Catharine 8th at Offenburg World Cup

Catharine moved one crucial step closer to securing her Olympic spot today.

Here interview on Canadian Cyclist tells the story best.



Results - Unofficial


1. Irina Kalentieva (Rus) Topeak Ergon Racing Team, 2:00:19
2. Marie-Helene Premont (Can) Rocky Mountain, at 0:33
3. Ren Chengyuan (Chn) Chinese national team, 1:21
4. Margarita Fullana (Esp) Massi
5. Ying Liu (Chn) Chinese national team
6. Sabine Spitz (Ger) Central Ghost Pro Team
7. Lene Byberg (Nor) Specialized Factory Racing
8. Catherine Pendrel (Can) Luna Womens MTB Team
9. Elisabeth Osl (Aut) Team Ghost International
10. Nathalie Schneitter (Sui) Colnago Cap Arreghini

Sparling and Stewart Take 4th Place at Race the Ridge

Elitewave's Jamie Sparling and Sarah Stewart both claimed fourth place overall respectively the Pro Men's and Pro Women's category at Race the Ridge Stage Race this weekend. Sparling won the Road Race. Sarah was 3rd in the road race (after riding 3 laps alone between the pack and eventual race winner Leah Golstein) and 3rd in the time trial. Sarah went into the criterium second but was out maneuvered by a strong and tactically asstute Giant team who took intermediate sprint primes to move ahead in the overall omnium. Jamie's criterium was ridden in support of Rob Britton who was narrowly edged out by Zach Bell on total points.

Wrubleski 6th at GP Prijs Stad Roeselare BEL

After riding in a break all day long, Alex completed yet another top level European professional race in the top 6. Alex will compete in the Bern World Cup next weekend before taking on the Tour de L'Aude - essentially the women's Tour de France.

129 km
1. Loes Markerink (Team Flexpoint) 3:31:00
2. Annemiek Van Vleuten (Vrienden v/h Platteland)
3. Kimberly Anderson (Team High Road Woman)
4. Laure Werner (AA - Drnk CT)
5. Karen Steurs (VLL Topsport Vlaanderen-Thompson Ladies)
6. Alex Wrubleski (Canadian National Team)
7. Edwige Pittel (Team Pro Feminin Les Carroz)
8. Catherine Delfosse (Lotto Belisol Ladies Team) all s.t.
9. Ina Teutenberg (Team High Road Woman) 0:17
10. Kristen Wild (AA - Drink CT)

Pendrel in Contention for Olympic Team

Catharine Pendrel (Luna) is in a close competition for a spot on Canada's Olympic Mountain Bike Team. After placing 13th at the Houffalize World Cup on the weekend, Pendrel is currently holding the second Olympic team spot behind 2004 Olympic silver medalist Marie Helene Premont. Catharine's main competition for the second spot on the Olympic team is close friend (and often roommate on the National Team) Kiara Bisaro of Courtney B.C.

Catharine had an exciting race in Houffalize. She rode hard at the beginning of the race to find herself at the very top of the field - climbing ahead of legends like Gunn-Rita Dahle. Pendrel said she just got excited. She went out strong and faded slightly in the closing laps of the event. According to Pendrel "I just have to pace myself better. I can ride with the top girls, but I don't have to be leading them up the climbs".

This weekend, Catharine will have a second qualifying event in Offenburg, Germany. It's a climber's course which is well suited to her style. As Catharine gets used to racing again (after a long winter in Kamloops) I know she will steadily improve her performance and ride at a higher level. Houffalize was a good test and a reminder of what it will take to make the Olympic team - and race among the world's top elite riders.

If she is successful, Catharine will become the second Elitewave rider to qualify for the Olympic team in 2008.

