2012 Winter Camp wrap

Twelve Team Specialized Juniors travelled to Shaver Lake, CA for our five-day Winter Camp.  Joining them were generous host Dave Maddux, and masters teammates Billy Innes and Craig Roemer.  At 5000 feet we had planned for freezing weather but were instead treated to rare 60 degree weather to ride in.  Yippee! 

At our meeting point in Fresno the twelve teammates were split into teams of three and they would compete all week long on a team and individual GC competition.  Winners earned the privilege of selecting Specialized product (shorts, hats, glasses) at the end of the week.  The competition included being on time, completed paperwork, grocery shopping within budget, bottle handups from the follow vehicle, peeing off the bike, wheel touching, scavenger hunt, tug of war, plank competition, and a cycling tactics game.  Team and individual meetings filled the rest of the week (Who is Team Specialized?, Priority events, Long team athlete development; Goal setting, Training, USA Cycling Pathway, Preparedness and Professionalism, and the tactics talk as part of the cycling game.

The real teamwork came from the team rides and the cooking teams as we rotated through the kitchen preparing each of our meals, gaining a competitive edge as the week moved on and the boys tried to outdo each other.  The team rides were sag supported and filled with sunny days and lots of climbing back to the cabin.  Echelon riding all day helps teammates to get to know each other.

Thank you to the Maddux family for hosting the 2012 team camp and thank you to the team for giving it your best at our camp.

Saturday morning we split up and headed home, with the Nor Cal teammates meeting up with Freddie Rodriquez for a ride across the Golden Gate Bridge into Marin.  Then on Sunday teammates Jon Christensen, Dean Haas and Marcus Smith tested their tired legs and raced up Mount San Bruno.  Jon has shown great patience as a 14 year old riding with these two 17 year olds and did well in the 3's.  Dean had a solid ride and placed 5th in the Pro/1/2 field.  And, newly selected "Junior Team Captain" and six year teammate Marcus Smith took the teams FIRST win of 2012 by taking out the Juniors victory.

Larry Nolan

"Always thank your parents"

The Northern California Cycling Foundation (NCCF) Founders and Board of Directors help to bring together all of the goodness of Team Specialized.  On the "race course" the Junior squad does what it does best, but its' time to extend a long-overdue THANK YOU from the team to the parents for all of your help during 2011. 

Not just the road trips; mental and nutritional support before, during and after the races, but also a thanks for being such a big part of the TEAM.  Van racks and trailer fixings, help with driving, picnics at the races, air cooled and heated comforts, special meals, fun road trips, and none of that "little league parents" stuff!  You were just as big a part of the 58 Juniors wins in 2011 as they were.  Thank you for a great 2011!  Larry

Road to Recovery

It has been about 10 weeks since I had surgery on my hip. My problem started in the 2011 season with a labrum tear and bone impingement in my hip. I knew there was a problem about half way through the year when my power kept going down and down. It wasn't diagnosed until August. I have not been able to ride my bike since the surgery.  I get to ride for the first time on December 19th. I cannot wait. During the last 10 weeks, I have been going to physical therapy 2 times a week, using the elliptical machine, swimming and doing a lot of core work. It has been a big challenge to be patient through this whole process. My doctor and physical therapist say that I am doing really well, much better than expected. The doctor even said I should be the "poster child" for the type of surgery that I had.

I go to a physical therapist in my hometown, Laguna Niguel. It is called Rausch Physical Therapy. They have been doing a great job of getting me back to 100%. One of the really cool things I get to do at their office is use an Anti Gravity Treadmill. This treadmill was originally developed for astronauts while on prolonged space flights. They used it so they would not lose bone density in space. It is now used for people to recover from injuries. It is pressure controlled from the waist down. It allows patients to maintain cardio fitness and range of motion without putting too much pressure or weight on the injured area.       

Should be back to normal in no time!

