NorCal Cycling News – Cycling and Racing in Northern California

This is the second NCCN interview following Cal Cup contenders, don’t miss our last interview that followed Annie Fulton. Evan Huffman (Cal-Giant) is no stranger to success.  He’s got a national championship under his belt from his junior days and has done the tour of successful NorCal teams like Lombardi’s, Yahoo!, and California Giant Strawberries.  Huffman has impressed many the last few years, but In the process of following Cal Cup I have been impressed by both his thoughtfulness, attention to detail, and his willingness to fully embrace the lifestyle needed to make it as a cyclist.  With several Cal Cup races still to go, including his favorite Challenge RR, Huffman is going to be a hard man to beat as he gears up for a National Team tour later this fall.

You have always been a NorCal rider to watch, but you have been on a different level since July. Do any of your races pop out as particularly special to you?

I would say Nationals.  I was just ok in the time trial (7th), but I think my 3rd in the RR was a great ride.  Of course, I would have rather won, but it’s hard to say if that was even possible.  I’m just happy with it because I showed a lot of physical strength/endurance, but also raced hard for 3rd even after the top 2 spots were up the road.

Looking at your NorCal racing, you are just tearing up Cal Cup right now – at what point this year did you decide you wanted to give it a go?

I think sometime around Cascade.  I had my fingers crossed I wouldn’t be able to do many of the races because I’d be in Europe with the National Team, but that didn’t work out.  I’m always fittest in August and September.  Last year I got to do Utah, but obviously that wasn’t an option this year.  I just thought if all I can do is local racing, I might as well win.  However, I just found out I’m doing the Tour of China September 9-19 with the National Team so that is great.

Tour of China sounds cool, are there any stages that you will target while you are there?

I will just be taking it day by day and looking for opportunities.  On paper, seem like stages 3, 4, and 8 are the hardest which would normally be the best for me.  It’s hard to say exactly how the race will unfold.

I have been impressed by how thoughtful and detail oriented you come across – do you do any recon before a stage race like that?

There were very few races this year I did for the first time, so that made it easy.  Tour of the Gila was the obvious exception, but I was there early to acclimate to the elevation so I ended up riding most of the stages.  There’s not a huge variety of roads in Silver City.  I usually don’t go out of the way to recon stages, but if it’s convenient I’ll check out the courses when I come to a race early.

Coaching – In your opinion how important is it for an athlete racing at your level to have a coach, and how do you use?

For me, it’s been huge.  I know a lot of people coach themselves and maybe that’s great for them, but I don’t think I’ll ever be able to do that.  It’s good to have someone else to learn and grow with especially being a young rider.  A lot of things are new for me.   For example, China will be 10 days of racing and the most I’ve done before is 6 so it will be interesting to see how my body reacts during and after the race.  I’ve been coached by Felicia Gomez for just over 2 years now and we work great together.  If you’re going to have a coach, communication is key.  I call Felicia several times a week to talk about how I’m feeling, how the upcoming training/races look, and anything about physiology or nutrition I’m curious about.

What kind of time/milages do you put into training during the year – the level of commitment strikes me as something a lot of up and coming racers really do not get.

I probably ride about 15 hours a week on average.  That might not seem like much, but it’s all about intensity for me.  My training is very scientific and I’m always doing specific intervals using power.  I rarely go out and “just ride” for longer than an hour.  Once you get to a certain level of fitness, those rides are just a waste of time.  A lot of people subscribe to the old-school mentality: The more you ride, the stronger you get.  That’s just not how I train.  Sure, there are long rides, but I’ve always got one eye on the power meter making sure I’m doing something that’s going to make me stronger.  I also normally ride 6 days a week and have one day completely off.  So, it takes a big commitment, but more hours on the bike doesn’t equal more fitness and there’s a lot you can do off the bike (eating right, getting lots of sleep, stretching/massage).

You came up through the junior ranks which is helpful if you are looking to make a career our of it How did you get started racing?

