NRO Cycling Team

NRO in orange

2011-11-06T11:26:00.000-08:00

Race season is officially over for many of us "raodies". I know it's by choice but there are other great things to do in the off season. ...like dress up in camo and top it off with flourescent orange !!! Nate shows up in a full-on hooded, hunters orange, long sleeve jersey....what!!!! I think he needs to do some group rides in that thing so we can all keep him in our scopes :)

Nate and I had a great morning of hunting last week. This little 3 pt buck was just what we needed to end the day.

Deer burger at the next NRO party!!!!

Megan...another W!!

2011-10-04T10:32:00.000-07:00

This picture pretty much sums up why Megan continues to get the W!!

2011 Para Track National Champion.

We are so proud of her. Wish she was back in Missoula.

Keep rocking the NRO green Meg....

Brian Williams takes crit!

2011-05-15T06:36:00.000-07:00

Brian Williams racing well at the Wenatchee Omnium this weekend.

Yesterday he placed 11th in the TT and won the Crit!!!

Today is the RR. Lot's of climbing.... Go get it Brian!!!

Roubaix success!

2011-04-10T17:34:00.001-07:00

Well, another Roubaix went down today. The green machine kicked it in high gear for some top place finishes! One of our most dedicated new riders Josh Martell placed 2nd in the Cat 5 field. Peter Young finished in 2nd place in the Cat 4 field, Lindsy Campbell found a gear that no other women had today and finished strong in first place in the Women's 1/2/3 field, and Jamie, one of our newest riders took home a sweet 1st place finish for the Cat 4 women. Last but certainly not least, the Men 1/2 field....it sounds like there was some incredible teamwork done amongst them with Josh Tack putting the hurt on the field time and time again, and Dan V. and Shaun Radley hammering to place them in 1st and 2nd respectively. Phew! You guys are killing it this year and it demonstrates what solid teamwork can accomplish in this sport.

I'd like to thank all the riders who braved the Missoula winter weather to race today. It hasn't been a very forgiving winter/spring, and I was glad to see the 85+riders who came out. I'd also like to thank our two major sponsors for making 2011 start off to a great season: Northern Rockies Orthopedic, & Big Sky Bikes. You help put smiles on our faces!

NRO doing well at Cherry Blossom

2011-04-02T05:55:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of Lindsy working it at Cherry Blossom! Go Linds! She finished 15th in the Cat 1-2 field at yesterday's 75 mile Road race. In the men's field, Brian Williams finished 6th (can't wait to hear all about it) as Josh Tack and Dan V. also rode in within a minute of him! Way to go everyone! More to come as they have 3 more stages left to go! Today: TT and Crit! Keep riding strong everyone!

On a side note...Frozen Flatlands is today and tomorrow. Looks like the name will hold up to itself! Anxious to see how people do!

The Green Machine Takes 1-2-3!

2011-03-27T07:23:00.000-07:00

The season is starting off with a bang for Northern Rockies! Just when you think those snow-bound legs couldn't pedal any faster than last weekend, the Men's A Category saw record speeds. Rumor has it they were clocked in at 37mph on the flats! Way to go men! Dan V. decided to make his move after the railroad tracks and time trialed to the finish line to take a well earned 1st place! After taking first place last weekend, Shaun came in with an impressive second. Also, NRO's machine Josh Tack took third to round off a 1-2-3 placing for NRO! I would also like to add that if it weren't for some punky little kids throwing thumb tacks on the road, Brian Williams would have been in the running as well. UGH! It's going to be a great season for the team! All of that training in snow, wind, rain, sleet, and hail certainly has us off to a strong start!

Clinton Training Race #1 - NRO 1-2 finish

2011-03-19T14:16:00.000-07:00

The weather held off until the last lap today. It was cold but not too windy or rainy as predicted. There was a good turn out, but not quite what we had last year (I don't know the exact numbers.)

Shortly after the C's started, everyone groaned as the crossing signals came down and a train passed through. Depending on the length of the train, the C's could gain a serious advantage. However, the train proved short enough to not affect the race outcome. We caught the B's and C's (not sure the order or on what lap, lap 2?), but some of the B's stuck with us and put in a great effort. Of special note was Lindsy Campbell who came in among the top 10 overall! Great job, Lindsy!

On the 4th lap, Nate went off the front and the other NRO riders rode defensively. As we rounded the last turn, the headwind was fierce and Nate was reeled in. His effort ended up working perfectly for his teammates though. In the last few hundred meters, Shaun began "leading me out". There was no way I could stay on his wheel though and Shaun ended up getting the perfect lead out from Dan who had been setting the pace up front. From the finish line video you can see that the power they produced in the last 200m kept anyone from finishing very close. Nice work guys. Incredible effort, Shaun!
Thanks, Charlotte, for the photos and video! And thanks Alex and the guys from Missoula Bicycle Works for organizing this year's event. Watch the race finish HERE.
-Joshua

Tuesday Ride 3-15-2011 5:30

2011-03-14T18:46:00.000-07:00

Are you ready? With the first training race coming up this weekend...it is time to put the hammer down. Tuesdays...starting tomorrow.

Tuesday Ride this year will meet at the UM footbridge (VanBuren St) at 5:30. As daylight extends - the ride will be moved back to 6 p.m. (in a few weeks...tba)

This is a fast paced training ride with the route decided by those who attend. Keep it safe - but don't be afraid to take a flyer and see who comes after you!!!

This ride is open to everyone - but please be aware that this is "race pace" and good pack skills are recommended.

Riding Outside - A Novel Idea

2011-03-08T16:13:00.000-08:00

Saturday (March 5th) we woke up to big, fat snowflakes falling from the sky (and collecting on the ground).
Tamara's phone rang continuously as folks wanted to inquire if we were really going to ride. I know there are plenty of hardcores on our team that have been riding outside all winter, but this was our first official outside team ride of the year. Those that showed up at Big Sky Bikes (13 in all) were treated to snow, graupel, sunshine, and lots of dirty spray coming off of un-fendered tires. We rode up Ninemile to the end of the pavement, up Roman Creek, and then came back on Mullen. I'm looking forward to next week, when there will be enough daylight to ride after work!

Elliot Bassett...Is Retired!?

2011-01-09T20:16:00.000-08:00

Yup...RETIRED!! Guessing he will coach full time and train almost full time. He is really good at both. Given that - he has earned the January NRO rider of the month.
Watch out for Elliot this year....oh yeah...he will be there.

About Elliot:

When was the first time you knew you had bike fever? :Spring Break 2005. Put in 4 days in a row over 100 miles. Best weather I had the whole time was 50 and a light drizzle.

Most memorable race?:State road race. 2009. I blew it at the end, but it was fun.

Most memorable/favorite ride?:West Glacier around the south end of the park and back to west glacier.

Favorite bike?:My first road bike. My current fixed gear commuter. The rainbow warrior. It's a 1999 Marin Argenta. It's seen a lot of use.

What inspires you?:Getting better. Seeing what I'm capable of.

Who inspires you?:Anyone who works really hard in relative obscurity.

Tell us something we don't know...!!!:I got lost in my first bike race.

A great picture to share...

2010-12-11T09:41:00.001-08:00

We had a fun Holiday get together at Tamaras last night. One of the highlights was watching Tyler ponder 3-D glasses! Happy Holidays everyone! 2011 is going to be another great year for the team!

ROLLING THUNDER COUNT DOWN.....

2010-10-12T06:18:00.001-07:00

Are you ready for the biggest Cyclocross race to hit this side of the Mississippi? Rolling Thunder is a mere 5 days away! The anticipation awaits us! Racers, get your race on, Spectators! Get your cowbells on! Be sure to visit montanacyclocross.com for more race details! Who will win this time? What kind of shananagans will the Schultz brothers pull out of their chamois this year???? Find out! Saturday, October 16th at the American Legion Field!

A spectacular Cyclocross Clinic opportunity!

2010-09-02T21:19:00.000-07:00

Ok - believe it or not, Cyclocross season is just around the barrier - Oh- I mean corner. A few of your teammates and other avid Cross riders are putting on a great clinic for riders of all abilities to partake in! There will be many experienced riders hosting this event (both men and women), and not to mention, it's free! Check it out! Hopefully you can make it!

Sunday, September, 12th 2010

Directions: Fort Missoula. From Reserve Street turn SW on South Ave, left on
CCC Road, go for about a 1⁄2 mile and look for parking on your right near the
“train station.”

Schedule:

10:00am – 10:30am – Registration, Welcome, Introductions, and split into groups

10:40am – 11:00am – Station #1 – Equipment (Dave Hartman)

11:05am – 11:25am – Station #2 – Training, Race Prep (Elliot Bassett)

11:30am – 11:50am – Station #3 – Starts, Cornerning, Running(Toby
Meierbachtol & John Fiore)

11:55am – 12:15pm – Station #4 – Barriers (Alex Gallego)

12:20pm – 1:00pm – Lunch and Q&A session

1:15pm – 1:45pm – 20 minute optional course ride – A, B, and C categories
(Not Scored)

2:00pm – Send off

Rules: Racers must wear helmets while racing and warming up/down.

What to bring: Bike (Mountain or Cyclocross), sack lunch, helmet, water

Fees: The clinic is free.

Questions: Contact John Fiore 406-544-4528 or Shaun Radley 406-544-5270
montanacyclocross@gmail.com

Meet Lindsy Campbell

2010-09-02T06:24:00.001-07:00

Lindsy is our well deserved rider of the month. She has excelled not only in the collegiate community, she has done well in Montana as well. Her enthusiasm, free spirit, and enthusiasm for cycling is infectious. We are so glad she rides for NRO! Thanks Lindsy!

Here's a little bit about her...

First time you knew you had bike fever?
I think it was my seventh birthday when I got my first "real" bike. It was a red Trek with gold cougar paws on it. The best part of the present was a book that my dad wrote called "Little Red Riding Cap" which was a spin off of "Little Red Riding Hood". In the book I was the heroine who wore a red baseball cap backwards instead of a hood and beat up on the big bad wolf in a number ways before riding away like badass on my bicycle. I was such a tomboy... still am.
Most memorable ride:
Just a couple of weeks ago I was visiting my sister in Rising Sun, GNP. I brought my bike and decided to ride back to my car in C-Falls on the last day. I took the long way through East Glacier not realizing how far it was. I completed the 130 mile ride nine hours later (there was a head wind the whole way) totally exhausted, starving, and really sunburnt. It was a good time.
Favorite ride:
Saguaro East outside of Tucson, AZ. It's like single track for a road bicycle.

Favorite bike:
My favorite bike is one that don't have yet but will own someday. Not sure on the details right now but it will be light and quick and will win lots of races.

Who and/or what inspires you?:
Lots of things but mostly having so many great friends to train with. Living with two other really motivated athletes has been very helpful. When you don't have to sneak around at 5:30 am because the rest of the house is up grinding coffee and getting ready for their first workout everything is a lot easier!

The cat's out of the bag!!!!

2010-08-30T19:47:00.000-07:00

Global warming may now come to an end... The earth has tilted off it's axis.... Tamara Bessette, the girl who claims "I don't ride dirt!" pretty much cleaned Snowbowl Lookout last week. It was one heck of a fun day...

It all started with Tamara not knowing any of the routes in the Rattlesnake, and wanting to ride Sawmill Gulch. I was excited to ride some dirt with her and happily agreed to go on the ride. We picked the hottest day of the year...97+ degrees for her so-called Maiden voyage. As we discussed our ride, I was beginning to think she might have ridden Snowbowl Lookout with Howard before, but couldn't quite deciper her description of trails..

