The Whole Athlete Cycling Team is off to a fantastic start in 2009. With a solid winter of structured training under their belts, weekly road and mountain bike group rides, and fantastic support from our generous sponsors, our band of juniors and espoirs have come out swinging, already racking up wins and podiums in their very first races. Most importantly, the team is learning how to work together toward common goals, support each other, and have fun while working hard to become the best cyclists they can be.

On January 25th, the team met at the Whole Athlete Performance Center in San Anselmo, CA for a one day team camp. Everyone was excited to receive a bevy of new gear – Arc optics courtesy of Ben Capron from Specialized, Titan helmets from Louis Garneau, Fire XC tires from Panaracer, Can Do Kid Bars, GU gels and energy drink, and warmers from Capo Forma, courtesy of the Velo Development Foundation. After a round of pictures, the team headed out for a relatively civilized road ride, then returned for lunch and an afternoon discussion and sponsor presentations led by Team Director Dario Fredrick. Goals were set, expectations discussed and seeds of excitement planted for the new year!

Look for the Whole Athlete Cycling Team at these upcoming races:
Nor Cal High School MTB League races, US Cup West: Fontana XC, & Wente Vineyards Road Race.

Support the Whole Athlete Development Program

The Whole Athlete Development Team first hit the cycling scene in 2008 supporting only a small handfull of promising young riders. Fast forward to 2009 and the program has grown to support at least a dozen kids at the local, national and world levels. Two of our young talents, 2008 World Championship Team Member John Bennett and '08 US National Medallist Carl Hesselein are racing pro on the MTB for the first time, while 2008 16 & Under National MTB Series Champion Will Curtis and Nor Cal District Time Trial Champion Davis Bentley will be tackling a full season of national MTB events as well.

Nearly all the other regional-level Whole Athlete juniors will branch out and try their hands at a few national-level races, including the upcoming US Cup MTB race in Fontana, CA at the end of March and the ever-popular Sea Otter Classic in Monterey in April. All the riders participate in NorCal/Nevada road events also, with a few aiming to compete at the National Championships in Bend, OR this summer.

Helping today's cycling youth -
the future of our sport

Another big target for the team is the National Championship MTB XC race in Granby, CO. We have multiple hopefuls for the podium and even the national title, and to acclimate to the very high elevation of the Granby venue, we'll be holding an altitude training camp in Tahoe City, CA 10 days prior to the trip east to Colorado.

To make these racing trips successful, the team is funded entirely through support of the Velo Development Foundation, a 501(3)(c) nonprofit organization, and personal donations from people like you. We need your help in raising funds for our regional and national racing endeavors to get these talented kids to the races and give them a real shot at success. Consider making a donation of any amount to the Velo Development Foundation in support of the Whole Athlete Cycling Team.

Rider Profile: Davis Bentley

Davis Bentley is a new addition to the Whole Athlete Cycling Team for 2009, coming over from the Specialized Masters/Junior squad. The current Northern California Time Trial Champion for the 15-16 year old age group, Davis will be racing 17-18 this year, as well as Category 3 in the Elites on the road and Cat 1 on the dirt. 2008 was a solid year for Davis, with three consecutive wins in the Junior Expert division of the CCCX cross country race series, a 2nd place in the 15-16 group of the Sea Otter Road Race, and solid placings in highly competitive NCNCA Elite Cat 3 events. With race history ranging from Nor Cal High School MTB events to National Championships to stage racing in Oregon, Davis’ experience is a valuable asset to his teammates. Davis attends Redwood High School and lives in Mill Valley, CA where he makes good use of Mt. Tamalpais for training both on the road and the dirt.

The Italians have come through on the shoe front once again. We're not talking custom Florentine leather lace-ups, but high-tech cycling footwear that not only looks sharp but is at the pinnacle of technology and function.

The Aerlite SBS features carbon soles for optimal power transfer and an incredibly well-ventilated upper that is both supportive and highly adjustable in the strap/closure system, as well as surprisiningly breathable. These shoes are the epitome of form, function and comfort. We are proud to be supported by Northwave for both road and mountain. Grazie mille, Northwave!

Check out Northwave's web site.

Race Report: Davis Junior Criterium

Three Whole Athlete Juniors, Nick Newcomb, Riley Predum and Roman Brockley braved the cold, driving rain to race the Davis Junior Criterium. Held on the starting circuit of Stage 1 of the Tour of California, the Davis Crit is one of the few junior-only events held in Northern California and featured a four-corner, smooth course under grim weather conditions.

Despite the rain the race was well-attended, allowing separate junior fields for 15/16 and 17/18 riders. In his first-ever criterium, Roman faced a fast and furious 15/16 group. He successfully made all the front splits as the field disintegrated under constant attacks and accelerations and finished on the podium in 5th place!

Nick & Riley also both raced their first 17/18 junior criterium at David, a field stacked with talent - including experienced riders from Davis Bike Club, Specialized and San Jose. The race exploded from the start, and attack after attack continued to split and reduce the size of the field. Both Nick and Riley were vigilant and made all the critical splits, able to stay at the sharp end of the field, while riders continued to be ridden out of the dwindling group.

After a multi-lap solo breakaway by eventual race winner Charlie Avis was brought back by the few remaining riders, there was a mad dash to the finish. Both Nick and Riley held on for top-10 placings, with Nick taking 6th and Riley 9th. Great job to all three Whole Athletes for racing so well in such adverse conditions!

2009 Top-10 results