News
Neil Shirley Mt. Hood Classic Diary – Stage 5
5/18/08 - I hate to start this journal by complaining but I have to say my legs are cooked! Today was the Queen Stage of the stage race and rightfully so. It was 100 miles with over 10,000 feet of climbing. The temperatures didn’t make things any easier; it was 95 degrees by midday. It was definitely cooler at the finish on Mt. Hood, but by then the damage was done. I was more motivated than ever to make the break today. The problem is that this also becomes my downfall a lot of the time. You end up putting so much energy into the moves trying to make one stick that if you end up not making the move that stays away you have burnt a lot of matches just to end up back in the field. That’s what happened today. The first 50 k was super-fast. I tried my hand in countless moves but to no avail. Nothing was getting away so as the terrain got harder I began to attack hoping to take a small group with me. I finally got my way on a 1 k climb. Three of us broke away on the climb and started working well together. About 5 k later a group of 6 caught up to us. It was a welcomed sight since with only 3 it would have made for some tough going. more >
Ivan Stevic (Toyota-United) and a La Grange rider take on the tough course.
photo © neilshirley.com
Peña Delivers Rock Racing Another Victory
5/18/08 - Victor Hugo Peña scored Rock Racing’s second victory at the Vuelta a Colombia by attacking out of a 12-man breakaway three miles from the finish of a cold and rain-soaked Stage 7 on Saturday. Peña, a former yellow jersey wearer at the Tour de France, freewheeled across the line 18 seconds ahead of Edwin Orozco (Orgullo Paisa) to win the 101.6-mile (163.6 km) race. Wilson Marentes (Colombia es Pasión-Coldeportes-Alpina) was third, 32 seconds behind. Peña’s win comes 10 years after he last won a stage in his national tour. “I’m very happy for this win because it has been several years and I haven’t had a win,” Pena told Luis Barbosa of Ciclismohoy.com. “I was amazed that I could take such a hard stage of the race in such difficult conditions. I dedicate this victory to my wife, Erika, and my sons, Mateo, Sofia and Paolo.” Rock Racing Team Director Mariano Friedrick said the pre-race strategy was to get either Peña or teammate Tyler Hamilton in a breakaway. Peña bridged a 45-second gap to join the decisive group. “With such powerful climbers in the break, we came up with the idea of attacking in the flats to get them into oxygen debt before the last climb,” Friedrick said. “We also agreed that Victor needed to keep his own rhythm rather than following attacks because it was going to kill his legs.” Peña survived a flurry of action at the base of the final climb, then threw down his own attack to shed everyone but Orozco and Marentes. “He kept a time trial effort up the climb and then hit it again and dropped the rest. It was fantastic,” Friedrick said.
Neil Shirley Mt. Hood Classic Diary – Stage 4
5/17/08 - I have to say that the courses here at Mt Hood are some of the most epic and scenic of any race I’ve done. Today was an 18 mile time trial along the Columbia River. The promoters have kept with their common theme, why go around the mountain if you can go over it? 4 miles into the TT they threw a Cat 3 switchback climb in just for fun. It was a beautiful climb with amazing views of the river below and snowcapped mountains all around. I only know how gorgeous the views were because by this point in the race I was already on a Sunday cruise. Well, I guess it wasn’t really a cruise even though I was going slowly it still hurt. My legs were pretty well stuffed from yesterday’s efforts in the break. I tried to push through it and hoped my legs would come around but by the top of the climb I knew it wasn’t going to get much better. I decided not to kill myself and turned it into a tempo ride rather than shatter my legs for tomorrow. I really hate not giving it 100% when I race but I am really hoping that it will pay off for tomorrow’s brutal stage. It’s a bummer fighting so hard to not lose any time at the finish yesterday and then give up minutes today, but that’s racing. more >
A snow capped Mt. Hood provides a beautiful backdrop for the riders.
