2010 ToAD - The Aftermath (part III)
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
2010 ToAD - The Aftermath (part II)
Monday, June 28, 2010
2010 ToAD - The Aftermath (part 1)
Wow. That was intense. I have been to countless Superweeks which are even longer at 17 days, but this series beat me up. MUCH MORE to come, but I'm taking a day off to catch up on the humdrum activities of home. So, until tomorrow, check this out:
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
ToAD Day 6 Sheboygan
Hello from Sheboygan where we just finished up day six of the 2010 Tour of America's Dairyland. It was a beautiful day, a little on the hot side despite being within view of Lake Michigan if you looked down the right street. Field sizes were down just a bit but not bad for a Tuesday, for example the Masters 1/2/3 still had 60 riders.
On the Pro end of things, Kiwi Mike Northey (Landrover/Orbea) took the sprint over James Stemper and two other's as they nearly lapped the field. (results not yet available). Since neither Sherer nor Hartley made the break, there is a re-shuffling of the overall and now Jimmy Stemper is wearing yellow! Pix from today are already uploaded at Peloton-Pix and I'll try to toss a few more on there when I get home
Cheers from Sheboygan!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
ToAD - Day 3 - Grafton
Short on sleep. Short on time. Keeping it sweet.
I've got notes on what happened to who and when.
Will fill you all in later, time to hit the road!
Video - 2010 ToAD - Grafton
Still looking for the person that got the finish sprint crash in the Pro race. That one we've got to see!
Saturday, June 19, 2010
2010 ToAD - Day 2 - Thiensville.
Day two of the 2010 Tour of America's Dairyland (ToAD) for the Pro's, the first day of competition for all the other categories in Thiensville - about a half hour's drive north of downtown Milwaukee. Under beautiful skies, the Cat. 3/4 Women lined up to begin their journey across the dairyland. One of the traits that this series is becoming known for is that on every day, your category starts at the same time, on time. You can set your watch by it and riders love it. Riding as if she had wings on her back, Whitney Gagioli (Amore Vita) was the first to cross the line for every prime and first to cross the line for the win. It doesn't get any better than that! 
Now it is late afternoon, and the skies are looking more threatening as the Masters 1/2/3 race is run. Three riders got away early on and made it stick.(RESULTS for this race were not uploaded!) To the south, many cloud to cloud lightning bolts can be seen, some close enough to be heard and since the break was assured sucess, the race was shortened by about 10 minutes for safety sake. After a short break to allow the potentially dangerous weather to pass, a MTB criterium was held. A some what jovial mood was expressed by these riders, including series announcer Brad Sohner who continued to carry his microphone ans supposedly took a short cut eliminating half the course! The prizes were serious though, with winner Ric Damm (Ripon Cycling) taking home a $600 pair of wheels!
Well, that put the final nails in the coffin, and the break was caught. Kenda's Rob White kept on it until the final lengths were eliminated. Now it's 3 laps to go, Kenda is at the front again, this time launching strongman James Stemper who also turned himself inside out to make this one count!
It was not to be unfortunately, as he was brought back on the final lap, with Aerocat putting their sprinting machine into top gear placing Juan Pablo DOTTI in prime position for the win. Second place was John Grant (Texas Roadhouse), and third by just inches - Isaac Howe (Mountain Khakis).
Racing continues today in Grafton, 45 minutes north of Milwaukee and part of USA Crits!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
2010 ToAD - Day 1 - Shorewood
Under sunny skies the Tour of America's Dairyland (ToAD) got underway in one of Milwaukee's suburbs - Shorewood. Today it was just Pro 1/2/3 - women for 60 minutes then the men for 90.
A good sized field of perhaps 55 women toed the line for their first race of the series. The tempo ebbed and flowed as riders tried to get away but were reeled back. At the half way mark, three riders were away with perhaps 20 seconds but a two place prime of $100 and $50 put the end to that as Carrie Higgins took the top spot in that sprint. The prime bell was rung again, this time for $200. That was snapped up by Julie Jerue of Lakeland, FL riding for IS Corp. Again, the prime bell was rung, again for $200, then once again for $300! That prime was won by Carrie Cash and just as the field cleared the line, the sound of popping tires and crunching carbon fiber could be heard as a handful of riders crashed right on the line. All together again for the final bell, and as the pack sped towards the line, the race was still undecided at 100 meters until Peanut Butter and Co. Carrie Higgins shot forward and took a convincing win over Sarah Caravella and Kacey Manderfield.
