Congratulations to Kit Karzen!

Congratulations Kit Karzen!

Kit and Dominik Stucki (SUI) won 3 sprints in the last Madison in the Geneva 2-Day and were 3rd overall. Next stop is the Zurich 6-Day in a week and then Revolutions in Manchester, England.

VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CX1EyIOVpc&feature=player_profilepage

Congratulations to Cory Greenberg

Congratulations to U25 Cory Greenberg who won the 12-Hour Endurance MTB State Championship this weekend. Cory raced the 4 man open team in the 12 Hours of Temecula mountain bike race and won the 4 man event overall and series overall.

Congratulations Julie!

JULIE GUTHRIE won the 3/ 4 and the 1/ 2/ 3 races today... 2010 Urban Cyclocross Series... Race #4 Long Beach. BEN CORNELL got 4th and is possibly tied for the series lead (official results pending). Sunday, Dec 5th is the final race in the series, come out to Palos Verdes to cheer on our teammates!

In Cambria, JENNA KOWALSKI placed 3rd in the 1/ 2/ 3 race. Nice job cyclocross racers!

Jenna podiums in first cyclocross race

Congratulations go to Jenna Kowalski for a podium finish in her first cyclocross race! Jenna raced the Kalyra Winery Cyclocross Race in Solvang on Saturday, Oct 30th. Check out this podium shot (attached).

A great MS ride!

Thank you David and Julie for making this year's MS ride such a success and
a lot of fun!! You both worked so hard. Most of us agreed it was the best
yet, and each year has been really good!

We had a record number of club members attending, which made our peleton
look pretty impressive, as we wound our way through Ventura.

This time around there were many novel riders, including David and Carole on
a tandem; Ken and Kevin on their Penny Farthing bikes (60 miles with some
hairy descents!!!!); Ben on a single speed, dressed in a Breaking Away
costume; and Phil on his 1910 Tour de France bike, with tires over his
shoulder and a woolen jersey.

Both Ben and Phil stayed with the front group and completed 100 miles. They
even took turns attacking. It was pretty remarkable.

The majority of the U25's turned up, which was fantastic. Everyone enjoyed
getting to know our younger riders more, and seeing them in a new light (the
guys and girls performing a Greek dance).

We have raised around 72k so far, but we are not finished, so keep it coming
in.

Thank you to Cynergy for your mechanical support, MS for setting us up in a
VIP tent and a VIP Porta Potty :). And of course Sierra Nevada, for taking
away the pain after the 100 mile ride.

LK

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Weekend Results

Cory Greenberg took 2nd behind World Champion Tinker Juarez in the Incycle XC Challenge pro race at Bonelli Park Sunday. Cory stayed with Tinker throughout the 32-mile course until a minor crash put him off his pace but he held out to take 2nd right behind Tinker.

Ben Cornell placed 3rd in the 3/ 4 35+ men's cyclocross race at the Urban Cyclocross/CORBA Fat Tire Fest in Castaic Lake.


Congratulations to Julie Guthrie who raced the Urban Cyclocross/CORBA Fat Tire Festival today. She placed 2nd in both the 3/ 4 and 1/ 2/ 3 races (even with a broken pedal)!

And nice job everyone who rode the MS Ride this weekend! Rainy weather didn't stop the NOW-MS Society riders!

New Elite NOW rider for women

Please welcome Erika Graves, formerly of the Kahala-La Grange Elite Women's
Team.

Erika is joining our elite women's team, for the 2011 season.

Erika is an experienced and very strong road and crit racer. Many of us have
raced against her so we know first hand :)

She will be sharing an apartment with Julia La Franchise, and living next
door to Lauren Liscinski and Jenna in Santa Monica. Training camp 24/7!!

Expect to see our young riders out in force on the local riders.

Welcome aboard Erika.

Louise and the entire NOW-MS Society family

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Heeley and Karzen podium at Elite Track Nationals

Danny Heeley and Kit Karzen on the podium at Elite Track National Championships in Carson! (see attached photo) After six intensely competitive races yesterday and today, Danny placed 2nd and Kit 3rd in the Men's International Omnium. Below are the races (with results) included in the Omnium.

Olympic Track Cyclist Bobby Lea (2008 Beijing) won the Omnium.

Elite Track Nationals continue... tonight is the Team Pursuit, 5pm. Danny competes in the Scratch Race tomorrow. Tomorrow night is the Points Race. More racing this weekend including the Points races, Keirins and more Saturday beginning 3pm, and Sunday's Madison starting at noon. Click below for the schedules. These races will be very intense, with the top names in track cycling competing for titles. Come out to Carson and cheer on Kit and Danny!

Wednesday, Sept. 29:
Men 1/ 2 Flying Lap: Kit 3rd Danny 4th
Points Race: Danny 2nd Kit 3rd
Eliminations Race: Danny 2nd Kit 8th
Individual Pursuit: Danny 4th Kit 5th

Thursday, Sept. 30:
Kit won Scratch Race, Danny 9th
Time Trial: Danny 5th Kit 7th
Final: Danny 2nd Kit 3rd

Congratulations Kit and Danny! Good luck!!

For info and directions, go to:http://www.lavelodrome.org/
Schedule: https://www.usacycling.org/events/2010/elitetrack/10EliteTrackSched.pdf
And follow Kit's Twitter at http://twitter.com/kitkarz en

Stage 5 of the MS Ride

Happy Monday,
Hope everyone enjoyed the weekend. Seems like a few of you may have been out there putting some long miles in prepping for the MS ride...good work.

We have less than a month to go. We are pretty much in the last 5 laps of a crit. We have been cruising but now it's time to get serious and make your training work for you:

Send another email out to everyone on your list. You are nut bugging them. I always have people coming up to me asking me to send the link again because they forgot to make a donation. Anyhow, how can they be annoyed with you? It's not like you are getting the $. Remember it all goes to the MS Society.

Keep trying to recruit new riders to join us for the event.

Incentives:
Once you reach the $350 minimum you will receive 1 raffle ticket
For every $1000.00 raised you will receive 1 additional raffle ticket
For every friend you bring you will receive 1 raffle ticket

Raffle Prizes:
New Bicycle from Cynergy 2010 Specialized Allez Sport Double
Mammoth Mountain Condo for a weekend
Professional Bike Fitting
Official NOW clothing and merchandise
Fine Wine
More to be announced later. If you have anything to donate please contact me.

Registration:
www.bikemssocal.org and sign up under the NOW-MS Team as you register
Discount code = ELITETEAM

Enjoy the week!

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Julie Guthrie takes 2nd!

Nice job Julie Guthrie who raced in Palos Verdes today at the first event of the 2010 Urban Cyclocross Series. Julie placed 2nd in the 3/ 4 and 3rd in the 1/ 2/ 3 race.

Best Buddies Challenge Report #2

Seeing that Jenna so aptly described our eventful experience at the Best Buddies Challenge, I thought I'd highlight a few other various points of the trip and try not to repeat everything she said. To be brief, I'll cover three essentials common both to last weekend and to racing in general: the travel, the ride, and the party.
My travel consisted of driving up PCH to Hearst Castle where I met with Jenna and Kurt. After loading up my van, we continued North up the coast and previewed the ride that we would be completing on Saturday. I realized that riding through the Big Sur coastline would definitely be hilly and I wasn't looking forward to some of the one lane sections.
The 7:30 start on Saturday was an early (and cold) one for me, and as Jenna said, we did not get much sun throughout the ride. The huge pack of riders provided not only large draft but also plenty of people to talk to. Unfortunately, Phil was not able to get into the 100 mile ride with us so we missed out on his presence in the peleton. As the ride progressed those with less training fell off the back and the group's numbers thinned. We rolled in to the finish area with a ride time a little over 5 hours.
The events organizers spared no expense in their planning of the party on Saturday night. Multiple buffet lines filled with a variety of good food is a sight for sore eyes after a long day in the saddle. I had no difficulty living up to my reputation of eating great amounts of food and I met some more of the people that I had been riding with all day.

Sponsored by our own Sierra Nevada and Specialized, the Best Buddies Challenge was a well-organized and fun event. The ride raises funds to help people with mental disabilities, and though I'll be taking a bit of a break from the bike as I settle in at UCSB, I'm also very much looking forward to another charity ride we are all preparing for in October. The MS ride is a month away and will be another great opportunity to represent our sponsors and our cause. I will see you all there.

Thanks for reading,
Stephen Leece

2010 Audi Best Buddies Challenge... or Jenna's novel

*2 hours later, I ended up writing a novel instead of a 'ride report,' so for those of you that have the time to read...


The 2010 Audi Best Buddies Challenge, a 100-mile ride down the coast from Carmel to San Simeon, hosted by Anthony Shriver (and well know sister, first lady of Caleefourrnyaa, the Govenator's wife Marie Shriver) kicked off last weekend, Friday, September 10th through Saturday, September 11th. Kurt, Stephen and I met at the visitors center to Heart Castle in San Simeon, CA to begin the first leg of the trip in David and Dede Leece's trusty, but noisy minivan ;)

The drive up the coast on HWY 1 provided some spectacular views, punctuated by a bit of coastal fog, and nausea (apparently my car sick days are not over, luckily the smell of Kurt's sushi platter from Trader Joe's kept me in check). We arrived in Carmel that afternoon for the VIP ride, little did we know we were the VIP's...or maybe it was Brooke Miller and the Garmin Transitions guys, but I would like to think otherwise. After a nice hour spin, we looked forward to spending the rest of our evening in our hotel room...But that wouldn't be very much fun, so we took a tour of the Hyatt Monterey's Athletic Club Showers (if you remember my FB status...), visited downtown Monterey for the Wild Cherry Classic Car Cruise, and spent an eventful evening in announcer Richard Fries hotel room getting ready for our big day.

Chamois time began at 6:15 am Saturday morning, as we left our dark hotel room to find some breakfast and coffee (a new staple in my life thanks to a 2 month long road trip with Julia LaFranchise). After we prepared ourselves for the long ride ahead, we made our way to the start line with 600 other cyclists, to be greeted by a star studded line up including Miss California, a winning contestant from So You Think You Can Dance, Kenny G (stoked! that was my first CD), Vern Troyer (aka 'Mini Me' from Austin Powers), and the former Baywatch star and German singing sensation, David 'The Hoff' Hasselhoff. Thanks to Kurt, Stephen and I established ourselves at the front of all the riders, alongside Pro cyclists and other noteworthy riders from Jelly Belly, Garmin Transitions, Tibco, Vera Bradley, Cal Giant and Specialized's CEO Mike Senor. Announcer Richard Fries, began call-ups of the who's who, when I heard over the loud speaker "former downhiller turned podium finishing road racer, Jenna Kowalski"...with a big smile and flushed cheeks I rolled to the start.

The first leg of the ride began rather slow, comfortable but slow, and I wondered how we were ever going to finish in time...I soon found out, as the small but powerful group of Pro riders settled themselves at the front. We kept a good tempo pace throughout the undulating ride...which I could only feel and not see, because unlike the gorgeous day before, the fog was content to blanket the coast for the entire ride. About 1 hour in, riders began to drop like flies as rest stops and demanding terrain claimed the many souls who could not keep the pace set by Team Tibco's riders. I even found myself clawing my way back onto the peleton after getting dropped on two of the harder climbs (one of which I passed Brooke Miller, a first and a last for that, as she recently announced her retirement), with help from Kurt as he came bombing past me on the downhills. I likened Kurt to drafting behind an SUV, thanks Kurt :)

5 hours 10 minutes, two bottles, 1 PB&J Bonk Breaker, 1 package of GU Chomps and not one stop later we finished the 100-mile ride (or race, apparently, there were prizes for the first male and female riders to finish...I think I was the third female). We dropped off our bikes and made way to the Porto Klean shower trucks, washed up and proceeded to food line for some much need calories and recovery drinks aka chocolate chip cookies and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. After an hours rest, the days activities continued with the Friendship Criterium, where athletes and celebrities raced around a Hearst guest house with buddies on tandem bikes. This was probably the most nerve racking entertainment I have had in a while, as cyclists, including our own Kurt Stockton and Phil Keoghan, came bombing dowhill into a u-turn to the finish line with a foot out, back tire screeching, and wide-eyed buddy hanging on with one hand...let's just say there were some close calls.