photo © neilshirley.com
Rock Racing’s Sevilla Dons Green Jersey
5/16/08 - Rock Racing’s Oscar Sevilla was awarded for his consistency Thursday at the Vuelta a Colombia. The Spaniard pulled on the green jersey of points classification leader after finishing third in the 83.8-mile (135 km) race from San Francisco to La Dorada. The podium finish – his fourth Top 10 finish of the event – put him three points ahead of John Fredy Garcia (UNE). Sevilla’s hopes for overall victory suffered a slight setback on Stage 4 Wednesday when he finished in the pack, five-and-a-half minutes behind two breakaway groups that escaped during the 119.3-mile (192 km) race from Tunja to La Vega. “My strategy is to take this race one day at a time,” Sevilla said. “This race is like a lottery – anyone can still win it. Unfortunately, we are competing against some really strong teams who are surely going to make it hard for us.” Sevilla said Colombian teammate Victor Hugo Peña has been a faithful lieutenant, along with Tyler Hamilton and Sergio Hernandez, the only other Rock Racing riders remaining in the race. Friday’s Stage 6 is a short 71.4-mile (115 km) race that features a mountain-top finish at Santuario. The stage is expected to go a long ways toward deciding the final contenders for the overall crown of the 14-stage, 15-day race.
Neil Shirley Mt. Hood Classic Diary – Stage 3
5/16/08 - Today was the first of two hard road stages. The stage was only 85 miles, but trust me it was a day for the climbers. We had 4 and 1/2 laps on a circuit that had only 1 mile of flat roads, it was either up or down the whole time. The lap started with a 10-mile climb, it was only around 5-6 % until the last 3 miles where it went up to 8%. The plan for the day was to make sure Jittery Joe’s was represented in any break that went up the road and after that just hang on! Six miles into the race a break of about 10 formed and even though Bissell wasn’t in the yellow jersey they took control of the front of the race. We didn’t have anyone in the break so I attacked to get across. I brought Bajadali (Kelly), Swindlehurst (Bissell), and Matt Crane (HealthNet) across with me. We caught the remaining members of the break (some had already been dropped) just before the KOM sprint. I decided to give the KOM a try but realized that Bajadali and Grabinger (Successful Living) were much more motivated for it than I was. I’m usually keen on the KOM’s but I knew this break had a chance to stay away until the end and I wanted to give myself a good shot to win the stage. more >
Neil Shirley and Jittery Joes teammate, Matt Shriver, get ready for stage 3.
photo © neilshirley.com
Neil Shirley Mt. Hood Classic Diary – Stage 2
5/15/08 - What an awesome race! Today’s stage was held in Tabor Park, which is a gorgeous setting up on a hill overlooking downtown Portland. This was technically a criterium, but with 130’ of climbing over 2k’s it wasn’t your standard four corner flat crit. The organizers outdid themselves with this venue; it was epic! This was a new stage this year so no one was quite sure how it would unfold. While pre-riding the course I realized how important positioning for every lap would be. If you slacked off for even one lap you could be in trouble. Well, the 90-minute race got under way and as expected it was fast from the beginning. I made sure I sat in the top 30 and tried to limit my efforts for the first 30 minutes. Bissell was immediately on the front of the race. They did an amazing job the first hour, keeping the pace so high that no break aways could get established. I was coming around in the second half and had no problem accelerating on the climb with the front group. Riders were going out the back as the fast pace and the climb ate into the legs. Bissell was feeling the pressure with 20 minutes to go and I thought a break was going to go, but as usual I was wrong. I made sure I was riding heads up to make a potential break but it never materialized as Bissell kept scrapping it out and held on until the end. Toyota took over with a lap to go for their sprinters and our big guy Evan Elken slotted himself onto the Symmetrics train. I was sitting top 15 and thought I might have a shot to move into the top 10 but as soon as the sprint started I got pushed around a bit and slipped back but stayed in the front group. Evan wasn’t able to follow Symmetrics to the finish, to bad since their sprinter, Pinfold, got third. Toyota showed that they have the sprint team to beat with Hilton Clarke taking the win Toyota’s and potential GC winner Stevic in second. All four of us Bean Teamer’s finished on the same time as the winner and set up well for the next few big GC days. We’re all feeling good, so we’ll see. I am excited for tomorrow’s 90-mile climbing day to finally blow out the legs and see how I’m going. Until tomorrow...