I started out swimming, which led to triathlons, which led to cycling.  I did my first cycling races in 2007, just a few junior and Cat5 races for training.  I was on the Lombardi Sports Tri Team and the cycling guys wanted me to do more races with them.  After a terrible showing at Triathlon Age Group Worlds and moving away to college, I was ready to try something new for 2008.  I did a lot of collegiate racing, but also quickly got my Cat 2 upgrade.  I won the Road Race at Junior Nationals that year, went to Europe, and decided I wanted to be a professional cyclist.

Your mother () is a prolific tweeter [ed note. must follow if you want updates from the road at various races] and seems to follow racing very closely.  Describe they role your family has had in your success?

Yes – is my mom.  She is very supportive now.  When I first decided to quit school…not so much.  Most people told me I was stupid and throwing away a great opportunity and I think my parents felt the same way, but never said it in such harsh words.  I saw it the other way around.  That’s part of what makes cycling such a tough sport.  There are a lot of ups and downs and it’s often hard to see progress even when you’re making a lot.  My parents are very supportive now that they see how motivated I am to make it happen.  My mom comes to all the races she can, even taking time off work for the bigger NRC races.  I really appreciate the emotional and financial support.  Seems kinda shallow to bring up the money, but honestly, living at home rent-free with little to no expenses makes cycling a lot easier.  I can focus all my energy on training and racing.

In addition to your family you have a top notch team behind you.  Cal Giant is producing some awesome young riders, Talansky, Bennett, not to mention the older guys.  What kind of support are they giving you that works out so well?

For me, the laid-back atmosphere is huge.  There’s little or no pressure for results from the management or older riders.  They understand we’re young and different people are going to develop at a different pace.  I also like having the older mentor riders not just around, but out there racing with us.  Experience is a huge part of cycling and having those guys around to watch, and ask questions has been really good for me this season.  Of course, we also have excellent equipment support from Specialized, SRAM, Zipp, etc.  The equipment is on par or better than any domestic Continental team.

With such a large cast of characters at Cal-Giant who is your favorite person to room with when you are on the road?

Chris Stastny with an honorable mention to Jesse Moore.  Chris has had a very positive influence on me mentally this year.  I have a tendency to get really down on myself when I don’t race well and also get stressed about things can’t control.  I’ve learned to let go of poor performances because there’s nothing you can do but move on, learn from it, and try to do better next time.  I can’t count how many times I have been super stressed about my bike being dirty, not having super-healthy food, or something else relatively unimportant and Chris has told me to just chill out and focus on racing.  Jesse is great because he knows something about everything and a lot about bike racing.  You can ask him about aerodynamics, diet, training, tactics, etc. and he’s always happy to share some great information.  However, I will say Chris and Jesse both tend to get really grumpy when they’re hungry, but it’s not a huge problem because they’ll eat almost anything.

Where does college and career fit in your plans?

I went to school at Cal Poly for 4 quarters (1 and 1/3 of a year), but made the difficult decision to put that on hold and focus on cycling.  Ironically, it was being in SLO that really got me into cycling.  I did a lot of collegiate races, made some great friends there, and really just fell in love with the sport.  I went to Europe after winning Junior Nationals in 2008 and really liked the whole Euro Pro thing.  I got invited to go back for 10 weeks the next spring and that’s what pushed me over the edge in the school vs cycling debate.  I’m not sure where I’ll be in 5-10 years, but for now the plan is to see how far I can go in the world of cycling.  I’m in a great environment with Cal-Giant to do that and am already looking forward to seeing what we can do next year.

Any thoughts on your 2012 team?

I think it’s still a little early to say for sure, but most likely I’ll stick with Cal Giant for another year.  I’ve been extremely happy.  I feel really loyal to the team and sponsors for having some faith and giving me such great opportunities this year.

