Wolverine Women's Elite Cycling

Goodbye and Thank You

2008-05-16T20:17:00.006-04:00

Thanks to everyone who cared enough to read about us. Like the ebb and flow of nature, the women's team was growing for a few years and now it's shrinking. There are only three Wolvering women left (only one remaining in Michigan) and our results will be posted on the Wolverine Sports Club Elite Team Blog. No separation of boys and girls anymore. Just racers.

We had a slow start to the season as Maia and Kelly have been nursing injuries. Maia had a severe hamstring strain that stubbornly refused weeks of physical therapy attention. Kelly had surgery to repair a severed ligament in her left thumb that was damaged in a crash in which she also tore a muscle in the right elbow. Both women were sidelined for a while, but are now on the upswing and trying to gain fitness as quickly as possible.

Renee spent the winter running Alabama Cycling Camp cranking out the base miles and raced a couple long road races in the late winter and even finished second in one of the 83 mile Georgia Cup races. She looked lean and mean at the Willow Time Trial. We'll miss Renee as she has moved to Boulder Colorado to work and train on the velodrome out there at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Keep your eyes peeled for the upcoming Colorado Cycling Camp to be the sister of Alabama Cycling Camp which will still be in business next winter.

Kelly is also leaving Michigan. She'll be rolling in the hilly farmlands around Madison Wisconsin as soon as the school year is over.

There will be no more posts on this blog. Ever.

2007-12-02T17:02:00.001-05:00

Visit Alabama Cycling Camp for nice warm hilly guided riding this winter. Stay in a nice house and have someone cook for you!

Renee got to play in the dirt at Stony

2007-10-09T17:16:00.001-04:00

Renee says "Man, that was a great workout! So hot though!"Very hot. So much for "you'll need that long sleeve skinsuit". The heat was also radiating up off the pain pit, otherwise knows as the beach. That was the best place to watch the good (technique) the bad (technique) and the ugly (pain faces). I saw the smooth bike-shouldering technique, the push-and-run technique, the ride-through-the-sand-on-my-mountain-bike technique, and I'm not sure if there is a "best" way to do it, but I'm pretty sure the drag-the-bike-through-the-sand technique isn't it. If I could photoshop out the face and jersey I'd post the pic.

Hopefully my injuries will get better soon and I can play too.

Cyclocross is fun!

2007-09-25T19:10:00.000-04:00

DIRT IS GOOD!

Speed is good.

Scabs are good.

Life is good.

I had such a blast racing...well riding with a number on my back...at the KTR Double Cross races in Davisburg. Including the flat tire, two dropped chains, two crashes and a sprained thumb. Laughing at the comedy of errors was the best part. It was a cool course. I have no idea how it compares as Saturday was the first time I've done it. I like the attitude of some of the women who do it. They say "I don't care if I finish last. It's a blast and it's a great workout." Suits me perfectly.

Hob-nobbing with the pros was fun too!

I learned a ton about 'cross techniques from this guy from his must-have DVD: http://www.cycle-smart.com/store/home.html

Adam Myerson, the Cycle-Smart founder and president, races for the Nerac Professional Cycling Team. He's also a member of the UCI Cyclo-Cross Commission, the International Association of Cyclo-Cross Organizers (AIOC-Cross), and President of the New England Championship Cyclo-Cross Series.

I did say that I missed running.

'Cross is fun! .. and, oh yeah, it's a little tiring...

Summer Wrap Up

2007-09-23T18:42:00.001-04:00

Renee Podiums at Track Nationals!!

After taking much needed mental and physical vacations, I remember how to use a computer once again. The highlight of the end of the summer was Renee winning her way on the podium at Track Master's Nationals.

She won the silver medal in the points race, only missing the gold by ONE point. Ouch.

She also took 4th place in the matched sprints! Well done Renee.

Backing up to other races, Christy finished 3rd at the Priority Health Grand Classic showing good strength in keeping up with Theresa Cliff-Ryan in the primes and the finish.

