Projecting young talent in cycling, as in any sport, is a difficult endeavor. Maturation, both physically and mentally, coaching, sponsorship, and desire can all play an integral part in the development of a cyclist. But sometimes, on those rare occasions, talent can, figuratively, leap off the page and make you take notice.

Coryn Rivera is just such a talent.

Since she began racing competitively, the 17-year-old has earned more junior national titles, 24, on the road, track, and through cyclocross than she has actually celebrated birthdays. Coryn, who packs as much power in her legs as Manny Pacquiao does in his punches, could easily be described as a phenom, but that descriptor actually belies the amount of work and preparation she has put into what has quickly become her passion.

With a seemingly never ending upward trajectory, Coryn’s transition from the junior ranks to the senior women’s circuit will undoubtedly be closely scrutinized. But, if this season was any type of an indicator, the youngest of the Elite PROMAN Hit Squad has already proven that she more than belongs in their company. This past season, she roared to victory in three events, the Manhattan Beach Grand Prix, the San Rafael Twilight Criterium, and the Cascade Cycling Classic criterium, her first National Racing Calendar win, despite being saddled by the constraints of junior gearing. These efforts earned her the distinction of being named the Best U23 Woman of the Year by Velonews.

In my conversation with Coryn Rivera, we tackle junior gearing, growing up a Filipino-American, and racing for the US National Team.

Lenny B (LB): When did you officially start racing...when did you know you were good?

Coryn Rivera (CR): My first race was a kid's race in 2003. The next year I did the same race again then started to race more local races. So I officially started racing in 2004. Well I won both the kid's race, but my first real race with a license and rolling out the junior gears was the LA Circuit Race in 2004. I think I knew I was kind of good because I started crying when I beat all but one boy in the junior field [smiles].

LB: You had some big wins this year, is there a favorite among them?

CR: I think my personal favorite was San Rafael Twilight. We had a really good team out there for that race and we were all super aggressive. We all owned that race; attack, after attack, after attack. When it all came  together for the final lap, I set up for the sprint and I just so happen to cross the line first! And afterward it was a big celebration for the team. Everyone was just so happy and we all felt like we accomplished something amazing; it was a lot of fun.

LB: For those out there who don't know about the constraints of junior gearing could you please explain the difference? Has is helped/hurt you in certain races/terrain?

CR: 'Junior Gearing' is a USA Cycling rule that restrict juniors to a 52 tooth front chainring and a 14 tooth end cog. Most adults race with a 53 tooth front chainring and an 11 tooth end cog. During NRC criteriums I am usually always in my 52/14. Sometimes I think I won’t be able to hang on, but somehow I end up sticking. The gear is not impossible. The most trouble I have with the gearing is on downhills during longer road races. I have to work SO hard on the downhills just to keep up.  I am SO worked from just trying to keep up on the downhill that when it comes to the climbs, I just can’t keep up. But the bottom line about junior gears is that they are a blessing in disguise. I have to spin super fast sometimes during races, but once I get my "big girl" gears and I still spin as fast as I did with junior gearing, I will be that much more faster.

LB: You have ridden for the US National team, most recently in Russia. What was that experience like and what does your future agenda look like with the US National team?

CR: Yes, I was in Russia with the US National Team for the Jr Road and Track World Championships. I don’t think I ever want to go back to Russia ever in my life, [laughs]. We were basically quarantined in our hotel. Then we would have to take a 30-minute bus ride to the road course/velodrome, which were right next to each other. That was the ONLY place we could ride. If we rode on the road we would probably get run over.

The food was almost exactly the same for breakfast/lunch/dinner every day. And as far as the racing went, it didn’t go the way I wanted it to go.

I just recently came back from the Manchester Track World Cup about 3 weeks ago. That was quite an experience. I qualified for the final in the scratch race and finished 13th in the scratch and Shelley [Olds] finished 3rd! And in the points race qualifier I got crashed out by a Hong Kong chick and was unable to collect enough points to qualify for the final. But there are no plans for the rest of 2009, at least to race with the US National Team, but I am going to US National Team track camps every month for the rest of the year.

LB: What have been your favorite races, places, and/or experiences with the National team so far?

CR: I’d have to say my favorite experience with the national team so far was my month long trip to Belgium. It was the first time ever for USA Cycling to invite junior girls to the national team house in Izegem, Belgium. I was there with Kendall Ryan, Kaitie Antonneau, and Anna Young. We had a lot of fun and success. We did 4 races on the road and spent a weekend of track racing in Apeldoorn, Holland. We worked well together as a team during the races and I learned a ton about the European style of racing. I won 2 races on the road and won the derny race on the track in Apeldoorn.

LB: It is currently your off-season from the road, but you recently raced overseas on the track as well as some cyclocross. What does the rest of your program look like as you prepare for next year?

CR: Right now I am preparing for cyclocross nationals in Bend, Oregon. But I am still using the track as training for cyclocross.

LB: PROMAN is undergoing some major changes for next year. Do you know what your schedule is yet, and are there certain races that you are targeting?

CR: Yup, there are going to be a lot of team changes for next year. At this time, there is no set schedule yet but I am still targeting Junior Road and Track World Championships in Italy during the summer.

LB: You have some great leaders/role models within PROMAN. What is the most important thing you have learned from any/all of them? Is there one person who has been the most influential?

CR: Especially being the youngest person on the team during the really big races, everyone is a role model to me. I have learned a lot from everyone; Shelley Olds, Nicola Cranmer, Rachel Lloyd, Cari Higgins, are just a few that have always been there for me to help me out and teach me the ropes. I think everything they have told me is important, I can’t put my finger on one important thing I have learned from them, they are all important.

LB: What are your strengths as a rider?

CR: I think I have a lot of strengths as a rider. I don’t want to just call myself a sprinter after winning many criteriums this year. I’d say I’m a bicycle racer. I’m still a junior and I’m still developing into the kind of racer I want to be.

LB: You have won national championships on the road, on the track and in cyclocross. Which cycling discipline is your favorite? Which one suits your talents the best?

CR: Road is my favorite cycling discipline. Track is the most helpful cycling discipline. And cyclocross is the fun discipline. I think road racing suits my talents best because it has everything, from climbs to downhills to technical areas.

LB: Road races or criteriums?

CR: Hmm…this is a tough one. Lately, I’ve done well at criteriums, but I do love road racing. I’ll say road races because the criterium is not a world championship event. Road races really push your limits while making you think tactically.

LB: You bring up a good point about tactics, as cycling is as much mental as it is physical. How much of your success has been a product of “out thinking” your opponents rather than just “being the fastest” one out there?

CR: I’m not quite sure exactly how much of my early success has been a product of out smarting my competition, but I’m sure a good amount of my current success has to do with outsmarting my competition. I’ve been very competitive since I was really young, so it has grown with me. I really hate losing, so I try to prepare as much as I can physically and mentally for races.

LB: Mass start races, sprints, or timed events?

CR: Definitely mass start races. It’s not just power that can win the race; you also have to be smart.

LB: A recent photo of you with Shelley Olds was captioned “PROMAN Hit Squad's 5-foot assassins.” Does being of smaller stature help you in mass start races, or conversely, as a smaller rider, do you take a beating in the pack?

CR: I’d say being a 5-foot assassin has the best of both worlds. I am able to squeeze through some gaps and spaces that most other riders couldn’t. Plus, I can get a draft off of pretty much everyone, but not everyone can draft off of me. But that can also work in a bad way because sometimes people do not want to get into a breakaway with a smaller rider because they can’t get a draft off of us. When I was in Manchester for the World Cup, I remember a Czech rider trying to fight me for a wheel and her thigh hit my shoulder. It could have potentially been dangerous, but I held my ground. Overall I think being smaller is more beneficial in the peloton.

LB: What are your future aspirations, both on and off the bike?

CR: In the future I’d like to develop into a world class female cyclist. I’d like to race in Europe and ultimately race in the Olympics. Off the bike, I plan to continue school, I don’t know where yet, but it is in the works.  I’m thinking of studying business and/or graphic design.

LB: Are you looking into schools that have accomplished cycling programs, or do you plan on racing for PROMAN during school?

CR: I am not quite sure at the moment, but I will probably race for both. For collegiate racing I would race for my school and for regular category racing I’d race for PROMAN.

LB: There aren’t that many Asian/Pacific Islanders in the professional peloton. In fact, this year was the first time an Asian rider finished the Tour de France in its 106 year history. How did you get your start? Is there anyone in your family that races? Do you have any cycling role models?

CR: My dad got me started on the bike. When I was still playing soccer, my dad and I used to go mountain biking at a local trail and I would be on a heavy mountain bike my dad bought me from Costco. Then I got upgraded to the back of the tandem and that was how I got exposed to road riding. Eventually I got my own road bike. Next thing I know, my dad signed me up for a kid’s race and everything evolved from there. Nobody races road in my family, but my dad used to race motocross and downhill.

Kristin Armstrong is an awesome cycling role model. I’d say the Olympics are the pinnacle for female cyclists, and she achieved that goal. It’s so great to see that everything she did to prepare for Olympics paid off.

LB: You have had great success at such a young age, do you consider yourself a role model?

CR: I personally don’t think so because I am still a junior, I am very young, I learn new things every day, and I am not a perfect cyclist. But sure, if I inspire people and they look up to me, I must be doing something right to be a role model.

LB: What is your favorite Filipino food?

CR: Hmm…I’d have to say Caldereta. I’m not sure if I spelled that right! But I know it tastes good! My mom cooks a lot of Filipino food, they are all really good, but I like Caldereta the best.

LB: Like some other Filipinos born in the States, sadly, I never really learned tagalog. Are you fluent, and here is the typical Filipino question, how often do you get back to the Philippines?

CR: I grew up with my parents speaking me to in tagalog and English or taglish. So I understand tagalong, but I can’t speak it. The last time I was back in the Philippines was when I was about 12, if I remember correctly. My aunts, uncles, and cousins all want me to take a visit, but it seems like I never have time.

LB: Music is a big part of the racing culture, from background music playing at some criteriums to training. What are some of your favorite songs, groups, artists?

CR: Yes, music is a very big part of my life in general. I listen to pretty much everything. If I were to list off who I listen to, it would take forever. But on my warm-up playlist I have: Chris Brown, MGMT, Lil Wayne, DJ Tiesto, Taking Back Sunday, Basshunter, Kevin Rudolf, Fort Minor, Phoenix, Jay-Z, Kings of Leon, LMFAO, Chester French, Donavon Frankenreiter, Armin Van Buuren, Justin Timberlake, Reel Big Fish, Super Mash Bros., The Dream, The Lonely Island… and it goes on and on.

LB: Although a big part of your life is on the bike, what are some things that you enjoy off of it?

CR: When I’m off the bike I try to enjoy that time as much as I can. I am usually caught up hanging out with friends and family, going to the beach, movies, snowboarding etc. Lately I’ve been enjoying painting/designing Oakleys.

To track Coryn as she takes on world of cycling, visit her website or follow her on Twitter.

Photos: Courtesy Bob Cullinan, CycleTo; Rob Evans

A Beautiful Mind

A link between genius and madness has long been postulated. But, the romanticized view of the classic “mad genius,” whose psychopathology fuels an insatiable creativity, and was so aptly portrayed in the movie A Beautiful Mind, may be a bit erroneous.

Psychologists today suggest that heightened creativity is not necessarily predicated on possessing a mental disorder. On the contrary, “all significant creative leaps have two very important components—talent and technique. By far the most universal and necessary aspect of technique is dogged persistence, which is anything but romantic…Even acknowledged creative geniuses find that endurance must follow intuition. Einstein's ideas were not worked out in a day. It takes a great deal of discipline, and often many bouts of trial and error, to work out an idea. Follow-through is critical to the realization of an idea. Discipline is not a hallmark of minds in the throes of emotional distress.”

It is in this respect that Nick Frey, founder of Boo Bicycles, is considered a mad genius of the most talented and persistent kind. Truly, a beautiful mind.

A Beautiful Bike

Unlike his Princeton University predecessor, “The Phantom of Fine Hall,” whose inspirations were drawn from game theory, Nick Frey was inspired by the bamboo creations of Craig Calfee.

Light, stiff, strong, and eco-friendly, bamboo possesses all the necessary and sought after properties that frame builders look for in materials when fabricating their creations. So during his pursuit of a Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering degree, Frey and his classmates set out to create their own version of the bamboo bicycle. But rather than follow Calfee’s lead into the genre of touring and utility bicycles, the Des Moines, Iowa native currently residing in Fort Collins, Colorado set out to design a bicycle with the racer in mind.

What emerged from almost two years of research, design, and testing was Boo Bicycles: race ready machines unlike anything you have seen on the start line.

In my conversation with Nick Frey, we take an in-depth look at bamboo, and discuss the 22-year-old’s future endeavors with Boo Bicycles and aspirations as a racer.

Lenny B (LB): Why bamboo? Where do you get?

Nick Frey (NF): Bamboo is an incredible material--it's actually a composite with high-strength fibers running through a matrix of softer material called lignin. The fiber density is greatest at the very outside of a bamboo stalk, maximizing the bending strength, and the inner material is softer and less dense and accounts for the amazing vibration dampening properties. Boo Bicycles have bored-out tubing, specific to each tube of the frame, and this actually controls the ride properties: increased stiffness in the down tube and chain stays, increased vibration dampening in the seat stays and seat tube. We've done many, many prototypes for testing the ride characteristics and have arrived at a frame that is very stiff yet smooth and completely devoid of any harshness. Bamboo has been optimized by nature over thousands of years, and it must be stiff enough to resist wind (at over 60 feet tall) while having enough compliance to not snap in a typhoon.

LB: Calfee has been working with bamboo for some time, how is Boo Bicycles different?

NF: Craig's amazing creations inspired me to create a bamboo bike as a design project for my junior year Mechanical Design course at Princeton (I graduated in 2009 in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering). To build a bike out of such a unique, different material simply blew my mind, and a few classmates and I decided we would try to do it ourselves. Almost two years later, I've teamed up with an expert craftsman (James Wolf, in Vietnam) and tested countless designs and prototypes to arrive at a stiff, relatively light bamboo bike that is incredibly smooth and lively. Craig's bikes are a bit heavier and meant more for touring and, many people believe, as an interesting novelty if you want to really stand out from the crowd. When I started Boo, I decided it would be the only builder working exclusively with the material and building high-performance frames competitive with Ti and carbon. I know the properties of the material, I know as a racer what the top bikes feel like and what customers expect, and I made it my goal to have a bamboo bike with no compromises--that's why our tag-line is "Stiff. Light. Smooth. PICK THREE."

LB: I would imagine that you would get bamboo tubes with some varying diameters, could you say that every one of your creations is essentially a one-off? How do you choose the bamboo used for your bicycles and what sort of standards are there for bamboo?

NF: Every frame is definitely a one-off, although our consistency from frame to frame is quite good. We use plantation bamboo (meaning it grows in a controlled location in rows, like corn) and cut it green and age it ourselves for four months. James and his team control every aspect of production, meaning we can really perfect the entire process. Bamboo is surprisingly uniform in height, diameter, and thickness--the key is to pick the bamboo at the proper time of year and at a specific point in its maturity. Bamboo shoots from the ground at the same diameter it will be at maturity, meaning it grows from the outside in, but the fiber density changes throughout its lifetime and it is crucial to pick it at the right moment. There is also an incredible amount of bamboo that is NOT used, meaning only the best tubes make it into our frames. You may think this is wasteful, but remember: bamboo is a grass and it will just grow back and spread! It's been an honor working together with James, he the builder and I the engineer/tester, because his knowledge of building with bamboo is unrivaled--the subject of his very first email to me was "Bamboo Master"! James and his workers have incredible skill (James has been working with the material for over 15 years with his custom furniture business) and their attention to detail and quality is like I've never seen in my life--every time I get a new batch of frames at my doorstep, I'm just giddy and can't stop smiling!

LB: Calfee Design heat-treats their bamboo to prevent it from splintering. Aside from boring your bamboo tubes out do you do anything else to them?

NF: Back when we started to project in 2007, Craig was not (to my knowledge) heat-treating. We heard through the grapevine that he was having serious warranty issues with splitting, and we experienced it ourselves when letting our Jersey bamboo air dry. The problem is that bamboo is not a homogeneous material: the inner growth is young and has a lower fiber density, and the lignin shrinks when it dries while the fibers do not. This creates a stress differential inside the tube, with the inside shrinking and the outside not, causing a longitudinal split.

We had a deadline approaching in Jan 2008, when our presentation to the class was scheduled, and we needed treated bamboo ASAP! We scoured the internet for answers, assuming Google would know the answer, but bamboo—while incredible popular and used around the world—has little information written and is basically a Third World miracle material that has not been tested or standardized by the First World. Luckily we ran across an article mentioning, “Traditional methods include treatment over an open flame” and we were off to Home Depot for some propane torches!

After some experiments with treatment and baking (making a few different test samples and testing the results for stiffness/strength), we got our treatment method down pat.

This brings me to Boo Bicycles today: we do NOT torch/bake our tubes. Why? We’ve done testing on James’ drying methods versus my torching/baking methods, and because the dendrocalamus strictus is so incredibly stiff, the torching/baking does not improve its strength. James has been working with this species for over a decade, and it’s one of the strongest bamboos in the world—we’ve had no issues with splitting, and we are even boring out our tubes for weight reduction. The key is WHEN the bamboo is harvested: when during the growing season, and when in the plant’s life. This obviously requires 1) incredible control over plant selection, including knowing how old the bamboo is, and 2) harvesting and treating a vast amount of bamboo at one time. We believe it is imperative to have complete control over the build process, as the best frame builders in the world have specific tubing and alloys for their steel and Ti frames, or an exact modulus and weave for their carbon. We are definitely perfectionists, and that’s why our frames require 50 hours of hand labor per, but I’ve got very high standards for Boo and we do everything it takes to make a beautiful, stiff, durable, and light bamboo/carbon frame.

As the company progresses and our experience grows, we are decreasing tube wall thickness and continuing to test for splitting and stiffness—the goal is to further reduce frame weight while preserving the incredible durability and stiffness that Boo prizes in our frames today.

LB: In the building process you chose to utilize hand wrapped carbon joints, was it the best way to join the bamboo tubes, rather than some prefab joints?

NF: Hand wrapped carbon is actually done because it allows us to work with a non-uniform material. We miter all the tubes to fit perfectly, tack them together with high-strength epoxy (similar to tacking a Ti or steel frame before welding), and then wrap 12k hundreds of times around each joint before sanding and polishing. It's very labor-intensive (every frame requires 50 hours of hand labor!) but it allows us to control the layup and work with an imperfect material. Most of our R&D has actually gone into the wrapping process and the fiber layup and orientation, and it's the only thing we never photograph or discuss because we've made a remarkable advance in wrapping technique. Our process allows a majority of our carbon fiber to align parallel to the load path, decreasing reliance on the weaker epoxy matrix, and increasing stiffness by THREE TIMES compared to our first carbon joints.

LB: Have you raced on your R…how does it compare to other bicycles you have used?

NF: I have raced on a Boo R twice—I did the Highland Ranch Criterium (14th in a sprint) and recently WON the Vuelta Miami Road Race on November 8th! In the Highlands Ranch race, there was one particularly nasty section in the middle of the second turn, at the bottom of a fast downhill every lap, with two large cracks right in the middle of the turn and a bunch of chip-seal strewn about. While other guys on super-stiff carbon monocoque bikes had their rigs skip inches outward every time through the corner, the Boo just sailed right through without any twitches or sketchiness.

In the Vuelta Miami, the bike was simply incredible. It is very stiff and accelerates like a rocket, and over the course of the 70 mile road race I really put it through its paces with many sprints to get into the front break through 20-30mph sustained winds. The bike really showed it can win at a big ($7k prize purse) race, and spectators and fellow racers alike were just blown away.

LB: Did you have an opportunity to race while you attended Princeton?

NF: I did! I actually did an event (the 2008 Rutgers Season Opener) on the bamboo bike we built for class! It was VERY eye-catching and made warming-up difficult: I was speaking to a crowd even on the starting line. The bike was very smooth, but not as stiff as I was used to, and it was at that point that I understood the difference between building a frame made of bamboo and building a racing bike. We had the bike to 80% of what it needed to be—we thought. That last 20% has taken over 18 months!

LB: You’ll be racing for Jamis/Sutter Home presented by Colavita next year, and most likely contractually held to using their bikes. Could you see outfitting a professional team with Boo bikes in the future?

NF: I will indeed be racing for Jamis/Sutter Home, and I'm VERY excited! Jamis makes incredible bikes and I really look forward to mounting their top-end Xenith SL. I've definitely considered having Boo ridden by a top amateur or pro team, but for a start-up, that's a huge bite to chew and I don't want to choke--to that end, I've actually "sponsored" my good friend and teammate Tyler Wren (Princeton '03) with a Boo CX for the cross season and he's successfully raced it already at Wissahickon and Granogue (taking 10th!). I'm also looking into sponsoring another friend in triathlon, and of course my first customers are all going to be representing Boo in various capacities on group rides. Right now the focus is to get the word out about Boo as a top-end, high-quality, handmade bamboo bike, but I've definitely been following how smaller companies have transitioned into sponsorship roles (like Parlee with Fly-V Australia) and I think the feedback they receive, as well as the exposure and legitimacy as a top-end racing bike, is incredible.

