VF Cross.

It’s that time of year again. Fall = Cyclocross, which for Portland means Cross Crusade. As usual they are heavily attended events. 1400 + racers at the CC#1, not sure on CC#2, but a little bird told me 1300+ showed up in Sherwood for CC #3. This is racers not spectators.

Cross is getting BIGGER in the states. In Oregon it’s Huge!! With popularity comes more press. Heidi Swift (who VF is lucky enough to have racing for them) is doing Cyclocross-Diaries for Wend Magazine. You should check it out the episodes here:

http://www.wendmag.com/blog/2009/10/07/the-cyclocross-diaries-webisode-1-throwdown-at-the-dairy/
http://www.wendmag.com/blog/2009/10/15/the-cyclocross-diaries-episode-two-raising-a-rainier-ruckus/

Or check out Heidi’s blog http://everydayathleteblog.com/

The VF ladies are doing awesome. Chase, Huggins, Swift, and Peithman are killing it in the VF colors in the B’s and seem to be having fun heckling each other while racing. Schwitzer and Wills has been given it in the A’s.

But the word of the day is…Pennington!!! Alice has been having an awesome cross season thus far, and she hasn’t even found her legs. As Alice puts it - “It’s just a matter of getting more fitness so that I can actually attack and drop her,” Pennington said. This stated in an interview with Pat Malach about beating Wendy Williams. Who is by the way racing awesome. With 3 wins in the CC thus far. But with 8 starts since Sept 23th. Alice has had five wins, two seconds, and one third. Alice is knocking on the door of a CC win soon. We will be cheering for you ALICE!

Another note- Alice has also be getting Veloforma a lot of press in Velonews. http://www.velonews.com/photo/99403
Which has us very HAPPY!!! Thank you Alice.

Here is a closing shot of Alice at Sherwood race #3. I pulled this from Pat Malach blog.You can check out great race and photo coverage here -

http://www.oregoncyclingaction.com/2009/10/cameron-wins-first-ever-crusade-cx.html

http://www.oregoncyclingaction.com

Thanks for reading.

Crit Natz, Chris Thater and Norm Babcock

Travel has been in Christina Smiths vocabulary this month. She has been all over the country.
August 15th Crit Natz - Race #1, which is a warm up for the big show on the 16th. Sunday is the big day it crowns the US Professional Criterium Champion for Women. Christina proves she's worth of a title shot with a 4th place finish, Nice, Very Nice. Results and cyclingnews coverage can be found here :
http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/usa-cycling-national-criterium-championships-cn/stages/stage-1/results

Below and above are shots of Christina in action on Sunday.

Thing are looking good for Sunday August 16th, if all goes as planned. But one thing Christina doesn't have that other do. A team to back her for the finish. So she is going to have to have some luck and play her cards right... in the end she finished 9th. I am proud of her for sure! Christina is proving that she is a talented and consistent finisher on the NRC circuit. When I text her to ask how things went she said "good but not great, I finished 9th". I know it's not the win and that's what she wanted, but in my eye's you killed it Barn Diva!!!
Move forward to August 29th - The Chris Thater Memorial Criterium in New York. Again Christina shows her ability to place high in an NRC, finishing 6th with it being really close between 4,5 and 6th. Considering her crazy travel delays before this event and some minor bike issues. She strapped on the boots and got the job done. Christina is always up for a challenge and getting to the race, just so she could race was a major feat at this event. She is knocking on the door for a NRC victory. Pretty soon it's gonna open. Let's she what is in store at the final two rounds of the US Crit Series. Next up Sept 17, 2009 Victory Park in Dallas Texas - TX Tough - http://usacrits.com/site/events/texas-tough/
The final event of the series USA Criterium Finals in Vegas on September 24th in front of Mandalay Bay 7:20 pm - http://usacrits.com/site/events/usa-crits-finals/
This one you will be able to watch live on the web, we'll be cheering for you Christina!!!
On a local note... the road season is officially over in Oregon. Last race was this past Tuesday at PIR and the final leg of the Veloforma Cat4 women's series finished up with Eugene Cycle Celebration. I got official word this morning for Kenji. It was a long hard Battle and Anna Vaughn from Hammer Velo took the series Overall Victory!! Congratz Anna!!! She is the proud new owner for an Veloforma F1R frame set for winning the series. K-man also sent me a very interesting photo. Congratz to all the ladies for fine performances this season. We are very proud to be a title sponsor of this series and look forward to being so for many years to come.
Congratz goes out to Veloforma rider Tina Brubaker aka EQ for a podium finish a the State Criterium. EQ ended up finishing 3rd on the day.

