Speedweek

Speedweek was a blast! Cyclelife powered by Specialized had a great week - we were even in 4th behind the big guns (Colovita, Tibco, and Team Type 1) for a few days. Perhaps with a few more riders we could have . . . . .

Team Cyclelife placed 6th of 29 teams and Jen and Leslie had outstanding performances, with 12th and 16th place overall for the week! Sara kicked butt in the 3/4 field, getting on the podium in every race and onto the top step at Sandy Springs. Plus she didn't have any trouble finishing one of our races (I feel an upgrade coming on . . . ) It was a great week to get our racing legs back!

Anyway, my sister Nicole came up for the final weekend and took some outstanding photos - I wanted to post them all, but you can view them on her site - here are a few I picked out. I think Nicole missed her calling . . .

Sara wins 3/4 Sandy Springs

Sara in solo break with 6 laps to go

In the pack just before the attack

But this one goes to 11

Sunny King

Cyclelife gurlz

LJ

Mitch

LJ and Zig

Sara getting busted by the Anniston police for a "hit and run" (not) violation in Bill's car. We tried to get her cuffed, but they wouldn't do it since she wasn't resisting.

Jen Ras "The Beast"

The Grim Reaper at work

Jen checking out the finish line carnage

Ducks in a row - happy to be DONE!

Many thanks to Sean Bega and HUB Racing for the loaner

Speedweek Update

One broken bike

One broken helmet

Two torn kits

Road rash

Still Racing...

Priceless!

Can't post more.  Racing again in 2 hrs.

Check out our album for some pics...

A great weekend of racing...

We're all wiped out from the weekend, and pictures were hard to come by, but for a few goodies.

SAT: 8 ladies from Team CycleLife powered by Specialized lined up at the Womens Open Syn-Fit Crit on Saturday. The video camera apparently shut down before the finishing lap, so the officials were able only to piece together the top 15 finishers, but our ladies locked up the 2nd and 4th spot for the day. We also took both primes for extra measure.

SUN: Again, 8 ladies from the squad came to the line for the Womens Open at the 10th Memorial Carl Dolan Classic Circuit Race. Beautiful weather, great venue, great race. LJ solo'ed off the front to lock up the "W" and Michelle finished second in the field sprint, locking up 1st and 3rd for the team. Feeling spunky (or downright silly), LJ, Michelle, and Robin recovered for an hour or so and then entered the Mens 1/2/3 race. A different pace, a different peloton, but fun fun fun.

That's Michelle tucked in to the left of the peloton.

Robin rides up on the outside of the peloton.

And if you're wondering why Todd Hipp, arguably one of the top sprinters in the MABRA region, did not close the deal today...well, he was, uhm, distracted.

Mount Joy Race Report

The following race report written by guest blogger Jen May of CycleLife USA. Photos by Chicken and Badger.

Mount Joy, PA, had a cold, wet and windy greeting for CycleLife Powered by Specialized Cat 3/4 women on Saturday morning. Most normal people would say this was a day to stay inside drinking hot chocolate or something, but not so for the about 100+ cyclists, who decided to brave the weather and race around the hilly, 5.7 mile course in Pennsylvania’s farm lands. This was not a day or race for the casual athlete – it was a day for competition and spirit of camaraderie that cycling tends to cultivate.

Instead of hot chocolate, Badger eats cereal and drinks CeraSport...

... while Chicken loads up on coffee and donuts.

Warming up (if one could call it that, with the rain and cold), was a short ride down the first part of the course, where I met up with the three other CycleLife women in the race. The start time was slightly delayed, and as we’re all huddled on the line, teeth chattering, one of the finishing cyclists told us that it doesn’t get any warmer out there, and another warned us of a pretty significant hill part way through, and someone else told us some roosters got loose on the course (random). (Note: Having chickens loose on the course just had to be a good omen for me!)

Sara during our warm-up which consisted of sitting in the car with the heat blasting and eating Clif blocks.

So, with those encouraging words, we started our first of four laps… The first guy was wrong – I thought it got warmer as we got going, although certainly not any drier, but that hill was something. It split the group right off the bat – Chicken took off in the lead group, and I was eventually able to catch back up in the first part of the second lap. It was a group of about six, and we were all dedicated to battling it out to the finish, or at least surviving the race. That hill was going to be where the move was made, we all knew.

In the last lap, Sturdy Girl Cycling (Sarah Iepson) took off at the top of the hill, and beautifully cornered that first sharp right turn off the hill. I, along with a Zaveta girl (Lenore Pipes) managed to hang on, and it was a sprint to the finish, but ended about the way we took that corner (me taking third).

Chicken had been pulling for quite a bit of the race, but still kept ahead the other Zaveta girl to get fifth. For complete race results, click here.

Finishing the race, the only thing I could think of was putting on dry clothes and blasting the heater in my car – (I think a lot of us were seriously feeling signs of hypothermia). Overall, though, it was a good race, a challenge, and a learning experience. Things I learned: 1) rain gear may be a good investment (neoprene feet covers, rain jacket, long underwear are probably going to be among my next cycling purchases); 2) glasses with clear/yellow lenses are very helpful (thanks, Robin!), not only for seeing better, but also to keep the mud, cow poop and other junk out of your eyes (now, how to keep them from fogging up?); and 3) brakes don’t work so well when they get wet (luckily, I figured that one out in the warmup!).

(Congrats to Jen on her 3rd place finish in what was her 5th race ever. This was a tough race with a hard pace set from the gun in miserable conditions and you rocked it!)

Two for Two Walkersville & Tysons

A good weekend for the CycleLife team winning both Walkersville and Tyson's.

Lots of photos floating around the internet of the actual racing, but here's what dedication looks like...

The team warming up in a dark garage when it's 70 and sunny outside. Plotting strategy.