Cycling News
2011 Tour de France Teams Announced
6/30/11 - The 98th Tour de France will run from Saturday, July 2nd through Sunday, July 24th 2011. The Tour is comprised of 21 stages and will cover a total distance of 3,430.5 kilometres. 22 Teams with 198 riders will be competing for a chance to wear the yellow jersey. Teams and Rosters >
Team Garmin-Cervelo is announced at the Tour de France presentation,
while wearing their limited edition team kit for the Tour.
Photo © Slipstream Sports
Race Report: Allegiant Cycling Team Wins RAAM
By Allegiant Cycling
6/29/11 - The Allegiant Cycling Team won one of the most epic battles in RAAM history. Clocking a near-record time of 5 days, 11 hours and 17 minutes, the team beat a star-studded British team that was stacked with World and National Champions.
The nail-biting race, which saw the Allegiant team's lead constantly fluctuating, was on course to setting a new world record when they broke the British team's will through the rolling hills of Ohio. The "Battle of Ohio" saw the Americans extend their lead from 11 minutes to 54 minutes! The British later admitted defeat in after Ohio, after they were unable to match the pace of their American competitors, and the Allegiant team extended their lead by another hour over the Appalachian Mountains to all but ensure the victory. At this point, the team backed off (sacrificing the course record) and focused on getting the team home safely and with the win in tact. More >
The Allegiant Cycling Team celebrates winning the RAAM. They covered 3,000 miles
in 5 days 11 hours and 17 minutes with a 22.77 mph average. Race Report >
Tour of Utah Announces Route Details
6/28/11 - All 409 miles of climbs, descents, twists, and turns of the six-day Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah were revealed today by event organizers. The sixth season for this prestigious professional cycling event will begin with a new uphill Prologue at Utah Olympic Park on Tuesday, August 9. There will be a combination of familiar terrain and fresh territory for the five stages, including a new circuit course in downtown Salt Lake City. The Tour of Utah culminates on Sunday, August 14, with its signature mountain top stage finish at Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort. More >
Rider Diary: Philadelphia International Classic and Tour of America's Dairyland
By Michael Smith Larsen, SoCalCycling.com Team
6/27/11 - Now it is almost 2 months since the Dana Point Grand Prix, so maybe it is time to write a little more in my diary. The race didn’t go as I hoped, a big break went up the road and I hesitated too long which ended up in missing the opportunity for a good result. 18th was far good enough.
Well, that result was the start of a very hard and strong training plan for May which should culminate in a good form for all the exciting races I had planned for June.
Focused training began with my new training partner, Rocky Bower, who became my host family from the beginning of May. We did many hours in the saddle, with a lot of special interval training and a strict diet. More >
Michael Smith Larsen (SoCalCycling.com) placed consistently at the Tour of America's Dairyland.
Read Michael's Diary >
Photo © Patricia Bitter Young
9 Lives (A Story that Could Save Your Life)
By Jamie Paolinetti
6/26/11 – So, I’ve been racing my bike longer than some of you have been alive, and I’ve been in more near death situations than I could ever talk about. I thought I’d seen it all on the roads. I was wrong.
