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After a long week of traveling and prep to get to Belize, the Hincapie/Coca-Cola/Barkley Women's Team finally got their chance to play in the Sun. Lori Harkey and Marianne Holt both placed themselves in the major break of the day which finally whittled down to only 3 riders. Lori placed a great third place (finished 4th in the 2007 Belize Cross Country) after a long day in the tropical heat. Marianne worked hard in the field sprint to take 6th place for the day. A great international showing for the team and our sponsors. Photos and more details to come.
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Congrats to Blair Craig for his heathy sprint finish to WIN the 2008 NC State Pro 1-2 Criterium Championships. The Hincapie/Coca-Cola/Barkley Team did some great racing at the Championships held in Fayetteville, NC today. Shout outs also go to Lara Cassidy for her 2nd Place (Silver Medal) in the Women's Open, with Lisa Preslar taking home 6th place. Also to the multiple State Champ winner, Mac Canon, for his 3rd Place (Bronze Medal) finish in the Masters race. Stay tuned for pics.
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The Hincapie/Coca Cola Cycling Team have been sponsored by VETTA for a number of years. This year they have been using our V100HR WL2X for their training. I've only heard compliments thus far on our computer. Check out their review on the computer if you don't believe me.
http://hincapiecycling.blogspot.com/2008/05/sponsor-spotlight-vetta-computers.html
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Danelle Kabush 4th in First XTERRA in 19mos
Linda Gallo Takes a Break From Triathlon to Finish 11th. First Woman Out of the Water!
COLO SPRINGS, CO. (May 21, 2008) - From the very cluttered desk of Alison Dunlap
The LUNA XTERRA Team competed in the first big national race of the season. Since I am not the expert on XTERRAs, I'll let the girls share their stories with you. And no I can't see my desk there is so much stuff on it these days. Happy reading!
Danelle Kabush swam, biked, and ran to an outstanding 4th place finish in her first race back after a 19 month layoff. Congratulations!
Danelle's XTERRA West Championship Report
May 18th, 2008
I'm sore, blistered, chaffed and slightly burned (despite heaps of sunblock!) and rehydrating after a smoking hot opening Xterra race in near 100 degree temps this past Sunday. I'm not ecstatic, nor disappointed, but quite satisfied with my first return to Xterra racing in 19 months. Here is the story.
J-F, Zoé, and I were lucky to arrive in San Diego Friday night at my dear friend Amy's (pictured below with Zoé and Jason who ripped it up in the Sport race) after two plane delays gave us an 8 hour layover in the Vancouver airport. With all the wait time I got my first ever pedicure and decked my nails out in team Luna blue to keep my spirits up.
Saturday was a whirlwind adventure in heat acclimatization as we arrived in Temecula in time to do a lap of the course at 1:00pm, hot, hot, hot, but I was feeling good on my bike and ripping down the descents faster than ever on my speedy Orbea - and thanks to my recent discovery that I now need contact lenses - wow really makes a difference at speed! Following the ride I met up with my Luna team mate and swim phenom Linda Gallo, and was very excited to try out my new Blue Seventy swimskin in the refreshing Vail Lake.
Race day came bright and early with the Pro wave taking off at 8:00am the next day. I had to check my list twice as I was a little rusty and anxious about forgetting how to do the whole transition/triathlon drill again, not to mention the get Zoé fed drill in time to get in a warm-up in too. We had the pleasure of diving into a flat calm lake and when the churning pack sorted itself out on the one lap 1500m swim I found myself leading a small pack - whoops, so much for the drafting plan - one day that will work out! Meanwhile up at the front Linda Gallo, Michellie Jones, and Christine Jeffrey taking a break from the road tris and showing us how it's done it the water!
As always I was happy to get going on my bike and felt strong from the start. Without a single patch of shade in sight and hardly any breeze either I guzzled down as much Luna Sport Electrolyte Splash as I could along with Clif Shots. After coming out of the water in 10th position I worked hard to make up as much time as I could over the two lap sandy, fast, and steep rolling course with the odd cluster of rocks.
