Change is Coming!

It's true, changes are in store for the 2011 season.....

We are grateful for the support C4/Wells Fargo Racing Team provided us over the 2010 season. We were very proud to represent the club and sponsors all year and we hope they are proud of our accomplishments, as individual riders and especially as a team.

2011 is full of changes for the women's team. The women will be riding together with a new program next year and we hope that all of you will continue to follow our cycling adventures with Team Leadout. Additionally, we will be adding some new riders to the roster that should compliment our existing squad. Please visit our new sites for updates, fabulous pictures, great sponsor highlights, and of course race results.

Team Leadout Women  http://teamleadout.blogspot.com/

Team Leadout Homepage http://teamleadout.wordpress.com/

BAR, BAT, and a Big Thanks!

Wow - What a Season!
We want to thank all of our family members, friends, and sponsors for their incredible support over the past 9 months. Without all these wonderful people, we wouldn't have been able to accomplish so much this season and we are truly grateful. The 2010 season was a team effort in every way - all of the support riding, family contributions, and sponsorships made the individual successes possible for many of our riders on many different occasions. So a big thank you from all of us as we head into the off-season.

NCNCA Best All-Round Team Competition - 2nd!
With only 5 riders on our roster, we still finished 2nd in the P1/2 Women BAT competition this season - another wonderful accomplishment for the team. Compared to many other teams in NorCal with 10-15 riders, we made our presence known by racing aggressively and selflessly for each other. This result truly reflects how hard many of the ladies raced on occasion for each other to ensure the single highest placing for one of our riders. We could not have accomplished as many top placings without such incredibly selfless riding. So, congrats ladies on not only being strong riders but making your efforts count for one another all season.

NCNCA Best All-Round Rider Competition - 3rd!
Emily finished up her strong season with 3rd place in the BAR. Congrats to EEK on her numerous wins and podium finishes all season. We are excited to see where Emily will take her cycling in 2011!

Everest Challenge - Podium!

Annie Malouin - 3rd

The Everest Challenge (aka the California-Nevada Climbing Championship) is a two day event held in Bishop, CA and Annie traveled on her own to compete in the women's P1/2 race. The first day starts at 4,425' with the first climb to Mosquito Flat (22 miles long with an average grade of 5%). At 10,250', it is the highest paved road in the Sierras. The race then travels back down to Round Valley for an 8 mile climb up Pine Creek to 7,420'. Finally, the route goes up Bishop Creek to 9,835' in 20.4 miles, average grade 6% with a last mile the contains two short sections around 15%. L'ouch! Annie finished 3rd on stage 1 and although she was pleased with her result, she was surprised to see that the women finishing in front of them had mtb gears......
Stage 2 starts at 3,940' and climb ups towards the Palisade Glacier which is the most southern glacier in North America, finishing at 7,800'. The climb is 9 miles with an average grade of almost 8%-max is 11%. The next climb is 8.5 miles and heads up Death Valley Road through Waucoba Canyon to an elevation of 6,545' with an average grade of 5%. To race finishes with a climb up White Mountain to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest at 10,100' in 21 miles-average grade 6%.

Wow - that's 29, 035 ft of climbing and over 200 miles in two days. Congrats on another podium Annie!

Mt. Tamalpais Hill Climb - WIN!

Susannah Breen - 1st

The Mt. Tamalpais Hill Climb returned this year, after being cancelled in 2009, with wet and foggy conditions along the entire course. No joke - the above picture is what the entire coarse looked like! The event starts in Stinson Beach, Ca. and travels along the coast before turning upwards on Bolinas-Fairfax Road, along Ridgecrest and the "Seven Sisters" and then finishes on the West Peak of Mt. Tam. The 12 mile event climbs 2000 feet and SBB took advantage of the heavy fog by pulling away from the rest of the P1/2/3 field on the bottom slopes of the climb. Susannah continued to keep her pace high, knowing her best chance of staying away from the strong chasers was keeping out of site. SBB finished strong in under 50 minutes and an entire minute ahead of 2nd place finisher Tanja Meyer.

Folsom Cyclebration - WIN!

