November 2013

November kicked off with the most unique cyclocross course the team has ever seen at the Swashbuckler Cross race in Manheim, PA. What made this so unique?  It was on the grounds of the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire, a fantasy of bygone days and knights.  The course wound through the village on a combination of pavement, grass, cobble-stones and planks. There were several twisty technical turns with some hornswaggling hills. Of course the 2-sided pit had hose access for swabbing of the decks should the racers trusty steed pick up too much mud.  Our team of swordsmen raced gallantly and would have made The Three Musketeers proud to call kinsman.  Leading the efforts were Rob DiSibio and Uriel Bosquez who finished 14^th and 24^th, respectively, in the Cat 4/5 race.  Kudos to newbie Uriel riding in his first cross race! He was seen post-race celebrating with a turkey leg fit for King Arthur…looks like this won’t be his last race.  Next up, Curtis Miller captured the 3^rd place podium spot with Jason Temple not far behind in 16^th in Cat 3/4.  Andrew Webster and Will Neide continued their stellar single speed racing season finishing 2^nd and 3^rd respectively…LOVE the double podium!  On the damsels side of the team, Heather Heinrich finished a solid 7^th in Cat 1/2/3 and Emily White finished in the top spot in Juniors U19 Class.  Making her racing debut, Ella Neide showed the other kiddos who’s boss in the kids race. Great medal to start your collection, Ella!  Great job all…now go home, rest up so you can defend your honor in tomorrow’s race!

Webb and Will representing on the podium!

Ella's first medal!

Curtis taking 3rd!

Urie with his post-race finishers prize

 A post-race beer always puts a little smile on a cross racer’s face…now put that race on the grounds of a brewery and you’ll get a big smile that lasts for hours.  Wooden Wheels was all smiles at the Stoudts Cross, at the Stoudts Brewery in Adamstown, PA.  It was a blustery, chilly day – despite the sun; perfect to race the challenging course: full of switchbacks, barriers, off camber climbs and descents and one looooong and steeeep climb.  Our Men’s Cat 3/4 racers kicked off the day with Jason Temple finishing 17^th, Alex Frigon on his heals at 24^th and Rob DiSibio close behind at 34^th out of a huge class of 67.  Andrew Webster continued to show who is boss in single speed by finishing 1^st.  Killer season Webb!  Our fabulous junior, Emily White, finished 1^st for another weekend full of top podiums.  Heather Heinrich finished a solid 12^th in Cat 1/2/3/4.

Jason passing on the barriers

Rob charging up the hill

Webb sporting the 'body' suit!

The second Saturday of the month sported the ever popular First State Velo Sport Xross @ Fair Hill. The Wooden Wheels racers came out of the woodwork for this one - what a huge team showing! Not a surprise since the venue was so close to home and the course was one of the best designs in the series.  Full of twists, turns, false flats, off camber turns and barriers this year’s course didn’t disappoint.  Leading off on the sunny mild day were Men 4/5 with Rob DiSibio finishing 10^th and Justin Rogers 25^th in a big field of 45.  Next up, in Mens 3/4/5, Andrew Webster finished on the podium at 4^th with Curtis Miller not far behind in 16^th, Alex Frigon in 23^rd and Jason Temple in 37^th.  In Men’s 1/2/3/4 45+ Dennis Dischler finished well at 27^th in a very large field of 50.  Emily White finished on the podium again in 2^nd in Junior’s with Heather Heinrich closing out the day’s racing finishing 18^th in Elite Women.  All in all, another great day of Wooden Wheels Racing!

Webb and Alex warming up

Dennis putting it all in

Rob trying to get ahead of his hecklers - Hanz and his kiddos

 It was a blustery day up at the HPCX Cross Race in Jamesburg, NJ that Sunday.  It was so windy that in addition to the leaves being blown over the course, so were the racers!  Time to revisit your racing strategy.  Heather Heinrich represented the team at the race and finished 26^th in the UCI Women’s class.  While Heather was fighting racers and the winds in NJ, Dennis Dischler headed south to Highland, MD for the Schooley Mill Cross Race.  On the grounds of an equestrian facility, this is a horse of a course with several dismounts, a 250-meter start and the infamous steeplechase.  This is a fast one folks.  The course didn’t disappoint and neither did Dennis finishing 74^th in a huge Men’s 3/4/5 45+ class.  Way to end the weekend, Dish!

