Mon, 27 Apr 2009

Battenkill Race Report

Here is race report the Skylands Cycling Team Contingent that traveled to upstate New York for the Tour of Battenkill on April 18, 2009.  The Skylands Team included Larry Henderson, John Jackson, Mark Salazar, and me.

            All in all, this was an excellent Skylands Cycling Team trip.  It should be acknowledged that the trip really began early in the cold, winter months of 2009 when folks decided to sign up and thus commit to this race.  The event is 60 miles in length including about 15 miles of dirt roads.  While this distance is not exactly in the realm of Paris-Roubaix, it is long enough that you can’t realistically decide to “give it a go” just a week or two before the race and expect to finish.  The best way to prepare for a long, hard race is to train with long, hard rides.  I commend this group for the many times they put on the booties, glove, and winter jackets to get the miles in for this race.

              Our team decided that heading up to Upstate NY a day ahead was the best way to get our game face on.  We left Friday morning and made the 200+ mile drive to nearby Saratoga Springs and checked in to the local Marriott.  It was clear, windy, 60 degree day; in other words a perfect day for a warm up ride.  We did just enough of a pace-line and hill interval work to break a sweat and get our appetite up.  We headed back to Saratoga for pasta, hot tub, and to bed early.

              Race day!  Everyone has their own little pre-race routine that includes certain foods, traditions, etc.  Part of both the challenge and reward of traveling as a team is aligning your own personal needs with team needs.  Some people can be very dedicated to their pre-race oatmeal!  What works best in these situations is that if you can accommodate, than do accommodate.  In the end, we all helped each other make sure we had the right food, clothing, equipment, race information, and most importantly frame of mind.  Although we were all in different classes (Larry 50+, John CAT4, Mark, CAT5-45+, and Kevin 40+) it really seemed as if we were in just one class.  That part was very cool.

              The moment arrives and we finally get the whistle to start the race.  It’s amazing how your heart feels like it’s “in the red zone” at the moment; despite the fact that it’s a neutral start until we get out of town.  When the groups finally hit the open road the first 15 mile are actually at a fairly leisurely pace on flat terrain.   Finally, we go through a covered bridge and hit the first dirt section: Race On!  The next 2+ hours was a near endless onslaught of hills, dirt, viscous attacks, regroups, and terrifying descents.  The only way to stay alive in this type of a race is to be prepared for any type of riding at any moment.  Long races have this ability to make create “mind-jumps” that go back and forth between enjoying the rural vista to intense focus on that one bike 20 feet in front of you that you are trying to re-establish contact with.  At Battenkill, these mind-jumps usually occur as you transition from road to dirt and shift your body from a comfortable aero position to a more stable cyclocross position.  Without fail, every time we hit the dirt I’d see water bottles jump out cages, tires puncture, and the occasional cyclist just lose control and ride right into a ditch.  With a battlefield mentality, one has to think “too bad for that guy, but that’s not going to happen to me” if you want to survive.

              After 2+ hours in the saddle you’re mind-jumps keep coming back to two points: I was reminded how much I love this race because of the dirt; and I was simultaneously reminded of how much I hate this race because of the dirt.  In my case, I was lucky to hang on to the lead group until the final dirt section with ~5 miles to go.  By now, the water bottles are empty, the legs are a bit wobbly, and I was using all my mental energy on producing efficient riding.  But the big names in cycling know that the best time to attack is when everyone else is hurting the most; that is exactly what they did.  The dirt kicks up in front of me one more time and the final pack strung out into groups of two and threes.  I knew at this point that the winner of the race was in front of me, but I also knew that a strong finish was still possible if I could just keep my engine near the red line for a few more minutes with blowing up.  About 2 and half minutes after the winner, I tempo cycled across the finish line with an anonymous like-minded partner.  It wasn’t an arm straight up finish, but just a quiet satisfaction in finishing “America’s Queen of the Classics”.

    See you on the road soon. Kevin

Final Results http://www.bikereg.com/Results/2009/04/18-Tour-of-the-Battenkill.asp
CAT 5 Men 45+ 5th @  3:10:28   Mark SALAZAR
Masters 40+ 30th @ 2:53:56   Kevin KEANE
Masters 50+ 29th @ 2:57:03   Lawrence HENDERSON
CAT 4 Men Black Group 46th @ 3:08:45   John JACKSON


posted at: 10:56 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Thu, 12 Feb 2009

Preseason Training Continues this Sunday


This is a reminder that Skylands Cycling will continue with it pre-season training sessions at Fredon Recreation Center this Sunday starting at 9 AM, located at 436 Rt. 94 (2 miles south of Newton Hospital).

We will do a combination of on-bike spinning, off-bike core strengthening, and of course have general bike training-related discussions.

Why use a trainer when the weather is starting to get warm? There are certain cycling skills that can best be learned on a trainer; they are a valuable supplement to your cycling skill repertoire that should be worked on year round. So join us for ~60 minute spin with friends and music to motivate you. If you don’t own a trainer, see if you can borrow one from a friend as these devices tend to see a lot of closet time.

We also have had a request to provide hill climbing training, which I am more than happy to oblige! If the weather is cooperative, after our indoor training we can roll down the road from Fredon to Stillwater and work specifically on hill climbing. We will do hill repeats on some of my favorite rural roads where no one has to worry about getting dropped as it will be a short loop that facilitates regrouping.

You can do the indoor session at 9 AM or just show up for the outdoor session at 10:30 (weather permitting) or do both. We’ll try to finish up by noon.

Let me know if you have any questions, comments, or other training requests.

Cheers,
Kevin
973-919-1785

posted at: 15:50 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Tue, 03 Feb 2009

Indoor Bike Training in Fredon
Starting this Sunday, February 8th, from 9-11 AM Skylands Cycling will be hosting an indoor training session at the Fredon Township Recreation Center. Cyclist of all age and ability are welcome (including non Skylands members, so bring a friend). This is meant to be a fun, group activity of floor exercises and spinning to get your body ready for the 2009 cycling season. We don’t intend for this session to be just a “sweat-fest” to work off winter weight gain, rather we want to create a series of indoor activities that will help you become a better cyclist out on the road or trail.

These sessions do require you to supply your own bike and stationary trainer (with adequate protection for the gym floor). We have a small number of trainers to loan, but please try to find one that you can bring to these sessions. Also, if you have a spare trainer that you can loan to this effort please let me know.

We will hold these sessions until the end of March. If there is an ongoing snowstorm on a Sunday morning we will need to cancel as the township priorities are to plow main roads prior to parking lots (check Bikemail before coming). Also on the flip-side, if it’s a beautiful day we can still do indoor activities but if some in the group would like to cut the indoor session short and ride outdoors we can accommodate that.

Hope to see you there. Call if there are any questions.
Kevin 973-919-1785


Fredon Recreation Center Address: 436 Rt. 94, Fredon, NJ 07860 
This is about 2 miles south of Newton Memorial Hospital on same side of the road and in the same building as the Fredon Volunteer Fire Company.  

posted at: 16:34 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Mon, 26 Jan 2009

The Climb of a Lifetime - Haleakala Crater

Submitted by Craig Blake

This past week, my family went on vacation in Maui (part business/part pleasure), so in preparation I looked for some good bike tours on the island. That led me to ex-pro named Donnie Arnoult who retired in Maui and opened up a local bike shop which does custom cycling tours. He didn’t have this past week scheduled yet at the time, so I told him hold a bike for me and we’ll sync up when I’m out there and that I’d be up for “anything”.