Held over three days this past weekend, the Folsom Cyclebration is an omnium event - consisting of a time trail, criterium, and circuit race. Friday evening Emily and Susannah competed in the Folsom South Canal Time Trial. Emily finished 3rd and Susannah 6th on the 11 mile course.

Saturday morning, EEK and SBB were joined by Annie for the Folsom Challenge Criterium. Despite having just three riders the ladies rode a perfect race. SBB attacked from the start and continued to do so until Annie was able to bridge up to a counter-attack made by Touchstone's Marley Smith. With Annie up the road, EEK and SBB patrolled the front of the race assuring the break would be successful.

Annie finished 2nd and Emily 4th which put Emily into 1st place in the overall competition...

Sunday's event was the Two Bridges Circuit Race, a 1.3-mile lap through the historic downtown which featured two of Folsom’s most notable bridges over the American River/Lake Natoma: the impressively engineered Lake Natoma Crossing, and the iconic and historical Rainbow Bridge. With just SBB and Emily racing against bigger squads they had a plan to protect Emily's overall lead. Emily covered her closest competitors and Susannah made it into the day's break of 5 riders. Although SBB thought she had the finish figured out - she launched too early and ended up 3rd. Emily won the field sprint and the omnium event. Thanks Folsom for a great weekend!

Emily gets her name on this giant trophy - great teamwork paid off again!

Challenge Road Race - Win!

Susannah Breen - 1st

Annie Malouin - 2nd

Held in Challenge, Ca. the 2010 District Road Race Championship course included 6000 ft. of climbing and covered 65 miles. Knowing that having a teammate could make all the difference in the outcome, Susannah was very thankful that Annie was willing to make the trip for the race with all the other teammates out of town. Annie has been a dedicated teammate all season and her willingness to sacrifice in Sunday's race was no exception. Annie kept near the front while Susannah tested her legs on the climbs. Everything was going as planned and the two watched the other riders on the first lap. On the 2nd lap Annie started the attacks on the rolling section and Susannah countered to test the group. About 4 miles from the finish, another rider finally attacked and Susannah went with her and the gap was open to the rest of the field. Seeing hesitation in the group, SBB attacked up the next climb, lost her break-mate, and kept the pace high until the finish. Annie followed the other riders while they chased and then pounced, coming in 2nd place! It was a perfect race for the team.

Many thanks to Mark Deterline for driving the follow-car and also ensuring the women had fresh bottles in the feed-zone. All the Wells Fargo P/1/2 women use Base Performance Sports Nutrition products in their bottles for training and racing. Annie and Susannah both recommend the Base Amino, especially for long rides and races. Seriously - get some, you will notice the difference.

Winters RR - WIN!

Emily Kachorek - 1st

Emily, Catherine, and Annie raced yesterday in Winters, California. The 72 mile course includes a few rolling hills, and a very fast finish. Emily took the win out of the break, while CRG and Annie patrolled the pack. Excellent work ladies!

Suisun Harbor Criterium

Emily - 6th

Emily raced well on the .5 mile course in downtown Suisun City. Despite many attempts to get away from the group, nothing was sticking as the teams with multiple riders ensured a pack-sprint. Emily will be racing the Gateway Cup with Vanderkitten in a couple of weeks!!! Stay tuned for more updates... 

Timpani Crit - Podium!

Emily - 2nd

A group of  around 45 W1/2/3 riders showed up for the Timpani Crit in Santa Clara this past Sunday. EEK was racing alone, but didn't let that stop her aggressive style of racing and she spent much of the race attacking the other NorCal teams. Eventually she was joined by a group of 5 other riders that would stay away for the race. Mary Maroon (Touchstone) jumped first in the long finish and Emily finished 2nd.

Cascade Cycling Classic - Recap!

Emily Kachorek - 9th

The 31st annual Bend Memorial Clinic Cascade Cycling Classic was held July 20-25, 2010. Emily traveled to Bend, Oregon to guest-ride with another Nor-Cal based women's program, Touchstone Climbing and Fitness Cycling Team. Over the 5 day event, Emily showed what we have been watching all season in NorCal - that she is ready to take her cycling to the next level.