Today on the way home from an hour ride in a park I often train in I stopped at a red light in the left hand turn lane one block from my house. I was waiting to turn left at this intersection I’ve stopped at thousands of times. I stopped just ahead of the car which was waiting to turn left as well so they would see me. Again, our light was red and I was waiting just inside the cross-walk. That’s where I always stop. More >
Farina (NOW and Novartis) Wins Road Nationals
6/26/11 – The last of more than 200 medals were distributed on Sunday as the junior men 17-18, elite men, Under-23 and elite women tested their meddle in the road race on the Major Matthew P. Burke Burke, M.D. Championship Course on Fort Gordon in Augusta, Ga., on the fifth day of the Juniors, U23, Elite & Para Road National Championships. Robin Farina (Charlotte, N.C./NOW and Novartis), Alexey Vermeulen (Pinckney, Mich./Prochain) and Max Korus (Elkins Park, Pa./BikeReg.com-Cannondale) distinguished themselves as the national champions of their respective categories. More >
New Criterium National Champions Crowned
6/24/11 – America’s fastest bike racers were crowned criterium champions on day three of the USA Cycling Juniors, U23, Elite & Para Road National Championships. Shelley Olds (Gilroy, Calif./Diadora Pasta Zara), Robert Bush (Louisville, Ky./Chipotle Development Team) and Coryn Rivera (Tustin, Calif./Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12) took home the Stars-and-Stripes in the day’s marquee contests on the four-corner course in beautiful downtown Augusta. Before the day’s final race, rain clouds floated ominously and wind gusts swept through downtown Augusta. More >
Sanctioning of BMX Racing is Unified in the U.S. With Merger of ABA and NBL
6/24/11 - From its humble beginnings in the 1970’s to its inclusion in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, BMX racing has seen many changes through the years. Many sanctioning bodies have come and gone during the 40 year history of the sport, but two have remained. The American Bicycle Association (ABA) and the National Bicycle League (NBL) have both been in operation since the 1970’s and now, like so many sports leagues, the two have joined forces and will operate as USA BMX. USA BMX will operate out of the current ABA headquarters in Gilbert, Arizona. With over 350 sanctioned tracks around the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico, USA BMX will serve as the sanctioning body for these tracks and over 70,000 members. More >
BMX racing will now be sanctioned under one governing body, USA BMX. BMX legends
John "The Jackal" Purse and Randy "Stumpy" Stumpfhauser ride the berm at Lake Perris.
Photo © SoCalCycling.com
SoCal Juniors Earn National Championship Titles, Neben Gets a Silver
6/23/11 - The USA Cycling Juniors, U23, Elite & Para Road National Championships opened on Wednesday with the first five national titles awarded in the junior road races. Just under 200 of the nation’s top young road cyclists took to the 11-kilometer loop course around Augusta’s Fort Gordon as temperatures rose into the mid-90s.
In a truly national event, the 10-16 year-old men and women competing represented 30 different states and cycling clubs and teams of all shapes and sizes. Wednesday’s young competitors also showed the diversity of the sport of cycling with many crossing over from other primary disciplines to find success on the road. More >
A four legged cycling fan hopes to get some Jelly Belly samples at the Jelly Belly Cycling Team bus.
Photo © SoCalCycling.com
Training: Summer is Here! Tips on Riding in the Heat
By Dotsie Bausch, Empower Coaching Systems
6/22/11 - IT'S HOT and sticky and you feel like you wanna run naked through a cool sprinkler over and over and over. How do you make sure you are taking all of the precautions possible to achieve peak performance in important races coming up like Elite and Junior National Road Championships and Masters Nationals? What if you want to do well in your next crit, which is only an hour, right? Your core temperature along with the more important, muscle temperature, can overheat and greatly reduce performance in as little as 5 minutes of exposure. WHAT?
Mechanical performance of muscle is greatly influenced by temperature, as are most biological processes. Maximal forces developed by muscles and their rates of force generation, contraction, relaxation and power output are all altered when body temperature varies. More >
The San Pedro Grand Prix provided riders the opportunity to race along the San Pedro Harbor.