The News

So the day after I arrive (Friday), I meet Donnie and discuss his cycling tours for the week. He then states that he’s organized a ride UP Haleakala Crater for Sunday. This is considered one of the top 3 most difficult climbs in the world and the only climb that brings you from ZERO to 10,023ft in 36miles at average grade of 7%. I was nervous with anticipation and told him I’ve only been doing some base training where some of his customers train for months for this climb. He told me I’d be fine given my background so I went out Saturday for 1.5hrs around town just to loosen my legs and mentally prepare.

0 to 3200ft

So I arrive on Sunday morning and there are 4 guides (very accomplished cyclists) and 8 avid cyclists (or cycling nuts) that show up. We also have a support van that will follow us with scheduled feeding stops at 3200ft and 6500ft. As we roll out, I sit back and see how I’m going to match up with everyone else and for the most part, these avid cyclists look bigger than me where as the guides looked thin and obvious great climbers.

Immediately after leaving the shop, the climbing starts. Most people jump to lead group, my legs aren’t warmed up yet, so I remain back but close enough to bridge when needed. The guides warn everyone to pace themselves, so I decide to remain in high zone 3 just below lactate threshold by about 2-3 bpm. I just pray that my self testing of LT is correct or I’m toast in 90mins.

After about 30min we hit our first big test, a 20% grade for about 5mins. I hop out of the saddle for about 3mins with a nice pace, my legs feel pretty good and HR right were it needs to be. When we hit the top of this incline, it seems the group is fracturing. Two guides lead me and another guy (from Chicago) while the other two help the second group of six. I’m maintaining about 9mph which is 4hr summit pace and slowly I pull away from the Chicago guy. One guide leads me up, while the other guide falls back to help the other. I’m told the record to get up the summit is 2hr 35mins and the guide’s best time was 3hrs 35mins. So he’s impressed that I guy from NJ can climb so well, I tell him you should see some of the others I ride with.

3200ft to 6500ft

After we refuel at 3200ft, the lead group (2 guides, me and Chicago guy) take off again. I’ve been told that the most difficult sections are 4000ft to 6000ft and 8000ft to 9000ft. As we hit 4000ft, there are numerous switch backs that seem to range from 10-12% incline. At this point, there have been no false flats or anything to give yourself a break. Your legs must continue to churn endlessly. Little ruts in the road begin to give you pleasure since it allows you 2-3 seconds of less tension. You go back and forth always climbing - RELENTLESS comes to mind. It just keeps going, you don’t dare look up to see what’s ahead of you, but you do look down every so often and see the others making their way and thankful you’re not down there. Again, I’m keeping a strong pace and it’s just me with the lead guide who is doing a great job pacing me. I call out where I am with my zone and he adjusts accordingly with periodic Zone 4 pushes as needed. I keep a strong positive attitude and just keep within myself – I’m not letting this mountain beat me!

6500ft to 9000ft

After another well needed fueling break, we start to put on some winter gear. The guides and support van will not be going to the top since we’re now entering the National Park. I push off with Chicago guy once again and after about 500ft, I’m on my own again. The switchbacks are further apart now, but trees soon disappear around 8000ft and that leaves you exposed to the elements. Wind, mist (clouds), cold, legs, everything you can feel now. This is when you have to do your gut check. You’ve been in the saddle for well over 3 hrs now with relentless climbing and the wind is throwing you around. My pace starts to drop off as the wind is taking a toll on me. I stand more often to get momentum and give some muscles a break. I expect to see the 10,000ft sign but instead see 9000ft sign. I think about summiting and soon get within myself again. I’m back on pace, although slower due to the wind, but good pace none-the-less.

The Summit

I’ve been told the last 300ft is a 21% climb, many cyclist end up walking, but I’m ready. I round a corner and there’s the summit and last climb. It’s gravel since they are repaving! I get out of the saddle and start pushing. Suddenly about half way, my right thigh cramps badly. I need to stop for a second. Between 4hr of climbing, cold weather, and this steep climb, I’m asking a lot of my muscles. I get back in the saddle and push hard with the left leg, trying to baby the right leg. I can feel a twinge in my left leg. I look down and notice the bike has triple ring, which I agreed early on I would not use, but with the cramping I have to. I drop it down to the 3rd ring and keeping pushing to the top. I made it, in just over 4hrs (about 4:12) I walk into the summit overlook and people come over to shake my hand. One person tells me it must have been very spiritual, I told him “You have no idea”.

I then turned around and had to ride downhill. FREEZING cold!! I finally made it back to the shop in total round trip time of about 6hrs. A climb I will never forget. I’ll never look at another hill or climb the same way.

I’ve attached couple pictures from the Summit with my Skylands team jersey! You’ll also notice how thin I was by the time I got to the top. For days afterward, I was extremely hungry.

Hope to see you guys out on the road next weekend!

posted at: 14:13 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Tue, 23 Dec 2008

Holiday Dinner 2008 Recap
The 2008 Awards dinner held December 14th was heavily attended with 50+ guests. The annual event took place for the first time at Bella Italia located in Andover on Route 206. This year Mike Norton from Calyon Pro Cycling/Verge spoke to the club members and their families regarding traveling, training and goals of a pro cyclist. He concluded his speech with his personal goals for 2009 which include local racing and coaching for those interested in becoming a stronger racer or rider. We continued the evening by handing out various awards to both volunteers and racers.

Gerry Ryerson was the first recipient of the Outstanding Club Member award. He was recognized and chosen based on his continued support for the club, the Giro Del Cielo stage race and his generosity with his time. He also designed a registration program which made our race registration process run smoother than it ever had in the past. This made life easier for our volunteers and our racers.

Gerry and Neil Remsen received the Distinguished Club Member award for their special efforts during the clubs Vermont trip in July. Gerry and Neil worked diligently chopping wood, when they were not on the bike. Gerry has also taken an active role this year in organizing weekend rides for the “B”’s. He designed special routes based on goals that members had set for themselves.

Linda Kristiansen has given so much of her time to the club over the last year and without a doubt deserved the Outstanding Club Volunteer award. She handled registration for all but one race this year, and for this I cannot thank her enough. With her smile and her friendly disposition, the racers could only feel welcome from the moment they entered our venues.

Now even though Bruce and I made a secret pact, Buz Tomasino knew that Bruce Kristiansen had to be acknowledged for his dedication to the club. Bruce will argue that he was a paid official for the Clubs races, but he did so much more than that. He was always willing to help me when needed. He would arrive early to help with the course. He would take time out of his day to help with meetings at the fairgrounds. And these are just a couple of examples of how he contributed to the success of the club this year. So for his time and effort, Buz gave him the gift of coffee. (we wouldn’t want him falling asleep!)

Bruce then broke our secret pact by presenting me with a much appreciated basket of Starbucks gift cards. Now, for all those who don’t know this about me, I am basically your classic Starbucks junkie. It was a wonderful gift and truly appreciated as were his kind words. (Mr. Ryerson also shared some kind words, but enough about me…)

Dan then took over the awards portion of the evening by presenting the top racing awards for the year.