Following the opening prologue event, EEK finished 7th at the McKenzie Pass Road Race along-side some of the best riders in the US, including Alison Powers (Team VBF) and Meredith Miller (Team TIBCO), thus catapulting herself into a top-10 in the general classification. Over the next four stages, Emily was able to maintain her placing in the top-10 with help from the other Touchstone riders. At the end of the 6 day event, Emily moved into 9th. We are proud of Emily's accomplishments and we want to thank the Touchstone Climbing and Fitness Cycling Team for taking such good care of her for the event!

Diamond Valley Road Race - Podium!

Annie Malouin - NCNCA 30+ District Road Race Champion!!! 

The Diamond Valley Road Race was once again the course for Master's District Championships, so Cody and Annie raced together in the 30+ field. They kept the pace high on the first 2 laps and whittled the field down to half its original size. On the third lap, CCG drove the pace coming into and up the first hill,  allowing Annie, Marley (35+), and Giana (40+) to get away with attacks on the second hill. By the time the other 30+ rider in the group started chasing, the break of 3 had a good gap and it continued to grow.  CCG rode a perfect team race in the small chase group with 3 other riders and sprinted for 2nd in the 30+ category. Congrats Annie, on a wonderful accomplishment and to Cody for another great contribution to the team.

Colavita NorCal Grand Prix - Podium!

Cody Graf - 2nd

Held in Novato, Ca. the Colavita NorCal Grand Prix was another great race for the team. Master's rider, Jennie Phillips joined Annie, Cody, and Susannah for the 60 minute event.   Annie started things off, by attacking first and forcing other teams to chase. Cody was in the next group that got a small gap on the field, but it was quickly absorbed and Annie could see that the group was tired and directed SBB to attack, and she was joined by another rider. SBB continued to attack the field and was joined by various other riders during the race. Jennie, Annie, and Cody followed other teams as they chased. With 3 laps to go, SBB was back in the group and the team was ready for the sprint. On the final lap, Annie attacked on the back-side uphill and a huge re-shuffle occurred. Cody was ready, maintained her position near the front, and unleashed her awesome sprint for 2nd! Cody is a selfless teammate and has been instrumental in many of our other riders high finishes all season long. Congrats CCG - we are so proud of you!

Lodi Cycle Fest - Podium!

Emily -2nd

Susannah - 5th

Catherine - 15th

Catherine, Emily, and Susannah made the trip to Lodi, Ca. for the 2nd Annual Lodi Cycle Fest. Held in downtown Lodi the 0.8 mile, figure 8 course with tight turns, good pavement and a brick finishing straight promised to be a good event for the team. SBB kept the pace high and chased down a couple of early attacks, setting EEK and CRG up perfectly for a counter-attack. As EEK and CRG's gap continued to grow, Mary Maroon (Touchstone) made the move to bridge and joined the two Wells Fargo riders. The three worked well together and CRG took a few last digs before dropping back to help SBB block in the main pack. Despite a few ladies working hard to try and bring back Emily and Mary, they finally gave up with about two laps to go. Emily attacked early, but Mary was able to chase her down and outsprint her at the finish. SBB kept the pace high for the final-lap and still managed 5th and CRG 15th - all in the money!!!!

San Rafael Twilight 2010

The San Rafael Twilight criterium didn't go as well as the ladies hoped. Things started well, with Emily getting a call-up and a perfect starting position.

Things looked good as Emily kept pace near the front of the race and got into a promising break with all the right riders - Olivia Dillon and Katherine Carroll (PB&Co), Tyler Stewart (Luna), Mary Maroon (Touchstone), and Megan Gaurnier (Tibco).

Although the break had some of the strongest women in the race, they were not all willing to get organized. As they were brought back by the main pack, Katherine Carroll attacked and would stay clear for 25 laps and get the well-deserved win. Tibco and 3rd Pillar did most of the chasing, but Carroll's gap held. By the time lap cards started to show, the gap was only 15 seconds and SBB contributed to the chase, until this happened to her rear shifter-cable....

Oh yeah, and did we mention that Cody spent the previous 10 days off the bike working on a top-secret project for her work!

The girls finished in the pack but were a bit frustrated with the race. Sometimes that happens, but in the end they were all happy to have participated in the event and looked forward to the next race.

