Webster Roubaix Report and Results

I’d love to say that the Webster Roubaix dust does wonders for your complexion, but I’d be lying. Every year I come home with a grimy face, dirty hair (that I washed the day) before and a gray kit that started off the day white. But I also come home with the same thought in my head; I can’t wait until next year.

Even though the womens numbers were down from last year, the racing was still just as heated, especially with us being combined in the Masters +35 and +55 categories. I can’t speak for the womens 1-3 this weekend but I know the +55 gave me a run for my money during the 34 mile “road” race. Our group stayed together for most of the first lap but you could almost hear the bubble pop when we finally hit the dirt. Dave Viney got on the front just like he did last year and just like last year, I found myself hammering my brains out just to stay on the wheel in front of me. Unfortunately old age and wisdom beat youth and strength this time, and I got shelled off the back just before I crossed the line with three to go. It was encouraging to be the last woman to come out of the masters group because I knew I still had a chance at taking the win, but I had no idea how close behind me the competition was. Pretty soon a group of five masters caught me and some of us struggled to get a pace line together. There weren’t any women in that group but I could see some riders over my shoulder who were too close for comfort. I could almost hear the “Jaws” theme song in my head as I took another hard pull and then looked over my shoulder to check for progress; not close enough to make contact yet I wasn’t in the clear. But Webster Roubaix’s secret weapon struck again on the second lap, and this time it helped me leave that omniscient presence in the dust. By the time we were off the dirt road, the group was out of sight and I didn’t see any women for the rest of the race, allowing me to “solo” for the win in 3/4. Lisa Gallagher (Infinity Bike Shop) came through a few minutes later to take second after breaking away from Alexandra Danforth (unattached), who came in to for third.

I never know what kind of twist the Webster Roubaix dust will give to each race but in my opinion, it’s one of the best courses all year because of the immense challenge it poses to every racer. It is a race of power on the dirt, as well as technique in positions so the ones who have a bit of both shine on this course.

Just as long as I remember for next year: don’t wash my hair Friday night, there’s no point. Webster Roubaix will leave its mark on you no matter what.

Saturday

Women 3/4

Michelle Blake 1st

Zoe Mullins 4th

Autumn Holt 6th

Dahlonega Training Weekend

Whew! What a summer this is.

After our Colavita junior racers returned from Road Nationals in Bend, OR; it was decided that a weekend of training in the mountains of north Georgia would be a very valuable experience for many of our riders. With some cooperation among the parents, we secured the Hiker Hostel for a group of 18 people total, organized car-pools and created a grocery list of necessary items (like Nutella). Some riders decided to go up early, such as Kyle and Dave Deschenes, who spent the week hiking the beautiful area around Dahlonega. Everyone in the group arrived Friday afternoon at the hostel and a small group rode out to do a nice roll through the valley before watching a recap of the Tour and disappearing off to bed.
Saturday morning, we were treated to a wonderful breakfast by the Hostel owner, Leigh, before we headed off for our ride. The advantage to staying at the hostel was that we were able to just ride out of the parking lot on Saturday morning and begin climbing the first three gaps of the weekend. Neel's gap posed as the real eye-opener for the racers who had never been to Dahlonega before, and was a difficult challenge even for those who knew where the top was. JP and Brandon battled it out for the "king of the Mountain" honors all weekend. Eventually everyone made it to the top of the gap and after conversing with a few local riders about Colavita, we descended the mountain to climb Wolfpen gap. Already some riders were beginning to become more confident on the climbs, and  Wolfpen offered a great photo-op at the top of the ascent before our riders dropped once more into the valley. Rolling through beautiful countryside was a nice alternative from slogging up mountains and whats more, was that Colavita mom, Diane Blake, was waiting at the end of the road with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches before the final climb. What can we say, shes wonderful. Of course, this quick break lead to another photo-op and then we soon began the short ascent to Woody Gap. Only a few miles away from the hostel, the group left the summit in intervals to safely descend the climb, and after passing an intersection known fondly as "the dead princess" or "the pile of rocks," cooled down in the last mile to the parking lot.

Once everyone had arrived back from the ride, it was quickly discovered that the showers were a hot commodity (the water pressure dropped down so low that it was almost impossible to get any soap off), so we all thought it was a great idea when someone suggested tubing. For $6, you could rent a tube and a shuttle would take you 1/2 mile up stream, where you would jump in and float back down. This hour-long jaunt left everyone feeling fully relaxed after the day of climbing.