Kutztown Cross spanned two days of racing in Kutztown, PA.  Day 1 provided for mild temperatures, and a very dry course…is it really November?  The very fast course on grass and gravel was loaded with tight twisty turns, no climbing, and a log-over.  Curtis Miller kicked things off well finishing 5^th in Men’s 3/4. Andrew Webster kept the gears on and finished 14^th in Cat 1/2/3.  Emily White took the second podium spot in Juniors; with Heather Heinrich finishing out the day of racing in 8^th in Cat 1/2.  Rob DiSibio and Emily White headed out to Kutztown to take on Day 2 of the race on Sunday.  The course wasn’t the only thing that was opposite of the prior day…it was rainy, slippery and cold.  Still flat and riddled with twisty turns the promoters added double the fun with back to back log-overs.  Rob fought to a solid 13^th place out of a field of 43.  Emily again showed her strength in juniors finishing 2^nd. 

Rob showing off his mtb skills - bunny-hopping!

While those two were battling it out in Kutztown, a WW racing contingent headed south to Rockburn Cross in Elkridge, MD.  The promoters changed the start of the course from last year’s race, but kept all the goodies: off-camber sections, sand pit, up-hill log-over, barriers, beer garden and .....Nutella Waffles! Those were the perfect reward for a race done well!  Alex Frigon and Jason Temple finished solidly in 21^st an 25^th respectively in Men’s 3/4.  Dennis Dischler competed in Cat 3/4/5 45+ finishing 31^st out of almost 100 racers!  Andrew Webster continued to prove his mettle in Single Speed Open finishing 3^rd!  Heather Heinrich closed out the weekend of racing finishing 8^th in a strong Cat 1/2/3 class.  Rest up, racers…it a big one next weekend!

Wooden Wheels racers demonstrated their skill and ability to withstand the elements at the PA State Cross Championships in West Chester, PA.  Although the weather channel reported 30 degrees, after factoring in the 27 mph winds, the temperature actually felt like 16!  This course showed no mercy… there was nowhere to hide: racers were completely exposed to the wind as the course spread wide over the Bayard Rustin High School athletic fields and the surrounding corn fields.  It was fast and dry with a lot of power sections, nice turns, an off-camber section, and a run up.  Despite the extreme temps, Wooden Wheels rallied with great results and several podiums, with our junior racer, Emily White, taking home the title of U19 Women's PA State Champion.  Nice wheel set prize, Em!  Dennis Dischler, competing in Masters Men 45+ finished a solid 20^th.  Curtis Miller also had a great race finishing 9^th in Men’s 3/4.  Andrew Webster captured the 3^rd podium spot in Single Speed…Webb, your best season yet!!  Heather Heinrich closed out the day’s racing in Cat 1/2/3 finishing 5^th.  Another awesome day of racing! 

October 2013

October kicked off with one of the most exalted and recognized events in cyclocross: the Providence Cyclo-cross Festival on the pristine grounds of Roger Williams Park in Providence, RI.  The three-day event receives the highest UCI grade every year as part of the prestigious Shimano New England Professional CX Series which draws racers from around the world.  The fast and flowy course features technical twists and turns, a flyover and barriers.  Dennis Dischler and Heather Heinrich raced the two person relay Friday – shaking it up along with some of the pros.  Saturday provided dry conditions making the course very fast.  Dennis raced in the Masters Men and finished a solid 75^th in a very large class while Heather finished 54th in Elite Women.  The weather Sunday added to the fun – and the crash count…a rainy, muddy mess!  Our racers had no fear having lots of experience in the mud!  Dennis missed his call up (hhhmmmm….is that a picture of him at the beer garden in his kit?!?!) and yet pulled out a solid 65^th from a dead last starting position.  Heather again raced with the top women in the world and finished a solid 44^th.  Despite three straight days of racing and the long drive home, both Dennis and Heather already have it on the calendar for next year.  While Heather and Dennis were battling it out in New England a second WWR crew was tearing it up at Independence Cross, in Bridgeton, NJ. This perennial favorite includes the infamous "Amphitheater of Pain" with steps up to racers knees.  The course also includes a beach run, sandy corners, a few climbs barriers, and log-overs.  Got to push it on this course – its fast – but not too hard as the risk of washing out or getting slowed down in the sand is high.  Our WW racers proved their mettle with great races:  Andrew Webster finished 10^th in Cat1/2/3; Will Neide, Jason Temple and Curtis Miller raced in Cat 3 and finished 13^th, 17^th and 27^th, respectively.  Way to go all!  Webb, deciding once isn’t enough, raced the course again Sunday and finished an outstanding 5^th in the Cat 1/2/3 class. 

