Team celebrates 13th year in the women’s peloton

Chicago, Illinois – The Team Kenda presented by Geargrinder has finalized its 2012 roster, adding Laura Ralston, 2011 Collegiate National Criterium Champion and collegiate athlete at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Ralston looks to take her racing to a new level. “I am really looking forward to be racing with Team Kenda in 2012. They have established themselves as one of the most friendly development elite teams in the country, but also have a record of consistent competitive results and great riders. Finding support as a female cyclist can be tough at times, and so I think it's remarkable what Team Kenda has been able to do for so many female riders over the past 13 years."

In 2012, the team will focus on the National Criterium Championships (NCC) and National Racing Calendar (NRC) events coupled with a heavy presence at the Tour of America’s Dairyland, in which the team placed 2nd last season.

Jacqueline Denny, a returning junior rider promoted to the elite ranks, stated that she knows that racing at higher levels takes hard work, dedication and sacrifice, but hopes to bring that attitude, desire, and a joyful spirit to Kenda's elite team this upcoming race season.

Geargrinder, an eco-friendly clothing and accessories company, will be releasing another cycling-inspired product in 2012, which will be visible on Team Kenda athletes.

"After watching Paul Forsythe's management team shape Team Kenda and seeing how these women worked together and motivated each other this past season, Geargrinder is proud to be back in 2012, offering an even stronger level of support for this team of role model athletes,” said Paul C. Weaver, co-founder of Geargrinder Active Lifestyle Apparel and Accessories. "Geargrinder believes in doing what it can to secure the future of cycling, and Team Kenda has not only solid Elite and Regional teams but strong up-and-coming talent on the Junior and U-23 teams as well.

"It's important that Team Kenda have the proper resources to keep the momentum building so they can be serious contenders at the NRC and NCC races, like Tour of America's Dairyland (ToAD)," said Weaver. "Last year at ToAD, Team Kenda took the Overall Oarsman Capital Category 2 Amateur Green Jersey, and placed two racers in the Overall Pro Women Top 10...will be great to see Team Kenda atop the NCC ToAD podium next year."

“Kenda USA is proud to be the banner sponsor of Team Kenda Tire presented by Geargrinder for the 9th season. They are the one of the best and largest women’s bicycle racing teams in the country and we are confident that this is going to be their beast season yet;” stated Stefano Lumbaca, Road/Cyclocross Marketing and Product Development.

Team Kenda presented by Geargrinder Elite 2012 Roster:
Amity Elliot (Tabernash, CO)
Beth Lauer (Whitewater, WI)
Cara Gillis (Fredericton, New Brunswick – Canada)
Colleen Paine (Dahlonega, GA)
Gwen Inglis (Lakewood, CO)
Jacqueline Denny (Liberty, MO)
Jamie Dinkins (Asheville, NC)
Jane Weakley (Dayton, OH)
Jen Greenberg (Chicago, IL)
Kat Clark (Pooler, GA)
Krystal Lacy (Farmersville, OH)
Laura Rolston (Cambridge, MA)
Mitzie Goldman (Atlanta, GA)
Shailie Sanbrooks (Wellington, New Zealand)
Stacey Jensen (New York, NY)
Zayda McGuire (Portland, OR)

The Team regrets the loss of Megan Baab, who was fatally struck by a vehicle while training on December 15, 2011, near Lees McRae, where she attended college on a cycling scholarship.

Team Kenda Women’s Cycling receives support from the following: Kenda USA, Blue Competition Cycles, Plant Solutions, Verge, SRAM, Thomson, Rudy Project, Mercury Wheels, CycleOps, Terry Precision Cycling, Headsweats, Skins, Deen-Gross Eye Centers, Thule, , Sportcrafters, Cateye, Ferguson & Associates, Hoo Ha Ride Glide, and Anni Fanni.

David and I fled south for a few weeks of training in Tuscany, and on the first day, we took our bikes exploring into the mountains. The weather here is a good 10-15 C warmer than Graz, but after a scenic sunny climb, we froze descending through a deep, shaded valley, gingerly making our way down icy hairpin turns, frost crackling under our skinny tires. We had to stop twice to swing our arms around to force blood back into our burning cold fingers. Physically, those forty minutes of coasting were miserable. As David put it, “I never thought I could dislike descending so much.”

It’s a funny thing with cycling, though:  how quickly physical suffering takes a back seat to beauty. What I remember from that ride isn’t the awful pain of cold in my face, but that despite our discomfort, we pointed to the beautiful things – the old brick arches and belfries tucked against the slopes, mossy tile roofs with their chimneys like small campaniles and the astonishing aquamarine color of the stream flowing beside us. Around every corner we called out to each other, “Wow did you see that?”

