| Last login:
7/4/2008 |
 offline
|
| STATS: |
- Currently 5/5 Stars.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
|
3,536 Views | 7 Votes |
|
|
|
|
Friday, June 27, 2008
VETTA Sponsored LUNA's Georgia Gould and Catharine Pendrel Qualify for US and Canadian Olympic Teams
LUNA Riders Successful at Mountain Bike World Championships, Qualify for Beijing Olympics Colorado Springs, CO: June 22, 2008 Georgia Gould and Catharine Pendrel have qualified for the Beijing Olympic Games based on their recent World Cup results and yesterday's Mountain Bike World Championships. Georgia will be joining Mary McConnelog (Seven Cycles) on the US Olympic Team, and Catharine will ride with Marie Helen Premont (Rocky Mountain) on the Canadian Olympic Team. This is the first Olympics for both riders. The UCI Mountain Bike World Championships were held yesterday in Val de Sole, Italy. The LUNA girls all had career best finishes. Katerina Nash was 12th, Georgia was 9th, and Catharine finished in 6th. More details and photos to follow.
| |
Sunday, June 15, 2008
VETTA Sponsoring The Freedom Run Across America Charity Event
I am really proud to be a sponsor of this event. I think what Tom and Warren are doing is truly amazing! You can check out their progress on their website. I will try to give a weekly update on their progress as well. They are currently in Cleveland, OH doing a 5K run. The 2008 Freedom Run across America is dedicated to raising funds for the Wounded Warrior Foundation, which assists wounded veterans and their families, the Sunshine Foundation, which grants wishes to seriously ill and abused children, and the Challenged Athlete Foundation, which assists disabled athletes. The run will be led by original 1978 Ironman Tom Knoll, now age 75, and his son, Warren, 44, who will both run 3,300 miles from coast to coast. Warren will also bike across the country, possibly marking the first time an individual has both run and biked cross-country in the same event. This will be Tom’s second cross-USA charity run. In 1983, Tom ran across the United States for the Sunshine Foundation in 64 days, averaging 46 miles per day. The run will start at the San Diego, California Marine Corps Recruit Depot on March 1st, 2008 and finish at the Marine Corps Memorial in Washington, DC on July 4th, 2008. It will consist of 112 days of at least 30-mile runs.
| |
Sunday, June 15, 2008
VETTA Sponsored 10 Degrees Latitude's Adam and Neal have 5 Days Left for Training
Vetta is sponsoring Adam and Neal on their annual expedition where they traverse 10 degrees of latitude of a given continent. This year they will be starting from Scotland and ending their race in Paris. The race in Europe starts on 6/20/2008 so they only have 5 more days left for training. Recently, they were in San Francisco participating in an "open" water race put on by the Dolphin Club. Check out the link below for an account of their training in SF. http://www.10degreeslatitude.com/category/training/
| |
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Vetta Sponsored LUNA's Shonny Vanlandingham wins XTERRA Southeast Championship
XTERRA Southeast Championships Today for the first time in six years and 20 races - ever since Anke Erlank from South Africa won the 2002 XTERRA East Championship - a female not named McQuaid or Whitmore won an XTERRA Regional Championship. Shonny Vanlandingham stunned the women's pro field and rode away from the competition in the mountain bike leg of the XTERRA Southeast Championships, and held off her nearest competitor in the run, winning by almost five minutes. Shonny missed the first XTERRA Regional event in Temecula, CA last month thanks to a nasty crash that left her with broken ribs, a bruised kidney, and a lot of road rash. After winning the BUMP and Grind mountain bike race last weekend, Shonny knew her body was healthy and her form was coming around.
From Shonny's Texas accent:
It was great to be back with my XTERRA teammate, Danelle, and her daughter Zoe, in Alabama. I also had the pleasure of meeting Danelle's husband, J.F., who is just as laid back and nice as Danelle.