LB: Aside from the R and Wren’s Boo CX does Boo have any other models…do you intend to have a model for every type of racing discipline?

NF: We do indeed have other models: the T and the F, for Touring and Fixed. The former has a very beautiful integrated bamboo/carbon rear pannier rack that easily holds 200 pounds, and the latter has a quicker geometry, traditional horizontal top tube, even stiffer bamboo tubing with very thick walls, and no stops/derailleur hangers/bottle mounts. We launched both of these models alongside our R and CX at Interbike this year.

We are going to launch two more models at the North American Handmade Bike Show in late February in Richmond, Virginia. I’m keeping these close to the chest, but you can probably take a good guess at what markets they will address! The NAHBS is an incredible event and is the source of much of our inspiration. The show definitely suits Boo better than Interbike, and the buyers of our frames will be looking closely at this show, so rest assured we’re going to be pulling out all the stops. We will, however, be showing production frame models, rather than one-offs just for the show—I believe in showing people what they can buy today, not simply what we’re able to create once.

For now, Boo Bicycles are exclusively handmade and high-end. Our least expensive frameset, the F, still retails for over $3,175 with an Edge track fork and a King headset. It’s a bicycle for connoisseurs of the sport that want something beautiful, smooth, and amazingly well made. I’ve looked to companies such as Serotta, Moots, Independent Fabrications, Parlee, Calfee Design, and Vanilla for inspiration, and James and I are on the same page: we are building Boo into an extremely high-quality brand known for top-notch quality, design, and innovation.

That said, we are surely going to bring a bike to market with a more affordable price point. My goal is to have a Boo frameset that retails for half of our current Boo R, at $1,650. The same quality and design found on current Boo models will of course find its way into this more affordable version, but the junctions will likely be pre-fabricated because the currently require 60% of our labor. The hand wrapping, sanding, and finishing is an incredible process and results in the stiff, light, beautiful frames we have now, but I believe we can preserve the ride quality and stiffness with pre-made joint lugs while reducing our costs and reaching a wider audience.

LB: How and when were you introduced to the sport of cycling? Did you have cycling role models growing up?

NF: I was introduced to cycling by my father--he had always ridden RAGBRAI and the Denver Children's Hospital Courage Classic. We would ride bike trails together, and I got interested in serious mountain bikes--the technology behind bikes like the 2000 Trek 9.9 SL carbon hard tail and Cannondale F5000SL just fascinated me. My good friends Neil Neumann, Rob West, TJ Fort and I would ride in the woods behind my house for hours on end, enjoying crashing and mud and catching air.

Soon, Neil started training on the road with a local under-18 cycling team led by Keith Wells and Tim Abramowitz. Keith worked at our local shop, Bike World, and encouraged Neil to start racing road bikes to compliment his MTB racing. After racing throughout the summer of 2000, while I was playing soccer (my eighth season), Neil convinced me to come over to his house for indoor training. Incredibly, the indoor training was both challenging and gratifying--I was hooked.

I completed a full season and took 6th place in the 13-14 National Road Race, a case of being in the right place at the right time, but very encouraging nonetheless. I stopped playing soccer and focused on cycling, later getting 2nd in the 15-16 National Time Trial and getting a spot on Hottubes, the best 17-18 junior cycling team in the country. We traveled to France, Belgium, Holland, and Canada, as well as all over the US, winning some of the biggest junior races on the calendar. I wrote over half of my college admissions essays about my two years with that amazing program.

I wouldn't say that I had one real role model starting out--Lance would obviously be one, though--but over the years I've admired many different riders that work hard and rise slowly through the ranks. I really value hard work mixing with talent, and seeing riders overcome setbacks to ride faster than before is truly what inspires me.

LB: What are your strengths as a rider?

NF: As a rider, I am quite tall (6' 3") and built a lot like George Hincapie and Rory Sutherland. I have similar skills as well: I am a fast time-trialist, a good leadout man, and a strong rider in big one-day races. I can climb fast on short to medium length climbs, but I'm not a fan of climber's stage races or altitude (although that may change after living in Colorado for a while!). I really enjoy epic races like Philly, the Tour of Battenkill, USPRO road race, and the Univest Grand Prix. However, I'm getting more experience with stage races and I really look forward to growing as a rider and improving my ability to recover day-to-day.

LB: What are your goals and aspirations as a rider for...next year & long term?

NF: My biggest goals for 2009 were to 1) successfully graduate from Princeton, 2) get good enough results to secure a contract with a top professional squad for 2010, and 3) launch and grow Boo Bicycles as a top-quality handmade frame building company. I did all three! Honestly, back in January I had no idea how I could do it all and I had many sleepless nights and stressed nerves--I cracked on multiple occasions, but managed to keep it between the lanes.

My new goals for the short term are to successfully race with my new team, Jamis-Sutter Home, meaning top-10 at races like USPRO TT and Nature Valley Grand Prix overall, but I really want to grow as a racer, learn from my teammates and director, and help them win even more than they have in the last two years.

Over the longer term, like the next five years, I want to build Boo into a great company like Serotta, Parlee, or Independent Fabrications. I want to become one of the top professional cyclists in North America and secure a contract with a European-based team (like Garmin, BMC, and likely Team Type 1). Cycling in the US is growing very quickly, the level is rising, and winning a big race in the US means you can be competitive across the pond--that would not have been true just a few years ago. Seeing domestic riders make the leap, like Tom Zirbel, Ted King, Phil Zajicek, Hilton Clarke, Dominique Rollin, and Ivan Dominguez, is very inspirational. At my age of just 22, and now able to focus--for the first time ever--on racing my bike, I have intense motivation and desire to strive and reach my potential.

We'll see--I've written these goals down, and I think each day of what I can do to get me closer to achieving them. At the same time, I've found it incredibly important for me personally to really enjoy the process and have fun. It's cliché to be certain, but enjoying what you do is a constant goal, and I believe it's important to enjoy the process just as much as the result.

For more information about Boo Bicycles, visit their website, or follow Nick on Twitter.

Photos: Courtesy Nick Frey & Boo Bicycles

Alison Starnes (Team TIBCO) is one of the fresh new faces of women’s cycling. Then again, it might be better said that she is one of the fresh new faces to the sport of cycling all together.

During her collegiate years, Alison’s notions of “spin” and “cycle” revolved more around forehands and backhands, and electrons and Krebs rather than of the two-wheeled variety. An accomplished tennis player and Biochemistry major at Abilene Christian University, she would be instrumental in helping the Lady Wildcats achieve a national ranking in tennis, while her own work on enzymes would garner publication in a prominent scientific journal.

It was only through a post graduate flirtation with the sport of triathlon that Alison would discover her true calling, and some might say her natural self, through cycling.

As a member of the Bay Area based Dolce Vita cycling team, Alison worked her way from entry level to professional in just three short months. Though her initial experience among the professional rank-and-file at the Nature Valley Grand Prix could best be described as “pieced together,” it would also earn her a contract with Team TIBCO.

This past year, her first full year as a professional, Alison experienced the growing pains that usually accompany such a brilliant rise through the ranks, but it was also one that was marked by some exceptional performances, both domestically and internationally as part of USA Cycling.

In my conversation with Alison Starnes, we compare tennis to cycling, look back at her first year as a professional, and discuss how patience is truly one of cycling’s virtues.

Lenny B (LB): You had quite the meteoric rise in classification. After your first full year at the professional level, what are some of the lessons that you learned? Was there anything that surprised you, either positively or negatively?

Alison Starnes (AS): I have learned so much this year it is hard to pick just a couple of instances or experiences. I was very “green” at the beginning of the year, yet I had the opportunity to work with the women of Team TIBCO and learn an incredible amount. Linda Jackson, the team founder and owner, really took an interest in my development and the team supported me throughout the year. The team was extremely patient with me as I made plenty of "rookie mistakes" but they allowed me to grow and develop as they continued to challenge me in each race.

A couple of things I learned this year:

1. Glasses are worn on the outside of the helmet straps.
2. Chamois time is training time.
3. You don’t always need a warm-up, so don’t stress, but it doesn’t hurt. Checking your BlackBerry prior to a race can count as a warm-up.
4. When it is important to stage before a race, and when it is not.
5. How to race really, really, really hard.
6. Respect all your opponents, but fear none.
7. Racing aggressively causes huge gains, and a lot of pain.

However, I think the biggest thing I learned this year, was racing in Europe, and learning how to race. Not just ride around in circles, but to race your bike, hard, race it aggressively and go for it. Team TIBCO taught me to do that, and although it can be painful and difficult, and you may not always win, you learn how to race. This year was a positive experience, acquainting myself with professional racing at its finest, both domestically and internationally.

LB: As a whole, Team TIBCO may just be the most intelligent cycling team around with some extremely accomplished women. If you were to compare brainpans, who would you say is the smartest among the group?

AS: We are a smart group of women, if I do say so myself… If you want to see who is the smartest, you should host a Team TIBCO’s jeopardy or something. Ha. Actually, I think it is common in women’s professional cycling to find many higher education degrees. I am very proud to be a part of such an intelligent group of professional women.

LB: Is that the biggest difference between racing in Europe and in the US, format of racing? Or is the difference deeper rooted as in the mental or physical makeup of the European riders…the culture?

AS: Racing in Europe is hard. That about sums it up. The format only differs in the way they approach the start of the race. They race hard, from the gun, and then they go harder until the finish. It is relentless. The fields are deeper in Europe. Therefore, the competition is hard, intense, and it stays that way. It is pretty incredible. I have been racing there saying to myself, “Surely, they will let up. They can’t go this hard the whole time…” Yet they do. You have to experience it to really understand. I think the deeper fields, and the passion for the sport there fuels the intense racing. These women are strong, and motivated. However, the US women have proven themselves to be some of the strongest riders in the world. We just need to keep gaining the experience of European racing to further our successes. All in all, I love racing there. It is hard, but it makes you stronger. I am ready to go back!

LB: Another rider who exploded on to the scene this year was Evelyn Stevens, who also had a tennis background. I read where her coaches felt that her tennis background may have helped her in a tactical sense while racing. What is your assessment of that theory and how has your own sporting background helped you in bicycle racing?

AS: I had the privilege to race with Evie at La Route de France for the US National Team. She is a phenomenal athlete, and we have a similar story of collegiate sports and quick acceleration into cycling success. People always give me a confused look when they ask me my sporting background and I reveal, "tennis." Tennis is not known for its huge aerobic requirements, such as Nordic skiing, soccer or rowing. However, I will admit, although I excelled in tennis, it always frustrated me. I couldn't practice enough to get where I wanted to go. I felt like my experience was limited to hours in the day and the amount of times you can hit a little fuzzy yellow ball, yet in cycling, I have found my calling. I feel like my options are endless and I have opportunities to succeed and grow. Once realizing that cycling came "natural," I gained confidence in not only myself but my ability. I could never find that in tennis. Tennis taught me that nothing comes easy, and you must be mentally tough to succeed. I struggled to find that solace in tennis, and I have found it in cycling. What tennis showed me where my limitations were, cycling revealed to me my strengths. Tennis taught me hard work, dedication, strategy, and tactics, and I have been able to apply these to cycling. I do miss those skirts and dresses though...

LB: How would you characterize your tennis game…baseliner, serve-and-volley, finesse, power? Have you stepped out on the court since your collegiate days or since you started cycling?

AS: Power player. Yet, when that failed, I turned to a pusher who just tried to run down everything and win with my fitness. I hate to admit that. No power player ever wants to resort to becoming a pusher, but I did it. I had a huge first serve, and then I would float my second serve in and immediately find myself on the defensive instead of the offensive. Did I mention that tennis was a frustrating sport for me? In tennis, you find yourself having to repeat your same mistakes over and over again. Ouch. I haven’t played tennis basically since NCAA nationals...my knees couldn’t take the pounding anymore.

LB: One of the most understated elements of cycling is its mental approach. Each team goes into a race with a plan to execute. Are there any similarities in executing that plan, to say setting up an opponent in tennis for a winning shot?

AS: Strategizing and planning is an integral part in not only tennis, but cycling as well. As a team, we always have a plan that we will plan to execute for the race. It takes each member of the team fulfilling their role to make it a successful day. In tennis, my mantra, although it would not always work, was “Control. Hurt. Finish.” First, you must “control” the point. Set yourself up to then “hurt” your opponent by putting them on the defensive. When they are lunging for a ball, or off-balance, you then “finish” the point. I think this holds true in cycling, and emphasizes how one individual cannot accomplish this, but requires a team to truly dictate the race. Fortunately for me, as a member of Team TIBCO, I have a very strong team to help hold this mantra true in racing. As a team, we want to control the race. We need TIBCO riders in every move, we need to be initiating and covering attacks and in general, “controlling” the race. This takes a strong mental component because you need to be ready for whatever happens in the race. No matter how much your team strategized prior to the race, you cannot plan for the bike race. However, you need to be prepared. Once you are controlling the race, you can then start “hurting” the other teams. By keeping the race hard, fast, or whatever your goal is that day, it puts your team on the offensive, while the other teams find themselves in a defensive state.

In tennis, this may be a severe crosscourt backhand that puts your opponent off the court before you plan your down-the-line winner. Yet in cycling, this is sending riders off the front or developing breaks that our in our team’s favor, thus, causing other teams to chase. Once you are in this position, you can then plan for the finish. Just like finishing a point in tennis, there are a myriad of ways you can finish the race. Not every finish has to be in a break, or even a sprint finish. Team TIBCO is strong and has several cards to play in order to finish the race in our favor. Unlike tennis, where I only had a couple of tricks up my sleeve, in cycling, I can rely on my teammates to assist in “finishing” the race. As a team, we work together to execute our plan, and this can only happen if we first are controlling the race, and then setting our team up for the win. The same way you set up a point, you can set up a race to end in the result that you desire. Just think of the succession of a backhand cross court, angled drop shot, and down-the-line winner, as a lead out train. Thankfully, I have a team to help me do this, because in tennis, it was all up to me. I would find myself trying to “control” the point too quickly, becoming impatient, and then launching a ball over the fence.

LB: Do you sense some of that impatience creeping into your cycling? If yes, how does that bode for you in certain cycling disciplines?

AS: Of course! Patience is required in cycling as well, yet I often find myself “chomping at the bit” to animate a race or start a lead-out sooner than necessary. With my strengths as a cyclist, I like to attack early and often, and I like to make a race hard. Yet, sometimes that isn’t my job yet, or I need to wait. I have learned that sometimes you need to sit in and allow other teams to do some work as well. In a lead-out, you need to be patient and confident to start it when you need to, and not go too early. Thank goodness for race radios! I am learning to read the race better and to just respond, but sometimes it is very nice to be told when and where to be, and how hard to go.

Impatience also shows up in a time trial. You start the effort, and you want to go really fast, right NOW. Instead, I am learning to build into my efforts. I don’t think that impatience is that harmful of a quality to have in cycling, but you also need to learn to relax and burn your matches when they will have the most effect. Luckily for me, if I make an “impatient” move, I can still give myself a chance to recover.

LB: You’ve done exceptionally well in time trial events. What are your ultimate goals…Nationals, 2012 in London, World Championships?

AS: My specialty so far has been the time trial. I really hope to focus on this discipline throughout the year as I continue to develop as a complete cyclist. My goal is to win time trial nationals, then on to the rest of my goals… I really hope to compete at the World Championships and eventually the Olympics. One step at a time, and with a great support team—I will get there.

LB: Some would say that time trialing is in your genes. Who is the better time trialist, you or your grandfather?

AS: My grandfather, has over 12 national time trial jerseys, and he is 79 and still racing! If that isn't impressive, I don't know what is. I think he is probably still the better time trialist. He knows his stuff. I can't reveal any of his secrets, but trust me, he is the real deal. I am still working towards my first National Time Trial jersey... My grandfather is one of the main reasons I am in this sport, and I am truly inspired by him.

LB: What type of time trial course best suits your talents (fast and flat, hilly…short prologue or long)…of the ones you have ridden, do you have a favorite?

AS: Being relatively new at this, I actually haven’t done all that many time trials. The ones I have excelled in have all had a variety of terrains and distances. I like power climbs, I like the course short, I like them long, and I like them difficult. So really, I don’t know what I prefer? I got 5th at the prologue at La Route de France, which was 4.4k long. I loved the short effort and the technical nature of the course. That was my first prologue I had ever done, and I loved it. However, I also loved the TT course at Cascade, which I got 2nd at, because it a long steady climb and a fast downhill. Ultimately, I like time trialing, and I find out to take any course and make it suit me. If you are having “fun” while competing in a time trial, you aren’t going hard enough.

LB: Cycling seems an awful long way from Biochemistry, or is it? Have you been able to apply your analytical skills to the road or in training?

AS: I am a huge science nerd. I love Biochemistry and all it involves. Actually, that is a part of what attracted me to endurance sports, such as triathlon, and now cycling. I love the science in it all. If your training has science involved and you can get really dialed in on what your body requires and how to structure your training around that. That being said, of course I am a "data junkie" when it comes to my training and racing. Even though I don't like discussing that with the general public, I like knowing what I can do and how I can improve. I am fortunate that my coach, Charlie Livermore, at Endurance Performance Training Center uses physiological testing to determine my training plan and needs. I love plotting the graphs and drawing the molecular structures...oh wait, should I admit that? Although science is not the golden standard, it is a valuable tool to use. I use biochemistry not only to clarify my training, but I am not going to lie, sometimes I draw chemical structures in my head to get my mind off of the pain of interval at times... You should have seen me when I went over my nutritional analysis with Dr. Rich Stagliano at Live Fit Medicine when he showed me my personal glycolysis and electron transport chain diagram...can you say science nerd? I loved the information, but I also loved the reminder of that Biochemistry final...

LB: You do realize that you are about one mention of the electron transport chain away from me forever labeling you as “The Big Mitochondria?”

AS: Very funny. I will leave the further ATP generation to oxidative phosphorylation.

LB: At this moment, what would you say is your greatest strength as a rider...weakness?

AS: My strength this year has been my time trial, but I also have had the opportunity to work on all my weaknesses as well. I have loved learning how to perfect a lead-out, how to be a good teammate, how to attack, and how to climb. I have so much to learn, but the good news is, I have the time, the support, and the dedication. I will leave the discussion of my weaknesses for another time....

LB: I have always been a big proponent for women’s cycling, yet like other female sports for every big step forward it also seems to take two steps back, so to speak. What is great about your sport…how would you improve upon it?

AS: What I find the most fascinating about women’s cycling is the opportunity that you can discover there. Cycling offers not only an outlet, but a career for those who have excelled in sport at the collegiate level. You find former soccer players, Nordic skiers, cross-country runners, and maybe a couple of tennis players. It gives us a chance to find a sport that we were meant for, it gives us a purpose, a place, and limitless opportunities. What was frustrating about tennis was that I started tennis when I was a freshman in high school, and I was always behind. I was always struggling against time. I never had enough time on the court to make up the deficit against my opponents. It was an experience issue, and I didn’t have enough time to gain the experience. It was a losing battle. However, cycling gives a chance to aspiring athletes. In endurance sports, women have time to get good educations to live, and to still excel in the sport. Yet, even so, there is so much room for the sport to improve. It is so behind the times as far as equality in sports. I won’t get on a soapbox about this, but the women need increased opportunities, increased visibility, and increased importance. We would love the chance extended to us as well. Equally.

LB: What is one thing that people don’t know about you, and might be surprised to find out?

AS: I am a cowgirl at heart. I grew up on a ranch in Santa Barbara County, then moved up to a ranch in Shasta County. I knew how to ride a horse before I ever knew what a tricycle or walking was. Although I live in Marin now, I am still country at heart.

LB: Does that mean you are a country music fan...if so who are your favorite artists and are they in the queue for training or pre-race warm-up music?

AS: I LOVE country music. My favorites are the classics, like Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and Merle Haggard... But, I love some of the new stuff too, like Taylor Swift. Yet, that music is saved for the "base" miles... For an interval or warm-up, I have to go with Lady Gaga or the Black Eyed Peas...

LB: Stage Races or Crits?

AS: Of course my instincts are screaming, “Stage Races, Stage Races, Stage Races!” I love the difficulty of stage racing, and the new battle each day holds to ultimately win the war. May the strongest team win. I love it. However, I have learned to like crits, and even dare I say, have fun doing crits! Crits used to make me cry, seriously, and now I love them! It helps to have such a strong team, and it is fun to be able to race them with no fear. To race hard, fast, and aggressively, knowing you can win the bike race. Although I adore the variety of stage racing, crits are adrenaline full and spectator friendly. Ultimately, I would have to choose stage racing over crits, but I have a new appreciation for the criterium and look forward to becoming more accomplished in them…

LB: Top 5 things you cannot live without?