With the 4th fastest bike split of the day I left transition in 4th position and soon caught third who was already walking by the first hill. The run course in Temecula is probably the toughest in the Xterra series. It is two laps of straight up loose sandy terrain and follows a ridge for awhile before pounding back down to transition. The two choices for the climbs are hands-on-knees long strides or short baby run steps. I mixed it up and then grabbed the odd bush for support on the downs along with the fast hand-circle technique to try and keep myself upright. I was getting the dreaded cold shivers and seemed to be stuck in one gear as the mighty Xterra veteran Jenny Tobin pulled a slow motion catch and pass on me to leave me back in 4th position at the finish as I crossed in exactly 3 hrs, and 8min back of 1st place, which is an alright start considering Temecula was my nemesis course and has been my worst of the season the last two years I raced it.
Next up are the back-to-back races: Xterra Southeast Championship on June 8th in Birmingham, Alabama and the Xterra East Championship in Richmond, Virginia on June 15th.
Linda Gallo, a member of the LUNA Triathlon Team has been mixing it up in the XTERRA races. In Temecula she was the second competitor out of the water, out of all the pro men and women! Here's what Linda had to say.
Linda's XTERRA West Championship Report
I woke up the morning of my FIRST Xterra a bit nervous about the unknown! The lake was a balmy 74°F degrees (to match the expected high of 100°F for the air temp!) so this was a non-wetsuit swim. Better for me! The men and women started together which is good and bad. Then I can draft off some of the faster guys, but the guys also start much quicker, so it's hard not to go anaerobic in the first few hundred meters. Shortly after the gun went off there were two groups headed out to the first buoy. Unfortunately, I was in the group that took the longer line and we arrived at the first buoy about 20 seconds behind. I went to the front of my group of guys and spent the rest of the swim chasing the two swimmers in front. I finally caught up with about 200 meters to go and was second person and first woman out of the water!
On the bike, I made it up the first little technical bit and felt comfortable on the whole ride, even the downhill rocky sections (once I remembered to get my weight back!). I was able to hold my own on the uphill sections, but lost time on the downhill and single track. (note to self: increase mountain bike ride frequency from 1 to 2 rides a week) Towards the end of the first loop I rode a bit off trail and encountered some brush, which subsequently caused minor injury #1 shown below, before quickly getting back on the trail. The second loop proved uneventful ( a good thing!), yet as I was headed down the short sandy hill and back to transition, I took a corner too close, had my weight too far forward and took a small spill/abort and fell to the side causing minor injury #2. I was quickly up and on my way after turning my handlebars around and putting my chain back on.
The run started with a single track trail straight up the side of the mountain, which was a bit demoralizing, especially with the heat and sun. Once I got about half way into the run, I got a Clif Shot in and some electrolytes and started to feel better and hammered the second half of the run.
Overall, I was first out of the water, 10th off the bike, and finished 11th; and more importantly, had a blast! Definitely a fun race and I look forward to a few more XTERRA races the second half of the season. It was great to hang out with Danelle and a bummer Shonny wasn't there. Hopefully she is recovering from her injuries, which I am sure were far more significant than minor injuries 1 and 2 discussed herein!
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COLO SPRINGS, CO. (May 16, 2008) - From the dining room table of Alison Dunlap: A bit of a change. Chloe Forsman has some exciting results from the road racing scene and I had an amazing experience in New York City, being named an Honorary Trustee of the new Sports Museum of America.
Vuelta de Bisbee and Collegiate Nationals: Chloe Forsman, finishing up the spring semester, got some valuable fitness and training at the Vuelta de Bisbee Stage Race in Bisbee, AZ. With most of her teammates gallivanting around Europe, Chloe was on her own at the race. Luckily Chris Mathis, head mechanic, sent Chloe some Mavic Cosmic Carbone SL road wheels and a Mavic Comete Disk for the time trial. For a mountain biker to be competitive in these national level road events you have to have the right equipment.
Chloe won the opening prologue, the first road win at a national event for the LUNA Pro Team, and came in second in the road race. Not having a full on time trial bike, Chloe lost valuable time to the road girls in full TT gear. With one stage left, Chloe was sitting 47 seconds down on the leader.
