us race which makes for a great atmosphere."

Tour organizers have also reached an agreement to feature Cavendish on several marketing materials, including the official map guide for the Tour. Columbia sportswear is the official clothing sponsor for the 2009 Tour of Missouri.

The race begins in St. Louis on Monday, September 7, Labor Day, with a 10-lap, 75-mile circuit race that will be fast and flat and favor a sprinter taking the leader's jersey. On Tuesday, September 8, the race will transfer south to Ste. Genevieve with a 112.4-mile road race to Cape Girardeau. The terrain is hilly to moderate and features finishing circuits.

On Wednesday, September 9, cyclists will face their toughest challenge of the race, with a hilly 114.3-mile stage in the Northern Ozark Mountains from Farmington to Rolla. After a short transfer on Thursday, September 10, the race will proceed from St. James to Jefferson City, with the circuit finish featuring a steep 300-meter uphill sprint to the finish.

Riders will be able make up time Friday, September 11, during the individual time trial at Sedalia with an 19-mile race against the clock around Missouri's State Fairgrounds. On Saturday, September 12, cyclists will race from Chillicothe to St. Joseph while hitting moderate to hilly terrain.

The weeklong journey through the Show-Me-State concludes with a hilly circuit through the streets of Kansas City, Sunday, September 13. The Kansas City circuit will feature two king of the mountain points with more than 3000 feet of climbing over 72 miles. "I think they did a great job of capturing the challenging terrain of the state," said Rory Sutherland, the current national race calendar leader in the United States and a rider in the past two Tours of Missouri.

Though a stellar world-class field was presented last year, the three-year-old race is expected to be even better as the Tour of Missouri was granted an upgrade to one of the top five-ranked events outside Europe by international and national federation's for cycling last month.

The upgrade has drawn top pro tour teams Astana, Cervelo Test Team, Columbia- HTC, Garmin- Slipstream, Liquigas, Saxo Bank and Quickstep, all recent Tour de France teams, of which won 14 of 21 stages of the world's biggest race. Domestic teams participating in 2009 include BISSELL Pro Cycling Team, BMC Racing, Colovita / Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light, Jelly Belly, Kelly Benefit Strategies, OUCH presented by Maxxis, and Team Type 1. Canada's top team Planet Energy rounds out the field.

Photo: PhotoSport International

Former World Champion Will Compete At Glencoe Grand Prix

Glencoe, Ill. – The field for this year’s Glencoe Grand Prix presented by AT&T grew more impressive with the announcement that 2008 world omnium champion Hayden Godfrey will be competing in Sunday’s Pro-I-II race.

Godfrey is a 14-time New Zealand national champion who won the third world track title of his career in cycling’s version of the pentathlon. The omnium consists of five events: a 200-meter flying start time trial, five kilometer scratch race, three kilometer individual pursuit, 15 kilometer points race and a one kilometer time trial.

Glencoe Grand Prix Race Director Jon Knouse said news of Godfrey’s participation is creating quite a stir for the third edition of the race that boasts an $11,500 prize list.

“It's not every day a world champion comes to town,” Knouse said. “The people of Glencoe and the Glencoe Grand Prix are over the moon and thrilled to have Hayden Godfrey race with us in our community.”

Joining Godfrey for Sunday’s 70-minutes-plus-two-laps Pro-I-II race will be Jason Allen and Josh England. All three are members of the New Zealand-based Subway-Avanti Pro Cycling Team. They will be vying for a $5,000 prize purse that will also include 10 primes of $100 each.

“We're hoping this will give some of the top regional racers an added incentive to come out,” Knouse said. “Competing against these guys will be something they can tell their grandkids about.”

Cyclists of all abilities and categories will begin racing at 8 a.m. on a four-corner, 0.9‐mile course through the city’s downtown streets. Last year, the Glencoe Grand Prix was voted “Race of the Year” by the Illinois Cycling Association.

Riders are encouraged to pre-register online at www.bikereg.com. Same-day race registration opens at 7 a.m. and closes a half-hour prior to each race. Finish line (chip) timing is provided by Ultramax Events and SRAM will provide neutral support.

A complete schedule of race distances and times is available on the official race website: www.glencoegrandprix.com.

2009 Interbike Exhibitor List On Par with Last Year; Major Exhibitors Returning

With many category-specific events and show features, Interbike continues to serve as the annual gathering place for the cycling industry


SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif. - Interbike continues to be the place for gathering members of the bike industry at the 2009 Interbike International Expo and Outdoor Demo in Las Vegas the week of September 21-25. While at the five-day event, attendees and media will see the latest products and technologies from every major bicycle, component and accessory manufacturer in the cycling industry.

"This year's Interbike is shaping up to be among our strongest shows," said Andy Tompkins, Interbike's show director. "Just as in years past, attendees will have the opportunity to meet with all their key suppliers along with enjoying the comradery and networking the show naturally provides. Regardless of individual sales and marketing strategies, manufacturers recognize the value of participating in the week-long industry event. We are looking forward to another successful show."

Advanced Sports Inc. is one of the 1,100 brands preparing to participate in next month's industry event.

"Interbike provides us the opportunity to tell our complete brand story and meet new and existing customers, especially with our Breezer, SE and Kestrel lines," said Pat Cunnane, president of Advanced Sports, Inc., parent company of Breezer, Fuji, Kestrel and SE Bicycles. "Even with a tough economy, Interbike is the place to be. Last year at Interbike we successfully launched the Breezer line of commuter bikes, and this year we are looking forward to a successful relaunching of Breezer mountain bikes as well."

Interbike will also host 65 new exhibitors including SANYO, a major electronics company that chose Interbike to launch one of its first electric bikes for the North America consumer bike market.

"While SANYO is exhibiting at Interbike for the first time, we are not newcomers to the cycling industry," said David Cabanban, business development manager for SANYO North America Corporation. "Our first product was a bicycle lamp, and Interbike offers us the perfect stage to place our latest innovations in electric bike technology in front of top industry influencers and allow retailers and the media to ride the future."

Kicking off with the only industry demo event of its kind, the Interbike Outdoor Demo gives attendees the chance to put the latest bikes and accessories through real-to-life testing. Amid the backdrop of Bootleg Canyon, home to one of International Mountain Bicycling Association's (IMBA) "Epic Rides," Outdoor Demo will provide an extensive groomed trail network, downhill-specific trails and dirt-jumping section. Returning features will also include a closed-cyclocross course set up and managed by CrossVegas LLC.

For road bike dealers and enthusiasts, Outdoor Demo will also include a closed road loop for demos and the annual Tour de Lake Mead. The 24-mile ride to Lake Mead and back continues to be a fun networking opportunity and a great way to give retailers and journalists an extended demo on vendor's latest bikes and gear.

Once inside the expo at the Sands Convention Center, Interbike will host a number of product launches, business meetings and events tied to recent growth in the commuter and electric bike categories.

After positive feedback from attendees and exhibitors alike, the Urban Legend Fashion Show will highlight a range of stylish, smart, sexy and professional clothing that fit into everyday life and work great on a bike. Instead of a traditional catwalk, a road loop will be laid out in the main exhibit hall. Urban Legend attendees will gather in and around the loop, while models ride among the audience. The innovative layout, inspired by Momentum magazine, allows the models to display urban cycling apparel and bikes in action and allows each attendee a front row seat.

The Light Electric Vehicle Association (LEVA) will be hosting two seminars during the Interbike Expo aimed at helping retailers sell more electric bikes (e-bikes) and how to trouble shoot repairs for e-bikes.

