All Sport - Team Swift

All Sport - Team Swift @ Cherry Pie

2009-02-23T21:07:00.000-08:00

Photos by Anne Hamersky

2009 Junior Points Series

2009-01-08T13:29:00.000-08:00

The 2009 Junior Points Series was announced today--with more races than ever. Winner is from best 6 of 11 races for 13-14s and best 8 0f 13 for 15-16s and 17-18s.

2009 NCNCA Junior Pts. Series

For the tenth year, the NCNCA is promoting a junior point series for boys and girls, ages 13-14, 15-16, and 17-18. There will be a perpetual trophy awarded to the top boy and girl in each age category, as well as other prizes to the top five in each category. The awards ceremony will be held at the final race of the series, after the junior races. Last year the prizes included cool swag as well as cash.

For the 13-14 age groups, the best six out of eleven races will count towards the final tally. For the 15-16 and 17-18 age groups the best eight out of thirteen will count. If you can't make all of the races it won't hurt your standings, as several of the races will not be counted. Please take careful note of the calendar as several races/dates have been changed from previous years.

To encourage and recognize the achievements of NEW riders to the sport, we are again promoting a BEST NEW RIDER category this year for 15-16 junior men. Prizes will be awarded to the top three riders. To qualify for this category, riders must be a Category 5 rider or previously unlicensed as of 2/10 /07 and for 2007 not have raced in more than two of the following races: Jr. Point Series or District Championship races. ("New Riders" will also be eligible for awards in the overall 15-16 category.)

Scoring system and reminders:

Riders will be eligible for awards in their own age group with the exception that all riders 14 and under will qualify in the 13-14 bracket.
Riders are strongly encouraged to pre-register for the point series races. With over 200 licensed junior racers in the NCNCA, several of the combined 15-18 fields are expected to be full.
The results posted by the officials at each race are considered final. Riders are encouraged to check preliminary results at each race within the allotted timeframe and reconcile any disputes with the officials before they become finalized.
For 15-16 and 17-18 categories, points will be awarded as follows: 1st-20, 2nd-17, 3rd-15, 4th-13, 5th-11, 6th-9, 7th-7, 8th-5, 9th-3, 10th-2, 1 point for all other starters. Riders must race a minimum of four series races to qualify for awards in the final standings.
For girls 13-14, 15-16, 17-18 and 13-14 categories, points will be awarded as follows: 1st-10, 2nd-8, 3rd-6, 4th-4, 5th-2, 1 point for all other starters. Riders must race a minimum of four races to qualify for awards in the final standings.
Any tied rankings in the final standings will be broken by total # of wins in the six (for 14 and under) or eight (for 15-18s) qualifying races each rider uses for the final series points. If still tied, then the most number of 2nd places would break the tie, then if still tied most number of third places, etc. If all placings are exactly the same among tied riders then the tie will be broken by the results in the series' final race.

Date	Race	13-14 B&G	15-16 B&G	17-18 B&G
February 8	Cherry Pie Criterium	*	*	*
February 15	Davis Junior Criterium	*	*	*
February 21	Snelling Road Race	*	*	*
February 28	Merco Criterium		*	*
April 11	Copperopolis Road Race	*	*	*
April 25	Wente Vineyards Road Race		*	*
May 3	Cat's Hill Criterium	*	*	*
May 9	Pleasanton Criterium	*	*	*
May 17	Panoche Hills RR (Jr. State Champ)	*	*	*
May 25	Sugar CRM Memorial Day Criterium	*	*	*
May 30	Jr State Champ Criterium	*	*	*
June 7	Dunlap ITT	*	*	*
June 22	Mt Diablo Hill Climb	*	*	*

Team Ride with Scott Nydam, Dec. 7

2008-12-03T14:16:00.000-08:00

Team Ride with Scott Nydam, Dec. 7

Scott Nydam has been a generous mentor for the Team Swift riders for over two years. Team Swift will be joining Scott for a ride from West County Revolution around the Sebastopol area where he lives. We will be taking video coverage for http://cycleto.com/ -- so be sure to join the fun. After the ride we are looking into making lunch plans. Additional details will be emailed soon. Parents and friends are invited to join the ride and all youth under the age of 12 are required to have a participating parent or guardian in attendance. For those not current registered members of Team Swift you need to bring a signed waiver and release to join the ride which can be found at http://teamswift.org/join/. Be sure to read the Team Swift Riding Rules below so you come prepared.

1. All Team Ride:
· All Team Ride is December 7, 2008
· 10 AM at West County Revolution in Sebastopol
· Ride Leaders: Coach Laura. Parents are invited to join the ride and must abide by the Team Swift Ride Rules.
· Skill Level: All levels invited. Riders under 12 years old must have a riding parent in attendance.
· The ride will be between 2-2.5 hours.
· Heavy Rain will cancel the ride but not if it is just light rain.

The All-Team Ride is a chance for all levels of riders to learn cycling skills and start a ride together. Team Swift Alumni members, rider assistants, are also often on these rides which gives upcoming riders a chance to learn from their experience. Parents and supporters of Team Swift are welcome to join as well. We will start together and then break into different groups depending on skill level. There will be a coach and/or parent with each group. The ride will be approximately 2.0-2.5 hours depending on skill level and age.

Start Location:
West County Revolution Bike Shop
6731 Sebastopol Ave, Suite 130
Sebastopol, CA 95472 (map)
(707) 829-2192
www.westcountyrevolution.com
info@westcountyrevolution.com

2009 Schedule

2008-11-25T21:57:00.000-08:00

The first three months of the 2009 road racing schedule is up at ncnca.org. Some major dates:

Feb. 8, Cherry Pie Criterium, Napa
Feb. 14, Sausalito Criterium, Sausalito
Feb. 21, Snelling Road Race, Snelling
Feb. 22, Merced Criterium, Merced
Feb. 28, Merco Downtown Grand Prix, Merced
Mar. 1, Merco Foothills Road Race, Merced
Mar. 7, Berkeley Team Time Trial
Mar. 13-15, Madera Stage Race, Madera
Mar. 22, Bariani Road Race
Mar. 28-29, Ronde Van Brisbeen, Brisbane
April 16-18, Sea Otter, Monterey

Cycle with Champions, Oct. 26

2008-10-22T13:30:00.000-07:00

Team Swift and BMC Pro Racing Team invite you to ride with our cycling celebrities this Sunday in Santa Rosa. The Cycle with Champions is a benefit ride for Team Swift Junior Development program and great chance to meet top Professional Cyclists.

Tony Cruz
Team: BMC Pro Racing Team (PREVIOUS TEAM DISCOVERY CHANNEL 2007)

Career Highlights:
(2006) 1st Overall Tour de Nez
(2000-2002) Member U.S. World Championship Road Team
(2000) 1st U.S. Olympic Road Race Trials
(2000) Member U.S. Olympic Road Team
(1999) 1st USPRO Criterium Champ
(2008) 4th USPRO Criterium Champss

Scott Nydam
Team: BMC Pro Racing Team
1st Place, 2008 King of the Mountain Leader, Amgen Tour of California
3rd Place Overall G.C. Tour de Nez
2nd Place Nevada City Classic

Mike Sayers
Team: BMC Pro Racing Team
2 Time World's Team Member
9 Time Team NRC Champion
1st Place, 2007 Tour de Nez Reno Criterium

Steven Cozza
Team: Slipstream/Chipotle
Top US finisher at Pro Worlds—23rd
4th Place, 2008 USA Pro ITT Champs
1st Place, 2005 USA National Time Trial Championships, U23/Espoir
1st Place, 2007 Best Young Rider at the Tour of MO

We have lots of auction and raffle items for the event this Sunday. Bidding is open online through Friday, October 24th at midnight and will have the final bidding end at 2:30PM on the day of the event. Raffle tickets are available at the event and the drawing will occur during lunch. If you unable to make it out for the ride then join us at 1PM for lunch at the SCDS.

We hope to see you this Sunday with Team Swift and the BMC Pro Cycling Team at the Cycle with Champions Event. All directions and event information is at: http://teamswift.org/events

Thank you,
Team Swift

For more information contact Laura Charameda at teamswift@aol.com

Directions:
Sonoma Country Day School
4400 Day School Place
Santa Rosa, CA 95403

Sonoma Country Day School is just north of Santa Rosa. You can
find us from U.S. route 101 by following these directions:
Take the Airport Boulevard exit and head west.
Turn right at the first traffic light onto Aviation Boulevard.
Follow Aviation Boulevard for approximately ½ a mile.
SCDS is located on your right. Look for our colorful and distinctive entrance sign at the corner of Aviation and Day School Place.

Nationals U-23 and 17-18 RR

2008-08-10T16:44:00.001-07:00

Lindsay Myers was 2nd in yesterday's U-23 Women's Road Race and has already received a grant from US Women's Cycling Development, who is flying her out to the Tour of Missouri!

Tyler Brandt had a strong 11th place in the 17-18 Road Race today, finishing 4th in the field sprint, which finished about 45 seconds behind a break of 7.

All in all a pretty amazing Nationals for Team Swift and Dewars Racing.

Nationals Road Race

2008-08-08T19:15:00.000-07:00

The day was going so well, until . . .

The last race of the day, when RR favorite Ryan Eastman crashed on the first lap and broke his collarbone in the 15-16 Road Race.

The day started with a 10th place by Stanley Goto in the 10-12 Road Race and a 15th place by Joey Nygaard in the 13-14 Road Race, where he sprinted with the lead group on the finishing climb and ended up just 5 places behind 5-time National Champion John Funk.

Then Ashlyn Gerber got her first podium spot of this year's Nationals with a 5th place in the Women's 15-16 Road Race. Guess she can't say he isn't a climber anymore.

The course seemed perfect for Ryan, with a long gradual finishing climb and a bit of climbing on each lap, but the 15-16 race was filled with crashes, taking out many of Northern California's best, including James LaBerge, Joel Shaffer, and Zach Wick.

Nationals Criterium

2008-08-08T19:08:00.000-07:00

Ryan Eastman finished on the podium in 3rd in this year's Nationals 15-16 Criterium!
That's two races and two podiums for Ryan.
Ashlyn Gerber finished just off the podium in 6th in the Women's 15-16 Crit.
Stanley Goto finished in 9th after a long, tiring chase back to the pack after a crash in the 10-12 Crit.
Joey Nygaard finished in the pack (35th) in the 13-14 Crit, as did Tyler Brandt (51st) in the 17-18 Crit.

Junior Nationals TT

2008-08-07T16:45:00.000-07:00

Team Swift podiumed twice at the Junior Nationals TT! Ryan Eastman was 5th in the 15-16 race and Stanley Goto was 4th in the 13-14s.

In addition, Ashlyn Gerber was 7th in the Women's 15-16 TT; Josef Nygaard was 20th in a closely fought 13-14 TT (the first 3 places were separated by just .5 sec) and Josef finished just 1:33 behind the winner; Ethan Weiss finished 25th in the 17-18 TT; and Tyler Brandt was 52nd in the 17-18 TT.

Team Ride this Sunday, July 20

2008-07-15T13:10:00.001-07:00

All Team Ride—July 20th in San Anselmo

Team Swift All-Team-Ride/Race Details
Parents and friends are invited to join the ride and all youth under the age of 12 are required to have a participating parent or guardian in attendance. For those not currently registered as members of Team Swift you need to bring a signed waiver and release to join the ride which can be found at http://teamswift.org/join/. Be sure to read the Team Swift Riding Rules below so you come prepared.

All Team Ride is July 20, 2008, 9 AM at Paradigm Cycles in San Anselmo
Ride Leaders: Coach Eddy MacLeod & Coach Laura Charameda. Parents are encouraged to join the ride and must abide by the Team Swift Ride Rules.
Skill Level: All levels invited. Riders under 12 years old must have a riding parent in attendance. The ride will be between 2.5-3 hours.

Location:
Paradigm Cycles the Shop
702 San Anselmo Avenue
San Anselmo, CA 94960

Contacts:
Eddy Macleod: eddy@paradigmcycles.com
Cory Farrer: cory@paradigmcycles.com

Phone:
415.454.9534 (shop)
415.454.2949 (office and wheels)
877.437.2988 (toll free)

Directions:
From Hwy. 101 take the Sir Francis Drake Exit. Follow exit towards San Anselmo. Stay on Sir Francis Drake Blvd for 3.5 miles. Pass through the Towns of Greenbrae, Kentfield and Ross into the Town of San Anselmo. Immediately after Tunstead Street, make a left at the light on Bank Street. (Tamalpais Bank will be on your right). Bank street takes you into a parking lot, veer right into the parking lot and go to the end. Park anywhere. The back of the shop is right in front of you. Come around front...and come on in!

Ride Schedule:
8:30AM-9:00AM: Arrival. Sign in and Prepare bikes for a 2.5-3 hour ride
9:00AM-12 Noon: All riders will start together then split into different groups determined by your riding ability.

Team Swift Contacts:
Coach: Laura Charameda, c. 707.843.9056
Coach: Eddy McLeod, c. 415.606.7904

Rides to Gold Nugget?

2008-06-23T16:20:00.000-07:00

I am going to gold nugget, and was wondering if there is any room for me in the car/cars?
Thanks,
Sam Bassetti

Mt. Diablo Hill Climb

2008-06-23T15:47:00.000-07:00

New Swiftie Griffin Wigert won his first bike race yesterday in the 10-12 division of the Mt. Diablo Hill Climb. Swifties took first, third, and fourth in the 10-12s.

Mt. Diablo Hill Climb: Team Swift Results

Junior 10-12
1st, Griffin Wigert
3rd, Stanley Goto
4th, Ryan Grant

Junior 13-14
6th, Joey Nygaard

This was the last race in the Junior Points Series and awards were handed out after the race. Joey Nygaard was so surprised to hear that he'd gotten 5th place that he had no Team Swift gear nearby when he was brought up to the podium. At least he remembered to take his helmet office (notice object behind left foot).
Memo to TS racers and parents: always keep a TS vest in your back pocket when watching podiums.

Tour of Ohio, Stage 3

2008-06-21T15:11:00.000-07:00

Results

1 Matt Winstead (Inferno Racing)                                                     2.45.35
2 Ryan Knapp (Alderfer Bergen)                                                          0.10
3 John Minturn (Empire Cycling/ Crca)                                                    
4 Derek Laan (Turin/Barker+Nestor)                                                      0.20
5 Jered Gruber (Cyclesafe.Org)                                                           
6 Ryan Eastman (Team Swift)                                                              
7 David Duncan (Cyclesafe.Org)                                                          0.20
8 Joe Kukolla (Nuvo Cultural Trail)                                                      
9 Alejandro Padilla (Nashvillecyclist.Com P/B Bike Pedlar)                               
10 Sebastion Sinisterra (Myogenesis.Com)                                                 
11 Eric Murphy (Myogenesis.Com)                                                          
12 J Gabriel Lloyd (Team Alliance Environmental)                                         
13 Tyler Hawes (Laketraining.Com/Stockman Oil)                                           
14 Johnathan Atkeison (Haymarket Cycles P/B Function Drinks)                             
15 Dewey Dickey (Mercy Specialized / Iowa City Cycling Club)                             
16 Ethan Weiss (Team Swift)   

Tyler flatted and had to chase for 30 miles- bummer.

Ryan got 6th again on stage 4!!

Nationals Lodging, etc.

2008-06-19T09:13:00.001-07:00

Jr. 10-16 RR course

Team Swift will be staying at the Extended Stay in Lake Forest, CA.

Extended StayAmerica Orange County - Lake Forest
20251 Lake Forest Dr.
Lake Forest, CA 92630
Telephone: (949) 598-1898
Fax: (949) 598-1893
laf@extendedstay.com

Here's a link to a map of the various locations put together by Eric Brandt.

Tour of Ohio, Stage 1

2008-06-18T07:23:00.000-07:00

Tour of Ohio
stage 1 report

The boys were off and running quickly today. We were planning on sleeping in pretty good today, with the race not starting until 6, but Eric Z called me at 8:30 and informed me that the dining hall would only be serving breakfast until 9. I quickly woke the boys and we headed over to eat. Ethan and Tyler are getting a little taste of what college will be like next year when they head off to school. After they ate, they took a little roll around ride while Eric slept a little more to catch up on the sleep he missed flying out yesterday (after racing at Nevada City the day before- ouch). We ate lunch in town, the boys played Frisbee all over the dorm, and at 3:30 we headed to the race. This whole dorm building is full of racers, so it's a nice atmosphere.

Since very little was available online about this race, we didn't know what to expect, but when we got to the start, there was a clear race bible, a nice downtown course and big expo with food/ music and lots of spectators. There is a big organized touring ride staying in town today as well, so many of the spectators were part of the recumbent, bike touring crowd. They were impressed with the speed of the crit, as were the boys. The course was only barely a half mile and the 122 man field strung out about a third of a lap very quickly. Since the officials cut many riders, but still gave them the time of the field, there was no real incentive to stay in the race if you were not going to get a top three spot and the time bonuses. The boys decided that no matter where they finished the whole field would be in 4th place, so they are all claiming to be in fourth. Ryan did point out that it's a bummer for the rider who actually got 4th, because none of them finished the race, and they all have the same time. When the race finally started the field shattered quickly and riders were pulled almost faster than what usually happens at Nevada City. Eric Z made it about ten laps, Ethan and Ryan about 15 and Tyler 21 laps before they were pulled and ready to eat dinner.

Tomorrows 64 mile road race should be more fun for them, and they’ll have to complete the whole course! We had nice cool weather today- felt like home, and it doesn’t sound like it will be too hot or humid this week- one less thing to worry about.
Reports from the boys to follow- they are safely tucked into bed now.

Eric
Dad, mechanic, feeder, logistical coordinator, driver, and general chaperone.

Nevada City Results

2008-06-17T12:38:00.000-07:00

Results for TS and FoTS (Friends of Team Swift)

1st: Lindsay Myers (Dewars), Womens 3-4
2nd: Scott Nydam (BMC), Pro 1-2
2nd: Joey Nygaard (Team Swift), Junior 13-14
5th, Christopher Flanagan (Team Swift), Junior 15-16
6th: Steven Cozza (Slipstream/Chipotle, former TS), Pro 1-2
7th: Zach Sargent (Team Swift), Junior 15-16

Lots of great photos at http://www.veronikalenzi.com/nevadacity061508.php

Gold Nugget Stage Race

2008-06-16T14:09:00.000-07:00

HI Team Swift,

Quite a few riders are car pooling down to the Gold Nugget Stage Race on June 27-29.

Rooms fill up pretty fast at this time of year, since it's basically Yosemite.
Scott and Joey Nygaard are staying at the Super 8 in Mariposa: phone: 209-966-4288

The link and race information is below.