Maia finished 10th and is still gaining strength and the vital experience only racing can give.

Maia spends quite a bit of time at the Velodrome with Renee.

Tour Di Via Italia:

Renee finished 8th behind a bunch of pro women.

Rockford:

Christy finished 3rd and Maia finished 9th.

BTR Park K-zoo:

Maia tried racing but had stomach problems and DNF while the rest of us were in Chicago racing Elk Grove.

Well, that wraps up the road and track season. Now, time to have some fun and play in the dirt!...mountain biking and CYCLOCROSS!!

Downer's Grove

2007-08-19T15:41:00.001-04:00

Maia and Christy raced in Downer's Grove while Renee was in the middle of the 6-day at the Velodrome.

Maia finished a very respectable 9th in the Women's 3/4 race and Christy raced the Women's 1/2/3 race and finished 22nd in a pack of Pro Women cyclists tuning up for the following day's National Championships.

Tour of Elk Grove and BTR Park

2007-08-19T15:27:00.001-04:00

Kelly, Renee and Christy drove to Elk Grove looking for some fun. They worked super well as a team and took home few more dollars than they were used to. Kelly and Christy took 1st and 3rd in a three place prime and then Christy, Renee and Kelly finished 3rd, 9th and 10th. They missed the super big money, but oh well. That's bike racing.

They did the men's 3/4 race later and had some good fun with that. Kelly and Renee did another men's race the next day-a Master's 4/5 race. What a hoot! 'nuf said.

The best part of the weekend was the Fruit Boquet our hostess Dee Dee Scadron had waiting for us. Dee Dee is an awesome person and a multiple World Champion on the Velodrome.

Back home, Maia raced the BTR Park Criterium in K-zoo, but had some serious stomach problems that caused her to DNF.

Hmmm.... Is it time yet?......

2007-08-10T15:47:00.000-04:00

Everybody loves a new bike, especially a Trek XO2 Cyclo-Cross Bike for Renee!

After the inital shake-down ride Renee says "I love this bike already. It's way lighter than my old one."

Renee and Maia at the Nas-track 3 Day

2007-08-08T10:17:00.000-04:00

I'm still not sure of their results, but they look good. Thanks to Bob Bruce for the photos.

Velodrome 3-day

2007-08-07T16:07:00.000-04:00

Stand by to see how Renee and Maia did last weekend at the track....

Ada Crit

2007-08-06T12:07:00.000-04:00

2nd and 5th

The race started with 13 Cat 1/2/3 women with the Cat 4s behind them. The course included a chicane followed by a slight uphill. The first few laps were very fast and strung out. Kelly was right on Mackenzie's wheel and she wasn't getting away this time. Several laps later, a crash happened in the left-right chicane taking two PH riders out of the race (Cheryl slid out and Leslie rode over her) and creating a break of 5 which Christy and Kelly were in. Christy won a prime for some sweet sunglasses, and Kelly pulled her back into the break after the counter attack. Christy continued to ride strong and Kelly fell off the back of the break. Still tired and scabbed up from Superweek? Maybe a little skiddish in the corners after the crash? Who knows what goes through the mind in those ever important split seconds in a bike race. Christy sprinted for a 2nd place finish and Kelly sprinted against and beat the three others who joined her and took the 5th place position.

Not sure the official results are correct, as Sara McGuire was in the sprint for 6th or 7th place.

The Ada Bike Shop put on a nice race. The ice cream vendor was very welcome and the balcony of the restaurant above the bike shop helped make the day special.

Superweek Day 7 - Whitefish Bay Classic-plus final overall results

2007-07-29T21:03:00.000-04:00

Whitefish Bay Classic was the last day in the Superweek Women's Category 3/4 racing series. It was yet another flat crit with two over-90 degree corners. Christy was the only Wolverine woman racing. She got in a break with another woman, but the other woman wasn't strong enough to hang with Christy and fell off. Christy rode a few laps solo and decided there was too much race left and decided to sit up and wait for the peloton. The finish was a pack sprint and Christy pulled in a 4th place finish. She was on the wheel of the series leader and said she couldn't believe how much power this woman could put into one pedal stroke.