BMX, a vibrant category that is also an important gateway for youth into many of the other cycling categories, will be prominently displayed at Interbike with a professionally built BMX track at Outdoor Demo, the BMX Zone, Rail Jam and a special BMX editorial section in the Interbike Event Guide produced by RideBMX magazine. For more information please see Interbike's recent press release.

Once the tradeshow workday is done, Interbike participants are invited to attend the third annual CrossVegas and USA CRITS Finals on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, respectively.

CrossVegas competitors will include both Elite Women's and Men's races along with the Wheelers and Dealers race for industry members. Interbike will provide complimentary shuttle service for attendees from The Sands to the race location from 6:00 p.m. -11:00 p.m., shuttles leaving every 15 minutes.

The USA CRITS Finals are the grand finale to the 2009 USA CRITS National Series and will be held at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. The event will feature Pro Men, Pro Women and Amateur competitor categories along with an Industry Cup, all on a fast and technical 1-kilometer course.

For more information about the week-long Interbike Expo and Outdoor Demo event, please visit www.interbike.com.

Twenty-Five Corporate Partners for 25th National Pro Cycling Championships

Volunteer Positions Still Available for Greenville Hospital System USA Cycling Professional Championships

Greenville, S.C. - With one month until the nation's top professional athletes vie for the prestigious U.S. national cycling championships, a solid roster of 25 local and national businesses have committed to support this prestigious event. Organizers expect over 60,000 spectators for the Greenville Hospital System USA Cycling Professional Championships, now in its fourth year in Greenville, S.C., which will take place August 29-30, 2009.

Greenville Hospital System University Medical Center (GHS), one of the largest not-for-profit healthcare providers in South Carolina, returns for a fourth year in partnership, third year as title sponsor, for the championship weekend. Both the City of Greenville and County of Greenville return as official event hosts, providing valuable public safety support that is vital to all spectators and competitors. One of the new sponsors for 2009 is Duke Energy, which joins as the event's presenting sponsor of the Individual Time Trial Championships held at CU-ICAR.

"Obviously, we are grateful for the continued public and private support of the Greenville Hospital System USA Cycling Professional Championships, especially during these challenging economic times," noted Chris Aronhalt, managing partner of Medalist Sports, which produces the event on behalf of USA Cycling, Inc. "The Championships are a perfect fit to the Greenville community in many ways - a world-class cycling event which brings national attention to Greenville, promotes health & wellness activities, and, at the same time, raises significant fundraising dollars for the local cancer community."

Having commitments from 25 sponsors with a month to go to the 2009 GHS USA Cycling Professional Championships allows organizers to get a head start on activation programs. In addition to providing product and services for the Championships, Medalist Sports encourages all corporate and community partners to support the P3 charitable events and to get involved with volunteerism.

Nearly 400 volunteers are put into action each summer for this event, now in its fourth year in Greenville, S.C. Volunteers typically come from the Southeast, and some come from as far away as California for the weekend event. For many cycling fans, it is the best way to watch the event, and score an official T-shirt and complimentary Subway lunch at the same time. Others find it matter of community pride to help the city host an event that receives a national spotlight for the region, such as local RoundTowners, Hands on Greenville, Greenville Hospital System and Greenville Spinners Bicycle Club.

"We've come to consider the USA Cycling Professional Championships our signature event in Greenville, and we are just as excited to be a part of this today as we were four years ago," added Jim Bourey, City Manager of Greenville.

On Saturday, Aug. 29, the 20.7-mile Professional Individual Time Trial Championship will return to the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR). On Sunday, Aug. 30, the 110-mile Professional Road Race Championship will be contested, utilizing a start/finish location in the West End section of downtown Greenville and challenging athletes with four climbs over Paris Mountain on the north side of Greenville County. Both courses will also host new races for the U.S. Handcycling Series, presented by the Paralyzed Veterans of America, giving these elite athletes a final tune-up for the world championships in Europe in September.

2009 marks the fourth year of the Stars and Stripes Challenge and a partnership with the Palmetto Peloton Project (P3). Last year a record $110,000 was presented for cancer research by P3 with Stars and Stripes Challenge events. In the three years that the P3 organization has partnered with the Championships, it has raised over $400,000. Recreational cyclists, with advance registration, again can challenge themselves to the same road race course as the pros, including the Paris Mountain climb, or enjoy a six-mile Family Fun Ride. Funds this year will be distributed to GHS' Oncology Research Institute, the Lance Armstrong Foundation and Activate Upstate. Event details and registration can be found at www.p3ride.org.

This summer will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Professional Road Race Championship. After 21 years in Philadelphia, Pa., the Professional Road Race Championship moved to Greenville in 2006. That same year the Professional Individual Time Trial Championship was added to the schedule. USA Cycling, Inc., which sanctions the event, extended a three-year licensing agreement for 2009 to keep the dual championship in Greenville. Strong corporate and community support are key factors in keeping this event in the Southeast.

2009 Sponsors:
  • AT&T
  • AVF Creations, official web services and technology provider
  • AVIS/Budget, official rental car agency
  • Budweiser of Greenville and Michelob Ultra, official beer products
  • City of Greenville, host sponsor
  • County of Greenville, host sponsor
  • COSTCO Greenville, providing food and beverage supplies for volunteers and P3 charitable events
  • CU-ICAR, official host of the Individual Time Trial Championships
  • DUKE ENERGY, presenting sponsor
  • Entercom Radio, official media partner (B93.7, WORD, Rock 101, and The Planet)
  • GO Magazine, official media partner
  • GREENVILLE HOSPITAL SYSTEM, Title Sponsor
  • Greenville News, official media partner
  • Hincapie Sportswear, official cycling merchandise vendor
  • Hilton Greenville, official hotel
  • Icelandic Glacial, official water
  • Jani-King, official commercial cleaning services
  • Level 42 Vodka, providing spirits for hospitality functions
  • MAVIC, providing neutral support services to both events
  • Rosen Associates Development
  • Sutter Home, providing wine for hospitality venues
  • Universal Sports Television, official media partner (recap show Sept. 12 at 4:00 p.m. EST)
  • Wachovia, official banking services
  • WYFF-4, official media partner (recap show Sept. 5 at 1:30 p.m. EST)
  • Yakima, official roof rack/bike rack equipment
Applications for all volunteer positions, maps of race courses and updated events schedules are available online at the official event web site - www.usacyclingchampionships.com.

Schedule of Events

Saturday, August 29, 2009
  • 11:00 a.m. - USA Cycling Professional Individual Time Trial Championship
  • Tbd - Time Trial for US Handcycling Series, presented by Paralyzed Veterans of America
  • Start/Finish - Millenium Dr. at CU/ICAR Greenville, S.C. 29607
  • Cost - free for all spectators watching both Time Trials
Sunday, August 30, 2009
  • 7:30 a.m.- Stars and Stripes Challenge Bicycle Ride
  • Start/Finish - S Main & Camperdown streets in downtown Greenville, S.C.29601
  • Cost - $50 adults advance registration for Stars and Stripes Bicycle Ride
  • 10:00 a.m.- Stars and Stripes Challenge Family Ride
  • Location - Falls Park
  • Cost - Free for all families
  • 1:00 p.m.- USA Cycling Professional Road Race Championship
  • Tbd - Criterium for US Handcycling Series, presented by Paralyzed Veterans of America
  • Start/Finish - Main & Camperdown streets in downtown Greenville, S.C.29601
  • Cost - Free for all spectators watching Road Race

Wind Tunnel Tests Prove That Speedplay Pedals Are Faster!


San Diego, Calif. - In recent wind tunnel testing, Speedplay, Inc. has discovered the aerodynamic importance of pedal choice. The first known wind tunnel test of clipless pedals, conducted at the San Diego Air & Space Technology Wind Tunnel, established a notable difference in the coefficient of drag when comparing Speedplay pedals to other brands.