So we were off...we took the "Ewok" single track trail as a little tester. When she said "that turn just really freaked me out!" I thought we may be in for a quick trip. Then we hit the logging road up Sawmill and she began to say "Oh I could ride this all day..." I began to worry as we took the single track up towards Curry. To no avail..she cleaned it. Not a wimper, and not even a worry. In fact, she turned her climb on as we started our ascent...and then I began to worry!

We gathered ourselves, and decided to continue on... Up Curry we went, and again, no signs of strain or fear in her eyes. And then alas....we found ourselves at the top of Snowbowl Lookout. We were both excited but then the big question laid before us. Which way should we go down? Should the girl who claims "never to ride dirt" take the easy or hard way down. You all know which route she chose...the hard way. Tamara doesn't resist a good challenge.

The downhill: Short and simple. She pretty much cleaned it. Yes, she pretty much cleaned it. With the exception of the infamous "S-turn" she cleaned it. And I was thinking...."what the&^%&^%*!"

So, the cat's out of the bag. Tamara rides dirt. Go ahead - ask her for a ride!

Report from the Rainbow Jersey

2010-08-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

My Race Report
By Meg Fisher

The number of athletes participating in Paracycling is relatively small compared to everyone else involved with USA Cycling and the Union Cycliste Internationale. That said, it is a community of elite, fiercely competitive athletes. This was my first year competing with the United States National Paracycling Team and my first opportunity to make an impression on the road at the World stage. I wanted to ride strong and represent my country (and Missoula) proudly.

After nearly a month away, I am thrilled to return home with two rainbow jerseys from the 2010 UCI Paracycling Road World Championships. This year, the Championships were held in a tiny town called Baie-Comeau on the banks of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The residents of this little French-Canadian town in Quebec came out in force to support over 500 athletes and their staff who travelled from 40 countries. Competition spanned four days; August 19th - 22nd.

Prior to making the journey to Baie-Comeau, the US National Team met in Colorado Springs at the Olympic Training Center for two weeks of prep camp. Days at the Olympic Training Center are not exciting by design. The focus is on training and recovery. If there were a party every night, no one would have the legs to go out and train the next day. Though, the OTC tries to make life mildly entertaining. A great example would be 'Western Night.' Yep, the cafeteria transformed into a saloon and served all things western. We dined on corn bread, mashed potatoes, beans, and apple cobbler - all low calorie, of course! That night there was a game, too. Athletes herded balloons through an obstacle course. Let's just say that athletic specificity does not foster coordination.

The training at prep camp included high intensity with plenty of rest. The goal was to help us explore our limits so we could know how far we could push ourselves on race day. We rode plenty of hills, since the course at Worlds included a long climb at roughly 9%. Colorado Springs has plenty of roads that mimic the race course climb beautifully. We rode every day and did our best to recover each night. We stayed in the dorms designated for teams that are in town for training. We were located on the first floor directly below the junior racquetball team. By the sounds of it, those rowdy kids invented a game involving a racquetballs and jumping from bed to bed. It sounded like a mosh pit minus the loud music. Regardless, it was impossible to sleep below them. More than once, we had to go upstairs and remind the rascals about quite hours.

On August 13th, the team set sail for Baie-Comeau. We travelled with 17 athletes and 9 staff members. The logistics of getting 26 people and all the gear out to remote Baie-Comeau were mind boggling. Baie-Comeau is not an easy place to get to. Missoula's Airport may as well be O'Hare International Airport compared to what we found in Baie-Comeau.

Once in Baie-Comeau, we did our best to relax, get comfortable with the course, and fine tune our bikes for race day. The anxiety amongst the athletes was high. Even at camp we were stressed. The World had high expectations for the American team. Coupled with our own expectations, we were all on edge.

I won't try to explain the disability classification system in this post. It's a confusing mess of abbreviations and functional testing. Functionally, all you need to know is that there are 5 classes or groupings of disability for individuals who ride standard upright bicycles. They are listed C5, C4, C3, C2, and C1. C5 individuals are the 'least disabled' and the C1's are the 'most disabled.' I am a C4. Are you confused yet? If you are, please feel free to ask me, but for now, I'll move on.

The first day of competition included the women's time trial. The C5 women were the first to roll out on the course. Team USA has three C5 women; two of which were competing in the time trial. My classification, C4, followed the C5's after a three minute gap. I was the first C4 athlete to roll out on to the course. Somehow, I missed my start. I was waiting in the starting area, primed and ready to go, yet no one told me to go to the start house! Anyways, I rolled out for my two laps of a 11.4km course like it was a normal TT. I quickly tried to settle in and find an aero position. On the challenging sections of the course, I turned myself inside out. There's the saying that the secret to winning is a simple combination of riding a harder gear than you want, pedalling when you think other people won't, not braking when others might, and enduring more pain than your competition can handle. That sounds easy enough. I did my best to put that formula to use. Though, when coaches shouted out time checks, I was always down on my competition. I couldn't figure out the math in my head, so I just resolved to endure more pain. On the second and final lap of the course, I buried myself in the pain cave. When the coach shouted in the final stretch to sprint, I found another gear and went for it. Like with any time trial, you never know how you placed until everyone finishes the course. Thankfully, I didn't have to wait long. I secured the top podium by a five second margin. Five seconds allowed me the privilege to stand on the top podium and receive a World Champion's rainbow striped jersey, a gold medal, and hear our National Anthem. It was an incredible moment and one I will cherish for years to come.

Not until after the race, when I was thanking the officials, did I discover that I missed my start by 35 seconds!! What! So in effect, I would have beaten my competition by 40 seconds!!! After finding out that bit of news, my confidence was at an all time high.

The women had a rest day between the time trail and the road race. On my day off, I took a short spin around Baie-Comeau to keep my legs moving. Besides that, I laid in bed reading Julia Child's memoir. I daydreamed about butter. When I thought about the road race ahead, I would immediately start sweating. Even though I had a strong TT finish, I was anxious about the road race. The road race would be a unique challenge due to the fact that the C5 and C4 women would be starting together. That also meant that I would have three American teammates in the race to work with. Generally, people who are classified C5 have some sort of arm injury or amputation. C5 women tend to be the one's with moderate leg impairments, like a nerve injury or an amputation. My goal was to stick with the C5 ladies as long as possible, work with my teammates, and cross the line ahead of my C4 competition.

On race day, the plan sort of worked. I stayed with some C5 women, but they were the slow C5's. I had no trouble staying with them and neither did my competition. So for most of the 5 lap race, I had the C4 women marking me. I launched some small attacks on the hills and other challenging sections to see how they would respond, as well as to wear them down. I figured that they would work hard to stay with me and the finish would be determined by a sprint. I felt confident in my fitness, but not confident enough to ride away from the group on a big attack. On the second to last lap of the course, at the start of the long climb, about 7k from the finish, I rode with a group of 5 women. Two C5's and three C4's. I attacked on the climb and shelled three of the girls. At the top of the hill, I was alone with the Canadian. She recognized the need to get space between us the other girls, so we worked together for awhile. But once we heard the bell for the last lap, it was all out war. I tried to employ some sports psychology. I let her begin to think that I had worn myself out on the previous efforts and attacks. I took short pulls and told her that I was feeling tired. On the last climb I let her take the lead up the hill. I huffed and puffed so she could hear me and allowed myself to drop off her wheel. Then, quickly, I grabbed a few gears, got out of the saddle and sprinted by her. It was awesome to see the gap grow. Still, I wasn't confident enough to just ride away. On the other side of the hill, the wind of the St. Lawrence was gusty and I wanted to use her to block the wind. I felt satisfied that if it came to it, I could out sprint her at the line. Quickly, we closed in on the finish line. She was trying to make me do most of the work. I didn't want to empty my legs so I went at a pace I could sustain. Remarkably, the slower C5's caught up to us about 2k from the line. I was happy to see them, because I thought I might be able to use them to lead me out to the finish line. My plan worked perfectly. About 800m from the line the C5's took off. I jumped on one girl's wheel and let her tow me in. As her legs gave out, I flew by her and crossed the line as the first C4 woman. It was a rewarding win. My tactical road racing experience is still developing. It felt amazing to have raced smart and won!

For the second time, I got the privilege to stand on the top step, receive a rainbow jersey, a gold medal, and hear my country's song. It was an incredible experience and well worth all the time in the saddle.

I'm relieved and happy to be home. Twenty-three days is a long time to be away from home. Now, I have the opportunity to thank everyone who helped me get this far. While, I may have been the one crossing the finish line, I would not have gotten there on my own. My employers, coworkers, coaches, teammates, prosthetists, roommates, dogs, and supporting companies have allowed me to live out my dreams. Thank you to all of you.

Megan Fisher is a WORLD CHAMPION!!!!!

2010-08-19T17:33:00.000-07:00

NRO's Megan Fisher texted me today and said she won the TT in the paraworlds in Baie-Comeau, Quebec. She said the 22.8k tt was hilly. She will race the RR on Saturday and is feeling confident.

Way to go Megan!!!

Stay tuned - hope to have a race report soon.

T.

2010 State Championship Road Race

2010-07-28T06:30:00.000-07:00

Well, to say that NRO showed up at the State race would be an under statement. The team came out in full force! Hopefully I can talk someone in on doing a write up for us! Anyway, Here are some of the results:

Women 1/2/3: Tamara Bessette took 2nd and Lindsy Campbell took 3rd
Women 4: Kara Dewalt took (another) 1st
Men 4: Scott Lenaburg took 3rd, Peter Young took 4th
Men 5: Jason Harding took 1st and Josh Martell took 3rd
Masters A: Mike Longmier took 1st and Steve Zellmer took 2nd
Men 1/2: Brian Williams took 2nd, Josh Tack took 4th
Men 3: Jeff C. took 1st (poor Seth Phillips was doing awesome, but took a wrong turn!)

Way to go team! Here is a link to some photos:
(unfortunately, you'll have to copy and paste it until I can get the "link" thing figured out!)

http://picasaweb.google.com/ray.joey/2010StateRoadRace02#

Joshua Phillips Wins Boise Crit - Report

2010-07-20T07:15:00.000-07:00

Josh Tack, Peter Young, Charlotte and I drove down to Boise last weekend for the Wells Fargo Twilight Criterium.
It was HOT in Downtown Boise at 4pm when the 4-5 race was scheduled to go off. Peter Young and I lined up at the start with 59 other riders from surrounding states. The pace was fast and fairly consistent for the first 35 minutes. A few riders attacked for primes, but were reeled in fairly quickly. I stayed near the front for the first half of the race and was able to dodge a wreck on corner #3. I slipped back into the middle of the group for a few laps and was really feeling the burn when they announced 10 laps to go. When we hit 7 to go the pace ramped up and I wondered if I was going to lose my lunch before the finish. With about 4 laps to go I was coming up the outside before turn #1 and there was another wreck. As soon as the rider went down I punched it and found myself in 5th position. On the back side of the last lap I passed a few more riders and found myself in 2nd position coming out of turn #3. The first rider and I jumped out of the saddle between turn 3 and 4 and I looked back just coming out of the last turn. We had a very small gap, but it proved to be enough for me to sit on his wheel before launching my sprint. The timing ended up perfect as several riders gained on me as we approached the finish line. A rider coming up the outside came very close but at the line I still had half a bike on him. Afterward, Peter said that he cracked on the second to last lap and decided to lay down on the sidewalk in the shade.
The main event started at 8:30pm when the Pro/Cat 1 men started their 90 minute race. Josh seemed comfortable in the back half of the field but ended up getting tangled up in a crash about half-way through the race. His rear wheel was unridable and his knee was quickly swelling. However, after securing a rear wheel from the pit, he jumped back in stuck with the field at the back. As riders cracked and fell off the back, Josh “punched their ticket” and maintained his position on the back of the field (seemingly effortlessly). The pace was unbelievably fast and averaged over 30 mph for every lap. The last lap average speed was 35 mpg as the winner crossed the line. Way to hang in there Josh!
A big thank you goes out to Tamara and Josh Tack for giving me pre-race tips. And a HUGE thank you goes to John and Linda (Charlotte’s parents) for hosting us and feeding us so well.
-Joshua

NRO at Elkhorn

2010-06-21T20:41:00.000-07:00

Both Shaun Radley and Brian Williams showed up in good form this past weekend at Elkhorn. This isn't surprising as both of them have been cycling strong this year. Here are a few pictures to prove it! Way to go guys!