John Jackson did a phenomenal job this year. Not only did he win our very own Augusta Training Series (B Category) but he came in 3rd in the HoFC and 2nd in the NJ Road Race Championships. Later on in the season he finished 1st in the HoFCC, and then 1st in the NJ State Criterium. He showed great passion and dedication for the sport this year and Skylands is proud to be able to award him Cat 5 racer for 2008.

The 2008 Cat 4 racer of year award was given to Gene Victori who not only took on more responsibility in the club this year by becoming a board member, but also proved to be a real threat in a number of Cat 4 races. With 24 days of racing this season he finished in the top 10 of 23 of them. He clearly had the drive and the talent which is why he was given this year’s Cat 4 award. We can’t wait to see what he does in 2009!

If you read my recap of the Augusta Series (which has been referred to as the next great epic novel), you know that Milo Bastianelli is a very talented racer who is quite modest. He won the Augusta Series (A category) leading the series and his team with his ability to race like a champion. He finished 3rd in the NJ State Road Race Championships as a Cat 3. He hands down earned the title of 2008 Cat 3 racer of the year.

Andrew Buchanan has been racing for Skylands Cycling for a few years now. He has trained during our clubs Thursday night rides as well as the weekend rides Gerry, Dan or Gene have organized, in addition to his own routine. He has become one of the riders that the guys look at for the breakaways during group rides. He was one of the guys they kept an eye on during races and because of this simple fact; he is the one who deserved to receive the Most Improved Racer of the year award. So don’t take your eye off him, because I am sure he is going to do great things next year.

The Masters Category is defined by a racer who is 35 years of age and up. With that said there are many of us who fit in this category, but only one this year can say they won Best Master Racer, and that person is Gerry Ryerson. Not only is he a dedicated cyclist, a modest winner and a graceful racer, but he is also a great person and one of our original sponsors. He came in 1st in the HoFC and finished 3rd in the Maxxis Cup, just to name a couple. He trains with the commitment of a professional while being able to maintain balance in all aspects of his life which is commendable to say the least.

Skylands Cycling had the honor of having Myles Billard of New Windsor, NY join this year. He is a very eager and talented young man who thrives from cycling knowledge. His enthusiasm for the sport of cycling is contagious. His results speak for themselves, for this young man has put the time and effort into becoming a strong racer who will undoubtedly have great results in the coming years. Even with his training interrupted this season he finished the year with some very competitive CX results. These are just a few reasons why Myles won Best Junior Racer of 2008.

Cyclocross, in my mind, is a combination of mountain biking, road racing and sheer will to punish yourself in very chilly conditions, but Kevin Keane is able to do this with such style that it is impossible not to recognize it. He began his training for CX days after his last road race. He was also willing to train and coach others who are willing to endure this type of individual suffering. Kevin finished the NJBA CX season in 3rd place this year out of 67 racers. Way to go!!

In 2007, he won Best Master Racer of the year but this year Brian Gristick earned the status of Best Rider of the Year. He is the most diverse racer Skylands Cycling has. He races in Time Trials, Crits, Road races, Track, and Circuit races. We just need him to race in Mountain and Cyclocross and then we could say he does it all. But he too is a reserved rider/racer who will take the time to help others become better riders, whether it is for racing or recreational purposes. He is a wealth of knowledge and more than willing to share. He has also contributed to the club by once again being a board member. His experience and input are invaluable on and off the bike.

Thank you to everyone who made this year such a memorable one. I hope 2009 is as much fun as 2008 was. Without your help this year would not have been as successful!

Happy Holidays
Blake Hargrave
Skylands Cycling President

posted at: 08:54 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Tue, 02 Dec 2008

NJ State Cross Championship
We had another very successful CX event this Saturday. There were over 90 people pre-registered for the State Championship races, and more than 20 day-of registrants. Again, we had a great showing of people to help during and after the races, for break down. I would like to thank Kevin Kielty, Kevin Keane (and Aaron), Gene Victori, Mark Salazar, Kelley Barrick, Stephen Hamer, Linda and Bruce Kristiansen, Mike Norton, Lois Cary, Gerry Remsen, John Jackson, Buz  Tomasino, Gerry Ryerson, Larry Henderson, Erik Kristiansen, and the crew from Team Bulldog. We found ourselves once again moving bales of hay and then removing all of those stakes which you may recognize at this weekend’s upcoming Phillipsburg race.

A Special Thanks goes out to our Sponsors from CycleWorks: Frank Santarpia and John Nicholson. Not only did they provide both races with neutral support but they also helped us with set-up, break-down and registration housing (which provided a much needed heater).

A much deserved thank you goes out  to Catherine Babin, who not only endured the cold weather (which she is not fond of) to take pictures of all the races, but spent hours proofing them and posting them to the website. They are fantastic!

Thank you all! Without your help we would not have had such a successful couple of races.  

Blake Hargrave

posted at: 16:02 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Tue, 25 Nov 2008

Sussex Cross Course Best in the State

This weekend was jam packed with CX, set up and racing. On Saturday we had an amazing group show up to help. I would like to thank Bill Labance, Kevin Kielty, Kevin Keane (and Aaron and Jesse), Gene Victori, Brian Gristick, Mark Salazar, Bruce Kristiansen, Jon Boub, Jeremy Boub, Gerry Remsen, Frank Santarpia, Buz Tomasino, Gerry Ryerson, Larry Henderson, Tyler Kristiansen, and the crew from Team Bulldog. They did everything from shoveling sand and moving bales of hay for a upper body workout to drilling stakes in the ground, taping and building barriers. It was beyond cold and windy yesterday which did not make for an easy set up, but because of all the man power we were able to get in and out within two and a half hours. Apparently the cookies helped! =)

Everyone, except for a few, were on hand again today to help during the race, with the addition of Kelley Barrick, John Jackson, Gary Worth, Linda Kristiansen and John Nicholson and Catherine Babin as our Photographer. Thank you all, without your help we would not have had such a successful race today. The link above proves it! People loved the course that the CX committee designed and are recruiting racers for next week.

We have an great group of people in this club and should be very proud!!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving,
Blake Hargrave

posted at: 13:24 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Mon, 15 Sep 2008

NJ STATE CRITERIUM CHAMPIONSHIPS '08
Brian Reports:

The highlight of the day was saved for the last event of the day, the Cat 5 final. The new 2008 NJ State Cat 5 crit champion is Skylands' own John Jackson!! After the combined efforts of teammates Mike DeGeorge and Mark Salazar to keep the field together, John took the leadout pull of Mike to leave the rest in the dust. Just as amazing as John's victory, Mike clicked down to his biggest gear after pulling John and powered into 2nd place...right on John's heels. John 1st, Mike 2nd, and Mark 6th! Job well done.

In the Cat 4 race it also came down to a field sprint. Skylands racers Andy Buchanan and Gene Victori streaked home taking 6th an 7th respectively. Both racers had been balked and pinched in the final turns which surley cost them podium finishes as they both were closing fast in the final meters.

The super fast of NJ came out to play in the Cat 3 race. Being a NJ Cup race combined with the State Championship on the line, made for the entry of some heavy hitters. With Milo Bastanelli in the Cat 3 Cup race, Kevin Keane and I were there to help any way we could. Kevin rallied the peleton early in the race to pull back an early break and I later went to the front to pull back a mid-race break. With less than 2 laps to go I saw that Milo was near the front and on the wheels of his marked riders. I went to the front and just kept the pace fast enough to discourage any late flier attempts. Milo said he was in great position but just didn't have the legs on this day. He managed a 16th place with Kevin in 29th.

