Carolina Cyclone Development Team

The month of July has flown by this year and we have spent most of it traveling and racing.  The 2010 Junior Nationals were held again in Bend Oregon June 22-28 and the lads flew out to get some experience against some of the top riders in the USA.  The team stayed at a house hosted by the Richter family and a good time was had by all.  Will Richter in his quest for bigger race experiences has left the team to ride unattached through the rest of the season.  We wish him luck in his cycling endeavors.  Although the trip to Bend was without medals, the lads enjoyed the trip and got a good look at the level of competition that awaits all developing riders as they progress through the categories.  International standout, Lawson Craddock from Frisco, Texas, took gold in all three road races; Crit TT and RR, to pull off an elusive hat trick.  Lawson was, at 17, the Silver World Medalist last year and is expected to take the TT Gold at this years Junior World Championships. Ah, the race of truth!    The  Bend Oregon area is a high desert environment and the flora and fauna, were new to our east coasters and they were captivated by the new wildlife.  The Marmot, a western woodchuck was of interest to all! 

After their week in Oregon the lads flew to Kennedy Airport in NYC where I was waiting to meet them.  They had flown on the “red eye” and were quite exhausted when I got them at 6:30 AM.  We drove upstate to stay with my sister for a day before heading to Fitchburg Massachusetts.  We stayed at the lake house in Rindge, NH about 30 minutes from each of the races that were being held July2-5.  Some solid sleep and some recovery rides and we were ready to race in the highly competitive Junior field.  Last year we raced as category 4’s and had great race experiences.  This year would be tougher as the Junior field contains all of the top riders from the US, competing  for chances to race with high end teams next year.  All the big players from Nationals were there and the races although shorter than cat 4 races, were faster than the cat 4’s or even the cat 3’s!  .  

Time on the bike was complemented with good times off the bike.  The fishing this year at the lake house was terrific.  Hunter proved himself the ultimate fisherman with many fish of all species and sizes, but Kevin took the whopper award with a 4 pound Bass!  Chris is still working on technique!

The Carolina Cyclone returned to racing last Saturday, at the NC State Criterium Championships , in downtown Salisbury, NC.  The new course was challenging and technical, and the chicane on the backside was the undoing of the more faint of heart.  The lads had just returned home from camp on Friday afternoon and came to the line enthusiastic.  The DIY riders were there in force and after several attacks all covered by Will Richter ( Will, from SC was ineligible to take medals), Caleb Dodson countered and was followed by another strong rider, Wyatt Briggs.  Will pursued lap after lap but good work by the DIY’s frustated the chase and they were away.  Kevin Burgess and Hunter Stephenson rode smart, watching their age graded rivals and had great kicks at the end resulting in Bronze medals in both the 15/16 and the 17/18 divisions.

Preparations are in full swing for the upcoming trip to Nationals in Bend Oregon.  Donna and Rick Richter have coordinated team travel and housing in Bend, and the team met yesterday to breakdown the bikes into travel cases.  Chris Calders folks Glenn and Tammy, are driving out with those team bikes and the whole crew will rendezvous in Oregon sometime late June 20.  They race through the later part of the week and  then fly to NYC to meet me for the next destination; Fitchburg!

Look for posts from Nationals.  I’m sure we can expect great racing and tales from the peloton!

Other local racers did well at the NC State Races.  Several representatives of the Carolina Storm Team had impressive rides in the younger divisions.  Sam Kophazi and Benji Hund took Silver and Bronze in the 10-12 division.

The Carolina Cyclones have been busy preparing for the heart of our race season.  The next goal on our race calendar is the block of races that begin right after the Junior Regional Camp in Greenville, SC, on June 6-11.  These include the NC State Championship Criterium in Salisbury, NC, June 12/13, then the Georgia Championship Cat 3 RR in Augusta, GA on June 19th.  The Lads then fly to Bend Oregon for the Junior National TT, RR and Criterium, June 22-27.  They finish racing on Sunday the 27th and take the “Red-Eye” to Kennedy airport in NYC where I will meet them and their bikes!  Then we travel to Massachussetts to race with the National level Junior Field in the 51st edition of the Fitchbug/Longsjo Stage Race July 2-5!   We return to Charlotte to on July 7th and then begin to abuse the cat 3 field in the races of late July.