Check out Catharine's Blog at http://cpendrel.blogspot.com/

Wrubleski 4th Fleche Wallone World Cup

Alex finished fourth in one of the oldest classics on the UCI schedule this morning - Fleche Wallone (the Wallone Arrow). I just talked talked to her on the phone and she was very happy with how the race went. She said there were 35 girls all together at the bottom of the Huy (the final climb of the race). She said it was one of the toughest finishing climbs she has ever done. After the finish it took her an unusually long time to catch her breath. She said she was just bent over the handlebars trying to recover. The hill at the finish is so steep that Michelle had to actually push her after the finish. Now that she has recovered, she was feeling great and also feeling very relieved to have guaranteed herself an Olympic spot.

http://www.dailypeloton.com/displayarticle.asp?pk=12526

http://www.dailypeloton.com/displayarticle.asp?pk=12522

Results
1 Marianne Vos (Ned) Team DSB Bank 2.46.42
2 Marta Bastianelli (Ita) Italian National Team 0.01
3 Judith Arndt (Ger) Team High Road Women 0.02
4 Alex Wrubleski (Can) Canadian National Team 0.09

Sparling 4th at Tour of Walla Walla

Elitewave's Jamie Sparling (Trek Red Truck Racing) rode strongly in the defense of the yellow jersey (held by teammate Rob Britton) at the Tour of Walla Walla this past weekend. Sparling rode very strongly throughout the event - benefitting from a two month stint in Hawaii in February. With the racing season underway, Sparling's speed will return. He is focused on performing well at the Mt. Hood and Tour de Beauce.

Sarah Stewart (Total Restoration) also rode well in the Tour of Walla Walla. After claiming a second place finish in the Friday race (not included in total G.C.) she went on to place 8th in the TT before getting third place in the stage 2 road race. After a 9th place finish in the criterium, she finished 7th overall. This was a great race for Sarah who recently battled back from a knee injury that temporarily sidelined her training.

Sarah was third in the Queen of the Mountain Competition

Sarah will be riding with the Proman Cycling Team at the Tour of Gila, New Mexico at the end of the month. http://www.promanracing.com/

Second Place for Sarah in Walla Walla

Sarah Stewart (Total Restoration) battled her way back from a knee injury to take second in the Kellogg-Hallow Road Race in Walla Walla, Washington. The event was a prelude to the Tour of Walla Walla which begins this morning under cold temperatures.

Yesterday's road race saw a series of breakaway attempts from many different teams - with 4 riders eventually going clear - including Sarah and Giant's Jessica Hannah of British Columbia. Sarah, Jessica and their breakaway companions were eventually joined by two riders from the Wine's of Washington team. The breakaway steadily gained ground throughout the extremely wind and hilly course. The roads meandered through endless green fields of Walla Walla onions. The scenery was dramatic. In the end it was a sprint finish (pictured). Sarah finished second. Her knee seems to be holding up well and she is looking forward to today's time trial and a second road race this afternoon. The stage race concludes tomorrow with a criterium in downtown Walla Walla.

Harbour City Flyers First Practice

The Harbour City Flyers program was officially launched on Tuesday. The athletes (age 10-15) started with an easy "slurpee spin". Riders came from as far away as Cumberland to attend the inaugural practice. The club is offering two weeks of free practices. Team cyclocross bikes arrive on Wednesday and jerseys will be here early in May. It's a small but enthusiastic start for the first program of it's kind in the region. http://www.nanaimojuniorcycling.com/

Some Photos from April Technical Camp

Alex Wrubleski Leads Women's Prestige Series

Mara Abbott (High Road) seemed well on her way to defending her double win of the Individual and Best Young Rider classifications in the 2007 Women's Prestige Cycling Series at the 2008 Series kickoff at the Redlands Bicycle Classic. She cruised to an impressive 25 second win in an 11 minute time trial on the opening day. Alex Wrubleski (Webcor) narrowed the gap from 29 to 19 seconds with a second place finish in the Beaumont Circuit race, moving from 5th to 3rd overall. Then another second place in the Redlands criterium brought her to 2nd overall, within 11 seconds of Abbott. Wrubleski delivered the coup de gras at the Sunset Road Race, where her win gave her a one second margin over Abbott."With a history of close finishes at Redlands (a one-second win in 2005 as well), Webcor devised a gutsy plan of attack to risk it all for the win rather then defend Alex's second place", wrote team director Karen Brems in a post-race E mail.

