2006 WCA News Archive

Florida Native Races Superweek, Returns to Live and Coach in Wisconsin as Cerious Cycling

September 23, 2006

WCA met up with Jon Fraley recently to find outmore about this Florida homeboy who came to race Superweek then moved back for good. Fraley enjoyed immediate success as a rider and he turned his love for the sport into a business of helping others achieve their goals.

Q: Tell us the story of how you ended up in Wisconsin.
A: My team sent me to Superweek in 2005. I raced the series and enjoyed the friendly people ,the beautiful weather,and the cyclist here seemed a bit more devoted. I was following the NRC races for the summer and I ended up in Downers Grove a month later where I saw all of my new Superweek WI buddies. They convinced me to race the WI State Crit. In the mean time I met my now fiancee Tracy and we started dating. I had also been talking with Randy Roth and Billy Jones about riding for Endeavour. So in a short time I had found new love , a new team and all in a beautiful place. Why not move?

Q: How did you get into bike racing?
A: I raced bmx into my late teens. I thought I had outgrown my love of cycling until my brother took me mountain biking. The bug got me again. Then my brother started road racing so I went with him to a local practice crit to watch. I told him: "I could do that." He gave his bike and said "let's see it." I won the next three races in a row and the fever returned. Recently, that feeling was re-ignited by track racing which is like bmx crossed with road racing. Its my other new passion.

Q: What led you to take up the coaching path?
A: I had been working as auto collsion technician since 1998 but after I started cycling I shifted my focus to becoming a professional rider. This led to a pursuit of the NRC calendar which led me to Superweek. This year I found out I was going to be a new Dad which would cut into my abilty to train and work, not to mention how much time a pro cyclist spends away from family. I did not want to return to work in the automotive industry and the next best thing for me to do was turn to coaching.

I had already been pursuing my personal trainer certification. I had been coaching and writing plans for my friends, family and teammates so it was time for me to pursue coaching seriously. Joel Friel said "To truly understand something is to teach it." For me to continue to improve I must teach.

Q: What should someone working with a coach expect?
A: To learn. To be motivated. To understand their bodies and find out what works for you. To excel beyond your former limits and to always improve. At any age or any skill level there can always be a way to improve, physically or mentally.

Q: What is your favorite race in Wisconsin?
A: Once again, the track rules. As far as WCA races go, the State Crit is a great course. Of the Superweek races I liked the Depere course.

Q: Where is your favorite place to ride in Wisconsin?
A: The track in Kenosha is my new favorite place but there are so many other awesome places to ride it's hard to pick one.

Q: What is your favorite Wisco food?
A: I don't eat brats and not much for butter burgers. I don't eat out a lot either bit Ricardos Pizza in the village has a great veggie pizza.

Welcome to Wisco cycling, Jon. Here's your shout out of thanks...

I would just like to thank my Mom and Dad for supporting my dreams. My fiancee, Tracy and our step kids and our son, Trevor, Anna, and Garret for putting up with a lunatic. Randy Roth and Billy Jones and all the rest of the great guys on Endeavour. My former Team Olympus/United Healthcare, John Kern, Ken Taylor, Brett Parks and the rest of teamates for helping me learn how to ride a bike in a straight line. Tim Molique and all of the rest of the people at Florida cycling. Clive and the guys at Glory Cycles: you guys are still helping me win races. Dr. Rich and all the great people at south east Chiro. Dave Sneider and Mark Purdy and the rest of the great guys at Wheel & Sprocket. My new sponsor VC Bikesport with Joe Cienski and Bruce Bock. All of the great people, teams and offcials that make up the WCA --you guys have made me feel like part of your families.,and my little brother who made me love my bike again. I can't forget the rest of my family. my sister, inlaws ,outlaws and all my neices and nephews I love you guys. And of course God... almost forgot him, as we often do. Finally, thanks, Peter Carlos, for bringing me to Superweek and introducing me to my future wife.

Badger Cross kicks off WCA Cyclocross Series on October 1

September 7, 2006

The 2006 Wisconsin Cycling Association kicks off on Sunday, October 1 at Badger Prairie County Park just outside Madison with Badger Cross presented by Capitol Velo Club and Schwinn’s Homegrown Racing team. The popular race course will include a pavement section, fast grassy corners, a log stair run up, and plenty of sand as it winds it way through Badger Prairie County Park.

The Badger Cross race starts the Wisconsin cyclocross season off with a bang with racers treated to Bagels Forever bagels, Boca burgers and JT Whitney’s beverages. With an expanded prize list for 2006, the race is expected to draw some of the Midwest’s best races as Category 1-2 Men and Women will both be competing for $715. Race winners in every category will receive a custom Badger Cross pint glass as well as fabulous merchandise from Timbuk2, A Stone’s Throw, Sock Guy, Williamson Bicycle and Market Street Diner. A free Kid’s race will be held at 12:30pm with medals for all the participants.

