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2010-03-11T09:43:00.001-06:00

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2010 Nature Valley Grand Prix

2010-03-11T09:29:00.002-06:00

It's time to mark your calendars for June 11 through June 20, as the Nature Valley Grand Prix will be rolling through the state of Minnesota with fast and furious bicycle racing. Professional and amateur men and women alike will be racing for the coveted leader's jersey, which would secure them a spot amongst past winners like Kristen Armstrong, Rory Sutherland, Ben Jacques-Maynes and Robbie Ventura.

This year's NVGP will have two brand new race routes: the St. Paul Downtown Criterium on June 16th and the Menomenie Road Race on June 19th. New in 2010, the Nature Valley Grand Prix leaves the land of 10,000 lakes to race in scenic Menomonie, Wisconsin.

Bookmark the NVGP website, as well as this blog, for more updates on race courses, participating teams, as well as a calendar of events before, during, and after every race this year!

Women’s Prestige Cycling Series Announces 2010 Events

2010-02-15T13:45:00.002-06:00

Minneapolis – The 2010 edition of the Women’s Prestige Cycling Series will feature four national-caliber stage races that promise to showcase the country’s top female cycling talent.

The four events take place in four different states, beginning in March and running through to July:

March 25-28 – Redlands Bicycle Classic (California)
April 28-May 2 – SRAM Tour of the Gila (New Mexico)
June 16-20 – Nature Valley Grand Prix (Minnesota)
July 20-25 – Bend Memorial Clinic Cascade Cycling Classic (Oregon)

The Nature Valley Grand Prix has been a part of every Women’s Prestige Cycling Series. The Redlands Classic is in the line-up for the sixth time in seven years, while this is the second year for the Bend Memorial Clinic Cascade Cycling Classic. New to the calendar is the SRAM Tour of the Gila, which replaces the Joe Martin Stage Race.

SRAM Tour of the Gila promoter Jack Brennan said inclusion in the Women’s Prestige Cycling Series takes his race to a new level in its 24th year.

“We have always felt we have a really great race in place, a great organization and great community support,” Brennan said. “Adding the Women’s Prestige Cycling Series to the equation makes this year’s race all the more competitive.”

Four separate competitions comprise the Series: top overall individual, best young rider, best sprinter and top team. Special jerseys, provided by custom clothing manufacturer Champion System, will identify the leaders in the first three classifications.

Champions of the Women’s Prestige Cycling Series in 2009 were Alison Powers of Team Type 1 (top individual), Tina Pic of Colavita-Sutter Home (best sprinter), Rebecca Much of the Webcor Builders Cycling Team (best young rider) and Team TIBCO, which was the top team.

Nicola Cranmer, manager of the Peanut Butter & Co.TWENTY12 team, said it is important for women to have a series they can call their own. The Women’s Prestige Cycling Series originated from input during cycling summits that Cranmer was a part of that were held in conjunction with the Nature Valley Grand Prix.

“Giana Roberge, who directed our team back then, was one of the founders of the series and a huge supporter of women's racing,” Cranmer said. “With Kristin Armstrong at the helm, the Peanut Butter & Co.TWENTY12 team intends to make an impression on the races we are attending. I am a huge fan of the series. David LaPorte and his staff do a fantastic job.”

For an elite team like the TREADS.COM/DFT squad, the Women’s Prestige Cycling Series provides a target to obtain exposure and legitimacy at the national level, said team owner/director Megan Hottman.

“These four stage races really test a team's ability to work cohesively over the entire season,” Hottman said. “I believe our team's focus on balance will result in great placings in the overall series. We're excited to be a part of it.”

For more information about the Women’s Prestige Cycling Series, visit the official website, www.WomenCyclists.com, or send an e-mail to: wpcs2010@womencyclists.com.

For More Information, Contact:
Sean Weide | Phone: 402.541.2594 | E-Mail: sean@trailheadmarketing.com
Women's Prestige Cycling Series | www.WomenCyclists.com

Nature Valley to Sponsor 2010 Bicycle Festival

2010-02-01T17:30:00.003-06:00

Granola bar maker increases commitment to all forms of cycling

Minneapolis-Saint Paul (February 1, 2010) Organizers of the Minnesota Bicycle Festival have announced that Nature Valley is increasing its commitment. After sponsoring the Nature Valley Grand Prix pro stage race for ten years, they will expand their involvement to sponsor the overall festival in 2010. The event, which still includes the Nature Valley Grand Prix, has been renamed the Nature Valley Bicycle Festival and will take place June 11-20, 2010.

“Nature Valley’s growing commitment to cycling stands in sharp contrast to many other sponsors in the sport who are reducing or eliminating their cycling programs,” said Festival Executive Director David LaPorte. “Nature Valley is looking towards the future and recognizes that cycling is one of the most popular activities in the country. While we’re thrilled that their commitment to our event is growing, we’re even more pleased that they are supporting the sport as a whole, which is our mission as well.”

The Nature Valley Bicycle Festival will take place June 11-20, 2010 and will include the Minnesota Fixed Gear Classic and the renowned Nature Valley Grand Prix pro stage race, considered the prime event on the USA Cycling National Racing Calendar.

The Nature Valley Grand Prix professional stage race opens June 16 in Saint Paul with a morning time trial and evening criterium held in Downtown Saint Paul adjacent to Rice Park. The Nature Valley Grand Prix continues with a road race in Cannon Falls on June 17. Stage 4 takes place in Minneapolis on Friday evening June 18 in the city’s dynamic Uptown neighborhood.

On Saturday, June 19, the racers travel east to Menomonie, WI for the Menomonie Road Race, marking the first time that the Nature Valley Grand Prix includes a stage outside of Minnesota. Racers will contest Stage 6, the Stillwater Criterium, on Sunday, June 20, with both men and women cyclists completing the short circuit race, which includes riding up Chilikoot Hill 20 times, a grueling 24-percent-grade hill climb, considered the most difficult in North American cycling.

In addition to professional racing, other activities, including the Fan Zone, stunt riders, musical entertainment and bike and fitness expos will be offered at all stages of the five-day race with the exception of the time trial. The Tour de Kids fun races at each site are free and are open to children age 12 and under.

The Minnesota Fixed Gear Classic will take place at the National Sports Center Velodrome in Blaine the weekend of June 11-13, prior to the Nature Valley Grand Prix. Velodrome track racing is an Olympic sport which features world class cyclists racing at speeds of up to 40 mph. Bikes used in fixed-gear track races have only one gear and do not have brakes, making the races fast and exciting for both spectators and riders.

Now in its 12th year, the Nature Valley Bicycle Festival is a five-day celebration of cycling that includes amateur and professional racing and community events. The Nature Valley Grand Prix has become the premier professional bike race in the U.S., attracting top American racing teams and riders from around the world. Proceeds from the Nature Valley Grand Prix are donated to Children’s Hospital and its Pediatric Hospice program.

The Nature Valley Grand Prix is free and open to the public. It is the only professional sporting event in Minnesota for which no admission ticket is required. The festival is a natural fit for Minnesota and Wisconsin as both states are populated with cycling enthusiasts. Several urban bike trails have opened in the past few years and the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area boasts the most commuter bike trips per capita, an honor it shares with Portland, Oregon. For more information and a detailed schedule of events visit www.naturevalleybicyclefestival.com.

About the Nature Valley Bicycle Festival

The Nature Valley Bicycle Festival is one of the nation’s top celebrations for the bicycle culture, with tens of thousands of cycling enthusiasts, pro athletes and avid recreational riders converging on Minnesota each June. Its professional racing event, the Nature Valley Grand Prix began as a one-day criterium in Saint Paul in 1999. Its schedule and prestige have grown steadily until now, in its 12th year, it is ranked at the top of the USA Cycling National Racing Calendar. The 2010 Nature Valley Grand Prix schedule includes a unique mix of three criteriums (short circuit races), two road races and a time trial as the stages of the race move from downtown Saint Paul, to Cannon Falls, to Minneapolis, to Menomonie, Wisconsin and finally culminates in Stillwater. The Nature Valley Bicycle Festival is a volunteer run event, with all proceeds donated to Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, the festival’s benefiting charity. For more information visit www.naturevalleybicyclefestival.com

About Nature Valley

Nature Valley, the brand that created the granola bar category in 1975, brings variety to healthy, active consumers looking for wholesome and great-tasting snacks. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Nature Valley is part of General Mills, a leading global manufacturer and marketer of consumer foods products. Visit www.NatureValley.com

Nature Valley Pro Ride Is Amateur Cyclists’ Chance of A Lifetime

2010-01-14T14:14:00.005-06:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Minneapolis (Jan. 12, 2010) – Six races sprinkled throughout the United States will comprise the 2010 Nature Valley Pro Ride, the qualifying events for amateurs to earn a trip to compete against the country’s top men and women professional bicycle racers at the Nature Valley Grand Prix.

The Nature Valley Pro Ride will select the top amateur men and women to become part of a pair of composite Nature Valley Cycling Teams for the 12th annual edition of the premier stage race on the 2010 USA Cycling National Racing Calendar. The 2010 edition of the Nature Valley Grand Prix, held in East Central Minnesota and Western Wisconsin, runs June 16-20.

Rider invitations will be issued following the six stops on this national tour: Hillsboro-Roubaix Road Race (April 10) in Illinois, Rock Hill Spring Bicycle Classic (April 10-11) in South Carolina, Cherry Blossom Cycling Classic (April 23-25) in Oregon, Barrio Logan Grand Prix/Mark Reynolds San Luis Rey Road Cycling Classic (May 1-2) in California, Bear Mountain Spring Classic (May 15) in New York and Mt. Hamilton Road Race/Criterium (May 30-31) in California.

Nature Valley Pro Riders who are invited to compete in the Nature Valley Grand Prix earn free entries to the race, generous travel stipends, team clothing, housing, ground transportation, and staff support for their composite teams. They will also receive pro-level recognition before, during and after the events, including pre-race call-ups and participation in promotional and media appearances.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for an amateur to receive a ‘battlefield promotion’ to compete with the top professionals,” Nature Valley Grand Prix Executive Director David LaPorte said. ”Since its inception 11 years ago, the Nature Valley Grand Prix has emerged as the top women’s bike racing event and one of the top men’s races in the U.S.. The Nature Valley Pro Ride gives top U.S. amateurs a chance race in front of huge crowds, to be noticed by pro team managers and potentially to receive a pro contract.”

The Rock Hill Spring Bicycle Races, Cherry Blossom Cycling Classic, Barrio Logan Grand Prix and Mt. Hamilton Road Race/Memorial Day Criterium are all new to the Nature Valley Pro Ride for 2010.

Hillsboro-Roubaix and the Bear Mountain Spring Classic return from the 2009 Nature Valley Pro Ride calendar, as does the San Luis Rey Road Race, which is partnering with the Barrio Logan Grand Prix to add a qualifying criterium this year.

