Kenda Professional MTB Team

Roaring In

2010-09-29T07:42:00.000-07:00

It started as a whisper. A slight smell in the air, a hint of cold in the morning. Really, it gave me plenty of warning but I chose to ignore it, not wanting to admit that summer was coming to a close. There's no ignoring it now though. Every leaf in town exclaims, "Fall!"

Fall is actually my favorite time of year in Colorado. Cool nights give way to warm afternoons that continually re-define the term "bluebird day." Trails are tacky and can be ridden without an agenda since most major races are behind me. Yet there is still a certain urgency in the air. Knowing that in a few weeks it may snow and put an end to mountain biking for months is all the motivation one needs to get out the door.

The team spent several days last week in Las Vegas at Interbike and now are beginning to turn their focus to cyclocross and the final mtb race of the year, Iceman.
-Andy

Jury Duty Would Have Been Better...

2010-08-23T04:13:00.000-07:00

Well, turns out jury duty may have been the better choice after all. Who would've thought? About an hour into the first stage of the Breck Epic, I was descending a high speed fire road when I got caught in a rough line, hit a rock awkwardly and lost my front wheel. It was a hard fall, but I took inventory of my bones and bike (both fine) and started in pursuit of the leaders. Almost right away I knew something was wrong because I was breathing really rapidly for my level of exertion. I knew there was an aid station a few miles away, and began a very, very slow walk. I thought maybe I'd just bruised myself and would recover enough to finish the stage after some time with the nice aid station folks, but I continued to be short of breath and every bump in the road was painful--not conducive conditions for a high altitude mountain bike race. I got a ride to my car from...Dave, I believe ( a Breck ski patroller) and headed to the ER where they declared I'd collapsed some of my lung. Hopefully it heals itself over night and I can avoid getting a tube put in there. In the meantime I'm kicking back and prepping for a new Mad Men, which is probably what I'd be doing anyways--just not in a hospital bed while hooked up to an IV and oxygen. Bummed to say the least; even after just an hour it was clear to me that the Breck Epic is a sweet race.

Fool's Gold and other Team News

2010-08-22T19:16:00.000-07:00

Amanda Carey wins her 3rd NUE Series race, taking the Fo0l's Gold 100 in conditions so bad, the race was shortened to spare the athletes. Amanda is now 3 for 3 in the NUE Series races she's entered this season. She'll be going for the series title in a few weeks.

Colin is off and running at the Breck Epic. Updates coming all week long.

Read Judy's "My Life as a Bike Jockey on Singletrack.com

Athlete Update from Andy Schultz

2010-08-21T04:21:00.000-07:00

After Nationals I have gone into hibernation from racing. Prior to Nationals I raced five weekends in a row and I felt like it was time to take advantage of a gap in the schedule to focus on training and getting faster as opposed to tapering for races every weekend. My training block started off with a bunch of long high country rides in Durango. These rides are all over 10,000 feet so the weather window to ride them is really small so it was nice to have a chance to take advantage of them. The air is so thin up there it feels like you are breathing through a straw but it is worth it to ride ribbon thin singletrack with a backdrop of peaks and wildflowers. The monsoon season is here which means we get some rain almost every afternoon. This leaves the trails tacky and my Small Block 8's stick to the them like white on rice and I've been ripping some really fun descents. After I got my fill of thin air I began to draw down the volume and bring up the intensity in preparation for the final races of the season. This weekend I'll crawl out of my hibernation cave and stretch with a Mountain States Cup race in Telluride, CO and then it will be time to hop on a plane and head to NY for the final big race of my season, the Windham World Cup.

Athlete Update from Colin Cares

2010-08-21T04:19:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, the stage profiles for the Breck Epic looked innocent
enough. Now however, with the start fast approaching and some pre-rides
under my belt, the reality of what those squiggly profile lines indicate
is beginning to set in. I got some sage advice about recovery from
Amanda, which seems to be one of the biggest factors in a stage race like
this. In that respect, I should be in good hands since Hammer Nutrition
will be present providing valuable product and information. Today, I’ve
been getting my bike dialed and set-up with fresh Small Block 8 tires,
which I’ve found to be super reliable, both in terms of handling
characteristics and being tough to cut or burp. Still, having confidence
in my equipment only assuages my fears so much…I still have to do the
riding.

My participation in this race was actually thrown into jeopardy yesterday
when I reported for jury duty and was selected to a jury for a case that
was expected to last through next week. I had to stand up in front of the
judge, lawyers, and 60 other prospective jurors and describe my situation.
The judge seemed quite skeptical that I was professional mountain bike
racer and was unsympathetic, to say the least. After quite a bit of
pointed questioning, I was finally dismissed and practically ran out of
the courtroom before he could change his mind.

With a little luck finding internet access in Breckenridge, I’ll post
daily race reports for those that want to follow my progress. No matter
how much I suffer, it will still be better than jury duty.

Athlete Update from Judy Freeman

2010-08-16T19:02:00.001-07:00

After Nationals, August started out with the Crankworx festival in Winter Park. I finished in 4th on the 26 mile point-to-point past the neighboring town of Fraiser back to the Winter Park Resort. The next weekend was the Colorado State Championships at Keystone. Amanda and I both rolled up to the XC and pulled in 3rd and 2nd respectively. Keystone has a lot of climbing, but a sweet descent payoff. The next day's short track brought another 2nd place...ah..next year! Decided to head to high country for a little riding in Crested Butte and on Monarch Crest trail. 3 days of R&R. We'll not really, someone in the group was always turning the screws. But it was 3 days of epic climbs, epic views and super sweet single track descents. Next stop....the World Cup Series Finals in Windham, New York with Andy. Wish us luck!

Leadville and Winter Park Updates

2010-08-16T14:22:00.001-07:00

Amanda Carey took 2nd place at the Leadville 100 on Saturday, August 14th. This year was an epic battle for the top spot which carried on most of the race. After being attacked in the feed zone, Amanda spent the next few hours making up ground on the 10 minute gap. She was undone by a flat tire on a downhill section which sealed the 2nd place finish. Still, she managed a top 50 overall (men and women) and beat her previous best times finishing the 100 miler in just over 8 hours.

In men's racing, Colin Cares won the Mary Jane Circuit Race in Winter Park, CO which was contested on August 14th. This win adds to Colin's season of podium finishes. His next event is the Breck Epic Stage Race

Kenda - Felt MTB Team Update for July 2010

2010-07-29T08:20:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy July the Kenda - Felt Mountain Bike Team. The month started with the Firecracker 50 which doubled as the US Marathon National Championships. Although we had high hopes for this event, luck was not on our side. Colin Cares, running in a podium spot suffered a catastrophic flat from the detritus on course ending his day. Andy Schultz also ended his day early with a header on the first lap causing him a slight concussion. Amanda Carey also struggled to find her rhythm ending her sting of wins on the marathon circuit. As we say, that's bike racing.

The following weekend the team headed to Colorado Springs for the final event on the ProXCT calendar. This was a 2 event weekend with both time trial and cross country events. Colin and Amanda took top 10's in the TT with Judy Freeman rounding out in 11th place. We'll note here that Judy hadn't been able to train all of June due to family emergencies (more on that later). The following day, Judy took the top 10 in the cross country with Amanda following close behind.

From there, the team headed to Granby, CO for the US National Cross Country Championships. Again, Judy put on a strong performance taking a top 10 in the cross country and following that up with a 6th place in the short track. On the men's side, Colin had one of his finest days since moving up to the senior ranks taking 7th place in the short track. Andy was close behind finishing the day in 11th place.

The last event for the month was the Teton Pass Hill Climbs, a combination event with back to back road and mountain climbs. Best cumulative time wins. Amanda Carey took on this challenge with delight, winning the event and setting new course records in the MTB portion and the overall.

August will be a busy month for the team. Andy, Colin and Judy are attending Crankworks this coming weekend, then heading to the Keystone Revival Mountain States Cup on August 7th. Amanda will be participating in the Leadville 100, Fools Gold 100 and the Shennandoah 100 on Labor Day. She is going for the overall win in the NUE series. With 2 wins already booked, she is on track to complete that task. Towards the end of August, Judy will be racing at the Windham World Cup where she hopes to ride as a member of the US National Team. Colin will take on the Breck Epic stage race.

We also want to pay our respects to Judy's family after the loss of her father in late May. Judy and her family were fortunate to be with him in his last days. We're reminded again of the importance of family and that the bikes will be there when the time is right to ride.

Until next time,

Kenda Felt MTB Team

Colin's Race Report - Too much sleep?

2010-07-20T09:07:00.000-07:00

I have the nap monster to blame for my lack of updates lately. Nap
monster, for those who don’t know, is what one turns into after an
alarm-less afternoon nap. This debilitating condition, characterized by
lethargy and grumpiness, is usually treated easily with sunshine and green
tea. On rare occasions, however, such as frequent hard training blocks
and races, it can last days, which is the state in which I’ve been finding
myself a lot lately. While I’m not very productive as a nap monster, I
figure it indicates that I’ve adequately extended myself in training and,
with rest, can expect to a boost in fitness. That’s the idea at least.

After the Teva games, I took advantage of two consecutive weekends off of
racing to do as many long climbing rides as I could handle in anticipation
of Marathon and XC Nationals. Sometimes I wonder whether I truly target
races, or whether races are just convenient justification to spend my days
exploring the mountains with a pocket full of bars and a good Pandora
station. Big dinners and early bedtimes cap off these gratifying training
days. Ah, the wild times of a bike racer.

While this type of training ostensibly set me up well for the Colorado
races, it didn’t leave me with the kind of rested, punchy legs necessary
to excel at a sea level, world-cup style race like the Wisconsin Pro XCT.
I managed a 17th in the XC and a 10th in the STXC, which, given the solid
international fields, was actually a big confidence booster going into the
slew of Colorado races, including the Firecracker 50 (aka US Marathon
National Championships).