The Wolverine Women had a fantastic Superweek! Christy finished in 8th place overall after only racing 3 of the 6 days. Kelly finished 11 overall after finishing only 3 of the 6. She started 5 races, but crashed on the last turn of one race, and DNF the next day. Maia started and finished only 3 of the 6 races and still finished 21st.

Check out all the action at
http://www.internationalcycling.com/

Superweek Day 6 - Wheel & Sprocket Brewers Hill

2007-07-29T20:30:00.000-04:00

Wheel & Sprocket Brewers Hill Criterium in Milwaukee was a 4 corner crit with a hill on one side and a descent on the other. Of course the finish was up the hill. About a quarter of the field didn't finish the race.

Christy and Kelly rode strong and smart the entire race and were dancing on the pedals up the hill each lap. Feeling battered, beat up and tired, Kelly took no risks in the last corners and finished 11th. Also cautious in the corners, Christy finished 8th.

Superweek Day 5 - Chase Food Folks & Spokes

2007-07-28T16:44:00.000-04:00

Chase Food Folks & Spokes in Kenosha was a flat 4-corner crit with a little chicane. The inside of the course had an awesome festival happening with arts and crafts, food, rides (the barf machine), and lots of spectators. The organizers of Superweek do an amazing job organizing the events, moving the equpiment, organizing volunteers, posting results, etc. It's amazing how fast the men's P/1/2 results are printed after they finish with 160 guys. If you're a racer, and you've never raced Superweek, you're missing out on a fantastic experience.

Christy was really pumped and excited at the beginning of the race and showed her strength during an incredible race. There was a four woman break that took off after a crash that Christy got tangled in when the woman in front of her went into the barricade. Christy whent to the Sram tent, Jose fixed her brake and gave her a new wheel and she jumped back in. A couple laps later she executed a perfect attack to bridge to the break-away taking another woman with her.

They worked together really well and caught the break in about 8 laps. It was a thing of beauty.

The sprint finish was exciting and Christy almost caught the race leader on the line for a beautiful 2nd place finish.

Maia finished 17th. She was reminded again of the importance of trying to move up before the finish. She got boxed in and lost position in the corners. She attacked a few times during the race and won one of the primes. She had a great race series and learned a lot at Superweek.

Kelly pinned on a number, but feeling the pain from the previous day's crash ended up with a DNF.

Superweek Day 4 - PCW Cycling Heritage Square

2007-07-27T00:52:00.000-04:00

PCW Cycling Heritage Square Criterium in Sheboygan was in a neighboord with one small big-ring-able hill. The race was good and fast with primes thrown in like crazy. Kelly and Maia launched their version of the "Wolverine Cannon" attacking and counter attacking and countering the counter. It was a blast. Maia says that before Superweek she didn't feel comfortable handling her bike in a pack, and after three races, she says "Now. Yeeeeaaaaahhhhhhh". (Translate: I feel comfortable and feel like I know what I'm doing.) It started raining with 2 laps to go. Kelly was sitting in 4th wheel in a break a few seconds ahead of the pack. Perfect. Take that last turn. Same line as everyone else. Not too fast. WHOOOOOOOOSH. There goes the back wheel. Crash. There goes the win. Dang.
Maia remembered to work hard to move up near the end and did it well. She was trying to bridge the small gap and get on Kelly's wheel. She was almost there. Saw Kelly go down. Slammed on the brakes. She says it was just like the track. She sprinted from a dead stop and crossed the finish line in 10th place. In the money. Yay Maia!!

The day's results.

The overall results put Kelly in 8th and Maia in 18th.

