The Red Jacket - BlueSky Health Cycling Team was out in full force for the Keweenaw Chain Drive. Racing on our backyards we took full advantage of a stellar course and perfect race conditions. The result - 6 of the top 20 in the long race plus 2 of the top 5 women, 1 of the top 20 in the 16 plus two of the top 20 women. The domination sounds even better in hardware. In addition to four top ten finishes in the men's expert and two of the top five in women's expert, the Red Jacket - BlueSky Health Cycling Team took home 3 firsts, 2 seconds, and 2 thirds, a total of 7 medals in all!! Best of all, nearly every racer came in saying they beat their personal goals for the race. A special shout goes to Tammi Lehto with a real break through race for a bronze medal in a tough age group. You are now in their class, Tammi!

For the full results, go to http://www.itiming.com/raceresults/404-kcd_age08.pdf.

Thanks to Jeff Houtari of main sponsor BlueSky Health and Douglas LaBar of team supporter Northstar Investment Management for cheering us on during the race and as always a big thanks to Caleb and Steve for opening up for the after hours tune ups this week (and supplying recovery drinks). Thanks to the Chain Drive committee for putting on another great event and to the team members who volunteered time to assist in getting the course in shape, setting up the finish area, helping clean up, and helping with the kids race.

Next weekend much of the team will be off to Superior Bike Fest in Marquette for a mix of road and mtb racing.

Santa Cruz is putting on a contest to win a new bike, but in order to win racers must be voted on by the public, then fly out to California where they'll race against 3 others and Santa Cruz's own factory racer. Red Jacket - BlueSky Health racer Lisa Spreitzer is one of the finalists and needs your help. To help send Lisa to the California, go to the Hellride website and vote for Lisa. Voting closes July 11! Go Lisa!!!

Three area riders headed south early Sunday morning to represent the Keweenaw at Nine Mile’s Big Ring Classic. The temperatures were high, mosquitoes out in droves and wood ticks looking for fresh blood, but the RedJacket – BlueSky Health Cycling team was successful.

Brett Hamlin was first to race and looking for revenge after a less than stellar experience at his first WORS race in Iola. If it was revenge he sought, it was revenge he found. The average class time improvement from Iola to Wausau of 8 minuets, Hamlin’s time improve four fold, over 32 minuets faster, placing him soundly with an 18th in class, and 82nd out of 264 sport class racers.

C4 rider Andrew Ignasiak digging deep
Photo: Brett Hamlin

The remaining Keweenaw riders, RedJacket – BlueSky Health’s Ryan LaBar, and 4C’s Andrew Ignasiak were off next. LaBar, racing elite/pro, had his hands full as some of the countries’ top racers were competing in elite/pro. LaBar had a fast start and was able to hammer the single track. His bike handling skills were well above many of his fellow riders and helped to finish the thirty two mile event in just over two hours and twenty five minuets, placing 11th in class. Ignasiak, of 4Cs, did and excellent job as well. Like Hamlin, Ignasiak was on a mission following Iola, and like Hamlin he too was successful. Ignasiak place 8th in class at the comp level.

Success of these riders would not have been as high without the team. Bottle hand-outs were key to the riders’ success in the long events. “It was really awesome to get fresh bottles every lap.” LaBar said following the race. It was also noted by many bystanders that the RedJacket – BlueSky Health Cycling Team had some of the cleanest, quickest, and most professional bottle hand-off of any team at the event. All of these riders look to continue their success at the Chain Drive