The Firecracker 50 being a home race of sorts for me, I was admittedly
fired up to do well. Half way up the first long road climb, I knew I was
feeling good and settled into a conservative pace that I felt I could
maintain for the entirety of this VERY hard race. I was sitting
comfortably in 4th behind JHK, Sam Schultz, and roadie Pete Stetina (who
eventually crashed out) with mostly descending to go when I heard an
alarming THWAP, THWAP, THWAP sound coming from my rear triangle. I jumped
off my bike to discover an ancient looking 4-inch nail had pierced
straight through both my tire and rim. Running I adrenaline, I tore off
the tire and got a tube in before next-placed Dave Weins came by, only to
botch the change by snapping off the valve stem when I went to hit it with
a Big Air CO2. When it comes to fixing a flat, I guess there’s a fine
line between just enough and too much adrenaline. I vented most of my
frustration in the relative privacy of the woods and began the long walk
of shame back to the feed zone. I kept the nail, and I think I’ll use it
to hang a rabbit’s foot or a horseshoe or something, thereby nullifying
its bad karma and preventing it from every harming another Karma tire
again.

After such a hard race, I’ve been voraciously consuming fruits and veggies
in addition to Hammer supplements to combat the dreaded nap monster and
recover in time for the Colorado Springs Pro XCT time trial this Friday.
It’ll be a hard three-day chunk of racing, but hopefully the perfect
primer for the XC National Championships in Granby, CO the following
weekend. I hear it’s a newly cut course, which hopefully means it won’t
intersect with any old mining roads where there are likely to be nails.

WORS Report

2010-06-29T09:08:00.000-07:00

Wisconsin Report

Colin and I are currently on our way home from a weekend of racing in Wisconsin. On tap for the weekend was the second to last ProXCT race of the year. The ProXCT series partnered with WORS (Wisconsin Off Road Series) to put on a race at Mt. Morris Nordic area in the middle of Wisconsin.

The reputation of WORS precedes itself. It is known to be one of the strongest mountain bike series in the country. It didn’t disappoint.

I had my doubts about the race on Friday. Colin and I showed up to preride the course and we were one of three vehicles in the parking lot. There were also only three team trailers around. Things changed dramatically between then and mid-day Saturday though. When we arrived for the race the parking lot was packed and a field next to the race was filled with tents and campers.

WORS designed a great course that passed within a hundred yards of the Start/Finish multiple times on each of our six laps. That made it a very spectator friendly course and the spectators showed up. In some sections they were three deep and screaming loudly. This race definitely had the best fans of any race I have been to.

While Colin and I’s results weren’t spectacular we still gave it our all and got a lot of cheers for Kenda.

Next we head to Colorado for three big races in a row. First up is Marathon National Championships in Breckenridge. Next is the final ProXCT race of the year in Colorado Springs. Finally, we’ll race in the National Championships at Sol Vista. I think all of us are looking forward to getting to altitude and racing some races that suit our strengths.

More about the weekend on my blog.

Triple Crown # 3-Hoo Ha Race Report

2010-06-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I made the journey out to Virginia for the final race in the Triple Crown MTB Race Series. I had mixed emotions coming into the weekend. On one hand the race was on the east coast, which generally means roots, rocks, and MUD. I am terrible at riding in muck and wasn’t looking forward to that aspect. But on the other hand I was looking forward to checking out a new part of the country for me and seeing a new venue.

Well, my trepidation about the mud went unrealized. The course was still rocky but there was no mud to be found, only tacky dirt. And the venue didn’t disappoint. The Shenandoah Bicycle Community has done amazing things with this trail system. They have built many big banked turns and spent days moving gigantic boulders around to make a bunch of features on the trails.

First up for the weekend was the Super D. I’m not known for my descending prowess but I amazed myself by tying for 5th place. After an early bobble I focused on riding smooth and pinning it on any uphill. The strategy worked pretty well.

Later that day I toed the line for the STXC. I spent most of the day 50 yards off of the two leaders, unable to fully bridge. I was able to take advantage of crash in the last corner of the race and take 2nd place. This is my strongest showing in a STXC ever.

The final event of the weekend was the XC race on Sunday. I was feeling pretty good about my fitness after the previous day’s two events but unfortunately Murphy’s Law struck. It started when I bent a chainlink near the beginning of the race. I tried to continue to ride with the bent link but my chain was skipping all over the place whenever I put down any power so I pulled off the trail, used a chain tool to pull out the broken link and then assembled my chain with a “Quick Link” that I type to my bike. After the chain was fixed I knew that a great result was out of the question but instead just focused my effort on passing as many people as I could. That was more difficult than it sounds because the uphill was almost all on singletrack and people weren’t too keen on letting me by. I did my best though and worked my way through the field only to hit a rock really hard on the downhill and hear the dreaded “hisss” of a flat tire. I was able to get the Stan’s “No Tubes” sealant in my tire to seal the leak and was able to continue racing, only needing to stop to fill my tire with my Big Air twice.

In the end I finished well enough in the XC to end up in 5th place for the weekend. The result also secured a 2nd place in the overall Triple Crown Series. Despite the frustrating mechanicals it was still a great weekend and I’m happy with the overall result.

Mohican 100 Report

2010-06-11T08:26:00.000-07:00

The Mohican 100 was the 2nd stop on the 2010 NUE (National Ultra-Endurance Calendar). I met the race director, Ryan O’Dell, at last year’s Iceman where he convinced me to come to his race and he did not disappoint! He put on an excellent event that attracted hundreds of racers from all over the country. Everything he had under his control was totally dialed. What he couldn’t control, the weather, was absolutely insane.

It rained every day during the week leading up to the race, including a tornado warning and golf ball size hail the afternoon before. I was able to sneak in 2 short spins on the pavement during the 2 days leading up to the race without getting hailed on but both days were close calls.

When my alarm went off at 4am on race morning it was pouring buckets. Even though I am accustomed to riding in the high, dry desert west, I am becoming more confident in my abilities to ride in wet conditions, especially after my last 2 ultra event wins (Cohutta and Dirt Sweat and Gears) have been in the mud. Plus, I know my equipment was up for the shallenge. My 1.9 Kenda Karmas are the best xc mud tire out there, my Felt Nine tackles wet technical roots and rocks like a steam roller, my crank brothers pedals clear mud extremely well, my Pearl Izumi Octane shoes have sturdy Velcro closures that stay fastened no matter what and my KMC chain is just flat out stupid strong. In these kinds of conditions, good equipment is often more important than your fitness. This year’s Mohican 100 was as much a race of who’s equipment would function the longest as it was about fitness, so I am extremely grateful to the many generous sponsors who gave me gear that could withstand the conditions!

600 racers lined up in downtown Loudonville, OH and were promptly off at 7am. A 1.5 mile pavement climb did a good job of separating out the crowds until we got to the first bottleneck, a wet sloppy marsh like grass field that quickly displayed what the rest of the day would be like. Muddy, slick and difficult.

I rode comfortably with the eventual 2nd place woman, Cheryl Sorensen, through the first 20 miles of wet, rooty and twisty singletrack until Aid Station 1, carefully metering my efforts on the short punchy climbs, avoiding passing and just riding smartly. Because I stopped into the first Aid Station and she did not, we became separated for the next 8 miles. I struggled to chase her down after 2 separate mechanicals robbed me of more precious time. I eventually caught back on and we pulled into Aid 3 at mile 46 together (which was in a very nice volunteer’s garage!) We were elated to see a man with a power washer washing bikes while we stuffed our pockets and filled our bottles with complimentary Hammer Nutrition products. I left the aid station just slightly ahead of Cheryl and continued to ride in the lead and solo for the rest of the day.

At about mile 50 the course began to open up more into double track, paved and dirt roads, allowing me to maximize my ability to ride flats to make up some time. I was struggling to find my climbing legs all day, so I knew that I had to take full advantage of the flats. I also finally started to feel stronger about 5 hours in, giving me confidence in my ability to push the pace a little harder.

The theme of the day was discipline, as I had to stay extremely disciplined to deal with the conditions to keep my body and bike working. That meant stopping in stream crossings, cupping my hands, splashing clean my drive train then applying generous amounts of chain lube. It meant not forcing shifts if they weren’t happening, requiring me to get off my bike a lot in the middle of steep hills and walk. It also meant riding with my eyes closed through as many puddles as I could to preserve what little vision I had left! It meant embracing, not hating the suffering.

It started to pour, thunder and lightening and get extremely dark in the deep backwoods about 2/3 way through the course and like Cohutta, I kept wondering if they would have to call the race off because of the tornado warning. Little did I know, in the county just north of us, people were loosing their lives due to the severe weather. Scary.

The hardest part of the day was pulling into the last aid station and having them say “6 miles of sweet singletrack left to go!” I wanted pavement, not slicker-than-snot, hub deep muddy singletrack! It felt like the longest 6 miles of my life. The mud was so deep in places you could no longer see the roots, my brake pads had worn down to the metal (i.e.no stopping power) and I had lost almost all ability to shift by mile 80. I rode the last section with the goal of not shifting and not braking. Rough, but it kept my mind occupied and focused and was a nice distraction of the pain I was feeling in nearly every body part; my hands were blistered, my forearms almost numb from fatigue, and my behind was, well, let’s just say ultra-sensitive from riding in muddy shorts all day. I had rockin’ headache and my eyeballs were so red and irritated from riding without glasses (and consequentially loosing one contact lens) my vision was blurry at best.

Finally, I saw the campground where the finish was located. Woo-HOO! However, there was one final challenge: fording a chest-high stream! There were a bunch of volunteers there to catch us if we got swept under, and they had strung a rope across the water downstream just in case we needed to self-arrest. One more mile loop around the campground led me to the most welcomed finish line I have ever crossed. I managed to win the race by 16 minutes with a time of 9 hrs 15 min and can honestly say it was one of the most psychologically exhausting races I have ever completed. I was absolutely trashed by the end, but strangely enough my legs were not that tired. It was a total body/mind exhaustion that comes from riding in such extreme conditions. Your mind is 100% on the entire race, as one little mistake, one mechanical, one slip can cost you your entire day. I could tell the difference in fatigue, as I slept a solid 9 hours the night after the race. That NEVER happens to me as post-race insomnia is common due to the physical exertion. Clearly, every inch of me was exhausted!