Ok… final brain buster Rand vs. Reaney: Not to give away any secrets but if you were Rand’s coach (yes we all know he’s un-coachable) but if you were) how would you guide him to beat Reaney in a crit. Purely hypothetical of course.

Hmmm…that is a tough one.  Rand is a good rider, but Steve is REALLY good.  I would lose to him too, but luckily we’re on the same team.  Head to head, in a 2-man break like they’ve been doing, Reaney just has a huge advantage.  He’s a better sprinter and has a strong team behind him so he doesn’t necessarily need to work that hard.  Rand’s best chance is to get up the road without Reaney…or just wait until he retires.  No offense, Rand.  I just have a lot of respect for Steve and think he’s an excellent bike racer.

Sorry Rand – i tried!  Better just wait till he retires.

If you see Huffman on the road give him a good heckling and help get him stoked for his trip to China with the national team.

 

Annie Fulton may not be leading the Cal Cup series but she’s sucking up points by winning all the hard case races.  So far she’s managed to rack up wins at both Patterson Pass and University by breaking the legs of the competition.  Her recent win’s show a depth of talent and relationship with pain that has taken time and resolve to develop.   Much like her main Cal Cup rival, Jane Despas, Fulton is focused on trying to build her career out side of cycling and managing to race at a high level.  We caught up with her after University to get some insight into her approach.

Give us  a quick recap of your high school and college athletic background.

You know how most little kids take a gymnastics class and learn how to walk on the beam and jump on the trampoline?  Well, I took those classes and just didn’t stopped for 14 years.

Makes sense – you kind of have that tiny pixie climber thing going.

Gymnasts are short. and all around, very muscular.  No velociraptor arms here!

Did you have an event your event ?

There is a common misconception that gymnasts have an “event” – I competed all-around.  Though, I usually scored well on floor and vault.

Where did you peak in your gymnastics career?

I would say the best result I got was placing 3rd on beam at zones (this would be somewhat equivalent to districts in cycling)

You grew up in the area but didn’t start cycling until you got back from college – how did that start?

My dad got me a road bike when I was in college so he could take me along on his summer cycling adventures with his buddies in Europe.  I road a bit while at school, but 6 months of snow a year meant that I got in almost all of my riding time in the summer and while touring.

Riding with a bunch of old guys in a beautiful setting sounds like the Stahl Ride [A famous weekly ride run by Peninsula legend Dave Stahl through the Santa Cruz Mountains] Did you end up riding with your dad in europe?

Haha – you have a point.  My dad passed away three years ago, just a few days after we completed a tour in the Dolomites.  Perhaps the Stahl ride is my favorite because it makes me nostalgic for all those miles spent with my dad when we just rode for the fun of it.

You have managed to become one of the top NorCal women racers and start building a career as a much sought after web developer at the same time – how do you balance the two?

You have to love both cycling and your career to make it work.  Also set realistic expectations for yourself.  I honestly feel like I could have been a better racer or progressed further in my career if I had just focused on one.

Now that you have some semblance of a formula down what do you see as your biggest achievement to date?

While winning Patterson Pass was gratifying, I have to say my favorite moment in cycling was not a race but being invited to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.  It was so amazing to share the facilities with some of the best athletes in the world.

What kind of activities did they have you do at the OTC?

Besides a couple fitness tests, they were really testing our bike handling and grace under fire.  One ride involved riding in pitch-black tunnels on dirt roads.  Another time we were placed in a small area and told to knock off riders until there was one rider remaining!

Did you meet any athletes that inspired you while you were there?

This may sound funny, but Rulon Gardner. [ed note. 2000 Greco Roman Wrestling Gold Medalist and Biggest Loser Contestant] I saw him at the OTC and have been totally inspired by him since.  I relate to Rulon because he is an emotional athlete who goes through many ups and downs, but is always a fierce competitor.

After being exiled to Maine for several years can you attest to how much better the NorCal lifestyle is to east coast living?