You should register early so they know riders are coming.
Coach Laura

Gold Nugget Stage Race Info (pdf)

Registration

Nationals Info

2008-06-13T18:14:00.000-07:00

The schedule and course maps are finally up for Nationals.

Canada Rd. Ride and Photo Shoot

2008-05-21T21:23:00.000-07:00

There is a ride and photo shoot this Saturday near La Canada Rd on the Peninsula.
We have been asked to submit a photo for yellow pages in that area.

Date: Saturday, May 24
Time: 11am
Directions: Canada Rd. is off of I-280 about 20 minutes south of SF. Take the Hwy 92 exit, go left for about a half mile and then another left at the stoplight. The next light will be Canada Rd--the north end. Make a right and park. There will probably be lots of cars and cyclists.

Pulgas Water Temple is about 3 miles down the road. We can ride there and maybe take a few pictures with the lake in the background.

If you are interested in joining just come on down. Be sure to wear all your Team Swift kit. Parents are welcome to join in the picture too. If you have a Team Swift jersey or jacket that would be great to wear.

If you have questions email Scott Nygaard at: scottnyg@sbcglobal.net

Team Ride this Saturday, May 10

2008-05-06T19:41:00.000-07:00

Team Swift All-Team-Ride Details

Parents and friends are invited to join the ride and all youth under the age of 12 are required to have a participating parent or guardian in attendance. For those not current registered members of Team Swift you need to bring a signed waiver and release to join the ride which can be found at http://teamswift.org/join/. Be sure to read the Team Swift Riding Rules below so you come prepared.

1. All Team Ride:

All Team Ride is May 10, 2008, 9 AM at NorCal Bike Sport
Skill of the month: Pre-Race Warm-up’s doing Pyramids (read training definition below before the ride)
Ride Leaders: Coach Laura Charameda and Eric Zumwalt.
Parents are invited to join the ride and must abide by the Team Swift Ride Rules.
Skill Level: All levels invited. Riders under 12 years old must have a riding parent in attendance.
The ride will be between 2-2.5 hours.
Heavy Rain will cancel the ride but not if it is just light rain.

The All-Team Ride is a chance for all levels of riders to learn cycling skills and start a ride together. Team Swift Alumni members, rider assistants, are also often on these rides which gives upcoming riders a chance to learn from their experience. Parents and supporters of Team Swift are welcome to join as well. We will start together and then break into different groups depending on skill level. There will be a coach and/or parent with each group. The ride will be approximately 2.0-2.5 hours depending on skill level and age.

Start Location:
NorCal Bike Sport
425 College Ave
Santa Rosa, CA
(707) 573-0112

Team Swift Contacts:
Coach: Laura Charameda: c. (707) 843.9056
Coach: Eric Zumwalt: c. (707) 539.2627

Santa Rosa Twilights

2008-05-06T19:33:00.000-07:00

*Team Swift riders will meet at 5:15PM to begin warming up. All riders are welcome to join. Be sure to bring warm clothes for after the races since it cools down really fast.

2008 Santa RosaTwilight Series
Tuesday Nights
May 6th to August 27th, 2008
(no races on June 24, July 1 &July 8)

Course: 0.7 Mile closed flat loop with five corners in a business park. Excellent pavement, fast and safe course. Free lap rule applies. No Neutral Support. USA Cycling rules in effect. Helmets are mandatory.
Directions: From US 101 in Santa Rosa, the Hwy 12 exit west. At the 2nd off ramp, (Stony Pt Rd) turn left. Proceed for 3 stop lights to Sebastopol Rd and turn right. Continue to corporate Center Parkway and turn left to the course. Registration is at the corner of Apollo and Mercury. Park on City Streets ONLY. Do not park in business’s parking lots. Race Director/Promoter will have your car towed, no exceptions!!!

Events: Duration: Places: Start: Entry:
Cat 4-5: 30 minutes, 3, 6:15 pm, $13/$8 Jrs

Cat 3-4: 35 minutes, 3, 6:50 pm

Cat 1-2-3 and Pro: 40 minutes, 3, 7:30 pm

Entry: Registration opens at 5:45 pm and closes 5 minutes before each event. Fees are $13.00. Second race is $7.00. Jrs are $8.00. Participants MUST sign the Standard USCF 2007 Release form. Riders under 18 must have parent/legal guardians signature. Entry fees include a $2.00 USCF insurance surcharge. You must show a Valid 2007 USAC Racing license. If you do not have a valid license you may purchase a 1 day license at $10.00. All unlicensed riders are Cat 5 for men,and Cat 4 for women. No racing outside of your category. No Exceptions. No neutral support. No mentors. No races on June 24, July 1 & July 8.
Note: Please no warming up on Corporate Center Parkway. No public disrobing and use the provided porta potty. No parking in business parking lots or blocking driveways. We want to maintain use of this course, so please follow the above directions.

Team Swift Podiums at Cats Hill

2008-05-04T14:57:00.000-07:00

Junior 17-18
Tyler Brandt, 1st

Junior 10-12
Stanley Goto, 1st
Ryan Grant, 2nd

Junior 15-16
Ryan Eastman, 3rd

Elite 3
Ryan Eastman, 2nd

Sea Otter Results

2008-04-21T15:38:00.000-07:00

A great Team Swift (and Team Dewars) showing at Sea Otter last weekend!!

Lindsay Myers (Team Dewars)
1st, Womens Cat 4 Circuit Race
1st, Womens Cat 4 Road Race

Ryan Eastman
1st, 15-16 Road Race
1st, Mens Cat 3 Road Race (just updated)
2nd, 15-16 Circuit Race

Coach Laura (Team Dewars)
2nd, Womens Masters Circuit Race

Tyler Brandt
2nd, Mens Cat 3 Road Race (just updated)
2nd, 17-18 Circuit Race
5th, 17-18 Road Race

Ethan Weiss
11th, 17-18 Circuit Race

Josef Nygaard (age 13)
18th, 15-16 Circuit Race

Ryan Grant (age 12)
23rd, 15-16 Circuit Race

Christian Miller
26th, 17-18 Circuit Race
26th, 17-18 Road Race

Grasshopper Road Race Reports

2008-04-01T13:21:00.001-07:00

Ryan Eastman

Grasshopper Road Race (a local group ride/race in Occidental)

March 15, 2008

6^th Place

As my Dad and I drove through the country to the start in Occidental, It looked as if it was going to be a rainy day. Sitting at the start line awaiting the start Scott Nydam of BMC Pro Racing rode up behind me, I was happy to see that he had come. O’ Ya Levi was there as well. That was pretty cool too. So we set of to race now with Scott Nydam, Ben Standish (Dewar’s), Brian Anderson (Red Horse—winner of the Terrible Two), and I on the front. That was good because I didn’t have to deal with all the squirrelly people in the back. I knew the first deciding factor in this race would be the climb at the end of Franklin School Rd. So I just stuck on Levi’s wheel all the way up. Had a nice climb in awe that I am racing against Levi. I got to the top feeling pretty good, and having a blast. I was now in the brake away with Scott Nydam, Levi Leipheimer, Jonathan Lee, John Staroba, Tim Farnam, and one other guy. Everyone was either a professional or a cat 2. So that was really cool for me to be in it. We descended down to ride along the California coast of Hwy 1. It was crazy to be in a race with Levi, like riding by him, then taking a pull up front and then getting on his wheel. It was just kind of weird. I was taking some good pulls up front but never too hard to save myself for the later obstacles to come. That was one fun ride down the coast. We took the left hand bend to face Marshall Wall. Not too far into the climb I lost contact with Scott, Levi, and Tim. The first part of the climb I was just out of it, the I just peddled faster and got into this great tempo caught John who was trying to bridge back up to the three guys up the climb, he jumped on my wheel and we continued this hard fast pace to the top of the climb, where we eased up a bit for Jonathan to rejoin us and we quickly descended down.

Marshall-Petaluma Rd. is a rolling road where we set a fast tempo and caught a guy who got dropped from the Scott-Levi group. Now there was four of up to take on the upcoming Wilson Hill and the always constant head wind on Chileno Valley . Nearing the top of Wilson Hill I was thrilled to see my injured team mate Ethan on top to cheer me on, that was pretty cool of him to drive out to help his teammate. The head wind out was tough but we got through it to turn on Petaluma-Tomalas Rd. in which we could actually see the Scott-Levi group up ahead. They weren’t all that far away. We road across the valley to Bloomfield which we eventually turned on to Burnside, I was starting too feel it now, all the way up this climb Jonathan pushed me too keep going. There was no doubt in my mind to not, but it sure did help to have him there. That was awesome of him. At this point John Staroba, and another guy got away from us. So Jonathan and I descended down and after a Clif Bar, and a Clif Shot I had a new sudden burst of energy and gave my turn up front some strength. Jonathan and I reached the final short climb to the finish on top in Downtown Occidental I pulled all the way to the top and Jonathan and I crossed the finish line with our hands around each others shoulders that was a good moment. What a day so Levi won and I came in shortly after him in 6^th place.

Ryan Eastman

Lindsay Myers

Grasshopper Race
March 28, 2008

The Grasshopper race was going to be a good one; I had been looking forward to it all week. The day started out good, too. I left for the race an hour early to ensure I would be there in plenty of time. I had an hour drive to Occidental, where it started. After an unintentionally long stop at the local coffee stop, I was on my way. Around 20 minutes into my drive, my car started making this “knocking” sound. This was a recurring problem. I have missed rides and races before due to this familiar sound, so I was not about to miss this one. I popped the hood, just because it’s what you’re supposed to do when your car breaks down. Once open, I just started at it, not really knowing what to do. I checked the oil, and it was a little low, so I added more. Hoping that was the only problem, after adding the oil I turned the car on only to hear a louder knocking.

My new plan was to find the next car with a bike rack on and flag them down. Before I had a chance to do this, a truck pulled up behind me. He had seen me with my hazard lights on and turned around to see if I was alright. The car had conveniently died the only stretch of the road where there was no cell service. He told me he would drive me to where I had service. I threw my bike in the back of his truck and grabbed all my gear. Once he started driving me toward Santa Rosa , he said he would take me all the way to Laura’s house, a good hour out of his way. I was really lucky to have been picked up by such a nice guy. He dropped me off and wouldn’t take any money for the inconvenience or gas. I walked into Laura’s house, and without explaining much of what happened, we got changed and rolled out. Although I wasn’t stranded anymore, I still was not sure I was going to make it to the race in time. It was at least an hour ride to Occidental, and we were pushing it. We high-tailed it to Occidental and rolled up with a good 15 minutes to spare. It wasn’t the relaxing morning I had planned, but it worked.

There were 170 people total. I didn’t know that much about the “race” and was surprised to see so many spandex-clad people. Levi Leipheimer and Scott Nydam were there…I had no idea the “celebrities” were going to show up. After chatting for awhile, and some announcements, we were starting down a super cold descent. Everybody stayed together until we hit the first short climb. The first climb really hurt, but I knew if I wanted any chance at doing well, I was going to have to stay towards the front.

I got off the first climb in a group about 20 strong. I stayed with those guys through the rollers along the coast. It was a nice view and I was feeling good, sprinting up all the short hills. By the time we got to the main climb, Marshall Wall, the group split up and I was getting more tired. I ate a gel and stayed with the guys at the back. I figured as long as I had someone to work with, I would be alright. At the top of the climb, there were 5 of us together. We took turns pulling and caught up to a couple more riders who latched onto us. There were about 10 of us who stayed together through Coleman Valley . We were going pretty slowly because of the crosswinds. I was feeling alright, then we turned on to Burnside Road —I felt the burn. Making it over that climb, I knew there was only a few miles left, finishing with a short climb.

I should have eaten something at that point. I was tired, barely hanging onto the wheel in front of me. I slowly made my way up the last climb and was the first woman to finish. Although I was happy about being the first woman, I was not happy with how I died coming up the last climb. I needed to eat something but didn’t pay attention and bonked. It was a fun race overall and I’m looking forward to doing more grasshopper races.

-Lindsay

Results:
http://gianni.cycling.googlepages.com/grasshopper

Grasshopper Adventure Series 2008: #2 Chileno

Rider Time Place

Levi Leipheimer 2:59 1

Tim Farnham 3:00 2

Scott Nydam 3:00 3

Chris Sneddon 3:04 4

John Staroba 3:04 5

Ryan Eastman 3:08 6

Jonathan Lee 3:08 7

Bing Knight 3:11 8

Ted Simpkins 3:11 9

Rich Thurman 3:11 10

Giampaolo 3:11 11

Copperopolis Results

2008-03-31T13:31:00.000-07:00

Christian Villasana: Junior 10-12: 3rd

Ryan Grant: Junior 10-12: 4th

Tyler Brandt: Mens Cat 3: 5th

Josef Nygaard: Junior 13-14: 7th

Stanley Goto: Junior 13-14: 15th

Brentley Campbell: Junior 15-16: 17th

Zach Sargent: Junior 15-16: 18th

More photos at AbbiOrca

All Team Ride, April 6

2008-03-31T13:24:00.000-07:00

All Team Ride—April 6^th in Petaluma

Parents and friends are invited to join the ride and all youth under the age of 12 are required to have a participating parent or guardian in attendance. For those not current registered members of Team Swift you need to bring a signed waiver and release to join the ride which can be found at http://teamswift.org/join/. Be sure to read the Team Swift Riding Rules below so you come prepared.

All Team Ride is April 6, 2008

10 AM at Bici Sport in Petaluma

Ride Leaders: Coach Laura Charameda and Andrew Christensen. Parents are invited to join the ride and must abide by the Team Swift Ride Rules.

Skill Level: All levels invited. Riders under 12 years old must have a riding parent in attendance.

The ride will be between 2-2.5 hours.

Heavy Rain will cancel the ride but not if it is just light rain.

The All-Team Ride is a chance for all levels of riders to learn cycling skills and start a ride together. Team Swift Alumni members, rider assistants, are also often on these rides which gives upcoming riders a chance to learn from their experience. Parents and supporters of Team Swift are welcome to join as well. We will start together and then break into different groups depending on skill level. There will be a coach and/or parent with each group. The ride will be approximately 2.0-2.5 hours depending on skill level and age.

Directions from 101 southbound.

Exit East Washington Street west (right) towards downtown Petaluma

Drive East Washington to downtown and cross Petaluma Blvd. ,

After Petaluma Blvd , take a left at Keller (you will pass Kentucky st but it is one way)

(There is a parking garage on Keller with 10 hour parking on the top two floors but if you have a bike on a roof rack it won't be too good.)

First Left on Western Ave

First left at stop light onto Kentucky

Bici Sport is on the left hand side across the street from Coperfields books.

Northbound 101:

Exit Petaluma Blvd South

Take Petaluma Blvd to downtown

Left onto Western Ave at stoplight

First Right onto Kentucky

Bici Sport is on the left hand side across the street from Copperfields books.

Parking: Available on side streets. No time limit on Sunday’s

Bici Sport

www.bicisportusa.com

139 Kentucky St
Petaluma, CA 94952
(707) 775-4676

Get directions - More information

Team Swift Contact:

Laura Charameda: teamswift@aol.com or Chara30@aol.com

P.O. Box 103

Fulton , CA 95439

Phone:
t. (707) 579-5325

c. (707)843-9056

Chainring and Cassette for Sale

2008-03-20T19:14:00.000-07:00

I have a 52 tooth FSA Pro Chainring ( black) 130mm bolt pattern, and a 12-25 Shimano 105 10sp cassette (brand new taken off my bike due to junior gearing), I was wondering if anyone could use it. The Chainring was put on my bike, but didn't work, so i need to find a way to sell it. It is normally 50 so i will sell it for 30. If someone is interested in the cassette they can email me
johnpiasta@gmail.com

Thank you,
John
johnpiasta@gmail.com

Copperopolis

2008-03-18T21:37:00.000-07:00

Anyone going to Copperopolis this weekend?

Memorial Ride for Kristy Gough and Matt Peterson

2008-03-13T11:07:00.001-07:00

From the Roaring Mouse and Third Pillar Racing teams:

Team Roaring Mouse Cycles and Third Pillar Racing Team are holding a joint memorial ride this Saturday March 15th, to honor the lives of Kristy Gough and Matt Peterson, our two teammates killed on Steven's Creek Canyon last Sunday while on a training ride. We welcome friends, family, fellow cyclists and all those whose lives have been touched by Matt and Kristy. Our ride will include a visit to the site of the crash site for those to share their memories.

When: Saturday, March 15th

Where: Leaving from Foothill College
12345 El Monte Road,
Los Altos Hills, CA 94022

Google map to location: http://tinyurl.com/2b6qvb

**We kindly request you do NOT drive out to the crash site during this time, as we need to keep cars to a minimum in the area, given the road conditions.

Time: Meet at 2:30pm, ride by 3pm

Length: 30-45 minutes to the crash site. Base pace (ie, mellow). No drop.

Route:
Start @ Foothill College (Parking Lot #1, near the football stadium; see link above for map)

- Left on El Monte
- Right on Foothill Expressway
- Continue on Steven's Creek Canyon
- Return

Route directions via Google: http://tinyurl.com/2pc8pf

**Press are welcome to attend, however we request respect during our ride. It would mean the most to us if press were to accompany us on their bikes, as we are all cyclists this week.

Snelling Race Reports

2008-03-04T18:59:00.000-08:00

Snelling Road Race
February 23, 2008

Ryan Eastman
8th Place, Cat 3
I was really excited for this race because it was to be the first road race of the season. I wasn't sure if I was going to be doing the juniors or the cat 3 race because the cat 3's field limit was full. I got to the race early in the morning and just squeezed in to the field of 100 riders. It was a 5 lap 65mile race. Ethan and I road through the neutral section of the race for only a few miles and then the race began. A few guys got off the front and there was a nice large gap between them and me and the pack, so I decided to bridge the gap to open up my legs. It felt nice to get going. The rest of the field came rolling right up on our wheels. A while later, still on the first lap, a new break started to form. It was a large one of 12 riders strong, including Ethan and me. We all started to form a paceline realizing we had the gap. It was perfect just enough riders to be able to stay away for the remanded of the race. Coming around through the first of 5 laps, I saw my dad along side the road smiling at him with joy. As we got further and further into the race the other riders in the break started to not cooperate, I have no clue why. Didn't they want to win I thought to my self. Then it happened, some guy riding like a jerk wobbled around and clipped Ethan's wheel. Ethan started in slow motion, it seemed, tipping over until crash he and Charlie Avis (Team Specialized Juniors) went don with a thud. I was directly behind them and played it cool and swerved around them into the mud, staying on my bike the whole time. Few I thought but still worrying about Ethan. It was a very strong head wind, and the break had a good 30 seconds on me. I new I couldn't bridge that by my self, so I slowly road awaiting Charlie to get up because I new he was very strong. He got up and road up to me and said lets go. Him and I just put our heads down and took about ten second pulls. We rode through on to our third lap with everyone cheering us on.

