Neil | Carolina Cycling News

The ride has four routes, 123 (Gran Fondo), 80 (Medio Fondo), 42 (Piccolo Fondo) and 5 (Famiglia Fondo) miles, which includes one of the longest, most challenging courses in the state, and the most scenic and diverse roads in the southeast region. The bike course will challenge the stamina of riders of all skill levels, among them six-time Tour de France and former national champion, Kevin Livingston and Pro Cyclist, former USPRO Criterium National Champion, and founder of the Bahati Foundation, Rahsaan Bahati and Ivan Dominguez, former USA Crits World Champion, stage winner in the Tour of California, two-time stage winner in the Tour of Missouri, and stage winner during the Tour of Georgia, amongt many other wins.

All proceeds of Gran Fondo Brevard will benefit KLD Youth Foundation, a non-profit organization to provide outside-of-school programs to address the growing problem of unsupervised youths in Brevard County. The KLD mission is to change lives by educating and empowering young people, one life at a time.

“We are thrilled to bring a Gran Fondo event to our community for the first time,” states, Daniel Ciuro, President of Infinity Racing Organization, Inc. “We are even more honored to have the support of these pro cyclists, who know the value that KLD provides to the local area. All proceeds will benefit the school, and we look forward to seeing these funds used towards their school development project that will help make their vision of a proper boarding school a reality”
Mechanical and SAG support will be provided along with pre, during, and post ride food & refreshments for all who participate.

About Gran Fondos
Gran Fondo is an Italian term which loosely translates to “Big Ride”. Gran Fondos are long distance, mass-participation cycling events-not races- and participation ranges from professionals to recreational cyclists.

About KLD Youth Foundation
The KLD, a non-profit organization, was established in 2002 to provide outside of school programs to address the growing problem of unsupervised youths in Brevard County. Since then, the KLD Foundation has expanded to include a K-12 private school for at-risk youth who are not being successful in our public school system. Children are accepted into KLD programs without regard for race, gender, disability, religion, or national or ethnic origin. Financial support for KLD comes from state funds, grants, and private donations.

KLD’s mission is to change lives by educating and empowering young people, once life at a time. To accomplish this, KLD designs individual plans for each child to holistically develop his or her body, mind and spirit. The key to KLD’s success is the personal, individualized attention given to each particular challenge of each student.

KLD provides caring adults, a safe place to gather, effective education and opportunities for each child to help others. Based on Christian teachings, the KLD’s program instills moral consciousness, character, integrity, and enduring self esteem.

In the KLD’s nurturing environment, young people can learn and grow into tomorrow’s leaders; for these children, the KLD is a path that leads to new hope and a vision for a positive and rewarding life.

For more information go to Infinity Racing Organization.

Neil | Carolina Cycling News

Asheville bid organizer Will Black

To determine viability, USA Cycling examines the strength of each bid after reviewing the proposed course, venue location and available facilities. Additionally, USA Cycling meets with the local convention and visitors bureau and sports commission staff.

The Asheville promoters hosted a reception for USA Cycling’s National Events Director Kelli Lusk at Pack’s Tavern. In addition to the promoters and cyclo-cross supporters Asheville resident pros John Murphy (Kenda/5-Hour Energy), Ally Stacher (Specialized-Lululemon) and Lauren Tamayo (Exergy-Twenty12) were in attendence.

Promoters Timothy Hopkin, Will Black, and Greg Duff spoke to Lusk outlining their respective roles and what their promotional team could bring to the national championships.

For those who race ’cross in the Southeast those three names should be familiar. Hopkin is considered the father of cyclo-cross in the Southeast and the founder of the North Carolina cyclo-cross series. Will Black is often on the podium in North Carolina ’cross races and would be part of the course design team for the national championships loop. Duff is a local race director, a runner, and triathlete as well as president of Glory Hounds Events.

“The infrastructure (at the Biltmore Estates) is all right there in a confined area,” says Hopkin. “It does require all types of permitting from various government agencies – (however) it’s private property for the Biltmore can make any decisions. And also it’s on a beautiful piece of land and they’re excited to host it.”

“Yes there’s a bike race involved, but you’re also coming for the experience.”

Built in 1895, the Biltmore Estates sits on 8,000 acres which includes a vineyard and an equestrian center.

With the Biltmore excited to be a part of the cyclo-cross nationals Hopkin says he feels confident about Asheville’s chances for selection.

“All the elements for an outstanding event are there,” says Hopkin. “We have some unique components to our bid and we have a great history with cyclo-cross in the Southeast. We got it all going 16 years ago and have elevated it bit by bit. We have promoted seven years of UCI racing and 16 years of series and have increased participation every year.”