Unfortunately for some of our young juniors, it wasn't over yet. The challenge of Brasstown Bald still resided and though many people "chickened out" at the last minute, Colavita girls Zoe Mullins, Autumn Holt and Michelle Blake were still up for the climb to the highest point in GA. Through some struggling and persuasion, each one made it to the top, quite exhausted and celebrating their accomplishment. Great job, Girls!
Sunday morning was somewhat of a slower start than the previous day, with everyone fully feeling the extent of the climbs. Taking the cars, we drove to "Booger Hollow" and began riding Jack's gap, which, incidentally, leads to the base of Brasstown Bald. It became a challenge of willpower from the very beginning. Brandon Forman refused to allow Michelle Blake beat him to the top, while she herself was determined to catch him while staying ahead of Anselm Teather, who was hot on her trail. All three arrived at the summit separately and out of breath. A nice, long downhill lead the group to the bottom of Unicoi Gap, where a large discussion ensued over the origin of the name and whether it meant "One Fish" or not. Either way, everyone manged to make it to the top and savored the last few miles before facing the final act of our climbing trip, Hogpen. Michelle and Brandon were the first to arrive, having talked each other up the whole way, and they were followed soon after by Anselm, Zoe, Tracy and Autumn. The demanding seven mile climb bested Kyle, Dave and Anne Teather who succumbed to it's relentless grade.   The mountains were finally over, though some of the juniors tried to push the limits while riding back to the cars, hitting over 50 mph on the way down and then excitedly telling the parents in the parking lot. Hopefully they'll let us do it again next year.

Photos by Michelle Blake and Dave Deschenes

Webster Roubaix Race Report

By Michelle Blake

Webster Roubaix is an outstanding event that is legendary for it’s dust, so thick that I have yet to finish cleaning the remnants of 2009 from behind my ears. Hanging out with racers who take pride in having a sparkling clean bike, I absolutely love watching their disgusting faces as they fly by and as I am still a 10 year old at heart, this race is a great opportunity to spend some time playing in the dirt.

In past years, I haven’t had that greatest of finishes at Webster Roubaix. In 2008, at the age of 13, I stayed with the field the entire race only to be crashed out a few hundred meters from the line. 2009 wasn’t my year either, when Dave Viney rode me off his wheel just a couple of miles into the race. But this year, I became determined to win the title of Webster Roubaix champion and to own of one of yhe distinctive, coveted trophies .

From previous experience, I knew a few key tips to succeed in such a difficult race. The number one rule that I kept repeating to my teammates during the day was that you had to be one of the first people on the dirt, because it’s nearly impossible to move up after you’re already in the dust. I also noted that Dave Viney and Julius Aulisio were a couple of masters who I was going to be racing with, that I really needed to keep an eye on in order to stay with the group. I was also racing with Ashlyn Gerber, a great friend but very strong competitor, who I knew was going to be hard to beat that day.

There were 11 women at the start along with the 21 Masters 55+ and 65+ we were also racing with. This included my teammate, Zoe Mullins, who was competing in her first ever womens road race! We started off on the dirt neutral, meaning the actual racing couldn’t commence until everyone was on the pavement. Some people took this as a moment to swap recipes before the attacks started, but I used the time to position myself perfectly in the pack, as in right at the front. From the beginning, the speed was held between 21 to 25 mph and for the first lap of the race, I kept within the top 7 of the peloton. There weren’t any extremely notable attacks and no breakaways but when we got within about a mile of the dirt road you could sense that everyone was gearing up for a hard effort. I knew what I had to do and immediately jumped on Viney’s (Dave Viney) and Jubie’s (Julius Aulisio) wheels after being one of the first through the sandy corner. Viney had a plan for that race, and that was to attack every lap on the dirt section, dragging us through the start/finish at 25 mph, with myself doing everything possible to hold 3rd wheel in the paceline. When we would finally get of the dirt, Viney would pull off and we would all reorganize into a group, though it was significantly smaller every lap than what we had before hitting the dirt. I didn’t quite realize how significant the breaks were until Jubie pulled up beside me while I was sitting about 10th wheel and said that there were 3 women left in the pack including myself and Ashlyn. Surprised, I looked over my shoulder to only find 2 other people behind me in the group. I was guaranteed a podium spot, and just one step closer to that trophy.