Racing begins for all categories on Friday, just a half hour's drive north, in Thiensville, WI
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Weekend Preview - June 18, 19, 20th
(NOTE: In the technical guide, the map for Waukesha is the Fond du Lac course. Map my ride is correct)
| Thursday, June 17 | Shorewood Criterium (Pro Men and Pro Women races only) |
|---|---|
| Friday, June 18 | Thiensville Fiddleheads Coffee Criterium |
| Saturday, June 19 | Giro d' Grafton (Criterium - part of USA CRIT Series) |
| Sunday, June 20 | Appleton Criterium |
| Monday, June 21 | Road Race at Elkhart Lake's Road America |
| Tuesday, June 22 | Sheboygan Harbor Centre Family Day & Bike Race (Criterium) |
| Wednesday, June 23 | Trek Waterloo Classic (Criterium) |
| Thursday, June 24 | Greenbush Road Race |
| Friday, June 25 | Fond du Lac Criterium |
| Saturday, June 26 | ISCorp Downer Classic (Criterium on Milwaukee's Eastside) |
| Sunday, June 27 | Waukesha Carl Zach Cycling Classic (Criterium) |
Minnesota Nature Valley Grand Prix - Criteriums for non-Pro's in Menomonie and Stillwater. Race the same courses the Pro's will later in the day! (FWIW - Peloton Star will not be covering news from NVGP. The national news sites will have many reporters there and cover it thoroughly. They will NOT be at ToAD however, but Peloton Star WILL! In fact, Peloton-Pix is the official photography site for ToAD this year, so you'll get the best coverage and photos right HERE!)
Iowa Rose Festival Twilight Criterium - Friday June 17th - State Center, IA - State Center will be celebrating its Rose Festival, http://www.statecenterrosefestival.com/, all weekend which includes the 1st Rose Festival Road Race on Sunday, June 20. There will be many family-oriented events in and near the downtown area including FIREWORKS at dusk Friday night. In addition, the Des Moines Cycle Club is hosting the Green Days Criterium in Johnston, IA on Saturday, June 19.
Green Days Criterium - Saturday June 19, Johnston, IA - .7 mile course on both sides of a divided 4 lane parkway with 180-degree turns at each end. A staging area will be in a parking lot near the course.
Rose Festival Road Race - Sunday June 20th - Bangor, IA - Registration is at the Bangor Square County Park. Bangor is unincorporated and not on the map. There are pit toilets but NO OTHER SERVICES. Bring your own food & water. The closest store is in State Center, 15 miles from the start. State Center will be celebrating its Rose Festival, http://www.statecenterrosefestival.com/, all weekend which includes the 2nd Annual Twilight Criterium on Friday, June 18. There are many family oriented events in and near the downtown area. Also, the DMCC is hosting the Green Days Criterium in Johnston, IA on Saturday, June 19.
Missouri Gateway GI Babler X-Treme Circuit Race - Sunday June 20th - Wildwood, MO - Babler State Park - FLYER Challenging 4 mile circuit with smooth pavement. Wheel truck provided for each race: wheels in/wheels out. No neutral support. Feed zone for races over 20 miles.
Illinois Cobb Park Criterium - Saturday June 19th - Kankakee, IL - Course is a 0.7 mile, flat and fast loop with 3 turns. $2,000 in primes and prizes.
Illinois State Junior Track Championship - Sunday June 20th - Northbrook, IL - 500m TT, scratch, points, and pursuit. Nationals qualifier.
Indiana Nothing scheduled (Kakakee, IL is close)
Michigan Michigan State Time Trial Championships - Sunday June 20th - Dearborn Heights, MI - The Michigan State Time Trial Championship is part of the Michigan Challenge Points series and is a Nationally Ranked Event! The event uses a 12 mile /20k out-n-back closed course. 1 or 2 laps are ridden depending upon category. Electronic timing by “The Timing Guys”. For start times and results visit http://www.fredericjames.com/events. Event held rain or shine.
Ohio Southwest Ohio Masters Road Race - Sunday June 20th - Cincinatti, OH - COURSE DESCRIPTION: This short 6.85-mile loop offers a little bit of everything with plenty of flat roads, a stair-step climb, screaming descent and a little roller to shake things up. What better things are there to do on Fathers Day??!
Weekend Recap June 12 and 13th
Time to finally go over what happened this past weekend! It might be somewhat disorganized, but we need to get this behind us to finish preparation for ToAD!