Heather tearing it up at Providence!

At the home front that Sunday, Wooden Wheels co-hosted Introduction to Mountain Biking coaching session with our friends on the TrailSpinners club at Lums Pond near Newark, DE.  The session featured information and discussions on bike set-up, bike maintenance, equipment, trail etiquette and nutrition, specifically the import of proper nutrition before, during and after riding, including various PowerBar product information/uses and samples.  The session concluded with a skills practice and a trail ride on the fun, flowy trails of Lums Pond.

The following weekend featured two women of Wooden Wheels.  Heather Heinrich and Emily White headed to Bensalem, PA to race in the Whirlybird Cross on Saturday the 12th.  Despite a rain-filled Friday, the course was surprisingly dry with only a few muddy bogs.  Our amazing junior racer, Emily finished 2^nd in Juniors and Heather finished a solid 19^th in Women’s Elite.  On Sunday our resident ‘cross addicts, Heather Heinrich and Andrew Webster headed to Rosaryville State Park in Upper Marlboro, MD for the Tacchino Cyclocross Race.  This course featured rolling grass fields, gravel, two dirt track sections, numerous off-cambers and two sets of obstacles.  Heather battled it out in Cat 1/2/3 finishing 10^th and Webb doubled down and finished 22^nd in Cat 1/2/3 and followed it up with a stellar race in SingleSpeed Open finishing 4^th.  Will Neide took up the WWR banner to Cherry Hill, NJ for the Cooper River ‘Cross Race.  Will crushed it on the fast, flat and twisty course laden with barriers and off camber sections.  He finished an outstanding 3rd out of 23 in the SingleSpeed Open class.  Awesome!

Heather and Emily post-race smiles!

 Andrew Webster headed out solo to the Star Rock Cross race in Washington, PA.  Held on the rolling acreage of Star Rock Farms, the race course includes barriers, a star-shaped field chicane, a sprint through the barn, paved roads and a woody rocky run-up.  Demonstrating that he is indeed a rock star, Webb finished a solid 6^th in Cat 1/2/3.  Way to represent!  The next day, our rock star was joined by some teammates to compete in a local favorite, the West Chester Cross Classic, in West Chester, PA.  This is a classic ‘cross course was designed by “Angry” Bob Reuther, a local ‘cross legend and advocate of the local biking scene.  The flowy and twisty course was mostly grass with some roads but lots of natural run-ups and off camber sections with two sets of barriers.  Our outstanding junior Emily White kicked things off in awesome fashion finishing 2^nd!  Webb continued the podium presence finishing 2^nd in SingleSpeed Open (this is proving to be your class Webb!).  Curtis Miller and Alex Frigon also had awesome races competing in Cat 3/4 finishing 6^th and 16^th, respectively.  Awesome all!!

Alex and Jason taking the outside line

Despite the government shutdown, 740 ‘cross racers had faith in our leaders to end the crises and pre-registered for the DCCX, the only ‘cross race in Washington DC, held on the grounds of the Armed Forces Retirement Home.  WW racer Heather Heinrich was one of those racers relieved to see the government re-open.  The course was fast and dry; and the atmosphere was spirited with beer vendors, music, burritos made to order, a high school marching band and the infamous mariachi band at the crest of the stair run-up on the course.  Heather finished a solid 13^th in Cat 1/2/3/Elite.  After her finish, persuaded by a racing friend, Heather scrambled for a pair of zip ties to lock out her shifters and took a place on the starting grid among a few women in the men’s SingleSpeed Open race.  Yes, she is a ‘cross racing addict!  However, she may have cured her two-race-a-day fever as her adrenaline rush quickly wore off and despite the beer hand-up at the top of the steps, realized the gearing she chose was too hard.  She put in a valiant effort and finished 32^nd out of 43 in the mixed class!  But maybe Heather is on to something…a WW women’s singlespeed team???!!!?? 