Big Holler goes out to New Veloforma ride Lisa Reeve for getting her CAT2 upgrade after Eugene Cycle Celebration. Way to go Lisa!! You are one motivate young lady!



It gonna be nice to see everyone this weekend. Looking forward to the BBQ. Good food and friends = a lot of fun and laughs. Think we my have some awards to hand out. Not sure. But I think so...

Finding our Form.

Cascade ended up being a race for finding our form. Which was good and bad, and I’ll take it. With out a lot of detail, Cascade was tough for us. We lost our GC rider on the first day to a broken wrist (get well soon Melissa). This race was perfect for her abilities. Plus a great tune up for Nationals, (it actually was a great tune up for the whole team). Crashing is part of racing but sometimes can be so hard to deal with. A lot of hard racing and Cascade over the team was looking to Nationals. Which started four days from the end of Cascade. Nationals also happened to be in Bend, Oregon. The combo of hard racing and some rest was PERFECT for Alice as she road to a 9th in the Road race. When you look at who was racing, Alice finished higher than any other PRO rider in the Northwest. On top of that!!! She works a full time job and was on her feet all day the day before the road race. Congrats on an awesome RIDE PENNINGTON!!!!
Here are the top 10 from Elite Road Nationals for the Pro Women.

Time License Bib Team
1 90 Meredith Miller 02:52:15.30 143575 48 Team Tibco
2 85 Christina Ruiter 02:52:22.00 194905 64 Value Act Capital
3 80 Kristen LaSasso 02:52:22.40 151408 86 Mellow Mushroom
4 75 Kori Seehafer 02:52:35.10 77841 68 Team Type 1
5 70 Katharine Carroll 02:52:49.50 212327 16 TIBCO
6 65 Evelyn Stevens 02:52:49.80 272861 72 CRCA-Radical Media
7 60 Mara Abbott 02:52:52.50 198735 2 Team Columbia-htc
8 55 Alison Powers 02:53:06.40 98704 57 Team Type 1
9 50 Alice Pennington 02:53:06.60 150685 84 Veloforma
10 45 Kristin Sanders 02:53:08.90 193955 66 Value Act Capital

Now that’s a tuff crowd to hang with.

For Christina Smith, she also used Cascade and Nationals to fine tune her crit form. Shortly after Nationals she travel to North Carolina to race in the Presbyterian Hospital Invitational Criterium. Christina raced her typical aggressive racing style, being active in all breaks but none stuck. It came down to a Field sprint where she finished 5th and her first NRC podium for this year. The next day she upped it by one and finished 4th at the Hanes Park Classic making it two NRC Podiums in two days!!