Brian Williams Wins at Elkhorn!!!

2010-06-18T18:22:00.000-07:00

Brian was in a break of 15 along with GAS's John Curry in the 1st stage of the Elkhorn Classic in Oregon and took the win!! Absolutely incredible! More details as they come. All of you make me proud to be part of Montana cycling.

Get to know Steve Zellmer, NRO rider of the month

2010-06-16T19:20:00.001-07:00

Steve Zellmer is killing it this year! Here are a few things that make him tick... Glad you're riding for us, Steve!

First time you knew you had bike fever?
Back in Madison in about 1982 a college buddy of mine who was a racer talked me into doing a crit around the Capitol- I had no idea what a crit was. I wore two tee shirts, soccer cleats strapped as hard to the pedals as I could get them and a hockey helmet. It was awesome, I finished second and was hopelessly hooked.
Most memorable ride:
My most memorable ride was the Bob Cook Memorial Hill Climb in Colorado. Its a 28 mile, 7,000 foot climb that ends at 14,250 feet on Mount Evans on the highest paved road in North America. The scenery was awesome but it was one of the most gruesome rides I've ever done.
Favorite ride:
Boulder/Lyons/ Estes Park/ Ward/ Left Hand Canyon, hands down.
Favorite bike:
That's a tough call, my 3Rensho and I have been through a lot together. I had this Raleigh Super Course in college, bar-end shifters, it was sick.
Who and/or what inspires you?:
I draw inspiration from a lot of sources but I wouldn't be on the bike right now if it wasn't for my son, Willy. I'm in awe of his perseverance and committment; his passion for all things cycling just blows me away.
What is something that people don't know about you?
I once had my picture in Rolling Stone magazine.

A Team Victory

2010-06-14T10:16:00.000-07:00

Don't have time to write a full race report but want to give a quick but sincere thanks to my team for the incredible work they did for me on Sunday to help me with the 6 seconds I needed for the Womens's 1/2/3 overall "W". They kept the pace high and set me up for the time bonus sprints. I feel so honored to have had Kara, Kellie, Joey and Lindsy totally committed doing whatever I needed for the win.

Kara - Wow....basically her first NRO race as a Cat 4 and she killed it!. She is not only strong - but teachable and willing to do work for the team. Kara chased down breaks and helped set pace the entire race. She has a future in cycling for sure. We are so lucky to have her.

Kellie C. - Took the Overall win for the Cat 4 women and rode very strong. I think an upgrade is in the works. Kellie, too, helped chase and set pace at the front the entire race.

Joey - I can't give her enough credit. Joey did more work at the front than anyone in the race. She was my saving grace on several attempts from Delphine to break away. With about 18 miles to go I realized that what i was speculating was in deed happening....a flat front. I pulled Joey to the back and told her. Her first comment was "take my bike Tam". So giving!!! We decided not a good idea. She then spread the word to the NRO girls. I was able to finish with about 25lbs of pressure....sheesh!!

Lindsy - She made me feel like Cavandish. Our plan was to have her lead out...and that she did....PERFECT!! We were both given lots of rest by our teammates. Lindsy is incredible. Her cycling career is bright.

Thank you Joey, Lindsy, Kellie and Kara. I love you all!!!!

-Tamara

MT hood report

2010-06-09T16:06:00.000-07:00

As you may have seen on the “Blogosphere”, I (BW) just returned from the Mt Hood Cycling Classic. Thought I would try to give a little snapshot of what it was like.

It was just days before the race when Shaun informed me, during a Gchat conversation, that the organizers were including the Cat 2 field at Mt Hood with the Pro-1. Needless to say, I was pretty concerned. I was fresh off two good weeks of training, finally, but the 6 weeks before I had been struggling to recover, working nights, rarely getting more than 12 hours a week. My “sensations” at Wenatchee were nothing other than poor. It also meant that upgrade points would only be awarded for GC, unless you could out-sprint or out-climb the professionals at the front of the race, and that the chance of spending a large portion of the road stages “O-T-B” were astronomical. However, it also meant that I had extra motivation, in the 4 days after our conversation leading up to the race, to trim another pound or two off the old spare tire, ride 12 hours (there's nothing like some good crash training), and psyche myself up for 6 days of racing with, as Linsey Corbin put it last night at Bessetto's birthday party, about as much tactics as a Triathlon: ride the Pro-train as long as possible. Last man standing wins the Cat 2 GC.

Bissell and their defending champion Mach were there with a small team, United Healthcare brought a large team including NW favorite Morgan Schmitt, and most other western American and Canuckan (see http://ryanalexanderpayne.blogspot.com/2010/05/i-gladly-stand-up-next-to-you-and.html) elite amateur teams were in attendance, like HR Block, Total Restoration, Hagens Berman, Yahoo, California Giant Strawberries, and RideClean. Quite a few dirt riding professionals were there too, Ryan Trebon, Sid Taberlay, Carl Decker. (If you're wondering how tall Treefarm really is, let me just say that when I'm riding next to him and we're both in the hoods, his hips as high as my shoulders, give or take an inch. And I have a 34” inseam.) Hood is the biggest race I'd ever started, and would be a great chance to evaluate my fitness. After a week of good days and bad days, you get a pretty refined idea of how you stack up. Unfortunately, when I had good legs on the first RR, I missed a split for being caught slacking in the back, which ironically still produced my best stage placing at 32^nd, after dragging the first chase group around for 20 miles with only the help of pro mtb'er Carl Decker and some other cat 2 who was high on GC. But by the end of the week I had found the rhythm of the race, and with pain as the only sensation coming from lower extremities, was able to time my efforts well, and hung with the yellow jersey group on the queen climbing stage until 5k to go, something like half way or more up the final ski resort climb. So while good results eluded me, I also avoided bad ones too. I'm not enough of a stage racer to love that, but I'll take it.

The biggest surprise was that I didn't finish either criterium, my loathsome but historical specialty. You read about the crash in the first one on Shaun's blog, no big deal I was just pushed to the outside where the shoulder slopes down to a gutter, so once my front wheel met mossy, wet, off camber pavement, I hit the deck like an OPRFer follows a lonesome text message... Just a little road rash but a broken derailleur hanger only 3 laps in kept me from continuing; I received a 13 minute time penalty so I could avoid disqualification, a pretty good compromise. I had a spare hanger in the toolbox and was ready to go the next day. In Sunday's final, rainy criterium I was riding complacently in the bunch, happy to have avoided further crashes, like when Sam Johnson for some reason lost it around the downhill corner a couple inches in front of me. I had traction enough left to dodge to the inside at 30mph and avoid him, along with the guy directly behind me, later my mom told me the 25 riders behind us piled into Johnson. But with 2.5 laps to go my rear tire blew out. This time I got a pro-rated time with the peloton. 6^th place cat 2 GC got dropped so I took that spot, in the money and a few upgrade points, which was pretty sweet after finding myself D-F-L at the start of stage 2.

The most memorable hours of the week were the early miles of Saturday's queen climbing stage, which starts and finishes at the Mt Hood Meadows ski area. The weather had finally lightened up and the day was set to be crystal clear and sweaty. Once you paid your dues in a long line for the bathroom (yes, ladies, a line out the door for the men's) and sauntered over to the sign in, trying to listen in on UHC's tactical discussions (word on the street was that they were going to let things go until the second climb), heard the head commissaire scolding the Yahoos about bottles jettisoned outside the feed zones, checked your brakes five times wile shivering in the refrigerated morning air, spent ten minutes puzzling over why, since the chairlifts in front of you were running, you were riding bikes today, and then thoroughly soaked in Mt Hood's snow-white grandeur, you threw a leg over the bike and coasted down a hill for something like 15 miles. A large part of the descent was neutralized, which as you can imagine meant the smell of burning carbon brake pads was particularly pungent. At one point early in the wide open, fast descent I saw Hagens Berman rider and former WWU teammate of mine Chris Parrish going backwards, his bike bucking six inches side to side in one of the nastiest speed shimmies I've seen. I yelled “Knees on the top tube!” and hoped he was alright. He was. After reaching the bottom not a few goosebumps later, I was trying to reconstruct the elevation profile in my head, and all I could remember was a sharp dip, the first climb coming immediately at the bottom of the descent. So I was very suspicious when we were happily rolling along on the flats, but I let my guard down and tried to enjoy it for a minute, and warm up my legs. Which is when I saw the lead car make a right turn. No other way to interpret that. It's hard straight from the bottom, Category 1 climb. In a couple minutes Mach and some others are attacking, now we're all on the rivet. 150 riders are strung out two or three wide: a snake winding up the mountain. The arm warmers are hastily shoved down and the jersey is all the way open, “rise and shine legs” its still morning, oh god, how long is this going to be, 30 minutes, 45? Pushing through the lead in my veins I'm trying to remember that cranks move in circles, and wondering why they won't do that any faster. Around a corner I saw a huge split open and had nightmares of the first road race, but this time the split was further back, I was about mid pack, just behind it. A casual observer could tell, this one wasn't closing. I passed a few riders then sprinted hard up the left to cross it, knowing that going into the red is an acceptable compromise because this race is blowing up, just as it started. I was the last rider to bridge the gap, 70^th about, and each person behind me never saw the leaders again, until the parking lot 80 miles later. The last 20 miles of that race were touch-and-go, as I moved to the front to drift back on climbs, and even got dropped and chased back with a Bissell rider. Without a doubt, the rudest warm-up of my life, but who cares when you make it!

It was a great experience and I'll probably go back. The first crit course was a little ridiculous, with a hairpin 180 degree turn in a 150 rider field and the slick-as-snot sloping shoulders that ended my race, and I was definitely not happy that the technical prologue course was closed to pre-ride over 3 hours before my start time, which was after dark in the pouring rain. But once out of Portland, the courses and scenery were tremendous, and the competition high but not impossible. The climbs, while long, are all fairly moderate grades so a regular guy like me can hang.

I'm already looking forward to the next big race I can get into, maybe elite nationals, Cascade, or somehow the Tour of Utah, but I was certainly missing the NRO family while at the race, and am very happy to be back home. Thanks for reading-

Brian

Cow Country...another suffer fest!

2010-06-07T12:15:00.000-07:00

Report by Tamara Bessette

Cow Country......

