Start Global Cooling training camp

This past weekend, the CLIF BAR Development Cross Team had it's pre-season Start Global Cooling Training Camp. This camp is where the kids not only get their uniforms and bikes, practice skills and prepare for the race season - they also prepared for a season spent making a difference with the team's sustainable cycling mission.

This season the team is rolling out a new look, many new members, and an even greater commitment to demonstrating sustainable cycling team operations and educating our members and the cycling community about sustainability issues.

Let's start with the new look: thanks to a brilliant design layout from Le Sensation American and slick production work from Pearl Izumi, we were able to pull off a look that combines Clif's signature red, eco-messaging green, fast-looking white, and cross-appropriate black - all without ending up looking too Christmas-y, or Italian flag-ish.The kits go pretty well with our green Salsa Chili con Crosso frames, green Chris King headsets, and bright green Crank Brothers pedals. The best part about the design is we now have Start Global Cooling text on our sleeves to back up the top tube stickers - this message should be the most visible aspect of our bikes and uniforms when we're racing.

The team has grown again, adding many new members to help round out the American Cycling Association's junior cyclo-cross development programs. We've added three young guns in the 13-15 age range to bridge the gap between the ACA's Mudskippers team (8-12) and our traditional 16-22 group. Also joining on this year will be 9 new members coming from road and MTB backgrounds, some with much 'cross experience and some rookies.

The crew of 17 kids will be captained by veterans Brady Kappius and Daniel Summerhill, who jumps up to the U23 category after winning the silver medal at last year's Junior World Championships. The team will be contesting a full schedule of races in Colorado, the USGP Series, and Nationals - as well as sending kids over to Belgium this winter for Geoff Proctor's Euro Cross Camp.

During our training camp gathering, it was time to focus on the team's sustainable cycling mission and get everyone off to a good start on learning and participating. We started camp by volunteering at the Friday afternoon harvest with the Cultiva! Youth Project, picking, cleaning, and preparing vegetables for the Boulder Farmers' Market. Our homegirl Jen from Eco-Cycle joined us for pizza and explained the concept of Zero Waste and how the team is going to work towards Zero Waste operations as well as help make some local races and the USGP Series Zero Waste events.

After a cross skills clinic on Saturday morning, the team convened on the Farmers' Market for lunch and a local produce shopping experience. Saturday night the team was special guests of Eco-Cycle at their national gathering for progressive grassroots recyclers, where we toured the Center for Hard to Recycle Materials and listened to several inspiring speakers talk about Zero Waste and the problem of methane produced by too much organic material in landfills.

On Sunday, the team hammered each other in some practice races, and then rolled up to Fort Collins to check out the Rocky Mountain Sustainable Living Fair. I got to meet Bambi the Jersey cow, and we all took in demonstrations on alternative-fuel vehicles, solar power, straw-bale construction, wind turbines, organic farming and more.









That was pretty much it for the weekend. After all that with 15 kids in tow, I was thankful to chill on Sunday night with my lovely wife (who still likes me after the weekend's Cross Team invasion) and cook up a tasty dinner with all the local produce the kids bought at the farmers' market. I'm really looking forward to getting the cross season started to see how much these kids learn along the way!

Summerhill Worlds Diary

Now sitting on the plane home from Brussels, here is the last installment of my diary about my trip over to Belgium for Cross Worlds.

I believe that I left off about 2 days before the race, with an overall feeling of nervousness and anxiety about the upcoming event and as just about every other night over here my night sleep went a little bit like this: go to sleep around 10 or 11 and wake up around 2:30 without the ability to go back to sleep.

Knowing that I really needed to get some good sleep each night, and being nervous knowing that I kept having trouble sleeping, compounded the problem because as my nerves got worse and worse my sleep suffered equally.

Another aspect of preparation I needed to work on was my bike situation - which two days before the race I was still trying to get totally dialed in. I had left my two race bikes over in Belgium when I came home after the Euro Camp, and they needed some work. I also brought a 3rd race bike with me for this last trip of the season. With two bikes already having gone through some tough Euro races, and adding a third bike, I needed to get all the bikes ready to go. After checking over everything and hours of tuning up by the mechanics, my 3 bikes were as dialed as I have ever seen them.

With the bikes all set, I decided that in order to get over my fear of switching bikes and risk having a different position (which could mess a lot of things up when you are going full throttle) I went out and did what I called a blind trial which was basically not looking at the bike I was on before getting on it and going for a ride and seeing if I could notice a difference in the way it feels. This turned out to be a very good idea just because having gone through the whole season with out taking a bike change making sure the next bike I was going to get on was the same was very important.