This year’s Badger Cross is sponsored by Schwinn, Williamson Bicycle and Fitness, Timbuk2, A Stone’s Throw, Sock Guy, JT Whitneys Pub and Brewery, Bagel’s Forever, Market Street Diner and Boca Burgers.

For more information on Badger Cross visit MadCross.org or contact race director Renee Callaway at rccallaway @ sbcglobal.net.

Wake Up Crossers! It's Time to GET UP!!

August 24, 2006

That's right folks, lace up your spikes and glue on your knobbies, it's time for some crossin'! The 2006 season will be starting October 1st at Badger Prairie Park in Verona, with a sure-fire event hosted by CVC and the Schwinn Regional Team.

Badger Prairie Park affords racers some fun and challenging terrain, and perrenial great weather. Add that to CVC's flawless management and you're in for an awesome day!

New for this year, you can race for the Overall Series Champion Jersey, in addition to the State Champion Jersey! Funded by proceeds from our annual cyclocross awards banquet, each racing category will be competing for a one-of-a-kind Champion Jersey!

To veiw info on the opening race, area cyclocross practices, the full season calendar and everything else 'cross, please visit www.madcross.org!

MadCross Clinic kicks off Wisconsin cyclocross season on September 30

August 24, 2006

Capitol Velo Cub and Homegrown Cycling invite local riders to attend the MadCross Clinic on Saturday, September 30 at Badger Prairie County Park in Verona, WI. This clinic is the perfect way to start your 2006 cyclocross season whether you are brand new to cyclocross or looking to move to the next level.

Join Cycle-Smart, Inc coach, Ben Turner, in an action packed day of instruction. The clinic will consist of demonstrations and practice of various cyclocross skills including mounting/dismounting, handling barriers, run ups, and dealing with different terrain.

At the conclusion of the technique practice, top local racers will take participants out to pre-ride the race course that will be used on October 1 for the Badger Cross race which is the first race in the Wisconsin Cycling Association Cyclocross Series. Participants will be able to practice their skills on the terrain that will be used for racing the very next day.

Clinic participants can ride a cyclocross bike or mountain bike and no prior cyclocross experience is required. Registration is limited to 20. Cost for the clinic is $40. Lunch and snacks are included. Find out more at www.madcross.org.

The Wisconsin Cycling Association Cyclocross Series is comprised of eight races held throughout southern Wisconsin. Racing starts on October 1 at Badger Prairie County Park just outside Madison, WI, and concludes on November 19 in Sun Prairie, WI. A complete schedule is available at the Wisconsin Cycling Association website.

The MadCross Clinic is made possible through the hard work and sponsorship of Capitol Velo Club, Homegrown Racing, Schwinn, Williamson Bicycle and Fitness and MadCross.org.

Contact: Renee Callaway, rccallaway@sbcglobal.net

2006 Cyclocross Schedule Posted

July 20, 2006

2006 Cyclocross schedule posted, click here to see where the action is this fall.

The Benefits of Sports Massage

July 20, 2006

WCA sat down with Jonathan Walton, CMT (certified Massage therapist) to learn about the benefits of massage therapy. There is more to massage than relaxation. The physical relief is an excellent method of aiding recovery and is important to endurance athletes like cyclists.

Q: What is the primary benefit of massage and why is it important for athletes like cyclists?
The type of bodywork that I primarily do is called Ortho-Bionomy® (OB). The main benefits of this type of work is that joints, bones, muscles and tissue can relax and become more balanced in relationship without causing pain or stress. One of the principles of Ortho-Bionomy is that movement is always comfortable. As the client feels and recognizes the sensation of comfort, then change can begin to occur.
Bodywork is important for 2 main reasons.
1) Bodywork serves to restore balance to muscles, joints and soft-tissue. By restoring length to muscles and alignment to joints, you provide space for oxygen and nutrients (food) to reach injured tissue. Without nutrients and oxygen, your body can’t repair itself. With this increased length and relaxation comes a greater sense of ease for you on the bike, because your muscles don’t have to work against your own body’s resistance. Instead your power can be focused against the outside forces at hand, such as pushing/pulling the pedals to propel your body up a hill.
2) As you receive bodywork on a regular basis, your body awareness increases. I have found that cyclists have terrific body awareness in relationship to their bikes, but that this doesn’t necessarily translate to awareness off of the bike. It is not uncommon for a cyclist to notice the changes that occur with movement of a cleat, saddle or handlebar, though the actual external change was small. By tracking the changes that occur inside the body, in addition to outside, problem areas can be spotted and dealt with much faster. As Joan Johnson said in her book, The Healing Art of Sports Massage (1995, Rodale Books, Emmaus, PA.), “Massage is a direct way to increase total body awareness- and it feels great.” It also means being more relaxed both on and off the bike, because you are tracking how where tension is being held and can then release it.

