Ally Stacher climbing during the NVGP (photo by Paul Forsythe)

Over 185 women lined up for the five-day celebration of bicycling in the State of Minnesota. The Nature Valley Grand Prix brings out top women racers from all across the world. Most importantly, it is an American celebration for women racers to showcase their potential.

The stage race premise is rather obvious, but there are many other races within the race. In addition to the overall event awards, there are Queen of the Hill, Sprint, Race Leader, and Best Young Rider honors. This year 28 women lined up in hopes of finishing high up in the classification ranks and looking for top brass recognition within the Young Rider ranks.

Ally Stacher, had mixed feelings entering the event however, stating that she was hoping for a high GC placement, which would award her with a high placement in the Young Riders contest as well. She is pleased with a top 5 Best Young Rider placement, but like a typical bike racer, it only makes her want more and better results.

Ally notes that the Nature Valley Grand Prix is a great race. All the volunteer help from the community made it such a success and she looks forward to doing it next year. She stated that, “Most of all riding with and for Team Kenda is such a pleasure and that made Nature Valley that much better. The women are wonderful, hard working, riders that make bike racing enjoyable.

NRC Elite rider Jackie Kurth has selected collegiate power house Marian College in Indianapolis, IN for her collegiate experience. She will be majoring in Biology with a concentration in exercise physiology.

With that choice she will leave behind the Citrus State and gear up for a new challenge in track racing. Kurth explained that she is excited about the challenge, although she has never ridden a track bike before!

The USA Cycling Collegiate Track National Championship is scheduled to be held from Thursday, September 24 to Sunday, September 26 in Trexlertown, PA in which she is expected to participate. This leaves her with a short window of time to “fast track” herself into a new cycling discipline.

When asked to look to the future, she said “I am currently undecided about what I want to do when I grow up; however, I may go into physical therapy.”

The Mid-Atlantic Regional Elite Team made news by gracing the cover of the May issue of Spokes Magazine.  On the cover pictured are: Tracy Rankin, Chris Kelley, Marni Harker, Janelle Hubbard, and Liz Freudenberger.

Heidi Goldberg also appears in the magazine as a participant during DC area Bike Week with her singing buddies, “Tune Ups”.

As reported in CyclingNews, Team Kenda is proud to announce its participation in the Tour of America’s Dairyland scheduled to go into action from Thursday, June 19 to Sunday, June 28.

“We are excited to have a race close to home which allows us to showcase our riders. It is a really a no-brainer for us since we strive to support organizers who want to display the best women racers” stated Paul Forsythe, Team Manager.

Iowa City Road Race (Sat April 25th)
Twenty five women started the Women’s 1/2/3 segment of the road race. Team Kenda was the largest team represented with five women racers. Catherine Walberg wins the race.

Well wishes goes out to Monique Karlen who suffered a nasty crash. She is currently resting and will be in recovery for the next few weeks.

Race Report by Kristin Wentworth

Saturday morning Monique Karlen and I made the three hour drive in the rain to the road race. Somehow the rain let up as we got closer to Iowa City and the cool and windy conditions were certainly better without the precipitation. We had a great team for this race. Catherine Walberg traveled from Kansas City, Jessie Cole from IL, and then Mo Karlen, Jill Kislia and I from Madison, IL.   A solid field of 25 riders lined up including Team BH USA and ISCorp being the other largest teams with three riders each. We wanted to be aggressive and try to get a break off. On the first of our four laps the fun began as we began to attack. The field had many strong solo riders in addition to the teams and nothing was sticking for very long. It wasn’t for our lack of trying! I am so proud of how every single Team Kenda rider raced. One would attack and a break would last for a bit or things would be strung out and once we were back together another teammate would launch. It was so much fun! Near the end of the first lap Mo Karlen had just attacked and once things were back together I went off the front with Jill Kislia on my wheel.

We had a gap and worked it for a couple minutes before we were sucked back in by the field. I didn’t see Mo after that and didn’t realize she had slid out on a tough off camber corner while Jill and I were off the front.

The remainder of the race consisted of the four of us consistently trying to get a move to stick. There were many small breaks and even some valiant solo efforts by both Jill and Jess. Catherine was involved in so many moves off the front – her tough perseverance is amazing! At one point I was in a break with Katie Antonneau (ISCorp) on the last lap and I thought we were going to hold it. Five minutes later we were back to the whittled away group of maybe 17 riders. I began to wonder if all of our attacking was just a waste of our energy as we were all pretty tired. I was just hoping that everyone else was pretty tired too!

