|
|
Red Jacket - BlueSky Health Capitalizes on Home Field Advantage
June 23, 2009 |
|
 |
|
|
|
After a spring filled with long road trips across three states, riders from the Red Jacket - BlueSky Health Team celebrated the end of spring and the start of summer and the local race season at the 15th annual Keweenaw Chain Drive Festival, which features 16- and 32-mile cross country races.
The team was led by second year veteran Mark Klein, who finished the 32-mile course in 2:27:32, good for 6th place in the expert open division and making him the fastest local rider on the long course. Also racing in the open division was Pat Szubielak, who completed the course in 2:50, 14th place among the men.
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
The start: new team member Steve Hackney, Tammi Lehto and Terry Kinzel. Photo: xmatic |
|
|
|
|
|
Leading the way in the age group divisions in the long race were John Gershenson (1st, 40-49), Caleb Wendel (3rd, 19-29), James Bialas (12th, 30-39), Jon Klimowicz (6th, singlespeed) and Bob Carpenter (12th, singlespeed).
Mike Anderson (Bells Beer), 20 years old from Alpena, captured his third consecutive title, besting his nearest competitor by nearly 9 minutes.On the women's side, Sara Kylander-Johnson of Duluth returned to reclaim her position at the top of the podium after taking a year off.
Other local riders faring well in the long race were Ryan Tervo (Dorfblick/Flyer Cycles; 1st, 19-29), Andrew Ignasiak (2nd, singlespeed), and Kathy Abbott (1st, 50+).
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
James Bialas in the zone near the end of the 32-mile race. Photo: xmatic |
|
|
|
|
|
Best placed Red Jacket riders in the short race were Brett Hamlin and Tammi Lehto, both finishing 3rd in their respective age divisions (30-39 & 40-49). Racing their first race in the black, red and grey were Steve Hackney (5th, 50-59), Dave Watkins (7th, 40-49) and Bruce Harvey (5th, clydesdale). Chris Lehto finished 5th in the hotly contested 40-49 bracket and Terry Kinzel 6th in the 60+ division who edged 8th place Bruce Pletka.Diane Ursu crossed the line 7th in the 30-39 class.
Full results available at www.chaindrive.org.
Thanks to the race organizers, trail builders and volunteers for making the race one of the highlights of the U.P. mountain biking season.
Looking ahead, the Red Jackets have their sites set on the Superior Bike Fest, to be held June 26-28 in Marquette. See you there!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Szubielak Second at Hanson Hills
June 8, 2009 |
|
|
|
|
|
Race report by Pat Szubielak:
Hanson hills is a wonderful 11 mile course similar to Swedetown but with bigger rolling hills. Temperatures hovered around 50 degrees at race time. We (50-59) were the fifth wave to start. The pack stayed tight up the first long climb, then a few of us started passing the slower riders. Now it was just Greg (a skinny little poop that allways beat me) and I making silly passes until he wouldn't go around a group so I jumped around him and didn't look back.
By the time I started the second lap He was no where in sight, I was never passed but couldn't catch the leader, who beat me by 4 minutes. He didn't hang around so I never got to meet him.This was a great race for me because I was able to stay on the gas most of the time. Must have been my Mom's pasta! |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
Pat Subielak in search of number one. Photo: xmatic |
|
|
|
|
|
Red Jacket Races on Avalanche
Brett Hamiln, June 2, 2009 |
|
|
|
|
|
An avalanche is an extremely high speed downward flow of debris typically found in mountainous terrain. This was exactly the case for Redjacket/BlueSky Health Team member Brett Hamlin, only he was able to ride the flow in Afton, MN. The Afton Avalanche is one of Minnesota’s toughest mountain bike races with nearly 900 feet of vertical for each lap and well suited for riders from the U.P. |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
Brett Hamlin on the move. Photo: xmatic |
|
|
|
|
|
Hamlin tried a new race strategy of starting off slower then gain speed throughout the event. This was an extreme difficult strategy as the course started up the mountain from the word go. He was able to get with a good pack for the first lap. On the technical down hills, the skills gained on the bedrock of the U.P. began to shine, and he was able to pass several riders. By the end of the last lap The Redjacket/BlueSky Health colors were flying high (literally) as Hamlin broke from the pack and accelerated down the last hill, reaching a speed of nearly 30 MPH. Hamlin finished 8th in the Cat-2 Sport Class. This is a must race for skill climbers and descenders..
|
|
|
|
|
|
Klein Takes Top Honors at WORS Race #2
June 1, 2009 |
|
|
|
|
|
With just under three weeks to to the Keweenaw Chain Drive Festival, Mark Klein is finding his form. Klein completed Sunday's two-lap, 22 mile race in Rhinelander in 1:42:10, good for first place in the 25-29 Comp Class age bracket, and 12th of nearly 80 Comp racers. Also representing the Red Jacket - BlueSky Health team in Rhinelander last weekend were Caleb Wendel (7th, 25-29), John Gershenson (7th, 40-44), Jon Klimawicz (14th, 4-24), Pat Szubielak (4th, 50+ open), and Terry Kinzel (7th, 60+). |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
Mark Klein out of the saddle on some Rhinelander singletrack. Photo: xmatic |
|
|
|
|
|
Congratulations as well to other cyclists from across the U.P. who toed up for the Crystal Lake Classic in Rhinelander: Michigan Tech standout Spandrew Ignasiak (8th, 4-24), Sisu Cycles rider Tom Carpenter (1st, 30-34 and 3rd overall Comp), Chocolay-Ace rider Jeff Juntti (3rd, 40-44) and Jesse Bell, Sisu Cycles (3rd, 30-34) among others.
In the time leading up to the U.P. first mountain bike race of the season - the Keweenaw Chain Drive Festival - Red Jacket - BlueSky Health riders will be a frequent sight on the Maasto Hiihto and Churning Rapids singletrack as they continue to reacquaint themselves with their homefield trails, and get to learn some of the new trail to be included in this years race.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