AS:
1. Peanut Butter. I have tried on multiple occasions to give up the stuff, but I must have it. Maybe we should have it put on the banned substance list?
2. My CrackBerry, I mean BlackBerry… It is my only connection to the world at times…
3. My cat. I happen to adore cats more than one person should…
4. Daily dose of Vitamin D. I love being outside and even on a rest day need to get out there and enjoy God’s creation…I get grumpy if I don’t get that…
5. My family. They mean the world to me.

LB: Best experience on a bicycle, to date…worst?

AS: I have so many good days, and so many bad days on the bike. I think when you ride as much as I do, that happens. However, the day that comes to mind was both my best day on the bike and my worst day on the bike.

It was Etape 1 of La Route de France, after the epic prologue where I found success. This was my second trip to Europe for the US National Team, and I was 5th in GC at the start of the stage. Positioning is key in European races, yet it is the most difficult skill to learn. With narrow roads, and large field sizes, moving around the peloton is nothing like you have experienced in the US. The major difference between my first trip to Europe and my second, was that I felt like I belonged there. I was no longer looking for survival, I was looking to race.

When the peloton slowed just for an instance, I saw the perfect opening. It was like the proverbial seas had parted. I launched an attack, and launch I did, right out into the French countryside. Who is with me? No one. Oops. I proceeded to spend the next 60k off the front of the race, solo. I was not just finishing a race in Europe, I was racing! It was an instinct attack, and it was confidence to keep going. It was an exhilarating experience to race through the hills of France with the cheers of “USA” resounding and being the bike race. I wasn’t just settling to be a filler, I was the bike race. I couldn’t believe it. This was the best day on my bike.

Although I put 3:30 on the peloton, I was caught within 10k to the finish. The effort caught up to me, and I was cramping through the finishing circuits. I ended up losing time on the peloton, and was completely demoralized at the finish. I went from a severe high to a relentless low. I needed help getting off my bike, and my body was destroyed. Then it happened. The French came up to me to get me for the podium. They had awarded me, most aggressive rider, or as they translated it, “Miss Combatitivity”. I went from barely being able to turn the pedals to standing on the podium, wearing the USA jersey with pride, and receiving flowers, kisses, and a trophy. My best day on the bike, turned to the worst day, and was transformed into a solid conclusion of recognition not only for me, but for Team USA for racing aggressively, racing hard, and representing. Best days, worst days, it’s all good…

LB: You are in your off-season right now, when will you start to get after it again…any cross or track in your near future?

AS: I have already started to ramp up the training again. I started around November 1st. I would love to get on the track, and who knows, you may see me doing a little cross! Since I have never ridden in the dirt before, I might keep this time and location a secret to spare embarrassment! If you have a chance to catch my inaugural attempts, I am sure it will be entertaining to say the least.

LB: It is a bit early, but what are your goals for next year?

AS: It is early, but I have my goals. I have steps and benchmarks to reach in order to make my ultimate dreams a reality. I want to be a strong rider, and teammate for Team TIBCO and do the roles necessary for our team to have a successful season. TT Nationals is also an important goal. I will keep working hard, get faster, and hopefully attain my goals, one step at a time.

To follow Alison as she navigates her way through the peloton and through life, visit her website, or follow her on Twitter.

Photos: Courtesy Bob Cullinan (CycleTo)

When I last spoke to our “Dancer on the Pedals,” Kristin Keim, she was recovering from a bad crash and living in Boulder, Colorado. My, how things change?

Her life, as beautifully fluid as her movements on the dance floor and in the saddle, has once again undergone another transition. In the past year, the South Carolina native has moved further west to Northern California, and she is now actively pursuing a career that will have her dancing in peoples’ heads in hopes of helping them to excel on the pedals.

In my latest conversation with Kristin Keim, we discuss her latest passion, her return to racing, and her future involvement with the Triple Crankset.

Lenny B (LB): Since we last spoke, you've entered graduate school. What are you studying? What is your ultimate goal?

Kristin Keim (K2): Wow, yes it’s been well over a year since my last Triple Crankset interview and my how things changed. I ended up deciding to take a big leap a wee bit earlier than I had previously planned to pursue my goal of becoming a Sport Psychologist. I packed up my things from CO and road tripped with my dad out to NorCal to start school last October at John F. Kennedy University in Pleasant Hill. I finished up my first year of graduate school this past month and have been on the journey of a lifetime! It’s been a crazy year with many highs and a couple of lows to keep me on my toes and focused on my positive goals. Sometimes I need to be challenged mind, body, and soul to really appreciate and to work even harder at the things I’m passionate about in life. The program has been amazing, and to be honest it’s more than I could have ever expected. I’ve been able to work hands on with athletes of all ages and levels and even worked on life skills training through our LEAP program where I worked as a Sport Psychology Graduate Intern at the Orin Allen Youth Rehabilitation Facility. All these experiences have solidified my reasons for going into this program so I can help others realize how much potential they have by taking a peek into their mental tool box to enhance their performance. I was also fortunate to be accepted this past winter into the Doctorate program for Clinical Psychology and will begin that journey next week… yep, in four years I hope to be Dr. K2!

LB: In addition to furthering your education and practicing in your profession, you have also returned to racing. Has it changed how you mentally approach each race?

K2: Well let’s just start by saying that it was my mental resilience that actually got me back into racing this past summer. I suffered some complications and a very stressful flare-up of my Crohn’s disease just when I was starting to prepare for the 2009 road season with my new team Wells Fargo Racing. It was pretty bad and I was unable to ride for almost 5 months and I lost a ton of weight, muscle and fitness. Luckily, I have an amazing support system where my family, friends, teammates, and twitter followers (www.twitter.com/thek2) helped keep my spirits high and encouraged me to keep fighting. I’d like to give a special shout out to Mara, Kami, Kim, Yuki, Karen, Lyne, and yes you Leonard for all the support, laughs, and encouragement. I could list probably 100 names and I’m very grateful to have such amazing people in my life. Actually, it was around spring break when my mom and sister came out to visit that the new meds finally started to kick in and I saw a glimmer of hope that I was going to get back to my old self. I had been doing all kinds of mental exercises I might work on with other athletes like: positive self-talk, motivation statements, affirmations, imagery, and one of the most important to my situation, goal-setting. It’s funny because I owe a ton of my ‘comeback’ to a new friend I met out here who gave me some fun tips about training on Mount Diablo (at the time I was living at the base in Walnut Creek) so during my break I started riding and after a week or so the hunger started to grow inside of me again. He told me to just keep doing what I loved, which has always been climbing so I just went out and hammered Mt. D repeats for a week. All of a sudden I felt like my strength, focus, and passion for racing where coming back and I wanted to race… badly! One of the keys to starting up for my first race was to acknowledge that I was in no way prepared for an entire season and to just take each week as I could while balancing school, training, and life. I also tried to rely on my past years experience and did a ton of visualizing peak performances from other training rides, races, and enjoyable moments on the bike to spark that important mind/body connection. It was important for me to lie out short term and long-term goals where I realized that any of the racing and training I did this summer was actually a foundation for my 2010 season. I have come to terms with the idea that I probably won’t be able to do a ton of races but hopefully be able to support my amazing team with more confidence in my own racing abilities. By increasing my self-confidence I can increase my self-efficacy, which will lead to more productive racing and hopefully enhance my overall performance for next season.

LB: There are a great deal of popular misconceptions in your chosen profession, some of which involve someone lying on a sofa and talking about their parental relationships in some Freudian terms. Is that really the case?

K2: Funny because I just took a class this summer in preparation for the doctorate program that covered some of the mainstream forms of psychology like Psychodynamic Theory, Humanistic Psychology, Self-Psychology, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, and one that really interests me Positive Psychology to name a few. The focus of Sport Psychology in many ways takes a bit of each philosophy; I guess you could say it’s a melting pot of theories. One area that many people get confused about is the difference between a sport psychologist and a clinical psychologist. Most people working in this field are actually Sport Psychology Consultants who have earned their masters in sport psychology but do not hold their doctorate in psychology. A Sport Psychologists is typically someone who has their doctorate, is licensed to practice psychology, has training in sport psychology techniques and is a member of the Association of Applied Sport Psychology. Sport Psychology Consultants look to help athletes, coaches, and teams learn how to use various mental exercises and techniques in order to improve their overall performance but are not qualified to work with psychological pathologies, though we are trained to look for red flags and to make referrals. Since I have been on both sides as an athlete and now a future consultant, I’ve found that there are some deeper issues that many athletes have to face such as: depression, eating disorders, and substance abuse. These are issues that I would like to be able to offer consultation on if they happen to arise when working with an athlete. No matter what, my goal is to provide each client with the tools needed to help them become mentally prepared to excel as a person and athlete on their own. And no… there won’t be any ‘couches’ involved though maybe a bike ride or a chat at the start line.

LB: How does your profession differ from what a club or team coach might do for their athletes?

K2: That’s a great question and one I’ve already touched on a bit. So, instead of telling you how to eat, how many hours to ride and what zone to be in, I would be teaching you skills like imagery, goal-setting, positive self-talk, and helping you work on your concentration, focus and motivation through various techniques to reach your optimal level of performance. Just like training your body, you need to practice your mental skills for them to really help you in the long run. It would hopefully be a partnership between yourself, your coach and myself where we could all work together in synergy to facilitate a mind/body training program that would fit your individual needs.

LB: It’s often said that sports are 80 percent mental, but doesn't that mostly pertain to knowing what to do and when to do it?

K2: Actually, I like to think that it’s 90% mental and 10% physical but I have my biases. (laughing) Knowing what to do and when to do it is a lot easier said than done for most athletes. Some of the things we help athletes become aware of are things that might help to improve their confidence or motivation by focusing on things that are in their control and how to use positive thinking to improve their athletic performance. The next step would be to figure out various times or places to practice these mental tools, whether it be in a pre-performance routine (like listening to music or doing stretches before a race) where the athlete can focus on the exercises. Each athlete will have their own set of mental tools that they will be able to choose from and over time become more aware of when and where to use them. It’s comes down to the basic idea that… if you think it, feel it, act it, eventually… you will do it.

LB: Psychology has long been considered a "soft science". These days, isn't cycling (or any endurance sport for that matter) all about the hard scientific data: Power, Watts, VO2max, and Strength-to-Weight Ratio?

K2: The same train of thought is actually presented in psychology. Many theories are not taken as seriously because there isn’t enough research and or data to back up the theory. Since sport psychology is a rather new field of study we are still on the verge of gathering more scientific data but most of the theories that are used with today’s athletes have been thoroughly studied, researched, and tested. It’s surprising how many research articles there are about sport psychology techniques and how they are very effective and in some sports almost as effective as actual physical practice. In most cases, the combination of using mental techniques with physical training will enhance performance but no matter what, the athlete will always need the physical aspect in order to reach their peak performance. If an athlete was to inquire about the hard scientific data, I would be more than happy to provide days worth of reading materials proving that sport psychology is a key ingredient to helping an athlete reach their full athletic potential.

LB: With our "microwave" society where everyone seems to want a quick fix to any of their issues, how would address that type of athlete in search of a “magic pill”?

K2: That is something I think many coaches, trainers, and sport psychology consultants have to face when working with athletes, especially since most athletes are highly motivated and determined to do or try anything in order to win. This is not to say it’s entirely a bad thing, there needs to be some focus on what we call extrinsic motivators such as focusing on winning. It’s when the athlete becomes desperate and losses focus on intrinsic motivators like their passion for the sport and might turn to illegal means of getting ahead by taking ‘magic pills.’ If an athlete really wants to work on their performance they must understand that it’s just as much mental as it is physical and that it is going to take hard work, dedication, and practice to reach their full potential…but it can be done. The best way to address this is to have the athlete create a list of why they play or participate in their chosen sport and what goals they have that keep them motivated. The athlete needs to understand that the only ‘quick fix’ will come from them internally and they must decide how hard they’re willing to work mentally and physically to improve.

LB: You make the distinction between clinical psychology and sports psychology. Once you complete your degree, would you be able to address the issues associated with clinical depression, as in the case of athletes such as Tyler Hamilton?

K2: After I complete my doctorate program, I would be able to work with athletes like Tyler who suffer from the disease of clinical depression. What many people don’t realize is that depression is a disease and that most people who suffer from it need psychological therapy in addition to being placed on medications to cope with daily life. I do not know all the details of Tyler’s case but I commend him for seeking therapy and I wish him the best with his future endeavors.

LB: Like with most things, you get out what you put in. How much of treating or helping out the athlete is dependent upon the effort they put into it?

K2: How we approach athletes is not that much different from what coaches expect from physical training. Just think, would you be able to race an entire season on 1 week of riding? No. The difference is that you can use your mental skills throughout the entire day if needed and adapt them to fit into your training, racing, and daily life routines. The key is to make sure you fully understand how and when to use the skills that your consultant presents. It’s a team effort and as a consultant we are in a partnership to help athletes become the best they can be without our help. With that said, it’s very important for the athlete to take their mental exercises seriously and to practice them just like they would riding their bike everyday. I like this quote, "A lot of people want a shortcut. I find the best shortcut is the long way, which is basically two words: work hard." - Randy Pausch (The Last Lecture)

LB: I'm a lowly Cat 5 racer, how can sports psychology help me or is that type of help better reserved for elite athletes only?

K2: First off, there are no ‘lowly’ categories in world of sport when it comes down to how people perceive their own passion, dedication, and commitment to doing something they enjoy. So for starters we would need to work on changing your self-talk by possibly re-framing that as, “I’m and up and coming Cat 5 racer.” Making sure you are referring to yourself in a positive, productive, and powerful manner. To get back to your initial question… no, sport psychology consultants work with people of all ages, levels, incomes, cultures, and physical abilities. I would like to work with the Special Olympic athletes in the future as well as for the U. S. Olympic Committee. These skills can be taught and successfully used by athletes and performers of all types such as dancers, musicians, and actors. It’s funny because most of the techniques we teach could probably do just about everyone in the world some good at enhancing their own performance personally and professionally.

LB: Through your program, you have already worked with some younger athletes. Is it easier to work with minds that are readily impressionable as opposed to the adult athlete who may already have a bevy of ingrained beliefs/notions?

K2: This is similar to what most coaches deal with; it’s easier to work with new athletes or cyclists who don’t already have a set pedal form or way they’re used to training. The same thing goes with the mental aspect as well. I’m not sure if I’d say it’s easier to work with younger athletes though because the approach would be different since each individual presents a wide spectrum of issues we might need to work on. Younger athletes might also have a more difficult time understanding the importance of their mental training and it might take more convincing than it would be a seasoned adult athlete. In some regards, it might be easier to work with adult athletes because they might have a better time with understanding how the mind and body are connected and would be able to retain the material in order to practice it on their own. The focus with younger athletes is to help them start to become more aware of the mental side and then how to use their mental tools in order to help their performance. No matter what, I look forward to working with both youth and adult athletes as I continue down the road to becoming a Sport Psychologist.

LB: As the newest contributor to the Triple Crankset, you will be dropping some of your newly found knowledge on our readers. What are your hopes and aspirations for the “Mind Meets Bike” section?

K2: My hopes and aspirations for life are big and it’s a wonderful opportunity for me to start working on one of my main goals of writing a sport psychology book focused on cycling so these articles will kind of be my rough drafts so to speak. I will be focusing on spreading the word and concrete information about sport psychology and how it really can help all athletes at any level reach their full potential. Most of my articles will focus on using sport psychology techniques and exercises that can be adapted towards cycling rather it be a one-day crit, stage race, or a weekend century ride. One of my old coaches for cycling gave me the book Thinking Body, Dancing Mind by Chungliang All Huang and Jerry Lynch and it’s the book that sparked my own passion for wanting to learn and someday teach the mental side to sport. Another wonderful book of reference is Flow for Sport by Susan Jackson and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi; flow is a topic that I will probably touch on throughout my articles. I come from a diverse background of experience in many sports which I think helps me understand the various stages we all go through mentally and physically as athletes and these will be some of the topics I hope to address. Overall, I would like to help each reader understand the positive, productive, and powerful capabilities they have within their mind when they meet their own bike at each race. The best part of this project was trying to come up with a name… it was an email I got from you about liking my idea of Mind Meets Bikes and how it reminded you of the song Soul Meets Body by Death Cab for Cutie. This is actually one of my all time favorite songs and here are some lyrics I think are perfect for what I hope to contribute…

“Cause in my head there’s a greyhound station
Where I send my thoughts to far off destinations
So they may have a chance of finding a place
where they’re far more suited than here.”

It is often said that art imitates life. If that is the case, then artists need not look any further than the sport of cycling for their inspiration as it encapsulates the full spectrum of life’s travails and emotions (and sometimes in less than an hour).

Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with artist, accomplished muralist, and cyclist, Kathleen King, who recently completed a piece commissioned by Chris Carmichael for his new Colorado Springs, Colorado Carmichael Training Systems Center. With over 23 years of “designing, coordinating and executing over 50 murals for public, commercial and private spaces,” Kathleen undertook the daunting challenge of capturing the entire 106-year history of the Tour de France on a 13' by 7' 11" canvas stretched on a custom built folding frame.

Lenny B (LB): What is your greatest challenge as a muralist and working with canvases that could potentially be of enormous proportions?

Kathleen King (KK): I love working big! I prefer it. I used to say that painting large public murals was like "visual shouting". It's really not a problem at all. Peripheral vision allows humans to see approximately 4 feet square comfortably - that's 2 feet out from your eyeballs in every direction. You just place a grid over your design and plot point to point. I painted a 6,000 square ft. mural that way. If it's exterior the hard part is being on a swing stage 6 stories above the street. Sometimes there are walk by weirdos and drive by hecklers but for every one of those there are 20 drive-by cheers and walk-by compliments, the occasional soda or beer, sometimes even flowers! I suppose the big challenge is not just being faithful to the drawing but to render it the way you saw it in your mind's eye - what is in your heart. But, when you hit that mark, there is nothing sweeter.

LB: It was never brought out in a prior interview about your Tour de France piece, but which 8 climbs did you choose to depict, and was the number purely chosen to provide some symmetry to the 8 riders chosen?

KK: The two categories developed side by side. I identified 8 climbs whose names kept coming up over and over again; mountains and passes that riders spoke of almost as a living entity with a soul and a will that lived only to test them. They are Mont Ventoux, Col du Tourmalet, Col d'Aubisque, Col du Galibier, Hautacam, Croix de Fer, Col d'Izoard and Alpe d'Huez, which is the central peak above the head of Lance Armstrong. There were also 8 historic champions that stood head and shoulders above the rest so I matched the men to the mountains. It seemed a fitting metaphor.

LB: Of the thousands of riders who have participated during the long history of the Tour de France, why did you choose those 8 riders to depict?

KK: For the original design I had naturally selected the one rider who has won seven times: Lance Armstrong, the four riders who won 5 times: Jacques Anquetil; Eddy Merckx; Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain, and the 3 who won the Tour three times: Philippe Thys; Louison Bobet; and Greg Lemond. My client, Chris Carmichael preferred a different approach. I knew that there was some conflict between Lemond and the Carmichael /Armstrong camp based on Lemond's very public verbal attacks of Armstrong during several press conferences but I wasn't aware of how intense the feelings were surrounding those events.

Instead we chose to honor Tour icons and legendary rivals Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali who both won two Tours each and the winner of the first Tour in 1903, Maurice Garin; all worthy subjects certainly. It was hard to leave Louison Bobet, out of the group - he was an absolute rock star in his day.

Before I knew anything about professional cycling other than the fact that there was a big race called "le Tour de France" I knew the name "Lemond". I actually watched the final stage in Paris among the throngs of people many years ago while attending Le Sorbonne and had no clue why they rode up and down Les Champs Elysées so many times...! The Tour seemed like a worthy excuse to drink more peach beer and dance down the wide sidewalks chanting cheers. As my love and understanding of pro cycling grew he became a hero. He was, after all, the American rider who broke through the Euro barrier for American cyclists in the Tour. While I think the way Lemond has chosen to air his beliefs is counterproductive and reflects poorly on him it saddened me that personal animosities ran so deep that it would affect the composition in a way that diminished Lemond's importance in the Tour's history. But people are human and ultimately the mural hangs in Chris' office where he comes to work every day. So I can't say I blame him. All three of these men, Lemond, Carmichael and Armstrong are legends of our sport. I sincerely hope that one day before they are all buried in their graves they will remember that once upon a time they served a common purpose: to win American professional cycling its rightful place on the world stage - and if for no other reason, make peace amongst themselves.

LB: You chose to depict one of the most grizzled and cantankerous champions, Bernard Hinault, with a smile, why?

KK: I must have looked at a gazillion pictures of riders on and off the course and the one thing that stood out about Hinault is that he was always showing his teeth! Even if he was gnashing them, there were his pearly whites. I began calling him "Pearly Bernie" while I was painting his portrait. I got the impression that Bernie is the kind of "hardman" that would keep smiling even if it killed him. If "the grill" wasn't showing it wouldn't have done him justice.

LB: So Lemond is depicted in the piece, just not as you had originally envisioned. Where is he, and what characteristics did you focus on so that your viewers would say that's Lemond?