Kyle Torres

Team Specialized Racing Announces 2012 Junior and Masters Squads

Roster Captured One World Championship, 14 National Championships and 22 State Championships in 2011

Palo Alto, CA -- Team Specialized Racing has announced its Junior and Masters team rosters for 2012, with seven returning and five new juniors ages 14-18, and nine returning and five new masters members.  In 2011, the riders collectively captured one world championship, 14 national championships and 22 state championships in the criterium, road race, individual time trial (ITT), team time trial (TTT), track, BMX and mountain bike (MTB) disciplines.

This is Specialized’s fifth years at the team’s title sponsor and will be providing the Tarmac (SL4 & SL3) and Allez for road race events, and Shiv TT for time trials. In addition to these bikes, the team will be riding Specialized Prevail and TT2 helmets and S-Works Body Geometry shoes. Co-Sponsors also include SRAM, Zipp, Clif Bar and Smith Optics.

Returning Junior Team Members, 2012 Racing Age, 2011 Championships

• Chris LaBerge, age 18
• Marcus Smith, age 18
• Dean Haas, age 18
• Kyle Torres, age 18, ITT State Champion (Southern California)
• Diego Binatena, age 16, Road Race State Champion (Southern California)
• Jack Maddux, age 15, ITT National Champion, Criterium and ITT State Champion (Northern California)
• Matt Valencia, age 16, Road Race State Champion (Northern California)

New Junior Team Members

• Oliver Barajas, age 15
• Nick Castellano, age 15, Road Race State Champion (Southern California)
• John Christensen, age 15
• Sean McElroy, age 13, Road, Criterium, BMX and MTB National Champion, Road Race State Champion (Southern California)
• Jason Saltzman, age 15

The mission of Team Specialized Racing is to prepare juniors to compete and win national and international races. Multi-time masters track world champion Larry Nolan directs the program with a wealth of knowledge gleaned from the highest level of amateur cycling. Junior riders are also guided and mentored by one of the best master's teams in America, awarded the USA Cycling Best All-Around Team at masters nationals in 2011.

Returning Masters Team Members, 2011 Championships

• Rob Anderson, ITT World Champion, ITT and MTB National Champion, ITT and TTT State Champion
• Chris D’Aluisio
• Marco Hellman
• Billy Innes
• Dean LaBerge, Criterium National Champion
• Chris Lyman, ITT National Champion, ITT and TTT State Champion
• Kevin Metcalfe, ITT and Road Race National Champion, ITT and TTT State Champion, ITT National Record
• Larry Nolan, Track and TTT State Champion, Track National Record
• Craig Roemer, ITT State Champion

New Masters Team Members, 2011 Championship Results

• Steve Francisco
• Greg Anderson
• Don Langley, Road Race State Champion
• Bubba Melcher, Criterium National Champion
• Jason Walker, Road Race National Champion

Team legacy members and mentors include former Olympians and National Champions Ken Carpenter, Dylan Casey, Mike McCarthy, and Thomas Weisel. Team founders include Steve Cassani, Dr. Fred St. Goar and Wyatt Weisel. 

Follow the team at Facebook.com/TeamSpecializedRacing, and on Twitter at @SpecializedNCCF.   www.TeamSpecializedRacing.com.

Clif Bar Buyers Guide

We are in the middle of the offseason and at this point many riders are sick of whatever they are eating on their long rides. Maybe you have eaten too many bars that are neither solid nor liquid. Or you have become too accustomed to a flavor from over eating it that you need a change. Here is your guide for which Clif products to eat and when.

The first product line is Clif Bar Blox:

This years I raced and trained mainly on Strawberry and Mountain Berry. Both of these flavors are relatively sweat and are great for the first 1-2 hours of a ride or race. The Strawberry taste better as they warm up and soften in your pocket, but I recommend eating the Mountain Berry while they are still relatively solid.

Recently I have experimented with the Orange and the Black Cherry. Both of these flavors are a little more tart. I prefer to eat these in the later parts of a ride. I feel like I'm eating something with more substance.