The awards ceremony was a blast and a great opportunity to share all our stories of our misfortunes: broken chains, mangled drivetrains, epic chain-suck, absence of brakes and the full mental and emotional breakdowns that only experiences ultra racers can know. The post-race Mongolian BBQ was like pure heaven. The race organizers and the volunteers were simply amazing for managing to put on such a great event through the awful weather. I will be back next year…well, as long as the weather forecast looks good!

Thanks to everyone and especially to all my sponsors for all the support and encouragement. As always, thanks for reading. Hopefully, my next race report will include sunny skies and sunburns!

Colin's Report on Chalk Creek

2010-05-18T09:13:00.001-07:00

I have raced the Nathrop, CO Mountain States Cup for about as long as I’ve
been racing bikes, but this year the race had a distinctly different feel.
There were more not-so-local pros, more stickered up team trailers, and
the prospect of more prize money, all thanks to the race’s inclusion in
the US Triple Crown of Mountain Biking. All of these were welcome
changes, and I felt pretty lucky to have such a quality race within a
couple of hours from home.

Both the short track and cross-country were unique in that they featured
windy road sections that leant themselves to road tactics. In Saturday’s
short track, I found myself riding towards the front with Jeremy HK and
Sid Taberlay. In that company, I figured the odds of winning weren’t in
my favor so I had nothing to lose by attacking. In retrospect, I’m not
sure I played my cards perfectly, but I ended up third, which was right up
there among my best short track results, so I have no regrets.

Sunday’s cross-country was similarly road-tactics heavy, and I felt
similarly out of my element. Nonetheless, I was pleased with my fitness
and I couldn’t have been more confident in my equipment, including my
Kenda Small Block 8’s. In the end, I got fourth after coming up short in
a sprint against Sid. This race was hopefully a good primer for the
Mellow Johnny’s classic, which apparently features similar terrain, but
much denser, hotter air. Too bad all high quality races can’t take place
in my beloved thin Colorado air.

Amanda's Report on Dirt Sweat & Gears

2010-05-18T09:06:00.000-07:00

Dirt Sweat and Gears

I put Dirt, Sweat and Gears on my 2010 schedule because I thought it would be a great introduction to the 12-hr race format. Even though I’ve done many 100-mile races and have ridden my bike for 12 hours straight, I had never ridden in circles for half of a day.

My husband, Nate, and I decided to drive to Fayetteville, Tennessee instead of flying after carefully considering our packing list: 3 mountain bikes, an extra wheel set, a 10x20 Kenda tent, our dog, Nate’s dirt biking gear, a power washer, 2 coolers, an air compressor, a trainer and all the tools, tires and contraptions under the sun one could possibly need for a 12-hour bike ride. We meandered our way out over 4 days, making stops in Denver, southern Illinois and eastern Tennessee to shake out the legs on some nice singletrack. We then visited with some friends for a few days at their lakefront home in Gainesville, GA, took a evening motor boat ride to and from a local seafood joint, swam in their pool, enjoyed the local trails and begrudgingly began to acclimate to the southern heat and humidity.

My pre-ride lap on Friday revealed near perfect course conditions. The challenging 10-mile loop included a lot of tight, tacky singletrack and was full of typical east coast roots and rock gardens. The 1300 feet of climbing per lap came in lots of steep, punchy, technical climbs that kept you constantly on the gas with little time for recovery.

On race morning I woke up to 92% humidity, a forecasted high of 85-90 degrees and a 40% chance of severe thunderstorms and rain showers. Ick. At 9am, 300 racers lined up for the Lemans style start. I lined myself up in the second row and placed my bike in the perfect spot (the first bike on the outside of second row.) My strategy of sprinting as hard as I could to my bike paid off, as I made it on my bike and into the singletrack in the top 20. Only a handful of people ended up passing me during the first lap, so I knew I had saved a precious amount of energy early on by not having to pass a ton of folks on the first lap. I then kept with the same strategy the entire race: ride steady but strong, be conservative, have fun, stay far away from my redline and keep the rubber side down.

About 3 hours in…kaBOOM! Thunder, lightening and a deluge of rain hit the north half of the loop. It was the strangest weather event I’ve ever seen on a racecourse. Half the course turned into a wet, sloppy, peanut butter mud filled death march and the other half remained dry. It then became an even tricky technical skills day, as some sections were as slick as ice, requiring conservative and careful handling, braking and accelerating. The other half of the course required you to shift your brain and riding style to dry conditions mode and not get caught riding overly cautious.

Thankfully, I had 2 great bikes to choose from when the conditions became heinous, both fitted with Kenda Karma's. When the rain hit, I was on my Felt Nine, which up to that point was the ideal ride because of all the technical climbing. But when it became so caked in mud that the tires would no longer roll I was able to get a fresh, clean Felt Six LTD which proved to be the better choice in the super muddy conditions. The smaller the wheel, the less mud that could accumulate on it, making it easier to pedal up all the punchy climbs. Of course, the lighter the bike, the easier it was to carry and to push it, too. As the day went on and the course dried out, I went back to my Nine, preferring its ability to simply steamroll over all the technical sections and to maintain traction over the slick roots, rocks and sloppy corners. After 3 laps, the directors made the smart call to shorten the course by about 15-20 min. by cutting the muddiest section off the course.

Although there were times that it felt like I was riding in a sauna, I handled the humidity and heat pretty well. Each lap I dumped ice water on my head, back and chest and I was sure to keep ingesting a steady stream of Hammer endurolytes pumping all day long. My pit stops were fast, efficient and dialed thanks to Nate. He kept my bikes running well through the tough conditions, filled my bottles and flasks with cold water, Heed and Hammer Gel and constantly reminded me of all the details I was forgetting when my brain started to melt inside my helmet.

I slowly built my lead throughout the day by turning consistent lap times just shy of 1 hour (on the short course). I lapped the 3rd place woman mid-afternoon and lapped the 2nd place woman just before 7pm. When I came into the pit at 7:40, Nate told me to stop riding. He said that I was done, had won it and that it was time to celebrate! The rule at Dirt Sweat and Gears is that only laps completed before 9pm count. I could have easily gone out and completed a night lap before the cutoff, as I would have had 1:20 to do so. However, there was no possible way of 2nd place catching me and all I could think of was how awful it would be if I had gone out and gotten myself injured on a lap I didn’t need to be on. Besides, 10 laps, 10:40 of saddle time and roughly 13,000 feet of climbing was more than enough for me! I was long overdue for a cold shower and real food!

The event had a great vibe for both the racers and the spectators/support crews. The timing was dialed, the rules were clear, the payout was equal and extremely generous, and it was just a fun, fun, fun day of racing. The race directors were incredibly gracious hosts and bent over backwards to show us all some great southern hospitality. The post race party was kickin’ with a live band, a rainstorm of schwagg and lots of good beer. The event itself was a fundraiser for the local trails group SORBA and a $10 donation to SORBA got you a bottomless mug of local Yazoo. All in all, I suffered, I was successful and most importantly I had a blast. Dirt, Sweat and Gears is definitely on my repeat race list.

Thanks for reading and of course a big thanks to Kenda, Felt and all my sponsors for their support and belief in me!

Amanda Carey

2010-05-11T17:55:00.001-07:00

A staple early season race for the Colorado Front Range has come and gone with the Battle of the Bear last weekend. 30 miles of racing around Bear Creek State Park is good for early season training; lots of flats, seated climbs and loads of passing intervals to do as there are usually around 100 riders on the 10 mile loop between all the categories.

I couldn't catch Kelli Emmit who made the move early in the race to secure first, but I made a good gap in the first quarter of our race to hold second. However, Tokyo Joe's rider, Erin Huck, made it back up by the middle of lap two. We started the final lap together and diced for position - trying to make up on our advantages and gain time on eachother. With all the riders on course, bridging gaps became tricky. I'd make up some time in the twists on the trail and Erin managed to get me on the climbs. It was just my second ride on my new carbon Felt hard tail. It took a little getting dialed, but I started to find the groove on lap two and was digging my new race rig.

The back and forth went on thru the final lap. In the last quarter of lap three, I made a push at the top of a particularly steep climb. I decided to go and see what would happen. With only a few more places to keep my advantage before the finish, I wanted to try early instead of leaving it to the last maneuver. Luckily, I made a little gap after that push and didn't look back. I finished second after a fun, but trying, game of cat and mouse.

Colin's Battle of the Bear Report

2010-05-10T12:52:00.000-07:00

It’s finally spring in Colorado and training has been going accordingly
well. Last weekend, I contested the “Battle at the Bear” cross-country in
Bear Creek, CO. Despite the less-than-ideal race conditions created by
hundreds of people of all abilities on the course at once, the race was a
blast. In retrospect, all of the traffic added a unique tactical element
to the race. After crashing early on when I lost my front wheel in a rut,
I worked back up to leader Matt Beaton. We stayed together for a bit,
riding easy while behind people in single-track sections and then punching
it hard to get around them. Eventually, I got a gap that I was able to
hold for the win. Riding at the front of a race—no matter local or
national—is exhilarating, and hopefully I can retain some of that feeling
going into bigger races like the Triple Crown Race in Nathrop, CO this
weekend. My challenge now is to stay on the XC bike racer
straight-and-narrow while most of my friends revel in graduation
festivities. I bet I’ll be the only guy at graduation parties with
compression socks on under my pants.

Colin's Race Report

2010-04-27T12:09:00.000-07:00

After a tough weekend at Sea Otter and a week of wondering where my legs
went, I now find myself brimming with optimism after some good races at
the opening Mountain States Cup in Fruita, CO. Never have I been more
able to relate to the idea that you’re only as good as your last race.