We hit the right hand corner and finally faced that nice tail wind. Charlie took a very long pull, and we were reaching them. I just really wanted to get back up there so I came around him for my turn to pull and just drilled it for a nice long pull. We were now back in that break. That was a close one! It seemed that every time we got to that back section with the head wind, nobody wanted to take a pull. They were all just looking around for someone else to do it for them, so I went up front a lot. It was hard; Charlie and I had to organize the paceline basically the whole race. We came through for the last time until the finish for our fifth and final lap. I was now starting to think a little about the win, and thinking this is definitely possible to do. My legs were feeling great. The lead motor was giving us the time gaps, so coming around through the back section we new that this break away would succeed. The other riders decided then that they didn't have to work as hard now, so I took quite a few pulls to keep it going without killing my self before the finish. Some of these riders were riding like sissy with the exception of a few riders. I don't like that. Charlie believed that him and I could get away with about 3k to go so I went with him on my wheel then shortly after he came around tacking a pull but they were right on us. Then with about 11/2k to go a guy went off the front I thought that he would get caught, I mean how could all of there guys let him go after all of this. That gap was slowly getting bigger. One guy even said 'well there goes first place' I thought to my self what are these guys thinking, there riding like sissy men, I want to win and I went with 1k to go took the right hand bend leading to the short slightly uphill finish. They caught my and came up to my wheel. A few guys passed me and I came in 8th place across the line. I almost caught the guy he got us by now only about 4 seconds. After the race I was happy with how I race did and did not at all regret going with 1k to go, sacrificing 2nd place. I was not racing for 2nd place I was racing for the win. You got to risk it to win it.
--Ryan Eastman

Joey Nygaard
3rd place, Junior 13-14
The day before the race my teammate Christian and I drove up together and arrived in time to ride the course a couple times before it got dark. In the morning we caravanned up to the registration area. After warming up all the 13-14s went to the start line, but right before the start some guy got a flat and we had to wait for him to change it. On the whistle we started out on the 3-mile promenade behind the neutral support car. When we got to the course the car pulled off and we started to ramp up the pace. Right away we were pushing a 30-mph pace line, I got slightly dropped on a small rise and had to chase back on the descent. The whole first lap I was barely hanging on to the lead pack of 5, but on the second and last lap I got my legs back and was able to stay with the group until the final sprint. I pulled ahead of one of the riders in my group but could not catch Marcus Smith and Alexander Freund. In the boys 13-14 race I made my first point-series podium of the year (even though they had no actual podium), and I earned my first points toward a Cat 3 upgrade.
Joey Nygaard

Christian Villasana
Junior 13-14
This year was my first year at Snelling. It started with Joey, Anne, my Dad, and me going to Merced at about 11 am the day before Snelling. We stayed at the Vagabond Inn Merced. We got there at around 1 or 1:30. Ryan Grant arrived at like 8:30 and Stanley at 9:15. Joey and I had the chance to pre-ride the course, so we did. I didn’t think Joey would have a problem, and I knew I would be fine if I could power up the rollers. That night Joey and I were supposed to have dinner, but he and his mom wanted to eat early so instead we went to DiAngelos with my dad’s teammates. There were about 22-25 of his teammates present. It ended up being the right choice because we saw some of the Team High Road girls there. Since I had gone to the Team High Road presentation I had a folder with all the Team High Road bios. So I went to the car to pick up the folder so I could get their autographs. I wasn’t sure who was there and they realized I had the bios with and one of them followed me back to my table and pulled all the bios of the girls who were there. It was pretty cool. Team Roaring mouse (my dad’s teammates) were impressed that I got their autographs. The next day was Snelling. I got there at about quarter to seven. I wanted to make sure I got a good warm up. When we started to line up everybody started to get cold because it took a while to get everyone else started. Plus right before our start a Tieni Duro guy rolled on something, got a flat and had to change his tube!!!!!! We had to wait for him and my legs started to get cold. Half way through the promenade lap, the field started to split up a bit. I got stuck in a group with David Tisdell and two other Easton Specialized kids. After awhile I got dropped (I guess I didn’t warm up well enough because I got cold). The backside of the course was REALLY windy!!!!! I was only able to average 13mph on the backside. On the last lap, as you get closer to the bumpy section the wind started to ease up a little so I was able to go faster. One of the kids from my original group had dropped off and I caught him. We started to work together and I took the first pull. I was only going 16mph and he asked me to slow it down, I finally flicked my elbow and he pulled through. He was only going 11mph, so I decided to drop him. After that, I ate one of my GU’s and trudged on. Right before the bottom of one of the rollers I saw David Tisdell sitting at the side of the road. At first I thought he crashed. So I yelled ahead and asked if he was okay. He said he was but he had a loose cassette so I charged on. After eating my other Clif Shot. I turned onto the bumpy section. There were very few smooth sections, but the left side of the road proved promising. Before the last turn, I heard a truck behind me. And my dad yelling at me from it. I started to go harder, I turned then I started my sprint. At the end I clocked my self at 1hr and 51min. and I averaged about 17mph. I didn’t as well as I had hoped, but I finished strong and I was happy about that. This was my first real road race, but I hope to do better next year.

Norlund Crit Race Reports

2008-03-04T18:52:00.000-08:00

Norlund Construction Criterium
February 17, 2008

Joey Nygaard
1st place, 10-14 year olds
In the freezing half light of the morning the race started at a slow easy pace. Three of my teammates and I started a pace-line, but after a couple laps one of the other racers that was not on Team Swift came up behind us and attempted to continue right past us. We immediately got on his wheel. On the last lap my teammate Stanley attacked before the last turn and I got on his wheel, but our other two teammates got dropped. Stanley led into the sprint, and I came past
Stanley and took the win.

After the race we stuck around to watch the 15-18 race and to hang out with other Swifties. Team Swift won all the juniors races and claimed the first three places of the 10-12 age group, and the 15-16 division. Good racing Swifties!!! Then we left to go watch the Tour of California prologue in Palo Alto.
Joey Nygaard

Nick Kinney
3rd Place, 17-18 year olds
The race started with a pretty small field. As soon as the whistle was blown Tyler hit the front and ramped up the pace. Maybe 10 minutes in Tyler attacked and blew apart the field of 6. Ethan and Ryan bridged across and Brentley, Greg from Colavita and me began taking turns at the front. At one point the gap was less than 10 seconds at which time Brentley and I stopped working not wanting to give Greg opportunity to bridge up. Brentley then attacked trying to bridge up but looked back to see Greg on his wheel and I on Greg's. A few laps later Greg all but gave up the chase resolved to fighting it out for 4th overall and 3rd in the 17/18. Ethan, Tyler and Ryan soon came and lapped us with maybe 4 laps to go and Greg, Brentley and I latched on. After taking a pull Brentley fell off the back and on the last lap I was on Greg's wheel waiting for the sprint. Around the final corner Ryan sprinted to the front taking the win ahead of Ethan and Tyler. In the sprint I out kicked Greg. Team Swift swept the 17/18 podium and took 1st and second in the 15/16.
Nick Kinney

Christian Villasana
Juniors 10-14
It was a misty morning in Santa Rosa, but I got a good warm up. I had been on the trainer for 30min. and I was ready to go. There were a total of seven riders at the line that included my teammates Joey, Ryan, and Stanley. When we started I was able to clip in quickly and so did the other Swifties. Wed started a pace line and after a couple laps we had dropped three people. But one was able to bridge back to us. And he went straight to the front. And we were happy to let him work. He pulled for virtually the whole race. On the bell lap, the kid attacked and I bridged back to him and Stanley, Joey, and Ryan were behind me. Right before the last corner Joey and Stanley planned to attack and they did. When they jumped they got a gap and I couldn’t catch them. At the finish it was Joey, Stanley, me, and the kid managed to beat Ryan at the line. It was too bad because it would have been cool to have 1-4 all Swifties.

Christina Villasana
Elite 5
The plan was for me to stick on the back for as long as I could. So I lined up in the back of the group. But then they called juniors to the front for rollout so I took a spot at the front. The race started and I made the mistake of letting the group go by me to get to the back. By the time I realized that the group passed me, I was already chasing. So the lesson was that I should the group gradually pass me. I stayed in the race for another three or four laps before I got pulled. But when I looked at the results they had me at 38th place. Which was cool, no DNF for me. Next fives race I plan to stay with the group for one whole lap.

Check out these photos.

Cherry Pie Race Reports

2008-03-03T11:04:00.000-08:00

Stanley Goto
1st Place, Junior 10-12 years old
All winter I was waiting for the Cherry Pie Criterium to come along and I was very confident going in to it because I was training more seriously than before. The day before the race the Warriors were playing an exciting basketball game on TV but I had to get to bed early so I could be well rested before Cherry. This year I got to the race an hour early (last year I got to the race just 15 minutes before the start.) When I was warming up on my trainer I felt great.

The first lap everyone was just taking it easy. The next lap Marcus and Chris made a half attack to the top of the hill but nothing to drop anyone. A couple laps later I was still with the lead group then Alexander made an attack on the descent and I was able to hang on. The field of about 30 was down to 15 in the lead pack. On the next lap I was going down the hill in third position. Joey and Alexander were ahead of me. On the flats Alexander attacked. Joey and I were clawing to get back to the group. When we crested the hill we were at the back of a small group. Joey and I worked together and barely got back on. (Without his help I might not have caught the leaders so I owe him one) On the bell lap I was getting in good position for the final turn. Coming out of that turn I saw my rival Dillon Drummond fall back. He dropped his chain. After that I was almost certain I would win the 10-12's as we were the only 12s left in with the 13-14s but I was still going to fight for a good overall spot. I did OK in the sprint, finishing about in the middle of the pack. I was happy with that because last year I didn’t out sprint anybody.

After this race it gave me confidence to go to Snelling because I knew I wouldn’t get trashed by the 13-14's. The win was great (also the pie) but I didn’t beat my rival straight up so it felt unsatisfying. I’ll meet him again at Snelling. After my race I cheered on Tyler, Ryan, Ethan and the rest of my big brother teammates in the 15-18 and cat3 races. It made me feel great to be on such an awesome team.

Tyler Brandt
4th Place Junior 17-18 year old
The first race of the season, there is always so much anticipation. Having trained hard throughout the winter months and the countless hours spent trudging through wind and rain seem to culminate into one afternoon, one test. Or rather for the juniors it is always a brisk morning of expectation. Of course there is a whole year of racing to follow, but it seems that the first race of the season sets some sort of tone. Every ‘big name rider’ from the juniors tends to show up to the first big race and it is some sort of trial. We all see each other and wonder who has really gone out and rode their bikes day in and day out from November until now. The butterflies build on the starting line and it seems that we stand there for an eternity. Then bang, another season begins, the butterflies are gone and once again were on the road. I love that aching in my legs and the loss of breath, the crashes, the attacks and the final sprint. There is no other sport that can compare to a bicycle race.

My season began at Cherry Pie Criterium in Napa. My race started at a cruel 8:30 in the morning, but that is just the way it is for the juniors races. It was exciting to see so many riders from Team Swift at the race and it was great to get everyone together to warm up and get ready for the race. I got to the starting line ready to go and then we were off. I was first through the first corner and ready to pound up the tempo. The first few laps of the race were an absolute blast. Ethan, Ryan and I tore it up on the front and had some fun attacking and countering. It was then about time to settle down and get ready for the real moves to go. Prime lap, Ethan attacked at the bottom of the hill, he looked good. I sat and watched the sprint for the prime and then bang that was the break. Immediately I was chasing it down. I should have gotten into it instead of watching them go. My mistake. The next few laps were a strong chase. Not many teams felt like working though. Swift on the front not wanting to let the race go. Then they were gone. It was a sprint for 4th. Ethan started the final lap on the front in an attempt to lead out Ryan for the win in the 15-16. Not all worked to plan, but it was a fun race. I sprinted hard at the end, but was dissatisfied to get beat by some 15-16’s in the sprint.

I feel like as a whole Swift rode very strong. We passed the test and everyone rode very well. Some tactical mishaps led to a no win outing, but that can be fixed. It was great to see that we were all on form. The first few laps of the race I could see that we are going to have an exciting year.

Tyler Brandt
4th Place, Elite 3
The second race of the year. The sun came out. It was the beginning of a magnificent day. We hit the line with a good warm up in the legs after a hard junior’s race. Once again I was first off the line, but I sat up a little so that I would not have to pull. I jumped in about 5th wheel. My own little sweet spot. The race was mostly a blur for the greater part of it. As the laps began to count down I got into good position for a prime. A few other AMD juniors set out a great lead out for the prime and I sat on and Ryan and I sprinted in for the prime, which I won over my teammate with a bike throw. Once again I found my sweet spot and just settled in for the race. It was not much of a blistering pace, but the hill hurt. I did not remember it being such a big hill. It can wear you down. The last few laps there were some crashes on the backside. That got the adrenaline going. There’s nothing like the chance of hit the floor any moment. For me the key is knowing that you’re not going to be the one that goes down. No matter what happens, I am going to stay upright is how I like to think. I know that is not always the case as I have in fact crashed before, but I feel that being strong mentally through the nail biting parts of races is the means by which you can stay upright.

So I made it through the last few laps and I got pushed back a ways with 2 to go. I began to make my way back up to the front and I was into good position as we hit the hill for the final time. Of course we were spread across the entirety of the road so it was difficult to move through, but I managed to squeeze through the field. I like going through the middle of the field, it seems to save a lot of the energy wasted that involves going out on the outside and fighting the wind. I was there for the sprint and I gave it a good kick. I felt good and I think that if I could have found some more room then I could have pulled it off, but alas I did not. I almost got into 3rd and earned a pie, but another 4th was the final answer. Two races, 0 pies. 1 place higher in each and I would have gotten one. I guess if I don’t eat too much pie then I won’t get that unwanted weight, so the less pie the better I suppose. I felt good though and it was exciting to see that I still matched up with everyone and all of the work that I put in during the winter was successful. Now I need to improve my tactics and get that badly needed/wanted win. I am done with the top 5’s and as in the words of Ricky Bobby “If your not first, your last” and then there are the words of Vince Lombardi; “If you lose, your out of the family” So it is time to get that win!

Zach Sargent,
Junior 15-16
The race started off on a short downhill. I got bad positioning and was placed near the back. The first half-mile was fast and the pack was dropping people off the back left and right. I ended up in a chase pack with about 15 others including one of our teammates (Nick). Most of the time we just sat in awhile a few Davis riders pulled us. Nobody was working together so the pack would split up then regroup. As more riders where dropped off of the main pack, they joined up with us building our chase pack up to about 25-27 riders. My teammates John and Nick took over the front and launched a small attack. I put on an attack myself to catch them and help them work for a sprint. By this time we were on about 3 laps to go. I caught John and Nick and lead them for about half a lap just enough to get Nick into the front of our pack for a 2nd place finish. I ended up 28 overall in the entire field including the 17-18 juniors. For my first race of the season and recovering from a cold I was pleased with my results

Thanks! I had so much fun. It was great having two other of my good Swift friends in my pack. I was able to help them out for the sprint.

Joey Nygaard
9th place, Junior 13-14
Early in the morning we drove to the 1st big race of the year to find already a big line at the registration booth. The race started fast and I got a terrible start but managed to make it up to the front of the group. After the first climb I decided I wasn’t feeling my best but decided to make the best out of it by helping my teammate Stanley who was looking great on every climb. With two laps to go I was second over the top of the climb with Stanley on my wheel. But on the back side of the course Alexander Freund attacked and I almost got dropped (which shows you how bad I was feeling). After that I just tried to hang in there till the finish. Just BEFORE the climb I got dropped and had to struggle across the line to slot in at 9th.The best part of the day was that Stanley won his race!!!! Great job Stanley!

John Piasta
Juniors 15-16
The day of my first race started out very stressfully. I walked into the kitchen and my parents were not there, they lost track of time and thought the race was thirty minutes later. They quickly got ready and we packed the car. My cousin drove me and helped me relax, but I still could not keep my eyes off the clock, watching if we would make it on time. Luckily, we made it right on time and I was excited.

got a great warm up in with Ryan, Tyler, Nick and Ethan. As I got to the start line the nerves started kicking in. Since it was my first race I did not know how races started. Before I knew it the whistle blew and everyone exploded. Wow, I was not prepared for a start that fast. So my reactions took over and I sprinted, however I knew it would not be easy because I was told how important it was to get to the front. Well I worked with what I got, and sat in. After the first couple of laps the riders ahead of me started breaking away from the pack and slowly the gap was growing. I was annoyed and decided to sprint and try to get back into the pack, so I pulled for about a lap and then the people behind me started falling back and before I knew the pack of near ten to fifteen riders slimmed out to three. Then my legs started to burn and I could not go much faster.

After realizing that I was not going to catch the main group, I sat in. Before I knew it Nick flew by me, I grabbed his wheel, and we worked together the next couple of laps and then I had crossed the finish line. My first race was a great learning experience. I learned how races work and what to do better next time. I appreciate all the help that my teammates gave me and I cannot wait to race again.

Ryan Eastman
Juniors 15-16
First race of the season, finally hear. Winter training was long and I am glad it is now finally time to race. Ethan and I got to the race around seven to get registered and warmed up. It was awesome when we were warming up doing our pyramids there was a pretty big sized group of swifties, it was nice to see that a lot of the team came out on this beautiful day. We stripped our leg warmers and headed to the start line. It was a considerable large size field for the juniors. The whistle blew and Tyler and I kicked it off with an easy sprint to the front of the group. In front where I like to be, perfect. Tyler Ethan and I started off the race controlling it completely, with a few accelerations here and there. It felt awesome to be out front felling strong controlling the race to start. This went on for a while until a prime lap came up and there was an attack on the hill and the field stretched and a group of about three got away. They were all 17-18's. The race continued on with a nice hard pace. Three laps to go now and I started to visualize the finish a bit in the back of my mind. I sat in a little more now maybe a little too much; the bell lap came around now. Through the final corner I went sitting on Ethan and Tyler’s wheels, we got all mumbo-jumboed up and we were separated. Heading up the final time up this hill I sat back further than I wanted to be, in the sprint I decided that I did not want to get tenth place so I noticed a tight gap between two riders and took it. Flying past them getting as skinny as possible was actually sort of fun. I crossed the line missing out on fifth by half a wheel. Sixth well I guess that is all right, I would have liked to have done better but I am very happy with the way I raced through the whole race. It was an awesome race and now I have to rest up a bit and wait for my second race of the day, the Cat 3s. Congratulations to Stanley Goto for a fantastic win in the Juniors 10-12s. Great Job man.