Neil | Carolina Cycling News

“The nice thing about this event is it will benefit the entire city of Asheville, the hotels, shops and restaurants. And the riders won’t be coming alone. They’ll bring their families. Asheville has everything for families and children.”

Lately, the Southeast has been the focus of cyclo-cross. The UCI Masters Cyclo-Cross World Championships were just held in Louisville, Kentucky and will host them again in 2013 along with the UCI Cyclo-Cross World Championships bringing thousands of people to the area.

Speaking to the Citizen-Times after a tour of the estate Events Director Lusk said, “My impression is it’s a beautiful facility and the community is very supportive and friendly.”

“I like the fact that there are various course possibilities, there are various buildings and parking lots available that can accommodate an event like this, to provide food and beverage areas, registration, a media room, bike storage. Sometimes you have to bring in a lot of infrastructure, like heated tents, to an event, so having it all here is definitely nice.”

While it is still too early to have an exact course laid out Reneé Pisani, sales manager at Biltmore Estate, told the Citizen-Times that the race would be centered at Antler Hill Village, where the Winery, four eateries, shops, the Outdoor Center, exhibit hall and barn are located, and very near the 200-room Inn on Biltmore Estate.

USA Cycling will make a decision early next month.

Neil | Carolina Cycling News

Consider this… you’re in a race, attack 40K into it and stay off the front averaging 325 watts (103% of your threshold power) for 20-25 minutes. You open a gap of two minutes mid-way through this effort and hope just a few others join you but are caught by the peloton and proceed to suffer the balance of the race and finish deep in the pack.

Now this… you’re in the same race, attack one-third of the way into it and average 325 watts for 25 minutes getting re-absorbed in the pack at this point. You do this again two-thirds through the race and once again are re-absorbed. In the last 10K, two others attack and you go with them and finish the race top-three.

In the two above scenarios your threshold power is 315 watts. Clearly in the second scenario your repeatability is much greater. These scenarios demonstrate Horizontal vs. Vertical fitness. Here’s why it’s important to focus on both.

Your vertical fitness is what you can average for various durations; often referred to as ‘mean maximal power’ or ‘critical power’ for anywhere from 5 seconds to 1 hour. In the example above I’ve used threshold power (other monikers – CP60, Functional Threshold Power, Maximal Steady State Power) as an example. The same principal applies to all durations. Simply, what is one’s maximal sustainable average power for given duration?

Your horizontal fitness is the repeatability of the effort. In the above example, 325 watts for 20-25 minutes how many times in one event before fatigue sets in and the ability to repeat is gone. Fatigue for this duration is defined as a 3-5% reduction in power. Consider the criterium racer that ‘jumps’ multiple times per lap. He may need 75 or more jumps in a 75-90 minute criterium. Does this racer’s average power per jump lessen mid-race? How many jumps does he have in him and is he able to sprint at race end? This horizontal fitness idea is often referred to as one’s ‘matchbook’. Great way to look at it… How many matches do you have in your matchbook?

So what to do? Don’t ignore either horizontal or vertical fitness and work backwards. What are your goals and are they feasible is the start-point. Now figure out what kind of vertical and horizontal fitness ability you need to be successful in your event. Look at your past race files, your team-mates or riding partners or search out the info online and devise a plan to get where you need to be in both fitness dimensions.

Marc Gustafson | Carolina Cycling News

Let me back up. I didn’t get here because of a dare, some sort of mid-life crisis or any real epiphany. In fact, I haven’t really raced my bike since I was 15. I’ve done probably twenty triathlons and a century ride over the past 5 years, but more out of curiosity than anything else, I raced in two Category 5 races last year and got beaten like riding lawn mower in a Formula One race. Or as some of my friends like to call it DFL.

Seeking to prove something, although I’m still not sure what, I cranked up the spin classes at the YMCA about a month ago and started asking questions of anyone who looked like a rider. I’m not sure if it was Spencer Lueders, the local founder of the cancer-fighting 24 Hours of Booty, or Tim McCollum, a guy I had swapped mountain bike stories with when I was looking to buy a house a couple of years ago, but someone told me I had to start an indoor training program if I wanted to be competitive.

So as I pushed open the door, heard the whir of a dozen computrainers over ear-blistering techno-pop and saw what looked like an eighth grade lesson on bar graphs on two flat screen TVs hanging on the wall, I wasn’t sure what to think. But from the looks of the other riders bent over their handlebars pouring sweat, I knew I was in the right place.

Watts?! Watts per kilo?! RPM?! Where am I? Charlotte is the home of NASCAR, but this is ridiculous. Trying not to look like a complete newbie (after all, these other guys are wearing race team jerseys and matching shorts — what I’ll later learn is called a kit), I hop on my bike and begin to pedal at a rate I think I might be able to pull off for an hour. Is that how long these things last?