But to get to that point, we spent the month of May regrouping.  After the Dylan Mitchell Memorial Criterium we had a local no-race weekend to get centered and maintain all those other parts of a racer’s life.  A recovery week also allows the good stuff to happen; the stuff that begins in those previous weeks of racing.  

May 15th we raced in Boone, NC.  A great mountain race with almost 5000 feet of climbing in 54 miles.  All survived and Kevin Burgess finished 11th. 

The next weekend we traveled to Greenville, SC to get some more climbing in and had a great stay at Jimmy Helms home.  His son, Strad Helms, a former Cyclone was out on the road racing with the Team Type One Development Team.  We rode for 60 miles around Saluda, NC and did all the climbs we could find, including the infamous 3 mile Green River Cove Road, with its switchbacks and 15% pitches.  This climb was the defining part of the 2002 USAC Espoir National RR won by Will Frischkorn!  After a good night’s sleep and a pancake breakfast, we did the Saluda Bakery Ride and got in another 75.                                           

With finals coming and  all the travel ahead we had a quiet Memorial Day weekend with only a single crit or TT to do, and everyone was obviously coming into form.  Will Richter confirmed that on June 5 by winning the 15/16 SC State TT.      

Will at 15/16 State TT

Now the lads are at Camp at Furman University in Greenville, SC.  (All except teammate Chris Calder who caught some bug just before camp, and had to sit it out, but he has been cleared to ride easy now and we have him back on the bike where he belongs.)  They are among the 35 best young riders in the Southeast.  They will ride close to 300 miles over the 6 days that they are there, along with power testing and skills drills.  Already, the lads are showing well, in fact Will won the practice race at Donaldson Center, last night.  85 riders for 42 miles and it came down to Will pipping pro rider Thad Duling at the line 10 seconds ahead of the field!

Be sure to look for our late June and July posts!  Things are starting to look really good for the team.

The Third Annual Dylan Mitchell Memorial Criterium was held in Fort mill, SC on Sunday May 2, 2010.  We celebrate the life of our former friend and teammate Dylan Mitchell, who in 2005 was struck and killed by an automobile while returning home from a training ride in Columbia, SC.  Dylan was a senior at USC majoring in Graphic Arts and he raced for Cycle Center in Columbia, Ultimate Bicycles in Pineville, and for my John Deere Development Team, as well as collegiately for USC.  Dylan had an infectious smile and a devil-may-care attitude that only partly concealed his dedication and passion for just about everything he did.  He is missed, but he will always be remembered.

Dylan lived his whole life in Fort Mill and the town fathers recognize the impact of his loss.  They have been totally supportive of our race endeavors and we have now linked our event with their “South Carolina Strawberry Festival”, a partnership we hope to continue for a very long time. www.scstrawberryfestival.com

 We had racing in most categories with the cat 5’s starting the day.  Junior cat 4/5 races, part of the CCA Junior Development Series were held as well helping develop the champions of the future.  Full results from that series are available at http://www.ncsccyclingassoc.com/ . Look at the Junior tabs.

Our Cyclones raced in the cat 3 event held in the hottest part of the day and hydration was truly a factor, with one rider needing fluid replacement after the event.  A reminder;  Summer is coming and hydration can make or break your performance in any event.    The Cyclones raced in John Deere kits that I have saved over the years.  In the past, Andy Baker, Reid Beloni, Alder Martz and others have honored Dylan in this way.  These kits will be raced once a year every year.

Cyclones Honor Dylan Mitchell

Here is Will Richter’s race report.

