Seaside, CA - With Chris Horner (Team RadioShack) tearing the legs off the peloton, including his teammate's, three-time Amgen Tour of California champion Levi Leipheimer, up Sierra Road during Stage 4, it is quite easy to overlook the rest of the field, and for that matter the remaining stages.

But with an Individual Time Trial (ITT) and a brutal ascent of Mt. Baldy on the horizon, no one is holding out for hope more than the man Lance Armstrong once tabbed "The Great White Hope," Garmin-Cervelo's Tom Danielson, who currently sits in third on the General Classification.

Since bursting onto the scene with victories in the Tour of Qinghai Lake (2001), Tour de Langkawi (2003), Tour of Georgia (2005) and Tour of Austria (2006), the 33-year old has battled a mountain of expectation and a series of inconsistencies throughout his professional road racing career. One thing, however, that has never come into question is Danielson's climbing acumen.

Before the start of Stage 5 of the Amgen Tour of California, I caught up with Danielson, who gauged his chances of pulling off a surprise.

"I feel really good," commented Danielson on his current form. "I didn't expect to be where I am now, but I gonna have to play all my cards on Mt. Baldy and I know that. That climb suits me real well and I'm really happy to be where I'm at. Now I have a couple of stages that will be difficult and I'll just have to perform well there and do well on Mt. Baldy."

About his chances during the ITT in Solvang, Danielson added, "Yeah, I'm good. Hopefully I've improved. The last couple of weeks I worked on it quite a bit because this year it hasn't been my strong point so we'll see how I can do. I've got form so that a big part of time trialing, along with the equipment. It think I'm there so we'll see on Friday."

Mud Bug

In Part III of my conversation with Meredith Miller, we discuss what she loves most about Cyclocross, what type of course she favors best, and why she is riding in pink this October.

Lenny B (LB): For the uninitiated, a Cyclocross race can look very much like controlled chaos, or what a friend might refer to as a hot mess. How much, or little, does teamwork come into play during a race, or is it mostly individualistic and all about the hole shot and positioning?

Meredith Miller (MM): I have to laugh a little at this question because it is very much like controlled chaos. It was hard for me to wrap my head around the chaos the first time I saw a ‘cross race. I had no clue what was happening. But the answer is that there is much less teamwork involved than road racing. An individual might have teammates in the race but before team tactics can come into play they all must be at the same level. For example, my first year on Cal Giant Rachel Lloyd and I were teammates, but I was so far off her pace that I was never any help to her at all. On the other hand, there are teams that have several riders who are at the same level and can use team tactics. So, while I wasn’t able to give Rachel any help several riders from the Luna team were able to one-two her over and over again. By this I mean, a Luna would attack, Rachel would follow, catch the Luna rider, and then be attacked by another Luna teammate…and the cycle would continue until Rachel finally couldn’t keep up with the attacks any more.

Team tactics rarely come into play though. For the most part it is much more about the individual effort and positioning. Quite often there are small groups of riders (2-4) on the course together who are trying to outsmart and outpace each other. It’s you against the others in the group. You win by being the strongest, most technically savvy and even smartest rider out there. Of course, the best and most satisfying way to win a race is by riding everyone off your wheel to ride across the line solo.

LB: Cyclocross requires a different skill set, from properly mounting to dismounting your bicycle to facing various obstacles along the course. What has been the most difficult aspect of Cyclocross for you to pick up…the easiest?

MM: Nothing has been easy, that’s for sure! By far my starts have been the slowest to develop. I just can’t seem to get off the line as fast as everyone else. Taking the hole shot would be a dream come true! Otherwise, I picked up how to dismount, remount, run barriers, etc quickly but I’m not saying I do it perfectly or efficiently. I still have to practice, practice, practice to get it right. And every single race there has been something new like tight twists and turns through trees, different style run-ups and mud that I have to learn. After having now done a few races this season, I’d have to add that off camber, tight turns are the trickiest sections for me to handle with any sort of deftness.

An area in which I might have an advantage over other riders is my power. When I can really open up the engine, I tend to excel.

LB: Some racers see Cyclocross as simply a means to maintain a base during the off-season, but you seem to have a real passion for it. What do you enjoy most about Cross?

MM: ‘Cross has definitely given me a heightened motivation to train in the off season. For as many years as I have been racing, the hours on the bike in the cold, wet winter weather are what have begun to wear on me most. The rigors of training outside for ‘cross still exist but it’s easier to deal with because the training is, more or less, short and sweet. The training is hard but it requires fewer hours than training for the road.

Mostly, I love the new challenges that ‘cross presents like riding in the mud, sand, dirt. I get to travel to new places. Meet new people. The energy at ‘cross races is truly electrifying, so much more than I have ever experienced at a road race. And it’s more of a “family” atmosphere where everyone looks out for each other. I can’t always explain it but whenever I talk about ‘cross I get the biggest smile on my face.

LB: Your road career has really blossomed since you took up Cross, how much do you think the rigors and various challenges presented to you in Cyclocross factored into your successes on the road or do you think it is has more to do about racing year round?

MM: Tough question. I’m not really sure how to explain my recent success on the road. It’s possible that ‘cross has given me a little bit more confidence in myself to take the risks needed to win races because I had to learn how to race for myself. And definitely winning road nationals in ’09 boosted that confidence even more. Wearing the stars and stripes this past road season gave me that extra motivation to go for top results more often than I had in the past.

LB: Has there been anything on a course that you thought was impossible or should not be there, and vice versa, that you love having on a course. Do you have any favorite courses?

MM: The World Championships in the Czech Republic was hands down the hardest course that I ever faced. It was sheer ice. I’d never been on anything like it before and I was scared to death. For 3 days while pre-riding the course I kept asking myself what was I doing here, what did I get myself into. It was absolutely insane but yet I had the best time ever.

Being a roadie most people wouldn’t expect me to say this but I love racing in mud, especially the soupy kind. I don’t know why but I love to get muddy! Plus it’s another challenge that keeps me on my toes.

LB: You are currently involved in a breast cancer fundraiser, have you personally, but perhaps not immediately, been affected by the disease?

MM: I have not been personally affected by breast cancer but I did have a little scare this spring. Everything turned out fine but it was enough of an eye-opening experience that I wanted to help women who have been affected receive the care and treatment they need.

I think we all know someone who has been affected by this terrible disease, but I can luckily say that everyone I know personally has beaten it. I chose Hope Lives! because I like to support local organizations when I can. Lydia Dody is a breast cancer survivor herself and the founder of the foundation. She is also from Ft Collins which obviously hits closest to home.

Hope Lives! works directly with local service providers to offer emotional, physical and spiritual support to women battling breast cancer.