The masters 55 + ended with Gerry Ryerson just missing a medal with his 4th place finish after his 2nd place podium in 2007. Joe Skorupa kept his steady season going with a 9th place sprint and valuable points in the 55+ state Cup.

The largest field of the day was the 45+ race with almost 80 entries. Skylands members Brian Gristick, Gerry Ryerson, Andy Buchanan and John Boub included. The race had no slow-downs for the entire 20 miles with a smooth and steady 26.2 mph average. When we received the bell with one lap to go everything went into fast forward. In the first corner a Liberty Cycling racer clipped the curb with his pedal and went down taking several riders with him. This balked the unlucky riders behind including Andy and John. Gerry and I escaped being just in front of the accident and went on to finish 11th(me) and 22nd(Gerry). Andy finished 35th and John was 53rd

Congratulations to all Skylands racers for their well earned results and the unselfish teamwork to provide those results.

posted at: 09:45 | path: | permanent link to this entry

2008 LiveStrong Challenge
Blake Reports:

This year, August 24 was the date of our annual LiveStrong Challenge benefiting the efforts of the Lance Armstrong Foundation. This year our team consisted of 4 Skylands Club members, Catherine Babin, Heather Radcliffe, Gary Worth and myself. One of our team mates from last year, Gerry Remsen was once again willing to organize long and grueling training rides through Sussex and Warren Counties, in the hopes of making us stronger riders. As always, these rides were extremely helpful, and although we were sad he was not able to join us in Philly, we were so appreciative of his part in getting us in shape for the big day. Unfortunately Gary was unable to attend Philly as well, so we were down to the 3 women when all was said and done.

Catherine and I carpooled to Philly and met up with Heather and her fiancé, John, at the venue for packet pick-up the night before. There they sat, under a tree with all these bags of stuff. They handed me my registration bag and asked why I got all this good gear. Hehe! I received another fantastic bag and dri-fit hat. YEAH!! I digress. Anyway, we headed over to the hotel next door to check in and get ready for dinner. Catherine and I unpacked our gear and then we were ready to go. Heather, John, Catherine and I headed out with the hopes of meeting Michael Adsit and his wife as well. The restaurant was tucked away in this strip mall which made it a little difficult to find, but we made it. Our meals were excellent! Our service was entertaining and the company was exceptional. We could not stop laughing. From the moment we opened up the menus to the second we paid the bill, we were cracking up. Unfortunately Michael and his wife were unable to find the restaurant so they were not able to witness our highschool behavior. This may have been a blessing in disguise for them. Anyway, after dinner we headed across the parking lot to grab some breakfast items since our hotel wasn't going to have any options and we weren't certain what the LAF would be providing. Now if you have ever gone into the grocery store looking for peanut butter, you would probably say, it wasn't that hard to find. This was NOT the case for us. Three able adults were having a very difficult time with what would normally be a simple task. So we split up hoping that this would increase our odds of finding the baffling jar of sticky goodness. At this point, I had my bananas in hand and was good to go, so I bailed on the peanut butter search and checked out, which once again was more complicated than it should have been. This town was just messing with us! You'll be glad to hear Heather and John finally found the mysterious PB sans the J.

Back at the hotel we all grabbed our gear and our schwag and began the traditional process of getting ready for the next morning. Again the laughter was hard to contain. I continued to gloat about my fancy new bag and my fabulous hat…but then I found it….my name in the 'LAF book'. This had been an ongoing joke with the girls for the past few years and it was alive and well once again. It was time for Catherine to call it a night so Heather and John headed back to their room while I attempted to check email while she passed out. Seriously I have never seen anyone fall asleep so quickly. It's impressive!

The wakeup call and alarm went off at 5:30 at which point I jumped in the shower. Catherine could not figure out why I took a shower but when I explained to her that I am twice as peppy in the morning after a shower, I think I saw fear in her eyes. Anyway, Heather showed up and we got ready in record time and headed out but not before preparing our banana and peanut butter breakfast. There was one problem with this, we had nothing to apply the PB with. So in my own MacGyver way I found the best tool for the job…a bottle opener. Hey, it worked! After a quick stop at the car for Heed and an abnormal amount of sunscreen (Heather may need an intervention but that is a topic for another time) we had John take some pictures and we headed over to the Venue. This day could not have been better by the way. It was barely chilly (don't ask Catherine her opinion here) and the day promised to be warm but not hot like last year. As we have done in the past we headed over to the staging area where we usually find bagels and what they have claimed to be coffee. So you can imagine my excitement when we turned the corner to see a huge tent with the words "STARBUCKS COFFEE COMPANY" on it. Unfortunately I proved Catherine wrong when she thought I could not get any peppier at 6am, for I most certainly did the second I saw that tent.

Once we headed over to the 70mile staging pen, we situated ourselves up at the front, which served two purposes; we would be upfront at the starting line which seems to be the safe place to be and I was a bit further from the coffee which deterred me from returning for more. A few second later I heard my name and turned around to see an old Tour of Hope friend, Jeff Tredup. He rode in the ToH back in 2004(?) and Heather and I met him in 2005. We had lost touch this past year so it was really nice to see him again and catch up. Then a minute later Michael Adsit found us. So our little group had grown. After all the announcements and the arrival of Lance we were ready to head out. Jeff and Michael and their friends rode like bats out of hell, so our group was back down to 3. We had decided that we would take our time this year and have a proper warm up period before hammering. But by the end of our first hour we had an average of 18mph, which was impressive for us. We felt good and we were having fun. We made sure we stopped at the rest stops to refuel but quickly returned to the road. We didn't want to miss the post-event party this year. Then the hills started. Catherine, Heather and I decided that we were going to take the hills nice and casually but on the flats we would pace line…so off we went. As we passed people, some of the more serious riders asked if they could jump on as well. But then we hit a hill with a lot of riders around us. Catherine decided to jump on the yellow line and pass everyone up the hill, Heather jumped on and went but I got boxed in and was stuck behind someone until I saw a break. So off I went with this other guy up the hill. We both had been separated from our friends so we worked together to catch up. But neither he nor I could see our groups. So we powered on together trying to make up what we thought was not a lot of time. We turned this corner and head down this slight decent, where the guy next to me hits some gravel and ends up crashing hard on his left shoulder. My nw buddy and I jump off our bikes to help him with the assistance of another rider who was behind me. His helmet was broken and his shoulder and arm were messed up. The medic finally showed and took over for us. So off we went. I finally caught up to Heather and Catherine at the next rest stop. I had apparently passed them on the hill and didn't realize it. My bad!

