NorCal Cycling News

Shelley Evans wins Gold and Bronze @ Pan Am Games

… and she’s not done yet.

With track events still remaining on her schedule at the Pan Am Games … we could see Shelley Evans taking another couple medals home.  That’s huge for her, and huge for her program.  Evans is taking a serious shot at making the Olympics road racing team for the London 2012 games … and the selection committee for USAC is going to have a hard time picking out anyone with a more rounded out set of abilities.

With a gold in the road race and a bronze in the time trial … what each of these past 3 seasons has shown the world is that this is a woman who can win at all levels on all terrains.  She is becoming seasoned to the best levels of competition and adapts to any obstacle put before her.

Peanut Butter & Co. should be joined by another high level sponsor next year … and will need to be if that program is going to keep both Evans and Mara Abbott in their midst.  PB& Co truly is pushing themselves forward as the best current homegrown women’s racing program in America.  And if they can continue to develop, continue to find advertisers with the vision to join with them ~ they’ll become the best American program ever.
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Joe Martin … NorCal continues to shine

With a young rider jersey at the horrifyingly difficult Tour of the Gila and a stunning opening TT win at the Joe Martin Stage Race by Andrew Talansky … Cal Giant Berries gave the nation a sweet reminder that they are THE premier amateur racing program in the nation.  They were valiant in the defense of the Joe Martin jersey on Stage 2, but a powerful break led by Bissell proved enough to dislodge Talansky from the leaderboard and put Ben Jacques-Maynes into second overall.

Bissell has Ben and Andy JM, Daniel Holloway, and Paul Mach leading much of their efforts in this early 2010 NRC romp … and it will be very interesting to see how they all burn it up at the Tour of California in a couple weeks time.

Joe Martin also showed us more women of NorCal dancing on pedals and getting down on podiums.  Webcor’s Kathryn Curi Mattis was a crowd pleasing winner of the opening TT … and TIBCO’s Alison Starnes has joined her in the top 3 for the overall.  But it’s Lisa Hunt’s NorCal  led program of Team Vera Bradley Foundation that has taken the leaders jersey with Alison Powers.

The now and the future

These are heady-times, indeed, friends.  NorCal has developed, heroic powerhouses out there competing against the best in the world … showing the globe that American cycling is continuing to rise ~ in both men’s and women’s racing.

And, we have many communities of generous, passionate people donating time, energy, and resources to creating the next generations of racers to follow in these clear and beautiful footsteps.

Thanks for the show, folks!

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