We dropped the other lady a lap later, and Viney finally whittled the group down to four riders off of the dirt section with 2 laps to go. I was one of the victims of that lap’s attack, along with Ashlyn and three other masters. We rode all together for a lap and half until some guy came flying by us with one lap to go. I’m thinking to myself “Who on earth is this guy and where did he come from?!?” The first answer I came up with was that we had been lapped by the +45 group and so I shouted not to chase him because he was in a different category. But then a voice behind me said “No we’re not.” Scared me half to death. Apparently out-of-sight/out-of-mind works both ways; for break aways and dropped riders. The woman that we had dropped earlier in the race had teamed up with another master who paced her back up to us. Judging by how much work she must have done to catch up with us, I wasn’t too worried about her at the finish, but still, it scared me there for a second.

As we turned the last corner onto the dirt, Ashlyn attacked. She got a pretty good distance on me, and I tried to chase her down but couldn’t quite catch her. I had almost accepted the second place finish when the group of masters I was with rode past me. Jumping on their wheels, I started gaining ground on her and when the finish line came into sight, we had pulled even. A quick glance over at her, proved that Ashlyn had burned her last match going too early and I continued on past her to the finish. That finish line never looked so welcoming.

It may take another year to completely wash away the dust from 2010 but there is no way to wash away my smile from winning Webster Roubaix.

Photos By: Jan Chalmers and Tracy Mullins

Miami Cyclocross

Michelle Blake
As I was watching the Miami cyclocross, it came to my attention that there was a massive, white iceberg floating in the bay behind us. When I pointed it out to my mother however, her response was "You mean that yacht?" "Oh, could've fooled me. It's so cold that I wouldn't be surprised if I started seeing penguins and polar bears too."
Considering that this weekend's race was in Miami, it seems just morally wrong for it to have been as cold as it was. Saturday morning before the race, we were sitting in IHOP eating breakfast and wondering when the rain was going to stop, or at least, when it was going to turn into snow. In preparation for the race we piled on layer after layer of warm clothing; shorts, leg warmers, tights, jersey, arm warmers, jacket, rain jacket, hat, gloves, etc. The only problem came when considering which layer to pin the number to. My warm up consisted of a cycle, huddling around the fire, huddling in the car with the heater on, and huddling around my mother and teammates near the start line. I was actually extremely thankful when the race finally started because it meant we were going to get a little warmer. I sprinted off the line, away from my few opponents and fell in behind my teammate Brandon into the first turn. The cold must have given us both tunnel vision because we almost missed it and we went careening into the marking tape. Aside from that, and a few other mishaps, and excluding the freezing rain and wind, it was a great race. I did not go for a cool down lap.
Have you ever heard the song that goes: "the sun will come out, tomorrow"? Biggest Lie Ever. Sunday was colder, winder, and just as overcast as the day before. The only saving grace was that it wasn't raining, but who needs rain when you've got 20 mph winds and its the coldest day ever in the history of Miami! So we woke up and put on even more clothes than Saturday; Earmuffs, balaclavas, shoe covers, the whole shebang. Again, I couldn't wait for the race to start but the proceedings were held up by a frozen pelican who decided to cross the course right in front of the start line. After a bunch of oohing and ahhing over the bird, we finally got going. It was a mountain biker's type course, with a lot of technical turns, and once I got to the loose rock sections, it was easy to loose my opponents (snicker, snicker). I loved going through the start finish area every lap too. The race promoter had made it mandatory that anyone standing there had to have a free cowbell in their hand and cheer like crazy for every racer who came through. After my race I also made sure to stop in for my free Belgian waffle as well.
It took me an hour of sitting in the car with the heater on full blast to finally thaw out from the weekend and I'm still a little worried that my toes are going to fall off and they already turned blue. (oh wait, that's the nail polish)
CAN'T WAIT TO DO IT AGAIN NEXT WEEKEND!

Results

Saturday and Sunday (they're the same)

Juniors
Brandon Forman 1st
James Mertens 2nd

Women B
Michelle Blake 1st

Women A
Diane Blake 2nd

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

Carpe Nundinae

Carpe Nundainae (latin): Seize the weekend.

This past weekend, two members of our junior race team made a trip up to Dahlonega, GA, for some training in the mountains. This is what they wrote in response to riding the past few days up there.

Casey Braga

I felt really good this weekend. I was pretty confident while on the way to Dahlonega, GA and really looking forward to riding my favorite gap, Neel’s. In my opinion, it is one of the hardest of the 6 gaps to climb. The next hardest is Hogpen.