As we got down to the final miles things started to bunch up. I was not feeling very snappy and decided I could be of the most use by going to the front and trying to string things out a bit for the other girls. I got up there and sort of felt like I was going in slow motion but I think I at least disrupted some of the other team’s plans and brought the pace up. As the line approached Jill attacked on the right with another rider on her wheel. With the line still probably 200m off she couldn’t hold it and the swarm of riders came around her and Catherine Walberg popped out to take the win ahead of Jessie Prinner (ABD).

We had so much fun racing as a team and to get the win was a huge accomplishment for us. Catherine is so strong and is such a smart racer – it was excellent for her to come across the line first. Every one of us raced so aggressively and well together. It was great to feel like we really controlled the race even though our plan to get a break off just didn’t come to fruition. Great team chemistry and a hard race and it was nice to hear positive feedback from other riders in the field. Jill rolled across in 10th, Jess 11th, and I watched in all unfold and finished 16th).

Old Capitol Criterium (Sun April 26th)
Kristin Wentworth wins the race with Katherine Walberg  in 2nd and Jill Kisla in 4th.

Race Report by Kristin Wentworth

Sunday’s race found us down one rider due to Monique Karlen’s crash the day before. This gave us more determination to have a great race for her. Scattered storms were on the weather menu for the day. We had experienced a light rain about two hours before our race. As a result, the scary fast corner at the bottom of a steep little hill was spray painted so riders may “avoid” the potholes/cracks. With the wet conditions some riders were sliding out in earlier races. Luckily things were drying up for our race but safety was on all of our minds.

After two laps of riding the course at a steady pace and making it through safely I decided it was time to play. On the third lap I attacked on the uphill and was solo for maybe a lap when I saw two riders coming up on me; Kim Eppen (Mercy) and my superwoman teammate Catherine Walberg. We began to work together and I saw the field maybe 15 seconds behind us. We were going to have to work hard for a few laps here if we were to solidify our gap. We worked well together and soon the group was no longer in sight. Catherine urged me to try to get the win today and to attack at the end of the race. With about six laps to go we saw the group ahead of us and we soon lapped back in the field. There was a bit of confusion about whether anyone was off the front of that group and whether the main field could work with us. By four laps to go we confirmed that we were all just one big group and we could utilize the help of our teammates in the main pack.

Jill and Jess played things perfectly. I told Jill to attack on the hill at two laps to go and that I would be on her wheel and go with her. My hope was to ensure the win for us and also place another rider in the top five. Jess strung things out before we got to the hill and then Jill went as I desperately tried to stick to her wheel. She turned the gas on and we had a big gap. I asked her to just push through a few more corners and then I came around to give her a break. Up the hill again we needed to keep the pace up but I knew our gap was good. Jill crossed the line ahead of me to take 4th and I got the win. As we expected and hoped Catherine crossed the line ahead of Kim to take 2^nd and Jess snagged 10th!

Another fantastic day for Team Kenda! We had so much fun racing together and to see the execution of our tactics play out was phenomenal. Everyone played their role so well; as a result, we achieved 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 10th. This was better than we had hoped. What a great weekend of racing!

And I won some flowers for Mo! We called her immediately after the race with a report and the good news. I’m actually writing this entry from the hospital visitor computer lab!

Thanks so much to Robin (Mercy) for letting me crash at her place last night.

(l-r) 4th Kristin Wentworth; 2nd, Catherine Walberg; winner Rebecca Much (Webcor Builders);3rd Bri Kovac;5th Jess Prinner (ABD)

Team Kenda was the largest team represented in the Women’s 1/2/3 race segment of the 2009 Hillsboro Roubaix race installment.  The weather was a perfect 60F plus, sunny and windy.  A talent peppered peloton brought about 40-50 women for the entire women’s field. The reigning 2008 USA National TT Champion was part of that group, in addition to several state champions.  The team fielded eight women in the Women’s 1/2/3 and two in the category 4 race. Hillsboro Roubaix is billed as a one day spring classic. The race is held an hour outside the City of St. Louis. The race is also part of the Nature Valley Grand Prix Pro Ride