Here's what Chloe had to say about her last day:
"Stage 3 started out with a 10 minute neutral climb to the summit of Mule Pass outside of Bisbee. Then riders were waved on by the pace vehicle to begin the race down the pass at 50+ mph. My strategy for the day was to stay out of the wind, try not to get outsmarted by the three Touchstone Climbing ladies (who had race radios, and lots of experience), and then attack early on the final climb. I needed 40 seconds on the race leader to take the General Classification. When we finally reached the last six miles of uphill racing, we were still in a headwind and the hill was not as steep as it seemed driving up it in my old car. The final 5-6 mile climb also contains close to a mile descent through a tunnel, then you exit the highway onto the prologue course for a steep 1.5 miles to the finish. I attacked about 1/2 mile before this tunnel thinking I could pedal through it, and considering it a "technical" feature of the course--some ladies might be hesitant to chase too hard through a fast and dimly lit tunnel. I had a sizable gap on the group leading into the tunnel but quickly realized the descent was too fast to pedal with my compact gearing and 12-tooth cog on the rear--oops. So by the time I exited the tunnel, there was a small group right there with me. For the next 1.5 miles I kept up the accelerations and it seemed each time someone else was gone. With the 200 meter to go sign I put in one last acceleration and put 0:12 seconds into the race leader for the win. It wasn't the thirty-some seconds I needed to take the GC but I was very pleased with how the training weekend turned out."
Chloe's experience at Vuelta de Bisbee served her well two weeks later where she won a silver medal in the road race at the Collegiate National Championships in Ft. Collins, CO. From what I've read, Chloe got away with a small group of seven riders early on in the race. The group mostly stayed together, working well to increase their gap over the chasing field. Chloe was narrowly outsprinted in the final few meters of the race and ended up 2nd in the Division I women's category. A spectacular result considering Chloe is supposed to be a mountain biker. Haha! Great way to finish off her sophomore year of college.
Sports Museum of America
I was invited to become an Honorary Trustee of the Sports Museum of America, the first all inclusive sports museum in North America. They flew me to NYC, picked me up in a big Cadillac Escalade, and put me up at the Ritz Carlton in Battery Park. My window looks out on Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. I even have a spotting scope in my room! Last night was a VIP showing of the Sports Museum of America. The museum is in lower Manhattan in the Wall Street district and a block from Battery Park and Ground Zero. The museum has lots of video, big photographs, paintings, interactive displays, the Women's Sports Hall of Fame, the Heisman Trophy, and sports memorobilia from as early as the 1910's.
Tuesday was the media event. It was outside in Bowling Green, a small park down from the famous charging bull, representing Wall Street. They had a big grandstand set up, a marching band, about 20 different school mascots running around, and the cheerleaders from Army. All the athletes sat on stage and we were each introduced to the big crowd below. I sat next to Bonnie Blair, Joe Frazier, and behind Mario Andretti (he even turned around and shook my hand after I was introduced!!). Other athletes that I can remember; Bruce Jenner, Martina Navratilova, Billie Jean King, Tony Meolo (goalie for the US men's soccer team), Tony Dorsett, Eli Manning (yes he was the crowd favorite), Bud Collins (famous announcer), Dick Button, Lyn Saint James (first woman to race in the Indy 500), Donna Devarona (Olympic gold medal in swimming), Carl Lewis, and of course Mayor Bloomberg. It was pretty cool and I'm in awe of the whole thing.
I unpacked my Olympic bike yesterday afternoon and decided to take it for one last spin up the West Side bike path before donating it to the musuem. I rode for 1hr 15min at a brisk pace and had a blast. Great way to see the edge of Manhattan. The evening event was amazing. I got picked up in another black Cadillac Escalade and rode over with Bruce Jenner and his son. Very friendly. There was a red carpet that we each walked down, complete with lots of photographers and TV camers. Pretty amazing! The dinner was in the museum in the great hall. A very loud band and lots of alcohol and yummy food. They had a big toast with all the athletes on stage towards the end of the evening. I was drinking champagne sandwiched in between Bruce Jenner and Tony Dorsett. How crazy is that! Spent some time talking with Philip Schwalb, the founder and CEO of the museum, and he kept saying how thrilled he was that I came. Wow! Amazing event and they want me to come back for more. I've been told my bike is going to hang next to Greg Lemond's 1989 Tour de France bike. How cool! Fun to be a celebrity for three days!