Q: When is the most beneficial time to get a massage if one is an endurance athlete?
This is a highly personal question, which is tied to the overall state of your body. Many athletes start a regimen of bodywork to resolve an injury, but as they recover, they find out that it is useful to have a tune-up periodically. If you are injured, it is important to address it sooner, rather than suffering through it, as this will only increase your recovery time. Post-event bodywork (The day of or up to 2 days after and event) is helpful for reducing the recovery period from a hard workout or race. If your body is in good condition and largely injury-free a good rule of thumb is once a month. In cases involving high stress levels, overtraining or injury, you should see your bodyworker more frequently than this, to speed up your recovery.

Q: What happens to cycling muscles after hours in the saddle?
There are several things happening on the bike during a long ride. The most easily recognizable is fatigue. The muscles that are in the best shape will generally fatigue slower, which is why is important to train using all of your race muscles. The “phasic” muscle groups are those responsible for developing power, such as the quadriceps and are relatively easy to develop, compared to the “tonic” postural muscle groups, like the hamstrings and hip flexors. These “tonic” muscles are more difficult to train and will generally fatigue faster than the faster-developing “phasic” muscles.
An example of this pattern is “Pedaling Squares.” As the hip flexors and hamstrings tire out, the pedal stroke is no longer “round”. The prime hip flexor, the iliopsoas, is shortened when the back is flexed forward; it is a prime area for tension and discomfort on the bike. The iliopsoas figures prominently in low-back pain, which is why it is so important to maintain proper length to the hip flexors.
Another area where fatigue affects performance is in the postural muscles of the torso. With the hands on the drops, the core muscles of the torso must support the upper body. With fatigue, the core muscles tire, especially when they are not trained in this posture (IE, early in season or after riding indoors awhile). Consequently, the arms must take up the slack and support the upper body. This collapses the ribcage and reduces the available lung capacity.

Q: Tell us about your study.
I am currently working with 9 bike racers to study the effect of Ortho-Bionomy as it relates to competitive cyclists. These racers will receive an hour-long session of Ortho-Bionomy every-other week and complete a survey every week about the responses that they notice. The major factors that I am tracking are their initial response the day after a session (changes in comfort, range of motion and sleep patterns) and their response over the subsequent week of riding and/or racing (changes in recovery, perceived exertion, speed over distance and comfort on the bike). It is my hypothesis that increased comfort and relaxation will allow increased speed and distance with a lower perceived exertion. One month into the study, early reports seem to support this hypothesis. My intention with the results of this case-study is to share this material via the Ortho-Bionomy newsletter and with cycling community to aid other bodyworkers in working with athletes.

Q: How did you become involved in sports massage? What do you like best about your work?
My experience with sports massage started during my training in massage at the New Mexico Academy of Healing Arts in Santa Fe. A requirement of the program was performing massage at the Santa Fe Century. This aspect of massage intrigued me and I decided to take a Sports Massage class upon graduation. Since then, I have had occasion to work with athletes in many venues, including 2 years in a physical therapy clinic in Santa Fe. In my practice, my set of skills serves to differentiate me from the other massage therapists. Ortho-Bionomy is direct in its communication with the body and client’s changes happen quickly, allowing me to access problems that other types of bodywork might not resolve.
The problem-solving aspect of my work is what keeps me excited. I am continually learning from my clients. Each session is an exploration where I apply my logic and then verify it through application. When I hear about a client’s changes, I take the satisfaction of being witness to that change. There are not many instances where a hypothesis is developed, tested, executed and evaluated within an hour.

Q: Where are you from, school, hobbies?
I hail originally from Maryland, but I have lived in New England and the Southwest before settling in Madison. After completing a bachelor’s degree in Outdoor Recreation Leadership at Unity College in Maine, I headed for Vermont, then to Santa Fe. It was in Santa Fe that I went to massage school and that I first heard about Ortho-Bionomy. I am in the process of completing the Basic Practitioner Training Program in Ortho-Bionomy, which is a 500 hour training program.
In addition to managing a practice, I also teach sports massage and supervise student massage clinic at Blue Sky Massage School in Madison. I am married to Shannon and we have an active, adorable son who is 1½ years old. Working in our vegetable garden is a welcome break for me at the end of the day. I love my bike and I enjoy commuting on it as often as possible.

For more information about Jonathan’s study, contact him directly at jonathanwaltonbodyworker@yahoo.com.

Endeavour Triple Crown Race Moves to Madison on September 10

August 30, 2006

The third of the Triple Crown race series events has moved to the Research Park Course in Madison. The Research Park course is familiar to most WCA riders. When the rest of Madison has calm winds Research Park will have a 20 knot wind in your face on the uphill portion. Guaranteed.

There are still two riders in contention for the Triple Crown: Kristin Wentworth (IS Corp) and Chris Mantel (Velo Trocodero). Both will be gunning for the overall prize, a healthy $500 each if they can achieve their goal.