The last weekend of the month brought out a large WWR crew to take on the Crossasaurus Awesome race in Salfordville, PA.  Perfect fall conditions made for a fun race, and a sand pit, barriers and short up-hill made for a challenging course.  Kicking things off, Liz Jones – in her first cross race of the season – finished a solid 19^th in Cat 3/4.   Emily White finished in the 2^nd podium spot in Women’s Juniors.  In Cat 1/2/3, RockStar Webb finished 17^th in Men’s and Heather Heinrich a solid 12^th in the Women’s class.  Dennis Dischler competed in the Masters 1/2/3/4 class with an awesome 19^th finish in a large class of almost 50.  In Cat 3/4, Curtis Miller and Jason Temple finished 8^th and 27^th respectively, in a very large class of 60.  RockStar Webb, who has found his niche with one gear, finished an awesome 5^th out of 54 in SingleSpeed!  Awesome way to finish up the month.

Dennis and Emily making it look easy!  What form!

September 2013

With mountain bikes undergoing race-season-ending repairs and delegated to fun rides, they take a back seat to cyclocross bikes, which are primed and ready to race!  Ask any cross racer and they’ll tell you: Cross is Boss!  Kicking off the cross season is Nittney Lion Cross near Trexlertown, PA.  The course starts on paved road which quickly turns to gravel, then to the majority of the course which is on grass.  With sweeping turns and one set of barriers, the trickiest part is a 50 yard section over tree roots.  Andrew Webster and Dennis Dischler, competing in Cat 2/3/4 finished 13^th and 74^th respectively in a large very class.  Heather Heinrich competing in her first Pro race finished a solid 34^th in a strong women’s class.  Webb and Heather were sucked in and stayed to battle it out again on Sunday finishing 67^th and 34^th in their classes, respectively.   

Heather working to stay up-front

Dennis clearing a log mtnb style!

The team sent a strong contingent to take on the second annual Pedal Away Prostate Cancer Road Race, in Dover, DE.  The 25-mile course winds through Amish country in Kent County and is flat so makes for a very fast race.  Without any climbing, high winds (and an Amish buggy on a tight corner) came to the rescue to add more challenge to the race.  In the Under 40 class, Jeff Burris powered out of a large peloton in the last few meters to pull out the 3^rd spot on the podium!  Rob DiSibio finished in the front of the pack taking 7^th.  Our newest teammate Uriel Bohorquez took home 11^th; way to go on your first time in the kit and first road race!  Ricardo Gomez finished 12^th, just ahead of Wooden Wheels Tri Team member Trevor Massaconi.  In the senior men’s division, Jay Paulding took 14^th in a large class with John Dixon fighting the wind for 22^nd, just ahead of Tri teammate Tom Wilson in 29^th.  On the women’s side of the race, Jenny Gomez took 5^th, just ahead of Tri teammate Lauri Wilson in 8^th.  It was great to have both WW teams represented!   

WWR men getting ready to line up 

Rob with a solid finish!

Post-race de-briefing...with PowerBar recovery and DogFish!

Next up: Charm City Cross in Baltimore, MD at Druid Hill Park, a beautiful, historic 745 acre urban park established in 1859.  The course starts on a long, slightly uphill paved road which turns into a wide grass and dirt surface funneling into an off-camber slope to a series of climbing turns. Thereafter the course is full of sweeping turns, off-camber slopes and the infamous stair-run and sand pit.  The 2.9 km course requires a few dismounts, even for the more experienced cross racers.  Our die-hard Cross-Is-Boss teammates, Andrew Webster, Heather Heinrich and Dennis Dischler headed south for the two-day event.  Competing in the Pro/Elite classes Web finished 47^th both days with Heather finishing 33^rd and 36^th.  Dennis battled it out in very large Cat 1/2/3/4 Masters class finishing 54^th and 100^th.  Way to ride!