Superweek Day 3- Bellin Health Village of Howard Cycling Classic

2007-07-26T11:11:00.001-04:00

Bellin Health Village of Howard Cycling Classic in Green Bay was a nice flat crit with a strip mall on one side and a farm field with big bales of hay on the other. Strange.

The race was full of attacks and counter attacks. Maia and Kelly mixed it up as well. Kelly got in a two woman break, but it didn't stick. There were lots of attempts at breaks, but nothing really got too far away. The back side of the course had a slight up hill rise and had a pretty good head wind. Coming into the finish, Kelly jumped too early and had a good gap, but couldn't hold the 34.8 mph to the line and ended up 4th. Maia finished 16th and thought it was a really fun race.

Overall, Kelly ended the day in 3rd, and Maia ended in 21st.

The money winners for the day. (Well, John Coyle took 24th, but his daughter didn't race.)

Ray finished 6th in the 40+ and then doubled up in the P/1/2 race later.

Brent took a flyer on the last lap and motored home for a W in the Cat 4!!

Kroske rode strong and finished 7th in the Cat 3 race.

Luke finished 20th in a race won by the Aussie Olympic Gold Medal Pursuit winner.

Superweek Day 2 - Cedarburg Classic

2007-07-24T18:35:00.000-04:00

The Cedarburg Classic is a slightly hilly crit in a quaint little neighborhood with 0.9 mile laps.

Kelly and Maia had a nice big field for a change. The race included many attacks and one very brief solo break and came down to a pack finish. Kelly finished 7th and Maia finished 22nd. The uphill finish was pretty challenging. Kelly was sitting in 7th wheel around the last turn thinking she might pass a few in the sprint, but the field finished right in the order they were sitting. Maia felt pretty strong for the day and was pretty happy about her finish. She learned not to sit too far back and get mixed up with the women who brake around the turns. I'll add the pics from Tim's camera when I get them.

7th was in the money. So was Dybo's 15 place in the 40+ race.

In the 40+ race there were 9 away and 5 in a chase group. Ray pulled a "classic Ray move" to bridge up from the back of the peloton to the chase. It was a thing of beauty.

Watching the Cat 3 race.

We laughed our heads off cheering Kroske on after he got lapped multiple times and refused to give up. I guess taking a week off the bike to take your kids to Cedar Point is probably not a recommended training tactic.

One of the funniest things was when Tim borrowed a bull horn from a kid who bought it at a garage sale for $2 and chased after Kroske.

Superweek Day 1 - Travel Day

2007-07-24T18:22:00.001-04:00

7 hour drive wasn't too bad. Blue skies and I robbed the piggy bank for the toll road through Chicago.

The boys got the sweet set up.

The money winners for the day at Holy Hill.

Waiting FOREVER for dinner at the Mineshaft.

Welcome Christy Keely!

2007-07-23T08:47:00.001-04:00

The Maillot Jaune Road Race wasn't a very good day for the Wolverine Women. Renee, Mary and Maia don't really like climbing hills, and Kelly had a bad day, so she decided to save her legs for Superweek next week and dropped back to keep Renee company and enjoy the beautiful course.

The best news of the day was that we added the talented Christy Keely to our squad. Her first race as a Cat 3 was Cedar Creek and she did an aweome job there. Christy finished 7th in Fenton after the squirrly Cat 5 men's pack took down two women (Christy being one of them) when they passed. Small damage to the body and bike. She's also got one of the coolest personalities around. For formality sake, in the following picture from left to right is Mary Ward, Maia Orabi, Christy Keely, Kelly Paterson, Renee Schroeder.