Besides the two riders in contention for the Triple Crown there are a number of riders within a few points of taking the overall in the Wisconsin Cup Series. An updated race flyer has been posted on the Wisconsin Cup Schedule page.

The last race in the Wisconsin Cup Series is the State Time Trial Championships on September 17 in New Glarus, just south of Madison.

After the race head to State Street to catch some of the Ironman competition that will be well into the marathon portion of that event. Now there is some suffering!

WCA rider Aaron Bieberitz Passes

July 19, 2006

WCA regrets to report that Aaron Bieberitz, age 31, died on Monday as a result of injuries sustained in a collision with a truck while racing Monday's Tour of Holy Hill Super Week Race. Bieberitz suffered severe internal injuries and died shortly after surgery. Please keep Aaron's family, friends and teammates in your thoughts as they work through this difficult week.

The crash occurred during the International Cycling Classic Road Race near Hartford, Wisconsin. Bieberitz and another rider, Terry Beilfuss, were in a chase group and crossed a intersection in which a truck towing a boat failed to yield. Bieberitz, who was travelling at 30 - 35 mph, collided with the truck, according to Police reports. He was taken to Froetdert Hospital in Milwaukee . Beilfuss suffered no injuries and attended to Bieberitz until medical assistance arrived. The accident is under investigation.

Bieberitz, who was a member of PCW Cycling and FAT KATS was known for his passion for cycling. Bieberitz was actively producing the 2007 FAT KATS jersey and was helping with the LAF ride at Road America. He volunterred his time and knowledge of cycling to the Maywood Training Program, helping people new to cycling train for their first century. He was an enthusiastic supporter of youth cycling programs.

Aaron Bieberitz was self employed developing mobile application for handheld computers. Bieberitz served honorable in the US Army Infantry in Germany and Macedonia after graduating from UW Green Bay .

Memorials may be sent to the Lance Armstrong Foundation http://www.livestrong.org/site/c.jvKZLbMRIsG/b.695473/k.CE49/Donate.htm

The Funeral will be at Lippert-Olson Funeral Home
1132 Superior Ave Sheboygan WI
Fri 7/21 viewing 4-8 PM
Sat 7/22 viewing 9-11 AM
Funeral Services at the funeral home 11 AM
Graveside services, Calvary Cemetery 12 PM

Wisconsin Rider Reporting from Belgium

July 9, 2006

Brett Glembocki, who hails from the Milwaukee area and rides locally for Nova ISCorp is spending the summer training and racing in Belgium at the Cycling Center. He sent in a race report from one of his recent races.

Schaal Schoeters – UCI 1.12, 4/6/06

The day started out unusually sunny and was actually looking as if it were going to get quite warm. In fact it did get warm, it hit 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

The course layout was a large loop of about 80km with 8 tight and twisty local laps for a total of about 160km of Belgian racing fun. No real cobbles, but definitely some “city” cobbles and plenty of roads with a giant wheel eating crevasse in the center.

The race started out with a short neutral roll out that was surprisingly calm. That means it wasn’t a 50 kph neutral roll out. For the first hour the field moved along at a pretty good pace, dodging in and out of all the local town squares and avoiding the almost excessive amount of European road furniture. At this point a group of 14 or so rolled off with none of the five Cycling Center riders in it, not good, but not the end of the world; we still had quite a way to the finish line. Oh, and there was a chase group off that which had about 20 or so in it…hmmm. Not a great situation, but I was able to keep constant tabs on the status of the groups via Bernard Moerman (Cycling Center Director) in the team car.

Once the peloton got within 30km of the local laps the pace and the intensity increased. Shortly after this started to happen I went two or three times with small groups of 4-5 riders, but nobody really wanted to play nice together. So, all of those came back. The same was happening with the rest of my teammates, go and come back. Finally, I went with a group that was willing to work a bit. We drove pretty hard and caught the chase group as we were coming into the first of the local laps and proceeded to drive right though them. At this point we became the chase group of 9 with 11 still up the road. We chased somewhat consistently until 3 laps to go, at that point we were losing steam and the willingness to cooperate was dwindling as well. Within those first couple local laps we lost two riders and then gained two others. With two laps left the group was clearly getting tired and any real chasing was done. I was getting on the empty side of things as well but, definitely had a bit left; some of the snap was gone, but not all gone. Looking at it in retrospect I probably didn’t drink enough early on in the race. I know that I drank well in excess of 10 bottles of water and electrolyte mix. Oh, and one coke, which is awesome when you have about 10km left. Again, thanks must go to the support crew of Bernard and Heert (mechanic) in the Team car and Ann (Bernard’s wife and mother to all of us at the Cycling Center) and Noel (Soigneur) in the feed zones. Really though, I’m not sure how much more I could have drank.