KK: Greg Lemond is in profile in the peloton below the profile (and large figure) of Miguel Indurain, above Stephen Roche, ahead of Pedro Delgado and Bernard Hinault, behind Bjarne Riis, Jan Ulrich and Lance Armstrong. I exaggerated Greg's fluffy blond curls and wide eyes and rather 'boyish' appearance. Even more than other riders, his thighs looked enormous compared to the rest of him so they are exaggerated as well. He is wearing the Mondrian colors of the team La Vie Clare. Like "Pearly Bernie" and his teeth, "Lemonster" always looked like a teenager having a good time on his bike!

LB: For the uninitiated Tour de France fan, could you please touch on the significance of the flowers and their range of colors?

KK: Yes they are the ubiquitous Tournesols - literally "turn with the sun" in French - that are a universal symbol of the Tour. The peloton is a beautiful image riding just above the, sometimes, 8ft stalks, which is why I placed the peloton in the piece riding just above the flowers.

The flowers make up a time line. There is a flower for each year since the Tour began in 1903. The blue flowers represent the war years during WWI and WWII. All other flowers represent the Tour winner of that year. The colored petals are of the national flag of the winner's home country. The center of the flower contains the winners name, nickname, year of birth and death (if applicable), number of stage wins, other jerseys won and individual achievement in that same year such as winning the Giro d'Italia or Vuelta d'España. For instance, Miguel Indurain won the Tour 5 times so he has 5 flowers with his information in the center and the colors of the Spanish flag on alternating petals. There are also four "falling petals" on the flowers representing the years in which a rider died during the Tour.

LB: For some art pieces, it is often what is left out rather than what is put in. What were some of the other significant Tour de France milestones, centerpieces, or riders that you chose to leave out?

KK: One Tour alone is an epic saga woven of 200 individual stories. The Tour over its entire 106 year history is incomprehensibly vast in scope. One must pick and choose. I focused on historical, geographical and biographical highlights. Would that the canvas were of infinite size but I only had 13' x 7' 11" to work with - and yes the fact that it is 7-11 high and not a full 8 ft is intentional. The hardest to leave out were the incredible climbers and sprinters, flamboyant personalities like Mario Cipollini, for instance, who make the race so exciting with their fireworks but are not in it to win the top spot on the podium. There are also hundreds of anecdotal stories like the time the entire peloton took a spontaneous detour to go swimming in the Mediterranean on a terribly hot day. Organizers were furious but by gentleman's agreement they all got back on their bikes and resumed the race when all were ready to go. What makes the Tour unique is that by its long duration and relentless difficulty it stretches people to their absolute limit and beyond. Humanity is stripped bare and all the raw emotion comes pouring out. The physical demands of the tour leave no place to hide. Add to that the randomness of weather, crashes and equipment failures and it naturally creates great drama! You simply can't even dream of covering it all. I had to include certain crucial elements. Had I only been trying to depict the drama I would have painted one rider crossing the line, eyes to heaven, arms in the air, tears mingling with sweat and blood while the riders, in 2nd 3rd and 4th accepted defeat and crazed fans cheered.

LB: In the second layer of scribble riders, there are various profiles/silhouettes of other riders. Are those meant to signify some of the other great champions as one is very reminiscent of the professor, Laurent Fignon?

KK: Absolutely. Each Scribble cyclist represents a Tour winner. Each is a portrait of the rider in profile and depicts his riding posture on the bike. The body of the rider is embellished with colors representative of the team kit(s) he wore in the year(s) that he won. The "Grand All-Winner Peloton" as Chris dubbed it rides for the most part in chronological order. The one exception is that Maurice Garin is depicted riding up front with Alberto Contador which is underneath Garin's photo-real portrait a symbolic reminder that the ghosts of past champions always ride alongside all riders who brave the Tour.

LB: As you stated in a prior interview, painting "taps you on the shoulder" and is never far from your art, who were your influences?

KK: The ultimate influence for me will always be Michaelangelo and not because of his frescoes but rather his sculpture. I've seen them in person and they all but breathe. I've actually cried while looking at them. I strive to make my portraits, come to life like that, to give you a real feeling of that person not just a likeness. For the modern and abstract I love the Cubists, the Fauves. Personal favorites: Jasper Johns, Kandinsky, Leger, Miro, Duchamp, Chuck Close, Basquiat...the original Action Painter: Jackson Pollack, The Scribbles are a form of Action Painting which is figurative instead of abstract. Two paintings that I would love to own are John's "0 through 9" and Joseph Stella's "Old Brooklyn Bridge". My palette however is influenced more by my love of Native American, African, South American and Indonesian folk textiles and beading.

LB: Cyclist, artist, traveler...it’s quite the bohemian lifestyle. If you had your druthers, where would you like to set up shop or does that lifestyle lend more to a nomadic existence?

KK: Once upon a time I was researching the native tribes of Southern California for a mural about a gambling game popular among the Kumeyaay Nation. I met with an anthropologist who smiled as she asked me: "If you were introduced today to someone who had three homes in different regions and traveled between them depending on the season, would you call that person a nomad or simply a wise and affluent person?" In an instant she changed my perspective of the "nomadic" peoples of the American Southwest. While I don't (yet) own 3 residences I prefer to keep a home base, usually near the ocean where cycling opportunities are abundant and travel to where I'm needed returning on my invisible tether as it were to familiar surroundings. I'm quite fond of Italy, I have family in Manhattan and Northern New Mexico is a favorite spiritual retreat. After the mural was complete I got to explore the Four Corners area of Southwestern Colorado and fell in love with it. I'll take any excuse to see more of Africa... Of course, I'm always up for a trip to wherever there's a bike race!

LB: It looks as if some extensive research went into the piece before you actually put brush to canvas. What did that entail? Were your references mainly books and magazines, or did you have an opportunity to speak with any of those personalities you depicted in the piece?

KK: The research for this project was not the greatest amount that I've had to do but it's close. Fortunately I was a cycling fanatic to begin with. Half the battle with research is knowing where to start. Chris Carmichael himself was of course a great source having trained the only seven-time Tour winner. I read a great deal about the history of the Tour, all the tales of intrigue and lore, and scoured every bio of every winner with the help of Wikipedia. The hardest part was finding accurate nicknames for each rider as some had several nicknames and others seemed to have none at all. (All the nicknames are listed in the sunflowers as well). I read about every major climb and at one point made a list of ALL the towns that hosted a start or finish of a stage. I researched all the regions of France. My favorite part was following the Tour of California for 6 of the 9 stages this past spring which gave me a feel for following a grand tour on the long slog from town to town. For some of it I got to assist a certain photographer from Triplecrankset, Mr. Basobas which was great fun. I had a great excuse to chat with Phil Liggett, Paul Sherwin, Bob Roll, Dave Towle and Johan Bruyneel. My media pass gave me access to get up close to all the stars of the teams and that was exciting. My favorite references were Inside the Tour de France by Eric Delanzy, Bob Roll's books and articles and A Dog in a Hat by Joe Parkin which is an excellent account of what it's like for an American to live and race in Europe. Michael Engleman has given me great insight into the sport as a whole. I watched A LOT of YouTube! Collecting all the photographic references was the most daunting task because you can't use just any photo of a rider; it has to be shot from the right angle. In all I researched for 2 months prior to starting the mural itself and continued to hunt for details all through the process. I must ask forgiveness of the forest I consumed making a mountain of color copies. For everything that I put in the mural there are 20 things I had to leave out. What is the Tour de France? The Tour de France is a beautiful prism of shared experience.

LB: Speaking to the history of art and its patronage, is it as simple as the patron getting what he/she paid for or do you have some creative license/room to play with? Have you ever had to defend your decisions in order to protect your vision of a piece? Is there pressure, both external and internal, to work within the context of it being your piece while also conforming to the wishes of the patron?

KK: A commissioned work of art is different from any other kind of 'work for hire'. Sometimes you start from scratch as is the case with a residential mural where a client says 'this room needs something but I don't know what.' In the case of commercial murals such as in a restaurant or an exterior public mural there is usually a subject the client wants depicted as was the case with the Tour de France mural. There is always an initial design drawing that the client approves and any changes the client may want are discussed in context of the original design. Sometimes an artist gets the dream client who says 'I trust you! Just do what you feel!' On rare occasions there is a conflict between certain changes a client may want and the overall balance of the piece. American culture really doesn't educate our youth adequately regarding the nature of art and the roll of the artist. The skill set is not simply the facility with paint to render an approximation of reality. An artist's real skill has far more to do with an eye for balance, flow and context. I can change how you feel about a room and everything that happens in that room by the type of paintings I display on the walls. Often an artist has been accused of arrogance, disrespect or egotism while defending a piece because a patron wants to make changes that would throw the piece and the room out of balance, make it look garish or kitsch. It is not the artist's reputation they are defending it is the integrity of the piece itself. At the end of the day It has to be good art as opposed to crap. If the piece is solid you can sleep at night because you know you did good work. If you bend to the will of the client until the piece breaks it will haunt you. Long ago I painted a piece for a client exactly as the client dictated, as if I was just a hand with a brush painting what the client would paint if he had the brush skills. It wasn't hideous but it was not what I would call art. He literally unveiled it with a curtain at a big party. Most of the people attending struggled to hide their distaste. One woman laughed openly. My abilities were well known by that time so it didn't reflect poorly on me. It took me a long time to forgive myself for not having the courage to at least attempt to save the client from his lack of understanding. Every piece of art is not merely a personal expression but a contribution to human culture as a whole. An artist's ultimate responsibility is to Art.

LB: Aesthetically, is beauty truly in the eye of the beholder?

KK: Ahhh! That's where it it gets tricky! Beauty is absolutely in the eye of the beholder and it is everywhere. Even a fly crawling on garbage has gloriously iridescent wings that flash in pink and turquoise if the sun hits them just right. The dirty, anguished, blood-stained face of a Tour rider post crash is beautiful in its humanity, sometimes even more so than the grace of the peloton streaming perfectly through a curve. Art on the other hand is an act of expression. Art attempts to capture that humanity, that grace. In order for it to be "good art" someone has to be able to feel its impact besides the artist who made it. "Feeling" the art and understanding what the artist was expressing when he/she painted it aren't necessarily the same. The important thing is that it touches you and that touch makes you want to keep looking at it. Just like listening to a "good" piece of music, it causes you to experience different emotions and ideas within yourself. Just as a piece of music can be out of balance and not quite 'hit the mark' so can a painting. Rarely do you have to tell someone which are the hit songs on an album, you just know - because you can't stop humming them. A good piece of art can evoke positive or negative emotions, or even better, emotions you can't really describe. It just hits you in the chest. "Great art" (music sculpture, photography, film, dance...) is art that hits a lot of people in the chest and continues to do so long after the artist is gone.

Kathleen King will go to Las Vegas next week to display her paintings at Interbike in the Urban Legend Art and Fashion Show.

Photos: Courtesy Kathleen King

At the highest level of the sport, the Directeur Sportif, or sporting director, manages the daily operations of the cycling team. Often times you will see them following their riders in the team car, communicating with them about tactics, race situations, or upcoming terrain, and even provide some mechanical assistance. But at the lower levels of the sport, the responsibilities of the sporting director, or team manager, can run the full gambit of things, from pinning race numbers on jerseys or filling water bottles to sending out newsletters or even being the team masseuse.

Such is the life of Nicola Cranmer, Team Manager for the PROMAN Hit Squad. Since founding the California based women’s cycling team in 2006, Nicola has taken it from regional amateur team to national elite professional team, and now to UCI track team. In doing so, she has helped foster the dreams of the individuals she has worked with as well as precipitated the agenda of all women in cycling.

Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down with Nicola to discuss PROMAN’s newly formed Junior Development program, garner her perspective on women’s cycling, and explore her own passions as a cyclist.

Granny’s 30 (G): From your bio, you stated that you were previously an apprentice jockey, did you grow up around horses?

Nicola Cranmer (NC): Yes, you could say that in a sense, the horses were mostly on television; it certainly wasn’t a glamorous poetic introduction to them.

My dad is a huge horse racing fan, so I grew up with him jumping up and down on the edge of the sofa screaming ‘go on my son, come on come on! Betting on horses is legal everywhere in England and its quite common to pop down to the local bookies on a Saturday morning, get some fish and chips and a few pints and either watch racing at home or at the pub. My dad would bet a few pounds on a horse for himself and for me. Mostly I picked horses for their name back then, later on form. I was one of those girls that had every inch of her bedroom wall covered with pictures of horses; most of my friends had pictures of Duran Duran, Starsky and Hutch or the Human League, horses most certainly kept me out of trouble [that came later].

My mum when she was younger used to baby-sit for one of the leading thoroughbred trainers in England – Sir Gordon Richards; she stayed in touch with him and occasionally rode his horses. I remember one day I must have been about seven or eight I watched my mum riding, she was challenged by the man she was riding with to a race, they galloped across a field neck and neck it was very exciting, my Mum won the ‘race’ and it left quite an impression on me. I was then hooked. We were quite poor growing up although I didn’t realize it at the time, so I could never afford to have a horse of my own. I worked in a riding school on the weekends in exchange for free riding lessons; I knew I wanted to make a career out of it. My grandparents lived in a village where there was a training facility, so when I finished my secondary modern school, I moved in with them and worked for one of the leading trainers in the UK.

G: Were you ever into equestrian riding or was it purely racing? If racing, what type, flat or steeplechase?

NC: I competed in gymkhanas at about age 12 and a little cross-country; I went straight into thoroughbred racing at age 16. I was fortunate enough to work in the top yard in the country for a trainer, David Elsworth. In my first year in horse racing, one of the horses I took care of, Melindra won at Royal ascot, I got to meet the queen mum, that’s where the glamorous side of horse racing came in. Melindra was a very sassy two year old filly that was rescued by a police woman from a knackers yard, (slaughter house) turns out she was a really good sprinter, of course it was a rags to riches story that the media loved. It’s sort of the equivalent of an unknown rider winning Flanders.

It was a mixed yard, both flat and steeplechase.

G: How did you get into the sport of cycling? Did you ride prior to your move to California…before your mountain biking days?

NC: The only bike riding I ever did in England was a way of avoiding drinking and driving, although you could still get arrested for being drunk on a bike. The good thing was the local police man rode a bike and I was pretty sure I could out ride him if I needed to

There is a huge pub culture in England and it’s just what you do, if you weren’t paralytic by 11pm (pub closing) it just wasn’t a good night out. It’s weird thinking about it now, but it’s part of life there. I was 17 at the time. I lived in a little village and would ride my bike to the pub – skirt, heels and all. I think my bike had 3 gears but I didn’t really ever use them. It also had a dynamo light which was really tricky when riding home from the pub at night, struggling up the hill with the light getting dimmer and dimmer and finally stopping at the top, the first few feet of the descent it was pitch black until the dynamo got working again! Once in a while my skirt would get sucked into the oily chain, I mostly wore black then so it didn’t bother me much. It would have been far too sensible and not very fashionable to put trousers and trainers (sneakers) on.

I moved to California in 1986, primarily because I needed to take some time off from riding horses due to an injury, I decided to move to California for six months. While I was here I met a guy, Dan Lewbin, then expert National XC Champ, in the local bike shop – Planeaway Bikes, formerly the Koski Brother’s Cove Bike Shop in Tiburon (The Koski Brothers are the less known pioneers of mountain biking), who asked if I would like to go riding one day. I actually purchased a road bike first and would go on long rides by myself. I had no clue as to what I was doing. I would pack a lunch; slices of cheese, ham or salami and weird things like that…sometimes I would be out there all day.

I eventually borrowed a mountain bike and went riding with Dan and his friends who belonged to a sort of renegade outlaw team, DFL - "Dead Fucking Last," I quickly became a ‘member.’ At that time, mountain bike racing was so fun with classic races like Shasta Lemurian, Revenge of the Siskyous, TNT, Rockhopper, etc. These were more point-to-point or big epic loop races, which have now been replaced in favor of more spectator friendly lap races. It was good times, with bands and kegs at the finishes. I was naturally quite good and progressed quickly from sport to expert cross country, then to pro downhill. I raced for WTB and later PROFLEX. WTB now sponsors my team with tires and saddles.

In 1997, my life abruptly changed and so did my bike racing career, which I hesitate to call a career as I wasn’t getting paid. While riding my mountain bike on a Mount Tam fire road, I got a speeding ticket (yes, the state park rangers would literally hide behind trees on fire roads with radar guns), which led to a refusal of entry back into the US due to an over stayed visa. As I was not allowed to be let back into the US for over two years, I moved back to London, and signed with Lennox Lewis’s sports agency as a mountain biker.

My three years back in the UK were pretty incredible though. I met some wonderful people; one of them would eventually be the title sponsor of the team that I was to start 8 years later. It’s quite a long story, but a fascinating one for another day!

I moved back to the States in 2001 and then found myself back on the bike again. Simon Andalib, former Village Peddler employee/bike racer, was responsible for getting me back into racing, and pro mountain biker Chris Greene was a huge support and training partner.

G: What was your motivation behind starting up a cycling team?

NC: My main motivation…racing on a co-ed team I noticed that the men got more support than the women. This was frustrating so I decided to form a women’s team. I quickly found a shop sponsor, Paradigm Cycles, which at the time was owned by Julia Violich. Julia who is also the current 40+ national XC champ and 2nd placed finisher at Masters Worlds, has since sold the shop, and assists as our sponsorship director. It would be impossible running the team without her support.

Our title sponsor came to us very quickly too, and we wouldn’t be where we are today without them. PROMAN – PROject MANagement is a German engineering company, one of the biggest in the world, they certainly don’t need the advertising. They sponsor the team solely to assist its athletes attaining their goals and dreams; a very unique situation. I am eternally grateful for their support.

G: When you decided to start up the team, what was the hardest thing about starting it up? What turned out to be easier than you thought?

NC: The title sponsor came very easily, that was huge! Starting the team was actually one of those serendipitous moments where everything flowed. Not saying anything was really easy, it’s always been hard work, which is something I am not afraid of. I think the hardest thing is being taken seriously. It seems you have to pay your dues in road cycling for people to respect you. The team is rolling into its 4th year and I think we are gaining respect both on and off the bike. The road scene is pretty tight knit and I would say much of the respect is gained off the bike; integrity and a good sense of humor go a long way. There have been times that have challenged me beyond what I thought was my capacity but I seem to be coming out of it all OK. I have certainly made plenty of mistakes along the way. I don’t pretend to be anything I’m not, I don’t pretend to even know what I am doing – I am just doing it to the best of my ability with what I know. I think it’s a continual learning process and I enjoy pushing myself to become better at what I do. I love the sport of cycling and intend to be here for a long time. It’s a wonderful community of people and I have forged friendships that will last a lifetime.

We are at a point in the team’s growth where we are outgrowing our title sponsor. Although PROMAN will continue to support us I need to generate more sponsor dollars to give the athletes what they deserve. There is just so much that I want to do. We rely on private donations from fans, family and friends, even cyclists from other teams have contributed in the past. Without this kind of support we would not exist. We are definitely a community effort.

G: As Team Manager for PROMAN Hit Squad what are your responsibilities?

NC: Well, this may take a while, I do everything from securing sponsorships, order clothing, take care of logistics, update the blog, write newsletter, fill water bottles, recruiting and even occasionally massages, I was a massage therapist for 11 years – you name it I do it. It wouldn’t be fair to say I am a one-woman show, but I do take care of the meat of the project and I couldn’t do it without the help of the team and friends. I definitely need to delegate more. I think most people have no idea what goes into running a team. I really almost have three teams to run, road, cross and track, which is split into two categories domestic and UCI. The UCI team has been a challenge; one of our riders Shelley Olds has excelled beyond belief and will continue to do so.

I formed the UCI team two years ago to enable Shelley to compete at the highest level of track racing, the World Cup circuit. Last year we were in Sydney, Beijing, LA and Copenhagen. This year Manchester and Melbourne, and she raced Copenhagen with the US National team. It’s been a great experience and an interesting one. I sit at managers’ meetings at these World Cup events and I am the only woman team owner in a room of about 150 managers and coaches, there are other women coaches and managers but very few (by the way, some assume I am the masseuse).

I would like to see more women in leadership roles in cycling especially in track racing. Working with former Saturn director, Giana Roberge has been instrumental in my growth and confidence. Her years of experience brought professionalism and high expectation to the team. I have learned a lot from her and take my responsibilities very seriously. Giana has since stepped away from her directing role with the birth of her first child. One of my biggest responsibilities is to the athletes on the team who not only show ability on the bike but passion loyalty, dedication and a trust in me to assist them with their goals.

Shelley Olds plays an important role as my partner on the team, her dedication and vision is so strong. Shelley has had opportunities to join other teams, and certainly get paid better, but she is determined to create the kind of environment that will allow her to follow her dream of the 2012 Olympics. She is a natural leader and has inspired me to reach for higher goals than I would have imagined. Her fiancé Rob Evans has also been a significant in developing a business strategy for the team for the future. Tim Brennan, team mechanic and sounding board, has also been a dedicated supporter of the team, taking care of everything technical and just basically being a good ear when times get rough. My ringtone on his phone is the pinball machine…I think that tells you a lot!