The course in Fenton is absolutly beautiful and it was awesome to see such large women's fields in both races. Thank you to CycleFit and everyone else who did such a great job organizing a fantastic event. The brand new vehicles for chase cars were really cool too. It was also very nice to see another women's team emerge. Haggerty (insurance company) had several women in both races. The had the cool Brick Wheels logo on their shoulders as well. (Traverse City Trek Dealer)

And, of course, no visit to Fenton is allowed unless you stop at the French Laundry for an oatmeal cookie, Italian soda or a sandwich that is big enough that you're not sure whether to eat it or do bicep curls with it. There is a picture floating around. I'll post it when the electrons get here.

Mary says...

2007-07-18T23:05:00.000-04:00

"It was great to get back racing again after having a bad year for crashes. This one was perfect as I had no one to crash into or to crash into me! After falling off the eventual first place finisher (now I know not to pull too much and get tired!), I felt like I was racing by myself. It was only after lapping another racer twice that I knew there was someone else out there!"

Editor's Note:
Mary had a very serious hematoma on her thigh from a crash. If you want to be grossed out, check out some of these photos of "Battle Scars" from bike crashes. Mary's thigh and hip were as bad if not worse than some of those photos.

Caution - photos not for the faint of heart!
http://www.more-mtb.org/galleries/browseimages.php?c=11

Common Crit - Lansing

2007-07-16T11:01:00.000-04:00

It was a capitol day in Lansing Michigan. The women's 1/2/3 race was 45 minutes + 3 laps. Tara Tasma of Team Giant won both primes uncontested, but on the first prime, Renee got gapped off from sitting on the wheel of the wrong rider. Maia was having a hard time generating power after taking a few days off the bike to watch Superweek racing. Kelly answered every one of Priority Health's attacks and counter attacks.
Coming around the last turn, Kelly hit a 4 inch indented sewer cover and her rear wheel came off the ground. She went to the "Coach Ray Dybowski cornering school" and had power to the wheel so she luckily didn't go down, but she lost position and finished second behind Amy Stauffer. Tara Tasma came in 3rd place. Renee finished 7th, Maia DNF.

Click the link to see a nice video of the field from the pedestrian bridge.

In the Cat 4 race, Mary finished 2nd. She's learning and gaining experience with every race she does.

Where's Beth?

2007-07-09T21:30:00.000-04:00

Beth Skau raced Superior Bike Fest on June 22nd and 23rd and finished 7th in the Criterium and 8th in the road race out of fields of 13 and 18 respectively. Beth trains every day in the hills around her home in Northern Michigan which is what makes climbing her specialty. Here are some pictures of her from Kensington.

Dexter Crit State Championships

2007-07-09T20:18:00.000-04:00

With her awesome results in Cat 4 this season, Maia Orabi upgraded to a Cat 3 for the Dexter Crit. CONGRATULATIONS MAIA!

Dexter was a tough course and Renee and Maia finished 15th and 17th respectively. Maia was reminded of the importance of staying on a wheel, and continues to show her super positive attitude that's pleasantly contagious.

Renee still hasn't regained top form after her illness, but after a good performance at Ciociarro last Thursday, she feels like she is on her way back. This woman is tough as nails. She's done seven full Ironman triathlons. That proves it.

VO2 Testing

2007-06-28T12:16:00.000-04:00

You look and feel like Darth Vader, but the mask measures the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide exhaled and the computer compares the oxygen to carbon dioxide ratios to determine the aerobic threshold (the heart rate at which an individual burns the hightest percentage of fat, relative to carbohydrate) and the anaerobic threshold (the heart rate at which lactic acid starts to accumulate in the blood stream). The VO2data are output in ml of oxygen per kg body mass per minute.

Women have a 15-20% lower VO2Max than men because of a higher body fat and lower hemoglobin levels in the blood. Muscle is more metabolically active than fat and thus requires more O2. So the more muscle there is, the higher the O2 consumption. Testosterone promotes the production of hemoglobin. Consequently, one liter of male blood has 150-160 grams of hemoglobin. One liter of female blood has 130-140 grams of hemoglobin.
Knowing these numbers can help an athlete pinpoint areas of improvement.