Blue sky in Tuscany.

Once home, we tucked in to a hot meal, and that familiar uncomfortable thawing of the toes and deep fatigue and hunger -- it all eased into a good, satisfying feeling.

That is why, in winter, I like to prepare a big batch of hearty soup on my rest days, so I can quickly heat up leftovers after cold rides to bring me back to life. Soup also happens to be an easy way to get tons of good, nutrient-rich veggies into your diet without feeling like a ruminant, and offers the chance to liven up boring veggies like spinach and broccoli with more appealing flavors.

Below you’ll find a recipe for one of my favorite winter soups. What I like most about this recipe is how forgiving it is. The chopping doesn’t have to be pretty; it’s all going to be blended anyway. Likewise, if you leave the soup simmering on the stove while distracted by The Internet, overcooked veggies are no problem. (It’s also gluten-free, dairy-free and can be made vegan.)

I hope this post will inspire you to prepare some tasty, healthful recovery meals this winter. The holidays can be a tough time to maintain good nutrition, but remember, the holidays are also meant to be enjoyed. Sometimes the stress from trying to avoid certain foods (sweets, carbs, whatever) can be worse for you than eating the actual foods themselves. (I just baked a holiday cake and have been nibbling on my stash of dark chocolate between rides; I like to think of it as good fuel and antioxidants!)

A good rule of thumb: it’s not what you eat between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, but what you eat between New Year’s Eve and Christmas that matters most for your health. Strive to eat healthfully most of the time, and allow yourself to truly enjoy occasional indulgences.

Life is short; value your health, and allow yourself to enjoy it!

Green Soup
Makes 10-12 servings.

Step 1.
Combine in a large stock pot:

• 1 ½ liters vegetable stock,
• ¼ whole celery root, coarsely chopped or grated,
• 3-4 big carrots, coarsely chopped or grated,
• 4 medium yellow onions, coarsely chopped, and
• 6-8 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped.

Bring everything to a rolling boil; then reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Step 2.
Add:

• ½  liter water,
• 1 bunch Italian parsley, de-stemmed and coarsely chopped,
• 600g frozen creamed spinach (or a huge bag of fresh baby spinach, or both), and
• 2 big leaves of kale, de-veined and torn into small pieces.

Let parsley, spinach and kale cook long enough to wilt; then cook another 5-10 minutes.

Step 3.
Add:

• 300 g raw pine nuts,
• 150 g raw walnuts,
• 1 whole head of broccoli florets, coarsely chopped, and
• Water (enough to be sure the florets are mostly, but not completely, submerged).

Cook until broccoli is mushy. (I know, but trust me on this...)

Step 4.
Add:

• 2 tsp sea salt, and
• 12 – 15 drops liquid smoke.

Stir to incorporate the flavors. Remove from heat, and using a handheld immersion blender, blend everything until you get a smooth, creamy consistency. Taste, and add salt if needed. (If you don't have liquid smoke, you can add a handful of smoked, cubed pancetta at Step 5.) Remove blender and return the pot of green goop to medium heat.

Step 5.
Add:

• 500 g turkey breast, cubed.

Simmer over medium-low heat until turkey is cooked. Do a final taste test, and add salt if needed. Store for future post-ride meals. Enjoy!

Hearty green soup.

Thank you for all of your support and thoughtful comments throughout the year.

Wishing you all a good slide into 2012!
Ich wünsche euch allen einen guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr!
A tutti voi, felice nuovo anno!

Thank you for reading,
Amber

Do you have a favorite post-ride meal? Please share your thoughts and recipes in the comments section below!

Amber Pierce - An American expat living in Austria, Amber has made the leap across the Atlantic in pursuit of her dreams on the road. After making a name for herself as one of the top road cyclists in the US, she now faces new challenges in her life on the road in Europe.

Amber's path to full-time racing in Europe has been anything but linear. From high school valedictorian holding national swimming records, to scholarship athlete at Stanford University and researcher on the open ocean, she has found herself in countless adventures all over the globe. With 53 career victories under her belt, however, Amber appears to have found her calling on the bicycle.

Photos: Amber Pierce

Sunday night found us in Český Krumlov at the Eggenberg Brewery, happy, cozy and full after a meal of Bohemian-style roasted duck and potato dumplings in the pub's majestic hall. More than 700 years ago, the very same towering arches and thick walls stored great blocks of ice, hauled from the nearby Vltava River for cooling barrels of lagered beer during the brewing process. Now, they insulate the brewery’s pub, one of the only places on earth one can taste their famous yeast beer, true to the original centuries-old recipe, a natural, living brew (This beer it is always working, working, says our guide) whose actual alcohol content is known only by the brewmaster … by taste.

