PODIUM THIEVES

Tour of The Bahamas

2012-02-05T08:03:00.001-05:00

It is hard to believe that the 2012 season is underway with the conclusion of the Tour of Bahamas this past weekend. Seems like only a few weeks ago when the traveling circus that is bike racing took a deep breathe and concluded the 2011 season. Kicking off the season in January allows for some early season bonding, which there was plenty of, and an escape to much warmer temperatures for many.

Though much of the team remains the same we've made some strong additions to 2012's roster. Having everyone on the same page is always a big goal of any team and is best to be done as soon as possible. Friday night after registration we opted to walked a few blocks (New Yorkers dominated this category) and eat at a local Thai restaurant so we could bring the team closer together. Yeah that is right, Thai food in the Bahamas or at least something that attempted to replicate it.

So the race format is fairly simple; Saturday morning 3mile TT, Saturday afternoon 42mile Circuit, and a Sunday morning 76mile Road Race. Seeing as everyone was there for some quality training hours the 45min ride to and from the start would allow the riders to chat and learn more about each other. Perfect example of this is that Micah Engle found his real father, Karl Rahn. They will get plenty of bonding time throughout the season and we are sure Micah is excited to get that first hug in, Karl not as much.

The race plan in the morning was simple, everyone go as hard as they can and we will race in the afternoon Circuit Race for the guys highest on GC. As the morning progressed and the announcer belted out finishing times, it became obvious that there where some solid riders out there. We rode back to the hotel satisfied as a team with 4 riders inside the top 20 and easily within striking distance of the overall win. Brian Hill and Mike Margarite where the highest placed riders at 4th and 8th.

In the afternoon we knew historically that the race would come to a sprint finish but, refused to accept this as our fate. Not having a true sprinter on the squad for this race we sent Karl, Joe Whitman and Micah off the front numerous times in the early laps in hopes of establishing a break. In classic fashion John Lohner could be found on the front with his head down stringing the pack out in the windy sections of the course whenever we did not have riders off the front. A mid-race crash in an extremely rough section of pavement sent Karl and Margarite to the tarmac, luckily both riders where able to rejoin the field. Despite a number of late race attacks by Mike Mathis the Circuit Race came roaring to the finish line in a bunch kick. The happiest moment for our boys came when it was realized that Dan Zmolik, with a leg full of hardware, hung in there safely and finished with the bunch. For those of you that did not know, he suffered a major accident breaking his leg on a training ride in June but amazingly returned to the bike in November.

We found ourselves relaxing for most of Saturday evening on the beach. Light hearted harassing could be found at every opportune moment. Another speed walk to get Thai, followed by team talks of planning for Sunday's Road Race concluded the evening.

So fast forward to the final stage and we still have four riders within striking distance of the overall win. The plan of action was simple, race as aggressive as possible, attacking in pairs and get Brian and Margarite into the days winning break. On the ride to the course it was instantly noted that it was hotter and windier then Saturday, igniting a spark in our boys for the day to come. The starters pistol fired and our riders are seen instantly up the road. Break after break is formed and the distinctive Stans/AXA kits are ever present, until the right combination is achieved the peloton swarms time and time again.

Then it happens, Luis Amaran from Jamis/Sutter Home attacks, JLo is on his wheel and Frank Travieso from Team Coco's bridges to the them. Instantly, Mike Mathis and Micah are on the wheel of the BMC riders chasing rapidly with another Coco's rider in tow. As the riders turn into the dangerous crosswind section near the airport, Hill realizes this looks to the days winning break forming up the road and jumps from the peloton. A reshuffling occurs and the break establishes itself with 9 riders. JLo, Mike Mathis, and Hill are present along with Traveiso, Amaran, two BMC riders, a Hot Tubes junior and a DC Velo rider. The break quickly gains time as our boys work both in the break as well as on the front of the peloton. When the boys from BMC begin to lessen their share of work Amaran decides to make a bold attack and pulls Traveiso clear with him. The chase is now in full affect with our boys in the break and BMC in the main field. Unfortunately, with less then a half lap to go the main field soon absorbs all the 9 riders off the front. A late attack from Amaran springs Ty Magner from BMC, Hill, and Mathis from the field but the sprinters are out to have their day and real them back in the closing kilometers.

In the end we where able to walk away with 2 riders in the top 10, better tan lines and a tighter bond amongst all riders. With a full slate of racing on the horizon you can expect to see the Stans/AXA colors igniting the races and exciting the fans.