Kristin Wentworth, provided her report as follows:  The race consisted of a 22 mile/35.2k circuit that winds through a rural farmland on a narrow, gravely, beat up roads with plenty of exposure to the wind. A decent little hill in the last mile followed by a fast descent on bumpy cobbles all add to the “classic-ness” of the race. We organized ourselves as a team and laid out our plan for the day. To succeed as a team we were all going to have to play our parts. In a field of 40 strong riders we were the largest team and the pressure was on. Madeleine Puissant (Team BH USA) started out the race fast and had us strung out on the first stretch. The key to Team Kenda was positioning for the entire race. I carefully and quickly moved myself into the top ten riders. A slight lull in the action caused Jill Kislia to move up and keep the pace high just as we had planned. With a small hill approaching and the crosswinds blowing I attacked hard and hammered up the hill. I kept the gas on through the corner when Rebecca Much (Webcor Builders) past me with Sydney B of Mercy Girls on her wheel. The three of us began working together. These girls were fast. I was a bit blown from my attack and was trying desperately to stay in the rotation. Next thing I know my teammate Catherine had bridged up to us – perfect! I pulled through a few more times but I could feel myself reaching my limit. Up a small incline I lost a wheel and watched as the trio slipped away.

Looking back I saw a group of four riders chasing – maybe 30 seconds up on the main field. I tried to catch my breath and sat up to wait for them and integrate into the chase. I was very happy to see who was in this group {Superstrong Bri Kovac (Alderfer Bergen), her teammate Katie Weber (Alderfer Bergen), Christy (Team Kenda), and teenage powerhouse Jessie P. (ABD)}. We began working together to hunt down the break and keep distance on the chasing peloton. A great group to be in, everyone was encouraging each other to close the gap. After about 7 miles we finally caught them but lost Katie in the process.

We were now a break of seven riders. Having three Team Kenda riders and four solo riders was exactly what we wanted. Everyone was riding incredibly strong, especially Rebecca (Webcor Builders) and Syd.  Again, the group was a very positive and encouraging. We knew there were plenty of teams not represented in the break and that the chasers would not give up easily. My hope was that the Team Kenda riders were doing what they could to block for us.

Coming into the finish of the first lap the girls upped the pace on the climb and unfortunately we lost Christy. Down to 6 of us we continued to work together and rode hard the second lap. My legs felt like lead and there were several instances where Sydney Brown or Rebecca pushed it just slightly and I thought I was going to be gapped off the back. Never one to try to just sit on I missed one or two pulls to regain myself and then continued on with our rotation. The winds were mildly annoying but they could have been much worse.

With about 5 miles to go Sydney got a flat tire. We sat up initially but in a race like this we knew that a flat fix could be a 5 minute ordeal and that we couldn’t risk the field catching us. We slowed the pace slightly for several minutes but as we approached the finish we ramped it back up. At the base of the last short climb Rebecca Much (Webcor Builders) attacked hard. There was a vehicle from a different race in the lane and we were forced to zig zag through the cones and around the car to try to follow her. I was hurting and the legs were not feeling very snappy. Catherine and Bri (Alderfer Bergen) chased after Rebecca who had opened up a big gap. I sat on Jessie over the top and down the cobbles and apologized to her that I wasn’t going to pull the two of us up to Catherine and Bri who were maybe 10 seconds up the road. She continued to ride hard and once we got closer to the final corner I jumped hard around her. As I rounded the final corner I was a bike length behind Catherine who was sitting on Bri’s wheel. I pushed to try to get her wheel and prepare to try to be a contender in the sprint but I was toast. Catherine came around Bri (Alderfer Bergen) at the line to snag second and I was just behind them for 4th.

Whew! What a race. It was a great fast race and an excellent way for Team Kenda to start out the season. We were very pleased to have two of us on the podium for the day and congratulations to Rebecca Much (Webcor Builders) on her well deserved win. It’s great to have a rider of her caliber show up to a Midwest event. Syd’s ill timed flat was unfortunate and I have no doubt the podium may have looked a little different had she been with us at the end. It was an honor to ride with all my break mates and kudos to everyone on a great race.