Eggenberg Brewery Pub Hall

It’s adventures like these that get swept to the end of the calendar each year. More often than not, racing trumps social events and just-for-fun trips; hence, my annual attempt to cram a year’s worth of personal vices and socializing into the few months I’m not racing. Since my last race of 2011, I’ve traveled to Croatia, to Italy, twice to Czech Republic and, natürlich, to a few destinations within Austria. What my social life lacks in consistency, I (try to) make up for in vigor and excess.

Český Krumlov Castle

Of course, it’s not all wining and dining. I still need to build a decent foundation of strength and fitness for the coming season, and (my social life not withstanding) consistency is crucial to effective training, which is why it's good to create portable training habits. Thankfully one can ride a bike just about anywhere; however, a portable core and strength routine can come in handy when the gym isn’t an option, or if (like me) you don’t want to pay for a membership or make a daily pilgrimage to use the Smith machine. My previous column recounted improvising a training program while on a boat at sea, to illustrate that with a little creativity and motivation, you really can get good training anywhere you go. As promised, here are a few of the exercises I do at home and on the road this time of year.

These exercises don’t require equipment of any kind, and can therefore be done in the comfort of your own home (or hotel room). I recommend this approach for many reasons: it’s cheap, convenient, and you can play whatever music you want and sing along or pause for spontaneous dance intervals, which I also recommend. As I write this, a pile of holiday baked goods in the kitchen reminds me of another reason it’s good to be able to burn calories at home. With that, let's get to the exercises.

Rooftops of Český Krumlov

Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor, nor do I have any idea what your current level of fitness, strength or flexibility may be. Therefore, if you do the following exercises, you do so at your own risk. Please use common sense and good judgment when attempting the following exercises, and if necessary, consult a physician before you do. Batteries not included. Action figures sold separately. No artificial colors or flavors. Etc.

Bodyweight squats.
Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent in a balanced athletic stance. (I like to turn my feet and knees out slightly, to better engage my gluts and adductors.) Then stretch your arms out straight ahead (for balance), and keeping your back straight, bend at the knees and lower yourself into a squat position (with your thigh parallel with the ground). If you can, sink a bit lower into the squat, hold for a moment, and slowly return to standing position. Keep your back straight and core engaged throughout each repetition, which means you will naturally be reaching back with your sit bones as you sink into the squat. From standing to squat position and standing again is one repetition. Do these slowly to start, focusing on smoothness and form (I recommend using a mirror). Work up to 20 reps then start adding multiple sets. Once you have the form down, you can also go for speed (e.g. see how many reps you can do in 2 minutes, then try to beat your own record).

Bodyweight Squat

One-legged chair sits.
I’m not so hardcore that I can do proper one-legged squats. However, working one leg at a time is a great way to train your balance and core stability, as well as to address right/left muscle imbalances. To do these, find a chair low enough that when you are seated, your thigh is parallel with the ground (and please, no roller chairs for this one). Engaging your core, lift your right foot off the ground, then slowly stand up and sit back down using only your left leg to support your weight. Switch legs and do the same thing using only your right leg to support your weight. Stretching your arms out in front of you can help with balance at first. As you get better at these, try placing your hands on your hips, which shifts your center of gravity back, making your gluts, quads and core work harder to maintain balance.

Side lunges.
A variation on the classic lunge. Stand with feet comfortably apart. With your right leg, step forward and to the right at approximately a 45 degree angle, bend your knee and sink into the lunge. If you have knee trouble, don’t sink lower than a 90 degree knee angle. Otherwise, try to get low enough that your thigh is parallel to the ground. Repeat with the left leg, stepping forward and out to the left at a 45 degree angle.

Pendulum.
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Raise your arms out to the side so they are parallel to the ground, and engage your right glut to lift your right foot straight behind you a few centimeters off the ground with toes pointed (keep your pelvis square and right knee straight; you may need to turn your right foot out to really engage your glut). Keeping your right leg straight and in line with your torso, bend at the waist and simultaneously raise your leg behind you, keeping your core and gluts engaged. Return to standing position. Repeat for the left leg. You may want to start by holding the back of a chair as you lean forward, to help with balance. Once you can do these with good form with arms out to the sides (keeping back and leg straight and getting low enough that both are parallel with the ground), try doing them with your arms over your head for added resistance. Once you’ve mastered the form of this one, work up to 10 or 20 reps for each side, then multiple sets. I don’t recommend going for speed with this one: the head rushes can be a bit much.