Women - Pro
Place Points Name Time License Bib Team
1 90 Brooke Miller 0:54:47.8 196453 6 Team Tibco
2 85 Tina Pic 0:54:48.1 41951 14 Colavita Sutter Home P/b Cookin
3 80 Theresa Cliff-Ryan 0:54:48.2 231296 64 Verducci/breakaway Racing
4 75 Laura Van Gilder 0:54:48.3 36345 26 Mellow Mushroom
5 70 Christina Smith 0:54:48.5 217750 72 Veloforma
6 0 Joanne KIESANOWSKI 0:54:48.5 2 Team Tibco
7 60 Erica Allar 0:54:49.1 174914 48 Bmw-bianchi
8 55 Jennifer McRae 0:54:49.2 55232 11 Team Type 1
9 0 Joelle NUMAINVILLE 0:54:49.4 41 Team Kenda
10 0 Cath CHEATLEY 0:54:49.8 19 Colavita Sutter Home P/b Cookin

Women - Pro
Place Points Name Time License Bib Team
1 90 Brooke Miller 47:12.0 196453 323 Team TIBCO
2 85 Theresa Cliff-Ryan 47:12.1 231296 418 Verducci/Breakaway Racing
3 80 Laura Van Gilder 47:12.5 36345 362 C3 Sollay
4 75 Christina Smith 47:12.6 217750 123 Veloforma
5 70 Tina Pic 47:13.1 41951 376 Colavita Sutterhome p/b Cooking

Things are looking good for Christina, as this weekend is Criterium Nationals in Downers Grove. She has really good form so the sky is the limit!! Stay tuned for more results. We are all rooting for you Barn Diva!!!

For me travel time is over for a while, time to hang out on the deck. If you want to know where I am going to spend the next few weekends it gonna be hanging out and re-charging before Vegas, Interbike, Cross Vegas and US Criterium Finals. Wow that's a mouth full.

Thanks for reading.

6 Days of Fun

So Paul Mautner and I did the Alpenrose 6 Day. Having a solid partner is always amazing. It makes racing that much more fun. For us it was about getting out on the track, finding our legs, and making good exchanges. With the added benefit of having a ton of fun. Which we did. The week went by really fast, a lot faster than expected. Another crazy thing for me. I felt the best on days five and six, so I guess the old legs do like more intensity and miles than I thought.

If your not familiar with the track you can check out OBRA's track info here - http://app.obra.org/track anyone can ride it. There are classes on Wednesday evening. You can rent a track bike for $5.00. The best five bucks you'll spend. Info about track classes can be found at the above link too. Classes start at 6pm. You should give your self 30 mins to get signed up and get your track bike. Classes have been an average of about 3 groups of 10 each.

Above photo by Ed Norton - http://web.mac.com/stoppingtime/Site/Welcome.html We are not holding hands here... although it does look like it. We are at the beginning of our exchange. Paul is getting ready to toss me in and go on relief. Above photo by Ed Norton - http://web.mac.com/stoppingtime/Site/Welcome.html

If your not to sure what is going on here. A great way to understand the history of Madison/6 Day racing you should go here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six-day_racing. Wiki has some excellent info on the history of 6 day racing.

Top and bottom two photos by Laura McGraw - http://www.lauramcgraw.com/

Special thanks to the Murray's for making this event happen for the last 17 years. I know that it takes a lot of people to put on this event!!!! Thank you to all who made it happen. We are lucky to have this event in our back yard. I look forward to many more years of this joyful event!! Go FAST turn left!!

Also thanks to Spencer Williams (http://popmiseryblog.blogspot.com/), Laura McGraw and Ed Norton. All amazing photographers who came out to capture the action.

Taken our Licks.

We'll we have been taken our licks and learning.

What do they say... you have to learn to lose in order to win.

This pass weekend was tough to say the least... going in to the final stage with the leaders jersey. Then losing it in a 20 mile stage is a tough one to swallow. Twenty miles instead of 100+ (due to weather) isn't really much of a race. But it's what they decided and we live by it. It's also why Elkhorn is an Epic stage race. You never ever know what the Elk is gonna toss your way. Until next year...

Next up Cascade Classic... we got a hella team for this RACE!!! It's gonna be fun. Russell and Martha will be running the show. I'll be on the side lines looking on...

Four days after Cascade USA Cycling National Championships. Who knows what's in store it's gonna be a fun ride.

Happenings.