On Saturday afternoon we started out from Turner’s store to climb Neel’s, Wolfpen, and Woody gaps. Neel’s was the longest of the climbs that day, about 7 miles from top to bottom, with an elevation of 4,458 ft. Then it was a fast descent to our next gap, Wolfpen. It was a dramatic change in styles from the two mountain passes. Neel’s is a 3 lane road and only gradually steep. Wolf Pen Gap is a two lane back road, much more steep than the Neel’s. From the summit of Wolfpen we quickly made it to the top of Woody gap and then back to the car. We climbed a total 5,200 feet that day.

Sunday’s ride was much harder then the previous day, with the gaps Jack’s, Unicoi, and Hogpen. Leaving the car in Booger Hollow (yes, that’s really the name), we started going up Jack’s gap, reaching the top in not too much time, getting a chance to rest at the base of Brasstown Bald. Unfortunately we decided that would not be the best idea to climb up the tallest point in Georgia this time and continued on to Unicoi gap. When we got to top, it began raining, making the descent difficult but we still managed to break the speed limit at a couple of points. Then it was time for the hardest of all the gaps this weekend, Hogpen. The only thing I have to say about it is long, boring and painful and looked like it was never going to end. Seven miles from start to finish. The descent though was probably the fastest of them all, I almost reached 50 mph, which was a lot of fun (don’t tell my mom).

It was a great weekend and I think I really benefited from the climbing. Now I’m looking forward to next weekend’s state time trial championships, maybe I’ll win another Florida title…Michelle Blake

Oh, where to start when talking about this weekend!

First of all, the car ride up there. You never really know what its going to be like spending 8 hours in a car with your favorite (cough, cough) teammate. Luckily, I was prepared. The first moment Casey Braga fell asleep, I had my makeup kit out. Blue eye shadow, pink lipstick and, of course, the nail polish. Needless to say, Casey had a bit of a surprise when he woke up. The rest of the trip up though, was very uneventful.

When we started out Saturday afternoon, I was really surprised about how confident I was going up Neel’s gap. Last time we were up there, back in February, I didn’t do my best on that first climb but this weekend, it seemed to pass much quicker than before. The same held true for Wolfpen gap. Much sharper than the first, I still was going very good and kept my teammate, Casey, in sight the entire time. Woody gap passed very quickly also to my surprise and descending was extremely fun.

Before telling about the next day’s events, I’d like to add in a little note about the weather in Dahlonega GA. For those of you who have read the book Twilight, its somewhat like that of Forks, Washington. Frequently raining, and almost always overcast. The only difference is that there are no sparkling vampires who want to drink your blood. (For those who haven’t read the book, don’t bother, burn every copy you see, and just keep reading this blog in your free time) Going up every gap, I either had my rain jacket on my back or stuffed into my jersey pocket. There were a few sections of sunlight both days but the time was nowhere need equal to that of when it was overcast and/or raining.

Now on to Sunday. Our route for the day took us over Jack’s, Unicoi, and Hogpen gaps. Jack’s was long, and rather steep at points, but rather boring for the most part. My favorite gap right now is Unicoi, the second climb of the day. It passed very quickly and was not very difficult but also has an entertaining descent to accompany it. Though it started raining when we reached the top, I still kept off the brakes going down, using only my rain jacket as a parachute to slow down when needed. But as we came closer to our next and final gap, I began to dread the coming climb. Remembering my last time up Hogpen, I knew it was long, steep, and offered very little break anywhere on it. Still I climbed as best I could, reaching the top at 3,450 ft, after an excruciating dull and lengthy amount of time. Though tired, the road going down was enjoyable. At some points it was such an incline, my computer hit 48 mph, something I’ve only gotten close to riding down Sugarloaf.

I can’t believe how good I felt this weekend. I think that it was a great training experience and hope that it has helped me become more prepared for Nationals this year, in Bend, Oregon. Can’t wait until the next time we going to Dahlonega, though I still need a little bit of time to recover from this trip.

Diane Blake

We hauled our track bikes all the way up there in anticipation of riding the Dick Lane Velodrome in Atlanta on monday only to be foiled by the rain. After a dry morning, it started drizzling about 1/4 mile from the track and experience has taught us that you cannot ride a velodrome when it is wet. Bah, humbug!

Photos by Michelle Blake

Lake Louisa and Lakeland

Congratulations to Casey Braga who placed third in the "B" race at yesterday's Lake Louisa Training Crit. After dodging raindrops and lightning bolts, it came down to a sprint finish with him crossing the line just a few bike lengths behind first place. Good job Casey!

We're also looking forward to seeing everyone this weekend in Lakeland for the State Criterium Championships. For the race flyer, click here.