(Composed by Brian Hill)

Typical Week for a Public Accountant

2012-02-04T20:26:00.004-05:00

Some of you may be wondering what the typical workweek , including workouts, is like for a public accountant in busy season (January to March). This was my work week from Monday-23rd to Sunday-29th:

Work Schedule:

Mon - Thurs: 8:30am - 8:30pm (avg.)

Friday: 9:00am - 5:00pm

Saturday: 10:00am - 4:00pm

Sunday: off

Training Schedule:

Mon - Fri: 28 miles (14 each way) to and from work x 3 days. The other 2 days are recovery days or cross training (weights/short runs/core work).

Saturday & Sunday: Longer rides (anywhere from 30+ miles depending on the day/type of ride)

Today was the first day I have been able to get in a full ride without having to use my lights in the past three weeks. I made sure to take advantage of not having to go into the office today:

Spring time and racing can't come soon enough. First race weekend, Grant's Tomb in NYC, see you there.

-Jon

Brian Hill checks in from Miami, FL

2012-01-20T10:05:00.000-05:00

After months and months of training in the mountains of South & North Carolina and sleeping in my own bed work finally forced me onto the road and sent me to Miami, Florida. Seeing as it is the heart of winter with potential for snow and freezing temps daily I was not one to complain. Plus South Florida is the fastest place in the States at this time of the year hands down. 6am group rides daily that average 30mph will definitely have anyone prepared for the race season to come. If you really want some adventure you can race the traffic through downtown at 45mph. Just gotta stay out of the right lane to avoid the quick right turns.

With morning rides that start off with views like this it has not been a struggle to get on the road and into some training.

Velonews Ad

2012-01-19T16:38:00.001-05:00

Training Canadian Style

2012-01-12T09:39:00.000-05:00

Nick Friesen is joining the Stan's No Tubes/AXA team this season. Below are a few photos of our sole Canadian training for the upcoming season. It's cold for our friends up north so they sometimes have to figure out alternative ways of getting some exercise. Luckily for us, Nick is now out in Tucson, AZ putting in the hours.

Nick in action with the broom.

Canadian Interval Training

New Wheels Mr. President?

2012-01-02T21:25:00.002-05:00

After a week of terrible weather in State College I decided to head back to the district a day early. On a causal ride this afternoon I thought it might be nice to see if the President would like to test out a pair of Stan's wheels. Unfortunately I couldn't get close enough to ask him.

Workin' It.

2011-12-28T08:30:00.000-05:00

Newbie, Ryan Mele is out training in Colorado. Above is a photo of Ryan riding up Lookout Mountain in Golden, Colorado. He will be a force this year with this kind of dedication.

This is...

2011-12-21T21:20:00.000-05:00

already getting old. I've been on the trainer all week due to pouring rain in the 40 degree temps. That kind of weather is where I draw the line. Back in my youth that wouldn't have stopped be, but I now paid for that philosophy as I now can't feel my fingers if the temps are below 65 degrees. This will do, but The Tour of Bahamas can't come soon enough.

J. Whit

THIS JUST IN FROM THE TOUR OF THE BAHAMAS

2011-12-14T13:14:00.015-05:00

Men's P12 Cash Prize increased to $10,000 and premes for each stage - $3,500 to the overall winner alone!

Women's Cash Prize increased to $6,000 and premes for each stage - $1,000 to the overall winner alone!

Please train hard and get the word out – International Caliber indeed, and we are brining home all their umbrellas and more :-)

Teams and Individuals Confirmed:

Garmin-Cervelo U23

Ivan Dominguez New Pro Team

Hincapie Development

Stan's NoTubes/AXA Equitable

Jamis Sutter Home

Florida Velo

EliteFlorida Velo Masters

Texas Road House Masters

World Class Triathletes Participating:

Jarrod Shoemaker

Jenna Parker

Alicia Kaye

Race Website

Tour of Bahamas

2011-12-13T09:47:00.000-05:00

As the 2012 racing season nears, the winter months ahead present a mental and physical hurdle for every cyclist that lives in a colder climate. Based out of New York City and the surrounding region, the Stan’s NoTubes/AXA Equitable Elite Cycling Team understands these challenges first hand. The majority of our competitors are afforded the professional luxury to venture to Tucson, Arizona or Southern California for the next few months to log miles in the warm sunshine. Our difficulties are compounded by the fact that nearly everyone on the Stan’s NoTubes/AXA team owes “The Man” at least 40 hours each week. The extended hours on the trainer and the seemingly relentless weather and darkness can make even the most dedicated rider lose focus.