Through their “Complementary Care Program,” Hope Lives! aims to:

1. reduce the negative side effects of breast cancer treatment
2. boost mood and energy levels
3. reduce anxiety and stress
4. provide educational materials and financial resources
5. offer support groups to women battling breast cancer and their families
6. help get women back on track post treatment

Services offered as complementary care include therapeutic massage, acupuncture, yoga, music and art therapy, couples counseling, house cleaning, wig salon and many more.

Hope Lives! serves approximately 150 women battling breast cancer on a monthly basis. $500 covers the expenses for one woman for one calendar year.

Part I - Ready For Her Closeup | Part II - We Can Do It

To follow Meredith as she dances with mud, visit her website or follow her on Twitter.

Photos: Courtesy Meredith Miller - Dave McElwaine/Trail Watch (top); Mitch Clinton (bottom)

We Can Do It

Cycling can at times be a mixed bag, in that the growth of the sport is often met with startling declines. Women’s Cycling, especially domestically, has taken some huge hits in recent years with a number of major team sponsors pulling out of the sport. Meredith Miller has seen and lived through both sides of the turnover spectrum.

In Part II of my conversation with the peloton's newest leading lady, we find out what changes she would make to the sport of cycling, whether women’s cycling should take a tougher stance, and the plausibility of a women’s only cycling league.

Lenny B (LB): What, if anything, would you change about the structure of Women’s Cycling?

Meredith Miller (MM): The answer to this could be a book. There are so many different answers because there are so many areas in which women’s cycling can improve. Of course the first thing that comes to mind is equal pay between men and women. I realize that there isn’t the same number of women in the sport as there are men but where’s the incentive? The number of women at the grassroots level has been steadily increasing and now we have to give those women something worthwhile to keep them in the sport, to keep them aiming to reach the “professional” level. Receiving a small stipend and having expenses paid isn’t enough. Until women are paid a livable wage, the growth in the sport will never surpass current standards. Asking women to race full-time on a salary that can barely cover food expenses for a weekend on the road isn’t fair or respectable. Nor is it fair to expect to see the same number of female participants as their male counterparts when most women have to remain at home to work the part-time of full-time job they need to stay afloat.

Besides pay, I’d love to see more stage races for women. I could get myself in trouble here but it’s aggravating that when women raise their voice to ask that a women’s race be run concurrently with a men’s tour, promoters give us the obligatory criterium and we’re suppose to be happy with that. We want stage races, too. It’s a sticky situation because of course I’m happy that we have a race at all but it’s just not enough. I think most women would agree that a schedule full of criteriums isn’t all we want or all we deserve.

LB: Along those lines, sports like tennis finally came around on the issue of equal pay, but it took years of advocacy and diplomacy. From your experience, is the sport of women’s cycling closer or further away from that goal?

MM: I think we are a long way off from reaching the same status that women hold in tennis. Because tennis is a higher profile sport among sports enthusiasts around the world, it was probably easier (not saying it was easy but easier) for them to obtain equal pay. Cycling is still so low on the sports totem pole that many men don’t get paid a livable wage either so, I hate to say it, but I think it’s still a long way off before women get paid the same as men.

LB: Do you think it’s time for women to take a tougher stance on this issue, along with others that afflict the sport?

MM: For sure it’s time that women take a tougher stand, but it can’t just be one person here and there. It has to come from the women’s peloton as a whole. It has to be a group initiative so that people take us seriously. The impact of what we are saying will be stronger and more valid if it comes from a unified voice.

LB: Do you think it’s possible for the sport of cycling to pull off a women’s only series or league, as they have with soccer, or do you feel the sport in the US still needs to be buttressed by coinciding men’s events?

MM: Unfortunately we are not at a point where cycling could have a women’s only league. It’s hard enough for us to keep races on the calendar, much less have a league all to ourselves. Frankly I don’t think there’s a need for a women’s only league.

There is, however, a women’s series called the Women’s Prestige Cycling Series. The series includes Redlands Bicycle Classic, Tour of the Gila, Nature Valley Grand Prix and the Cascade Cycling Classic and offers awards to the Best Overall Individual, Best Overall Team, Sprint Competition and Best Young Rider. It’s good for women’s cycling and I hope to see it continue.

Other than a series, the next best thing would be a women’s only tour like we had back in the day with the HP Classic.

Part I - Ready For Her Closeup | Part III - Mud Bug

To follow Meredith as she dances with mud, visit her website or follow her on Twitter.

Photos: Leonard Basobas/LB Photos

Ready For Her Closeup

As a veteran of the women’s professional peloton for over a decade, Meredith Miller has been known as the consummate teammate. Whether riding out front for the Danish-based Team S.A.T.S and the defunct TEAm Lipton, or serving as a role model and mentor during her time with Aaron’s Women’s Professional Cycling Team and currently with Team TIBCO, the former University of Wisconsin soccer player has always done what was needed and what was necessary to ensure her team’s success, even if that meant sacrificing some of her own ambitions.

But recently, the spotlight has shined brightly, and perhaps deservedly so, on the out-going Miller. During her 2009 campaign, the Alabama native soloed to victory in front of a top-notch field at the US Elite National Road Championships. She would follow up that stellar performance later that same year by representing the United States at the UCI World Championships on both the road and in cyclocross.

Yet, despite her more recent successes, the peloton’s newest leading lady has never viewed herself as bigger than even the minutest part of her team; a fact that is being highlighted this month as she embarks on another cyclocross season.

During the month of October, Meredith has chosen to turn the spotlight on a larger team of women, those who have been diagnosed with and survived breast cancer. Adorned in the familiar pink, which unfortunately has become commonplace in cities around the world, Meredith has partnered with a local Ft. Collins, Colorado breast cancer foundation, Hope Lives!, to raise money and awareness for the disease.

In Part I of my conversation with Meredith Miller (California Giant Berry Farms/Specialized), we look back at her soccer career, find out if she still jumps around, and discuss her ultimate goals as a racer.

Lenny B (LB): It has been well chronicled that you were a soccer player in your previous sporting life; do you still have visions of crossovers and nutmegs?

Meredith Miller (MM): I miss soccer, especially while I was watching the World Cup this summer. Whenever I see games being played I get that nostalgic feeling and want to play again myself. Just last week while I was in New England I was riding with a friend past several soccer fields and commented about how nice the fields looked. He kind of gave me this puzzled look until he remembered that I had played soccer for years. He still thought I was a little crazy for talking about how nice the soccer fields looked but it’s things like that that make me want to go out and slide tackle someone (I was a defender after all).

LB: As a “Badger,” is it mandatory to have House of Pain’s “Jump Around” in your playlist?

MM: Of course! I “jumped around” with Badger football today, as a matter of fact. I wish I could have been in Camp Randall when the Badgers beat the Buckeyes. That would have been “Jump Around” worthy for sure!

LB: Please tell me that wasn’t while wearing red and white striped overalls?

MM: Ha, I can honestly say NO.

LB: Is soccer still your first love? Who were your sporting heroes growing up?