Line 'em up!

Heather battling the sand

The last weekend of the month brought the ultimate in cross – the Iron Cross UltraCross race in Michaux State Forest.  All the traditional segments were in the 11^th annual course including the rocky and steep Lippencote singletrack, the Rt 30 road section, the 45% grade Wigwam "run up," (where you feel every gram on your bike!), the PowerLine "run up," the never ending Hogshead gravel road climb...but this year introduced a new mix of roads that resulted in 10 of the last 12 miles going up, up, up to the finish line where Larry's Tavern waited with PBR for everyone.  As a special bonus the race promoters provided an extra five miles of riding this year for a total of 69 miles of suffering and over 7,000 feet of climbing with a max speeds potentially reaching nearly 50 mph.  In the shorter 50K race, Liz Jones took home an outstanding 4^th place – and gets extra props for carrying her 30+ pound  mountain bike up the Wigwam 45% grade run-up!  Nice guns, Liz.   In the longer race, Will Neide blew out a tubular in the 2 mile prologue and spent the day as well needed and appreciated race-support – what a teammate!  Jason Temple took on major damage to his drive train on the Lippencote trail and after gimping his bike back to the start, joined Will in heckling, er ahhh uumm, as race support.  Andrew Webster took solid control of an 8 person peloton as the race General and set a furious pace and commanded the group throughout the race…and made a power move on the 13% grade on Larry’s Tavern climb to finish an outstanding 24^th.  After an endo on the Lippencote Trail, Rob DiSibio spent the day chasing General Webb's wheel and finished not far behind in 28^th.  Despite some disappointing mechanicals, it was a great day for all and one which will require a LONG week of recovery.  But no doubt they’ll be back for another beating next year!

Rob, Webb and Jason - ready to rock and roll!

Another climb, no problem!

As we enter the 2^nd half of our race season – this time on cross bikes – we’d like to again thank our outstanding sponsors, Wooden Wheels Bike Shops, Cannondale bikes, Dogfish Head Brewed Craft Ales and PowerBar.  Without you all we wouldn’t be able to train and race as we do.  We were delighted in that PowerBar expanded its Energy Blends flavors into Pear-Apple-Peach and now offer a variety pack.  They are very easy to eat and digest during fast paced training sessions and races.  Made out of fruit and with its C2Max formulation we love its efficient energy delivery.  Thanks again PowerBar for providing us with a wide variety of products which meet our wide variety of needs and tastes! 

New Flavor!

Jeff loves his PowerBar gels!

  

August 2013

August to a bike racer conjures up many emotions: exhaustion from racing in endless heat and humidity; the bittersweet end of mountain bike racing; and excitement of the anticipation of the MASS series championships.   Kicking off the final month of mountain bike racing, Ricardo Gomez headed up to Sewell, NJ for the D&Q Summer Sizzler.  A tight woodsy course full of twisty single track, off-camber roots and sections of soft sandy trails, this course is always a challenge.  Ricardo was up for it – chalking up another first place in the Cat 2 Clydesdale class! Ricardo has found his niche and is raking in the points with the big boys.

Due east of Ricardo’s race, Rob DiSibio, Alex Frigon and Fedrico Pozzi were pumping the tires of their road bikes to take on the Mt. Davis Challenge road race in Confluence, PA.  This 41 mile course traverses the highest point in Pennsylvania, climbing to Mt. Davis at an elevation of 3,213 feet.  Though, of course, once is never enough, so after the long windy descent down, the course climbs back up over several prolonged climbs and rough road surfaces.  This race is not for the weary – or untrained!  Our WW trio introduced central PA to how strong WW racer are…Alex battled it out for 2nd place, Rob took home 4th and Fed 6th.  They are already looking forward to next year’s race!

Fed, Rob and Alex planning their strategy

Rob passing another one!

We love podiums!