Last January, we found the perfect remedy to the winter training blues. One Friday afternoon six of us took the afternoon away from our jobs and boarded a Jet Blue flight from Laguardia airport. Three hours later, we were living the island life at The Tour of the Bahamas welcome party. The weekend that followed was a wonderful whirlwind of racing, riding and relaxing on the beach.

The Tour of The Bahamas provides the perfect excuse to get out of the weather and head south for a short time trial and two moderate road races. There are races available for all categories, including Juniors and Women. The largest hill on the island is about as daunting as Harlem Hill in Central Park, and let’s face it, it’s January… so there’s no need to be in peak form. All three races start at the same location, a gentle 15 mile spin from the race hotel. While rental vehicles are available, we opted to ride to the start of each race to maximize our warm weather riding. We capped off our results (2nd prologue, 1st road race and 2nd GC) with an evening of local entertainment and fresh fish at the fish fry (just tell the taxi driver on Sunday evening – “take me to the fish fry”). With the addition of a short spin before boarding the flight back to the frigid north on Monday morning, we netted just shy of 300 miles of “winter” training… and we were back to work by noon.

If the boost in motivation and the added fitness are not reason enough to make the Tour of The Bahamas your first 2012 race, the sun, fun, beach and food should get you there. The flight is reasonably cheap, the logistics are easy and the weather is warm. The promoter has even negotiated a discounted rate at the beachside Wyndham Nassau Resort & Crystal Palace Casino for $109 a room. Hope we will see you there January 27-29, 2012.

Our team had a great time at this race and we wanted to share the experience with everyone freezing their butts off in the North East.

For more info please visit:
www.tourofthebahamas.com

New Stan's Wheelset.

2011-12-11T19:46:00.001-05:00

Sorry, the photo is upside down, but you get the idea. The new Stan's wheels have carbon/stainless skewers. This should make my teammates in NYC very happy...the teammates who use a lot of product in their hair that is. I've spent a week on this wheelset that includes a redesigned hub-set and they are working very nice. New graphics on the rim are looking good as well. Hopefully these give us a podium spot in a month and a half at the Tour of Bahamas!

J. Whit

Staying in Shape & Riding in DC

2011-12-01T22:00:00.005-05:00

Growing up in State College, PA I was blessed with some of the best riding that Pennsylvania has to offer (if you haven't ever been to Central PA... Go). I did not actually know how great the riding was because I didn't start competitively racing until this prior year after I exhausted my Collegiate eligibility (I swam competitively all my life and for the Penn State swim team). Since moving down to DC, the demands of public accounting and learning how to balance the work, riding, and social life has certainly proved to be a creative task. Can all three be done? Can you actually put in your 10 - 12 hour work days, stay in shape for race season (or just for staying in shape's sake), and have a social life? I say yes.

So what is the best method to doing so for the long winter months when the sun goes down at 5:30pm? Grab some winter riding gear, a good pair of tires, a nice bike light, and hop on that bike trail to work. I happen to live around 15 miles away form my work. After some experimenting and exploring different ways to get to work I discovered that it takes me approximately 50 minutes to get to work by riding the metro (door to door), or, if I take my bike, 50 minutes on my bike. Therefore, I can either choose to sit for 50 minutes, or exercise for 50 minutes, either way I get to work in the same amount of time. So the next time you tell yourself you don't have any time to work out due to your busy work/life schedule... think again.

DC has some of the best trails to navigate in and around the capitol area. Not to mention, riding your bike in the city can be much quicker than trying to drive in the rush hour nightmare capital of the USA. So needless to say riding your bike in DC can be one of the safest and most efficient ways to navigate to and from work.

For those of you in the DC area trying to get some miles in this winter during the work week and trying to balance your work schedule... Grab your bike, a pair of Stan's NoTubes wheels & tires (no flats), and i'll see you on the trail at 7:15am & pm.

Central PA...

2011-11-26T18:22:00.000-05:00

has some of the best riding in the country. You can find semi-flat farm roads, 2-4 mile climbs and miles of fire roads through the state game lands. We can literally find a bicycle friendly route in any direction from town and once you're 2-3 miles away from town cars are almost non existent. Now it's everything else that Central PA is lacking!

Rothrock State Forest.

