Lost Vest

If anyone has seen a Colavita wind vest, please return it to Diane Blake. It was lost during out Dahlonega Team Trip and she would like it back.

More Photos From Dahlonega

Everyone got up early for a great breakfast made by the Hostel owner, Leigh

Waiting in the hostel parking lot to get out on the road

John-Paul Russo leads the pack of junior riders. Look at all those Colavita Jerseys

Jay Major is unsure about the coming mountain as Tracy Mullins rides alongside the pack keeping riders in line.

After the ride everyone enjoyed sitting on the back porch just talking.

Tracy Mullins had the right idea: A watermelon in each hand

Ashlyn Gerber can't help but smile as she eats her slice of juicy watermelon

Jos and Brandon, fighting over which one of them would catch the goldfish in their mouth

John-Paul Russo and Jos Chalmers engaged in a difficult chess match. We are still unsure of the winner because apparently Jos isn't as good at chess as he is cycling, and cheats; according to JP.

Jay Major offers enthusiasm and support to this teammate, Christian Teather, while he climbs Brasstown Bald

Dean and Taylor Warren smiling for a photo after both completing the climb to the top of Brasstown Bald

Our Colavita juniors looking over the balcony of the observatory, from the highest point in Georgia

What a view!

Riders line up behind the car to fill up their bottles at the top of Unicoi

Michelle Blake hands her bottle off to Diane Blake while up Hogpen Gap, to have it filled with gatorade for the last mile of the climb

Saturday night, everyone relaxed in the living room after a hard days ride, watching the Tour de France before heading to bed

Photo Credits: Jeff Major, Dean Warren, Michelle Blake

Dahlonega Team Weekend

Dahlonega, what a great team weekend! I was going to write my version of the ride but I think I'll just give you the short bites.

• The drive up and back was special, what with when's-dinner-I'm-hungry-Brad, not-on-my-legs-Brandon and I'm-totally-innocent-Michelle. Yeah, a real three ring circus.
• How much food keeps 21 people happy? About $200 worth at Wally World.
• Jeff Major is REALLY brave to sit quietly while I tear around the mountain curves and chase the riders.
• I don't know what Eddie says, but he has a golden ability to motivate kids to excel on the climbs.
• Ian is the Colavita version of a mountain goat. He was flying up the mountains.
• Christian, Taylor, Dean, and Ian deserve special note for climbing Brasstown Bald after doing the three gaps. Anselm gamely tried, but was defeated by the steep grade. Don't feel bed, Anselm, your mom's van didn't see humor in the climb either...
• I NEVER heard a complaint about the climbs or anything all weekend.
• On Saturday morning when we first left the Hostel and all the juniors were in team kits, riding toward Turner's Corner in a two-abreast formation, all I could think of was "WOW, IT DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS!"

Thank you very much to the parents for driving up and all the help.
And, thank you very much to the juniors for doing such a grand job on the mountains
Diane Blake

Taylor Warren
The trip to Georgia for me was amazing. Being the new guys, I was a little skeptical but I decided to go on the trip not really knowing what to expect. Riding in the mountains was crazy intense, I had to give a lot to push it to the top. Once at the summit of a gap though, there's no better feeling of accomplishment. Descending is wicked fun too!
Not only did I get stronger riding the mountains but I think I bonded with the team in ways I couldn't have done without the trip. At the hostel there was lots fun, from playing manhunt to trying to start a fire. I also loved the way the team encourages each other to fight to the top. The Georgia weekend is something I will remember for a long time.

Zoe Mullins

Dahlonega was great. It was my first time climbing up a mountain and I was really nervous. Saturday I climbed up Neels and Woody gaps. Neels gap was pretty hard, plus it was my first ever climb, and Woody was pretty easy. I didn't descend Neels, but I did go down Woodys which was really fun and my favorite part of the weekend. Sunday I climbed up Jacks and Unicoi gap. Jacks gap to me was pretty hard and long and Unicoi was kind of hard and short. I descended Jacks gap, and it was fun to do, I didn't descend Unicoi though. I was very happy when I made it to the top of Neels gap on Saturday because it was a big accomplishment to me. It was also fun that weekend to spend time with the team and overall I think this was a great experience.

Michelle Blake
Team Colavita; will the fun times never end? I sure hope not.
Another weekend gone by with our fabulous team, this time in Dahlonega, GA to work on our mountain climbing skills. As a true Floridian, my world of cycling pretty much consists of flat and fast so heading into the hills was a big change in terrain. But I was looking forward to it anyways.
The car ride up proved to be another epic one. Both Brandon Forman and Bradley Gordon outright stated that they were going to be in our car, no matter what, making for a very entertaining ride. There are two things that are now common knowledge on our team that had the effect of making it so fun. One is that we have been campaigning for what seems almost forever to get Brandon to shave his legs like a normal cyclist. Illustrating the benefits and joys of cutting away that wild forest of hair that men like to cultivate on their legs. And two, it has become widely known the story of what I did to Casey Braga when he fell asleep in the car on the last trip to Dahlonega. Basically, every guy on the team is scared to death of me and my makeup kit. So put those two together plus my mom and you've got yourself a three ring circus on wheels...
To Read More of this Summary Click Here

Photos from the weekend:

Jeff Major: Picasa

Dean Warren: Facebook

Michelle Blake: Picasa

Orlando Time Trial #6

After a long weekend of riding in Dahlonega Georgia (Summary coming soon) many of our Colavita racers still showed up for this month's time trial out at the international airport. Good job everyone and thank you Dean Warren for taking photos of our riders.


Results
John-Paul Russo 7th 33:51
Bradley Gordon 9th 34:10
Jos Chalmers 11th 34:55
Taylor Warren 14th 35:56
Neville Brabrook 21st 38:58
Zoe Mullins 23rd 47:13

More Photos Here:
Dean Warren's Facebook
(You will have to be logged into facebook to see them)

Track Nationals

Congratulations to Anselm Teather, who participated in the Junior Track Nationals in Carson, CA. Anselm had to attend a camp at the velodrome to be qualified to race on the 45 degree wooden track and then was out there giving it his best with other juniors from around the country. In the 500 meter Time Trial he placed 9th, and finished 8th in the 2K scratch race as well. Great Job!