11-25 March 2015 Asheville NC

Nicole, me, and Skylar with our Asheville host Andy McKenzie.

Spring has arrived, and with it, the official start of racing for the ISCorp pb Smart Choice MRI Women’s Team. We kick things off tonight with the Sunny King Criterium in Anniston AL. Watch it live here: http://www.annistoncycling.com/videos/. To get our race legs in tune and escape the icy grips of winter, still strong upon the MidWest, five of us (Skylar, Yusse, Nicole, me, and team manager Dave), loaded up the team van and headed 12 hours south to Asheville NC for some warmer weather and good training before the National Criterium Calendar (NCC) opener Gasparilla, scheduled for 21 March in Tampa FL.

Home on the road: ISCorp pb Smart Choice MRI Women's Team van.

The first few days in Asheville were wet and chilly -- and unseasonably warm in the MidWest -- the cold weather apparently having followed us south. But soon we had some beautiful warm days to tackle the picturesque rolling countryside of the Asheville area. We got in plenty of climbing, a real treat given the flat terrain of much of the MidWest. Plus, spring truly is breathtaking in the southeast.

Photo stop on the way up Mt. Pisgah.

As we headed into the final week before the NCC launch, Gasparilla organizers announced the cancellation of the race. As one might imagine, the cancellation so close to the event was incredibly disappointing and disruptive to everyone involved. We chose to find the positive in the situation though. Enamored with the beauty and incredible riding of the area, not to mention our awesome Asheville host family the McKenzies, we rejoiced in the opportunity to spend an extra week exploring the roads around Asheville.

Stopping off for water at a curious little store on our beautiful ride around Lake Lure.

The extended stay also allowed me a rare siting of a Brevard white squirrel -- three in fact! Although quite rare in the rest of the US, white squirrels are quite common in Brevard, a small city a bit southeast of Asheville. I didn’t know about white squirrels in the US, so the sightings were intriguing, the striking white fur in stark contrast against the brilliant blue sky of the day. Although white, these guys aren’t albino. They have a distinctive black cap and saddle and dark eyes. Apparently the whole population arose from two squirrels, released in the 1950s. Where the original squirrels came from is uncertain, but they’ve populated Brevard. Some have been spotted as far north as New York. Busy squirrels. 

White squirrels of Brevard NC.

Fortunately Sam, who had planned to meet us in Tampa, was able to change her travel plans and join us in Asheville for our second week there. Holly wasn't so lucky and wasn't able to join us. I think she had a fun time in Tampa sans race though! While in Asheville we had excellent visits with the local TREK dealer Liberty Bicycles and our headset manufacturer, Cane Creek.

Team visit to Liberty Bicycles.

We enjoyed the opportunity to join Asheville riders on the weekly Saturday Bakery Ride and Tuesday Etowah Ride to make lots of new friends and help boost our fitness. On other days, figuring out where to ride was a breeze with expert guidance from Team NCCF/Specialized Racing rider and Asheville local Colton Brookshire who came out to ride with us every day. Thanks Colton! 

Enjoying Asheville roads with Charlie McKenzie (black & orange jersey) and Colton Brookshire (red jersey).

No doubt, two weeks hosting a cycling team can be quite trying. Our host Andy McKenzie and sons Charlie and Ben were endlessly welcoming and took it all in stride. We absolutely felt like part of the family and had some great times together. Come time to leave, we found it difficult to go. But racing calls. Off to Anniston AL for the 'new' start to the NCC series tonight with Sunny King. It's going to be cold, but this one is a go.

Cane Creek makes dreams into reality at their manufacturing facility in Fletcher NC.

11-22 Feb 2015 Tour of New Zealand

I’ve managed a good bit of travel since my last post: 12 days riding with DNA Racing pb K4 in the Wairarapa region of the North Island racing the Trust House Tour of New Zealand, a few days at home in Nelson to pack, two weeks of snowy wintery cold near Chicago, including time in Crystal Lake catching up with my parents, a beautiful ride up and around Lake Geneva, and a day in Whitefish Bay WI for the ISCorp pb Smart Choice MRI team launch, and now on to Asheville NC for a mini-team camp before commencing our first race of the National Criterium Series with Gasparilla in Tampa FL on 21 March. 

Beautiful sunrise over Lake Michigan from Whitefish Bay WI to welcome me to the US.

The Tour of New Zealand turned out to be an exceptionally challenging tour, for all sorts of reasons! This year’s Tour featured 5 days of racing in the Wairarapa region of New Zealand’s North Island. Located north of the capitol city Wellington, the Wairarapa offers beautiful views and perfect terrain for a stage race. As a top level UCI tour, where riders and teams earn valuable points towards World Rankings, and countries earn Olympic berths determining the number of riders they can enter in the next Games, the Tour drew an international field featuring 13 five-rider teams.

Stunning and interesting views can be found all throughout the Wairarapa.

