Winning the collegiate criterium at 2012 USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Championships for the second year in a row was a fantastic moment. The day before the race my team mates and I had talked in length about the race and we had decided that if we could make a break happen with at least two Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) riders in it that would be the safest way to guarantee podium spots.

We sat tight for the first two primes letting other riders do more work, and threw in some attacks immediately after the start/finish line. After about the third prime the maneuver started to break things up and with a bit of hesitation from the pack we were able to form a break of three- myself, my team mate Katie Quinn, and Mariske Strauss (the current South African cross country mountain bike champion and rider for Mars Hill College). We knew Mariske could be a strong rider, so we tried to be careful not to let have an easy ride in our break.

After a lap or so, she opened a gap on Katie’s wheel, so I let her suffer to see how tired she really was, and after another lap she was still not back on Katie’s wheel so I jumped past Mariske towards Katie. Katie managed to get my wheel and we dropped Mariske, and time trialed the rest the race.

I have to say I really loved riding my Blue AC1 in the race – the night before I reviewed the frame specs and was excited to learn to experience what an aero bike it really is. With a borrowed set of deep rim wheels, I felt like I was flying during the break, and it was an awesome ride. When it came down to the last lap Katie agreed we should both start our sprints coming out the last corner but she was generous and gave me a lead-out coming into this corner, and I think she knew how much I really wanted the win.

When did you decide to enter the Tour Divide?  I finally decided to race the Tour Divide while on a backpacking trip with my boyfriend Kurt last fall. It must have been 11pm at night while we were still hiking and he asked again if I would want to race it. Kurt raced it in 2009 and was also planning on racing it in 2011 so he had brought up the idea a few times. Maybe it was because it was late or I was tired but something about that night made me excited about the race and I said, “Yes”. “Yes” to spending a month pedaling across the country, seeing country and doing something that seemed so out of reach at that time.

How did you prepare?  For such as long race I did lots of long rides. During the work week I rode between 2-4 hours a day but the weekends is where I put in the long hours. For instance during the winter months on Saturday I would ride 8-12 hours and Sunday would be 5-6 hours. The Divide has lots of climbing so my routes would include lots of climbs and preferably be on dirt. About two months out from the race I started doing bikepacking trips on the weekend that included all my race gear so I could get used to the extra weight. I kept limber by going to yoga a few times a week and ran once a week.

Can you talk a little about the equipment you used to get through the Tour Divide?  The Tour Divide is a self supported bike race so you have to carry all your own sleeping gear, clothes, tools, food and water. Gear selection is important because it needs to last 2,700 plus miles. My bike of choice was the Blue Competition XC2 that handled perfectly on the varied terrain encountered during the race. I ran the Kenda Small Block Eight tires because they are fast and good for a variety of riding conditions. I had a new rear Small Block Eight tire put on in Salida, CO at Absolute Bikes. The route was a mix of gravel, dirt, mud, rain, snow and paved road. We had perfect weather in Banff , Alberta Canada which is where the race started. However most of Montana consisted of rain off and on, a 7 mile snow hike-a-bike and a few muddy stretches that clogged the bike up. Wyoming and Idaho had rain and some mud. Colorado was relatively dry expect for the 5 mile snow hike-a-bike before Steamboat Springs. Throughout the race I encountered lots of horribly grated gravel roads but the worst was in the Gila section in New Mexico .

What mental tricks did you use to keep you going when you felt that the tough got going?  The Divide is such a long race that many mental tricks had to be used throughout the race depending on where I was. If it was cold outside getting something warm to drink could have been a huge motivator in constant forward motion. The same for when it was 95 degrees outside, just getting to the next town for a cold drink was a huge reward. A fellow divide racer who finished the race a few years ago just published a book about the race called, “Be Brave, Be Strong”. For the later part of the race I would keep chanting “Be Brave, Be Strong” in my head like a mantra. Her book title is so true for divide racing for all the many times I was out of my comfort zone. I also knew that Kurt was waiting in Silver City , NM for me to finish and I wanted to get done as soon as possible to see him.