Neil Shirley, NeilShirley.com
The giant trees tower over the Pro men's peloton at Stage 2 of the Mt. Hood Classic.
photo © neilshirley.com
Neil Shirley Mt. Hood Classic Diary – Stage 1
5/14/08 - Well, I know that you have been on the edge of your seat eagerly anticipating the Stage 1 journal. I really hope I don’t disappoint any of you, but honestly there isn’t much to say about a sub-3 minute stage. I’ll try to make the stage as exciting as possible then I will fill you in with the rest of the details of my trip up to Oregon. I started the morning with a two-hour ride in the outskirts of Portland with Evan Elken, Ben Kneller, and Matt Shriver. The four of us are the Jittery Joe’s contingent for the week. With this not being a team race, we all decided to do this one on our own since it is known to be an incredible race. It should provide a good buildup for Philly week and then Tour De Beauce. The Stage 1 Prologue was held in downtown Portland right on the riverfront. It was a 1.7-mile pan flat time trial, not exactly my cup of tea. You always want to start a stage race out on a high note, but realistically the time gaps will be so minimal from the prologue compared to the big climbing days later in the week. I didn’t get the best warm up in but I think the two-hour ride this morning probably helped out a bit. I went as hard as I could and just broke the three-minute mark. I’m not sure who won or what the fastest time was but I can tell you that I’m 100% sure it was not me! I was joking with someone when I said my goal was a top-100 but when I heard that there were 190 riders in the race I guess maybe that wouldn’t be so bad after all! So that’s about it with the race, now on to the fun stuff. more >
Neil Shirley's sweet new Vanagon Westfalia Camper provides the comforts of home.
photo © neilshirley.com
SCNCA Road Race Championships Crowns New Champs
5/13/08 - Congrats to all of the new Champions and finishers! It sounds like the races went off perfecto and the course was a challenging, yet fun one with a little bit of everything. If you have a story to tell, talk about it in our forum. Elite Results >, Masters Results >
Championship Podiums: Women's winner Rachel Tzinberg,
Beatriz Rodriguez and Alicia Boland. Men's 30 + winner Nathaniel Faulkner,
James Gunn-Wilkinson and Chris DeMarchi.
photo © lasportsphoto.com
Rock Racing’s Sevilla Second While Botero Bows Out
5/13/08 -While Rock Racing’s Oscar Sevilla narrowly missed out on a victory on Stage 2 Monday at the Vuelta a Colombia, his teammate, Santiago Botero, retired from the race, citing fatigue and a desire to do well at the Olympics. Botero had claimed victory in Saturday’s prologue time trial, leading Rock Racing to a 1-2-3-4 sweep. But the race’s defending champion is looking ahead to an even bigger goal – success in the Olympic Games in Beijing later this year. “Santiago has been training super hard since November of last year to win the Tour of California – a race he unfortunately was not even allowed to start,” Rock Racing Team Director Mariano Friedrick said. “Fortunately, he had enough fuel in his tank to win Redlands and do a very good job at the Tour de Georgia. Ultimately, he knew he didn't have the form to win this Vuelta and mentally he needs a rest.” While Botero withdrew at the 37-mile mark (60 km), Monday’s stage was well-suited to an on-form Sevilla, who finished third in the prologue. With temperatures soaring over the century mark and high humidity, the peloton was reduced to fewer than 40 riders by the time the final 25-mile (40 km) climb began. Rock Racing was well-represented with both Sevilla and Victor Hugo Peña – who finished second in the prologue. “Oscar looked relaxed and composed at all times, and under no circumstances was he in trouble,” Friedrick said. Sevilla bided his time on the final ascent, covering several attacks in the closing kilometers before making a go of it on his won with 300 meters left, only to be passed by Jhon Freddy García (UNE) just before the finish line. The result did not significantly change the overall standings, though, and Sevilla remains in sixth place, 42 seconds behind overall leader Carlos Ospina (GW-Shimano-EPM). Tuesday’s Stage 3 departs from Piedecuesta and finishes 103 miles later (136.4 km) after passing over three categorized climbs, including a Category 1 ascent.
Oscar Sevilla (Rock Racing) is edged at the finish line of
Stage 2 by Jhon Freddy García (UNE). photo © Luis Barbosa
Rock Racing Goes 1-2-3-4 In Vuelta a Colombia Opener
5/12/08 - Rock Racing sent shockwaves through the field at the 58th Vuelta a Colombia by sweeping the top four places in Saturday’s prologue. Rock Racing’s Santiago Botero won the 5.2-mile (8.4 km) individual time trial in nine minutes and 53 seconds, leading teammates Victor Hugo Peña (seven seconds behind), Oscar Sevilla and Tyler Hamilton (both 14 seconds back). On a day with 105-degree heat and 75 percent humidity, Botero averaged 31.3 miles an hour over a crowd-packed course that ran through the city Barrancabermeja, a port and oil-refining center on the Magdalena River in northeastern Columbia. Botero, the race’s defending champion, also won the prologue last year. Fifteen teams – including 12 from Colombia – are participating in the 14-stage race that covers 1,237 miles (1991 km) over 15 days. Widely considered to be one of the most challenging stage races in the world because of its high-altitude race finishes, past Vuelta a Colombia champions include Tour de France stage winners Fabio Parra (1981, 1992), Luis Herrera (1984-86, 1988) and Oliverio Rincón (1989). In addition to Botero, Peña, Sevilla and Hamilton, Rock Racing’s seven-rider squad includes Americans Jeremiah Wiscovitch, Adam Switters and Sergio Hernandez.
