Female Riders Come to the Fore

A founding principle of Team Get A Grip Cycles is the idea that all members are treated the same, regardless of racing category or sex. After this past weekend, however, it has become abundantly clear that the team's female riders may once again win more races than the men.

Koren uses tactics and old men to podium at the Ceraland Road Race.
It was predicted on this website that Lindsay Koren would would be a cycling powerhouse in the early part of 2008. This past weekend she demonstrated the truth of that statement when she finished second in the Women's open race at the Ceraland Road Race. Koren used tactics ,strength, and some old guys to eliminate the advantage held by teams with a large number of riders. "There were a few teams there with at least 5 girls a piece but it didn't seem to hurt me." When the mens field that started one minute behind her own race passed her peloton, Lindsay remembered that the promoter said that the womens open field could mix with the men. "The men's field lapped us quickly because we crawled through the first two laps. When they went by no girls made a jump into their field. I let a sizeable gap open up ...and then attacked up to the men's field." Although a few women followed Koren across the gap, the move effectively eliminated the advantage in numbers held by other teams. Koren was able to mix it up with the men, but was unable to take the victory in a messy sprint.
"I felt strong (in the mens field) and had no problems riding right at the front of their group. I worked to close a few gaps and felt strong going into the final sprint. I didn't position myself all that great but was sitting second with respect to the women going into that last little pitch before the line. I ended up behind two guys from the same team who must have given a lead out or something because they sat up like a brick wall leaving me boxed in against the grass! Two girls passed me, but I was able to get enough speed to repass one of them after I got out of the clusterX&#4 (of the men's field). The same girl that beat me yesterday won and I think I had the juice in my legs to beat her today if I had been paying better attention. Lesson noted."

Brostrom closes a monster gap solo.

During the same weekend, Valerie Brostrom took an unintended break from medical school and found herself in Madison racing the Great Dane Velo Club criterium. At a certain point in the race, Val realized that the break up the road might actually stay away so she made the brave decision to cross the gap solo. I "killed myself to get on it, but after a few laps didn't have the juice to stay with the lead 5." She ended up taking 6th (the field sprint perhaps?) against stiff Wisconsin competition.

Haskell takes Midwest Collegiate Regional Road Race.

Although officially racing for the University of Chicago cycling team, it is worth noting that Devon Haskell won the Midwest regional championship road race in a two up sprint this past Sunday. Haskell broke away in the early miles of the race with two riders. As the race progressed one rider from Indiana University fell out of the break leaving Haskell and a rider from the University of Michigan to fight over the victory. In the final miles of the race, the Michigan rider conceded defeat and told Haskell that she was going to win the sprint. That sort of reassurance did not prevent Haskell from turning out a full-on sprint to win the race.

Jim Vandeven Crushes the Ozark Mountains and All Competition at the Dogwood Classic

Jim Vandeven established his winning move in the opening miles of the hilly, challenging roads of the Dogwood Classic Road Race. He bridged to the from-the-gun attack of Shawn O'Neal, traded pulls with O'Neal for fifty miles, then attacked his break-mate to take the win by himself ten miles later.


Jim's recollection was succinct: "After placing second in Hillsboro I was hungry for a win. Sean O'neal and I attacked from the start and stayed away for the entire race. Twelve miles from the finish I realized he was getting weak, and I road away and won the race. I put 1 1/2 mins on him and about 3 mins on the chase group."

Team Get A Grip Cycles Plays the Hillsboro Roubaix Cross Wind Lottery and Brings Home Three Podium Placings on Three Different Cannondale Bikes.

After revamping its core squad of category 3 riders, expanding its women’s line-up, and establishing its first presence in the category 2 ranks, Team Get A Grip Cycles entered the 2008 season with a new look and a wider presence. The Hillsboro-Roubaix Road Race on March 29th would determine if we could keep it together or would just devolve into a tribe of wild chimps. With three podium placings and an 82% finish rate, our fears of being shipped off to live with Cozi at Chimp Eden disappeared like most of the day's competition.

Podium #1: “I really, really wanted to win that one”

(Lindsay Koren Places Second on her 2008 Cannondale 6-13)

The fellas in Vegas are taking bets on the following: Lindsay Koren will podium in 66% of each race until she upgrades to the big leagues before the June transition. Koren made all of Saturday’s early splits, established the late-race break, and then dropped the remaining riders on the final climb. “I really didn't want to go through that patchy crap at the bottom of the hill in a bunch. I looked back a few times and just saw one girl in sight coming up. She caught me when I slowed too much going into the last turn and then I almost re caught her near the line.”