Tour of the California Alps - Death Ride

On Sat. July 10, 2010 our very own Annie Malouin conquered the famed Death Ride. Located in the California Alps, the course covers 129 miles with 15,000ft. of climbing.

 Annie looks like she is having way too much fun for a ride that long and hard.....oh yeah, and she was the fastest female finisher for the 2010 event. Cal-Cup here we come!!!!

Davis - 4th of July Criterium

Emily - 7th

This was Emily's first race back in NorCal since her Nature Valley Grand Prix adventure. EEK didn't miss a beat and continued where she left off prior to NVGP, riding strong and aggressively over the short, technical course in downtown Davis.

Leesville Gap RR

Leesville Gap is one of the classic races on the NorCal calendar, because once you are about 10 miles into the 65 mile loop -- you wonder why you are doing it -- this year was no exception for Susannah, Annie, and Catherine. Rural roads in horrible condition, one major climb, and some gravel sections are easily forgotten every year for some reason - why is that?

The race started well, with the ladies driving the pace through the rough road section, which also included a new and very deep gravel section this year, to the base of the climb. SBB was first over the climb, with two other riders chasing and one more that would eventually join them, making a break of 4 riders that would finish together. Nicole, from Touchstone, was the driving force in the group and all her hard work on the day was rewarded by the win. Well done, Nicole. Susannah over-thought the finish and ended up 4th, with Annie and Catherine finishing 6th and 7th.

Despite a disappointing finish, SBB was excited that her EDGE 45 Carbon Clinchers were perfect in the rough conditions and felt fantastic over the gravel and up the climb. Edge Carbon is not just for smooth roads.......

Chico Stage Race - Podium!

Susannah - 2nd

Cody - 3rd

Annie - 4th

Catherine - 5th

The Chico Stage Race began with a 90 mile RR in 100+ degree weather. Countless water-bottles later, the 4 ladies savored the days 1-2 finish by SBB and CCG while sitting in the Butte River (sorry, no pictures) discussing the race. What do you you think about over the last 30 miles of a 90 mile event in brutal heat and a looming 4 mile gravel section? We all had different responses, but Catherine's was by far the most entertaining and kept us laughing all weekend - check it!

Later, the girls headed to downtown Chico. In order to stay in full recovery mode they got a preview of the course via a local pedal-cab that looked like this....

The driver was not sure about all 4 ladies being able to fit -- especially since they had large cups of frozen yogurt in hand. But he was a good sport and the girls felt good about the crit course.

On Sunday, the 45 minute criterium was over quickly with SBB and CCG gaining additional time bonuses by finishing 2nd and 3rd. Annie and Catherine continued their selfless riding from the previous day's RR and set SBB and CCG up perfectly for another good finish heading into the afternoon TT. The decisive 10 mile time trial went well, but none of the ladies were able to match TT specialist Molly VH........but everyone went home happy with a weekend of good teamwork, excellent training, and lots of laughter in the books.

Nevada City Classic - 50th Anniversary Edition

Susannah - 7th

Cody - 10th

SBB and CCG raced the Nevada City Classic on Sunday, June 20th. This is one of the oldest, longest running races in the country and riders come from all over the US to participate in the event which travels over a 1.1 mile course through historic downtown Nevada City. The race was won by three-time Olympian, Luna Pro team rider Katerina Nash.

Mt. Diablo Hill Climb - Podium!

Annie Malouin - 3rd

Congrats Annie - on an excellent ride up Mt. Diablo. Annie is wearing our lululemon Remix Hoodie and a pair of lululemon Groove Pants prior to today's race. If you didn't already know - lululemon also sponsors Team Saxo Bank, one of the most dominant male professional cycling teams in the last few years. Read more about their partnership on the lululemon blog.

 Thanks to all the riders that came and participated in the event. We appreciate the support and hope you had a good time today.

Mt. Diablo Hill Climb - June 12th!

Register now!!!!!

The Mt. Diablo Hill Climb is an excellent event for cyclists of all kind - everyone is welcome. The team will be racing and working the event, so join us this Saturday for a great challenge up one of the most beautiful climbs in NorCal. Please visit sportsbaseonline to register for the event. See you Saturday.

