Women on the Move!

NEW WOMEN'S RACING TEAM

Betsy Kogan, Angela Dybhahl, Louise Keoghan, Julie Guthrie, Lauren Jacobsen, Lauren Haas, Linda Smith, Trudi Schindler (absent on the day Tara Amedure, Katie Donovan, Amanda Rondash and team manager John Rondash)

The fun muscle flex one has the same order of girls but our coach, Antony Galvin, is on the left.

Team Clinic Sunday October 7th

The newly formed “NOW-MS Society Women’s Racing Team” had their first training clinic last Sunday. It was a great opportunity for the girls to get together for the first time as a group, and to practice some drills with their coach, Antony Galvin. Like most of us who race, our season is over, or almost over, so Sunday was mostly an excuse to learn more about one another, and talk about next year’s goals. It was great to see how well we worked as a team, with each rider having unique skills and strengths. We have such an enthusiastic and strong group of women who are so motivated and really positive. We are all looking forward to next season, in particular seeing familiar faces again from other teams, and being able to share something we all love so much — cycling and racing.
Enjoy your off season and see you soon.
Louise

KALYRA WOMEN'S CYCLING TEAM

Friends, competitors . . . wine tasters.
On one recent day, anyway, members of the Kalyra Women's Cycling Team literally enjoyed the fruits of their new sponsors after a ride from Los Alamos to the Santa Ynez home of Kalyra Winery on

Refugio Road.
The wine-tasting event served as an announcement that Kalyra has joined a small group of sponsors that helps keep the eight-woman team on the road.

Team members, five of whom live in Santa Barbara County, compete annually in various far-flung cycling competitions, where all of the team members have won national and state road-racing championships. The team is unique in that the eight women are all over 40 -- competing at the 'masters' level -- and all have demanding professional careers and race as amateurs, so sponsorships are crucial.

For Kathy Brown, who with her husband Mike Brown owns and operates Kalyra Winery, sponsoring the team was a natural -- she's a former competitive cyclist herself.

"I have a love of cycling, and I feel they're really neat women," Kathy Brown said. "They're really involved in the community and they're really good role models for young women. I used to race bikes, so I kind of have a passion for cycling, and I still do a lot of riding."

The Kalyra team originated about four years ago as the Bella Nova Women's Racing Team, founded by Jill Gass of Santa Barbara, Lisa Tonello of Los Alamos and Laura Perdew of Irvine. The three "had known each other for years, and had competed against each other for years, and decided to form a team so we could compete together," Gass said.

At cycling competitions, "sometimes you end up forming alliances with other riders, and it made sense to race together," Gass said. An example of how team tactics come into play in competition is when team members form a line to provide a draft for a designated sprinter who'll be fresh for making a run later in the race. In such cases some members sacrifice their own results for the benefit of a teammate.

The comaraderie of team members was apparent as the eight women relaxed together at the winery in their matching pink uniforms.

"I love cycling and I love being with my friends and I love the competition part," said Gass, 50, a registered nurse and cycling coach certified by the U.S. Cycling Federation.

Each year team members meet to determine the cycling events they can all get to. One upcoming event will be the Mothballs Criterium on Feb. 4 at Research Park in Goleta, sponsored by Echelon Cycling. The team participates mostly in road races, time trials and criteriums, but members also enter track, mountain biking and triathlon events, as well as charity events of various kinds. Some of the team members will participate in this summer's Race Across America, a 3,000-mile trek from Oceanside to Atlantic City, N.J.

The season points to the USA Cycling Masters Road National Championships, which will be held in July in Seven Springs, Penn. The last time the team went to the event, in 2005 in Park City, Utah, members notched a total of 10 "podium finishes," meaning they finished in the top five in different events, Gass said.

Sometimes they compete against much younger women, team members said.

"We're really unique because we're a masters team, so everyone on the team is at least 40, which is unusual because most women's teams are much younger girls," said Lisa Tonello, 50, of Los Alamos, and owner of the Bike Barn in Santa Maria. "It's great that we're older but everybody's competitive with the younger teams."

And against younger competitors "we do really well. We kick 'em and tell them to give us a little respect," Tonello said, laughing. For these women, it appears to be the sport of a lifetime.