Changing things up this year, the Mid-Atlantic Super Series opted to have the cross country series finale at the Trailspinners’ Fair Hill Classic in Fair Hill, MD – truly saving the best for last.  This largest race of the season and perennial favorite brings racers of all levels and experience from novice to expert and 4 to 80 year old racers.  This race and course never disappoints; this year was no exception.  The perfect weather provided an outstanding back drop for the course which has it all – tight single track, long and short climbs, water crossings, log overs, off-camber roots – you name it, it is in this course.  WW racers came out in force to finish the season with a bang…and a few more podiums and individual season top-fives.  Kicking things off in Cat 1, Andrew Webster battled it out for 3rd place; Heather Heinrich took 4th with Mags Crilley not far behind in 7th and Dennis Dischler fought a huge class to bring in 21st.  Our Cat 2 racers also had great performances with Alex Frigon taking the top podium spot in his age group; Ricardo Gomez 2nd and Dave Jordan 7th in the big-guy class; Fedrico Pozzi took 11th; Ryan Ashcroft 19th and Brian Urion 43rd. Liz Jones took 4th in the Cat 2 women’s class.  Jenny Gomez battled it out in Cat 3 taking home 6th.  Our newest junior racer Maci Gomez did great in her first mountain bike race finishing 20th.  Because one expert lap isn’t enough, Rob DiSibio opted to do the 50 mile endurance race and finished 22nd in a very large men’s class.  This great day of racing was a perfect to cap to the racing season.  And an outstanding season it was!  As a team, WWR finished 5th overall in the open team category, just one point out of 4th.  Not bad considering we were battling teams twice our size.  Individually, there were five racers with season top-5 finishes. Alex Frigon and Dave Jordan took home the 2nd place trophy in their Cat 2 classes.  In Cat 1, Heather Heinrich finished 4th and Andrew Webster 5th.  Ricardo Gomez finished 5th in Cat 2 Clydesdale – an outstanding accomplishment considering he only moved up to Cat 2 halfway through the season.  The team can look back with pride on a great season…and start planning next year’s training plan!

Ricardo making another pass in the final 100 yards!

Rabid fans cheering Rob on to the finish line

Maci finishing her first mountain bike race!

Oh yeah, Alex on the top spot...yet again!

Ricardo adding another metal to his collection

Webb sporting the WW colors on the podium

Redz taking home 2nd for the MASS season!

The day after competing in the Fair Hill Classic Ryan Ashcroft and Mags Crilley took on the Top of Delaware Sprint Triathlon in Newark, DE…whatever you call it - gluttons for punishment or a hearty appetite for competition – they definitely proved their mettle!  They were joined by fellow WW racer Mike Bria to take on this challenging course.  This race is one of the most unique of its kind starting with a ½ mile swim in the Newark Reservoir followed by a quick sprint down the reservoir hill to the 11 mile hilly bike ride then another sprint back up the reservoir hill to finish with a 2.6 mile run over asphalt, trails and foot bridges. Our racers showed their training has paid off with Mags taking 2nd in her age group and Ryan 4th and Mike 6th in their age group. Way to go – especially after the long mountain bike race the previous day!

Ryan finishing up 4th!

Mags taking 2nd!

Bria can't wait to add this to Strava

So, as we close out another mountain bike racing season, thoughts turn to recovering, taking it easy and resting the mind…but those thoughts are fleeting…because its cyclo-cross season!!  Time to tune up the ‘cross bikes, bring out the barriers and map out your race plans…so many races, so little time!

July 2013

July racing kicked off with the most unusual race in the Mid-Atlantic Super Series – The Stoudts Team Relay – on the grounds of Stoudts Brewery in Adamstown, PA.  The racers had a 100 yard LeMans (dash-to-your-bike-while-not-breaking-your-ankle-in-mtnb-shoes) start.  The nothing is off limits course – modeled after the Bilenky Cyclery’s Junkyard Cross – is a 2.25 mile loop which first appears as a typical course of short climbs, tight turns and typical obstacles, but quickly morphs into riding over junked cars, weaving through scrap metal and other gems that would make a second-rate hoarder jealous.  Our WW racers showed up ready to make their mark on this new race to the Series…trained bodies, dialed-in bikes, fully hydrated systems and an updated tetanus shot. Team Bootyclap, aka Curtis Miller and Andrew Webster, fought the mud, obstacles & the lure to spend a lap re-hydrating at the Stoudts Beer Garden to stand on the 3^rd podium spot!  Out of 17 top race teams, this was no easy feat. Way to kick off the month, guys!