Julia Violich has also been a rock. She is a dedicated supporter of everything cycling, who I could not do without. We are also very fortunate to be joined by Cari Higgins, 4-time elite track champ. Cari fits well into our program, she has a strong track focus and dedicates much time to mentoring juniors in her hometown of Boulder, CO. Rachel Lloyd is another key member, she keeps things dirty with her Cross and Super D skills and is also a natural with the juniors. All team members contribute in one way or another and without the support of these people there would be no team.

I would also be remiss if I did not mention any and all of our sponsors: PROMAN, Violich Farms, Paradigm Cycles, BMC Bikes, Cane Creek Wheels, SRAM Bike Components, Enduro Bearings, Rudy Project, Voler Clothing, JL Racing Clothing, Skins, Northwave Shoes, WTB Tires & Saddles, Arundel Cage & Bar Tape. Sapim Spokes, Velocity Rims, Dumondetech Lube, Pure Swiss Water, Mez Design, CLIF Bar, Peet's Coffee & Tea, Whole Athlete, Marin Spine & Wellness, Larkspur Hotels, Northpoint Advisors, and Brake Through Media.

G: Some former band/orchestra members who have gone up front [of the band] with the baton have stated that it's hard to jump back in [for whatever reason], have you found that with your managing a team and racing for it?

NC: The first two years it was not a problem for me to manage and race as we were racing at a regional level and the team was smaller. Things changed; however, going into the third year when NRC races came into the picture, and now UCI. It’s very important to have a solid foundation by which to operate a team, and I have come to terms that I will be racing less. I am ok with that. I think racing with the team on occasion has its definite advantages. Although all the girls appreciate what I do as a manager there is nothing quite like sacrificing your personal race for another, it forms a deep bond and a different level of appreciation.

Managing has its own set of challenges to keep me focused. I will jump in a few crits this year to help my teammates but I will focus mostly on track racing. My goals will be at Masters Track Nationals and hopefully Masters Track Worlds. But the girls on the team are so dedicated and focused that they deserve more attention, although they constantly remind me to focus on myself. My priority as far as the team goes is them. If I can provide a situation where all they have to worry about is racing their bike I will be happy. That being said, most of the current team members are very active in the team’s growth off the bike as well. We do have a great support crew.

G: Mountain or Road?

NC: Mountain for the soul, the big drop offs and technical descents, road for the grace, sprints and team efforts

G: Road or Track?

NC: Track for the speed and tangibility and to increase power for the road

G: Crits or Stage Races?

NC: Crit slut all the way! I am starting to appreciate more and more the beauty and challenges of the stage race though.

G: With your title sponsor (PROMAN) in Dusseldorf, Germany has there been any talk/consideration of the team racing in Europe?

NC: Yes we have considered racing the road team in Europe, it’s very expensive to send a team but we certainly hope to, the Spring Classics would be a priority if we had the budget. The UCI track team has raced two World Cup seasons overseas. Since we first chatted, PROMAN riders, Shelley Olds, Rachel Lloyd & Megan Guarnier, Ashley Dymond and Coryn Rivera have raced for the US National team in Europe. Shelley competed in Italy on the track and was on the podium all three days of racing and was on the podium at a World Cup. Megan also competed in races in Italy, Belgium and France, including the Spring Classic – Tour of Flanders. Both Shelley and Megan also recently competed in the Giro d’Italia Femminile. Betina Hold also headed to Europe to race for the Canadian National Team.

We have Jim Miller to thank for these opportunities internationally. These kinds of experiences are invaluable to our athletes and will add to the depth of our young squad. Jim has developed an outstanding women’s program and works very closely with developing domestic teams. He is very modest in regards to his achievements but I am very grateful for his focus on women’s racing.

I also want to mention two other people, Michael Engleman and Kristin Armstrong. Michael Engleman’s contribution to women’s cycling in the form of The U.S Women’s Cycling Development Program (USWCDP) is crucial to the maintenance & growth of the sport. Likewise, Kristin Armstrong's contribution to cycling as a whole and to women's cycling specifically is immeasurable. The newly formed Kristin Armstrong Academy is instrumental in the development of our young riders.

BMC bicycles, based in Switzerland and distributed by QBP, is working with the team for the second year. We had an opportunity to visit the facility last summer, and it is an amazing place. All the guys who work for BMC are a great. We are the first U.S women’s team that BMC has worked with and I am really grateful for their support, and the support of women’s racing.

G: Where do you see PROMAN/ Racing in the future…with a full U23 Development squad…as a UCI team racing both in the US and in Europe?

NC: My vision for the team has become apparent and crystal clear in the past couple of months. Creating our junior program is very exciting.

The junior development compliments our elite program offering accomplished riders an opportunity to pass along experience and wisdom. It is my hope that the team can offer the juniors an environment where they can develop their cycling skills, achieve their personal goals in competition and to encourage and maintain a healthy lifestyle as well as creating future ambassadors for women's cycling. It’s easy to talk the talk but we are truly walking it and have an international vision for our development program.

I feel that an investment in junior riders, girls in particular, is crucial to the growth of women's racing in the US. Recently appointed USAC athletic director, Jim Miller, has assured me that he will continue to focus on women's development. Miller has successfully developed the women's road endurance program that has resulted in world class contenders and Olympic gold.

It was an easy choice for us to include juniors in our program. You don't get the instant podium gratification that you would if I used the budget to hire elite riders, but PROMAN team members are in this for the long haul and we hope to contribute more to women's cycling than a win on any given weekend. Don't get me wrong, its fun to win and see the athletes achieve their performance goals but we are dedicated to taking this program well past the podium and helping secure the future of women’s cycling.

Although we are the USA’s premiere women's track team, our focus is definitely more diverse, spanning road, cross track and mountain. I feel it’s important to expose all of our juniors to every discipline defining a focus can come much later. It is my goal to get two of our juniors to World Cup level in the next two years. I would like to do it sooner but to compete at the elite World Cup level the rider has to be at the racing age of 18. Our riders range from ages 12 – 16 years old. The two I have in mind will be ready as soon as they are 17-years-old, so in 2010 and 2011 expect to see two of our juniors racing Track World Cups…the Road to 2016 Olympics is already being paved.

We currently have four junior girls from the Bay Area, where the team is based. We wanted to be very hands on in our first year in order to discover the needs of these young athletes. We plan on expanding it into a national program in the future. We have also added Coryn Rivera, who at 16-years-old holds 21 national titles, road, track and cross, to the roster. She will be focusing on Junior Worlds as well as some NRC races. On junior gearing, she has wins at this year’s Manhattan Beach Grand Prix, the San Rafael Twilight Criterium, and on Saturday she pulled off her biggest win in the Downtown Bend Criterium, which is part of the Cascade Cycling Classic.

Current National champions, Shelley Olds and Cari Higgins and I will be scouting for new juniors throughout the year. It’s our aim to establish more programs throughout the US over the next few years. Budget is our only limiting factor. I am finding many more companies, even industry sponsors, are keen to assist in the development of future athletes. I am hoping that this is an indicator of a promising future for our program; after all it secures their future consumer base! It is apparent that there is a need for more junior girls programs; this was evident by the number of resumes I received from many aspiring athletes, mostly from the USA but also from Australia, Ecuador and Mexico.

Our program is designed to take care of a rider from junior through elite. There are other junior programs as well as pro women's teams out there, but its in-between where lots of girls fall through the cracks. It’s my hope to bridge that gap. While focusing on juniors with world level potential, it’s my hope to offer a club program to young girls that just enjoy riding and competing at regional levels but will have a support system and resources to tap into. Again, the infrastructure for this is set and the wheels are in motion, it just requires a bigger budget.

Supporting juniors comes with a lot of responsibility, which we take very seriously, there are challenges involved. Of course there is a huge emphasis and encouragement on schoolwork.

The junior are an integral part of the team, their unbridled enthusiasm, is infectious and breathes vibrancy into it.

G: PROMAN won the NCNCA Women's Premiere Series in 2006 & 2007, had exceptional results at the 2008 US Track Nationals…what are the team goals this year…your personal goals?

NC: As far as team goals, a national jersey in every discipline wouldn’t be too farfetched: road, track, mountain and cross. And to see the team grow and succeed both on and off the bike, community is a big part of the plan for PROMAN Racing. I would also like to see continued development of women’s track and road racing in the US. A goal is to add more women’s stages to the Amgen Tour of California, and this could potentially happen. This year’s criterium, while a little early in the NRC calendar, was even more well received than last year. It’s very important for women’s racing to be associated with the rolling Amgen Tour of California media machine and other U.S tours.

Increased media exposure for Women’s racing is necessary to leverage more sponsorship dollars. Last year, PROMAN hosted the first International Style Omnium at Hellyer Velodrome. Because of its success, it will now be contested at the national level at the USAC Track Nationals in October.

G: What was your best moment on a bicycle…the worst?

NC: Best - Thousand Esses (Laguanitas fire break) it was a beautiful summer day or at least I remember it that way. I was riding with a few guys and we were going to poach some illegal single track, this trail was particularly challenging and there was a section near the top of the trail that very few people had conquered. That particular day I felt really confident dropping into the trail, I even said out loud that I was going to clean it today. It actually wasn’t even a trail but a firebreak; it was steep and loose. The guys I was riding with started ahead of me and they were waiting at the most difficult section as we were going to practice it. Well I was relaxed and happy and started in on the descent, I gracefully approached the difficult section with my eyes fixed on the trail ahead, it felt like I just floated over it and continued on, past my friends and just kept going. My friends were astonished, as was I. That was about 13 years ago and they still talk about it. The trail seems to have gotten steeper over the years and the drop off even bigger, but hey that’s the stuff legends are made of and that day, in my mind, I was one!

Worst moment had to be riding in the Mount Shasta area the day began clear and sunny but at about the 4th hour of riding a snow storm blew in and I had a long road descent, I was the most cold I had ever been, I could barely brake and my tears froze! I felt cold for days after.

G: Your most memorable race…your most forgetful?

NC: Let’s start with the worst. Worst race would have to be as a cat 3 on the road – Snelling road race. I was on third wheel going into the final half kilometer, with the field a few meters behind, this was a very rough road aptly named the cheese grater. I had a front tire blow out and went down immediately, after that it was carnage; the noise was something I will never forget, half the peloton rode over me. I ended up with some separated ribs, lots of road rash and tire burns on my neck and back where I had literally been ridden over. There were gals who were far worse off than me, including Tracey Ford who was racing for a rival team and she lost the tip of her finger. I felt really awful. Although it was an accident and no one blamed me, it was a tough time for sure. I personally contacted all involved that I knew were hurt.

Most memorable...I have won several races but somehow the moments that spring to mind are the races I have performed a solid lead out or bridged a team mate to a break or brought back a break. I do get great satisfaction out of team work, but yes its fun to win. One particularly memorable moment was helping Tracey Ford win the Fidelity Burlingame Criterium 2 years ago. Yes, the same Tracey who had lost the tip of her finger in the horrible Snelling crash!

Burlingame was a goal race for her. I had flown back the night before from my managerial duties at Nature Valley GP where Shelley Olds ended up 6th in the GC. I was feeling like crap, it had been a tough week. During the race I felt as though I could not hold my position, with three laps to go I could see that Tracey was not in a good spot, she was 2nd wheel and would find herself at the front much too early. I am not sure what happened in that moment but I knew that I was committed to helping her win, I went from the back of the field to the front, picked up Kristin along the way, leaving Tracey third wheel, I put the hammer down and went as hard as I could for over a lap to ensure no surge from behind, I pulled off with two turns to go leaving Kristin to finish the job for Tracey. Tracey won and was so grateful. It’s amazing where you can find strength when someone is depending on you. We have a lot of gals on the team that will bury themselves for the cause. It wasn’t a national level race but the satisfaction of helping a team mate achieve a goal was what mattered.

G: What did you think about Georgia Gould's petitioning the UCI for "Equal Pay"?

NC: I signed it and I agree that women should get equal pay but I am not sure if contacting the UCI directly on this is the only answer, although of course they have the power to implement the rule. It’s the race promoters who need to understand that women deserve equal pay – it’s a numbers game when you look at it from a business perspective and more men generally enter the races. But yes, absolutely women dedicate just as much of their lives to training and racing and in my opinion actually make more sacrifices so they deserve equal pay. This is different as it is salary but in a UCI track trade team contract, minimum wage (approx $12,000) is to be paid to both male and female racers annually.

G: You've stated that the team is somewhere in between a professional team and an amateur one. What are the unique challenges that you're confronted with "straddling both canoes," so to speak?

NC: The biggest challenge is man power. I want to be able to support a regional team as well as a pro team but it’s become apparent that I cannot do it all and will be focusing on a UCI track trade team and a small road team in 2009. This will allow me time to contribute in other areas of cycling, such as race promotion and to do a better job of managing. I am determined to make a stamp in the world of track racing, there needs to be more support for women also in road racing too but there are already some strong women ambassadors for the road.

G: You have two riders in Shelley Olds and Rachel Lloyd who have proven that they can compete on a world stage, how do you support their efforts while building that team of riders to support them?

NC: Both Shelley and Rachel’s disciplines; track and cyclocross are not so team oriented, it’s the road racing that brings the team together. They both enjoy being part of a team during the road season as it takes the pressure off the individual performance. Shelley’s goal was to podium at a track World Cup this year and to develop as a track racer with the ultimate goal of the Points race at the 2012 Olympics. She achieved the first goal. I have decided to put a strong focus in this area; it is something I love to do.

Rachel had similar goals for this year, which perhaps will be her last at the World Cup level of cyclocross. It was a difficult decision for me, but this season, so Rachel could get the level of support she deserves, she will be racing on another team with a very strong cross identity. With an already stretched out budget with increasing costs of international travel it seemed like the best thing for Rachel. It was a tough choice for both of us as she is very loyal and we are also great friends. She has rejoined us for road races in 2009.

G: Riders and teams come and go, but women’s cycling seems to be getting hit fairly hard with sponsors pulling out for the 2009 season. First, what is appealing about women’s cycling relative to men’s cycling? What do you think should change in women's cycling to get people, and sponsors, more interested and excited about it?

NC: This is a question that quite honestly bewilders me. I see the massive marketing potential in women athletes but it seems to be a sentiment that is not shared. There is a fine line between exploiting women's sexuality and women’s athleticism in cycling...it seems to be defined as one or the other, I think marketing strategists are confused by this. I recently spent time at the Amgen Tour of California and I was reminded of how the cycling industry is run primarily by men who show very little interest in women's cycling. Yes, some companies dedicate a few sponsorship dollars and product to a couple of teams for PR purposes, but in large part most companies are not very interested in the true development of women’s cycling. Men's teams get far more. There are a few industry companies; however that have put thought into women’s products. I have always been incredibly grateful for all the support but this gratitude can easily turn into frustration.

I believe women are far better ambassadors for the sport and the products they represent, for example, whenever the team travels internationally we take an extra few days to visit sponsors or dealers where their products are sold or we visit local schools. Team members will make time for shop rides or rides with local clubs. We are always well received wherever we go. Team members constantly reach out to the public to promote their sport. I can honestly say this is true of most women’s teams.

Women’s racing is exciting, I know that the top women’s teams in the U.S are very conscious of the comparisons to men's racing and race aggressively and hard to keep it exciting.

There are many parallels between the cycling industry I am now immersed in, and the world of horse racing and soccer that I grew up in. The struggle for women is very apparent. I am not one for sugar coating and there is a lot of smoke and mirrors in women's cycling and I certainly don’t want to sound bitter but it’s a sport that is struggling to gain the attention and exposure it deserves. The women racers and team managers make incredible compromises and sacrifices to ensure that their teams are out there on the circuit. Demographics show that women purchase more bikes than men and support the sport financially.

So what's the problem?

I wish I knew the answer. Surely it cannot all be a focus on the Tour de France and other grand tours? I notice in certain popular online cycling magazines that the men and the women can compete in the same NRC event and the men's headline is always first and in bold and the women's underneath in a smaller font!

I do know that the bigger races in the USA should all include a women's event; it helps to be a part of a big media machine like Amgen Tour of California or Tour of Missouri as both of these races are working hard to include a women's event, it my hope to see an extension of the criterium at ATOC. A three day stage race would be a good start.

That being said, we are forging ahead with a new program model that will ensure longevity and continued growth in the sport. We have a team of very bright future stars, I used to love the expression, "sky’s the limit," but I think we can go further.

Photos: Rob Evans (first through third, fifth and seventh); Bob Cullinan, CycleTo (fourth and sixth)

As the news broke of 18-year-old Taylor Phinney’s remarkable victories last weekend, setting a new American records and winning gold in both the individual 4 kilometer pursuit and in the 1 kilometer time trial, at cycling's Track World Cup Finals in Copenhagen, you couldn’t help but feel that the future of American cycling is indeed bright.

But, for every Taylor Phinney there are countless numbers of American children who are lost to other sports every year.

The bicycle is an integral part of childhood, as fundamental as the scraping of knees or getting in trouble, but few American children are ever exposed to the sport of cycling at their most impressionable time.

Enter JETCycling.

The Southern California based junior development program was founded by Jet Tanner, whose vision is to grow the sport of cycling in North America so that it may one day rival the numbers and opportunities of other youth club sports.

Recently, I had the unique opportunity to speak with a few of the JETCycling juniors, including Jet’s 11-year-old daughter, Millie “Milliegoat” Tanner, who recently graced the pages of the February issue of Sports Illustrated Kids, 15-year-old Jordan Hirschmann, 16-year-old Scott Stern, and 17-year-old Anthony Felix, as well as JETCycling’s Vice President of Athletic Development, Dotsie Bausch, and Jet Tanner to find out more about the junior development program and to get their perspectives on the sport of cycling.

As you'll soon discover, the challenges on the bike are similar for those starting out in the sport no matter what age, cycling should not preclude one from being a good person and a good student, not all junior programs are created equal, and maturity sometimes belies age.

What are some of the challenges working with Juniors?
Dotsie: It’s challenging because the kids are all working on different things and each has specific goals. One has the goal of racing Junior Nationals, but one of the requirements is that he needs to be a [Cat] 3 before he can race at Nationals, so he’s go to get through the 4’s by the time Junior Nationals rolls around. They all have different goals, and so dramatically different.

Each age is so different. From Millie’s 11 to Scott’s 15, it’s night and day as far as their development and what they’re ready for, what challenges they’re ready for, the miles, all of it. So we have to piece it together because if they all just trained the same together all of the time, Millie would just be in a hurt locker all of the time, 24/7, while the other kids might not be getting worked out. So you definitely have to massage it and do different things for different ones.

Its fun and they really seem to enjoy each other. It’s a good mix of kids and Jet really enforces that their grades and school come first; practice is second. We’re really trying to move junior cycling forward to the point of if they like it and stick with it, maybe going to a college with a good cycling team and possibly get recruited on that aspect as well as their academics…just getting them to be well-rounded, but with academics as their number one.

I don’t know if any junior programs out there are like that, maybe, but I don’t think so.

I’ve been at some events where the juniors are just thrown into a big field because they don’t have enough participants. What are the specific categories?
Dotsie: There are specific ages, 11-12, 13-14, 15-16, and 17-18. Locally, they just changed the women’s this year from 11-14, so it’s something that Millie is clearly freaking out about because she has to race against 14 year-olds. And I would be to. It’s a big jump from 11 to 14. The gaps are bigger than if you’re 25 racing against a 28 year-old; there’s really no difference there in the development.

But that’s a little unfortunate, but the guys will stay separate because there are enough of them. Scott went to the line a couple of times last year, he’s 15 1/2 now, and there were 50 in the field.

It’s about drawing kids in. One of our athletes came over from triathlon, and already had a love for riding her bike. A few of the kids, like Jordan, didn’t come from any other sports, but came in and really fell into it, took to it, and has some good talent. It’s about bring kids into the sport. You know what athletics does for kids and their confidence and their mind and their progress in the world and in society as they grow up. So it’s about bringing people into cycling, a sport that’s not very popular or stressed in high school.

It’s about moving the sport forward and bringing awareness to the sport, even if it means circulating thousands of flyers about JETCycling. There are so many cyclists in the area and a great many of them have kids, but they aren’t aware of junior programs like ours because not many outlets publicize it. Hopefully interviews like this can get the word out so that people know what’s out there and where to go and be part of the camaraderie.

It’s tough for kids, and even for me as a woman, to be riding with grown men all the time in group rides. It certainly is a different level, which is good, but it can also be debilitating to the spirit if you’re not ready for it. It can be a bummer when there are always people that are faster and always wanting to go hard, so to have kids your own age, and the camaraderie, and training and racing together with a team.

Have you incorporated any track work into the program? What is your experience out on the track?
Jet: Our program is focused on the road, but we do try to get them out to the track 2-3 times a year for the experience.

Dotsie: I would like to, but it’s a matter of time management. School comes first and on a good day the Home Depot Center is 45 to 50 minutes away. I’m hoping that we can get them out there during the summer when school is out and they have more time.

It would be so great for the kids and their bike handling skills and their tactile function to get out on the track. But we are primarily focused on road racing.

