USA Cycling MTB Camp

Report from Zane Godby:
On October 8-12 I was invited to the USA Cycling Talent ID mountain bike camp. It was down in Colorado Springs, so I thought it would be a really good experience, a fun time, and at the time I didn’t know it but it was actually pretty informational. I learned all about training, nutrition, USADA (USA Doping Agency), and we also did a field test to get our numbers (watts, watts per kilo, VAM-vertical ascended meter). I arrived there on Thursday, and we did a soft pedal that afternoon. The temperature wasn’t too bad but it was a little chilly. On Friday we did the field test, and it was around 20-25 degrees at 7:00 A.M. Everyone was all bundled up, and I was in all of my Pearl Izumi clothes looking good and feeling warm. It barley got above 30 degrees that day, so we did not go out and do a second ride that afternoon. On Saturday and Sunday it was foggy and sleeting, and there was black ice all over the place so we did not ride either day. I was bummed about that but both the roadies and the mountain bikes got to go to the gym and play some dodge ball. So we got to know all the different guys there. One of the kids was from Florida, and he didn’t own any pants, and it was pretty funny watching him in the cold. Then on Monday our last day we finally got to ride. We went to Palmer Lake. It is a ton of really fun and flowing but technical ripping singletrack. This camp was very fun and I feel very honored to have been part of it.

Organic Farming Fights Climate Change

Organic Farming Could Sequester 40% of Greenhouse Gas Emissions!
Tell Congress: Organic Is the Answer to Climate Change!
Take Action Now!

Watch this new video from the Rodale Institute's Demand Organic campaign and learn how, if the world’s 3.5 billion tillable acres were transitioned to organic agriculture, organic farms could sequester 40% of yearly carbon emissions. Then, tell Congress: Organic Is the Answer to Climate Change!

Team preview on Cyclingnews.com

Nice summary of the team's roster and goals on the weekly Cross News round-up from Cyclingnews.com.

Reduce Your Carbon Foot Print with Mitch!

AIR DRY YOUR CLOTHING         

   A great way to save energy and carbon emissions in Colorado is to use the sun and wind to dry your clothes. We are blessed with a dry climate and 300 days of sun per year, which makes drying your clothes on a clothesline viable for most of the year. According to the website www.consumerenergyreport.com your dryer uses the second most energy of any appliance in your house except for your refrigerator. This equates to about 85 dollars a year. So drying your clothes outside for 6 months during the warm part of the year will save over 40 dollars a year. This is about 700 kilowatt hours a year and savings of around 1000 pounds of CO2 per year. If Kwh don’t really mean much too you that’s okay. This is roughly the equivalent of 45 gallons of gasoline. That’s 3 tanks of gas for a Subaru Outback and well over 1100 miles traveled. So next time you do a load of laundry consider the clothesline approach. It is best done outside but a relatively well ventilated space inside can do the trick for year round drying.

Check out this site for more energy usage info

http://www.diversepower.com/watt_uses_watt.php

Cheers, 

Mitch Hoke

Weekend results, 10/3-4

Saturday:

Frisco Cross #1, Frisco, Colorado
Open Men
2nd - Yannick Eckmann
6th - Alex Howes
7th - Robin Eckmann

Cat 3 Men
1st - Zane Godby

Gran Prix of Gloucester #1, Gloucester, Massachussets
7th - Nate Morse
10th - Curtis White

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Sunday:

Gran Prix of Gloucester #2, Gloucester, Massachussets
5th - Nate Morse
10th - Curtis White

Coming Soon: New film by Sam Smith

'CrossNatz Trailer from cyclofile.com on Vimeo.

Verge New England Cyclocross Series rounds 1&2

Last Saturday and Sunday was the start of this year's Verge New England Championship series. As a first year in the U19s, my expectations weren't too high. But for Curtis and me, the season got off to great start.

The weather on Saturday was sunny and clear. The course was nice and dry. I got the hole shot, but went out too hard, but faded back to about 7th place by the end of the first lap. Curtis stuck with the second group, who were chasing the leaders from EMD/Serono. I attacked the guy I was with and started moving my way up. Curtis was having a problem with his crank and fell back from the group he was with. Next I was riding with Curtis and Kiernan Orange. I felt great, so I picked up the pace, hoping that Curtis and I could drop Orange and hopefully catch back up to the chase group. The next think I knew, I had a gap and was pulling in Jesse Keough and Connor O' Brien. I rode with the chase group for the rest of the race. At the final corner, Josh Lehmann (Sunapee S&W) started to sprint early and grabbed 3rd place, leaving Keough and me to sprint for the points. With a close finish, I had thought Jesse had beat me, but the camera showed his body in front of mine, but my wheel in front of his. Having taken a bike change, Curtis was not far behind.

Sunday was rainy, cold, and muddy. Perfect cross weather. From the start, all 4 Canadians took the lead. The next group was Jesse, Curtis, and me. We stayed together the whole race, taking turns at the front. On the last lap, Jesse attacked. I managed to stay with him. Curtis was chasing to get back on and I tried to slow the pace so he could get back with us. Coming into the finishing straight, it was another sprint between Jesse and me, with Jesse taking the sprint for 5th. Curtis finished right behind in 7th. Considering that we were some of the youngest U19s in the race, I feel like it is going to be a great season for team CLIF BAR.

Saturday 9/26 results

Boulder Series #1, Louisville Rec Center - Photo courtesy Daimeon Shanks

USGP #1, Madison, WI
Yannick Eckmann 2nd, Jr 17-18
Robin Eckmann 3rd, Jr 17-18
Troy Wells 14th, Elite

Verge New England Championship Series #1 - Williston, VT
Nate Morse 4th, Jrs.
Curtis White 8th, Jrs.

Boulder CX Series #1 - Louisville Rec Center
Conor Mullervy 11th
Kevin Mullervy 14th

New England and Boulder Series kick off this weekend

Today in Louisville, CO is the first round of the BoulderRacing Cyclo-Cross Series - most of the Colorado crew will be there; meanwhile, in Williston, VT this weekend marks the opening round of the Verge New England Championship Cyclo-Cross Series, where the team's new east coast juniors will be representing.

Eckmann brothers, Wells line up for CLIF BAR in first USGP weekend

The CLIF BAR crew at this weekend's opening round of USGP races in Madison, WI will be Troy Wells in the Elites side, and Robin and Yannick Eckmann in the Jr. 17-18 race.

Wells is coming off an strong 6th place performance last weekend at Star Crossed, while both Eckmanns have been ramping up their form in the early Colorado races.