What's next for LUNA:
After a much needed rest week at home, the girls will join forces again this coming weekend in Santa Ynez, CA for the third round of the National Mountain Bike Series. Having gained valuable fitness and leg speed, watch for Chloe to inflict considerable pain on the front of the pro women's field. Then it is back to Europe for two more World Cup races and the prestigious World Championships. With the conclusion of Worlds, the Canadian and US Olympic Teams will be officially announced, so stay tuned.
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LUNA Mtb Team #1 in World Cup Standings
Georgia Gould 5th in Madrid; Leads Olympic Points Chase
Catharine Pendrel and Katerina Hanusova Create First Ever Top Ten Sweep
COLO SPGS, Colo. (May 15, 2008) - From the backyard patio of Alison Dunlap:
I've decided to change the format of our team race reports. I want to make them more interesting and exciting to read, instead of the usual play by play you get in Velo News. I will share the stories of my teammates from my window on the mountain bike world, complete with expert commentary of course. (Sorry for the typos) Enjoy!
World Cup #2: Offenberg, Germany
After a successful first round World Cup race in Houffalize, the team was on the road again, travelling to Offenberg, Germany, a small town situated between the Czech Republic, Austria, and Switzerland. This was the fourth year of hosting the World Cup and the first year it didn't rain. Many of the riders complained about the course last year, but when the crowds are over 30,000 strong, the race organizer isn't inclined to listen. In 2007 the course was dry and fast only to be wrecked the day before with rain. The technical drops that were once sort of rideable became terrifying. It can be incredibly stressful to ride up to the top of a drop that is so steep it looks vertical and you wonder how in the world you're going to get down. And that's when it is dry. Now throw in heavy rains and mud that is as slick as peanut butter covered ice and that's when things become a real challenge. You literally lay awake at night thinking of those sections, feeling your heart rate start to climb and the anxiety building. (One of the many reasons I retired!) That's what the course became known for. Now in 2008, it was time to go back. This year the course stayed dry and everything was rideable, albeit still quite challenging. The girls finished the event ranked #1 in the women's team World Cup rankings and continue to be the #1 ranked UCI team in the world.
Georgia had this to say:
"Europe has been great- with the exception of my sucky race in Offenburg! Oh well, sometimes you just don't have it. Pretty frustrating. I was hoping to redeem myself after last year's rainy, muddy fiasco. I had a great start and was in the top three heading into the 1st lap, but I never managed to find a rhythm (or go very fast). As the race went on I lost more and more places, eventually finishing 13th- not the worst race I've ever had, but not what I was hoping for either. It was a frustrating race for sure, but sometimes you need a bad race to get you fired up for the next race. We still managed to win the team competition (and A LOT of beer). I'm looking forward to better things in Madrid!
Three time Olympian Katerina Hanusova has been struggling at these first World Cups due to a nasty injury she acquired in the National Mountain Bike Race in Phoenix, AZ the first weekend of April. Going into the first turn of the Arizona race she slid out and put a large gash into her knee. After spending 5hrs at the emergency room she came back with 4-6 stitches in her knee. After a few days rest she resumed training, hoping to maintain her stellar form. Adding to the stress was the fact that the Czech Olympic Team was being decided after the first three World Cups. There was only one other woman Katerina had to worry about. If Katerina could finish higher than the other rider in two of the three World Cups she'd be going to Beijing. But it was not to be.
Here's what Katerina had to say:
"Sorry for not getting back to you but I haven't been online much and really did not feel like communicating with the world the last couple of days. I did not make the Olympic team and you know how much it sucks. My leg hasn't been hurting but has not been super strong either. I felt like things were getting better before last weekend but I sort of rode the same lifeless pace. I hope to ride better soon just to prove to myself that I can. I have not found my optimum form yet, but trust me, I am still looking and will be back soon. My teammates are doing a great job at the front of the field, which helped us to win the team competition again and that was great."