The day wrapped up with the after-after-party at the Hearst Dairy Barn. Nothing short of spectacular, the party venue consisted of a stadium sized concert stage, dance floor and DJ for the evenings Natasha Bedingfield concert, the biggest, fanciest open bar I have ever seen, and 5 different buffet lines to satisfy appetites for Mexican food, country fare, BBQ, steakhouse and California cuisines. Not to mention, a Make Your Own Patron Margarita station complete with blonde barbie hosts from LA - I came prepared with my ID to prove my 24 years of age, and was surprised? flattered? that it was not checked, even though I looked about 16 with my wet hair, un-make-uped face, and cozy brown fleece. As it was my turn to concoct my margarita, I made my way behind the Patron bar, on my tip toes because at 5'1" tall, I forgot to bring my 5 in wedge high heels to see over 65in bar...and to add insult to injury (not really, but sounds like the thing to say), Jelly Belly, Bernard van Ulden calls out from the back of the line 'Hey! who let the minor behind the bar!' needless to say my cheeks flushed again.

After a round at the dessert table, the night wound down for Stephen and I, as the others got ready to party the night away with Natasha Bedingfield. I picked up my engraved juice squeezer (a complimentary engraved Patron juice squeezer came with the creation of your own Patron margarita), and we made our way back to the van, only to find it locked (was supposed to be left unlocked so we could get our stuff). We found the owner of the van, whom had given his keys to a friend of a friend of a friend or so it seemed - which was fine with me, as it gave me an opportunity to dance around the dance floor perimeter looking for the guy. Needless to say, we got the keys and made our way back to our own cars for a final drive back home, for Stephen and I, only a half hour drive to SLO, for Kurt...well, wherever he made it to!

Overall, the weekend was a great adventure! Thanks to Kurt, Phil and sponsors Specialized and Sierra Nevada for providing such an awesome experience! I hope to be able to partake in the Best Buddies Challenge again!

Thanks for reading :)

Jenna 'Jammer' Kowalski

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NOW MS alumni at Pro Road Nationals

Club and Team


We have 2 NOW MS Team alumni racing the US PRO Road Nationals
this weekend in South Carolina - - - 2010 team rider Sergio Hernandez now with Jelly Belly Pro Cycling
and Adageo's Eric Bennett (2009 NOW MS team). Also, many friends of our program too.

TT Saturday, RR Sunday... Stay tuned.

Start List:
http://www.usacyclingchampionships.com/forms/USPRORiderUpdate9-17-2010.pdf
Cycling News:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/usa-cycling-professional-championships-cn
Event Site:
http://www.usacyclingchampionships.com/

ADT Track Championships Race Report

This past weekend trackies from all over California descended up on the ADT velodrome for the LAVRA Velodrome championships. The fields were as strong as they would ever be with everyone gearing up for nationals, and it was nice to see all the track faces again after racing so much road this season. On the Saturday I had the points race on my schedule which went very well and I ended up winning by one point after lapping the field solo. In a points race you get 20 points for lapping the field and I needed all those points! After the race it was time to hop on the rollers on my pursuit bike and watch fellow NOW rider Kit Karzen tearing up the men’s sprints. My individual pursuit didn’t go quite as well as the points race but I stayed on my lap schedule I just couldn’t up the tempo at the end but after a hard points race I wasn’t unhappy!

On Sunday I had a packed schedule with a Team Pursuit, Scratch Race, Kilometer TT, and Madison. The team pursuit was more for fun with just four of the group that I train with racing together and our time was good enough for second place. Next came a much more exciting race the Scratch which is the tracks equivalent of a crit. The pace was fast from the get go and it seemed like we were at the bell in no time. After a hectic sprint NOW MS rider Kit Karzen took the win and I was third. Considering the strength of the field this was a fantastic result. For those of you that have never done a Kilo TT I would say stay away from it. There is nothing more painful and slow feeling than the last lap of a kilo. It feels like your wheels are made of cement and your attached to a giant bungie cord which is pulling you back. They are fun to watch though as others go through an intense one minute and ten seconds of pain! The final race was the Madison which unfortunately ended early for a few teams including mine due to a crash. Overall it’s nice to finally to really be back on the track and gearing up for Elite Track Nationals!

Danny Heeley

Elite State Championship Track Results!

Thank you to Marc Karzen for the awesome news from the track...
Congratulations Kit and Danny!

NOW MS riders Karzen and Heeley Strike Gold at the CA/NV Elite Track State Championships at the LA Velodrome

Kit Karzen took gold medal in the 6-event, 2-day International Omnium (250m TT, Points, Elimination, Pursuit,
Scratch, Kilo) including a individual gold in the Points Race.

Just home from a month's racing with the US National team in Europe, Danny Heeley won the
Madison with partner Colin Berry. Kit took the madison silver with partner Ian Moir.

Leadville 100

Thank you Lawrence and Louise for the recognition. It was a great day out there. As many of you know, I center the majority of my season around this event. It is really special to me. It was a great day, and new a new PR for me in terms of my finishing time. It was NOT my best placing, but the race has gotten so much more competitive over the years. I was 15 minutes faster in 13th place overall this year, than I was when I did 7th place in 2008.

The highlight of the day for me was being able to hang with the big riders over the first major passes of the day, before it broke up and went all chaotic. When I came out of the woods over the first big set of passes, I was with Tinker Juarez, Dave Weins, and Ned Overend, and collectively we were only down 30 seconds to the group that Levi was leading with 5 or 6 major world cup level MTB racers. Eventually Dave decided to close the gap in one massive spint effort and I got popped out the back, but I was still on record pace for myself and actually enjoyed riding much of the day alone. It was a fun experience.

Congrats to Phil on a great finish as well. Phil - you had no business doing as well as you did! You should be really happy. Determination and amazing base fitness carried you through.

There is a great video on singletrack.com (velonews' mountain bike sister site) where you can see me in a few cool places. The support I received from Specialized and from Cynergy was unbelievable. Thank you to Randall and Diego who came out to support me, and to Jim who made everything happen behind the scenes. You provided full factory-pro level sponsorship.

Video here (I am in white kit with black and red specialized trim seen 2 or 3 times near the beginning) : http://singletrack.competitor.com/2010/08/features/leadville-2010-video-highlights_9824

Cool photo from the infamous "Powerline Climb" attached.

NW

Stage 4 of the So Cal MS Ride (2 mos ago)

Happy Monday everyone,

I was riding through the hills of Palos Verdes yesterday enjoying a nice endurance ride. As I rounded a corner I was overtaken by a stealth rider. Picture Bill Gates wearing a Cynergy jersey, black dolphin shorts, hairy legs riding a late '90s Trek orange road bike. He smiled as he went by but luckily didn't blow a snot rocket in my direction.

I chuckled to myself as I tried to keep pace with him up the hill while riding my lightweight, carbon - Specialized Tarmac SL3. There is nothing better for the soul than being humbled. For the most part cycling is a selfish sport. We get personal gratification when we have a good day in the saddle, have a strong race or training ride. The MS ride provides us with an opportunity to be selfless while doing what we love. This is a key reason you signed up for the NOW-MS Society team.

It's encouraging to see that over the last couple of weeks many of you have signed up for the ride. Some of you have told me it's too early to sign up and you are waiting. If that is your strategy please sign up this week and start your fund-raising when you think the timing is right for you. Julie and I need to know who is riding so we can make plans for the event.

Here are the current standings:
-53 team members signed up
-The NOW MS Society Cynergy team is in 6th place with $7486.00

Incentives:
For every $1000.00 raised you will receive 1 raffle ticket
For every friend you bring you will receive 1 raffle ticket

Raffle Prizes:
New Bicycle from Cynergy
Mammoth Mountain Condo for a weekend
Professional Bike Fitting
Official NOW clothing and merchandise
Fine Wine
More to be announced later. If you have anything to donate please contact me.

Registration:
www.bikemssocal.org and sign up under the NOW-MS Team as you register
Discount code = ELITETEAM

Have a great week,
David...

Patterson Pass RR

Hello,

YESTERDAY I raced the Patterson Pass RR, the first road race in the CalCup schedule.
the course was a grueling 92 miles with two significant climbs and a long descending section in each of the 4 laps. The biggest element was the wind, however, which blew the field apart in the second half of the race. I made the main selections and barely missed 7th place after sprinting out of a group of three and almost passing Kevin Klein (Yahoo) on the line.
Overall, it was a long day in the saddle for a few bucks and a t-shirt.

Thanks for reading,
Stephen

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NOW-MS Women in Italy to race Jr World Championships

Good luck to Kendall Ryan and Christine Barron who are now in Italy to race in the 2010 UCI Junior Road and Track World Championships.

Kendall Ryan is one of only 4 women, aged 17 and 18, to representing the US in the road race in Offida, Italy on Sunday, August 8.

Christine Barron is one of 5 women aged 17 and 18 to represent the US in the track events in Montichiari, Italy from August 11 - 15. Christine will compete in the 500-meter TT and the sprint.

Way to represent, NOW-MS Society Women! Good luck!!!

More info: http://www.usacycling.org/news/user/story.php?id=5186

Congratulations Julie Guthrie

Congratulations to Julie Guthrie who completed the Vineman Aquabike today, 2.4 mile swim and 112 mile bike in beautiful Sonoma County, CA. Exact results still incoming but we believe she placed 2nd in her age group and top 5 overall.

NICE JOB JULIE!!!!!

Cascade Cycling Race Report

So that’s what an NRC stage race is like…



Cory Greenberg and I traveled up to Bend a week ago to race the Cascade Cycling Classic, a six day, NRC 2.3 stage race. A strong professional team presence on the start list included full squads from Fly V, United Health Care, Trek-Livestrong, Garmin-Holowesko, and a number of other teams.



7/20 It all started last Tuesday with a fast 2 mile prologue. Everyone showed up with full gear including Floyd who had just picked up a new t-shirt in time to get pinned for his start.



7/21 Wednesday was the first challenging day though with the McKenzie Pass Road race, which featured two major climbs, the first of which was over 20 miles long and had over 3000 feet of elevation gain. The peloton quickly shattered when the climb started sloping up and as remnant groups began to form I plugged into just under my limit and joined a group. Lesson learned was how tricky and even more important it is to have a good position in a large pack going into a climb. On the descent and flat, a number of groups, including mine and Cory’s, joined up to form a large groupetto. We rode tempo up the final climb finishing far behind the leaders but happy that the one of the most difficult days was over.



7/22 Thursday’s time trial also proved very difficult. The 16 mile course goes out as a hill climb, has a turnaround, and is then a fast descent to the finish. Since we finished pretty far down the day before, Cory and I started early at 10:13 and 10:23 and had a headwind going up the climb. Unfortunately, Cory had a mechanical going up the climb. We both put in solid times to keep up with most of the peloton.



7/23 The Cascade Lakes Road Race on Friday would prove to be another challenge. Again two large climbs stood out in the course profile. The leaders hit the first climb hard and a number of unsuccessful breaks went up the road in the battle for KOM points. Cory got unhitched from the group just before the final pitches was barely unable to catch back up on the very fast descent. I stuck in with the peloton through the fast flat miles to the final climb and finished in a chase group behind the leaders at 1:30 back.