"In order to measure the wind resistance of pedals, I created a fully-articulated robotic cyclist to accurately replicate a real-life racing scenario and to eliminate human variance in the wind tunnel," explained Speedplay's pedal designer, Richard Bryne. "The robotic cyclist pedaled the bike at a cadence of 100 rpm and at a speed of 30 miles per hour in each test."

Speedplay Zero pedals bested the two other clipless pedal brands tested by posting a substantially lower coefficient of drag score. While each of the other pedal brands posted the same coefficient-of-drag score of .243, Speedplay pedals produced a lower drag score of 237. The reduction in wind drag of Speedplay pedals, when converted into time saved, results in an incredible 33 seconds per hour advantage. "I suspected Speedplay pedals would prove to be more aerodynamic than the others because of their minimal frontal area, but even I was surprised by the margin of difference," said Bryne.

To put the significance of this speed advantage into perspective, using Speedplay pedals is comparable to switching from a standard front wheel to a deep-profile, aerodynamic front wheel, according to available data. This aerodynamic advantage is important to competitors because it is easier to gain speed by reducing drag than by increasing power.

The result is also good news for speed seekers who appreciate good value, since a change to Speedplay pedals is an inexpensive way for a cyclist to gain a meaningful increase in speed.

For more information, visit www.Speedplay.com/33seconds

Team Type 1 Goes 1-2 In Under 23 Criterium Championship


Bend, Ore. – Team Type 1 put the finishing touches on an already successful week of racing at the USA Cycling Elite National Championships with a 1-2 finish Sunday in the women’s Under 23 criterium.

Samantha Schneider and Jacquelyn Crowell attacked the field a third of the way into the race and rode away to finish first and second, respectively, in the 21-mile (35 km) race through the downtown streets of Bend, Ore. Lauren Hecht (Webcor Alto Velo) won the field sprint for third.

For the four days of the event, Team Type 1 came away with two gold medals, a silver, a bronze, and a fifth-place podium finish. It was an impressive performance that brought a big grin to the normally stoic face of Women’s Team Director Jack Seehafer.

“We’re definitely pleased with our performance,” Seehafer said. “It’s been a really good first year for us.”

Crowell’s silver medal adds to the gold she won in the Under 23 individual time trial on Friday. In the same event, Team Type 1’s Alison Powers earned a bronze medal in the elite ranks. And on Thursday, Team Type 1’s Kori Seehafer finished fifth in the elite road race.

In Sunday’s criterium, Crowell and Schneider bided their time in the back of the field as a flurry of attacks went off in the first 10 trips around the six-tenths-of-a-mile course during the 35-lap race. But with 22 laps to go, Crowell attacked with Schneider on her wheel and the pair quickly built a seven-second lead.


“I think we caught a lot of people off guard,” Schneider said of the attack through the second-to-last turn on the rectangular course.

Trading pulls on the front, the two ticked off lap-after-lap, averaging 26 miles per hour as their lead grew to 10 seconds, then to 15, then 20, but was pegged back to 10 with 14 laps remaining.

“I was getting a little worried when the gap dropped back down,” Seehafer said. “The field was actually getting organized and working together.”

But Schneider and Crowell produced their second-fastest lap of the race to push the lead back to 16 seconds and deflate the spirit of the chase behind. When their advantage grew to 38 seconds with three laps to go, the only question remaining was who would cross the finish line first.

Crowell said the decision was an easy one.

“The goal today was to get Sam a win and that’s what we did,” she said.

Schneider said she was happy to earn the victory – her second on the season – and the right to wear a special stars-and-stripes jersey for one year in every criterium she races.

“I think it was pretty fair,” Schneider said. “She (Crowell) got the time trial championship and I got the criterium.”

Photos: Courtesy Team Type 1

Cobb Cycling Introduces Newest Saddle: The Max

John Cobb Builds on Success of His V-Flow Saddle Line with New Model


Tyler, TXCobb Cycling has announced the immediate availability of its Max saddle, the latest addition to John Cobb’s line of rider-friendly bicycle saddles. Cobb has worked with many of the best cyclists and triathletes in the world, including Lance Armstrong, Greg LeMond, and top international Ironman pro triathlete Kate Major, and has been considered one of the foremost authorities on aerodynamics, ergonomics, biomechanics and component design for over two decades.

Cobb developed the Max – available in both white and black – to provide maximum comfort for triathletes, time trialists and cyclists of all disciplines. The lowered nose section combined with the deeply cut pressure-relief trough is designed to reduce pressure on the perineum, which includes a man’s prostate area and a woman’s most sensitive soft tissue. The Max utilizes the same narrow rear section of Cobb’s popular V-Flow models which does two things: 1) it encourages male and female riders to sit further back on the saddle, even when in an aero position, better incorporating their skeletal system for support via their sit-bones, and 2) it also facilitates the more natural rotation of a rider’s hips for better efficiency and power.

One feature of the Max saddle is a new, higher density foam. “Ongoing testing with riders who spend a lot of time on their bikes demonstrated that a firmer surface can provide longer-lasting comfort if the seat is shaped correctly,” explained Cobb. “The new foam will save weight while providing enhanced comfort for long rides and high volume training.” Cobb also explained that the rail design of the Max will make it easier for riders to achieve ideal positioning and proper setback for UCI-sanctioned events: “It boasts one of the longest sets of rails available, so the Max will easily adjust to a rider’s desired position.” The Max weighs 255 grams and is readily identified by its distinctive shape.

Team Type 1’s Leal Is Mexican National Time Trial Champion

Ameca, Jalisco, MexicoVeronica Leal rode to victory in the rain last Saturday at the Mexican individual time trial championships, earning Team Type 1 its second national title in as many days.

Leal was 10 seconds faster than Pan American gold medalist Giuseppina Grassi in the 12.4-mile (20 km) race against the clock over soggy streets in Ameca, Jalisco. Fernanda Jurado was third, 42 seconds behind Leal, who completed the distance in 28 minutes and 25 seconds.

Leal was happy to have exacted a measure of revenge against the rider who beat her by nearly 90 seconds last week in a time trial of nearly the same distance. It also erased memories of her runner-up finish to Grassi in this same race a year ago.

“I’m extremely excited and very grateful to the people who have supported me,” Leal said. “I have been training for this since January and it’s been my goal to win all along. I’m extremely thankful for all the things Team Type 1 has given me this year. I’m very happy to be part of such a great team.”

Team Type 1 Women’s Team Director Jack Seehafer said he wasn’t surprised at Leal’s performance.

“We knew she had the capability and the big thing was that she was continuing to get used to her Orbea Ordu time trial bike,” he said. “The whole team is exited about her win. It was something we talked about at the beginning of the season.”

The victory was the 30th for the Team Type 1 women’s professional squad in its inaugural season. Team Type 1 is currently No. 1 in both the team and individual standings of the National Racing Calendar (NRC). Leal’s teammate, Alison Powers, also won the Women’s Prestige Cycling Series (WPCS), an overall competition comprising stage races around the United States between March and July.

Leal’s time trial success follows a gold medal performance Friday by Jacquelyn Crowell in the Under 23 time trial and a bronze by Powers in the elite time trial at the USA Cycling National Championships in Bend, Ore.

Photo: Courtesy Wenceslao Rodriguez

Team Type 1’s Crowell Earns Gold, Powers Bronze In Time Trial


Bend, Ore.Jackie Crowell made history with her victory last Friday in the Under 23 time trial at the USA Cycling Elite National Championships in Bend, Ore.