Illinois
Sherman Park Criterium - RESULTS - CBR has the whole review since it was an XXX event and Luke raced in the Pro 1/2 race himself. Ben Damhoff (Geargrinder) dominated the field to his first victory of the weekend, which he followed with another in Burlington, WI. Luke does more mud slinging in his review of the Master's race HERE. Jared Rogers (XXX) does a thorough review of the Cat.4 and Masters 4/5 in his piece: How Much Is In The Tank?
Bong and 1/2 TT (ABR)(30km) - RESULTS - Pretty tough competition if you were looking for a win! Peloton-Pix will have photos of all the riders later on Wednesday.
Fastest Riders:
Place # Race Class Name Club Time
1 240 Category1-2 Jon Toftoy Synergy 0:37:39.400
2 108 Category1-2 Peter Strittmatter xXx Racing / Athletico 0:39:27.930
3 34 Master 30 Charles Gerlach Lamb Little Racing 0:40:04.020
4 190 Master 55 Tom Doughty American General 0:40:05.070
5 0 Master 50 Gordy Poulsen Planet Bike 0:40:11.000
Fastest Women Riders:
1 186 186 Arrietta Clauss Mad City Velo 0:42:42.180
2 72 72 Debbie Dust Pact Dishnetwork 0:43:34.170
3 7 7 Leigh Thompson Vision Quest 0:44:14.960
4 42 42 Kris Siudak Vision Quest 0:47:00.910
5 35 35 Meredith Stumpo Unattached 0:47:21.040
Wisconsin
FREDERIC, WISC. -- A long running tradition in Northwest Wisconsin, to the tune of 23 years and running, the Frederic Time Trial features 26.1 miles of rolling terrain that adds up to more than 1,300 feet of climbing over the out-and-back course.
Jeff Ingham (Gopher Wheelmen) took the men's overall victory while Joan Carlson (Brones) continues her streak of women's overall wins in the WiSport series. Ricky Wells (Overdrive Cycling scored the win in the single-speed division.
Look for full results at www.wisport.org early this week.
(attached photo is Jeff Ingham)
Minnesota
Victoria Circuit Race - RESULTS - Dale Sedgewick (SPBRC) gets his first win of the season taking the 50 mile Pro 1/2 road race.
JimmerC reports: I covered a couple moved early in the first lap, then the rain started shortly after completing the 1st of 5 laps. Woell and Sedgewick attacked in the tailwind section, and, sadly, I was gapped. I chased hard, catching back on at the bottom of the course, only to be dropped for good on the next surge. Sucks to be me I guess.
Ed Alpasa caught up to me, and we joined forces determined to finish all 5 laps, despite the rain. We did just that. No DNF for me this time.
Up front, Sedgewick and Woell held onto their advantage, finishing 30 seconds clear of the field. The elder Sedgewick won, Woell 2nd. The field sprint was won by Roeser, Zimmermann 4th, Hackworthy 5th."
Good to see Duey Dickey back in the mix again after his last entanglement with 'the man'.
Fixed Gear Classic - Sean Weide reports:
(photo by Lisa Lardy/Lardy Photography):Cari Higgins (Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12) won both the sprint and endurance omnium titles.
Teens Notch Men’s Omnium Wins at Fixed Gear ClassicBlaine, Minn. – Two teenagers made their presence felt in a world-class men’s field at the 2010 Minnesota Fixed Gear Classic.
Colton Barrett (Texas Roadhouse), a 19-year-old, and 17-year-old Matt Baranoski (Alliance Environmental), won the endurance and sprint omniums, respectively, defeating such luminaries as Emile Abraham (Aerocat), Austin Carroll (Adageo Energy Pro Cycling) and Colby Pearce (Big Shark Racing presented by THF).
On the women’s side, multi-time U.S. National Champion Cari Higgins (Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12) earned top honors in both the women’s sprint and endurance omnium. Higgins won the sprint omnium in convincing fashion and edged Kacey Manderfield (Cycle Loft) by a single point in the endurance omnium.
After a rain-shortened session Saturday, riders at the MN Fixed Gear Classic battled for seven hours on Sunday to complete the event under cloudy skies. The long day’s efforts included match sprints, scratch and points races for both fields and a 100-lap madison for the men.
Saturday’s brief session included the men’s flying 200 meter time trialqualifying, won by Baranoski with a time of 11.51, edging Jason Garner (Northbrook Garner) by two-hundredths of a second. Women’s keirin qualifying heats were also completed on Saturday before rain halted the competition.