The all-Rock Racing podium (from left): Victor Hugo Peña,
Santiago Botero and Oscar Sevilla. photo © Luis Barbosa
Bike Week Pasadena Kicks off this Week May 12 - 17
5/12/08 - TEAM C.I.C.L.E. invites you to join them for the following rides to celebrate Bike Week Pasadena. More info >
Events include:
May 12th - 4:30pm-6:30pm - Bicycle Pit Stops
May 13th - 5:30pm-9:00pm - Ladies Night @ One Colorado
May 14th - 6:00pm-9:30pm - Tour de Pasadena
May 15th - 7:00pm-9:00pm - Traffic Basics Workshop (Part 1)
May 16th - 7:00pm-9:30pm - The ‘Heaven on Wheels’ Ride
May 17th - 10:00am-5:00pm - Urban Bicycle Commuter Expo, Screening of ‘The Triplets of Belleville’
14th Annual California Bike Commute Week, May 12-16
5/12/08 - California is celebrating Bike to Work Week this week. With the high cost of gas, this is a great time to participate and celebrate. You can find more info on the festivities in your area here.
Rock Racing Driver Qualifies for Indy 500, Podium Sweep in Colombia
5/11/08 - IndyCar driver Tomas Scheckter, supported by Rock Racing, locked in the 11th position on Pole Day, capturing the final qualifying spot for the 92nd running of the Indianapolis 500. Scheckter, sporting a helmet and driving gear bearing the Rock Racing insignia, was only one of the Rock Racing winners to cross the finish line in a top position today. At the 58th Vuelta a Colombia, the Rock Racing Pro Cycling team had a clean sweep of the podium, with Santiago Botero, Victor Hugo Peña and Oscar Sevilla capturing first, second and third, respectively, in Saturday's prologue. Teammate Tyler Hamilton finished fourth.
IndyCar driver Tomas Scheckter sports a venom Rock Racing helmet.
photo © IndyCar.com, Shawn Payne
Slipstream/Chipotle H3O Wins Giro TTT, Vande Velde in Pink
5/10/08 - I can't believe that it has been twenty years since Andy Hampsten won the 1988 Giro d’Italia. I remember Andy riding into the Pink jersey after his great ride up the snowy Gavia Pass and his picture on the cover of Winning Magazine just like it was yesterday. Now we have a new group of Americans to cheer for with Slipstream, Astana and CSC taking part in this years Giro. Slipstream recently showed their Team Time Trial skills by winning the TTT at the Tour de Georgia and just proved they could kick it up a notch against the best ProTour teams in the world. Their ride was fast enough to win by 6 seconds and put a very happy Christian Vande Velde in Pink. For more coverage, check out Slipstream's blog and photos and you can catch the Giro on the telly at Versus.
Toyota-United Donates $5,000 to Fausto Esparza Who Was Paralyzed
5/9/08 - The Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team announced today that its riders and staff donated $5,000 cash to Fausto Munoz Esparza, the rider who was paralyzed in a horrific high-speed crash in last Sunday’s final stage of the Tour of Gila in Silver City, NM. The cash consists of the riders’ prize money they earned over last weeks 5 day Tour of Gila and staff donations. In addition, Toyota-United will auction off a team jersey signed by all 14 riders on eBay beginning Monday in order to provide the general public with an opportunity to show their support for Fausto and his family. Esparza 33, a former Mexican Nation Champion and father of three children, is in critical but stable condition in the intensive care unit of El Paso’s Thomason Hospital in Texas with a broken back which has left him paralyzed from the waist down. “He is very depressed and not sure what to make of this terrible situation. His wife, three children and parents have all come to El Paso to be by his side for the next three weeks until he gets out of the hospital” said Jose Manuel “Chepe” Garcia a Toyota-United rider and personal friend of Esparza. Supporters may visit the Toyota-United website beginning Monday May 12th to link to an auction of a team jersey signed by all 14 members of the team to raise additional funds.