What is next for you as far a MTB is concerned?, what does the remainder of the schedule looks like?  Right now I am just trying to recover from the 3 week long race. I have been sleeping a lot and going on easy bike rides and runs. The Tour Divide was my only planned raced for the year so the remainder of the year is open.

Will we see you on a cyclocross bike sometime in the future? I currently do not have a cross bike and have yet to enter a cross race, though it may be entertaining racing it on my mountain bike. It would be interesting to see if I could transition from ultra endurance cycling to short, hard effort cycling in a season.

Anything else?  I am still trying to figure out what my next big adventure will be but in the mean time I’m just enjoying the Colorado summer.

WI State Road Race Podium: Lindsey Durst (IS Corp), (center) Kelley Hess (Team Kenda p/b Geargrinder) and Holly Mathews (IS Corp)

Wisconsin resident and rider Kelley Hess wins the Wisconsin State Championships road race.  She battled 39 miles, a 8.5% climb/369 feet per lap and a finishing straight of 18% climb.

Her most recent accolades include top finishes at the recent 2011 USA Cycling Collegiate Road Championships representing the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She finished 7th in the Women Division 1 criterium, 20th in the road race and her team snagged 8th place in the 2011 Omnium among 57 teams.

Race report by Kelley Hess

The Wisconsin State Road Race Championship was 6 laps of a 6.5 mile course in Spring Prairie. It was a four corner course with flats or rolling hills except for just before the start/finish. The deciding climb was a ~45 second power climb which reached 18% grade and then leveled slightly into a 200 meter false flat to the finish. The women’s categroy 1-2-3 race featured approximately 20 racers, including a number of strong riders from the Chicago area.

Half way through the first lap an ISCorp rider attacked and was off the front solo, but the peloton slowly closed the gap until it caught her on the first start/finish climb. A mile later, Stacy Applewick (ABD/IL) attacked. Lindsey Durst (ISCorp) was quickly on her wheel. The peloton let them go as both teams were well represented to control the pace of the rest of the race. Recognizing a strong pair, Kelley Hess (Team Kenda p/b Geargrinder), bridged to the lead group, followed by Holly Mathews (ISCorp). The four riders pace-lined for the next lap and a half while putting space while increasing the gap between them and the peloton. Halfway through lap three Mathews dropped a chain. The remaining three kept rolling at a good, but not overly “solid” pace. Mathews bridged back up 1/4 lap later.

Halfway through the race, the breakaway group had minutes on the field and it became less friendly, with Applewick and Hess attacking each other and the two ISCorp riders. It wasn’t until four and half laps that something finally stuck. Applewick rolled off the front and got a gap; Mathews accelerated to catch her and created another gap. Hess attacked off the front of Durst’s wheel and by the time she passed the Mathews and Applewick, she had too much speed for them to grab her wheel. Hess maintained her lead and the gap grew over the course of the next lap and a half at approximately 10 miles! Hess time trialed it to the finish and won in a dominating matter, putting Team Kenda p/b Geargrinder on the top step of the podium, and successfully defending her title as Wisconsin State Road Race Champion. Mathews battled Applewick for second and third place, respectively, more than a minute later. Durst rode across the line in fourth, and rounded out the Wisconsin podium.

Saturday, 21 May 2011 – On a humid, sunny day in Champaign, IL, Team Kenda p/b Geargrinder’s Beth Lauer, Kelley Hess, Jackie Kurth, and Morgan Moon competed in the women’s open race at Tour de Champaign’s Rumble at the Reservoir.

A few attacks went off early and were chased down until Kurth and Jessica Prinner (ABD) got off in a break with Hess and Lauer blocking. A couple laps later, Hess bridged up to the breakaway, and the three riders worked together to pull away from the rest of the field.

Hess and Prinner each won a prime over the course of the race. With about twelve laps to go, word got to the leaders that Prinner’s teammate, Stacy Applewick (ABD), was attempting to bridge. Hess and Kurth worked together to keep it away, while Lauer was aggressively covering attacks from the chase group.