Rock Hill Spring Races Promoter Kim Deacon said becoming part of the Nature Valley Pro Ride marks a high point in his 30 years of organizing the event.

“The prestige of being invited to affiliate with such a prominent event as the Nature Valley Grand Prix enhances not only our racer draw and participation, but also the recognition and importance of our race in the Southeastern U.S. racing calendar and in our local community,” Deacon said. “We have always prided ourselves for putting on a first-class and tough bicycle race. The recognition we are receiving from the Nature Valley Pro Ride is a nice confirmation of our work."

More details on the qualifying process can be found at:

http://www.NatureValleyProRide.com

Snapshot glances of each event:

Hillsboro-Roubaix Road Race (April 10), Illinois: This challenging road race (87 miles for men, 58 miles for women) rumbles through the brick streets and rural roads about an hour’s drive northeast of St. Louis.

Rock Hill Spring Bicycle Races (April 10-11), South Carolina: The omnium format event combines the Old Town Criterium with the Patriots Trail Road Race (67 miles for men, 30 miles for women) that is run around historic Brattonsville, a “Living History” village near Charlotte, N.C.

Cherry Blossom Cycling Classic (May 15), Oregon: A multi-stage race (four races in three days) set in the Portland area, the Nature Valley Pro Ride invitation will be based on the final overall standings.

Bear Mountain Spring Classic (May 15), New York: Set in Harriman State Park, the second largest state park in New York, this 110-mile road race for men and 48-mile race for women is promoted by the Century Road Club Association, one of the oldest bicycle racing clubs in the nation.

Barrio Logan Grand Prix/Mark Reynolds San Luis Rey Road Cycling Classic (May 1-2), California: The two days of racing in the San Diego area include a 75 minute criterium for the men and a 50 minute criterium for the women, followed by an 88-mile road race for men and a 59-mile road race for women.

Mt. Hamilton Road Race/Memorial Day Criterium (May 30-31), California: One of the longest running bike races in San Jose, Calif., the road race (55 miles for men, 36 miles for women) climbs 4,500 feet in 20 miles over Mt. Hamilton, the highest peak in the Bay area, on a course that is part of the 2010 Tour of California. The criterium is run over a one-mile course in the Morgan Hill Business Park. This will be the amateurs’ last chance to qualify for the 2010 Nature Valley Pro Ride.

About the Nature Valley Grand Prix

The Nature Valley Grand Prix, which takes place in Eastern Minnesota and Western Wisconsin, is the premier stage race on the 2010 USA Cycling National Racing Calendar. The 2010 race will include stops in Saint Paul, Cannon Falls, Minneapolis, Menomonie, and Stillwater. The Nature Valley Grand Prix is a volunteer-run event, with all proceeds donated to Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, the festival’s benefiting charity. More information can be found at: www.NatureValleyGrandPrix.com.

About Nature Valley

Nature Valley, the brand that created the granola bar category in 1975, brings variety to healthy, active consumers looking for wholesome and great-tasting snacks. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Nature Valley is part of General Mills, a leading global manufacturer and marketer of consumer foods products. For more information, visit www.NatureValley.com.

Races Sought For 2010 Nature Valley Pro Ride Calendar

2009-10-20T08:32:00.002-05:00

Minneapolis (Oct. 19, 2009) – A national program is offering race promoters the opportunity to send their top amateurs to the 2010 edition of the Nature Valley Grand Prix (Minnesota & Western Wisconsin, June 16-20) to compete against the country’s top men and women professional bicycle racers.

Entering its third year, the “Nature Valley Pro Ride” will select amateur men and women at regional races around the United States to become part of a pair of Nature Valley composite teams for the 12th annual edition of the five-day stage race that begins June 16.

The Nature Valley Grand Prix is the top ranked event on the 2010 USA Cycling National Race Calendar (NRC), attracting tens of thousands of cycling enthusiasts, pro athletes and avid recreational riders to Minnesota.

Nature Valley Pro Riders line up for the Saint Paul Criterium. Members of the Nature Valley Cycling Team were selected at qualifier events held around the country. Team members won trips to the Nature Valley Grand Prix, the top ranked race on the USA Cycling National Racing Calendar. Photo Credit: Stephanie Williams

“This is a chance for a race promoter to raise the participation and visibility of their event at no extra cost,” Nature Valley Grand Prix Race Director David LaPorte said. “As for the riders who are selected, they can look forward to racing in front of huge crowds and being treated like a rock star at our event.”

"I made the commitment to drive the 13 hrs to St. Louis for the Hillsboro-Roubaix road race”, wrote 2009 Nature Valley Pro Rider Chris Winn of Lakewood, Colorado, in his blog. “Long way to go for a bunch of Coloradans for a weekend suffer-fest. The race was the second qualifier event for the Nature Valley Pro Ride, a chance for amateurs to get the complete pro package treatment in a composite team for the Nature Valley [Grand Prix] Stage Race in June."

Amateur racers (Category I men and Category 1,2 women) who qualify at a Nature Valley Pro Ride event receive a “battlefield promotion” that earns them free entry to the race, travel stipends, team clothing, housing, ground transportation, and staff support for their composite team.

Races that become part of the Nature Valley Pro Ride schedule can expect an aggressive marketing and media relations campaign, as well as on-site sampling of Nature Valley Granola Bars and complimentary staffing of the booth by company representatives.

“We’re looking for the top regional races who want to take their game to a higher level,” LaPorte said. “We’ll consider road races, criteriums and stage races, as long as they get strong fields. And our promotional programs will make those fields even stronger.”

To be considered for the 2010 Nature Valley Pro Ride, a race must be permitted through USA Cycling and take place no later than June 13. Preference will be given to races that take place between March and mid-May.

Interested promoters must submit their application by Dec. 15. More details and a downloadable application can be found at www.naturevalleyproride.com.

The 2009 Nature Valley Pro Ride schedule will be announced Jan. 4, 2010.

About the Nature Valley Grand Prix

The Nature Valley Grand Prix began as a one-day criterium in Saint Paul in 1999. Its schedule and prestige have grown steadily until now, in its 12th year, it is ranked at the top of the USA Cycling National Racing Calendar. The 2010 Nature Valley Grand Prix schedule includes a unique mix of three criteriums (short circuit races), two road races and a time trial as the stages of the race move from downtown Saint Paul, to Cannon Falls, to Minneapolis, to Menomonie, and, finally culminates in Stillwater. For more information visit: www.NatureValleyGrandPrix.com

About Nature Valley

Nature Valley, the brand that created the granola bar category in 1975, brings variety to healthy, active consumers looking for wholesome and great-tasting snacks. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Nature Valley is part of General Mills, a leading global manufacturer and marketer of consumer foods products.

About the USA Cycling National Racing Calendar

Entering its 14th season in 2010, the USA Cycling National Racing Calendar (NRC) is an all-inclusive road cycling series sanctioned by USA Cycling. It is designed to provide a ranking system for all elite-level cyclists, both amateur and professional, through participation in the nation’s premier cycling events. For more information on the NRC, visit www.usacycling.org/nrc/ or contact Micah Rice at (719) 434-4283 or mrice@usacycling.org.

New Road Race for 2010 Nature Valley Grand Prix

2009-08-13T08:11:00.003-05:00

Switch in Host Communities Add Hills of Wisconsin to Stage 5 Road Race

Minneapolis (Aug. 13, 2009) – In 2010, the Minnesota Bicycle Festival will become the Midwest Bicycle Festival when it adds a Saturday event in the Wisconsin City of Menomonie. Menomonie will host the Stage 5 road race of the Nature Valley Grand Prix, the top ranked stage race on the 2009 USA Cycling National Racing Calendar. Menomonie, in mostly-rural Dunn County, is just across the Wisconsin border, 60 miles East of Saint Paul.

Although geographically close, it’s a world apart when it comes to terrain. Dunn County is known for its bicycle-friendly roads, with rolling hills and long climbs that will change the math of the entire Nature Valley Grand Prix. The Menomonie Road Race replaces the Mankato Road Race, which had 80 miles of flat, open terrain before finishing with four laps of a final circuit that included the brutal Main Street Hill. The rural route in Mankato was only selective when it was windy, but it’s been calm for the past two years. The move to Menomonie guarantees that the Saturday road race will be selective under any weather conditions.

“The Menomonie Road Race will favor climbers and strong all-arounders”, said Midwest Bicycle Festival executive director David LaPorte. “The teams have been asking for more climbing, and we’ve moved across the border to grant them their wish. This will be a course where significant blocks of time can be made up or lost and will set the stage for the final showdown the next day in Stillwater.”

“This is an excellent move for the Nature Valley Grand Prix”, said Team Type 1 General Manager Tom Schuler, a native of Wisconsin. “I know Menomonie well. It’s the perfect location for a classic road race.”

Dunn County is home to many cycling enthusiasts and has made great strides in developing itself as a destination for bicycle tourism. The Greater Menomonie Area Chamber of Commerce has been a leader in that county-wide effort and is the driving force behind the Menomonie Road Race.

“We’re thrilled that the Nature Valley Grand Prix is coming to Menomonie,” said Mark Lewis, avid cyclist and past president of the Chamber of Commerce, who’s heading the local steering committee. “Many Menomonie area residents have been attending the Nature Valley Grand Prix for years and hosting a stage in our home town had been a dream that has finally come true.”

The top women’s stage race in the United States and one of the top men’s races, the Nature Valley Grand Prix’s six stages will include a time trial; three criteriums in the downtowns of Saint Paul, Minneapolis and Stillwater; and road races in Cannon Falls and now, Menomonie.

About the Midwest Bicycle Festival and Nature Valley Grand Prix

The Midwest Bicycle Festival takes place each June, drawing cycling enthusiasts from around the country. Having just completed its 11th annual event on June 10 – 14, 2009, it is one of the nation’s top celebrations of bicycle culture in the country. Its featured event, the Nature Valley Grand Prix, was the premier stage race on the 2009 USA Cycling National Racing Calendar. The 2010 Nature Valley Grand Prix schedule will include stops in Saint Paul, Cannon Falls, Minneapolis, Menomonie, and Stillwater. The Midwest Bicycle Festival is a volunteer-run event, with all proceeds donated to Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, the festival’s benefiting charity. More info at www.MinnBikeFestival.com

About Nature Valley

Nature Valley, the brand that created the granola bar category in 1975, brings great taste to healthy, active consumers looking for wholesome snacks. Nature Valley comes in a variety of delicious bars, Crunchy Granola, Trail Mix Chewy Granola, Chewy Granola with Yogurt Coating and Sweet & Salty Nut Bars. Visit www.NatureValley.com

Women’s Prestige Cycling Series Finale Shakes Up Standings

2009-08-06T09:07:00.004-05:00

Team classification takes unexpected twist and the Sprints tie is broken

(Minneapolis, August 4, 2009) The season long see saw battle between Team TIBCO and Webcor Builders ended in TIBCO’s favor at the Women’s Prestige Cycling Series grand finale at the Cascade Cycling Classic. Although Webcor’s guest rider Evelyn Stevens won the stage race, she wasn’t eligible for the Series. TIBCO finished with a wide margin and Webcor dropped to third, behind Team Type 1.