In only her second World Cup with the LUNA Team, Catharine Pendrel finished eighth. For a rider so new to the sport and the European racing scene, finishing in the top ten is a HUGE result, especially when each rider out there is trying to make her country's respective Olympic Team. It is scary to think of what she'll do in the next few years as her experience and confidence grow.
And Catharine said:
"After last weekend in Houffalize, I tried for a more conservative race and the pacing paid off. After getting up into the top 8 on lap one, I settled in until the 4th of six laps and then stepped it up. I was able to finish the race feeling strong and capable of more - a welcome change from last weekend. The course in Offenburg was exciting and there were thousands of people lining the entire course creating an amazing atmosphere."
World Cup #3: Madrid, Spain
And then it was off to Madrid for the third World Cup. The trip down south is usually a welcome change from the cold wet weather of Germany and a chance to eat food that isn't drowning in a dark gravy. Of course both years I raced in Madrid it was sunny in Germany and pouring rain in Madrid. Travelling around Europe can be an exhausting challenge. Usually on Monday after the race, the team packs up and drops the girls off at the airport. The drive to Madrid is huge and most of the teams will either send their riders home for a few days, (only the Europeans) or fly them down, to be met by the team truck a few days later. Finding the hotel and places to eat in the chaotic city of Madrid can take hours. Katerina has been studying Spanish in her spare time so I'm sure that helped.
The course was in downtown Madrid at a giant city park called Casa de Campo. It is a beautiful park with lots of paved roads as well as bike paths and great trails. It is also quite seedy. There are hookers all over the place. And we're not talking women sneaking around in the bushes. The women, in groups of five to six, were "advertising", very minimally clothed, on the main roads through the park, even as the race was going on. The year I raced in Madrid there were used condoms hanging from the bushes and the occasional naked couple fooling around in the more secluded areas of the course. Some of the mechanics even found used condoms under the awnings of their team trucks. By race day you don't see any of this because the 40,000 very enthusiastic, and very drunk Spanish fans screaming "Venga venga venga" (Spanish for go, go, go!) make it difficult to solicit for sex. Haha!
The race course is super fast with lots of short steep power climbs. Not much technical riding, but that doesn't mean the course is easy. You could have a World Cup race in a parking lot and it could be the hardest thing you've ever done. The riders definitely make the race, not the course. Start position is crucial because it is almost impossible to move up when the fields are large and the speeds super fast. The riders do multiple loops of the course which means getting to fly through the start/finish line as well as suffer up the "wall"; a short climb with a 25% grade, between 4-6 times. At the end of the day, the LUNA women had achieved a remarkable first. All three riders finished in the top ten of the Madrid race and maintained their #1 ranking in the team competition. First time in the history of the LUNA team!
"World Cup #3 in Madrid was a tough one," said Catharine. "The course was very fast which meant time gaps were tight and a rider was always there to take your place if you went wide on a high speed corner. I rode consistently in the top 10 with only a minute separating 6-12th position at the finish. Having three LUNA riders in the top ten all day was pretty incredible." Catharine's 8th place finish is a career best.
And Katerina had this to say about her much improved race. "Yes, my legs are back and it feels great. The injury is off my mind and is history. I had a super good start, moving from 3rd row to 6th place by the end of the first lap. The course here in Madrid was fast and had several steep hills. I felt like I was racing cyclocross at times." Katerina's 10th place finish is one of her best World Cup results.
Georgia found her mojo and rode to an outstanding 5th place finish. "I had a good start and was riding in the top 4 for most of the first 2 laps, " remarked Georgia. "During the second lap I was a little bit sloppy on a couple of the downhills, and I got dropped from the front group. A few riders passed me, but I was able to move back up to 5th by the finish. My legs felt good (the pre-race espresso Waldek brewed for me didn't hurt either), and I am happy with another solid result at the World Cup. It was great to see the whole team riding at the front of the race. Three LUNA riders in the top-10: hopefully this is just a taste of what is to come!" Georgia's 5th place finish in Madrid and Houffalize make her the leader in the Olympic points chase.
