Blair, Adam and Bruce get their last minute caffeine buzz before racing in the rain/hail at the Albemarle Out Like a Lion Road Race.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Want a FREE Water Bottle???
Sure you do...The weekend of April 4th and 5th marks the Famous Right Gear "End of Winter Sale".
Visit The Right Gear in Kannapolis for the sale...mention to Jim the Hincapie/Coca-Cola Cycling Team presented by Barkley with your purchase... and he will toss you a FREE Water Bottle! Simple!
End of Winter Sale!
Who says the Good Stuff is never on sale?
Winter is almost gone, the Time has changed and we don’t have to ride in the Dark anymore! For two days only Friday April 4th and Saturday April 5th The Right Gear is celebrating Spring's arrival! Come celebrate with us!
Save 10-40% on Everything in stock! You read it right…Everything in stock! Bikes, shoes, wheels, clothing (winter AND summer!), framesets, nutrition products, helmets, gloves….you get the picture!
If you take it home we don’t have to pack it up!
All sales final and subject to stock on hand. Exchanges only with valid receipt within 30 days. Store hours Friday 11-7, Saturday 9-5. M/C, Visa and Discover accepted along with good checks, Krugerrands and the coin of the Realm. Don't eat the yellow snow. Wrestling is real; our government is fake! Never eat at a place called Mom's. Never play cards with a man named Doc. Don't stick your tongue in the spokes. Please, no dealers!
Visit The Right Gear in Kannapolis for the sale...mention to Jim the Hincapie/Coca-Cola Cycling Team presented by Barkley with your purchase... and he will toss you a FREE Water Bottle! Simple!
End of Winter Sale!
Who says the Good Stuff is never on sale?
Winter is almost gone, the Time has changed and we don’t have to ride in the Dark anymore! For two days only Friday April 4th and Saturday April 5th The Right Gear is celebrating Spring's arrival! Come celebrate with us!
Save 10-40% on Everything in stock! You read it right…Everything in stock! Bikes, shoes, wheels, clothing (winter AND summer!), framesets, nutrition products, helmets, gloves….you get the picture!
If you take it home we don’t have to pack it up!
All sales final and subject to stock on hand. Exchanges only with valid receipt within 30 days. Store hours Friday 11-7, Saturday 9-5. M/C, Visa and Discover accepted along with good checks, Krugerrands and the coin of the Realm. Don't eat the yellow snow. Wrestling is real; our government is fake! Never eat at a place called Mom's. Never play cards with a man named Doc. Don't stick your tongue in the spokes. Please, no dealers!
NEW WEBSITE UP!!!
While we may still keep posting on this blog, the majority of our articles will be moving to our New and Improved team website.
www.hincapiecycling.com
Check it out today! We appreciate the help from http://www.cyclingwebsites.com/ for their support of the team with a great web template that we can use to update as often as our little heart desires. Thanks for visiting.
www.hincapiecycling.com
Check it out today! We appreciate the help from http://www.cyclingwebsites.com/ for their support of the team with a great web template that we can use to update as often as our little heart desires. Thanks for visiting.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Ladies Go Out Like a Lion
Hincapie/Coca Cola presented by Barkley Women’s Race Report
Out Like A Lion Race Weekend
Remax Town and Country Road Race:
Saturday’s race certainly lived up to the name for this weekend of racing! The weather came in like a lion and went Out Like A Lion!! After heavy rains on Friday night, we woke up to very dense fog that would delay the start of the first race by over 2 hours. Many racers found themselves sitting around, not knowing when their race was going to begin. The talk among most of us focused on: Do I have enough food to sustain me up to and through my race? When should I eat? When should I begin my warm-up? Should I race in my rain jacket?
There was a short rain shower just before the masters race but luckily the women were able to start and finish on dry roads. (The Pro/1/2 men were not so lucky. They were pounded with hail in their 2nd lap so the race was called. But, that’s another story for another blog post!) We stood in the staging area for 30 minutes before our race finally got underway. We were neutral for the first half-mile as we made our way to the 6.6 mile loop. Even with the neutral start, racers were already fighting for position to be ready for the first hill on the narrow country roads.
There were several teams attending this race that were well represented by numerous racers: Lees McCrae, BMW/Bianchi, Team 19 Cycling and of course the Women’s HCCB (Hincapie/Coca Cola presented by Barkley) team. We had Lauren Trull, Lara Cassidy, Lisa Preslar, Lori Harkey, Bridgette McLean and Marianne Holt. The focus of today’s race was to stay near the front and be ready to respond to the numerous attacks. Robin Farina of Team Cheerwine was fresh off of the Cheerwine race team’s two-week training camp and raced aggressively as always. The women from Lees McCrae also raced aggressively. Lauren and Marianne monitored the front ready to respond to the inevitable attacks on the hills. The race distance was already short (33 miles) and with the weather delays, it was shortened by one lap for a total distance of just 26 miles. With the shorter distance, our pace was more like a criterium than a road race and we dropped many racers early on.
By the time we reached the fourth and final lap, the peloton was tiring and setting up for the finish. The last half of the course included a flat, two-mile section before the push up the final hill to the finish. We cruised along on the flat section at a reasonable pace until Lori and Lisa moved to the front. Feeling good and knowing that once the race was over, they would need to hurry to Lori’s house to prepare for Lauren’s bridal shower, they pushed the pace and began the final surge to the end. This was a great move but was a tad early to begin the leadout. Soon Marianne was at the front on the opposite side of the road with Lauren on her wheel. Again, a tad early but Marianne kept up the pace as long as she could. Finally, Lara powered her way to the front, setting the peloton in a frenzy to chase her. Lauren jumped in mid-pack and made her way to the front to contest the sprint placing third behind Kacey Manderfield and Hadley Trotter. The rest of the team finished in the pack.
After a very short cool down, the winds whipped and the rain began so we all packed up to get ready for the party/bridal shower for Lauren and her fiancé, Michael Rigby. Lisa Preslar and Lori Harkey hosted this celebration at Chris and Lori Harkey’s home in Mt Pleasant. The event was attended by nearly the entire HCCB team and friends and family of the happy couple.