1 - 1319 - Team TIBCO
2 - 819 - Team Type 1
3 - 786 - Webcor Builders Cycling Team
4 - 677 - ValueAct Capital Cycling Team
5 - 437 - Colavita Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light

Sprint Classification – The most dramatic fight for the jerseys was in the Sprint classification, where Tina Pic (Colavita Sutter Home) had been tied on points with Alison Powers (Team Type 1), with the edge going to Powers because of the tie breakers. By the end of the Cascade Classic, Pic had it all sown up in the Series Sprint competition and Powers had slipped to fourth.

Tina Pic (Colavita Sutter Homes) wears the sprinters jersey for the Cascade Cycling Classic. Pic was tied on points for the Series sprint classification with Alison Powers after the Nature Valley Grand Prix,
although Power received the jersey on the tie breaker. However, Pic broke the tie in convincing fashion at Cascade and went on to win the Sprint classification for the 2009 WPCS. Photo credit: Jonathan Devich

1 - 429 - Tina Pic, Colavita Sutter Home
2 - 286 - Joanne Kiesanowski, Team TIBCO
3 - 275 - Gina Grain, Webcor Builders Cycling Team
4 - 250 - Alison Powers, Team Type 1
5 - 165 - Kirsty Broun, Lip Smackers

Individual – In contrast, there were no surprises in the individual classification. Powers seeming insurmountable lead going into Cascade just got wider and the top three positions were unchanged.

Alison Powers (Team Type 1) wears the orange WPCS leader's jersey in the Cascade Cycling Classic. Powers led wire-to-wire throughout the Series. Photo credit: Jonathan Devich

1 - 616 - Alison Powers, Team Type 1
2 - 388 - Katharine Carroll, Team TIBCO
3 - 285 - Katheryn Mattis, Webcor Builders Cycling Team
4 - 246 - Joanne Kiesanowski, Team TIBCO
5 - 231 - Christina Ruiter, Value Act Capital

Young Rider – Webcor’s Rebecca Much maintained her lead in the Series Best Young Rider classification, despite losing ground to TIBCO’s Julie Beveridge. Alexis Rhodes (Webcor Builders) fell from second to third because she didn’t attend Cascade.

Alison Powers (Team Type 1) wears the orange WPCS leader's jersey in the Cascade Cycling Classic. Powers led wire-to-wire throughout the Series. Photo credit: Jonathan Devich

1 - 649 - Rebecca Much, Webcor Builders Cycling Team
2 - 528 - Julie Beveridge, Team TIBCO
3 - 429 - Alexis Rhodes, Webcor Builders Cycling Team
4 – 352 – Amanda Miller, Lip Smackers
5 - 264 - Tiffany Cromwell, Colavita Sutter Home

About the Women’s Prestige Cycling Series

The 2009 Women’s Prestige Cycling Series began at the Redlands Bicycle Classic (March 26 – 29), followed by the Joe Martin Stage race (May 7 – 10) and then the Nature Valley Grand Prix (June 10 – 14 before concluding at the Cascade Cycling Classic (July 21 – 26).

The Women’s Prestige Cycling Series began in 2004 with the goal of highlighting women’s racing by giving them a spotlight that they don’t have to share with the men. Organized by the Nature Valley Grand Prix, the Series grew out of meetings that began in Minnesota in 2003 at the first Women’s Cycling Summit Conference hosted by that event.

Women's Prestige Cycling Series Grand Finale at Cascade Classic

2009-07-20T12:56:00.003-05:00

New series addition is final stop on 2009 tour

Minneapolis - July 20, 2009 - The 2009 Women's Prestige Cycling Series wraps up this week at the Cascade Cycling Classic in Bend, Oregon. Held right before the US National Championships in Bend, the Cascade Classic boasts one of the strongest women's fields of the year.

The Team Competition has been a see-saw battle between Team TIBCO and Webcor Cycling all season, with TIBCO claiming the lead at the opener in Redlands Bicycle Classic in March, then losing it to Webcor at the Joe Martin Stage Race in May before reclaiming it at the Nature Valley Grand Prix in June. But TIBCO's lead is razor thin, with only 769 point compared to 740 for Webcor, so the final standings will come down to the grand finale at Cascade.

In contrast, Team Type 1's Alison Powers appears to have the individual classification all locked up, barring an unforeseen catastrophe. With 484 points, she seems to have an insurmountable lead over Team TIBCO's Katherine Carroll (300 points) and Webcor's Katherine Mattis (275 points), leaving Carroll and Mattis to battle for second place.

The Series' Best Young Rider competition is still up for grabs, but it's a family affair, with Webcor teammates at the top of the standings. Rebecca Much took the lead at Joe Martin but then lost ground to Alexis Rhodes at Nature Valley, where Rhodes won the Mankato Road Race. While Much and Rhodes are close (484 vs. 429 points), third place Julie Beveridge (Team TIBCO) is far enough back (308 points) as a result of missing the Joe Martin Stage Race that she doesn't represent a threat to either of the Webcor riders.

The Series sprint classification is very much in play, coming out of the Nature Valley Grand Prix as a dead heat, with Alison Powers tied with Tina Pic (Colavita Sutter Homes). The tie was broken because Powers had the higher ranking at Nature Valley. But the favorite for the Series Sprint title may be Australian Criterium Champion Kristy Broun, who'll be racing for Lip Smackers in Cascade. Although she trails Powers and Pic (165 vs. 209 points), she scored all of those points in just one event, the Nature Valley Grand Prix. Similar performances by these three riders could see Broun vault over Powers and Pic and into the Sprint jersey at the Series
finale.

About the Women's Prestige Cycling Series

The 2009 Women's Prestige Cycling Series began at the Redlands Bicycle Classic (March 26 - 29), followed by the Joe Martin Stage race (May 7 - 10)and then the Nature Valley Grand Prix (June 10 - 14). It will conclude at the Cascade Cycling Classic (July 21 - 26).

The Women's Prestige Cycling Series began in 2004 with the goal of highlighting women's racing by giving them a spotlight that they don't have to share with the men. Organized by the Nature Valley Grand Prix, the Series grew out of meetings that began in Minnesota in 2003 at the first Women's Cycling Summit Conference hosted by that event.

Women’s Prestige Cycling Series Standings After Nature Valley GP

2009-07-02T16:32:00.002-05:00

Alison Powers adds a second jersey while TIBCO takes the team lead

Minneapolis – July 2, 2009 – Women’s Prestige Cycling Series leader Alison Powers (Team Type 1) added the Sprinter’s jersey to her collection, but her hold on that jersey is tenuous. Rebecca Much (Webcor Builders) is still in the Best Young Riders jersey. And TIBCO swapped places with Webcor Builders in the team competition.

Individual Standings – Alison Powers (Team Type 1) holds a commanding lead in the Series individual classification, finishing third at the Nature Valley Grand Prix behind Olympic Champion Kristin Armstrong (Cervelo Test) and Shelly Olds (Proman), neither of who are participating in the Series. Katherine Carroll (Team TIBCO) moved into second, ahead of Katheryn Mattis (Webcor Builders), but the gap to Powers is so large that it’s unlikely that Carroll will be able to claim the win at the final Series event, the Cascade Cycling Classic.

1 - 484 - Alison Powers (Team Type 1)
2 - 300 - Katharine Carroll (Team TIBCO)
3 - 275 - Katheryn Mattis (Webcor Builders Cycling Team)
4 - 191 - Joanne Kiesanowski (Team TIBCO)
5 - 162 - Kristin Sanders (Value Act Capital)

Best Young Rider – Rebecca Much (Webcor Builders) retains the lead over teammate Alexis Rhodes, but the gap narrowed from 121 points to 55. Rhodes had a standout performance at Nature Valley, winning the fifth stage and challenging Armstrong for the overall race lead before losing ground in the last stage, the brutal Stillwater Criterium. Much’s lead might be challenged if the two riders have similar results at Cascade.

1 - 484 - Rebecca Much (Webcor Builders Cycling Team)
2 - 429 - Alexis Rhodes (Webcor Builders Cycling Team)
3 - 308 - Julie Beveridge (Team TIBCO)
4 - 264 - Tiffany Cromwell (Colavita Sutter Home)
5 - 220 - Amanda Miller (Team Lip Smackers)

Sprinter – Alison Powers ended the Nature Valley Grand Prix tied on points with Tina Pic (Colavita Sutter Home), but the tie was broken since Powers had a higher placing at the most recent Series event. Powers would likely have had a clear lead since Pic’s team hadn’t attended the Joe Martin Stage Race, but that race has no sprint classification, so no points were awarded. But the favorite for the sprint classification has to be 2009 Australian Criterium Champion Kristy Broun (Riverstones CDA), if she participates at the Cascade Classic, since she was launched into third place on the strength of just this one event.

1 - 209 - Alison Powers (Team Type 1)
2 - 209 - Tina Pic (Colavita Sutter Home)
3 - 165 - Kirsty Broun (Riverstones CDA)
4 - 165 - Kori Seehafer (Team Type 1)
5 - 154 - Joanne Kiesanowski (Team TIBCO)

Team – In the Series Team competition, TIBCO took the lead while Webcor Builders fell to second place. But the margin is very narrow and Team Type 1 is within striking distance as well, so it’ll all come down to the Series finale at the Cascade Classic.

1 - 769 - Team TIBCO
2 - 740 - Webcor Builders Cycling Team
3 - 655 - Team Type 1
4 - 459 - ValueAct Capital Cycling Team
5 - 301 - Colavita Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light

The 2009 Women’s Prestige Cycling Series began at the Redlands Cycling Classic, followed by the Joe Martin Stage Race and now the Nature Valley Grand Prix. It will conclude at the Cascade Classic (July 22 – 26) in Bend, Ore.

About the Women’s Prestige Cycling Series
The Women’s Prestige Cycling Series began in 2004 with the goal of highlighting women’s racing by giving them a spotlight that they don’t have to share with the men. The Series grew out of meetings that began in Minnesota in 2003 at the first Women’s Cycling Summit Conference hosted at the Nature Valley Grand Prix.

Visit www.WomenCyclists.com for more information.