The weekend began with a 15 minute-ish time trial, which consisted of a
hard, though technically easy climb followed by a twisty, bermed-out
descent that left everyone at the finish line with big grins. I went so
hard up the climb and was so numb with lactic acid that I had to dab and
run a section that was about as difficult as riding up a curb. Not a pro
move by any means, but I think that bobble gave me the necessary scare to
completely push myself to the finish and get the win. The day was made
even sweeter when I checked the web and saw that Andy and Amanda had won
their respective 50 and 100 mile races. I suspect they were a lot more
tired than me. Lots of water, Recoverite, and a Chipotle burrito later,
I was excited and ready for Sunday’s XC.

If I didn’t know most of the pro men personally, I at least knew who
almost everybody was, which made the race—a huge 30-mile loop of mostly
technical singletrack—feel like a fun, albeit really hard, mountain bike
ride with a bunch of friends. The first few miles of rolling jeep trail
were pretty chaotic, but before long, I found myself riding out front with
Cannondale teammates Ben Sontag and Alex Grant, my podium mates from the
day before. I lost contact with them over some rough stuff only to
re-gain it later, thanks in large part to pacing by Colorado legend Jay
Henry. Just as I was starting to get excited about my prospects, I felt
the sinking feeling (literally and figuratively) of a slow leak in my
rear-tire. The sharp rocks and high speeds had finally gotten the best
of me. My Stans mostly did its job, and I made it to the finish after a
few Big Air blasts and some tire shaking. I was a little bit bummed but
mostly happy to have re-discovered the fitness that seemed to have been
missing at Sea Otter.

I’ve always found myself motivated more by good races than by bad ones, so
I’m now looking forward to some hard chunks of training before the next
big race, which will be the Triple Crown race in Nathrop, CO.

Kenda - Felt Team has Record Day

2010-04-24T19:14:00.000-07:00

Three states. Three races. Three victories. It was a banner weekend for the Kenda-Felt Mountain Bike Team.

Shortly after The Sea Otter Classic, which saw the Kenda-Felt Team riders meeting with sponsors, autographing cards, and racing hard, the team dispersed across the country. Amanda Carey hopped a flight to Tennessee to race in the first race in the National Endurance Series, the Cohutta 100. She knew she was riding fast after strong performances at the first two Pro XCT races of the year but this was her first long distance race of the year so she still had a little doubt about her endurance. Eight-hours, one thunderstorm, and plenty of mud later she had not only squelched that doubt but had also dominated the race, winning by over 20 minutes. She also beat the winner’s time from last year by over three minutes, this is especially notable because the course was much slower (the men’s winning time was over 45 minutes slower this year). Asked after the race what her secret was Amanda said “Having Kenda Tires as a sponsor was crucial to my success. When I saw that there was rain in the forecast and that the course may be muddy I was able to switch my tires to the perfect ones for the conditions. Those just happened to be Karma’s, one of the best mud tires out there.”

Back west Andy Schultz was racing in the Whiskey 50. It is a 50-mile race that begins and ends in downtown Prescott, AZ, next to the famed “Whiskey Row”. With long, sustained gravel road climbs making up a majority of the course his 29” wheeled Felt Nine LTD and Kenda Small Block Eight tires were the perfect choice. “With as much climbing as there is in the Whiskey 50 having a lightweight bike is key. Our sponsors have collaborated to provide the team with one of the lightest 29” bikes out there so I definitely had an advantage” Andy said. Andy ended up completing the course in just over 3 hours, 16 minutes, almost two minutes faster than the course record. “I rarely do races over 2 hours so nutrition is always a worry for me.” Fortunately I was able to talk to the experts at Hammer Nutrition who helped me design a plan that kept well hydrated, fully fueled, and cramp free.”

In Colorado Colin Cares was racing in the first Mountain States Cup events of the year in Fruita, CO. Toeing the line were some of the fastest riders in the area, who just happen to be some of the fastest riders in the country. The day’s event was a 15 minute-ish time trial. Colin charged up the course’s only climb, leaving him, in his words, “numb with lactic acid.” The effort paid off though and he finished with the fastest time of the day, winning the event.

In all, this was one of the finest days in the history of the team. More to come!

Blogging by Colin

2010-03-23T19:40:00.000-07:00

Having already raced once this year, I figure it’s about time to revisit another “professional racer” pastime: blogging. This year, I’ve been trying a few things differently in hopes of getting fast, the biggest of which has been relocating to warm weather during the winter months. This past February, I drove from Colorado Springs to Tucson, AZ for team Kenda/Felt’s first training camp of sorts. Amanda, Judy, and I shared a place, and Andy was already down there. It was more or less the training utopia that I had hoped for with riding, refueling with Trader Joes, watching the Olympics, and, well, not much else occupying my days. That sort of ascetic athlete lifestyle was perfect for a few weeks, but I soon began to romanticize about the hectic school life that I had been so eager to leave just a few weeks earlier. If you ignore the training, I had effectively gone from a college-kid lifestyle to that of a person from the geriatric neighborhood in which we rented our Tucson house. Oro Valley, AZ, it seems, is ideally suited for the elderly and athletes alike.
From Arizona, I took the long way home, seeing the Grand Canyon (indeed grand), stopping for three days in Moab, UT, and even fitting in one last day of skiing at Copper Mountain, which means I ended up using just half of my “four-pack” pass...ouch. Weather on the Front Range was still pretty sloppy, but the dry Moab weather enabled some long rides during which I recalled lots of previous Moab adventures—from some of my first experiences mountain biking, to a few harrowing 24-hours of Moab-induced bonks, to a training trip with then-teammate Sam Schultz and now-teammate Andy. That’s right, I was following the Schultz brothers long before schultzbrothersracing.com.
After a few days back in Colorado Springs, just long enough to remind myself how fun it is to ride with numb fingers and toes, I flew to San Dimas for the first Triple Crown race. My result wasn’t stellar but I was satisfied with my form for this early in the season and even happier with my new Felt LTD 29’er. With it, I went over the bars once going down Santa Barbara’s Cold Spring Trail; without it, I would have gone over the bars many, many more times. Turns out the recent 29’er craze isn’t all just hype.
My week in Santa Barbara was the antithesis of the Tucson training trip. Instead of staying with two dedicated athletes, I stayed with ten friends from school who were on their spring break. I did some of the hardest rides I’ve done all year, but thanks to evenings spent grilling with friends, zero time in compression tights, and very little bike-racing talk, the hard work was hardly hard. It’s becoming increasingly clear that for me, balance between training and rest, work and play, spinach and chocolate, etc., is the most direct route to fitness...it’s finding that balance that’s the hard part.
Now I’m staying in San Clemente for a few days before the first US Cup in Fontana this weekend (huge thanks to Lydia Tanner and her generous, unsuspecting housemates). I never really fancied myself the So-Cal type, but I could certainly get used to the ride/beach time/Mexican food routine that we’ve fortunately fallen into here. Then again, the So-Cal sunshine wouldn’t feel warm with the cold Colorado days, both of which, I hope, will contribute to a good race this weekend and a good season.

Judy Freeman Joins Kenda

2010-01-19T18:03:00.000-08:00

Rider Bio:

Judy Freeman
DOB: January 3, 1974 – Frankfurt, Germany
Residence: Boulder, CO
Discipline: XC Mountain Biking
Year Turned Pro: 2003

A Colorado upbringing on swimming and lacrosse, a BA from CU Boulder in Communication and French, a stint as a bike tour guide in France and a couple of years in England and Japan all led to the next logical step - competitive mountain biking?

In 1999, Judy moved to Vail, Colorado to snowboard all winter, picked up mountain bike racing that next summer - and has been hooked ever since.

Now a top-10 rider on the U.S. national scene, she can also be found riding with local Boulder groups and teaching at mountain bike skill clinics.

Judy will be new to the Kenda/Felt Professional Mountain Bike Team for 2010. She’s excited to be racing Felt bikes and ripping it up along side Amanda Riley-Carey, Andy Schultz and Colin Cares.

You can read about Judy’s biking experiences on her Singletrack.com column, Life as a Bike Jockey and her blog, www.judy-freeman.com.

Career Highlights:

2009
39th World Championships – Canberra, Australia
7th XC and STX National Championships
1st Mountain States Cup #4
2nd Mountain States Cup #3
8th US Pro Cup #4
2008
Colorado State XC Champion 2008
2nd Colorado State STX Championships
5th NMBS Series Finals STX
8th National Championships XC
10th Overall Pro Women XC & STX NMBS Series

Iceman 2009

2009-11-16T17:47:00.000-08:00

Amanda Carey took 4th spot at the 2009 Iceman Cometh Challenge in Traverse City on November 7th. She finished in an elite group of women that included Alison Dunlap, Heather Irmiger and Kelli Emmett.

Colin's World Championshiop Report

2009-09-07T17:43:00.001-07:00

Sleepless on my return flight from Australia, I thought I’d recount some of the week’s highs and lows. I arrived in Australia last Sunday and was set to race the team relay on Tuesday, which didn’t leave much time to recover from travel. Fortunately, I had pulled all the travel tricks I knew—eye patch, earplugs, Ambien, compression tights—and, with a couple of “long black” coffees upon arrival, I felt surprisingly fresh. USA Cycling’s crew of mechanics, doctors, and managers have logistics dialed and within just a few hours I had ridden (and seen a kangaroo!), eaten a good meal, and was set for a long, well-deserved sleep.

If I had any residual jet lag, it was surely blown away in the team relay event. The relay is relatively new and brings a rare element of team camaraderie to the largely individual sport of mountain biking. Each nation sends one elite man, one elite woman, one U23 man, and one junior man out on one lap of the cross-country course in any order. We took the unique tactic of sending our woman, Heather Irmiger, off first, followed by Russell Finsterwald, me, and finally Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski. It was an all Colorado crew of national champions in our respective categories. The race stayed suspenseful until the very end as most countries sent their fastest rider first and gradually lost ground. USA moved up with each lap and eventually reached 12th place with a mere 40 seconds separating us from the 6th place BELGIANS. It was an honor to represent the US and amongst the word’s mountain bikers, both current and future. Though it might not be in the next year or two, I hope to have another crack at the team relay some day as an elite man.