Danelle and I started the swim side by side but ultimately I ended up trying to keep her pink swim cap in sight as she exited the water about 30 seconds ahead of me. We shared a few seconds together in transition from swim to run, and off we were on our Orbea bikes, she the Oiz, and me on the Alma.
After racing the Bump and Grind mountain bike race last week, I was familiar with the bike portion of the race so was able to take over the lead by the end. Then I was 'off to the races' in my Avi Bolt racing flats for a very hard up and down run through the forest, and was able to hold on to the lead and win my first XTERRA National race. I haven't been this excited since my first Norba National win in '03!
I'm humbled and thrilled at the same time. It's an honor to be with these ladies. I'm just kind of getting started in this triathlon thing and I'm learning a lot. Didn't expect this (victory) after that bad crash before Temecula. It's been a lot of pain the last few weeks. I have a couple fractures that are still not quite healed, but it's getting better daily and I'm hoping my top end is coming back. Thank you to LUNA, Orbea, and Avia for supporting me and Danelle in the exciting world of off road triathlon. XTERRA is a class act and I am continually impressed by the media attention they garner and the quality of events the organization, TEAM Unlimited Inc., creates. Also, it was a pleasure to meet up with some of the Orbea crew who drove the Orbea van to the Bump and Grind mountain bike race last week. Aloha (wait, that's not Texan...),
Shonny Danelle also had a good race and finished in 7th. No details on her event but I'm sure it was exciting!
| |
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Vetta Sponsored LUNA Places All Three Riders in the Top 15 at Ft. William World Cup; Leads Team Competition
World Cup #5 Ft. William, Scotland The fifth round of the Union Cyclist International World Cup mountain bike series was in the Highlands of Scotland in the small town of Ft. William this past weekend. Situated on the shores of Loch Linnhe, Ft. William is a gorgeous town, complete with green rolling hills, long haired cows, and plenty of brew pubs. The weather has typically played a major factor in the race, with cold rainy days turning the course into a muddy mess. This year the riders were treated to the warmest, driest weather since the World Cup first came here in 2003. The course was challenging, which made the race exciting for the thousands of crazed Scottish fans lining the trails. It's an amazing event and one of the best World Cups of the season.
The LUNA girls had a strong day with solid finishes. Katerina Nash had a great start, faded a bit, but finished strong in 14th place. Catharine Pendrel had the family to impress and rode to a great 12th place finish. And Georgia Gould finished the day in a respectable 11th place. The LUNA girls continue to lead the overall Team competition. One of the more challenging things about racing abroad is the food. Not all European food is good, especially in Scotland. Winters are long and hard up north and the food is a direct reflection of that struggle. Breakfast usually consists of eggs over easy, toast, bacon, blood sausage, and head cheese. Not the best diet for an athlete. Cereal is also an option but the warm, whole milk makes it not so appetizing. Lunch and dinner are similar and involve more artery clogging fare. A typical day might involve the following: Bannocks, also known as oatcakes, are eaten for breakfast with cheese; Crowdie, a simple white cheese made from soured milk; Forfar Birdies, similar to the pot pie but filled with minced beef, suet, and finely chopped onion; and Haggis, the most famous dish of Scotland. Haggis is made from sheep's offal (or pluck). The windpipe, lungs, heart, and liver of the sheep are boiled and then minced. This is mixed with beef suet and lightly toasted oatmeal. This mixture is placed inside the sheep's stomach, which is sewn closed. The resulting haggis is traditionally cooked by further boiling (for up to three hours) although the part-cooked haggis can be cooked in the oven which prevents the risk of bursting and spoiling. Oh yummy. As an elite athlete looking for healthy options, one can become very frustrated. And in a small town such as Ft. William, there aren't a lot of alternatives. The one saving grace about Scotland, and England for that