Nature Valley Grand Prix to Air on Universal Sports

2009-06-24T14:21:00.002-05:00

Top ranked stage race featured dramatic finishes in men’s and women’s races

The Nature Valley Grand Prix, the top race on the USA Cycling National Racing Calendar held on June 10 - 14, will air on Universal Sports, the event’s worldwide broadcast partner. Originally slotted for a half hour, the program has been expanded to a full hour because there were far too many compelling story lines to cover in the shorter program. Airings will be:

Saturday, 6/27, 2:00 PM
Sunday, 6/28, 6:00 PM
Tuesday, 6/30, 11:00 AM
Sunday, 7/5, 4:00 PM
Monday, 7/6, 6:00 PM

(All Eastern Time)

This was three-time defending champion Kristin Armstrong’s last race in the United States before her retirement after the World Championships at the end of September in Mendrisio, Switzerland. With none of her Cervelo Test Team teammates to support her, Armstrong faced the daunting challenge of a stacked peloton that seemed to be on a unified mission to deny Armstrong her fourth consecutive win. She maintained the yellow jersey at the penultimate stage in Mankato, but by only 11 seconds. The race was decided with a dramatic finish in the Stillwater Criterium.

http://www.minnbikefest.com/NVGP/Results/2009NatureValleyGrandPrixResults/St6Women/tabid/102/Default.aspx

Following the race, Armstrong took the microphone and said an emotional “Farewell” to US racing. After her retirement, she’ll focus her efforts on the Kristin Armstrong Academy, a development program for women under the age of 23.

http://www.KristinArmstrongAcademey.com

The men’s race was equally dramatic, with Bissell’s Tom Zirbel taking the lead over Rory Sutherland (OUCH) at the opening time trial. Zirbel, an unlikely challenger at 6’4” and 198 pounds, held the lead through the Mankato Road Race, despite the extreme hill on that race’s finishing circuit. The race was settled at the brutal Stillwater Criterium, where Sutherland’s teammate Floyd Landis played a key role, earning Landis the Freewheel Bike Most Aggressive Rider jersey and setting up a dramatic finish.

http://www.minnbikefest.com/NVGP/Results/2009NatureValleyGrandPrixResults/St6Men/tabid/103/Default.aspx

The program will also stream from www.UniversalSports.com

About the Minnesota Bicycle Festival & Nature Valley Grand Prix

The Minnesota Bicycle Festival is one of the nation’s top celebrations of the bicycle culture, with tens of thousands of cycling enthusiasts, pro athletes and avid recreational riders converging on Minnesota each June. Its professional racing event, the Nature Valley Grand Prix, began as a one-day criterium in Saint Paul in 1999. Ranked as the premier stage race on the USA Cycling National Racing Calendar, the 2009 Nature Valley Grand Prix included stops in Saint Paul, Cannon Falls, Minneapolis, Mankato and Stillwater. The Minnesota Bicycle Festival is a volunteer run event, with all proceeds donated to Children’s Hospital’s and Clinics of Minnesota, the festival’s benefiting charity. For more information, visit www.minnbikefestival.com/.

About Nature Valley

Nature Valley, the brand that created the granola bar category in 1975, brings great taste to healthy, active consumers looking for wholesome snacks. Nature Valley comes in a variety of delicious bars, Crunchy Granola, Trail Mix Chewy Granola, Chewy Granola with Yogurt Coating and Sweet & Salty Nut Bars. Visit www.NatureValley.com

About Universal Sports

Universal Sports, a partnership between NBC Sports and InterMedia Partners, serves as the preeminent multiplatform destination for Olympic-related and lifestyle sports programming available on television and online. Universal Sports is a 24-hour television channel available in 45 million television households in markets including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., San Diego, San Francisco, Denver, Seattle, Las Vegas, Indianapolis, Reno and Omaha. Major world championship and Olympic qualifying events found on Universal Sports range from track and field, skiing, swimming, gymnastics, marathons and cycling, to volleyball, rowing, triathlon, fencing, speed skating and martial arts. UniversalSports.com delivers an immersive experience via live and on-demand competition coverage, interaction with top athletes through blogs and in-depth access to Olympic sports news and information year round. For more information on the availability of the Universal Sports 24-hour television channel, please visit UniversalSports.com.

A Successful Race

2009-06-15T09:45:00.002-05:00

Team Type 1’s Jacquelyn Crowell finished her second Nature Valley Grand Prix in 56th place, 13:33 behind overall winner Kirstin Armstrong. Throughout the event, the University of Florida student (pictured below, middle, with teammates Alison Powers and Kori Seehafer) shared her experiences. This is her final entry.

These last two days have been tough, but there was an end in sight. Now it’s over. Looking back, we accomplished a lot as a team. Ali (Alison Powers) got third on the general classification, which was awesome and it makes me proud to be part of Team Type 1.

Our team raced well and we’re learning more about each other every race. We’re getting better. As long as we’re getting better, we’re successful. So this race was a success.

Saturday’s Mankato Road Race was tough because I haven’t ridden over two-and-a-half hours in nearly two months. I’ve just been racing and I wasn’t able to crash after my crash in Wilmington. So I’ve just been going from race to race and not really training. So the 91 miles was really tough for me. Of course, the finishing circuits were horrible because I haven’t seen a hill since Collegiate Nationals in Fort Collins, Colo., and before that at the Redlands Bicycle Classic. So it’s tough coming from the flatlands and trying to compete.

Sunday, I went into the race with a more relaxed outlook. It was the last day and the end was in sight. You only had to do three laps to finish the stage race. I got pulled after seven or eight laps. But I lived. I’m happy about that. Now I get some time off. I get to start training again and it will be a perfect ramp-up for nationals.

It’s been a great experience sharing my story with everyone. I’m glad that there’s an interest out there to see what Team Type 1 has to offer the sport. It is the spectators who keep it alive and fun. It was awesome going up the big hill Sunday and having people cheer and many of them don’t even know who you are. It makes it so much better for the riders. You’re in so much pain, but when they’re cheering for you, it gives you that extra boost.

I saw a lot of amateur women riding around before the race Sunday and hope we’re an inspiration to all women out there that we can do this too and achieve your goals. It doesn’t matter if you are a boy or a girl or how old you are – you can go out there and be competitive.

Until next year, take care.

A Grand Finale

2009-06-15T07:10:00.002-05:00

Carson Miller, racing in the NVGP for Land Rover-Orbea, has provided us with another entry after yesterday's final stage in Stillwater. Enjoy!

Today's stage unfolded in spectacular fashion. Straight out of the blocks, and all 140+ starters were sprinting up Chilkoot Hill, trying to make up positions, after being stuck on the starting grid for what seemed to be an eternity. I think that the first trip up the hill, was also the last time we were all together. While the group seems to usually maintain a fairly low rate of attrition for the first half of a criterium, today was an exception.

No where was the magnitude of the day's extreme demand more obvious than in the race officials generous time-cut; requiring that riders only complete 25% of the 20 lap race. Yes, after only 5 laps of racing, riders were eligible for a pro-rated time. What a deal! Although I had no intention of using such a generous time cut, it turns out that I benefited from such generosity.

Before the race started, I knew that I would be facing up to one of the hardest criteriums in the country. The Stillwater crit is something of a legend in the domestic peloton, as everyone knows of and about, the Chilkoot Hill. At 250 meters with an average gradient of 18%, and ramps as steep as 20%, each lap would be a brutal test of mental and physical strength. With my warm-up completed, and the legs feeling ready for one last fight, I picked up a fresh ice-cold bottle of Hammer Heed before making my way onto the starting grid. Seems the entire field, except for a few of us, believed that a good start position would be worth more than a good warm-up. Huh. Interesting idea, and I am not sure which ended up prevailing, as the truth is that we always end up sitting around for a good number of minutes before the race gets started.

I was going to be in the last row no matter what. With everyone else ahead of me, I had to accept this. My teammate Jim Camut, also found himself in a similar situation. We decided that if we were going to be last, we might as well keep the legs moving. Rather than sitting on the line with one foot down, Jim and I rode our bikes in slow and lazy circles behind the nervous peloton. A few others joined, making for an almost comical looking side show. Inside of 10 seconds to go, and Jim and I were executing track-stands right behind the field; ready to explode into the race, with both of our feel already clipped into the pedals.

The first time racing up the hill was brutal. Imagine sitting in your car, simply idling at a stop sign, and in one instant, you stomp on the accelerator, and drop the clutch. Yeah, a real shock to the system. From a comfortable track-stand with my heart-rate hovering around 80-90 beats per minute, I exploded into the race. Over the top of the hill, and I couldn't pump enough blood through my body.

Within the next few laps, I began to feel settled in the race. The rhythm of each lap was starting to flow, and I knew what points on the course were my strongest and weakest. As I began to work my way forward through the field, I was feeling better with each passing lap. Those first few laps, as I got into the race, I was ready for a battle right up to the end. Ready to fight hard, and to suffer. Coming over the top of the course on my second or third lap, (I don't remember the exact one) I came across a group of riders who had gone down. Ordinarily, I would have ridden straight passed. In this situation, I found my teammate, and potential U23, winner Bobby Sweeting picking himself up with his bike.

Before I even came up to them, I had already gone into "autopilot." I had shifted my bike all the way to the hardest gear, 53x11, to ease the changing of wheels should that become necessary. A quick exchange of words with Bobby, and I knew he was good. As he wheeled off to the pits for his free-lap while sorting out any unnoticed mechanical issues, I was being harassed by an official. All he seemed to see was that I had stopped despite not crashing. After listing to repeated yells along the lines of, "Number 113, you did not crash! You will not receive a free lap. You must continue..." I rolled off. Of course I knew I didn't crash, and I wasn't looking for a free lap. I was looking after my teammate who stood to win, or lose, more than I did.

A few more laps of riding, and the hard charging field was coming up behind me. After just 5 laps, I was pulled from the course. Although it was the least of my worries, it turns out that the unusually low time-cut worked in my favor today. Of course, I wasn't really worried about how I finished, but it is nice to at least know what I made it, technically. If I had ridden all the way, who knows how things would have turned out.

In the end, my teammate Bobby Sweeting won the U23 competition, and Mike Northey followed yesterday's strong ride with another big performance today. By limiting his losses, Mike finishes the week 3rd on the U23 race. This last week has been a fantastic week of racing and experiencing Minnesota. For many of us, this year was our first time racing in the Nature Valley Grand Prix. The racing has proven to be some of the best, and I will look forward to coming back for more racing in the years to come.

Thanks for reading and thanks for following along with me this week.

Keep the Rubber Side Down,

C-

Stage 6: Women's Race Report and GC

2009-06-14T22:57:00.002-05:00

Kristin Armstrong Wins Fourth Nature Valley Grand Prix Title With A Teary Goodbye At Her Last American Race

By Cynthia Lou

Kristin Armstrong (Cervélo Test Team) may have fiercely defended her yellow jersey at the Stillwater Criterium, leaping off the start line with determination in her eyes, but she left the Nature Valley Grand Prix well decorated and with a teary goodbye at the last American race of her career. A triumphant end to a win-filled career, Armstrong won the overall general classification, the Jelly Belly Sports Beans Best Climber Jersey and the Freewheel Most Aggressive Rider Jersey. Shelley Olds (Proman Hit Squad) and Andrea Dvorak (Colavita/Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light) followed Armstrong’s attack in the second lap to take second and third for the stage, respectively.