The next couple days were spent in the cycle (no pun intended) of rest, riding, and eating with which bike racers are all too familiar. It’s true what they say about the seasons down there; it really is winter. Training was chilly and we saw plenty of kangaroos and weird birds, two of which viciously attacked me (apparently it’s nesting season for the Australian version of the Magpie and they become just like the birds in that Hitchcock movie). I had to self impose a ban on riding with earphones so I could hear traffic coming from the right as I looked left. My roommate Tad Elliot thought Vegemite was going to taste like pesto…not so. Do you have to have grown up with that stuff for it to be palatable? Other than that, I hate to admit, my cultural experiences were largely limited to watching Australian TV and meandering through the two nearby food markets.

Despite going into the race rested and confident, things did not quite come together for me as I had hoped. I finished exactly where I lined up—46th—never finding the power necessary to move up on the windy road sections of the otherwise single-track course.

It’s been a great 2009 season and the support of Kenda, Tomac, and Hayes has made all of the highs possible. The lows keep things in perspective and provide motivation to improve. Now it’s time for a break from the race routine, but I’m already scheming and dreaming for 2010. Thanks for reading!

Heather's Report from Marathon World Championships

2009-09-03T17:02:00.001-07:00

Heather is back in the US after competing at the Marathon World Championships. It was only her 2nd marathon event! You can read her report and see photos at:

MTB Race News

Intermontane Challenge: Amanda's Race Report

2009-08-06T07:20:00.000-07:00

I just finished in 2nd place overall at the Intermontane Challenge, a 5-day stage race held in Kamloops, BC. It was the hardest race I have ever done. There were many, many challenges in this event but the most formidable one was the heat. It was 100 degrees every day, adding an extra challenge to an already difficult race. This was only my second stage race so I went into the event knowing that I had to be prepared for anything.

When we arrived in Kamloops on Saturday afternoon our car's thermometer read 103 degrees. Yikes. I was especially nervous about the heat because I had a terrible time of it at this year’s Sea Otter and could barely finish the 1:30 race! However, Kamloops’ heat was incredibly dry. It felt slightly less oppressive than the Massachusetts brand of humid heat I grew up in-no hot and sticky here!

Stage 3 course profile. It didn't matter anyway
because 1/2 the field got lost and the stage was neutralized.

I could write a 3-part novel about drama associated with this first-year event. The important details: we had 4 huge stages ranging from 40-60 miles and a final 17-mile time trial on Friday. Each day we set off in the morning with a 30 min. neutral rollout on paved roads escorted by the RCMP. Every stage included what felt like an obscene amount of climbing and super-fast downhills on trails that varied from technical, narrow, rooty-rocky singletrack to wide open doubletrack and graded dirt roads. Only a handful of the trails were built for mountain bikes and much of the terrain was barely cut in and much of it was overgrown. The course marking were insufficient most days and people were getting lost all week long.

This is the race director's moto. He really
enjoyed riding it on the trails we raced on.

After riding with or directly behind Sue Butler for most of day one I lost 38 minutes when I took a guess on an unmarked turn at mile 40 with a group of men. For some reason we thought we were on the right track when a race official smiled and waved at us from a passing truck when we were headed 6 miles in the wrong direction. Right. Miraculously, I recovered from that added 40 min. time-trial/detour and kept my head in the game for the rest of the week. I rode my heart out every minute of every day through flat tires and numerous crashes no matter where I was in the GC.

I ended up taking crawling back from a distant 4th place in the GC on day 1 to 2nd overall. I decided to split my prize money with the 3rd place woman, Sarah Kaufman. In my opinion, nothing about this race was fair to anyone involved so sharing my prize money evenly with Sarah was the one little thing I could do to correct one of the wrongs. Every single Pro Woman got lost at least once during the week and depending on what day it was it either killed your spot in the GC or it didn't count against you.

Most importantly, this week was a phenomenal reminder that a pro mountain biker is only as good as the support she receives. Many thanks to Tomac bikes for making the Type-X, the nicest carbon hardtail on the market. This race was loaded with steep climbing and fast, technical descents and I couldn’t have wished for a better race bike. My set of Kenda Karma 2.0s were the perfect tires for the terrain, as I needed something fast rolling for all the fire road climbing, but also something that would hook up well in the loose, moon-dust filled Kamloops desert. My specialized S-works helmet was as close as I could get to wearing nothing on my head. It vented extremely well and my specialized BG Pro shoes kept my feet the most comfortable they have ever been in an endurance event. They provide just the right amount of room in all the right places for your feet to swell throughout the hot days.

Hammer Nutrition kept me fueled and hydrated. Fist-fulls of endurolytes, heed and especially recoverite allowed me to perform and recover from the extreme heat and get back at it day after day in the triple digit temperatures. Oh, and a special thanks to the inventor of ibuprofen, zoots compression tights and arnica gel. Dave Zabriskie deserves special mention for making the best chamois cream on the planet. Lastly, a uber big thanks to my husband Nate who stood by my (and LOTS of other racers he didn't even know) side the entire week, handing me freezing cold bottles, stuffing ice down my shirt at every aid station, washing and fixing my bike and especially for encouraging me day after day when I thought there was just no way that I could-or should-pedal another day. I couldn’t have done this without him or without all of the support from my generous sponsors-thank you!

I am incredibly grateful for the experience as I got in some good training, learned a lot and made a ton of new pals. Next on tap: The Leadville 100! Although some are affectionately calling this year's edition the Lance-ville 100, I am very much looking forward to this crazy event. This will be my second attempt and I know that the energy and positive vibe of the circus that is Leadville will only fuel my fire!

Thanks for reading!

Carey 2nd at Intermontane Challenge

2009-08-01T19:16:00.000-07:00

Amanda Carey survives 5 days of 100 degree temperatures, wins the final Time Trial and finishes 2nd overall at the Intermontane Challenge Stage Race in Kamloops, BC.

Stay tuned for a full race report.

Colin and Andy report on Nationals

2009-07-23T05:48:00.000-07:00

This past weekend brought the Kenda-Tomac-Hayes riders to Sol Vista, CO for one of their most important races of the year, Mountain Bike National Championships. The past two years, National Championships have been held in Mount Snow, VT and East Coast riders who excelled at the muddy, rooty, riding also excelled at the race. Being that all of the Kenda-Tomac-Hayes riders live at altitude in the Rocky Mountains I think that we were all happy to have Nationals return to the dusty, long-climb, high-elevation West.

The first race of the weekend was the Under-23 (U23) National Championship race. It was Colin's last year as a U23 rider and he was racing near where he competed in his first ever mountain bike race so I think he was looking to put his stamp on the race. And he certainly did that. Colin took the lead early in the race and never looked back. I'll let him tell it:

"Having been 2nd and three times 3rd place at Mountain Bike National Championships, I was anxious to get a win. This year, preparation and good fortune were on my side, and I held a small gap over Rob Squire to win the U23 National Championship. As a Colorado native, I love long aerobic climbs and was able to stretch my gap each lap on the course’s long lone climb. Rob would reel me in a little each descent, which kept the race exciting and stressful right until the finish. I remember reaching the top of the final downhill with a comfortable gap and vowing to ride a safe and smooth descent. Seconds later, I washed out my front wheel in a corner and went sailing over the bars. Fortunately my bike was unharmed, and I jumped back on with so much adrenaline that I didn’t notice my skewed handlebars or the rock lodged in the front of my helmet. I can say with confidence that the final switchbacks and finishing straightaway of the course were some of the most fun bits of bike riding I have ever done. On the one hand, riding well was so much fun that I immediately get motivated future races. On the other hand, winning nationals makes me think back on all the support that has gotten me to this point. Great family, coaches and friends, and exceptional support from USA Cycling and great companies like Kenda, Tomac, and Hayes, and Hammer have made it possible to pursue this dream. "

So Kenda-Tomac-Hayes has a National Champion on their team. I've attached a couple of photos of Colin. I think red, white, and blue are his colors.

Saturday was the elite men's and women's cross country race. It was a tough course with a long, sustained climb and a rough and dusty descent. Zephanie was the best finisher for our women with an 11th place finish. In the men's race I battled for 4th and 5th all day but in the end the race was one lap too long for me and I had to settle for 6th.

Sunday we all woke up with sore legs and bodies from digging deep and/or crashing yesterday but we all saddled back up and competed in the short track race. It was a very atypical short track course. Generally in a short track you never have to leave your big ring and there might be a really short, steep climb to contend with. We faced a course that went straight up a ski hill run and came straight back down. It was by far the longest climb I had ever seen in a short track. Again, Zeph was the best finisher for the women with a solid 10th place. In the men's race I finished 8th and Colin was 10th.

I have compiled some links to some media coverage. To read about Colin's U23 victory you can check out VeloNews and Cyclingnews. You can see photos here and here and watch videos here and here. Here's a good picture of Heather in the XC race. There is a mention of the battle I was having with my brother in the XC race here and an interesting article in VeloNews that points out that almost all of the top ten racer's in the men's race were on bikes other than the traditional 26-in hardtail. There is also a photo here and a video here. There are some good photos of the STXC here, here, here, here, and here.

I'm sure I've missed a bunch more coverage and there will be more coverage in print, so keep your eyes peeled.

All in all, it was a great weekend. All the team riders would like to thank Chris Magerl and Nate Carey for their tireless work to make sure we had clean and perfectly working bikes and were well fed during our races. Also, a big thanks goes out to all of our sponsors who provide us with some of the best equipment on the market. We couldn't do it without you.

Thanks for reading,

Andy

Colins Report from Marathon Championships

2009-07-06T11:39:00.001-07:00

With cross-country nationals coming up in Sol Vista, CO, racers are scrambling to get used to riding at 9,000 feet. Fortunately for me, Boulder, CO is pretty high already and also has easy access to the super high riding and racing that we’ll have to deal with at nationals. My past two races—a cross-country race in Winter Park and the Marathon National Championships in Breckenridge, CO last weekend—were perfect preparation.