And that last lap… which I am sure you’re wondering about. Well, I ended up with a 20th place, so um… the sprint really didn’t go well at all. There was a left turn with about 250m to go and a right with about 100m to go. Seeing as I had ridden the finishing stretch eight times already I should have opened it up sometime shortly after the final left turn instead of allowing my self to get pinched into the curb/fence on the last turn. All in all, I’ll take it. Sure I made a few mistakes (obviously enough to keep me out of the lead group), but it wasn’t too many, and my fitness is on the up and up.

I feel I must leave one comment in regards to racing in Belgium. There never really are any calm moments. Something is always going on, attacks or whatever it may be. There is just intense racing and moments that are more intense.

Bret Glembocki

Bret.glembocki@blogspot.com

Missing Wheels from Elm Grove Crit

July 3, 2006

A set of Bontrager Race Lite wheels with Bontrager X Lite tires was removed from the wheel pit during the Masters 30+ 4/5 race on Saturday. The race right before was the Masters 45+. Could those of you who raced 45+ check your wheels to see if you took them by mistake? Please let Heidi Mingesz know so she can make arrangements to get the wheels back to the owner. wcatech at earthlink dot net.

Tour de Road America benefiting Lance Armstrong Foundation

July 3, 2006

A fun, family-oriented cycling event. Over 500 auto racing drivers, fans, cyclists, and cancer survivors will ride 2 miles up to 40 miles on the 4-mile Road America race track to raise funds for cancer survivorship. The bike ride takes place in conjunction a weekend of auto racing at Elkhart Lake’s famed racing circuit. Visit www.pelotonride.org for complete details or click here for flyer.

Clinic: Making Safe Group-Ride Etiquette

July 3, 2006

This clinic will address all aspects of group riding including: Riding in Control, Following Traffic Laws, Riding "Two Up", Bike Handling Skills, Riding a Pace Line, Sprinting, Holding a Line, Movement in a Pack. See Flyer.

Blue Mounds Classic

June 27, 2006

If you've never done a Wisport event, the Blue Mounds Classic is a great race to experience the comraderie that Wisport is known for and this year the Blue Mounds Classic features a seperate women's start. The race is a mass start, 24 miles with plenty of hills (many of the same roads as the Horribly Hilly). Recently WCA talked to Doug & Muriel Nagle (Atkins Racing--a new WCA Club) took time to tell WCA about the Blue Mounds event.

Q: How long has Wisport run the Blue Mounds event and how did you get involved in running the event?

The Atkins Club has a long history with this race as part of the WiSport cycling series. What is now the Blue Mounds classic began in the early 90's as the Capital City Classic, with a start at Riley Tavern. We have run multiple courses over the hills over the years, and have settled on the current course as one of the best. My first bike race in Wisconsin, as a brand new member of the Atkins Club, was the original Capital City Classic. The terrain was tough, the post-ride festivities were great, and the balance of camaraderie and competition of the Atkins club and the WiSport events hooked me on racing. I knew I was a reasonably strong rider, but would not have tried racing without the healthy level of competition and "normally obsessed" fun-loving atmosphere of WiSport www.wisport.org/schedule. Our club www.atkinscrc.com also runs a time trial on August 26. Our members participate in USCF and WiSport events, cyclocross, and triathlons including the Ironman. We would love to see more women at our club events.

Q: You have a separate women's start time this year. How many women would you like to have on the start line and what prompted the move to a separate start?

We would love to have 20-40 women at the start at Blue Mounds. We are trying a separate women's start primarily to see if a separate field would get more women out to race. We want this to be a fun and interesting event for women at all levels of cycling. WiSport had twice as many women racing ten years ago than it does today. From talking with women who race, and those who might like to but don't about what they value, several themes emerged. A separate field seemed attractive because it offers the possibility of a more strategically interesting race, where you and your competitors are directly competing on the course, rather than looking for each other in a large field. Other women (and some of the men, as well) thought that smaller field sizes the women start offers might make for a safer racing. We know there are women out there who might race if the conditions suited them, and we are piloting the women's start hoping they will be there on race day!

Q: What do riders like about this course?

Riders love this course because it includes some of the prettiest roads in Dane County, not to mention the view from the Start Village in Brigham Park. Riders love to HATE this course, too! It is relentlessly, steeply, hilly. We'd love all those women who were at the Alpe de Bl'uez TT and the Horribly Hilly Hundreds to test their climbing legs at Blue Mounds on July 15. Some riders like it because it's been a safe race..the hills split the field up into a lot of groups out on the road. I think the home-baked chocolate chip cookies and a keg of Berghoff beer have helped make this a popular race, too!

Q: What's your favorite place to eat post ride?

As for myself, it just might be home! I live on Lake Monona, and like to jump in the lake, then have a glass of wine on my deck and watch the last light of day after a hard ride! My teammate Heidi Ploeg recommends Blue Sky Café for pie and coffee, and Sole E Sapori for pasta dinner.

