Major Taylor Velodrome's Hot Summer Nights

*Special thanks to Ed White for this fantastic photo-Val

The Major Taylor Velodrome in Indianapolis, IN held weekly racing for both cat 1-2-3 and women racers this summer in an alternating schedule between Friday nights and Saturday afternoons. Val and I made the surprisingly easy drive down for several of the Saturdays this summer. For any one who has never been there, despite not being one of the faster tracks in the country, Major Taylor Velodrome has one of the nicest facilities and some of the friendliest people, we highly recommend visiting it if you’re ever in the area. For experienced track racers they have some great racing and the banking is a comfortable medium with very smooth transitions making it a great track for beginners as well.

On the first outing (6/28/2008), their rather huge parking lot was nearly full of people getting ready for the NITE ride. By the time racing started, the stands were packed and people lined the rail of nearly half of the track. Val took full advantage of being the unknown out of town racer and cleaned house winning two of the three races and placing second in the other, which gave her a clear win for the omnium. I had a bad day on the bike but made some new friends and enjoyed the great crowd and atmosphere that usually only accompanies larger events.

For the second visit (7/26/2008) Val found herself up against a field that contained three women from the same team including Brooke Crum, who is good competition on her own with out teammates blocking and boxing for her. The rest of the field were very content to just watch and draft which forced Val to chase down countless attacks from Brooke and her teammates. Despite being up against some very well executed team tactics, Val ended up with second place for all three events. I didn’t fare quite as well, placing a depressing fifth place in the Keirin (my all time favorite race) but later turned the night around getting third in both the Miss-N-Out and Points Race. Keeping with the often fun Major Taylor atmosphere, after the races they inflated a huge screen in the infield and people from the crowd and a number of racers and officials hung out in the stands and some even laid on the track to watch the classic local favorite Breaking Away. Val and I opted to venture out with our prize money in hand to gorge ourselves on burritos from not one, but two burrito joints that the locals suggested (thank you Tom). They were decent, but thus far nowhere compares to what we have accustomed ourselves to in Southern California and Arizona (can you say Filibertos).

The final visit for the season was for the Major Taylor Velodrome Championship on August first and second, which was also the Indiana state track championship and an elite Nationals qualifier race. First up was the Keirin, in the final half lap of the women’s final Val launched off the front with perfect timing to win by a nice margin against the likes of Kendi Thomas and Brooke Crum. This marked a very significant turning point for Val, as previously she had significant reservations about racing Keirins and sprint events in general, but now she is starting to like them. Next up was the men’s Keirin where I once again choked in the final, finishing a frustrating fifth place, again. Val got second in the women’s Scratch Race and then third in the Points Race where Kendi Thomas rode off the front early in the race and eventually lapped the field. The men’s Points Race was action packed from start to finish. During the neutral lap one of the local fast guys, who will remain anonymous for this comment, said “I’m going to punch anyone who jumps on the whistle”. Sure enough, less then one second after the whistle a very strong attack was launched, which resulted in momentary laughs that quickly changed to gasps as the pace ramped up. The race continued with a steady stream of strong attacks and counters, non of which got more then half a lap ahead before eventually being reeled in usually only lasting just long enough for the attackers to pick up points from one sprint. It was a hard fought race, but I ended up falling short of third place by only the difference that two inches in the third points sprint made.

Day two held the Match Sprint which, despite being significantly rusty at, are my second favorite event. I qualified second fastest in the flying 200, and advanced through the rounds to the final but then got absolutely slaughtered by Tom Hanley. Tom finished nearly four tenths of a second faster in the flying 200, which is huge, and he won several of the other events so it wasn’t much of a surprise. This was Val’s second time doing Match Sprint. She qualified well, but unfortunately was matched up in the semifinal round against a local collegiate rider who goes to school literally across the street from the track and has loads of match sprint experience and a great jump.

Another fun weekend in Indianapolis came to a close with both of us qualified for Nationals in both sprint and endurance events. Thank you to everyone at Major Taylor for putting on fun races and being so friendly and inviting to out of town visitors.

Team Get A Grip Cycles Wins National Championship

Team Get A Grip continued it's summer success when Jonathan Gray won the United States National Criterium Championship held this past Sunday in the Chicago suburb of Downer's Grove, Illinois. In the final lap of the race, Charles Biro carried Gray along the outside of the field and dropped him off in second wheel at the top of the hill, halfway through the last lap. From that point on, it was up to the sprinter to finish the job.
"I think that XXX-Athletico tried to set up something at the end," said the new national champion, "but they were too slow and dumped their leadout in less than a block. I recognized my opportunity and jumped them with everything I had."

