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.