Beautiful August Tour

June 27, 2006

Click here for info on the Ledge View Bicycle Tour; a beautiful ride on the east side of Lake Winnebago: http://www.co.calumet.wi.us/departments2.iml?dept_id=70#259.

Dear Wisconsin Rider

May 11, 2006

What follows is a letter from organizer, Paul Merwin, in Minnesota. He does a nice job of describing how a race looks from an organizer's view. If you race a bike in Wisconsin, or are the parent or spouse of a rider in Wisconsin, you need to read this. This letter says it all--and we need all Wisconsin riders to "get" the picture on how little it takes to ruin a good thing. After you've read the letter, think about how you can take a leadership role in your club/team/group to teach others who may not know better. *All* of us need to lead by example when it comes to public relations and our sport.

Date: Mon, 8 May 2006 22:37:45 -0700 (PDT)
From: Paul Merwin <pmerwin1@yahoo.com>
To: mcf@mcf.net
Subject: [Mcf] Hard Truths abouut bike racing

Most of you may not know my name, which is probably not surprising. Other than my glorious but brief Cat 4 heydey in '98-99, I’ve never distinguished myself much on the road. I have, however, done a few other things. I have been director of the Minneapolis stage of the GREBF/ NVGP for the past 3 years and the St. Paul stage before that, directed the Campus Criterium, volunteered, officiated or consulted at numerous local events, served as paid staff at the Tour of California, and was invited to work at the Tour of Georgia.

I don’t bring any of this up for credit. If I really cared about it you’d probably know my name by now. I’m just hoping it will buy me one long rambling email worth of credibility.

A few weeks ago I would have said that racing in Minnesota was in danger of being relegated to industrial-park criteriums. Now after the problems at Opus, it seems I might have been a bit too optimistic.

Don’t get me wrong- there has been some great racing the last couple of weeks. Ken Woods and Avon were great races. However, even at these great events, I saw a lot of questionable moments, including:

1. A rider cross the finish line, run into the church park, and urinate on a tree. He was about 50 yards from both the porta-potties and the church ladies selling brownies.

2. Recently finished riders standing on an open highway in front of an oncoming dump truck.

3. Three riders, off the back and well out of contention, riding three abreast over a blind hill as traffic approached from behind.

4. Riders who missed a turn (on their second lap) berate a volunteer course marshal.

5. A vehicle feeding a rider out the window while straddling the yellow line with, you know it, oncoming traffic.

I wish I could say it was all new riders, but no such luck.

Besides the obviously safety issues (A DUMP TRUCK, PEOPLE!), it is getting harder and harder to keep race courses. Promoters work their asses off to make events happen, which usually involves a lot of negotiation with local police and officials and promises about how we’ll be safe and won’t block traffic and won’t inconvenience residents and won’t and won’t.

Here’s what it comes down to: We don’t race in stadiums, where everyone is there to watch us and everything revolves around the event. We race in the real world and we share it with everyday people going about their lives. We are not invited to race in most venues. We are permitted to be there.

When I was younger, I didn’t appreciate the difference. My attitude was that “I was there to race,” so obviously I had special needs and privileges. I was wrong.

There are some basic hard truths we need to come to grips with:

1. Being in a race doesn’t make you special. It doesn’t give you special parking privileges, or the right to urinate in someone’s driveway, or change clothes in a grocery store parking lot. We race in the real world, where most people we encounter don’t give a damn that there’s a race going on. We don’t have extra privileges. We have extra responsibilities to convince people that having races is a good thing.

2. We race on open roads. If you aren’t in the pack with a follow car behind you, you need to ride to the right. It’s a matter of safety and of public relations. Worst case, you are asking to get leveled by a pickup truck on a blind curve. Less drastic but more likely, the local sheriff
will be flooded with complaints from residents who got stuck behind multiple off-the-back riders. Is it trivial and petty? Yes. Is it devastating to keeping race courses? Yes. Is it a necessary fight for us to be having? No. Move over a couple of feet.

3. Thank volunteers. If a course marshal sends you the wrong way, say thank you. By the way, course marshals are not there to help you find the course. They are there to stop you from being hit by a car.

4. Volunteer yourself. Help put on a race. Putting on races is like riding in a pack. If everyone takes a pull, it’s not so hard. If one guy gets stuck on the front for too long, he’ll burn out. The same dozen people can’t work every race. Cycling alone does not support itself. We are not hiring race staffs with our sponsorship endorsements and ticket sales. Forgive me for being blunt and overstretching the metaphor, but if you are a racer who does not volunteer, you are a wheel sucker riding off the efforts of others.

I could go on but I hope I’ve made my point. Besides, I’m not this guy and I don’t really want to be. I don’t want to be the guy yelling for you to get out of the highway because a dump truck is coming. If that’s what it takes to put on races, I get a lot less interested.

I know that if you've read this far, you probably didn't need to. But spread the word. Tell your teammates and pack mates. We can do better.