All of my teammates worked really hard to get Catherine and I up there. Jill and Jess were working really hard to block and disrupt the chase and I had several other riders compliment Team Kenda’s teamwork and tactics in this race. It’s such a thrill when the team’s plan goes as hoped and the unselfishness of teammates creates opportunities for other riders. I was so proud of how all the girls rode. And then to top it off Jill took second in the field sprint to pull of 8th! Not bad for the first race of the year! Christy suffered like a dog out there solo for the second lap and was reeled in by the main group with only a mile to go to the finish. Definitely a valiant effort! An excellent way to start the season and proof that we’ve got a solid Midwestern team assembled this year. Can’t wait to race more with my great teammates!

Numainville hammers it home. (Picture by Lisa Lardy)

With sunny skies and great racing weather Monica Soriano, Sue Adkins , Liz Merritt and Joelle Numainville decided to test their legs at the Tucson Bicycle Classic. The Tucson Bicycle Classic is a three stage event comprised of a TT (Stage 1), road race (Stage 2) and a circuit race (Stage 3) held March 6th through March 8th.

Numainville, a Quebecois rider on the Elite NRC team took the opportunity to escape the tundra weather of the Province of Quebec and head to visit her teammates in the dessert state. The purpose of the visit was to get in some much needed outdoor miles and jump into a race.

I caught up with Numainville on the way to the airport and she said, “I did not know what to expect, however, there were some strong women riders there.” She added that she did not have a great TT; however, was extremely happy to have won both the road race (Stage 2) and the circuit race (Stage 3) of which landed her 5th place in the GC.

In the Women ’s 35+, both Monica Suriano and Sue Adkins  achieved the first two spots in the TT.  This was followed by Suriano’s 2nd and Adkins’ 3rd in the road race.  The relentless women swept the first two spots again in the circuit race on the last day of the event.

In the women’s category 4, Liz enjoyed the stages and narrowly missed the top ten in the GC.

Women Cycling News in the New York Times? Yes, you read right as this past weeekend the paper addressed women’s struggles in the professional field of cycling.  I invite you read the complete article by visiting here.

On January 29th and 30th junior rider, Colleen Gulick, had the opportunity to travel to London, Ontario to compete in the Canadian Track Winter National Championships at the Forest City Velodrome.  Colleen maneuvered the 138 meter with steep 52 degree banking like a champion.

Gulick competed in a five event Omnium consisting of a 500m TT, Points race, 2k pursuit,  Flying Lap, and a Scratch race.   She also entered two of the Elite Women’s races and placed second in both the Scratch and the Points race.

This event served as an excellent early season international racing experience and a great way to start off a new season with Team Kenda.

(Chicago, Illinois – January 15, 2009)–Team Kenda is heading to Mt. Dora, FL beginning Friday, January 16 through Monday, January 19 for a team training camp. The purpose of the training camp is riding base miles and team bonding. This year we have several new NRC Team members. Building trust early on is a key ingredient for success in the upcoming NRC race schedule.

Early season race plans are in the making with a focus on stage racing, as well as multi-event weekends. The team plans on opening the racing season on March 26-29, 2009 at the Redlands Bicycle Classic in Redlands, California.

We had two late signers, which include Canadian National Team member Joelle Numainville who hails from Laval, Quebec, Canada. Joelle brings a wealth of both domestic and international racing experience. Additionally, Jo Markham joins us from the mountain powerhouse Lees-McRae College.

Joining our new talent acquisition will be Jackie Kurth, two-time Junior National Champion, will return to Team Kenda in her final year of junior eligibility. Espoir riders will include Denise Ramsden, the 2007 and 2008 Canadian Junior National Road Race Champion, Ashley James, who is currently racing for mountain bike powerhouse Lindsey Wilson College, and climbing specialist, Ally Stacher, from the Lees-McRae Collegiate program.

Team Captain and returning rider Kristin Wentworth will be joined by Kat Clark, Krystal McNutt, and 9-year team veteran and Masters National CX Champion, Catherine Walberg, Silke Wunderwald and Christy Keely.

The team welcomes PearTreePens.com and Skins as new sponsors for the 2009 season.

Returning team sponsors include Kenda USA, The Allen Group, Plant Solutions, Blue Competition Bicycles, Vergesport, Rudy Project, LH Thomson, SRAM, LifeSport PT, CycleOps, Ferguson and Associates, Sigma Sport, Zipp Speed Weaponry, Timbuk2, Elete, SportCrafters, Terry Precision Cycling, Headsweats, PowerBar, Deen-Gross Eye Centers, Purple Extreme, Thule, and Moszkito.