With seven laps to go, Hess got on the front driving the pace to prevent or cover attacks from Prinner, putting in a few attacks of her own, and looking to set up her teammate for the final sprint.

In the last straightaway, Kurth exploded from third wheel and took the win! Prinner was 2nd, and Hess was 3rd, while Lauer was just nipped at the line for 6th in the field sprint followed by. Moon was 11th overall.

Sunday, 22 May 2011 – The wind whipped through the buildings and alleyways of downtown Champaign as the previous day’s crew was joined by Imelda March in TdC’s Downtown Champaign GP.

A technical six corner criterium, Sunday’s race presented a greater challenge, favoring those confident in their cornering, willing to take risks, or willing to stick their nose against a headwind in the long start/finish straightaway.

The race stayed together until the first prime lap. Hess attacked on the technical portion of the course, took a couple hot corners and got away. With a 50 meter gap, she turned it into solo break, staying away for 2-3 laps before being chased down by Betty Hodges (Team Wooly Mammoth), who was also dragging Kurth and Lauer on her wheel.

Applewick (ABD) eventually bridged to this group, while the rest of the field was blown apart. These five riders rode together with Team Kenda p/b Geargrinder mostly setting the pace. A few attacks were attempted, but were chased down. Kurth won the second and last prime of the day. With about 8 laps remaining in the race, Hess was on the front with Applewick on her wheel. In corner 5, Hess got a gap, and decided to go with it–attacking in the headwind section. Applewick and Hodges couldn’t stick with it, and the gap continued to grow until Hess was “out of sight and out of mind”.

Meanwhile, Kurth and Lauer marked the remaining riders and covered their attacks. Hess rolled to a 1st place finish hands held high, while Kurth out-sprinted the rest of the break into 2nd place. Lauer, having covered the majority of the final attacks from Applewick, rounded out the top five. Team Kenda p/b Geargrinder celebrated their finishes by shaking up, and uncorking a bottle of sparkling wine from the top step of the podium!

Catherine relaxes after battling two-days of cyclocross racing in Tulsa, OK.

Race Report by Catherine Walberg

The last two weeks of October have been what I love best about cycling: competition and life experiences. It started with a dash to Tulsa, OK to make the Friday night debut of the Tulsa Ruts and Guts Cross Race. The event was sponsored by Air Assurance and promoted by Mike Guillan and Tanner Culbreath.

The race was “under the lights” at night and had it all. The promoters miraculously created a super neat course out of a dirt pile that surrounded a park like water center piece. The course snaked up and down interesting elevation changes and challenged riders with technical descents, tight turns, and two rock barriers. To do well, a racer needed to be good technically and fit.

The crowd, music, beer, and food electrically charged the atmosphere, providing racers with the needed motivation to give it their best. I had time to do a couple of practice lap before the gun went off. The promoters had posted a hefty Women’s Open prize list ($500,$250,$160,$125,$100,$80,$70,$60,$55,$50,$45,40,$37,$35,$30,$25,$20,$15 paying 18 deep) which drew a solid women’s field. Tammy Wallace (ThinkFinance) out of Texas and Oklahoma’s own Miranda Long (Team Undiscovered) added to my motivation by keeping the pressure on behind me. Even though I led from gun, I was never comfortably ahead. They kept the heat on until the end. After a pretty mighty effort, I crossed the line in 1st followed by Wallace and Long. As I coughed most of my lungs out during the recovery ride, I was reminded that cross just might be the most intense cycling there is.

Given the competition, the win on both days was particularly satisfying. By midnight, I was sitting quite happily in the Waffle House with the Topekans (Steve Tilford, Bill Stolte and Trudi Rebsamen) enjoying a very yummy late night snack of eggs, waffles and toast!