Photo © SoCalCycling.com
SoCal Racers Vie for Junior, U23, & Elite Road National Championships Titles
6/21/11 - More than 1,000 riders, spanning the ages of 10 to over 40 will take to the streets for the USA Cycling Juniors, Under-23, Elite and Paralympic Road National Championships in Augusta for the first time beginning on Wed., June 22 and continue until Sun., June 26. The 1,000 riders slated to compete for national titles over the five days represents the largest number ever registered for the event. This record-breaking attendance will be highlighted by a star-studded women’s elite field. Competitors range from Olympic gold medalist Kristin Armstrong (Boise, Idaho/Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12) and time trial world champion and current USA Cycling National Racing Calendar leader Amber Neben (Irvine, CA/HTC-Highroad Women) to the nation’s top 10-12 year olds. More >
Neben Wins Overall at Nature Valley Grand Prix
6/20/11 – Amber Neben (HTC-Highroad) won the overall with Evelyn Stevens finishing second in the final stage criterium of the Nature Valley Grand Prix on Sunday. Amanda Miller and Stevens held the front of the pack before the last lap's climb to the finish, where Stevens came in just behind Bronzini (Colavita). "It was a great ending to a great day today with the GC win from Amber," said HTC-Highroad Sort Director Ronny Lauke, "That was our goal for this race and the girls worked hard to achieve it." "Amanda rode great today," said Stevens,"We were able to work together to set Amber up and keep her in yellow, and we almost took a stage win at the end. But with a GC victory we're happy, it's what we came here to do."
"We wanted to ride the whole criterium hard and fast but steady, and the girls were amazing to watch." said Lauke, "All five f them really rode to perfection." Stevens also won the most aggressive rider award, and Ally Stacher won the Carla Swart sportmanship award, which is given to the rider that works the hardest for their teams success above their own. Stacher was proud to accept this award that was created in honor of her late friend and teammate, Carla Swart.
Anthony Canevari (CashCall Mortgage) won the Pro 1/2 race at the San Pedro Grand Prix.
Photo © SoCalCycling.com
Leipheimer Wins Tour de Suisse Overall After a Fast Time Trial
6/19/11 – In a nail-biting final stage at the Tour de Suisse on Sunday, Team RadioShack’s Levi Leipheimer (37) put in a sterling performance in the time trial to cap off a solid week of racing and claim the overall victory by only four seconds, taking the yellow jersey off the back of Damiano Cunego (Lampre-ISD) on the last day of racing. Starting the race with 1:59 to make up to Cunego, Leipheimer went right to work as soon as he rolled out of the start house, showing steady gains at each of the two check points, finally crossing the line in third place behind leader Fabian Cancellara and teammate Andreas Klöden. Cunego was still on course and a hard week of aggressive racing seemed to be the undoing of the Italian rider, who in the end lost more than two minutes, handing the overall to Leipheimer. More >
Allegiant Air Cycling Team is Set to Race Across America
6/17/11 – The Race Across America (RAAM), which is celebrating it 30th Anniversary, is currently underway. You can follow the riders progress at the RAAM web site, with live streaming video, video updates and race leaderboard. The RAAM Teams will be departing from Oceanside tomorrow Saturday June 18 at 2:00 pm.The Allegiant Air Cycling Team, which is comprised of Mauricio Prado, Tony Gebbia, Andy Bestwick, Bob McCall and a 16 person support crew, will be providing in updates on their progress. While the Allegiant Air Cycling Team goes for the win in the “4-man Division”, they will also be raising money for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Las Vegas. Good luck guys!
Robert Förster (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team) celebrates his second stage
win Friday night at the Nature Valley Grand Prix Uptown Minneapolis Criterium.
Photo © Matthew Moses
Slipstream Steps Up Junior Development Program
6/17/11 – With the U.S. Junior National Championships around the corner, Slipstream Sports today announced it has stepped up its Junior Development program, which focuses on riders between 14-18 years old. The Chipotle Junior Development team has moved to a year-round program focusing on the development of young riders who show signs of elite potential. The junior development team continues to work as a feeder team to the Chipotle Development Team, Slipstream’s Continental squad, which in turn works as a feeder team for Garmin-Cervélo. More >
The Juniors had a good showing at the Ontario Airport Crit.
Photo © Richard Castellano
Car Runs into Riders on Midnight Ridazz Ride, 11 Injured, 2 Critically
6/16/11 - A group of 100 cyclists from the Midnight Ridazz had just taken in the views of the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook on the Koreatown ride, which takes place on Wednesday nights. While riders waited for the ride to regroup, a Honda Civic plowed into the group that was stopped at the intersection of Jefferson Boulevard at Hetzler Road in Baldwin Village at 1:50 am. Eleven people were injured and two are in critical condition. The driver was booked on suspicion of felony DUI.
