Snowshoe Nationals - NY Bellas’ Jano!
March 13, 2010
Fabius, New York
Saturday, March 6, 2010
(pictures courtesy of NY Bella and professional photographer,
Laura Kozlowski
(Be sure to see her “pets” section on her webpage…)
It was a delightfully sunny and balmy day, and thanks to a more than 2 foot dump of snow the week before, there was plenty of snow for the racers to actually run through. While Janet looks the relaxed sunbather in the pic above, the 10K course for the senior racers was incredibly grueling. The finishing hill was at best “pukable” and Jano’s cheering team all agreed, we would not want to do what she just did.
Almost done…just a few more steps!!!
Too pretty, eh?
LiLynn sporting the proper Bella Cheerleader Flair.
Janet’s Fan Club (this pic not by our professional, but rather a course marshall who was very excited by the bella hoopla that just came with us…)
We are so proud of her!
Binghamton Bingo Cross Race
November 16, 2009
Binghamton Bingo Cross Race - 15 November 2009
“My report” from L. Dawg Graves
About 3 weeks ago I started taking this sport a little more serious. I started pointing questions to the “pros” on strategy and specific training and all I could get was just go “balls to the wall” and hope you don’t blow up. Well easier said than done. That is a very scary place to go without a little guidance. So I had to practice this feeling and try to get used to it. Kinda like riding “crossed eyed.”
I’ve been dragging my cross friends out on Tuesdays to do these painful 30 second to 1 minute all out sprints with 1 minute easy x 12 times on a gradual uphill. We have been doing these on our road bikes and they make you want to puke especially when it’s 40 degrees out. Then skills work on Wednesday in some park for a few hours. Some really cold road rides for as long as we until we can’t feel our extremeties on the other days. On saturday we get together and do a little skills work and then some 5 min medium intervals with 5 minute rest and then some 1 minute grass sprints with 5 minutes rest and race on Sunday. Not much but it definitely kick started my confidence into cyclocross “redlining” for 45 minutes.
No more riding a cross coarse like a 50 mile road race. NO SPINNING. And to think I have spent a few years mastering the art of high RPM’s. Just throw it out the door and make those thighs burn baby. Power to the pedal. Well that’s what I keep telling myself and it’s starting to work. Plus my sprint work has helped my starts so much. I have started out in second place the last two races and finished 3rd overall. Up until my “training” started 3 weeks ago I was mid to bottom of the pack. Whoooo Hooo.
And now that I’m figuring it out, It’s quitin’ time. And soon it will be time to go back to spinning on the road bike. So I guess I am hooked on cross and will be back next season. I might even train a little before I start racing.
Two Days in Louisville
November 3, 2009
Full concentration as Kari navigates through the mud in Louisville.
Velo Bella-Ellsworth riders Kari Studley and Devon Haskell headed out to Louisville for the U.S. Grand Prix series race. Recent rains left the course muddy. Though the grass made the course look fast, the reality proved rather different as the wheels sunk into the soggy grass. The course also included a staircase run-up. Kari took 9th and Devon finished 12th. Katerina Nash of Luna won ahead of her team-mate Georgia Gould. Velo Bella alum Amy Dombroski, the current U23 U.S. National Champion, rounded out the podium. Roll over to Podium Insight for more stories from the race.
More mud for Kari.
The following day, Kari and Devon lined up for a second day of racing at the Derby City Cup. Sunny skies greeted the riders for this second day of fun in Louisville. But the mud still lingered and the course included a staircase and flyover. Kari bettered her pervious day’s result to finish 7th, while Devon took 11th in the deep women’s pro field. Luna again dominated the field as Nash took a second straight win. Amy Dombroski of Richard Sachs finished second, followed by Alison Dunlap of Luna. Check out the full story at Podium Insight.
Keep up with all Kari’s adventures on her blog, Studley Racing. Want to know about the Velo Bella-Ellsworth pro cyclocross team? Check out our Pro Cyclocross Introduction.
Thanks to Lyne Lamoureux of Podium Insight for the use of her photos from the Louisville Grand Prix. All photos this page copyright Lyne Lamoureux and are used with permission.