The next day the races moved to New Block Park in Tulsa, for the debut of the New Cross on the Block. The race proved to be easier physically but costly financially. The upper 80s forecast produced a groan at breakfast as we realized we were racing mid-afternoon. I did one practice lap only to look down and see at least 20 goat-heads in both tires. Needless to say, both my race tires quickly lost all their air and my enthusiasm for the race dwindled significantly. But, I like the promoter, Ray Hall, and the course was really fun. The race was held in the revitalized area of Tulsa’s downtown. It featured New Block’s beautiful park along the river. Hats off to Tulsa for revitalizing its downtown area!! The course ran along the river and up a steep hill, traversed an off-camber slope, and back around to the finish. So, with the help of the home team, my bike was equipped with heavy duty tubes, plenty of slime, and my training wheels. I wasn’t worried about the weight because Blue’s Cross frame is so light that even with the added weight, my bike still felt fast and light. (I loovvvve my new Blue Cross frame. It is, by far, the best cross bike I’ve ever ridden—-really!!)

Anyway, I realized I’d raced a bit like the rabbit on the run the day before so I decided to start a little slower and be more calculated about the race. It was windy so I didn’t see a need to try to be in the lead initially or a need to race solo. After a lap, though, only Tammy Wallace and I remained in the front. As we headed up the hill and entered the more technical part of the course, I decided to take over the lead. Wallace had good power; but, I was better technically. I gained some real estate through the off-camber zigzag section of the course and decided to put in a hard lap and see if I could get a comfortable lead. It worked and I took 1st, followed by Wallace and Long.

Next year, I’m going to start with the slime and super Mr. Tuffy tubes so the prize money doesn’t go straight into bike maintenance! All in all, the Tulsa scene once again proved competitive and fun. Oklahoma really has it going on in terms of racing: great races, good competition, and always a healthy dose of post-race fun.  (October 15-16, 2010)

Cyclocross is more of a goal for me this year than it was in the past. I’ve always loved cyclocross, but usually by the time fall rolls around, racing gets lost to school and other real world stuff I’ve tried to avoid during the road season.  This year I’m excited to be more focused on cyclocross and give it a try.  While I can’t do the entire USGP series, I’m going to get to do a good bit of racing in with USGP Louisville, Cincinnati UCI3, and a UCI race in NC- the North Carolina Grand Prix because it is right outside my new front door.

I had no expectations going into Planet Bike Cup. There were alot of quick women there and I was happy to just ride my race. This past year I’ve been getting coaching and training advice from Team Kenda’s own Paul Forsythe. He has helped me tremendously in preparing for these races. And although it’s a long way to Bend, Oregon from here, I’m excited to keep working this season.  Should I travel out to the National Cyclocross Championships, I’ll probably compete in the U23, Elite and Collegiate races.

Despite a 15 hour drive and Monday morning classes, I couldn’t miss the Planet Bike Cup for anything. It was an awesome experience to race with such talented women’s on a great course in my home state of Wisconsin. There’s nothing like racing on a course lined with overwhelmingly supportive, screaming, and of course heckling friends.

I was very pleased with finishing in the Top-10 on both days.  Finishing 10th on Saturday and an impressive 7th on Saturday provides me with a base to build upon.

Thank you Kenda USA and Blue Competition Cycles!

Race Report by Chris Wickard

Early in the season, I decided not to race the Chicago Triathlon.  I was focusing on Steelhead 70.3 and planned on taking August to recoup and prepare for USAT National Championship in September.  However, after two flat tires and my first DNF at Steelhead, I signed up for the Chicago Triathlon about 3 weeks prior to the race in the International Elite Amateur division.  Even though it was a last minute addition to my schedule, the Chicago Triathlon is definitely an “A” race.  The event brings out great domestic and international racers. 

The morning of the race, I woke up at 3:00 a.m. and was out the door by 3:15 a.m.  I ended up getting into transition around 4:30 a.m.  I quickly set-up my gear and talked with friends who I have met over my 13 years of racing.  Probably my favorite part of racing is the camaraderie with the other athletes. 