Another thing I noticed while being over here this last trip was the incredible lack of interest I had in doing anything but thinking about my race and everything surrounding it.
For instance - all the hard work that a number of different people had to do just to get me there to race in Europe, not to mention how much work they did for me in getting me 3 working bikes, sweet race wheels, extra parts, tires and all that weighed very heavily in my mind, and thinking of how I would feel if I were to let them down after all of their hard work kept running circles through my head!

I also noticed a major difference in my attitude towards a lot of things over there, being so focused on doing well in the final race of the season...but most of all my irritability and feeling that I could emotionally snap at any moment. As much as I prepared, it was still pretty stressful!


THE RACE
Emotions and thoughts before the race go as follows:
- top 10 would be nice
- top 5 would be awesome
- podium: I never really thought about being that I didn’t want to feel the let down if I were to not make it to the podium sooo I didn’t really plan on getting a medal as being one of my goals

But as the selection was made it was already clear that I would be getting a top 5 and I was ready to settle for that until the last 500 meters when I realized that in the sprint finish I had already surpassed my goal of getting a top 5 and was now looking at a medal!

I feel that if I did one thing wrong and one thing at all (besides crashing) it would be that I didn’t quite believe Noel, my coaches, my parents, and anyone else who ever told me I could get a medal at the World Championships…because believing in myself the whole time like I did in the last 500 meters could have changed my overall mindset of how I was going to race the race in the first place!

Small things like being nervous or not being as confident leading into the race, I already know might be the reason for the problems sleeping I had, but since the race I have been having trouble sleeping again since I have been so excited about how the race turned out! I still hasn’t fully hit me that I got a silver medal in the Junior World Championships!!

Photo credit: Russ & Nancy Wright/AbbiOrca.com

Danny Sprints to Silver Medal at World Championships!

Russ & Nancy Wright/AbbiOrca.com

I'm happy to report that this morning, in Hooglede-Gits, Belgium, under sunny skies but on a muddy, slippery track, our very own junior sensation Daniel Summerhill rode an amazing race in the World Championships, sprinting to an amazing 2nd place finish!

Full race reports are available on VeloNews.com and Cyclingnews.com

Chris Milliman caught up with Danny after the race and provided this interview for VeloNews.com

And luckily for me, I'm staying at the same hotel in Brugge with Russ and Nancy Wright of AbbiOrca.com, and they shared the above photos of today's action.

T minus 2 days for Toast

Here's Danny's latest update from Izegem, Belgium - thoughts heading into the World Championships on Saturday:

Thursday Jan 25.

my lap top just the other day sooo now I have to grab bits of time here and
there using other peoples lap tops

but ya lately I have to say I have say that I have been doing a lot of
thinking about how exactly the next couple of days will un-fold with with it
culminating saturday morning at worlds

I have been training like normal going out for 2 hours or so every day but
unfortunately I have had a bit of a problem falling asleep or should I say
staying asleep on a regular basis

so with that I might ask if any one has any suggestions this this little
problem it would be greatly appreciated.

as far as thoughts that have been going through my mind lately the thought of
winning comes around every once and a while but I feel that doing the best I
can and leaving it all out there is what I envision my self doing more.

getting nervous has not really set in at all yet but there is definitely
something or some kind of feeling I have not been able to shake yet
and I feel that will all change after the pressure of saturday and I am on
my way home.

-Danny

Summerhill back in Europe for Sunday's World Cup

Monday Jan. 22

My flight over here went surprisingly very smoothly and did not take too much out of me besides the fact that I was not able to sleep at all on the plane which left me very very tired when I landed.

After I got to Izegem, I was able to get a solid nights sleep which was really cool just because last time I was over here it took days to actually fall asleep the same time every one else did.

The next day was the World Cup race which I had mixed feelings about.
I was scared about my legs not being fresh after just getting
off of a plane, but after the race was over and getting 19th, I realized I
would just have to look at it as an opener and a way to shake my "airplane
legs" out.

Other than that we woke up around 7:30 this morning to go for a walk as a
team where we discuss feelings and thoughts on up coming issues whether it
be the race or other things on our mind.

After that we ate breakfast and I went upstairs and took a very long nap...
which I was awakened from around 12:30 and was asked if I had ridden yet -
which I had not...sooo I went for about 2 hours easy and just thought about what I am going to do for the next week leading up to Worlds.