Double thumbs up...THAT is how good it was

Way to go Heather!

Next up, the U.S. National Championships! USAC brought Nationals back to the East Coast after five years in the West. Bear Creek Mountain in Macungie, PA was the perfect venue to show the country that East Coasters definitely do NOT have it easy training, riding and competing here! This course, which has been the site of the Mid-Atlantic Super Series Championships for the last several years (and the site of WWR back-to-back Grassroots Championships!) shows no mercy...rock gardens, logs, off-camber roots, steep long climbs up the mountainside and enough switch-backs to make even the pros dizzy. Heather Heinrich had a great race placing 9th in Cat 1, and Ricardo Gomez finished a solid 13th in Cat 3. Way to represent on the national stage!

Liz and Alex all lit up!

What's better than a mountain bike race on a fast course??? That course AT NIGHT! WW racing vampires came out en masse to compete at Midnight at Marsh Creek in Downington, PA. The darkness didn't dampen the heat or humidity adding to the fun racing over logs and rocks and climbing up short steep climbs and open fields.  Our racers definitely are creatures of the night with a third place team finish and outstanding individual finishes. Liz Jones took home the first place metal (and a case of Victory Beer!) in the woman's Cat 2 race while Ricardo Gomez also took the top podium spot in Clydesdale Cat 2 with Dave "Big Redz" Jordan standing just below on the 3rd spot. Alex Frigon battled to 2nd in Cat 2 with Ryan Ashcroft bringing in 10th in his Cat 2 class. Heather Heinrich stood in the second podium spot in Cat 1 with Dennis Dischler bringing in 14th in his large Cat 1 class.  Colin Hoon got his first podium of the season standing 3rd in Cat 3! After a long night of racing and post race celebrating, it was time for the racers to head home before the sun came up.

Alex on the podium again!

Double WWR podium - Ricardo & Big Redz

Opting to mix things up a bit, Rob DiSibio and Jeff Burris tested the Criterium race waters and headed to the Liberty Crit in Great Valley, PA, a first for both of them. Nothing like settling crit-race-newbies nerves by pulling into the race area with your windshield wipers on high.  Gulp.  Their Cat 5 race consisted of 15 laps around the one-mile oval course with only one short small rise, so it was going to be fast! This fast course combined with the wet conditions and the large size of the field (40!) meant the racers had to be exceptionally alert and focused on the job at hand. Jeff finished tied for 9th with Rob coming in at 26th. Way to wrap up the month!

We were psyched to get our second order of PowerBar shipped. Our stock was low with all the training and racing! Thanks again to our outstanding sponsor PowerBar...you help keep us going, and hitting the podium!

June 2013

June brought it all to Wooden Wheels Racing…cross-country mountain, endurance mountain, ultra-cross and triathlon races…and our racers were ready. These June races easily could be the most challenging races for the season. First up, Alex Frigon and Fedrico Pozzi headed up – in direction and altitude – to the Bear Creek Mountain Resort in Macungie, PA for the Bear Creek Challenge. This course never fails to disappoint…it’s called a Challenge for a reason. As you’d expect for a mountain resort, lots ‘o rocks, steep climbs, an incredibly challenging rocky set of downhill switchbacks and a white knuckled downhill – this course is not for the meek. Our duo had awesome races – Alex stood on the podium in 2nd and Fedrico, our newest racer, pulled in 16th in the sport class. Just finishing that course is an accomplishment!

Way to go Alex!

The second weekend brought the perennial favorite, the Andrew Mein’s Excellent Adventure at Granogue - a 12-hour race in Greenville, Delaware. This race is dedicated to the memory of Andrew Mein who was a founder of the Wooden Wheels Mountain bike team and a leader in the cycling community. Andrew was struck by a car and killed in 1998 while commuting home from work on his bike. The premise for this race is pretty simple – how many laps can you do in 12-hours (solo, solo single-speed, duo or trio). To make it extra fun, the race doesn’t start until 10am, so the last several laps are at night! The course, on the private DuPont estate, has it all: rocks, logs, switch-backs, creek-crossings, climbs. Will Neide had an awesome race, completing in the most challenging class – solo single speed – and finished 2nd!! That is punishment! John Mester also gets a tough-guy award for competing in the solo geared class finishing 10th. Ricardo Gomez competed with a team friend to finish 5th in the duo class; and Jeff Meyer teamed up with two others to take 11th in the trios. Big props to our team junior racer, Matera Nefferdorf, who came in 2nd in her first mountain bike kids’ race. There definitely are more podiums in her future.