In winning the 21-mile (35 km) race against the clock, the 21-year-old earned Team Type 1’s first national title. Jerika Hutchinson (Team TIBCO) was second, 14 seconds behind, and Rachel Warner (Charlottesville Racing Club) was third.


Team Type 1’s Alison Powers earned a bronze medal in the elite women’s time trial over the same distance, finishing 23 seconds behind the winning time of Jessica Phillips (Team Lip Smackers). Evelyn Stevens (Century Road Club Association) was second, one second behind Phillips’ winning time of 50:35.


The Team Type 1 women’s professional squad was created this year as an extension of the already successful program of Race Across America (RAAM) and professional men’s teams founded by Phil Southerland and Joe Eldridge. Every team includes athletes who have Type 1 diabetes who are striving to instill hope and inspiration for people around the world affected by diabetes.

Team Director Jack Seehafer said the two medal-winning performances add to an already outstanding season. Team Type 1 leads the National Racing Calendar (NRC) standings, Powers is No. 1 in the individual NRC competition and she recently won the Women’s Prestige Cycling Series (WPCS).

“I know Alison is a little bit disappointed, but she gave it her all out there,” Seehafer said. “It’s a good motivator for the off-season for her. I think we’re really going to end the season pretty strong and go out and try and win some criteriums now.”

By virtue of her victory, Crowell earns the right to wear a stars-and-stripes jersey in time trials next year. Friday’s national title was her sixth after earning five as a junior (under the age of 18), including two in the time trial discipline.

“But this will be the one I am most proud of because it’s at the elite level,” she said.

Crowell said equipment and good advice helped make the difference. Her time was the 14th fastest overall on a day when temperatures in the 90s and wind made the race against the clock all the more difficult.

“I had our mechanic, Paul (Mazurek) put a 55 tooth chain ring on the front, which was the key to winning,” she said. “And my Orbea Ordu (bike) was awesome. I also have to thank our director, Jack, who has helped me so much in my first year as a professional. He’s been very supportive.”

Following a day off, Crowell, Morgan Patton and Samantha Schneider will look to reach the podium again for Team Type 1 in Sunday's 21-mile (35 km) Under 23 criterium. Patton is one of two riders on the women’s team who has Type 1 diabetes.

In the elite men’s time trial, Team Type 1 Elite Team member Jeff Bannink had a problem with his saddle a third of the way into his 21-mile (35 km) time trial. The end result was a 46th place finish for the rider from Beaverton, Ore., who was one of eight members of this year’s squad that won RAAM in record time.

Photos: Courtesy Carson Blume Photography (top); Team Type 1 (middle & bottom)

Friday, July 31, 2009

Wiggins Walking the Walk

With his fourth placed finish in the recently completed Tour de France, it would be easy for some in this ultra skeptical, almost completely cynical, world of professional cycling to doubt the performance of Bradley Wiggins (Garmin-Slipstream).

But whether it has been in Olympic competition on the track or during even the lesser known road races, Wiggins has always been at the forefront of offering himself up for testing. With the backing of Team Garmin-Slipstream, which has been dedicated to total transparency and ethical sportsmanship since its inception, the team, at the request of Wiggins, has released his hemoglobin and off score data from 2008 training camp through the 2009 Tour de France. This profile indicates no evidence of blood manipulation.


“Brad is an exceptionally talented athlete and it was great to see him do so well in the Tour de France. He’s always been an outspoken advocate of clean cycling. He requested that we release his results after the Tour and his decision makes me and the entire team proud,” said Jonathan Vaughters, CEO of Slipstream Sports.

We can only hope that measures such as these can lead to a greater transparency within the sport, and a cleaner peloton now and in the future.

Team Type 1’s Seehafer Fifth At Elite Road Nationals, Crowell Third For U23

Bend, Ore.Kori Seehafer’s bid for a solo victory at the USA Cycling Elite National Championship Road Race came up a few miles short Thursday.

The Team Type 1 rider was caught and passed by a group of four riders within three miles of the finish of the 67-mile (107.5 km) race that was run on the challenging Awbrey Butte circuit around Bend, Ore.

Seehafer finished fifth as Meredith Miller (Team TIBCO) soloed to the win, ahead of Christina Ruiter (ValueAct Capital Cycling Team) and Kristen Lasasso (Team Lip Smacker).

Amy Drombroski (Webcor Builders Women's Professional Cycling Team) earned the Under 23 national title while Team Type 1’s Jacquelyn Crowell finished third in that category. The elite and age group categories competed together on the course that included more than 1,000 feet of climbing on each of the four laps of a 17-mile (27 km) circuit.

Seehafer said she did what she could to hang on after attacking with 15 miles to go and building a 35-second gap that forced a reaction from the field and the formation of the eventual four-rider chase group.

“I got caught at the right turn at the base of the last climb,” Seehafer said after her best finish at road nationals since a sixth-place in 2007. “I stayed with them until you take the right turn – about five kilometers from the finish. At that point, I was hurting and got dropped on the little climb. Then I caught up with them, only to watch Meredith attack and get off solo. Then I got dropped again.”

Initially, the group chasing Seehafer numbered five and included Team Type 1’s Jen McRae, who – like teammates Alison Powers, Samantha Schneider and Crowell – had been monitoring riders trying to mount the chase.

“I ended up covering the decisive move that went to Kori, but I just couldn’t say with them on that climb,” McRae said.

Seehafer said if she had to do it all over again, she would have kept riding hard after catching the four.

“My mistake was that when I caught them after chasing back, I should have gone straight through them instead of sitting up,” she said. “I just don’t have the acceleration after an effort like that.”

Crowell, who finished second in the USA Cycling Collegiate National Road Race Championships earlier this year, was pleased with her third-place finish among riders 23 or younger. More important than a strong finish, she said, was to try and help Seehafer get the win.

“I saw the attack with Amy (Drombroski) go and my teammate, Jen (McRae), was immediately on it,” Crowell said. “Once you see your teammate on an attack you can’t do anything. So I just let it go and hoped it would come back.”

Powers, Seehafer and Crowell will compete in the individual time trial Friday. Team Type 1’s Jeff Bannink is entered in the Elite men’s division. He was one of eight riders who have Type 1 diabetes who competed in – and won – the Race Across America (RAAM) in June.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Team Type 1 Women Aim For National Titles

Bend, Ore. – The Team Type 1 women’s professional squad has its sights set on challenging for a national title or two at this week’s USA Cycling Elite National Championships in Bend, Ore.

The first-year team’s best chances to put riders on the podium come in Thursday’s road race, the Elite and Under 23 individual time trials on Friday and Sunday’s Under 23 criterium.

Team Type 1’s Alison Powers is favored to successfully defend her national title in the 21-mile (35 km) elite time trial. Teammates Kori Seehafer and Jacquelyn Crowell will also race against the clock over nearly the same course that they did in last week’s Bend Memorial Clinic Cascade Cycling Classic.

Team Type 1 Director Jack Seehafer said that is one factor playing into his riders’ favor.

“Also, with it being a longer course, it definitely suits Alison and Kori,” he said. “In a sense, it’s good that Alison lost the time trial during Cascade because she’s focused and fired up to get the job done.”

Last year, on a hilly course that ran through Santiago Canyon in Irvine, Calif., Powers beat Mara Abbott (Team Columbia-HTC) in the time trial by 99 seconds.

In Thursday morning’s 67-mile (107.5 km) Awbrey Butte Circuit Race – another course used in last week’s Cascade Classic – Kori Seehafer will be Team Type 1’s protected rider. Each of the four laps of the 17-mile (27 km) circuit feature more than 1,000 feet of climbing. Brooke Miller (Team TIBCO) is the defending champion.