Ryan Eastman
Cat 3
After a quick Clif Shot it was time now for the Cat 3 race. Headed up to the start and got a sweet spot right in front. As Tyler and I did in the Juniors we were right out front leading through the first corner. My plan for this race was more simple just stay at the front without working too hard. This was easy to do, pull through and let the next guy come around and get back into place. I was feeling very good conserving all of my energy. I really wanted to get going though. There was an attack and he was staying out there for a while I road up to Caption Tyler and asked him if he wanted me to bring him back in. He said not to and conserve my energy. which was a very good thing because when we came to the hill him and a guy chasing him down got caught and got pushed back deeper than I would have wanted to go in the pack. That’s why I love having my older more experienced team mates racing along side me. It was cool we were ripping it up together. There was a prime coming up, and Joel and Edon were coming up along the right side of the field for the sprint, Tyler and I quickly jumped on there wheels and got a slingshot for the line I went first, on the left and then two seconds later Tyler went on the right. I eased up and Tyler won the prime, I did this for a reason so if there were any attacks I could cover them therefore helping out my team mate. The finish seemed to come so fast and Tyler moved up into a good position for the sprint, with me trying to follow. I was a bit further back than him I sprinted by quite a few people with Tyler coming in 4th and myself shortly after in 12th. It was a good day. It was fun coming up that hill and then facing that 180 degree u-turn at the top, still doing 20mph, I think I won the contest of the day for who came around that the lowest!

Snelling RR Results

2008-02-27T12:52:00.000-08:00

Men Cat 3
Ryan Eastman: 8th

Women Cat 4 B
Lindsay Myers: 6th

Junior 13-14
Joey Nygaard: 3rd
Stanley Goto: 11th
Christian Villasana: 18th

Way to go, Swifties!

Scott Nydam

2008-02-25T21:37:00.001-08:00

BMC Rocks!

2008-02-24T21:39:00.000-08:00

Ryan and I chased Scott Nydam up Trinity road with this poster during Stage 2 of the Tour of California. He had broken away from the field and had about a 5 minute gap when we got to run with him up the climb.

Congratulations to BMC on a great ride at the Tour of California. Alexandre Moos finished 10th overall and our guy Scott Nydam took the King of the Mountain jersey. Scott rode an incredible race, especially considering all of the obstacles that he had to overcome to get his mind and body on track for it. He went down hard a few weeks ago at the Tour of Qatar and then his dad was diagnosed with cancer. Here is an interview with him from the BMC racing blog :

http://www.bmcracingteam.com/index.php?id=9&L=0&uid=29

He also mentioned Team Swift in this interview:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_wq0-OWol0

Swift is very lucky to have connections with a great professional team.
Go BMC!

Merco Cycling Classic, March 1 and 2

2008-02-24T21:16:00.000-08:00

Who's going to Merco? If you are leaving from Santa Rosa are you looking for a spot in the van? We leave Friday afternoon at 4PM and return on Sunday after the races.
Coach Laura

Team Swift at TOC

2008-02-24T21:13:00.001-08:00

Young Swiftie Casey Bauer was interviewed for the CBS report on Stage 1.

ToC Raffle

2008-02-16T09:59:00.000-08:00

Team Swift Tour of California Updates:

2008-02-15T20:22:00.000-08:00

*Remember to wear your Team Swift T-shirt or Team Polo Shirt. If you don’t have one they will be available at the race.

*Kid’s Race Volunteers need to have signed releases to give to Dane Grant (Ryan’s Dad) and wear a Team Swift Jersey or jacket/vest over their T-Shirt.

*At 9AM we will begin assembly of our tent. Meet at the women’s registration location (details below).

*I don’t think you will be able to do much riding that day so it might be better not to bring your bike to the town center.

*Wear comfortable shoes, bring a camera and get ready for lots of fun.

See you Monday!
Coach Laura

Snelling Road Race

2008-02-12T22:19:00.000-08:00

The Snelling Road Race is Feb. 23. Since it's about 25 miles east of Merced, and the Junior 13-14 and 15-16 races start at 8:20 (17-18 isn't until 12:30), going up the night before is often recommended. Joey Nygaard and his mom will be staying at the Vagabond Inn Merced. Anyone else going up the night before?

Tour of California Stage 1

2008-02-11T08:15:00.000-08:00

FEBRUARY 18, 2008

Stage 1: Sausalito to Santa Rosa
Start Time: 11:00 AM
Miles: 96.8, KM: 156
Finish ETA: 2:43-3:20 PM

Tour of California: Team Swift Raffle
Team Swift has a full day of activities starting at 9AM in downtown Santa Rosa. We will be selling raffle tickets for a Specialized Bicycle and Team High Road jersey, participating in the Kid’s Parade, assisting in the inaugural Women’s Amgen Tour of California Criterium and watching the Pro Men come racing into the finish line.

Note: The raffle winners will be announced on February 19 prior to the start of Stage 2.

9AM—meet at Women’s Race Day Registration, 640 Third Street (rear of the building on the D Street side.)
--Set up Team Swift tent & banners
--Distribute Team Swift waterbottles to Kid’s Parade Organizer
--Distribute Specialized Bike & Team High Road Jersey Raffle Tickets
10AM Volunteers for Kid’s Parade Assemble for instructions
11:00 AM Kid’s Parade
--10 Team Swift Rider Volunteers (riders who competed at the Cherry Pie Criterium) will Mentor the under-10-year-old parade—each volunteer will receive a TOC t-shirt
12:00-1:00PM Women’s Amgen Tour of California Criterium
--Volunteer to help in Pit #2—Eric & Tyler Brandt
--Ticket sales at VIP Tent, NorCal Tent and Specialized Tent
2:30PM Pro Men Stage 1 Finish
--Dissemble Team Swift Tent and Banners
--Drop off Banners to Stage 2 start location.
--Collect all Raffle Tickets

Stage 2, February 19th—Raffle Winner’s Announced prior to stage 2 start
Team Swift members that do not have school help announce prizes—Tyler Brandt

ACTIVITIES
All Day: Junior members, parents and friends of the Team Swift Junior Cycling Development Team participate in and watch the Tour of California.
Raffle Prizes: Buy a book of Raffle Tickets 5 for $20 and sign up for great prizes including a complete Specialized bicycle
Parking: Is available on surface streets and at the fairgrounds. If you park near City Hall you might not be able to get out until after the Stage 1 finish. Streets generally open up right away and bike parking is being provided by the SRCC near City Hall.

Junior Points Series

2008-02-04T21:34:00.000-08:00

2008 NCNCA Junior Point Series Race Schedule

02/10 Cherry Pie Criterium
02/23 Snelling Road Race
03/22 Copperopolis Road Race
04/05 Martinez Bay Front Criterium (no 13-14 race)
04/26 Wente Vineyards Road Race (no 13-14 race)
05/03 Cat's Hill Criterium
05/26 Sugar CRM Memorial Day Criterium
06/22 Mt Diablo Hill Climb

Tour of California Prologue--Any Swifties Going?

2008-02-04T20:41:00.000-08:00

The Tour of California starts Feb. 17 with a prologue in Palo Alto at 1 pm. There's also a crit in Santa Rosa that day, but the junior races are early enough that people could probably do both if they want. Josef is. Anyone else? Who wants to meet up at the prologue?

Cherry Pie

2008-02-04T20:39:00.000-08:00

Racing starts in Northern California for real this Sunday with the Cherry Pie Criterium in Napa, the first race in the Junior Points Series. Team Swift will have a good group there, hoping to win a pie or two. See you in Napa.

Tour of Marin Report

2007-12-07T15:49:00.000-08:00

The Tour of Marin on October 29, 2006 was an invitational ride through Marin with some of America's most accomplished riders in the pro peloton including Levi Leipheimer, the Webcor Women’s Team and many more. Team Swift members Tyler Brandt, Ethan Weiss, Lindsay Myers and Ryan Eastman had the opportunity to attend the event with Coach Laura to meet and ride with these top Professionals.

Many other members of Team Swift met the same day in Marin for our All Team Ride. These riders lead by Coach Julia Violich and parents rode the Paradise Island loop. We coordinated the All Team Ride to finish at the same time as the Tour of Marin so we were all able to go to the lunch and hang out together. Lot's of fun!
The Marin Country Day School invited Team Swift to join their ride on October 20, 2007. Due to the success of their fund raising activities the school donors have made a contribution in support of Team Swift for $500. Thanks MCDS!

Great riding gang!
Coach Laura

All-Team Ride this Saturday

2007-12-05T20:38:00.000-08:00

December 8 "All Team Ride" in Santa Rosa

*WEATHER UPDATES: Between 6:45-7AM there will be an update posted at
www.teamswift.org/schedules. The forecast is calling for clear skies both Saturday and Sunday. If it is raining at 6:30AM coach Laura will post it on the website and we will reschedule the ride. It will be sunny though and we'll see you there!!!
*If you need any specific clothing or equipment be sure to email chara30@aol.com so we can have it for you at the ride.
*Come meet the Norcal Sport Cycling Team!!!

Team Swift All-Team-Ride Details

Parents and friends are invited to join the ride and all youth under the age of 12 are required to have a participating parent or guardian in attendance. For those not current registered members of Team Swift you need to bring a signed waiver and release to join the ride which can be found at http://teamswift.org/join/. Be sure to read the Team Swift Riding Rules below so you come prepared.

1. All Team Ride:
· All Team Ride is December 8, 2007
· 9 AM at NorCal Bike Sport
· Ride Leaders: Coach Laura and Coach Jonathan. Parents are invited to join the ride and must abide by the Team Swift Ride Rules.
· Skill Level: All levels invited. Riders under 12 years old must have a riding parent in attendance.
· The ride will be between 2-2.5 hours.
· Heavy Rain will cancel the ride but not if it is just light rain.

The All-Team Ride is a chance for all levels of riders to learn cycling skills and start a ride together. Team Swift Alumni members, rider assistants, are also often on these rides which gives upcoming riders a chance to learn from their experience. Parents and supporters of Team Swift are welcome to join as well. We will start together and then break into different groups depending on skill level. There will be a coach and/or parent with each group. The ride will be approximately 2.0-2.5 hours depending on skill level and age.

Start Location:
NorCal Bike Sport
425 College Ave
Santa Rosa, CA
(707) 573-0112

Team Swift Contacts:
Coach Laura Charameda: teamswift@aol.com or Chara30@aol.com
P.O. Box 103
Fulton, CA 95439

Team Swift Riding Rules:
*Helmets are mandatory.
*If you are not a current Team Swift member you will need to sign a waiver and release. These will be available before the start of the ride and are also downloadable from the Team Swift website. If you are under 18 years of age you will need a parent or guardian signature. Everyone on the ride will need to sign a release. Parents are welcome to join the ride. http://teamswift.org/global/File/Release_Form_2005.pdf
*Carry 2 spare tubes, tire irons, money, water, energy bars, ID with an emergency phone number, and enough warm clothing.
*Your bike needs to be clean for each group and team ride.
*Pre Ride Safety Check: look at your tires to make sure you don’t have glass in them and check the quick-release skewers on your hubs to make sure they are totally secure. Ask for help at the shop prier to departure.
*Always ride to the right side of the road and in the bike lanes if available.
*Respect all traffic laws.
*Coaches or ride leaders are on the road for your safety. Listen closely for their advice in the group. This is a major safety issue especially when there are a lot of riders and traffic on the roads. A quick response may be necessary.

Cycle with Champions Reports

2007-11-27T13:45:00.000-08:00

Team Swift Special Report
Cycle with Champions Quotes
October 28, 2007

“I was so proud of our Team Swift program—everyone who was there on Sunday; the riders, parents, Professional cycling organizations, donors, sponsors and supporters. 100 people went out to ride on a beautiful day, stopping for a quick picture on Wohler Bridge, and then making our way up Westside Road. What a great opportunity for so many different types of cyclists to interact and all in support this youth cycling program.

The success of the event highlights the significance of junior development for the future of American cycling. It also underscores the vitally important role that leading American athletes and industry members can play in assuring an ongoing record of success by Americans in our sport. BMC Pro Racing Team, Director Gavin Chilcott, Ian Sherburne, Charlie Livermore and riders Scott Nydam, Mike Sayers and Nathan Miller are to be highly commended for commitment to the future of cycling. Steven Cozza, Slipstream/Chipotle, a graduate of Team Swift also deserves exceptional recognition for his generosity of time in which he dedicates to mentoring our future Team Swift riders. All of these people were present to show their conviction that junior development matters for the future of cycling, which has proven to be motivational for financial supporters and inspirational for young athletes. Team Swift owes these folks a debt of gratitude for joining them in their efforts to provide cycling opportunities for promising athletes.

Cycling industry leaders including Specialized, Clif, TIME, Mavic, Squadra, 24-Hour Fitness, The SockGuy, Marmot, Seghesio Vineyards, Norcal Bike Sport and others joined local business leaders in supporting the event’s benefit auction following the ride. Team Swift thanks these companies for their support.

Ronnie Lenzi has generously posted her Cycle with Champions pictures on her website: http://www.veronikalenzi.com/swiftchamps102807.php. If you are looking for ways to help, Team Swift will have a number of auction items posted at www.teamswift.org/events. Another way to help is to donate any cycling equipment you might have which can be used to help new riders (contact at teamswift@aol.com).

Thanks again to everyone for making this a great day and supporting our program. Hope to see you at our next Cycle with Champions event in 2008.”
Laura Charameda
Director & Coach, Team Swift Junior Development

“The cycling w/ champs event was an awesome day! The riders on Team Swift have the combination of youthful energy and a thorough understanding of what it takes to be successful in the sport. In both training and racing, they're learning lessons that will continue to translate throughout life. On or off the bike, these kids are a pleasure to hang out with!”
Scott Nydam
BMC Pro Racing Team

“It’s always exciting riding with Team Swift. I believe they truly are the fresh new future for cycling. What Laura has created is absolutely amazing and someday when I have kids I too will encourage them to be Swifties. Thanks to all the Swifties for letting me go on your ride.
Thanks,”
Steven Cozza
Team Slipstream Chipotle..

“Thanks again for having me join in on the Ride with the Champions on Sunday. I had a great time on the ride! It was so wonderful seeing the kids, some of the parents and the great support from Gavin and BMC all on their bikes. (Nice change from riding with all us middle aged dudes in the Club ;-) My big thrill was riding with Steven Cozza on Westside Rd. while we gapped up to the group at Madronna Manor and seeing my HRM approach 185! Quite fun. Can't wait for the pics from Veronika.”
Greg Durbin
Vice President
The Santa Rosa Cycling Club

“Yeah….that was a great day. Really unique mix of Swifties, pros, parents and supporters all riding in one big pack which made for some great interaction. Never get that in mainstream youth sports. So, congratulations to you on a job well done. Gavin said afterwards that his career will likely be either a bike racer or snowboarder or if that falls thru, an architect. Looks like a great plan to me!”
Greg and Gavin Oslund

“I flicked Scott Nydam on the back as Ryan Eastman and I came flying by. It seemed as though Scott had a giant crosshair on his back, just next to the BMC logo, that pointed him out as the guy we'd all be trying to put into misery; let me tell you, I wasn't one to pass up on the chance to try and beat up a great US pro bike racer like him! Heck, he got mentioned in the flyer promoting the event! He deserves it! As Dry Creek Road rambled on, and the Cycle with Champions rolled into Windsor and eventually the airport area of Santa Rosa, Team Swift had the chance to battle it out with some of the best of the domestic professional scene. Mike Sayers was a particularly wily one: he tried to sneak off, utilizing some unorthodox tactics of arm- and leg-flailing, but we naive juniors were soon back on the gas to make them chase once again. I found Gavin Chilcott's wheel, knowing his reputation of being where he needs to be, when he needs to be there. The day was a great one, and by the time we made it back to Sonoma Country Day School, to check out the BMC truck bling, everybody had a smile on their face. A big thanks Scott, Mike, Gavin, Nathan Miller, and the BMC crew for coming out and supporting the team, it really does mean a lot to be able to bump elbows with the pros, and to all the current and prospective members of the team for making the day memorable. Maybe we'll have a clearer city-limit sprint next time!”
Ethan Weiss
Team Swift Elite Team member, 17 years old

“Great event today! We had a lot of fun and you guys did a tremendous job putting things together. Caleb is definitely interested in joining. He's not the fastest kid around (like his dad), but he has a good attitude, is enthusiastic, seldom complains, and puts his head down and grinds. I was very pleased with how he did today. It was by far his furthest ride and I know he hurt, but the only time he got upset was when I had to drop back to fix his sister's helmet and he was left riding without me.
Thanks again for today.”
Joshua Weil

“I was very excited for this event. I knew it would be awesome riding with a whole bunch of pros. I got to the start and there was a sea of Team Swift jerseys, I don't think I have seen that many in one place. There were quite a few guys from the BMC racing team, as well as Steve Cozza. We started off slow to talk to all of the people, and then a few guys and I started racing a bit. Eventually Tyler and I were racing with a lot of the guys from BMC, all constantly attacking each other, until that moment came where we all started to work together and formed a little pace line. It was awesome being out there attacking on guys like Scott Nydam, and then seeing him fly by me like a rocket. Man those guys are fast! It was also fun when Steve Cozza was leading out my team mates and I to the sprint to the county line. Just being out there with guys at that caliber can teach you so much, and getting advice from Gavin Chilcott was cool. I felt that I l earned a lot in just one day. Thanks BMC Racing Team, and Steve Cozza, for riding with us.”
Ryan Eastman
Team Swift Elite Team Member, 15 years old

“I am very proud of how you do what you do for youth development and cycling in Sonoma County. Thank you very much for inviting me to partake in the special atmosphere of cooperation. I am very impressed by the demeanor of the athletes, and remembered some very nice conversation with Mr. Jeff Sergeant,), and Mike Carroll from Petaluma (he's senior at Petaluma High that is crossing over from track and field.) It's readily apparent that they have great coaching, and have developed superior attitudes above competition and health. Congratulations!”
Mark Walsh

“Thank YOU for including us in the Cycle with Champions! I LOVE and truly enjoy helping out (especially not riding a bike) when ever I can. Steven, Scott and I will NEVER forget that you are the one who got Steven to LOVE the sport of cycling. (It definitely wasn't his parents!) Anyway, I enjoyed the day and look forward to being "helpful" at the next event! Thanks for keeping us posted and involved! You do great work Laura and we all appreciate YOU!! Go Team Swift!!!!”
Jeanette Cozza (Steven’s mother)