Wow! Time just flies...
So much has happen with the team. I know I'll miss something.
Probably a lot but here goes.

Not racing related, but none the less note worthy. Jeff Jensen is the proud owner of the last 09' D'lusso. It's such a pretty bike. Wish we could make more than 50 a year. But that nano carbon is just to spendy for a little company like ours. Enjoy Jeff.

Elise was 6th Mt. Hood crit and held down 6th over all in the 3/4 women. Hope she realizes that she can ride a criterium now. Great Job Elise. Elkhorn watch out. Didn't have a shot of Elise tearing it up at Hood. So I have to put up a TTT photo. Which by the way THEY tore it up ironman/women style earlier this year.

The first Mt. Tabor and Jennifer Schweitzer gets the win in the women's 4 race. NICE!!!

Pennington was out rocking Tabor as well, getting second to mtn. biker Sue Butler. But she didn't feel like she raced enough. So Alice went back out with the guys and towed them around too.

Bad Luck at PIR as of late... with a lot of crashes in the women's open field. Last week both Susan and Gundy aka poo bear. Got taken out at the front. Please be careful out there people. We have had far to many crashes.

Sabrina aka half-pint is the Arizona state road Champion. Which adds to her Az. Criterium Champion title earlier in the year. Rumor has it she broke away with our soon to be addition Anna aka pocket rocket. Put major time on the field. Then went solo form here partner and finished 10 minutes ahead of the field. Anna stayed away making it a 1,2 punch. Awesome job ladies.

The dynamic duo that tore up the AZ state road race above.

Christina Smith was at Nature Valley and had a very successful week. Lots of top 10's for the Barn Diva. Way to go Christina.

Robin, Alice, Susan and Melissa will be in attendance for the elite team at Elkhorn. We will also have a bunch of the development ladies out racing too. It gonna be a sea of black, red and white. Good luck to all.

With the likes of Melissa, Robin, Christina, Becka, Alice, Erin and Brei Cascade is looking good. Elk horn is gonna be a great prep race for some, others are doing races and training in Colorado at high altitude. Cascade is gonna be fun.

All for now... Cheers!

Third & Sixth Overall at Mt Hood!!!

On the podium Pitel 1st, Goldtein 2nd, McWhirter 3rd.
Getting the call up... Alice Mt Hood favorite, and Melissa.


Today was the final stage of the Mt.Hood Stage race. As I sit at Doppio in Hood River to get this post out...before heading home. I couldn't be more proud of Melissa, Alice and Erin. Our Elite ladies did awesome. Melissa finishing 3rd, Alice 6th and Erin finishing 18th on GC. It would have been nice to have a full squad. Enabling us to share the work and have different cards to play. But we did what we could and came away with GREAT results. The field may have been smaller than in years past, it was still world class. Edwig Pitel won, she is a two time world track champion in the scratch race. Plus a 4 time national TT champion of France. Having to beat Jeannie Longo to claim this title. Obviously -VAC Leah Goldstein (finishing second) is world class competitor. Winning Mt Hood on 3 other occasions if memory serves me correct. For Melissa to win a stage, carry the jersey for a day and finish third next to these ladies has to feel good. It confirms what I already knew and now other should too. She is going to be a long standing threat in women's professional racing for years to come. Congrats to all my VF ladies. I am very PROUD!!!
working the deal, try to figure out how to bring back 8 sec on Pitel... ??
getting in a good warm up!!!

Mt. Hood TT

Melissa in Yellow - Stage 1.

Today was the TT. Windy is an understatement. No records will be broke, but the pain cave was deep. Top 4 women.
TT Stage Resulst top 4
1st Edwige Pietel - France
2nd Leah Goldstein - VAC
3rd Patricia Bailey - Wines
4th Melissa McWhirter - Veloforma

GC after Stage 2

1st Pietel - France

2nd Goldstein - VAC

3rd McWhirter - Veloforma

Special note Alice Pennington is sitting 6th over all. So we have two sitting high in GC. Which gives us options. Tomorrow is going to be an interesting day for all...