Pendulum

Hopping.
Find a reasonably long obstacle-free section of floor in your home (e.g. a furniture-free diagonal in the living room or a hallway on the order of 4 meters or so). Starting at one end, hop on your right foot forward to the end of the “run.” Turn 90 degrees to your right, and hop sideways on your right foot to your right to get back to the start of the run. Facing the same way, follow the same path back by hopping on your right foot sideways to your left. Finally, still using your right foot, hop backwards to the start of the run. Repeat all four directions, hopping with only your left foot.

Good mornings.
You can do a search to find a video of proper form for Good Mornings using a barbell, but you don’t need the weight to get some benefit, especially if you are just starting a core routine. As long as you keep good form, you can do this with a broomstick, or just by lacing your fingers behind your head with your elbows out to the sides. Taking a slightly-wider-than-shoulder-width stance, lace your fingers behind your head (elbows out to the sides). Keeping your back straight and core engaged, bend forward from the waist, aiming to get your torso parallel to the floor. In order to keep your balance and your back straight, you’ll need to press back with your sit bones. Keeping your core engaged, return to standing position.

Classic plank.
Lying on your stomach, push up from a push-up position until your arms are fully extended, and engage your core to keep your back and pelvis straight and aligned. Hold as long as possible. You can also work up to this by starting out with plank from your elbows – with your forearms supporting you as you lift your knees and pelvis. Once you master that one, you can move on to the classic plank with fully extended arms. With Plank, the goal isn’t more reps, but rather more time. See how long you can hold to start, then start increasing by 10 seconds at a time. Try to work your way up to a minute or longer.

Side plank.
Exactly how it sounds. From the Classic Plank position, lift your right arm to the sky, bringing it in line with your left arm and at the same time, rotate your pelvis in the same direction and bring your right leg over your left, so your whole body faces the right side. Engage your core, especially your left obliques, to keep your torso, pelvis and legs in a straight line (don’t let your hip drop). Hold as long as possible, then switch sides. Again, the goal for this one is increased time.

Side Plank

You can put these exercises together however you’d like. I like to create a circuit with 1-2 minutes of each exercise, rotating through the circuit a few times. You can do the same thing based on reps or sets (e.g. do a circuit of 30 reps for each exercise and cycle through the circuit 5 times). To keep things interesting, you could write down sets (or time) for each exercise on small pieces of paper, put them in a hat, and draw random sets for a twist on the usual routine.

I recommend doing these exercises barefoot, which will enhance your sense of balance and proprioception, as well as strengthen the arches and small stabilizer muscles of your feet. These muscles can make a surprising difference to your alignment, pedal stroke efficiency and power transfer on the bike.

A great way to finish a workout like this would be to use a foam roller, then stretch. I use a foam roller regularly, primarily for my IT bands (see photo), though you can also use it for quads, hamstrings, calves, back and gluts as needed. I use the roller pictured here, which is small, light and - like the workout - portable.

Foam Roller

Lastly, I apologize for the poor quality of the demonstration photos: my hokey attempts to shoot indoors with a self-timer resulted in predictably bad images. Nonetheless, I hope they helped clarify the written descriptions.

What strategies do you use to maintain consistency in your training program? Please share them in the comments section below!

Thanks for reading,
Amber

Amber Pierce - An American expat living in Austria, Amber has made the leap across the Atlantic in pursuit of her dreams on the road. After making a name for herself as one of the top road cyclists in the US, she now faces new challenges in her life on the road in Europe.

Amber's path to full-time racing in Europe has been anything but linear. From high school valedictorian holding national swimming records, to scholarship athlete at Stanford University and researcher on the open ocean, she has found herself in countless adventures all over the globe. With 53 career victories under her belt, however, Amber appears to have found her calling on the bicycle.

Photos: Amber Pierce

Bend, OR - LUNA Team rider Katerina Nash continued her domination of the Elite Women's field at the Exergy USGP of Cyclocross presented by Greenware - Deschutes Brewery Cup by taking yet another series victory and retained her ironclad grasp on the series overall lead. Behind her California Giant Cycling teammates Meredith Miller and Teal Stetson-Lee rounded out the Elite Women's Podium. Rapha-FOCUS rider Julie Krasniak continued to show strong form, coming in 4th. Sue Butler (River City) rounded out the top five. Nicole Duke (Cannondale presented by CyclocrossWorld.com) suffered a heartbreaking mechanical, having to run her bike across the finish line and losing several places on the last lap. Andrea Smith claimed her first victory in the AVID Shorty Ultimate Hole Shot competition.