One of the toughest courses I have ever raced on. The first year I raced it was in 1990 (maybe 91) ....soloed in for the win. Soloed in yesterday too...but for 2nd behind an incredibly worthy opponent...Amy Frykman.

The womens race was well attended including NRO riders Joey Lenaburg, Kellie Carim, new rider Megan Fisher, Lindsy Campbell, and myself. GAS team looked strong including Lisa Curry, Amy C., Anna Dingman, Julie Z. Pro triathlete Jen Leubke had us all worried. There were several new women in the field - great to see them out there. And of course, the one we all were marking, Team Delphine's Amy Frykman.

Lindsy, Joey and I all had a plan for this year......to do better than last year. I placed last in the 1/2/3's ; Lindsy and Joey both suffered alone for most of the 49 miles and did not place as well as they wanted.

Unlike the Men's race, our race was pretty quiet for the first 8 miles. The hill started and so did the suffering. Amy Frykman and Jen crested first, 50m back was me, another 100m was Lisa Curry and Lindsy Campbell. I chased but could not close. Saw Amy ride Jen off and knew it was time to let the two behind catch so we could work together to at least catch Jen. We did.

Our next goal was to catch Amy. We kept her in sight - but with the tail wind and the motor that Amy has got going right now, i knew it probalby wasn't going to happen. It did not.

With about 7 miles to go I found myself with Lisa and Jen. I did not want to roll the dice on a sprint so took my chances and pressed hard on a hill. It worked and I soloed in for second......good enough...I'll take it!!!! Jen 3rd, Lisa Curry 4th, Lindsy 5th, Amy C 6th, Anna 7th.

Next up was the 4's finish. At about the 1k Kellie Carim took a flier to get the W. Joey sprinted with Julie Z for a very close 3rd place finish. Nice job to both NRO women.

The word on the street is that the Men 1/2/3 87 mile race was lightning fast right out of the gates! Both Elliot and Josh Tack rode strong and placed high in the standings!

Our NRO Master Men also rode incredibly strong. Steve Zellmer placed 1st and found himself riding in solo with 17 miles left in the race! Mike Longmire found himself in a pack sprint to the finish line, and taking a commendable second place.

As far as the Men Cat 4 race is concerned, they raced hard as well. Joshua Phillips rode with Karl V., and Jesse Vernon for most of the race and end up finishing in a very respectable third place. Scott Lenaburg found himself riding into 4th place, and Blair Fischer taking 5th.

Congrats to all our new Cat 5 men as well: Jason Harding, Joe Oldenburg, Josh Martell, and Peter Young who won the cat 5 race.

Seth Phillips at Hood

2010-06-04T19:02:00.001-07:00

Oops. Got my info confused....sorry.

So - it is NRO rider Seth Phillips that is 2:42 behind the leader.

Incredible result for the new cat 3 rider.

Two stages to go...I bet both Seth and Brian continue to move up.

Montana cyclist are just tough.

B. Williams update....

2010-06-04T16:51:00.000-07:00

He is moving up !!! He has made up all but 2:42 on his time penalty from the crash in the crit.

His message was: "Sitting 14th overall today. 2:42 behind the leader. 13th in the TT and 19th in yesterdays RR after two crashes".

Nice job Brian. Not surprised...very proud of you!!!

-Tamara

Williams at Hood

2010-06-02T07:35:00.000-07:00

NRO Rider Brian Williams made the photo cut.

Looks like he is seated 3rd in the cat2 men only 5 seconds off first.

Blazing time for the 4mile prologue. His time: 7:36.295

D.E.A.T.H Ride

2010-06-01T09:52:00.000-07:00

Tuesday Hell Ride.....D.E.A.T.H.

Sawmill

Lincoln

Marshall

Pattee

Mansion Heights

Come warm up your legs for Cow Country!!!

5:50 Big Sky Bikes....ride leaves at 6pm sharp.

Race for Big Dipper and Good-bye to Ivy Ann.

2010-05-24T20:01:00.000-07:00

As most of you know - last weeks Hell Ride was called off. I actually stood out in front of my house in full kit, over my bike, watching the lightning strike the Lenaburg's house last Tuesday. I decided (along with everyone else) that riding a lightning rod around on the hillside might not be so smart.

Tomorrow -Let's try again!!! Laps on the Goodan/Keil loop. I still have Big Dipper Ice Cream.

So...please meet at Big Sky Bikes as planned last week. I can't make it to the shop but will be out at on the course by 6:30 meet me out there.

I wonder who will win.....???????

On another note - Ivy Ann will be leaving for Seattle on Thursday. If you want to get in a good-bye hug and to wish her well - come ride tomorrow. I will drag her out there with me.

New Weekend Ride Time....9am

2010-05-22T17:41:00.000-07:00

Daylight and warmer temps (we hope) are moving up the ride time on Saturday and Sunday to 9am.
Meet at Le Petit (4th St.).
Spread the word!! Everyone welcome.

Goodan/Keil Loops on Tuesday!

2010-05-16T20:07:00.000-07:00

Tuesday we will be riding/racing the Goodan - Keil Loop (same as the UM race and the Ecology Classic).
Meet at Big Sky Bikes at 5:50. We will leave at 6:00 sharp!

Route: From Big Sky Bikes to Madison St. North to N. 2nd St East. West to Ryman. North to N. 3rd St. West through 3rd St. North on Worden to Turner St. West to Scott St. North to Rogers. Rogers St. (also Cemetary Rd) all the way to Expressway(Howard/Raser). Continue West to Airport Rd and head North to the loop. That's the best I can do. You can always just meet us out on the course or send me an email if you need more info.

We will ride the loop clockwise. Number of loops to be determined by those who show.
Big Dipper Ice Cream for the rider who earns the most points.

Points every lap: 1st - 5, 2nd - 3, 3rd - 1

This will be a great warm up for races coming up! Make this as hard as you want. Dropped riders can turn around and ride backwards and get back on for another try.

Meet rider of the month, "Jeffro"

2010-05-09T17:36:00.000-07:00

Jeff Cincoski has been named May's rider of the month. Here's a little behind the man of many talents...

First time you knew you had bike fever?

I first discovered that I loved the bike at about age 15. I worked at Grand Performance, a St. Paul shop where I mainly took out the garbage and put glue on tubulars. I was fascinated with the bikes and all of the incredible cyclists who raced them.

Most memorable ride:
My most memorable ride is probably as subject No. 10 in the 2000+mile “study” called Giro d’iscovery that was put on by the WPEM lab at UM. I had been a study subject for years and they pretty much asked a few of us who should do the ride. In the end, I rode 100 miles a day for 20 days with 9 of my best friends. It was amazing. Having your limitations quantified before you every day can be discouraging. I remember riding incredibly hard, almost racing half the time. I put in some opportunistic breaks when people would stop to pee, eat and cry. Infamous.

Favorite ride:
My favorite local ride is hands-down Holloman’s saddle. I go through Clinton, over the Schwartz and down Miller Ck. The climb is suburb and you don’t see so much as a house for the better part of two hours. In my earlier college years my roommates and I used to do the ride after a ridiculous night. We would recant the debauchery and sweat out the shame, leaving it all up on the saddle.

Favorite bike:
It’s hard to say. Since this is for NRO, I’d say my Blue R7 carbon-lugged carbon road bike. I was pretty much given the crashed frame by a Minnesota pro that had gone down in the tour of Ireland. It has J&B weld in the chain stay and I treat it like a stray dog rather than a baby. It’s nice to ride without worrying about your expensive carbon bike. Also, the long, sloping top tube geometry works well for a short-legged beefcake like me.

Who and/or what inspires you?:

I am really keen on the situations where a rider out-performs their ability. That may be why I love road racing. I feel that you don’t need to be the strongest rider to win. A little cunning at the right time gets you pretty far: like when you become aware of a moment of tenderness in you opponent and then exact the surge that breaks them. Likewise, I appreciate a great peak from a moderately talented individual-that moment from which they might define themselves as great. I’d say that I’ve seen some great moments from Josh Tack so far this season. In general, I’m usually pretty impressed by what Alex Gallego can do with a few hours of training each week. I guess it’s a matter of defining the champions around me and deriving inspiration from them.

What is something that people don't know about you?:

I’m a fairly open book- an oversharer- so there’s not a whole lot of Jeffy that folks don’t get in a few minutes. Maybe that’s the thing. When I’m quiet is most likely the time that I’m ready to breathe the most fire. It doesn’t happen all that often, but that would be my biggest surprise.

May Rider of the Month announced!

2010-05-06T19:49:00.000-07:00

We would like to announce Jeff Cincoski as the new NRO Rider of the month. Jeff has incredible talent. Not only is he a spectacular and strategical cyclist, he is a talented triathlete as well. Once we can track this beast of a man down, we'll have more on what makes this guy ticks! Glad your riding with us Jeff! You're an animal! Thanks to:www.umt.edu/ urelations/vision/ for the image!

Team Ride tonight is canceled!

2010-05-06T14:03:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Sorry for the late notice, but due to lack of organizing, and a race this Saturday, I have taken the team ride off the calendar for tonight! We'll get it back on soon, I promise! - Joey

Tour of Walla Walla 2010

2010-05-02T12:22:00.000-07:00

I know this is a late entry, but here are some photos from the Tour of Walla Walla. It was an awesome weekend. I think it was also the last time I was warm riding my bike! There was a great crew that went over: Ivy, Tyler, Blair, Josh, Brian, Scott, Tamara and I. We all worked our tails off and finished well in the rankings. Washington riders already had 8+ races under their belts, and the Montana riders gave them a run for their money. Very cool. The U23 team from New Zealand was a surprise - a pleasant one, and also a reminder of the caliber of racers that attend this race. Thanks everyone for a great weekend!

Link to the website: http://picasaweb.google.com/ray.joey/TOWW2010#

See you out there! - Joey

D.E.A.T.H Ride for Ice Cream!

2010-04-26T10:36:00.000-07:00

Tuesday April 27th.....D.E.A.T.H (Drop Everyone Accending The Hills)
Meet at 5:45....Ride leaves at 6:00 pm Big Sky Bike on Front (by UM footbridge)
Big Dipper Ice Cream for the top Male and Female.

Climbs and Points:
Sawmill: 5,4,3,2,1
Elk Ridge: 5,4,3,2,1,
Lincoln Hills: 5,4,3,2,1
Pattee Canyon: 7,5,4,3,2,1
Mansion Heights: 5,4,3,2,1
Water Tower: 5,4,3,2,1
Linda Vista: 5,4,3,2,1

If it's raining too hard....we will ride the old Hell Ride route and postpone the DEATH ride another week.

Roubaix Success!!!

2010-04-11T20:26:00.000-07:00

Today it happened. One of the most anticipated races in Montana.
The turnout was good and the weather was good enough....so glad it didn't rain.

Congrats to Brian Williams of Northern Rockies and Lisa Curry of GAS/Intrinsik for taking top honors in the Men 1/2 and Women 1/2/3 fields respectively.

More results can be found on http://www.montanacycling.net/ withing the next few days.

I will also post complete results as soon as I get them from our official.

THANK YOU to all who helped out. It could not have happened without you.

Also...we have a missing wheel. It's a Rolf front and came out of the red follow for the Men 1/2/3 field. Please contact tamarabessette@msn.com if you know who has it or where it might be. We have never had a wheel disappear...let's keep it that way.