Food Lion City Park Criterium – This WAS in OUR Plan:
Luckily the skies were clear for Sunday’s race although the winds and cool temperatures definitely kept a bite in the air. Today’s races featured a Women’s Cat 4 race and Women’s Open. Bridgette competed in the Cat 4 race finishing second! She raced aggressively and strong throughout the entire race. However when Team 19 Cycling racer Stacie Schnitkey attacked for a solo breakaway, Bridgette could not close the gap. She chased hard at the front with the peloton glued to her wheel, but to no avail. Congratulations to Bridgette for her second place finish, especially after such a hard effort!!
When we arrived for the Women’s Open race we wondered if it was going to be a repeat of Saturday in terms of delays. They were already running about 20 minutes behind schedule. As we were warming up on our trainers we saw the Masters 45+ race finish. Then we heard "all women to the line" and we still had 25 minutes before our race started! No more delay - now they were running early?!
We looked at each other and thought they must just be mistaken so we just kept warming up. Then our friends started coming by and telling us they were indeed calling all women to the line and we'd better get ourselves down to the start. Marianne, the consummate veteran, kept pedaling on her trainer: "They can't start the race before the scheduled start time. No way." Still being new to the sport, and having heard horror stories about missed starts, Lara decided she wasn't going to chance it - she hopped off her trainer and got out on the course to continue her warm-up. Lauren calmly got her gloves from Bridgette and got on the phone to call Lori to tell her to step on the gas and have Chris drop her off at the start line!
As it ended up Marianne was right, they didn't start before our scheduled time - even waited for a few people to show up while we were staged! But - good way to get that heart rate up before the race even started!"
The were more than 30 women in today’s race including several members of the Lees McCrae, BMW/Bianchi and Team 19 Cycling race teams. The Salisbury City Park is the perfect venue for spectators to watch an exciting criterium. The nine-tenths of a mile course encompasses the entire park and features a short, tough power hill up to the finish. The HCCB women raced aggressively from the gun and gave the spectators plenty of excitement to watch. All four HCCB women: Lara, Lori, Marianne and Lauren attacked relentlessly making solo breakaways, only to be reeled in by the determined peloton. Lauren was away for more than 2 laps during her first breakaway; and once caught, attacked again for a second solo breakaway! She was chased down again but still had enough left for the sprint finishing second to Madeleine Pruissant of Athens, Georgia. The rest of the HCCB women finished very strong with Marianne, Lori and Lara finishing mid-pack.
We’ll take a break from racing for the next couple of weeks and start up again in April with the Rock Hill Spring Omnium. Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more exciting race updates!
Out Like A Lion Race Weekend
Remax Town and Country Road Race:
Saturday’s race certainly lived up to the name for this weekend of racing! The weather came in like a lion and went Out Like A Lion!! After heavy rains on Friday night, we woke up to very dense fog that would delay the start of the first race by over 2 hours. Many racers found themselves sitting around, not knowing when their race was going to begin. The talk among most of us focused on: Do I have enough food to sustain me up to and through my race? When should I eat? When should I begin my warm-up? Should I race in my rain jacket?
There was a short rain shower just before the masters race but luckily the women were able to start and finish on dry roads. (The Pro/1/2 men were not so lucky. They were pounded with hail in their 2nd lap so the race was called. But, that’s another story for another blog post!) We stood in the staging area for 30 minutes before our race finally got underway. We were neutral for the first half-mile as we made our way to the 6.6 mile loop. Even with the neutral start, racers were already fighting for position to be ready for the first hill on the narrow country roads.
There were several teams attending this race that were well represented by numerous racers: Lees McCrae, BMW/Bianchi, Team 19 Cycling and of course the Women’s HCCB (Hincapie/Coca Cola presented by Barkley) team. We had Lauren Trull, Lara Cassidy, Lisa Preslar, Lori Harkey, Bridgette McLean and Marianne Holt. The focus of today’s race was to stay near the front and be ready to respond to the numerous attacks. Robin Farina of Team Cheerwine was fresh off of the Cheerwine race team’s two-week training camp and raced aggressively as always. The women from Lees McCrae also raced aggressively. Lauren and Marianne monitored the front ready to respond to the inevitable attacks on the hills. The race distance was already short (33 miles) and with the weather delays, it was shortened by one lap for a total distance of just 26 miles. With the shorter distance, our pace was more like a criterium than a road race and we dropped many racers early on.
By the time we reached the fourth and final lap, the peloton was tiring and setting up for the finish. The last half of the course included a flat, two-mile section before the push up the final hill to the finish. We cruised along on the flat section at a reasonable pace until Lori and Lisa moved to the front. Feeling good and knowing that once the race was over, they would need to hurry to Lori’s house to prepare for Lauren’s bridal shower, they pushed the pace and began the final surge to the end. This was a great move but was a tad early to begin the leadout. Soon Marianne was at the front on the opposite side of the road with Lauren on her wheel. Again, a tad early but Marianne kept up the pace as long as she could. Finally, Lara powered her way to the front, setting the peloton in a frenzy to chase her. Lauren jumped in mid-pack and made her way to the front to contest the sprint placing third behind Kacey Manderfield and Hadley Trotter. The rest of the team finished in the pack.
After a very short cool down, the winds whipped and the rain began so we all packed up to get ready for the party/bridal shower for Lauren and her fiancé, Michael Rigby. Lisa Preslar and Lori Harkey hosted this celebration at Chris and Lori Harkey’s home in Mt Pleasant. The event was attended by nearly the entire HCCB team and friends and family of the happy couple.
Food Lion City Park Criterium – This WAS in OUR Plan:
Luckily the skies were clear for Sunday’s race although the winds and cool temperatures definitely kept a bite in the air. Today’s races featured a Women’s Cat 4 race and Women’s Open. Bridgette competed in the Cat 4 race finishing second! She raced aggressively and strong throughout the entire race. However when Team 19 Cycling racer Stacie Schnitkey attacked for a solo breakaway, Bridgette could not close the gap. She chased hard at the front with the peloton glued to her wheel, but to no avail. Congratulations to Bridgette for her second place finish, especially after such a hard effort!!
When we arrived for the Women’s Open race we wondered if it was going to be a repeat of Saturday in terms of delays. They were already running about 20 minutes behind schedule. As we were warming up on our trainers we saw the Masters 45+ race finish. Then we heard "all women to the line" and we still had 25 minutes before our race started! No more delay - now they were running early?!