MM: I’ll always love the sport of soccer. It drives me crazy when people talk about how dumb a sport it is because there is so little scoring. Of course goals are exciting but I see so much more when I watch a game that makes me go “wow, wish I could do that."

Most people would never know it but my hero when I was really young was Dale Murphy of the Atlanta Braves. I started playing fast pitch softball when I was 7 growing up in Alabama. My nickname has always been ‘Murph’ so I guess it was just natural that Dale was my hero. Being so close to Atlanta we went to baseball games quite often to cheer for him…and the team, of course.

LB: How did you get into the sport of cycling?

MM: After graduating from college there weren’t many options for women to continue playing at a highly competitive level in the US. You either had to be a member of the US National Team (which I was not) or go to Europe. Living in Europe never crossed my mind at that time so I had to look for something else to do to fuel my competitive drive. My husband (boyfriend at the time), Ben, had started racing my last season of playing soccer. After watching just a handful of his races I thought cycling looked hard and competitive enough so I decided to give it a whirl…and the rest is history.

LB: You have been crowned a National Champion, ridden at Worlds in both road and cyclocross, what is your ultimate goal as a racer?

Meredith Miller (MM): On the road, I want to be the best teammate I can be by being a mentor to the young riders and representing my team and sponsors with integrity. I want to be an integral part of the team’s success both on and off the bike.

I’ve been fortunate to have success on a ‘cross bike in the two short years that I’ve been racing ‘cross. Given that I’m still learning how to race ‘cross I want to see myself continue to build on that success. In the next year or two I want to win nationals, and of course I want to return to the World Championships. Ultimately I want to keep developing as a ‘cross racer so that in 2013, when Worlds are in Louisville, I am vying for a podium spot.

But whether it’s road or ‘cross I’m talking about, it has to be fun.

In Part II of my interview with Meredith Miller, we find out what changes she would make to the sport of cycling, whether women’s cycling should take a tougher stance, and the plausibility of a women’s only cycling league.

Part II - We Can Do It | Part III - Mud Bug

To follow Meredith as she dances with mud, visit her website or follow her on Twitter.

Photos: Dave McElwaine/Trail Watch (top); Leonard Basobas/LB Photos (bottom)

Present, Perfect

While Erica Allar (Team Vera Bradley Foundation) and I have remained in touch over the years, it had been some time since we actually shared some decent face time. But that changed this past month as I was able to catch up with her in Arlington, Virginia, the site of her Clarendon Cup victory last year, for the 2010 Air Force Cycling Classic.

Kind and sensitive, intelligent and quick-witted, and easily approachable as well as to laugh, Erica has always surprised me with her uncanny ability to stay in the present. Whether it is a by-product of a good upbringing or something inherent in her personality, but as we switched from topics ranging from Lil’ Wayne’s grill to the complexities of being employed as a professional cyclist, there was never a question of whether or not Erica was engaged in those instantaneous moments that make up a conversation. In this overly processed and digitally connected world, it is a characteristic that is not only refreshing, but also serves her well in the trenches of the women’s peloton, where focus and staying attentive is vital to one’s success, and on this day in June, even one’s livelihood.

Lenny B (LB): It has often been said that “You have to learn to follow before you can lead.” Where do you see your development in that equation?

Erica Allar (EA): There is no doubt in my mind that, like many things in life and especially with cycling for an ‘up-and-comer’ athlete- we must learn a majority of our knowledge from those who precede us. I am lucky to have a coach who has been involved in this sport for a very long time. He has experienced racing from juniors all the way to the Olympics. His input and knowledge is very “learn to follow before leading”. He has had plenty of experience and has been through a lot of different scenarios. There is such an abundance of knowledge that comes from his own personal experience that he can teach not just myself but the other athletes he coaches as well, important lessons and vital details as we all climb the hill to success. I also believe that never mind the fact that I may not always be on the same team as some of the other women; I have had great opportunities to watch, observe and race against or with great racers like Tina Pic, Laura Van Gilder and Ina Teutenberg. By learning from my coach and observing these other great racers (even watching video of the Tour de France and other big races) I am able to learn from the best of the best. All of these things help me follow in the footsteps of the great riders I look up to. When I think about it, this sport is quite amazing. It’s a constant learning environment. Before I am in a position to be successful, give back and teach the youngsters of the sport I must learn, watch, observe, interpret and follow the most successful racers in the sport. It all comes full circle and I feel it’s a necessary component of success in cycling.

LB: What are your greatest strength(s) as a rider?

EA: It is no secret that in cycling the strongest, best, fastest rider does not always win the race. There are big races that are won in under-dog moments. Those times are beautiful in my opinion; and it is just one of the many aspects to this sport that helps make cycling the exciting and multifaceted sport that it is. I developed early on racing on the velodrome. I have good bike handling skills, am tactically smart and know how to be as efficient as possible in most race situations. I prefer a technical criterium but fancy some fun road races as well. My ability to conserve energy and stay out of the wind while maintaining position really allows me to (hopefully) be in the right place at the right time when the end of the race approaches. It is no secret that I am not the most powerful or strongest racer in the circuit; however, I have a certain level of strength and skill ability that makes me a threat in most race situations.

LB: Cycling, it has been said, is pain. Many like to serve it up, but few enjoy enduring it. Do you think that is what separates a good rider from a truly great rider? How do you cope with the pain during a race and what is your tolerance to it?

EA: In all honesty, I have firsthand experience when it comes to cycling and the amount of pain it takes to be successful. I don’t mean that I am great sufferer and accept the pain with open arms. On the contrary, when I first began riding I wasn’t very good. I didn’t understand that this sport was all about a racers personal pain threshold and how much hurt someone can inflict on their own body. Cycling can be a great weekend hobby or given the right amount of sting, it can be one of the toughest sports out there. There is a necessary amount of strength, skill and power needed to be successful; however, the pain cave and the ability to live in it day after day is most definitely a factor that makes a good rider, a great rider. When I am racing it is easier for me to accept the pain as part of the race. I look around the field and see my competition and know what I am personally capable of. As a race finisher and/or sprinter I don’t often chase down breaks or race as the much appreciated “work horses”, though knowing there are a group of girls who back each other up and in a field sprint situation are counting on me, it is simple to deal with pain.

LB: Bumps, bruises and scrapes come with the territory. You have had your fair share of battle wounds, is there an occasion that sticks out in your mind?

EA: There is one particular moment that I won’t ever forget. It was in 2008 when I was racing the Visalia Criterium with my first pro team Aaron’s. It was a great crit course and a crash in turn 3 on the inside caused a domino effect to the outside of the field. It took out at least half of the field, if not more! I was going around the corner and had girls sliding out in front me. In order to miss falling down I never turned. I actually went straight toward a curb. I somehow realized I was going to hit the curb and bunny hopped it and ‘end-oed’ right into a bush. I didn’t think I would be hurt but after I crawled my way out of the shrubbery I was in a fair amount of pain. The reason it was so memorable was because I went to the pit and had leaves and branches poking out of my shoes, helmet and my bike. I walked into the pit limping and my director at the time (Carmen D) didn’t think I’d be able to get back in. I pulled the trees out of my equipment and did a cross mount on my bike to get back in. I ended up going down again in the last turn on the last lap as well but that crash was a lot less eventful, mostly just disappointing. Jumping the curb into a bush despite the pain was really quite humorous! I can only imagine what that would look like on video!