Podium #2: “Eh, I got Third:”

(Devon Haskell Places Third on her 2007 Cannondale System Six)

With four wins already this year for the University of Chicago collegiate team, it was time for Devon Haskell to display her club colors against tougher competition. As usual, the team’s #1 rider performed like the all-star she is and brought home a third-place finish, bested by just two of the Midwest’s toughest female racers.

Podium #3: “I Keep Getting Gapped By Slow Guys”

(Jim Vandeven Places Second on his Cannondale CAAD 9)

The final podium placing was built on the race strategy that “It is going to be a weeny ride until the third lap.” Unfortunately for most of the field that proclamation differed significantly from their own race experience as they were crushed by two sections of fierce cross winds and their own weakness. The crucial first two laps featured several long breaks and organized chases by Mesa Cycles, Barbasol, Get A Grip’s Charles Biro, and some fella on a Giant. Biro and Gorry maintained perfect position from the start of the race and their smart play guaranteed a place in the crucial final selection at the end of lap two, while Vandeven and Tenney ensured that they too would have a role to play in the final lap by repeatedly leaping across the gaps created by the weak and the dying. For Tenney (“I Keep Getting Gapped By Slow Guys”), the race ended when all the cross wind leap frogging blew out his L5-S1 disc and relegated him to pedaling with just one leg to the finish in 30^th place. From that point on, the team’s hopes rested on newly upgraded category 3 rider Aspen Gorry, hard man Charles Biro, and the deadly Vandeven. During the final miles Vandeven took the race in his own hands and attacked a late-race break in pursuit of a Mesa rider who was 4 minutes ahead of him. He towed a second Mesa rider to the final hill, rode him off his wheel, and finished in second place, having closed the gap to a single minute by the time he crossed the line. Gorry and Biro dug in and finished with the shattered front group in the 12^th and 23^rd places.

Jimmy says: "Better luck next time boys! Try drinking a Coke."

Jim Vandeven Tests Early Season Form At Froze Toes

Jim Vandeven narrowly missed out on a top-10 finish in the final sprint of the Elite Froze Toes Road Race, hosted by the Columbia Bicycle Club and Racing Team. Vandeven was forced to unleash his dirty alter ego not once, but twice, in order to pull himself back into contention after multiple flat tires threatened to ruin his chances on the harsh and salty roads of Missouri. Both solo efforts meant that there was not much strength left for the final field sprint and Jim narrowly missed the top-10 when he was passed a few meters from the line.

When not racing his bike, Vandeven spends his time pounding nails as a union carpenter in St. Louis and trying to keep his daughter Kirsten from flushing all of her toys down the comode.

Many thanks to The Columbia Bicycle Club for hosting an event on a blustery and miserable Sunday in February.

"Just raced the cherry pie crit...fast freddie was in it as well as other pros. Did not get dropped!"

This past Sunday, Eric Wiecek popped the top on the 2008 Team Get A Grip Cycles road racing season at the 2008 Cherry Pie Criterium, hosted by the Eagle Racing Team in California's Napa Valley. Wiecek held his own against some of the nation's top professional teams (BMC, Colavita-Sutter Home, California Giant Strawberries), and even granted Rock Racing's Fred Rodriguez his wheel at a critical point in the race.

Afterwards, Eric was succinct in his comments: "Just raced the cherry pie crit...fast freddie was in it as well as other pros. Did not get dropped!"


And, you saw it here first (almost*). Fred Rodriguez in Rock Racing colors. Seems like one of the nations leading fashion moguls feels that green, white, and black make for a fashionable ensemble.


*Actually, the team's west coast transplant, Angelo Digiovine (the source of these photos), beat us to the punch by just a few, scant hours.

Cyclocross Nationals

I had a good ending to the 'cross season this past weekend at the Cyclocross National Championships in Kansas City. I headed down to Kansas last Wednesday through the aftermath of the midwest ice storms. The first day of racing took place on an ice-cube covered course. The sun then came out on Friday, melting the ice and turning the course into a massive mud pit (i really wanted to race that day!). Friday night saw cold temperatures and snow which turned the course into a path of frozen ruts on Saturday. The course remained frozen and grooved for my races on sunday. I've raced on lots of surfaces this cross season: mud, snow, dirt, sand, but frozen grooves was a new one for me.