"As long as I can swing my leg over a bike I plan on doing this," she said. "It's a great benefit to being healthy and living longer. I think the competing part is just part of the personality of all the riders. . . . We pride ourselves on being good ambassadors, too, for the sport. For older women, if they don't want to race, they don't have to, but just to ride and get out there and exercise and stay healthy."

Perdew said it "costs about $30,000 to run a team our size," including uniforms, assessories, travel expenses, bicycles and registration fees. The team usually receives about $20,000 in cash and $10,000 in equipment, she said. Aside from Kalyra, the title sponsor, sponsors are Fuel Up/Simply Fit, Griffen Bicycles, the Bike Barn and Mattei's Tavern.

1. Can you explain how your team came to be?

Our team originated in 1999 and was started by Tammy House and Jeanne Bernhard. In an effort for future growth in Womens Cycling they broke off from a local club and started Velo Motion a Womens Race Team. Through the years the team has given a home to Katrina Berger retired pro cyclist and also Amber Neben. Our focus is "grass roots racing" and to encourage the sport of cycling for women and junior riders.

2. What is it like to be a part of a cycling team?

This is my first experience on a cycling team after only 2 years of racing. It is very nice to be part of a team especially when racing with a few members and being able to strategize and work together.
I have learned a lot from veteran teammates (like Tammy House, Lisa Jennings, Courtney Hammond) this year. IT is also nice to have a group of women to ride together occasionally or bounce ideas off about racing, training, etc. I think it is very important to be part of a team in women's cycling, especially as you move up in categories and start racing W1-2 races.

3. What are the future plans/goals of your team?

One of our goals is to field a 1-2 stage racing team and also to continue to encourage our cat. 3 and 4 riders to gain more experinace and upgrade in the furture.

4. If a woman is interested in joining your team now, can they? How?

Membership with the DeWalt team is on a selection basis. If an individual is interested they would contact Tammy House at Tammy@packsol.net

5.Any comments you'd like to make about women's cycling, racing, the
WCC?
I think the WCC is a great community for women cyclists, especially beginners who are just getting into racing, whether it be track, road, cross, mtn. It gives women an opportunity to communicate, train with other women and not be intimidated. Thanks!!

Anna Gerber

Photos soon!

http://web.mac.com/mkarzen1/iWeb/SBW/Womens%20Team.html

Team Karl Strauss/SDBC

1. Can you explain how your team came to be?

San Diego Bicycle club has been promoting bicycle racing for more than 60 years. Most people join because they ride for fun or fitness. After a while people become interested in bike racing, but just don’t know how to begin. SDBC has Team Directors to help new riders make the transition to racing and to give more cohesiveness and visibility to those who are already racing. We offer structured training, funding to support racers, and club races for those who just want to test the waters. This year, we have a development and elite women’s squad within SDBC.

2. What is it like to be a part of a cycling team?

Being part of a team is fun. You have people around you who have similar interests and goals. It is fun to be challenged in training and to have people to race with. It is fun to have teammates to craft and execute a plan with for a race. It means riders can enjoy racing and feel appreciated even if they are not to the point of having race winning fitness. Just doing your best and helping someone else win is exhilarating.

3. If a woman is interested in joining your team now, can they?

Women can join anytime. It is, of course, easier to get involved in the fall or early winter to obtain current clothing before we get into the thick of racing season. Also, in the Fall and winter there are more group training opportunities before folks start racing every weekend. New Racers are always welcome to join us! www.sdbc.org

4. What are the future plans/goals of your team?

I came onboard as director of the women’s development team quite recently. I would like to raise the visibility of bike racing among the recreational riders in the club and provide more opportunities for them to connect with racers and hopefully to stoke their interest into the sport of racing bicycles. I want to continue to build a feeling of unity and camaraderie within the development team. The ultimate goal is to breed our own and see some of our cat 3 or 4 riders eventually join the Women’s elite team.

5. Any comments you'd like to make about women's cycling, racing, the
WCC?

Women often have family and job responsibilities that make it really tough to get in time to train or to travel to races on the weekend. We recognize that and just want to encourage women to do whatever suits them. We want to encourage racing, but don’t apply pressure and don’t have “must do” races. We’ll appreciate you for whatever you can contribute to the team. One of the things I like about the WCC is that it is structured to encourage participation. We can’t all be stars, but if you line up and race and help out you’ll be recognized and appreciated.