# # #
Race-by-race details here:
http://www.naturevalleybicyclefestival.com/Festival/Fixed-Gear-Classic/June-13th-Results.aspx
http://www.naturevalleybicyclefestival.com/Festival/Fixed-Gear-Classic/June-13th-Results.aspx
Missouri
Tour de Grove - RESULTS -Verizon U25 PHOTOS, More PHOTOS
Mike Ebert writes for his Verizon U25 team: "The group wasn’t very cohesive, but we did our part to pull through and motivate them just enough to keep the break alive. On the last lap, coming into the second to last turn, Dave Stone signaled to me that he’d start the leadout. Once Dave accelerated, Danny jumped onto my wheel and the three of us went into the final turn on the front. Dave’s leadout was super strong, and I don’t think anyone else had the firepower to challenge him. As we came out of the final turn, Dave swung wide and I opened the gas with 200 meters to go. Danny swept my wheel and made sure a Verizon U25 1-2 finish was in the bag. The field came in over 30 seconds later, but unfortunately Waylon went down hard coming through the last turn as he geared up for the sprint. Nonetheless, us cat 2 guys did what we wanted to do and took home a win. Even more exciting though was Sherer’s spectacular result in the NRC race later in the day- a win in the field sprint for 3rd place!"
Men - Pro/1
Place
Rider Team Hometown
1 Scott Zwizanski (1 - Pro) Kelly Benefit Strategies Mill Valley, CA
2 David VEILLEUX Kelly Benefit Strategies
3 Mike Sherer (1 - Cat1) Verizon U23 p/b ABD Bloomington, IN
4 Michael Friedman (2 - Pro) JELLY BELLYP/B KENDA Broomfield, CO
5 Alexander Candelario (3 - Pro) Kelly Benefit Strategies Reno, NV
6 Ryan Freund (2 - Cat1) Verizon U23 p/b ABD Lake In The Hills, IL
7 Mike NORTHEY Rubicon-ORBEA;Benefiting LIVES
8 Brian Toone (3 - Cat1) Tria Market p/b DonohooAuto.co Birmingham, AL
9 Jeffrey Schroetlin (4 - Cat1) Texas Roadhouse P/B Motorex Decatur, IL
10 Nicholas Coil (5 - Cat1) TradeWind Energy / Trek Stores Prairie Village, KS
Superhandydave (Dave Henderson) does it again with his front/rear GoPro cameras!
This time from Tour de Grove's Saturday race - Midtown Alley Grand Prix.
More flying water bottles at 3:40 - watch for it!
MichiganTour de Mont Pleasant - Criterium Road Race - Christopher Lynch (SISU Cycles) writes about his first win as a Cat. 3 in the road race:
"I was in great position coming out of the corner, we made it through without any crashes which was a relief and it was a straight shot to the finish. It was slightly downhill for the first 400m, flat over a set of railroad tracks then uphill for about 100-200m and perfectly flat for the last 200m. The tracks were really rough and I bunnyhopped over them smoothly but by now I was slightly boxed in. Luckily a gap opened up on the hill on the right side. I saw the opportunity, drafted off everyone up the hill and just as it flattened out I flew around the group seeing nothing but 200-300m of open road, the start/finish banner hanging over the road like a sandwich hung in front of a fat kids face. I was all alone and I was on my horse. I shifted up one last time, laying the hammer down, checking under my arms while in the drops in hopes that no one from the group behind me would come blazing by. I couldn't see anyone and finally I saw the pink line, the finish, I had done it! I crossed the line 2 or more bike lengths ahead of the group. I threw my hands in the air after the finish, pumped my fists and couldn't stop screaming, "YES, YES, YES!!!"
Ohio
Ohio State Road Race Championships - Results - Dan Campbell (Panther) beats Paul Martin (Panther) for the Championship. If you know of a first hand report from this race, send in the link!
Indiana
EcoFest Criterium - Also looking for results and stories from this race!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Weekend Recap - Sunday June 13
A quick review now of the action seen across southeastern Wisconsin, then later, a fuller report on what happened across other parts of the Midwest. Here in WI there were three events, in three disciplines, all held within a 30 miles circle - a TT, some track racing, and a criterium.