ROUBAIX

2010-04-09T09:00:00.000-07:00

Shaun drove the course yesterday and I will drive it today.

From the amount of snow we received, I am guessing the dirt sections could be damp or a bit muddy. Weather calls for mostly sunny today and tomorrow so that will help dry up conditions a bit.

I will make another post after driving it today.

Who will take home the trophy? ...............

the not so Muddy Huetter

2010-03-29T21:18:00.000-07:00

I drove to Cour d'Alene on Sunday with Brian Williams to compete in Vertical Earth's Muddy Huetter roubaix race. We met up with Josh and Sarah and Shaun at the Vertical Earth shop for the 5 mile group ride out to the race start. The weather was acting like it was going to rain, but it ended up staying dry. The course was on mostly asphalt farm roads northwest of Cour d'Alene. There were two sections of dirt/gravel that were fairly smooth and fast. I remember two small hills on the mostly flat 10 mile circuit. Race officials changed the circuit due to a recently graded road.

I joined the A group to get additional miles (didn't really feel like driving 5 hours for a 25 mile race). There was an attack within the first .5 mile that Brian responded to. Shaun responded to the next attack and Josh and I hung with the group for several laps. The wind picked up as the race went on and portions of the circuit saw some pretty severe echelons as riders tried to stay out of the wind. After hanging in for 3 laps, there was an acceleration at the beginning of the 4th lap and I cramped up and was dropped like of box of rocks. I rode the last two laps alone. :(

Afterward, I learned that Brian attacked at the start of the 5th (last) lap and rode the last 10 miles alone for the win. The chase group that contained Josh caught up to Shaun's group for an uphill bunch sprint with Josh finishing 3rd and Shaun finishing 5th! Wow! Quite the NRO presence! Also, Sarah finished 2nd and had a great time in her first ever road race.

Thanks for all the encouragement, guys! NRO rocks!

-Joshua

Tyler Smith - NRO rider of the month

2010-03-15T20:19:00.000-07:00

Tyler Smith is one of NRO's newest cat 3 men. 2009's Cat 4 Best All Around Rider. Incredible talent on a bike and a super nice guy.
Tyler is married and has two of the cutest little boys ever. Look for great things from Tyler in 2010!!

So, Tyler......

First time you knew you had bike fever?
"Probably the day I realized that i own more bikes than I do pairs of pants?
Most memorable ride:
"Last year, Longmire led a group of us over Holloman saddle and out Miller Creek. Perfect weather, great people, and lots of climbing."
Favorite ride:
"Jumbo saddle-Deer Creek combo"
Favorite bike:
"Since this season is still young and my new bike is still new, I have to say that I had the most fun riding my cross bike last year. Not racing, but those long, slow days on the fire roads around Missoula"
Who and/or what inspires you?:
"Group rides. I feel very lucky to be able to ride with such talented (and sometimes punishing) cyclists who also happen to be great people to spend time with."
What is something that people don't know about you?:
"I grew up in a small town named Forest in central Mississippi.

Race Calendar 2010

2010-03-12T07:13:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Joey - we have a good race calendar started. Just click on the link located below our team picture. If you have anything you want to add let Tamara or Joey know.

NRO rider of the month...Tyler Smith. Look out! He was fast before but now he is on a new, super fast, ride. Interview to come.

2010-02-28T20:36:00.000-08:00

Wow! Today was so warm several riders wore shorts! We gathered at Big Sky Bikes at noon and headed west. After riding up Butler Creek, we headed out toward Frenchtown. Several of us made it out to the end of the pavement up Six Mile before turning around. We returned via Mullen (with a tailwind) where folks peeled off to head home....or ride more (you know who you are).

Thanks for a great ride, you guys!

Joshua

Weekend Rides!

2010-02-22T20:43:00.000-08:00

Despite freezing temperatures, both Saturday and Sunday saw team rides. Meeting at Big Sky Bikes (Front Street shop), both rides were scheduled per Tamara's email for 12 noon. Four riders showed up on Saturday and headed east for the Turah/Clinton loops. We found freshly swept roads in E. Missoula with a headwind on the way out and a tailwind on the way back...perfect! I think the temp read 35 as we came back through E. Missoula.

On Sunday, NOAA reported 25 degrees when I headed for the shop. I didn't expect there to be much of a showing but at least a dozen riders met up! The sun was shining in all it's glory, but it was cold! I opted for the ski socks and ski gloves and was very happy with the choice. Together we headed west and as the tempo ramped up on Waldo Road I thought, "It's so great to be out riding with a good sized group again"....then, I got dropped. At the Frechtown overpass there was the usual pit stop and shrinking of the group. I think I heard a few guys say they wanted to make it back to watch Olympic Ice Dancing. ;) Four of us headed out to Alberton where Tamara snapped this pic of us. That's half of a Hostess Apple Pie in my hand, the other half appears to be in my mouth. With a little bit of a headwind on the way back to town, Scott and I let Tamara and John drag us home. Every time we got to a climb, Tamara just seemed to float away. Ridin' strong, T-Pain!

Jesse A. hooked up with us on our way back through Frenchtown, as did Bill Schultz. I overheard that Jesse had logged 90 miles the day before! What?! Anyway, needless to say, I find myself continually humbled by this group of motivated athletes. It's great being a part of such a strong, encouraging team! Great rides guys!

-Joshua

Fun in the Sun - Valley of the Sun Race Report!

2010-02-17T08:25:00.000-08:00

Tamara Bessette, Ivy Audrian, Caleb Craft

Valley of the Sun: 3 stages, 3 riders, 3 top finishers!

Day One: 14.2 mile TT. Weather was perfect. 65 and very little wind. One would think that after 15 years of racing nerves would not be much of an issue - wrong. It is always the same....trouble eating...multiple trips to the port-a-potty. The nice thing about today was that i was able to help Ivy and Caleb get ready for thier races without jepordizing my preparation. Caleb raced at 9:20 and Ivy at 9:40.

Caleb finished an impressive 6th out of his field of 50 (7th out of a total of 100 cat 5's)

Ivy finished 4th in her field...shaving off almost 3 minutes from 2009.

I finished 8th in my field. My time was faster than last year and i was happy to be in the top ten. My field was a bit smaller than last year but some very strong riders that i knew would be laying down times that would be wicked fast.

Day Two: Road Race. Once again - i was able to be support for Ivy and Caleb as they raced in the morning heats. They both raced 41 miles and weather was again, perfect! Caleb finished about 8th and Ivy 9th. Finish was about 1km after the feed zone. Not a true hill top finish but enough to split things up.

My race was with the pro 1/2 women and the cat 3 women (about 60 riders total). Because last year there were 4 crashes in this race - i promised myself to be either in the top 5 or in my "safe spot" (rear of the field on the yellow line). I spent time in both spots about 50/50...but avoiding the middle of the pack where things tend to get sketchy. There were several attacks made by teams that had riders in the standings. None stuck - of course - not enough hills and too many strong riders willing to chase. I was very worried about the 57 mile distance. I haven't raced that distance since last fall....a bit scary. Started sipping my Hammer Perpetuem in the first 10 miles and continued untill the last climb.

The last 16 mile loop was a leg burner. Either soft peddaling at about 20 or throddle down at about 30...my legs were on fire...not sure i could hang on the last climb. Well - the last climb came and i decided not to wait for someone else to set pace - hit the front and started to climb. The other racers in contention quickley came around and i found myselft about 30th with 1km to go. Somehow i was able to make my way to the front of the field and was in the sprint finish. Took 5th...very happy. Although the times do not reflect - the rest of the peleton was very strung out.

Day 3: Crit. : Caleb raced at 8:45. I gave him the "nothing to lose" and "don't pull just to pull" speech. He raced perfect. Started at the front and finished at the front (5th or 6th). Took a couple of flyers. Incredible race for the new NRO rider!! So proud.

Ivy raced at 9:45. 20 minutes. She got the hole shot and totally strung the field out. I was so proud of her. She rode aggressive and put pain into the legs of the entire field. The average speed of the cat4 field increased from 20mph in 2009 to 25mph this year. I don't think she dropped out of the top 5 riders once. Sprinted to a 4th place finish. Ivy held on to her 4th place overall finish and was on the podium. Way to go Ivy!!!

My race was last. 1:50pm. Ok..so now i needed to practice what i preached. Those of you who know me know that riding in fields of 50+ is not my favorite thing. I usually start at the back...have trouble getting into my cleat....work my ass off to get toward the front...take a tolken flyer...yadda, yadda, yadda. Well - i decided not today. I started in the front row. The entire time the official was giving instructions (not that i pay attention anyway) i was saying to myself "stay calm and clip in just like a training ride". I did not listen for the whistle...rather watched the official and the minute she started to raise it to her lips i was off.

FIRST THROUGH THE FIRST CORNER!!!!!!! Yes....i was not going to ride this as a passenger. My goal was to get rid of as many of the weaker riders asap. I lead for 2 laps - standing out of every corner and holding the highest speed i could. Ivy said the field was single file and gaps opened that never closed up. I stayed in the top 3-5 riders for about 25 minutes of the 40 minute crit. Sprinted for three primes but was not able to match the power of the sprinters. There was one young rider that was scaring the crap out of me that kept getting to the front and actually lapped wheels a couple of times. We all yelled - but she would not go away. Knowing i was not giong to win this race - i settled in towad the rear of the peleton. I think i placed about 20th. It was a fun race and i really overcame some of my personal obstacles. So yes...after 15 years of racing..you can break barriers. I was pleased with my race.

Finished in 9th overall. In the money. Good enough for Feb!!!!!

NRO was a definite force despite being few in numbers. We made it clear that we could be a presence in the race, even against the folks from down south who have a serious training advantage. Look out Walla Walla!

Valley of the Sun Race Report

2010-02-13T18:52:00.000-08:00

Tamara called today and said that she, Ivy, and Caleb are all holding on to their top standings. The 41 mile race had Caleb finishing in 6th place today. He will hold his 6th place position overall. Ivy also raced 41 miles today and finished in the top 5 with the Cat 4 women. Tamara's race was 61 miles and also had a great race. She finished with the lead pack and held a sprint finish to place 5th overall today.

Way to make your team and Montana proud! Tomorrow is the last stage and the riders will end with a Criterium. Looking forward to more strong finishes!

NRO shows up strong at Valley of the Sun

2010-02-13T06:52:00.000-08:00

I talked with Tamara briefly yesterday and received a quick race report. One of our newest NRO riders, Caleb Craft, finished in 6th place out of 50 Cat 5 riders. He's an animal. Ivy raced with the Cat 4's and is in a stunning 4th place. She is going to be tough competition this year! Tamara finished in a very impressive 8th place amongst the Pros and Cat 1 riders. She told me her competition said "You're from Montana?!?!?!? How do you train???" The impressive results just go to show how tough we Montanans are and to be on the look out! All three NRO riders are in contention to podium this weekend.

Today....road racing!

NRO heads to Valley of the Sun SR

2010-02-09T09:49:00.000-08:00

Ivy, Caleb Craft (the new fast guy) and myself are heading to sunny Phoenix AZ to race the Valley of the Sun Stage Race. So excited...and very nervous!!!

14.2 mile TT, RR, and Crt. About 750 riders signed up. Caleb is in one of two Cat5 fields of 50. Ivy's field will be about 50 and mine will be 52 incuding the Cat 3 women - a much better size for me than the 80+ of last years field.