"When I came out of the final turn, I knew that I had won and was so excited that I started bouncing my front wheel and high-fiving my team mates on the sidelines." "Chip seems to win the really big races. At the beginning of the summer, he won the biggest criterium in Wisconsin and now he goes out and wins the biggest criterium in the nation," said Jon Tenney, the team director. "Charles was fantastic in the final lap, and the rest of the guys did a good job monitoring the front of the field during the prime sprints. Last year, we dictated the course of every category three race we entered; but because of injuries and upgrades, we were no longer able to operate with such strength. As a result, the team had to be a lot more intelligent and use the efforts of other teams to our advantage. We did it at the Hillsboro Roubaix at the beginning of the year and again here at the National Championships."


The riders on Team Get a Grip have had considerable success at Downers Grove. "At this race, the only thing that matters is good position over the top of the hill on the last lap. Once there, you give it all you have got to the end. It is a simple formula for victory, but it requires flawless execution. I think that members of Team Get A Grip have won this race at least three times in the past."

Although she was aware of this strategy, Lindsay Koren was unable to capitalize on the knowledge in the womens 3/4 event. "I had second wheel going into the last few turns, but I thought that it was too far to start my sprint so I drifted back to fifth wheel. Too bad I did not trust the advice of others, because that is exactly the place I finished."

It was a welcome result on a weekend that otherwise would have been disastrous. Eric Wiecek smashed his head in Saturday's premier event, Devon Haskell was caught up in at least one wipe out, and Cesar Correa and James Holten went down in Sunday's finale when another rider stuck his pedal in Correa's front wheel breaking the spokes. "The announcers saw Cesar in the medical tent bloody and with a ripped skinsuit. For some reason they thought it was funny and started ridiculing our team and calling us 'Get A Rip.' I am not sure why they did that, because crashes are never funny. Still, I was glad that Chip won. It made up for what was being said and showed the announcers that we are not a bunch of jokers."

The whole team would like to thank significant others, Get A Grip Cycles, Subaru, Cannondale, Sidi, and the spectators, young and old, for a fantastic end of the racing season.

Thanks is also extended to Peloton-pix.com for making available all of its 2008 Downers Grove Photos free of charge. Congratulations on 10,000 hits!

Vandeven Wins Missouri Bicycle Racing Series

Jim Vandeven, Team Get A Grip's sole Missouri resident and father of two, sewed up the Missouri Bicycle Racing Association's series (MOBAR) title this past weekend after finishing the season with two top-six finishes at a pair of St. Louis area criteriums.

Vandeven's quest to take the series began when he dominated the spring road races by winning the Dogwood Road Race and O'Fallon Grand Prix and coming in second at the Hillsboro Roubaix. "My principal goal for the year was to win this series, and I knew that I had to perform well in the early season road races. I have a wife and children to support, and I am not willing to risk a major injury by bombing corners in the finale of a criterium just to get a few extra places" said Jim. "I started all of the criteriums, but I played it safe and never really gave it everything." His secret to success was simple: "I trained harder than I ever had this winter by riding every day and doing 100 miles twice a week on a very hilly route. I became really strong, but my sprint suffered a little."

Still, the overall victory was not really assured until Jim won the Missouri time trial championship. :"I never do these time trials, but this year I went out and gave it everything for the points."

As the series went on, Jim's regular competition started to complain to the local officials in an attempt to force Jim into the elite ranks. " I wanted to win the series and was not going to upgrade until it was in the bag. People started to take it out on my wife at races. It is a shame that they tried to upset her that way. I had planned on winning it earlier, but there was some tough competition from one local rider. "

Now that Jim has the series, he will be moving into the category two ranks. He said, "I am really looking forward to racing the Gateway Cup with the other elite riders on Team Get A Grip. " We should have five or six good riders, including my brother Steve, and I expect us to flex some muscle."

Photo courtesy of John Musselman and stlbiking.com

Chicago's Two Top Teams Control Elgin Cycling Classic

After a sub-par result at Saturday's Tour of Elk Grove, only three of us lined up for the category three race at the Elgin Cycling Classic. Chad, Uwe, and I didn't really get a chance to discuss the tactics for the day but were still able to work as a single unit.

After a few warm-up laps, the attacks started with me going off the front first. I was just trying to keep the early breaks from getting away and to keep my position close to the front for any primes. As soon as I was caught, Chad countered. He went with a few others, but they were reeled in fairly quickly. It seemed it would go this way until the right combination of riders was reached. Shortly after, and about the 20 minute mark, Julian from VitaminWater-Trek snuck off the front solo on the backside. Seeing as there was a strong representation of VitaminWater-Trek guys, I jumped and easily bridged up to Julian. When Julian saw my friendly face, he knew that this break was for real.

