NorCal Cycling News – Cycling and Racing in Northern California

NorCal alumnus Steve Cozza has a created program aimed at raising money for children’s charities. In conjunction with NorCal hard-woman and Hellyer-ite s he developed a coloring book to help with the fund raising.  I’m going to put in a request for a girls version, since my daughter was not digging the mustache thing.   She said it was for boys….

See his website or the blur below for details.

“My coloring book is made available by downloading the electronic copy (PDF) or by donating to my Race for Kids Fan Club to get a paperback copy. All Race for Kids donations from the coloring book will be given to my Race for Kids Fan Club selected children’s charities at the beginning of each racing season. I’m asking a minimum donation of $20 for each coloring book. Larger donations are welcomed.

If you’d like to make a donation and receive a free paperback copy, simply make your check out to Race for Kids Fan Club and send your donation to:

Steven Cozza, Elite Cyclist
Race for Kids Fan Club
PO Box 2752
Petaluma, CA 94953″

 

I hate, hate, hate, that people cannot update their website’s in a timely manner with an accurate roster.  What is wrong with you people?  Hernando will even go and post a quick press release for you (as he did for the ever organized Giant Strawberries and Specialized crews.) And please send him your press releases as getting some new content flowing would be nice. Lacking any info I decided to go dig it up on my own – I will update as folks send me info.  I have taken top 10, and a few others, from the BAT for Elite categories and tried to track down the latest rosters from NorCal’s best.  I’ve started with the women since they are 1. More interesting and 2. 10 Times more organized….

Team	Roster
	Who will pop out out of the Touchstone program this year?  Heather Pryor had a great start at Redlands last year and the program always produces some great racers. Roster: Ann Stuart, April Hamlin, Beverly Chaney, Elis Bradshaw, Carol Irving, Heather Nielson, Heather Pryor, Marissa Axell, Marley Smith, Nicole Dolney
Fremont Bank	Formerly Wells Fargo, which changed its name to Team Lead Out, which changed its name to Fremont Bank Cycling Team.  Somebody there knows a few bank tellers.  With all that activity i think it’s about time to put up your roster as California’s newest “Super Team.”  I know they got Beth Newell who might try to unleash some Hellyer fury on the unsuspecting roadie community. Roster: Beth Newell.
Metromint	First of all move the women’s team ABOVE the mens team on your roster page.  Aside from the fact that I have no idea who any of those guys are i think you should be seriously promoting your strong women’s roster.  Super TTer Van Houweling, Up and Comer Annie Fulton, and NorCal icon Yukie Nakamura are all calling metromint home.  Now if you would just do something about that jersey…. Roster: Mary-Ellen Ash, Jane Robertson, Molly Van Houweling, Julie Bellerose, Rae Brownsberger, Annie Fulton, Anny Henry, Ryan Hostetter, Yukie Nakamura, Rikke Preisler, Rebecca Rising, Amanda Seigle
Los Gatos	As most of the elite program have migrated to other teams (Metromint and Webcor) I assume Los Gatos will have a few rebuilding years.  Why mention them at all? They still have Kira Prokopakis - who is the kind of rider that will be going places if she sticks with it. Roster: Kira Prokopakis
Third Pillar	Can’t find a current roster and most of the elite women have migrated to the
Yahoo Cycling Team	Who knows what is going on with the Yahoo Cycling Team – Personally I hope they come back since they are the only thing Yahoo! has going for it at the moment.  Given that they only had one woman rider, Jane Despas, who racked up enough points by herself to put Yahoo! 6th in Elite Womens BAT, it’s probably a safe bet that they don’t need any more riders.  Why mess with a good thing. Roster: Jane Despas
Red Racing Formerly: Dolce Vita	Don’t know any back story here but looks like the elite women of Dolce Vita and Third Pillar have banded together to create the Red Racing program. They got horsepower, they got a , now they just have to win some races! Roster: Patricia Black, Amy Heine, Janelle Kellman, Katie Kindt, Karla Kingsley, Allyson Kutler, Kate Landau, Kate Ligler, Mary Magnani, Emily Mathieu,Megan Melack, Michelle Melka, Juliette Olson, Martina Patella,Christine Riker, Amy Russo, Cheryl Shwe, Kim White
Webcor Pro Builders	The longest active women’s team in the peloton had to fold this year drawing Webcors long history in both Men and Women’s pro cycling to an end.
Webcor Alto Velo	WIth the pro team out of the way the “Bridge Team” will be picking up some of the pro team’s resources including the directing talents of Karen Brems and Katheryn Curi Mattis who will be jumping in to join Andi Smith who runs the program. If Mary Maroon can teach the younger women to ride some crits the Webcor team could be a contender rather than a wild card this year. Roster: Jane Wolcott, Emily Foxman, Haley Juno-Galdes, Mary Maroon, Rebecca (Bec) Werner
Team Affinity Formerly: Team iPass	I envision a future for the Affinity Team where they become a masters women super team like Morgan Stanley or Safeway and Specialized.  With they key riders topping 40 they should focus on developing masters talent and getting older riders competitive at the P/1/2 races.  If Jeanni Longo can still medal at worlds then this would be a great niche to fill in NorCal, and area rich in resources. Roster: Aimee Baker, Joanna Bechtel , Laurie Furman , Monica Holt , Jen Jordan, Sonja Klein, Kim Ladd
Davis Bike Club	I got nothing on Davis.  Time to update your roster folks.
Vanderkitten	Wait – Liz Hatch isn’t on Vanderkitten?  Seriously though…New team Director Jono Coulter has to be happy he didn’t take a job with the Pegasus project.  Luckily for NorCal the transplant is putting his time into rejuvenating the on again off again Vanderkitten program.  Combining veteran road captain Jen Reither with sasy youngsters Jazzy Hurikino, and Maura Kinsella might be a way to put this program on solid footing for an extended period of time Roster: Jennifer Weinbrecht, Vanessa Drigo, Maura Kinsella, Jasmin Hurikino, Starla Teddergreen, Anna Lang, Jennifer Reither
Peanut Butter 2012	They lost Shelley and Mara Abbot but they picked up Kristen Armstrong.  Does this mean that Armstrong is going to do Merco?  How cool would that be. After picking up Alison Starnes Peanut Butter-2012 has an even stronger NorCal influence with local riders Hannan, Kat, Olivia, and Ruth Winder.  I pick Winder as Peanut Butter’s break out star – and thats saying something on a team that has both Antonneau and Rivera. Roster: Kristin Armstrong, Kaitie Antonneau, Katharine Carroll, Olivia Dillon , Cari Higgins , Hanan Alves-Hyde, Kristin McGrath , Greta Neimanas, Coryn Rivera , Alison Tetrick Starnes , Lauren Tamayo, Alisha Welsh, Tayler Wiles, Ruth Winder, Sara Youmans
Tibco	Not much local going on with Tibco any more.  They picked up some serious talent with Powers, Whitten, and Willock so they will be making a big run at the North American stage races.  Megan Gaurnier is the local rider to watch – she’ll be winning some local races before heading off with the US National team and hitting the Euro circuit with Tibco (which is one of a few UCI Women’s teams.) Roster: Joelle Numainville, Alison Powers, Carlee Taylor, Tara Whitten, Erinne Willock, Megan Guarnier, Joanne Kiesanowski, Emma Mackie, Meredith Miller, Samantha Schneider