Ivy flew to Tucson on Sunday - her bike transported by Andrew Genco (thanks, Andrew). She reports the weather is sunny and warm. Rode a bit yesterday - not booties - short finger golves - short sleeve jersey. I can't wait.

We packed up Caleb's Subaru this morning and he is off. 4 bikes, butt load of wheels, trainers, pump, more wheels, food, tool bag (not that i know how to use it much)....and a good book on tape.

I fly out at 6:30am tomorrow.

Stay tuned...more pic's and updates to come.

Ride on,

Tamara

FEATURE RIDER OF THE MONTH..SHAUN RADLEY

2010-02-05T16:58:00.001-08:00

I have chosen Shaun as our "Feature Rider of the month" for many, many, reasons. We all love Shaun, so I'm sure this choice is of no great surprise. Reasons we love Shaun: he is one of the biggest cycling advocates I know, authors montanacyclocross.com, one of the most popular cycling websites in cyberspace, is the Mastermind of "Rolling Thunder," which is one of the best Cyclocross races in the Pacific Northwest, his love for the bike is infectious, and darn it - he's just about the nicest guy you'll ever know! I wanted everyone to become a little more familiar with our cycling enthusiast so I asked him the following questions:

First time you knew you had bike fever:

Growing up, my family was really into biking. We bike toured all over. I always rode on the back of a tandem because I was not strong enough to ride my own bike. It was fun family time, but I didn't think that riding was anything special. When I turned 12 my dad got me my own road bike. We road a bike tour called Red-Spoke (Redmond to Spokane in). During the ride I would purposely get separated from my folks and ride on my own. I felt fast, free, and independent. It was better then getting my first car.

Favorite ride:

My favorite road ride is the Yak Loop in NW Montana. My favorite mtb ride is Snowbowl Overlook. My favorite cross ride is Deer Creek to the switchback, up and then down the single track into the ski trails.

Most memorable ride:

When I was 19, I rode Seattle to Portland in one day with Brian. We were 100% ill-prepared. We had ridden maybe 10 hours total before the ride. It was a huge adventure.

Favorite bike:

Ramblumtick

Who or what inspires you:

I am easily inspired. I can watch a highlight video of Paolo Bettini and get excited. In cycling I get inspired by my teammates. Riding with guys like Josh, Toby, Elliot, Brian, Jdoll, and Fiore is what it's all about. This is super cheesy, but when they win a race I feel like I won the race too. When you ride, hang out, and then race together the races become more then just races. I would do pretty much anything within the rules to help one of those guys win a race. Wanting to be there for my teammates has taken my cycling to new levels.

My two favorite pro riders are Tim Johnson and Sam Schultz. If I could be any rider I would be TJ. He's the captain on the road, and a killer in cross. Sam is the best mountain biker in the US and one of the coolest people to hang out with. He never forgets where he came from, and is game for anything. The opposite of the "pro" stereotype.

What is something that people don't know about you?

I am an avid NFL fan. My team is the Seahawks.

Well, there you have it folks. Words from the man we all know and love. Rumor has it that he can be found zipping along on skate skis, but be on the lookout - he's back on the saddle again.....

Thanks for everything you do!

News From J Dunphy...we miss him!

2010-02-02T10:18:00.001-08:00

Tamara,
I can't get my ass in gear to start training! I am so lazy! I have been "cross training" and lifting only riding out side occasionally, telling myself I will be fine. I think it is time to start for real....please tell me to get going. I am not getting serious with races until April this year, which is nice, but seriously I haven't been on my trainer once yet.
Anyway, besides being a sack of lethargy, everything else in Chicago is going just fine. Living situation is grand and I have a part time job as a personal trainer, hence the over abundance of weight lifting and running on the treadmill to 'cross train.' I have met some folks who race here, which is nice, and although they want me to join their team, I have been telling everyone that any team I join has some big shoes to fill. In short, I have not joined another team yet because I refuse to race with 'tools' whose top priority is the Chicago Criterium in July. I am still waiting to find a team that is excited about the ridiculous April "roubaix" style races they have out here.
That's it for now I suppose. Getting on the trainer to start interval work next week, got a part time job, havn't joined another team (seeing a psychotherapist to help me with this - she thinks I am having trouble letting go of my old one - probably true ;) ), am excited for roubaix style races.
Whats going on with the missoula crew? I assume Elliot and Bryce are about to peak as everyone else is just getting revved up for the season?
Hope all is well,
Jeremy

Training Rides are in full force!

2010-01-23T18:49:00.000-08:00

Riding the trainer always seems like a chore for me. I guess I can relate it to emptying garbage cans or picking up dog poo. I really don't enjoy it. However, somehow I get myself to sit on my bike and spin. Thankfully, our team trainer rides have surprised me. I find myself having a love/hate relationship with them. Sure,those nagging thoughts go through my head every Monday and Thursday " I don't want to go!!! I hate riding the trainer!!" But somehow I find myself there (when life allows) and I'm always happy I went. "Thanks be to Robert!", there have been roughly 10-12 teammies meeting at Big Sky Bikes on Mondays and Thursdays. Sessions are lasting roughly 90 minutes and I know will have us well prepared for our up and coming race season. I encourage everyone to try and make one session per week. The weeks seem to be on fast forward and we will soon find ourselves in Walla Walla before we know it! Incentives: music and workouts. The music varies each night and can vary from Nick's reggae to Ivy's contemporary hip/hop (is that what you call Kayne??) to Tamara's 80's favorites! Both Elliot and Dusty have contributed to the grueling work outs and leave us all dripping with sweat, not sure if we can handle more! So, I'm a believer! Trainer rides can be fun - all you have to do is show up at Big Sky Bikes at 6:30 on Monday's and Thursdays to get the best of them! Hope to see you there!!!! ----------Joey

Rocky Mountain Roubaix...

2010-01-03T18:42:00.000-08:00

I know it's only January 3rd and most of you are far from thinking about the road season but the date for the Rocky Mountain Roubaix is set for 2010....

April 11th, 2010.

Slivka conquers Ironman Canada!!

2009-08-31T18:50:00.000-07:00

I was on pins and needles for most of the day yesterday awaiting results for Megan Slivka's debut ironman. She did it!!! Her best leg was the bike, of course. We will get a race report from her asap. I'm sure she is walking funny today.

Also...NRO rider Branden Halpin finished the same Ironman in great fashion. I think he finished in the top 20 of the Pro men.

Way to go NRO riders.

Race reports to come soon. Pics too...?

-Tamara

Zoo Town Throwdown - August 2nd!

2009-07-27T09:55:00.000-07:00

Ivy Ann Gets Her First W !!!!

2009-06-22T15:19:00.000-07:00

It's an exciting day for me... a" proud mom". Ivy called me yesterday from Seattle to tell me she was the 2009 WA state Cat 4 Circuit Race Champion.

She said it was a 4 lap course will lots of little steep rollers...just what she likes. Field size was about 25 women. There were several attempts made to split up the field. Ivy said she chased several breaks down. The only break that stuck - was Ivy's. On lap three she attacked on one of the steep climbs and broke clean. One other rider bridged to her and they rode the last lap off the front.

It came down to a sprint and Ivy got her by about 20 meters.

Nice job Ivy!!!

I will post pictures as soon as i get some.

-Tamara

Fish Trail Criterium-State Championships

2009-06-08T15:52:00.000-07:00

The only things I enjoy more than riding my bike are 2 foot powder days on fat tele boards, mexican food, a good Shiraz and watching bike racing. This weekend was off the hook with displays of incredible power, patience and wizard like tactics.

**Disclaimer** These are only my accounts and I have the attention span of a brook trout. - Scott L.

Cat 1-2-3

Incredible race! Super fast! Josh Tack took a prem created a big gap with Seeley and were off the front. With these two away I knew right away this could stick. Then Brain Williams got a gap and Tamara yelled you got a gap go!!! I couldnt believe what I saw. Brain was able to bridge to Josh and Matt. Seriously one of the most impressive moves I have ever seen in Montana racing. Then the three worked together an were able to build to around 30 seconds and hold it lap after lap. The first time the peloton turned onto the finishing street and lost sight of the three you could just feel the dispair and the will being sucked from the field. Curry took charge for a few laps but was unable to make up any time. In fact the three speed up when they heard Curry had went to the front out of respect to his abilities. The sprint was out of hand. Brian Williams looked like Cavendish (seriously) bombing from 300 meters to take the victory. Seeley took second with Tack in third. Excellent race for NRO.

Masters -

This turned out to be an incredible race. At first, Eric Greenberg got off front and built a huge lead. I saw flashbacks to the Roubaix and seriously thought lights out, race over, how could you guys let him go? Then I realized there were some major players in the chase group. 4 out of 5 masters who will be competitive later in the 123 race. They gobbled up Greenberg in the nick of time and positioned for the sprint. John W. got into perfect position and with his sprinting prowess it was over 3 strokes in. Exciting race. Zellmer charged hard all race and Blair missed the break and was stuck doing all the work in his pack with no help and no chances of bridging.

Women Cat 4

This was a fast race. Joey and Ivy displayed excellent racing tactics. It looked like anyone in the first break Ivy, Lynette, Anna, and Joey could pull off the win. All very strong women. Lynette coming off a very impressive Cow Country performance was most comfortable in the front and was riding very strong. Highlights include Ivy's flyer that built a significant lead and looked like it just might stick. It became evident no one was getting away and it came down to a drag race with Lynette taking it followed by Joey and Ivy. 1st through fourth were separated by 1 bike length!

Women Cat 1-2-3

I can't recall who won the first prem Geraldine or Tamara but I do know it was close and it created a huge gap that no one could answer. Tamara and Geraldine traded work and continued to put more and more time on the field. Lyndsay Campbell was enjoying the ride in the chase group not wanting to help the chase on her teammates and was seen waving to the crowd and eatin M&M's. It was great to see the Prodigy back racing in Montana. Lisa again didn't have the team to ride back into the mix and you could see her frustration. People were on pins and needles- who saved the most matches for the sprint Geraldine or Tamara? Tamara rounded the last corner in the lead and started sprinting from the front. I saw that look on her face which always results in a W and her trademark sprint which would slay most men and easily took the win. Lyndsay Campell showed similar power -sprinting from the back of the chase pack 4 deep to take 3rd! 1-2-3! Nice work ladies.

Cat 4-5

This was awesome! It was so fast and it was the first 4-5 criterium I have been in that didn't have that accordian effect. The reason was the speed and the fact Big Bad Bryce was off the front within 5 seconds of the race. Jesse D. was able to bridge to Bryce without bringing anyone with him. Which should surprise no one given the size of his calves. Then the race was on for third. It was painful with constant headwinds and strong riding by the whole field. I saw my buddy Tyler creating a gap and thought about going with him and decided he was on a suicide mission alone in this wind and withdrew to the safety of my pack. That was the wrong decision. I know how strong Tyler is but to go solo into the wind and hold off the blood thirsty hound dogs as he did was incredible!! I remember leading the chase group when Jesse and Bryce came flying by lapping the entire field. It was like seeing a Hippopotomoose. My mind could not immediately comprehend what the hell just happened. These boy's earned their titles. The sprint came in mono a mono with JD taking the win ahead of bad Bryce and Tyler Smith taking third. Again 1-2-3 baby!!!

NRO nails it at the State Championship Fishtrails Criterium!

2009-06-08T06:20:00.001-07:00

Here are a few pictures recapping the day's events.