My first mountain bike races ever were at Winter Park, and the series is still one of my favorites. It’s an easy day-trip from home, and I’m almost guaranteed that my Small Block Eight tires will be the ticket on Winter Park’s fast and dry trails. These races attract strong fields from the Front Range, but they also have a super laid back feel. This time, I felt great and was content with a second place finish to Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski.

With a marathon stars and stripes jersey at stake and a cross-country nationals at altitude looming, this year’s Firecracker 50 attracted a strong field including teammates Amanda Carey, Heather Holmes, and Andy Schultz. In the men’s race, Andy immediately jumped into the front group with JHK and Garmin roadie Pete Stetina on the first long road climb. This was justification for me to let Jeremiah Bishop and Dave Wiens do the bulk of the pace making, though there isn’t much “sitting in” to be had on a climb at altitude. Towards the top, I recognized that familiar tingly arm-sensation and taste of iron that one gets when going hard in the high country, and I tried to settle in to a more sustainable pace.

I’m not whether I didn’t feel great or whether the demands of that race are just so great, but it took everything I had to stay in it mentally. Ultimately, I crossed the line in 5th, which was my first podium at an elite nationals and great day of HARD training for nationals. Heather took 5th in the women’s race, Andy was 6th, and Amanda took a solid 7th despite a flat tire. Despite Breck’s bumpy trails, we all rode Tomac hardtails, which I think contributed to a good day for Kenda/Tomac/Hayes for the simple fact that they’re so light.

Now it’s a matter of staying healthy and fit in the final lead-up to nationals. After that, it’s back to sea level for the Canadian World Cups and the Mt. Snow, VT and Windham, NY US Cups.

Thanks for reading!

Danielle on the Podium at Lumberjack 100

2009-06-22T17:50:00.000-07:00

Race #3 of the National Ultra Endurance Series, The Lumberjack 100, happened this past weekend in Manistee, Michigan. It was really nice being able to race a National race right in my home state!

Two things separate the Lumberjack 100 from the rest of the races in the NUE series. First, the Lumberjack is 99% single-track, comprised of short, steep climbs, a few switch-back sections, and lots and lots of Michigan sand. Secondly, the race has a lap format, meaning that we had to do 4 loops of the 25-mile course. As a result, the Lumberjack is known for being the most mentally challenging of all the races.

After the first 25 miles I came through the pit area in 3rd place, minutes behind Betsy Shogren (Cannondale) and Karen Potter. I grabbed a fresh hydrapak and tried to make up time on the 2nd lap. Things went "downhill" for me quickly when I hit some wet roots at the bottom of one of the fast downhills. My bike stem slammed into my knee-cap, taking me out of the race for a good 5 minutes.

Eventually I was able to get back on my bike and start pedaling again. The women's field was pretty stacked with about 25 racers, and I wasn't sure how far back everyone else was. I knew that I was going to have to hurry if I wanted to hold on to my position. It was pretty obvious that I needed stitches, but I figured that I could finish the remaining 65 miles of the race first!

After 8 hours and 46 minutes of riding I crossed the finish line as the 3rd place female, and placed 31st overall out of 280 racers! More coverage and pictures can be found at www.mtbracenews.com

Thanks again to all of my sponsors. My bike and gear worked flawlessly, and I couldn't do it without you! Next weekend I'll be racing in a local Norba Marathon, and then it's off to Colorado for the 4th race in the NUE series, the Breckenridge 100. This will be my first time racing at a higher elevation. I'm definitely nervous about it, but also very excited to see what I can do!

Until the next race,
Danielle Musto

Andy Schultz Wins at Crested Butte

2009-06-22T08:31:00.001-07:00

This weekend, Crested Butte played host to the Mountain States Cup series. I made the journey from Durango on Friday and arrived in Crested Butte in the late afternoon to perfect weather. Not a cloud in the sky and temps in the upper 70's. I took a spin on the course and discovered that a lot of it was new. The climb was almost all really narrow, bumpy, singletrack. They had also but in new singletrack on the dowhill which was rocky, bumpy and lose. All and all it looked to be a pretty fun course.

We raced on Saturday at 2:30 just as it started to drizzle. I decided to leave my armwarmers on and in hindsight I should have left more clothing on but I forgot that we were well over 10,000 feet at the top of the climb. When the start gun went off I hit it hard to make sure I could make it to the singletrack climb first. I got a pretty good gap on the first climb because a lot of other riders got stuck behind slower riders in the singletrack. The first descent went well and I had a decent gap on the start of the second of three laps. I held that gap through the climb until I hit the descent again. It had started to get wet enough that the mud started to pack into my Smallblock Eight tires. The descent had a lot of off-camber sections and on these, my mud-packed tires would slide out not matter what I tried to do. So I had to keep jumping off the bike and running the off-camber sections.

I started up the climb for the third and final time with three riders in hot pursuit. Partway up the climb I got to a section where the mud packed into my tires so much that I no longer had any clearance and my tires wouldn't spin. So it was off the bike and back to running. I glanced behind me and saw that my pursuers were still on their bikes struggling up the climb. I thought my race was over when I finally got to a section that was a little wetter and therefore the mud was thinner and didn't pack up as badly. I was able to start riding again and I hit it as hard as I could. In hindsight I feel like it was a good move to get off the bike and run. I think that my competitors wasted a lot of energy trying to ride that sections because I quickly got a big gap and had no one in sight at the top of the climb.

The final descent probably would have been really funny to watch but was really stressful for me. I crashed once hard and couldn't stay on my bike because the mud was packed into my tires so badly. About three quarters of the way down the descent two riders caught up to me. I didn't loose hope though and was able to ride one section really smoothly and hit a short climb really hard and got a small gap on them. The last section of the downhill was full of switchbacks to the finish. It was impossible to corner the bike without it sliding out so I had one foot out at all times sliding through the corners, then would clip back in, sprint to the next corner, and put my foot out and slide through that one. Luckily I was running CrankBrother's Eggbeaters so even though my shoes were getting packed full of mud I was still able to clip in easily and sprint to the next corner. In the end I was just able to hold off my purser's and take the victory.

I haven't been that muddy for a long time and I'm happy to say that my equipment worked perfectly in those extreme conditions. Everyone's tires were packing up with mud so I was still lucky to be running Smallblock 8's because they were wicked fast on the climbs. My drivetrain was completely coated in mud but my WickWerks rings still shifted like a dream. My gloves were soaked and coated in mud but I never once had my hands slip on my Ergon grips. My Tomac Type X carbon frame helped soak up all the roughness on the course and kept me fresh as well as helped me have one of the lightest bikes out there. And I felt great on the bike thanks to Hammer Nutrion's Heed and Endurolytes.

I really need to thank Matt, the Hayes Bicycle Group Field Expert who got me up and running on a great feeling Manitou Fork. There is no way I would have done as well as I did without him. And of course, thanks to everyone else for helping make this happen.

I will try to track down a photo of me right after the finish, soaked in mud and one of the podium.

Thanks for reading and your support,

Andy

Danielle Musto Reports on the Mohican 100

2009-06-02T10:46:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I ventured down to Loudonville, Ohio for the Mohican 100, race #2 in the NUE Series.

The Mohican course is really diverse. It has really fun single-track, lots of grassy double-track, paved roads and some KILLER climbs. I chose my favorite tire set-up (2.1 Karma in the front with a 1.9 in the back) and opted to ride my Tomac Type X.

We lined up at 7 a.m. in downtown Loudonville and the start went directly up a paved climb. I warmed up quickly and found myself entering the single-track directly behind Betsy Shogren (Cannondale). Even though we were in the lead I knew that there were a lot of really strong females chasing directly behind us. The competition at this race was tough!

My legs felt absolutely great and I was having a ton of fun riding my Type X. The bike can climb like a machine! I did have a spectacular crash on a pile of wet roots that cost me a few minutes but I wasn’t worried. There were many miles to go with lots of climbs to make up time.

After my crash I caught up to a group of about 10 guys who were going at a really good pace. We flew down a ton of fun switchback climbs and the pace kept picking up. Little did we know that we were no longer on the race course. Someone had knocked down a course marking at an important intersection and we rode 13 miles of single-track before we realized our mistake. After that it took us another half hour to find our way back to the spot where we had gotten lost.

Mentally it was a little hard to deal with. Going from the front of the pack to being absolutely last of the Mohican racers is not a good feeling. By this time a good hour and 15 minutes had passed, so I was also out of water and food. But there was nothing that I could do but begin to chase down the entire field!

For the rest of the race I just focused on catching as many people as I could. When all was said and done I ended up catching a ton of racers-including most of the women’s field. I ended up in 6th place. Definitely not the result I wanted, but given the circumstances I’ll take it. At least the extra 15 miles I got in were all fun single-track!

Next up is the Lumberjack 100!!! This race is one of the most popular of the NUE series because 99% of the course is single-track. The pressure is on since it’s in my home state and I have high hopes of winning the AXE!

Thanks again,

Danielle Musto

www.daniellemusto.blogspot.com

Report from Bump & Grind

2009-06-02T07:47:00.000-07:00

This weekend Kathy Sherwin, Colin Cares, and I all made the trek to Birmingham, Alabama for the third stop in the Pro XCT. I believe the visit to Alabama was a first for all of us and we were all pleasantly surprised. The locals were extremely friendly and fired up about mountain bike racing and the course was a lot of fun. We are all still trying to unpack our bags and get our lives sorted out after a long travel day back home yesterday but we'll try to get a race report to y'all (I learned a new term while down in Bama) sooner rather than later. In the meantime you can watch some interview, both pre and post race, here, here, and here. And there are a couple of photos of us on cyclingnews.com, here, and here. Enjoy. Thanks for all the support.