7/24 The final two days of racing were a downtown crit at 7 and the Awbrey Butte Circuit race. These courses are exactly the same as what we raced at nationals so we had a good idea of what to expect. The crit was a very fast four-corner course. Cory and I decided to sit in the group and save energy for Sunday. After a breakaway formed that United Healthcare was happy with (Rory Sutherland was in the yellow jersey) they controlled the front and kept the pace smooth.



7/25 The final stage, though it didn’t have any extended climbs, still required a lot of power from the legs. The pace was held very high until just after 2 laps into the race when a breakaway was allowed up the road. The hard week’s racing had sunk into Cory’s legs and he wasn’t able to match the accelerations from the attacks. After the break formed, the pace was steady until the final climb. Then Sutherland drilled it and shed most of the field including me. Dowsett from Trek-Livestrong would later attack to win the stage. I rolled in to finish about 2:30 behind him to secure a 72nd place in the overall. About 50 riders failed to finish Sunday’s stage or got time cut. The starting field of 177 was reduced 100 by the end.



I learned a number of things from this brutal race. First, you must drink twice the normal amount of water and GU mix in hot, dry weather. Second, coconut water is great electrolyte replacement OFF the bike (I totally recommend it if you like the taste of coconut). Third, for long stage races, it’s extremely helpful to have someone around to feed you ice and musette bags and to help cook and get things ready... thanks Dede! (My amazing mother came along to be the team mom and help out). Also, thanks to Eddie for stepping up and providing extra support for this race.



After two trips to Bend this summer, I’m ready be back in California for a while, but the racing up there has been spectacular and some of the hardest racing ever for me. Racing with the pro’s only makes me more determined build on the strength that I have now.

Thanks for reading,

Stephen Leece

Cascade Cycling Classic

Hi all,
Sorry I missed ya yesterday. Last night's crit was a typical cat 2 crit...strung out, then mashed together, then strung out. You get the idea. I sat in and finished with the pack and actually moved up one spot into 10th and it stayed that way after today.
Today's circuit race was a lot of fun. I was on good form today and rode like it. The course was 4 laps of rolling hills with some steeper climbs that leveled off and continued up for a while. The first two laps were easy enough. There were a fury of attacks that were pointless and I just accelerated with the group like it was just another training ride. Nothing got away. On the third lap things heated up on the feed zone climb. I was almost popped but hung in there. The steep section of the course showed off who was strong and who wasn't. There were two riders from the same team in the top 4 and they took turns attacking and there were only a handful of guys able to follow. Going over the top of the KOM we had a select group but again didn't hold, so the fourth lap started the same as the third, only I knew about an attack that the others didn't know about, an attack that I though was sure to stick, seeing as it was coming from the leader of the race who was domi nant. The leader's team controlled the front of the race after the first climb and I sat on their wheels all the way to the steepest climb where the attack happened. It was certainly an attack worth following because we opened up a good sized gap and it never let up until after the decent. When the rollers started I was still in the front and going over the last roller they slowed up and I just kept rolling because I knew if I was hurting so was everyone else. I opened up about a 50 meter lead with about 1.5 km to go and I thought I would be able to hold off the pack, seeing as nobody was chasing. But, alas, they caught me with about 700 meters to go and I was able to hold on for a pack finish. Nothing really exciting all week, but that's not what finishing in the top ten is about...it's about being consistent. See ya'll back n socal.

A

Superweek: Whitefish Bay Classic

Fin de Superweek: The Facts

Who: 30 P1/2/3 Women, including myself, Jenna Jammer Kowalski
What: Whitefish Bay Classic Criterium, 6 corner, .8 mile course
Where: Downtown Whitefish Bay, WI
When: Sunday, July 25, 2010 @ 3:55pm
Why: Because it's the last day of Superweek
What Happened: Race, ride, race, ride, race...18 to go, Kiwi and Points Leader off the front; 3 laps to go, crash @ start/finish, I am over the bars landing on an unfortunate rider who broke her pelvis; race is neutralized; frenzied spectator yells at me to get back in the race as I stare blankly at him, starting to worry about my missing rear Zipp wheel; Sram neutral support revives my bike; Official allows crashed but able riders back into race; 5 minutes later the two leaders are sent off with 3 laps to go; 1 minute later the field is sent off with 3 laps to go; 45 seconds later my right shoe is finally clipped in; 1.5 laps later I am drilling it to get to the front of the pack...
Results: a $30 check and a 1 night stay at the Hilton Garden Inn, Milwaukee

In other news...after getting back on the bike after a month long hiatus and recovery, Sergio Antonio Hernandez, formerly of the NOW-MS Men's team made a stunning comeback. In a 10 man break including JC, Jonathon Cantwell of Fly V Australia, Sergio attacked off the front, earning what we thought was another night stay at the Hilton Garden Inn, to eventunally lap the field with the rest of the break. Playing it safe into the finish, he secured a 5th place finish!

Up Next: 2 days off and back to Chicago for the Tour of Elks Grove

Until Then...

Jenna
__.

National Track Champion-Will Chesebro!!!

This weekend Will Chesebro raced the 2010 Paralympic Track Nationals. He won the team sprint for the National Title and took Silver in the 3km Pursuit. Also, he qualified for the 2010 Para Track World Championships to be held this winter.

Congratulations Will!

Superweek: Humbolt Park Crit

With Superweek coming to a close, I decided to make a return to the
race course for two more days of racing. I have found that there is a
fine line between being tired and being burnt out, and while I am
feeling somewhere in the middle of the two, I am holding out for one
more race, crossing my fingers that I don't cross into that dark side
just yet.

Today's race was a .8 mile 4 corner course with a tight 1st corner
into an unfortunately crummy section of pavement, incline and a
swooping finish stretch.

The field has had a makeover except for the few pros holding tight for
the overall. The race was off with a quick start, early attacks had
the field strung out. Dolce Vita, making up a solid third of the field
launched one rider early, followed by a counter attack by DV guest
rider Erica Allar (from Vera Bradely Foundation). The field, content
to let her go, began a race for 2nd place soon after she lapped us.
Fighting for position with 3 laps to go, I found myself struggling to
get around riders also battling for top 5 wheels. Jumping hard into
corner 3, I found myself grabbing a handful of brake as Metro/VW rider
thought to do the same, we both were caught off guard as the rider
directly ahead of us sat up. An unfortunate sprint landed me somewhere
in the top 15.

Hoping for better luck tomorrow.

Jenna

Cascade Cycling Classic Stage 1

Riders: Aaron Schneider
Race: Road; 71 miles
Finish: Mountain top; 24th

So today was the first stage for us cat 2's at the Cascade Cycling Classic. It started off with a 71 mile road race that dropped us off at some ski slopes. The race was easy enough for the first 60 miles. The weather was perfect and the scenery (from what I could see) was amazing. I spent most of the race chatting with a friend, knowing that the last climb would be hard enough...no need to burn all my energy on the first stage. There was only one little hiccup. I was planning on having someone at the final feed zone to hand me some coke and water, but to my surprise there was nobody there and I couldn't get a neutral feed (don't worry anonymous, I forgive you). So with 25 miles still to race and a quarter of a bottle of water left lets just say it was interesting, considering the last 12 miles were all uphill. Seeing as every little hill on the course gave me a bit of trouble, and I was pedaling squares, I just had to grit my teeth and do what I could. At the start o f the final climb I found myself characteristically in a bad position and had to hop from rider to rider for about 2 miles and managed to reach the front select group. If any of you know how a yo-yo works then you'll understand what I mean when I say I yo-yo'ed back and forth off the back of the group. Thankfully the group either didn't know how to really race uphill or they were just too tired whenever the road leveled out, but either way I'm thankful because it gave me the opportunity to catch back on. Unfortunately, I never got a break because by the time I would catch back on they would hit it again, so by the finish I had nothing left, but I refused to be the last finisher in the group...so I was the second to last ;)

More to come tomorrow.
A

Superweek

For those who have attended Superweek; yesterday marked the prestigious Lake Front Road Race (long course). The women's race started 45 minutes late; but was comprised of a much larger field than what we've seen all week (which lifted the spirits of both Jenna and myself). A seven lap race, with two significant climbs per lap, a bike path portion, a windy desent and a mile long straight drag race to the finish. The uneventfull race saw one rider go off the front and out of sight early; then a very lazy peleton didn't do much chasing. Inside one to go I gave it my all up the last climb; trying to get some separation from the field. A Kiwi rider attacked at the very top taking two with her and getting the separation I was looking for. The field sprinted for 5th and I yoyo from the front to the back to the front during the mile long straight leading into the finish. In the end Jenna came up next to me; but got caught in the gutter and the two of us conveniently found ourselves behind a rider soft pedeling into the line.

Today it is pouring rain.

Julia
__._,_.___

Race Report for Sunday's CBR Crit

Here is a race report from our very own Mike Myles

Date: 6/11/2010
Race: CBR - Dominguez Hills 30+4/5
Who Raced: Mike Myles
Result: 7th

The race went well. I was the sole NOW representitive in the 30+ 4/5
category today. Large pack. Lots of shuffling around over the 40min. race.
Ultimately, it came down to a field sprint! I darted for turn #4 and came
out of it in 4th position!! I knew it was good move when I looked up and saw
the yellow CBR points leader jersey right in front of me! From then on, the
pack fanned out across the road and it was a drag race to the line!! A few
guys squeeked by me, but I stll managed to pull off a respectable 7th
place!!! My best yet since returning to this awesome sport!!!

I'm stoked and ready for more!
Only 2 more races to Cat. 4!!

Day 3 at Superweek

Richton Park, IL
60k
1hr 35minutes
.7 mile circuit; with lots of turns.

I've never seen a race splinter like it did today. After many failed
breakaway attempts, everyones legs suprisingly got tired of sprinting
after moves after 60+ minutes of racing.

The next 30 minutes were spent frantically chasing down 2 riders, then
riding slower than a cat three track sprinter goes uphill, then
chasing like Mark Cavendish at the end of stage 5, then acting like
all our rear breaks were jammed closed....you get the idea. In the end
we never caught the two riders, but a group of six got off the front
(that NOW MS-Society wasn't in). A boched attempt at the gamblers
prime and a leadout fail later put Jenna and I in 19th and 18th
respectively.

Looking forward to Wednesdays crit.

Yours Truly,
Julia

Danny Heeley to Race with National Team

Good luck to Danny Heeley who will be racing in Europe with the US U23 National Team from July 13th to Aug 18th. Very exciting news, Danny, we will be following your racing! More details to come...

And nice job to Jenna and Julia who raced Grand Rapids Cycling Classic today in Michigan. Jenna placed 14th and Julia 11th in the very fast, six-corner, flat crit with long cobble sections. They are now on the road to Chicago for day 2 of Superweek.

Grand Classic NRC Race Report

Day 1 of many....

A six corner flat crit; perfect! Jenna and I lined up at precisely
1:45pm at the start line of what was to be a very fast 45 minutes.
Sergio showed up out of nowhere with ice cold water bottles (thanks
Sergio)! Heat and cobblestones were the two major factors in the race.
Tibco brought four riders and attacked until they got off the front
with Colavita. The rest of the field splintered itself chasing, but
eventually came together for a field sprint. Inside one to go I was
ecstatic that I only had to go through cobbles and pot holes one last
time.

The sprint happened with half a lap to go; I found myself in a very
strung out field and held my position to the line. I got 11th and
Jenna 14th. We both are looking forward to day 2 of ICC Superweek
tomorrow. Stay tuned for more action coming to you straight from Chi-
town, where fireflies reign supreme and lakes remind me of the ocean.

Now, dinner.