Collegiate Nationals were up first at 9 am on Sunday morning. I had a good spot on the starting line and when the gun went off I was up the paved climb in the front group. Then we hit the ice grooves... its tough riding your bike when the course grabs your wheels and throws you every which way. People went down all over the place. I'm sure it was quite a sight to watch. I held strong during the brief straightaways where short paths of smoothness had formed, but had some troubles around the tight rutted turns and sections of ice fields. Maneuvering became even more difficult as I began to lose feeling in my hands (it was 9 degrees out!), but I remained focused and stayed mostly upright. I was getting much better at riding in the ruts by the end and finished for a fourth place podium finish.

After the race, I had two hours to thaw out and get ready for race number two of the day in the elite women's field. By the time the race started, the sun had come out and melted just enough of the ice to create a slick muddy covering on the ice rutted course. I was ready for another round of fun! Unfortunately my start wasn't nearly as successful in this race. I found myself boxed in and being passed on all sides up the initial climb (oh no!). I hit the ice quite a ways back and had my work cut out for me. It wasn't easy to pass people given the course, but it was a good challenge and I was able to make up ground for most of the race. I took a few wipeouts in the process, lost my chain a couple times, and fell right on top of my bike once (ouch!), but I still had a blast and avoided getting lapped by the leaders. Thanks to all the IL/Wisc crew for cheering me on out on the course and to Aspen for running half the course with me in the process of cheering. 'Cross has super fans who create a great racing atmosphere.

Overall, I had a fun cross season and am sad that it is over. I know that it wouldn't have been nearly as fun or successful without all the support I have received over the season. Thanks to Get A Grip for the team support and for keeping my bike in one piece. A whole cross season with no mechanicals! No wonder the shop is known as Chicago's best. Thanks to my teammates for cheering me on at the races and being supportive all season. And another big thanks to my coach, Brian Conant, for making my first year of racing so successful. I've come a long way over the year with my super training program.

I can't wait until the racing starts again next year!!

Haskell Earns A Midwestern Hat Trick

Devon Haskell, the team's Fall and Winter news maker, led wire-to-wire at this past weekends Illinois State Championship to take a gold medal and another champions jersey. This win, combined with victories in the Indiana and Wisconsin State Championships, gives Haskell a Midwestern hat trick of State Championship Cyclocross wins.

Haskell now heads to Kansas City to compete in the Collegiate and Elite Women's National Championships of Cyclocross. She will be accompanied by rising cyclocross power house Aspen Gorry, also a gold medalist at the Illinois Championships and a future member of Team Get A Grip Cycles. Expect Gorry to leap-frog categories and race in the Pro/1/2 division next year.

We would like to extend a special thanks to all the sponsors and organizers of this year's Chicago Cross Cup. Since its inception in 2004, the series has grown in size and quality with each edition. We wish it even more success in the future.

"My first UCI Points and Another State Championship Victory": Devon Reports on Iowa's Jingle Cross and the WI State Cyclocross Championship Race

Jingle Cross (Thanksgiving Weekend, 2007)

I had my most exciting Cross race of the season yet. I have been doing a lot of local races this season, and usually the race ends up being a battle with one or two others. This weekend, there was a huge field of strong riders to race against. It was a two-day UCI event. The first day had a long muddy run-up, followed by an off-camber downhill... a weave through the fairground barns (one with sand), some long flat sections and then a long climb followed by a scarily steep downhill. Day two had a similar course, but backwards. This time we went up the off-camber hill followed closely by a run-up on the super steep hill... then some flats, and twisty sections through the barns. It was a fun course overall, but I do need to work on my downhills and tight turns.

I got off to a terrible start on Day 1... I think I was last shortly after the gun went off. I then got caught behind two wipe outs within the first minute. The leaders were gone by then and I had quite a few gaps to work on. I moved my way up slowly throughout the first lap and ended up in the middle of the pack. I slowly closed in on the 4th and 5th place riders throughout the race and got pretty close to catching up when my chain fell off going over a barrier (doh!). I lost a bit of ground and was then hanging on for 7th with two chasers close behind. I got caught by one on the crazy-steep downhill (we don't have these in Chicago). But I managed to finish 8th for the day.

Day 2 did not start much better than Day 1, but I moved up more quickly this time. While the top three riders had quite a lead, I was in the next pack of 3 working with them for most of the race. It was hard climbing the hills for a second day in a row, but there were a ton of great fans who cheered us on up the difficult run-up and the riders I was with made me keep going strong. I struggled to hang on on the last lap, but came in just behind 4&5 for a 6th place finish, an improvement on Day 1! Overall, it was a fun experience to ride with such a strong field of riders.