Cow Country.....Halpin and Matty Ice!!

2009-06-02T12:47:00.000-07:00

Halpins Report:

Cow Country Classic has always been one of those have to do races. The race is hard, long, windy and usually attracts the best of the best of Montana racers. I personally love this race because it is a test of true strength. Cow country was also one of my first road races and after quickly being dropped from the field Jason Hobson rode with me and gave me advice and helped get me to the finish line. The race was a learning experience and right then and there I decided I wanted to win that race some day. Well with a couple more years of experience and thanks to some new teammates I almost achieved my goal. I knew that the race was probably going to be between NRO, GAS, and Montana Velo. Sure enough when we hit the first hill and I put down the hurt the selection was made and less than ten of us were at the top of the climb. We rode steady for the next few rollers until we caught Brian Williams who had gone off the front solo.

Once we headed eastbound and had a tail wind I knew it was time to go. I made an acceleration and was solo for the next couple miles. Josh, Curry, and Gonzalez caught me and we worked together for the next section of the race. It was a hot, windy day without very much water and we were all feeling fatigued. On the last climb I was setting tempo and Curry jumped, Josh went with him but could not hang on so I caught Josh and we pace-lined to try and reel in Curry. Frank the tank sat on our wheels not working and when I went with 1k to go he stuck to my wheel and then came around me. I hung on for 3rd and Josh came in 4th. We nearly caught Curry on the finishing stretch but his gap was just enough. Gas retained their dominance of Montana road cycling. Hopefully NRO will be able to bring them down soon!

In the other races Matty Ice continued his dominance of the cat 4 field and Bryce was able to hold on for 3rd place. However the highly anticipated race was among the women. The ultimate work horse Linsey Corbin was able to do some serious work and make the race difficult. It came down to Linsey, Jen, and a Delphine rider. The Delphine rider took the win and Jen was 2nd and Linsey 3rd. Nice work to everyone that raced. See you at the races!

B. Halpin

Tyler Smith Nails Belt... Race Report!

2009-05-14T13:25:00.000-07:00

Saturday began with the promise of good weather for racing on the northern Great Plains outside the village of Highwood. The first race was a nice, out-and-back 10 mile time trial. My mid 23’ time was good enough for second, but I was about a minute back from the impressive sub-23’ time put up by Lucca Scariano. After lunch, some rain, and a cat nap, the Cat 4/5 field began the 45 mi road race in typical fashion, which means about half us made a wrong turn 100 m into the course. After we all got going the same direction, the race picked up to a moderate pace; however, I was surprised to see that we seemed to be catching the Cat1-3 field. We made a repeat of the time trial course and passed uneventfully back through Highwood. Near midway through the course, there was a severe crash in the pack at speed. Two guys went down in front of me, but fortunately, I had an opening to the right and was able to get around. I looked back just in time to see a lime green jersey adding to the pile of bodies and bikes (turned out to be Jeff C). The attacks began in earnest on the hills after Highwood. Jesses A. and D. along with Blair chased everything down, and the pack was back together again for the second turnaround. Karl Vanderwood from Montana Velo made a move on the first real hill after the turnaround. Jeremy D. was on his wheel so I knew this attack was for real. Luckily, I was up front when Karl made his move and was able to jump quickly. While bridging the gap, I saw Jeremy fall off Karl’s wheel. I caught up shortly after but only held on for a few pedal strokes. After watching Karl pull away, I looked back to find myself with a large break from the pack. So I continued on, weighing my options. I turned around again to see a green jersey making a break from the group. I slowed my pace to let Jesse A. catch then cranked the pace back up with him on my wheel. Once Jesse recovered, we went to work trying to catch Karl. Jesse and I took turns taking pulls and pushing each other up the hills. On the hills we seemed to be making a dent in Carl’s lead, but he remained just out of reach on the flats and downhills. There wasn’t much hiding from the wind that day. 1 km to go Jesse and I made our last push for Carl, but it wasn’t to be and Carl crossed the line followed by myself and Jesse A.
All in all, a good day of racing in north central Montana. Nice weather, beautiful scenery, and a well organized event. Congratulations to the all the NRO winners, and a big thanks to Jesse A. for his help in the last 10 miles.

Tyler Smith

Matty Ice Rocks the Roubaix....his report:

2009-05-05T12:53:00.000-07:00

Roubaix: What a race!

The morning started with coffee at Doug Dale's house. Brendan and I sipped on french press as Doug busied himself with his typical pre-race tasks: Locating a function bike, finding wheels, straightening handlebars, wrenching on brakes, derailleurs, seat posts etc. Eventually, his rinky-dink rig was race-ready and we piled into the Wild Rockies diesel and headed to Frenchtown.

To be honest, I was less than excited to race. The forecast called for rain and snow. Inauspicious clouds clung to the surrounding mountains, threatening to purge their icy innards upon us. I groaned frequently, bitched to anyone who would listen, and spent most of my warm-up wishing I was still in bed. I waisted as much time as I could secretly hoping to miss my start and was finally convinced chamois-up. Once upon my carbon steed the inevitable anxiety of race day set in. Soon enough, the gun (or horn/bell, I can't remember) sounded and we were off.
I had seeded myself in about dead last, hoping to avoid any sort of tangle up before the first gravel hill. Within the first 30 seconds of racing, the heavens opened up, discharging sheets of biting hail onto our group. I closed my eyes and dropped of the back, I couldn't see and my face felt like a pin cushion. The hail subsided and soon enough we had hit the first gravel hill. Someone went down in front of me, but I had time to shimmy up the ditch and hop back on the road. At that point, I caught a glimpse of Doug and Bryce up ahead and decide to go on the offensive. I upped my cadience and was soon out in front with Doug on my wheel. Near the top of the hill, a gap had formed and we decided to try and keep it. Carl (from MT velo) bridged up and the three of us took off into the distance.

My mood was improving with every pedal stroke as the gap was growing and the clouds were dispersing. Doug and I worked well together, taking smooth turns at the front. The big guy was riding really well. Unfortunately, at the end of the first loop, I flatted. I wasn't terribly surprised, but extremely disappointed. I was really starting to have fun. John and Myke, pulled up in the wheel car and threw me a spare. Soon enough, I was TTing back up to Doug and Carl who had backed off the pace to wait for me. We joined back up and finished out the second loop. Doug (trying to finish his first Roubaix) double flatted on the final gravel hill, wrapping up his day. Carl and I rode on. I decided to make the rest of the race a TT. I attacked and a gap formed. Just like clockwork I flatted again and pulled to the side of the road. Carl zoomed by leaving me to curse and shake my angry fists in the air. The wheel car saved me again, throwing my their last spare.

I was minute or so down. Perfect. I love to TT from behind. I remounted my trusty bike and started hammering. With about 5k to go, I caught Carl, sat momentarily in his draft and shake-and-baked around him Ricky Bobby style. I ended up in first and received my first up-grade points on the long road to becoming a cat 3.

Looking back, I had a great time. The race was awesome and I want to thank Bob and Tamara for putting together such a memorable event.

Thanks for listening,
Matty

2009 Rocky Mountain Roubaix lives up to it's name!

2009-04-28T05:24:00.000-07:00

115 riders turned out to face the snow, sleet, wind and a Roubaix that lives up to it's name. Brian Frykman took the title for the men where as Lisa Curry took the title home for the women. Overall it was a great success! Thanks everyone for coming out!

NRO showed up to play at the Tour of Walla Walla!

2009-04-25T16:49:00.001-07:00

Below are a few snapshots of a very impressive weekend in Walla Walla. It was a great race and the team demonstrated a strong start to our season. Way to go everyone! See you at the Roubaix tomorrow!-Joey

Rocky Mountain Roubaix!!!!!

2009-04-23T14:45:00.000-07:00

So sorry no one has posted a race report on Tour of Walla Walla.

All I can say is "NRO was a legit presence"...as noted by many.
I will post pics soon.

On to the the Roubaix: two things

the finish is the same as last year....
the dirt sections are a bit softer and have more gravel in spots.

So.....use your best judgement and get ready to rumble!!!!

TONS of freebies for ALL. Tons of schwag for prizes...plus some cash, of course.

See you all there!
Tamara

NRO cyclists showing up strong at the Griz triathlon 2009!

2009-04-12T07:04:00.001-07:00

With a smile on her face, Jen Leubke made her first place finish look easy! Way to go Jen!
Jen prepares for a fast transition.
After a fast transition, Matt went on to kill it on the run... I missed the photo op finish because I was so enamored by the look of pain and suffering on his face! (not to mention screaming at him that his buddy B. Halpin was hunting him down!) Matt ended up with a third place finish! Great job, Matt!
Matt - coming in strong after a fast and furious bike!

Sophia and Kelly- you can always count on them for a good laugh!

Oh yes, ladies and gentleman...Doug is back and looking fit!

Megan and Dusty- this is just a warm up for their Ironman Canada later this summer!

More Frozen Flatlands Photos

2009-04-07T19:46:00.000-07:00

As I saw it....NRO was the team to beat! Way to go everyone!

Frozen Flatlands Hot for NRO & Montana Racers

2009-04-06T17:57:00.000-07:00

Tack with the helmet cam...loved it.

Jeff C....chatting while cooling down. He had an awesome race.

Seth Hansen...hot on a Hagens wheel.

Cat 4/5 field.

Seth Hansen...very consistant all weekend.

Jesse Doll...had a heck of a race...i think 4th in the sprint out of 70+ riders.

Elliot in a 4 man break. I think that's Russ Schneider behind him.

Ivy, Megan, Lindsy...the placed 7th, 1st, and 4th in GC. Wow!!!

Josh Tack...gotta love the helmet do-dad.

Tack off the front. Can't beleive i was composed enough to get this pic...very exciting.

Doug Shappee....had a great day...welcome to Northern Rockies.

Radley doing his thing...we love you Shaun!

For a good commentary…see Radley’s post at www.montanacyclocross.com .

Great racing from the NRO riders including: Doug Shappee, Jeff Cincoski, Lindsy Campbell, Ivy Audrain, Megan Slivka, Shaun Radley, Josh Tack, Scott Lenaburg, Elliot Basset, Jesse Agner, Dusty Slivka, Nick Newman, Jesse Doll, Mike Longmire, Seth Hansen and Tamara Bessette.

Enjoy the pics…..my favorite is Josh Tack off the front!

A sea of green shows up at Montana's first Training race of the season!

2009-03-22T07:59:00.000-07:00

Climbing fun...

2009-03-15T07:04:00.000-07:00

We had a great day of climbing...laughing...climbing...spinning....climbing...socializing....did I say climbing!!! Some hammered and some tootled. Whatever the pace - it was a ton of fun and perfect weather to top it off. See you next time.

Get Your Climb On!

2009-03-12T06:53:00.000-07:00

Are you ready for this? The first D.E.A.T.H. ride of the year will be an option for Saturdays ride.

If you are not ready for this much climbing....meet us anyway... I'm sure there will be another option.

Remember - you don't have to climb these hard. It's a great way to get some hills under your legs. WE WILL RE-GROUP AT THE TOP OF EVERY CLIMB!!