Transition closed promptly by 6:00 a.m.  The sprint participants start first followed by the Olympic distance participants.  I was in the 2nd elite wave which included all elite amateur females as well as the overflow of elite males.  I had just over an hour before the start which gave me the opportunity to stretch as well doing a short run.  As my wave time neared, I headed towards the swim start.  In my wave, hundreds of participants jumped in the water and waited for the horn to blow.  My background is swimming.  However, the swim at the Chicago Triathlon is ALWAYS brutal.  There was kicking, hitting and swimming over top of people which I don’t like to do but sometimes it has to been done (kidding!).  I was kicked several times which caused my goggles to fill with water.  I felt pretty good after the 1.5k swim but didn’t know my position once I exited the water.

I headed into T1 with Pam Jennings from California.  I met Pam at packet pick-up but didn’t know much about her except that she was hoping to get her pro card from this race.  I quickly put on my helmet and grabbed my bike.  I was excited to see what I could do on the bike leg since I just got my new Blue Triad SP a few weeks before the race.  I passed a few women from my wave on the first loop.  Heading into the 2nd loop, it looked like I was in 4th or 5th position.  Heading into T2, I glanced down at my computer to see that I averaged 23.5 for the 40k which is a PR for me at Chicago. 

I headed out of T2 ready for the 10k run.  I immediately passed another woman in my wave right out of transition.  Several spectators on the course that said I was in 4th position.  About a mile into the run, I passed another woman which put me into 3rd position.  Since there is a turnaround on the course, I was able to see that my friend, Christine Anderson, was in the lead with Pam behind her.  The heat was getting bad and I was focusing on maintaining a 6:45 pace.  I crossed the finish line in 3rd position and a PR by 40 seconds.  However later I found out that Christine who finished first was penalized which dropped her down to 6th position and moved me up to 2nd place.  All in all, I was very happy with my performance.  My new bike ROCKED and can’t wait to see how I perform in future races.

Jamie on the bike portion of the event

The Pleasant Prairie Wisconsin stop for the 2010 Danskin Triathlon series took place on Sunday, August 22nd.  Race conditions were near perfect with temperatures in the upper 70’s, winds at 7-10 mph, and plenty of sunshine.   1500 Women came out to race in support of Breast Cancer Research, and we were all welcomed by friendly volunteers who saw that the race went off flawlessly.

The swim course was a .5 mile straight route across the lake.  The only hazard to the swim was the bottleneck of women within the last 100 yards of the swim finish.  The 12 mile bike course touted very good road conditions and was very well marked.  Local police and volunteers did a great job of traffic control.  The course was relatively flat with a few rolling hills.  My Blue T-12 bike led me to the fastest bike split of the day at 32:03 for an average of 22.4 mph.  The 5k run took place on the paved path surrounding the lake.  The course was flat and fast and had aid stations at miles one and two.  My overall finish for the day was 10th and I finished 2nd in my division with a total time of 01:09:57.  It was a great race, for a great cause, and I would highly recommend it to 1st timers as well as seasoned triathletes!

Podium Presentation: Team Kenda Women Addy Albershardt (left) and Jacqueline Denny (center) {Photo by Heidi Swift}

During the week of  June 22 to 27, I traveled to Bend, Oregon to race in the U.S.A. Cycling Elite/U23/Juniors Road National Championships. This was my target race of the year, and the race I looked forward to the most. I have spent many hours training and dreaming about this race. We arrived in Bend a few days before the first race to ride the courses again. I had done this race last year so I had a general idea of what I was getting into.

Road Race/Criterium (Women 15 to 16): The road race and criterium were a disappointment for me. I entered the races pumped up to race, but my body was physically off its game. I am not sure what exactly was the issue, altitude could have played a role due to the symptoms I had. I knew that this performance was not my usual, so I decided not to let them get me down. Races like that only make you stronger and make you desire the win even more.