Mt. Hamilton, rewind....

Annie - 14th

Catherine - 15th

Annie, Catherine, and Susannah went to the Mt. Hamilton Classic last weekend and enjoyed some serious competition over the epic, 65 mile course. Riders from SoCal made the trip up to NorCal for the event along with many of the local professional riders like Shelly Evans, Alison Starnes, and Megan Guarnier. The race starts in San Jose, at the base of Mt. Hamilton and climbs 4,500' in 20 miles to the top of Mt. Hamilton and then continues 43 miles through remote ranch lands to the finish in Livermore, Ca. Many thanks to all those that supported the girls for this race, including our Wells Fargo teammates Mark D. and Nick O.

Auburn Downtown Criterium - WIN!

Emily Kachorek - 1st

Cody Graf - 5th

Emily wins again! In her preparation for Nature Valley - she soloed to victory on the technical, hilly course.

Bicycles Plus/Sierra Nevada Criterium - WIN!

Emily Kachorek - 1st

Annie Malouin - 4th

Cody Graf - 7th

Excellent team work ladies!

Sacramento Grand Prix

Cody, Emily, and guest rider Beth Newell lined up with almost 70 women in the capitol city on Sunday, May16th for the Sacramento Grand Prix. The ladies raced for 60 minutes and the 4 corner, flat circuit kept the group together for a final, bunch sprint won by PB&Co rider Coryn Rivera.

Berkeley Hills RR

Sunday, was Mom's day -- thankfully, we all have fantastic mothers that understood we would be spending the morning at a bike race. We know you are some of our biggest fans and probably our most loyal blog readers. Thanks mom - for some great genes and all of your support over the years.

Sunday's 72 mile Berkeley Hills Road Race started out in cold, wet, and windy conditions. Rain, in May - seriously? We all looked at each other under the overcast skies as the rain drops got bigger and more steady...........and then the race started and we were fine. When the group hit the main climb, Olivia from PB&Co set a good pace and Susannah and Annie were able to stay with her and a few other riders over the climb. Metromint missed this first break and their team chased hard and the group was back together on the rolling sections. Catherine, Cody, and Annie stayed near the front to keep the pace high and cover potential attacks. Emily launched an attack and was followed by a Metromint rider and they stayed away until the 2nd time up the main climb. This time, Olivia meant to get away and Heather Pryor from Touchstone was the only rider able to keep pace with the her. Susannah and Emily made it over the climb in the next chase group with 4 other riders and this group worked together for the next 2 laps, eventually hitting the final climb together. Despite Emily's best efforts to keep Susannah well-rested, the final surge for the finish was too much for SBB's tired legs and she rolled in 7th and Emily 8th. Cody and Annie finished in the next group in 11th and 14th and CRG rolled in not long after. Not SBB's best day, but the team rode a good race and went home with lots of goodies.

The highlight of the day was Francesca's 3rd place in the cat3 race (oh yeah, and she won the cat3 Wente RR too). Way to represent, Francesca! Here is FB with Jennie, winner of the Master's 35+  W1/2/3 race.

Emily - on her way to Nature Valley

This past weekend, Emily was in SoCal visiting family and decided to fly the team colors at a few local races. On Saturday she raced the Barrio Logan Grand Prix, finishing 8th. On Sunday, she finished 4th in the Mark Reynolds San Luis Rey Classic. Together, these finishes qualified her for the Nature Valley Pro Ride! The Nature Valley Pro Ride program is a selection of  6 individual events that take place across the US. Finishing high in one of these designated events gives amateur racers an opportunity to compete against professional cyclists in the Nature Valley Grand Prix in June as part of a composite team. We are very proud of Emily's recent accomplishment and we look forward to seeing her results from Nature Valley later this season.

Annie @ Gila!

Annie took on the 2010 SRAM Tour of the Gila last week. Riding for a composite team, she made the trip to Silver City, New Mexico with fellow NorCal rider Heather Pryor. Annie and Heather flew directly to New Mexico after the Wente Road Race and spent some time training in Silver City in the days before the start of the race. Tour of the Gila is a NRC event, meaning 75 of the best female riders in the US and their teams would be competing in the race.