LB: You have ridden for and with some of great cycling people. Do you have any cycling role models?

EA: I love Lance [Armstrong]. [Laughs] Well, Lance is great. He is a voice and a recognizable entity in the sport of cycling. He is great; though we’ve never met in person! In all reality I really appreciate Rebecca Twigg and the success that she experienced on both the road and the track. I also appreciate watching Ina Teutenberg race because she is so unrelenting and I think what Evie Stevens has accomplished between last season and this season is just awesome. Her personal success and the impact she has for women’s cycling is really fantastic.

LB: You have been on both ends of the spectrum in the ever evolving world of women’s cycling. What do you think about the current state women’s cycling? Are there things that you would change?

EA: These are all very good questions. I don’t have just one simple answer when it comes to my opinion about the current state of women’s cycling. I do believe that as women we train and race just as much, as hard and as passionately as the men do. As a 24 year old (racing age 25) in this sport I find it shocking that women’s cycling lacks the amount of support it takes to develop the younger riders. On many of the men’s teams there must be a certain number of U27 riders to fill the team roster. The lack of support straight across the board in women’s cycling does not allow our field to have many of those young riders. When there is not much support for the developing girls and the time comes to choose between cycling and college, college may take precedence. The well-established, already promised riders who have been around and are a guaranteed investment for teams and their sponsors receive the support. I will be forever grateful to Carmen D’Aluisio for being the first director to take a chance on me and sign me to my first pro team in 2008 (Aaron’s). I was an unknown rider who in 2007 was trying to prove herself worthy. Carmen saw it and took a chance. I would not have been able to accomplish the results I got in 2007 without the help of Pat Marzi and James Carney. They made it a point to support not just myself but a few other young riders and help us develop the potential they saw in us. I’ve been very lucky and I know not everyone has the same opportunities that I did and that is really sad to me.

LB: Some would argue that it’s not the product but in how you market it. As it pertains to women’s cycling, how would you market the sport? Along those lines, what is appropriate?

EA: In terms of how I would market this sport? Women. I am a woman. I race against women. I relate to other women and as a member of Team Vera Bradley Foundation I am now a voice to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer- something that affects so many women every day. I feel like I am a role model to young girls and I personally, can have a positive impact on women. The relationship between cyclists like myself and other women is a huge factor. I believe that a lady who wants to ride will be more motivated and more accepting of the bike if she can connect with the other women who ride. Men’s cycling already draws the attention of females. Other males want to be like the male cyclists to attract females. Women need to relate to the sport in a way that is not intimidating. There needs to be an association attached to the sport that allows what can be interpreted as a masculine activity to maintain some level of femininity for women. I think Vera Bradley getting involved in women’s cycling is a great way for women to relate to the sport in away that relatable, motivational, not intimidating while being accessible and fun.

LB: What are your short-term goals as a cyclist…long-term goals? What are your goals in life, outside of cycling?

EA: I want to learn how to rap. I learned how to do a track stand a few years ago so I’m pretty satisfied….
My short-term goals as a cyclist consist mostly of me continuing my development, to keep learning and grow exponentially as a cyclist. I want to put a stamp on domestic racing and become a consistent name in the results. After that, I see myself doing some of the big Euro races and maybe even pursuing some world level events. I came into the sport racing on the Velodrome so track racing has a special place in my heart. It’s where I learned all my skills (as well as skills learned in our top secret ninja class). I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t think about World Cups, Worlds and the Olympics.

In life - I want to be in a position to give back. Not just in cycling though it’s a major focus- but in general. Cycling has a tendency to be a selfish sport and offsetting the self-absorbed nature by giving back to others is something I believe in. Not to be completely cheesy, but the merit of Team Vera Bradley Foundation is one that is so beyond all of us, I find it to be the perfect place to start! I’ve had my own version of Mr. Miyagi in life. I’ve had a good example of what it means to give back. I want to be the karate kid.

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

EA: I think that feet are the most disgusting, appalling, nasty, horrific things in the world. I don’t care who you are or how pretty you think your feet are; your feet are gross. They aren’t cute.

LB: Ten things you currently cannot live without?

EA: 1. Ricky Martin, 2. Chocolate Cake, 3. My Dad and Mom, 4. Cats, 5. Music/iPod, 6. The Sun, 7. 111, 8. Laughter, 9. Red wine, and 10. Food and sleep (I get really grouchy when I don’t have those 2 things so it’s better for everyone if I don’t live without them! It’s all about giving back! [Laughs]

Part I - On The Rise | Part II - Transitions

Follow Erica on Twitter or on Facebook
Follow Team Vera Bradley Foundation on Twitter or on Facebook

Photos: Leonard Basobas/LB Photos

Transitions

Change, as they say, is inevitable. For many of us, the biggest transition usually occurs some time after our last final exam when we are finally thrust into a world without the structure, and constraints, of academia. Change can occur at lightning speed and in many instances, all at once during this important juncture of our lives. In Erica Allar’s case, it was a combination of both.

At the same time that Erica was completing her degree in Letters, Arts and Sciences with an emphasis in Organizational Leadership from Penn State University and planning a post-baccalaureate move to North Carolina, Aaron’s Corporate Furnishings, a long lived and stable sponsor of women’s cycling, chose not to renew the sponsorship of their women’s professional cycling team.

The departure of Aaron’s was but the first in a series of events that changed the domestic women’s cycling scene that year, and the domino effect left Erica, and the rest of her Aaron’s teammates, scrambling. She was fortunate to land with another high profile team, Colavita-Sutter Home, for the 2009 season. But shortly after she debuted in their team colors at the Amgen Tour of California Women’s Criterium, Erica transferred over to the North Carolina based team BMW-Bianchi.

With a more tenable situation, she would garner victories at two National Racing Calendar events; the Air Force Cycling Classic in Arlington, Virginia and later at the Nature Valley Grand Prix as a guest rider for ValueAct Capital. But after another tectonic shift in the landscape of women’s cycling, Erica found herself on a new, but familiar team, Team Vera Bradley Foundation, formerly ValueAct Capital, for 2010.

Lenny B (LB): Last year was one of transitions for you, in many ways. Can you talk about that a bit?