Kristin Armstrong (Cervelo Test Team) raises a pumped fist as she crossed the finish line to win Stage 6 of the Nature Valley Grand Prix. Armstrong also won the general classification in her final pro race in America. Photo by: Matt Moses Images

A quickly shattered field saw mix ups in the final general classification, with Olds moving to second overall and Allison Powers of Team Type 1 moving up to take third overall.

“I had a lot of nerves today, thinking that it was my last race in America and knowing I had only 12, 11 seconds – there’s just no room for mishaps, mechanical or anything,” said Armstrong. “I rode up that first hill at 85% to string it out. I wasn’t worried about who would work with me or who wouldn’t. I looked at it as an hour race, and knew that I didn’t want to leave it up to the last climb.”

“Those girls were there, and they really worked to stay on. I didn’t want to leave them so the peloton would catch them,” said Armstrong, ever the mentor, who waited patiently until the last few laps. “I thought that if I waited until the last lap they would be able to hold off the peloton that was about 45 seconds back. I really respect Andrea Dvorak from Colavita and Shelley Olds from Proman, they are both up and coming talent in America. I was happy to have them up on the podium with me.”

It seems that Armstrong’s determination and climbing abilities are widely known by everyone.

“Kristin was keeping a good tempo up the hills – she was just practicing for Worlds or something!” Olds said with a laugh. “I would have loved to have helped, but it took us the whole downhill to recover.”

Olds went home with the Wheaties Sprint Jersey and a second overall on the general classification. “I knew that if I could stay on Kristin’s wheel – which was inevitable – that I could settle in to a good pace. This is the kind of race that you have to settle in to, and everyone else is going through the same thing, so if you can settle into it with a gap, then you just have to keep reminding yourself to keep going...I had my director in my ear reminding me to chill, keep my own tempo, stick with them on the climb.”

On the famous 700 meter long Chilkoot Hill that averages a 22% grade, the role of directors play a huge role in inspiring and motivating their riders in addition to relaying messages and tactics.

“I knew to line up near Kristin,” said third place finisher and breakaway companion Dvorak. “When [Armstrong] started to go up the road with Shelley and get a little gap, my director said into my ear, ‘Close that gap, close that gap! It’ll be worth your while.’ So I put in an effort, caught them, and off we went.”

Often times it’s necessary for riders to generate their own internal inspiration, which has been the case for a teammate-free Armstrong throughout the race.

“Originally I was going to go out from the gun, but I ended up going the 85% to calm my nerves. When I saw it was strung out I felt that I had some control back and took it as hard as I could on the second lap.”

Sometimes the mental game of a race like this is to simply go for it and do your best, as was the case for APC’s Best Young Rider Jersey winner Amanda Miller (Lip Smacker).

“Today was a race of attrition. I was just riding, and I didn’t even know where the leader was,” said Miller, who wasn’t aware she had won when she crossed the finish line. “I didn’t find out until I got back down here [to the announcers stage].”

Team Tibco put in stellar performances throughout the week, winning the Team Competition by taking a stage victory and racing consistently and aggressively every day. The Nature Valley Top Amateur Jersey went to Sydney Brown (Nature Valley Cycling Team).

The Nature Valley Grand Prix is also the third stop of the Women’s Prestige Cycling Series. Allison Powers (Team Type 1) was the new Overall Leader as well as the Sprint Jersey Leader, while the Women’s Prestige Series Best Young Rider Jersey went to Rebecca Much (Webcor Builders).

Men's Race Results: Stage Six & GC

2009-06-14T18:38:00.002-05:00

Sutherland repeats; Amore & Vita/Life Time Fitness shines in last stage of Nature Valley

By James Lockwood

In cycling, sometimes it’s more about your opponent’s weaknesses than your own strengths that can win you the race.

Going into the last stage of the Nature Valley Grand Prix, only seven seconds separated Bissell Pro Cycling’s Tom Zirbel from OUCH-Maxxis’ Rory Sutherland. But, in terms of racing tactics, that gap turned out to be greater.

Sutherland used his teammates to lead him out two laps to go at the bottom of the infamous Chilkoot Hill in the Stillwater Criterium to launch him ahead of Zirbel, who got caught out of position behind Sutherland’s teammates and had to dig deep to match Sutherland’s momentum.

The tactic was enough to propel Sutherland, the defending champion of the Nature Valley Grand Prix, 10 seconds ahead of Zirbel at the finish and win him the overall championship of the Nature Valley Grand Prix by three seconds.

“We had our plan this week, and we were always just one off,” Rory said. “Finally, we made our plan work.”

“Our tactic was to go as hard as we could the last three laps,” OUCH-Maxxis director Mike Tamayo said. “We knew what Zirbel’s weaknesses were. We wanted to make it really hard going up the hill and then set a blistering pace going downhill.

“We knew that going into that hill few people could stay with Rory. So, we set a lead out for Rory to go as hard as he could.”

Zirbel said he got caught in that lead out, having to check his breaks behind Sutherland’s teammates, and that little loss of momentum made the difference between first and second overall.

“It was a matter of exploiting my weakness,” said a visibly dejected Zirbel after the race. “They used their legs, and they used their tactics.

“Today, it wasn’t for a lack of legs that I lost. If I could have kept the momentum going up the hill, I could have stayed with Rory. They are smart racers.”

Zirbel’s teammate, Ben Jacques-Maynes, had other words to describe OUCH’s tactics. He accused OUCH-Maxxis of purposely checking their brakes coming out of the last corner going into the hill, forcing Zirbel to brake while Sutherland accelerated.

“Winning with their legs wasn’t going to win it for them,” said Jacques-Maynes, who last year lost to the jersey to Sutherland in the second to last stage. “[Zirbel] should hold his head up high. He was awesome.”

On the day, Sutherland finished third and Zirbel fifth. Both came behind Phillip Mamos of Amore & Vita presented by Life Time Fitness-Velo Vie, who sprinted up the finishing climb to win by two seconds ahead of Anthony Colby of Colavita-Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light and Sutherland. Zirbel finished in a group of three with Luis Romero Amaran and Tyler Wren, both teammates of Colby.

It was Colby’s attack with five laps to go near the top of the 6th Street climb – coming after Chilkoot Hill and a false flat – that put he and Mamos into a position to win.

“I wasn’t really sure if we would stay away, but I thought, ‘What’s it to [Bissell and OUCH] if I go,” said Colby, who entered the day 42 seconds down to Zirbel. “I tried to stay one step ahead.”

“The Colavita guy attacked, and I was on him,” Mamos, a German living in Italy, said. “Rory comes through, and it was perfect. I knew he was strong, and I thought, ‘Just stay on his wheel.’

“I waited as long as I could, and then I just attacked [Sutherland and Colby]. It was good to win.”

Philip Mamos celebrates his win at the Nature Valley Grand Prix's final Stage 6 in Stillwater on June 14, 2009. Photo credit: Matt Moses Images.

“The goal was to come here to win a stage. We’re very happy,” said Mamos’ teammate, Chad Gerlach, who finished second in the Mankato Road Race and earned the Jelly Belly Sports Beans King of the Hills Jersey.

All day, the riders from Colavita-Sutter Home and Amore & Vita/Life Time Fitness worked the break, but it was OUCH’s Tim Johnson and then Floyd Landis who lighted up the day. Johnson, who has been on four winning teams in the Nature Valley Grand Prix going back to the days of Saturn Cycling, started things from the gun in the second lap of the 20-lap race and then was replaced by Landis on lap four. Both men were within a minute of the lead going into the day.

With Landis ahead, Amore & Vita/Life Time Fitness sent Volodymyr Starchyk ahead with Colavita-Suttter Homes’ Kyle Walmsley and Jim Camut of Land Rover-Orbea benefiting the Lance Armstrong Foundation. The four maintained a tenuous gap of 15 second through half the race until Colavita started sending more riders to up the road.

All the time, Bissell led the peloton, maintaining the gap.

“It’s tough to get a lot of time on that course,” Landis said of his chances to win. His efforts, though, working the break for 10 laps, earned him the Freewheel Bike Most Aggressive Jersey. “It was a good course for Rory, and a good course for the team.”

Sutherland said it was difficult through the whole stage, mostly because he had to be patient. As Amore & Vita/Life Time Fitness and Colavita-Sutter Home sent guys ahead and worked the break, Sutherland bid his time behind Bissell’s train.

“It’s different to have to wait and hedge your bets,” Sutherland said the OUCH’s plan. “The longer you wait, the more daunting it is.”

“My eyes were closed going through the last two corners, literally. The goal today was to win the race, not the stage,” he said.

Sutherland described the overall victory this year as more nerve-wracking than last.year, when he went into the Stillwater Criterium defending the leader’s jersey rather than chasing it.

“Seven seconds, it’s a pretty long time,” he said. “I’d rather come in sixth than come in second, no disrespect to Tom.”

In fact, there was nothing but accolades for the way Bissell defended the jersey from the start of the Nature Valley Grand Prix.

“Bissell did an awesome job,” Sutherland said.

“They did a great job defending,” said his teammate, Johnson.

Other jersey winners on the day included Land Rover-Orbea’s Bob Sweeting, who won the APC Best Young Rider Jersey; Tom Soladay of Team Mountain Khakis presented by EP-No who won the Wheaties Sprinters Jersey; and Matthew Busche of IS Corp Cycling team who won the Nature Valley Best Amateur Jersey.

Nature Valley Rocks Mankato

2009-06-14T07:01:00.002-05:00

Carson Miller, racing in the NVGP for Land Rover-Orbea, has provided us with another entry after yesterday's road race in Mankato. Enjoy!

Another stage down, and things are getting better. The last four days of racing have been filled with aggression, tactics, and battles fought down to the final meters of each stage, and today was no different.

Following a gross mis-calculation of the time it would take to drive into Mankato, we pulled into the venue parking lot with no more than 25 minutes before the race was scheduled to start. What followed was mostly-organized chaos that bordered on madness. Somehow, we all managed to get our bikes ready, dressed, and pockets filled with food, all before racing over to the sign-in table via the porta-johns. As the type of person who much prefers to meticulously measure, place, and prepare everything, this test of rapid preparation was perhaps the most stressful part of my whole day.

The race started with a short neutral section as we worked our way out of town, and onto the rolling farm roads that surround Mankato. Those few minutes of easy pedaling were a blessing, as they afforded me the opportunity to get the legs moving, and some blood flow going, all before the racing got up to speed.