Nick Tonkin from Engineered Athletics http://www.engineeredathletics.com/ in Warren does VO2 Max testing as well as other tests like body fat, resting metabolic rate and more. Make sure to tell him if you are a Wolverine Sports Club member.

Michigan State Championship Time Trial

2007-06-25T11:22:00.000-04:00

Sunday was a beautiful day at Hines Park. The Wolverines, once again, organized a spectacular event. Thank you Fred Nemenski and all the volunteers.

Renee, Kelly and Mary raced the 40K individual TT, and added Maia to the mix for the 20K team time trial. There were only two all-women's teams in the TTT event, and the Wolverine women finished 2nd, but the important thing was that it gave them a chance to practice some good skills.

Mary Ward - 3rd place - Masters Women 50-54

"I thought I was just having a really bad day until I realized after both races that my front brake was rubbing the whole time!"

Kelly Paterson- 4th place - Elite Women 1/2/3

"It was a fun day for my first long time trial. I was pretty happy with how I did in the individual TT. What I don't understand is why it seemed windy in BOTH directions. Doesn't that defy the laws of science somehow?"

Renee Schroeder- 6th place - Elite Women 1/2/3

"I wasn't feeling well for those races. My time was much slower than last year. It's going to take a bit longer for my body to fully recover."

Maia Orabi - "I felt like Lance Armstrong out there pulling my team in the team time trial! It was really fun and good to practice pacelining with the team."

Famous in the Freep at the Velodrome!

2007-06-25T11:00:00.000-04:00

Renee and Maia are zooming around the track in this picture which was in the Free Press in an article about the Velodrome. The article is reprinted here from
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070625/NEWS03/706250359/1007 Wheels turn for amateurs and competitors at velodrome
Training, races hone bikers' skills for fun, major competition

June 25, 2007
BY GINA DAMRON
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
The day is perfect.
No wind. Warm sun.

Perfect for hitting the track.
"It's go when I say go," yelled the man in the safari hat directing the action.
The cyclists look on, their eyes guarded by sunglasses. They wait in a straight line, the thin tires of their bikes within inches of each other on the velodrome, a track for cycling tucked back in a corner of Bloomer Park in Rochester Hills.

Go.

They zip around the 200-meter track like nimble speed skaters. Daylight beats down, casting long shadows of the riders on the 44-degree-angled embankments.

Luke Cavender, a leader among the group -- the one expected to make it big, expected to go pro -- leaned into his bike and whipped past some of his training comrades as the force of the pack rattled the wooden panels that cover the steel underbelly of the massive bowl.
But the 19-year-old from Troy, a graduate of Brother Rice High School in Bloomfield Hills, has his eyes on a bigger prize: an Olympic medal. He said he hopes to make the U.S. cycling team in 2012.

"It just takes time," Cavender said, "to build and build and build."And he'll have the whole summer to do just that. One of the goals at the velodrome -- constructed six years ago by that guy in the safari hat, Dale Hughes, and a handful of fellow cycling enthusiasts -- is to turn young local talent into national and international leaders of the discipline.

Hughes, who has built velodromes all over the world, said the track has kids night every Tuesday, with free bike rental and training, and races throughout the week.
Cavender, who has ridden on the Bloomer Park track since it opened, has a lifetime of road cycling: experience racing on the national level, time spent at the Olympic training camp last summer and a riding regime of 2 to 5 hours a day.

He said without the velodrome -- one of 18 in the nation and the only one, Hughes said, that's 1/8 mile around -- he wouldn't be going to North Carolina's Lees-McRae College this fall to join the school's cycling team.

The track, Hughes said, takes all kinds: kids and seniors, nervous riders and amazing ones, women and men. There's Gene, the 73-year-old with titanium knees, flipping the numbers on the lap counter. There's Sandy, the 58-year-old speed skater who was injured last year and admittedly put on a few extra pounds. There's some guy named Ronnie, who unofficially has retired but whose name still comes up in conversations.