Erica Allar (EA): Last year was a learning experience and a blessing. This sport relies heavily on foundation and building year after year. Last year was a building year and I’m very much so looking forward to the 2010 race season with Team Vera Bradley Foundation while adding to the foundation that I’ve got. I really believe this season is going to be great and part of it is a result of me coming into my own a little more. I know I have a long way to go and I still have an immense amount of learning to do. I feel as though it will be easier to keep things in perspective and not let what is truly important get lost in translation. Last year’s transitions allowed me to come out of my shell a little, dip my toes into the chocolate frosting and know myself a little more. I have big plans and while I figure all of them out I am going to race my bike and raise money for the Vera Bradley Foundation.

LB: You rode as a guest rider for ValueAct Capital (Team VBF) last year, pulling off a great win during the Nature Valley Grand Prix. Was that your most significant win to date? If not, what is?

EA: Winning the Cannon Falls Road Race stage at Nature Valley was definitely a milestone for me. There was a lot of emotion wrapped around that stage win. In 2007 I represented Penn State University on the Ryan All Stars Collegiate team and finished 2nd behind Brooke Miller on the same stage. That was where I met Carmen D’Aluisio, the former director for Aaron’s. I feel it was this stage that was the gateway to my career as a professional cyclist. The only other event I feel quite attached to in terms of significance is the Susan G. Komen Tour of Georgia Criterium I had won early on in 2007. That was the first time I had won a big event…it was a big eye opener for me on multiple levels.

LB: An article at the start of this season suggested that you might be the future of US women’s cycling, but it also took some liberties with regards to your appearance. How did you feel about the article?

EA: I felt it was well written until I got to the cleavage part. I was actually very disappointed when I read that because it wasn't necessary. I'm flattered to be part of a list of such well known cyclists and to be described as he did...I'd be lying if I said I wasn't. But the main thing is that I pride myself on being a bike racer of development, growth and value. I want to be a good team mate and a cyclist who works toward winning races and being the best. I work toward being the “tough as nails, sweet personality with the determination of Kristin Armstrong rider” he describes, but not one whose cleavage is a part of that character. It was especially dissatisfying because I now race for Team Vera Bradley Foundation; a foundation created in 1998 that raises funds to help eradicate breast cancer; a disease that affects so many women in multiple ways. The cleavage comment; I feel, doesn't go hand-in-hand for what Team VBF stands for. I am all for being proud of yourself, the way you look and what you accomplish in life but the comment was simply unnecessary.

LB: You had the opportunity to meet with the people of the Vera Bradley Foundation during a photo shoot before the start of the season. What was that experience like? Does it provide you with some added motivation knowing that you are riding for a sponsor that supports such an important cause?

EA: It was a great opportunity to travel out to Napa Valley and see the production behind the company catalogues and marketing aspects. And the new prints for the fall! The most rewarding portion of the trip was meeting Barb (the Founder of Vera Bradley) and Amy, her daughter who works heavily with the photo shoots for the company. Each member of the company and the ambassadors and supporters of the foundation are so passionate about the product and what the Vera Bradley Foundation stands for that it is hard not to be motivated and excited to be riding for Team VBF!

LB: How was training camp this year? How has it compared to previous camps?

EA: Camp is always a highly anticipated time of year. It’s often referred to as “Christmas in March” (or whichever month teams choose to have their camp) because you show up and receive all your race schwag. The Team VBF camp was really fun. There was a fair amount of rain in the beginning but the girls have a great chemistry and I really feel that coming together under the Vera Bradley Foundation cause is something that allowed us to mesh on an even more intimate level. We are not just bike racers this year. We are advocates for a cause that is greater than all of us. Of course we want to win races, but we also want to reach our season goal of raising $22,500 for the foundation and raising awareness of the disease. Camp was based around learning about breast cancer, the Foundation and riding the beautiful roads of NorCal. And, of course, there were the top secret ninja fighting courses we took together too...but those are top secret and I’ve said enough already… If I told you any more, well, I’d have to kill you [Smiles].

LB: You have known most of your new teammates in some capacity through racing, but in differing degrees. How easy/difficult is it to forge the types of bonds (trust, positioning, etc), in a camp, that are needed in the heat of a race?

EA: One of the main goals of team camp is to get to know your team mates and establish a trust with one another in riding together. I have been team mates with two of the girls previously and ride often with one other girl. Many of us ladies have raced against each other in the peloton for quite some time, which allows us, as teammates, to have a basic understanding of what type of rider the others are like. Of course there’s a honey moon period where we really get comfortable with one another. That helps a lot and this usually happens at team camp.

LB: What will be your role this year on Team Vera Bradley Foundation?

EA: Team VBF has really stepped up its game for the 2010 season. It’s a new start with new riders and new opportunities. My position on the team is to apply my skills and abilities in bunch sprints or field sprints etc. It is a big leap to take on this position but I am excited. There are moments I sit back and take it all in. Sometimes it makes me really nervous. The good thing is that we have a solid team this year and we will all be able to help push, motivate and be backbones for one another in multiple race situations. I am excited for the chance to challenge myself and compete against the best in the nation. My other job is to be an ambassador for the Vera Bradley Foundation. We are a group of girls who work toward a universal goal of winning as many races as possible while raising awareness and funds for a universal disease; breast cancer. I take to heart the fact that yes, I am a sprinter/race finisher but this year, I am so much more than that now. I am now a representative for the Vera Bradley Foundation and a voice for breast cancer awareness. It’s really nice to have a greater meaning attached to my involvement in cycling. I saw my mom’s best friend struggle with breast cancer last summer. She is healthy now which is fantastic but it is something very painful and difficult to see someone go through. I am excited to be a race finisher but more grateful to be part of something so grand.

LB: Are there any specific races that you are targeting this year, individually…as a team?

EA: As a team, the stage races are really important. We’ve got the former national TT champion and current NRC champion Alison Powers with us who dominated the stage race events last year. This year with Team VBF, we have an incredibly strong army of GC riders who can contribute in different ways to the overall success of the team at these events. Those same GC riders can also contribute in the big one-day races which is ideal. Personally, I want to be able to contribute to the team overall while trying to achieve success in some of the big one-day events such as the Presbyterian Criterium in Charlotte, NC and naturally, Criterium Nationals in Bend, OR (update: Erica garnered the silver medal in the US Criterium Nationals). There are a lot of opportunities for success this year. Of course I’d like to do well at those 2 specific events but the beautiful crazy thing about this sport is that you don’t always have the power to dictate which races you will ride well in. Sometimes it’s more about patience, luck and being in the right place at the right time. Realistically, I just want to try and be in those places more often.

LB: To date, what achievement(s) are you most proud?

EA: There is no doubt the fact that I am a 24-year-old woman and somehow still managing a way to race her bike at the highest level in the US is a proud achievement for me. I’ve been racing for a while now, but before 2006 and 2007 I was awful on the bike. No, really…awful. I have been very lucky with the amount of support I have had in my upbringing through this sport. It isn’t normal and most girls in their early twenties don’t have access to the same support. Many of the girls in our current peloton didn’t even START racing until they were my age…I have been racing since my early twenties and am still here. That’s a big deal.