“I just wanted to thank all the riders that came out last weekend to participate in the fundraising ride for Team Swift. It meant a lot to me to see so many people out there supporting junior cycling development. I especially wanted to thank the pros that gave up a little time to inspire some kids. I appreciate the chance I had to talk with Scott Nydam and Steven Cozza. On one of the sprints I got dropped and was hanging out a ways back from the pack. Steven Cozza waited for me and pulled until we caught up with the group...Thanks! I really appreciate you guys coming out and inspiring some up and coming cyclists.”
Lindsay Myers
Team Swift, 17 years old

“Hey Coach,
Well I think that yesterday went real well. I did not realize how many kids we have on the team, were definitely developing. It will be cool if the little kids stick with it and Swift will be super strong. So what should I do this week for training—I’m excited to get back to work.”
Tyler Brandt
Team Swift Elite Team, 17 years old

“The attacks started soon after the ride had begun. Teammates, Pros, friends all going at it, one after another. It was a great ride and I would like to thank everyone who was there especially the celebrities. It was great to be able to talk to the celebrities and to learn about their experiences. I also really enjoyed trying following the wheels of the Pro riders while they were attacking. It was awesome just to be there and to ride with the all of the Pros.
Two of my favorite parts of the ride both involve trying to stay on the wheels of the Pro riders. The first part was when I was trying to follow some of the attacks with my teammate Tyler. After a few attacks and counters I decided to sit in for a little while, I got on Scott Nydam’s wheel and then I watched the way he was riding and I could tell that he was going to attack soon. I stayed on his wheel and then he attacked really hard. I tried to stay on his wheel and after the initial really fast jump I got on it. I stayed on his wheel until he slowed and then we both slowed up and were caught by the main group.
My second favorite part was when I was again following attacks and breaks. I was on Tyler’s wheel when Steve Cozza attacked. He went very, very fast and I stayed on Tyler’s wheel and he was on Steve’s wheel. Steve must have gone like a mile or two at this speed. It was awesome to be going this fast on the flat behind Steve. After he slowed up Tyler pulled for a little while at a fast speed but not the same kind as Steve. Once again thank you to all of the celebrities and all of the people who made this event possible.”
Brentley Campbell
Team Swift, 14 years old

“I am thrilled to have been the winning bid on the Zabriskie Jersey! He is one of my favorites. We had a great time. Ben had never ridden more than 25 miles before, and never in a big pack, and probably never as fast. It was great to see him pushing it, which he really never does when riding with his Dad. Thanks for putting on a great event. Our whole family enjoyed it and our family and friends are excited about their big schwag haul from the raffle. Ben's Uncle Paul, his Aunt Amy, our neighbor Tom, and our friend Donna all got prizes from the raffle. They are all cyclists of varying degrees, maybe I can convince them to come to the ride next year. The best moment to me was to see Steve Cozza playing bocce ball with all of the "little" boys at the pit stop.”
Don Libbey
Team Swift dad

“Great event and way to go! That was so much fun and a good turn out!”
Jonathan Lee
Team Swift Assistant Coach
NorCal/Specialized Racing Team

“Laura, I am so happy that Caleb decided to join Team Swift, what determination! Your next Olympiad perhaps. Laura you put on a great event, good people, food was tremendous, and the ride with Caleb was perfect for my healing back. I had a wonderful time and will make as many rides as my schedule will allow.”
K.C. Mauk

“Cycle with the Champions was one of the best experiences I had with Team Swift. I got to hang with Steven Cozza, the BMC Team and my teammates. It was great to hear Steven was back to 100% from his concussion. Nathan grew side burns and told us of his racing in China. Brentley sprouted even more and Coach Laura was being her normal high energy self.
Before the ride I met up with Christian and Ashlyn. Ashlyn had a cool U.S national champion jersey, something I hope to have someday. The BMC director was especially nice to show us through their team van. In the van there was a lot of space but with all the bikes they need I was not convinced that every team bike could fit in the van. During the ride I saw a whole bunch of Swifties that I had not met yet. (I was one of those guys last year that haven’t been seen before) By the first re-group I felt like I did a good job in the front pack. When we got to the pit stop I was toasted from trying to bridge back to the pack after getting caught on the wrong side of the road when a group of granny motorbikes came. Later in the ride I blew up.
The raffle and the food were great. (The ravioli was the best) In the raffle I got a BMC jersey, a beanie, a Mavic T-shirt and some socks. At the end of the event I had to say goodbye to Steven, Nathan, Coach Laura, and my teammates. I will look forward to the next Cycle with the Champions.”
Stanley Goto
Team Swift, 12 years old

Cycle with Champions Report by Ashlyn Gerber
" In October my mom and I flew out to California so I could do the Cycle with Champions. We Flew out the day before the ride but the long flight was well worth it!
The morning of the ride I walked out of the hotel lobby after a quick breakfast and I was ready to turn around and go right back in. It was COLD! ;-) With about 5 layers and a huge jacket I looked more like someone ready to conquer mount Everest instead of a junior going for a bike ride. But never the less I was excited and ready to go.
When we got to the ride, very early I might add, it was just the Myers, Coach Laura, and the BMC mechanic Mr. Ian. It wasn’t long before people started showing up. Once they started coming I seemed like they didn’t stop. I was amazed at how many people showed up. I don’t know if I have ever shaken so many hands, but it was great.
The ride started and I was rather lost. I was over whelmed at seeing so many team swift riders. I was enjoying talking to people and getting to know everyone. After the stop at the bridge for pictures the pace quickened and I just couldn’t resist having some fun. I bridged up to the lead group, but not before realizing that 6 weeks off the bike really takes a lot of snap out of your legs.
When we reached the re grouping point I was rather relieved. It was a chance to let my legs rest for a minute and to gulp down a Cliff Shot.
Once we started again I felt a lot better. I got to talk to Mr. Kent about traveling and Europe and got some good advice that I will definitely remember. The easier tempo was all to short. We soon started going hard again , courtesy of Ryan, Tyler, Ethan, and the BMC guys. I was soon riding in a little group that was going a more reasonable tempo. When we reached the regrouping point I was anticipating the rest stop and some cold water. I found myself split off from the front group because we got stuck while the largest group of motorized scooters I have ever seen past by separating the group. I found them slightly humorous but I suppose that is what people think when they see a huge group of cyclists ride by.
After a rest stop, more hand shaking, and tons of pictures we started again. Now I was very well rested and totally looking forward to seeing the other side of the valley we were riding around.
After another easier tempo the pace quickened again as we neared the official sprint point. I hung on for a bit before falling off and riding with Nick and Zach. We weren’t far from the school but after getting lost once I was glad to be back.
The post ride food was great. I don’t think pasta has ever tasted so good to me! It was awesome to meet the celebrities and I was very honored to be considered one.
I want to thank Coach Laura for working so hard to make this an amazing event, and for letting me ride on one of her bikes so I wouldn’t have to fuss with putting mine in a bike box and lugging it out. Also a special thanks to Mr. Ian for making the bike run so well for me and getting it all set up and adjusted. Also a thanks to the pro riders for coming out and supporting us, and then to all the sponsors and reps that came out and showing their support. Also who can forget a big thanks to all the parents who get up super early in the morning to support us and so we can get out and ride.
I hope to get back out to California and race/ride with the team again soon!"
Ashlyn Gerber
14 years old

Cheese Factory--Marshall Ride

2007-11-20T10:09:00.001-08:00

Thanks to Coach Laura and Scott Nydam for the great ride Saturday. And also to parents Eric and Dane for helping out.

Team Swift Wins "Argyle Jersey"

2007-11-15T19:47:00.000-08:00

From CyclingNews.com (11/15/07):

Slipstream supports youth teams

Slipstream sports announced today the recipients of their youth grant awards for "Causing the Slipstream". The Fulton Flyers Cycling Club of Atlanta, Georgia and the Major Motion Development team from Los Angeles, California were named as 'Yellow Jersey' recipients of financial support to support their outstanding youth cycling programs.

Each organization will receive a $5,000 development fund, a spot at a team training camp for the top rated rider, Felt bikes for the most outstanding junior, discounts from industry sponsors including Felt, Giro and Pearl Izumi, access to private online coaching from renowned sports physiologist, Allen Lim, PhD, and access to a private online forum with select Team Slipstream/Chipotle riders.

The winners were chosen based on their past history of athlete development, need for financial support, and proposed implementation of sponsorship funds.

"Slipstream Sports has an opportunity and an obligation to help the next generation of American cycling champions achieve their dreams," said CEO/President Jonathan Vaughters. "We're thrilled to be able to help these outstanding organizations and we look forward to helping them grow and prosper."

Four other clubs were awarded at the 'Argyle Jersey' level, each receiving $2,500 development fund: Mesa Cycles Racing Team, St Louis, Missouri, Rad Racing Northwest, Olympia, Washington, Motivated Over Bicycling (M.O.B.), Fishers, Indiana, and Team Swift Junior Development, San Francisco, California. Argyle Jersey recipients will also each receive a Felt bike for the most outstanding junior and access to a private online forum with select Team Slipstream/Chipotle riders.

Nineteen other youth cycling programs will receive the Polka-Dot KOM development fund and will be listed on www.slipstreamsports.com.

Team Ride this Saturday

2007-11-14T19:00:00.000-08:00

All Team Ride: November 17, 2007

10 am at the Cheese Factory in Petaluma
Ride Leaders: Coach Laura, Jonathan Lee, and Eddy MacLeod along with other Team Swift Alumni members. Parents are invited to join the ride and must abide by the Team Swift Ride Rules.
Skill Level: All levels invited. Riders under 12 years old should have a riding parent in attendance.
Rides will range between 1-3 hours depending on your level.
Heavy nain will cancel the ride, but not if it is just light rain.

The All-Team Ride is a chance for all levels of riders to learn cycling skills and start a ride together. Team Swift alumni members and rider assistants are also often on these rides, which gives upcoming riders a chance to learn from their experience. Parents and supporters of Team Swift are welcome to join as well. We will start together and then break into different groups depending on skill level. There will be a coach and/or parent with each group. The ride will be from approximately 1.5-3.5 hours depending on skill level and age.

Start Location:
Rouge Et Noir Cheese Factory
(707) 762-6001
7500 Red Hill Rd
Petaluma, CA 94952

Start Time: 10am
Parking: In back lot at the Cheese Factory

Team Swift Contact:
Laura Charameda: teamswift@aol.com
P.O. Box 103
Fulton, CA 95439

Phone:
(707) 579-5325
(707) 843-9056

Cycle with Champions this Sunday

2007-10-25T15:58:00.001-07:00

Team Swift & BMC Cycle with Champions
October 28, 2007

Start/Finish Location: Sonoma Country Day School in Santa Rosa
Event & Auction Detail: www.teamswift.org/events
Registration: Sign up is open at 8:30AM and pre-registration is not required.
Bring your 2007 USAC License if you have one.

Directions:
Sonoma Country Day School
4400 Day School Place
Santa Rosa, CA 95403

Sonoma Country Day School is just north of Santa Rosa. You can find us from U.S. route 101 by following these directions:
Take the Airport Boulevard exit and head west.
Turn right at the first traffic light onto Aviation Boulevard.
Follow Aviation Boulevard for approximately ½ a mile.
SCDS is located on your right. Look for our colorful and distinctive entrance sign at the corner of Aviation and Day School Place.

Weather Forecast: Perfect!!!

High: 79 °F RealFeel®: 75 °F
Partly sunny and pleasant

It can be cool to start the ride so bring cool riding weather gear to begin. The afternoon temperatures should be pleasant although we always recommend bringing a jacket and perhaps your own fold out chair.

Cycle with Champions Celebrity List

Scott Nydam
Team: BMC Pro Racing Team
6th Place, 2007 Overall GC, Tour of Georgia
1st Place, 2007 Giro of Friuli Team Time Trial--*First TTT win by an all-American team in Europe
1st Place, 2006 & 2007 King of the Mountain Leader, Cascade Cycling Classic

Steven Cozza
Team: Slipstream/Chipotle
1st Place, 2005 USA National Time Trial Championships, U23/Espoir
1st Place, 2007 Best Young Rider at the Tour of Missouri
1st Place, 2007 Vuelta a Chihuahua, Stage 6

Mike Sayers
Team: BMC Pro Racing Team
2 Time World's Team Member
9 Time Team NRC Champion
1st Place, 2007 Tour de Nez Reno Criterium

Nathan Miller
Team: BMC Pro Racing Team
1st Place, Overall GC Tobago International Cycling Classic—U23
4th Place, 2006 Tour of Utah—Stage 4
5th Place, Vuelta Sonora—Stage 1
1st Place, Giro of San Francisco

Ian Sherburne
Team: BMC Head Mechanic
4 years US National Team
1996 Olympic Team
9 Time World Championships
6 Years Saturn Cycling Team
Team: BMC Pro Racing Team

Ashlyn Gerber
Team: Team Swift Junior Development
1st Place, 2007 US Junior National Championship Criterium
1st Place, 2007 US Junior National Championship Road Race
2nd Place, 2007 US Junior National Championship Time Trial

Team Swift members need to be in full team uniform and have your team T-shirts/polo shirts for after the ride. Clothing will also be available at the event. If you have a photograph or something you would like the celebrities to sign they will be doing autographs in the afternoon.

Cycle with Champions Auction Items

2007-10-16T13:47:00.000-07:00

Silent Auction Details

To View Auction photo's go to: http://teamswift.org/gallery/gallery/26/
Each item has a minimum bid listed and bids must be at least one dollar over this amount. To place a bid on any item, please send an email to info@teamswift.org with "Auction Bid" in the subject line and your bid amount in the body of the email. The auction will end on May 28. Winners will be determined on May 28, based upon the highest bid received on each item. Winners will be notified via reply email from their original bid email. Items can be shipped, however, the winner will pay shipping and will be notified of the shipping price in the notification email. You may bid on as many items as you like.

Amgen Tour of California “hot lap” in the BMC #1 Team Car:
Minimum bid: $750
A "hot lap" in the front seat of the BMC #1 team car during a circuit race or time trial stage of the 2008 Amgen Tour of California. Join the team director and team mechanic in the caravan of a circuit race, or behind a specific rider in a time trial. Successful raffle winner can arrange individually with the BMC team director to select a stage that best suits the raffle winner's location and schedule. (2 available). Estimated value: Priceless. To bid on this item send email to teamswift@aol.com with "Auction Bid" in the subject line.

Specialized Complete Bicycle: 2008 Roubaix Compact
Minimum bid: $1,200
The winner of this bicycle will receive a gift certificate to order the size from their local dealer. The MSRP is $1600. The long road didn't get shorter, just less painful. The Roubaix changed the paradigm of road bikes; no longer does high performance mean high sacrifice. From the most grueling of races in northern France (the infamous Paris-Roubaix) to spirited pleasure rides in Santa Monica, our Roubaix makes choosing between going fast and going long a thing of the past. To bid on this item send email to teamswift@aol.com with "Auction Bid" in the subject line.

Sidi shoes signed by Two-Time World Champion Paolo Bettini
Minimum bid: $500
Paolo Bettini recently won the first back-to-back World road race titles in 15 years These Sidi shoes were made for Paolo Bettini after he won a gold medal at the Olympics in Athens. The shoes are size 40. To bid on this item send email to teamswift@aol.com with "Auction Bid" in the subject line.

Marmot Women's Gravity Jacket
Minimum Bid: $100
Sturdy never looked so stylish: a popular, wear-everywhere softshell jacket that holds up to all forms of abuse. Color: Black, Size: Medium. To bid on this item send email to teamswift@aol.com with "Auction Bid" in the subject line.

Marmot Men's Sharp Point Jacket
Minimum Bid: $150
The Sharp Point is the Gore Windstopper® Softshell that defined the category. Professionals and dedicated enthusiasts choose it year after year for its impeccable fit, durability and functionality. Color: Grey, Size: Medium. To bid on this item send email to teamswift@aol.com with "Auction Bid" in the subject line.

Squadra Clothing Kit
Minimum bid: $150
Includes jersey, jacket and shorts. Estimated value $400 To bid on this item send email to info@teamswift.org with "Auction Bid" in the subject line.

Greg Lemond Signed Jersey
Minimum bid: $200
Greg LeMond, was the first American to win the Tour de France... three times! Throughout his racing career and beyond, Greg was at the forefront of cycling innovations, from superlight frames, clipless pedals, aero-bars through to carbon fiber forks. Under his leadership, LeMond Fitness is continuing Greg's passion for developing exciting new products that help individuals achieve their fitness goals and train more effectively. We also believe in giving back ... supporting young cyclists, helping athletes train, and working with kids to instill a lifelong appreciation of the power of being fit. To bid on this item send email to teamswift@aol.com with "Auction Bid" in the subject line.

David Zabriskie signed CSC jersey
Minimum bid: $200
Dave Zabriskie's Palmares:
1st, Stage 3, Dauphine Libere 2006
1st, Prologue, Dauphine Libere 2006
6th GC, Tour of Georgia
2nd GC, Tour of California
Stage win in Tour de France 2005
Stage win in Giro d’Italia 2005
Stage win in Vuelta a España 2004
5th in the World Championships, ITT 2004
5th and Best Young Rider in 4 Jours de Dunkerque 2003
Professional since 2001

Kris Holm Freeride video

2007-10-15T20:03:00.001-07:00

Who needs two wheels anyway?

Tour of Marin this Sunday

2007-10-15T19:49:00.000-07:00

Tour of Marin Half-Century
October 21st, 2007

NOTE: If you want to attend the Tour of Marin half century you need to register and pay at the Tour of Marin website. Or you can join the Team Swift All Team Ride at no cost which starts at 9AM and will finish at approximately the same time as the Tour. All Team Swift members are invited to attend a free catered lunch and to meet the celebrities.

Team Swift All Team Ride
Sunday, October 21st, 2007—Marin County
Start/Parking: At Paradise Foods Grocery Store
5627 Paradise Drive, Corte Madera

Ride Time: 9:00AM-11:30AM
Ride Plan: The Paradise Loop
Ride Leader: Julia Violich from Paradigm Cycles

Ride Details
8:15AM-9:00AM: Arrival. Sign in and Prepare bikes for a 2+ hour ride.
9:00AM-11:30AM: All riders will start together then split into different groups determined by riding ability.
1:00PM-2:00PM: Ride groups return*

*After the ride Team Swift members and their parents are welcome to have lunch at the Marin Country Day School and to meet some of the Pro’s finishing the Tour of Marin.

Skill Level: All levels invited. Riders under 12 years old should have a riding parent in attendance.Rides will range between 1-3 hours depending on your level.

DIRECTIONS:
From the South: Travel north on 101 across the Golden Gate Bridge approx. 9 miles. Take the Paradise Drive exit. Then proceed along Paradise Drive 1 mile to Paradise Foods on the right.
From the North: Travel south on 101, exit at Paradise Drive and cross over the freeway going east on Paradise. Proceed along Paradise Drive 1 mile to Paradise Foods on the right.