Anthony: (left) I have some experience on the track and it’s really fun and awesome. The steep angle is like riding up wall.

Scott: I have to say that I like road racing because I like sprinting, but I’ve gotten better at climbing and I think this year I’ll really love road racing and sprinting at the end.

Jordan: I’ve been to the track a couple of times and I like the track a lot. I would have to say I like road racing the best, knowing when it’s going to end, there are lots of people there, and you get to draft off of people. I don’t like time trialing so much.

Millie: I’ve been to the track and it didn’t work out so well. I kind of fell. But my favorite is the road race and the time trial because one of them is long distance and the other is all effort.

Do any of you have any cycling role models?
Dotsie: Not so much in cycling, no…not really. The obvious people have done great things, but the people I look up to most are the ones that have affected me personally rather than those that can go fast. Some of those fast people really aren’t that nice. They are usually off on their own and into their own deal; not really something to look up to. So I think it’s the people that I’ve been teammates with that have really inspired me daily, like Tina [Pic] who I have been teammates with for four years. I’ve always looked up to Sue Palmer-Komar…it’s the people that I’ve been teammates with and raced with not someone like an Eddy Merckx. I think he was just an amazing cyclist, but I never knew him. I’ve never been inspired by just pure athletic endeavors…you know it’s like you have talent and work hard and you can pull some races out, but it’s what you do with that, how you give that back to the world and that’s what matters more. Those girls are still racing, Iona [Wynter-Parks], the people who you’ve been in the trenches with who never give up and never give up on you.

Anthony: I would have to say…my dad. There are plenty of pros who people idolize but I would have to say my dad. He brought me to the sport and he’s my hero.

Scott: (left) One of the most important people in cycling who has taught me everything is Jet. He usually spends the time with me unlike many pros. The pros, yeah they’re really good, but how many take the time to make you better.

Jordan: The biggest cycling role model would definitely have to be Jet. He’s taken me to the next level and taught me so much. Even though I’m not a very competitive person I still enjoy cycling.

If I had to pick a pro, it would be Giddeon Massie. He’s just classy and talks with great care. Some would be like, “I just want to get rid of these kids.” Also, Dotsie, she has just taught me so much and when we’re out training she’s given me tips. They’re both amazing.

Millie: Dotsie Bausch is such a huge person who’s affected me and my cycling. She just given so much to the sport, and said, “yes we can do this we’re able to do this”…the same with Amber Neben. They were both able to come and ride with us and talk with us and say, “Ok, you’re having a little trouble how maybe we help.” Michael Engleman, who has helped Women’s Cycling by founding the USWCDP, is also a strong influence in my cycling.

Scott: Both Anthony and I also think that the most important pro in our cycling career right now is Dotsie.

Jet: I know they don’t need to say that about Dotsie, but if you saw her out there really putting in the effort, taking and seizing the moment. To seize the opportunity to be with kids is, to me, very powerful. What she does for us as our Athletic Director, I can’t thank her enough. She’s such an influence.

Do any of you have parents or family members who are into cycling?
Anthony: My dad has been riding bikes for a really long time. He’s the person who really got me into it and found the JETCycling program for me. I can’t thank him enough for that because I think JETCycling is really going to help me as a person and keep me on the right track.

Scott: No one in my family rides. I used to row, and got injured and the only training I could do was riding. I found Jet, and he found me, and hopefully he can help me to college and to the pros.

Jordan: I got into cycling because of my brother, and he got into it because of my uncle. I thought it was pretty fun and I wanted to get to the next level. I never really wanted to race. But when I went to Jet, he showed me racing and I really enjoyed it.

How long have you been involved with the program, and how long have you been racing?
Millie: I’ve been racing for 3 years now. As far as my experience, I was a state champion in California for time trialing and road racing and I just like to have fun out there.

Jordan: (left) I’ve been with JETCycling for 1 year. I started out mountain biking but never raced. It’s been a pretty good experience and its taught me a lot.

Shawn: I’m in the 15-16 and I’ve been racing for 6 to 8 months and been with JETCycling for as long. I started in the middle of last year, which was really tough. But I got better as the season went on and I’m hoping for a strong season.

Anthony: I race 17-18. I just started with JETCycling about a month ago. I started out mountain biking and then switched to road. It’s a really great program and I hope it takes me somewhere in the future. I’m looking to make progress and be better.

What’s your favorite part about cycling?
Anthony: Going fast and meeting new people. It’s just a fun sport in general. I think everyone could benefit from it.

Scott: Going fast and making new friends in the pack and the team camaraderie. During the race you really relying on each other, no one’s in charge. And I really like my sponsors.

Jordan: I really like being outdoors. I especially like the feeling after a ride. You just feel so good, so healthy. It’s a healthy sport, and with JETCycling you can ride with a lot of kids your own age and make some connection. I really like our sponsors, Team Duke because we get to learn about cancer and the USWCDP when they come down and mentor us. They give us encouragement and tips.

Millie: Being an ambassador. The sport is fun and going up to someone and saying, “Hey, I just did this cool thing. Why don’t you come out and try it.” I also like the wind in my hair and flying down hills now that I’ve gotten used to the speed.

What has been the most difficult thing to pick up in road cycling?
Millie: (left) One of the hardest things to adapt to was cornering so fast. There’s always the thought of what if there’s a tiny rock around the corner that I’m going to hit and going to fall. One of the hardest things to get used to is going around the corner fast and knowing that you’ll stay up and make it through…in riding with a pack and by yourself.

Scott: I think the hardest thing racing 15-16 was that there were 40 guys within 2 centimeters from each other and being able to go around the turns right off someone else. My first race I was lapped five times.

Jet: Learning to adjust to the speeds is definitely one of the most difficult things. When they’re first exposed to it they’re not sure quite what to expect. I try not set too high expectations because of the pace, which is definitely a lot different than what they’re used to from training rides. Going out there for the first time creates some uncertainty and because it is so fast paced being able to maneuver, getting boxed in or moving up in the pack becomes interesting. From a coaching perspective, it’s a challenge to teach those types of things, but it also things like how to take a feed bag or motor pace behind a scooter or a car, or take off your jacket. I think it’s different for everybody.

Jordan: This past season the hardest thing was to keep up. My whole goal was to keep up. Some days I did, some I didn’t. So this year it’s about keeping up and having fun.

What are your goals for the 2009 season?
Jet: I have pretty high expectations. I think every coach does when you look at your athletes that you’re training and working with on a day-to-day basis. My goals are pretty simple. From an overall perspective the number thing that they have to have is fun…enjoying the sport! There is a competitive nature to it, but whether you finish first or last that’s not the ultimate goal. To me, it’s whether you had fun and did you enjoy it. That’s the measure of success in cycling.

As a secondary goal, I look at cycling as a way for these kids to connect and hopefully be ambassadors of our sport so that we can grow it.

The main reason I started JETCycling, as you know, is to help these kids find a place to ride their bikes and learn how to be competitive in road cycling. They’ll also get that team feeling that sense of camaraderie.

We set both short term, medium range, and long term goals, and by the end of the season I hope to have a couple of state champions and national champions on hand! That would be awesome…over the top. If we were able to match what we did last year, 5 state championship wins as well as nine top ten finishes at nationals, it would be amazing.

Millie’s goal is 3-3-3. Third year racing, three state championship wins and three national championship wins. We hope to help her achieve her goals. She has the ability, now we have to put in the effort to achieve the success.

Jordan wants to be known as the spoiler. He wants to go out there and drive the pack, create chaos and help his teammates win. So my goal is to help him be fit enough to do those things.

Scott wants to win and be on the podium. My goal is to help him achieve that level, and he has a solid chance to do so.

Anthony wants to do the same, and he has set some short term goals to be successful. We are trying to set the right expectations, and give him the assistance he needs to do well.

So helping each child reach their individual potential is a goal that is important to me because that’s where you see success. If a child says to me that he doesn’t care if he finishes last as long as he can help his teammate win, and I can help that child achieve that goal then we feel that success. We reach that goal together.

What is your biggest challenge for this season?
Millie: My biggest challenge this year is the mental aspect. The body has it, the legs have it, the muscles have it, but do you believe in yourself…well that is the serious question. If you believe in yourself anything can happen. If you don’t believe in yourself you’re going to have a hard time trying to accomplish your goals, doing what you what to do. And in that split second when you believe in yourself, anything can happen.

Jordan: It’s definitely the mental aspect. It’s what Jet has been giving me a hard time, all the time, telling me that I’m the only one stopping me from doing what I want to do. I have to believe in what I am doing and why.

Scott: The hardest part is the mental aspect of not being intimidated by new competition. You don’t know who they are, they’re much bigger than you, but it doesn’t mean they’re faster.

Anthony: Since this is my first year, my biggest challenge is finding myself both mentally and physically.

What are your aspirations as a rider, do any of you envision going into the professional ranks?
Jet: When you look at our program we have three avenues to success. One is we want to get our athletes to college on a collegiate cycling team, secondly we hope to get them on a national team, and finally we hope to help them get to the pros.

Millie: I want to go to college, and race. Bring my team to collegiate nationals and win that. And then hopefully get on a national team and do well there. And then I want to go pro’s and get to the Tour de France and break the barrier into the men’s field. After that if I’m not too old, I want to get on the Olympic team and win the Olympics.

Jordan: My main goal…I don’t have a big interest in being a pro. I want to do other things and I definitely will take cycling with me for the rest of my life, but I don’t have a desire to go to college on cycling, it would be nice. But I don’t really want to be a pro.

Scott: I definitely want go to college for cycling and win at the collegiate level and hopefully get on a national team and race in Europe for a bit and then go pro and race for one of the top UCI teams.

Anthony: Basically I look at cycling as something else to get to college. When I get to college, if I go pro or have the opportunity that would be great, but I’m just looking at cycling as a way to get to college.

Jet: I think it’s common to all athletes, when you’re a kid and in cycling you dream and want to become a pro. What’s unique about our group is that they want to go to college and have that experience in college first before they make that leap. It’s like we’re a farm system that gets juniors in the right direction first. That way it gives them the skills to fall back on when cycling is not abailable.

How should the sport of cycling handle riders who used performance enhancements?
Dotsie: That’s perhaps an hour long conversation. I get out of competition testing so they are at my door whenever they feel like it and I have to show where I am every minute of every day. As a clean athlete you have to feel confident that they seem on top of it, but I don’t know. Too many athletes and girls that I’ve been on teams with before have come up positive just from taking approved supplements. Truthfully, the whole thing is frightening and a big mess.

I think a lot of the professional men are ahead of the curve with some of the stuff they’ve come up with. So I think the testers need to get ahead of the curve especially in the European peloton. I know in the women’s peloton it doesn’t run nearly as rampant.

The truth is I really don’t think about it as often. I’m clean and don’t have any desire to do it any other way. You can spend a whole lot of brain power and energy just thinking about it and it just doesn’t get you anywhere. The dopers are going to dope and the other aren’t. That’s just sport since the beginning of time. So what should they do to them…you’d like to say kick them out of the sport forever, but what about those athletes who have said that their supplements were tainted. If they are telling the truth then they shouldn’t be kicked out for one day. So you can’t have a no tolerance policy. What I wish was that they had foolproof tests. But we’re all fallible, we’re all human, labs can make a mistake. In a perfect world, I wish that weren’t the case because its not fair when an athlete has to serve even one day, of say a six month ban, when they didn’t do anything. I don’t think there is a single answer, but rather an ongoing process and conversation.

You’re not ever going to be able to stop the cheaters…that are just in their fiber, it’s what they’ve chosen to do, it’s the kind of people they are. There is no USADA, WADA or any other governing body that is going to stop every one. It’s how do we manage it so that is more fair is the question, because you’re not going to stop doping.

Jet: We all hope that everyone is racing clean. We’re trying to do everything we can to create a change in our sport, to change the perception of cyclist as dopers. I kind of look at it from a different standpoint in that I believe we should remove “doping” from our cycling vocabulary. We should call it “cheating” or “not playing by the rules” or “using performance enhancements,” but “doping” puts such a negative light on our sport and those who do it. As a word, it puts our sport in a negative light and gives juniors the vision of needles and drug addicts. The wrong impression! It is just one word.

Yes, there are some athletes that cheat and use performance enhancements to change their body makeup, but in no way, shape, or form do I support that. My goal here is to take that word out of the sport because we get equated with those who use heroin or other recreational drug and it’s not what our athletes in our sport are doing. Well, I at least hope not.

What have you learned from being a part of JETCycling?
Anthony: I learned things about cycling and about bikes, but also learned how to be a better person in general. That there a lot more things out there than just riding my bike. Riding my bike is fun, but there are lots more things that can help me be a better person.

Scott: The thing I’ve learned from JETCycling is to be humble and no matter what you do and to do your best. If you put the effort in, eat right, train right, you’ll definitely get rewarded.

Jordan: One of the big things I’ve learned at JETCycling is to really think about others and not just yourself and to be respectful and to just appreciate life. I work at a children’s hospital and when I look at others I’m just appreciative that I’m healthy and can ride my bike. [Jordan works at Children’s Hospital of Orange County. He works with children who are very sick. Along with his two dogs, a Great Dane and a St. Bernard, he spends time with the children or tries to cheer them up]

Millie: Patience. Just wait and it will happen. You have to do the right things. You have to eat right, you have to train right and get a certain amount of sleep. You just can’t go and play video games all night. You have to do all things to get where you want to be. You gonna have to get your hands dirty before anything happens.

What’s the most important thing that you’ve learned about working with juniors?
Dotsie: Personally, they have continually given more to me than I feel like I have given to them from the aspect of the energy and excitement they have about the sport. Once you are in something for a long time and have been in it for a while things get stale. They just keep me so pumped every time I ride with them. If I go to their practice and I’m in a grumpy mood from whatever went on that day, I’ll arrive home chipper. They are so invigorating; they are so happy and stoked to be on their bikes. Practice is always positive and we are always in hysterics the whole time. We are always laughing about something.

It’s fun to watch them develop. Recovery is a tough thing to teach them. It was hard at the end of last season to try and get them back down and relax and rest and not sprint for the sign or sprint to the top of every single hill like it was a KOM. It’s invigorating for me and fun to teach them all the parts of cycling that make it come full circle and make it successful. I’ve really learned that the recovery is one of the key aspects that are really difficult for them to grasp…and to make that a habit. Because it takes them about 10 minutes to recover for the next day [laughs]; their recovery is incredible, but it doesn’t stay that way. So it’s been good to share that with them. They definitely have given back more than I give to them.

Jet: The one thing that I like about his sport is that the age groups that we’re dealing with are really varied. We deal with athletes from 8 to 18 years of age, and each one is different. What’s interesting to me is looking at the makeup and the growth experience that they have. It’s not so much watching it, but coaching and learning how to coach each individual, and immediately watch them learn. I like watching them be successful and attain their goals and reach for the stars, and be good people. That’s where I draw the most satisfaction from and that’s where I learn the most as well. Each one of these children is an individual and they’re try to learn a sport, but it’s also about how can I help each to be a good person and do right by the community, and have a sense of community, team, and maintain their individuality at the same time. All are challenging things, and a lot of work, but I feel very, very grateful that I have an opportunity to do that.

If you could impart one bit of wisdom to your riders, what would it be?
Dotsie: Give Back.

Any closing comments?
Millie: We need more juniors in sports. No matter what your age or ability we need more kids to get out there. We just need more kids out there. Right now it’s small, but if we can get one person, can change it, and it can be huge. That’s what we need.

Scott: I just wanted to thank Jet and Dotsie again.

Jordan: I don’t think any of this would be possible without Jet. We basically started from nothing to where he has built it up to where we have sponsors. It would be impossible with JETCycling and all the sponsors that have supported us in the support way, or in the financial way. It’s really great that they support us.

In some areas of California and I don’t know where else, but a lot of kids go to school and then go home and sit on the couch and get fat. I know a lot of kids my age, around 14, and their parents aren’t home to tell them what’s right and they get into drugs. Biking is a good distraction from drugs, and not just drugs but bad things. A lot of kids are under a lot of pressure from society both academically and responsibility wise. Cycling is a great way to stay out of trouble and to get a good start on life.

Anthony: The sport is great. We need more juniors riding bikes. I think it’s important that we keep continue to do this whether it is for college, for health reasons, or just for the fun of it. I think it would be great for the cycling community.

Jet: We rings true to me is that we need to get more kids involved and more children out there. I know I’ve mentioned in the past, of growing this like and AYSO, or a Little League, or Pop Warner football league. If we could get more of these JETCycling groups popping up everywhere and being able to give the kids the opportunity to get on a bike. Did you know there are more kids on bikes than there are playing football, baseball, soccer, combined? If we get them out there racing and competing then that would be awesome.

On a final note we have some sponsors that have really stepped up to the plate with us. To me I couldn’t have done it without them. They have invested in JETCycling because of the outlook of having juniors get into this sport. Companies like A Road Bike 4 U, Gita Bikes, Giro, Northwave, Pactimo, Pinarello, Skins, Speedplay, hudz, Schwalbe, Kurt Kinetics, Sports Performance Institute, inhouseIT, Swiftwick, Vanderkitten, Hammer Nutrition and Smith Optics; these companies just believe in what we’re doing in helping grow this sport! They’ve invested in us, and we in turn, invest in them by helping them from a marketing perspective. We want to be able to pass their products, or information on to more kids or parents of children who are interested. Create a partnership and a team for success.

To follow that up we work with two non-profit organizations the John Wayne Cancer Foundation, Team Duke, to help raise awareness for skin cancer. We teamed up with them and they help us out financially to buy bikes. I really didn’t’ understand what their company was all about until they told me that skin cancer is created within the first sixteen years of a person’s life and that means as a child being out in the sun being exposed to the sun ends up as an adult turning into skin cancer…so what a perfect group to be working with us because our kids do presentations at schools to pass along that information. To me, that’s a way of us helping them. But also with the USWCDP, and Dotsie comes from that program to help mature our kids and support the team. Plus, Vanderkitten has stepped up to the plate to help us with our junior women and offer apparel for them. It’s huge, and that’s because of their belief in wanting to give back to the sport. I think it’s apropos when you asked Dotsie if there is one word of wisdom you could offer, she said “give back.” A lot of this sport is about that, giving back to the sponsors, giving back to the community, giving back to the people, and giving back to kids. That’s what our sponsors are doing for us and now we’re going to do it for them.

Photos: Courtesy JETCycling

Lessons Learned
The latest Velonews covergirl and guest on the Oprah Winfrey Show began her cycling career as most American women have, later in life. Kristin Armstrong’s cycling career arc, however, was anything but typical of most American women. Rather than compete exclusively in the United States, Kristin made the jump to Europe early on.

In retrospect, it was a decision that would warrant little argument. Numerous stage wins, general classification victories, a World Championship, and now an Olympic gold medal highlight her palmares, and by racing in Europe Kristin was afforded a perspective few American women cyclists rarely achieve. But, maintaining a full or partial European schedule each of her 7 years in the women’s peloton has not always been easy for the 35-year old.

In Part II of my interview with Kristin Armstrong, who has raced for the likes of T-Mobile Women’s Professional team, TEAm Lipton and Cervelo-Lifeforce, we discuss the state of Women’s Cycling, the differences of racing in Europe, and we even tackle the frequently asked Armstrong question.

Granny's 30 (G): Riders like yourself, Christine Thorburn, and Amber Neben have been at the top of the sport for a while, but have largely gone unnoticed by the general American public, except during Olympic years. What is appealing about women's cycling, objectively? What is appealing about women's cycling relative to men's cycling?

Kristin Armstrong (KA): What I have learned about the sport of cycling is that you have to love it to do it because you’re not going to retire off of it.

What’s really appealing about women’s cycling in America? If you took a poll in the women’s peloton, I would bet you that 90% of the women have college degrees, and a lot of them have Masters. Christine is a doctor. The women’s peloton is very well educated.

So here are these girls racing these bikes for nothing, so the question is, why? I think it goes back to having the passion. I think once an athlete always an athlete and once you have a competitive nature about you, in general, it’s hard to let go. Whether you’re going to take it into medicine or take it into sport, the competitive drive never really leaves.

I think the other thing that’s interesting about the women’s peloton is that if you ask what their background is most have played college sports, and a lot of times have come off of injury and have gotten on a bike. A lot of us start post college in our mid 20’s unlike in Europe where they start 10 years before that. And when they start riding a lot of them have full time jobs and are taking vacation days to get by. All of a sudden it becomes so addictive because you’re out there with a bunch of women just like yourself, well educated, taking your vacation days, not making any real money, but we’re having a blast. And that’s US cycling.