I was invited to guest ride with the Utah-based team DNA Racing, joining riders Breanne Nalder, Gabby Pilote, Lauren DeCrescenzo, and Anne Perry, team manager Alex Kim, and team/tour photographer Cathy Fegan-Kim.

Tour of New Zealand team: Lauren, Breanne, Anne, Gabby, me.

The team arrived from the US a week early to get acclimated, recon the courses, and get in some team time trial training for Stage One of the tour. It’s a good thing too! We ended up needing the extra days: two bikes went missing en route and took several days to arrive, one rider came down with a nasty respiratory virus upon arrival, and one rider was delayed a day, having missed her connecting flight to NZ, and then ill for a few days, her immune system challenged by the stress of her experience. So, with only three riders able to ride together for the first several days, getting any sort of team continuity was challenging.

Gabby celebrating the Wairarapa wine trial.

We made it work as best we could. We were well-equipped and looking good to boot with the AvantiPlus Lower Hutt van for course recons. Plus excellent support from AvantiPlus Masterton for local knowledge on where to ride and connecting with the local cycling community.

Hanging out by the AvantiPlus Lower Hutt van.

We were fortunate to be able to join in on the AvantiPlus Masterton Sunday bunch ride were we made some excellent new friendships. Come tour time, we felt like the ‘home team’ with DNA signs up along the road and what felt like heaps of people out cheering us on.

One of many DNA sign along the course.

Stage One, a 15 km team time trial, was a little rocky with a shaky start off the line, the whole team fighting illness, and too few days of all riding together. We put in a decent time and improved over the course of the stage, which is the most important element in the early season.

Out on course for the Team Time Trail, Stage One.

Stage Two was not a good day for much of the peloton, with a big crash taking out multiple riders and affecting most teams. We had Bre go down hard, dislocating and fracturing her elbow in the process. She fought through serious pain to finish the stage (huge thanks to Kiwi Kerri-Anne Torckler Page for getting Bre to the finish) and make it through the next day until the pain settled down (slightly) enough for her to be able to race hard to final two days.

Pacing back to the hotel post-Stage Three. Bre riding through the pain.

Stage Three was the most rewarding day for the team. Late in the 130-km stage, with the peloton split into several bits and a nine-rider break established up the road, we were able to launch Gabby who put in a mammoth solo 26-km (16-mi) effort, nearly catching the break to take 10th and gaining enough time to take over the Fagan Motors U23 jersey.

Gabby in the white Fagan Motors U23 jersey after Stage 3.

Unfortunately for me I woke up the day before the tour started with a horrible sore throat, stuffy head, and foggy brain. Despite lots of optimism and plenty of denial, my health deteriorated over the days that followed. Conservative riding kept me in the peloton, but big efforts to cover moves and launch Gabby in Stages Two and Three took their toll.

Me covering a move in Stage 2, Gabby positioned at the front ready for the next move.

I’ve had enough experience with illness to know that when my resting heart rate doesn’t come down and my peak flow drops, I’m heading for a lung infection if I keep pushing it. Given a 6-month recovery time from last-year’s lung infection and antibiotic side effects that I’ve only just gotten sorted, I opted to finish my tour with Stage Three in favor of recovery.
The team rode awesome the final two stages, especially Lauren who really came into some good form on the final stage. But with me out, Bre injured, and Anne still struggling with illness, we didn’t have enough fire power to keep Gabby in the jersey. We posted four top-15 results, topped by Gabby’s 10th place in Stage 3, followed by two 13th places from me in Stage 2 and Lauren in Stage 5, and 14th from me in Stage 3.

Lauren putting in one of many attacks in Stage 5.

We were incredibly fortunate to have amazing support from the Masterton community. Local masseuse Melissa Barry kept us running smoothly with daily massage and local rider Earl (I don’t know Earl’s surname!) came out to every stage to cheer us on and help with bottle hand-ups.

Earl (dressed in bright colors so we can find him!) handing up a bottle in Stage 3.

Wellington chiropractor Simon Pumfrey was definitely a valuable connection made on our Sunday bunch ride, proving an indispensable asset to the whole team, especially in helping Bre to dissipate pain from her injured elbow enough to keep her functioning, racing, and even smiling.

Simon working magic to help reduce Bre's pain.

We had amazing race and mechanical support from Kevin Laskey from Laskey’s Autoservice/Laskey’s Cycles in Pahiatua. I just can’t say enough about what an incredible job Kevin did maintaining our bikes. In addition, thanks also again and often to AvantiPlus Masterton and AvantiPlus Lower Hutt for assistance.

Kevin tending to the bikes after a stage.

After a two-year hiatus, it was fabulous to have the Tour of New Zealand back this year. Thanks to Jorge Sandoval for putting together a great tour. The best Tour of New Zealand so far. Looking forward to even better next year! All the awesome photos posted here are from CottonSox Photography.