“The race course that we’ve used for the second consecutive year just got better.  Fresh pavement put down the week before ensured a very, very fast course -and it was.

        Our race was in the heat of the day with temperatures approaching ninety degrees.  We drank all the water we could get our hands on.  The race started out very quick, and didn’t settle down, until about ten minutes in, when the field completely sat up.  I saw this as the perfect opportunity to go, as I still had my full speed going into the turn.  However, it was early in the race.  

I was feeling great as I put a gap in between me and the peloton.  I went another couple laps, then one large rider bridged up.  He pulled once, well rather sprinted around me, and the second time he came around he sat up.  The field was right on our heels so I eased up and tried to recover in the pack.       

Hunter went off a few laps later, and stayed out for quite awhile.  I went to the front when the pace got frisky to try and break up the rhythm out of the turns, which worked effectively, but I should have stayed up there rather than drifting back.  Sure enough, Nick Fishbein had the counter, and I was too far back to do anything.  He swiftly made a large gap, and I moved up in the field.

        Kevin, Chris, and I both gave bridging multiple shots, but to no avail.  Fishbein was just too strong, and the field was not going to let anyone else go.

        It came down to a sprint, for second, and I tried my best to get into position for it.  I was fifth wheel going into the second to last turn, but two guys slid in front of me on the inside.  I hit it as hard as I could, and ended up ninth.”

I wish to thank the following folks for their assistance in developing this race.

The Mitchell Family

Brown Simpson,  the town of Fort Mill and  John Deere Inc. for their major support.

Glenn Thrift, Judy Rhynes, Mike Askew and Howard Johnson, our top shelf officials who keep it honest!

Thad Fischer and the Sportsbase Online crew who made registration almost fun!

Dwight McKnight and the Harris Teeter Cycling Team-Our Course marshalls, making racing safe.

Jonathan Black and the Southeastern Investments Pace Car-Zooooooooom

Neal Boyd, Santana Wilkerson and the CSC folks who make it look professional.

Kim Deacon  and the Lowes Building Center for the use of the Straw!

Bicycle Sport, Ultimate Bicycles Inc, Carolina Bicycle Company, Six Pence Pub, Sweet Peppers Deli, Stratos Restaurant Group, Omni Hotels (Thank you Irene), Sayago’s in Baxter, Harris Teeter Foods for the generous Premes given.

Thank you to our wonderful spectators, cheering on our racers!

And Thank you to the racers for coming and racing for Dylan Mitchell.

Cyclones line up for Cat 3 Race

The 37th running of the Dilworth Criterium was run on a beautiful day in Latta park, in Charlotte, NC this past saturday.  Race promoter Neal Boyd has done a great job reviving this race into the classic status it richly deserves.  All the events were fast and furious, and the crowd was appreciative.

The Open Junior race is a “bragging  rights” event on the Junior calendar, and 30+ riders lined up for the start.  From the gun it was flying, with attacks and counter attacks, designed to break the will of the field, but chases followed attacks and the deck was reshuffled every time.  Here is how Chris Calder, our top finisher viewed the contest from within.

All the lads rode hard and aggressively.  The race was typical in it’s speed due to the shorter times given to junior crits.  Evan Wynn continues to display his strong finishes and Thomas Wrona was right there for second.

Thomas Wrona, Evan Wynn, Chris Calder and Charlie Hough

In the cat 3/4 event the lads found themselves in the largest field of the daay numbering around 80 riders.  Fast and relentless the race had many attacks and the unrelenting Dilworth grade took it’s toll.  Will Richter gives us his view.

“This time, I dumped a bottle of water over me at the start; I also ensured that I had a good start position in the eighty man race.  It was quick to start out, and I sat tenth wheel most of the race.  I was much more conservative in the first third of the race, and it proved to help.  A few attacks went off, and I hopped on the back of wheels of the ones I thought had potential.  I felt great.