Now to take it to the next level you’re going to have to do what I’ve done, and what Amber’s done. You’re going to have to go to Europe and race against the best. It’s a big compromise especially for family. If you think about it, we’re probably in our mid 20's and we don’t really become successful until we’re close to 30, and by that time a lot of women are married. It’s hard. All of a sudden you want to take it to the next level, and you’re asked to live in Europe for the next 6 months without your husband or your boyfriend. It’s not the easiest life that’s for sure. And I think to take it to that next level, which is taking it and living in Europe, taking that big step obviously you’re saying, 'OK you know what, its not about work anymore and taking those vacation days its about I want to do well at Worlds or want to go to the Olympic games.' It’s also very cost-prohibitive for most Americans to make that jump...because in Europe...if you don’t think you get paid in America you certainly don’t get paid in Europe. The way the Europeans work, most girls get paid by their federation; their country pays them. Essentially the federations say go represent our country, race on whatever trade team you want, and here’s your money. So you don’t really make you’re money on trade teams. Europeans make money through their country’s federation. There’s not a lot of money for women in cycling in Europe either.

I didn’t realize that until I was on a European team. Granted there are some teams where you can make good money, but there are only about three or four of those teams. And for those three or four teams you have to be pretty good to race for them. If you’re looking to test the waters or want to get some experience, and you’re American, you are probably going to be doing it for free. Most of the teams will put you up in a team house. But other than your cost of living, you’re going to be pay some money out of your own pocket, and probably more so with the conversion of the dollar to Euro these days.

Before the Olympics, there’s always been a part of me that’s wanted to write a book about Women’s cycling because there isn’t one out there and I think there’s a lot to be said.

G: What do you think should change in women's cycling to get people more interested and excited about it?

KA: I think it doesn’t happen overnight, that's for sure. As the first gold medalist since 1984, I think cycling needs to ride that wave right now, because people are excited. If people are looking at me in my hometown, then every woman that races against me in the peloton is as well. I can tell you, every one of them now believes that they can do it. When I go to a Cascade or Nature Valley and they race against me, the girls that are say 30 seconds from me at the races are all of a sudden saying 'I’m 30 seconds from gold I mean why can’t I do this.' Whenever a peer of yours is racing in the same field as you and wins something at that level you can’t help but think maybe I can do that I’ve been with Kristin before at the finish line.

So I think USA Cycling really needs to ride this wave and start looking at growing the sport. It’s a tough one because cycling is such an endurance sport. I don’t think it’s the worst thing ever to start when you’re in your twenties. You’re not burnt out, you’re going to stick around and most of the best cyclists are in their 30s. If you look at the UCI rankings most of the girls who are riding very well are in their 30s. But you kind of have to get that bug out and start. US Cycling is doing a lot now with camps in different towns or different regions, but I think a great place, and I’m not sure how much it’s been hit, is camps for people that are involved in other sports. Why not put on camps for high school kids that are cross-country runners, because those are the some of the best cyclists.

I didn’t know that you could race your bike until after college. I didn’t know anything about cycling except that I rode my bike from class to class or to my friend’s house. But here I am an athlete, I ran, I played soccer, I swam and people are riding their bikes and racing them? I had never seen a bike race.

I think if I’m saying that, a lot of other people are saying that as well. I think that with some education there are real possibilities at the high school and college level, but more so at the college level, to bring people into cycling. In high school you just kind of go with it, you belong to a sport and you’re lettering and there is a very social part. With cycling, a lot of people will steer away because you can’t letter, and lettering is still cool and it’s very important for scholarships and other stuff. But there are a lot of people like myself. I was a runner and a soccer player living in Okinawa, Japan and I didn’t have recruiters coming in to recruit me for sports. So how many kids out there and planning to go to college are super stud athletes but don’t have a chance because they come from some podunk town and no one comes to watch them? You know they still have an engine and they know how to compete, so why not get them into cycling. If the sport just waits around for people I don’t think its going to change.

It’s tough though because of the whole part about getting sponsors and people out to watch women’s cycling. I think the only way that women can really work it is that we have to work our way more into these big grand tours that the men have like the Tour de Georgia, Tour of Utah, and Tour of California. How much does it really cost to add a women’s race to those high profile races. If its eight days make ours four, just put us in there. Because the minute we’re in a big tour like that a sponsor like Webcor might want to spend 20 grand more for their women’s team because they’re going to have a bigger presence in these races with the men. But we haven’t been included in any of those.

Cascade we actually raced the same distance as the men this year which was really neat so that was big step. At Nature Valley the great thing was that the entry for women this year were close to equaling the men. The field was close to closed out. I think Nature Valley had about 140 to 150 women out, it was unbelievable.

So there are women out there racing there bikes but unfortunately a team like Aaron’s [Women’s Professional Cycling] is folding this year. It’s the saddest thing ever because that team was by far the best team on the calendar this year. The way the girls worked together reminded me a lot of [TEAm] Lipton. It wasn’t that they had the strongest riders on paper; it was that Carmen [D'Aluisio] put a great group of people together. And now they won’t be able to race their bikes. It was fun to race with them.

And now I hear that Advil-Chapstick is gone. Every year it seems like Cheerwine is up in the air. I haven’t heard and I don’t know what Webcor plans are, because their leader Christine is considering retirement. But it shouldn’t be a big deal because the person that funds them has been behind Christine these past 8 years that he’s really been involved in cycling. It’s the end of that 4-year build out and that’s when sponsors start backing out. [Team] TIBCO is going to continue strong, which is nice. They’re just going to need someone to compete against. Maybe [Team] Columbia will race a little more in the US next year.

[Update: At the time of our conversation, Cheerwine's financial sponsor, Anne Bolyea, had not made a decision as to the status of the team for the 2009 season. She has since decided to take a one-year hiatus. In addition, Team TIBCO recently signed three Aaron's stalwarts, Kat Carroll, Meredith Miller, and Julie Beveridge for 2009.]

G: You were diagnosed with osteoarthritis (OA) when you were at the height of your triathlon career. Were you experiencing symptoms prior to diagnosis and like most of us just shrug them off as a part of the pain and suffering of training and competing?

KA: Yeah, definitely. When I was a runner and competing in triathlons I was having pains in my hip and just treating it as an injury. I would ice it and take anti-inflammatories, but it just wouldn’t go away. I finally went into my doctor and we did x-rays and had an MRI and diagnosed it as osteoarthritis. At that point I stopped doing anything that was impactful to my hip joints.

You know I had to quit triathlons, I continued to be active and worked in advertising agency here, and just continued my career there.

G: As OA is a degenerative condition, labeled more as a disease for the aged, how did you feel being diagnosed at the age of 27? What are some of the more popular misconceptions about having OA and managing the condition that you have had to deal with?

KA: Unless you have a specific injury or a disease, I think a lot of people don’t quite understand. I think a lot of people put arthritis in the same category. There’s a real difference from someone whose joints swell, that’s probably rheumatoid arthritis, than what I have. There are all these different levels and just like anything else in life unless you’re working in a certain place or in certain sport, or unless you’re diagnosed with something you really don’t start researching it until you have it, unless you’re a doctor. I became a lot more educated on this arthritis thing when I was diagnosed with it, but basically OA is a degenerative disease, which is definitely something that you’re not going to be able to stop because it’s going to be ongoing, but there are certain things you can do to slow down the progression.

The first day I was told that I had OA, I thought it was the worst thing that could possibly happen to me; I was done. I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t run so my life was over. But because I’m a competitive person, I wasn’t going to let anything slow me down and I turned it around and made it a positive. Obviously it put me on a different path, which was cycling. Cycling is not impactful. Its just like when you are injured, have a knee surgery or something, there are so many things that you can still do, you just have to find that other passion that’s out there.

Some of the things that I have done is to take glucosamine chondroitin and go to yoga, which really opened up my hips. Because cycling is a repetitive front to back motion you never go side to side with your legs, the muscles and joints are really going to protect themselves when you have arthritis. So continually working on opening things up helps to alleviate pain.

I was Vioxx for a few years, until they took it off the market. Once they took it off the market I was determined to change the way I do things and live without prescription medication.

G: Racing against the likes of a Laura Van Gilder, do you envision yourself racing for another decade?

KA: Absolutely not. In fact, the longest you’ll see me is one more year. I’m still making my decision in the next few days on what path I’m going to take. What really makes me excited now is to continue to give back to the sport. At this point, I feel like I’ve reached all my goals. A goal I do want to attain is the World Championships in 2 weeks. I would love to end my European campaign with the World Championship stripes on my back. But everything else that I have in my mind right now is to continue working with and having my little camps for women cyclists. Giving specific time trial camps because I never had that when I was riding. What I’ve learned over the last 6 or 7 years, I would love to teach people. I still have a lot to share with people and especially within the US.

That’s how I get excited now. I feel like I’ve done everything I can, and what I wanted to do. I know that people like Laura and Tina [Pic] are having a great time racing their bikes and that’s important. I think its great for the US girls because now you have people like Brooke Miller and Kat Carroll coming up and winning. Tina and Laura have been role models within the peloton and they’ve brought these girls’ level up. Everyone wants to beat Tina or Laura in a sprint. So they are doing a lot for the sport itself by continuing to ride, but I just want to do it in a different way by putting on camps and maybe helping teams by teaching them how to race and race tactics. You know just being there where the sport needs me.

I also want to start a family too. Joe has always been there for me and he’s supportive of whatever I want to do, but there’s something about getting back to a normal life, which sounds really nice to me.

G: You’ve raced on different teams throughout the years, some which had a full or partial European schedule. What are the differences between racing in the US and abroad?

KA: There are three things that I think about right away. One is the technical aspect of racing on European streets. The streets are about a quarter of the size, so getting 200 girls on a small street becomes a lot about positioning whereas in America you’re on a highway. Sometimes you can move around whenever you want. If you want to move to the front you find a lane and move up to the front. That’s probably the hardest thing.

The second is when you’re going really fast and in crosswinds, like at Nature Valley, and you’re putting everyone in the gutter and you look back and there’s like 15 of you left, in Europe there are still 40 of you left. The depth is just amazing. In comparison, there are maybe 25 girls on one level and then you start having 25 girls on a different level in America. In Europe if there’s a race that starts with 200, definitely 175 of the girls are on the same level.

The other big difference cracks me up [laughs] when I race in America. When you’re racing in Europe you have an inch between handlebars. Racing in America, if you get within an inch of girl's handlebars they’re going to make a drastic move and come over on you. It’s very tight in the European peloton. If you were to stand, kind of like to stretch or something, in a European peloton, you’re going to hit somebody if you move your bike maybe like 2 inches. In America, people yell at you if you get in their little bubble. You always have to remember that if your wheel is in front, you have the right of way because if someone hits your wheel from behind, you’re going down. So number one is that you don’t want to cross any wheel in front of you in Europe because if someone stands up you’re going down, they’re not.

G: What is one thing that most people don’t know about you?

KA: Everyone knows I drink a lot of Diet Coke, so…I drink chocolate milk after races as my recovery drink, and you won't ever find me without a peanut butter sandwich in my bag at races or without a jar of peanut butter when I am heading to Europe.

G: Is it frustrating when people either introduce you or interview you and mention that you have no relation to Lance Armstrong or that you are not his former wife?

KA: Yeah it’s pretty funny because when I went on the Today show I still had those guys asking me. Now it’s become kind of a joke, and it’s not really an interview unless someone ask me the question. I was on a bike ride the other day and one of my buddies suggested that Lance and I go on the Jay Leno show to set the record straight. He thought that both of us could go together and someone from the Jay Leno show could dress up as the other Kristin Armstrong. Make it a funny little skit…its perfect timing.

To be honest, if I had to pick somebody to be related to in sport, who’s better than Lance Armstrong with what he’s done for the sport and with his cancer foundation?

It’s funny because when there’s something written about me in Velonews or Cyclingnews, the headline isn’t "the other" Armstrong; its Armstrong wins another race. With Lance in retirement, everyone I know goes to those sites because they think Lance is racing again. The media use it to their advantage as well, but I think it’s become a formality that you have to ask that question. One day I’ll have the opportunity to sit down with Lance and chat and laugh about it.

Kristin currently makes her home in Boise, Idaho with her husband, Joe Savola. She continues to give back to the sports that have given her such success. She is a dedicated swimming instructor and coach, serves as an ambassador to the YMCA of Boise, and tries to provide support and inspiration to the millions of Americans who suffer from arthritis.

Kristin was recently featured on the cover of Velonews and appeared on a special Oprah Winfrey Show filmed in Chicago’s famed Grant Park with approximately 150 other Olympians. The show aired on Monday, September 8th.

Photos: Courtesy of Kristin Armstrong (first, fifth); Leonard Basobas (second through fourth)

National Treasure
She is one of our country’s most decorated cyclists, yet name association has greatly overshadowed her accomplishments. Then again, Kristin Armstrong may just prefer it that way.

To the casual observer, Kristin Armstrong’s story is chock full of enough plot twists to merit a page turning autobiography. But she will be the first to remind you that she is just an average person who put her mind to something and stayed focused. And it is perhaps in this regard that her story is so compelling. Extraordinary exploits juxtaposed against genuine humility have made Kristin Armstrong a role model in sport and in life, and one of America’s greatest national treasures.

Born into a military family of four in 1973, Kristin spent the majority of her early childhood outside of the United States. The military lifestyle and structure, devoid of some of the common trappings that seem to plague many of America’s youth, seemed to suit Kristin as she began to not only compete in sports but also excel in them. By the time she was 17, she had become a Junior Olympian in swimming. And like the other Armstrong, Kristin was also a stand out runner and triathlete. She would go on to compete in the Hawaii Ironman World Championships and vie for a spot on the 2000 US Olympic Triathlon Team.

At the height of her triathlon career, however, Kristin would be diagnosed with osteoarthritis. She was 27 years old. Her choice was to undergo hip replacement surgery at an early age or stop competing. She chose the latter, took a step back from sports and focused her energies into project management at an advertising agency.

But once an athlete always an athlete; Kristin found a less impactful alternative in cycling to help fill the competitive void created by her condition. Cycling wasn’t completely foreign to Kristin because of its significance in triathlons, but the sport of cycling was an eye-opener. Besides triathlons and using a bike as a mode of transportation at the University of Idaho, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Sport Physiology, Kristin didn’t even know you could race bicycles let alone make a living from doing so. But, what started out as her “therapy” sport soon turned into a real passion.

In a short amount of time she would be tapped to represent the United States at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. She competed and finished 8th in the Olympic road race, but Kristin was merely a spectator for the time trial, as that opportunity went to someone else. And two years later, Kristin claimed the Elite Women’s Time Trial title at the UCI World Championships in Salzburg, Austria.

The Alchemist
Luck, it has been said, is when preparedness meets opportunity. In that regard, the 35-year old from Boise, Idaho might be the luckiest Olympic gold medalist around, as her preparation for the Women's Individual Time Trial in Beijing left nothing to chance.

And three weeks ago, Kristin was able to turn the disappointment of Athens into a footnote. In perhaps her greatest sporting achievement to date, she won a gold medal at the Games of the 29th Olympiad in Beijing in the Individual Time Trial. She became the first US woman to take home a gold medal in cycling since Connie Carpenter-Phinney did so in 1984.

As she prepares for the 2008 World Championships in Varese, Italy, I had the opportunity to speak with Kristin Armstrong. In Part I of my interview with the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Champion, we discuss being a role model, the Olympic Games, and why politics is better left to the politicians and not athletes.

Granny's 30 (G): Coming from a swimming and triathlon background, who were some of your athletic role models growing up?

Kristin Armstrong (KA): When I was growing up my parents and my family had the most influence me. My father was in the military, and I moved from town to town. From kindergarten through my senior in high school, I lived in the United States for only three years. When you’re going to school overseas television is limited so I didn’t grow up watching sports; I was just out there playing them. So I think that the lifestyle and the way my parents brought me up is what really influenced me.

I talk about role models a lot and wanting to be a role model for kids around me because I didn’t have that growing up. In some of my interviews two weeks ago, I was asked about my gold medal. Honestly, the first time I had ever seen a gold medal was when I was given a gold medal. When I think back to that first week of the Olympics, there were about 27 gold medals given to Americans and 8 of them were to Michael Phelps. I was told that there are about 900 gold medal winners in American Olympic history. When I thought about the number 900, I wondered how many kids that are influenced by a gold medal ever get to see a gold medal. What I thought was really neat was that I’ve already had a couple hundred kids touch my gold medal.

Growing up I didn’t have access to gold medals or gold medal winners. I lived in military bases, all over. So depending upon what sports you are in growing up, the Olympic Games are kind of just in your head. Growing up with a swimming background I just always followed the Olympics. As you saw in the first week of the Olympics, it’s been all about two sports, swimming and gymnastics. Some sports are maybe a little bit more European, such as cycling, and maybe the World Championships become more important, or the NBA Championships are maybe more important for some of the pro basketball players.

But if there were any people who were my role models I would just say it was my family’s influence and the family and the kids around me. There were just some great sports programs that I was so lucky to have growing up in the military life.

G: Many athletes have stated that there is no greater honor than representing your country in the Olympic Games. How does it stack up in comparison to representing your country at Worlds?

KA: The sport of cycling isn’t as big here in America. I think most of the interest in cycling came when Lance Armstrong was winning all those Tours. Americans really tuned in at that time. Other than that, I think Americans tune in once every four years. So for me the Olympics were very special. For one, because I’m an American representing the country in the sport of cycling for that one day was very special to me, but also because women don’t have a Tour de France and we don’t have as much coverage.

As far as World Championships and representing America, it’s definitely very special especially being based out of Europe for part of my year. Cycling is a European sport, where 10-year-olds are growing up on a bike just like we were growing up playing soccer or football. In Europe, when you win the World Championships and you earn those rainbow stripes to those people it’s the pinnacle of sport, it’s the top. If you’re into the sport of cycling and you want to name World Champions you can always name World Champions, but if you want to name the top three in the Olympics from four years ago I think most people would have a tough time. But, if you’re from America, and I’m guessing Australia is very similar and probably the UK, I think it’s very special to represent your country in the Olympics. I can wear the rainbow stripes in America as World Champion, but most people don’t know what those are.

When I walked off the plane on Friday, it was different. People in my town always said hi to me and they knew who I was before the Olympics because it’s part of being in a small town, but now that I have a gold medal, I felt like I needed a bag over my head when I went to the grocery store yesterday. It’s a great feeling but…

In Europe, if I was Italian and I walked around the street with the World Championship stripes it would be the same kind of thing; everyone knows you ⎯ you’re the World Champion. And I learned that when I was World Champion in 2006. The next time I was in the peloton I had a different respect ⎯ everyone respected me. I thought to myself, I’m just wearing stripes, I’m not a different person, I’m still a good competitor. But you get treated differently. Its just like that in America with the Olympics when you not only have a medal but a gold medal all of a sudden people come out of the wood work and you’re treated a little bit differently. I guess that’s where my personality is, that’s where I just can’t get used to all this.

I’m just…there are a lot of people, stars and real successful people. Maybe it’s because of the money in the sport [of cycling], where men have million dollar contracts and maybe they have a reason to walk around like they’re it; this is everything. I don’t know if its because women’s cycling…I have just done it because I love the sport, I haven’t made millions off of it so maybe that’s why I just feel like a normal person, I just feel regular, so that when I walk out of my house now with people requesting autographs in the middle of Albertson’s aisles. I realize that I did go to the Olympics and did come back with a gold medal, but this is all strange. Somebody pinch me please, because I’m just here on my couch at night watching the Olympics now like everyone else in the world.

The outside people probably think this is this and now you’re this and that because of what happened, but for me I’m just normal. People still don’t believe that I’m from Idaho. I know this is going to change my life in quite a lot of ways but one of the most important ways is that although I’ve always been a role model now I guess I’m a legitimate role model.

Where I live, the population is about 300,000 but with the suburbs it’s close to half a million. They call it the Treasure Valley and it’s a really great place for families to bring up kids and there are lots of group activity and not a lot of crime. It’s a really safe place and I’m glad I’m in town and can be an influence on these kids and what they want to do in their lives. It’s fun. But I’m not the kind to go out and tell people 'Oh yeah I’m a gold medalist.’

In the time that I’ve been home and the support I’ve had from this community I wonder what other Olympians do when they come home. I can’t imagine what all the Olympians from San Francisco or the Bay area came home to because the homecoming parades that they’ve had back here I was really taken aback by the whole thing. I think its all part of the experience and I know you have to enjoy the experience and the journey, and I think I am. So it’s really neat.

G: You experienced a gambit of weather in Beijing. Were the conditions as “bad” as some were anticipating?

KA: The first few days were pretty smoggy. It was pretty funny because you’d wake up and you’d actually forget it was smoggy. You’d just think there was a marine layer. Essentially you’d wake up and just think it was cloudy today, but after a while you would be thinking those clouds are never going to break. When we arrived on Monday it was pretty much like that.

By midday Saturday it was pretty hot and smoggy, but on Sunday we had the torrential downpour race and it really cleared up the skies, which we were very lucky and fortunate to have for Wednesday’s time trial. Once it cleared out, it was beautiful. Our venue was very beautiful, we saw the Great Wall. The pictures that came out after the time trial were really pretty.

Then there were reports that it hadn’t rained in a while and it was building back up. So the mountain bike races were probably very hot because of the smog and their 3 o’clock start.

G: Although you had previously raced against a number of the women in the road race, there were also some unknown quantities in the field. Was it analogous to being in a P/1/2/3 race? Did it make you a bit more tentative, especially with an early crash in the circuits?