"This success came despite having four riders suffer broken bones in the last six week."Wrubleski's win, and the steady way she did it by strong performances in three consecutive stages of the Redlands Bicycle Classic, have marked the young Canadian as the rider to watch in the North American women's circuit for 2008. And the rider for the future, possibly challenging the rock star status that Abbott achieved in the 2008 season.Wrubleski's dominance is emphasized by the number of jerseys that she claimed on that fateful Sunday at Redlands. By the time the podium ceremonies were complete, she was wearing the Redlands leader's, sprinter's and climber's jerseys along with the individual, best young rider and sprinter's jerseys for the Women's Prestige Cycling Series.

The current leaders in the Women's Prestige Cycling Series are:Individual Classification
1. Alex Wrubleski, Webcor Builders
2. Mara Abbott, High Road
3. Katharine Carroll, Aaron's
4. Leigh Hobson, Cheerwine
5. Kim Anderson, High Road

Alex 6th at Drenthe World Cup

Alex Wrubleski (Webcor) (2nd from right in photo) rode courageously today to secure Olympic Qualification points for herself and Canada at the Drenthe World Cup today. As you can see from her report...it was a gutsy performance.

Today was definitely the fastest and most furious race I have ever done! After Thursday's race, I didn't think it could get much harder. The pace wasn't as hard for me because I wasn't in a break all day but the terrain was unforgiving and need for good positioning was crucial. The race was 136km and consisted of 3 sprints at the end of 3 cobble sections, 3 premier sprints and 3 G.P.M sprints. People went full on from the start, I guess because the first G.P.M was 9km into the race. I clipped handlebars and hit so many wheels before that GPM just to stay in good position, that I really started to scare myself. Now when they said that there were 3 cobble sections in the race bible, we all thought that it meant like 500meters or so. But each section was 2-4km, and they were more like boulders! Haha I was sure that something had to be broken after that, either on my bike or my body. Going into the first Cobble section 38km into the race, I was probably top 40 (out of about 170), and the rest of the Canadians were a bit behind me. The gaps opened up immediately and by the end of the first cobble section the breaks were formed!! The first break had about 10-12 riders, the second had about 10 and I was in the third with about 8 riders. We could see the other groups 15-20 seconds ahead, and we were all working to catch them. The rest of our team were one group behind me with 40+ riders (including Suzanne Do Geode, and Marianne Vos). Since those 2 girls missed the breaks their teams drove it. After 2 more nasty cobble sections, and after over half the race had passed, we were caught by the large peleton behind us, which Anne was with. Now Nurnberger and DSB Bank went to the font for Suzanne and Marianne, to try and catch the front group. It didn't seem like it would be possible because the winds were so strong and there weren't that many of them chasing. But when a break of 3 riders went off the front break, they slowed, and we eventually caught them! So now there were 3 riders off the front and about 40-50 riders in our pack. So the fight for position never ended. Right before we entered the city circuit, we caught 2 of the girls. Chantal Beltman had attacked them and dropped them. Now some teams were sort of chasing and some were attacking, and it split up the field into 2 , I was in the front bunch with about 24 riders.. In the last 5km, I went with nearly every attack because I didn't want to lose any opportunity. None of them stuck and the moment I saw the 500m sign I jumped and into the turn before the finish, I knew that I went fairly early but didn't want to wait and risk getting boxed in or anything. I saw Vos, Ina, Suzanne pass me by 200m, and then Rochelle Gilmore passed me on the line. So I ended up 6th.I don't think this race report really sums up what we went through out there today, but I just wanted to bring up the main points. I was very happy with this result, as was the rest of the team. CiaoAlex

April Technical Camp a Success

The first annual Elitewave.com Technical Camp has been great. We are in sunny Penticton while Calgary enjoys a late blast of winter. The group has been wonderful and the weather continues to warm-up as we head into the weekend.

The campers have been working hard on their early season fitness. We have also been doing a lot of video feedback and personalized technique coaching. I am confident that all of the campers have really benefited from this camp.