We looked at each other and thought they must just be mistaken so we just kept warming up. Then our friends started coming by and telling us they were indeed calling all women to the line and we'd better get ourselves down to the start. Marianne, the consummate veteran, kept pedaling on her trainer: "They can't start the race before the scheduled start time. No way." Still being new to the sport, and having heard horror stories about missed starts, Lara decided she wasn't going to chance it - she hopped off her trainer and got out on the course to continue her warm-up. Lauren calmly got her gloves from Bridgette and got on the phone to call Lori to tell her to step on the gas and have Chris drop her off at the start line!
As it ended up Marianne was right, they didn't start before our scheduled time - even waited for a few people to show up while we were staged! But - good way to get that heart rate up before the race even started!"
The were more than 30 women in today’s race including several members of the Lees McCrae, BMW/Bianchi and Team 19 Cycling race teams. The Salisbury City Park is the perfect venue for spectators to watch an exciting criterium. The nine-tenths of a mile course encompasses the entire park and features a short, tough power hill up to the finish. The HCCB women raced aggressively from the gun and gave the spectators plenty of excitement to watch. All four HCCB women: Lara, Lori, Marianne and Lauren attacked relentlessly making solo breakaways, only to be reeled in by the determined peloton. Lauren was away for more than 2 laps during her first breakaway; and once caught, attacked again for a second solo breakaway! She was chased down again but still had enough left for the sprint finishing second to Madeleine Pruissant of Athens, Georgia. The rest of the HCCB women finished very strong with Marianne, Lori and Lara finishing mid-pack.
We’ll take a break from racing for the next couple of weeks and start up again in April with the Rock Hill Spring Omnium. Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more exciting race updates!
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Boys Off To Belize
The boys headed out of Charlotte today with their bags (and bikes) bound for Belize. Chris, Scottie, Geri and Bruce will have a few days of R+R in the sun before Saturday's Belize Cross Country Road Race. Also know as the Holy Saturday Race, it is a historic race in the local Belizian culture dating back to 1928. The Hincapie team has had great success in the past. Chris is returning as one of the only racers to have won back to back titles. He along with Scottie, Mac(previous Cross Country Champion), Darren, AT, Blair, Shane, and Lori have all had some great successes racing there over the years. I really think we have on of the strongest teams we have ever had down there this year. You can listen to the race live through the live feed at http://www.krembz.com/ on Saturday to stay up on the action. We wish the boys the best of luck in representing the Hincapie/Coca-Cola Team presented by Barkley! Bring home that garland!
Women's Team Greenville Wrap-Up
Written by Marianne Holt
Edited by the Team
This is the first of hopefully many race reports to come from the Women of the Hincapie/Coca Cola presented by Barkley race team (aka the “ HCCB Women”). We’ll try to highlight the more interesting race happenings including not only how the HCCB Women performed; but we’ll also include the sometimes more interesting aspect of racing including our stories of joy, fear, excitement and success to cover the entire adventures of this awesome women’s team. Enjoy!
GREENVILLE SPRING TRAINING SERIES
Race #1 – Donaldson Center Road Race:
Every year, the Spring Training Series marks the official start of the race season here in the Southeast. A few of the HCCB Women had already raced this season, a couple even internationally, but this was our official start and we had our full contingent for the season debut.
As expected, Lara Cassidy and Marianne Holt arrived very early to ensure a proper warm-up on this early, cold February Saturday. The rest of the team: Bridgette McLean, Deb Elliott, Lauren Trull, Lisa Preslar, and Lori Harkey arrived just in time to dress and race to the start. Our primary objective for the day and for the entire Series was to shake out the cob webs and get our legs and lungs ready for another season of racing. We also wanted to use this series to learn more about racing together as a team. Our team training rides during the off-season were limited due to school, work and family commitments so this was really our first opportunity to ride together as a team. We planned to take advantage of this training series to determine how we each could contribute most to the success of the team. Our Director Sportif Extraordinaire, Chris Harkey set our simple and clear strategy for the race: ride the first three laps, then race the last two. This was great since the warm-up for most of the team was the ride from the parking lot to the start line!
The great thing about the Spring Training Series, in addition to the fact that it is the official start of the race season in the Southeast, is the huge fields that it attracts, especially for the women’s races. The challenge with the Spring Training Series is the huge fields that it attracts! Many racers use this as their initiation into racing. After all it IS a training series. However, it can be daunting for the new racer and seasoned racer as well with the mix of strength, skills and experience. On this first day of the Series, the women’s field was 50 strong with over half of the women at the entry level Category 4. It truly is great to see so many women racing but it does make for some interesting racing and handling in these first few races of the season.
The race went as planned with a few attacks in the first three laps but no threatening breaks got away. During the fourth lap, Lara launched successive attacks on the hills on the back side of the course and wore down the tiring peloton. As we crossed the railroad tracks for the long, flat, windy last couple of miles, Marianne moved to the front to try and give Lauren a leadout or at least protect her from the wind in the inevitable sprint finish.
Lees-McCrae College had some strong girls in the race. Kacey Manderfield, a strong overall rider and powerful sprinter was supported by Carla Swart and others. We knew that Kacey was the one to watch in the sprint. Coming into the last mile, it appeared Carla was setting up for the leadout for Kacey. Susan Jones was on Kacey’s wheel with Lauren and me in tow. Much to our surprise, Carla not only led out the sprint but kept up the pace to take the win with Lauren outsprinting Kacey to take 2nd. Kacey finished 3rd, Susan Jones 4th and Marianne finished (a best-ever for Donaldson Center) 5th. The rest of the HCCB Women finished strong in the field.
Race #2 – BMW Performance Center Crit:
There’s nothing quite like racing a short, fast crit in February to wake up those fast twitch muscle fibers!! Combine that with wind, cold, overcast skies, threatening rain and a 30+ minute delay due to a serious crash in the previous race; we were more than ready to get this race underway. Lauren had told us that she wasn’t feeling well due to her esophageal spasms so we were going to try to get Lori or Marianne in a break.