Sincerely,
Julia

Report from Superweek

NOW-MS Society's Jenna Kowalski and Julia Lafranchise began racing Superweek today with the 75-minute criterium Homewood International Cycling Classic presented by Point Root Beer. A break of three succeeded. Jenna placed 12th and Julia 13th. Stay tuned for continued coverage from Superweek. Good luck Jenna and Julia!

Congratulations to Sergio!

“The club is definitely a part of my life and the people will always be a part of my life. I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to be a part of it and it has definitely changed my life.”
~Sergio Hernandez

NOW-MS Society team member and pro rider Sergio Hernandez has signed with Jelly Belly Cycling Team Presented by Kenda. “I'm excited to ride for Jelly Belly because it’s the team I feel fits me best and I’m looking forward to being an asset to the team,” said Sergio.

The news comes just weeks after Sergio won the Elite State Criterium Championship title at Barry Wolfe Grand Prix May 30th. He’s had a very successful season beginning with a 3rd place finish at Callville Bay Classic and continuing with podium finishes at Tulsa Tough, Torrance, Devil’s Punchbowl and Ontario.

Sergio began racing in 2003 and joined NOW-MS Society the following year. As Sergio tells the story, he met one of the club’s founders while auditioning for a commercial featuring Lance Armstrong. He never got a call back but he did end up as a rider with the NOW-MS Society U25 program. Three years later he signed a pro contract with Rock Racing. During the next three years, Sergio rode in support of former Pro Tour riders, raced in Colombia, the Tour of Qinghai Lake in China and also won races of his own including the CBR BAR series overall for P/1/2 in 2009 and a win at Superweek in his first year as a pro.

Sergio signed a contract with Rock Racing for the 2010 season that was later voided when the team failed to secure a Pro Continental license. Since February, he’s been riding for NOW-MS Society, racing and mentoring the Men’s U25 team, giving back to the program that gave him his start. “I want to be able to help out the younger guys that come to the team, to help them and give them the right advice like they did with me.” said Sergio. In addition to Sergio, six other NOW-MS Society riders have secured pro contracts including one who raced with the 2008 USA Olympic Track Cycling Team in Beijing.

Sergio’s first race with Jelly Belly will be the Tour of Elk Grove July 30 – August 1 in Illinois. Good luck to you Sergio!

Women at Superweek

NOW-MS Society's Jenna Kowalski and Julia Lafranchise are in the Midwest this week to race Grand Cycling Classic, Superweek and Tour of Elk Grove. Stay tuned for updates and race reports!

Saturday, July 10
Grand Cycling Classic NRC Crit (Grand Rapids, Michigan)
The course is 1.1km, very slight elevation gain south to north, with three brick sections.
http://www.grcyclingclassic.com/

Sunday, July 11 - Sunday, July 25
Superweek (Jenna and Julia's specific race schedule TBA) http://www.internationalcycling.com/

Saturday, July 31 - Sunday, August 1
Tour of Elk Grove (outside Chicago)
http://www.tourofelkgrove.com/

Follow the action:
Julia's Twitter: Julia Lafranchise http://twitter.com/JLAFRANCHISE
Women's Team Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/NOW-MS-Society-Womens-Cycling-Team/243102731721?ref=ts

Christine Barron wins Jr. Nationals!!!

Congratulations Christine Barron who just won the National Championships for 17-18 Women in the 500m TT! Great job by our youngest rider!!!

NOW front page at usparalympics.org

Due to a lack of a skinsuit my friend and teammate on the Para-cycling team Meg Fisher rocked the NOW kit to a third place in the TT and onto the squad heading to the world championships.
Will
http://usparalympics.org/news/2010/06/25/12-para-athletes-qualify-for-world-road-nationals/36808?ngb_id=15

Cory Greenberg gets Cat 1 upgrade!

Congratulations to our U25 rider Cory Greenberg who has received his Cat 1 upgrade. Way to cap off a great weekend at Nationals! Nice job Cory!

Report and Wrap up from Nationals

Report & Wrap Up from Nationals
Sunday, June 27, 2010

This morning the Elite women raced the Road Race at Nationals. Jenna, Julia and Lauren all started the race and had good rides, Julia despite catching the stomach bug that haunted the teams this weekend. Jenna had a great race, the culmination of her steady progression the past few races from Tulsa to Tahoe, Reno and this week at Nationals. There was a lead group of approximately 20 women including Mara Abbott of Peanut Butter & Co who won the race. Jenna was in a group of 12 or 15 farther back and finished strong.

Sergio is a lot better, he went out to the feed zone for today's race, with Dan Katz.

"This has been a successful Nationals for sure," said Team Director Kurt Stockton. USA Cycling's VP of Athletics Jim Miller spoke with Kurt and complimented the NOW-MS Society U25 program. Congratulations to all who raced this weekend!

Next up... Superweek, which begins July 9! And also the men's team will be headed back to Bend, Oregon for the Cascade Classic July 20-25.

Watch this post Road Race interview from Saturday with Kendall Ryan (and Kaitlin Antonneau, 2nd place in the RR) about Italy in July and the future possibility of racing at Worlds...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDu2lG0m0AQ&feature=player_embedded

P.S. The NOW-MS Society men and women were last sighted rafting down the river through Bend, Oregon, bonding "like one giant Brady Bunch" according to Kurt. Bertha (the team van) and the teams will be headed back to LA tomorrow. And apparently Bertha has made some fans of her own. She's received many compliments and a few offers!

Dan Katz in Velonews!

From Saturday's U23 Men's Road Race at Nationals...

"...Daniel Katz (Now-MS Society) led things off with an attack in the opening mile..."

Read more: http://velonews.competitor.com/2010/06/news/king-wins-u23-road-title_123393#ixzz0s2EJTvi2

Kendall Ryan gets another podium at Nationals

Report from Nationals
Saturday, June 26, 2010

Kendall Ryan and Ivie Crawford fought hard today in a very tough Women 17-18 Road Race. Ivie spent time in a break, and she helped Kendall who came in 3rd place after a long fight to the finish.

In the U23 Men's RR, Danny Katz was in the first break of the day. Cory Greenberg was in a big break as well. Danny Heeley and Stephen Leece finished in the front group of approx 36 riders, out of 100+ who started the race.

After yesterday's crash, Sergio is walking around very sore but on the mend. He will not be racing tomorrow. Take care and heal up, Sergio!

Tomorrow is the final day of Nationals. Only race left is the Elite women... Good luck to Lauren, Jenna and Julia who start their Road Race at 8:15am.

Follow the Action:
Team Director Kurt Stockton http://twitter. com/KSMCycling
Elite Women's Team Captain Lauren Liscinski http://twitter. com/lliscinski
Julia Lafranchise http://twitter. com/JLAFRANCHISE

For more info about Nationals: http://www.usacycli ng.org/news/ user/story. php?id=5038

More from Nationals!

Report from Nationals
Friday, June 25, 2010

Kendall Ryan got 2nd today in the Women 17-18 Criterium. Coryn Rivera won the race. Kendall is fired up for the Road Race tomorrow...

The Elite women (Lauren, Jenna and Julia) fought hard against the best racers in the country. Their crit never let up for a moment, it was the hardest criterium they've done all season in terms of the quality of the field. It was a tough day and they gave it their all.

For the U23 men's race, Danny Heeley was riding the front, attacking. Cory Geenberg had a couple hard attacks inside 10 laps to go, his moves shaped that part of the race. All our racers avoided a huge crash in the last lap. In the end it was a break that got away toward the end of the race and succeeded.

Sergio was our only racer in the Elite men race. He stuck with the game plan to race conservatively and save his energy for some big attacks at the end. Inside six laps to go, he had just attacked when some riders went down in front of him and Sergio had nowhere to go. Unfortunately it ended Sergio's race. He walked away, very bruised, but okay.

More to come this weekend:

Saturday, June 26 - Road Race
8:30am Junior Women RR - Kendall, Ivie
12:00pm U23 Men RR - Cory, Corey, Danny Heeley, Danny Katz, Stephen

Sunday, June 27 - Road Race
8:15am Elite Women RR - Lauren, Jenna, Julia
12:00pm Elite Men RR - Sergio

Follow the Action:
Team Director Kurt Stockton http://twitter. com/KSMCycling
Elite Women's Team Captain Lauren Liscinski http://twitter. com/lliscinski
Julia Lafranchise http://twitter. com/JLAFRANCHISE
Will Chesebro http://twitter. com/willchesebro
Cory Greenberg twitter http://twitter. com/corygreenber g
Cory Greenberg http://www.corygree nberg.blogspot. com

For more info about Nationals: http://www.usacycli ng.org/news/ user/story. php?id=5038

Kendall Ryan podiums at Nationals

Congratulations Kendall Ryan who placed 3rd in the Time Trial today at Nationals!

Tough TT day at Nationals!

Report from Nationals
Thursday, June 24, 2010

Today's TT course was extremely difficult. Per VeloNews, "The majority of 800 vertical feet of climbing came in the first half of the course, as riders ascended the gradual Skyliners Road into the Deschutes National Forest. The turnaround at 12km was the high point of the route – from there to the finish, riders plummeted back down to town before settling into the final 12km loop near Skyliners Park." In other words, it was a very, very tough day!

For the U23 men Stephen Leece 31st, Danny Heeley 34th, Corey Farrell 46th, Cory Greenberg 47th. Elite men, Sergio Hernandez 38th. As reported earlier, Kendall Ryan got 3rd in the Women's 17-18 TT, just seconds behind 2nd and 1st (Coryn Rivera's 39.24.40). Kendall was the only NOW-MS Society woman to race today.

Check out Will Chesebro's podium shot (attached) from Tuesday's C1-C3 Men's Road Race. Will placed 2nd.

Stay tuned for more tomorrow:
Friday, June 25 - Criterium
2:00pm Junior Women Crit – Kendall, Ivie
4:30pm U23 Men Crit - Cory G, Corey F, Danny Heeley, Danny Katz, Stephen
6:00pm Elite Women Crit - Jenna, Julia and Lauren
7:30pm Elite Men - Sergio

Follow the Action:
Team Director Kurt Stockton http://twitter.com/KSMCycling
Elite Women's Team Captain Lauren Liscinski http://twitter.com/lliscinski
Julia Lafranchise http://twitter.com/JLAFRANCHISE
Will Chesebro http://twitter.com/willchesebro
Cory Greenberg twitter http://twitter.com/corygreenberg
Cory Greenberg http://www.corygreenberg.blogspot.com

For more info about Nationals: http://www.usacycling.org/news/user/story.php?id=5038

Will gets podium on 1st day of Nationals!

Congratulations to Will Chesebro who took 2nd yesterday in the C1-C3 Men's Road Race at Nationals! Pictures coming soon, and more info about all our U25s racing this week...

Tour de Nez Race Report-Jenna Kowalski

Tour de Nez Circuit Race W P1/2, Northstar, 6/19/10
The third and final day of the Tour de Nez was located at the newly redesigned village of the Northstar Ski and Bike Resort in Truckee, Ca. The course consisted of 2 mile hilly circuit through parking lots and cobbled walkway of the resort village. With professional mountain biker Katerina Nash of the Luna Pro Women’s team and Red Jersey holder Megan Gaurnier of TIBCO, it was destined to be a tough day of racing…did I mention we were at about 6700ft?
The race began with a 500m neutral start through the village as everyone fought for position before the chicane into the first climb. Moving rather quickly, I made my way into the front half of the peleton to secure my position for first 30 minutes of racing. An attack on one of the short power climbs found me struggling to maintain contact with the group. Once I regained my breath a bit, I was able to work with a group of girls from Touchstone Cycling; with one to go I was able to squeeze out one last effort before the finish to cross the line ahead of the 3 other girls and complete the race.
Nationals TT begins tomorrow for Kendall Ryan and the boys; followed by the Nationals Criterium on Friday for Julia, Lauren and myself. Wish us luck!
Jenna Kowalski

U25s Racing Nationals This Week!