The rest of the ride from this point on was very hilly. Mile 30 was the warning sign for us. The 2mile climb was in front of us and then the 70 mile turn off. We were so happy to turn off knowing that the 100milers were going to have to survive the additional 2mile climb which almost killed us last year. We had 4 miles of new terrain to ride, for this was a cut thru we did not take last year. Heather's calf began to cramp around mile 52 so we brought our pace down a bit to let her rest which I think helped. At mile 60 Catherine's foot started acting up, so we all sort of did our own pace up the final hills and regrouped before the entrance to the finish line. We completed the 70 miles in 4 hours and 30 minutes. Although I am glad I did not register for the 100mile ride for a variety of reasons, I felt really good at the end of the 70 mile ride which surprised me. After regrouping, Heather, Catherine and I rode down the LAF drive shoulder to shoulder with smiles on our faces and were then greeted with big bottles of Fuji water and ice water soaked towels that were draped around our necks. It was a really nice touch. But better yet was the fact that we were pulling in at the beginning of the ceremonies with Doug Ullman and Lance Armstrong on stage. We located a prime position and squeezed in to watch the formal TdF champion and the CEO of LAF, present various awards to cancer survivors and participants. As Catherine took a variety of fantastic photos, Heather and I sat and giggled over Lance like school girls. Lame I know, but it just happens, you have no control. Seriously! Then it was time to eat and relax for a few minutes before heading over to the hotel to check out. There was lots of food this year to choose from which we enjoyed and I grabbed my post ride beer. It was not the Shiner beer (Lance's favorite) we were used to but it was cold and refreshing none the less. It was time to head out so we said our good bye's and Catherine and I headed home.

As a team we raised over $2200 to support the Lance Armstrong Foundation! Until next year!

posted at: 09:23 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Wed, 23 Jul 2008

Vermont Cycling Trip Recap - By Blake H.
So we just returned from the first Skylands Cycling Vermont trip. The Keane’s, The Remsen’s, The Hargrave’s, The Labance’s, Catherine Babin, the Mitchell’s and the Tomasino’s all headed up to Vermont either on Thursday or Friday and stayed until Sunday as planned. I drove up in a car of 7ppl, which was cozy to say the least but we had a good time anyway. When we arrived the group that had driven up on Thursday were heading out to watch the Jazz Festival. We were able to join up with them after a quick unpacking job and a bite to eat.

We had a great day on Saturday which started out with a huge breakfast, with blueberry pancakes, scrapple and homemade sausage. Then we all headed out for our rides. Bill and Heather took the climbing route which was lead by Kevin Haley (he has a house around the corner) covered 80 miles of mountainous terrain. It also included a major rain dump. They looked like wet rats when they returned but they had smiles on so all was good. We, on the other hand rode for 32 miles which included some nice hills and a lot of great long flattish passes. Catherine and I took advantage of these and worked on some TT training. Kevin Keane was able to keep up while he rode with 60lbs of added weight, he had his 2 kids in the trailer behind him. This BTW did nothing for our self esteem. We would have this great pace going, feeling good and then we would realize we hadn't dropped him. How is that possible?! He is freaking strong. Afterwards a bunch of us took the kids to the beach with the Kayak to swim and paddled around until it was time to go to dinner with the Skylands Group. The was the Remsen’s opportunity to show us how small 7 year olds can look like rag dolls as they are tossed back and forth from one another in the water. Later that day, We found this great place to eat that had massive beef choices but also had this great salad bar. :) My son Sean only ate the salad bar, which is amazing for him. Heathers daughter did the same. Then we headed back to the lodge and sat around until 11pm or so. Dan showed up to hang as well which was great. He was staying at a lovely air conditioned hotel down the road with his family. They wanted A/C and with the heat we had, I couldn't blame him.

When we woke up the next day, it was raining and all of our plans to ride went out the window. So we packed up and headed home after having a great brunch at this little restaurant in town. It took 6 hours with 5 adults and 2 kids in my car. And even though that sounds like pure torture, we had a blast. Bill got me laughing so hard at one point I thought I was going to either drive off the road or bust a gut, but we made it and we can't wait until next year.

Thank you Buz for organizing this great time. It was a blast! I can’t wait until next year.

posted at: 10:54 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Mon, 21 Jul 2008

The Race of Truth...With a Painful Twist!
I really wanted to know how I could do in a TT event on my road bike, and since I currently do all of my riding and racing without aerobars (hopefully I'll be getting a TT bike for next season), I entered the race knowing I'd have a severe handicap. Halfway to Frenchtown, though, it dawned on me how important it is to make and use a checklist for the morning of an event- I forgot my shoes! When I got to the race, I left a message asking anyone with an extra pair that I was in need, but my chances were slim; I ride on Crank Brothers Quatros, and would most likely need a set of pedals to go with the shoes I'd get.

Racetime arrived, and while everyone was lining up in order, I was leaning on a signpost while Dave Sempier used electrical tape to attach my running shoes to my bike. When the guy in the number before me left, Dave shoved me off and I crawled up to the starting line, getting a hand from the volunteer on the line. The countdown went to zero, and was off... After a quick warmup, I learned that I couldn't get pressure off my cranks on the upstroke unless I concentrated on lifting extra high, so it took quite a bit more attention to get a good stroke. I must say, the looks on people's faces as I passed them was priceless. It felt like most of my force was lost to the outside of the shoe, which didn't quite fit on the little pedals, but I kept my speed up fairly high, ignoring the pain coming through the flimsy rubber soles at the contact points. I was glad when the feet went numb.

At the end of the race, I rode into the parking lot, and with a good hard pull, launched my foot out of my shoe, which flipped upside down, dangling by the stretched but true and faithful rubber tape. I had a small crowd gathered around; it seems there were quite a few people interested in seeing the time of the guy with red tape on his shoes. I did the 36k in 54.01, with my speedo claiming an average of 23.4 mph; my time was good enough to get 6th out of the ten cat 5ers there. I went there hoping to average over 24, but, with the way I ended up racing, I was happy with my time, and even happier that I was able to fly by the starting line on my return trip at 30 for the cameras! As always, I tried to remember that things could have been worse, and I'm glad I didn't get upset and ruin the day. Hopefully next time I can see what I can really do...

Orlin H.

posted at: 14:27 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Tue, 15 Jul 2008

2008 Giro del Cielo Recap - by Blake Hargrave

This was a very exciting weekend for Skylands and Team Somerset and it went beautifully with the help of many of our club members. The Giro del Cielo has in the past been held as solely a women’s stage race but this year we opened it up to Cat 4/5 men which turned out to be a well received idea. We had 101 people pre-registered for the weekend in varying event combinations. Saturday was our most challenging day with 2 stages, the time trial at Sunrise Mountain and the Crit at the ballpark. The concern I had was that we had to be completely packed up and out of the Skyhawks parking lot by 3pm. We had moved the Crit start time up to accommodate this request, but this meant wrapping up the time trial and setting up the Crit in record time. Well, apparently this was no big deal for we had an amazing crew which broke down and set up by 9:40am. It was incredible.

The times for the TT were just as impressive with the 1st place Cat 4/5 Men at 15:48, the Women’s 30+ at 16:49, the Cat 3 women at 17:15 and the Cat 4 women at 16:54. We had a total of 66 people race up the mountain with the first racer heading out at 8am. It was an early yet gorgeous morning. And the best part of it was the excitement among the racers. Even with the visiting Bear at the top, we had fun. I am not sure how Lois and Kevin felt about it, but they remained calm.