Adrienne Brian, SDBC Women’s Development Team Director

PARAMOUNT WOMEN'S TEAM
STATE TTT CHAMPIONS OPEN WOMEN! CONGRATS TO YOU LADIES

Can you explain how your team came to be?

Paramount as a racing club has long history, but in the past several years has really stepped up its support of women’s racing by financing a women’s only squad within the larger team. Last year we were specifically a Cat 3/4 women’s developmental team, but as our current members continued to develop and upgrade we morphed into more of an Elite Women’s Team this year. We continue to make every effort to support new riders!

What is it like to be a part of a cycling team?

Racing as part of a dedicated team effort is hands-down the best part about bicycle racing. Every win is a team win and we always support each other. One of the great things about being on a team is that even if you do not have a winning sprint, you can still play a crucial role in the team’s success. Most of all, we have fun together.

If a woman is interested in joining your team now, can they?

YES. Paramount is an open club that anyone can join at any time ( see paramountracing.org). To be a sponsored rider with the associated perks (and added responsibilities) is a little more difficult to add mid-season, but if someone is truly interested than we are always willing to talk and see if we can work out a mutually agreeable arrangement. We have had several riders join recently because they loved the way we race as a team, and even though they are not technically part of our Elite Women’s Squad they have been crucial to our overall success and will have the opportunity to be full members next year, if that is what they want.

What are the future plans/goals of your team?

To continue to learn how to be smart and effective bike racers while maintaining the crucial element of fun. The beauty of bike racing is that there is always more to learn, and since most of us started racing about the same time (1 to 3 yrs experience for most of us), every race is an opportunity to figure out how to be a better team player and optimize our chances for success. We hope to continue to grow as a very strong force on the local racing scene, as well as attend several NRC events each year. Our goal is to be successful in all disciplines: criteriums, road races and stage races.

Any comments you'd like to make about women's cycling, racing, the WCC?

It was so much fun to be part of the inaugural year of the WCC last year and see the amazing growth that has occurred because the WCC’s continued efforts. The bar has been raised in women’s cycling – races are much more challenging this year then last, both because of more aggressive team tactics and more strong women coming out to play. Keep it up!

Heather Rose, Paramount Women's Team Captain

TEAM KARL STRAUSS/SDBC, SAN DIEGO

Amanda Duarte Cat 4, Junior
Rylee Brubaker Cat 4, Junior
Liza Rogers Cat2
Megan Baily Cat 3
Bonnie Bourque Cat 1 Women's Elite Team Captain
Maren Spillane Cat 4
Jill Jones Cat 4
Adrienne Brian Cat 3 Women's Development Team Captain

TEAM PARAMOUNT, ORANGE COUNTY

Kelli Jones Cat 3
Kelley Laxamana Cat 4
Hillary Crowley Cat 2
Heather Rose Cat 3 Team Captain
Simone Morrissette Cat 3
Dianna Del Fante Cat 3

TEAM FEMME FATALES, SANTA BARBARA

Simone Kleinschmidt
Sue Mcdonald
Kim Turner(in green, a Echelon rider)
Bobbi King
Liz Castillejo
Fran Finney

Liz, Sue, Bobbi with their Machines!

First of all, I'm 57 this year and have lost over 107 lbs over the past year thanks to my involvement in bicycling. I took a hard look at myself in a picture taken with my friend in Las Vegas a year ago and couldn't believe my eyes. I was really fat! Couple that with passing the speed limit in my age and I figured if I wanted to be around a few more years it was time for me to listen to my doctor!

I started riding an exercise bicycle at home but soon became bored with this and jumped on an old Trek 850 mountain bike I had purchased many years ago with good intentions of loosing weight.

I started riding on my days off averaging about 30 - 40 minutes twice a week. As I started getting stronger I decided I would start commuting to work on my bike. This was about 6 miles one way and was a good way of not missing a daily workout.

Over the course of this past year I have gone from over 345 lbs and a size 30 to 32 to my present 240 lbs size 16-18. I still have about 70 lbs to to to reach my goal weight of 165 but I will get there!