Look for next year's Technical Camp to take place April 6th to 10th.

Alex Reports on First European Race - Drenthe

Today was our first race here in Holland, Drenthe. We arrived 2 days ago with the national team after Redlands and so not quite recovered from the jet lag, we knew today was going to be a tough day. The course was a 25km circuit of 5 laps, with 5 sprint lines per lap, 95% cobble stone, narrow and windy roads and of course completely flat.

The race started out really fast since the first sprint was only 3km into the race. After that there were some attacks that, Erinne, and Leigh were covering. At about 18km in a girl attacked into the a section with a few sharp turns, I was near the front and decided to go with her, shortly after there were 6 of us with a gap that was slowly growing. We kept a very high tempo, and since High Road missed it they were launching off girls from the main peleton to try to bridge, but nobody would let any of them go.

The tempo stayed high for the rest of the race, we never let up, the only chance i had to rest was when the girls went for the sprint lines, i just sat on to save some energy. The US team and a few others kept a steady pace back in the main peleton. When the gap was at about 3:50 and at about 2 laps to go High Road started chasing. We were all getting really tired, and a couple girls would occasionally stop pulling through which really started to frustrate a couple of the other girls. Since the gap was getting closer, (now at less than 2 minutes) one of the girls in our group attacked and nobody wanted to close it, then another girl went with her. So the other 4 of us just stayed working together about 15 seconds behind the other 2. Our group got caught at about 12km to go and they kept chasing hard until they caught the other 2 out front. I stayed near the front so I could be there for the final sprint, but with about 8-9 km to go as we entered the 1 meter wide nasty cobble section there was a crash right in front of me which i couldn't avoid! So i did a total flip over the handle bars and landed into the bushes right along side Alison Powers. It took a while to get unstuck,and fix my bike. The pack was long gone. Once i got on my bike, i noticed my radio was missing, and we were given strict instructions from Vincent before the race not to lose it! So i went back to get it. About 10 of us rode in the rest of the race together. Erinne and Leigh finished about top 25.

So unfortunately we didn't get top 12 where the UCI points are but we all got in some good hard miles in our legs! And i have to say that might have been the hardest race i've ever done... I've never held that hard of a tempo for 100km before !

We are all resting up now for the World cup on Saturday. Gina sat out today and will be racing on Saturday as well.

Wrubleski Takes Redlands Cycling Classic

Elitewave's Alex Wrubleski (Webcor) earned her first win of the season in a classic American stage race - Redlands. She steadily progressed through the field throughout the four stages of the event. On the final stage she worked hard with her Webcor team to secure the overall general classification by just one second. Alex reported "I couldn't have done this without my team". Taking the final stage earned Alex the sprinters jersey, climbers jersey and the overall yellow jersey for the win. This victory is proof that Alex's new program is working. She's having fun and riding with some fire again. This is a good motivator as she heads into a two month tour with the Canadian National Team. "I had so much adrenaline and focus and I knew everyone was counting on me. I knew all I had was one job and that was to ... win the stage in order to win the overall."



Alison Testroete (Aaron's Pro Cycling), Elitewave's newest rider, finished 14th overall and was pleased with her result. "It's a good result for this time of year considering the weather I have been training in". It has been a tough winter for Testroete who has been living in Calgary's cold climate while finishing her post-secondary work. She hopes to rise even further up the pro ranks as she returns to her home on the lower mainland for the remainder of the season. "I have a great team and I am so excited about the season", said Alison.