 

The race includes five stages and covers 264 miles, all with lots of climbing at elevation. This year the riders battled extreme weather conditions, including ferocious wind and snow flurries on the final stage! Annie finished the event on Sunday and showed her dedication to teamwork as she rode in support of Heather, who finished an impressive 13th in the final general classification for their composite team, TriSports Cycling/Eclipse Racing.

We are so proud of Annie - and we are glad to have her back in NorCal.

Wente Vineyards Classic Road Race

Annie, Cody, and Susannah made the trip to Livermore, Ca for the Wente Vineyards Classic Road Race on Saturday. The WP1/2 group included 35 riders from various Nor-Cal teams, including PB&Co, Tibco, Touchstone, and Metromint. The group separated on the 2nd time up the main climb main, with three PB&Co riders along with Tibco's Alison Starnes getting away together. Annie, Cody, and Susannah were together in the 1st chase group with about 9 other riders. Cody did tons of work at the front, keeping the pace high in an attempt to catch the 4 rider break up the road. Annie also contributed to the chase, and watched diligently in case any riders from the group attempted to bridge across.

The break became visible on the 3rd time up the main climb and Susannah was able to join the 4 rider break with a few other women. Cody and Annie barely missed the re-shuffled break, but all the work from the previous lap paid off for the team. The break would continue to re-shuffle over the final laps and SBB ended up going into the final climb with Molly from Metromint, knowing 4 riders were up the road finishing. Molly jumped on the steepest section and SBB thought she may catch her towards the top, but Molly surged again and SBB came across 6th.

Annie and Cody made sure their chase group didn't catch SBB, but that it also didn't get caught by the other riders behind them on the course. Cody finished a strong 9th and Annie finished 11th. It was a good, hard day of racing and the girls looked forward to sharing their Wente Vineyards wine in the future.

Fun in the Sun - Sea Otter + Santa Cruz

Many of the large domestic professional women's teams and current elite riders from all over the US made the trip to Monterey, Ca for the 2010 Sea Otter Classic this past weekend - the races were fast and lots of fun. Sea Otter seemed especially well organized this year and the 4-day event enjoyed beautiful, warm weather. Annie and Susannah toughed it out in the RR with @ 45 other riders on Friday - with SBB finishing 17th followed by Annie at 23rd.

The premier event, the Sea Otter Circuit Race, was held Saturday and more than 50 riders attended the WP1/2 race. Held on the Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway - the women raced for 2 hrs over the hilly, 2.2 mile circuit. Susannah was a bit tired from the previous day's event, but Cody rode strong and finished in the main group for 20th.

Cody represented the team on Sunday at the Santa Cruz Classic.   Many of the same riders from  Sea Otter attended Sunday's crit and continued the trend of fast-pace racing in the WP1/2/3 category. The course was merciless with riders dropping out every lap. Cody finished strong in 18th, among an elite group of NorCal and US based riders.

Weekend Recap - BAR Jersey + Beyond

Our teammate Emily has been posting some awesome results since the season started, putting her on top of the NCNCA BAR (Best All-round Rider) competition at the end of March. We are very proud of the team riding that has supported these accomplishments, and the NCNCA has awarded Emily a BAR jersey to wear for the month of April. Look for Emily in upcoming events, as she prepares to lead the team at the Sacramento Grand Prix in May.

After returning from the San Dimas Stage Race, Annie has continued her preparation for Tour of Gila where she will be racing with a composite team along with Touchstone's Heather Pryor. Annie and Heather recently took Cody and Susannah along for a training ride in the foothills......with lots of climbing. It was a bit cold and overcast, but all the girls were very happy to have their Defeet products to keep warm - thanks Defeet!

Annie will also be celebrating a birthday this week, in true cycling fashion - by racing at the Sea Otter Classic. Susannah will join Annie for the WP1/2 road race on Friday and then Cody will join SBB for the WP1/2 circuit race on Saturday. With the Santa Cruz Classic on Sunday, the girls are looking forward to a tough weekend of racing against many professional teams and riders. Sea Otter or bust!