The Pershing Square FREE Discovery Bike Ride Held on June 26th
6/15/11 - On Sunday, June 26 Pershing Square will host it's fourth Free Discovery Bike Ride. The ride is sponsored by the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, The Pershing Square Park Advisory Board and several downtown bike shops. The goal is to get people involved in the wonderful world of exercise on bikes with friends & family, using bikes as alternative method of Urban transportation and exploring the wonders of Downtown Los Angeles. The ride has a rolling closure and is escorted by the LAPD and the Downtown BID. There is no charge to ride and all riders are eligible to win prizes including bikes and bike gear. More info >
The Pershing Square FREE Discovery Bike Ride invites cyclists to enjoy
the unique sites of Downtown L.A. in a free Community Ride on June 26th.
Video: Racer Bikes Cup Gränichen Mountain Bike Race in Switzerland
Help a SoCal Cyclist Work with Team Liquigas-Cannondale at the Tour de France
6/13/11 - Ventura native Gabriel Garcia and Los Angeles resident Angel Castillo are among five finalists for an opportunity of a lifetime – a chance to spend a week at the Tour de France working behind the scenes with Team Liquigas-Cannondale. Gabriel Is currently a Cat 3 racer and rides for the Arcalis Test Team and previously rode for Santa Barbara’s Chicken Ranch Team. Angel works at a bike shop and is training to be the number one woman in her age group in three years.
Both had to submit a one to two-minute video explaining why they’re the most qualified to serve as Team Liquigas-Cannondale’s newest addition. Hopefuls had to highlight the following in their video submission: How the sport of cycling has impacted your life, Most memorable moment from the Tour de France and a bike MUST have been visual somewhere in the video shoot (it didn’t have to be a Cannondale)
All five videos are now available for fans to vote on by logging onto Cannondale‘s Facebook or Peloton Magazine’s Facebook pages. Videos and voting capability can be accessed by first liking the page, then clicking the Trip de France icon on the left. Voting runs from now until Friday, June 17th.
Alberto Gonzalez (CashCall Mortgage), Eric Sammuli (A Road Bike 4U) and
David Robertson (SoCalCycling.com) made the winning break at the Ontario Airport Crit.
Photo © Eddie Meza
SoCal High School Cycling League Summer Outreach Tour Concludes This Week
6/12/11 - The second annual SoCal Summer Outreach Tour concludes this week with stops in Riverside on Monday June 13th and Pasadena on Tuesday June 14th. This is a great way for those interested in forming, riding with, or coaching a high school mountain bike club to get a jump start on the process. "Many people have heard of the League and want to start or be involved with a high school club but they just don't know where to begin," said SoCal League Director Matt Gunnell. "These events are designed to give people a brief overview of the League to allow them to confidently head down the path toward participation as a team founder, coach, or student-athlete." Events begin at 7:00 PM and include a brief presentation followed by a question and answer session. There is no charge to attend and no RSVP is needed. Events are targeted at prospective club founders, prospective coaches, teachers, school administrators, parents, riders, and supporters. More info >
Race Report: Amgen Tour of California Amateur Time Trial
By Matt Bigos
6/11/11 - WOW! That is all I can say about the Time Trial at Solvang during the Tour of California. On May 20, I was able to race the TT thanks to AEG. They do an amateur race in the morning before the pro's take off and this year they were nice enough to let me take part in it.
This is something that I dreamt of last year. I wanted to put something together for myself and some of the other para riders to be able to race there. This turned out to be a much bigger undertaking then I thought in the beginning and in the end, I was only able to get one spot for myself. But, I have to start some where right? Hopefully next year I can pull it off to make it bigger and better. Maybe ride the entire TOC? Hmmmm, maybe...