Matera ready for her first race

Ricardo keeping revved up between laps

Will taking a short break on his way to taking 2nd in SS solo class!

Next up was The Stoopid 50 Mile Race in Rothrock State Forest just outside of State College, PA. The course is a great combination of forest roads and trails, with a 30/70 mix of road to trail, covering most of the trails between Penn Roosevelt and Greenwood Furnace State Park, in the gem of Rothrock forest, in the Coopers Gap area. Race times are 4 – 9 hours. Andrew Webster carried the WWR flag solo and finished a solid 75th. 

Continuing the theme of exceptionally tough June races, Rob DiSibio took up the challenge and headed to the Hilly Billy Roubaix in Morgantown, WV. This race, #3 in the American Ultra-Cross series, covers 7,500 feet of climbing in 74 miles of fire roads, jeep trails and roads. With temperatures in the mid-90s and exceptionally humid weather, this race took every ounce of effort – and water – from each racer. Rob had a solid finish of 25th out of 93 in his class. His vow for it being a one-and-done race lasted less than 24 hours…he’s already planning next year’s strategy.

The perfect finishing prize: a moonshine jar

As Rob was sweating it out in the hills of West Virginey, some racers headed to the Guys’ Bicycles Neshaminy Classic cross-country race in Langhorne, PA. Each 6-mile lap is full of off-camber roots, logs, bridges and rocks. The biggest factor of this race is always the dampness. The trees provide a canopy over the completely forested course, making the obstacles even more challenging – especially with this year’s record rainfall. Jenny Gomez battled it out to get her first podium in the beginner class standing proudly in 3rd place – way to go! After a series of mechanicals ending his previous two races early, Ricardo Gomez fought through this race’s mechanicals and pulled in a 4th in the Clydesdale class. For Andrew Webster it came down to a sprint finish, but was beat out by one second to take home 4th in the Cat 1 men’s class. Dennis Dischler succumbed to the slippery, twist track and took a tough wreck…opting to save himself and his bike for another day.

Ready to go - race side

Jenny's first podium!

Opting to take on more than just cycling, Mags Crilley competed in the St. Andrew’s Sprint Triathlon in Middletown, DE. The course consisted of 1/4 mile swim, 16 mile bike and a 5k run. Mags had a stellar day competing finishing 1st in her age group and was the 6th overall female.

Ryan Ashcroft donned the tri kit to take on the Independence Triathlon at Lake Nockamixon in Quakertown, PA. This sprint race consists of a 1/4 mile swim, 10 mile bike and 2 mile run. Despite the hot conditions, Ryan pulled out a solid 107th out of 442 overall and 19 out of 43 in his age group. Way to go Ryan!!

Our dynamic duo of Ryan Ashcroft and Mike Bria opted to compete in the Islandman Triathlon in Avalon, NJ. Who doesn’t like to fight off jellyfish and run with sand in their shoes??? This is a popular race, bringing out the top Sprint Triathlon racers in the Mid-Atlantic region for the 1/4 mile ocean swim, 12 mile bike, 5K beach run. Despite the ugly weather at the start, the sun came out and our racers had outstanding finishes in this tough race: Ryan finished 151 and Mike 206 out of 363. What a great way to finish out the month.

Team Doritoz - closing out the month with two great finishes!

We’d like to thank our sponsors for another month of outstanding support. Our PowerBar nutrition is in our bags, in our kit pockets, sprinkled in our water bottles and at our race tents. The Gels, Performance and Harvest Bars and Recovery Bars keep us going at all our races. Our gear sponsors, Cannondale and Tifosi have kept us competitive with top of the line gear. Of course, our Dogfish Head beers have been critical in our post-race celebrations.

Another month in the record books…the training and racing continues as we storm through our season!