Jim Lennon's Euro Camp Review

Photos credit: Joseph Sales, from the Euro Camp

Due to the recent blizzards in Denver my flight was cancelled and moved to Sunday (Christmas Eve) with an unexpected upgrade. I began my Euro Camp with some pre flight coffee and a croissant in my first class recliner at the very front of the plane. As it was my first time flying first class I noticed the level of hospitality and happiness in this part of the cabin was much higher. Thoroughly stuffed, I arrived in Chicago feeling better than ever but not looking forward to the 8 hour coach flight to Brussels. Thankfully the Chicago Brussels flight went better than expected with no delays. Geoff and his son met Danny and I at the airport early Christmas morning to pick us up and drive us to base camp where everyone was eating breakfast. As soon as I got there I unpacked my bike and went for a ride around town to get ready for my first world cup. There was something like 15,000 fans that day which is far more than any race I have ever done. The level of competition is very intense and the crowd involvement is incredible. The courses were set up to be technically challenging combined with the weather and sand it made for some amazing racing. Everything was done for us except race our bikes. Our hosts Ells and Noel were extremely gracious providing us with clean living and lots of great food. What an amazing way to end my first year as a cyclocross racer. My experience here has taught me a great deal of what’s required in both preparation and skills to be a competitive racer and I look forward to next year. By the way the chocolate and waffles really are that good!

National Team Coach Geoff Proctor's report

Here's a great report on VeloNews.com on Euro Camp IV, from National Team Coach Geoff Proctor. TIAA-CREF/CLIF BAR's Daniel Summerhill is featured prominently in the article thanks to his amazing race performances at the camp.

Summerhill reports from Belgium

Friday Dec. 29





Photo by Joseph Sales

As far as my trip to Europe goes it started about a week before I actually
made it to Europe. My flight was supposed to be the morning of the Massive
blizzard but because so much snow fell so fast my flight was canceled. It
managed to stay canceled for another 4 days in which time I had to make my
way up to Vail so that I could fly out of the air port to Chicago where I
would get on a normal flight to Brussels.

Now about 5 and half days late I arrive in Belgium with not a glimmer of
snow in sight.

The next couple of days were kind of a blur with the fact that I had not
been able to get out of my jet lag .

With one race already behind me though I came back to the next one with
redemption in mind. To add to my fire the entire junior national team was
picked very last from what was supposed to be a random call up to the start
line. So with that anger I managed to claw my way up to 5th place and a
sprint finish which who know could have gone differently had I started on
the front row with the other 4 racers that finished ahead of me and not on
the very last. But in the famous words of Bjorn Selander, it's not worth crying
over spilled milk, so we packed up our things and headed home, with hopes to
do even better next time around.

To Be Continued...

The Nationals Report

OK, so 2006 cyclo-cross nationals have come and gone, here's how it (mostly) went:

Most everyone got in reasonably well Thursday night. Ben and Daimo were already there with a truck and a van, so we all got picked up and headed down to Providence with a dinner stop at the Whole Foods (Hingham, MA) food bar en route.

The Bear missed his flight in Durango so he had to take the red eye, and then the bus to Providence. Stu got in super late, but our East Coast Mechanic Alex was able to swing by Logan to bring him down. Thanks Alex! Next time you'll get electricity in your room! Peter came late Friday and Ben went to get him.

We stayed at a sweet B&B that Ben rented out for us. We had the whole place to ourselves, so Jason was able to use the kitchen and cook all our meals, once again saving us from the food, waiting, and expense of going out to eat every night.

Friday was pretty relaxing I raced the 40-44, but everyone else just spent the day looking at the course and mostly relaxing, except for Tejay Van Wristbroken who took his last opportunity with us to crash me in warmup. Extended team member Brandon stayed with us for most of the weekend, and took a nice 4th in the 35-39 race as well. Rob had a good ride going in the 35-39, although he wasn't quiteable to finish it off as he would have liked.

Despite being short our usual equipment, the machanics Nick, Daimo and Alex kept everyone's gear working, and no one was ever short a bike. No mechanicals for the weekend, you can't ask for better than that. Special thanks to Alex and Pedros for hooking us up with tents, workstands, tables...everything we needed. Also, IBC took care of us with 6 nice CycleOps trainers for warmup.

Saturday was the big day, with everyone doign a championship race. Bowl-Cut was the first to go, racing the 15-16 juniors he had a solid ride to take 4th. Very consistent with what he's been doing all year, and really good for someone who basically ran cross country until November!