Coach & Parent Contacts: Julia Violich & Scott Nygaard
Julia Violich: (415) 308-1589
Scott Nygaard (Josef’s dad): (415) 722-5805, scottnyg@sbcglobal.net

Coach Laura will be at the Marin Country Day School to meet all the riders after the All Team Ride at the Tour of Marin. (After 11am). Come on down to the school after the ride for lunch and to meet some of the celebrities at the Tour of Marin.

BikeCal.com Article

2007-10-10T09:10:00.000-07:00

Here's a nice article on Laura and Team Swift on BikeCal.com.

Cycle with Champions

2007-10-09T18:28:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to send in your pre-registration entry form for this year's Cycle with Champions, Oct. 28. Pre-registration entries are due Monday, Oct. 15.

Swiftie Cyclocrossers on CyclingNews

2007-10-09T12:17:00.000-07:00

It's not off-season for some Swifties, as these photos of Ryan Grant and Christian Villasana on CyclingNews prove.

Check Out This Mt. Bike Video

2007-10-09T09:54:00.000-07:00

I'm holding the camera--not!
--Laura

Challenge Road Race

2007-10-08T16:14:00.000-07:00

Lindsay Myers
Challenge Road Race
1st Place Senior Women Category IV

Ok, so they started the 3s and 4s together. They told us we could work with each other but not any other groups. I didn't want to take off on the first hill because I had no idea how strong any of the other girls were...they were good climbers. I stayed in the front, not letting anyone pass me, but I wasn't killing myself off. I made sure to keep my breathing under control on both the climbs. I stayed in the front and eventually on the climbs we broke into about 5 of us up front. We stayed together for most of it, got stuck behind the master 45 who wouldn't let us pass. Several people told me about the course--2 climbs, flats, rollers and an uphill finish. I didn't think the rollers would be so hard. They were uphill rollers if that makes sense. The girls go so slowly on the flats...I couldn't believe it. I stayed in front, but didn't want to make any huge effort pulling. On the rollers we dropped two more girls, so there were three of us together at the end. They were both cat 3. I came in the finish before the cat 3 and 4 women, but they cat 3 had another lap, so that really doesn't count. I was probably 20 min. ahead of the second cat 4 and I got 20 bucks!! Woo hoo!! It paid for gas at least.
So I hurt on the hills..the flats felt good, really good, but the hills hurt-I guess they're supposed to. I felt good though for my first ever race.
--Lindsay Myers

Tyler Brandt
Junior 17-18 year old
11th Place Elite 3
Ethan, Ryan and I set out for Live Oak on Friday afternoon. We planned to stay at my grandparent’s home that night and drive up to Challenge the next morning. This worked out well so that we did not have to wake up extremely early for the race. We made it out there and got registered, and pinned some numbers. It was actually quite cold in the early part of the morning, but that would not last for long. We made it over to the starting line and sat there for about 30 minutes. Velo Promo is always late, but I can not blame them because they provide so many races throughout the year for us, and I really appreciate that. Velo Promo races are what racing is all about; its races for riders who just love the sport as the only prize is a T-shirt. I must say though, a Velo-promo T-shirt is considered to be quite the trophy in the bike race world.

Well the course started out on a crazy neutral descent. I got in front for the neutral descent and stuck behind the motorcycle, it’s quite amazing how much draft you can get from those. The pavement was horrible for this descent, but my trusty Specialized and I glided over most of it. We started up the first climb and I began to do some tempo near the front, I was not going very hard but it felt good to open up the legs a little since I had very little warm up. After a bit I dropped back and put in a small attack. I got pulled back in and Ethan attacked and Ryan blocked on the front. I think that we may have started our tactics too early, but it was a lot of fun to ride with a team. Along the course we went onto a very nice paved descent, and it was pretty steep. We got going about 5 2 mph so that was quite a lot of fun. I personally enjoy windy technical descent more than pure speed, but there is just something about going over 50 mph on a bike that provides a thrill. I sat in for much of the lap and then we hit the feed zone climb. This climb is tough and it is absolutely wide open so the sun was just bearing down on us. I went with an attack on the climb just so that I could sit on and be in front of the pack so that I would have a buffer zone and not get dropped because I was suffering. I made it up to the feed zone and poured water all over myself and then I felt decent through the final climb.

The second lap I just hung in and tried to conserve. We started the feed zone climb and I once again went with the attack to provide some room. The pack started to break apart chasing us down and about 20 guys made it up to the break that I was in. I started to really suffer on it though and was barely hanging on to the back of the new pack. I made it to the feed zone once again and got some much needed water. I then went up near the front for the start of the other climb. I suffered my way through the first part and barely hung on. I made it back up to the front for the steep section of the climb, but I was dropped there. I made it to the top not to far back and the pack was just humming along now along the flat section. I snapped up into my big ring and gave it all I had to get back into the group. I went straight up near the front and started the final climb there. One guy attacked right at the start, but he was chased down relatively quickly. At the 1 KM sign the pace began to heat up, and I was stuck in the second row. I wanted to move up so I could be ready to move quickly on any attacks, but with the yellow line rule and the ref on the motorbike right behind us I had no where to go. I was suffering and I made it to the 200 meter sign where there was a large attack and I was not able to respond. I suffered my way to the end and got caught by Zach Williams and Ryan at the line. I think that I should have conserved more, but I also think that on this day some 8 other guys were better than me.

Thanks for reading,
Tyler

Mt. Tam Race Reports

2007-10-05T08:23:00.000-07:00

Ryan Eastman
Mt. Tamalpais Hill Climb
Juniors 15-16
3rd place

We were all very excited for this race. It would be the last race of the season. So Tyler, Ethan and I went out the weekend before and rode the course to see where to attack and other tactics to use. The day finally came and I woke up early, so Ethan and I drove to Tyler’s and then got on our bikes and road from Fairfax up and over Mt. Tam to the start in Stinson Beach. The race started and before we would hit the climb we had to ride up Highway 1 for about 4 miles. We made that right-hand turn and we were now facing the base of the climb. It was basically a sprint from there, we were climbing at a very fast pace so there were not very many attacks, but there was a couple accelerations. I worked my way up to the front and I got there and started to ride a steady hard tempo so that nobody would want to attack. I was riding there for a long time and I noticed that the pace was getting a little hard on some others. So the road kicked up a bit and I attacked and flew u p the road. I knew this would be hard to follow, a few guys got across the gap. I created a break away of 6 guys including me and we dropped the rest of the field. I was super happy my chances of winning just increases by a lot and I was feeling good. We reached the top of the major climb that was around five, six miles of steady climbing. Now all that was left was the ridge that climbed up and then went down a bit and this repeated quite a few times. We hit the first one and it was tough and steep and the whole break made it up, we crested the top and rolled down. We gained some speed and real quick we hit the next little climbing and an attack was made, one guy chased it down and the others followed. It was difficult, we were all back together again and I don't know what happened I was finding my self drifting away from them. They got about 50 meters on me but I would not give up. They were now not getting any more distance on me. They rolled over the top and then went down and t hen a little later so did I. The next little climb was the longest and I new I could gain some ground I hit the climb and just put my head down and did not think about any thing else but each peddle stroke, didn't focus on the pain and I was riding back up to the pack. There was one small climb left before the finish and I was just hammering it. I caught the breakaway right before the little climb and Peter looked back and saw me, and I knew he was going to attack right then and sure enough he did. I just held the same pace and hammered it to the finish line and I got 3rd place. I was super happy with my result and my time 45:22.

Well this race concluded my first year racing, and it was the perfect race to do so. I am looking forward to getting a bit of rest in and I am especially looking forward to next season and where it will take me.

Ryan Eastman

Tyler Brandt
Mount Tam Hill Climb
4th Place Junior 17-18

The day started out good and ended well, but the middle involved some dead legs. I got up early and Ryan and Ethan drove over to my house and we went for a warm up over Tam. I could already tell that my legs were not feeling good, but you definitely do not want to admit that to yourself before a race. I just kept rolling along hoping that they would come around before the race. We got down to Stinson a bit slower than we would have hoped and that meant for a little bit of a rush of getting pre-race duties done. I made it to the line with plenty of time, but I couldn’t find Ryan or Ethan, but they both made it there on time and we were off. Ryan, Ethan and I had ridden the course the week before and we were all excited and prepared. There had not been many tough competitors pre-registered so we had thought about doing a tough pace along the flats in order to get a really good time. However, quite a few other strong riders had showed up so we decided to just sit in on the flats and take it easy. It was a good steady pace around 22 mph, I would have liked for them to go faster, but I wasn’t going to go on the front and waste myself, especially considering how my legs felt. We got near the hill and I made my way towards the front and started the hill up there. I soon realized that it was indeed true that my legs felt terrible and I was dying to hold onto the last wheel of the shattered front group. After a few miles of the climb I lost all contact and was left to fight it on my own. My legs felt horrible, but I just kept telling myself "Keep Fightin...keep fightin..." I was caught by Danimal (Daniel Tisdell) and I hung onto his wheel for a while. I was hoping that I could find my legs and catch some riders that would blow up from the front group. That did not happen and I gave it my all to the finish, but was definitely not happy about my result. I was more than 2 minutes slower than my time of last year! I was thoroughly disappointed, but I had a lot of fun descending down Panoramic back to Stinson. Ryan, Ethan, and I plus my father and his friend Jeff rode out in the general area of the Lighthouse. On the way out towards Pt. Reyes I was suffering horribly, but I eventually found some decent legs. Ryan and I raced up a couple hill with one leg and we made our way back to my house. We were even able to drill it for the last 8 miles and we made it back with 100 miles under our belts for the day.
-Tyler

Tyler Brandt's Blog

2007-10-04T09:18:00.000-07:00

Check out Swiftie Tyler Brandt's new Blog--lots of great photos and race reports.

Coach Laura on the Web

2007-10-03T15:37:00.000-07:00

Here's a great website about Laura Charameda's racing career, complete with cool photos and her palmares, which include many, many wins.

Cycle with Champions

2007-09-23T14:27:00.000-07:00

Cycle With Champions

Sunday, October 28, 2007
8:30 am – 5:00 pm
Sonoma Country Day School
4400 Day School Place
Santa Rosa, California

Support the Team Swift Junior Cycling Development Program and join us for a beautiful 30 mile or 50 mile ride through Sonoma Wine Country with Scott Nydam and members of the BMC Racing Team! Scott will also be available in the afternoon for autographs and photos.

It’s a fun day for the whole family! Riders of all levels will go at their own pace along two mapped routes. For your efforts you’ll enjoy a free Commemorative T-shirt (if you Pre-Register by Oct. 15) a free cycling gift bag, prizes as well as a silent auction.

Schedule, pricing and event registration.

Steven Cozza at Tour of Missouri

2007-09-13T14:48:00.000-07:00

Ex-Swiftie Steven Cozza (now on Team Slipstream) is leading the Young Rider classification at the Tour of Missouri. Go Steve!

Infineon Series Moved to Tuesdays

2007-09-06T09:29:00.000-07:00

Tuesdays, September 4, 11, 18 and 25

Back on the Track for the Harvest Series

Autumn Cycling Series Schedule Released

Bicycling returns to the Infineon Raceway road course for four Tuesdays in September with the Infineon Raceway Twilight Race Series. For the fourth consecutive year, cyclists are invited to race on the 12-turn, 2.52-mile road course, featuring the challenging climb up to Turn 2, and the hairpin at Turn 11.

Registration opens at 5 pm
Racing starts at 6 pm
More than $1,200 in cash and prizes
$15 per race entry fee
Juniors (18 and under) and children are free with a parent/guardian signature
2007 United States Cycling Federation (USCF) license is required
One-day licenses are available for $10
Rain or shine!
Helmets required
View Race Announcement here!

All Cyclists Welcome

The Infineon Raceway Twilight Race Series is open to all cyclists, from the amateur or recreational rider to the Cat 1 rider and even professional. In addition to the unique road racing opportunity, novice riders are welcome to just come out to train or ride on the official NASCAR course (race fees still apply). Ride as many or as few laps as you want during the open session.

Ryan Eastman at SFGiro

2007-09-04T12:00:00.001-07:00

Team Swift's Ryan Eastman on the front of the Giro di San Francisco's Cat 3 race, in which he won a prime.

Tyler's Superweek Race Reports

2007-08-29T14:48:00.000-07:00

Tyler Brandt
Superweek 2007

Superweek takes place in Wisconsin, and most of the races are in or very close to Milwaukee. There are 16 days of racing for the category 3’s, but I was only going to be there for 7. I had the opportunity to race 3 road races and 4 criteriums. It is a very cool event because there is a lot of prize money and usually the fields are good sizes throughout the week. There is really no where else in the US that you can find 16 straight days of racing. I flew from Nationals over to Milwaukee where I met my father and then went down to host housing. We were able to stay at Bob and Carol Diggelman’s house. It was super cool of them because they were not even home, but they let us stay in their house. They came back on our last day and we had dinner with them and I really appreciated their generosity. My father and I also went to see Janice and Vince, they are really great people and I hope that we can see them again next year and that some Swifties can stay with them at their host house. Finally the racing:

Saturn Whitnall Park Road Race
Category 3
4th Place
I had the opportunity to do this race last year so I was familiar with the course. I warmed up and my legs felt decent. We started the race and I felt good, and I tried to initiate a couple of moves, but the field wasn’t letting anything go so I decided to sit in for a while. This course is about 2.3 miles and it has some rolling hills, and then there is a decent little climb at the finish so I felt good about the course. One man was able to stick an attack and he held on for the win. I fought hard through the last lap though and was able to move my way up to the front for the finish and 3 of us got a bit of a gap in the sprint and I was about a wheel length away from 2nd, but I am happy with my result. I was able to get a massage after the race and that definitely helped out my legs.

Proving Grounds Road Race
Category 3
2nd Place
My father and I drove out to the course and I think we went through the wrong entrance. The course is located in this area that is used to test cars and we drove by a bunch of cars that were wrecked, but we eventually made it. I could not find much room to warm up so I just took it easy until the start. We took off and my legs felt awful. The course is about 9 miles and we did 6 laps. The course has some rolling hills, but there are no hills that break the field up. I decided that in order to do well I must either get in a break or just wait until the end. Considering my legs felt awful I decided to sit in. It was a pretty hot and humid day so I ate and drank a lot and tried to find my legs. There were constant attempts for breakaways, but everything was being chased down so I was quite happy. Halfway through the last lap it seemed that I had found my legs a little so I moved up near the top 10 and found a good spot. As we hit the last couple of miles I was sitting in great position and I felt I had a good shot. Then we hit the final climb and I found myself boxed in. I started thinking "Get me out of here, give me an opening…!" I was able to push my way out a little and then halfway up the climb I moved to 2nd wheel then I attacked hard and gave it my all. I crested the hill with a gap and then there was about 500 meters of flat to the finish. At about 300 meters to go 1 man caught and passed me and I had nothing to stay with him, but I was able to hold onto 2nd. I was happy, but I couldn't help thinking that I had lost again.

Humboldt Park Criterium
Category 3
5th Place
This race was super close to our host house so I got the opportunity to sleep in and we made the short drive down to the course. I got a bit of a warm up and I saw Jason Cardillo from Eastside, this was his first race at Superweek and I was excited to have someone to work with. We lined up and were off. The course was pretty cool because it had a climb in it. We took off hard and I tried to make something happen, but nothing much was going on. Then 3 guys rolled off the front and no one bothered to chase. I tried pretty hard to make some bridge attempts, but nothing was working and I found myself wasting myself towards a lost cause. Then another 2 guys rolled off of the front and I was suffering. Then with 2 laps to go we hit the base of the hill and I was in about 5th position with about 3 guys from one team and Jason in front of me. Jason and another guy took off while the other team boxed everyone out. I was able to get around but they had a bit of a gap on me. I drilled it and got a gap on the field. Along the top section of the course I was going so hard I wanted to cry. I caught Jason and the other guy and along the last lap we caught one of the guys that had been in a break. Jason and I worked together and he let me take the sprint for 5th. I felt all right with my result, but I was a bit irritated that I had missed the early breaks.

Green Lake Criterium
Category 3
5th Place
The race was over in Green Lake and that was about 1 hour and 45 minutes from our host house. My race was not until the afternoon, but we left with plenty of time so that we would have time to get lost and still make it their all right. Little did we know that we would be getting extremely lost. The race directions led us onto the rural highway instead of the main freeway and although we were on the right track we decided to backtrack and it all ended up in me changing in the car and us getting their 10 minutes after it was supposed to start. I sprinted to the start line and luckily they had not gone off. I had to check in and I used the restroom while the referee was yelling out the race rules etc. The race started and I was sure happy to just be in it. The course was pretty fun, with a decent hill in it. My plan for today was to make the break and so I started out attacking like crazy and being in every move. I was determined to be with everything so that I would not be racing for something less than 1st. But then I cracked and moved into the pack for some R&R. Just then 3 guys just roll off of the front, there was not even a real attack, and they were gone. The course had a straight-away start/finish area that led into a downhill right hand turn. One lap I was sitting 2nd wheel and the guy in front took the turn too hot and slides out in front of me, I was able to stay up and had no problems. I actually thought that it was pretty cool how my instincts took control and when he went down it felt like everything went into slow motion. The remainder of the race I attempted to make some moves, but nothing stuck. At the beginning of the last lap I got pushed to midpack and I hit the hill there, but I was able to move up into the front on the hill and onto the front. I headed into the final corner in great position to win the field sprint, but some guy cut me off through the corner and he took it. Good thing there is a race tomorrow because I am tired of having the race roll away.

Carl Zach Cycling Classic
Category 3
2nd Place
I am happy to say that our drive to the race was uneventful, no getting lost. I pre-rode the course some, and got a bit of a warm-up. The course is interesting to say the least. There are tons of corners and the road narrows a lot. It is not a fun course to be in the pack in, but it is great for breakaways. The course was full of spectators though, and that was super cool. Well I got a bad place on the starting line and that cost me quite a bit of energy considering it took forever to move up through the pack on this course. I made it up towards the front just in time for the first prime. I went hard for it, but I got nipped at the line by about ½ a wheel, I was not a happy about that one. The race was quite uneventful until about 17 laps to go and they started giving out some primes. I followed some guys that were going for the prime and I didn’t go too hard for the prime, but they got a gap on the field and I attacked out of the prime. I went solo for a few laps and then t here was a $40 prime that I got followed by another $40 prime I got and then a $50 prime I got. I was suffering out there by myself, but I was having an absolute blast with the crowd cheering for me. The announcer was talking about me and I could even here some people that I didn’t even know yelling "Go Tyler!" Now that is cool. Then two guys bridged up to me and I was relieved to get some help and we got a good paceline going and we were working well together. Then there was a prime for us and the guys let me have it, plus all of the other primes, they just wanted to keep the break going. With about 6 laps to go another 2 guys bridged up to us and there was a $100 prime for 1st and $25 for 2nd. I went sort of hard, but I thought that they were going to give it to me, but I got beat at the line. The group continued to work well together and I had a feeling that we were going to stick it so I took a little shorter pulls to save some energy. With 2 laps to go an other guy bridged up. The six of us were going to hold it and I went into the last corner 3rd wheel. It was a long straightway that was slightly uphill and with a headwind so I thought that I was in the ideal position. I went with about 200 meters to go and I almost had it until the guy behind me pulled up a ½ wheel ahead of me for the finish. I had lost again. Well that was all right because I had made around $350 from the 7 primes that I had won.

