Stanley's Race Report: Nationals

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In the News

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

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

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.