Everything was smooth for me, and it didn’t take much energy to hold position, as the pace was hot most of the time.  I could glance to the side after a turn, and see the carnage at the back of the field.  The peloton was stretched out and popped into groups of twenty or so continuously.

Richter on a Breakaway

I went in a breakaway with Steve from Giordana-Clifbar and Nick Fishbein from CBC.  I really thought it would stick as we had two of the best Cat 3 time trialists in the group.  We were brought back soon though.  Chris found his way to the front for the second half of the race and was riding well.

On the last lap, I was fifth wheel.  Fishbein and one other rider killed it into the final turn.  Thomas Wrona was right in front of me, and we hammered up the hill.  I tried as hard as I could, but I was finished in the same spot as I started going into the turn, though it was almost 500 meters away.  The field trickled in, and Chris Calder picked up 8^th, with Kevin at 13^th place.  Not bad for the second race, but still looking for bigger things later in the season.”

I agree!  The lads are coming together well in the category three races.  Top tens in every race and often top 5 finishes  indicate that hey are “Knocking on the Door”.  It is only a matter if time before we start winning these cat three contests.

Calder holding his own in the Cat 3 Race

The tour de Moore, now in it’s 31st year has always been one of my favorite races.  I remember driving up from Florida to Southern Pines to race the 45+  field and find a who’s who of great masters racers from the past.  Paul Curley , Joe Saling, Bobby Phillips, John Howard, Dickie Dunn.  They were all there for this spring race.  It was always an honor to race against these great athletes.

In the Pro field there were some warriors who would race at the tour de moore and then drive to Athens in time to do the Twilight crit that night!

This years course rolled through the pine barrens of Fort Bragg and the 27 mile loop was one of great roads and perfect weather.

75 cat 3/4’s lined up for an on-time start. our lads were ready and the uphill finish offered us a competitive edge for success.

Here is Hunter Stephenson’s report from the race;

“It was an early morning for the team, departing from the shop at 4:45.  We arrived at the race site, got our numbers, and began to suit up for the race. As a warm-up, we went down the finishing hill and climbed back up it a few times to get a good feel for the finish.  We went to the start line and started the race.  This race had a huge field of almost 80 riders.  The race began and I just tried to sit in around 20th wheel. At the end of the first lap, will attacked at the top of the hill. I stayed about fifth wheel.  The chase through the neighborhood was fast, reaching speeds well above thirty.  This made it impossible for will to stay away.  Soon after he was brought back, I saw nick, among some others, making a move so I went with it. After that more people tried to go again, so on a hill I got to the front and chased the break down myself, because it had some strong guys in it.  as we approached the finish line i was leading will out, but we got seperated. so I just followed chris’ wheel up the climb. I finished 7th, and i was very proud of the team and myself, for doing so well.” 

 Will Richter was our top finisher in 3rd place and Chris Calder took 6th followed by Hunter Stephenson in 7th with Julian Patterson (Carolina Masters) next for 8th!  Kevin Burgess was caught up in a crash and though uninjured he was out of contention for the day.  The race was won by Michael Robinson of Pfeiffer Univ. with a brilliant move from 300 meters.  Nick Fishbein (CBC/Fisher) continues his road success with a fine second place. 

The lads were treated to a rest day on Sunday where they reconnected with their other responsibilities at home.  We have a big weekend coming up; Dilworth and the Dylan Mitchell Memorial.  See you there!

Will Richter Sprints for 3rd Place Finish at Tour de Moore

Will, Chris, and Jim at the start line

The Carolina Cyclones had a great weekend in Charleston.  Saturday Kevin Burgess found the right break and took 6^th in the I’on Village cat 3 criterium.  Great team play and savvy tactics put Kevin up the road at the right time with the best combination for success.    Kevin describes his race;  

 Started out the race in the front half and had to dodge a crash in the round-about section right on the first lap. I stayed near the front the first couple of laps and took the cobbles the first few times through that turn. A little bit later too many people tried to fit through the round-about so I jumped on top of it then rode off the other side. I did it the lap after too right behind a Harris Teeter guy, which was pretty fun.