In the men's race, former teammates Jeremy Power of the Rapha-FOCUS team traded blows with a surging Cannondale presented by CyclocrossWorld.com star Tim Johnson lap after lap. Powers attacked on the last lap and Johnson was never able to come back around. Powers nearly celebrated too soon in front of the never-say-die Johnson to cement his lead for the series overall. Johnson's second place finish revealed emerging form at the crucial time in the season. Danny Summerhill rounded out the Elite Podium - finishing for the first time on the Elite Podium at the USGP. Ops Ale- Stoemper rider, Ben Berden took the AVID Shorty Ultimate Hole Shot prize.

In the U23 competition, Rapha-FOCUS rider Zach McDonald reclaimed the series overall lead while in the Masters 35+ Richard Feldman kept his USGP series leader's jersey as did Bob's Red Mill rider, Mike McShane for the 45+ Masters.

Brief Results:

Elite Women:
1. Katerina Nash, LUNA
2. Meredith Miller, Cal. Giant Cycling
3. Teal Stetson-Lee, Cal. Giant Cycling
4. Julie Krasniak, Rapha-FOCUS
5. Sue Butler, River City
6. Kaitlin Antonneau, Cannondale presented by CyclocrossWorld.com
7. Nicole Duke, Cannondale presented by CyclocrossWorld.com
8. Amanda Carey, KENDA
9. Pepper Harlton, Juventus
10. Andrea Smith, Ladies First Racing

AVID Shorty Ultimate Holeshot: Andrea Smith

Elite Men:
1. Jeremy Powers, Rapha-FOCUS
2. Tim Johnson, Cannondale presented by CyclocrossWorld.com
3. Danny Summerhill, Chipotle Development
4. Jamey Driscoll, Cannondale presented by CyclocrossWorld.com
5. Ben Berden, Ops Ale-Stoemper
6. Geoff Kabush, Maxxis Rocky Mount
7. Chris Sheppard, Rocky Mountain/Shimano
8. Chris Jones, Rapha-FOCUS
9. Zach McDonald, Rapha-FOCUS
10. Troy Wells, CLIF Bar

AVID Shorty Ultimate Holeshot: Ben Berden

For complete results visit the USGP Cyclocross website.

Simon Cope has signed on to direct the 2012 Exergy TWENTY12 Professional Women's Team. Cope, who hails from Farnborough Kent, joins British compatriot Nicola Cranmer under the United By Sport LLC management that operates Exergy TWENTY12 Professional Women's Team. In addition to directing the professional team, Cope will also coach some of the younger athletes.

"I'm very excited to be working with Exergy TWENTY12. I'm looking forward to working with the whole team and using my experience as a DS and coach to help them grow and become as successful as they can be,” said Cope.

Cope was a member of Great Britain National Team from 1983 - 1988. He raced internationally on both road and track. In June 2006 was hired as Olympic Development Program Women's Endurance Coach. In the winter 2007 Simon took the reins of GBR Women's Academy from Dan Hunt. This was a full time coaching position. In 2008 the Academy moved to Oudennarde Belgium to replicate the U23 Men's program in Italy, they ran a full UCI race program. The program saw a lot of success during this time. Cope has worked with some of Great Britain's best endurance athletes including; Nicole Cooke, Emma Pooley, Lizzie Armitstead, Sharon Laws, Katie Colclough, Lucy Martin, and Jo Rowsell.

"Building a solid foundation of staff is a primary goal for us, with Exergy Development Group on board for a minimum of three years its extremely important to hire reliable staff." stated team manager, Nicola Cranmer, "Simon comes with years of experience, he is passionate about women's cycling he has a great knowledge and understanding of women's racing both on the track and road and has been involved in the best cycling program in the world, this can only be a good thing for women's cycling in the U.S. With our team being multi disciplined and with our new elite junior program, Simon is a perfect fit"

Cope is expected to move to the U.S in January in preparation for Spring training camp in Palm Desert in February. He will based in Boise Idaho, headquarters to Exergy Development Group and also to Kristin Armstrong and her family. Several other team members will also reside in a team house in Boise.

2012 Elite Roster
Kristin Armstrong, Pascale Schnider, Lauren Tamayo, Tayler Wiles, Alison Starnes, Theresa Cliff-Ryan, Andrea Dvorak, Kristin McGrath, Rhae Shaw, Jackie Crowell, Cari Higgins, Greta Neimanas, Coryn Rivera, Kaitie Antonneau, Jessica Van Garderen, Heather Logan Sprenger.

2012 Elite Junior Roster
Jennifer Valente 17-18, Tara McCormick 17-18, Kayla Sterling 17-18, Sarah Huang 17-18, Maddy Tuggle 17-18, Veronica Church 9-10.