Andy's Report from Angel Fire

2009-05-25T10:00:00.000-07:00

I got back late last night from the latest "Mountain States Cup" in Angel Fire, NM. I headed out from Durango early Saturday morning and got into Angel Fire early enough to register, hang out with the Hayes guys for a bit, and pre-ride the XC course with Colin Cares before racing in the STXC at 6:20. Before we toed the line though, Heather Holmes, raced in the pro women's stxc. Katie Compton destroyed the field and lapped everyone but Kelli Emmett. Heather was able to hold on to 3rd so she was in pretty elite company on the podium. Our race went well. Colin was on the front for most of the race drilling it while I dangled off the lead group of 3 to 4 riders. It was a hard course, with a pretty steep climb in it and it was at a high elevation which made it that much more difficult. In the end Colin ended up fading a bit and I overtook him and took the third spot while Colin settled for 4th.

We lucked out on the weather on both Saturday and Sunday. It was cool, in the 50's, and pretty rainy, but despite a few sprinkles during the XC race we never got too wet. The cross country went really well for both of us. Colin got a gap at the begining of the race and never looked back. It was nice to have a strong teammate out there for a change, as I was able to sit on Jay Henry's wheel for part of the race while he tried, to no avail, to chase Colin down, rather than having Sho-Air sit on me all race. While I would get a glimpse of Colin every once and awhile for the most part he was out there tearing up the course on his own while I battled it out with Jay. In the end I got the best of Jay and the Kenda-Tomac-Hayes team went 1, 2. Colin was absolutely flying out there which was great to see. When Colin gets a chance he'll send a brief report on his race along with some photos of the podium.

As always the equipment worked great. The course has a ton of climbing but also has a really rough and rocky descent. The Type-X was built for a course like that. It is super light-weight for the climb and the carbon frame soaks up enough of the rough descent to keep the body fresh. The bottom half of the course was dry but the top half was quite wet. I opted to run the Karma's, while Colin ran the Small Blocks. The Karma's didn't roll quite as fast on the lower sections of the course as the small blocks but they allowed me to ride much of the rocky, wet, upper part of the climb. With Colin's and I's placings it is quite obvious that both tires worked great out there and is a great testament to the versatility of the tires.

Now it will be a couple of days of rest and then Colin, Kathy, and I will be hoping onto airplanes and heading for Alabama for the next Pro XCT race this upcoming weekend. We'll keep you posted on how that goes.

Andy

Amanda's Update

2009-05-24T09:21:00.000-07:00

Phew, it's been a busy few weeks for me! Lots of racing, lots of training and of course, a lot of graduate homework. The weather has taken a turn for the better up here in Victor, ID in the last week and it's been nice to be home to enjoy the green landscape, time with my husband and walks with my dog.

So, what have I been up to in the past month? I returned home from my latest trip to sunny California (for the Kenda Cup West Santa Ynez Classic) to sleet/rain/snow and temps in the 40s. Ick. I quickly decided to escape the nasty Idaho weather to visit my sister in Colorado and to train on a real moving bicycle (rather than the trainer). When I got there, I heard about a great race, the the Battle of the Bear, that was happening that weekend in Lakewood, CO. For some reason, I decided the night before the race that I was going to race the 50-mile option, the Front Range 50. You can click to my personal blog for the full report for that race. It was a great day on the bike for me-really hard, really fast and a great day of training for sure. I ended up in 1st place overall with a time of 3hr 32 min. The Tomac Type-X was the ideal bike for that race (as it is for most races!) as the course was smooth, full of tight, twisty singletrack and had a lot of short, punchy climbs.

After a few great rides around my sister's place, it was onto a few days of riding the world's best singletrack. I camped out in Fruita, CO for a few days to enjoy the warm weather, dry dirt and pure joy that Fruita dishes out to mountain bikers of all abilities. Then, it was onto Heber City, UT for the next round of the Intermountain Cup. Soldier Hollow is a really fun, yet brutal course. Kathy and Chris Sherwin put me up for the evening even though Kathy wasn't racing she was kind enough to come to the race and do feeds for both me and for Heather. Thanks, Kathy!

I had woken up the previous few days with a sore throat, so I wasn't too keen about the monumental effort this race was going to require of me. Luckily, I had good enough energy on race day and ended up taking 1st. You can read a full write-up of the race on MTB Race News. I ran my trusty Karmas, which proved to be the ideal tire for the mix of loose, dusty turns and hardpack. Heather Holmes raced as well. From the way she was hammering on the first lap, I was sure that I was going to blow by trying to hold her wheel. However, she is still recovering from wrist surgery and cannot yet let loose on the downhills, so I was able to gap her on the descent and increase my lead from there. So, watch out world: Holmes will be on the warpath as soon as she heals that hand!

As for now, I am back at home catching up on life and looking forward to my next race, the Teva Mountain Games. Most of the Kenda Team will be at that one, so be sure to check back here for our team's updates. Thanks for reading!

Andy's Update

2009-05-19T17:07:00.000-07:00

After the Santa Ynez race I packed up all of my belongings in Tucson and made the drive to Durango. It took a couple of days but I found a place to live. Since then I have been settling into a good training routine and have been enjoying feeling my blood get thicker from living at altitude. After two weekends without racing I started getting the itch late last week and discovered that there was a race in Flagstaff, AZ on Saturday. After a boring 5-hr drive across the Navajo Nation I arrived in Flagstaff late on Friday. I was up early on Saturday and saddled up to get a couple of hours or riding in before the race (while I wanted to do well at the race it was really just a training day that involved a bunch of hours on the bike with 2 hours of intensity). The race course was great. Long sustained climbs, some fast ripping banked-turned descents, and some technical rocky singletrack. The race went well. Halfway up the longest climb of the day I was off on my own and never looked back. It was nice to step onto the top of the podium for the first time this year and to know that the training is paying off and I'm getting fast.

Small Block Eight's seemed to be the tire of choice out there, including mine. They rolled fast and hooked up perfectly in the dusty hardpack singletrack. I swear that almost half of the racers out there were on them. There was also a lot of interest in my Tomac. The flashy, stylish white paint job caused more than one person to enviously reach out and stroke the toptube.

I'll be heading to Angel Fire, NM next weekend to join Colin, and maybe a couple of the ladies for the third stop in the "Mountain States Cup." I'll keep you posted with how that goes.

Thanks for all the support,

Andy

Holmes Wins On the Road!

2009-04-28T15:08:00.000-07:00

Rocky Mountain Collegiate Cycling Conference Championships Report

The weather in Utah has been so crazy lately, it will be nice all week, like 70s and 80s in Salt Lake and then it will snow like crazy over the weekend! This past weekend was no different, I woke up to snow on the ground Saturday morning in Park City. So, I drove down to Salt Lake and luckily I avoided the rainstorms for a hard three hour ride up Big Mountain, with the road all to myself because it was still closed to cars due to the bad weather. Then, I headed out to help with the crit my collegiate team, University of Utah was hosting. I watched as all of the riders were suffering through the cold and rain, and for some of them it was their second race of the day! By the way I’ve decided that the Women’s B category has the toughest athletes out there, I think half of the field wasn’t wearing gloves. Every lap was getting more and more wet, and all of the pink fingers made me watch in awe as each girl stayed in the race determined to battle the cold weather. The road race scheduled for Sunday morning was near my home in Park City, with a hard course that included some climbing. I was planning on doing the race to get a good hard workout in, but due to the snow that was accumulating at higher elevations the race had to be moved to the Larry Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele (by the way they were awesome working with us and accommodating our last minute change of plans). Some of you may recognize the venue name because the men’s Tour of Utah had a TT at the same location. I wasn’t too excited to race a flat course, but I woke up Sunday morning to snow in Park City and decided it would be hard to motivate to do a hard ride in bad weather. I made myself a delicious breakfast and gathered up all my gear, an entire rolling suitcase full of cold weather cycling clothes (thank you Voler!), and drove the hour and 15 minutes to Tooele and escaped the snow. I wasn’t sure the road race was going to happen because it was raining and cold in the Salt Lake Valley, but when I showed up to the venue the Women’s B and Men’s B and C races were in progress. I decided to commit to doing the race, and hoped I wouldn’t freeze or have to ride the entire race alone (sometimes I’m not too smart in road races). I got dressed, did a short warm up because it was freezing out and lined up for the pre-race instructions. I was a bit nervous because I’m just getting back to racing and riding after having surgery on my wrist in January. Sea Otter was fairly nerve racking for me and I assumed a road race with 30 women surrounding me and having to go through several corners was going to be horrifying. I decided to get to the front at the start to get a feel for the course (we weren’t able to pre-ride it) and so I wouldn’t be worried about everyone around me. I started to calm down a bit, and decided that I was going to ride as hard as I could for the six, seven-mile laps. I really want to get my fitness back and suffering in a race is the best way to do it! Luckily, I brought along my Hammer HEED and gel flask so I could stay hydrated during the race. I covered several attacks and even went off the front a few times on my own, I was never able to stay away, but boy was I getting a great workout! After about an hour I was sure I’d burned all of the matches in my book, I wasn’t sure how hard I would be able to go for the rest of the race. At the beginning of the last lap two girls attacked, I decided to chase them down and keep riding as hard as I could because it was starting to rain. The last thing I felt like doing was spending time in the freezing rain! The group eventually caught me about half way through the lap, but the rain was getting stronger and I didn’t want to spend the next 15 minutes working out a sprint finish. I took another hit off my gel flask and drank some more HEED, went to the front of the group and went as hard as I could to get in one last hard effort and to speed things up before the finish. I looked back a few minutes later and I was alone! I was surprised and decided to put my hands in the drops and go as hard as possible, and I managed to stay away and crossed the finish line in first place! After the race awards were given out and I was all smiles because I was warm and out of the rain. Brad Duncan from the U of U cycling team did a great job planning the race and dealing with the bad weather, and Joel Hsia spent a lot of time dealing with registration and even found time to take photos.

Cohutta Race Report from Danielle

2009-04-28T09:42:00.001-07:00

On April 25 I competed in the first 100 miler of the National Ultra Endurance (NUE) series, the Cohutta 100 in Ducktown, Tennessee.