Evanston Grand Prix
Category 3
4th Place
We got to drive to Illinois for this race, another state to mark down as raced in. The course was downtown and there were big crowds. It was going to be a cool race. The area had little to no room for warm up so I just hung out. I watched by the start/finish and there was an electric speed gun up that was telling how fast the riders were going. I thought that was pretty cool so that the spectators could see how fast the racers are actually going. The course was nice, with wide streets, except for the 2nd to last corner was quite narrow, I thought that would be dangerous, but luckily my group kept the rubber side down through it. It was not the ideal course for me, dead flat, but I felt confident. We took off nice and quick and I took it easy in the pack. There was some action off the front, but there was a big field today and everyone was chasing. I made a good counter as a break was being reeled in, but the pack wasn’t letting anything go. The race was quite uneventful and there were no primes, so there was nothing much to do but save the legs for the end. The pace was actually pretty slow as we were nearing the end, and it was getting dangerous as we were going into corners with the field about 10 riders wide. It is much safer to have the field strung out. Luckily nothing happened and the pace kicked up for the last few laps. I moved into perfect position on the last lap and I sat 4th wheel through the last corner. The last corner to the finish was quite far, about 700 meters and I started the corner in my 52-14 – junior gears. Well I was standing up sprinting and then I was spinning out and I had to sit down and try to get some draft in the sprint, junior gears are great. Well I was able to finish in 4th and I was quite happy considering the course.

Holy Hill Road Race
Category 3
10th Place
We made it out to the race and we pre-drove the finish stretch. I was quite excited as it was my birthday and I had the opportunity to do a bike race. I was also excited to see that I sat in 2nd place overall in the race. I got all ready and warmed up, but then we did not start until about an hour late due to the COM car getting a flat tire. Then we were off and the pace was quite slow. I guess everyone was not quite as excited as I was to do 70 miles. As we got into the 2nd lap with nothing happening I felt like playing with the field a bit. It is fun to know that everyone is watching you, since I was in 2nd overall, so I made a few attacks and watched as the field barreled after me. I made these attacks to see if I could open my legs up a bit because they were feeling pretty awful. The race was an 8-mile loop and it included a gravel climb and descent. It was horrible; the climb was not that bad but the descent hurt a lot. Gravel was shooting everywhere and it stung pretty badly when it hit you, especially in the face. Well my legs continued to feel pretty awful and the course was boring so I tried to find a good spot and eat and drink and hope for my legs to come around. I tried to get into some breaks, but the field was not allowing me to go anywhere. Eventually a break went and it had about 5 guys. My legs had not improved so I couldn’t do much. I sat in and waited for the end and even though I had great position for the sprint, I came up quite short in the sprint. I guess my legs need a couple days off.

Well it sure was an awesome trip. I had a ton of fun and got to experience a lot of great racing. My legs were hurting by the end though, I cannot imagine what the Tour de France must be like.
Thanks for reading,
Tyler Brandt

Stanley's Race Report: Nationals

2007-07-31T21:38:00.000-07:00

Stanley Goto
Juniors 10-12
18th Place Time Trial
16th Place Criterium
8th Place Road Race

Race #1 Time Trial
We’re screeching down the airport halls! I say were not going to make it to the gate in time, my dad says we’ll make it but it’s going to be close!! We slide into gate 86! SAFE!!! We dove into the gate right when it was boarding. That’s how my first trip to Nationals started.

The U.S National Time Trial was the first time trial I had ever done but after a day of driving on the course and watching the Tour De France 3 times with Tyler, Ethan, Ryan, and Brentley, I thought I was ready.

When I got to the race I saw about 10 guys that were pretty big. I knew those guys should get a decent place. Another thing surprised me. 2 kids had Cervelo P3 carbons. I defined them as crazy.

5…4…3…2.1 !!!!! I’m off!! First I couldn’t get in a rhythm because I had to go on the ramp but then as soon as I settled down I got passed!! In the climbing parts of the course I did fine but I lost ground on the flats. I was about ¾ through the course when another guy passed me. When I hit the line I did not want to hear how I did. I got 20:28, which put me at 18th. I was disappointed in my results but I guess that gives me something to work on.

I did work on my aero position later that day going down the alpine slides at the Seven Springs resort. : )

Race 2# Crit

Today my goal was to finish with the main field. The time trial felt like it took nothing out of my legs and I got a good night sleep so I felt 100%. When I started warming up I felt great so I expected to get a good result.

The race started at a crazy fast pace because one guy attacked with 9 laps to go. When we caught him on about the 4th lap another guy attacked but he got reeled in instantly. Then there was a crash. Zack Edwards (a friend I met a few days earlier trying out the course) got pushed off the road on turn 2 and took out the guy behind him. That slowed the back of the main field so I had to bridge to get back on the pack, which took a little out of me. On the 8th lap Curtis White attacked. The pack accelerated and I was exhausted, also the guy in front of me was fading so I got dropped. The rest of the race was grueling as I was all by myself and got passed by a couple guys. In the end I got 16th. That race also gave me something to work on. I need to have better bridging power.

That night, Tyler was crowned Team Swift ping-pong Champion. We transformed our dining room table into a ping-pong table. The net was remote controllers and water bottles. We couldn’t find something big enough for a paddle so we used coasters, and we found a ping-pong ball under the couch.

No one could beat Tyler. My Dad, Brentley, Ethan, Ryan and I tried to beat him. Even Nathan Miller tried but no one could dethrone him. We played until 12:00 then I decided that I didn’t want to mess up my sleeping schedule too much so I went to bed.

Race #3 Road Race

After pre-riding the course I knew this was my race. It was a prefect course for me as long as I had someone to go down with on the 50mph descents. After the last 13-14 girl finished it was like a pre race to get to the start/finish line. Since I was on the other side of the start/finish line that they weren’t using, I got there first and got a good starting spot.

I had a very good start. I got on the lead group and stayed with them for the 1st lap. It was a very fast pace and I didn’t want to blow myself up hanging on too long. So on the start of the second lap I dropped back to two guys that got dropped on the hill to the start/finish line. One of the guys was a shrimp like me and the other was big. So naturally us shrimps followed the bigger guy on the descents. On the descent through the entrance I hit 47mph. It ended up being a good decision because I passed Teddy Kozlowski, the last 11 year old in the lead group, who blew up trying to stay with them.

The rest of the race was extremely hard, probably the hardest I have ever pushed myself. I knew if I attacked before the last climb I’d just get caught on the descent so I waited.

On the last climb to the finish I was the first one to attack mid way up the hill. The smaller guy chased me but I dropped the bigger guy. Near the end of the climb I was setting the pace and then he attacked. I countered and if finish line were a few yards further back I would have caught him and snatched 7th place. When I was doing roll out I almost puked. That’s a sign that I did my best.

The reasons I did well:

1# I got a good start
2# I got on the lead group
3# I didn’t blow up trying to stay on the lead group

Being at nationals for my first time with my teammates and Coach Laura was awesome!!! Now that I have more experience under my belt I think I have a chance of doing really well next year.

Tyler's Race Report: Nationals

2007-07-31T17:04:00.000-07:00

Tyler Brandt
Junior 17-18 year old
National Championships

Time Trial: 44th place

At this point in my racing the time trial is the weakest part of my racing, but I feel that I am able to post a decent time, and I hope to improve my time trialing in ffered on to the line with the wind blowing my all over the place. I crossed the line with a time of 27:52 and I was a little disappointed because I was hoping for around 27:30 but I felt good with my ride nonetheless. I knew that I could not crack the leader board, but I felt that I had put in a respectable ride.

Road Race: 26th Place

I woke up bright and early for the road race. Our race started at 7:30 and I was up at 4:30 in order to get food in and it gave me plenty of time to wake up and get ready for the race that I had been training all year for. I was excited but relaxed, I knew that I would give it my all, and I felt like if I could make it without error through the first few miles and get in good position then I would do well. Getting on the start line early was almost more important than the warm up due to the 172 guys that were signed up for the race. I was able to get a decent spot in about the third row and I got a great start and was able to move up into the top 10 and find a good place to sit and relax. I felt good and then at about mile 3 I looked to my right as a Rock & Republic rider came screaming by me and in to the gravel off the road. I saw him go over the guard rail out of the corner of my eye, but I did not realize what was going on behind me. I did not even think about the consequences of going 50 mph and going over a guard rail. I did not realize that about 50 other guys had also gone down. My race was ahead and that’s where I was headed.

We did four laps out on a 10 mile circuit then returned to the start/finish area. There was one super steep climb that was about half a mile long and that was the only part of the course that I felt could be decisive until we got off of the circuit and up the finishing climb. I was able to find the sweet spot of the field and I just sat there trying to conserve my energy. I was suffering up the steep climb, but no one was drilling it up the climb so I was able to gut it out each time. The first few laps there was a dense fog that we could barely see through. I was sure happy that I had pre-rode and drove the course as I knew each corner and climb and was able to shift before each. Two guys had broken away on the first lap, a Hot Tubes rider, Ben King, who had won the Time trial and a Colavita rider. On the second lap we caught the Colavita rider and Ben King was going solo. No team was chasing too hard though and the gap was slowly increasing.

We started the final climb about 8 minutes back of the leader and the strong guys started to drill the pace. I was able to stay over the first few climbs but as we hit the long climb I was not able to hold on all the way. As I started to fall off the pace, Micah Herman of the AMD team came up behind me and gave me a little push and told me to follow him, and I tried but I just could not hold on. I suffered up to the Condo’s where Ethan caught me and he took a hard pull in our chase group of about 5 riders. Through this section my legs quads began to cramp and it seemed that they were pulling against me, it was ridiculous how painful it was. We started the final climb up to the resort and the finish and I was hurting. I tried massaging the cramp out but that did little. I just concentrated on getting through each stroke and was able to make my way to the line without too many riders catching me. I felt good with my ride, a little disappointed, but I knew that I could hang with the top guys, and if I had good legs I know that I could have gotten top 10.

Criterium: 25th Place

My race was not until 4 in the afternoon so we had plenty of time to get ready for the race and get some packing done since we were leaving early the next morning. At 12 there was a huge thunder storm and that was interesting, so we decided that we were probably going to race in the rain. We got down to the course about 2:30 and I got to look at the course and get good and ready. I was excited with the course, the finish was only 200 meters from the final corner so the sprint would be determined mostly on positioning, and if it was wet then I could have a lot better chance since I am not a great sprinter. There was also a slight uphill after the first turn and it was all around a course that I felt good about. As I was warming up it started to sprinkle, then it began dumping and thunder storms, and I was excited. I always enjoy racing the rain, it feels epic with the water shooting all over your face and you’re soaking wet.

I was able to get another good place on the starting line and I got off to a good start and even got in a little attack at the beginning and was in a break for a lap. I then took it easy and got into the sweet spot of the pack. I am not sure when, but a break went and it started to pull away. I went with a couple moves to bridge up, but each time the pack chased hard. Then as the break started to get seriously dangerous I gave it my all and took off and was able to get within 2 seconds of the pack, but then no one would pull through and drive the nail in. And then my race was done. I continued to attempt to bridge, but I got no where and I rolled into the finish disappointed that I did not make the break.

I felt good with my experience at nationals, and I feel that I was able to develop a great deal over the past year. Nationals is always a great place to test yourself against hundreds of riders your same age, and I was able to see that I am heading in the right direction, and that I am able to race with the best of them. I had a great time with the team and we had a lot of fun hanging out and watching the Tour. Thanks to all of our sponsors for giving juniors the opportunities to compete around the world. I am off to Superweek in Milwaukee and I plan on some podiums next year and maybe even a jersey,
Thanks for reading,
Tyler Brandt

Ryan's Race Report: Nationals

2007-07-31T16:53:00.000-07:00

Ryan Eastman
15-16 year old
Junior National Championship Time Trial

I was expecting it to be hot and humid in Pennsylvania but when we got there it was actually pretty nice. I had one day to get ready before the first day of racing, the time trial, so we went out to ride the road race course. So the day finally came on Friday the 13th, the day of the time trial. It was a 20k race back and forth on the freeway; my start time was around 10:30. The weather was nice but a little cloudy. I was warming up on the trainer looking around and I guess I was a little bit nervous about my first nationals and how it was going to play out, but I was so excited to be there. I got up on the start ramp and the clock started to count down from ten, I was so anxious to just get out on the road, and then there was the beep and I was off. I sprinted off the start ramp and then got into my aero bars and I was off pedaling at a high cadence down the freeway. The course was a little weird because it went off the off ramp and swished back to go down the on ramp. I pedaled my way though that and got on to the straight out and back part of the course. Now this was my first time trial so I wasn't sure exactly what to do. I guess go as hard as you can until the finish line.

I was riding my way out to the first turn around and I was feeling pretty good. When I got to the turn around I was a little confused. It looked like the cones were going in ten different directions. I went around the corner and sprinted out of it. On the way back there was a head wind that didn't feel so good but I pushed my way through it to get to the next turn around. By this time I was a little tired but at least I had a tail wind. I started to feel better and I picked it up a bit. I looked on the other rider’s faces and it looked like it was wearing on them also. I went through the last turn around to face the last 5k. I was riding and I was having such a good time. This was awesome, with about 2k to go a guy passed me and I used him to pace me. With 1k to go it was a slow drag up to the finish and with 100 meters to go I sprinted as hard as I could, coming in with a time of 30min. 46sec. In the end I got 69th with 92 guys in my field.

Junior National Championship Road Race
26th place

This was the race that I was looking forward to the most out of the three, because it was the longest, there was climbing and it was 48 miles. The day started out with some pretty heavy fog but by the time my group went off it was clear and sunny. My race was delayed about and hour and a half due to the massive crash in the 17-18 race. So they decided to neutralize our start. The start was on top off a ski resort so we descended down a ways before they gave us the go ahead to start to race. Now we had three laps to do and then we would climb back up to the finish on top of the resort. It didn't start out as fast as I thought it would but then it slowly started to kick up. It was weird racing in this big of a pack. I'm used to racing with around 25 juniors but in my race there were 92 guys. It was definitely cool though.

We got to this steep little pitch in the road where I thought it would brake up a bit, but it didn't. We flew through the little rolling hills of Pennsylvania until we reached the climb on the course. It was probably about a kilometer or so but it was pretty steep. I knew for sure that it would brake up a lot here. I made the left hand turn and then drilled it up the climb. Quickly one by one people were dropped off the back. I stayed with the pack. Once we reached the flats there were a few attacks, none got away. I made another left hand turn and went across some big rollers and descended down to conclude the first lap. We went around and reached the climb once again, about half way up I let a gap go and they slowly started to ride away. For some reason I wasn't feeling good on the climbs and that's where I should feel the best. I crested the top of the climb and felt horrible.

A small group formed with me and we started a pace line and that lead pack seemed to be getting closer and closer until I was finally in it. Now I was really tired, luckily there was a short decent coming so I could recover. Thankfully I did and was feeling better. Now we were on our final lap, there were around 4 or 5 attacks but everyone else chased them down. Once I reached the climb my plan was to set a steady tempo up the climb and save a final burst for the top of the climb. I did exactly this and it worked to perfection but I was about 15 meters away from the back of the peloton. I got to the top and they just slipped away from me. I was a little disappointed because I just wasn't climbing the way I always do. I got in a group with about 10 other guys and we worked together in a pace line and I started to just have a really good time. I was feeling better and better.

The group and I reached the climb that would bring us to the top of the resort to the finish and I started to lift the pace. Me and another guy rode away from the small pack and then in the distance I saw Edan (who is a strong rider on Davis Bike Club) so I knew that he and I could work together and make this gap that I had bigger. So I lifted the pace and dropped the other guy bridging my way up to him. He was with a couple of other riders as well, and once I reached him we took off working together extending the gap. We rode hard and strong and man I was having a great time, I also was climbing a lot stronger. We got to the 200 meter sign and then we started to sprint the final kick up to the finish. He crossed the climb around a wheel ahead of me. I had nothing left. That was an awesome race it was so fun, and I got 26th out of 92 guys so I improved a lot from the time trial.

Junior National Championship Criterium
33rd Place

I finally got to sleep in because my race wasn't until 3:30pm, but unfortunately it stated to rain in the afternoon. When I was driving to the race it really started to come down hard. I road over to the tent in the pouring rain and thankfully it stopped and by the time that my race started the course was basically all dry. We were all at the start bunched up to fight for a good position. We started to feel little water drops, but the race started off with a sprint as usual. I didn't have the best position around a third of the way back. It was hard to move up because I would get the accordion affect and once I would get back up to pace, the field would spread across the road. I slowly moved up a bit but it was tough. We got deeper and deeper into the race and it got wetter and wetter, but I was having a good time.

The race whittled down to a smaller group due to the riders that got dropped and then pulled. The race was getting toward the end and I knew that I needed to get up the re but for some reason I couldn't. Now the race was around 3 laps to go and it just started to pour really hard. It was raining so hard the rain drops hurt a bit when they hit you. I actually thought it was really cool. Obviously some other's didn't and they started to slow down leaving these gaps that I was left to bridge. I was feeling awesome so I did just that, it was raining so hard that when I had my mouth open it would fill completely up with water every 20 sec. It finally got to be too much so now I was about 6th wheel back just behind the pack and we flew through the last corner to the finishing straight. I didn't feel like sprinting, then suddenly I did, and I just gave it everything I had and I passed around 5 or 6 guys coming in 33rd place. I was very happy. I road up to the tent to Laura dripping wet and said, "Man that was the Best Race ever." I just had a really good time.

Over all, Nationals was one of the best experiences I have ever had. The big accomplishment for me was just going to Nationals since it was my first season racing. I had to race so hard to get those upgrade points so I was able to go, and I am so glad I did. I am really looking forward to next year because I will be one year older, stronger, and more experienced. Great job Team Swift!