Exergy TWENTY12 to support five of the top U.S. elite juniors and one very special nine year old

Heading the elite junior squad is Junior World Champion Jennifer Valente who recently won a gold medal in the Scratch race and a bronze medal in the keirin at the Junior World Championships in Moscow. While Jennifer's primary focus are track events she will also race several Criteriums. "I'm thrilled to be supported by one of the top women's professional teams. Racing with Team Exergy TWENTY12 will be a new experience for me and I look forward to it," says Valente. Though still classified as a junior, Valente is currently one of the top track sprinters training full time with USA Cycling's sprint coach Jamie Staff (GBR) and will compete for spots representing USA in 2012 at World Cups and Elite World Championships.

Joining the squad are Junior National Champions, Sarah Huang and Tara McCormick and rising starts Kayla Sterling and Maddy Tuggle. The youngest rider is Veronica Church. At age nine, Veronica is a champion on and off the bike. To date, she has raised over $13,000 for a Minnesota charity that assists children with cancer.

"This is an exciting time for myself and business partner Kristin Armstrong” stated Nicola Cranmer, Exergy TWENTY12 General Manager and Owner. "With the tremendous support from Exergy Development Group we are able to activate several initiatives. Junior development has always been a part of our program, its critical to support the next generation of athletes."

The juniors were carefully selected as junior National and World medal potential athletes that require focused attention leading into 2012. "As well as a fantastic mentor program, I believe we have the best equipment and clothing sponsors and we wanted to offer the athletes the best opportunity possible that will give them the edge," Cranmer explains. "These young athletes will use Felt bicycles, SRAM components, Zipp wheels bars, stems and seatposts, SRM systems, Speedplay pedals and Pearl Izumi clothing, these companies and our contributing partners all support the mission of junior development."

While Cari Higgins is focused on her bid to make the Olympic selection for the Team Pursuit team, she is instrumental in this program. Higgins has spent many years mentoring development riders and is also an athlete representative for the track on the USA Cycling Sports Committee. Higgins, as a multi- time Pan Am medalist and national champion, has a tremendous amount to offer these young riders. "I am passionate about working with juniors and helping develop champions on and off the bike," Higgins states.

Cranmer and Higgins have put together a program that will include monthly webinars, one-on-one mentorship, road racing opportunities with the elite team, and a team pursuit program developing the next generation for the 2016 Olympics and beyond. Jessica Van Garderen (Phillips), two-time Elite National Champion, will also be assisting with the Exergy TWENTY12 junior program. While in the U.S., Van Garderen will be a director on the road for several races with the development squad and be closely mentoring several of the younger athletes.

The mission is nothing unique. From the inception of this team, there has been a focus on development and mentorship. Three years ago, Nicola Cranmer took Coryn Rivera on the team as a 16 year old and gave her opportunities to race and learn from the best women in the country. Now, as a first year college student, Rivera still races for the team as well as Marian University. Kaitie Antonneau also a student athlete at Marian, will continue her development with the squad in 2012. Over the next few months Exergy TWENTY12 will be identifying one or two more collegiate athletes to invite into the expanding program.

Elite Junior Athletes:

Jennifer Valente: 17-18, San Diego, CA
Goals for 2012- Make World Cup team and Olympic Track Sprint Team.
Most admired cyclist - "Any elite athlete that is fully dedicated to success and can also give back to their sport."

Tara McCormick: 17-18, Long Beach, CA
Goals for 2012- Podium in all three events at Junior Road Nationals and Junior Track Nationals and make the Junior Worlds team in both track and road.
Most admired Cyclist - Sarah Hammer

Kayla Sterling: 17-18, Allen, Texas.
Goals for 2012- Race at a professional level. Win the Junior National Road TT Championship.
Most admired cyclist - Kristin Armstrong

Madison Tuggle: 17-18, Littleton, CO
Goals for 2012 – Podium at each Nationals events she competes in and make the Junior Track Worlds team.
Most admired athlete - Cari Higgins

Sarah Huang: 17-18, Kenosha, WI
Goals for 2012- Make the Junior Road Worlds team and race in Europe.
Most admired athlete - Katie Compton

Veronica Church: 9 -10, Owatonna, MN
Goals for 2012- Win MN State RR and TT 10-14. Raise $10,000 for kids with cancer.
Most admired cyclist - Kristin Armstrong

Photo: Tom Valente

One of the most experienced and accomplished US athletes in Women's Cycling, Katheryn Curi Mattis, the 2008 Sydney UCI World Cup Winner, 2010 tour De l'Aude Stage Winner and 2005 USA Cycling National Champion, is set to join Berkeley, California based Vanderkitten-Focus. Katheryn, who ended her professional racing career with Webcor Builders will take on multiple roles with the upstart Vanderkitten-Focus squad.