Time trial (Women 15 to 16): I really love this time trial course. I mentally went into the race telling myself, “it’s a brand new day anything can happen”. I was focused and I was really feeling better than I had felt the other two days. I had the last start time from my group, so I had good competition as carrots in front of me. I began the race and I realized I was finally feeling like my normal self. I could breathe a lot better, and my body was responding the way it normally has. I pushed the course to my limits and rode the best I could. I had caught some riders which really spurred me on. I flew down the course on the way back and was really excited with how I was racing. I crossed the line and the announcer said I was in first. Since I was last to start I knew I had won. The feeling is indescribable and I am so blessed to be called National Champion against such a strong field of junior women. Later that night we had the podium presentation where I was able to share it with my teammate Addy Albershardt which made it even better. Earning the Stars and Stripes jersey was unbelievable and a great finish to an unforgettable U.S.A. Cycling Elite/U23/Juniors Road National Championships.

The U.S.A. Cycling Elite/U23/Juniors Road National Championships was a ton of fun. It’s the one of the only times during the year that I get to see my friends from all over the country. I definitely made friendships that will last a lifetime. After floating the river with friends on a blow up turtle raft, going shopping, and cheering on my friends in the other races; I knew this was one of the best times of my life. I will never forget the time spent in Bend, Oregon and with my win I look forward to what the future brings. Hopefully it brings me to Europe and jump starts my career in cycling. I can’t wait for next year and I am really motivated for this year’s training. It is definitely worth it!

Race Report by:  Addy Albershardt

I traveled to the U.S.A. Cycling Elite/U23/Juniors Road National Championships in Bend, OR to compete during the week of June 22 to 27.

I was really excited to come to nationals, I didn’t have high expectations coming into the week because it was my first nationals, but I did want to at least podium.  All year I have been training really hard.  Going to the mountains several times a month because we don’t have any mountains in Charlotte, NC and I would train on my time trial bike two to three times a week.  This was my first trip to the west coast and I heard great things about Bend, Oregon.  When I first arrived in Bend, it was really dry and cold and I thought that I was going to have a hard week because of the weather.  Luckily the week we were in Bend was the nicest week that Bend has had all year, so I guess we got lucky.  

Tuesday, June 22 (Road Race)  The course was a 5k circuit around a hilly golf course and 30 strong girls began the race.  The first two laps were slow and cat and mouse games were played.  The speed would go from 10 mph to 30 mph.  On the 3rd lap a gap of seven got away due to a technical, fast corner.  I knew right away that the gap would turn into a break, so I decided to bridge the gap; one other rider went with me.  The gap turned into two minutes and I didn’t this we could bridge up.  Slowly the two minute gap reduced and with about two miles to go we caught the break.  The finish was down hill into a sharp right turn with a 100 meter home straight.  Going through the corner there was a crash that I got caught behind and I finished 7th out of the 9.

Wednesday, June 23 (Criterium)  The course was flat, very technical with technical turns; it was just under 1k long with seven turns.  The race started fast from the line with 30 girls starting.  Averaging around 25-28 mph attacks and counter attacks were happening all night.  I finished 11th.

Thursday, June 24 (Individual Time Trial)  Today was the big day, I love to time trial and I would say its one of my strengths.  The course begun with four-turns to get out of Summit High School, after the turns was an upgrade going out some spots were, 10% grade, and at the seven-mile turn around.  After the turn around, the rest was downhill, literally.  I knew to go all out on the way out and give it anything I had left coming back.  9 seconds was the difference between me and the gold medal.  I was very happy to get 2nd place because this was my very first nationals and I had a not-so-lucky week, so it was nice to finish the week off on the podium for the race of the truth.

The first morning I raced, I was really nervous because I didn’t know what to expect.  The average number of girls for the races was about 30 and I thought that there was going to be less girls than that, I also thought that the competition was going to be really difficult but really a lot of girls got dropped from all the races.  And there were no race tactics between teams because everyone wants to win.  I met new girls that live all over the country and we all became best friends really fast.  One of the best things during the week was in Bend there is a frozen yogurt shop called “Cuppa Yo”.  The catchy name made the frozen treat taste even better with endless choices of toppings and all for a cheap price his is a place I wish was in Charlotte.  I am pretty sure that every racer that came through Bend went to Cuppa Yo.  This was a trip I would never forget.