The Crit was just as exciting with 22 women racing in the Cat 4 race. There were 3 groups which formed during the 30 lap race. Up front were the top 4 winners in a break. Alejandra Madrinan, Chistine Kavanagh, Lenore Pipes and Julie Carson powered around the course, taking turns winning primes (Alejandra won most of them) for merchandise and points. I believe me when I say we had a lot of primes. Apparently there was some chatting on the back stretch as to who needed the Lube or Socks and then they teamed up. The Cat 3 women went off with 10 women, all of whom were strong and determined. The women 30+ were up next and a few of the Cat 3 racers joined in as well. This group included Betty Tyrell and Krista Swope along with Tracey Lea, Jackie Paull and Marie Derosa. Barbara Shweky joined in after finishing her own Cat 3 race. Unfortunately Barbara crashed early in the race and had to head off to the hospital for stitches to her eye brow. She is fine and was able to drive home. Betty and Jackie Paull duked it out during the race but in the end Jackie pulled through for the finish with Krista right behind her. Then the 32 Cat 4/5 men lined up for their turn at the course. It was fast and furious for them and with only a few laps to go one of the leaders, Joe Sieracki went down. The reason is unclear but a blown tire is our theory. He is fine as well. In the end there was a small break away of 2 who crossed the finish line with Douglas Kauffman winning and Eric Salzer coming in second.

The next morning proved to be as beautiful and fun as the last. Everyone seemed to enjoy the course. “The hills were manageable” someone mentioned “yet hard enough to apply strategy and technique on each lap”. Each category had excitement but for Skylands Cycling, our moment was in the Men’s Cat 4/5 race. John Jackson, Gene Victori, Michael Adsit and Michael DeGeorge all joined the Giro for the last stage. AND they all wore their new kits! They looked great! At this point in the day it was HOT but there was a breeze so that helped. At least I thought so. It was probably different for those racing. The pack went off with our guys huddled in the back half. But then Gene and Keith Licata (from Team Bulldog) made a move… and then there was the final sprint and Gene won! I was getting calls from all the volunteers, who were still marshalling the course, “did Gene win? What happened?”. We were all so excited. Keith Licata came in second place which was great to see as well. John Jackson came in strong in 21st place and Michael DeGeorge finished his first big race moments behind the main pack. Michael Adsit showed great determination during this race. Kudos to all of them! It was nice to see the Skylands colors out there.

For me this race was a foreign entity. I had never been able to attend or volunteer for any of the past Giro’s. Bob Cary was the one who handled a great deal of the work in the past. Brooke Wilson, from Team Somerset, and I were determined to put this together with as few errors as possible. And so we did but not without help from an amazing group of people. The Skylands Cycling board spent many weeks scouting and discussing road courses and once one was decided on, Dan Mitchell took the bull by the horns and was able to get all the necessary towns to approve the use of the roads. This is not an easy task. It takes time and effort. Well Done Dan! Bob Perlee once again put together a great site for racers to go to for information on the race. This made Brookes and my life much easier since very few questions came our way. Kevin Kielty, who has attended the Giro in the past, was the one I looked to for set-up. He knew what needed to be done and was able and willing to delegate and direct when I couldn’t. We were lucky enough to have Lois Cary on hand as well. As an official she knew it all, calm and collected as always. Thank you Lois for helping out. The man who worked his fingers to the bone during each and every race was Kevin Keane. He handled all the scoring and the video finishes. It was amazing. He was extremely efficient and determined for all 3 stages. His spreadsheet is daunting but without it I don’t know what we would have done. Catherine Babin was kind enough to come out and snap some, what I anticipate to be, great shots of all the races. Gary Worth, Gerry Remsen, Buz Tomasino, Kelley Barrick, Velo Barrick, Brian Gristick, Larry Henderson, Dan Mitchell, Barry Nazarian, Earl Perretti, Heather Labance all came out to volunteer for any duty I threw at them. It was amazing, we had 2 marshal’s at every corner. We had follow cars and lead cars for each group, when 2 were out at a time. Gary’s daughter came out and was willing to help Brooke with anything and everything. It was adorable, as was she. And Team Somerset provided almost as many volunteers throughout the weekend which made everything go smoothly. So my hat goes off to all of you for helping this year’s Giro del Cielo go off without a hitch. Nicely done!! I hope you all had as much fun as Brooke and I did.

If you have minute, go check out the blogs from some of the teams and racers, so far they all have posted some very positive feedback. Many of the racers spoke to Brooke and I after the race and congratulated all of us on a job well done!

Blake Hargrave

posted at: 16:43 | path: | permanent link to this entry

2008 Mount Washington Road Race Recap - By Eric Stacer

Climbing Mt. Washington is THE hardest physical accomplishment I have ever done in my entire life. I’ve completed three marathons and several triathlons and well know the meaning of pain. Once you cross the entrance bridge you coast for about .1 miles until the hill starts. This is when the reality of gravity just slaps you in the face. You come upon the initial slope of about 15% where it undulates between 10-15% with micro (10ft) grades of 7%. At about 1.5 miles you are smacked down with a grade of 21% and knowing you still have a little over 6 miles to go you start to question you sanity. In between this and the 2.5 mile mark (17%) are grades between 10-15%. You continue on thinking you have lost you mind (and your wind) with grades mostly between 13-18%, with micro gaps of about 7%. At the 6.25 mile mark you get hit with another 21% grade and you start thinking how far back the broom wagon is. At this point though you are convinced you can finish by either riding, walking, or crawling. You reach the 7 mile mark knowing you have less than 1 mile to go and you start thinking you can smell the finish. At about 7.4 miles you even hit a slight (-3%) downhill, but unfortunately it only lasts about 30 ft. After that the grade goes back to 10% with kicks up to 19%. You make the final turn and hear everyone cheering you on and you go smack dab into a grade of 22% for the final .1 miles. You wonder what cruel gods could have done this to you as you inch up the final few meters. As you come to the finish the announcer calls out your name for all to hear and you know you are there. As you cross the finish line you know all your suffering, and in my case drooling is over. Volunteers catch you from falling as you cross the finish line and place a blanket around you. This was a good thing because at the start of the base the temperature was 80 degrees and calm. It is now 50 degrees with 25mph winds (calm for the summit). My first thought is never again unless I can get liposuction and lose 40 lbs. before I try it again. Then sets in the emotions of the accomplishment (and the fact that it is over) and you start to smile again.

posted at: 16:42 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Fri, 04 Jul 2008

Augusta Racing Series Finale is a Great Sports Moment!
BEWARE: this is long-winded recap, read at your own risk.

The Augusta Racing Series Finale on Tuesday night turned out to be just as exciting as we had anticipated. The weather was perfect, the racers were ready and the course was in decent shape (the pavement on one corner is starting to pull away). We had a total of 54 racers for the night with 20 or so spectators that made it a great atmosphere for the last race of the series. I hope our new recreational riders who came to watch had a great time. Thanks for joining us and supporting the racers.

On to the results...
The U19 race: It started with 18 juniors which is more than double any one of our other U19 races this season. Mike Fraysee brought a bunch of his boys from his camp, which made the race very exciting. The three main players racing for the podium were Steven Tvedt with 32pts, Max Mancuso with 28pts and Dag Anderson with 24pts. While the boys raced hard as usual the Fraysee boys changed up the usual tactics for Steven which caused him to come in 11th in the pack which did not give him enough points to keep his title. Dag and Max stuck in there with Kevin McGuire and came in 3rd and 4th that bumped them up to top spots on the podium.