This week our U25s are competing at The USA Cycling Junior, U23, Elite and Paralympic Road National Championships in Bend, Oregon. And NOW-MS Society is off to a great start with Will Chesebro's 2nd place yesterday in the C1-C3 Men's Road Race.

Representing NOW-MS Society at Nationals are Jenna Kowalski, Julia Lafranchise, Lauren Liscinski, Kendall Ryan, Ivie Crawford and for the men: Corey Farrell, Cory Greenberg, Danny Heeley, Sergio Hernandez, Danny Katz, Stephen Leece and Will Chesebro.

Our women and men will compete against some of the best young riders in the sport of cycling. Over 750 racers will attend this year's Nationals. Twenty-four national titles and seven spots on USA Cycling's 2010 UCI Road Cycling World Championships squad will be on the line as participants compete for Stars-and-Stripes jerseys in criterium, time trial and road race events.

Wednesday, June 23
3:30pm Criterium - Will

Thursday, June 24 - Time Trial
Junior Women (24K) - Kendall
Elite Men (35K) - Sergio
U23 Men (35K) - Corey F, Cory G, Danny Heeley, Stephen

Friday, June 25 - Criterium
2:00pm Junior Women Crit – Kendall, Ivie
4:30pm U23 Men Crit - Cory G, Corey F, Danny Heeley, Danny Katz, Stephen
6:00pm Elite Women Crit - Jenna, Julia and Lauren
7:30pm Elite Men - Sergio

Saturday, June 26 - Road Race
8:30am Junior Women RR - Kendall, Ivie
12:00pm U23 Men RR - Cory, Corey, Danny Heeley, Danny Katz, Stephen

Sunday, June 27 - Road Race
8:15am Elite Women RR - Lauren, Jenna, Julia
12:00pm Elite Men RR - Sergio

For more info about Nationals: http://www.usacycling.org/news/user/story.php?id=5038
Attached is the Official Guide (with course maps).

Follow the Action:
Team Director Kurt Stockton http://twitter. com/KSMCycling
Elite Women's Team Captain Lauren Liscinski http://twitter.com/lliscinski
Julia Lafranchise http://twitter. com/JLAFRANCHISE
Cory Greenberg twitter http://twitter. com/corygreenber g
Cory Greenberg http://www.corygree nberg.blogspot. com
Will Chesebro http://twitter.com/willchesebro

Below are some of the big names who will be racing this week (from the USA Cycling link above):

Coming off a third-place overall finish at the recent Canadian Nations Cup Ben King (North Garden, Va./Trek-Livestrong) is sure to be a favorite, along with recent Volta Tarragona runner-up Andrew Talansky (Napa, Calif./Cal Giant Berry Farms-Specialized) and 2009 criterium champion Alex Howes (Boulder, Colo./Clif Bar). Recent Pan American track medalist Cody O’Reilly (Santa Barbara, Calif./Bissell), Jacob Rathe (Portland, Ore./Jelly Belly) and local favorite Ian Boswell (Bend, Ore./Bissell) also look to be amongst a slew of talented cyclists who will contend for the Stars-and-Stripes.

Among this year’s favorites are 2008 Olympian and former time trial world champion Amber Neben (Irvine, Calif./Veloce-Webcor), second-place overall finisher in the 2009 Women’s Giro, Mara Abbott, (Boulder, Colo./Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12), current USA Cycling National Racing Calendar leader Alison Powers (Boulder, Colo./Vera Bradley Foundation),defending national road race champ Meredith Miller (Fort Collins, Colo./TIBCO), Brooke Miller (Santa Cruz, Calif./TIBCO) the 2008 road race champ and Shelley Evans (Scotts Valley, Pa./Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12) winner of this season’s Tour of New Zealand. Also expected to be major factors are former Wall Street investment banker turned champion cyclist Evelyn Stevens (New York, N.Y./HTC-Columbia), last year’s time trial winner Jessica Phillips (Aspen, Colo./Colavita-Baci-Cooking Light) and Amber Rais (Reno, Nevada/TIBCO).

Not to be overlooked, the junior 17-18 competition will feature some of the top talent seen in the U.S. in years as the most decorated junior cyclist in history, Coryn Rivera (Tustin, Calf./Peanut Butter & CO TWENTY 12), will look to pad her closet with her 26th Stars-and-Stripes jersey. Last year’s UCI Junior World Championship Time Trial silver-medalist Lawson Craddock (Houston, Texas/Hot Tubes) will also be on hand to prepare for another run at the prestigious world championship rainbow jersey. Reigning elite men’s road race champion Michael Olheiser (Huntsville, Ala./Tri Star Cycling) will also lead the field of the country’s top amateur men.

Tour de Nez Race Report-Julie Lafranchise

Race Report: Tour de Nez Criterium Women P/1/2:

After getting heckled by Dave Towle at the start line about the pronunciation of my last name; the Tour de Nez P/1/2 women’s criterium in downtown Reno, NV was off. In case you are wondering; it’s: La-fran-chise; pretty phonetic and sans the French accent.

A technical double lollipop shaped crit (with one street being used in both directions) was largely uneventful. I rode at the front; followed moves and eventually realized that unless the red leader’s jersey worn by TIBCO was up the road, no one was going to be up the road. The race came down to a sprint; and I had myself positioned well coming into the last few corners. A long; slightly downhill, tailwind sprint on a road that narrowed by half before the finish line. Dangerous?

Rounding the last corner the pace picked up and right when I was preparing to sprint the rider in front of me was on the ground, and she was taking up ALL the road. With nowhere to go I tried to minimize my loses (in my head I was saying: tuck and roll; take it in the hip and shoulder NOT the face)! I almost succeeded; my elbow got caught up in the mess of bikes and pavement. But I was lucky; I walked away with a bloody elbow, more bruises than I can count and VERY sore. I didn’t have to go to the hospital (possibly my least favorite place in the world).

Crashing is all part of the game; I brushed myself off and am preparing for the next race. Wishing those that got more seriously injured a speedy recovery.

JLAFRANCHISE

__._,_

Velonews on Kendall Ryan

(A quote in today's Velonews from Kendall Ryan after her 3rd place finish at
Nevada City Classic -- photo attached)

A brave move on the fast downhill left-hand Broad Street corner by
17-year-old Kendall Ryan (NOW MS Society) netted the 2010 Dana Point Grand
Prix winner third place.

“I didn’t touch my brakes in the last corner, and that gave me enough of a
gap,” Ryan said. She turned that gap into a four-second advantage over the
remnants of the group by the time the lap, and the race, were completed.

Quick results
* 1. Ian Boswell Bissell Pro Cycling
* 2. Paul Mach, Bissell Pro Cycling
* 3. Zach Davies, Groove Subaru
* 4. Floyd Landis
* 5. Burke Swindlehurst, Team Give p/b Blackbottoms
Women
* 1. Katerina Nash, Luna
* 2. Megan Guarnier, TIBCO
* 3. Kendall Ryan, NOW-MS Society
* 4. Samantha Schneider, TIBCO
* 5. Heather Pryor, Touchstone Climbing

Read more:
http://velonews.competitor.com/2010/06/news/bissell-goes-1-2-at-50th-nevada-
city-classic_122384#ixzz0rXdZNZkR

Race Report: San Pedro Cat 5 Men

Where: San Pedro Grand Prix

When: Sunday, June 20, 2010

Race: Cat 5

Who Raced: Jon Hippensteel, Mike Myles

Results: Jon Hippensteel- 6th, Mike Myles- 12th

Mike Myles and I were the sole representatives for the Men's Team NOW-MS Society at the San Pedro Grand Prix today. We're both getting closer to upgrading to Cat 4--Mike has seven Cat 5 races under his belt and I have nine--and looking forward to riding with all the Cat 4 guys soon. To give you quick feel for the course, Mike rode over to my car after riding a few warm-up laps and said, "If I had seen this course before I registered, I probably wouldn't have signed up; you might want to ride a few laps before we start." Oh great, it's that good, I thought, haha. I put my trainer away and headed out onto the course. It was a 1.1 mile, cigar-shaped track with about 75 feet of climbing per lap. The front straightaway with the finish line was nice and flat, though uphill, but after the first U-turn, the road got really ugly with a slight uphill dog-leg and then a descent into the hairpin at the other end.

The first 30- 35 minutes of the 40 minute race were pretty uneventful with a few failed breakaway attempts in the field of just under 30 riders. Mike and I were both feeling pretty strong and were able to maintain positions in the front 1/3 of the pack for most of the race. As we came across the line with one lap to go, I'd positioned myself in fourth in the pace-line as we went into the 180 degree turn before the back stretch. And thankfully so as I hear the all too familiar sound of bikes and bodies flying. I glance back briefly, hoping that Mike made it out alive, but keep my attention focused ahead as a one-man breakaway takes off. We let him go but then I pick up the pace over the crest of the hill and head into the final turn in second position. I'm pumping as hard as i can and gaining on the rider out in front as we charge up the 600-meter stretch to the finish. With about 250 meters to go, I notice the shadow of another rider (actually several riders) just inches behind my wheel and realize to my chagrin, that I just gave them one incredibly epic lead-out! Wish that had been you, Mike! I managed to salvage 6th place but my legs felt like they literally exploded once I was across the line. Fortunately, Mike was able to avoid the crash, and despite that, he pulled off a respectable 12th place.

That's it for now. Look forward to seeing everyone again soon now that I'm back from New Zealand!

Cheers,

Jon Hipp

Jonathan D Hippensteel

Kendall Ryan-3rd at Nevada City

Kendall Ryan takes 3rd at Nevada City!! Attacked 'em on the downhill with a
super tuck and no brakes. Way to think and race smart.

Christine wins!

Congratulations to Christine Barron who today won the 500m TT, match sprints, and team sprints at States! How many bear jerseys is that NOW?

More news from Tour de Nez:

http://velonews.competitor.com/2010/06/news/baker-and-guarnier-win-tour-de-nez-prologue_121703/attachment/tdn_day1_1

Final Tour de Nez results NOW Men and Women

Tour de Nez finishes up...

After two days of racing at Tour De Nez, the NOW-MS Society men started out today's circuit race with Sergio in 2nd overall, Danny Heeley leading in the Sprint Jersey competition, and Cory Greenberg in the Best Young Rider Jersey.

It was a tough course, a 90-minute race, with altitude. A break got away early and stuck. Sergio flatted and Corey Farrell gave him his wheel, but unfortunately he wasn't able to get back in the race. Danny Heeley rode very well, gave it all he had for the sprint points (2nd twice and 4th once) and placed 2nd overall in the Sprint competition. Cory Greenberg came in top 20 and tied for 1st in Best Young Rider. Aaron Schneider and Dan Katz rode well and were active in the race covering moves.

The women's race was equally tough. Jenna Kowalski was phenomenal today and finished the race. Julia Lafranchise came back strong after yesterday's crash. Ivie Crawford also rode well.

Tomorrow all will race Nevada City. And Nationals coming up next week...

NOW Energy Bars Available at Cynergy Cycling

Your very own NOW Energy Bar is available at Cynergy. Its Peanut Butter
Caramel, sweetened with Manuka honey from New Zealand. They are also Gluten
free. Does life get any better?

According to Jim at Cynergy, you can buy them individually, by the box, or
by the truck load.

Like everything at Cynergy, we get the special club discount, so go and grab
your favorite energy bar today.

__._,_.__

NOW-MS Society news from Tour de Nez-Saturday

Jenna in the news! Check out this great shot of Jenna Kowalski TTing at Tour de Nez Thursday...
http://www.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=J7&Dato=20100617&Kategori=SPORTS&Lopenr=6170804&Ref=PH&rgj_description=&rgj_date=June%2017.%202010

And read about the Prologue Time Trial, and Sergio's 2nd place finish, in VeloNews...
http://velonews.competitor.com/2010/06/news/baker-and-guarnier-win-tour-de-nez-prologue_121703

Stay tuned for reports from Stages 2 and 3...