According to Vanderkitten-Focus director Jono Coulter, Katheryn will act as Co-Director, as well as a training and racing mentor to the squad, which will include 5 athletes under 23 years of age in 2012. As she did at the 2011 Cascade Classic, Katheryn may race the occasional NRC event providing hands on tactical advice to the team whilst bolstering the squads firepower on some of the tougher race days.

"The addition of an athlete and mentor with the pedigree of Katheryn Curi Mattis to the Vanderkitten-Focus lineup is something that Vanderkitten Founder Dave Verrecchia, team Captain Jennifer Reither and i have looked forward to for a long time. I am so excited it is someone as friendly and down to earth as Katheryn. She is family." says Jono Coulter.

"The single most important thing that our young athletes ask for time and time again, is to be guided more closely in races so that they can learn to instinctively react to things in the correct manner. With Katheryn, we have someone who knows the in's and out's of the Women's professional peloton, who has gained the respect of all the top athletes and who still has the fitness to be able to show our riders what to do in a race situation. With her knowledge and strength, and the raw ability of some of our younger riders, we couldn't be happier with how the squad is looking for 2012".

Katheryn will continue her role on the Executive Committee with the Webcor/ Alto-Velo Cycling Team where she is a lifetime member after close to a decade riding for the Webcor Women's Team. Webcor/ Alto Velo is committed to helping spread Bike Safety and Advocacy awareness, also a primary aim of the Vanderkitten Athletics program.

Salt Lake City – One of the year's most unique on- and off-road cycling events – the "Crusher in the Tushar" – will return in 2012 with the Beaver County Travel Council as a new title sponsor.

Recently-retired road and mountain bike professional and race promoter Burke Swindlehurst also announced the point-to-point race from Beaver, Utah, across one of Utah's highest roads to the ski resort at Eagle Point, will keep its mid-July date. The 69-mile race is scheduled for Saturday, July 14.

Last year's inaugural edition attracted nearly 200 road, mountain and cyclocross riders of all abilities from 17 states and Canada. An impressive line-up of professional riders included Olympian Clara Hughes – who won the pro/open women's division – along with pro mountain bike legend David "Tinker" Juarez, three-time U.S. national cyclocross champion Tim Johnson, and pro roadies Jeff Louder, Paul Mach and men's division winner Tyler Wren.

"It was hugely satisfying to see the race come off the way it did and particularly how much the local community embraced the event," Swindlehurst said. "The Beaver County Travel Council came to me afterwards and said they wanted to play an even larger role for 2012. As a result, the event now has a title sponsor and I couldn't be more thrilled."

As a special thank you to first-year participants, Swindlehurst said riders who registered for the 2011 edition will be given an special early registration opportunity the day before it opens to the general public on Wednesday, Jan. 11th at 7 p.m. MST.

"In anticipation of a quick sell-out of the limited number of spots (350) available for the 2012 Crusher, I want to show my gratitude to those who supported the event in its first year by giving them a jump on registration," Swindlehurst said. "I like to take care of those who take care of me."

Registered "Crusher" riders from 2011 will receive an email explaining how they can take advantage of the early registration opportunity, Swindlehurst said.

Event details, including the available categories, how to register, a detailed course description, and tips on choosing the right bike for the race, can be found at the race's official website.

Photos: Chris See

KASK Helmets is set to make a colorful impact on the the 2012 NRC Season with Vanderkitten-Focus Women's Cycling. KASK America is the North American branch of Kask S.r.l., an Italian company that specializes in developing, designing, and manufacturing of safety helmets of the highest quality. In every field of application KASK helmets are at the forefront, be it cycling, downhill skiing, ski touring, mountaineering, climbing, rescue or work safety. Safety Equipment market -leader KASK, will add to its sponsorship of UCI Pro Team SKY Pro Cycling and UCI Continental Team Exergy by partnering with the Berkeley, California based Vanderkitten-Focus.

Vanderkitten-Focus athletes, including New Zealand U23 Champion Emily Collins, rising US talent Maura Kinsella and pixie sprinter Starla Teddergreen will exclusively wear KASK helmets, including the "Vertigo", "K-10 Dieci" and new for 2012 "Mojito" in KASK's attractive colors with limited edition schemes designed by Vanderkitten. In Time Trials the riders will benefit from the K-31 Chrono.

