General Team News

Natural Grocers riders Lisa Strong and Bill Kellagher take State CX Championship

Vitamin Cottage Cycling Team — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 07:24:00 GMT

Dec. 5 , 2009 - Lisa Strong won the women’s elite cyclocross Championship held at the North Area Athletic complex in Arvada, CO. On a challenging technical course that featured many slippery off-camber sections, Strong led the race pretty much from start to finish as no one else could come up with the right combination of technical skills and horsepower to mount a challenge. Strong’s state championship victory caps a stellar cyclocross season with her results summarized as follows:

DATE	RACE	PL	CAT
2009	Best All-Around Cyclocross Rider (BCR)	2nd	SW Open
12/05/2009	Colorado Veldrijden Crusade Colorado CX Championships	1st	SW Open
11/29/2009	RRV Cross Series	2nd	SW Open
11/28/2009	Alpha Cross #2	3rd	SW Open
11/22/2009	Green Mountain Sports Cross	1st	SW Open
11/01/2009	NACT – UCI Boulder Cup	8th	SW Open
10/31/2009	NACT – UCI Blue Sky Velo Cup	10th	SW Open
10/25/2009	USGP – UCI Kentucky day 2	16th	SW Open
10/18/2009	RRV Cross Series	2nd	SW Open
10/17/2009	Valmont Bike Park Ground Breaking Cross	3rd	SW Open
10/11/2009	Boulder CX Series #2	1st	SW Open
10/04/2009	Frisco Cyclocross	1st	SW Open
09/26/2009	Boulder CX Series #1	1st	SW Open
09/13/2009	VeloCross	3rd	SW Open

http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/blue-sky-velo-cup-c2/elite-women/photos/94042

Other State Cyclocross Championship news: Kirsten Williams took second in the junior Women’s 13-14 category and Bill Kellagher won the Senior Men 55+ state championship. Great job to Kirsten, Bill and Lisa.

RENEE EASTMAN NATIONAL CHAMPION ON THE TRACK

Vitamin Cottage Cycling Team — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 05:26:00 GMT

The masters national track cycling championships were held during the week of August 17 in Colorado Springs, CO. Renee Eastman (Natural Grocers pb XP Companies) won the 2 kilometer individual pursuit and the 3k team pursuit. She was also third in the points race capping a solid week on the track. The individual pursuit was a bit of a surprise to Eastman as she hadn’t been training specifically for the highly technical event. In winning the individual pursuit, she set the fastest time for all the women in all age groups. Her time was 2:39:5, and she won by two tenths of a second.

The team pursuit is a three-woman event, three-kilometers in length. Eastman teamed up with Kate Gracheck (Team Kenda), who was second to Eastman in the individual pursuit, and Ingrid Alongi. Their winning time was 4:00:5 which set a national record.

Renee Eastman stands on the individual pursuit podium in her new Nat'l Champ jersey

Eastman atop the team pursuit podium

Renee Eastman (top right) - Masters National Pursuit Race

Tarkington takes Primal/Hart Criterium

Vitamin Cottage Cycling Team — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 04:42:00 GMT

8.23.09 - For the second time in his racing career, Natural Grocers rider Jon Tarkington won the pro-1-2 Primal/Hart Criterium located in the suburban office park district south of Denver. Tarkington last won the race back in 2005. The 1.4-mile course features a stiff little climb and about 100 feet of elevation gain per lap. The repeated efforts required by the climb coupled with close to 100-degree temperatures made for a lethargic race. Breaks went away and slowly came back throughout the race. Eventually, the collective will of the field ran out of gas for the chase and Tarkington went away in a group that included teammate Joe Taddeucci. With two men in the break, Tarkington struck first with two laps to go. The move drew out Dan Porter (Rio Grande Racing) who also had teammate Logan Garey in the break. The race came down to a three-man sprint with Tarkington taking the win ahead of Porter and Eric Jones (unattached).

Tarkington pictured here with Janez Brakovic (Astana) and teammates Baker and Friel

Eastman wins Vic's Espresso Criterium

Vitamin Cottage Cycling Team — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 09:09:00 GMT

August 8, 2009 - Renee Eastman (Natural Grocers pb XP Companies) won the women’s pro-1-2 Vic’s Espresso Criterium in Prospect, Colorado. Eastman won the race out of a two-rider break that formed out of a larger group about halfway through the race. Eastman attacked the original break on a prime lap and got away alone. Soon after, Meggan Hottman (DFT p/b TREADS) bridged up and between the two of them, they had enough teammates behind to control the chase. The finish was tight with a solo rider bridging up from the field in the closing laps, but the two stayed away until the end with Eastman winning the sprint.

NATURAL GROCERS RIDERS TAKE SALIDA OMNIUM

Vitamin Cottage Cycling Team — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 04:32:00 GMT

Natural Grocers riders Beth Fisk and Jonathon Baker won their respective titles in the Salida Omnium held over the July 31- August 2, 2009 weekend. The race was held in Salida, CO - elevation 7,100 ft. It consisted of an 8-mile out-and-back individual time trial, a demanding road race held on a 12-mile circuit that included 1,300 ft of climbing per lap, and finished with a technical figure-eight criterium in downtown Salida.

Fisk won the opening time trial 10 seconds ahead of second place finisher Ambre Levy (DFT p/b TREADS). Fisk’s teammate Maegan Daigler slotted in fifth 25 seconds back. Jonathon Baker took second in the men’s time trial aboard a new Blue Triad carbon time trial bike.