Sunday morning brought a fairly large number of riders to the Kansasville, WI area for the Bong and a Half 30k Time Trial presented by ABR. Riders appeared to be an even mixture of roadies and triathletes that sped around a lap and a half of the very slightly rolling loop surrounding the Bong Recreation Area. It's a popular loop for TT's that features good pavement and long straights for maximum pain production. Results are not available at this time but should be available on the ABR site soon.
Upon completion of that event, Peloton Star headed over to Kenosha to check out the State of Iowa Track Championships held on the historic Washington Park Velodrome. It was now late morning and the sun had finally begun to shine on the riders as they were competing in the match sprint part of the competition. Rider numbers were low, but their enthusiasm was high as they seemed to really be enjoying their time on the banking. (Who wouldn't?!) Not all the riders were from Iowa as a number of WI and IL teams were represented. A few of the pairs tried to set the record for the slowest lap times during their heats, but their track stands weren't quite up to the task. However, once they got on top of that fixed gear, the speeds the demonstrated were impressive. They would have a fine showing on the regular Tuesday night racing days.
None the less, when you pay your money to race, you race whoever shows up, and you race to win! The Women's Open race was won by Whitney Gaggioli (Amore Vita) who had placed second in the WI State RR, 10th in Saturday's rain soaked Criterium Championship, and was happy that other women showed up to race so that she didn't have to race against the men's Pro 1/2/3 field! Second place was Kim White (Geargrinder) who also raced in Saturday's Criterium Championship but also did the Elkhart Lake triathlon that morning. Third place was Flatlandia's Kimberly Gialdini who just upgraded to Cat. 3 on Saturday. Earlier this season, she won the Whitnal Spring Classic and got second at Fox River Grove.
While it is a shame that participation was low in this year's Burlington Classic, the riders that did show all came away with a positive experience and the RDS promoters will take that to the bank as they prepare to return next year.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Wisconsin State Criterium Championships - Quick Report.
Just a quick recap of the top two races now. More detail later.
RESULTS
Minnesota Fixed Gear Classic: Day 1 Report
Youth Is Served As High-Schoolers Best Olympians and National Champions
Sean Weide reports:
Blaine, Minn. – In unusually cool temperatures and under the threat of rain, the Minnesota Fixed Gear Classic began its three-day run at the National Sports Center Velodrome in Blaine with an evening of hot racing.
In the men’s field, the surprise was the performance of Colton Barrett (Texas Roadhouse), a local speedskater and first-year senior in bicycle racing. In two of the three race finals (miss and out and 60-lap scratch race), Barrett outsprinted 2008 Fixed Gear Classic winner Emile Abraham (Aerocat) for the win. Matt Baranoski (Alliance Environmental), a 17-year-old took the Keirin in convincing fashion.
Cari Higgins (Peanut Butter & Co/TWENTY12) won the match sprints and the miss and out to take the first-day lead over Kacey Manderfield (Cycle Loft) – winner of the 60-lap scratch race.
Action at the velodrome continues through Sunday as elite men and women racers from around the country contest both sprint and endurance events.
The men's miss and out final was contested by 10 riders. The high early pace made the easy line inside the sure way to elimination. With four riders left, Adam Bergman (Texas Roadhouse) was eliminated when he couldn’t recover from being pushed up the track in the final turn. Colby Pearce (Big Shark Bicycle) then faded behind Abraham and Barrett. In the final lap, Barrett accelerated around Abraham to take the win.
Twenty riders raced the men's 60-lap scratch race. Stephen Meyer (Jet Fuel Coffee) tried riding off the front from the gun. He gained as much as half a lap but Bergman, Barrett, and Pearce reeled him in. Al Urbanski (WDT-Allvoi) then tried the first of several attacks. Pat Lemieux (Texas Roadhouse) bridged and the two stayed out for three laps. But a fast chase brought them back. The most serious attack of the race came with 40 laps to go when Dan Harm (Doppio Cycling) took off with Pearce. Brian Crosby (Speedfix p/b Zubaz) responded but the pace was too high for a solo effort. Harm and Pearce got half a lap on the field and held it for 14 laps, only to be swallowed by the chasing field with 28 laps to go.
The remainder of the race saw brief attacks every time the pace slackened but no one got more than 10 meters as the field responded quickly. With seven to go, Lemieux attacked with Pearce following. Lemieux faded and Pearce tried to get away by himself getting up to 30 meters on the field. With three laps to go, he gave it up and the peloton organized for the final sprint. Andy Kruse (Speedfix p/b Zubaz) led the field at the bell followed by Barrett. In the furious finish Barrett outsprinted a charging Abraham and won by a wheel width.