Sunday's race course and where we usually park.

View Lakeland Race Course in a larger map

Team Colavita Free Time

After racing all over the state of Florida every other weekend, there comes the question of what Team Colavita does in their free time. Well this past Sunday there were no events scheduled so the wonderful Gordon family invited the team over to their lake house for a day of fun on the water.
After returning from a +30 mile ride that morning, our junior racers quickly jumped off their bikes to go cool off in the lake before changing into bathing suits and eating a tasty lunch of hamburgers and calzones prepared by Brad Gordon and Stacy Forman. Then we were off on the jet skis, motor boats, knee boards, tubes, and a whole assortment of flotsam. It was very entertaining when someone had the idea to see how many kids we could fit on a 10 foot wide raft. The tricky part was finding a hand hold when the float went flying around corners at 30 miles per hour. We manged to hold a total 8 teenagers on for a while but it was never too long before at least one person spun off.

Left to Right: Top: Casey Braga, Bradley Gordon, Brandon Forman, Jos Chalmers. Bottom: Ian McGauvran, Michelle Blake, Ashlyn Gerber, Blaine Gordon.

You could hardly keep the Jack and Owen Greene and JP Russo off the jet skis. And on a dry note, Nick Blanchard commanded the four wheeler for much of the day, doing multiple laps around the house.
Some off the other kids had a fun time playing "bumper cars" in smaller rafts and a few even tried out knee boarding for the first time, with spectacular results. Briana Luthman and Zoe Mullins gave the sport a spin and looked like old pros after only a few times around the lake. Who knew bicycle racers could be so good on water as well as land?
Thanks to everyone who brought something to the party (food, toys, etc.) and a huge thank you to the Gordons and Formans who had the great idea in the first place. It was a wonderful way to spend the day

Left to right: Front Row: Casey Braga, Blaine Gordon, Michelle Blake, Ashlyn Gerber, Zoe Mullins. Back Row: Jos Chalmers, Bradley Gordon, Brandon Forman, Ian McGauvran.

For an interesting video of us on the big raft and a first hand account, go to: Ashlyn Gerber's Blog

Dade City Criterium

Team Results

Junior 10-12
Anselm Teather 1st
James Mertens 2nd

Junior 13-14
Casey Braga 1st
Michelle Blake 2nd

Junior 15-16
Jos Chalmers 5th
Brad Gordon 9th

Junior 17-18
Ian McGauvarn 7th

Womens 4
Michelle Blake 1st

Mens Category 4
Jos Chalmers 2nd

Brad Gordon 9th

Mens Category 5
Casey Braga 9th


Race Review - Michelle Blake
The Dade City Criterium, undoubtedly my favorite race of the entire season. Every year the 6 turn course has brought out the best results in me and now again, the tradition has held strong.
I began the day with the junior race. After winning a girl scout cookies prime, I placed 2nd in the finish, just behind my teammate Casey Braga. But it wasn't until later, in the women 4 race, that I really let the energy flow.
Lining up for the start after an entertaining kiddie race, the officials gave us the usual procedure, Then Jenny Collins, a friend of mine, came strutting across the line displaying a beautiful wrist watch that would go to the winner of the race. Don't call me greedy, but I wanted that watch, and for the first few laps I debated about how to win it. After seeing the womens 1,2,3 race earlier in the day and Tina Elliot do an amazing break off the front, that strategy had stuck in my head and became the one I chose. My first chance to get away came when they rang a prime for a pair of pink socks (say that fast 5 times). At first I had no intention of sprinting for them but when someone else showed some interest, I just had to. Not wanting to waste the attack though, I kept the power up after the line. I tried working together with the lone woman who had caught my wheel, but the pack caught up a lap later. Sitting in the group recovering, I waited for another chance.
This time when it came, we were on the back of the course and Jeniffer Doucett was taking a very hard pull. When she slid off the front, and in behind me, I quickly chose to make a break. Jeniffer was tired enough that she had little hope of chasing me down quickly and also served a purpose in blocking others behind from trying. After a lap of head down hammering, I found that one person had made the gap and we began working together for the rest of the race. I was very confident that I could beat her in the sprint so I made no strategy to tire her, just make the break work. On the last lap though, I timed my pull so she would be on the front the whole lap, basically giving me my own lead out. Through the last corner I sprinted, my momentum alone pushing me past her, and then on to the line.
Afterward I couldn't believe how well the race and the whole day went. A huge thanks to Kiefer Village Jewels of Dade City who supplied the watch I won and everyone who helped put on the race.