More >
Matt Bigos tackles the climb during the Amgen Tour of CA amateur time trial. Read Matt's Report >
Pua Mata Added to Mountain Bike Marathon World Championships Roster
6/9/11 - SoCal’s Pua Mata and Amy Dombroski have been added to the roster that will represent the United States at the 2011 UCI Mountain Bike Marathon World Championships in Montebelluna, Italy on June 26. Dombroski and Mata each submitted strong petitions and have been added to the team. Dombroski (Crank Brothers Race Club) has contested each of the UCI World Cup Mountain Bike events in Yorkshire, Great Britain and Offenburg, Germany. Mata (Huntington Beach/Team Sho-air) leads USA Cycling’s Pro Mountain Ultra-Endurance Tour Standings after winning the Spa City Extreme 6-Hour Mountain Bike Classic in Hot Springs, Ark., on March 12. Mata and Dombroski join the team that was named on May 25, consisting of Jeremiah Bishop (Cannondale Factory Racing), Blake Harlan (Jamis Factory), Michael McCalla (Magura) and Sonya Looney (Topeak Ergon).
World Record Holder Dotsie Bausch to Discuss Mental Toughness in Cycling
6/8/11 - Athletes from all sporting disciplines are certain to benefit from an inspirational talk about mental toughness and courage in training and racing that will be delivered by world record holder Dotsie Bausch on Wednesday, June 29th at 7 PM at Bike Effect in Santa Monica (910 Broadway). The event sponsored by Bonk Breaker energy bars will spotlight the 2011 World Championship silver medalist and six-time U.S. National Champion cyclist who is preparing for the 2012 Olympic Games. More >
LA's NOW and Novartis for MS Pro Team Debuts to Success in Philly
6/7/11 - The new LA-based Pro Women's Cycling team NOW and Novartis for MS competed in their first team race Sunday at the Liberty Classic in Philadelphia, PA. The 6th annual Liberty Classic is one of the longest-running, most prestigious women’s races in the country. The Liberty Classic race consisted of four laps of a 14.4-mile circuit through Philadelphia with four steep climbs up the grueling Manayunk Wall and is held during the men’s International Championship on the same course. The team raced well together, staying at the front of the highly competitive international field and led out sprinter Christina Gokey-Smith to a 7th place finish.
Christina Gokey-Smith (NOW and Novartis for MS) battles up the notorious Manayunk Wall.
Photo © Michael Franken
Masters and Elite Road Race Championships Crowns New Champions in Bakersfield
6/6/11 - Many new 2011 SCNCA District Road Race Champions were awarded in Bakersfield over the weekend at the Golden Empire Classic, which was hosted by the Kern Wheelmen Bicycle Club. Congratulations to the following winners in their respective categories:
Masters Road Race Championship - Women 35+ Melina Bernecker (Herbalife LaGrange), Women 45+ Linda Stark (Team Dude Girl/Colnago pb IE Bikes), Women 55+ Linda Schnepf (Team Simple Green/Bike Religion), Masters 50+ David Prechtl (Pinnaclife Racing Team), Masters 55+ Keith Ketterer (Breakaway-UBS Elite Masters), Masters 60+ Kenny Fuller (Cycles Veloce), Masters 30+ Vincent Owens (Sierra Pacific Racing), Masters 35+ Mauricio Prado (Allegiant Airlines/PainMD's.com), Masters 40+ Pascal Bonaventure (Swami's Cycling Club), Masters 45+ Jeff Konsmo (Big Orange Cycling).
Elite Road Race Championship - Women 1-3 Ruth Clemence (SC VELO/Empower Coaching), Cat 1/2 David Santos (CashCall Mortgage), Cat 3 Tyler Williams (All Sport-Team Swift), Cat 4 Brady Kiss (Team Redlands), Women Cat 3 Holly Breck (Platinum Performance Cycling Team), Women Cat 4 Kathryn Kasischke. Full Results >
Mauricio Prado (Allegiant Airlines/PainMD's.com) powers to the win in the Masters 35+ Master Road
Race Championship in Bakersfield, followed by Mark Noble (Team Coastal Tree Care-SGBC) in 2nd.