We quickly stretched the time gap to thirty seconds. After a few more laps of continuous and smooth pulls, I believe the time gap increased even more. The announcer then called out a 100 dollar prime for the two of us. We agreed to split any and all primes evenly, to make sure that we worked together smoothly and to ensure that the break would stick. Julian did most of the work on the backside as I monitored the pack's distance, and I would take over on the home stretch and carry it through the high speed chicane. Our team mates in the pack did a tremendous job of foiling any and all attempts to bring us back.

On one of our trips through the chicane, my front end started washing out at close to 35 mph. Miraculously, I kept my bike upright and did not crash into the hay bales much to Julian's relief since he was glued to my wheel.

When the pack started to close in, the adrenaline rose. They came dangerously close at least twice before the wheel pit closed. At that point another prime was called to the leader of the next lap--100 dollars to the first rider across the line--and the pack as barreling down on us. With only two laps to go, we were about to get caught, but then a lone unattached rider bridged to us in an attempt to steal the prime. At that point, it was two against one.

Coming out of the final corner the unattached rider jumped around Julian and got a pretty good lead. Unfortunately for him, Julian and I had made an alliance and I was a better sprinter. I clicked down a gear, jumped, and gapped both by at least four bike lengths as we crossed the finish with one lap left. I eased up some to safely navigate the chicane for the final time and they came around me with the pack hot on their heels. We took very short, hard, and fast pulls to keep from being gobbled up by the rest of the race. Between turns three and four Julian started his sprint and pulled away with the other rider. Exiting the fourth and final turn I had to wind up and close a sizable gap to them as the unattached rider started to gap Julian. I gave it all I had and the three of us crossed the line together for a photo finish. We were millimeters apart and nearly rubbing shoulders at the end. Julian was third, I was second, and unattached won. Julian and I split the lion's share of the primes and took home good money. I would even venture to say that we each made more than the lone rider even though he finished ahead of us.

None of this would have been possible without the combined and dominant efforts of Team Get A Grip and VitaminWater- Trek. The break lasted the entire second half of the race.

-Chip

Talent Identification Camp at the Olympic Training Center

Last week I headed out to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado springs for a talent identification camp. I was a bit bummed to miss out on Superweek races, but I was also very excited to relive the glory days of camp. What can be better than spending a week eating and sleeping and doing the sport you love to do most? I'm also a pretty good camper. Back in my soccer camp days I won the "well-behaved" camper award (that's what you get when you are a good camper, but not necessarily the most talented).

Anyway, camp was a ton of fun. The first day we had a lab test. Most of us thought it was going to be a grueling workout and we were all surprised to find that they just wanted us to pedal for 10 minutes at an easy pace with our noses plugged and a big funny-looking mask on our face. This was an economy test - it measures how efficient your body is at utilizing oxygen for functional movement... pretty cool. Later that day we went on an easy ride around town. I was a little bummed that we didn't get to ride any hilly terrain because being from Chicago, I don't get many chances to see hills.

However the next day I was appeased! We went out for our first field test which was a timed climb up a short and steep hill. I was pretty excited to finally get to ride in the mountains. The test was short, but long enough to learn the pain of riding hard at elevation. About a minute in to the climb, my lungs started screaming for air! It burned! Afterwards, we continued our ride along a dirt road with beautiful views of the surrounding mountains.

The next day I encountered more hilly fun with a timed climb up a long long road... nothing like the 47th street overpass on Chicago's lake front path. The climb started off pretty good and mellow, but the lack of oxygen soon kicked in making for a tortuous end of the climb. Can't they make mountains at sea level? Coming back down was fun - i even saw a fox! Then we ended the ride with another scenic route - this time cycling through the "garden of the gods". The red rock formations here were awesome!

The rest of camp was spent learning lots about performance testing, nutrition, sports psych, etc. We also spent a lot of time eating (the Olympic Training Center doesn't have your typical camp food - it was delicious) and watching the tour together. It was fun hanging out with and getting to know other racers from all over the country. Overall, a fun time.

--Devon

Cesar Mixes it Up with Team Toyota United in Chicago's Grant Park

Evanston Grand Prix in Pictures

Team Get A Grip thanks the city of Evanston and the organizers of the Evanston Grand Prix for a fantastic day of challenging, high-speed racing.

Families mobbed team central while the racers laid wood on the race course. Parents drooled over the team's Subaru Tribeca, and the kids loved the cycling caps courtesy of Get A Grip.

Charles thread himself through the much-publicized finish line crash, captured on video that can be found here.

Two Endeavor riders crashed into the same person a few seconds apart.

