Race Report: Weekend of May 5th

Berkshire Classichttp://berkshirecyclingclassic.com/
Mikael H, Aaron M and Peter N made the trip to Lenox MA for this unbelievable ride. As a UCI worlds qualifier, this was not your Father’s Gran Fondo, but more of a no holds barred open category road race! It was also both most fun I have had on a bike in a long time and one of the most painful rides ever. An 81mi course with 6000ft of climbing that boasted about 350 at the start. The 1st natural selection came at a 4mi hill at mile 18, where I was dropped but caught back on thanks to some strong work by 4 guys from the Rapha team (lead group down to 100). Next selection came at 5mi climb at mile 31, where I lost contact over last 200yds and chased for 3mi with 7 others. Caught back on then puked (lead group now 30). Raced hard until some rollers at mile 70 and got spit out. Finished in 3:42 and 26th overall (4th in my division). Aaron finished in 3:54 (3rd in his division) and Peter in 4:14. Awesome ride and should be on everyone’s calendar for 2013!

Tour of Colts Neck Continue reading

Race Report: Weekend of April 28th

Race Reports from the Women’s Team, who was very busy this past weekend!

Quabbin Reservoir Road Race
We had 3 team members in the Women’s Open field at Quabbin this weekend, Emily, Lucia M and Susan. From all accounts, it sounded like a really intense and difficult race, both due to the terrain and the stacked field of very strong Cat 1/2 women. Lucia M’s quote: “Quabbin. It sounds like a place from Lord of The Rings…and it felt like that.” Our resident mountain goat, Susan came away with the best result at 22nd, being able to hang on to the front pack the longest. Emily and Lucia M both really dug deep, working their way back to the main field, forming chase groups and picking off dropped riders along the way. With Battenkill and now, Quabbin being Lucia M’s first and second road races ever, she is clearly well on her way to clenching the title for “The Most Difficult First Year Road Race Choices Possible.” A really long and hard fought race for all – good job ladies!

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The Importance of Rest

by Mikael Hanson, Enhance Sports

With the early arrival of spring, I have some observations to share. First, this was the earliest I can remember being able to ride outside with shorts on. Second, I logged more bike miles this January and February than ever before. Lastly, all this extra time on the bike so early in the year does take takes it toll to a body just coming off a winter break!

In my twenties recovery came easy and rest days, well those were few and far between and in my opinion for the weak minded. I used to become overcome with guilt for skipping a training day, even when I was sick and lived by the mantra that somewhere someone is training and when you meet them in competition, they will beat you. They say, with age comes wisdom. Continue reading

Race Report: Weekend of April 7th

Augusta Training Series – Masters Race
• Keith Hala 1st
• Joe Straub 3rd
After a rather uneventful start of the race Joe Straub dumped some serious wattage onto the pavement to close down a breakaway that had formed in the last few laps. This set up Keith Hala for some easy sprinting to grab the win. Joe, after all that effort, still managed to hang on to 3rd.

Augusta Training Series – 1,2,3 Race
• Keith Hala 4th
• Joe Straub 7th
• Glenn Babikain 8th Continue reading

Rider Profile: Jeffrey Lesser

Jeffrey Lesser is in his second year on Team Rockstar Games / Signature Cycles. Based in Fairfield County, CT, he races regionally in the category five field and is consistently in the hunt for the podium and the win. We’re looking forward to seeing what Jeffery can do for the team at the Tour of the Battenkill this weekend!

What was your first bike?
My first race bike was an aluminum Klein (orange sparkle). I bought it on my 40th birthday while driving home from work.

Describe your first race. Continue reading

Race Report: Weekend of March 24

From the first installment of the Augusta Training Series at the Sussex County State Fairgrounds in Augusta, NJ.  Joe Straub took the sprint in the Masters race with Keith Hala taking third. In the A race (Cat 1-3) Glenn Babikian sacrificed himself on the final lap to minimize a gap to the breakaway giving Joe a chance and ultimately 2nd in the field sprint which put him in 6th overall. Keith Hala, battling a stomach virus, finished in 10th. Glenn Babikian rounded out the scoring with a respectable 20th after his monster effort.

Next report comes from Cheryl Wolf, who along with Brian Wolf and Niel Suto represented Rockstar/Signature Cycles today at the memorial for Markus Bohler (the rider who passed away last weekend as a result of a crash in the Bethel race). Continue reading

Race Report: Weekend of March 17th

This past weekend was a tad more quiet than last. The big news out of the Bethel Series was a horrible crash in the 3-4 race that ultimately ended in very tragic news, the death of Markus Bohler. Our hearts go out to him and those he leaves behind.

In the other races during the day, Cheryl Wolf took 8th as the only Rockstar Games rider in the women’s race which had about 40 starters. In the Master’s race, Rockstar had two racers in the top 10, with Joe Straub taking 5th, Brian Wolf in 7th. I did not get any results from the Cat 5 or Cat 4 races, but heard we had riders in both events.

Race Report: Weekend of March 10th

Peter has a selection of photos from last weekend’s racing posted here, be sure to check them out.

Team Rockstar Games / Signature Cycles had a couple guys in action at the Grant’s Tomb Criterium, with Aaron M and Wilson T both racing the Cat 4 event and finishing in the field (Wilson would try a flyer with 4 to go, but alas got caught – or perhaps was saving his legs for his Collegiate race a couple hours later!). Emily U was in the women’s race, but unfortunately she got boxed out of the sprint.

Our CT based riders have been very active in the Bethel Spring Series and last weekend was no different. Jeffery took 9th in the Cat 5 race, the NYC Rockstar/Signature women’s squad had a nice size group at Bethel. Emily Underwood took 6th, with Luci Olewinski, Courtney Hehre, and Cheryl Wolf all having strong showings. In an action packed 45+ race that had an 8 man break that was caught 100 meters from the finish, Joe Straub placed 3rd, Brian Wolf was 7th, and Cheryl was 32nd. In the 3-4 race of about 90 riders, the team tried help 20-year old Neil Suto but he was unable to stay with us at the end. Joe Straub placed 9th and Brian Wolf was 11th. Nice work to all!

Race Report: Weekend of March 3rd

Team Rockstar Games / Signature Cycles had quite a few racers at the Bethel Spring Series on Sunday, 3/4 and we scored a number of nice places:

Jeffrey Lesser was 4th in the Cat 5 race.
Emily Underwood took 7th in Women’s race.
In Masters 45+, Keith Hala was 6th, Glenn Babikain was 8th, Brian Wolf was 13th, and Steven Suto was 15th.
In the Cat 3-4 race, Neil Suto took an amazing 3rd place.

The Central Park Spring Series race on Sunday in NYC unfortunately saw the finishes for the Pro 1/2/3 and Masters races neutralized. The finish of the cat 3/4 race was also neutralized as a bad crash occurred in the Cat 5 race. Our own Daniel Sommers was involved in that crash and is we’re sorry to hear that he is going to be sidelined for a while. We all wish you a speedy recovery Daniel!

Training Notes: Phase 1 – Base Training

by Mikael Hanson, Enhance Sports

With temperatures hitting the 50s and higher already in February, perhaps we are all thinking that winter has forgotten us this year as we begin to eye time in the saddle out on 9W. I have already been up to Piermont or beyond several times this year, and as much as I want to jump on that occasional train of riders flying past me at 28mph, I force myself to resist the urge, remembering that the calendar barely says February.

Sure, competing in the Sunday world championships a la the ‘Rocket Ride’ over in NJ seems like a great idea for these very non-winter like conditions, but there will be plenty of time to do that after you’ve spent some quality time in the saddle accumulating those all important BASE miles.

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