And then there's Maia, the 21-year-old newbie with the red, scabbed-over scrapes on her knees to show for it. Maia Orabi of Shelby Township is one of the few women racing against the men.
"Like how a mosquito tastes blood and wants more, more, more," she said, "I'm like that with the track."On Wednesday, she partnered with Cavender for a race called the Madison, an event where, every few laps, riders tag out their teammates, one slinging the other into the race with the momentum they've built up traveling around the track.

Orabi's front wheel is shaky as she rides one-handed, her 5-foot frame reaching out for Cavender's hand.

"Nine to go, nine to go, nine to go!" Hughes cried, calling out the number of laps left.
"Come on, Maia, dig!" yelled a rider from the sidelines. "Come on Maia, dig, dig, dig!"
They didn't come in first, but no matter. At the end of the day, it's all about learning, training, friendship, helping each other out.

And, two days from this night, just another Wednesday training night with the gang, they'll ride again. "Luke," Hughes said, "you racing Friday night?" "Yeah, I'll be here."

***************************

As it turned out, Maia and Ed Gostin won the AA Madison race on Friday night.

Allen Park Criterium

2007-06-18T21:52:00.000-04:00

The Winners!

Kelly Paterson - 1st place Cat 1/2/3

Maia Orabi - 1st place Cat 4

The Allen Park Criterium was another very hot day. The field of 16 Cat 1/2/3 women and four Cat 4 women started at 12:45 when the sun was at it's peak.

The Cat 4 women started 15 seconds behind, but started to pass the 1/2/3 women on the second lap because of an attack by Maia. The 1/2/3 women were having none of that and started attack after attack. Breaks got away and were chased down. The pack was back together for a sprint finish. Kelly was on second wheel coming in to the last turn. The woman in front of her clipped a pedal on the turn, got a bit squirrly, but luckily didn't go down. Kelly steered around her and put the hammer down to cross the finish line 1st. Renee Schroeder was in great position for the finish and having been quite ill for two weeks, still had enough power to finish 5th.
Click the link to watch a YouTube video of the finish. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCO5gOxQYs0

The Cat 4 women finished 10 minutes before the 1/2/3 women. Maia outsprinted her competitors for the victory.
Click the link to watch a YouTube video of the finish.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCsHOEnFAVE

It was a very fun race with four primes in each field to keep it interesting. Prime winners included Kelly (Maxxi tubes and cap), Maia (Bella Blood coffee donated by Velo Bella Cycling Team) and Mary Ward ($30 cash donated by Velo Bella Cycling Team)

Renee, Kelly, Mary and Maia after the Allen Park Criterium.

Full results at:

http://www.midwestcyclinggroup.com/2007RaceResults/20070616APCrit.htm

Tour of Cedar Creek State Road Race Championships

2007-06-15T20:12:00.000-04:00

TOUR OF CEDAR CREEK - STATE ROAD RACE CHAMPIONSHIPS - June 10, 2007

51 miles (3 laps) of beautiful rolling two lane roads.

Priority Health dominated in the Women's 1/2/3 field finishing 1st 2nd and 3rd.

Kelly Paterson finished 4th Cat 1/2/3
Beth Skau finished 15th Cat 1/2/3

Maia Orabi finished 2nd place Cat 4
Renee Schroeder and Mary Ward were on the ill and injured list.

No pictures. All racers were on the course at the same time and all the spectators were trying to sort out results.

http://www.mbra.org/Results/2007CedarCreek_Beta.pdf

How about a picture of Maia, Mary, Renee at the Island Lake Bike Demo where Cullen Watkins of American Cycle and Fitness tries to sell a Trek Lime to one of the Maple Leaf boys.

Looks like Kelly wants one...