“Because of the climbing, it’s definitely going to eliminate a lot of the sprinter-type riders,” Jack Seehafer said. “It is definitely going to favor more of an all-around rider. Hopefully, we can get Jen (McRae) up and over the climb because we need her at the end. Depending on how the race is going, we might have Alison (Powers) shut it down early, just to make sure she’s good and ready for the time trial the next day.”

Weather may play also play a factor in the ultimate selection, Jack Seehafer said.

“It’ll be a cool morning start and in the 90s by the time they finish,” he said. “It won’t be as bad as it was for some of the road races during Cascade. That might make for more aggressive racing.”

Following a day off, Crowell, Morgan Patton and Samantha Schneider look to reach the podium for Team Type 1 in the 21-mile (35 km) Under 23 criterium. Last year’s race came down to a field sprint for the stars-and-stripes jersey, with Beatriz Rodriguez beating Kacey Manderfield and Amara Boursaw.

“We’ll look for Jackie to get in a breakaway because she has the motor and that’s her style of racing,” Jack Seehafer said. “If it comes down to a field sprint, we’ll be looking at Sam or Morgan.”

Patton is one of two riders with Type 1 diabetes on the Team Type 1 women’s professional team. She must carefully monitor her blood sugar level during competition because her body does not naturally produce insulin.

Team Type 1 Elite Team member Jeff Bannink, who also has Type 1 diabetes, is competing in the elite men’s 21-mile (35 km) individual time trial on Friday. Last month, the 38-year-old Beaverton, Ore., resident was a member of the Team Type 1 squad that bettered the Race Across America (RAAM) record on its way to winning the 3,012-mile (4,861 km) transcontinental race.

Monday, July 27, 2009

Kenda's Numainville Victorious at 2nd Annual Chicago Criterium

Chicago, IL – Fresh from a Gold Medal performance in the 99km road race at the Pan American Games in Hidalgo, Mexico, Joëlle Numainville (Team Kenda) would win Sunday's 2nd Annual Chicago Criterium ahead of Laura Van Gilder (Mellow Mushroom) and Sarah Caravella (ALAN), respectively.

The 21-year-old barely had time to celebrate her Pan American victory for her native Canada before she boarded a plane destined for Chicago. She would arrive late on Saturday night to join her teammates.

Because of the short turn around, the goal for the 50-minutes plus 2-laps criterium was to respond to any moves put forth by the peloton to protect Numainville and ensure no missed opportunities for a win.

The team, which included Catherine Walberg, Ashley James, Christy Keely and team captain, Kristin Wentworth executed to perfection. With the largest presence of the thirty-five woman field, Team Kenda would also win several primes during the women's Cat 1/2/3 race to go along with the overall victory.


In the final lap several riders shuffled, but Numainville’s only concern was to grab a good wheel despite being marked by several riders. Joëlle indicated that she was confident in her ability to drill it straight into the finish and thanked her teammates for their help in making the win possible.


Results - Women 1/2/3

1. Joëlle Numainville (Team Kenda)
2. Laura Van Gilder (Mellow Mushroom)
3. Sarah Caravella (ALAN)

Photos:
Paul Forsythe

Triple Exclusive - An Interview with PROMAN's Nicola Cranmer


At the highest level of the sport, the Directeur Sportif, or sporting director, manages the daily operations of the cycling team. Often times you will see them following their riders in the team car, communicating with them about tactics, race situations, or upcoming terrain, and even provide some mechanical assistance. But at the lower levels of the sport, the responsibilities of the sporting director, or team manager, can run the full gambit of things, from pinning race numbers on jerseys or filling water bottles to sending out newsletters or even being the team masseuse.

Such is the life of Nicola Cranmer, Team Manager for the PROMAN Hit Squad. Since founding the California based women’s cycling team in 2006, Nicola has taken it from regional amateur team to national elite professional team, and now to UCI track team. In doing so, she has helped foster the dreams of the individuals she has worked with as well as precipitated the agenda of all women in cycling.

Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down with Nicola to discuss PROMAN’s newly formed Junior Development program, garner her perspective on women’s cycling, and explore her own passions as a cyclist.

Granny’s 30 (G): From your bio, you stated that you were previously an apprentice jockey, did you grow up around horses?

Nicola Cranmer (NC): Yes, you could say that in a sense, the horses were mostly on television; it certainly wasn’t a glamorous poetic introduction to them.

My dad is a huge horse racing fan, so I grew up with him jumping up and down on the edge of the sofa screaming ‘go on my son, come on come on! Betting on horses is legal everywhere in England and its quite common to pop down to the local bookies on a Saturday morning, get some fish and chips and a few pints and either watch racing at home or at the pub. My dad would bet a few pounds on a horse for himself and for me. Mostly I picked horses for their name back then, later on form. I was one of those girls that had every inch of her bedroom wall covered with pictures of horses; most of my friends had pictures of Duran Duran, Starsky and Hutch or the Human League, horses most certainly kept me out of trouble [that came later].

My mum when she was younger used to baby-sit for one of the leading thoroughbred trainers in England – Sir Gordon Richards; she stayed in touch with him and occasionally rode his horses. I remember one day I must have been about seven or eight I watched my mum riding, she was challenged by the man she was riding with to a race, they galloped across a field neck and neck it was very exciting, my Mum won the ‘race’ and it left quite an impression on me. I was then hooked. We were quite poor growing up although I didn’t realize it at the time, so I could never afford to have a horse of my own. I worked in a riding school on the weekends in exchange for free riding lessons; I knew I wanted to make a career out of it. My grandparents lived in a village where there was a training facility, so when I finished my secondary modern school, I moved in with them and worked for one of the leading trainers in the UK.

G: Were you ever into equestrian riding or was it purely racing? If racing, what type, flat or steeplechase?

NC: I competed in gymkhanas at about age 12 and a little cross-country; I went straight into thoroughbred racing at age 16. I was fortunate enough to work in the top yard in the country for a trainer, David Elsworth. In my first year in horse racing, one of the horses I took care of, Melindra won at Royal ascot, I got to meet the queen mum, that’s where the glamorous side of horse racing came in. Melindra was a very sassy two year old filly that was rescued by a police woman from a knackers yard, (slaughter house) turns out she was a really good sprinter, of course it was a rags to riches story that the media loved. It’s sort of the equivalent of an unknown rider winning Flanders.

It was a mixed yard, both flat and steeplechase.

G: How did you get into the sport of cycling? Did you ride prior to your move to California…before your mountain biking days?

NC: The only bike riding I ever did in England was a way of avoiding drinking and driving, although you could still get arrested for being drunk on a bike. The good thing was the local police man rode a bike and I was pretty sure I could out ride him if I needed to

There is a huge pub culture in England and it’s just what you do, if you weren’t paralytic by 11pm (pub closing) it just wasn’t a good night out. It’s weird thinking about it now, but it’s part of life there. I was 17 at the time. I lived in a little village and would ride my bike to the pub – skirt, heels and all. I think my bike had 3 gears but I didn’t really ever use them. It also had a dynamo light which was really tricky when riding home from the pub at night, struggling up the hill with the light getting dimmer and dimmer and finally stopping at the top, the first few feet of the descent it was pitch black until the dynamo got working again! Once in a while my skirt would get sucked into the oily chain, I mostly wore black then so it didn’t bother me much. It would have been far too sensible and not very fashionable to put trousers and trainers (sneakers) on.