Lara started the race from the gun by attacking at the line. The field was immediately strung out while everyone searched for a wheel. This set the tone for the entire race. There were attacks after relentless attacks. When no one was attacking, the field would bunch up with everyone trying to stay out of the wind. But the slow down never lasted long as several teams seemed determine to establish a break. But once again, the race came down to the inevitable field sprint. With everyone fighting for position the group really slowed in the last lap. Thankfully, Lori launched an awesome attack on the back side of the course and strung out most of the field. This brought the pace back up to speed for the finish, perfect for setting up Lauren for the win. And win she did! Alright!! Our first of many wins to come this season. Unfortunately there was a mid-field crash on the last turn and several of the HCCB Women were caught behind it but luckily we all stayed upright.
A great start for the first weekend of racing for the Women of the Hincapie/Coca Cola presented by Barkley race team!!
Special Note: Thanks to our Bell Helmet sponsor Hogan Properties, and Team Manager, Adam Little, we received our new helmets on Saturday night before the race. This provided some much needed protection to our noggins in the cool-looking, great fitting Sweep R helmets in today’s race. Thanks again to Hogan Properties of Greenville, SC for their support.
Race #3 – Fork Shoals Road Race:
The Fork Shoals Road Race course was familiar to all of us since it was used as the NC and SC State Road Race Championship in 2007. And we had our own NC Women’s Category 4 champion with us, Lara Cassidy. So it was sure to be a good race for the HCCB Women! We had the full contingent again for this race sans Deb Elliott who was off doing secret training in the hills of North Carolina.
The Fork Shoals course has something for everyone: long hills, short power hills, steep, curvy descents and long, windy flats. (There was even a grassy hill near the start for Lauren to show-off her cross skills. She had returned to the car to apply one more coat of chamois cream and had to take the shortcut to make it back just before the start!) As expected, the race was very active with several teams represented and numerous attempts to establish a break. Just after crossing the start/finish line into the second lap, pro mountain biker and powerhouse Tanya Nestvogel attacked and pulled away solo. She was nearly out of site before most of the peloton realized she was away. Lisa moved to the front to seemingly begin the chase, but we think that she really just wanted to be at the front so she could wave to her 10-month old daughter, Lena and husband Neil, camped out in the feed zone!
Half-way up the stair-step climb, Casey Gale attacked establishing a threatening gap. In response, Marianne jumped bringing Harris Teeter rider (and winner of the early season Sanford Road Race), Lauren Beastall with her. The three worked together for a while, dropping one rider then gaining a BMW rider. By this time the breakaway riders were tiring and the peloton was quickly on them. In a perfectly timed move, Lori countered and established a new break with Kim Potter and Casey Gale. These three riders worked together to chase down Tanya, still on her solo breakaway. The rest of the HCCB Women established a very effective block at the front of the peloton. We were happy for the respite and happy to get mountain goat Lori in the break since there were several tough hills still to go.
In the third and final lap of the race, Lauren Beastall attacked with BMW rider Jennifer Petosa on her wheel to establish the second break of the day. Concerned with stirring up the peloton into chasing the earlier break with Lori, the HCCB Women were happy to sit on the front and let the two-rider breakaway go. Soon the blocking turned from welcome respite into tough duty at the front fighting the wind. Lauren bore the brunt of it with the wind at her side while Marianne and Lisa traded turns at the front. Lara tried her best to work her way to the front and give us some relieve from the wind but found it difficult to move through the tight pack on the narrow roads. She finally was able to power her way to the front and once she was there, she didn’t stop. Lara motored on the front for the last 4 – 5 miles of the race, pulling the tired peloton on the flat roads into the fierce headwind. She took us into the right turn down the steep descents and up the last climb before the final turn 1K from the finish. Still hammering at the front Lara outsprinted the shattered peloton and finished an impressive 7th with Lauren right behind her in 8th. Lori took 4th place in the break placing highest for the day for the HCCB Women.
We were all tired after this race, but ecstatic with how quickly we were learning how we could each contribute to the success of the team. We couldn’t wait to race again the next day at the Donaldson Center!
Race #4 – Donaldson Center Road Race:
After a 2nd and 5th place finish here last week, we really wanted a win today!! We knew what to do and where to be, we just had to follow-through. Just as last weekend, there were numerous attacks during this race, but on the last lap, the field was all together and slowing so we knew it was going to be another sprint finish. Just after the railroad tracks, Lara repeated her move from Saturday and hammered to the front. The wind and the effort from the day before began to take it’s toll on her so Marianne took over for the final leadout effort. This was great except we started about one mile too early! Marianne went into time trial mode with Lauren on her wheel, singing words of encouragement and trying her best to keep Marianne from cracking. Finally with over 500 meters to go, Marianne pulled over with nothing left, leaving Lauren in the wind to attempt one of her longest sprints ever. Amazingly, Lauren was able to hold off the charging peloton to win with Deb Whitmore a close 2nd and Susan Jones coming in 3rd. Our only Cat 4 racer, Bridgette McLean finished an impressive 9th! The rest of the HCCB Women finished in the field, tired but ecstatic with the team win!
Race #5 – River Falls Road Race:
This was to be our last race of the Spring Series since we all had family and other obligations for Sunday. It would be less than truthful to say that most of the team was excited to be here. It is actually a great course and we couldn’t wait to continue our winning streak from last Sunday. But with temperatures forecasted to be in the high 30’s, “feels like” temps in the 20’s, cloudy skies, 20 mph winds gusting to 45 mph and a 30% chance of rain or snow this was not exactly ideal weather for bike racing. But race, we did!
The River Falls road course has a steep, tough, half-mile climb that we would have to cover 5 times during our race. As had been the case for the entire series, the women’s field was 40+ with many strong women. The sun was shining when our race started so maybe this was a good sign? The attacks began on the first lap, but nothing got away. As we started the climb to finish the first lap, Lara went to the front and pushed the pace. This was just the beginning of shedding many riders in the peloton. The race went on with several attacks and finally Kacy Manderfield from Lees McCrae College attacked to get away by herself. No one chased initially and she was quickly out of sight. We finally chased but could not get organized well enough to gain any time. It was beginning to look like we were now racing for second place.