In the keirin, six survivors of early heats contested the final. At the gun, there was some quick jockeying to get the position behind the motor pacer. As the motor approached its exit with two-and-a-half laps to go, Daniel DeFranceschi (Jet Fuel Coffee) timed his acceleration from back in the line and gained a gap on the others that lasted for a lap, but the junior Baranoski shot out of the group, closed the gap and kept on for the win going away. DeFranceschi crossed second with Kruse leading Ryan Belew (Rocky Mountain Cycling), Jon Linchitz (Affinity Cycles), and Dan Currell (Bianchi/Grand Performance) across the line.
The women started their events with a flying 200-meter time trial to seed the match sprints. A stiff wind from the north made the backstretch a slog. Cari Higgins (Peanut Butter & Co./TWENTY12) logged the best time of 12.62 seconds for 1st Seed. Higgins, Maddie Godby (Trek Stores), Dena Eaton (She Pedals Cycling), and Liz Carlson (Classic Cycling Essentials) advanced to the semifinals where Higgins rode over Carlson and Godby held off Eaton. In the bronze medal race, Carlson tried to pin Eaton to the balustrade. Eaton was able to drop underneath but Carlson responded in time to get the sprinter’s lane for third place. In the first gold medal race, Higgins led the race at a leisurely pace until, with 400 meters to go, she started the sprint from the front and held Godby off to the line. In the second gold medal race, Godby led the first lap at a moderate pace and upped the speed with 500 meters to go. In the last lap, Higgins attacked from behind and won it at the line by inches to take the second of three gold medal series.
The women’s miss and out featured 10 riders advancing from the heats. As with the men, the women found that the easier, inside line was the way to elimination. Vera Divenyi (Rocky Mounts-Izze) and Colleen Gulick (Team Kenda) were the last two to be eliminated inside for fifth and fourth, respectively. Anissa Cobb (Sum Bike Team) was eliminated for third when she couldn’t match the leader’s pace. In the final sprint, Higgins dropped under Julie Manley (Rocky Mounts-Izze) to get a gap that held to the line.
Fifteen women contested a fast 60-lap points race, with sprints every 10. It was a classic points race – with no rider lapping the field and three riders collecting the majority of the points on offer. Kristin Meshberg (Flatlandia/Nature Valley Cycling Team) tried early to get off the front and stayed out to take the first sprint but was caught and remained with the field the rest of the way. Several racers tried to stay off the front. None gained a significant gap and none lasted for more than a lap or so. Kacey Manderfield (Cycle Loft) sprinted consistently and won the race with points in each sprint: two firsts, two seconds and two thirds. Higgins took three sprint firsts and a third, good enough for runner-up in the race. Gulick, third in the race, collected 12 points with lower placings in five of the sprints. Meshberg’s early sprint win was good enough for fourth place in the race.
Omnium Standings after Day 1
Men
1, Colton Barrett, Texas Roadhouse, 12 points. 2, Emile Abraham, Aerocat, 10 points. 3, Matt Baranoski, Alliance Environmental, 9 points.
Women
1. Cari Higgins, Peanut Butter & Co/TWENTY12, 17 points. 2, Kacey Manderfield, Cycle Loft, 12 points. 3, Colleen Gulick, Team Kenda, 7 points.
Bahati to race Superweek
Bahati in Chicago
"Champion Cyclist Rahsaan Bahati Inspires School Kids in Glencoe and Chicago and Attends Benefit Dinner for Bahati Foundation at EJ’s Place in Skokie Glencoe, IL (May 11, 2010) – Pro cyclist Rahsaan Bahati visited 6th, 7th and 8th graders on Monday morning, May 10th at the Central School in Glencoe, and then traveled to the Bridgeport community on Chicago’s South Side to visit 6th, 7th and 8th graders at the Holden Elementary Chicago Public School. Bahati talked to assemblies of almost 200 children in both locations. He told the kids how he tossed a chalkboard eraser at his teacher when he was in 7th grade in Compton, CA. As punishment, he was given the option of either taking up golf or biking after school. He elected biking – thinking it was dirt biking. The kids laughed when Rahsaan explained how appalled he was to find that he signed up for track cycling at the LA velodrome – riding around in circles in tight shorts and funny helmets. But this was how his cycling career started.
Bahati showed the Glencoe kids a clip from his “Out of Compton” video production that included a scene of two young cyclists training in LA in the rain. He told the kids, “To achieve greatness, you must sacrifice. Sometimes that means getting a little wet.” He advised the students, “Dream big, set goals and reach for your goals.”