The race started with a 3-mile climb up a paved road. I found myself in the lead group of men and tried to tuck myself into the group to conserve energy. Temps were in the 50’s and my legs felt great. Eventually the road start to pitch into a higher grade, and the group started to break apart. I entered the singletrack as the first female and kept a fast pace to maintain my lead.

My new Tomac Carbide was amazing and seemed to float over all of the rocks and roots. Riding it was absolutely effortless and I found myself smiling every time I bombed down a descent. It was so much fun!

The first 20 miles passed in a blur and before I knew it the singletrack was over and it was time for some serious climbing. Eventually, Carey Lowery (Specialized) and Betsy Shogren (Cannondale Factory Racing) caught up to me on one of the long descents, and the 3 of us were within minutes of each other for quite some time.

By 10 a.m. I started to feel the effect of the heat. For the past month in Michigan I had been training in 40-50 degree weather. By noon the temperature had risen to 88 degrees and it felt absolutely BRUTAL. I could feel my power fading and focused on remaining hydrated. By the time I reached Aid Station 4 (Mile 65) I had worked my way back into 2nd place but had a mechanical shortly after.

This cost me some time and I rode alone for most of final miles. I finished with a time of 8:33, which was good for 3rd place. More race coverage and photos can be found at:

www.cyclingnews.com/mtb.php?id=mtb/2009/apr09/cohutta100

In two weeks I’ll be returning to Tennessee to compete in the 12 hours of Dirt, Sweat and Gears. It’s race #4 in the USA cycling ultra endurance series, where I’m currently tied for 2nd place.

Thanks again to all of my sponsors!
Danielle Musto

Four Podiums in Two Days!

2009-04-28T05:38:00.001-07:00

Kenda athletes scored well this past weekend with Amanda Carey and Kathy Sherwin taking the top spots at the Kenda Cup West in Santa Ynez, CA. On the men's side, Andy Schultz, despite losing his rear brake at the start of the race, pulled off a 3rd place. He managed to cross the finish line running after a crash and flat near the end almost derailled his race.

Danielle Musto also landed on the podium at the Cohutta 100 NUE, taking 3rd place after 100 miles of riding.

More stories and photos to follow.

Sea Otter Wrap

2009-04-21T04:33:00.001-07:00

All six Kenda XC athletes made their way to Monterey, CA for the annual Sea Otter Classic this past weekend. They were joined in the tech area by John Tomac, Joel Smith and Clarke Dolton from Tomac Bikes who were on hand to show the new sub 22 lb. Carbide SL full suspension bike the team will be riding later this summer. As always, the Kenda crew Jim, Matt, Stefano and Nick were on hand to help throughout the weekend too.

This year was unique for the Sea Otter in that it was sunny, hot and dry throughout the weekend, something the athletes weren't used to this early in the season. We were happy to see Jeff Kletter from Kinesys who brought plenty of sunscreen which we really needed! Many of the pros had just returned from the World Cup in South Africa so the pro field had plenty of competition to contend with in both the short track and XC races.

In the men's short track, Colin Cares posted his first top ten of the season with Andy Schultz finishing in 14th riding the Tomac Carbide for the first time in a race. On the women's side, Kathy Sherwin took 15th, Amanda Carey 19th and Heather Holmes at 25th (still riding in a wrist brace).

On Sunday, with temperatures soaring above 90, the officials cut the XC races short, but that wasn't enough to help many racers avoid the effects of the heat. Almost every athlete came through covered in goose bumps, a sign of dehydration setting in. Kathy Sherwin survived the heat to finishing in 15th, Amanda Carey in 23rd and Heather Holmes in 32nd. Zephanie Blasi succummed to the heat and was taken off the course to cool off at the medical tent. On the men's side, Colin Cares survived the heat to take 23rd spot and Andy Schultz dropped out before reaching the dehydration point. In all, 1/4 of the men did not finish, most due to the extreme conditions.

You can view more team photos on our Facebook page.

Extra thanks for David Clopton (Finish Line), Ed Fonda (Voler) and Shannon Halsam (Tifosi Optics) for being there to support us too!

After a few days off to recuperate, the team will meet again next weekend in Santa Ynez for the 4th Kenda Cup West race.

Sagebrush Safari

2009-04-06T10:17:00.000-07:00

Kenda athletes dominated the Sagebrush Safari race at Bonelli Park this past weekend. This was the 3rd stop on the Kenda Cup series for 2009 and a good indication of where we are as a team heading into the Sea Otter April 17th.

Andy Schultz took 2nd place for the men after battling with Sid Taberlay all day. On the women's side, Amanda Carey took 3rd and Kathy Sherwin took 5th giving the team 3 podium spots for the weekend. Does Jim Wannamaker look like a happy camper in this photo with the team? I think he does.

Spa City Race Report

2009-03-11T06:39:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I race in the Spa City Extreme, a 6 Hour Solo MTB race in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Since Michigan trails are still unrideable, the race was a great opportunity to get some trail time, and collect points (Spa City was the third race in the USAC Ultra Endurance Series).

I didn't have to look far to know that the field was going to be competitive, since I was sharing a house with Rebecca Rusch, two-time 24 hour World Champion. At the start line the promoter called off the different States being represented, and it was good to see many endurance athletes ready to duke it out so early in the season.

We started out with a typical Lemans start, and ran around an unfinished BMX track. Even though the run was only a few minutes it seemed to last forever. I was happy to finally hop on my bike, and entered the single-track in 3rd place behind Rebecca Rusch (Specialized/Red Bull) and Anna Jean Dallaire (Sobe/Cannondale).

Waiting for the run...it always feels weird to line up without a bike!

The 10-mile course was a great combination of tight single-track, a few water crossings, and short switchback climbs. My tires (Kenda Karmas) handled the washed out corners perfectly, and I always had a lot of traction.

6 Hour races are shorter then most of the races that I do, and I tried to keep my pace as fast as possible throughout the day. As I headed out for my last lap, my mechanic informed me that I had gained time on second place and that she was only 2 minutes ahead of me. I knew that I would have to lay it all on the line if I wanted to catch her.

I don't remember much about the last lap except powering up every single climb as fast I could. It's funny how a course changes throughout a long race. I thought that the course was relatively flat when I started out. 5 hours later, the course seemed like it was all uphill.

With only 2 miles to go I caught second place! She was halfway up a climb and I think I passed her before she reached the top. After that I just lowered my head and did a time trial to the finish line. After almost 6 hours of racing I ended up taking second place by a minute.

Podium pic

Here we are with the top guy finishers posing for pictures
Thanks for everyone's support. It's going to be a great season!!!

Posted by Danielle

Tomac Type-X's Read to Rock!

2009-03-10T17:34:00.000-07:00

I came home from vacation last week to an office full of bike boxes direct from the factory. These are hot from the molds Tomac Type-X hard tails that the team will be racing this season. I loaded each box with Thomson posts and stems, our Shimano drive train parts and sent one to each athlete. Heather Holmes has hers built up and ready to ride during her 2 week field experiment trip to Mexico. Colin plans on riding his during spring break in Boulder. Kathy Sherwin called very excited just looking at it! Andy will most likely initiate his at a local race just after the last bolt it tightened...Thanks to Joel at Tomac for making this happen so quickly!

Danielle Musto 2nd at USAC Ultra

2009-03-10T17:31:00.000-07:00

Danielle Musto took 2nd place at the Spa City Ultra this past weekend. She is tied for 2nd place in the series after 3 events. Look for an update from Danielle shortly.

Kenda Cup West Race 1- Bonelli Park

2009-03-03T16:03:00.000-08:00

There are usually only one or two races that I'm more nervous before than the first race of the year. The first race is always tough because I don't really know where I stand fitness-wise. I've been training hard all winter but I always have a nagging little voice in the back of my head asking me questions like "Are you sure you've done enough intervals?" or "Shouldn't you be a couple of pounds lighter than you are?" or "Are you sure you want to put yourself through all that suffering?"

We'll I had to deal with that little voice last weekend. I made the drive from Tucson to San Dimas (middle of L.A.) with my girlfriend. While I toed-the-line with a less star-studded field than I will be for the U.S. Pro XC Tour, there was still plenty of competition. I did my best to ignore that little voice until the gun went off and then I forgot about him completely. The race went well. I was happy to set a comfortable tempo on the front of the field and whittle the field down to four riders. I ran into trouble though when both Sid Taberlay and Sam Jurekovic attacked me. I tried to respond and would accelerate for 10 seconds or so and then fall back into the same pace I had been keeping all race. I guess I'm just lacking any high-end speed. But that's alright for now. It's still really early. So, long story short, I crossed the finishline in third.

I would like to extend a big thank you to Jim Wannamaker. Jim threw the weight of Kenda behind the Kenda Cup Race Series and helped keep cross country racing alive in the U.S. He was also a huge help to me at this race.

L.A. Isn't it beautiful?

The Kenda Cup Scene

The Podium

Season Underway

2009-02-16T19:17:00.000-08:00

The Kenda MTB Team season opened up this past weekend in with athletes competing in two separate venues.

In Tucson, Andy Schultz took part in the 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo as part of a composite team, winning the four person open category. The team completed 22 laps over the 24 hours ahead of the Kona team which also completed 22 laps.

In Texas, Danielle Musto competed in the Mas o Menos 100k, the first event of the USA Cycling Ultra Endurance Series. She finished 5th, making the podium in her opening bid to win the series for 2009.

Check back for athlete updates soon.

2009 Team Ready To Roll

2008-12-06T17:02:00.000-08:00

2008 is now behind us and up ahead is a new trail. This season promises to be one of the most interesting to date as the racing scene for mountain bikers is taking many twists and turns towards the future. A new series of races will debut on the east and west coasts along with a new points series for the top pros racing in the US. Mountain Bike Nationals will return to Colorado where the first world championships were held when mountain bike was still in its infancy.

We've got a lot of the same sponsors and riders, but have added a few of each to better position our team in the new mountain bike "economy". So stay tuned for updates, racing news and stories from the trail as we get ready to launch our season.