Half-way up the climb in the fourth lap, there was a field split, with all of the HCCB Women on the wrong side of the split! Finally, Lauren, Lara and Marianne went to the front and worked hard to bring the field back together. About the time we were all together, we begin to feel the cold sensation of rain and sleet. Just what we needed to make our tired legs scream for relief! The fast pace continued and we were all spent by the time we turned to make the climb one last time. We ended the day with a 10th place finish for Lauren, and 13th, 14th and 15th respectively for Lara, Lori and Marianne. Bridgette finished solo after stopping three different times for a mechanical problem. Kudos to Bridgette for toughing it out and still placing 5th in the Cat 4 group!
Breaking News: Lauren placed second in the Spring Training Series Omnium. Way to go Lauren!!
Overall we agreed that we raced a very successful Spring Series and are looking forward to the upcoming Out Like A Lion Race Weekend!
Edited by the Team
This is the first of hopefully many race reports to come from the Women of the Hincapie/Coca Cola presented by Barkley race team (aka the “ HCCB Women”). We’ll try to highlight the more interesting race happenings including not only how the HCCB Women performed; but we’ll also include the sometimes more interesting aspect of racing including our stories of joy, fear, excitement and success to cover the entire adventures of this awesome women’s team. Enjoy!
GREENVILLE SPRING TRAINING SERIES
Race #1 – Donaldson Center Road Race:
Every year, the Spring Training Series marks the official start of the race season here in the Southeast. A few of the HCCB Women had already raced this season, a couple even internationally, but this was our official start and we had our full contingent for the season debut.
As expected, Lara Cassidy and Marianne Holt arrived very early to ensure a proper warm-up on this early, cold February Saturday. The rest of the team: Bridgette McLean, Deb Elliott, Lauren Trull, Lisa Preslar, and Lori Harkey arrived just in time to dress and race to the start. Our primary objective for the day and for the entire Series was to shake out the cob webs and get our legs and lungs ready for another season of racing. We also wanted to use this series to learn more about racing together as a team. Our team training rides during the off-season were limited due to school, work and family commitments so this was really our first opportunity to ride together as a team. We planned to take advantage of this training series to determine how we each could contribute most to the success of the team. Our Director Sportif Extraordinaire, Chris Harkey set our simple and clear strategy for the race: ride the first three laps, then race the last two. This was great since the warm-up for most of the team was the ride from the parking lot to the start line!
The great thing about the Spring Training Series, in addition to the fact that it is the official start of the race season in the Southeast, is the huge fields that it attracts, especially for the women’s races. The challenge with the Spring Training Series is the huge fields that it attracts! Many racers use this as their initiation into racing. After all it IS a training series. However, it can be daunting for the new racer and seasoned racer as well with the mix of strength, skills and experience. On this first day of the Series, the women’s field was 50 strong with over half of the women at the entry level Category 4. It truly is great to see so many women racing but it does make for some interesting racing and handling in these first few races of the season.
The race went as planned with a few attacks in the first three laps but no threatening breaks got away. During the fourth lap, Lara launched successive attacks on the hills on the back side of the course and wore down the tiring peloton. As we crossed the railroad tracks for the long, flat, windy last couple of miles, Marianne moved to the front to try and give Lauren a leadout or at least protect her from the wind in the inevitable sprint finish.
Lees-McCrae College had some strong girls in the race. Kacey Manderfield, a strong overall rider and powerful sprinter was supported by Carla Swart and others. We knew that Kacey was the one to watch in the sprint. Coming into the last mile, it appeared Carla was setting up for the leadout for Kacey. Susan Jones was on Kacey’s wheel with Lauren and me in tow. Much to our surprise, Carla not only led out the sprint but kept up the pace to take the win with Lauren outsprinting Kacey to take 2nd. Kacey finished 3rd, Susan Jones 4th and Marianne finished (a best-ever for Donaldson Center) 5th. The rest of the HCCB Women finished strong in the field.
Race #2 – BMW Performance Center Crit:
There’s nothing quite like racing a short, fast crit in February to wake up those fast twitch muscle fibers!! Combine that with wind, cold, overcast skies, threatening rain and a 30+ minute delay due to a serious crash in the previous race; we were more than ready to get this race underway. Lauren had told us that she wasn’t feeling well due to her esophageal spasms so we were going to try to get Lori or Marianne in a break.
Lara started the race from the gun by attacking at the line. The field was immediately strung out while everyone searched for a wheel. This set the tone for the entire race. There were attacks after relentless attacks. When no one was attacking, the field would bunch up with everyone trying to stay out of the wind. But the slow down never lasted long as several teams seemed determine to establish a break. But once again, the race came down to the inevitable field sprint. With everyone fighting for position the group really slowed in the last lap. Thankfully, Lori launched an awesome attack on the back side of the course and strung out most of the field. This brought the pace back up to speed for the finish, perfect for setting up Lauren for the win. And win she did! Alright!! Our first of many wins to come this season. Unfortunately there was a mid-field crash on the last turn and several of the HCCB Women were caught behind it but luckily we all stayed upright.
A great start for the first weekend of racing for the Women of the Hincapie/Coca Cola presented by Barkley race team!!
Special Note: Thanks to our Bell Helmet sponsor Hogan Properties, and Team Manager, Adam Little, we received our new helmets on Saturday night before the race. This provided some much needed protection to our noggins in the cool-looking, great fitting Sweep R helmets in today’s race. Thanks again to Hogan Properties of Greenville, SC for their support.
Race #3 – Fork Shoals Road Race:
The Fork Shoals Road Race course was familiar to all of us since it was used as the NC and SC State Road Race Championship in 2007. And we had our own NC Women’s Category 4 champion with us, Lara Cassidy. So it was sure to be a good race for the HCCB Women! We had the full contingent again for this race sans Deb Elliott who was off doing secret training in the hills of North Carolina.
The Fork Shoals course has something for everyone: long hills, short power hills, steep, curvy descents and long, windy flats. (There was even a grassy hill near the start for Lauren to show-off her cross skills. She had returned to the car to apply one more coat of chamois cream and had to take the shortcut to make it back just before the start!) As expected, the race was very active with several teams represented and numerous attempts to establish a break. Just after crossing the start/finish line into the second lap, pro mountain biker and powerhouse Tanya Nestvogel attacked and pulled away solo. She was nearly out of site before most of the peloton realized she was away. Lisa moved to the front to seemingly begin the chase, but we think that she really just wanted to be at the front so she could wave to her 10-month old daughter, Lena and husband Neil, camped out in the feed zone!