Tour of Kensington Valley

2007-05-20T17:05:00.001-04:00

TOKV - May 19th and 20th, 2007

A superbly organized event and great weather made for a fantastic weekend of racing. The start list inclued Renee Schroeder, Beth Skau, Maia Orabi and Mary Ward. Kelly Paterson had to sit this one out under doctor's orders, so she pretended to be Graham Watson (no disrespect intended Mr. Watson.)

The new yellow kits are super visible. Even Mr. American Cycle and Fitness himself loves them! Michael Reuter showed up to support his team even more than he already has.

The 2.7 mile TT was a good wake up call for the group.

The time trial was a critical factor in the overall standings in the 1/2/3 race. Renee finished 5^th in both the criterium and road race, but with her 10^th place in the TT, she finished 9^th in the overall. Beth finished 9^th in the TT, 7^th in the crit and 9^th in the road race and finished 10^th overall.

Click the video to see the finish of the Stage 2 criterium.

There was a crash in the Women's Cat 4 Road Race on Sunday and Mary and Maia both went down. Mary got a ton of road rash and a cracked helmet. That seems to be popular with this team! She DNFed and drove herself to the hospital under paramedics orders. CT scan was fine and she went home after spending $50 in bandages at the drug store.

Maia finished 4^th in the TT, 5^th in the crit, and 7^th in the road race. Mary finished 3^rd in the TT, 6^th in the crit and did not finish the road race. Unfortunately, Mary took Maia down with her. Maia showed her tough attitude by finishing stage 3, chasing the pack the rest of the race.

Maia had a small abrasion on her hand, but her race wheel was trashed. :-( Is there a scholarship fund for bike parts? She's so tough, she shook off after the crash and finished the race solo.

Beth gained confidence and learned a bit more about bike racing.

The 1/2/3 field was full of strong women including Verducci/Breakaway's Kacey Manderfield (3rd overall), Jessie McLean (4th overall) and former Wolverine Theresa Cliff-Ryan (2nd overall) wearing her stars and stripes national champion jersey.

New Kits!

2007-05-17T21:27:00.000-04:00

The new kits are fantastic! Hopefully they'll be much more visible than last year's clothes.
Thanks to all our sponsors!!

Springbank Road Race, London Ontario, May 6, 2007

2007-05-09T22:06:00.000-04:00

Merrill Collins 1st
Kacey Manderfield 2nd
Renee Schroeder 3rd

45 km (20 laps) in a beautiful park

with a sprint finish

Renee Schroeder – 3rd place

"It's a great race to start the season and it's funny that
this is the 3rd time I finished 3rd in this race!"

Nice Verducci/Breakaway kit Kacey!

Mary Ward - 10th place

"Awesome first race. Thanks to Renee and Aldo for equipping me with a bike. This race had everything; crashes, bumping and excellent team work. What a way to begin!"

Kelly Paterson - 5th place
"Oh boy, I'll never get this clean. Good thing our new kits are coming soon."

"Can't use this again either..."

Beth Skau - Before she realized that her new bike wasn't going to cooperate.

Willow Time Trial - April 28, 2007

2007-05-09T21:33:00.001-04:00

6 Laps of Pure Joy and Happiness:

Renee and Kelly finished 5th and 6th respectively in Elite Women 1/2/3. The women who beat them were all on TT bikes. How much of a difference does that make? Renee took a minute off her last year's time and Kelly improved by two minutes.

Aimee finished 9th in Elite Women 1/2/3

Mary finished 2nd in Elite Women Cat 4

Maia finished 8th in Cat 4. Not too bad for being late and getting no warm up.

Full results are posted at:
http://www.lmb.org/wsc/newsletters/2007_Willow_TT_FINALclass.PDF

Thank You Redken

2007-04-10T22:07:00.000-04:00

Redken 5th Avenue NYC has been a sponsor of women's elite cycling for many years. We wouldn't have been nearly as successful without their support. Thank you Redken!

Other 2006 sponsors contributed to our success:

Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters

Wolverine Sports Club

Alabama Cycling Camp

Maple Leaf Cycling Club