1st place: Max Mancuso with 43pts (Upstate Velo, Skylands member)
2nd place: Dag Anderson with 40pts (Somerset Wheelmen)
3rd place: Steven Tvedt with 39pts (Colavita Racing Inc.)

The Masters race: The main challenge here was the fight for third place. Earl Perretti basically had 1st place all wrapped up with an 18pt lead. Vin Mancuso had a secure hold on 2nd place as well with an 11pt lead but John Autore who was in 3rd place and only had a 2pt lead from 4th place that was held by Andrew Buchanan. Now before I continue, keep in mind that although not all of these men race for Skylands, they are all Skylands members and have exhibited a great amount of respect for one another during the season. The finish line proved to be as exciting as we had hoped for with David Buegler crossing the line first which was his goal the whole season. He let out a " FINALLY " cry the moment his wheel crossed the dilapidated tape finish line. We all smiled for his success; but where were Andrew and John? Here comes Vin....ANDREW and JOHN! A few men later we saw Earl. Andrew closed the gap but not by 2 places. The podium remained the same in the end. It was a great effort by all.

1st place: Earl Perrtti with 169pts (Montclair Cyclists, Skylands member)
2nd place: Vin mancuso with 155pts (Skylands Cycling)
3rd place: John Autore with 142pts (Montaclair Cyclists, Skylands member)
(Andrew had a total of 141pts, nice job!)

The B race:
Unfortunately the B race contenders who held 1st and 3rd place were not able to attend. However, a podium threat came from Nick Iacovelli in 4th place. John Jackson did an amazing job this season from beginning to end, proving what a strong racer he has become. I mentioned in my last long email that John missed 6 races due to work yet he was able to maintain top podium position for his return. The number of first and second places accumulated throughout the season ultimately determined the top podium spot. John picked up 2 pts on Tuesday that tied him with his absent competitor. Bruce and I tallied up the number of 1st places they each took during the whole season...another tie. So on to 2nd places...Nate had one and John had two. John was the winner!

1st place: John Jackson with 91pt, 2-1st's, and 2-2nd (Skylands Cycling)
2nd Place: Nate Morgenstern with 91pts, 2-1st's and 1-2nd (Montclair Cyclists, Skylands member)
3rd Place: Doug Allen with 67pts (DKNY)

The A race:
The dynamics of this race were a bit different due to the number of Fraysee kids who were Cat 3 racers. So we sort of had 2 races going on. The kids who were vying to win the nights race and the Men who were racing for top positions for the season. The comment that was made by Glenn at the end of the night was "The Skylands Team picked this year to race like a Team." Milo had every one of his teammates working for him, so he could beat Glenn in the final race. Erik Kristiansen, Kevin Keane, Gene Victori, Brian Gristick all gave 100% to box in Glenn, pull or lead out Milo to his spectacular finish. So in the end the break had the kids and the pack contained the season's racers that made the pack sprint really exciting. It looked like a swarm of bees heading to the line with Milo in the front. It was a memorable sports moment.

1st place: Milo Bastianelli (Skylands Cycling)
2nd place: Glenn Babikian (DKNY)
3rd place: Dave Freifelder (Westwood Velo, Skylands member)

A special thanks goes out to all the Volunteers with out them there wouldn't be a safe and well organized series. Linda Kristiansen did registration each and every week. Buz and Larry helped with the last minute sweeping and setting when I got tired. Dan, Gary and Eric were tag teaming the marshalling duties each week. Gerry Ryerson and Kevin Keane gave up a race or two to help with scoring and videotaping. Bob Perlee organized the results and posted them each week. Last but not least, a big thanks to our very own official extraordinaire, Bruce Kristiansen.

This was truly a blast to be part of this year! Thanks for making it so exciting. I can't wait to see what the team can do next year. Keep up the great racing and the fantastic teamwork. You should all be really proud of yourselves.

Thanks for all the support you all gave me. I really appreciate it!!!

Have a Great Holiday weekend!
Blake Hargrave
Skylands Cycling President


posted at: 08:32 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Mon, 30 Jun 2008

The Final Augusta Series Race - Don't Miss It!
Moments like this only come along every once in a great while for those that are lucky, for most it will never come at all. Tomorrow, Tuesday, July 1, 2008 at the Augusta Fairgrounds we will have the culmination of 16 weeks of racing. An epic battle has emerged between Skyland's sprinting star Milo B. and DKNY's emergent roadie Glenn B. Both riders enter the final event of the season tied at 160 points. Westwood Velo's Dave F. sits in third at 147 points. Let's not forget some great racing in the B race with Skyland's John J. sitting in second place just 2 points behind Montclair's Nate M. who has 92 points. For sure, these competitors and their team mates will lay all on the line tomorrow to push their team to that special place at the top of the three boxes! See you at the races.

posted at: 22:19 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Skylands Racers deliver podium performance at NJ State Road Championship!
Due to the 3+ hour drive to Bridgeton, NJ, the 4/5 team arrived at the NJ State Road Race Championships with only two entries. Gene Victori in the cat 4 event and John Jackson in the cat 5 race. Well, it seems with only two riders, each racing solo, against teams with up to 8 members, the Skylands sprinters made it to the podium by both sprinting to 2nd place and taking NJ State silver medals! A big congrats to Gene and John who battled the miles(51 and 34 respectively), the 90+ temps and also had to cover any breakaway attempts on their own without the luxury of having assigned teammates for the job...as the larger teams did, playing to their advantage.
Also a big congratulations to Milo for his 3rd place in the cat 3 race and his second podium in the event as he also finished 3rd in 2007!! The finish also brings Milo within a few points of the chase for the NJ Cat 3 Cup. Note: Skylands produced podium finishes in Cat 5, Cat 4, and the Cat 3 NJ Championship RR...nice job!
To all 4/5 Skylands racers!!! We need more involvement at the races...come on out and be a part of Skylands' success. Let me know what races you would like to attend so the team can make a plan of attack for future races. See you on the bike.
Brian G.

posted at: 22:18 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Thu, 12 Jun 2008

Race of Biblical Proportions
From Blake:
I would like to thank everyone who helped last night at the races. Between myself, Buz and John Autore we were able to get the course in pretty decent shape. At that point in the day, it was so hot, manual labor was not an easy task. Of course during the race we had help from The Kristiansen’s, Eric Stacer, Buz Tomasino, Dan Mitchell and Gary Worth. A special thanks goes to all those who helped score/pack up the course during the “storm of Augusta”, (if I leave anyone out, I apologize) in addition to the fore mentioned, Gene Victori (He picks up the primes every week for the racers)Kevin Kielty, John Autore, Erik Kristiansen, Barry Nazarian were all very helpful.
Thanks also goes out to the Mancuso Family for helping one of our own be able to race last night.
And last but not least – The feeder was John Autore so if you were able to get some of the water as you were flying by, he is why. Not to mention without Bruce there would not have been any water to get. Thanks!!
There are only a few more races left, and they are going to be good. We are down to the wire in the points series!!

From Kevin:
“I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.”
Louisa May Alcott (1832 - 1888)

Last night was the night of sports legends. It was an epic battle of two teams struggling to top one another. There were a variety of characters playing out intricate tactics leading to one of the more spectacular sports endings I have ever seen (I am still not sure what happened on the last lap – and don’t really care!) Thank you all to a spectacular night that I will remember for many years to come.