Half-way up the stair-step climb, Casey Gale attacked establishing a threatening gap. In response, Marianne jumped bringing Harris Teeter rider (and winner of the early season Sanford Road Race), Lauren Beastall with her. The three worked together for a while, dropping one rider then gaining a BMW rider. By this time the breakaway riders were tiring and the peloton was quickly on them. In a perfectly timed move, Lori countered and established a new break with Kim Potter and Casey Gale. These three riders worked together to chase down Tanya, still on her solo breakaway. The rest of the HCCB Women established a very effective block at the front of the peloton. We were happy for the respite and happy to get mountain goat Lori in the break since there were several tough hills still to go.
In the third and final lap of the race, Lauren Beastall attacked with BMW rider Jennifer Petosa on her wheel to establish the second break of the day. Concerned with stirring up the peloton into chasing the earlier break with Lori, the HCCB Women were happy to sit on the front and let the two-rider breakaway go. Soon the blocking turned from welcome respite into tough duty at the front fighting the wind. Lauren bore the brunt of it with the wind at her side while Marianne and Lisa traded turns at the front. Lara tried her best to work her way to the front and give us some relieve from the wind but found it difficult to move through the tight pack on the narrow roads. She finally was able to power her way to the front and once she was there, she didn’t stop. Lara motored on the front for the last 4 – 5 miles of the race, pulling the tired peloton on the flat roads into the fierce headwind. She took us into the right turn down the steep descents and up the last climb before the final turn 1K from the finish. Still hammering at the front Lara outsprinted the shattered peloton and finished an impressive 7th with Lauren right behind her in 8th. Lori took 4th place in the break placing highest for the day for the HCCB Women.
We were all tired after this race, but ecstatic with how quickly we were learning how we could each contribute to the success of the team. We couldn’t wait to race again the next day at the Donaldson Center!
Race #4 – Donaldson Center Road Race:
After a 2nd and 5th place finish here last week, we really wanted a win today!! We knew what to do and where to be, we just had to follow-through. Just as last weekend, there were numerous attacks during this race, but on the last lap, the field was all together and slowing so we knew it was going to be another sprint finish. Just after the railroad tracks, Lara repeated her move from Saturday and hammered to the front. The wind and the effort from the day before began to take it’s toll on her so Marianne took over for the final leadout effort. This was great except we started about one mile too early! Marianne went into time trial mode with Lauren on her wheel, singing words of encouragement and trying her best to keep Marianne from cracking. Finally with over 500 meters to go, Marianne pulled over with nothing left, leaving Lauren in the wind to attempt one of her longest sprints ever. Amazingly, Lauren was able to hold off the charging peloton to win with Deb Whitmore a close 2nd and Susan Jones coming in 3rd. Our only Cat 4 racer, Bridgette McLean finished an impressive 9th! The rest of the HCCB Women finished in the field, tired but ecstatic with the team win!
Race #5 – River Falls Road Race:
This was to be our last race of the Spring Series since we all had family and other obligations for Sunday. It would be less than truthful to say that most of the team was excited to be here. It is actually a great course and we couldn’t wait to continue our winning streak from last Sunday. But with temperatures forecasted to be in the high 30’s, “feels like” temps in the 20’s, cloudy skies, 20 mph winds gusting to 45 mph and a 30% chance of rain or snow this was not exactly ideal weather for bike racing. But race, we did!
The River Falls road course has a steep, tough, half-mile climb that we would have to cover 5 times during our race. As had been the case for the entire series, the women’s field was 40+ with many strong women. The sun was shining when our race started so maybe this was a good sign? The attacks began on the first lap, but nothing got away. As we started the climb to finish the first lap, Lara went to the front and pushed the pace. This was just the beginning of shedding many riders in the peloton. The race went on with several attacks and finally Kacy Manderfield from Lees McCrae College attacked to get away by herself. No one chased initially and she was quickly out of sight. We finally chased but could not get organized well enough to gain any time. It was beginning to look like we were now racing for second place.
Half-way up the climb in the fourth lap, there was a field split, with all of the HCCB Women on the wrong side of the split! Finally, Lauren, Lara and Marianne went to the front and worked hard to bring the field back together. About the time we were all together, we begin to feel the cold sensation of rain and sleet. Just what we needed to make our tired legs scream for relief! The fast pace continued and we were all spent by the time we turned to make the climb one last time. We ended the day with a 10th place finish for Lauren, and 13th, 14th and 15th respectively for Lara, Lori and Marianne. Bridgette finished solo after stopping three different times for a mechanical problem. Kudos to Bridgette for toughing it out and still placing 5th in the Cat 4 group!
Breaking News: Lauren placed second in the Spring Training Series Omnium. Way to go Lauren!!
Overall we agreed that we raced a very successful Spring Series and are looking forward to the upcoming Out Like A Lion Race Weekend!
Thursday, March 13, 2008
NO CONTEST!!! Mewett WINS Maryville
Check out Geri's latest newspaper article after lapping the fileld, solo, at the Maryville Criterium this weekend. http://www.blounttoday.com/news/2008/mar/12/no-contest/ This marks Geri's first win of the season, and the first win for the men's elite team. What makes this win great...dispite that fact that Geri is freaky fast, is that after lapping the field by himself, he was able to help lead out former teammate, AJ Meyer, for 2nd place. AJ now rides for the Hincapie / Barkley Development Team. This is AJ's highest placing in a Pro 1-2 event to date, but we expect el numero uno for him anytime. Congrats to Geri and AJ for showing them how it's done. PS...Yes, Geri rocks the pink wool Defeet Gloves all the time!
LeMond Speed Demon's Arrive!