matter, is the Indian food. India used to be a British colony and because of that, there are lots and lots of Indians living in Scotland and England. Lucky for us. The Indian food in Ft. William was fantastic and the two years I raced there, we ate Indian food six nights a week. I also bought skim milk from the grocery store and had lots of cereal for breakfast and lunch. You can make it work but you have to be creative, and persistent. After a long hard day of racing, the last thing you want to do is write a race report. But Waldek and the girls have been great about getting me the results within 24hrs and I really appreciate it. Here's a little of what they had to say. Katerina: "No rain is Scotland is possible. We experienced the best weather in Ft. William since we have been coming here. It even included swimming and rope swinging. Cold Scottish water worked wonders for our legs as all of us turned in some good racing today. I had a very good start and was in 3rd position at the start of the second lap. I dropped back several places, but I know I have to keep trying to stay with the leaders because one of these days I will be able to stay with them. I finished 14th today. Tomorrow I'm flying home to Czech where I haven't been since September. It will be very nice to see my parents again." Catharine:
"Scotland has been quite the adventure. The weather has been gorgeous and sunny, meaning river swims and great rides for the whole LUNA team. My parents also came to watch the race and had adventures of their own. My mom fell while hiking the course and had to get her face bandaged from upper lip to forehead and a couple stitches, but still showed up in her LUNA Sport visor to cheer on the team. The racing was hard with a 10+ minute climb off the start followed by a long switch back descent. I rode well and my best on the day, but other girls just had more. My 12th place finish was solid but I'm looking forward to a week in Switzerland to rejuvenate before the World Championships." Georgia:
"I was probably the only one in all of Ft. William praying for rain and chilly temps on race day (the thought of racing in the heat again doesn't sound great). Alas, I woke to a beautiful sunny day. Actually the weather for the race was very good, and though it did get a little bit hot for me, it was totally tolerable. I had a great start and found myself riding in the top-5 for most of the first 3 laps. I was ruling the downhill (thanks to riding with Katerina in the pre-ride)! On Lap 3, things got a little tough, and lap 4 was just plain painful. After getting passed by what seemed like 30 people, but was really only about 6, I put my foot down on the 5th lap and dug a little deeper. I managed to finish 11th; not the most stellar result for me, but better than last weekend. I am looking forward to racing in Italy and having a better result at the World Championships."
| |
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Vetta Sponsored BPG/Montano Velo's Rapinski Wins Cat's Hill Classic!
Victor Rapinski wins the sprint out of a 5 man breakaway at this week's heated criterium in Los Gatos, CA. With 10 to 15 minutes left in the race and after a series of attacks and breaks, Rand Miller (Alto-Velo Webcor), Ryan Parnes (Metromint), Justin Laue (ZteaM Cycling), Tyler Dibble (Cal Giant) and Victor Rapinski (BPG/Montano Velo) were able to extricate themselves from the peleton for the few remaining laps. Victor Rapinski, beginning his sprint from before the final turn, was able to keep a clean set of wheels to the line.
| |
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Vetta Sponsored LUNA's Tyler Stewart Races to 2nd in Hawaii Ironman 70.3
On the other side of the world in sunny Hawaii, Tyler Stewart was having a tremendous race in the Ironman Hawaii 70.3. The 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and 13.1 mile run is half the distance of a true Ironman. Still not an easy race by any means. The winning time was 4 1/2hrs! Here's Tyler's exciting recap:
"A lot of people ask me how things have changed since I turned professional. I still love what I get to do every day. I love to race and still get the same butterflies I did 4 years ago in my first race as an amateur. But this year I think I have added a little more perspective and a lot more reason to my races, and it has very little to do with the color of the cap I'm wearing on the starting line.