Catherine Robertson-Goodkin will be missed over the weekend, but we are all looking forward to her Nor-Cal return in May!

Sacramento Grand Prix - May 16th

The 2010 edition of Amgen Tour of California will begin in Nevada City, CA on May 16th. While the professional peloton travels from the California foothills into the capitol city, there will be additional bike races to watch prior to their arrival and finish. Starting @ 11:25 AM some of our very own Wells Fargo riders will be racing against the fastest women in the US on a 1.4 mile course circling the Capitol Building. We are proud to be participating in the event and we thank the organizers for their hard work and dedication to women's cycling.

We are very excited to announce that for this event, Beth Newell will be guest riding with the team. Beth is an up-and-coming rider in NorCal and will be a great addition to the squad. She is wicked smart, a bit sassy, and of course, very fast........Stay tuned for more details about the event.

Protect Yourself - Personal Best Products

We use Personal Best Products because they are good for us and good for the environment. We don't have "junk" to protect and Personal Best has created products that respect the needs of women (as well as men), cyclists, and people that care about the environment.


betwixt Chamois Cream. Seriously, you should not be using anything else. No cancer-causing agents, lasting protection, and 100% biodegradable. Not to mention, betwixt looks good on the shelf next to the rest of our favorite beauty products.

zealios Sun Barrier. We refuse to let the sun ruin our skin. Excellent protection on and off the bike, without a residue, means we don't have to worry about our skin on long rides or during races. Because Zealios is also chemical free and hypo-allergenic it's also better for the environment when we do wash it off. That makes us smile.

Topsport Stage Race - Podium!

Emily spent the weekend racing in Copperopolis, Ca. at the first annual Topsport Cycling Copperopolis Stage Race. She started Saturday morning with the 10 mile Rock Creek Time Trial, where she finished 3rd behind Metromint's time trial expert Molly Van Houweling. Later Saturday afternoon EEK won the Little John Circuit race, gaining a 15 sec. time bonus.

Without any team having large numbers in the group, the dynamics of the Salt Springs Road Race made it difficult for Emily to gain any serious time on Molly. However, she rode smart and finished 2nd in the 69 mile event, gaining enough time to secure 2nd place in the final GC.

Landpark Criterium - 3rd + 5th

Emily Kachorek - 3rd
Cody Graf - 5th

On Sunday, Emily and Cody were joined by 40 additional P1/2/3 women for the Landpark Criterium in Sacramento, Ca. Attacks where thrown and countered with nothing managing to stick. CCG and EEK were on top of everything and felt strong throughout the race. The deciding moment came down to a field sprint. With no solid team providing a fast lead-out through the last corner, unattached rider Beth Newell took advantage of the semi-chaotic situation and jumped early, managing to hold on for the win. Local notable sprinter, Jane Robertson (Metromint) barely held on to 2nd in front of Emily and Cody followed with another excellent finish in 5th.

Bariani Road Race - 2nd

Emily and Cody were joined by Jennie, and cat3s Francesca, Eileen and Mason for Saturday's road race in Zamora, Ca. With only 40 miles of racing and many teams well represented, the race was fast and aggressive from the start. Emily was in the first well established break, but it was eventually caught. Cody was attentive and made her way into the next break that included only 2 other riders on the final lap. As the time-gaps to the peloton continued to drop, the Touchstone rider in the break attacked with 1K to the finish and was able to get the win. Cody was spent from her time in the break as the group caught her within 100 meters of the finish. Emily was able to recover on the last lap and won the field sprint for 2nd place. Congrats on another great finish for EEK and some terrific support riding from the other women.

EEK sprinting on her Trek Madone 5.5 with EDGE 45 carbon clinchers

Madera - More Pics

Annie, Cody, and Emily - post race, awaiting results. Rudy Project glasses for on and off the bike = Ability, Sunbay, and Sportmask

SBB spent the final day in the feedzone, waiting for the girls to roll through. Our lululemon athletica remix hoodies were perfect for the cool weather all weekend.

Catherine Hadsell completed her first stage race in the 35+ category with teammate Vanessa Baumann. Catherine finished 9th and Vanessa 11th. Congrats to both!