just a quick shout out to all those cats who bat pics around the interwebs.

it paints pretty and keeps connections sweet and fresh.

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wit and wonder

what it’s all about

just for the record, if Sabine ever dumps my schizo-ass … i’m stalking Democracy Now’s Amy Goodman until she converts to the darkside and lands herself in my lap.

yup, she’s that hot.

So, here’s a quote and there’s the {{LINK}} for mas lefty-pinko writin’s ~

On the Sunday following Sept. 11, 2001, Vice President Dick Cheney told the truth. On NBC’s “Meet the Press,” he said regarding plans to pursue the perpetrators of that attack: “We have to work the dark side, if you will. We’re going to spend time in the shadows.”

The grim, deadly consequences of his promise have, in the intervening six years, become the shame of our nation and have outraged millions around the world. President George Bush and Cheney, many argue, have overseen a massive global campaign of kidnapping, illegal detentions, harsh interrogations, torture and kangaroo courts where the accused face the death penalty, confronted by secret evidence obtained by torture, without legal representation.

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Or, maybe i’ll club Naomi Klein {{LINK}} over the noggin’ and take her back to the cave.

hmm …

and i’m going to include this quote from Klein’s article (Beth, you might want to check the ramifications of that Scahill article we were talkin about).

Postscript: Ari Melber criticized this column, citing a video the Obama campaign has been circulating featuring a minister of Obama’s church who makes it clear that while Obama is not a Muslim, there would be nothing wrong with it if he was. I had the same clip sent to me directly from the Obama campaign and wrote this in response: “What I am suggesting needs to be said can only be said by the man himself, just as he has taken brave stances against racism directed at Latinos under the guise of fighting illegal immigration. Do not underestimate the message that his silence is sending, not just in the U.S. but around the world.”

One more thing: now is the time when candidates are most open to pressure. For instance, Hillary Clinton just announced that she will co-sponsor legislation to ban the use of private military companies–exactly one day after my Nation colleague Jeremy Scahill revealed that both Clinton and Obama were poised to let the mercenaries stay in Iraq even if the troops come home. Pushing candidates on the issues during a campaign can have a real impact, so can we please move beyond superfandom? I have also heard from people who think that saying Arabs and Muslims are worthy of exactly the same rights and protections as other minorities is just too high-risk a position for Obama during the campaign. If that’s the position, so be it, but don’t pretend the campaign is doing something it is not. It is precisely because he has been so strong on other issues of discrimination and racism that his trepidation on this issue leaps out.

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Yeah, i’d take Goodman or Klein in a pinch.

but, maybe i’ll stay lucky and keep the girl happy.

yeehoo! love is in the air!
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