Ryan Eastman

Brentley's Race Report: Nationals

2007-07-31T15:04:00.000-07:00

Brentley Campbell
Junior 13-14 year old

25th Place Time Trial
27th Place Criterium
32nd Place Road Race

The USA Cycling National Championships where held in or near Seven Springs, Pennsylvania for 2007. The Team rented a condo located in the Hidden Valley Resort just outside Seven Springs. My dad and I flew into Pittsburg, PA, about an hour or two away from Seven Springs. After flying from San Francisco, my dad rented a car and we drove to Hidden Valley. The Team condo was not ready and the Gerber family offered to let us stay at their condo for the night. We accepted gratefully and we stayed the night. The next morning we got the keys for the Team condo and shortly after the Goto family arrived. Sometime that afternoon Ethan, Tyler and Ethan’s Mom Sarah arrived. The only person not there was Ryan and he came with his dad Bill later that night.

After a day or two the Time Trial start times were posted and I was to start my first TT sixth to last out of about sixty or seventy Men’s 13-14 riders. The morning of the TT I got on the trainer and warmed up then went to roll-out, passed and then went to the start ramp. The riders were going out every 30 seconds and soon I was on the ramp. With one second before my start the man holding me let go and because of that I got a bad start. It only cost me three to five seconds but that was two or three places.

Then I started going pretty hard and glanced at my speedometer and I was going 35 or 36 MPH on a slight downhill. At the first 180 degree turn I took it two slow; one reason may be because I crashed the night before while practicing my 180 turns. I was turning and my front wheel went into a storm drain. I got some road rash on my elbow but nothing to serious. Back to the TT, as I went through the half-way turnaround my legs were already toast. I was caught by the guy who started 30 seconds behind me and then finished with a time of 17 minutes and 14 seconds. It was an okay performance as it was my first TT and I was reasonably satisfied. Later in the day Ashlyn got second in the Women’s 13-14.

On the morning of the crit I had to wake up earlier than Ethan, Tyler and Ryan which was difficult as we all were in the same room sleeping on bunk beds that made LOTS of noise when you would move. After I warmed up the race began and I was at the back of the pack with 60 guys in front of me. I stayed with the peloton for a while than I almost got dropped but my friend Andrew Lanier helped pull me back up. I moved back to the front but with two laps to go I was bumping bars in the middle of the peloton. I got on the wrong wheel and within 30 seconds I was in the back of the main field which was about 30 riders strong. I could not move up and ended up beating Amir Merali who got third at Track Nationals. After my race Ashlyn won her race and Ryan raced in the pouring rain and had a lot of fun.

Later that afternoon we watched Nathan Miller race the U23 crit and then my dad and I had dinner with him. Nathan then spent the night at the Team condo and got a ride to the airport with Ryan and his dad Bill the next morning. Nathan is an awesome guy who has a large future of pro racing ahead of him, I am very glad we got to talk about racing and his experiences as a pro on BMC Racing Team.

The Road Race, the final event started similar to the crit with me in the back. After we started I had to pass a bunch of riders to get to the peloton. I was with the peloton on the first descent and then got dropped on the next climb. I tried to get back to the pack but never made it. At one point I caught up to my friend Joe Christiansen. He soon dropped me and on the final climb I went 110 percent. My eyes were only half open and my mouth was wide open getting as much oxygen as I could. I passed two guys in the sprint and then got off my bike and I got into the roll-out line and fell over my bike having no energy left. One of the officials asked if I was alright and I said yes and resumed my position over my bike.

After roll-out I gave my dad my bike and I rested on a rock. I drank some water but I could not keep all the water in my mouth as I was so spent. Eventually after eating lots and lots of Pasta and drinking lots of water and Gatorade I recovered and watched Ashlyn race and she won with a great performance. Stanley Goto raced the boys’ 10-12 year old race and got 8th place which is a very good result.

Overall it was an outstanding week and even though I did not win it does not mean I can not win the tour some day. Max Testa said that at my age I should just have fun racing and as I get older I should get more technical. It was a great experience and I hope to go to Nationals again in the future

Race Smart,
Brentley

Ashlyn's Race Report: Nationals

2007-07-31T10:20:00.000-07:00

Ashlyn Gerber
Junior Girls 13-14 year old

1st Place National Criterium Championships
1st Place National Road Race Championships
2nd Place National Time Trial Championships

This year I went into nationals very excited. I felt like I had a good chance and was ready to go out and leave it all on the road.

My first race was the time trail on Friday 13. When I saw the date I was like “oh great Friday the 13!” I was nervous about the TT but I felt confident and was ready to take on the challenge. I got lucky and got a really good start time. I got to start second to last. I had all of the big names in front of me. I got a good warm up and a pep talk from Coach Laura. I passed roll out and was waiting in line at the start ramp.

Finally I was off. I had a good start and felt great. I had some trouble on the weird thumb shaped turn that they added to the course. Luckily I only lost a couple seconds. I had quickly caught my 30-second rider and felt like I was flying. I could see my 1-minute girl and just before the turn around. I had to sprint to pass her because I didn’t want to get slowed up in the turn. I had seen all my competition going the other way and they all were turning themselves inside out. They all looked very fast. I made it to the final little descent before the finishing hill and I was hammering to the line. The final hill was a lot harder than it looked. I felt like a slug! ;-) I crossed the line and heard my name announced in second. I was hoping to win it but I consoled with the fact that there were 2 more races.

The next day I didn’t have a race. They had the younger juniors racing every other day so I just sat around the house and relaxed. That night we had a fun team dinner at the team swift condo. I got to meet former swift riders Nathan Miller and Steve Cozza along with a couple Advil Chapstick riders. It was a blast.

Next on the calendar was the Criterium. I was excited. I have been racing against these girls since 2004 at my first nationals. I knew how well each one could ride. I was excited to see the outcome of the race. Before my start Coach Laura gave me the race plan. Last year I threw my race away. I attacked too much and could have won it. This year the plan was to sit in and wait for the sprint. Coach Laura knew that the race winner was the first one out of the final corner. She greatly stressed that I be the first one out of the last turn of the final lap. With a great plan and good legs I was ready to go.

The race started off at a very easy pace. Everyone was watching the winner of the time trial, Jillian Gardner. She attacked while we passed the finish at the start of the second lap. Everyone jumped and followed her wheel. Once she stopped hammering, the group, which had strung out, came back together. Many attacks went throughout the race. Most were made by Jillian. I did a couple fake attacks that got the speed up but for the most part I was enjoying sitting in the group.

When we came around with 2 laps to go I started to mentally prepare for the final lap. I knew that the winner of the race would be the first one out of the last corner and I wanted to be that person. When we came around on our final lap the pace picked up. The field was spread out. On the backside of the course there was a small hill. From the top of the hill to the line, it was about half a mile, it was all downhill. Going up the hill I was boxed in the middle of the field. Luckily a gap formed between the rider on my left and the rider in front of her and I was able to get out. I went hard and got to the front. They happily let me take the lead. I hammered to the corner. I came in full speed and sprinted out of the corner. It was one of the longest 200 meters of my life. I was able to hold off the rider in second. I had won the 2007 National Criterium Title!

The next day I had off from racing. I rode in the morning and that night my family and I had dinner with the Campbell’s and the Goto’s. Other than that I spent the day resting and being lazy ;-).

When the road race came I felt really relaxed. I wasn’t too nervous and was just excited to get out there and race. Before I started to warm up I got a race plan from Coach. I am not the best climber so I had to play it smart if I wanted to win. My plan was to spend as little energy as possible. I had to stay in the front group but try and save energy for the sprint.

The 13-14 men race was right before mine. I watched Brentley and was all pumped up for my own race. I got off the trainer and had about 10 minutes. I was going up past the start line to check out my gears and my dad took my bike. We had to park in gravel so I started to walk up with coach. Coach Laura stopped me and told me to get on her back because I would ruin my cleats. She carried me to my bike and the paved road. It’s nice to have a strong coach… ;-)

I got to the line and I had butterflies in my stomach. I knew that once the race started they would be gone. At the sound of the gun we were off. Jillian attacked right from the get go. We had to start uphill so she took off like a rocket. I hopped on her wheel and was tagging along for the ride. We crested the first hill and we were in a break of 5 riders. It didn’t stay that way for long though. The field had caught us on the descent. The group was about 10 riders strong. All the big names were there and it looked like it was going to be a hard day in the hills.

We rounded the first turn and started the first little hill. A rider in front of me got her gears all tangled and went down. I almost hit her wheel but I managed to avoid it. Luckily no other riders went down. While I was avoiding the crash Jillian was at the front hammering. She had gotten a little gap. I saw a chance to get to the front. I took it. I sprinted out of the field and got onto her wheel. We crested the hill and she bombed the descent. We made it up the little roller and came to the big descent on our course. She once again was absolutely flying on the descent and when we reached the final uphill she hammered.

I stayed with her as she attacked on the first hill after the line. I was only hoping she would ware down a little before the sprint. She flicked her elbow and I pulled on the descent. When we reached the first corner she looked back and saw 3rd-5th place were hot on our heels. She turned to me and proposed that we work together until the last lap. I agreed. I didn’t plan on attacking so it worked for me. On the next hill, we were caught by the two chasers behind us. They were the only ones I could see so I knew I had a top 5 finish. We went flying on the descent but when we reached the hill a rider dropped her chain. She had to stop to get it back on.

We crested the first part of the hill and it leveled out before it kicked up again. Jillian attacked again and I followed her. We had a little gap on 3rd and 4th. With 2 laps to go I was starting to get nervous about the finish. I had to push the thought of the finish out of my mind and focus on getting to the line with Jillian. We stayed away from the 2 riders chasing for the 3rd lap. When we came around to the finish Jillian attacked. I followed but it was hard. She finally let up and we both looked at each other. She got behind me and all I could think about was how to get her back in front of me. As we descended the hill I was going very slow. The 2 riders behind caught and passed us. Jillian reacted and I was able to get on her wheel. We all stayed together until the final hill.

The hill had 3 steep sections. In between each steep section it leveled out a little. We went over the first part of the hill and Jillian picked up the speed. It was down to the top 3 podium spots. We rounded the final bend and had a little over 200 meters till the line. Jillian attacked hard and I followed. She sprinted up the steep part of the hill but then her speed let up slightly. I sprinted hard. I still had about 150 meters until the line. It seemed like a million miles away. I could hear Coach Laura yelling at me. I sprinted hard. I made it to the line. I was so tired I could only pump my fist. It was the most amazing feeling. I had won 2 National Championship races.

I owe my 2 wins to a lot of people. Of course to my parents, they got me there and supported me all the way. The team sponsors obviously, Specialized, Time, Shimano, and a personal deal with Rotor USA. Also I owe a big thanks to a lady named Karen Whitney. She has supported me since I was 9 years old and about 4 feet tall ;-). But I think the biggest person I have to thank is Coach Laura. She offered great strategies, that worked perfectly, and a lot of encouragement and help.

After the races the most exciting thing was to watch my teammate’s race. They all raced hard and it was a blast to see them do well. Now it is time for some much needed R & R (rest and relaxation..;-) I hope that everyone has a great off season and I hope to see the team soon.

Ride Hard!

Ashlyn

Team Swift Nationals Results

2007-07-31T10:14:00.000-07:00

Stanley Goto, 10-12
Ashlyn Gerber, 13-14
Brentley Campbell, 13-14
Ryan Eastman, 15-16
Tyler Brandt, 17-18
Ethan Weiss, 17-18

!st Place National Criterium Championships Girls 13-14 Ashlyn
1st Place National Road Race Championships Girls 13-14 Ashlyn
2nd Place National Time Trial Championships Girls 13-14 Ashlyn
8th Place National Road Race Championships Boys 10-12 Stanley
16th Place National Criterium Championships Boys 10-12 Stanley
18th Place National Time Trial Championships Boys 10-12 Stanley
25th Place National Criterium Championships Boys 17-18 Tyler
25th Place National Time Trial Championships Boys 13-14 Brentley
26th Place National Road Race Championships Boys 17-18 Tyler
26th Place National Road Race Championships Boys 15-16 Ryan
27th Place National Criterium Championships Boys 13-14 Brentley
28th Place National Time Trial Championships Boys 17-18 Ethan
29th Place National Road Race Championships Boys 17-18 Ethan
32nd Place National Road Race Championships Boys 13-14 Brentley
33rd Place National Criterium Championships Boys 15-16 Ryan
44th Place National Time Trial Championships Boys 17-18 Tyler
69th Place National Time Trial Championships Boys 15-16 Ryan

Tyler at Superweek

2007-07-23T11:54:00.001-07:00

Tyler Brandt has been tearing it up at Superweek. He's currently in second place overall in the Cat 3s, and hasn't finished lower than 5th in any of his six races!!

Evanston Northwestern Healthcare Grand Prix of Cycling
Tyler Brandt, 4th, Cat 3

Carl Zach Cycling Classic
Tyler Brandt, 2nd, Cat 3

Green Lake Criterium
Tyler Brandt, 5th, Cat 3

Midwest Airlines Humboldt Park Criterium
Tyler Brandt, 5th, Cat 3

Hammer Nutrition MGA Proving Grounds Road Race
Tyler Brandt, 2nd, Cat 3

Saturn Whitnall Park Road Race
Tyler Brandt, 4th, Cat 3

Go Tyler!

Ashlyn Gerber, National Champ

2007-07-16T16:29:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Team Swift's Ashlyn Gerber, the new 13-14 National Champion in both the Criterium and Road Race!

In the News

2007-07-09T15:07:00.000-07:00

Brentley Campbell and Josef Nygaard were mentioned in this article on the Carrera de San Rafael in Sunday's Marin Independent Journal.

Team Swift at Cougar Mt and San Rafael

2007-07-09T14:42:00.000-07:00

Team Swift had a great weekend at the Cougar Mountain Classic and the Carrera de San Rafael, placing riders on 7 podiums!!

Carerra de San Rafael
Tyler Brandt: 4th, Junior 17-18
Ryan Eastman: 3rd, Junior 15-16
Brentley Campbell: 1st, Junior 13-14
Josef Nygaard: 2nd, Junior 13-14
Christian Villasana: 2nd Junior 10-12

Cougar Mountain Classic
Tyler Brandt: 2nd, Junior 10-18 Circuit Race
Charlie Carroll: 1st, Cross Country, 18 and under
Gavin Albertoli: 2nd, Cross Country, 14 and under

Great work by all the Swifties who raced last weekend!

And good luck to Tyler, Ryan, Brentley, Ethan Weiss, Stanley Goto, and Ashlyn Gerber, who are all headed to Nationals this week!

Welcome to the Team Swift Blog

2007-07-09T14:37:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Team Swift Blog. This blog will contain news, race reports, and photos from Team Swift, the Northern-California junior cycling program coached by Laura Charameda.

Philosophy

Team Swift Junior Development is a 501(c)(3) non-profit community based youth bicycling organization. Our Mission is to develop elite bicyclists from beginners. Riders of Team Swift range between 10-18 years old. We help move them through the different stages during development as junior cyclists by bringing them many resources including equipment, coaching and technical advice. Team Swift also teaches the rules and etiquette of cycling to help create good ambassadors for our sport as well as good community members.

The Team Swift Organization was developed as a system to identify, recruit and develop cyclists from a small demographic region, give them resources and experience to move to higher levels of the sport. Since its inception, a guiding principle within Team Swift has been to contribute positively and significantly to cycling in America.

It has been a central philosophy of Team Swift that the overall success of American cycling depends upon widespread opportunities for young cyclists. The support of our local cycling community is key to helping more young people experience the benefits offered by Team Swift. We want to bring you fast, smart, swift riders to your communities and cycling clubs.

Coaching

With over 250 career victories in bicycle racing, Laura Charameda, distinguishes the Team Swift program from any other. With a resume that includes two National Criterium Championships, a bronze medal in the World Championships and a member of the U.S. National Team from 1993-1998, the credibility Laura brings to the program can't be denied. Since not many programs have national caliber coaches, Laura feels that Team Swift is an attractive opportunity not only for young riders but also for sponsors as well. Team Swift has more than benefited from the connections Laura has made throughout her career. These connections have led to such opportunities as racing both national and international events which give the team and sponsors worldwide exposure.

The Team Swift program has continued to recruit top personnel resources. A number of volunteer assistants from coaching, medical and sports doctors, professional consultants, and bicycle industry sponsors offer advice and help to our riders.

All Sport - Team Swift

All Sport - Team Swift @ Cherry Pie

2009 Junior Points Series

Team Ride with Scott Nydam, Dec. 7

2009 Schedule

Cycle with Champions, Oct. 26

Nationals U-23 and 17-18 RR

Nationals Road Race

Nationals Criterium

Junior Nationals TT

Team Ride this Sunday, July 20

Rides to Gold Nugget?

Mt. Diablo Hill Climb

Tour of Ohio, Stage 3

Nationals Lodging, etc.

Tour of Ohio, Stage 1

Nevada City Results

Gold Nugget Stage Race

Nationals Info

Canada Rd. Ride and Photo Shoot

Team Ride this Saturday, May 10

Santa Rosa Twilights

Team Swift Podiums at Cats Hill

Sea Otter Results

Grasshopper Road Race Reports

Copperopolis Results

All Team Ride, April 6

Bici Sport

Chainring and Cassette for Sale

Copperopolis

Memorial Ride for Kristy Gough and Matt Peterson

Snelling Race Reports

Norlund Crit Race Reports

Cherry Pie Race Reports

Snelling RR Results

Scott Nydam

More Swifties in Videos

BMC Rocks!

Merco Cycling Classic, March 1 and 2

Team Swift at TOC

ToC Raffle

Team Swift Tour of California Updates:

Snelling Road Race

Tour of California Stage 1

Junior Points Series

Tour of California Prologue--Any Swifties Going?

Cherry Pie

Tour of Marin Report

All-Team Ride this Saturday

Cycle with Champions Reports

Cheese Factory--Marshall Ride

Team Swift Wins "Argyle Jersey"

Team Ride this Saturday

Cycle with Champions this Sunday

Cycle with Champions Auction Items

Kris Holm Freeride video

Tour of Marin this Sunday

BikeCal.com Article

Cycle with Champions

Swiftie Cyclocrossers on CyclingNews

Check Out This Mt. Bike Video

Challenge Road Race

Mt. Tam Race Reports

Tyler Brandt's Blog

Coach Laura on the Web

Cycle with Champions

Steven Cozza at Tour of Missouri

Infineon Series Moved to Tuesdays

Ryan Eastman at SFGiro

Tyler's Superweek Race Reports

Stanley's Race Report: Nationals

Tyler's Race Report: Nationals

Ryan's Race Report: Nationals

Brentley's Race Report: Nationals

Ashlyn's Race Report: Nationals

Team Swift Nationals Results

Tyler at Superweek

Ashlyn Gerber, National Champ

In the News

Team Swift at Cougar Mt and San Rafael