The Ladies on the podium, after stage one.

Mt Hood & in Yellow!!!

Melissa taking the stage win and getting ready to dawn the Yellow jersey!!!
Melissa bring it, and taking the win!!!!

The team has gotten off to a great start at Hood.
Yesterday in the prologue we went 5th and 6th, with Melissa and Alice.
Results can be found here:
http://www.mthoodcyclingclassic.com/pdfs/prologue/women/Stg00r00Rpt01RacerStg.pdf
Today was the Cooper Spur stage 1
The ladies rocked it with the win and taking the overall GC.
http://www.mthoodcyclingclassic.com/pdfs/stage1/women/Stg01r00Rpt01RacerStg.pdf
GC is here
http://www.mthoodcyclingclassic.com/pdfs/stage1/women/Stg01r00Rpt02RacerGC.pdf
Tomorrow is the TT and Melissa is a TT specialist as well as a climber. So going into this she is 2 Sec a head of Farina and 9 sec a head of Goldstein. It's anyones bet on who will pull it off. I know what Melissa is capable of. My money is on her all the way to the finish. I will be in the follow car helping send all the positive energy I can, as if some how I can pedal the bike.
Looking at the Top 10 a lot can happen, we have 3 really strong riders who can do a lot. One thing is for certain, I am very proud of all my VF ladies and how they are racing. It's nice to see it come together. They work hard and deserve the rewards of there success. Especially after losing so many key riders coming in to hood. Not having a full team had me wondering, the wonder is over and I now know they are ready to race hard.

Alice taking control.

The calm before the storm.

Given it and in the hurt box to the line!!

All photo's PAT MALACH http://www.oregoncyclingaction.com/

State Road Champs

Yesterday was the State Road Championships for the Senior women in Oregon. Veloforma was in attendance. We had a small team but they raced hard, with well earned results. It, like all races was a learning experience and we came away with new knowledge and this helps us grow as a team. Congratulations goes out to all the VF ladies with special note to Tina for a Silver and Steph a bronze. Way to go ladies.

Coach Cree with two of his VF ladies.
Myself, Miranda, Dave and Laura meet up with Tina, Steph, Elise and Heather after to celebrate.
I had my cake and a stick of butter too.

Testing, Testing...

So I spent a week in Colorado doing some product testing after Joe Martin Stage Race. Here are a few shots. It was a great trip and a needed re-charge to the batteries.

what you see here is a VF proto, that I spent a week on in Colorado.

It's full carbon and FS too, yes this is all your gonna get to see. Maybe you might get to view one at short track later this summer.

This shot is of Blue sky... an awesome single track that goes from Ft. Collins to Loveland.

Me with the Devils back bone and the wonderful blue sky of Colorado. Yes I am wearing road shoes. I know... but I forgot to pack my mtn bike stuff. LOL :)

Having some fun, all in a days work.

Devils Back Bone,. Loveland, Colorado.

Single track leading into the Devils Backbone.

Ironclad in the house. Never leave home with out them...

It was so hot the deer made sure they stayed cool.

Max getting ready to ride the Blue Sky to Loveland with me.

Paul doing the same, doing blue sky on a uni-cycle is tuff, especially when it's your first time. But really this is what we did on our rest day. Paul nailed it, I on the other hand did not...

New Belgium Lost Arrow of course... new brew and very tasty. This was my recovery drink after most rides.

Rest day also included some golf with Max and Paul.

Max enjoying a beverage after a hard day of golf.

A big bull snake I ran into on one of my rides. He was a big boy!!

My old Fort Collins house, man I miss this house, wish I never sold it. 20/20 hindsight, right.
All in all it was a wonderful trip and I got to see friends that I have not spent time with in a while. Thanks Paul, Di, Max, Gus and Ruffy. It was great spending a week with you.