 

Hunter, Chris, and Will at Ion Village Crit

About half way through the race a break of 6 got away. They had 15 or 20 seconds on the field when I tried to bridge to it. I went and one other guy came with me. We made it to the break and started working. I did some work and helped keep things moving. On the last lap before the final turn, everyone was waffling for good position. I didn’t have that great of position but I still managed 6^th overall. It was a really great race and an awesome team effort.”  

Kevin Sprints to the Finish for 6th

Sunday took us to Hampton park across from the Citadel, for the 2010 SC State Championships.  We were there bright and early taking advantage of being in the  first race by warming up on the course.  28 of Carolinas best young riders lined up to see who would take the medals for 2010.  Will calls the race;

          “Today’s race was at one of my favorite courses, Hampton Park in front of the Citadel.  We woke up bright and early and drove to the course from our hotel.  With a nice warm-up on the course, we were ready for the Junior State Championships.  Our main priority was the South Carolina Gold Medal, but of course, we wouldn’t mind going for the overall too.  

 The race started out brisk, with a few attacks.  I stayed near the front as I didn’t want anything dangerous getting away.  Hunter and Kevin did an excellent job sticking on to attacks, and a few laps in, Hunter was in a breakaway with Calum Dodson.  They were looking good, and a few laps later Evan Wynn bridged up.  I didn’t tag his wheel, as I wanted to be in the breakaway, and I didn’t want to pull the rest of the SC riders with me.  So, a lap later, I drilled it with an attack on the back straight.  I kept the power up high so no one could slipstream behind me successfully.  I made it up to the ten second gap quickly, and then it was show time.                    

Hunter on a Break

  Hunter and I took our fair pulls, and we increased the gap five more seconds.  On the last lap, Evan and Calum sat up completely.  I kept the pace up a little, as I didn’t want to sacrifice the gold for a game of chicken.  Coming into the final turn, there was a ten year old junior in the corner.  Evan pulled a risky move and attacked into the turn, cutting off the kid.  Hunter and I weren’t about to crash for nothing, or cut the kid off because he has a right to be racing too.  Evan got a quite a few bike lengths on us, but Hunter pulled him almost all the way in, and was just half a wheel from getting him at the line.

Hunter Stephenson and Will Richter sprint to the finish in Junior 15-16 Race

  We were happy, however, because we got our main priority- the SC gold medal- and more.  Chris Calder did an excellent job as our pocket sprinter and was second in the field sprint, picking up third in South Carolina.”

Junior 15-16 SC Championship Podium

Blue Angels Fly Over Hampton Park during Cyclones Cat 3 Race

  The pilots stayed at the same hotel as the team and the lads met them and were pretty psyched. Our dinner conversation on Saturday night included the question; “which is more fun?  flying jets, or racing bikes?”

Kevin Takes a Flyer in Cat 3 Race at Hampton Park

Chris and Will with their SC State Championship Medals

Next stop on the race calendar is the tour de Moore in Southern Pines, NC.  54 miles of rolling horse country.  One of my personal favorites from the “old days”.

Cyclones with Former Columbian Olympian Diego Garavito

A little coaching before the race

The Cyclone lads are solid cat 3’s after the grueling Rock Hill Classic weekend.  We passed on the street sprints held on Friday evening as our junior gears make it difficult to compete successfully  in the cat 3 division.  There are some tough hombres out there who can roll those 53×11’s pretty fast leaving us spun out with 100 meters to go.  Besides, we were to face our longest race of the year – 94 miles –  early Saturday morning.  The Patriots Trail RR is a great test of endurance at speed.  The rolling countryside offers long windy stretches that will test the strength of even the most accomplished riders.  Our lads did well!  All finished and, although there was a bit of cramping, the lads worked quickly to recover so they could race well on Sunday in the Winthrop Farm Criterium, a course that we consider our home course.  