Rolling up onto the plateau that surrounds Mankato, and the racing was full throttle. For fifty minutes, the racing was aggressive as riders worked to establish the day's main breakaway, which was almost certain to go. Along with my teammates, we all took turns covering breaks, initiating moves, and hoping that today would be "our day." In the end, it was my team-mate Mike Northey's day. Mike made the key selection with thirteen other riders who would hammer themselves over the course of the next two-and-a-half hours before finishing their efforts on the closing circuits around the streets of Mankato.

For the rest of us in the field, things slowed down. Way down. With no riders or teams taking up the chase, the break quickly built up and almost astronomical advantage of 8 minutes. Finally, the Ciclismo Racing Team took up the pace making, sensing that they had "missed out," and that no other teams were in a position of needing to chase. Coming back into town, the peleton began to gain some impotence, as teams worked to get themselves sorted out for the four finishing circuits around downtown Mankato.

The first time we came through, and the 3 riders who remained from the original group of 14 held just over a three minute advantage on the peleton. As the top GC riders and contenders began taking turns attacking each other, the 3 leaders quickly saw their advantage disintegrate with each climb up the Main St Hill. With 3.5 kilometers remaining, they held just a slim margin of 34 seconds over a select chase group of riders who were being driven by the Bissell Pro Cycling Team, as they worked to protect Tom Zirbel's race lead. At the line, and that advantage had been cut in half.

After a terrific and sensible day of racing off the front, Mike put in some stellar efforts on those closing laps to take 3rd place on the stage, while also taking over the lead in the APC Best Young Rider competition. For all my wanting, trying, and hoping that I would make it into today's break, I am even happier for my teammate Mike and the success that he found on the roads today. Clearly his legs were better than most, and I will look forward to working with my team tomorrow as we work to protect his lead in the APC Best Young Rider competition during th challenging 20 lap race in downtown Stillwater, MN.

With the laundry started, and my eyes drooping, I think we will have to shut down Guitar Hero as I get ready to rest up for one final day of racing here in Minnesota.

Thanks for reading, and I look forward to seeing you all in Stillwater tomorrow afternoon.

Keep the Rubber Side Down,

C-

Stage Six: Stillwater Criterium

2009-06-13T22:11:00.001-05:00

The Minnesota Bicycle Festival returns to historic downtown Stillwater for the Grand Finale.

The Stillwater course features a trek up Chilkoot Hill every lap. This lung-busting hill climb along with the heart stopping downhill turns that will stretch the riders’ bike handling skills to their limits combine to give this criterium an international reputation as the hardest in North America.

The pack will shatter on the climbs in Stillwater, with the lead pack shrinking on every lap. The yellow jersey will be under serious pressure, with challengers pushing the pace to try to make the leader crack. The jersey often changes hands on this final day of the Nature Valley Grand Prix.

Event schedule:

10:30 AM – Expo opens & Stunt Rider Shows
11:00 AM – Kurt Kinetic amateur race
12:00 PM – Women’s Pro/Elite Race: 50 minutes
1:00 PM – Shimano/Hoigaard's Tour de Kids fun race
1:30 PM – Men’s Pro/Elite Race: 60 minutes
3:30 PM – Expo closes

Stage Five: Women's Race Report

2009-06-13T21:58:00.002-05:00

Alexis Rhodes Takes The Stage Win At Mankato, Blasting Into Second Overall Just Twelve Seconds Behind Leader Armstrong

By Cynthia Lou

Redemption was sweet for Webcor Builders today. After the unfortunate series of crashes that took them off the podium and out of their competition jerseys at Thursday’s Cannon Falls Road Race, Alexis Rhodes road away from Dotsie Bausch (Jazz Apples) and Brooke Miller (TIBCO) to take the stage win, the Queen of the Mountains Jersey, and the Best Young Rider Jersey. Teammate Kathryn Curi Mattis took the day’s Freewheel Most Aggressive Rider’s Jersey.

“How tough are they to be able to keep fighting and never give up,” beamed Webcor Builder’s director Laura Charmaeda. “Not only did they not give up, but they came out here to stomp the race again. That’s just plain tough.”

Shelley Olds (Proman Hit Squad) extended her lead in the Wheaties Sprint Competition by winning the first two sprints. Sprint competitions three and four were absorbed by the breakaway groups.

While all early attacks were brought back, with TIBCO, Webcor Builders, and Colavita staying active near the front, the attacks picked up approximately 28 miles into the race, after the second Sprint Competition. Webcor Builder’s Kathryn Curi Mattis escaped on a solo breakaway, later joined by Team Type 1’s Veronica Leal, Tibco’s Julie Beveridge, and Lip Smacker’s Jessica Phillips. The break grew to over 2’ 15“, putting Leal in the virtual yellow jersey, before Armstrong fought to bring it back with the help of Colavita.

This was a blessing for Webcor, who took advantage of the opportunity to rest while the break was being reeled back.

"The group of four were caught just as we were turning left into some crosswinds," explained Charmaeda. That’s when I said, ‘Girls, make it hurt now,’ because that’s when you can effectively launch an attack. That’s when Alexis got away."

Dotsie Bausch, Assistant Director and in-race mentor of the professional development squad Jazz Apple Women’s Cycling Team saw the break forming and knew she had to take action. "Marina [Duvnajk] was awesome, she was off the front all day going for break after break, and Steph was back getting bottles. I saw two major teams go, then the third, and I knew we had to get somebody on this so I went for it. I just gritted it out because I wanted to get a podium for the girls."

The four-woman break of Rhodes, Bausch, Brooke Miller (Tibco), and Kelly Benjamin (Colavita/Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light) quickly grew to two minutes before the field reacted. Olivia Dillon (Nature Valley Cycling Team) and Nicole Evans (ValueAct Capital) chased for approximately 20 miles until they caught the lead group. Together, the group of six grew their lead to nearly four minutes, with little response from the peloton.

"When the break got up to three minutes forty [seconds], I couldn’t believe that every team out there was happy with this break,“ said Armstrong, explaining that she kept expecting other teams to come forth to help.

Rhodes started the day 2’ 07" behind race leader Kristin Armstrong (Cervélo Test Team), secured a 15 second time bonus for her stage victory. When Rhodes and her lead group of six entered the finishing circuits, they were 3’ 10” ahead of the peloton. The lead was whittled down over the course of the four nail-biting two-mile circuits around Mankato that included a one-mile long Queen of the Mountains climb with an average grade of 14%.

“I knew I was climbing really well, and I thought if I could drop Brooke on the last lap that would be good,” said a very calm Rhodes. “But I dropped her on the first lap so I guess, even better. I’m climbing really well at the moment, so I guess the [four laps of the tough QOM] climb were really a blessing in disguise.”

As Rhodes took off, it was a battle between Bausch and Miller for second.

Alexis Rhodes (Webcor Builders) climbs the 14 percent grade, mile-long hill in Mankato on her way to a Stage 5 win in the Nature Valley Grand Prix. (Matt Moses Images)

“I knew that I had to conserve on the downhill,” said Bausch, drawing on her years of experience as a climber. “I just focused on catching Brooke the fourth lap. I knew that if I could just make it to the fourth lap relaxed and with full oxygen I could give it my all up that last climb and all the way down the backside.”

Though there was a lot of excitement around whether or not Armstrong lost the yellow jersey today, the general consensus of the field is that Armstrong will take home her fourth Nature Valley Grand Prix overall win tomorrow evening.

“Kristin is without question the best climber,” said Miller. “One of the things she has in her favor is that tomorrow’s race is everyone for herself. It’s difficult for any kind of team dynamic to play out.”

When asked about challenging Armstrong for the yellow jersey tomorrow, Rhodes replied with a laugh, ”I felt pretty awesome today, but Kristin’s just a class above the rest of us. I’ll try my best to hold her wheel, and we’ll see how it goes.“

Catch the final stage of the Nature Valley Grand Prix at the Stillwater Criterium in historic downtown Stillwater, Minn. The festival starts at 10:30 a.m. CDT, with the women’s race beginning at Noon.

Catch the action at http://www.Twitter.com/MNBikeFestival or http://www.minnbikefestival.com/, link "Live Updates" to follow the action live!

Stage Five: Men's Race Report

2009-06-13T21:49:00.003-05:00

Amateurs Make Mankato Their Day in Nature Valley Grand Prix, Almost Upsetting Leaders

By James Lockwood

OUCH-Maxxis knew the fourth stage of the Nature Valley Grand Prix well, having won the course the previous two years in its former incarnation as Health Net.

Bissell Pro Cyling knew this course well, too, having lost the leader’s jersey last year on the course’s mile-long climb during the four laps of the finishing circuit.

So, each knew what to expect from the 92-mile Mankato Road Race. But what transpired surprised most people, turning the showdown between powerhouse North American teams into the amateur hour – or 3 hours and 30 minutes, as the case may be.

Winning one of the biggest races of his career was Wheel & Sprocket’s Andrew Crater, who, at 31, continues to race on an amateur team despite having a professional background. He, along with Chad Gerlach of Amore & Vita presented by Life Time Fitness-Velo Vie and Mike Nothey of Land Rover-Orbea benefitting the Lance Armstrong Foundation outlasted a breakaway of 14 riders to take the top three places in the stage.

It was a move that was initiated 14 miles into the race, and few thought it would go to the end.

“I didn’t know [if we could last],” Nothey said. “I thought we would get caught in the finishing circuit.”

Instead of being caught, the trio finished 17 seconds ahead of a charging pack that included all of the overall contenders, including the current leader, Bissell Pro Cycling’s Tom Zirbel, and his teammate Peter Latham; OUCH-Maxxis’ Rory Sutherland; Sebastian Haedo of Colavita-Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light; and a host of other riders from Jelly Belly Pro Cycling and Team Type 1.

Zirbel said losing only 17 seconds was good.

“We lucked out,” Zirbel said. “I didn’t think [the break] was going to come back.”

The break that everyone ended up talking about included – at its peak – 14 riders who had built a gap of eight minutes nearly halfway through the race. Zirbell said there seemed little motivation for anyone to initiate a chase, with all five major teams represented, including Jelly Belly’s Jeremy Powers, OUCH-Maxxis’ Tim Johnson, Bissell’s Cody O’Reilly and Kirk O’Bee, Colavita-Sutter Home’s Davide Frattini, and Team Type 1’s Aldo Ino Ilesic.

Not until Fort Collins, Colo., amateur team Ciclismo Racing decided they needed to take charge about 40-miles from the finishing circuit did the gap start to fall. Zirbel tipped his hat to Ciclismo’s work as well as CRCA/Empire Cycling Team presented by Northwave.

“It could have been so much worse,” the Bissell rider said. “The amateur teams went to the front and really brought that break back. We would not have had a chance to catch the break if they hadn’t worked.”