Gainsville Race Weekend

After a week of cold weather, it was nice to wear a t-shirt and shorts while watching the intense racing this weekend in Gainesville. The time trial on Saturday was placed in the small town of Archer, the course being out-and-back on a country road with rolling hills and a light wind. At 10:00, John Paul Russo was the first Colavita off for the day, placing 11th in category 3. Jos Chalmers came in 2nd place in 15-16 out of a total of 8 riders. Anselm Teather raced junior 10-12, winning the category, and his teammate, James Mertens, came in 3rd. Michelle Blake got a pleasant 5th place in womens 4 and Christian Teather settled for 2nd in junior 13-14. Later on in the day was the Team Time Trial and Colavita arranged a team of four: John Paul Russo, Jos Chalmers, Brad Gordon, and Stephen Rusnak (Team Cycle Science). With a strong finish, the team brought out a fantastic time of 29:23, putting them in 4th place in their category.



Sunday's course was in downtown Gainesville, somewhere much easier to find on a map than the day before and even equipped with flush toilets. The junior race was combined, 10-18 all at once, making for some interesting racing. Anselm Teather and James Mertens came in 3rd and 4th in the youngest category. Christian Teather, Michelle Blake, and Briana Luthman placed 2nd, 3rd and 9th with the 13-14s. Jos Chalmers made podium with 3rd and Brad Gordon finished in 7th in the older junior pack. The race was a real scorcher with TWO national champions driving the pace. Jos Chalmers had to settle for second in the 15-16s while Brad Gordon was 7th and Brandon Foreman came in 12th. Some of these racers also went on to contest the category races later in the afternoon. JP came in 26th in cat 3, and Brad got 3rd place in cat 5 with his team mate Brandon (26th). But, saving the best for last- Jos pulled out a spectacular win in cat 4, launching himself to the front on the final straight to win convincingly. We predict upgrades of category in the future for both Jos and Brad!
Photo credits go to Brad Gordon and Michelle Blake.

Orlando Time Trial #1

Team Results:
4th. Jos Chalmers -15:59
6th JP Russo - 16:47
9th. Brad Gordon - 17:21
11th. Christian Teather - 17: 47
22nd. Michelle Blake - 19:26
23rd. Diane Blake - 19:26.5
28th Anselm Teather - 20:39

Good job to everyone who raced last night. It was a windy evening, with a strong cross wind on the way out but also making for nice tailwind some of the way back to the finish. The most improved rider of the night was Christian Teather who went a minute faster than he did in last year's series. It was nice to see such a large showing of Colavita riders, with 7 riders out of the total 31 who participated.
Colavita is also going to be well represented this weekend in Deland, for the Spring Fling of Cycling. The first Florida Point Series race of the 2009 season, it is guaranteed to be a fun and fast two days. With a total purse of $3000 and awesome medals for the juniors, it is also a fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training. Be sure to remember your AMB transponders and renew your USA cycling license if you haven't already done so! We are planning to have the team tent set up somewhere near the start/finish so bring your wind trainers and chairs for before and after the race. There are places to get lunch close by the circuit course on saturday but the road race on sunday is in the country.

Heat, Sugarsand and Speed

If I were to choose three words to summarize last weekend's state championship course at Jonathan Dickinson State Park, they would be: Heat, Sugar-sand, and Speed.
In my category, Women 4, there were four other racers for me to compete with, as well as the junior 10-14 group who was racing at the same time but being scored separately. I have to say, that on the start line I was the youngest women by a differential of at least 10 years. That can be a good or bad thing sometimes, but for this race it seemed to be my advantage.
On the first two laps, out of a total of four, I played cat and mouse with a lady who was wearing a green jersey and riding a mountain bike. (no I don't know what brand, that's for the boys to care about) She would beat me in the sugar sand and where I was forced to walk, but then I would catch and pass her on the road. On the second time over the barriers though, she was just ahead of me. In a split second decision to mental slow her down, I shouldered my light cyclocross bike and dashed across the barriers as fast as I could, arriving at the last one before she even finished stepping over the first. From there I time trialed a long section of pavement and hammered the sugar sand parts until I knew she would not be able to catch me. After that, I simply kept racing at the speed I had been before, quickly finishing my last two laps.
It was a long race, but a lot of fun. One thing that I learned from this race was that even though you may not be entirely out of physical energy, a mental hit takes away almost as much as having to chase down an attack.
Michelle Blake