The second product line is the Clif Bar:

There are 18 different flavors, but there is one clear winner. Crunchy Peanut Butter is hands-down the best. The flavor varies drastically depending on it's temperature, but I haven't had a bad one. I love this flavor, because I know, no madder how tired I am I will always want to eat it. This is huge, because the worse thing to happen is when you are close to bonking, but you don't want to eat what's in your pocket.

Some close seconds are Chocolate Almond Fudge, Chocolate Chip, Cool Mint Chocolate.

I was going through the list on Clifbar.com and saw the flavor Chocolate Chip Peanut Crunch. I haven't tried it yet, but I am going to make a point of tracking one down and testing it out. I'm salivating just thinking of the possibilities.

The third product line is Clif Roks:

These are bite sized balls with a solid surface with a softer core. The three flavors are: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Peanut Butter, and Chocolate. My favorite for a post ride recovery is the Peanut Butter. My taste buds changed when I exercise and they want more of a bitter/tart taste. The Peanut Butter satisfies those needs. The Chocolate (taste like a Tootsie Roll) and the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough are really good for lighter workouts where your taste buds haven't changed as much.

If you have already, go explore Clifbar.com . There is information on each product, nutrition, and the many flavors and variations. I barely scratched the surface of their products, but hopefully now you will know where products to try. These are my favorites, what are yours?

Thank you Clif Bar for your amazing support this year.

Thanks, Marcus Smith

What A Year

On my flight back from the Olympic Training Center I had lots of time to think of how successful this year has been. This year has been an amazing experience. Our team started bonding right away at team camp. Everyone got along great. That platform launched us in to the racing season. The 15-16 team had an amazing early season. We put out a great team effort to win the yellow jersey at the Valley of the Sun Stage Race and San Dimas. Not to mention our double win at Sea Otter. Time flew through the rest of the season. Last week Jack, Diego and I were in Chula Vista, CA for the USA Cycling Junior National Camp. We had a great time. It was cool to see the guys again. We had a fun week. It was nice to be able to ride in 75 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. We even got to ride with Chris Horner of Radioshack. Also the week included other rides, skills, and two field tests. We all had a fun time under the sun of Southern California. Thank you USA Cycling for that!

As the year draws to end I'd like to thank Team Specialized and all of our supporters. Thank you Wyatt Weisel and Steve Cassani.  Thank you Larry Nolan for directing this incredible year! Cannot wait to go back to California!

Phil O'Donnell

No More Junior Racing

This year was my final year racing as a junior rider, although, I raced more category races than junior races. It all started back in February where I took 13th overall at Valley of the Sun in the 2's before crashing on a training ride a few days later. Once I was back on the bike after the crash, then sickness came knocking on my door. This was not the ideal way to start out the year but after slowly regaining fitness and confidence, I came back and won Cat's Hill Classic, State Road Race Championships, and also the State Time Trial Championships.

Next stop, Augusta, Georgia for Nationals. I don't think I have ever gone to a place more humid than Georgia! You just feel sticky when you walk outside. My best result was 11th in the TT. After Nationals, teammates Jeff, David, James, Willy, Kyle and I all headed to Tour de l'Abitibi in Quebec. The team rode great. James got a stage win and Willy finished 6th overall.

After l'Abitbi, I came back home and raced almost every Cal Cup race. I had some good results finishing 9th at University Road Race and 3rd at Esparto Time Trial before finishing off my season at Folsom Cyclebration where I finished 3rd overall, grabbing my final points needed to upgrade to a Cat 1.

I definitely had my ups and downs this year but overall, it was a pretty great season and I couldn't have done it without the help of all my teammates as well as Larry Nolan, Billy Innes, Wyatt Weisel, all the founders and sponsors, and also my parents! It has been a great two years racing with Team Specialized and I look forward to seeing the team continue to create some of the best junior riders in the country.

Now that I am done with junior racing, that means it's time to say goodbye to those annoying junior gears! Now I'll be racing with a nice, 53x11 in the elites where I will be riding for Team Mike's Bikes with another graduating Specialized Junior, James Laberge.

Thanks again to all who have been a part of my 2011 season!

Torey