“Today, we really showed we could go up there and tide up front,” said Ciclismo’s Nick Frey, who entered the day leading the points for both the APC Best Young Rider Jersey and the Nature Valley Best Amateur Rider Jersey but lost both on the climb in Mankato.

“We were going really slow about mile 25,” he said. “We assessed who was in the break, and every major team was represented. I thought Colavita might move up for Haedo, but they weren’t willing to sit on the front.

“So, we decided to put two to three guys up front. Then we said, ‘Let’s everyone go to the front.’ We sat up there for 45 miles.”

The assumption was that the guys in the break would not have the energy to finish strong on the two-mile circuit.

“We knew the break was going to be fried going into the finishing circuit,” he said.

As it turned out, they weren’t fried enough.

It wasn’t the group of 14 who were in the break that entered the circuit, though. Instead, it was a more selective group of eight, and of them, it was only O’Bee and Ilesic who remained of the big teams. The group also included Nicholas Clayfield of HagensBermanCycling, Ben Raby of TradeWind Energy/The Trek Stores, and Ty Stanfield of Kenda Pro Cycling presented by Spinergy.

It was Stanfield’s move at the fourh sprint line at mile 64 that created the split and drew out Gerlach, then O’Reilly, Nothey and Crater.

“I was just trying to get something going,” Kenda’s Stanfield said. “The break was going slow. I was hoping to get a little help, and Chad bridged up. Chad was like, ‘Attack the group. Attack the group.’”

It had not been the first move Stanfield had initiated. He and Clayfield had originally missed the move that formed the winning break. Together with local amateur Chris Doig of Flanders/Minnesota Bicycle Racing Club, the three worked over 12 miles to catch the leading 11.

While he ended up being caught by the chase in the finishing circuits, he finished 17 and earned the Freewheel Bike Most Aggressive Jersey, a target of the team’s coming into the stage.

That jersey could have easily gone to Gerlach. While working with Stanfield to push the pace after the sprint line, Gerlach attacked again at the 78-mile mark with Team Type 1’s Ilesic as they moved for the King of the Hill points. By mile 80 – 2.5 miles from the circuit – Gerlach had dropped Ilesic and moved 30 seconds ahead of the field.

“Today, I felt really good,” he said explaining his solo move. “Those guys just all started to look really slow when it got hilly. Once we were coming into town, it was really cool.”

However, he had never seen the hill in the circuit.

“The hill just hurt,” he said. “I really lost it the third time up the climb.”

It was the second time up that the chasing seven – with Gerlach just up the road – started to split. Nothey made his move, riding away from his fading breakway companions, and Crater dug deep to stay on his wheel.

“I couldn’t attack,” Crater said. “That guy was just going. It was all I could do to stay with him.”

“We were going really slow, or at least I thought,” Nothey said, explaining his move.

Nothey said he thought Gerlach had gone out too early – 10 miles from the finish – to be able to stay away. That spurred him on to catch the Amore & Vite/Life Time Fitness rider.

Once the three hooked up, Crater said it took both patience and pain to win the race.

“I knew I could beat [Nothey] in the sprint if I could stay with him,” Crater said.

“I didn’t want to slow way down and they have to jump,” Gerlach said of his tactics in the final lap. “I know that means I gave a lead-out to Crater.”

“I figured if I could jump in the second to the last turn, I could beat them,” the Wheel & Sprocket rider said.

Even then, the win almost slipped away from him, literally. Coming out of the last corner onto the finishing straight, Crater’s back wheel skipped out from underneath him, giving the rider a momentary scare.

Andrew Crater (Wheel & Sprocket) celebrates his Stage 5 win in the Nature Valley Grand Prix on Saturday, June 13. (Matt Moses Images)

“I figure, you are either going to crash, or you are going to win,” he said. “Today, I won.”

And, for another day, Bissell’s Zirbel took home the leader’s jersey.

“We decided to take a risk and say, ‘We believe in Kirk,’” he said. “All I had to do was follow Rory.

“It worked out in our favor. I didn’t have to work all day until the finishing circuit.”

“It was the plan that we didn’t want to ride tempo,” Bissell road director Eric Wohlberg said. “We wanted to just be in a position where we didn’t have to ride.”

While the team didn’t, Cody and Kirk did, and Wolhberg said that made the difference for the team.

“Cody and Kirk did a fantastic job today. They saved the day for us.”

Going into the final, sixth stage of the Nature Valley Grand Prix – the Stillwater Criterium featuring the infamous 18-percent-grade Chillkoot Hill – Zirbel maintains his seven-second lead over Sutherland and a 10-second lead over Haedo, while a scrum of 22 riders representing eight teams all are within a minute of the lead.

Post-Race Surprise

2009-06-13T13:26:00.002-05:00

Team Type 1’s Jacquelyn Crowell is the only female competitor sharing her behind-the-scenes observations and experiences from start to finish at the Nature Valley Grand Prix. Through four stages, she leads the APC Best Young Rider competition (for racers younger than 26) and is 14th overall, 1:19 off the lead.

This entry is a little shorter than my previous ones because the late starts have made for some late nights and we have a long day ahead Saturday.

During Friday night’s Uptown Minneapolis Criterium, we were basically trying to keep it upright and hopefully maintain our position in the overall or move Alison Powers up (she is currently second). I was also allowed to race for myself a little bit, but that didn’t end up happening because I didn’t ride very well.

Our director, Jack Seehafer, let me ride for myself because I am still in the Best Young Rider’s jersey. But my lead is pretty slim – one second, in fact – over Amanda Miller (Lip Smacker® Professional Women's Cycling Team). So I really wanted to get a time bonus. But I ended up not riding, just thinking too much.

After the race, we went out to dinner at an upscale place called Figlio, which was right along the course. I actually had to get up in the middle of the dinner to go to the women’s podium ceremony and receive my Best Young Rider jersey. I returned in time to have a nice dessert that came complete with a sparkler on it. I guess they wanted to honor me because I won something.

After that, we got back to the Team Type 1 van and found it had been tee-peed. It was quite a surprise. I guess this gives us the right to harass all the other teams since we don’t know who did it. But it’s on now!

Saturday’s Mankato Road Race is 91 miles and it’s going to be a long day for us after three days of racing. To have the longest stage of the race this far into the event is going to be tough – mentally and physically. Once I push through that, there’s just the last day (Sunday’s Stillwater Criterium) after that. The end is in sight.

Flying Through Nature Valley

2009-06-13T00:06:00.001-05:00

Carson Miller, racing in the NVGP for Land Rover-Orbea, has provided us with another entry after today's Uptown Minneapolis criterium. Enjoy!

Another pleasant and relaxing day here in Minnesota culminated in a blur. With the Nature Valley having been comprised of late afternoon and evening races until now, the riders and teams have begun to settle into a daily routine.

After sleeping in, probably later than normal for most, we awake to our coffee pots which have been pre-programmed to turn on. The coffee is complimented by breakfast and time spent in front of the TV and computer. Some riders check the news, others update their Twitter pages, and the rest of us fill our time with e-mails and phone conversations back to our homes and family.

With breakfast and the first cup of coffee consumed, some riders will head out for an easy one or two hour spin, and the rest of us choose to keep our reclined position on the couch until the last possible moment; only leaving the couch for a massage or to refill the bottle from which we have been drinking out of. As the riders return from their morning rides, they get their turn on the massage table before returning to the couch.

Lunch and a brief nap come next, before we depart for the day's race. Many riders climb into the team vehicle with some snacks and a steaming hot cup of coffee for the drive. Upon arriving at the race, it is go time. With the vehicles staged for the race, riders begin their pre-race routine. Different riders will have a different way of preparing for each day's race, depending on their job for the day, and their style of riding.

This week I have been focusing on trying to find my way to the front end of the race, making and following moves that look to have promise. When I am not covering moves, I have done my best to look after our protected riders, ensuring that they have plenty of food and drinks to get them through the day's stage.

Tonight's criterium was run around downtown Minneapolis on a very fast and fun challenging circuit. With fans lining the entire length of the course, and the battle for the overall General Classification becoming tighter, it was sure to be fast - from the gun. And it was. After spending what seemed like an eternity on the start line, I could feel my heart rate slow, and my legs bristled with goose-bumps. Not exactly what I want to feel. Sitting there with my heart beating only 60 times per minute, I knew that my world was about to be rocked. Out of the blocks, and I was summoning every ounce of strength I had, trying to push the pedals faster and more forcefully.

Twenty minutes passed before I was finally feeling comfortable on my bike, and on the course. The remainder of the evening was a blur as the peleton raced around the course. Near the 1-hour mark, and with 10 laps remaining in the race, several crashes took place. With some riders starting to feel fatigue, while other teams were setting up lead-out trains, the tight corners became chaotic, and I found myself caught out on two separate occasions.

Initially I gave chase, hoping that I would be able to regain contact with the peleton, but realized my efforts were in vain after several laps of riding flat out, only to maintain the same gap between myself and the field. With the writing on the wall, I sat up and rolled across the line. My day ended a little bit early, but I knew that there was no point in wasting energy that will be valuable over the final 2 stages.

With tonight's race behind us, we have returned to our host house for showers and dinner. Tomorrow's stage will be a change of pace as we again hit the open roads of Mankato, MN for nearly 150 kilometers of racing in the middle of the day. Between now and then, I have some serious resting and recovery. Hopefully I can find some freshness in the legs tomorrow, and with that, I might find my way back to the sharp end of the racing.

Thanks for reading. See you all in Mankato tomorrow afternoon.

Keep the Rubber Side Down,

C-

Stage Four: Women's Race Report

2009-06-12T23:57:00.003-05:00

Brooke Miller Wins Uptown Minneapolis Criterium; Armstrong Still In Yellow

By Cynthia Lou

No trip to the Nature Valley Grand Prix would be complete for Brooke Miller (Tibco) without a victory, with Miller celebrating a criterium victory two years in a row. Today’s aggressive race to the end saw Shelley Olds (Proman Hit Squad) taking both second place on the podium and the Wheaties Sprint Jersey, while veteran sprinter Laura Van Gilder (Altarum Women’s Cycling) rounded out the podium with a third place finish.

Photo Caption: Brooke Miller (Tibco) crosses the finish line in first place followed closely by Shelley Olds (Proman) and Laura Van Gilder (Altarum) in Stage 4 - the Minneapolis Uptown Criterium - of the Nature Valley Grand Prix. Photo: Matt Moses Images.

“It was a very aggressive race. I had to throw a lot of elbows and do a lot of aggressive moving, but that’s what you do when your team is putting themselves on the line for you – you make sure you deliver,” said Miller, who had her first big NRC victory at the Nature Valley Grand Prix in 2006 and continues to win stages every year.