Sorry, but this stock photo will have to do for now, until I wipe the drool off of my camera and get it working again! Wow these things are nice! Our team Lemond Triomphe Carbon Zurich frames came in today, I was speechless. The frames are so light, and just plain look fast. The Triomphe Series is available in 5 different models, two different frame weights. All feature the same Min/Max design philosophy, LeMond's legendary geometry and a variety of leading components available from SRAM, Shimano and Bontrager (including the Bontrager Race Lite carbon fork). The frames feature a super wide Bottom Bracket area, asymmetrically shaped chainstays, larger beefy headtube,and a wide seattube yoke all to increase the lateral stiffness of the bike and increase power transfer. The frames the team will be riding range from the 49cm women's specific version, to their largest 61cm frame. Comparing the frames it is easy to see LeMond's max/min feature of the frames. The diameter and shaping of the top tube, head tube, seat yoke are all dependent of the size of the bike...larger for larger bikes to compensate for larger riders, and smaller for the smaller frames. Check out the full story at http://www.lemondbikes.com/
Now the sweet task of building them up begins...we will keep you posted on the first maiden voyage. Thanks to Travis, Jeff for their help from LeMond for getting us on the best bikes out there. Thanks also for Jim O'Brien at The Right Gear for getting us rolling and dialed in. http://www.rightgear.net/
Now the sweet task of building them up begins...we will keep you posted on the first maiden voyage. Thanks to Travis, Jeff for their help from LeMond for getting us on the best bikes out there. Thanks also for Jim O'Brien at The Right Gear for getting us rolling and dialed in. http://www.rightgear.net/
later...Adam
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Women's Team takes first Win's of Year
The women's team concluded a very successful Greenville Spring Series this last week proving that teamwork pays off. The team raced very aggressively and well as a team. Every move was covered, and the girls rocked the Spring Series! Lauren Trull, our sprinter extraordinaire, took the women's teams first 2...count em...2 WINS of the year. Her first win came in the first race of the season at the Donaldson Road Race course. The race came down to a very close field sprint after the remainder of the team worked hard to get her a leadout train that kept her at the front of the race for the sprint. The team's 2nd Win came at the BMW Criterium, held at the super cool BMW Training Center. I don't think I have every seen our team ride as well as they did at that criterium. Lara, Marianne, Lauren, Lori, Lisa and Bridgette all rode great! The course was very "spectator friendly" and our gals were constantly at the front of the race kickin' up the pace. The move of the day has to go to Lori, who attacked with one lap to go. This threw off the other racers, and allowed Lauren to get set up for the sprint. Lori almost held the pack off to the line, but the closing field was in full sprint mode. Lauren easily won the sprint, just ahead of a bad crash in the final turn. Luckily all of our gals were ok. Overall the women took home two 1st place finishes, one 2nd place finish, and seven top ten finishes through the series. They also helped to propel Lauren to 2nd place in the Overall for the series...not bad if you consider that she was not able to do the last race! Thanks again to Hincapie Sportswear, Rich Hincapie, and Glenn "Papa" Thrift for putting on a great set of races. Thanks also to Coca-Cola and Barkley, along all of our other sponsors, for helping provide our success. We could not do it without your help.
Monday, March 3, 2008
2008 Team Press Release
Press Release – 2-29-08 Mount Pleasant, NC
The HINCAPIE / Coca-Cola Cycling Team presented by BARKLEY wishes to welcome back our long term sponsors as well as announce two new Title Sponsors for the 2008 season. While celebrating our 7th year representing Hincapie Sportswear, manufacturer and marketer of distinctive clothing for the performance cyclist, we are pleased to be partnering with The Coca-Cola Company and BARKLEY as new presenting Title Sponsors for our upcoming season.
The Coca-Cola Company has long promoted the pursuit of healthy, active lifestyles through their wide range of healthy beverages, community programs, and involvement in the sport of cycling. After two previous seasons representing Coca-Cola’s DASANI brand, this year we are pleased to be able to represent and promote Coca-Cola Classic with our kits sporting the widely recognized Coca-Cola Classic identity.
We are also excited to announce BARKLEY as our presenting sponsor for the 2008 season. BARKLEY, headquartered in Kansas City, is a national leader the fields of marketing communications services including advertising, public relations, graphics and research marketing. Their creative drive and desire to promote the sport of cycling will prove to be a powerful asset to our team. Together we strive to strengthen the relationships between recreational cyclists, avid racers, and cycling manufactures, while bringing cycling to the forefront of sport in the US.
The HINCAPIE / Coca-Cola Cycling Team presented by BARKLEY has repeatedly been one of the strongest men’s elite cycling teams in the Southeast. We have boasted multiple National Championship Titles, World Champion Masters Title, and helped build racers to move into the professional cycling ranks. Additionally we were the #1 ranked team in North and South Carolina for 2007. Our men’s elite team continues this year with a roster of thirteen Category 1-2 racers. We are privileged to announce the return of Scottie Weiss (2002 Elite Road National Champion, 2006 Masters Road National Champion) to our team. Weiss comes to us from the AEG-Toshiba Professional Cycling Team during the 2007 season. The HINCAPIE / Coca-Cola Cycling Team presented by BARKLEY will focus on select NRC events along with a full calendar of racing in the Southeast and abroad including the Elite, Masters and Junior National Championships as well as International events.
After the fantastic success of our women’s elite program during its first season in 2007, we have expanded on its success for 2008. The women’s elite team consists of 7 racers, including the addition of Marianne Holt, current US Masters National Time Trial Champion. The team, including the current NC State Champion, Lara Cassidy, plans to continue to grow and dominate races with their sights on more National Titles. Both the men’s and women’s teams will be winning races on their LeMond Zurich carbon Triomphe Series frames equipped with SRAM and Bontrager components.
MEN’S ELITE TEAM
Adam Little
AT Stamp
Blair Craig
Bruce Humphries
Chris Harkey (2 Time Masters National Champion)
Chris Knetsche (2004 National Track Champion)
Darren Fuller
Geri Mewett (2006 Bermuda National Champion)
Michael Rigby
Mike Kelly
Reid Beloni
Shane Martin
Scottie Weiss (2002 Elite Road National Champion, 2006 Masters Road National Champion)
WOMEN’S ELITE TEAM
Bridgette McLean
Deb Elliott
Lara Cassidy (NC State Road Race Champion)
Lauren Trull (2 Time Junior Cyclocross National Champion)
Lisa Preslar
Lori Harkey
The HINCAPIE / Coca-Cola Cycling Team presented by BARKLEY wishes to welcome back our long term sponsors as well as announce two new Title Sponsors for the 2008 season. While celebrating our 7th year representing Hincapie Sportswear, manufacturer and marketer of distinctive clothing for the performance cyclist, we are pleased to be partnering with The Coca-Cola Company and BARKLEY as new presenting Title Sponsors for our upcoming season.