I mean, it is nice to not have Wal-Mart be “the thing to do” in town…..

Heh…. and what is your favorite NorCal race?

I’m going to have to go with Pescadero RR.  It’s beautiful, climby, and involves eating garlic artichoke bread afterwards!

Speaking of NorCal races, you always do well in CalCup – what about those races fit your racing style?

I love long epic bike rides.  What is more epic that 4+ hour races in 100 degree heat, gnarly winds, and lots of climbing?  Only the dinner I eat afterwards.

What is the one thing that dinner has to have in it?

There is nothing I crave more after a tough race than a burrito.

You are extremely to the point.  I chalk that up to your time going to college (Bates) in a state (Maine) that would be better annexed by Canada.  On that note…Who talks funnier Canadians, Australians, or the fish-heads from Maine?

Maineiacs.  Who else eats lawbstah with buttah for suppah?

I had a long question about goals, philosophy, and your approach, but in the end… where do you want cycling will take you?

That is a tough one.  I have found myself unwilling to give up my career, so I’d like to take racing as far as I can while working full-time.   Cycling has given me many things, but in general I would say racing has given my life a focus which has been very helpful while dealing with my dad’s death and the confusion of post-school life.

Check back soon for an interview with Cal Cup men’s bad ass Evan Huffman.

 

 

Lindsay Myers has moved quickly through the cycling world.  She started out her pro career with Webcor last year but an early season injury set back her ambitions.  Going into 2011 she refocused her efforts and had a fantastic early season in Europe.  She’s one of our NorCal picks to light up the Philly Women’s Liberty Classic and Nature Valley Grand Prix the next two weeks.

Tell us about how last year unfolded – you were picked up by a great team (Webcor), got injured, and then the team folded at the end of the year.  That is a lot to handle as a first year pro!

Going into 2010, I was so excited to be on Webcor.  I was psyched to be working with such accomplished and professional women.  I crashed at Redlands on the first lap of the first stage, maybe 5k after I made a stupid attack–pretty bad start with my first professional team.  I was able to start riding the trainer pretty soon after and made it back for Joe Martin.  I wasn’t really fit enough again to really help the team until Nationals and Cascade–the last race on the calendar and when we were told that the team was going to fold at the end of the year.

I went back to school in the Fall, took 20 credits each quarter, and applied to Physical Therapy school for the following year.

What were the advantages of joining a major women’s program like Webcor?

What I really appreciated about Webcor last year were the women I was able to learn from.  I spent a lot of time training with Katheryn Mattis and having her as a mentor that year was huge.  At Nature Valley I shared a host house with Amber Neben and really grew to admire and respect her more than I already had as a World Champion.

How is your year shaping up now?

I am on a new team from the East Coast this year, Danbury Audi.  We had a good run at Redlands and we’re focusing mostly on some of the big races on the East Coast, Philly and Nature Valley.

In NorCal, the club from my hometown, Chico Corsa, was generous enough to help me out with regional races.  They’re a great group of extremely supportive people and it’s awesome to be a part of that still.

And your breakout ride at Redlands got you some extra attention…

Early in the year, I was invited to race a stage race in the Czech Republic with the National Team.  After Redlands, there were some roster changes and they needed another rider for the whole Spring block.  So I headed over earlier to do a stage race in Holland and several one days.

I’ve got a pretty sweet gig going.

And one of those “one days” just happened to be La Fleche!

Whoa!  Fleche was so awesome.  The women’s race is held at the same time as the men’s, so the crowds are huge.  Attrition was the name of the game for that race as there were quite a few climbs before we actually got to the Huy.  We went up the Huy twice, the second time was the finish.  I didn’t notice it too much at the time, but it was SO loud going up the Huy with people cheering. I remember trying to yell at a girl moving backwards to move over and not even being able to hear myself yell.

The first time up the Huy pretty much made the selection, it was only about 30k from there with one short climb.  We were working that day for Kristin McGrath, who pulled off 10th.