I moved to California in 1986, primarily because I needed to take some time off from riding horses due to an injury, I decided to move to California for six months. While I was here I met a guy, Dan Lewbin, then expert National XC Champ, in the local bike shop – Planeaway Bikes, formerly the Koski Brother’s Cove Bike Shop in Tiburon (The Koski Brothers are the less known pioneers of mountain biking), who asked if I would like to go riding one day. I actually purchased a road bike first and would go on long rides by myself. I had no clue as to what I was doing. I would pack a lunch; slices of cheese, ham or salami and weird things like that…sometimes I would be out there all day.

I eventually borrowed a mountain bike and went riding with Dan and his friends who belonged to a sort of renegade outlaw team, DFL - "Dead Fucking Last," I quickly became a ‘member.’ At that time, mountain bike racing was so fun with classic races like Shasta Lemurian, Revenge of the Siskyous, TNT, Rockhopper, etc. These were more point-to-point or big epic loop races, which have now been replaced in favor of more spectator friendly lap races. It was good times, with bands and kegs at the finishes. I was naturally quite good and progressed quickly from sport to expert cross country, then to pro downhill. I raced for WTB and later PROFLEX. WTB now sponsors my team with tires and saddles.

In 1997, my life abruptly changed and so did my bike racing career, which I hesitate to call a career as I wasn’t getting paid. While riding my mountain bike on a Mount Tam fire road, I got a speeding ticket (yes, the state park rangers would literally hide behind trees on fire roads with radar guns), which led to a refusal of entry back into the US due to an over stayed visa. As I was not allowed to be let back into the US for over two years, I moved back to London, and signed with Lennox Lewis’s sports agency as a mountain biker.

My three years back in the UK were pretty incredible though. I met some wonderful people; one of them would eventually be the title sponsor of the team that I was to start 8 years later. It’s quite a long story, but a fascinating one for another day!

I moved back to the States in 2001 and then found myself back on the bike again. Simon Andalib, former Village Peddler employee/bike racer, was responsible for getting me back into racing, and pro mountain biker Chris Greene was a huge support and training partner.

G: What was your motivation behind starting up a cycling team?

NC: My main motivation…racing on a co-ed team I noticed that the men got more support than the women. This was frustrating so I decided to form a women’s team. I quickly found a shop sponsor, Paradigm Cycles, which at the time was owned by Julia Violich. Julia who is also the current 40+ national XC champ and 2nd placed finisher at Masters Worlds, has since sold the shop, and assists as our sponsorship director. It would be impossible running the team without her support.

Our title sponsor came to us very quickly too, and we wouldn’t be where we are today without them. PROMAN – PROject MANagement is a German engineering company, one of the biggest in the world, they certainly don’t need the advertising. They sponsor the team solely to assist its athletes attaining their goals and dreams; a very unique situation. I am eternally grateful for their support.

G: When you decided to start up the team, what was the hardest thing about starting it up? What turned out to be easier than you thought?

NC: The title sponsor came very easily, that was huge! Starting the team was actually one of those serendipitous moments where everything flowed. Not saying anything was really easy, it’s always been hard work, which is something I am not afraid of. I think the hardest thing is being taken seriously. It seems you have to pay your dues in road cycling for people to respect you. The team is rolling into its 4th year and I think we are gaining respect both on and off the bike. The road scene is pretty tight knit and I would say much of the respect is gained off the bike; integrity and a good sense of humor go a long way. There have been times that have challenged me beyond what I thought was my capacity but I seem to be coming out of it all OK. I have certainly made plenty of mistakes along the way. I don’t pretend to be anything I’m not, I don’t pretend to even know what I am doing – I am just doing it to the best of my ability with what I know. I think it’s a continual learning process and I enjoy pushing myself to become better at what I do. I love the sport of cycling and intend to be here for a long time. It’s a wonderful community of people and I have forged friendships that will last a lifetime.

We are at a point in the team’s growth where we are outgrowing our title sponsor. Although PROMAN will continue to support us I need to generate more sponsor dollars to give the athletes what they deserve. There is just so much that I want to do. We rely on private donations from fans, family and friends, even cyclists from other teams have contributed in the past. Without this kind of support we would not exist. We are definitely a community effort.

G: As Team Manager for PROMAN Hit Squad what are your responsibilities?

NC: Well, this may take a while, I do everything from securing sponsorships, order clothing, take care of logistics, update the blog, write newsletter, fill water bottles, recruiting and even occasionally massages, I was a massage therapist for 11 years – you name it I do it. It wouldn’t be fair to say I am a one-woman show, but I do take care of the meat of the project and I couldn’t do it without the help of the team and friends. I definitely need to delegate more. I think most people have no idea what goes into running a team. I really almost have three teams to run, road, cross and track, which is split into two categories domestic and UCI. The UCI team has been a challenge; one of our riders Shelley Olds has excelled beyond belief and will continue to do so.


I formed the UCI team two years ago to enable Shelley to compete at the highest level of track racing, the World Cup circuit. Last year we were in Sydney, Beijing, LA and Copenhagen. This year Manchester and Melbourne, and she raced Copenhagen with the US National team. It’s been a great experience and an interesting one. I sit at managers’ meetings at these World Cup events and I am the only woman team owner in a room of about 150 managers and coaches, there are other women coaches and managers but very few (by the way, some assume I am the masseuse).

I would like to see more women in leadership roles in cycling especially in track racing. Working with former Saturn director, Giana Roberge has been instrumental in my growth and confidence. Her years of experience brought professionalism and high expectation to the team. I have learned a lot from her and take my responsibilities very seriously. Giana has since stepped away from her directing role with the birth of her first child. One of my biggest responsibilities is to the athletes on the team who not only show ability on the bike but passion loyalty, dedication and a trust in me to assist them with their goals.

Shelley Olds plays an important role as my partner on the team, her dedication and vision is so strong. Shelley has had opportunities to join other teams, and certainly get paid better, but she is determined to create the kind of environment that will allow her to follow her dream of the 2012 Olympics. She is a natural leader and has inspired me to reach for higher goals than I would have imagined. Her fiancé Rob Evans has also been a significant in developing a business strategy for the team for the future. Tim Brennan, team mechanic and sounding board, has also been a dedicated supporter of the team, taking care of everything technical and just basically being a good ear when times get rough. My ringtone on his phone is the pinball machine…I think that tells you a lot!


Julia Violich has also been a rock. She is a dedicated supporter of everything cycling, who I could not do without. We are also very fortunate to be joined by Cari Higgins, 4-time elite track champ. Cari fits well into our program, she has a strong track focus and dedicates much time to mentoring juniors in her hometown of Boulder, CO. Rachel Lloyd is another key member, she keeps things dirty with her Cross and Super D skills and is also a natural with the juniors. All team members contribute in one way or another and without the support of these people there would be no team.

I would also be remiss if I did not mention any and all of our sponsors: PROMAN, Violich Farms, Paradigm Cycles, BMC Bikes, Cane Creek Wheels, SRAM Bike Components, Enduro Bearings, Rudy Project, Voler Clothing, JL Racing Clothing, Skins, Northwave Shoes, WTB Tires & Saddles, Arundel Cage & Bar Tape. Sapim Spokes, Velocity Rims, Dumondetech Lube, Pure Swiss Water, Mez Design, CLIF Bar, Peet's Coffee & Tea, Whole Athlete, Marin Spine & Wellness, Larkspur Hotels, Northpoint Advisors, and Brake Through Media.

G: Some former band/orchestra members who have gone up front [of the band] with the baton have stated that it's hard to jump back in [for whatever reason], have you found that with your managing a team and racing for it?

NC: The first two years it was not a problem for me to manage and race as we were racing at a regional level and the team was smaller. Things changed; however, going into the third year when NRC races came into the picture, and now UCI. It’s very important to have a solid foundation by which to operate a team, and I have come to terms that I will be racing less. I am ok with that. I think racing with the team on occasion has its definite advantages. Although all the girls appreciate what I do as a manager there is nothing quite like sacrificing your personal race for another, it forms a deep bond and a different level of appreciation.