Friday, June 11, 2010
Weekend Preview - June 12 & 13 (Part II - Road)
All the road action in the Midwest:
Minnesota
Victoria Circuit Race Saturday June 12 -Victoria, MN - 9.9 mile loop presented by http://www.excelcycle.com/
Iowa
Nothing Scheduled
Missouri
Sunday June 13th, 2010, The Grove neighborhood in the City of St. Louis will host the inaugural Tour de Grove, a USA Cycling National Racing Calendar (NRC) professional cycling race. The NRC series represents the most prestigious professional cycling races in the United States and attracts the top professional cyclists and teams to compete from across the country. As one of only 27 NRC races this year, the Tour de Grove will be the highest profile single day cycling event in the Midwest. The event will feature for the first time professional men’s and women’s races in addition to a full schedule of amateur racing on both Saturday June 12th and Sunday June 13th. Building upon the success of four years of racing as the Tour of WingHaven, the Tour de Grove begins its fifth year as the most competitive race in the Midwest. Previous winners have come from the highest ranked professional cycling teams in the United States.
The NRC Tour de Grove circuit race will be held Sunday June 13. The course will be a 3 mile spectator friendly, winding circuit through the Grove neighborhood with a sprint finish along Manchester Avenue in the area’s restaurant and bar district. The professional men will compete 28 laps of this circuit for a 79 mile race. The professional women will complete 14 laps for a 40 mile race. The day will start with a series of amateur races divided amongst competitive ability along with a kid’s race all leading to the marquee races of the day. A community Expo area will be set up for local merchants and spectators. Saturday’s events will feature a Pro/Am criterium in the Mid Town Alley Neighborhood and Street Sprints Saturday night in The Grove alongside a cycling poster show at the Atomic Cowboy restaurant and bar.
Professional bicycle racing along the closed streets of The Grove is an exhilarating spectator and family friendly event. The racers maneuver their bikes shoulder to shoulder through fast straightaways and technical corners at speeds approaching 40 mph. In addition to the race’s $25,000 purse, the professional men and women will compete for the King and Queen of the Grove titles based upon leading the most laps throughout the race. Riders and teams committing to compete in the Tour de Grove will be announced as the event draws near. All events are free for spectators. For more information, visit www.tourdegrove.com.
The Tour de Grove’s featured warm-up race on Saturday June 12th, the Mid Town Alley Grand Prix will be a professional/amateur criterium race held in the Grand Center area of St. Louis.
The Grove neighborhood is in the Mid City area and the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood of St. Louis. Five blocks of Manchester Avenue cut through the heart of The Grove between Kingshighway and Vandeventer. Highway 40 provides the border to the north. The Grove is the new-old neighborhood along Manchester for eating, drinking, living, partying, primping, and shopping. For more information visit www.inTheGroveSTL.com.
Illinois
Sherman Park Criterium - Saturday June 12th - Chicago - Hosted by XXX racing this is a 1 mile park loop in the Windy City. CBR does a nice job describing the course.
Harvard 33.5 K TT - Saturday June 12th - Harvard - 7th annual 33.3 Kilometer Big Dipper shape course. Also see: http://www.wisconsinbicycleracing.com/
Wisconsin
Wisconsin State Criterium Championships - Saturday and Sunday June 11 & 12 - Ripon - Technical course with a nasty uphill on the back straight and a fast, flat out sprint right in downtown Ripon. See for yourself:
Burlington Cycling Classic - Sunday June 13 - Burlington - A brand new race in a new town. (There may have been one in Burlington a few years back, but not on this course.) Six turns on a 0.8 mile loop in downtown Burlington sounds intense! Lots of competition from other races on this day, so let's hope they get a good turnout (Peloton Star will be there!).
Bong and a Half 30k TT (ABR) - Sunday June 13 - Kansasville - Lap and a half on the famous TT course around the Bong Recreation Area (originally was going to be an airport for the Air Force back in the '50's and is named after Major Bong - that's why it's named that - really! Now it's a state park with camping, ATV's, model rockets, fishing, beach, etc).
Frederick Lions TT (WISPORT) - Saturday June 12 - Frederic - 23rd annual. Can't find much more info on it that that. All the pages say "See XXX for more info", but there isn't any! Oh well. 23rd annual, must be good.