KA: I think there is a little confusion around the sport in the Olympics. I’ve raced on a team and look at cycling as a team sport. That’s what it’s supposed to be. Women are used to racing with six teammates in any race. But at the Olympics, the top 15 countries are limited to three spots and then it goes down, some countries get two and some get one. All of a sudden it’s very difficult for all teams to be a team. 'How do you race as a team with 1 person?'

It makes it difficult and there are different levels of experience. It’s a good analogy when you’re racing at the pro level and you have a Cat 3 in there with you. The Olympics is all about representing your country and about being part of the whole experience. Some of these countries don’t have the opportunity that we do to get this experience. But unfortunately it does create a little bit of danger for everybody. Just like you saw in the road race, the Korean rider comes right across. She just goes right across the peloton and takes them [and Kristin] all out. Those are the types of moves that are just amateur. It wasn’t even about crossing wheels; it was that she went from one side of the road to the other. I think she just wanted to go up the side but she went from like the middle to the left. She just went straight across. I was thinking that move is only done when you want to get out because we were getting ready to go up the climb

It was really weird because the first 70k was dry and we were getting reports to be ready in 10k because it’s a torrential downpour and it’s not going to let up. Not only that, but the temperatures had dropped. I had an ice vest on before the race started and then by the time we were going into the circuit it was pouring rain. Then there was the crash and everything changed. I couldn’t see a thing out of my sunglasses, and then I tried to take them off, and I still couldn’t see because it was pouring. I crashed and I came back up. Christine [Thorburn] pushed the pace to try to make things hard so I had to use some energy to get back on. There were a couple descents and a climb. Once you crash, you just start thinking you can go down at any time. It was hard. It was really hard to refocus at that point. And then Amber [Neben] had mechanicals. It wasn’t team USA’s day. That’s for sure. That’s the road racing world.

That’s why I love having the time trial as well because it’s you against the clock and a lot more controlled. Nicole Cooke was strong and she won the road race, but the next day it was probably going to be somebody else whereas in a time trial, that’s not necessarily the case. Maybe two weeks later it might be someone else because you might be peaking at a different time, but the next day its going to be the same person. With road racing it’s just all up in the air.

G: There has been some speculation that the Beijing Olympic Games may be used by some athletes or fans as a political platform for certain interest. What, if any role, do athletes have in raising awareness of issues outside the athletic realm, and is the Olympic Games an appropriate place to do so?

KA: [Laughs] You know anytime that I had been asked about the political issues I just tried to ignore them.

I don’t think that the Olympic games are a good place to bring up any political issues because it should be about the athletes and about coming together. This year’s motto was One World, One Dream and to take that away it’s just not a good time.

Another thing that bothered me was people asking if Beijing was a good place, if it was safe, and about all the pollution. The bottom line is that Beijing was chosen, I don’t know how many years ago, but if it was a problem it should have been a problem back when it was chosen.

As a nation, China, is one of the most powerful countries around and if anyone can make something happen, if anything is in their control and they can make things happen and make things the best and look at their country as a beautiful place to come visit and our people are great they’re going to do it. I feel like everything that hasn’t been perfect over there is out of their hands. They’ve done everything they can to make it perfect. The volunteers were amazing, just amazing people, very nice and accommodating. Here we aren’t even close to accommodating. As Americans, we always have this attitude where we visit other people’s countries and we get mad when they don’t’ speak our language. The problem is they are trying and we haven’t even tried. We may know how to say hello and thank you in Chinese, but if you ask us to say any other word we wouldn’t be able come up with it. So I think people should take a look at what China has tried to do and how far they’ve come rather than focus on their problems.

There have been a lot of positive stories that have come out from Beijing. I was glad to be part of these Olympic Games because it may be a turning point and one that was definitely on show.

Being in Athens and now Beijing was historic. As much as I’d like to have the Olympic games in the US so that my family can come watch, I’ve gotten to go to Athens and Beijing.

In Part II of my interview with Kristin Armstrong, we discuss the state of Women’s Cycling and the differences of cycling in Europe, and we even tackle the frequently asked Armstrong question.

Photos: Courtesy Kristin Armstrong (top, middle); AP (bottom)

Whether you would like to admit it or not, Rock Racing has turned the very traditional sport of cycling on its proverbial ear. From their overwhelming presence at races replete with Cadillac Escalades, buses, trailers and a 35 foot rig, to their multiple designed, multi-colored kits, Rock Racing has brought style and sex appeal to the generally reserved sport of cycling.

At the epicenter of it all is Michael Ball, CEO and Creative Director of Rock & Republic. The outspoken leader of Rock Racing has brought panache and a no holds bar mentality that has often ruffled the feathers of the cycling community as he tries to shape the sport in his image.

To hear some people tell the story, Michael Ball is the worst thing for cycling. He frankly doesn’t belong. For others, like 13 year veteran of the peloton, Freddy Rodriguez, Ball is the visionary that cycling sorely needs to take the sport into a brighter future.

With the election of the members of the USPRO Board of Trustees ending this Friday, August 15th, I spoke to the Rock Racing Owner to discuss his bid for the USPRO Board of Trustees, his vision for the sport of cycling, and the business of cycling.

Granny's 30 (G): Reading over your candidate statement for the USPRO Board of Trustees At-Large position, a parallel to our presidential race cannot be understated as you seem to be running as a “change” candidate. But rather than being seen as a person of rhetoric, I see you more as a “doer,” how do you think you’ll fair in a political board type of environment?

Michael Ball (MB): Absolutely, my only reason to do this is to create change and move this Board forward, not only for the guy who is out there racing and making sure the pros are being looked after and their best interests are in hand, but taking it all the way up so that the governing bodies really start to move forward and do things that are more progressive and fair to these racers. And to give back to them is at the end of the day really what it’s all about. Without these athletes this sport is nonexistent obviously. It seems as if sometimes these athletes aren’t really taken care of and really seen at the level that other professional sports are so for me it’s about giving them the respect and the things that are due to them.

G: Along those lines, since cycling is still considered a niche sport with many riders not really following other mainstream sports, how would you go about protecting cyclists’ rights like those in the mainstream sports of say football or baseball?

MB: Obviously I’ve spoken about a union in the future. I think organizing the guys so that they have a collective voice is important so that this thing can grow from their level. But also as a team owner and a brand owner and someone who wants to see cycling experience an explosion here in the United States so that these athletes can make more money. They should at least have insurance across the board and a future, frankly.

This sport is so great and from my perspective hasn’t been handled in a way that really pushes it forward; it kind of just follows in tradition based on what they’ve done in Europe the last 50 to 60 years as American cycling has grown. At the turn of the century or prior to that, we had the greatest athletes, the greatest races and the highest paid athletes in the world, with Major Taylor and the like. And Madison Square Garden as you know was built for cycling, as was Central Park.

I think we can capture the glory and become such a great cycling culture, but do it in our way; in an American style. Whether its criterium, or circuits, or what they do at Superweek, it is fantastic. They’ve got this 17-day program that’s based on race after race, not necessarily a stage race, but an American style of multiple day races, and it’s awesome. We can build upon that and for me there’s nothing greater than watching a criterium race. It’s fast and it’s quick. That’s what the majority of the pros do here in the States and I think we can elevate this sport and get it on television and make it exciting and give these pro athletes a voice and a good paycheck.

G: In cycling there already exist the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), but it seems to have little backing or buy-in from its riders. When you speak of a union what exactly do you mean?

MB: It’s a players union, this isn’t an organization that somebody saw an opportunity to take advantage of…the UCI from my perspective isn’t necessarily the greatest thing for the athletes, they are not necessarily an advocate, they’re there for some and not for others. I think when you organize as a collective group the ultimate goal is to protect and to advance the individual in that particular union and give them greater access, better protection, and increase their rights and that’s for me what it’s about. The UCI does what they do. They’ve got some governing bodies and other organizations and they’re trying to expand the sport in their way but it’s not necessarily for the riders, it’s for the UCI.

When you look at a true union it’s about the players’ rights, it’s about collective agreements, making sure that they’re increasing their potential interests and their market value. It’s protecting them from any sort of catastrophic injury, that’s one of the reasons why I started the PCCIF (Professional Cycling Catastrophic Injury Fund), because cycling did not have that.

G: The PCCIF is a great start, what other types of initiatives do you envision attempting to implement?

MB: What I want to do is to make sure that the athletes are meeting, at least twice a year. Discuss what their future is in the sport instead of others dictating what their future is. You know, where do they want to go, Take that to the governing bodies in a collective vote and say listen, this is what the riders are thinking, this is what they want, and ultimately, this is what they demand. And if they don’t get what they need and what they want then we’re going to have to step aside for a little bit in order to get it. And that’s just the way it is.

If these athletes can get together collectively, this sport can grow and can be productive and profitable. I’m not sure that you’ve seen some of the things I’ve said in the past, but I think the problem in this sport is that it’s in a very precarious situation where you’re either a passionate cyclist who is really into this sport or you see it as a marketing opportunity. It’s not really a business opportunity.

For me I want like-minded individuals to see this as a business opportunity as well as a marketing opportunity, and not be fearful to get into this sport. For the past few years, sponsors have come and gone and there are far fewer in between. But my goal is to bring huge sponsors into it, like Fedex, UPS, Red Bull, GM and on and on. The Anheuser-Busches, the Miller products and make this sport huge here in the United States. It’s such a great spectacle that these giant corporations should be a part of it. It includes so many individuals and the demographic is such a high level of education and income earners, so it’s so great.

I’m really positive about it and I want to make sure the athletes are being protected and grow this sport.

G: A recent Wall Street Journal article pointed out that the sport of cycling is still a relative bargain for those looking to sponsor a team, why are sponsors pulling the plug or not even entertaining the idea?

MB: Thing is if you’ve got a Fortune 500 company and they’re backing a cycling team and something happens in terms of a doping scandal it doesn’t look good to their shareholders in their mind. It may or may not, and their share holders may or may not even care, but the board of directors, the chairman, the CEO, or those making the decision, they need to look at this in the long term and the short term. As you saw in the Tour de France in the short term, they just yanked it…we’re out…Saunier Duval, that’s it…Barloworld, out! So we can do things here in the United States that they can’t do in Europe and do it wholly American and you’re right it is an absolute bargain…that’s one of the reasons I got in.

G: At what point do you continue to fund a sport that is not profitable, especially in the US?

MB: Thing is I built Rock Racing and we’re selling the soft goods right now, our kits we can’t keep them in, we’ve got eyewear launching next year. We’re looking at 2010 launching bikes and other hard gear, helmets, and the like. We’re in negotiation for some wheels. And on the manufacturing side, we’ve got a great lab that we’ve created which is called Rock Racing Research and we’ll be doing things over the next few years to advance this sport. I’ve got ideas of different formats that the world of cycling will hear later this year and really kind of bring it to the public and make it television friendly, finally. Television-friendly cycling.

G: As there are athlete positions on the USPRO Board of Trustees, do you envision the At-Large position as an intermediary role?

MB: I could and that would be more of a static role, like what they’re doing now. But what I’d like to see are those that are on the board, myself and the athletes, come together and really start to look toward the future, what are the advantages that cycling has that other sports don’t have, what are the advantages that the athletes need to acquire in order for this sport to advance. And here domestically, this isn’t a worldwide thing; I’m not running for anything like at the UCI or any other organizing bodies in Europe. This is about the United States and about pushing the idea of professional cycling here and giving those athletes a voice.

This isn’t a grandiose idea of cycling in the world; this is about doing something domestically and really pushing it, wholly American. It’s such a great, great sport and we can do something that the Europeans can’t do. There’s a short attention span here in the United States and if we can capture that intensity, that visceral, emotional experience that we have and that we get at a bicycle race, like a crit specifically, boy can this thing grow.

G: Some have spoken about creating a grand tour formatted race here in the United States, do you think that is a viable format?

MB: I don’t think so, I gotta be honest. I’m mean it’ll be beautiful, but the problem is there is a formula in television and that is how many sticks of deodorants can one sell in a particular market, and with all due respect but Modesto – which is a nice place to begin or end a race, -- they’re not selling a whole lot of deodorant in that market. Now if it were here in Los Angeles or San Diego or in a bigger market, absolutely. A perfect example is if they do that type of stuff within a 100-mile radius of a major market, then you can do some real damage. But these grand tours, I just don’t see it being viable. To take a European concept or tradition or format, it’s never worked. You’ll have to tweak it to become American and I just don’t see television picking it up. Versus is barely getting a blip during the Tour de France, its kind of scary.

It needs to be condensed, it needs to be dramatized and romanticized where people can follow who these athletes are. I mean no one knows who these people are unless you’re really into cycling. A weekend warrior can’t sit down and watch it and go…oh yeah…I’m mean there were some Americans who probably said who is Christian Vande Velde, with that name you’d think he’s Dutch.

My whole idea behind that is that I don’t think one can do it, but I think we can if we do it American. We have short attention spans here so why not play into it and we can have something really successful.

We had some fantastic tours, like the Coors Classic which had a major sponsor and it was beautiful and it was great and that’s when you had the kings of the road, when you had those gods. You don’t have those racers anymore, those characters, those bigger than life athletes and that’s when we were kids going, oh my god…and if that couldn’t survive?

Trust me, I went to San Francisco, I went to Denver, I went to Estes Park I saw those races. There were tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of people out there watching it and even those couldn’t succeed.

All I tried to do is bring some entertainment to this sport and all that did was freak everyone out. And if you don’t have the entertainment value you have nothing because you can’t keep that focus, you can’t keep that dollar. Look at basketball and football; it’s an entertainment product.

You know as I said I’m “Here To Stay” and its not just cliché. I’m here to stay because I see the opportunity financially and the opportunity from the passion I have for this sport. So it’s gonna grow whether they want me to be a part of it or not, I’m gonna be a part of it and see this thing through.

To be honest, I think we’ve turned a corner in the sense that there was so much negative press and as I said we freaked people out and now its better than 50-50 and its probably more like 60-40 in terms of the pros to cons. I think what is happening now is that the true voice of the cycling community, and that being those guys who work 9-5 and ride…they love it. They are the ones that are out there and who spent the 6 billion dollars that was spent last year in cycling. They’re saying these guys are cool, this is great. And now I can attach myself to something cool and not just have some leotards or coffee cups on my head.

G: With the negative press early on surrounding some of your controversial [rider] signings, not to have you defend your position, but how do you think those hires will affect your candidacy?

MB: To be honest if anybody really takes a look at how it happened and why it happened. They’re going to see, it was never…some will say its marketing and was it a bit of that, yeah, but it was never intentional. It was me giving those athletes a voice and a job, frankly. My riders had every right to race. They are names in some books; there are names of many athletes including players from Real Madrid, racecar drivers, basketball players, and on and on. For whatever reason, individuals within the governing bodies focused on the riders, I just don’t get it.

Everybody at that time was looking for advantage over others and Fuentes was offering it. So why should these guys, a World Champion and the Best Young Rider in the Tour de France not have the opportunity just because of timing? That’s what it really came down to: timing. They were too close to it when it went down. It’s just hypocrisy and at that point, for me, I said we have to stop doing this and I’m going to take a stand and that’s what it really came down to. I hope the athlete sees that as a positive that I did take a stand and I would take a stand for them no matter what. Wrong is wrong. You can’t hide from that, it was wrong and all I did was say, enough! You can’t continue to do it to any athlete, any bicycle racer.

At the end of the day, I’ve never seen any of these documents. I have an idea from the stuff I’ve read and from what people have told me and unfortunately there are people in very high positions who shouldn’t be reading these things and making decisions because from what I understand the courts sealed those documents. All that evidence for some reason all those people were able to acquire it and make decisions and not let my racers be allowed into certain races.

G: In your candidate statement, you mention fair anti-doping practices. What do you feel has been unfair about the anti-doping practices?

MB: They still absolutely target racers, plain and simple. And the thing is, you can talk to any doctor in regard to trying to be consistent with these tests, but they’re at odds. If that were the case, Ricco is the perfect example, he said your tests suck you should have caught me weeks before. So that being said, if they can’t catch the cheaters…maybe they think they’re catching people who aren’t cheating if the tests aren’t that good, aren’t that consistent. You have to be really careful, because at the end of the day if something does come up positive, one needs to look at it from a reasonable perspective. You can’t ruin rider’s lives. You can’t give them a death penalty and do something reasonable in the realm of the effect. The crime does not fit the effects most of the time. I mean my guys were just accused and they couldn’t get a ride. You know it’s just wrong and for me that’s my goal is to give these athletes a voice. The testers and the labs need to be held accountable as well if they make a mistake.

These athletes are being punished for their wrong doing. If you look at it, has any athlete ever won? And that’s a little odd. The probability of that is impossible. It’s those types of things that make you go hhmmm? You can’t just believe everything you read, you have to question this stuff you really have to.

From my perspective as a [science] layman, to believe that a large corporation like Roche would be in bed with WADA, the UCI to actually put a marker with its product that is just absurd. Come on! A multimillion dollar company would do that just to bust a couple of cyclists?

G: Looking forward, what are your plans for Europe and 2009?

MB: Obviously we’d love to get a wild card, we would be prepared for the Tour de France. Our goals are the Vuelta, the Giro, the Dauphine, Milan San Remo, Liege and there’s a lot of things we can do as a third year team that we’d be very successful at.

You know I’m taking Rahsaan [Bahati] to the Tour of Britain. You know they talked about [Mark] Cavendish being the fastest man in 100 meters, maybe after 120 miles, but put him up against Bahati in 60 miles or [Ivan] Dominguez. Good Luck! You know he didn’t do so well against Dominguez over the past few years at the Tour of California. It’ll be so great for Bahati to be over there and doing his thing. He’ll be the first black athlete to compete in a European tour. It’s exciting.

G: As a big proponent of women’s cycling and juniors, what is your vision for growing the sport for both?

MB: Our women’s team turned out to be a little bit of distraction and kind of a disaster to be honest. We’re going to have to take a step back and take a look at it from a different perspective. We’re going to have to rethink how we’re going to structure this next year.

There were things that shouldn’t have been happening that were happening. So be it. It’s human nature, but when it starts affecting the team…uh-uh. We’re going to have to start looking for another way to do it. It just didn’t work out the way I thought. Thanks for the support of women’s cycling. We’ll continue to support women’s cycling but we’ll have to think of ways to restructure it. Do it completely different with two completely separate organizations. I think that was the mistake thinking we could all be one big happy family. I was maybe naïve.

Juniors I’m all about. We’ve got some of the best juniors in the country. We’ve got Iggy [Silva III] and we just brought Justin Williams up from juniors and he’s doing a fantastic job and I just have so much hope and I just want to get this kid over to Europe. It’s going to be something to see a local product from LA racing in Europe.

G: In a 2005 LA Times article, Bahati mentioned the barriers to getting inner-city youth to participate in a sport that is basically cost-prohibitive. How do you reach those kids and what measures will it take to help them out?

MB: The great thing about these inner city kids…when you think about the top racers in terms of speed they’re all inner city kids or kids from the other side of the tracks or third world, Bahati, Rodriguez, Dominguez. It’s awesome because these kids will be able to identify with these racers and be able to look at them and say I can be an athlete too, I race my bike, I ride, I race from one corner to the other every day. So its going to be a great thing for these kids to see these ultimately superstars of the sport. These guys are going to be superstars if I have anything to say about it. So they’ll be able to identify with them. The likes of Bahati or Justin Williams, all it takes is Bahati going over and winning a couple of races in Europe, becoming a superstar at home and the same for Justin to really jump start [the sport]. Because how many great athletes aren’t on bikes from the inner cities? They’re with a baseball bat, or basketball, a football or even a soccer ball. And they all know how to ride a bike. And the chances of those guys getting into any of those sports…pretty slim. But, a bicycle a few years of training, they could be a top pro.

G: You mentioned earlier about viewing cycling as a business as well as from a marketing standpoint. What is your view of the industry?

MB: For the industry as a whole, here’s my take on what’s happening as I’ve been in it from a manufacturer, brand perspective. It’s an interesting industry because it’s really predicated on these boutiques, if you will, these mom and pop’s. It’s not these huge department stores that can make or break you, it’s all these little mom and pops if you will, and they’re unfortunately beholden to the brand manufacturers and ultimately those reps out there. So what I’m looking to do is…I want to go direct. I want to create within my pay site a wholesale site so that these buyers can go direct. Instead of me paying and taking that percentage out of their bottom line and giving it to a rep, why not give it to those bicycle shop owners. The way I look at it there’s that 21-year old kid who wants to own his own bike store, by the time he’s 25 he's probably saved enough money to open it up. By the time he’s open, his margins are so small he can’t get the opportunity, he can’t turn that corner and turn it into a bigger store or open up a second store or third, it takes so long. For me I want to see this sport continue to grow so the more money those guys make at the end of the day, their margins increase, they can do more things and that in turn will expand this sport. My next thing is instead of paying these reps these percentages, give them to the bike stores. Let them make that extra 5, 7, 10, or 15% so that they can do some things now instead of working pay check to pay check or year to year and giving them the opportunity to do something in their world. So I’m looking to help and change and expand this sport in any way I can.

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