The Coca-Cola Company has long promoted the pursuit of healthy, active lifestyles through their wide range of healthy beverages, community programs, and involvement in the sport of cycling. After two previous seasons representing Coca-Cola’s DASANI brand, this year we are pleased to be able to represent and promote Coca-Cola Classic with our kits sporting the widely recognized Coca-Cola Classic identity.
We are also excited to announce BARKLEY as our presenting sponsor for the 2008 season. BARKLEY, headquartered in Kansas City, is a national leader the fields of marketing communications services including advertising, public relations, graphics and research marketing. Their creative drive and desire to promote the sport of cycling will prove to be a powerful asset to our team. Together we strive to strengthen the relationships between recreational cyclists, avid racers, and cycling manufactures, while bringing cycling to the forefront of sport in the US.
The HINCAPIE / Coca-Cola Cycling Team presented by BARKLEY has repeatedly been one of the strongest men’s elite cycling teams in the Southeast. We have boasted multiple National Championship Titles, World Champion Masters Title, and helped build racers to move into the professional cycling ranks. Additionally we were the #1 ranked team in North and South Carolina for 2007. Our men’s elite team continues this year with a roster of thirteen Category 1-2 racers. We are privileged to announce the return of Scottie Weiss (2002 Elite Road National Champion, 2006 Masters Road National Champion) to our team. Weiss comes to us from the AEG-Toshiba Professional Cycling Team during the 2007 season. The HINCAPIE / Coca-Cola Cycling Team presented by BARKLEY will focus on select NRC events along with a full calendar of racing in the Southeast and abroad including the Elite, Masters and Junior National Championships as well as International events.
After the fantastic success of our women’s elite program during its first season in 2007, we have expanded on its success for 2008. The women’s elite team consists of 7 racers, including the addition of Marianne Holt, current US Masters National Time Trial Champion. The team, including the current NC State Champion, Lara Cassidy, plans to continue to grow and dominate races with their sights on more National Titles. Both the men’s and women’s teams will be winning races on their LeMond Zurich carbon Triomphe Series frames equipped with SRAM and Bontrager components.
MEN’S ELITE TEAM
Adam Little
AT Stamp
Blair Craig
Bruce Humphries
Chris Harkey (2 Time Masters National Champion)
Chris Knetsche (2004 National Track Champion)
Darren Fuller
Geri Mewett (2006 Bermuda National Champion)
Michael Rigby
Mike Kelly
Reid Beloni
Shane Martin
Scottie Weiss (2002 Elite Road National Champion, 2006 Masters Road National Champion)
WOMEN’S ELITE TEAM
Bridgette McLean
Deb Elliott
Lara Cassidy (NC State Road Race Champion)
Lauren Trull (2 Time Junior Cyclocross National Champion)
Lisa Preslar
Lori Harkey
Lynn Joslin
Marianne Holt (Current Masters TT National Champion)
MASTER’S TEAM
Glenn Thrift
Mac Canon
To learn more about the HINCAPIE / Coca-Cola Cycling Team presented by BARKLEY, its racers, results and sponsors, please visit www.hincapiecycling.blogspot.com and www.hincapiecycling.com or contact Adam Little at info@hincapiecycling.com.
About Hincapie™ Sportswear, Inc.:Hincapie™ Sportswear, Inc., headquartered in Greenville, S.C., is a manufacturer and marketer of distinctive clothing for the performance cyclist. The company creates premium, custom cycling apparel and accessories for competitive teams and clubs. Hincapie also manufactures a retail line of high-tech, performance cycling apparel and accessories available through bicycle retailers nationwide. For more information, please visit www.HincapieSports.com.
About The Coca-Cola Company:
The Coca-Cola Company is the world's largest beverage company. Along with Coca-Cola®, recognized as the world's most valuable brand, the Company markets four of the world's top five nonalcoholic sparkling brands, including Diet Coke®, Fanta® and Sprite®, and a wide range of other beverages, including diet and light beverages, waters, juices and juice drinks, teas, coffees, energy and sports drinks. Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy the Company's beverages at a rate of 1.5 billion servings each day. For more information about The Coca-Cola Company, please visit our Web site at www.thecoca-colacompany.com.
About Barkley:Barkley is the largest employee-owned agency of its kind. Founded in 1964, the company has 300 partners offering a full range of marketing communications services including advertising, public relations, cause branding, sponsorships & events, relationship marketing, social media, design, media planning & buying, motion graphics, research and interactive marketing. Barkley is headquartered in Kansas City with field offices across the nation. To learn more, please visit www.barkleyus.com.
Marianne Holt (Current Masters TT National Champion)
MASTER’S TEAM
Glenn Thrift
Mac Canon
To learn more about the HINCAPIE / Coca-Cola Cycling Team presented by BARKLEY, its racers, results and sponsors, please visit www.hincapiecycling.blogspot.com and www.hincapiecycling.com or contact Adam Little at info@hincapiecycling.com.
About Hincapie™ Sportswear, Inc.:Hincapie™ Sportswear, Inc., headquartered in Greenville, S.C., is a manufacturer and marketer of distinctive clothing for the performance cyclist. The company creates premium, custom cycling apparel and accessories for competitive teams and clubs. Hincapie also manufactures a retail line of high-tech, performance cycling apparel and accessories available through bicycle retailers nationwide. For more information, please visit www.HincapieSports.com.
About The Coca-Cola Company:
The Coca-Cola Company is the world's largest beverage company. Along with Coca-Cola®, recognized as the world's most valuable brand, the Company markets four of the world's top five nonalcoholic sparkling brands, including Diet Coke®, Fanta® and Sprite®, and a wide range of other beverages, including diet and light beverages, waters, juices and juice drinks, teas, coffees, energy and sports drinks. Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy the Company's beverages at a rate of 1.5 billion servings each day. For more information about The Coca-Cola Company, please visit our Web site at www.thecoca-colacompany.com.
About Barkley:Barkley is the largest employee-owned agency of its kind. Founded in 1964, the company has 300 partners offering a full range of marketing communications services including advertising, public relations, cause branding, sponsorships & events, relationship marketing, social media, design, media planning & buying, motion graphics, research and interactive marketing. Barkley is headquartered in Kansas City with field offices across the nation. To learn more, please visit www.barkleyus.com.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Let's Start Something NEW!
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