Indiana
Ecofest Criterium - Sunday June 13 - Southbend - Part of the Go Green Weekend. 0.6 mile course should be fast and furious!
Tour de Mont Pleasant - Saturday and Sunday June 12 & 13 - Mont Pleasant - FLYER - Two days of racing in Central Michigan with a $15,000 purse. Ring the bell! Come and get it! Criterium on Saturday, road race on Sunday.
Ohio
Ohio State Road Championships - Sunday June 13 - Waynesville - 12.8 mile circuit with a new hill. (new hill? They don't say much in Ohio).
Weekend Preview - June 11, 12, 13th (Part 1 - Track)
The season is rapidly heating up, and there's lots of racing to be done this weekend. The big races are starting so let's get it in gear!
TRACK
Minnesota
Fixed Gear Classic - June 11, 12, 13 - Blaine, MN at the National Sports Center Velodrome, the high banked wooden track built for speed. Sprint, scratch, tempo, Madison - all the events will be contested. From Fixed Gear Fever: "U.S. Olympian Colby Pearce, multi-time U.S. national champion Kacey Manderfield and Pan American Games silver medalist Emile Abraham of Trinidad and Tobago headline the star-studded field for this weekend’s Minnesota Fixed Gear Classic.
Action in the three-day event begins Friday at the National Sports Center Velodrome in Blaine, Minn., and leads off the Nature Valley Bicycle Festival.
Pearce is a 14-time national track champion, a bronze medalist in the Pan-American Games and was a member of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team in Athens, Greece. Abraham has won 24 national titles on the road and track, while Manderfield is a Michigan native, but will be racing at The National Sports Center Velodrome in Blaine for the first time."
Shortly after returning from her first Pro Six Day at Rotterdam, Holland in January, where she placed 6th over-all with partner Teresa Cliff Ryan, Manderfield signed a two year deal with Cycle Loft / Parlee. Team owner Jeff Palter was extremely excited to have Kacey on board. “She’s a great athlete, but she’s also a great ambassador to our sport. Right now, the sport needs people like Kacey,” said Palter.
A native from Michigan, Manderfield will be racing at The National Sports Center Velodrome in Blaine, for the first time. “It seems odd that I have raced everywhere else, but a track such as the NSC, relatively close to where I grew up, has escaped me. So I’m really excited,” said Kacey. “I’ve also heard good things about promoter Bob Williams and that he’s a big Six Day fan, so we’ll have lots to talk about.”
Manderfield will leave her Trexlertown base on Thursday for Blaine, and after the Fixed Gear Classic will remain in the mid west for a series of criteriums at Americas Tour Of The Dairy lands."
Minnesota Fixed Gear Classic Begins Friday
Minnesota Fixed Gear Classic Begins Friday
Action in the three-day event begins Friday at the National Sports Center Velodrome in Blaine, Minn., and leads off the Nature Valley Bicycle Festival.
Pearce is a 14-time national track champion, a bronze medalist in the Pan-American Games and was a member of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team in Athens, Greece. Abraham has won 24 national titles on the road and track, while Manderfield is a Michigan native, but will be racing at The National Sports Center Velodrome in Blaine for the first time.
“It seems odd that I have raced everywhere else, but a track such as the NSC, relatively close to where I grew up, has escaped me. So I’m really excited,” Manderfield said.
Other prominent athletes registered include Cari Higgins (Peanut Butter & Company TWENTY12), Liz Carlson (Classic Cycling Essentials/Bicycling Magazine) and Austin Carroll (Adageo Energy Pro Cycling).
The MN Fixed Gear Classic provides different fields for men (Pro-I-II) and women (Pro-I-II-III) in a unique dual omnium program that showcases separate competitions for sprinters and endurance specialists. Competition begins Friday at 6 p.m., Saturday at 11 a.m. and Sunday at noon. Events will include both men’s and women’s Madison races, along with cross-over events like the Miss-n-Out that offer points for both omniums.
The MN Fixed Gear Classic is run in conjunction with the Nature Valley Grand Prix, the premier stage race on the 2010 USA Cycling National Racing Calendar. This year’s race includes stops in Saint Paul, Cannon Falls, Minneapolis, Menomonie, and Stillwater. The Nature Valley Grand Prix is a part of the Nature Valley Bicycle Festival, a volunteer-run event, with all proceeds donated to Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, the festival’s benefiting charity.
More information can be found at: www.NatureValleyBicycleFestival.com.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
ToAD Pre-Registration Ends This Sunday
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