Managing has its own set of challenges to keep me focused. I will jump in a few crits this year to help my teammates but I will focus mostly on track racing. My goals will be at Masters Track Nationals and hopefully Masters Track Worlds. But the girls on the team are so dedicated and focused that they deserve more attention, although they constantly remind me to focus on myself. My priority as far as the team goes is them. If I can provide a situation where all they have to worry about is racing their bike I will be happy. That being said, most of the current team members are very active in the team’s growth off the bike as well. We do have a great support crew.

G: Mountain or Road?

NC: Mountain for the soul, the big drop offs and technical descents, road for the grace, sprints and team efforts

G: Road or Track?

NC: Track for the speed and tangibility and to increase power for the road

G: Crits or Stage Races?

NC: Crit slut all the way! I am starting to appreciate more and more the beauty and challenges of the stage race though.

G: With your title sponsor (PROMAN) in Dusseldorf, Germany has there been any talk/consideration of the team racing in Europe?

NC: Yes we have considered racing the road team in Europe, it’s very expensive to send a team but we certainly hope to, the Spring Classics would be a priority if we had the budget. The UCI track team has raced two World Cup seasons overseas. Since we first chatted, PROMAN riders, Shelley Olds, Rachel Lloyd & Megan Guarnier, Ashley Dymond and Coryn Rivera have raced for the US National team in Europe. Shelley competed in Italy on the track and was on the podium all three days of racing and was on the podium at a World Cup. Megan also competed in races in Italy, Belgium and France, including the Spring Classic – Tour of Flanders. Both Shelley and Megan also recently competed in the Giro d’Italia Femminile. Betina Hold also headed to Europe to race for the Canadian National Team.

We have Jim Miller to thank for these opportunities internationally. These kinds of experiences are invaluable to our athletes and will add to the depth of our young squad. Jim has developed an outstanding women’s program and works very closely with developing domestic teams. He is very modest in regards to his achievements but I am very grateful for his focus on women’s racing.

I also want to mention two other people, Michael Engleman and Kristin Armstrong. Michael Engleman’s contribution to women’s cycling in the form of The U.S Women’s Cycling Development Program (USWCDP) is crucial to the maintenance & growth of the sport. Likewise, Kristin Armstrong's contribution to cycling as a whole and to women's cycling specifically is immeasurable. The newly formed Kristin Armstrong Academy is instrumental in the development of our young riders.

BMC bicycles, based in Switzerland and distributed by QBP, is working with the team for the second year. We had an opportunity to visit the facility last summer, and it is an amazing place. All the guys who work for BMC are a great. We are the first U.S women’s team that BMC has worked with and I am really grateful for their support, and the support of women’s racing.

G: Where do you see PROMAN/ Racing in the future…with a full U23 Development squad…as a UCI team racing both in the US and in Europe?

NC: My vision for the team has become apparent and crystal clear in the past couple of months. Creating our junior program is very exciting.

The junior development compliments our elite program offering accomplished riders an opportunity to pass along experience and wisdom. It is my hope that the team can offer the juniors an environment where they can develop their cycling skills, achieve their personal goals in competition and to encourage and maintain a healthy lifestyle as well as creating future ambassadors for women's cycling. It’s easy to talk the talk but we are truly walking it and have an international vision for our development program.

I feel that an investment in junior riders, girls in particular, is crucial to the growth of women's racing in the US. Recently appointed USAC athletic director, Jim Miller, has assured me that he will continue to focus on women's development. Miller has successfully developed the women's road endurance program that has resulted in world class contenders and Olympic gold.

It was an easy choice for us to include juniors in our program. You don't get the instant podium gratification that you would if I used the budget to hire elite riders, but PROMAN team members are in this for the long haul and we hope to contribute more to women's cycling than a win on any given weekend. Don't get me wrong, its fun to win and see the athletes achieve their performance goals but we are dedicated to taking this program well past the podium and helping secure the future of women’s cycling.


Although we are the USA’s premiere women's track team, our focus is definitely more diverse, spanning road, cross track and mountain. I feel it’s important to expose all of our juniors to every discipline defining a focus can come much later. It is my goal to get two of our juniors to World Cup level in the next two years. I would like to do it sooner but to compete at the elite World Cup level the rider has to be at the racing age of 18. Our riders range from ages 12 – 16 years old. The two I have in mind will be ready as soon as they are 17-years-old, so in 2010 and 2011 expect to see two of our juniors racing Track World Cups…the Road to 2016 Olympics is already being paved.


We currently have four junior girls from the Bay Area, where the team is based. We wanted to be very hands on in our first year in order to discover the needs of these young athletes. We plan on expanding it into a national program in the future. We have also added Coryn Rivera, who at 16-years-old holds 21 national titles, road, track and cross, to the roster. She will be focusing on Junior Worlds as well as some NRC races. On junior gearing, she has wins at this year’s Manhattan Beach Grand Prix, the San Rafael Twilight Criterium, and on Saturday she pulled off her biggest win in the Downtown Bend Criterium, which is part of the Cascade Cycling Classic.

Current National champions, Shelley Olds and Cari Higgins and I will be scouting for new juniors throughout the year. It’s our aim to establish more programs throughout the US over the next few years. Budget is our only limiting factor. I am finding many more companies, even industry sponsors, are keen to assist in the development of future athletes. I am hoping that this is an indicator of a promising future for our program; after all it secures their future consumer base! It is apparent that there is a need for more junior girls programs; this was evident by the number of resumes I received from many aspiring athletes, mostly from the USA but also from Australia, Ecuador and Mexico.

Our program is designed to take care of a rider from junior through elite. There are other junior programs as well as pro women's teams out there, but its in-between where lots of girls fall through the cracks. It’s my hope to bridge that gap. While focusing on juniors with world level potential, it’s my hope to offer a club program to young girls that just enjoy riding and competing at regional levels but will have a support system and resources to tap into. Again, the infrastructure for this is set and the wheels are in motion, it just requires a bigger budget.

Supporting juniors comes with a lot of responsibility, which we take very seriously, there are challenges involved. Of course there is a huge emphasis and encouragement on schoolwork.

The junior are an integral part of the team, their unbridled enthusiasm, is infectious and breathes vibrancy into it.

G: PROMAN won the NCNCA Women's Premiere Series in 2006 & 2007, had exceptional results at the 2008 US Track Nationals…what are the team goals this year…your personal goals?

NC: As far as team goals, a national jersey in every discipline wouldn’t be too farfetched: road, track, mountain and cross. And to see the team grow and succeed both on and off the bike, community is a big part of the plan for PROMAN Racing. I would also like to see continued development of women’s track and road racing in the US. A goal is to add more women’s stages to the Amgen Tour of California, and this could potentially happen. This year’s criterium, while a little early in the NRC calendar, was even more well received than last year. It’s very important for women’s racing to be associated with the rolling Amgen Tour of California media machine and other U.S tours.

Increased media exposure for Women’s racing is necessary to leverage more sponsorship dollars. Last year, PROMAN hosted the first International Style Omnium at Hellyer Velodrome. Because of its success, it will now be contested at the national level at the USAC Track Nationals in October.

G: What was your best moment on a bicycle…the worst?