Rolling stream next to the fire road. Shameless plug of sponsor who made the ride smoooth as butta.

Battenkill preparation. Equipment is good to go.

The road ahead.

Next weekend is an unofficial, official first team gathering here in State College, PA. A small meet and greet, photo shoot for the sponsors and some riding of course. Highly looking forward to it!

Cheers,

Joe W.

Next year starts today

2011-11-20T17:54:00.002-05:00

I am trying to hang onto some fitness from a very long season which started in January with The Tour of the Bahamas and ended in Paris on October 16th with the longest crit of the year (120k) Today I did a long ride, all endurance level effort except for one hill.

For those of you who did the Grand Fondo NY you would have see our team out crushing the KOM's. I was unable to ride it. Today i wanted to see how i would have stacked up against Clayton Barrows and the rest of the guys on Little Tor. It is about a 5 min climb. Check out the results below.

I hit this hill as hard as i could. I did it in 5:28 throwing about 380 watts for the effort. even Fat Joe took substantial time out of me. The strava site is super cool for looking at stuff like this. I do not think I will ever be as fast as Clayton and Mike but I think i could drop fat Joe with some hard work.

    1   289 Clayton Barrows        29 M    4:20.49      2   284 Michael Margarite      32 M    4:24.70      3    21 Maurizio Coccia        36 M    4:25.63      4   241 Brendan Sullivan       48 M    4:40.19      5   978 James Mattis           38 M    4:40.82      6   286 Daniel Zmolik          35 M    4:44.23      7   282 Christopher Johnson    28 M    4:44.60      8   224 Richard Feldman        42 M    4:45.43      9   752 Evanio Zimmermann      47 M    4:47.60     10   285 Joe Whitman            29 M    4:48.43

2012 Press Release for the team

2011-11-18T20:53:00.002-05:00

November 18, 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Stan’s NoTubes/AXA Equitable Cycling Team announces 2012 season

BIG FLATS/NEW YORK, NY. – The Stan’s NoTubes/AXA Equitable Cycling Team, based out of New York City, is set to hit the road with another strong roster. The first exclusively tubeless road team finished the 2011 season with Clayton Barrows in second place in the USACrits series and as the top ranked amateur criterium rider in America. In 2012, the team aims to build on its five year history with success in the USACrits Championship Series along with The Great American Cycling Series and targeted NRC events.

The 2012 Stan’s NoTubes/AXA Equitable Cycling Team roster:

Clayton Barrows (USA)

James Stevens (AUS)

Christopher Hurst (USA)

Jonathan Cochrane (USA)

John Loehner (USA)

Brian Hill (USA)

Mike Margarite (USA)

Stephan Kincaid (USA)

Nick Freisen (CAN)

Micah Engle (USA)

Karl Rahn (USA)

Ryan Mele (USA)

Joe Whitman (USA)

Daniel Zmolik (USA)

Mark Prutton (NZL)

Kevin Molloy (USA)

While putting the final touches on the race program and roster, Director Mike Sherry said, “We have a very strong team and an even better tuned program this coming season. We made a lot of changes last year in how we ran the team and we ultimately exceeded our goals.” Sherry described some of their plans for the upcoming season. “In 2011 we focused on the USACrits series individual standings with Barrows, in 2012 we will rely on a returning core group of riders and some new recruits to target more NRC road and stage race events in addition to the USACrits series.”

The main difference between the last two seasons was the wheels provided by Stan’s NoTubes and Hutchinson tires. The team ran Stan’s sealant and conversion kits on team wheels in 2010 and many of the riders credited their successful racing to the lack of punctures in unforgiving race situations. The 2012 squad will be racing on NoTubes Alpha 340 Pro wheelsets; weighing in at a mere 1255 grams. The wheels will feature the latest NoTubes valve/sealant system and Hutchinson tires.

“We are incredibly excited to build on our continued support from AXA Equitable, a leading financial protection company and a premier provider of life insurance, annuity and investment products and services,” said Sherry. “AXA has been incredibly enthusiastic about American cycling and ultimately got us where we are today.”

Hincapie Sports will be supplying clothing and will help deliver a more stylishly outfitted team. In addition, they will continue riding Cannondale bikes, wearing Rudy Project helmets and glasses, and using Sportique Active Body and Skincare products. The fitness programming and testing will be conducted by Performance Labs HC, a leading New York-based training and bike fit company.

