Cycle with Champions Reports

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