Though there was speculation that the beginning of the race might be a repeat of Wednesday’s St. Paul Downtown Criterium, with race leader Kristin Armstrong (Cervélo Test Team) taking control of the front, it soon became clear that the teams were not going to just sit back, actively seeking to shake up the general classification and tempt Armstrong to work.

Riders from Tibco, Colavita/Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light, Webcor, and ValueAct Capital sent riders up the road with attack after attack, nothing gaining more than 10 seconds before being caught.

The 25-lap race had three sprint competitions, plus an additional prime competition to keep the race active.

The Sprint Competition alternated between Kirsty Broun (Riverstone CDA) and Shelley Olds, with Olds taking the first sprint and Broun taking the second. It was Olds’ victory at the third sprint competition that finally won her the Sprint jersey.

“I’m just happy to be in the jersey for the day,” said Olds. “It’s not necessarily my priority. I’m just doing the best I can in all of the competitions. A stage win would be really nice, so, tomorrow’s a new goal.”

Tomorrow’s Mankato Road Race will indeed be another opportunity to mix up the general classification. Armstrong has traditionally ridden away from the field on this race, so the teams will be sure to keep close watch over her.

The Freewheel Most Aggressive Rider’s Jersey went to Tibco’s Katharine Carroll. Shelley Olds captured the Wheaties Sprint Jersey. All other jersey results remained the same.

Follow the action tomorrow as Stage 5 of the Nature Valley Grand Prix moves to Mankato, Minn., starting with the festival opening at noon, with the women’s race beginning at 1:50 p.m. Catch the action at http://www.Twitter.com/MNBikeFestival or http://www.minnbikefestival.com/, link ”Live Updates“ to follow the action live!

Stage Four: Men's Race Results

2009-06-12T23:44:00.003-05:00

Nature Valley Grand Prix Turns into Colavita Olive Oil-Sutter Home Show with Third Win

By James Lockwood

Sebastian Haedo stood before a monstrous crowd after the fourth stage of the Nature Valley Grand Prix waiting for his team director to translate the questions coming from the race announcer.

The Argentinean who rides for Colavita Olive Oil-Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light speaks no English. But, nothing was lost in translation with his performance Friday evening in the Uptown Minneapolis Criterium. His team lines up, he sprints, he wins.

Haedo took his second win of the six-stage race, and along with the second place he earned leading out his teammate Alejandro Borrajo in the team’s victory in the Cannon Falls Road Race, he now sits third overall with the bonus seconds that came with his placings.

With arms raised, Sebastian Haedo (Colavita Olive Oil-Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light) celebrates his victory in Stage 4 of the Nature Valley Grand Prix. Visit www.minnbikefestival.com/teams for full results. Photo: Matt Moses Images

“This victory is awesome,” he said. “It was a good day for me and it was a good day for Colavita. We all did our work today, and we were able to put together an important win for me.”

The third team victory for Colavita Olive Oil-Sutter Home put the team in good position going into the 95-mile queen stage Saturday, the Mankato (Minn.) Road Race. It was something other teams were noting.

“On paper, we didn’t want Borrajo to get any time,” said OUCH-Maxxis’s Andrew Pinfold, who finished third on the stage. “Not that Haedo is not good, but Barrajo is a little better climber.”

“I think we are getting the old Borrajo back,” said Team Mountain Khakis’ Tom Soladay, who used a Bissell-controlled peloton to protect his sprinter’s jersey for the second day. “When he is on form, he is dangerous.”

For Friday, though, it was Haedo getting the accolades for his second win. The victory was not certain, however, as the team could not get its sprint train lined up until one-and-a-half laps to go in the 40-lap race.

“It was a brothel out there,” said Jelly Belly Cycling Team’s Brad Huff, who finished second. “Every team wanted to be at the front, and not everyone should have been at the front.”

“From lap 15 to lap three [to go], it was just mayhem,” Pinfold said.

Much of the race was uneventful. From the start, few riders were able to break away, and Bissell Pro Cycling marshaled the front with its whole team, setting a steady but comfortable tempo to keep breaks in check and its overall leader, Tom Zirbel, safe.

“I had an armchair ride the first 30 laps,” Zirbel said.

“It was all about protecting Tom tonight,” said Bissell road director Eric Wohlberg. “In a crit, being on the front is the best place to be.”

Soladay said that worked out to his advantage trying to protect the Wheaties Sprinter’s Jersey, a goal of his for the Grand Prix.

“I knew that Bissell didn’t want any of the sprint points. That was great for me. When I went up, I had eight guys between me and the rest of the field who might challenge for the points,” he said. “With Bissell up front and the tight corners, you really had to light a match to get away.”

Until the last 10 laps, Soladay and Bissell served as the show.

Then Jelly Belly moved forward with its train, and the jockeying began.

“It was a little too early with the sprints out of the corners, but it worked out for me. It allowed me to rest in the train,” Huff said.

“It worked out for Brad,” Pinfold said. “He didn’t have to fight through the laps. He stayed fresh, and it showed at the end.”

For Pinfold, his teammate John Murphy, and Colavita, it was not so easy. As Jelly Belly came to the front, Bissell as a team went back, OUCH attempted to form its train for Murphy, and individual riders from various teams tried to get onto the right wheels hoping for the victory.

“Tim Johnson was just sheparding myself and Murphy through,” Pinfold said. “Everyone was fighting for wheels. I think everyone just wanted to get the win on this stage.”

As the laps counted down, Jelly Belly started to fade, and it opened the door for Colavita Olive Oil-Sutter Home and Haedo.

“What we came here for we got,” said Colavita Olive Oil-Sutter Home’s director Sebastian Alexandre. “The team did a very good job.”

Despite the convincing victories in the past three stages, Alexandre remained coy about the team’s chances to make it four in a row in the Mankato Road Race, featuring a circuit finish that includes a mile-long climb averaging 14 percent.

“Tomorrow is going to be a different stage,” he said.

Bissell’s Wohlberg concurred. Despite Haedo’s move up the general classification, OUCH’s defending champion Rory Sutherland – winner of last year’s stage in Mankato – still sits seven seconds back of Zirbel, and OUCH, Bissell, and Jelly Belly all have riders within a minute of the lead.

“Colavita is closing the gap to us,” he said. “The next two days will be a little more suited for our guys. We’re going to see who can get up that hill and see what happens. We’re going to try to turn the tables.”

Stage Five - Mankato Road Race

2009-06-12T23:23:00.003-05:00

Racing continues on Saturday with the Mankato Road Race. This will be a test of endurance and racing tactics. The races will start and finish in the City of Mankato. The final 30 to 45 minutes of each race will play out with multiple laps on a finishing circuit inside the City during the community festival.
Cross winds could shatter the pack on the 80-mile rural loop and the best climbers remaining in the lead group will then attack each time up Main Street Hill.

Women's Pro/Elite Race: 86 miles
Men's Pro/Elite Race: 86 miles
Finish: Four laps of the Mankato finishing circuit

Event schedule:

12:00 PM – Expo opens
1:15 PM – Men start
1:50 PM – Women start
2:00 PM – MN Iron & Metal Amateur racing
4:35 PM – Men finish
4:45 PM – Shimano/Hoigaard Tour de Kids fun race
5:40 PM – Women finish
6:00 PM – Expo closes

Crash Course

2009-06-12T11:29:00.004-05:00

Kacey Manderfield, of the Lip Smacker Cycling Team, was so kind to write a report about her race in Cannon Falls yesterday. Enjoy!

It seems to be my luck that this particular course is just out to get me. Last year in 2008 I made it though what I remember as a more difficult race, as we had to fight wind across the fields unlike the calm air we experienced this year. However, after making it safely onto the final circuit last year and even making the lead break, I ended up surfing the pavement on my rear as a rider slid out in front of me leaving those behind her no where to go. This year the frustrations of poor bike handling skills continued and once again I’m left with no options.

The Cannon Falls race course in general is a fast one for a road race. There are no truly defining climbs and with a calm wind day like we experienced this year the chances of a break getting off and sticking were quite slim. This of course results in the majority of the pack staying together in a massive group, which also means it only takes one bad decision or move to take down numerous riders. As I recall there may have been a few small encounters early on in the race that caused havoc for some. In general holding a good position and staying away from the back can keep a rider out of harms way, but sometimes even those in the best positions somehow end up in a mess. If I had to name my strengths as a rider, I think one of the first things on my list would be positioning. I generally have a good idea of a smart place to be and I can generally get myself there and maintain my spot. Yet somehow this race has managed to result in pavement contact for me two years in a row.

This year we were only about 5K from the dirt section (my favorite part!) and entering the finishing circuits and I was in good position, getting ready to navigate my way to a good spot for entering the dirt. Before I got a chance to start advancing and with no warning at all a few girls in front of me just seemed to tangle and go straight for the pavement. I don’t crash often because I’m typically pretty good at avoiding such situations but there was no getting out of this one. In no time I was on the pavement and all I really remember was hearing my helmet scrape along the ground as I came to a stop tangled in the bikes and girls in front of me. I tried to tuck my head into my arms as I was curled up on the ground and prepared for what I knew was coming – a pummeling from all the riders behind me! Sure enough one after another, a wheel in the back and two or three strong hits to the back of my helmet. Then it all stopped and I just laid there on the bottom of a heap, waiting for bikes and bodies to clear off the top.

When I finally opened my eyes I was staring at the grayish black pavement less than an inch away from my face, my Rooly glasses lying next to my head were undamaged. Once I sensed that everyone has gotten of the top of me I started to move, a bit nervous about what I might discover, but lucky for me everything on my body seemed to be alright. By the time I was uncovered and on my feet our mechanic, Max, was right there and getting the chain back on my bike. The wheels were spinning and I jumped back on the bike as Max pushed me off to continue riding. I had felt the hits to my head but nothing was enough to cause any throbbing or ach there, and other than that I could tell my left forearm had taken a pretty good blow but I could still grip the bars and as I double checked there was no bone fracture pain! At this point it was clear the day’s race was over for me and anyone behind me, but I needed to finish so I was able to start the following day’s stage.

The finishing circuits brought more comic relief to the situation. Coming out of a corner I got out of the saddle just to stretch my legs and put some more pressure on the pedals when all of the sudden I heard a noise equivalent to splintering wood, simultaneously my left hand felt the breaking fibers of my carbon bars as they snapped at the bend. As it turns out the grinding of my carbon fiber bars against the pavement during the crash had compromised their integrity. At that point the drop of my bar remained in place only because of cables and bar tap. I was expecting to be pulled from the circuits as I was so far behind the main bunch but after being told I was suppose to complete all the laps I just sat on the tops of my bars, avoiding any pressure on the left hood, and rolled around the last few laps until the race was complete and I was assured the ability to start stage 3.

Although my bars and helmet need to be replaced and I was sure to have a few scrapes and bruises, it is all just part of the sport. It is always good to ride away from a crash and at the end of the day a bad day on the bike is still better than a bad day in a cubical!