For more information on the team visit teamnotubes .com Follow them on Twitter @TeamNoTubes or find them on Facebook http ://facebook .com /SSMNotubes.

CAPTION CONTEST

2011-11-15T00:51:00.005-05:00

Alright... lets get this thing started with some good old fashioned fun. Caption contest for the below photo.

If we can garner an ambitious 50 captions, we will hit up one of our sponsors for some swag to the winner.

Photo Credit to Lynne Lamoureux (podiuminsight.com)

My first Strava Post

2011-11-14T19:15:00.002-05:00

This is my first blog post so i figured i would post a monday night ride I just did using Strava.

Moab!

2011-11-14T17:18:00.002-05:00

I spent a fantastic weekend in Moab this weekend with a great group of friends from my college days... my University of Wyoming college days, to be more specific (since I am still in college). My friends Carl and Carrie Gose tied the knot this weekend in Moab. We did a ton of riding and hit several of the highlights that the Moab area has to offer including: Sovereign trail, Porcupine Rim Trail, and Top of The World. Definitely more riding in two days than I have done since... well, last Winter. Below is a pic of me relaxing after the climb to the top of the world.

Remember this guy?

2011-11-05T11:09:00.000-04:00

Stephan Kincaid is the first new member that Team NoTubes has officially announced to its 2012 roster. Kincaid is a legend and is most notably recognized as being the mayor of mid-atlantic cycling in all forms. Better known as "Geronimo", Stephan raced under the Sherry Sports Management organization a few years back when the team was sponsored by Empire Hotels. Geronimo has many many wins to his name including a collegiate national championship years back when he races for Penn State University. You will not find a more talented bicycle racer around AND nicer guy. To top it off, he's a school guidance counselor and has received many public education awards for his outstanding work he does with high school students. Welcome back G!

Wait, what???

2011-10-28T14:32:00.003-04:00

Not cool.

Central PA Riding

2011-10-25T21:45:00.000-04:00

Central PA has a lot of things-cows, guns, rolling hills, Ugg boots/yoga pants(see Penn State) and even a sizable amount of homes without running water. What sticks out the most though, especially for cyclists, are the amazing winding roads that run up and down the valleys. This past weekend I was able to join along with Richie Rich Oneil, from Stan's No Tubes and Dr. Matthew Ferrari; two great guys who are pretty good on the bicycle. We decided to head towards the Black Moshannon State Park area, which is about 20ish miles away from our homes located in State College. I must say I've been riding these roads for a solid 12 years and it always amazes me when I come along a road that I've never been on. It happened to me on this ride as we took the road bikes off on to some fire roads. 55 miles and 3.5 hours later I was whooped from being out in the woods. If you ever have the chance to ride in the Central PA area, get ahold of one us to show you around. The riding is second to none.

Here is a picture of me standing with a buffalo statue. This was as desolate as you could possibly get. Why anyone would spend the money to make this is beyond me. It does make a good story and a good photo. Note the blue skies-they haven't been happening too often.

Matt and I on the fire road. My guess is we spent a good 20 miles off the pavement.

Nothing but zero tubes and beautiful valleys. What an awesome day for bikes.

The bottom of the climb that goes straight up. The sign says, No Winter Maintenance. Imagine that?!

Super Star Clayton Barrows

2011-10-22T14:27:00.000-04:00

He's more than just one the nation's best criterium racers. Clayton is hanging out in New Mexico for the next few months working at Los Alamos National Lab. He is getting close to finishing his Ph.D in energy engineering at Penn State University. Our fearless leader is pictured above ready to crush some donuts like they are his competitors. Rumor has it Clayton has been putting in some decent miles on the mountain bike out west. Is there a chance that on his 10th year of collegiate racing he'll shoot for a short track national championship???

Would You Ride This?

2011-10-20T22:28:00.000-04:00

I've been training on this tire Since January of this year. It has seen many, many miles and I have never flatted on it. Only now am I starting to carry a CO2 cartridge in case of a flat...not even a tube. For us the tube has joined the club of downtube shifters- "Products of the Past"

Hutchinson Intensive Road Tubeless Tire after thousands of miles.

Global!

2011-10-20T14:59:00.001-04:00

Kevin and Karl racing in a criterium last week in France.

The Days Are Lonely.

2011-10-20T12:38:00.000-04:00

The days are cold and lonely in the soon to be winter months. Pictured is my current work station. I'd rather be riding.

test blog

2011-10-18T12:23:00.001-04:00

this is a test. only a test.