Next race up for us was the junior 17-18 race. No surprises there, as Danny rode his normal dominant race to take the repeat win, with a sweet one handed wheelie accross the line. Taylor showed he's figured out how this 'cross stuff works, taking a very calm, well-ridden 3rd place! Great ride by Ethan Gilmour picking up second, and doing all he could to really race Danny in the first part of the race. Jim took lucky 13th, but he's got a few weeksof racing left to do in Europe...and then hopefully worlds (along with Danny, for whom that's the real goal).

A short break for lunch (for everyone except Danny, who had a USADA appointment), and our 4 U23's took the line. Clif Bar's Jesse Anthony scored a nice win, with strong rides from the real Joey T, Bjorn, and Jamey Driscoll. Our guys rolled in places 11th - 14th, but for a bunch of guys all 18, all in college, they rode well.

Finally, the elite race. Troy had recovered from his calc final and late flight, but unfortunately just missed the lead group after the start. Then he got stepped on halfway through the race, resulting in a badly bruised heel...eventually taking 27th. Troy's also going to Europe, so his season isn't over yet. Stu had the 'cross race of his life, and likely his last bike race as a professional, taking an incredible 18th place. Thanks for all the help this year Stu! Assistant Manager Smith rounded out the group at 59th place.

Saturday night was smooth. Danny's parents joined us for dinner, while the Barkers stayed with us at the Inn for the full weekend. Jason did a great job feeding us again, and the U23 crew did as good a job on dishes as the juniors did Friday night.

Sunday was a lower key day for everyone. Alex V and Daimo raced the U35 B race in the AM, Rob raced the 35+ B right afterwards. Brady, Troy, and Peter raced Collegiate at 11:30. Troy made the lead group and rode really strongly for his FLC Skyhawk teammate Joey T, eventually finishing 3rd. Reed was able to tape Troy's heel up well enough for him to race. FLC lost the overall in a tie breaker to Lee McRae's college, on account of Snyder. Peter picked up a nice top 10, and our man from the Mines BK was happy to end his season.

Finally, the "Strawberry Cup" race pitted all the national champions from the weekend (except women) against everyone who wanted to enter. New Boulder resident Tim J took the V, after Danny got the hole shot, eventually finishing 35th. Tejay and Bryan also took the start, both of them are heading for new teams in '07, so it was nice to see them out there one last time with us.

Another Whole Foods dinner Sunday night, and I managed not to kill anyone with the van. A great final 2006 race weekend for the team, and don't forget Danny, Jim and Troy are off to Belgium for the next two weeks on Geoff Proctor's Euro Camp 4 (is it 4 already?), and then at least Danny riding worlds in Belgium in late January. You can help them out here if you're interested.

Big thanks to all the sponsors, parents, supporters, fans (Nate & Curtis especially!), staff and riders for a great 2006 season!

Summerhill: Bronze medal at CO State Champs.

On a sunny, mild winter day in Longmont, CO, the Xilinx campus hosted the American Cycling Association Colorado State Championship race.

In the Category 3 men's race, Juniors Andrew Barker, Taylor Phinney, and Jim Lennon all looked to be riding strong heading into next weekend's National Championships. Andrew got a flat tire on the first lap and dropped back, but got a bike change and clawed his way all the back into 9th place. Taylor had one of his best starts ever, and was looking comfortable in 5th place for several laps, until a double-flat put him out of the race. Jim rode a conservative race as he is recovering from a sprained ankle.

**Also in the Cat. 3 race, occasional TIAA-CREF/CLIF BAR Cyclo-Cross Team mechanics Nicholas Saucier and Matt Opperman posted excellent 2nd and 4th places, respectively...just ahead of our Luna Chix homegirl Georgia Gould - getting in a great workout as she prepares for Nationals.

The most impressive storylines of the day were saved for the Elite race, where Junior sensation Daniel Summerhill showed his impressive form and bike handling skills - soloing off the front of the impressive Elite field, and managing the course's slippery and technical turns and bumps. Daniel was soon joined by Colorado's top Elite racer, Jonathan Baker, and the two built a huge lead. Unfortunately Daniel suffered one of the team's many flat tires on the day (7 total!), and dropped way back in the field as he navigated the sketchy course on his flat tire.

After a bike change, Daniel turned on the gas again and powered through his competitors - working his way up to 3rd place by the finish. While it would have been exciting to see a Summerhill/Baker battle all race long, 3rd place is a mighty impressive finish for a Junior in the Elite race.

U23 rider Brady Kappius had a solid race - starting hard from the gun and holding on to 4th place early, a flat tire set him back as well, but he recovered and motored up to an 11th place finish.

Former 5th place finisher in the Juniors at Cyclo-Cross Worlds, Will Frischkorn shook off the cobwebs from his recent honeymoon, and cranked out 5th place!