In addition, people may make a private donation to:
Wells Fargo Bank
1201 N. Pope Street
Silver City, NM 88061
Attn: Fausto Munoz Esparza Donation Fund
Letters can be sent to:
Patient: Fausto Esparza, ICU/12
C/O Thomason Hospital
4815 Alameda Avenue
El Paso, TX 79905
Marco Antonio (Zombies) won the Barrio Logan GP Pro 1/2 race,
with Chris Demarchi and Neil Shirley rounding out the podium.
photo © Claudio Gonzalez
USA Cycling Announces Plans for New National Headquarters
5/7/08 - USA Cycling announced today that the national headquarters for competitive cycling in the United States will remain in Colorado Springs. Thanks to the generous support of Nor’wood Development group and the El Pomar Foundation combined with the collective efforts of the City of Colorado Springs and several local organizations including the Colorado Springs Economic Development Corporation and the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation, USA Cycling has secured new office space on the city’s north side. The new headquarters for USA Cycling will occupy a 26,000-square-foot building on nearly two acres of land near I-25 on the northwest side of Colorado Springs. Plans include a conference center, education and training facilities, and office facilities for more than 60 employees. The building and the land on which it sits were donated to USA Cycling by Nor’wood, while additional support from the El Pomar Foundation and the Colorado Springs Economic Development Corporation played a major role in keeping USA Cycling’s headquarters in Colorado Springs.
Amber Neben's Fleche Wallone World Cup Journal
5/6/08 - The Fleche World Cup is one of my favorite races. It is up and down all day on small roads, and it finishes on the famous Muur de Huy. Since the men are racing at the same time, there are numerous fans along the wall which adds to the fun (or pain.) To be honest, I cannot say for sure how many are there, but I know they are, because I hear them.
The first half of the race was relatively uneventful. The speed was pretty high, and there were never any breaks established. The second part of the race included the 7 marked climbs, but only the last 3 or 4 were long enough or late enough to generate any dangerous racing. Once that did start to happen, Cervelo, High Road, and Nurnberger did a good job of controlling things, or keeping their lead riders in a position to win. My day was solid. I stayed safe and somewhat protected in the first part of the peloton. I was mentally zoned in so that even though there was chaos all around me, I was relaxed and not bothered by it. more >
Bakersfield Road Race Champs Ready to Roll
5/5/08 - The Golden Empire Classic/SCNCA Road Race Championships will be held in Bakersfield, CA May 10th. and 11th. Two full day of championship racing for masters, elites and women are scheduled and the racing should be great. With the unfortunate loss of last years 10 mile closed course venue (with possible return in 2009) tech director Sam Ames has outlined and set up a 31 mile course popular with the locals. The Round Mountain loop offers a good mix of flats, rollers, 1 steady climb, a fun descent and a nice wide open slighty uphill sprint to the finish. Racers are encouraged to come prepared with plenty of fluids and fuel. The start / finish is located with the feed zone making for a very good staging area and support area. So Cal racers are encouraged to pre-reg at socalreg.com OR mail in registration to the Kern Wheelmen Bicycle Club. See you there! Online Reg closes Thursday at 7 pm, but you can register on Friday night at Action Sports per the race flyer. race info >
Check out the YouTube Video (created by Ben Weaver) of the course. It is just like pre riding or driving the course. Very cool!
Unfortunately, Gila race leader Tom Zirbel (Bissell) had a bad
crash breaking his collar bone, ribs and finger. Heal up fast, Tom
photo © Mitchell Clinton / www.clintonphoto.com
Miscellaneous Ramblings
5/4/08 - The last two years I made the trek to San Diego to watch our SoCalCycling.com Elite Team race the Barrio Logan Crit. This year I decided to send them positive vibes and did the Montrose Ride instead. One of my favorite sections of the ride in Azusa has been closed the last year and a half due to the development of Rosedale Master Planned Community. Thankfully, this section reopened a few weeks ago, so the ride can go through there again. They added a Euro style roundabout on each end of Rosedale for us to navigate, but everyone already has it dialed and it went really smooth ... I remember the Barrio Logan Crit being fast and furious (maybe because it was the Criterium Championships?), but an inside source in the Pro 1/2 race told me that it was the slowest Barrio Logan Crit he has done, with a few parade laps. I am thinking it was a warm up for the Mark Reynolds San Luis Rey RR and some riders were saving their legs to bust their move there. If that's the case, get ready for some fireworks up the climb!