Thanks, and good riding.

Paul Merwin

Date: Wed, 10 May 2006 23:37:32 -0700 (PDT)
From: Paul Merwin <pmerwin1@yahoo.com>
To: mcf@mcf.net
Subject: [Mcf] constructive follow up

Thanks for the overwhelming positive response to my earlier rant. Thus encouraged, I thought it might be appropriate if I followed up with something a bit more constructive. I spent my last email listing a number of complaints. So here are few suggestions to make things better.

1. Most obviously, don’t do the stuff I listed in my first email and don’t let your friends and teammates do it either. There is really no excuse you could give someone outside of the racing world that won’t sound ridiculous. “Well, you see, I had to cross the yellow line in front of a
dump truck because I had to stay on the wheel of Racer X.” “Of course I had to stand in the middle of a busy county highway after my race. I was . . .” Look, I can’t even come up with a fake good reason for that one.

I know it is hard to nag someone. But hey, too bad. We all have to bear a bit of the burden. Officials and promoters can’t spend all day nagging riders to act like sane adults, and they don’t want to. You can help by doing it once in a while. Be diplomatic.

2. Do some volunteering. Almost every race seems to be one volunteer away from collapse, so you can have a big impact It doesn’t have to be hard and it doesn’t have to be standing on a corner for three hours.

Here’s a few suggestions:
-Tired of never having a wheel vehicle or a sag wagon? Offer to drive one or bring a friend to do it.

-Got any construction skills? Build some “bike race ahead” signs and/or offer to haul one to a race.

-Any other professional skills? Printer? Flyers and community notice. Medical? Event first aid. Food service? Food for volunteers. Lawn service? Mow my lawn.

-Live where a race will be? Offer to do community notice. For example, I notify people that park within the street closures of the Minneapolis race course by putting flyers on their cars during the day. If you work in downtown, 15 minutes of your lunch break could save me an hour or more.

For countryside road races, they always need help notifying residents. Andy Dahl is organizing races in Stillwater, Northfield, and Mankato. He lives in Minneapolis. Somebody please help the man out.
-Got any business connections? Get them to sponsor something.

-In general, just ask a promoter what they need. You never know when a few minutes of your day will save hours of a promoter’s workload. The saved opportunity cost might give them a chance to make your race that much better-- score a sponsor for a better prize list, or find a wheel
truck

To slip back on the negative side for a second: don’t tell me you don’t have time. If you have time to race and train, you have time to squeeze in one volunteer shift. It’s part of the price of admission.

Recognize that if you do volunteer at an event, you aren’t doing the organizer a favor. You’re working together for the same goal. Organizers may be putting in 20, 50, 100, or more hours to make an event happen and they are asking you to work a 3 hour volunteer shift. Who’s doing whom a favor?

3. Cut race organizers some slack. It’s enough work without doing unnecessary stuff, like answering a hundred emails asking for directions. Use mapquest yourself. Results will be posted when they’re posted. Asking about it won’t make it faster. Learn the difference between the things that race organizers can control and what the officials are in charge of.

4. Race Directors and Promoters : Up your game. We can’t just set up a folding table in a parking lot anymore. We have to do things by the book. At road races we take non-uniformed civilians, give them (maybe) 10 minutes of training, and send them out on highways to stop traffic going 65 mph. We should at least give them real training.

At Ken Woods and Avon, we trained them according to the Uniform Manual on Traffic Safety. Sure, we did it at first because the sheriff made us, but it was a good idea. We had signs warning motorists there was an event, and marshals were wearing full regulation reflective vests and had stop signs mounted on poles. (Stop signs: Victory Safety Supply on Raymond
Ave. in St. Paul, $14; pole=PVC pipe: local hardware store, super cheap). Or find another promoter. Borrow or pool resources. NVGP uses about 100 work vests - we own about half and the City of Lakes Loppet owns the other half, and we swap. Spring for some real road signs and barricades. Call Jamie at United Rentals Highway Tech. Tell him I sent you.

If we don’t start doing taking this more seriously, local officials will either force us to pay for police to do it (not a horrible idea), or just shut us down all together.

By the way, everything I just went through is still less than USA Cycling regards as a bare minimum for a safe event.

5. Fly the flag. If you are racing in a town, fill up in their gas station and eat at the diner. Tell them you’re with the race. Spend some money locally. Tell them you enjoyed their town. Thank them. Write a nice letter to the local paper.

Let’s make races easier to put on and more fun. Let’s get along better with our host communities. Let’s make it possible for organizers to put on races and still have time to ride their own bikes (please).

OK, I think I’ve gotten this out of my system. No more emails from me until I start begging for NVGP volunteers. C’mon, do me a favor.

Paul Merwin

Team Profile Update Request

March 21, 2006

All WCA member clubs are invited to update their team profile on the WCA page. The team profile is a great way to advertise your club sponsors and is free to WCA clubs.