Kevin Burgess reports on the Criterium;

“It was awesome to race at Winthrop after all those years of rolling around and around. The race started pretty fast and stayed that way for the first couple laps.  I stayed out of trouble and had a lot of fun going through the turn on top of the hill. I threw in a few attacks and had one guy go with me once but nothing stayed. After getting caught I almost got dropped but held on for about 2 laps before finding myself 3^rd wheel and ready to go again.  With about 3 or 4 to go I attacked on the finish stretch and on the hill someone bridged to me but he went through me right on top of the hill and I couldn’t catch him on the downhill. After that I was pretty much fried so I just tried to make it to the finish. I rolled in behind the sprint. I was happy with the weekend of hard racing.”

Will and Kevin Recovering after the Road Race

We train often at Winthrop and the lads know every bump and bush around the 1 mile loop.  The cat 3 race was fast from the gun, but it came down to a field sprint that was stolen by Kerry Humphries with his last lap attack.   Rather than a true bunch sprint it was more of a pursuit to get him back, disrupting the other teams leadout plans. Kevin was very active with attacks and great field position.  Hunter Stephenson’s  job was to wait for the field sprint, but a shifting problem made it difficult for him to race as aggressively as he would have liked and he had to be satisfied back in the bunch.

Here is Will Richter’s view from inside the race; 

“These races are my hometown races.  They are also a testament to locals that;  Yes, cycling does exist and the so called “Cycling Center of the Carolinas” can work.  The weekend started off for us at the 94 mile Patriot’s Trail Road Race.  The race started off slowly, as expected for a long day.  Approximately ten miles in, an attack went off with four riders.  Their gap began to grow enormously; however, the entire peloton doubted their success at eighty plus miles in the wind.

  A second group of four riders went off the front about thirty miles in.  No one would work to pull them in, so I gave my knowledge of the course a shot.  I attacked right before the blind turn onto True Road, where the road kicked up to a fairly steep climb.  It proved to work as the field chased hard, and it took them awhile to pull me in.  The field kept the pace up, but not for much longer.  The gaps grew to six minutes to the front, and three to the second with sixty miles to go. We made it through the feed zone safely, and began the second lap.  The gaps were “hopelessly long” as Moto Ref. Don Sprinkle put it, so we sat back and watched for other dangerous moves.

 Nearing the finish, Kevin and I moved up for the sprint.  I was in good position, at fifth wheel, with about 300 meters to go.  I gave my kick at 250 meters and finished sixth in the field sprint, fourteenth overall. 

Our second day was at one of my favorite courses, Winthrop Lake.  I felt great, and my legs didn’t feel affected by the nearly 100 miles the day before.  The course was very fast, and only a few laps in, Kerry Humphries attacked.  I went after him, but couldn’t quite make the junction and we were both pulled in by the group. 

As the race progressed, I was in several small moves that were quickly brought back.  For the second day in a row, knowledge and confidence with the course played a factor.  I have been riding at Winthrop since I learned how to ride a bike, and I could go almost four miles per hour faster through the turns than everyone else. 

 On the last lap, Kerry attacked going up the hill on the backside, and I contemplated on whether or not to go with him.  I decided not to since it was a long haul, and Hunter, who was our designated sprinter, wasn’t near the front because of mechanical problems.  Kerry stayed out just by a few meters while we were sprinting on his heels at the finish.  I was sixth wheel at 300 meters when a rather large rider to my left gave me an aggressive bump.  I was on the edge of the road, but held my bike upright and continued to sprint.  I lost a position or two because of it, but still came out in eighth place.” 