Chris DeMarchi (Team 5 Star WVO) and Mr. TdG Aggressive Jersey Winner,
aka Neil Shirley (Jittery Joes), battle it out in the sprint.
photo © J. Bordine
The Pro 1/2 men get started at the Devils Punchbowl Road Race.
More Devils PB and Chuck Pontius photos here.
photo © 2008 Ikonographics
Toyota Ends Sponsorship, United Pro Seeks Title Sponsor for ‘09
5/3/08 - Team Owner, Sean Tucker, held a conference call earlier today with his riders, staff and management to announce to the team that Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. has decided not to renew its title sponsorship of the Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team following the conclusion of the 2008 season. The decision coincides with the expiration of the three-year sponsorship agreement signed December 1, 2005. “The Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team has performed at a level that truly symbolizes the Toyota way. We have the utmost respect for Sean Tucker, his management, the marketing and PR team, and the athlete riders all of whom have represented us valiantly,” said Keith Dahl, National Manager of Engagement Marketing. “We accomplished our goals in this three-year term and have since shifted strategies.” “Certainly we have enjoyed our partnership with Toyota these past two and a half years which has been incredibly successful for both organizations with 118 wins in just over two seasons. We will always be grateful for the support Toyota, its dealer network and employees have shown our team and me personally” said Tucker. Tucker continued, “We are looking forward to securing a new partner for the 2009 season in the next 100 days who can benefit from and build their brand by being associated with our world class organization. We are confident another sponsor will capitalize on the value United Pro Cycling Team generates with our 25,000 registered fans, eight-figure annual measurable media exposure, 3.3 million annual onsite spectators and the charitable work our team does in the communities we race in.”
Toyota-United has made a big impact to the sport the last few years.
We wish them the best in their search for a new title sponsor.
photo © Action Images
Bike Week Pasadena - See the City in a Whole New Way
5/2/08 - Bike Week Pasadena 2008 encompasses a week of festivities and rides that celebrate and encourage bicycling as a healthy alternative to the automobile, May 12 through 17, 2008. All Bike Week Pasadena activities are free and open to the public. Highlights include: Enjoy guided bike tours like the 'Tour de Pasadena', 'Ladies Night', and 'Heaven on Wheels'. See the Bike Week Pasadena schedule of events for more details. The Urban Bicycle Commuter Expo happens on Saturday, May 17th. Exhibitors from local Pasadena area bike shops, bike manufacturers, accessory manufacturers and local advocacy groups will come together to present the latest bicycles, fashion, and gear emerging from the ultra-hot urban bike commuter scene. Experience how-to workshops on bike maintenance, bike commuting, and apparel clinics. Entertainment will include live-music, DJs, and the BIKE chic fashion show. more info >
Henk Vogels (Toyota-United) celebrates a victory in the Tour of the Gila criterium.
photo © Mitchell Clinton / www.clintonphoto.com
What Do You Think?
Gregorio Ladino Vega (Team Tecos-Trek) and Leah Goldstein (Value Act Capital)
both won the opening stage of Tour of the Gila.
photo © Mitchell Clinton / www.clintonphoto.com
18 Year Old Sea Otter Classic Shares Secrets of its Success
5/1/08 - Recognized as the unofficial North American cycling season opener, the Sea Otter Classic offers lots to people out shopping for experiences. For those participants from the northern climates, like Jessica Yeaton, 17, of Anchorage, Alaska, who rode outside for only the fifth time this year and won the junior women's road race, just being able to ride in only shorts and a jersey is a luxury. Shawn Lester, who requested a race number to signify the day his young daughter passed away five years ago, caused a few tears to be shed with a short email to express his gratitude, not only for being granted number 814, but also for a race leadout honoring his daughter, Alaina. SRAM, CLIF, Fox and Pedro's all had big news to share at Sea Otter. The weather cooperated too, for the most part, and despite Saturday's gusting winds, one-day festival passes sold out. The rain stayed away for the first time in a long time, which removed risks for some and eliminated the thrill of survival for others. more >
The Pro Men climb one of the many hills at the Tour of the Gila.
photo © Mitchell Clinton / www.clintonphoto.com
The women's break put time on the field in stage 2 of
Tour of the Gila, while the Tecos team set tempo for their GC leader.
photo © Mitchell Clinton / www.clintonphoto.com