From Bruce:
Glen and Milo half a wheel difference. Nice!

posted at: 16:27 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Mon, 02 Jun 2008

NJ Individual Time Trial Championship
Congratulations to all who made the trek down to the NJ Pine Barrens for an "Olympic Distance" 40K Time Trial on Sunday, June 1, 2008. It was a hot and dusty day for the Race of Truth. The Skylands Masters we well represented in the field of over 300 cyclist.

Here are the results:
Men's 55+
11. Joe Skorupa 1:04:25 (23.2 MPH)
12. Gerry Ryerson 1:04:35 (23.1 MPH)
13. Frank Noll 1: 05:47 (22.7 MPH)

Men's 50+
17. Brian Gristick 1:02:01(24.0 MPH)
25 Jon Boub 1:07:07(22.2 MPH)

Men's 40+
10. Kevin Keane 1:01:22(24.3 MPH)

I think this is an excellent showing by our club at one of the largest races on the NJ Bike Racing calendar. In the NJ Garden State Cup (TT) points race we currently have Gerry at 10th and Joe in 11th in the 55+ group. There are still three TT's to go in the first half of August (Silvermine, Kingwood Delaware, and Flanders). It will be exciting to see who has the heart and legs to go the distance.

I would love to develop more of a TT interest group in Skylands, especially among the younger and newer riders. If you are new to racing, learning to TT well is important and satisfying skill that will serve you well no what your favorite cycling discipline is. If you have never done one and want to try your hand at one of the last couple of races let myself or Brian Gristick know and we will do what we can to "put you in the zone".

See you on the road soon. Kevin

posted at: 16:09 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Race Up Sunrise Mountain
This past Saturday, May 30, 2008, turned out to be a very nice day for racing. It was however not a great day for hanging out at the top. Similar to a circus with the clown car, we amazed ourselves with how many people we could pack under a tent with food and beverage. And then once again the skies cleared moments after we finished handing out medals. I would like to thank all of the volunteers that helped make this day run so smoothly. Personally I have never been involved in running a race with so many people on hand to help. I am still not sure if we were even able to utilize all of our help. A special thanks goes to our Skylands members who came out to help, Kevin Kielty, Dan Mitchell, Bruce and Linda Kristiansen, Gerry Remsen (helped and jumped on his bike moments after the last race. Way to multi task Gerry!), Gary Worth, Kevin Keane and his amazing scoring set up and Buz Tomasino who also multi tasked by helping and racing. I would also like to thank all of Rob Rohel’s friends who helped out. Their participation was extremely helpful from registration help to follow cars.

Skylands Cyclists had a great day of racing. Jon Kameen who rode for Cervelo but is a Skylands member came in 2nd in the Cat 3/4 race with a time of 15:24. Rob Rohel was right behind Jon with a time of 15:31. In the Cat 5 race, Myles Billard was first to cross the line in 16:03 minutes. Alex Cable was close behind him with a time of 17:38. Eric Stacer followed with 19:03 on the clock. Our newest member, Brenda Collins rode her first race like a champion with a time of 19:35. Way to go, Brenda. Director of Recreational riding, Buz Tomasino finished the race in 22:02 minutes. And our webmaster, Bob Perlee get’s rider of the day for riding as a true friend. Kept Margie Rohel-Borner company on the course and finished with a time of 31:42. In our Open and Non-competitive race, Gerry Remsen assisted me with starting the race and a minute or so later he jumped on his bike and off he went chasing down the group. He finished 8th (out of 27) with a time of 25:50.

Great job everyone! I hope you had fun. See you on the road, Blake

posted at: 16:07 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Thu, 29 May 2008

Garden State Cup Contenders
Congratulation to Brian G. in third in the 45+ Cup Series and Gerry Ryerson and Joe Skorupa who are 2nd and 5th, respectively, in the 55+ Cup Series. Doing well in this season long competition truly takes an all-around cyclist who works at all of the disciplines. This Sunday is the NJ State Individual Time Trial Championship. We will have a few Skylanders down south in the Race of Truth that is next in line for Cup points. Good luck to all.

posted at: 16:22 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Wed, 28 May 2008

Sunrise Mountain Race Supports Local Students
As you know this weekend is the Race Up Sunrise Mountain in honor of Curtis Rohel and the Memorial Scholorship Fund that has been set up in his name. In the past we have had an amazing representation of Skylands members for the Sunrise mountain races and hope to be able to repeat history this year. It is going to be a great day of racing, socializing at the top with food and beverages and then if your legs can handle it, Rob Rohel and some old friends from Action outfitters will be leading a ride through the beautiful roads of the surrounding area. Registration is at www.bikereg.com (event ID 6382). We could also use some additional hands for volunteering as well. So if you don’t feel like racing but would like to help with registration, marshalling, selling of merchandise or scoring please let me know. All positions are fun and exciting. Again, this race is a for a great cause in honor of a special man. The money that we raise on Saturday will help a young student in our area move one step closer to his dreams and goals. Thanks for caring!

posted at: 15:10 | path: | permanent link to this entry

Tue, 27 May 2008

SKYLANDS 4/5 TEAM REPORT
HALL OF FAME CRITERIUM: A huge congratulations to Skyland's 4/5 team member and Garden State Cup 55+ fast guy, Gerry Ryerson, for his perfectly timed sprint into the finish head wind. Gerry's knowledge of his rivals and execution of last lap tactics, gained him his first Garden State Cup victory of the season...surely more to come. Skylands teamate Joe Skorupa held a big part of Gerry's win by chasing down any attempted breakaways and keeping the field together knowing Gerry had the speed to best the field in a sprint. The win puts Gerry in 2nd place for the Cup standings trailing first by a mere one point. Nice work guys! In the Cat 5 race solo Skylands racer, John Jackson was always at the front of the group waiting for any promising move and staying out of trouble (you don't want to hang around the back of a cat 5 peleton...SCAREY!!) Good news: On the last lap, halfway up the short hill before the final turn to the finish, a rider took a dig and John jumped on his wheel for the free ride in his draft. Bad news: As soon as they made the last corner and hit the headwind John's potential leadout man realized his legs can only go that hard for 10 seconds, leaving John in a bad situation...up front, sprinting the final straight into a headwind and pulling the field. He powered with the lead until 20 meters from the finish where the headwind and a 300 meter sprint were too much to overcome. He gamely held on for 3rd. Nice race John! The cat 4 race had Gene Victori once again facing teams with 5+ members each. After numerous breakaway attempts the field was all together for the last lap. Gene was in perfect position at the end of the hill before the final turn until another rider, half out of control, decided he wanted lock bars with Gene. Gene said after "playing hockey" with the guy to get himself free, and slamming him into the boards, all momentum was lost for the sprint. Gene was clearly the faster racer at the line but with the others given a head start and having too much ground to make up he gave it everything he had and squeaked out a 5th place. Another 12 inches and he would have had second, they were that close! You'll get'em next time, nice race. We need more Skyland 4/5 racers to enjoy more racing experiences!!! Let's keep the great results coming! Between the last two events at Bethlehem and the Hall of Fame crits, the Skylands 4/5 team has 2 firsts, 1 third and 1 fifth...in four races!!! The next event is two weekends away, the Watermelon crit at Rutgers...make some plans. See you on the road, Brian.

posted at: 13:46 | path: | permanent link to this entry