See you all at 11am Le Petit. Contact Seth for questions: sethhansen@mac.com

D.E.A.T.H Ride 2009

March 14th - Le Petit - 11am

CLIMB POINTS
Sawmill 8,6,4,3,2,1
Elk Ridge 8,6,4,3,2,1
Lincoln Hills 8,6,4,3,2,1
Pattee 12,10,8,6,5,4,
Whitaker 10,8,6,5,4,3
Hillview 12,10,8,6,5,4
Linda Vista 10,8,6,5,4,3

- Top overall male and female finishers win gift certificates for Big Dipper Ice Cream

- Re-grouping and point tallying will take place at the top of every climb

- Soft pedaling between climbs with strict adherence to traffic laws since we will be in town most of the time

- NO PRESSURE to ride fast (really), just a good chance to get some hills under your legs.

- ALL RIDERS/TEAMS welcome.

Questions: sethhansen@mac.com

Race Report from Jen L...So Cool!!

2009-03-09T09:20:00.000-07:00

Wow! The race this weekend was so fun. My first good omen for the weekend was my race number, 406! Friday was the TT...3 miles and very painful. I felt like I had smoked a pack of cigs by the end. Luckily, though, I did well and gave myself a 20 second cushion for the weekend. I didn't realize how important that was until Sunday.

Saturday was an early one for a 40 mile rr in 2 laps. The first lap was brutally slow. I just kept laughing at how slow it was, especially when we got rocked by a group of juniors. Finally, with 15 miles left, 5 of us made a break and worked together to the finish. I never thought this would happen but all 5 of us were still together in the last stretch and I beat the other girls out in a sprint, getting the W by only a half a wheel's length! I was stoked to say the least.

Sunday was another early, cold one for a 5 lap 28 mile circuit race. A few of us were feeling good so we started strong to get warmed up. Lap 3 was a sprint bonus for the first 2 and I got the 2nd one...yay! I was still feeling strong by the end and finished 2nd in the circuit race. I was very happy with my first race of the year. I ended up with the GC win by a 15 second cushion thanks to my TT! Now I am a few bucks, 3 yellow jerseys, and one ugly t-shirt richer.

Can't wait to race in MT! Happy training...
Jen

Jen Luebke Wins Tucson Stage Race!!

2009-03-08T20:44:00.000-07:00

New NRO rider, Jen Luebke, takes 1st out of 13 cat 4 racers at the Tucson Bicycle Classic that concluded today.

I don't know all the details...but I do know that she rocked the TT taking 1st. Dominated the RR taking first. Powered to a second place in the circuit race and took an amayzing first place overall. Look out....NRO trouble is coming home from the Tucson Cycling House!!

I hope to have more details and pictures to share soon.

Don't forget: Hell Ride - Tuesday @ 5:30 - Open Road (everyone welcome) This is a fast paced ride!!!!

Saturday Morning Get Together...

2009-03-07T15:24:00.000-08:00

Had a great group show up for the 11AM ride today from Le Petit. The plan was to roll up 200 to Lubrecht and then ride the Garnet Ghost Town road, that quickly changed as we got past Bonner and the roads were uncooperative. We decided to head to Clinton instead and on the way back into town check out Marshall Mountain Road, a nice test of the early season fitness. The Green Machine is looking strong this spring...don't forget to turn your clocks one hour forward tonight...

Longmire....Rockin' in AZ!!

2009-03-03T10:48:00.000-08:00

Just got a report from Mike Longmire. Raced this past weekend in Yuma, AZ.
- 1st in 55+ Crit
- 1st in the 55+ Road Race
- 3rd in the 45+ Crit

"Lots of crashes....broken scapula, pelvis, and hip...two other guys ended up with broken collar bones"

Way to go, Mike! But not really a surprise that you are still killing it.

Ride Notes:

Tuesday - Hell Ride. Short ride tonight and a full loop next Tuesday after DST kicks in.
5:30 @ Open Road.

Last Wed Trainer Session - 6:30 at Tamara's Garage (3/4/09)

Weekend - 11am Le Petit. We have had great turnout...everyone welcome! Distances range
from 45 - 75 miles. Usually breaks up into a couple different groups.

2009-02-24T10:39:00.000-08:00

Last Trainer Sessions of the Winter!!

Come join us for the last two trainer sessions of the winter....Wednesdays @ 6:30 (show up anytime after 6:15) at the Pony Place Sauna!! Everyone welcome...NRO or not. If you need directions - email tamarabessette@msn.com

HELL RIDE: Kicks off on March 3rd, 5:30 from Open Road. The first ride will be a warm-up for the weeks to follow. Due to lack of daylight...it will be a short loop. The first ride will also be a "kinder" version as to introduce the ride to newcomers. Starting March 10th.... normal Hell Ride pace!!! Oh the pain!!!

Felt orders due February 27th

2009-02-19T12:22:00.000-08:00

NRO riders get your Felt orders into Josh Tack. Go visit Dan at Open Road for advice.

Sunday Riding or Hiding

2009-02-10T10:37:00.000-08:00

Sunday was a great group ride to Alberton. There was a group of 15-20 that made the journey. The group was destined for Alberton from the beginning. No one turned around. It was excellent. The sun was out and the legs were spinning. The ride was highlighted by a nice stop in Alberton, Elliot turning the screws to everyone and their mother, and lots of riders making the trip for their first time. Several NRO riders were out including T-magic, Bad Blair, Stevie Z, and Nacho...just to name a few. Also out were UM Captains Bryce and Jdunph. UM Tri was in full force with Josh, Agner, and Jon. Props to Kipper and Ivy for making the trip. It was great riding with everyone. As long as the weather stays decent folks will continue to meet at 11am at Le Petite. No one gets left behind in the early season.

Northern Rockies Rides Felt as Open Road Steps Up

2009-02-03T15:05:00.000-08:00

Open Road Bicycles and Nordic has stepped up to the plate. Northern Rockies Cycling Team proudly announces that Open Road Bicycles and Nordic has come on as a major sponsor. The relationship with Open Road and the team has always been good, but now it's better then ever. In conjunction with Open Road, NRO riders will have the opportunity to ride Felt Bicycles. For more information email Josh Tack.

Montana Cycling Teams Step Up Race Promotion

2009-01-29T10:40:00.000-08:00

There is a good buzz surrounding the Montana road season for 2009. Part of the reason is some new events. There's two in particular that I've heard about. Most of you know that Northern Rockies wants to put on a Missoula Downtown Crit in mid-summer. We are close to locking a date down and getting the planning underway. I'm also happy to announce that GAS Instrinsik is putting on the inaugural Bozeman Stage Race. This will include a road race, time trial, and crit (with some fun activities). The crit will be in downtown Bozeman.

Both these races will be welcome additions to the Montana calendar.

Reminder: Team meeting on Monday at Tamara's. 6pm trainer ride, followed by meeting and snacks.

2009-01-26T19:45:00.001-08:00

Team Meeting

2009-01-23T11:37:00.000-08:00

Tamara will be hosting a team meeting February 2nd after the trainer ride. Beer and snacks will be provided.

The meeting will consist of sponsorship talks, and race schedules.

Winter Training Begins

2009-01-19T14:07:00.000-08:00

With the crazy inversion this weekend, several riders traveled east of town and expected great weather. Group rides formed on both days. I rode Sunday and was surprised to see 10-12 hardy road riders. Great fun. The meeting time is 1pm and the place is La Petite. Hope to see you out.

-Shaun

Northern Rockies Trainer Rides Begin

2009-01-16T14:10:00.000-08:00

Northern Rockies Trainer Rides have officially begun. Tamara's Garage is the spot.

Mondays 5:45, training starts at 6
Wednesdays 5:45, training starts at 6

Things are starting to pop off. If you or a friend is interested in joining NRO for the 2009 road season please send inquiries to:

tamarabessette@msn.com

The neon green train has left the station and is on the tracks for 2009!

Frozen Flatlands lives up to its name

2008-04-14T09:18:00.000-07:00

Despite some chilly weather, Missoula had a fine turnout for the Frozen Flatlands omnium in Spokane April 5 and 6. Attached is a slide show of photos from the circuit race. It was good to see lots of green (NRO) and orange (TS/5VV) in evidence.

Riding the speedway course was awesome. The fast curves were soooo fun. The weather was fine for the riders if a little cold and wet for officials and spectators.

No such complaints about the weather for the Rocky Mountain Roubaix April 13 in Frenchtown. Thanks to all who turned out to race or volunteer on the course. It was beautiful.

Yellowstone roads starting to open for cyclists

2008-03-19T10:22:00.000-07:00

Weather permitting, Yellowstone roads are cleared for riding -- and free of cars -- from Mammoth to Madison via Norris. On weekends, you can enter and exit from West Yellowstone. That means you could ride the full 54 miles from Gardiner to West Yellowstone (and back again if you're aching for a century ride.)

If you've never ridden in Yellowstone before the cars come, it can be a remarkable wonderland. The road from Gardiner to Cooke City is open all winter to wheeled traffic and so can be a bit busy, but this western road will only have maintenance vehicles, wildlife and you on it and the views are fabulous. This photo is from a snow coach this winter.

Be prepared to take care of your own maintenance, food and weather needs because help might be a long time coming. Otherwise, think about it. I'll be checking it out next week and will report back.

-- Nadia

Women's Clinic April 26 in Helena

2008-02-22T08:56:00.000-08:00

Jane O’Driscoll, MBRA Women’s Coordinator is working on putting on a clinic for new women races or those who want a refresher on the road:

MBRA will be sponsoring and putting on “Intro to Women’s Bicycle Racing in MT” Clinic again this spring to help promote women in racing, grow our numbers, and promote the Cat 4 Challenge series. The clinic date is Saturday April 26 again in Helena. It will be a one day only event this year. Montana Velo has not yet expressed interest in putting on a RR on that Sunday (April 27) but even if they do, we will not be part of their event. Participants in the clinic may choose to stay to race on Sunday if MT Velo decides to put on a race that day, but it is currently not part of the calendar.

Trainer rides Mondays & Wednesdays

2007-12-04T09:53:00.001-08:00

Missoula cyclists are getting together to ride twice a week on trainers.

* Monday night rides start at 6:30 p.m. at Tamara's house on Pony Place.

* The Five Valley Velo team is riding Wednesday nights at Missoula Bicycle Works. Riding starts at 6:30 sharp, so show up as early as 6 to set up and warm up. Use the alley door, the light'll be on for ya. NRO riders are welcome.

Wednesday night indoor rides start now

2007-11-27T15:09:00.000-08:00

NRO will be meeting to ride on Wednesday nights at 6:30 at Tamara's house. (Yeah...I am sick of riding alone.)

Bring your trainer, bike, a towel to drip on, and your favorite workout tape or DVD.

We'll start Wednesday the 28th. If you feel like you're not ready, that's OK, join in when you are. Or just show up and wheeze with Nadia. She's not ready either.

Is there someone who would like to host a weekend ride? (Steve?) Let me know.

-- Tamara

Welcome to NRO's Communication Outpost

2007-11-27T15:08:00.000-08:00

Welcome NRO racers and friends,

This blog will serve as an online resource for sharing race, training and festivities information. Anyone can comment on it. If you'd like to be able to add new postings, ask Nadia or Tamara and we'll make it happen.

NRO as a team is committed to getting riders in shape and on the road. We are serious riders, but not exclusive -- if you'd like to join, let us know by posting to this blog or emailing RideNRO@gmail.com.

This blog will continue to be improved with new features and design elements. If you've got a link you'd like to see added, feel free to post a suggestion. Watch this space for race schedules, training ride times and places and other useful information.

Meanwhile, ride when you can, roll when you have to. --- Nadia