But like Lance said, it’s not about the bike and outside of cycling I am most proud of being the first in my family to graduate from a four year college. When I got my official Penn State degree in the mail I was elated. I would have cried but Chuck Norris taught me not to…maybe ONE tear fell but you’ll never know.

I’m also really proud of having my cat, Pooker, for 15.5 years. She passed away just after my 24th birthday in November of 2009, but she was an awesome kitty. Bless her heart.

In Part III, we look at Erica’s strengths as a person and racer as well as touch on the topic that is fundamental to our discussion, women’s cycling.

Part I -On The Rise | Part III - Present, Perfect

Follow Erica on Twitter or on Facebook
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Photos: Steve Klein (top); Brian Hodes (middle); Leonard Basobas (bottom)

I was not privy to the conversation occurring in the row in front of me for most of the flight, not that I am particularly averse to eavesdropping, but mainly because I am the type that begins to yawn as soon as the door is slammed shut and the cabin is pressurized. But as the process of disembarking began to commence, some three hours later, my ears perked up when the travel weary, but smiling young woman ahead of me invited the elder couple to come out and watch her race.

Wrapped up in the excitement of covering my first major race, it did not take very long for me to catch up with the then 22-year old Erica Allar, who coincidentally was out in California to participate in the inaugural Amgen Tour of California Women’s Criterium. To my surprise, Erica already had a working knowledge of our site given that I had recently completed an interview with one of her former teammates, Shannon Hutchison-Krupat, a true stalwart of the once mighty Aaron’s Professional Women’s Cycling Team.

As we waited by the baggage carousel, she would relay the details of her trip; the flight, the conversation with the couple seated next to her, the sponsor arranged trip to a local bike shop and the upcoming race in Santa Rosa. Though we would soon quickly part ways, we have continued to carry on a running conversation since that sun-filled day in February of 2008.

In the first of my three-part interview with Erica Allar (Team Vera Bradley Foundation), we take a look back at her early days on the bicycle and how an unproductive and disinterested cyclist turned herself into one of the top sprinters on the domestic circuit.

On The Rise

Although the great cycling state of Pennsylvania can easily claim Erica Allar as one of their own, the 24-year-old was originally born in DeKalb, Illinois. “We lived in Illinois until I was 6 and then moved to Liverpool, New York. My dad got a promotion at work and when I was 12 we moved to Fogelsville, PA.”

She would dabble in a variety of sports as a youngster, but it was ultimately the move to Pennsylvania that helped shape her future. “I had never even heard of bike racing or “The Tour” before PA. My first sport was gymnastics…I was pretty flexible so my mom and dad enrolled me at “Which Way Is Up” where I enjoyed pointing my toes and prancing around the floor in bright, girly leotards. I learned how to do a round-off back handspring and then dropped that sport kind of the like the balance beam dropped me. After gymnastics, I bent it like Beckham in soccer, shot hoops in basketball and when I moved to PA I even ran some hurdles in track and field. I didn’t even know bike racing existed until PA happened.”

Introduced to the sport through a friend she met in school, Erica joined a developmental program and raced the early part of her career exclusively on the track, where she competed in most every event available, and as she pointed out, even “getting down and dirty in some Keirin action,” as well. But it was not until she would meet up with Pat Marzi and James Carney that her true potential as a cyclist was realized. “I didn’t really take the sport seriously and was not fully applying myself…2006 was a pretty life changing year.”

She would payback their efforts handsomely by winning the 2006 U23 National Criterium Championships. ”There was a point in that race when I realized that I could really win my first national title. When I made it safely to the last corner of the course I realized it was really going to happen and when I crossed the line first I was so proud I had tears in my eyes. It was awesome, also, because I won my first title in front of Pat and James which really meant a lot.”

In 2007, she would make the permanent move to the road. Racing solo and playing off the bigger teams in the field throughout the year, Erica would garner her first professional contract with Aaron’s Professional Women’s Cycling team in 2008. Under the guidance of Carmen D’Aluisio, she would learn to navigate the world of women’s professional cycling and the responsibilities that come with being a team member.

By year’s end, her second place finish at the 2008 Tour of Missouri Women’s Criterium all but seemed to signal that she had arrived.

In Part II, we take a brief moment to reflect on Erica’s frenzied 2009 season and look closer at what drives her new team.

Part II - Transitions | Part III - Present, Perfect

Follow Erica on Twitter or on Facebook
Follow Team Vera Bradley Foundation on Twitter or on Facebook

Photos: Brian Hodes (top); Leonard Basobas (bottom)

An American in Graz

The second largest city in Austria, Graz sits in the southeastern portion of the country and along the Mur River. In 2003, the city was named as the European Capital of Culture, an annual European Union designation highlighting a city’s cultural life and cultural development, and its Old Town area is presently listed as one of UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage Sites.

Lenny B (LB): You have resided in Austria for two years now, what has the transition been like…is there any part of American life that you miss?

Amber Rais (AR): There are many things I miss about America, and I worry a little that I’m putting myself into an impossible Catch-22, where when I’m in America, I will miss a lot about Austria, and vice-versa. One does manage to adapt surprisingly well to certain lacks. For example, I never thought I could live without burritos, but here I am. That said, I go straight for the Taqueria when I’m in California. Mostly, though, I miss people – my family, friends, and hometown. I did get a serious craving for a chocolate malt while I was in the hospital, and my friend Bruce ground up some Whoppers and blended them into a proper malt shake for me. Where there’s a will, there’s a way!

LB: What is the most fascinating thing that you have discovered about Graz or Austria?

AR: I’m sure if you ask ten expats living in Graz the same question, you would get ten different answers. What has most intrigued me is the close relationship between family farms with everyday life. Nearly all of the produce, dairy and meat at the supermarket is labeled with the name of the family who produced it. With few exceptions, produce is really only available seasonally, which in some ways (environmentally and health-wise) can be great, and in other ways can be frustrating (no fresh berries in winter). There are plenty of farmers’ markets in the US, but most supermarkets there aren’t buying from local families the way they are here. That said, all of Austria is about one fifth the size of California, so economically, the smaller scale is easier to manage.

The other big difference is the history. No building in American is realistically more than a few hundred years old. Our apartment building in Graz was built in the 1600s and is a few meters from an ancient Roman trading route. The history goes back much farther and is much more visible here than in the states. I probably ride past an average of two castles per training ride. It’s awesome.

LB: There are obvious cultural differences between the United States and Europe, most notably in the attitudes toward cycling and the sport of cycling. As a professional cyclist who has experienced both, what are the advantages of working in an environment conducive to your profession? Are there any disadvantages?

AR: The biggest advantage I’ve noticed is how much more respect cyclists get from motorists. So far, Austrian drivers have been far more respectful of cyclists than drivers in California, and Italian drivers even more so. It makes training far more enjoyable!