Fisk and Baker both finished third in the demanding road race stage. Baker benefitted from teammate Jon Tarkington getting in an early break with Seth Rubin (Subaru – Vista Auto). Tarkington and time trial extraordinaire Rubin took out a quick two minute lead on the field putting pressure on most of the other teams. The break eventually came back under the pressure of the race and Baker and a few other select riders moved forward to contest the win. In the end Darren Lill (Team Type 1) took the win ahead of Brad White (Ouch Maxxis) and Baker.

In the women’s criterium, Beth Fisk finished in eleventh with enough points for the overall Omnium title. Fisk’s high placing going into the stage provided an opportunity for her teammates to go for the breakaways and take points away from the other overall contenders. Maegan Daigler and Renee Eastman did a nice job of doing just that by taking 2nd and 5th respectively.

Similar tactics played out in the men’s race with Natural Grocers hoping to put numerous riders in the breaks to minimize the points available for Baker’s closest threats. The team came through putting three riders in two different breakaway groups ahead of a shattered main field. Despite a last corner crash, Baker retained enough points for the overall Omium title for a well deserved victory.

With the victory, Baker has virtually locked up the Tour of Colorado (see related velonews.com article). With an overall omnium victory, Natural Grocers rider Jason Anderson clinched the the men's category 3 Tour of Colorado.

Beth Fisk wins Bannock Criterium

Vitamin Cottage Cycling Team — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 04:23:00 GMT

The Bannock Criterium, one of Colorado’s longest running criteriums, was held on July 26, 2009. Beth Fisk took the victory in the women’s pro-1-2 race; her third time winning the event in the last four years. Fisk and her Natural Grocers teammate Jenna Allen were in a break of 7 for much of the race. With one lap to go it looked like it would all come back together as the field closed in on the break. But a few of the breakaway riders had other ideas and gave it one last surge. Fisk latched on eventually jumping ahead and handily outsprinting her breakaway partners by a sizeable margin.

Kirsten Williams wins Colorado Hill Climb Championship

Vitamin Cottage Cycling Team — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:09:00 GMT

Kirsten Williams raced up the lower slopes of Mt. Evans this past Saturday to claim her second hill climb victory in two weeks. Her time was 50:58 for the junior race distance. While all the senior categories go to the top of Mt. Evans, the junior race climbs the first 10 miles up the mountain. She did well against the junior men her age and finished first among all of the junior women.

Kirsten Williams wins Cheyenne Canyon Hillclimb junior race

Vitamin Cottage Cycling Team — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 05:26:00 GMT

Kirsten Williams raced up Cheyenne Canyon this past Saturday, competing in the JW13-14 category. She did not beat Tom Danielson’s record, but she did set the record for her age group since this was the first Cheyenne Canyon Hill climb TT. The race was 3.5 miles, and rose 1256 feet. Some parts were more than a 10% grade, and it was all uphill. Her time was 21:57, which would have been second place in the category 4 women’s. Oh, and she beat all of the 13-14 boys too....

Natural Grocers wrap up successful weekend with Nevada City

Vitamin Cottage Cycling Team — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 05:20:00 GMT

Natural Grocers pb XP Companies riders Dirk Friel, Joe Pinkerton and Jon Baker

The NGXP team capped a succesful weekend with Jon Baker finishing sixth in the Nevada City Bicycle Classic, a race that in 2009 included Astana teammates Chris Horner, Levi Leipheimer and Lance Armstrong. The Astana trio was using the race as part of their final tuneup for the Tour De France, which starts in July. In front of an estimated 20,000 spectators, Armstrong took the victory ahead of Ben Jacques-Maynes (Bissell Pro Cycling) and Levi Leipheimer. The Nevada City Classic is the second oldest race in the US, and past winners include the likes of Greg Lemond. The race takes place on a tight hilly criterium course. With or without the pro-tour riders, the race typically shatters early into small groups. The 2009 edition was no different with only one third of starting field finishing the race. All four NGXP riders (Jon Baker, Dirk Friel, Joe Pinkerton and Randy Reichardt) had solid races and did not look at all out of place racing against the worlds and the nations best.

Sunday's Nevada City Classic followed on the heels of the Tour De Nez, which took place on three stages over the same weekend. The team rode well in support of Jon Baker. Baker's second place in Friday's Truckee criterium along with his overall win of the sprinters jersey (not bad for a climber) were the highlights of the weekend. Other noteable performances included Friel, Reichardt and Pinkerton all finishing in the top five of the field sprint in the Reno Criterium (stage 2), a stage in which Baker finished 10th. See race reports and photos for the weekend on cyclingnews.com (nevada city classic, tour de nez) and pezcyclingnews.com. Also check out Dirk's SRM power file from Nevada City at trainingpeaks.com. Dirk's peak 5 minutes was 409 watts and he held 307 watts for 90 minutes.

Lance Armstrong leads Ben Jaques-Maynes, Jon Baker and Chad Gerlach at Nevada City

Jon Baker gets a starting line callup at Nevada City

Riders at the start of the Nevada City Classic - Joe Pinkerton (Natural Grocers) starts near Armstrong

Newsflash - Baker second at Truckee Criterium!

Vitamin Cottage Cycling Team — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 05:40:00 GMT

Natural Grocers pb XP Companies rider Jon Baker lapped the field with breakaway partner Chad Gerlach (Lifetime Fitness/VeloVie) in the opening stage of the Tour De Nez. Gerlach took the victory ahead of Baker. Click here for a complete Velonews.com article and race photos. The photos include some great shots of Jon Baker and teammate Dirk Friel in action as well as Baker on the podium.