I recently put the Trek to pasture and purchased a new Specialized Tarmac Expert road bike (you might be able to guess the size of the bike, smile). I'm now hooked for good on bicycling. I rode the Long Beach Marathon bike tour in October and have competed locally in the December Tom's Farm Time trial and most recently in the January Piru 20k time trial. I attended the January women's clinic at the ADT center and plan on buying one of the Pro Lite track bikes with my income tax refund this year.

I will be competing in the Dominguez Hills Criterium on 1/28 and then rushing over to the ADT center to compete in the women's challenge there. In fact I've pretty much scheduled all of my vacation time this year so that I can compete in as many local races as possible. Costa Mesa Criterium in Feb, and WCC as much as possible.

So if you happen to run into me at a local race, or at the ADT center please feel free to say hello to the tall old lady, smile ( I'm 5'12" tall, yes I know but it sounds better than 6').

Hope I haven/t rambled on too much! Thanks to everyone involved in the WCC including yourself, Julia and Roger at the ADT center.

BTW included a copy of my pict at the Jan adt event, still don't like my picture yet, but its getting better.

Caitlin Martin

Bonnie Bourque started spin classes in 1997 to cross train for ice hockey. With the encouragement of fellow spinners, Bonnie bought a bike on March 4th, 1998. After a few group rides, she started racing in April, 1998 and hasn't looked back! Raised in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, the home of the Fitchburg Longsjo Classic NRC event, Bonnie left New England to pursue the sport of bicycle racing. She headed to the southwest, stopping in Tucson, Arizona for 4 years, and now resides in San Diego, California.

Once a participant of a grassroots program, Bonnie has now founded and developed the Women's Cycling Challenge Series with the support of the SCNCA to encourage women to enter the sport of bicycle racing.

When Bonnie is off the bike, she is on her feet for 13 hour night shifts as a Registered Nurse at UCSD Medical Center. She works on an Oncology/Transplant unit. Cancer is close to her heart, being a survivor of thyroid cancer at age 20.

2006 Team Captain Karl Strauss/SDBC Women's Elite Team

Racing Highlights:

• Category 1 Road
• Category 3 Track
• 2007 Del Mar Crit Series Leader
• 2006 Del Mar Crit Series Leader
• 2005 Cat 3 SoCal Cup Champion
• 2003 American Velodrome Challenge 6th 3K pursuit
• 2001 AZ State TT Champion
• 1999 MA State TT Champion
• 1998 5th Overall in New England Womens Series

Photo: Bonnie lending a hand to the next generation of women cyclists at Barrio Logan

Dorothy Wong started cycling in 1995 in an attempt to get into shape while holding down a high-pressure career in television. Nine weeks after buying her bike, she entered her first mountain bike race and discovered her passion. Dorothy is now a Pro cross country MTB racer and an experienced category 2 road racer. In the ioff-seasoni she continues to battle it out in cyclo-cross at the elite level while also promoting the sport in So Cal. When not duking it out with the gals, she tackles the Hollywood scene an Associate Director. She will be starting her 12th season on the FOX comedy show, MadTV in August.

Racing highlights:

• 2005 World Masters Games Mountain Bike Champion
• 7-time Senior State Cyclocross Champion (1999-2005)
• 6-time Master's podium appearances at Cyclocross Nationals (2000-2005)
• 2005 State Masters Road Race and Criterium Bronze Medalist
• 2002 USCF State Masters Road Race Champion

I started riding a mountain bike in 1985 and shortly thereafter found myself an owner of a road bike as well. Thought I’d try my luck at racing in 1988 which proved to be a lot of fun, not to mention the spectacular places I got to enjoy when racing and the people in the sport that I came in contact with that have since become my dearest friends.

In 1997 myself and Jeanne Bernhard started a Women’s Road Race team called Harbour Lights which remains in existence and is now called DeWalt Women’s race team. I continue to race in the dirt as well.

I hold two World Championship Masters Jersey behind down hilling and multiple National jerseys on the road.

I continue to get one of my biggest thrills at giving back to the sport whether its taking on a developmental rider to the team or being part of the yearly Women’s Weekend mountain bike clinic at Big Bear. The reason this is so dear to me is I remember when I was new to the sport and the different individuals that impacted my growth along the way. I look forward to the continued involvement with the SCNCA.