LB: In recent years, Jim Miller and USA Cycling have really ramped up the women’s program abroad. How important has it been for you to be a part of it, and how do you see the program benefiting Women’s Cycling in the US in the future?

AR: The US National Team’s program in Europe is crucial for the international development of US women’s cycling, because it eliminates some of the biggest barriers to successful racing abroad; namely, the program provides a comfortable home base for the riders between races, in addition to the essential infrastructure required for racing.

Racing with the National Team provided the foundation I needed to make this move. In 2007, the program threw me head-first into UCI racing at La Route de France, where I came down with a violent case of strep throat after the first stage and spent the rest of the tour riding on the front to protect Amber Neben’s maillot jaune. I suffered like a dog there. I remember one day in particular, the other team directors heckled us before a long stage, asking whether team USA really planned to ride the front for 100 miles in the crosswinds for Amber. Of course we did and eventually won the tour.

That experience stayed with me and still motivates me. In fact, every time I have raced with the National Team, I have come away more fired up and more focused. What I’ve learned through the program, I’ve mostly learned the hard way, but those are the lessons that stick. The program provides experience and knowledge an athlete can’t get from domestic racing.

LB: When we last spoke, you stated that you have always been shy about verbalizing some of your goals. Have your personal expectations as a cyclist or your cycling goals changed since that time?

AR: My goals have not changed, but with each year, my resolve and focus grow stronger; the path to those goals becomes clearer. Actually, the biggest change for me over the past couple of years has been a process of elimination: slowly paring down my commitments to only those that effectively contribute to my goals, and learning to identify and remove obstacles and sources of stress wherever possible. Of course, this is an ongoing process, but I’m getting better at it!

LB: What are your specific cycling goals for this season, and long term? Are you targeting any specific race(s)?

AR: Fracturing my pelvis in Qatar instantly shifted my perspective on this year’s season, though many of my goals remain the same. U.S. Nationals will be a major target, and I’m currently trying to raise money to be able to fly back to the U.S. in June to race there (more info here: http://bit.ly/AmberUSNats). My long term goals are simple: World Championship and Olympic medals.

LB: How did the crash occur? What is the time-line for your return?

AR: The crash was totally stupid. I hit a reflector in the road wrong and dumped it. It happened so quickly I don't even really know what happened except I hit the ground on my right side and didn't slide at all. I think the fact that I didn't slide meant that my pelvis absorbed all of the impact. I would have taken more road rash if it meant I wouldn't have broken bones! Such is life. The pelvic fracture was stable and non-displaced (as was the fracture to the sacrum), so the bones began healing immediately, without need for surgery or invasive stabilization.

It’s been over 8 weeks, and everything seems to have healed very well. I have no pain at all and have been back to normal training for a few weeks now.

My first race back is going to be the KUOTA Route 666 in Hungary, April 10th. It’s a 66.6 kilometer team time trial, so it will be one heck of a test for the legs!

LB: How is the healing process…the pain?

AR: I didn’t take any pain meds for two reasons. First, pain was valuable information that guided my range of motion and general activity. I didn't want to mask any pain and accidentally push too hard and set myself back. Second, anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen tend to slow bone growth, which is the last thing I wanted! Even though the initial injury hurt like hell, I didn’t have much pain through the recovery process. I was completely pain free at about 5 weeks post-injury. As for now, the only pain I think about is the pain I want to dish out in the upcoming races…

Follow Amber through her official website & the KUOTA Speed Kueens on Facebook

Part I - Need For Speed | Part II - Decisions, Decisions, Decisions...

Photos: Erwin Haiden, nyx.at (top); Courtesy Amber Rais (middle and bottom)

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions…

Decisions are never easy, or so, that is what we have been told. The anxious moments leading up to finalizing our choice are often just predilections of instantaneously grading our decisions as being good or bad before they are even made. Although the consequences or outcomes of our decisions can be viewed in these terms, more often than not, the choosing turns out to be the simplest part. For this former Stanford swimmer, the decision was not if Amber would jump into the deep end to race in Europe, but more precisely when.

Lenny B (LB): Your excitement is palpable, what have been the reactions to your decision?

Amber Rais (AR): I’ve had a lot of support for this decision, even from my former teams. I think most people around me could see and understand the toll it was taking to be away from home so long.

LB: Your former team, Team TIBCO, now has an international footprint as a UCI team and seems to be growing into a unit that may someday, in the near future, challenge the Women’s World Cup circuit, what were the reasons behind your move?

AR: To achieve my goals, I need to race full time in Europe. It’s that simple. I’ve raced a handful of races in Europe with the US National team over the past couple of years, and those experiences have taught me that to become one of the best, I have to race against the best. This means World Cups and UCI 2.1 stage races, nearly all of which are in Europe, a point made all the more poignant with the cancellation of the Montreal World Cup and Tour.

Of course, my decision bears a personal side as well. My husband and I live in Europe. Our home is in Austria. For most riders, one of the biggest barriers to racing full time in Europe is leaving home and family for months on end. Well, I was doing just that, but in the opposite direction. It made no sense.

LB: The sampling size may be too small to quantitatively state that “US women who make the full commitment to race abroad will find great success,” but from the qualitative end it is hard to argue with the benefits, not to mention the successes that riders like Kristin Armstrong and Amber Neben have garnered. How much did their example influence your decision?

AR: Amber and Kristin have been invaluable sources of support and guidance. When I raced Tour de l’Aude with Amber in 2008, I really picked her brain about American versus European racing. She made the point that each rider has to decide for herself where she wants to race, what she wants from her career. Her words helped me to take a step back and proactively choose the big-picture direction I want for my career.

Kristin has emphasized (in no uncertain terms) the importance of racing full time in Europe; her advice has reinforced my determination. Both she and Amber have been very supportive and encouraging of my decision, and their support means a lot to me.

LB: Because so few American women have committed to race in Europe full-time, do you consider yourself one of the trailblazers, in some respect, or do you get a sense that you are a part of a new wave of American women’s cycling?

AR: Actually, there are many American women who have raced in Europe and who have paved the way for me to be able to follow suit. Inga Thompson, who coincidentally happens to also be from my hometown of Reno, Nevada, is one; then there was the whole T-Mobile women’s team which included riders like Kristin Armstrong, Amber Neben, Kim Baldwin, and Dotsie Bausch. American Kristin Lassasso also raced overseas in 2008. And we can’t forget other forerunners like Karen Brems and Christine Thorburn. I would hardly call myself a trailblazer.

I hope that I am part of a new wave of American women’s cycling. This isn’t just about me. This is about developing women’s cycling in America, about bringing our athletes and programs to higher levels. Of course, I am a competitive person and want to leave my mark, but it’s important that people involved in women’s cycling (including athletes) focus not only on expanding their own pieces of the pie, but also on making the whole pie bigger. It’s in cooperative efforts that we will really make a difference in the sport.