What's next for LUNA:
After a much needed rest week at home, the girls will join forces again this coming weekend in Santa Ynez, CA for the third round of the National Mountain Bike Series. Then it is back to Europe for two more World Cup races and the prestigious World Championships in Val di Sole, Italy. With the conclusion of Worlds, the Canadian and US Olympic Teams will be officially announced, so stay tuned.
That's all for now. Have a great weekend and happy trails!
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BERKELEY, Calif. (May 12, 2008) - Triathlete Tyler Stewart (Novato, CA) has recently signed with the LUNA Pro Team for 2008. She will be joining returning members Linda Gallo, Cathy Chesky, and Terra Castro on the triathlon squad, and will focus on the Half Ironman distances known as 70.3, as well as the famed Ironman World Championships in Kona in October.
"What can I say about LUNA? Great people, a great company, and I live on the products," said Tyler. "When Dave McLaughlin contacted me about joining the LUNA Pro Team, I jumped at the chance. I feel really lucky to be able to represent a company that makes women such a high priority by not only providing an amazing network of support for their professional female athletes, but also by encouraging women of all levels to pursue their athletic dreams. I am so proud and inspired to be joining the strong and accomplished women of Team LUNA. I'd also like to thank Dylan Seguin and Deven Clemens from the Clif Bar team who over the years have provided me with amazing support. "
Tyler and her husband Johnny Eason also own and operate a dog-walking, grooming and boarding business called WAGS. They recently celebrated their fifth year in business. Please join me in welcoming Tyler to the LUNA family of overachieving athletes.
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Well spring has crept in and with it more racing. April saw some great racing and a great set of races by the BPG/ Montano Velo Team. With A new month came some new additions to our team. We welcomed back Logan Loader whom just made it back from Belgium and will be racing with us the rest of the season. We add also Chava Crum formerly of Cal. Giant Strawberries to our squad. Rounding out our addition is our biggest name yet to appear in the BPG/ Montano Velo kit, Viktor Rapinski. Viktor is a registered pro rider who rode with Navigators Cycling team last year when the team shut down. Viktor in 1999 won the World Championship Points Race as a Junior and in 2001 won the Belarus National Championship Time Trial. Viktor has brought with him a wealth of knowledge that has reaped immediate rewards amongst the team. We look forward to a continued season of success. Our current rider Dave Everett was unfortunately involved in a nasty crash in a Road Race a few weeks ago and broke his shoulder. Dave came to us from Great Britain and was riding phenomenally before the accident. Dave will be finishing up his domestic season and heading back to England during the month of May. We wish Dave the best and look forward to hosting him again in the future.
Results
April
April 5th Martinez Bay Front Criterium Martinez, CA
5th place Cat 1,2 Justin Fraga
8th place Cat 1,2 Sean McBride
http://www.martinezcelebratescycling.com/CriteriumResults.html
Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/atn420/sets/72157604401473948/
April 11-13th Madera Stage Race Madera,CA
April 11th Ben Hur Hill Climb
4th place Cat 1,2 Matthew Willinger
April 12th Sharon Time Trial
5th place Cat 1,2 Matthew Willinger
April 13th Daulton Road Race
12th place Cat 1,2 Matthew Willinger
Final General Classification
3rd place Cat 1,2 Matthew Willinger
http://www.ncnca.org/road/2008/MaderaGCTime.htm
April 27th Wente Vineyards Criterium Livermore, CA
4th place Cat 1,2 Justin Fraga
12th place Cat 1,2 Viktor Rapinski
http://www.usacycling.org/results/index.php?year=2008&id=994&info_id=12600
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MIT Cycling participated in the USA Cycling Collegiate National Championships this past weekend. After the women's TTT scored a victory in the first race, the team held on to its lead, and was crowned the 2008 DII National Champions. In addition to the women's victory, Jason Sears, Martha Buckley and Yuri Matsumoto all scored top 10 finishes during this weekends races, which pitted the best collegiate racers in the nation against each other. Martha went on to finish 4th in the individual omnium and Yuri went on to finish 8th.
Zach, a member of MIT's cycling team said, "We are all very excited about this, and thank you for helping make this year one of MIT Cycling's best."
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