Emily Georgeson and Ryan Schneider have both earned spots in the Nature Valley Pro Chase program after success in California’s Tour de Murrieta, March 9-11. Both racers will compete among top professionals at the Nature Valley Grand Prix in Minnesota and Wisconsin June 12-16, 2013.
After winning his first road race, Schneider was hooked on cycling and jumped from a Category 5 to a Category 2 racer in just two years. Some of his biggest accomplishments to date are winning the Cat 2 race at the Manhattan Beach Grand Prix and the Dana Point Grand Prix. Although Georgeson began her road racing career in January 2012, she quickly upgraded to Category 3 last April, Category 2 in September and has continued to perform well this season, winning the Tour de Murrieta.
Photos © Christy Nicholson / EchelonDesignPhoto.com
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While both cyclists balance a heavy training schedule on top of their busy jobs, success has been a common trend in their races so far. While most of Georgeson’s training is done alone, she is thankful for the support she gets from her team, Helen’s Cycles. “I never imagined I’d be doing this well when I started racing last year. I would look at my teammates and wonder if I’d ever be able to race that fast and now seeing all of my hard work come together is really rewarding,” Georgeson said. Riding for Bike Religion Sho-Air, has been an experience that provided Schneider with the necessary training and expertise to make him a stronger rider. “I was really surprised that I qualified for the Nature Valley Grand Prix, but I’m pretty happy about it. I had a teammate last year that qualified and it looked like a really cool experience,” Schneider said.
Executive Race Director, David LaPorte is eager to see these riders and their teammates compete in Minnesota and Wisconsin together this summer. “Even though the riders and coaches are complete strangers at the start of the pre-race camp, by the last stage of the Nature Valley Grand Prix, they’ve become lifelong friends,” LaPorte said. “It’s also very rewarding to give talented riders a shot at going pro.”