NC: Best - Thousand Esses (Laguanitas fire break) it was a beautiful summer day or at least I remember it that way. I was riding with a few guys and we were going to poach some illegal single track, this trail was particularly challenging and there was a section near the top of the trail that very few people had conquered. That particular day I felt really confident dropping into the trail, I even said out loud that I was going to clean it today. It actually wasn’t even a trail but a firebreak; it was steep and loose. The guys I was riding with started ahead of me and they were waiting at the most difficult section as we were going to practice it. Well I was relaxed and happy and started in on the descent, I gracefully approached the difficult section with my eyes fixed on the trail ahead, it felt like I just floated over it and continued on, past my friends and just kept going. My friends were astonished, as was I. That was about 13 years ago and they still talk about it. The trail seems to have gotten steeper over the years and the drop off even bigger, but hey that’s the stuff legends are made of and that day, in my mind, I was one!

Worst moment had to be riding in the Mount Shasta area the day began clear and sunny but at about the 4th hour of riding a snow storm blew in and I had a long road descent, I was the most cold I had ever been, I could barely brake and my tears froze! I felt cold for days after.

G: Your most memorable race…your most forgetful?

NC: Let’s start with the worst. Worst race would have to be as a cat 3 on the road – Snelling road race. I was on third wheel going into the final half kilometer, with the field a few meters behind, this was a very rough road aptly named the cheese grater. I had a front tire blow out and went down immediately, after that it was carnage; the noise was something I will never forget, half the peloton rode over me. I ended up with some separated ribs, lots of road rash and tire burns on my neck and back where I had literally been ridden over. There were gals who were far worse off than me, including Tracey Ford who was racing for a rival team and she lost the tip of her finger. I felt really awful. Although it was an accident and no one blamed me, it was a tough time for sure. I personally contacted all involved that I knew were hurt.

Most memorable...I have won several races but somehow the moments that spring to mind are the races I have performed a solid lead out or bridged a team mate to a break or brought back a break. I do get great satisfaction out of team work, but yes its fun to win. One particularly memorable moment was helping Tracey Ford win the Fidelity Burlingame Criterium 2 years ago. Yes, the same Tracey who had lost the tip of her finger in the horrible Snelling crash!

Burlingame was a goal race for her. I had flown back the night before from my managerial duties at Nature Valley GP where Shelley Olds ended up 6th in the GC. I was feeling like crap, it had been a tough week. During the race I felt as though I could not hold my position, with three laps to go I could see that Tracey was not in a good spot, she was 2nd wheel and would find herself at the front much too early. I am not sure what happened in that moment but I knew that I was committed to helping her win, I went from the back of the field to the front, picked up Kristin along the way, leaving Tracey third wheel, I put the hammer down and went as hard as I could for over a lap to ensure no surge from behind, I pulled off with two turns to go leaving Kristin to finish the job for Tracey. Tracey won and was so grateful. It’s amazing where you can find strength when someone is depending on you. We have a lot of gals on the team that will bury themselves for the cause. It wasn’t a national level race but the satisfaction of helping a team mate achieve a goal was what mattered.

G: What did you think about Georgia Gould's petitioning the UCI for "Equal Pay"?

NC: I signed it and I agree that women should get equal pay but I am not sure if contacting the UCI directly on this is the only answer, although of course they have the power to implement the rule. It’s the race promoters who need to understand that women deserve equal pay – it’s a numbers game when you look at it from a business perspective and more men generally enter the races. But yes, absolutely women dedicate just as much of their lives to training and racing and in my opinion actually make more sacrifices so they deserve equal pay. This is different as it is salary but in a UCI track trade team contract, minimum wage (approx $12,000) is to be paid to both male and female racers annually.

G: You've stated that the team is somewhere in between a professional team and an amateur one. What are the unique challenges that you're confronted with "straddling both canoes," so to speak?

NC: The biggest challenge is man power. I want to be able to support a regional team as well as a pro team but it’s become apparent that I cannot do it all and will be focusing on a UCI track trade team and a small road team in 2009. This will allow me time to contribute in other areas of cycling, such as race promotion and to do a better job of managing. I am determined to make a stamp in the world of track racing, there needs to be more support for women also in road racing too but there are already some strong women ambassadors for the road.

G: You have two riders in Shelley Olds and Rachel Lloyd who have proven that they can compete on a world stage, how do you support their efforts while building that team of riders to support them?

NC: Both Shelley and Rachel’s disciplines; track and cyclocross are not so team oriented, it’s the road racing that brings the team together. They both enjoy being part of a team during the road season as it takes the pressure off the individual performance. Shelley’s goal was to podium at a track World Cup this year and to develop as a track racer with the ultimate goal of the Points race at the 2012 Olympics. She achieved the first goal. I have decided to put a strong focus in this area; it is something I love to do.

Rachel had similar goals for this year, which perhaps will be her last at the World Cup level of cyclocross. It was a difficult decision for me, but this season, so Rachel could get the level of support she deserves, she will be racing on another team with a very strong cross identity. With an already stretched out budget with increasing costs of international travel it seemed like the best thing for Rachel. It was a tough choice for both of us as she is very loyal and we are also great friends. She has rejoined us for road races in 2009.

G: Riders and teams come and go, but women’s cycling seems to be getting hit fairly hard with sponsors pulling out for the 2009 season. First, what is appealing about women’s cycling relative to men’s cycling? What do you think should change in women's cycling to get people, and sponsors, more interested and excited about it?

NC: This is a question that quite honestly bewilders me. I see the massive marketing potential in women athletes but it seems to be a sentiment that is not shared. There is a fine line between exploiting women's sexuality and women’s athleticism in cycling...it seems to be defined as one or the other, I think marketing strategists are confused by this. I recently spent time at the Amgen Tour of California and I was reminded of how the cycling industry is run primarily by men who show very little interest in women's cycling. Yes, some companies dedicate a few sponsorship dollars and product to a couple of teams for PR purposes, but in large part most companies are not very interested in the true development of women’s cycling. Men's teams get far more. There are a few industry companies; however that have put thought into women’s products. I have always been incredibly grateful for all the support but this gratitude can easily turn into frustration.

I believe women are far better ambassadors for the sport and the products they represent, for example, whenever the team travels internationally we take an extra few days to visit sponsors or dealers where their products are sold or we visit local schools. Team members will make time for shop rides or rides with local clubs. We are always well received wherever we go. Team members constantly reach out to the public to promote their sport. I can honestly say this is true of most women’s teams.

Women’s racing is exciting, I know that the top women’s teams in the U.S are very conscious of the comparisons to men's racing and race aggressively and hard to keep it exciting.

There are many parallels between the cycling industry I am now immersed in, and the world of horse racing and soccer that I grew up in. The struggle for women is very apparent. I am not one for sugar coating and there is a lot of smoke and mirrors in women's cycling and I certainly don’t want to sound bitter but it’s a sport that is struggling to gain the attention and exposure it deserves. The women racers and team managers make incredible compromises and sacrifices to ensure that their teams are out there on the circuit. Demographics show that women purchase more bikes than men and support the sport financially.

So what's the problem?

I wish I knew the answer. Surely it cannot all be a focus on the Tour de France and other grand tours? I notice in certain popular online cycling magazines that the men and the women can compete in the same NRC event and the men's headline is always first and in bold and the women's underneath in a smaller font!

I do know that the bigger races in the USA should all include a women's event; it helps to be a part of a big media machine like Amgen Tour of California or Tour of Missouri as both of these races are working hard to include a women's event, it my hope to see an extension of the criterium at ATOC. A three day stage race would be a good start.

That being said, we are forging ahead with a new program model that will ensure longevity and continued growth in the sport. We have a team of very bright future stars, I used to love the expression, "sky’s the limit," but I think we can go further.

Photos: Rob Evans (first through third, fifth and seventh); Bob Cullinan, CycleTo (fourth and sixth)