Madera Stage Race - 4th!

The complete 5-woman squad came together in Madera over the past weekend for the 2010 Madera Stage Race. With 34 P1/2 female riders starting the race Saturday morning with a crit, the women knew the competition would be ready to throw down. The ladies rode smart, watched other teams and avoided waisting too much energy going for the intermediate sprint time bonuses. Everything seemed to be going well until Cody had a mechanical issue and the officials wouldn't let her back into the group after her stop in the wheel-pit. Cody was forced to chase in the remaining laps, only to see SBB picking herself up off the pavement after avoiding a terribly unnecessary crash; she had carefully come to a stop but was then hit from the side by another rider who had failed to slow down. She was launched super-man style. Annie, Catherine, and Emily made it through the chaos, and Emily sprinted to 3rd, securing a 5 sec time bonus.

The 10 mile TT later Saturday afternoon was marked by serious wind -- seemingly from every direction. It didn't stop EEK from taking 5th in the event and securing a top-5 place going into the RR. With the team well aware of the top contenders - the girls prepared for the 68 mile RR on Sunday.

Annie, EEK, CRG, and Cody started the RR, while SBB went to the feedzone to keep the girls hydrated. CRG was forced to succumb to a mechanical issue in the first few laps. Cody and Annie showed their dedication to supporting Emily by patrolling the front of the group and keeping any possible breaks from getting away. This allowed Emily to focus on the finish where she again was able to sprint for 3rd and gain an additional 5 sec time bonus. All the excellent team work in their first stage race together paid off as Emily secured 4th in the final GC.

Thanks to Michael Hernandez for all his pictures from the weekend events.

Merco Foothills RR - down, but not out

Photo Courtesy of iLLumixStudios.com

Columbia HTC, Tibco, Peanut Butter & Co, Webcor, and a few Colavita riders were among the pro women's field at the Merco Credit Union Foothills Road Race. It turned out to be a beautiful day in the Central Valley, with sunny skies and warm temps. Cody, Susannah, and Eileen (cat3) lined up with over 60 P1/2/3 women - it was going to be a fast 72 miles with the caliber of riders in the race and the Wells Fargo women were ready to keep the pace.

The race started well, with Cody and Susannah covering moves and keeping an eye out as the larger professional teams attacked each other and the group. Even when larger groups of riders got a gap on the peloton, nothing was ever organized enough to stick. With many of the great current and up-and-coming sprinters in women's pro cycling among the group (Ina Teutenberg, Shelley Evans, and Brooke Miller) we assumed the race would finish in a sprint. Eileen looked strong in the first two laps - keeping good position. Cody and Susannah felt good, took a few turns at the front and tried to stay out of trouble. Cody eventually got a flat, but the super SRAM support car got her fixed up and she was back in the group without any real trouble.

Knowing the finish was going to be very fast, on the 3rd and final lap, CCG and SBB tried to stay as close to the front of the race as possible. With about 1 mile to go, Susannah got taken down in a very unnecessary crash. Luckily, the SRAM support car was there once again and got her bike back together and she was able to finish. Cody avoided the crash and finished with the lead group, where apparently another crash almost happened in the final several hundred meters.

Big thanks to our P1/2 manager and director sportif, Mark Deterline. He sacrificed his race to be in the feed zone all day supplying us and other Wells Fargo riders with fresh bottles and words of encouragement. Next up - Madera Stage Race!

Snelling RR - Hurt so Good

Enormous mud puddles and well organized teams marked this year's edition of the Snelling RR. Team Tibco brought an impressive roster of 10 riders, most with international experience. Along with a few of the NorCal standard powerhouse riders like Olivia Dillon - Touchstone Climbing, Metromint, and Webcor all showed up in numbers for a field total of around 45.

Things started fast with attacks from Tibco, and they didn't stop. Emily, Cody, and Susannah each found themselves in potential breaks during the first 3 laps. The team also did an excellent job of contributing to the chase when there wasn't a Wells Fargo rider in the potential break. Heading into lap 4, a crash ended Cody's race and Susannah stopped to make sure all was ok with CCG. Jennie also decided to turn around and escorted Cody back to the car. Shortly after the crash, Emily flatted and with the follow cars back at the crash, she was left waiting for a wheel - leaving only Annie to finish the race.
Here is Annie riding next to National Road Champ Meredith Miller and surrounded by other Tibco riders. At the beginning of the last lap, a 4-women chase group formed after a few counter attacks and broke away. Annie missed this group as she had already covered numerous attacks. In the final sprint, Annie chose the side with better pavement but soon found herself in a massive headwind and finished 18th.

bring it on

Bring on rain, wind, and big professional teams. We are ready for anything. Just look at Annie this past weekend, getting her training in while on the East Coast. Getting it done with a great smile is what we are all about this season. See you at Snelling.

Berkeley Hills TTT - P1/2

Susannah + Mara - 2nd

This event came a bit earlier in the racing calender, making it all the more painful and cold this year. Mara and Susannah opted to ride their TT bikes for the aero-advantage on the flats. Despite having the 2nd fastest time in the Women's P1/2 category, the two felt their TTT performance could be summed up in this song. When it was all over the two agreed they had a fabulous time together on the course and had some good laughs about some of the male teams that were not happy about being passed by two women.

Berkeley Hills TTT - Master's Edition

Our master's women cleaned up at this year's Berkeley Hills Team Time Trial. Both teams raced in the 80+ open category this year and showed why they will be tough competition in the Northern California Women's Racing Series. Jennie and Tracy partnered for 1st place and Vanessa and Catherine H. came in 3rd. Congrats ladies on an excellent start to the season.

Vancouver Rocks!

Thank you Vancouver - for hosting such an excellent Olympic Winter Games. We are really enjoying watching all the events and the beautiful scenery. So much fun to see all the athletes in their elements and all the fans cheering - we love the spirit of competition.

Vancouver is also the birthplace of our newest partner - lululemon athletica. We are all very excited about working with this amazing company and representing them while wearing their clothing. They are more than just a clothing company - they are dedicated to supporting people that work, play and share the vision of creating healthier, happier and more fun lives. Please visit their website for more information and store locations - http://www.lululemon.com/