USA Pro Cycling Challenge Announces Route With Scenic and Challenging Climbs
6/6/11 - The USA Pro Cycling Challenge, taking place in Colorado August 22-28, 2011, has announced the specifics of the route that 128 of the world’s best professional cyclists will take when they compete for seven days in this inaugural year. From climbing two 12,000-foot mountain passes in one day, to sprint lines in some of the most scenic locations on earth, the USA Pro Cycling Challenge promises to be the most challenging race in America. More >
The new LA-based Pro Women's Cycling team NOW and Novartis for MS team strategizes before
their first race together at the Liberty Classic in Philadelphia, with Sports Director Kurt Stockton.
Photo © Michael Franken
City of Riverside to Hire Bicycle Consultant for a Bicycle Friendly Community
6/4/11/ - The Riverside City Council unanimously reaffirmed its commitment to support bicycling as a key means of transportation, fitness and fun by agreeing to hire a Bicycle Consultant to work directly with the bicycle community and the city to advance Riverside’s standing as a bicycle friendly community.
“The decision to hire a Bicycle Consultant marks a defining time for this City and its future,” commented Mayor Ron Loveridge. “There is much to be done to further enhance our infrastructure and for the culture of bicycling in Riverside.” More >
US Cup Triple Crown Series Finals Heat Up This Weekend
6/3/11 - The Santa Ynez Valley Classic will host the final round of the US Cup Triple Crown All Mountain series this weekend. The rolling hills just north of Santa Barbara has had its share of battles over the years, and this weekend looks to be no different as Pro men and women racers battle it out for nearly $15,000 in cash. The US Cup will be paying out $10,000 in series overall combined pursue for the top three series riders in each division, with the winner’s taking home $2,500 each. In addition the weekend prize money could top an additional $5,000 making for a nice payroll for racers. Men’s series leader, Max Plaxton of the Specialized Factory USA team is set to line up along his teammate Lea Davison, who leads the women’s series by a scant two points over Luna’s Georgia Gould. For Plaxton, Santa Ynez was the site of the Canadian’s first break through US National win a few years back when he took a Pro short track race. “I really like coming back to Santa Ynez", commented Plaxton. "I got my first US win a few years back in the short track, so the place has been good to me. Plus the payout is really nice motivation for me to come down and race!”
Max Plaxton (Specialized Factory USA) gets the holeshot and will be looking to win the Series.
Training: Do you Want to Improve your Performance in a Crit?
By Michael Lovegren M.S., Kinetic Loop Training System
6/2/11 - Here is a great drill to do to improve your performance in a crit. The Descending Intervals (DI) is a drill that can be done during the race season. However, if you have a race Saturday and Sunday give your body ample recovery time. For example, this is a drill you can do Tuesday or Wednesday giving you Thursday and Friday to recover and get ready for the weekend. DI’s can be done once a week or twice a week. The goal is to create an adaptation. I have seen better results with cyclist performing the drills back to back (block training) with a progression instead of just a single day. This exercise works on your VO2max and Glycolytic energy system. If doing the drills back to back in block training the ideal day would be performing them on Tuesday and Wednesday during a race week. The goal is to create an adaptation that simulates the changes of speed in a crit. More >
Tour of Utah Announces 16 Teams to Compete
6/1/11 - The 2011 edition of the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah professional cycling stage race will now feature a total of five UCI ProTeams, and a total field of 16 teams from around the globe. Four international squads, including Liquigas-Cannondale and Garmin-Cervélo, and five domestic teams were added this week by race organizers. Taking place August 9-14 using six different Host Venues across northern Utah, “America’s Toughest Stage RaceTM” will be the first UCI 2.1-rated stage race for ProTeams in the U.S. following the Tour de France. More >
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