When Chad Andrews asks me what my threshold is, I sweat more than I have since I walked in the door. Looking at the monitors thinking I can make sense of any of this, I fumble for words like the kid who faints at the spelling bee. Thankfully, Chad bails me out and says “let’s start you off somewhere around 200.” 200 it is. 200 of what I’m not really sure. But off we go.

I feel great. Sure there isn’t even a puff of air in what everyone is calling the Pain Cave but I can tell we’re all flying. Before long I am able to discern from the bouncing numbers in front of me that I’m going 31 miles per hour! Just as my heart, buoyed by this news, returns to my chest, Chad walks by to tell me that speed has no relevance. Watts are the ONLY thing that matters. Lesson one: as soon as you think you know, you find out you don’t.

By the time I leave, I’m completely covered in sweat. I’m not sure what I’ve seen or even what I’ve done. I do know this. It’s only January and my legs feel turbocharged. I can only begin to imagine what I’ll feel like in a couple of months. But before I can even send the text to my wife telling her how excited I am, it all comes crashing to the floor as Chad yells at me to be sure to be back on Sunday for Winter Bike League.

Southeast Bike Expo

The Southeast Bike Expo will be an opportunity to educate the consumer about new and upcoming products. What better way than having demo road and mountain bikes available from Trek, Specialized, GT, Niner, Felt, Colnago and Look. On Saturday night there will be a three-hour evening ride and bikes will be available that are outfitted with products from various light companies.

In its first year, and with the location of the expo on the 1996 Olympic cross country course, the event is primarily focused on mountain bikes. That’s not to say road bikes are ignored – a demo area has been secured.

According to the Southeast Bike Expo website the promoters are optimistic about future events.

“This is the inaugural year of this event and we are hoping it will be a special one. We will grow the event over the coming years to one of the premier consumer cycling expo events in the country. Our goal is to educate you the consumer about new and upcoming products. We are going to be working with all the major cycling vendors in the country to bring you the best selection.”

With a location on the 1996 Olympic Games mountain bike cross country race course and with the goal of making the expo affordable to consumers and retailers, the Southeast Bike Expo’s future looks bright.

The event is open to the public, entry is $20 per person for the weekend with portions of the proceeds going to IMBA. Get your ticket at www.bikereg.com, entry is limited to 5,000 people. For more information, visit the Southeast Bike Expo’s Facebook page and follow them on Twitter.

Men's Podium of North Carolina finishers. Travis Livermon, Robert Marion and Scott Frederick.

The winner of Race #10 of the NC CX series is crowned the State Champion.  SmartStop Mock Orange Bikes p/b Ridley took home both pro titles with Travis Livermon and Emily Shields winning the men’s and women’s pro races.

Travis Livermon 1st place. Adam Myerson 2nd place.

Everyone was part of this team Sunday - Lees McRae.

Women's Podium. Emily Shields, Megan Korol, Allison.

See http://weldon.smugmug.com/Racing/11-12-NCCX-10-Winstonfor full photo galleries.

Beech Gap South, North Carolina
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Total elevation – 2,449 ft Length – 7.8 miles

Average Grade – 6.0% (8%) Rating – 1.50 (cat 1)
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The south side of Route 215 is a solid and scenic climb and another way to reach the Blue Ridge Parkway at Beech Gap. Over a steady grade and a narrow road for almost the entire route, you should not see many vehicles on this one which results in a pleasant ride. Somewhat open at the bottom, soon thick southern forestland closes in as you ascend, only clearing in places near the top with a few views. The roadbed cuts through several dramatic rock cuts toward the end as well and the listed climb ends under the Parkway at Beech Gap at over 5,000 feet of elevation. Due to its solid grade and mostly gentle curves, Route 215 is a fairly fast and fun descent as well.

Directions – On Route 64 in Brevard, NC head south for several miles to Route 215 on the right. Head north on Route 215 for 9.3 flat/shallow/rolling miles to Indian Creek Road on the right where the listed climb begins.

Facilities – Brevard, NC is the closest town and has what most would need.

Although most cyclists focus their time on the bike. This time of year when time is spent on “off the bike” conditioning is very important. There are four areas that are important to establish as part of your training routine- Stretching, Core Stability, Nutrition and establishing a Routine. Stretching is a foreign word to most cyclists who are not usually very flexible and the time on the bike can be very static for the lower back and hip flexor regions. Stretching should include exercises for the following regions: hamstrings, gluteus, hip flexors, lower back and quadriceps. The benefit of stretching is that it lengthens the muscles out after exercise which will enable the muscle to fire with more power.