Final GC
1. Alex Wrubleski (Can) Webcor Builders 7:07:50
2. Mara Abbott (USA) High Road at 0:01
3. Katharine Carroll (USA) Aaron's 0:16
4. Leigh Hobson (Can) Cheerwine 0:19
5. Kim Anderson (USA) High Road 0:21
6. Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Colavita-Sutter-Cooking Light 0:41
7. Anne Samplonius (Can) Cheerwine 0:42
8. Christine Thorburn (USA) Webcor Builders 0:43
9. Julie Beveridge (Can) Aaron's 0:57
10. Kristin Sanders (USA) Aaron's 1:10
11. Stacy Marple (USA) Cheerwine 1:15
12. Leah Goldstein (Isr) Value Act Capital 1:21
13. Andrea Dvorak (USA) Colavita-Sutter-Cooking Light 2:56
14. Alison Testroete (Can) Aaron's 3:00
15. Suz Weldon (USA) Wines of Washington 3:02
16. Erinne Willock (Can) Webcor Builders 7:27
17. Meredith Miller (USA) Aaron's s.t.
18. Laura Van Gilder (USA) Cheerwine 8:22
19. Robin Farina (USA) Cheerwine 11:34
20. Rebecca Much (USA) Webcor Builders 12:52

66 Finishers


From http://www.cyclingnews.com/

Webcor's former Canadian national champion Alex Wrubleski slowly picked away at the time bonus sprints to claim the overall victory in the Redlands Classic. Wrubleski sealed the overall lead after she won the final sprint in the Sunset circuit race to take the ultimate stage victory ahead of Leigh Hobson (Cheerwine) and Kim Anderson (High Road).


Current US national road champion Mara Abbott led the Redlands classic with a twenty-five second cushion after the Sun prologue. However, after a tactical battle through the final stage, Wrubleski earned the necessary twelve seconds needed to overtake Abbott for the overall win, while Katharine Carroll (Aaron's) maintained her unthreatened third place position. While using her sprint to pick up time bonuses, Wrubleski captured enough points to solidify her lead in both the points and QOM jerseys.


"We were definitely the underdogs after the prologue," said triple jersey winner Alex Wrubleski. "So we knew it wasn't going to be impossible to win the overall but that it would be hard. I also knew that Mara was a really good climber but after the first climbing stage I was pretty sure that I was really close to Mara in terms of climbing ability. Because I knew that she wouldn't be able to get away from me on the climbs, our plan was to have me slowly pick away at all the time bonuses everyday and keep moving ahead on GC."


While Abbott expressed her disappointment in coming up short on seconds, she commended her team on their effort to hold onto the leader's jersey. "My team was amazing this week, they did everything perfectly," said Abbott. "It comes down to seconds some times in these races and unfortunately I wasn't able to get enough of those in the right places. I love Redlands and I'm looking forward to this race next year."

The women's nine-lap Sunset circuit race started in a heated battle to the top of the first QOM, where Wrubleski was able to win and reduce her time difference to Abbott from eleven to nine. "After winning the time bonus I knew that coming into the finish all I needed to do was win the stage and that would give me the additional ten seconds I needed to win."


Shortly after the crucial QOM the field split into a decisive front group of twenty riders. Anne Samplonius (Cheerwine) launched an attack that separated herself from the field for nearly six laps. The solo rider was later joined by Meredith Miller (Aaron's) until the pair was reabsorbed into the peloton with two laps to go.


"I really wanted to test my legs today but I knew that it probably would not stay away," said Samplonius, delighted that her Cheerwine team won the overall team competition. "It was important for us to force High Road to chase, which might have allowed Leigh Hobson to move higher up on GC."


With two laps remaining Stacey Marple (Cheerwine) and Erinne Willock (Webcor) set out on another breakaway, however Willock was called out of the break on the final lap to help her Webcor team-mates set up a stage victory for Wrubleski. "Erinne came back from the break to help us chase Stacey Marple and to help prepare our lead-out for the final time bonus," said Wrubleski.


Marple remained off the front until three kilometers to the line when Kim Anderson surprised the group and jumped early in an effort to capture the stage victory and the bonuses needed to keep Abbott in the lead. "We were happy to have the Cheerwine rider off the front at the end because if she had won she would have taken the time bonus and that would have been great for us," said Abbott. "Webcor really pulled it all together in the end."


Webcor's Willock and Thorburn brought Anderson back and Wrubleski into the position she needed to call Redland Classic her own. "I had so much adrenaline and focus and I knew everyone was counting on me. I knew all I had was one job and that was to ... win the stage in order to win the overall."