Sergio 2nd in Tiur de Nez TT

Sergio Hernandez got 2nd in today's Prologue Time Trial at Tour de Nez. Great ride for Sergio! The rest of the men and women rode well on the very technical TT course. Cory Greenberg and Julia Lafranchise unofficial top-15, pending official results. Looks promising for team to do well overall.

Correction from yesterday's email: Danny Katz is racing Tour de Nez with the men. Kit Karzen is not at this event.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's racing, in the evening as well...
Friday, June 18
Downtown Reno Circuit Race (a flat 1.5 mile loop through downtown Reno)
5:30pm Pro Women (50 minutes)
7:30pm Pro Cat 1, 2 Men (50 minutes)

U25s to race Tour de Nez starting Thursday

Our U25s will begin racing the TOUR DE NEZ tomorrow, Thursday, June 17, 2010. Tour de Nez is a 3-day stage race with a TT and circuit races.

The Tour de Nez began in 1986 as the 1st anniversary of Reno’s first coffee house, Deux Gros Nez. But it wasn't until the 7th anniversary in 1992, that bicycle races were part of the festival's entertainment. Organizers included the mighty Tour de Nez criterium. Today, nearly two decades later, Tour de Nez is one of the more significant pro stage races in the country. It takes place in Nevada and California, the cities of Reno and Truckee, along the shores of Lake Tahoe, and up to the mountains surrounding the resort at Northstar at Tahoe.

NOW-MS Society will be represented by Jenna Kowalski, Julia Lafranchise, Ivie Crawford and for the men: Corey Farrell, Cory Greenbery, Danny Heeley, Sergio Hernandez, Kit Karzen, Aaron Schneider.

Thursday, June 17
Prologue Time Trial in Sparks, NV (1.5 miles turny course through Victorian Square)
5:00pm Pro Women followed by Pro Men Cat 1, 2

Friday, June 18
Downtown Reno Circuit Race (a flat 1.5 mile loop through downtown Reno)
5:30pm Pro Women (50 minutes)
7:30pm Pro Cat 1, 2 Men (50 minutes)

Saturday, June 19
Northstar Village Circuit Race (The race course is a hilly, difficult two mile loop.) / Tour de Nez Omnium
3:45pm Pro Women Circuit (1 hour)
5:00pm Pro Cat 1, 2 Men (1.5 hours)

Follow the Action:
Team Director Kurt Stockton http://twitter.com/KSMCycling
Julia Lafranchise http://twitter.com/JLAFRANCHISE
Aaron Schneider http://twitter.com/AirBorns86
Kit Karzen http://twitter.com/kitkarzen
Cory Greenberg twitter http://twitter.com/corygreenberg
Cory Greenberg http://www.corygreenberg.blogspot.com
Tour de Nez http://twitter.com/tour_de_nez
Tour de Nez http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tour-de-Nez/289905098904

For more info about Tour de Nez: http://www.tourdenez.com

NOW Men's Race Report CBR #6

This in depth race report (it is like a sterile hospital synopsis) truly underplays the passion and panache of the enthusiastic masters team compadres... and my name is spelt wrong (he’s talking about JV’s Race Report).

we should add the trials and tribulations of forming, storming, norming and performing as a new and developing old guys team!

for example:

We ride in numbers like a drooling pack of hyenas and we are nearly as attractive. The intent is clear: survival first; we circulate within the peloton seeking the weak and then we take the offerings as they present themselves. As we gain confidence and camaraderie each race is more fun and we have more influence. As our knowledge of the racing and each others strengths grow it is clear to see we are having a greater impact on the racing momentum.

As part of our development comes the incremental goals that will culminate in the ultimate goal of a win for the masters team. My first goal is to stay rubber side down. At this point I have not had the nerve to to really fight for the final spint and end up in the cavendish/haussler crash feast. So that being said I have been trying to win the two bottles of Aussie wine (I know I could go to Ralphs and buy them but that would not be nearly as much fun) for the suicide prime at domingus hills. It started out as a fun thing and now after being second wheel 4 times it has become an objective I must complete. Nick has achieved this goal in the 4s so I must be able to do it in the 35+ race.

To date this objective has been a personal mission, a laugh, and something to laugh about at the end of the race... oh and a way to let all know that the MS NOW Masters contingent is in the house! The time has come to solicit the help of the team to get this monkey off my back. Going forward there will be a plan, a strategic alliance, that will ensure success and reap the rewards of a few glasses of cheap vino... not to mention the bragging rights and a good laugh. I mean jees if we can survive the saturday slug feast (team ride) to trancas a few bottles of wine must be well with in our reach...

The mission is clear and the determination resolute.... This message will self destruct in 5 seconds

4

3

2

1

NOW men's race report CBR #6

CBR Cat 4
who raced: Jens Wallrabe, John velez

who placed: John Velez 7th, Jens Wallrabe pack

The gun went off and off we went. The race was uneventful few breaks and all were brought back. 5 laps to go race was picking up I was looking for Jens and
he was up front in the mix with me. I knew that being up in the front would be the safest place to be. I was feeling strong and for the first time I was going to fight to stay up in the front.
3 laps to go Jens was up in the front with me. I knew that when he took off I was going to be on his wheel that was my wheel to follow. 1 lap to go, the pace picked up and I made sure
I was up in the front on the right side. I saw Jens on the left coming up strong. We were on the second to the last corner when that dreadful sound of medal hitting the ground. I saw guys and bikes crashing from the corner of my eye; it was on the left side the same side Jens was in. I got a sick feeling in my stomach, but I started to put the power down. I went past a few riders before the last turn and
went as hard as I could to the finish for a respectable 7th place. Jens thankfully made it safely through the crash.

CBR 30+ 4/5
who raced: John Velez, Jens Wallrabe, Hugh Templeton

Who placed: John 11th, with Jens and Hugh in the pack

In the next race, Cat IV/V, Jens took a prime with seemingless effort!! Hugh went for a prime with two laps to go, but missed it by one rider. I finished a respectable 11th.

A good day in racing for NOW - MS Society at CBR.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the rider who crashed in the Cat IV race.

NOW Women-Tulsa Tough-day 2

Tulsa Tough: Day 2

After a late night at the McNellies Pub (scarfing down dinner and watching race footage on TV - courtesy of our awesome sponsor, Joel Kantor), we managed to drag ourselves out of bed for a 10am breakfast and spin. Saturday's forecast was for a blazing 100+ degrees, so we spent most of the afternoon lounging in our air conditioned room at the MAYO. By 5:00pm we were rolling down to the course to park ourselves at the MS booth until our 6:00pm start. With the brilliant thinking of Kurt? Emily? we filled latex gloves with ice to pack into our sports bras and bib shorts to keep us cool, considering the temperature at 6:00 was 95degreesF...what a life saver!

With spots at the front of the line, we began our race. Not but 10 minutes in, Dave Towles favorite, Coryn Rivera aka "Cocktail napkin with an outboard motor" slid out causing a crash after corner 4, taking out our very own Kendall Ryan. Luckily, I was able to grab a handful of brake and ran into the curb, staying upright. Then proceeded to the wheel pit for my free lap, chased back on, attempted to recover, and found myself behind a girl sliding out through the final corner only minutes later. With no where to go, I again grabbed a handful of brake and eventually skidded to a stop, thankfully staying upright - the 10 other girls were not so lucky. Jumping back in with my second free lap, I found myself struggling to recover and make my way to the front of the field. Last I recall, I saw 10 lap to go, told myself to hang tough...but ended up cracking off the back within minutes of the finish. Props to Kendall who got back in the race on a neutral bike after bruising her bum and breaking her Red shifter, and Julia who put out some solid effort at the front of the field!

Jenna Kowalski

=

Betsy Kogan gets Cat 3 Upgrade!!!

Congratulations Betsy Kogan who is now officially a Cat 3!!!!!! Betsy just won the Elite State RR Championships this weekend in Bakersfield for the Cat 4s. She is having a great season, her second racing with the women's team. Way to go Betsy!!!!

NOW Men's Race Report for Tulsa Tough by Aaron Schneider

Race: Tulsa Tough
Players: Sergio Hernandez, Cory Greenberg, Stephen Leece, Aaron Schneider

By far one of the funnest crit series I've ever done. The weather may have been considered miserable, but in my opinion it just made the racing that much more fun. It was hot and humid all three days and made it a real tough guys'/girls' race. The first thing I have to say is a big thank you to Joel Kantor (Kit's second cousin) for sponsoring the entire men's and women's teams. We were put up in the nicest hotel in Tulsa, and treated to free food all weekend at all of Joel's 4 restaurants. To say we were treated like professionals is an understatement. It was an experience I doubt I will ever forget, and was amazingly motivating.
Day one of racing started off faster than I expected. It was like a cat 3 race...attack, chase, slow down, attack, chase, slow down, for 60 minutes. Unfortunately I got caught in a crash and made the rookie mistake of trying to chase back on and ended up dropping out...but not before I picked up the first prime for the team. I watched from the sideline as Sergio took the win.
Day two was a lot better. Though Sergio only took 2nd (we were aiming for the win of course), we rode well as a team, riding the front of the race, getting into breaks, and chasing where needed. Cory got into a near winning breakaway late in the race and was still able to ride for Sergio in the end. Kit, Stephen, and I were caught behind a crash with two laps to go and were unable to make it back up to the front, though we certainly tried.
Day 3 was by far the best for the team, though it was the worst in the results. Sergio placed 8th, but we rode like a real team. The atmosphere was amazing, even tour-like. The climb in the crit was lined with crazy fans, spraying water on the riders and cheering like mad. The entire team was active at the front and controlling the race. It was a thing of beauty. With three laps to go Cory almost single-handedly brought back the final breakaway and with 1 1/2 laps to go I pulled through at the top of the hill. Hoping I would be followed by the peleton I slowed up a bit so I could stay with Sergio for the final lap. But coming around the last turn going into the last lap, I opened up a substantial gap and it continued to grow as I put my head down and pedaled down the straightaway. So, I decided to just go for glory. Only glory sometimes is replaced with explosions. I completely popped on the last climb and that was my race. I hoped I could hold on for Serg and get him another win. I was confident that I could. Unfortunately, I was not able to and Serg got 8th, and 2nd in the overall omnium.
Fun times in Tulsa.

A

NOW Women Tulsa Tough Race Report by Julia Lafranchise

Tulsa Tough 2010:



Day one of Tulsa Tough began at 9am with breakfast at the Dilly Deli, an awesome little spot on the day’s race course (owned by Joel Kantor our amazing Tulsa Tough sponsor), which is known for its pickles AND cinnamon rolls the size of your head! The actual racing didn’t begin until 7pm, and thank goodness for that, the mid day heat reminded me of summers in Bakersfield. With little need for a long warm up Jenna Kowalski, Kendall Ryan and I showed up around 6:15pm and enjoyed the company of the volunteers at the MS-Society tent; what an inspiring bunch!



After pinning my number and a quick wheel fix from SRAM neutral I was at the start line. A very efficient race I must say; we were off before I knew it, eight fast corners in the heart of downtown Tulsa over and over and over again. A few big money primes and a several laps later we saw ten to go. I swear everyone greased their elbows before the start anticipating a sprint finish; inside ten to go I felt like a pinball constantly getting pushed to the back and having to fight my way back to the front. Right as each team was preparing to lead out our fastest sprinters; a Tibco rider rolled off the front and held off the field for the win. Kendall pulled of a 13th place finish and our NOW MS-Society women’s squad had our work cut out for us with two days of racing still to come.