"Kask America was looking for an established high visibility forward thinking women's cycling team to add to our sponsorship program. When the opportunity to work with Jono Coulter, Dave Verrecchia and Team Vanderkitten-Focus was presented to us we felt that this team fit exactly what we were looking for." says Kask America Sales Manager, Marc Katz "we are excited to be able to offer Vanderkitten-Focus our full range of customized helmets protecting the team with safety and style."

"Vanderkitten Athletics is delighted to be working in conjunction with KASK America. Not only does KASK represent the finest Italian quality and craftsmanship, but the helmets are sleek, functional and conform to the highest safety standards" says Vanderkitten-Focus director, Jono Coulter "Plus Vanderkitten creator Dave Verrecchia jumped at the chance to add Ophelia Vanderkitten to the brilliant colour schemes featured in the KASK range".

KASK helmets with Limited Edition Vanderkitten designs will be available exclusively on the KASK and Vanderkitten websites early in 2012.

As do many professional riders, I face some frigid training conditions during the winter in Europe. As much as I would like you to believe that I'm a machine programmed to crush outdoor training sessions regardless of weather conditions, the fact is, I am a human being, one who has whined plenty and publicly about the challenges of winter training. However, even worse than training with an ice cream headache in freezing fog, is sweating indoors on a stationary trainer.

Like (probably) many of you, I hate the trainer. I really do. I will ride in ridiculous sub-freezing temperatures just to avoid indoor workouts. When I must use the trainer, I have to trick myself into staying motivated. I play music, which limits visual stimuli to the wall or my powermeter (one of which I’m convinced holds the key to slowing the expansion of the universe). I’ve also tried watching movies, which help pass the time, but the plots don't usually motivate good leg-crushing intervals.

Last week I received Hell Hath No Fury from The Sufferfest and was asked to review it. [Full disclosure: I got a free copy for the purpose of writing a review, but am not being paid to endorse it.] I had never tried a Sufferfest workout and had no idea what to expect. Seventy-five minutes later, stunned, spent and staring at a pool of my own sweat, I realized I’d just had fun on the trainer.

What?!

I would not have believed it if I did not experience it myself; let me explain.

Composed of well-curated race footage from the women’s 2011 World Cup races, Hell Hath No Fury guides — no — relentlessly pushes the poor soul on the trainer athlete through a tough-as-nails workout. The video has it all: engaging visuals (bike racing!), killer adrenaline-pumping music for focused efforts, and a story line (peppered with liberal doses of heckling) that motivates from start to finish. In all, a brilliant approach to the evil necessity of trainer workouts.

The video begins by setting up the workout: 2 x 20 minute efforts plus a 3:30 minute effort (with built-in recovery intervals), structured as a stage race to keep you focused and motivated. After a brief warm-up, the race kicks off at full gas. Women’s World Cup footage plays out on the screen with text commanding you to attack, cover moves, surge over hills or sprint for the finish. When you find yourself head-down and cross-eyed in pain, don’t think you can escape those directives just because you can’t see straight: audible cues let you know when to attack again (not unlike the voice of a DS shouting through a radio earpiece during the real thing).

Throughout the workout, the video displays the prescribed level of intensity and counts down the time for each effort (with intermediate instructions to attack and surge - frequently), so you can keep your eyes on the screen, without diverting attention to your bike computer every twenty seconds to see if you’re done yet. Not only does the screen keep you on your toes, following wheels of the world’s greatest women cyclists, but the display also taunts you into digging deeper with most excellent heckling. I admit the thought has crossed my mind that personal hecklers could be the solution to more effective trainer workouts. Herein lies the genius of The Sufferfest – they get in the mind of a cyclist and know what a cyclist needs – a smart, structured workout; good music; attacks to follow; gaps to close; hills to climb and heckling to spur them on to new depths of suffering.

Personally, I love that this video features the women’s peloton. Having done these races myself, reliving the terrain, efforts and speeds got my adrenaline going big time. (And yeah, it was really cool to see my own bike in there and many teammates and friends). Prior to this video’s release, I read a Twitter comment from The Sufferfest about having to edit out attacks, as the women were attacking so often. Let me tell you, women’s racing is fierce. Doubt it? You won’t after Hell Hath No Fury. Totally worth the $11.99 price tag.

Check out the preview:

Amber Pierce - An American expat living in Austria, Amber has made the leap across the Atlantic in pursuit of her dreams on the road. After making a name for herself as one of the top road cyclists in the US, she now faces new challenges in her life on the road in Europe.

Amber's path to full-time racing in Europe has been anything but linear. From high school valedictorian holding national swimming records, to scholarship athlete at Stanford University and researcher on the open ocean, she has found herself in countless adventures all over the globe. With 53 career victories under her belt, however, Amber appears to have found her calling on the bicycle.

Photos: Amber Pierce