Pendrel starts season with best NMBS finish.

On Saturday, Catharine Pendrel began the 2008 Olympic campaign with a training racing in Fontana, California. Catharine competed with her new Luna teammates against some of the best competition in the United States. Pendrel finished in 4th place - just behind fellow Canadian Wendy Simms - her best finish ever in this type of racing. It's a great start to the season and excellent training for the speed and power need to qualify for this year's Olympic Team.


Pro Women
1. Georgia Gould (USA) Luna Women's MTB Team 1:57:40
2. Katerina Nash (Cze) Luna Women's MTB Team at 2:51
3. Wendy Simms (Can) Kona Les Gets4:21
4. Catherine Pendrel (Can) Luna Women's MTB Team4:26
5. Emily Batty (Can) Trek Bicycle Store Toronto 5:32
6. Kelli Emmett (USA) Giant MTB Team 5:33
7. Heather Irmiger (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher 6:44
8. Lea Davison (USA) Trek/VW 6:55
9. Mical Dyck (Can) Trek/Terrascape Racing 7:04
10. Monique Sawicki (USA) Ellsworth 9:55

Top Cyclists Will Be Discovered

National-level coach has no doubt he'll turn Nanaimo talent into elite riders
Krista Charke , The Daily NewsPublished: Tuesday, April 01, 2008

Junior cyclists in Nanaimo have a rare opportunity to learn from the best.
Dan Proulx, a national elite cycling coach, has moved to Parksville and he's all geared up to get kids to spin their wheels.

Proulx has no doubt he'll be able to turn at least one Nanaimo rider into a junior world championship contender within four years.

"The best thing about cycling is that it rewards someone who puts in the effort. Effort matters more than talent in this sport," said Proulx, who is starting up the Harbour City Flyers Junior Cycling Club in Nanaimo on April 15.

Proulx speaks from experience. During his 15-year coaching career he has moulded dozens of junior novice cyclist into Canadian and world champions as well as Olympic hopefuls.
His long resume of accomplished riders includes Calgary's track cyclist Ryan McKenzie, who is currently racing at the World Championships in Manchester, England.

McKenzie was 13 and had no cycling experience when he joined Proulx's cycling stable 11 years ago.Now 24 years old, McKenzie is just a sliver away from qualifying for the Olympic Games.
Victoria's Catherine Pendrel and Alex Wrubleski, who are both competing for a spot on Team Canada, are also products of Proulx's expertise.

"I've never coached a junior group where at least one kid didn't make it to worlds," said Proulx.
He figures Nanaimo will have a great pool of junior cyclist due to the solid Nanaimo BMX Association program run by Marie Davidson. The agility and bike handling skills developed by the young BMX riders are a huge asset and transferable to other cycling styles like mountain biking, road cycling and track riding.

In partnership with PacificSport, Proulx wants to pool together all the junior cyclists from every club in Nanaimo to help produce one solid junior cycling club that will explore different types of cycling.

"I'd like to connect the dots between all the different clubs and programs and give kids a place where they can pursue cycling," said Proulx.

Nanaimo's Curran Jongsma is looking forward to riding with kids his own age.
Jongsma, 11, has been racing for two years, but usually finds the person in the saddle next to him four times his senior."There's not a lot of kids who race," said Jongsma, who has been the youngest rider to compete in the Vancouver Island Cross on the Rocks cyclocross series for the past two years. Jongsma hopes the new cycling club will spark an interest in other kids his age to learn how to race their bikes instead of just riding them for fun.

Proulx said Jongsma is a perfect example of a young cyclist with the potential to be a great cyclist if given the right opportunities.

"Cycling isn't taken as seriously here as it is in other countries. In Europe, cycling is like hockey is here," said Proulx.

"The hardest nut to crack will be to get parents to see cycling differently."

The Harbour City Flyers is open to youth, 11-16 years old, with any level of experience and any type of bike.

For more information go to www.nanaimojuniorcycling.com.

KCharke@nanaimodailynews.com
250-729-4245