Yours Truly,

Julia Lafranchise

__._,_.___

Teams finish strong at Tulsa Tough!!!

Strong finish at Tulsa Tough!
Sergio Hernandez Gets 2nd in Tulsa Omnium!

Today was the most physically challenging course of the 3-day Tulsa Tough, with the notorious Cry Baby Hill, a multi-step climb. It wasn’t a day to just sit in and expect results. Throughout the race, riders continued to go off the back.

All of Tulsa came out to see the action. The course rolled through neighborhood streets lined with partying spectators, some dressed less than conservatively.

Kendall Ryan, Julia Lafranchise and Jenna Kowalski all rode very well. Unfortunately Jenna got stuck behind a crash and wasn’t allowed back to the field. Julia fought her way back after technical difficulties. Kendall covered moves and came in at the front of the main field, top-15, just behind a break of approximately seven.

The men also rode incredibly well, as a team, sacrificed and controlled the race. A 2-rider break got up to about 25 seconds. NOW-MS Society men organized, did the bulk of the work and sacrificed for several laps to bring the race back together and set up Sergio for the win. They were the only team that had organization at the front, changing the outcome of the race. Cory Greenberg did an amazing job, Stephen Leece and Aaron Schneider did great too. As did Kit Karzen who rode phenomenally well, the track star becoming more and more of a road racer.

Sergio Hernandez had a top -10 finish today. Overall, Sergio 2nd place in Tulsa Omnium, by 6 points.

Great weekend for NOW-MS Society in an incredible series of races. A very big thank you to Marc’s cousin Joel Kantor and Joel’s family for generously sponsoring the team’s trip to Tulsa Tough and for their wonderful support throughout the weekend.

Betsy Kogan gets 1st Place!!!

Congratulations to Betsy Kogan, 1st place of Cat 4 Women and 5th Overall in combined Women 3/ 4 State Road Race Championships, at Golden Empire Classic in Bakersfield!! Check out Betsy's podium shot!!

More Tulsa Tough Race Results

Sergio Hernandez sprints to 2nd place finish in the Brady Village Criterium Men's 1/2 today! All the men rode well, like a team. Earlier, Kendall Ryan got another top-15 finish (13th yesterday) after a crash-- she's okay!-- and a bike change. Great job by NOW-MS Society in Tulsa!

Overall results TBA.

Tomorrow, Cry Baby Hill!
Home of Cry Baby Hill, sure to test the hardest racers. The winners of the team and individual omnium competition will be crowned after Sunday’s races. The grueling course will test even the most fit racers. Running along the scenic Arkansas River and staged from the River Parks, Sunday’s races distinguish the “Tulsa Tough”.
Sunday, June 6 - Riverview Criterium
2:10pm NRC Race: Women's Pro 1/ 2
3:15pm Men's Cat 1/ 2

Follow the action:
Team Director Kurt Stockton http://twitter. com/KSMCycling
Kit Karzen http://twitter. com/kitkarzen
Julia Lafranchise http://twitter. com/JLAFRANCHISE
Aaron Schneider http://twitter. com/AirBorns86
Cory Greenberg twitter http://twitter.com/corygreenberg
Cory Greenberg http://www.corygreenberg.blogspot.com
CRANKED with Kit http://www.youtube. com/user/ crankedwithkit
Tulsa Tough http://twitter. com/tulsa_ tough

Sergio Hernandez wins men's 1/2 ar Tulsa Tough!

Great news from Tulsa... Sergio Hernandez just won the Men's 1/2 race at Tulsa Tough!!! Sergio raced the Blue Dome Criterium this evening with teammates Cory Greenberg, Kit Karzen, Stephen Leece and Aaron Schneider. Congratulations!!!!!!!

Christine Barron gets Cat 3 upgrade!

Congratulations Christine Barron on your Cat 3 upgrade! It's official!!!!!!! Our youngest racer and track champion is now a Cat 1 track and Cat 3 road! Great job Christine!!

Follow U25 team NOW at Tulsa Tough multi day race

This week our U25 men and women head to the heartland and get ready to race TULSA TOUGH... 3 days, 3 intense crit races!

The Saint Francis Tulsa Tough is a three day cycling festival designed to promote fitness and healthy lifestyles while showcasing the beautiful city of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Tulsa Tough offers events and spectating opportunities for everyone with professional and amateur races, recreational and tour rides, kids and youth activities, live music and vendors in one action packed weekend. The Saint Francis Tulsa Tough is set to roll June 4, 5 and 6, 2010.

A big thank you to Marc Karzen's second cousin Joel Kantor who very generously offered to fly the team out to Tulsa for the weekend of races! Joel is an avid cyclist and he of course follows Kit and the team's racing. Joel is also a big supporter of the MS Society.

NOW-MS Society will be represented by the following riders: Cory Greenberg, Sergio Hernandez, Kit Karzen, Stephen Leece, Aaron Schneider and Jenna Kowalski, Julia Lafranchise, Kendall Ryan.

Below is the TULSA TOUGH race schedule. Note that local time is 2 hours ahead of LA time. (7:10pm race start is 5:10pm LA time) And check the links below for how to follow the action and find out more about Tulsa Tough.

Tulsa Tough kicks off Friday night under the lights of downtown Tulsa’s Blue Dome entertainment district. The races are fast - weaving through crowded streets lined with live music and vendors.

Friday, June 4 - Blue Dome Criterium
7:10pm NRC Race: Women's Pro 1/ 2
8:10pm Men's Cat 1/ 2
9:15pm Men's Pro 1

Saturday’s races run through the heart of the historic Brady Arts district.

Saturday, June 5 - Brady Village Criterium
6:05pm NRC Race: Women's Pro 1/ 2
7:10pm Men's Cat 1/ 2
8:30pm Men's Pro 1

Home of Cry Baby Hill, sure to test the hardest racers. The winners of the team and individual omnium competition will be crowned after Sunday’s races. The grueling course will test even the most fit racers. Running along the scenic Arkansas River and staged from the River Parks, Sunday’s races distinguish the “Tulsa Tough”.

Sunday, June 6 - Riverview Criterium
2:10pm NRC Race: Women's Pro 1/ 2
3:15pm Men's Cat 1/ 2
4:25pm Men's Pro 1

Follow the action:
Team Director Kurt Stockton http://twitter.com/KSMCycling
Kit Karzen http://twitter.com/kitkarzen
Julia Lafranchise http://twitter.com

Publish Post

/JLAFRANCHISE
Aaron Schneider http://twitter.com/AirBorns86
CRANKED with Kit http://www.youtube.com/user/crankedwithkit
Tulsa Tough http://twitter.com/tulsa_tough

For more about TULSA TOUGH: http://www.tulsatough.com
Watch the latest TV spots for the 2010 Tulsa Tough: http://www.tulsatough.com/site/postings/74?section_id=8

U25 Corey Farrell to race with National Team

Corey Farrell will race with the National Team at the Coupe des Nations Ville de Saguenay in Quebec, Canada, from Thursday, June 3 - Sunday, June 6.

The Coupe des Nations Ville de Saguenay is an integral part of the UCI U23 Nations Cup, which consists of seven events, and the only one to take place outside Europe. The world’s best 19 to 22 years old cyclists will represent their country, in teams of six, with the objective to gain as many UCI points as they can, which will determine how many riders each country will have at the Road World Championships.

The Coupe des Nations Ville de Saguenay consists of 4 stages, averaging over 100km per race. Other countries racing include Colombia, Demark, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg.

For more info, check out: http://www.coupedesnationssaguenay.com. Click on English in the upper right (unless you speak French).

Good Luck Corey!!! We will be following you...

Elite State Champion-Sergio Hernandez- Race Report

Barry Wolf Grand Prix


Racers: Stephen Leece, Danny Heeley, Aaron Schneider, Corey Farrell, Cory Greenberg, Kit Karzen, Danny Katz, Adam Masters, Sergio Hernandez


Places: Sergio Hernandez 1st, Danny Heeley and Cory Greenberg top 20


So I think this is my first race report since I was last on NOW about 4 years ago so please bear with me. ;)


The Barry Wolf Grand Prix was a day we all had been waiting for since the beginning of the season. Not only was it the Criterium State Championship but also our very own club race so there was no doubt that this was our day and that we came to WIN despite most of us standing in the sun for 2+ hours earlier in the day.


Being the Criterium State Championship the competition was top notch and with the rules being changed and making the title available to UCI continental teams the field had its share of pros going after the title including last year’s defending State Champion Rahsaan Bahati! In our pre-race meeting I told the boys that we needed to step it up and win! No more getting showed up by the girl’s U25 team anymore especially after Kendall won her second big race of the season. I also urged that we needed at least two guys in every move since we had numbers on our side and if it came down to a sprint we would lead out Heeley with Karzen sweeping his wheel with the option of sitting up around the last turn or going for it if Heeley wasn't there.


"The Race" It was the hottest day of the year by far and the pace was even faster. Attacks were going off from turn one and as I directed we were on top of everything. I could see the pain on everyone’s face including former Pro Tour rider Hilton Clark and we were only 20 minutes into the race. We were in for the longest 75 minutes ever, "ehhhhhh" like Heeley and Farrell would say! Breaks were coming and going, going and coming, and it was all so fast I couldn't even give you details of who was in what. Finally a legit break separated itself from the field of about 25 strong with a good 3rd sitting on. Danny Heeley and I were in the selection so I was happy with that and made sure we did our part to stick the break. Unfortunately or fortunately we were caught but I hit out again which caused a shuffle in the field and we had gained Cory Greenberg with me and Heeley holding on! As I looked around I was happy to see that my friend Rahsaan was nowhere to be seen but Matt Rice had decided to join the party which was no bueno. The break was now down to about 20 strong riders.


The boys were looking great in the break and I knew we had the upper hand with more guys than any other team, we were sitting pretty! I made sure to sit on Matt Rice's wheel just to hit it a little harder every time he pulled off to put a sting in his legs for the finish. As the pace and heat increased the break decreased and Hilton Clark was one of the victims, beautiful!!! Greenburg and Heeley were incredible the whole day and never skipped a pull. I honestly couldn't have won without them, as I started to sit on the back with 4 to go, my ninos worked away. Somewhere along the way with 3 to go a break of 2 got away and they were distancing themselves with every pedal stroke. As I looked up off of the last wheel the duo had a straight on us with 2 to go! I can't lie I started to freak out and almost jump from where I was but like clockwork Greenberg and Heeley were on the front and moving fast. With a lap to go Heeley made a monster pull bringing the break a half straight away. Coming fast into turn 3 I new that this was my only chance and I jumped with half a lap to go. Coming out of turn 3 like a slingshot I knew I had to beat the 2 man breakaway to the last turn if I wanted to win. Diving into the last turn I launched my sprint and approached the line with 4 bike lengths to spare, VICTORY was ours at last!


Congrats to Kendall Ryan and her girls for picking up the title and awesome teamwork. Also thank you to Linda Smith for running the show and making the day possible as well as everyone who helped. Thank you to all of our amazing sponsors (NOW) (Specialized) (SRAM) (GU) to name a few, we couldn't do it without you and here's to more victories on the road, cheers!


-Sergio Hernandez

Christine gets another win for team NOW! Thank you to sponsors

Great NOW-MS Society weekend continues thanks to Christine Barron who won the Women Cat 4 CBR race today in Dominguez Hills... Julia Lafranchise placed 6th in the Women Pro 1/2/3. Nick Hare won the two bottle Australian wine prime in the Mens 30+ 4/ 5 race.

Thanks to everyone who helped make Barry Wolfe Grand Prix such a success yesterday including Linda Smith for her great work organizing the race and all the volunteers who came out to help.