Jim Vandeven Gets New Sidi Genius 6.6 Shoes, Wins Missouri State Title

For 2008, Team Get A Grip brought Sidi on board as official footwear supplier. Our title sponsor, Get A Grip Cycles bicycle stores, believes so strongly in Sidi footwear, that it is the only shoe they carry. So, going into the racing season, we knew that we could count on the people at Sidi and their local representative David Cabanban to deliver the very best in performance cycling shoes.

Cabanban selected the Genius 6.6 carbon for us to wear because of its stiff sole, adjustable heel cup (to prevent slippage in climbs and sprints), versatility in its closure system, and the fact that it offered them in berserker green. These shoes retail for over four hundred dollars a pair and the team can't thank Sidi and Dave enough for letting us try them out. After nearly six months of racing and training, none of us could come up with a truly negative thing to say about the Genius 6.6, except that one does have to make sure that the cleat bolts are well-tightened (something that the shop fitters say can be alleviated with a little lock-tite on the bolt threads).

Aspen Gorry, one of the teams most active and successful new members said "The shoes are great! They look awesome, and the best thing about them is the adjustable heel. It eliminates any foot slipping inside the shoe giving a great feel on the bike. First rate!" The same sentiment was echoed by Lindsay Koren ,who said that she immediately added 100 watts to her sprint because the shoes were a perfect fit and kept her heel in place. "I feel like a lot more power is going into my pedal stroke on the upswing." It is probably no surprise that Lindsay swept all four of Iowa's Memorial Day Weekend races just a few weeks after getting her shoes.

The shop shoe gurus were careful to select the shoe size and cleat position for each racer. One person in particular, Jim Vandeven, was tough to accommodate because his feet are completely different sizes and have some other bizarre issues. After extensive consultation and modification, Jim received his shoes a few days ago and promptly won the Missouri State Time Trial Championship.

Jim called us and gave a report:" Today was the Missouri State Time Trial Championship in Jefferson City. The time trial was 25 miles. On the way out I averaged about 32 miles per hour, but on the way back I was lucky to go 22 because of the wind. I finished the race in 57 minutes and seven seconds, for an average speed of 26.1 miles per hour beating Shawn O'Neal for the state title."

Twenty-six miles per hour for almost an hour: it doesn't count as Subaru STI fast, but for a guy on a bike that is just blazing.

Surviving the Carnage in Evanston

Fifth at Evanston -- my best placing of the year. By concentrating on pack placement and when to open up my sprint, I'd seen my results improve steadily over the year. The tight course with the infamous "BK stacker" in the penultimate corner put a premium on pack placement; on a number of occasions I heard riders coming to grief behind me.

But staying at the front isn't any help when, in the final sprint, the people about to take first and second collide and then start taking other people out in dramatic, flipping crashes with bikes sailing six feet into the air. I narrowly squeaked by the carnage, improving three places from people crashing out in front of me.

I felt lucky to finish both this race and the Olympia Fields race -- where at least four separate crashes occurred within feet of me -- without going down. I wondered if my fortune was due to the latest addition to my gear. I recently bought a dogtag with my emergency contact information to wear when I ride. Since I was going to be wearing a necklace, I thought I might as well add to it the Ganesha pendant my mother-in-law gave me. And if I was adding Ganesha, I might as well make my own mom happy, so I also added a pendant of Madonna del Ghisallo, the patron saint of cyclists.

In honesty, I don't believe my pendants helped me stay upright, but that doesn't mean I'm going to stop wearing them -- particularly for Superweek races.

Team Get A Grip Cycles Forms Partnership with Subaru of America.

PRESS RELEASE

July 17, 2008

Chicago, IL.

Team Get A Grip Cycles has agreed to a partnership with Subaru
of America for the remainder of the 2008 racing season.  As
part of this agreement, Subaru will supply the team with
vehicles and logistical support. 

“We are particularly excited about testing out the newly
redesigned Subaru Tribeca,” said team director and founder
Jonathan Tenney. “Our team is based in the heart of urban
Chicago where automobiles are not always necessary.  Since
most races are held in other parts of the country, the team
still needs an efficient, safe, and spacious means of travel.
The Tribeca is a perfect match for our team, and all of us
are beyond grateful to the people at Subaru for creating such
a useful and stylish vehicle.”

Team Get A Grip Cycles was founded on the premise that it was
possible to build a competitive cycling team with a set of
determined amateurs who focus most of their energies on their
professional life.  Since its founding in 2007, the team,
which includes leaders in economics, medicine, pathology,
archaeology, and sound design, among other fields, has
collected multiple national and state championships, over
forty victories, and one hundred podium placings by focusing
on achieving goals collectively with focused team work. 

The team’s title sponsor, Get A Grip Cycles, is the Midwestern
leader in bicycle fitting and customization and has locations
in Chicago’s north side and downtown loop.  Other team
sponsors include Cannondale, Sidi, SRAM, and On Your Mark
Training.