Kathy’s On a Roll in Utah
October 24, 2009
Kathy Wins Three Straight!
Velo Bella-Ellsworth rider Kathy Sherwin currently leads the Utah Cyclocross Series after winning three straight races. This weekend, Sherwin put 30 seconds into the field after just one lap of racing at Andy Ballard Equestrian Center in Draper, Utah. She held just under a minute lead over the second place rider all the way to the finish. The course included a 500 meter road climb, followed by a descent into sandy terrain, and a run-up. Kathy is racing this season in memory of her mother, who passed away recently. She will race next at the Longmont and Boulder races on Halloween weekend. Congrats to Kathy on another win!
Read more about the Velo Bella-Ellsworth Pro Cyclocross Team!
Christopher See contributed reporting to this story. Photo is copyright Christopher See and is used by permission. See more images from the Utah Cyclocross Series.
Mary Goes Cross Crazy
October 9, 2009
By Miss Mary Perez
La Selva Beach, California
1st Month Down, 4 more to go!
So this month consisted of 6 CX races for me! 2 in just this last weekend alone! Livermore Area Recreation and Parks District Series (LARPD) #1, 2 and 3, Central Coast Cyclocross Series (CCCX) #1 and 2, and Bay Area Super Prestige Series (BASP) #1.
My first two races LARPD 1and 2 were more of a gauge for me to see where my fitness was. I mostly just had fun in these races as the course (which doesn’t change much for the series) is mostly swirly grass and sandy dirt with a 4 log dismount. Fields were relatively small, but really good crowd and we’ve been lucky with GREAT weather at all 3 races so far! At both races Brittany Thibault got 3rd in the Women C’s and I got 5th and 6th respectively in the Women B’s.
In regards to the 3rd race, I kinda chickened out in this one…since it was a Saturday race just before the 1st BASP on Sunday, I didn’t want to over-do it so I sat up on the last lap and cooled down…I also did this cuz I’m such a DORK and when I thought I had 1 lap to go (even though I had 3) I punched it and dug deep to catch the rider ahead of me…coming around to the finish strait I saw the 2 laps to go sign and almost cried! So I kept the pace up for a little, then backed off, and finally sat up coming around for the finish lap. Oh well, gave me something to think about for the next time (though I have a history of miss-calculating laps…) I ended up 3rd in the B’s and Soni Andreini-Poulsen placed 3rd as well in her Women Masters 35+ race.
The CCCX races so far have been at Manzanita Park in Prunedale and Fort Ord in Monterey County (one of my favorite courses!!!) The 1st race didn’t go off as planned. Got caught behind a crash and cut the course to get help. The event organizer talked me into jumping back in, which I did but sat up and used the next 3 laps as a training ride, which was fine by me! Natasha Perry (14th) and Devon Haskell (1st) raced the A’s, Janet Bellanstoni (1st) and Brenda Mai (3rd) raced the C’s, but I was the only B (8th).
The 2nd race was at Fort Ord and I just couldn’t stop smiling. Lovely friends and awesome course as usual! Thank you to Lilly Bella for my feeds! I had a blast even though I did get lapped, but still had to ride that full last lap! OMG! 
But it was cool cuz and it was such a fun course with the biggest sand pit! (which I LOVE) and lots of swoopy turns and down hills and a horrific run-up. Crazy! Natasha got 9th in the A’s, I got 7th in the B’s, Janet Lafluer got 4th in the Women Masters 45+ and Brenda got 3rd in the Junior Women.
Today’s race was the 1st BASP at McLaren Park in San Francisco and boy did I get my but kicked! We started off 45 secs after the Women A’s and the top women lapped me TWICE in 43 minutes. OUCH! I did 4 laps consisting of a HUGE mud run-up, 2 long climbs, lots of super bumpy descending and some soaked in grass sections with only one set of double barriers. It was a world of hurt. My problem wasn’t with the HUGE mud run-up as I’ve been doing run hill repeats in Nisene (crazy-I know) but what I haven’t been doing is climbing on the bike. I’ve been so focused on my technical skills in training, that I’ve been riding flats for the last month! I sure paid for it today! No teammates in the B’s category as usual…but Natasha Perry rode the A’s and not sure how she placed. But as always I got to see so many wonderful faces out there! This is why I LOVE CROSS!!!