A special thanks to the following sponsors of individual races:
Radius Payments - Cat 5
Performance Fitness Concepts - 50+
Fast Friday - 30+ 3/ 4
Minatura 45+ (1-4)
Loyal Coaching - Cat 4
Schindler Eyrich, LLP Attorneys - W 3-4
Newbury Park Bicycle Shop 35+ (1-4) [MCL] & Women's 1-3
Velo Fit - Cat 3
No Opportunity Wasted Pro 1/ 2

And thank you to the following sponsors:
Clif Bar
Axis Sports Group
Riptide Tattoo
Prolong Energy
Ride 2 Recovery - Making a Difference in the Lives of Injured Veterans
G Systems Concepts
Cynergy Cycles
MCL
Abigail Lufkin Sports Psychology Consulting

NOW womens team update

Hello women's team,

It's been a great weekend for the girls all round this weekend.

Betsy and Trudi did a GREAT TTT yesterday at State Championship and nabbed a
bronze.

Kendall Ryan got 1st in the Barry Wolfe State Champ. Her team (Julia,
Lauren, Jenna, Jen Jo, Ivie and me) did her proud and died a million deaths
due to the heat. It was brutal but fun. There's is nothing more rewarding
than seeing your team mate with her hands in the air doing a victory salute.
Very, very proud.

Dora did her first crit in a long time and looked so strong. She raced with
Betsy, Ivie and Christine (who got heat stroke).

But Christine bounced back today and came 1st in the Cat 4 race at Dominquez
Hills. Cat 3 upgrade guaranteed this week. Christine is a National Champ on
the track and has only done a handful of crits.

Julia La Franchise got 6th in the Women's Pro 1 2 3 at Dominquez Hills. She
is officially living on the road now, having committed her summer to racing.

Thank you Linda for doing an amazing job with the Barry Wolfe race and
organizing all the volunteers! It was a huge success. Linda also takes
care of membership, which is a big job.

Abigail is looking terrific and will be giving birth to a champ in the
making, in 6 weeks. Then she's back on the bike the week after that :) We
can only fantasize about that.

Debbie had a birthday last week. Happy birthday. Julie Guthrie has had
weekend after weekend of family celebrations, including her grandmother's
birthday. She's been preparing food and doing up the backyard for a big
family BBQ since Friday.

Angela is working hard as a police officer. We miss you Angela. Do we need
to get arrested to see you? LOL

Nicole is loving her new job. She was able to sneak in a trip to Greece with
her man. Gorgeous photos Nicole.

Lauren Jacobsen is preparing for some big track races. Watch out. I pity
those other riders having experienced her sprint first hand.

Kendall Seyer continues to keep everyone up to date with club cycling news.
Can't wait for the next Pedalin Press.

Vikki Appel, we miss your wee face. Any chance you can come to the westside
so we can catch up!? Email me.

The U25 girls are off to the Tulsa Tough Stage Race this Thursday. Good luck
girls.

That's it for now.

Check out the stats for our FB fan site. Please add photos and comments to
keep our site alive and kicking. We are popular but we need to feed the
monster

Love to you all

Louise

Congratulations Kendall and Sergio! Great job by NOW volunteers

Congratulations Kendall Ryan and Sergio Hernandez, 2010 Elite State Crit Champions!

Incredible team race today at Barry Wolfe Grand Prix. Great job by both the elite women and men attacking, counter-attacking, controlling the race, great teamwork! Danny Heeley and Cory Greenberg both had time in the break with Sergio.

Good job to Betsy Kogan who raced women 3/4 and placed 3rd of the Cat 4s, Lawrence Novitch got 12th today in Masters 45+ and 24th in a very fast Masters 35+ race.

Stay tuned for race reports from Kendall and Sergio!

Thanks to Linda Smith for all her hard work and thanks to all the club members who came out to race, volunteer and cheer on our teammates! GO NOW-MS SOCIETY!!!!!!!!!!!

Men Ride Strong at Brea Crit

Strong showing by the NOW-MS Society trio of Danny Katz, Cory Greenberg, and Danny Heeley at the Brea P/1/2 Crit and by Will Chesebro in the Men 4 race. In the Men 1/2 race, the men rode fantastic as a team with great attacking and covering in their group.

Men Pro 1/2:
Danny Heeley 4th solo
Cory Greenberg 6th chase group sprint
Dan Katz 7th chase group sprint

Men Cat 4:
Will 19th

Christine brings home win!!!

Christine Barron won the Women 3/4 this morning in Brea, CA. Congratulations to Christine!!!!!!!!

Sacramento Grand Prix Race Report-NOW women

What: Sacramento Grand Prix aka Tour of Ca Women's Crit Race Report by Lauren Liscinski
Who: Jenna, Julia, Kendall and myself
Where: I didnt realize Sacramento was this far north
When: Sunday May 16
Why: Because who doesnt like to travel 15 hours w/in 36 hours for a 60 minute crit?

After getting to my dads house w/ enough time to ride, clean bikes, have dinner and go out for ice cream, Julia and I made our way to bed on Saturday night. We were both really eager and excited about the day ahead of us.....oh and exhausted from all the driving. Sunday was the smoothest wake up/get ready and out the door situation I have ever experience for a race. We arrived in Sac with plenty of time to pick up numbers, leisurely pin our jerseys, visit the portapotties, and get in a good warm up. Oh, and Julia was number 69. Highlight of the day.

I sat on the rollers while the others cruised around and finally proceeded to the start when it was time. Well, I should have gotten there earlier because everyone was already lined up just to get on the course. Oh well. We roll up finally and then the call ups begin. And so do my nerves. It is always unsettling when you here "She's the former National Champion..." "Former world Champion" "25 time national champion..." etc and you realize your best result is 2nd in a socal crit....Well, thank goodness there are no hills here!

We start and the pace was surprisingly conservative. I was prepared to be holding on for dear life from the gun but that was definitely not the case. It seemed as though no one really wanted to take control or risk doing too much work with such a prestigious win on the line. So the washing machine began. I would go from tenth wheel to eightieth in a lap just to work my way back up again. It was no problem getting to the front, but staying there was a completely different situation. I simply decided to just sit in and try to save as much energy as possible.

It was a rather uneventful race to be honest. The speed picked up quite a bit with 6 laps to go and the last 3 were very dicey as everyone was trying to manage the front. I was top 15 coming into 2 to go and then a near crash caused me to come to an almost complete stop and try to get back on w/ 1 to go. Well... there goes that. I rode as hard as I could but was not making up much ground at this point. Finished at the back of the group for 55th place.... not the result I had been looking for.

I am learning more and more to have fun with each race and not get so disappointed with less than stellar performances. All in all, I had a lot of fun at the race, and the road trip was a blast. Just ask Julia. Even though I didnt finish how I wanted I know that I was strong enough to ride with these women and I simply need to learn how to hold my position at the front and not let myself into anymore precarious situations.

That is all for now.

Thanks for reading,
Lauren Liscinski

Kenall Ryan-Race Reports: Grazia-Orlova and Spain

Hey Everyone,

Most of you know I was in Europe racing for the National Team. I was at the womens house in Lucca, Italy, then traveled to Czech Republic for a stage race, and finally a two day race in Costa Brava, Spain. I had an awesome experience racing and seeing the world. Enjoy, it's a bit of a long read.

Grazia-Orlova:

In this race our team was Coryn Rivera, Ally Stacher, Jessica Prinner, Kaitie Antonneau, and I, a young team, four juniors and a U23 rider. There were 120 starters in this four-day five-stage race. All were pro women, most were on national teams. Among us were two of the top women racers in the world, Marianne Vos with her strong team from Holland and Nicole Cooke with the elite Great Britain National Team.

The first day was rolling terrain that finished on a cobble stone climb, I finished in the pack in 54th. Second day was the hardest day of the whole stage race. There were three major climbs, the first was the hardest, it was 8km long with a sustained gradient of 8-9%. Vos and Cooke were just battling it out the whole time, which absolutely blew the field apart. I was in the 3rd chase group, finishing 55th. The TT the next day was in the early morning and it was raining really hard, I was really tired from the day before and I ended up 58th. Then the circuit race was later that day, I was on Coryn Rivera the last lap, since she was my lead out, and I kept getting hacked left and right by other riders because they knew I was setting up for the sprint. There was a round-about and then a 500 meter uphill finish, I almost got taken out at the round-about, and I lost Coryn's wheel and finished in 13th place just behind her.

On the last stage it was a circuit race that had a couple hard climbs in it. It was raining/freezing cold and there were crashes left and right every lap. I was in the group about a third of the way through the race, and then I got caught behind a crash and had to chase back on. I killed myself to get back in the group and then once a climb came up I popped and was stuck in the caravan for literally an hour. I finally got back into the group and when we hit the climb I tried to shift from the big to the small chain ring and my front derailleur was broken and I had to do a bike change. I got on a spare team bike and chased back to the field quickly. I road for half a lap with the field and my legs just cramped up really bad. I hadn't eaten any food the whole race because I was scared to take my hands off the bars. The two other junior girls racing on the national team, Kaitie Antonneau and Jessica Prinner, crashed 10 times between the two of them throughout the four road stages. It was the squirrliest race I have ever done, combining a lot of different riding styles from all different countries and putting them together, in a pack on roads that have massive holes and where the weather was far from desirable just adds to the chaos. Manel Lacambra, the USA Womens National Team Coach, pulled up next to me in the car when I was cramped up and absolutely spent, asking me what I wanted to do. I wanted to keep going so I could get a GC finish, but I had absolutely no energy left. He told me to just go take a shower. He promised things would be different in Spain for me.

Spain:

Spain was definitely different. The people, the food, the beach, and the racing was much more enjoyable than CZ had been. We raced in a vacation spot.

The first day we got there we ate Paella and laid on the gorgeous beach of Costa Brava, Spain. Our team was Evelyn Stevens, Ally Stacher, Coryn Rivera, Jessica Prinner, Kaitie Antonneau, and I. Evelyn and Ally did the pro womens race and the rest of us were in the Junior category. The first day of racing was a rolling 10k time trial. USA absolutely dominated. Evelyn Stevens placed first in the pro womens category, beating the pro mens winning time by 30 seconds. Jessica Prinner won the time trial for the juniors, with Coryn in second place less than one second behind her, I took third place five seconds behind Coryn and Kaitie was in fourth just 12 seconds behind me. We signed autographs on shirts and bottles, took pictures with the locals, and did our awards ceremony.

It was our last day of racing. We were leading both the GC for the pro womens race and the GC for the Junior race. Our plan for the race was to get Evelyn Stevens and Coryn Rivera in a breakaway together and the rest of us would have to cover attacks from the field. The pro women started 30 minutes before our race did, because they had to do an extra loop. Before the womens race came through to start another loop, our race started. There were about 30 junior 17-18 girls. We rode for about 25 minutes in the pack, until Evelyn Stevens came flying by us saying "Americaaaa, f@#$ yeahh!!" Coryn Rivera and Jessica Prinner both jumped hard to get on Evelyn's wheel. They brought two other riders with them, but they soon popped off their wheels. They were now team time trialing away from everyone. Ally Stacher, Kaitie Antonneau, and I were all left to control the field and make sure that the breakaway, stayed away. We kept that race together like professionals, no one was getting away. We had word from the moto-ref that the leaders had finished. We had done our job. With only 7k to go, two of the teams attacked together. Ally Stacher ramped up the speed with me on her wheel and Kaitie right behind me. Right before we were about to go through a round about, I jumped across to the two riders in the chase group. They did the majority of the work and the work I did I only went 80%. We were about to make the last turn when I attacked the two riders into the corner. It was a 500 meter uphill finish. I had enough speed through that corner and enough energy for a sprint. I crossed the line in 4th place. Kaitie won the field sprint taking 7th, and Ally was 9th. USA owned that race!!

Thanks for reading,

Kendall Ryan