Kevin in pursuit

Hunter Stephenson

“Saturday was the 47 mile road race for the cat 4s. I was feeling great and throughout the race my legs felt even better.  They combined the masters 50+ with us so I knew it would be a fast race with a lot of attacks.  The group of about 60 set off and I stayed in the top 20 for the first half of the race.  I went in a small early break and stayed away for a few miles and then got brought back and I recovered fairly quickly.  Then with about 15 miles to go,

Jim Taking the Corner

This Sunday’s race completed Chris’s quest for cat 3 points and he will upgrade after the SC State Championship races in Charleston next weekend.  Chris will complete our cat 3 junior squad and we will continue to focus on our attack/ counter attack race style.  

Another treat this weekend was to have Carolina Cyclones alumni, Andy Baker stay at my house for the race weekend.  Andy has gone on to quite a career with Time Factory, Mountain Khaki, and now  Ion-United Healthcare.  Andy is a great example of the Athlete scholar that our program strives to develop.  Andy trains hard, races smart, and studies pre-law at Furman University.  Busy as he is he always has time for the younger juniors coming up.   He’s been there and done that.  Raced in major NRC races, medaled at Junior Nationals, and kept at it through good races and death marches.  We are lucky to have riders such as Andy, to help guide the future stars of the sport through the pitfalls of the early years.

Former Cyclone Andy Baker visits with the team after his Pro 1/2 Race on Sunday

The second race in an eleven race series was held at the Winthrop Farm Criterium in Rock Hill this past Sunday.  This series was created to offer race opportunities to the younger and less experienced riders.  It is limited to cat 4 and 5 juniors, keeping the cat 3’s and above juniors from winning races art the expense of those new to the sport.  Several of the Carolina Storm Riders are involved in this series and already we can see the benefits of the race series. 

Sam Kophazi and Benji Hund rode strong races giving it their all.  Racing in a 10-14 division is still tough for these 11 and 12 year olds, but they’ll stick to it and the experience they gain now will put them on the podium in the years to come.  Other Stormriders, Sam Richardson, Mitchell Moody and Holden Hammontree are competing in the series but had other commitments this weekend, but they will be at lots of the others as the season progresses.

For a full report of the CCA races go to www.ncsccylingassoc.com the Carolinas best site for USA Cycling race information in the Carolinas.

We spent this past weekend doing a long recon ride on the Rock Hill Road Race course and then getting fit to our new team bikes. 

The race route beginning in Brattonsville has been slightly modified from last years course, due to a bridge out.           At 47 miles the course is relentless as it rolls through the cotton fields and stream beds of York and Chester Counties.  We rode to the course from Winthrop Farm, (the site of the Crit this year), did a lap and rode back getting in 85 miles for our first really good endurance ride of the year.  There will be a lot more like that in the next month.  We’ll do the RAW ride this Saturday and then we race 90 miles with the cat threes at Rock Hill.  A great ride on a beautiful day.

This year we ride Quattro Assi,  the “Four Aces”!  Quattro Assi’s have been around a long time and Bill Lewis of  William Lewis Imports ( http://www.wmlewisimports.com/ )  has been supporting racers forever.  Check out his website and particularly the History page.  You can see Scottie Weiss and Rusty Miller with their Zaxby’s team.  Rusty still has his Quattro Assi!    We are lucky to be affiliated with WmLewisImports and these fine racing machines.  We race alloy “DBS” framesets with Ultegra Groupsets and RS Eighty Wheels, and “PRO” Stems/ bars/ and seatposts.  Ashley Moore at Shimano has been great helping us with a team package of parts.  We spent the Day at Bicycle Sport building and fitting bikes to the lads.  Ilan Paltrow and the crew have been great getting the parts together and helping with technical assistance.  Brian Roney showed me lots of tricks making my life a lot easier.

All our stuff is solid, journeyman, hard working equipment.  Not a lot of frills (although the Ultegra Cranks are pretty sweet).  Our equipment isn’t the fanciest, but we race with the philosophy that our bikes are “tools, not jewels”.  It is after all about the motor!  Watch for us at all the upcoming big races.