The second essential to a successful season is a strong core which is achieved with Core Stability exercises. Core exercises that are most effective are inner core exercises or “static performed exercises.” Your body on the bike is “static” meaning you are not actively performing a sit up on the bike or moving around, your upper body is still. Therefore, to isolate and strengthen a muscle without movement is critical. The most common of these are the prone brace (plank), opposite arm and leg raise and bridging. A good core affects the way you climb, how you manage wind and weather conditions and a strong lower back will help with peddling efficiency, not to mention better posture which will improve oxygen retention.

Keeping in mind that our off the bike activities impact our training and riding, it is time to fuel the body for our winter base training. It’s the holidays and even mentioning controlling what we eat is reason for Grinch status but it does need to be addressed. Most of us know the basics and will take a couple of water bottles filled with our favorite sports drink on our winter rides, a few brave souls will even ride when they begin to freeze. Fueling our bodies for our training starts well before our rides. Any meal should be eaten at least two hours before a ride or race. The meal should include protein which will stabilize your blood sugars and keep them more level therefore, making “bonking” less likely. We all know that we should eat 15 grams of carbohydrates every 30 minutes on the bike and drink a bottle every 45 minutes but it amazes me when riding in groups at the amount of cyclist that will never eat or empty a bottle on a winter training ride. For overall weight control it is a good idea to remember the saying: eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a queen and dinner like a princess.

The goal with each of the three disciplines mentioned above should be to establish a routine. It takes two weeks of consistency to establish a routine. With the holidays and change in schedule this can be a little challenging but with the additional days off work it may also allow you more time to establish good habits. This is also a great time of year to secure a coach and begin working with them to establish your strengths and weaknesses and also review your race schedule, pick your “A” races and plan your training to build, peak and recover during the season.

Travis Livermon, 1st place, having fun crossing-up late in the race.

The overall series leaders, Jon Hamblen (Smartstop-MockOrangeBikes p/b Ridley ) and Robert Marion (American Classic/Blue ) were set to go head-to-head. Early in the first lap, a crash at the barriers left Hamblen crossed-up and standing still. With his rival in the back of the pack, Marion charged to the front and lifted the pace for a couple of laps. It took until about the midway point for Hamblen to fight back to the his position in the front group. As Hamblen returned, his teammate Travis Livermon (Smart Stop/Mock Orange pb Ridley ) attacked, in what would prove to be the winning move.

“My teammate and friend Jon Hamblen tripped on the barriers, so I waited for him to catch up and kind of settle down before I went. I wanted to make sure he was comfortable.” Said Livermon.

Regarding the competition, Livermon said, “They’re all fast guys. I guess I’m one of the more experienced guys here. I guess a combination of that and being one of the stronger ones – I was able to take [the win]. But, there are definitely a lot of fast guys in North Carolina.”

With Livermon likely out of contention for the overall series, the race to watch today was still Marion v. Hamblen. It was Marion that lifted the pace and found two helpers.

“We had 4 or 5 seconds [on Hamblen] when I went to the front and drilled it, then Nathaniel (Nathaniel Ward Ken’s Bike Shop/Embrocation Cycling Journal) came through and was just putting in incredible pulls, then Scott (Scott Frederick Inland Construction ) came through and was smooth through the corners. So we all complemented one another pretty well for different parts of the course. And when someone would start to fade, someone else would take over. It looked like the group behind us was pretty much making Jon Hamblen do all the work. With three of us, against him, I knew, we should start to open the gap. It worked out well.” Said Marion.

Jon Hamblen gets crossed-up over the barriers.

Full picture gallery at Weldon Weaver Photography.

Results:
1 Travis Livermon. Smart Stop/Mock Orange pb Ridley. Winterville, NC
2 Robert Marion. American Classic/Blue. Mount Airy, NC
3 Nathaniel Ward. Ken’s Bike Shop/Embrocation Cycling Journal. Winston-salem, NC
4 Scott Frederick. Inland Construction. Raleigh, NC
5 Nathanael Wyatt. Carolina Fats pb Industry Nine. Swannanoa, NC
6 Jonathan Hamblen. Smartstop-MockOrangeBikes p/b Ridley. Winston Salem, NC

Full picture gallery at Weldon Weaver Photography. (http://Weldon.smugmug.com/Racing)

In a nod to Movember, laziness, or perhaps just plain disrespect for the hallowed traditions of cycling, the whole field was sporting “full mane”. The officials were left to wonder whether this was really a championship caliber group… doubts which “The Gazelle” put to rest. The clear superiority of the Globalbike team led all pretenders to the throne to head out for a training ride rather than face the prospect of losing to this powerhouse combo. That, or maybe they haven’t yet discovered the joy and exquisite pain that is cyclocross racing.

Seriously people, let’s get some more representation next year! (Yes, I would trade my silver medal for a larger field).