Wisconsin State Championships (Sunday, December 2, 2007)

Despite the rain, sleet, and snow conditions this weekend, I couldn't pass up a cross race (there are only two more weeks of cross left :( ). Aspen and I headed up to Milwaukee yesterday and arrived to a snow-covered park for the race. By the time I raced, it had rained a bit and lots of other races had gone so there was a muddy/slushy rut the whole way around the course. There were two run ups, a hill climb, a frozen sandpit (which is a lot easier to ride through than a non-frozen one), a huge puddle (brrr), two bridges, and lots of slick muddy turns around trees.

I was lucky to get a starting spot right along the muddy groove and for once I had a good start and was in front from the whistle. The course was tough... you had to keep peddling to get through the slush and no matter how hard you pedaled, you weren't going anywhere very fast. I had one girl on my tail for the first lap... I just kept focussed on staying upright and moving... and tried to chase down the 35+ guys ahead of me. Soon I had opened a pretty good sized gap but I kept going hard because I knew I had a lot of strong riders behind me. I also had to hope my bike wasn't going to break down on me from being completely covered in snow and mud. My bike proved to be sturdy (thanks to all the Get a Grip Cycles crew and to Saj for fixing it up last week) and I was able to get the win. The atmosphere was great - lots of people embracing the messy conditions, cheering loudly, and having a good time. Makes me love cross even more. Two more weeks left... .and then a long long wait until next season.

The last race of the Chicago series is next weekend so one more chance for you all to get out on the bike and race before spring!

Muddy Cyclocross

You never know what the weather will be for a cyclocross race. Temperatures range from tropical to frigid, and the weather gods bring wind, rain, and sometimes even snow. No matter what comes, the cyclocross race will go on!

This past weekend was a muddy one. Rain poured down as I pulled into the parking lot and the first races were just beginning. By the time my race rolled around at the end of the day, the course was a mixture of various muddy terrain: slick mud, sticky mud, soupy mud, chunky mud... lots of mud.

My race got off to a good start... for about the first 45 seconds... then we hit the mud. The course is clearly outlined in yellow tape to show you the way to go through the muddy mess. I was following nicely along between the yellow tape until the path went sideways along a hill and took a sudden turn up the hill around a tree. As I came along the hill, my bike began S-L-O-W-L-Y sliding down the hill (did i mention there was slick mud??). Now, I knew this was not a good thing and the turn was coming soon... so I hit the brakes. The brakes were a bit muddy at this point and did not give me quite the response that I was hoping for. So... the turn arrived and I was still going straight ahead and into the yellow tape (that nicely outlines the course). This is when the nice yellow tape ATTACKS me!! I had put my foot down over this yellow tape barrier and when I tried to step back over, I got all wrapped in yellow tape somehow (oh dear!). I remained calm and am able to get my foot untangled from the course, but when I grabbed my bike, I saw that the handle bars were also tangled in yellow tape (oh dear!). Again, I remained calm and carefully untangled the handlebars. Then I was free and I needed to gun it because the leader was getting away (oh dear!). So I started running up the hill with my bike through the sloppy mud and then I hit resistance (hmm?) I looked back and saw that the yellow course tape was attached to my seat post (ahhhh!!!). I kept running in hopes that the yellow tape would break, but the resistance grew stronger and finally I had to stop and unwrap the seat post. At last - I was free!!

The rest of the course proved to be equally muddy and slick, but I managed not to get attacked by any more yellow tape and got a W in the end. Even with Tape Attacks, Muddy 'Cross is a ton of fun!

Get A Grip Cycles Employee and Helicopter EMT Wins First Bike Race

The members of the team would like to congratulate Geoff Scott for winning the category 4 B race of the third round of the Chicago Cross Cup.

Geoff gave us the lowdown on his first cycle race:

The race started out really fast and there were at least five lead changes in the first few laps. I hung in there until there were only two of us left. I realized that I was coming out of the corners much faster than my break-mate, so when we got into the woods on the last lap, I just gunned it out of one corner and established a small gap. From then on I was riding scared. I put my head down and buried it to the line for the win.

When he is not riding his bike or helping out at the bike shop, Geoff works as an EMT on one of the University of Chicago hospital's emergency helicopters.