Next month the Surf City Cyclocross Series (SCCX) starts (I’m part of the organizing for this so who knows how I’ll fair after course set up). So that’ll be 3 SCCX, 1 CCCX and 1 BASP…call me crazy…Cyclocross crazy!
NY Bellas careen around a park
September 22, 2009
Clinton, NY
September 20, 2009
LiLynn Mad Dawg, Kap’n Kate, Kat-Grrl, Sue Slayer
For the first time in a long time, multiple Bellas turned up to hit the greens on an unseasonably warm Sunday morning in Clinton, NY. Totally not appropriate ‘cross weather, it was delightfully balmy and sunny. This was the first ‘cross race of the year for some, and the first ‘cross race EVER for others. (Initials are LiLynn D. Graves.)
The course was a fun mix of swoopy turns through shaded woods, open fields complete with pagoda, a sandpit of death, and a nasty steep and rooty run straight up to heaven. Enough to keep everyone content with one “special” favorite somewhere.
For the record, I think LiLynn let me beat her…not sure why, but she’s that kind of teammate, tho.
L.L.Dawg in the pit
And Sue slays the competition RIGHT HERE. Looking mighty calm by the volleyball net.
Kate finds amusement in an odd moment on the back stretch.
Our NY Cross Queen, Katina.
Newlywed (the day before!) Bella Christina Chambers rode the women 4 race earlier in the day and stayed to cheer on the open women Bellas. In her haste to get to her wedding, she forgot to pack her Velo Bella togs. Priorities, woman, please!!
We were not first, but we weren’t last either:
Open women 1/2/3/4:
2nd Katina Sayers-Walker
8th Kate Stewart
9th LiLynn Graves
11th Sue Atwood
Women 4s:
1st Christina formerly known as Chambers, now Perkins
Catch Them If You Can
September 21, 2009
The Velo Bella-Ellsworth Elite Downhill team has been getting up to all sorts of hijinx over the last few months. First, they built up their all new Ellsworth Dare downhill rigs. Then, they headed off to the races, including the World Cup races at Mont-Sainte-Anne and Bromont. Along the way, Kimber picked up her best ever elite finish in the Super D with a second place at Snowmass. Catch up on all the Downhill adventures in the Summer edition of the Velo Bella-Ellsworth Gravity Team Newsletter. Download it up!
Velo Bella-Ellsworth Gravity Team Newsletter (pdf).
Also, the Velo Bella-Ellsworth women have invaded Twitter. So follow them already!
Kimber G
Connie M
Allie B
Want to know more about new Bike sponsor Ellsworth? Follow Ellsworth Bikes.
Kirkland Cross, NY
September 20, 2009
Kirkland Cross, NY
2nd, Katina Sayers-Walker, Women
8th, Kate Stewart, Women
9th, LiLynn Graves, Women
10th, Sue Atwood, Women
1st, Christina Perkins, Women 4
San Diego Bella Cyclocross Clinic
August 27, 2009
The San Diego Bellas will host a cyclocross clinic on Sunday 13 September from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The clinic is presented by the Southern California Prestige Series of Cyclocross and will include skill drills, a team relay, and question/answer periods covering everything from dismounts to nutrition. The session will take place at Crown Point near Pacific Beach in San Diego. The cost is $10.00 for those who carry a USA Cycling license and $15.00 for non-licensed riders.
Socalcross.org will provide a limited number of demo bikes for the clinic. To reserve a bike, contact Dot@SoCalCross.org.
To R.S.V.P. for the clinic or receive more information, contact Laurie Tremor, laurietremor@cox.net.
Come out and Play!
Windham Mountain Race, Catskills, NY
August 18, 2009
Katina Sayers-Walker
on the podum!!
So, there is good news and bad news — the good news is that I WON!