Things began to change for me in August of 2006, when we found out that my step-dad, Don, had lung cancer. My entire family came with me to the Ironman in Hawaii that year and as I was getting ready for the race and realizing how nervous I was getting, I sat down to write a few things about why I was doing the race; as if I had to convince myself. It hit me that the uneasiness I felt and fear of the unknown I would face the following morning must be nothing compared to Don. Finding out you have lung cancer, not knowing how long you are going to live, knowing you are in for the fight of your life, those are questions that will weigh you down. All I had to fight for was the finish line. In that moment, I thought, 'What did I have to be nervous about?' The next day I raced the Ironman with a different perspective. Like any epic Ironman race, there were ups and downs, many things went wrong for me and I questioned myself over and over. Even with all the adversity I faced, I had to keep reminding myself that my finish line was nothing compared to the battle that Don was just embarking on. It's now 2008 and Don is still with us, fighting well beyond what the doctors ever thought possible. He has inspired me in so many ways that I decided to spend this year racing for him and have teamed up with the Janus Charity Challenge and the Northern California Cancer Center to "Kick Cancer in the Butt." You can read more about my campaign and how you can help with a donation at my website www.tyler-stewart.com. So Saturday morning when I found myself racing in Kona once again, I was happy to have one more race that Don is still with us. This time it was the Hawaii 70.3, but I fully expect Don to join my family and me as we travel back here for the Ironman this October. All that being said, I was still nervous for this race. And I was still stinging a bit from a disappointing season opener in St. Croix. But I came to the starting line with a good attitude and a better perspective. It was the first time in a while that I got to swim with the whole pack. Maybe it was my brand new Blue Seventy swim skin or maybe my teammate on the LUNA Pro Team, Linda Gallo, is rubbing off on me (I wish!). I know it was a huge advantage for me that the pros went off with the rest of the group and it was nice to swim with others around me, not all on my own. I got out of the tough windy swim and was actually pretty excited with how I felt. I had a nasty transition and was ready to get on my bike and prove that I still knew how to ride. I went out on the race course without any of my monitoring tools; just me, my trusty new Orbea, and desire. I use my Powertap and eCycling (the indoor power-based class I teach at Endurance Performance Training Centers) to monitor my power every day, but for today my coach, Matt Dixon, and I decided to ride without my Powertap as a way to check to see how my internal clock was doing. To see if I could just find my legs and ride, and I did. I had a great ride and was about 3 minutes faster than the next female pro out on the course. I felt surprisingly good when I got off the bike. Then I got into the transition area only to realize I had made a huge mistake. I forgot my socks! I always race with socks and I was about to learn why. It took a few miles to find my pace and my legs. Just about as soon as I did we had to run through the sand on one of the beaches at the Mauna Lani. I knew that would cause a problem, and sure enough, it did. Luckily as I was feeling sorry for my feet a guy ran up from behind me and we spent the rest of the run together. I did everything I could to stay on his pace, which was so steady. Thank you Mitch for running with me, you are a champion! The run course at the Hawaii 70.3 is one where you can see your competitors at every turn. I got off the bike in third and ran up into second. Only by about 45 seconds though. Thank God I rode my bike with something to prove and thank God for Mitch who had such a great pace for me to try to hold on the run. I finished in second and was really happy with my result, but it is also nice to know that I did it for more than me. Triathlon is such a selfish sport if you think about it. We spend so much time away from our families and non-racing friends; hours and hours doing things just for ourselves. For me, it's good to know that although I was away from my family and Don this past weekend, I was still racing for him."
| |
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Vetta Sponsored LUNA On Podium at Andorra World Cup
After a weekend off, the LUNA Pro Mountain Bike Team was back in action at round #4 of the Union Cyclist International World Cup Series. This week it was the tiny ski resort in Vallnord, Andorra, a small country in the Pyrenees nestled between Spain and France. The venue was a bit unusual in that the start/finish line sat at the top of the mountain at 1800m, that's almost 5400ft for those of us that are metrically challenged. And of course after a gorgeous week of dry sunny conditions, the skies opened up and it rained the night before the race, turning the course into a challenging slippery muddy mess. The LUNA girls, however, had quite the day. Catharine Pendrel landed on the podium in 4th place for the first time in her career. Katerina Nash also had a career best and finished in 6th place, just missing the podium. Georgia, still mentally unsure of her physical condition after the heat exhaustion scare at Santa Ynez, rode a conservative race and finished in 17th. The girls won the team competition again for the fourth World Cup in a row.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|