To update your team profile, go to the “Wisconsin Cup” link on the home page and click on “team profiles.” Find your team profile, do a copy/paste onto a new document and update away. Send your updated profile along with a current jpeg of your team jersey to: raeichers @ charter.net.

Superweek Adds Masters Cat 4/5 Races

June 27, 2006

The International Cycling Classic (aka Superweek) has added a five-day series of Masters Cat 4/5 races to the 2006 schedule starting on July 8. Visit www.internationalcycling.com for more information and online registration.

State Road Photos Available

June 20, 2006

Podium shots from the Spring Prairie and Back Roads TT can be found on the Beans & Barley website and they are FREE! Check them out here:
http://www.teambeansandbarley.com/members/modules.php?name=gallery2&g2_itemId=138.

Fit for Women Bike Demo Tour Comes to Waterloo

June 20, 2006

The Fit for Women Bike Demo Tour is scheduled to make a stop at the Trek headquarters in Waterloo on July 5th. To learn more, click here.

State Road Race Recap

June 15, 2006

Perfect temperatures, lovely hills and high turnout made the 2006 edition of the Wisconsin State Road Race Championship a stellar one.

Organizers One Percent More racing did a fine job of accommodating riders by creating a second field of category 4/5 riders. According to Kurt Otter, “we split the 4/5s into two fields, both with over 70 riders. One field was all Wisconsin riders and the other was all Illinois riders so we had a clean Wisconsin Championship race, the out of state riders had a competitive race and we were able to meet the USCF field limits.”

While sitting in the parking field, next to Aon’s coffee trailer this reporter was able to get comments from riders returning from battle. Ben Lund of Endeavour (aka “Red Trucker”) raced the 30+ open and was 2nd in the field sprint for 3rd overall. “John Van Susteran took off on lap 1 and I was in a chase group of 7 but we didn’t catch JV.”

Greg Beittler (Brazen Dropouts), known for his finishing kick was happy to have finished a road race. “Spring Praire: 0; Greg Beittler: 7!” was his score on the day for having climbed the hill (successfully) seven times.

John Van Susteran (Lakes Area PT) was surprised that he got away. “I had no idea we had a gap, I looked back and saw the gap so I kept going. It wasn’t the plan but I got in the zone.” For the record, John loves his new bike (see photo) and his teammate Jon “I don’t like hills” Voigt was second overall and first in the 30-34 age group.

For the women’s side of things the field split the first time up the hill with Julie Foertsch and Rebecca Anderson leading the climb. Julie is a consistent Masters RR National Champion who likes this course and was happy to be in the winning break. On lap two the break was established with two Dairyland Riders (Anderson, Klemko), Foertsch (Straight Up Racing) and Kristin Wentworth (IS Corp). In the end, Wentworth’s decisive attack on the final climb was too much to cover and she successfully defended her RR title, with Klemko and Foertsch rounding out the podium for 2nd and 3rd (See photo).

In the mens 4/5 Wisconsin field Brandon Crawczyk (Lakes Area PT) took the top step of the podium, followed by John Alvarez (Endeavour) and Will Stoffel (Brazen Dropouts).

As always in large races there is the requisite line for the porta johns and that line made for easy interviewing of riders in the pre-race mode.

• Matt Welch (Clif Bar) thought it was a little chilly but was looking forward to the 3s race.
• Kurt Refsnider (all9yards.com) of Madison was wishing it was raining.
• Brit Stanley (XXX racing) competed in the women cat 4 race; she like the course and loved the wind.
• Michael Anderson (Endeavour) was getting his game on for the 1, 2 race but was keeping his expectations fair given he was recovering from being sick.
• Steven Scholzen (IS Corp) was looking forward to his first 1,2 race after upgrading.

Womens Podium: Kristin Wentworth(1st), Natalie Klemko (2nd), Julie Foertsch (3rd).

Rebecca Anderson getting the crash kinks worked out with the massage therapist and chiropractic department of the first class event.

Kim and Sara, massage therapis and chiropractor taking a break in the Start Village.

Eaon, proprietor of the best coffee trailer anywhere and his assistant, Nancy serving up the best in liquid courage.

John Van Susteran and his new Scott bike, a winning combination.

Sean Zuckerman's (Endeavour) pink Cannondale--that he picked up in Texas for $300 because no one wanted a pink bike. Too bad for them, and Sean gets style points for knowing that pink is the new black!

Sean Shields grabbed a top 10 in the mens 4/5 race and rewarded himself with some anti-oxidants in the form of organic chocolate, which attracted chocolate fiend Anna Dierking.

Brandon Crawczyk (LAPT) 1st, John Alvarez (Endeavour) 2nd, and Will Stoffel (Brazen Dropouts) 3rd.

A smooth running registration operation, thanks to the stellar organization of the One Percent More crew.

What promises to be a beautiful sunset; the sun going down over the porta johns.

Cycling TV!!

June