It was such a great experience, definitely one of the greatest I’ve had in cycling.

Following your one day races you pulled out the biggest result yet at Gracia-Orlova winning the Best Young Rider competition.

Gracia was awesome.  I didn’t know I had that in me.  Chilling in the gutter for 3 hours every day in Holland I think paid off.  The race definitely catered to me more with the first stage finishing up an 8k climb and the second stage finishing on a steep, cobbled kicker after four pretty serious climbs.  I was trying not to be too negative, but I was fully anticipating moving down in GC going into the 26k flat and windy TT.  I went the hardest I’ve ever gone in a TT and moved up three spots in GC and got young rider.  The last stage was cold, wet and pretty uneventful.  My teammates did an awesome job of covering moves and giving me a wheel to follow.

The Czech Republic was interesting.  I don’t think I’ll ever go back there for tourism.

When you say the Czech Republic is interesting do you mean interesting like the Mona Lisa or interesting like Euro pro hair gel?

Interesting like stage one starting on what we were pretty sure was a nuclear power plant on the border of Poland and Czech Republic, like the absence of fresh produce, like getting stare downs from the passengers of any car that passed us while training.  We had just come from cycling enthusiastic countries like Holland and Belgium, I don’t think Czech knew what to do with us.

Like a lot of elite women you came into the sport relatively late, when did cycling enter the picture?

My Dad was awesome in that he introduced me to the more non competitive outdoor sports like backcountry skiing, backpacking, running, cycling and mountain biking.  I didn’t really run with cycling until my freshman year of college when I got hooked up with Team Swift and Laura Charameda.

I swam a little when I was younger and was a pretty serious flag football player in high school.  I actually got a small college scholarship for flag football.

I had know idea there was even flag football scholarships!  Did you play old school grid iron style?

Yea!  I was the defense captain one year.  I didn’t take it nearly as seriously as some of the girls, it was a lot of fun.  I wasn’t that good, my best friend’s Dad was the coach, so maybe it was just nepotism…

Laura Charameda is a an old school pro! That must have come in handy as you have progressed through the ranks and moved up to racing in Europe.

One of the things that Laura really emphasized and has always stuck with me is doing something to be part of the race, not just pack fodder.  She mentored the first crit I did a couple years ago at Merco.  After the race she said we had nothing to talk about because I didn’t do anything.  Laura taught me how to be a bike racer–I’m really fortunate she has taken time take me under her wing the last couple years.

It feels like you have packed a lot into a short amount of time this year, what have you got left on your agenda?

I’m still trying to swing both school and racing.  For the rest of this season I want to help my team (Danbury Audi) get some good finishes at the races coming up that are typically sprint finishes, then focus on U23 Nationals and Cascade.

2012 is a long ways away.  I want to be racing for a strong team and be continuing towards Physical Therapy school.  I also want to come home to NorCal sometime soon and let my parents know that I love them.

Time to think on your feat! Who is funnier Hernando or Beth Newell?

Definitely a duo that require each other.

WRONG! – It’s Beth unless Hernando’s underwear is too tight

IF THEY WERE SESAME STREET CHARACTERS WHO WOULD THEY BE?

I never watched Sesame Street much when I was younger, so I had to consult Wikipedia for a list of characters.

Hernando:  Count von Count–[The Count is number-obsessed, and craves counting with a single-focused passion. He has lavender-fleece skin, bat-shaped ears, a flat black hairpiece, a red spade tongue, and wears caped formal wear. Nelson based the Count's character and exaggerated European accent on Bela Lugosi's Count Dracula. An "impressive crack of thunder and flash of lightening", along with his trademark laugh, accompany his counting]

Beth:  Zoe–[Introduced to increase the number of strong female characters on Sesame Street, Zoe is "simultaneously dainty and strong, practical and impulsive".  She loves dancing and ballet, and usually wears a bright tutu]