Many women’s programs are moving in that direction. Webcor Builders raced part of the 2008 season in Europe as a UCI team, and this season TIBCO is doing the same. Team Twenty-12 is restructuring the traditional relationship between domestic trade teams and the USA Cycling European program, by prioritizing National Team projects over NRC races, which will allow them to better leverage the opportunities afforded by USAC programs.

My hope is that these efforts become more common and more unified. Right now, there are countless people dedicated to elevating women’s cycling in America and abroad, but most of those efforts are isolated and independent of one another. Once we can start to pool resources through more unified collaboration, I think we will start to see big changes and more rapid, positive growth, but that will require a major shift in thinking. Sport brings out the competitive side in most people, but we also need to remember the value in cooperation.

We are all interdependent. The growth and success of our athletes, programs, brands and industry rely upon how effectively we can work together. I believe the greatest growth and progress in women’s cycling will arise from cooperative relationships that explicitly value these connections.

LB: Although you have won a criterium or two in your day, you seem to really excel in road races and stage races. As criteriums seem to be the predominant form of racing in the US, how much of a factor did the style of racing go into your decision?

AR: Actually, the style of racing was a major factor in my decision, but not necessarily as crits versus road races. Instead, it’s more about American versus European style racing. The skill sets and tactics differ considerably between the two pelotons, and when it comes to races like the World Championships and Olympics, well, you can guess which style predominates.

LB: How would you characterize the differences between American and European style racing?

AR: International races in Europe allow far less room for mistakes, both literally and figuratively: literally, because the peloton is bigger and races tighter through narrower roads, affording less room to maneuver; and figuratively, because the depth of the peloton means that one tactical mistake can mean the end of your race. U.S. races allow a little more wiggle-room, if you will. The roads are wider, racers don’t ride so closely, and you can usually recover from mistakes.

In Part III of our interview, we discuss what life is like in Graz and Amber's current condition and future plans.

Follow Amber through her official website & the KUOTA Speed Kueens on Facebook

Part I - Need For Speed | Part III - An American In Graz

Photo: Erwin Haiden, nyx.at

With the “shrinking globe,” an American woman plying her trade in Europe is not as much of a cultural oddity as it may have been in the past. But an American woman racing her bicycle on the European circuit full-time, well that is another story.

American women racing in Europe is not a wholly new phenomenon. In fact, their history is replete with extraordinary talent and amazing achievements. The inaugural Grand Boucle, known at the time as the Tour de Feminin, the female equivalent to the Tour de France was won by an American. Marianne Martin captured the then 18 stage, 616-mile race in 29 hours, 39 minutes, and 2 seconds. She would share the podium in 1984 with fellow American Deborah Shumway, who finished third on the General Classification, and the stage with the third placed finisher of the men’s race, a young Greg Lemond.

But despite their great successes, the progression of American women into the European theatre has fluctuated and lagged considerably behind that of American men.

The financial disparity between the genders is without doubt a major contributing factor to the lack of egress from the United States to Europe. While their male counterparts have made places like Girona, Spain a temporary haven during the European season, American women lacked the means to maintain a foothold in two continents or even a consistent European race schedule. One of our country’s most decorated cyclists, Kristin Armstrong, had to make some hard decisions while shaping her illustrious career, often times straddling both canoes, so to speak, to maintain her life’s balance. Additionally, the opportunities for American women to race abroad, until recently, were sorely lacking. In 2008, that all changed. Buoyed by the accomplishments by riders like Amber Neben and Amstrong, among others, on the international stage, the USA Cycling Development Program revamped its program to provide its female riders with more opportunities to race overseas.

Amber Rais is one of the products of that renewed emphasis by USA Cycling. A standout on American soil as part of Webcor Builders and more recently Team TIBCO, and a dynamic performer for the US National team, Amber is the latest American racer to test her skills full time in Europe, racing for the Austrian based KUOTA Speed Kueens.

Need For Speed

Although KUOTA Speed Kueens is a new name to women’s cycling, its basis is the UNIQA-ELK squad, which ultimately was a consolidation of two Austrian teams Team UNIQA Graz and ELK Haus. The team is managed on the road by Klaus Kabasser and features a great mixture of veteran riders, such as Bernadette Schober and Daniella Pintarelli, and youth. At 29, Amber is one of the older riders on the team, but she will also rely on her new teammates and manager to navigate the European circuit.

Lenny B (LB): How did your transfer ultimately come about? Were you looking at any other European based teams?

Amber Rais (AR): I approached this season with an attitude of Europe or bust. I have good relationships with U.S. directors and riders and had several good offers, but to race another full season in the states, trying all the while to negotiate limited opportunities to race in Europe, would have perpetuated the circumstances I wanted to change.

To commit to racing in Europe required a leap of faith. The European teams and directors didn’t know me as a rider, so even with good palmares from the US, there was no guarantee anyone would sign me. When everyone else was signing contracts in the US (a process akin to Musical Chairs), I had to stay true to my goals and believe that it would work out, and it has, thanks to a lot of folks who helped me through the process.

I could not be happier with my situation now. The KUOTA Speed Kueens team is based in Graz, where I live, so I can be home between races, instead of couch-surfing. Plus, our team manager, Mag. Klaus Kabasser, has a good relationship with the US National Team Director, Manel Lacambra, so the two of them work out my schedule. Now I am racing all of the UCI calendar races I have always wanted to race. The only question is whether I will do a particular race with KUOTA Speed Kueens or with the National Team, which is easily settled between Manel and Klaus; whereas before, I had to negotiate for permission to accept what European race opportunities I was offered, which made what should have been a simple planning process extremely stressful.

Racing for KUOTA Speed Kueens is a huge step forward for me. The team infrastructure, as Uniqa-Elk, has been racing the World Cup circuit for a long time and has a ton of international experience, and this year’s team is great mix of both young and experienced riders. I want to learn and contribute as much as I can. Hopefully they’ll forgive my schlechtes Deutsch and teach me a little more Austrian dialect too!

LB: What, if any, do you see as the biggest challenge(s) to racing in Europe?

AR: The international races in Europe are hard, because the fields are bigger and have more depth than any other races in the world. The biggest challenge for me will be to learn the peloton – the racers, tactics and dynamics. That said, I have eliminated a lot of the obstacles most American riders face when coming to Europe. I have a home base here that is really, truly a home, where I know the roads and have family and friends. Being able to come home between races will really help my recovery and minimize the time I have to live out of a bag.

In Part II of Graz's American Speed Kueen, we discuss some of the reasons behind Amber's decision to race overseas, and in Part III, Amber provides us a snapshot of what her life is like in Austria.

Part II - Decisions, Decisions, Decisions... | Part III - An American In Graz

Follow Amber through her official website & the KUOTA Speed Kueens on Facebook

Photos: Erwin Haiden, nyx.at