June 23, 2010 23:07
by Neil Browne
This was the weekend the Hincapie Development squad had been waiting for – the national road racing championships. For the second year in succession the championships are being held in Bend, Oregon. Unlike last year when temperatures were in the 90's, the weather so far has been pleasant with sunshine and no wind – perfect for racing.
The first event for most of the guys is tomorrow's time trial. The course starts with a gentle uphill drag, U-turns and then does a additional loop through a residential area that includes a round-about, for a total of 18 miles.
We rolled out this morning to inspect the course as well as to take the opportunity to open up the legs and blow out any jet-lag. From the Hincapie Devo rental house it's only three miles to the starting ramp. The guys looked pro as they rode two abreast down the road with me following in the huge red Chevy Suburban.
The 18-mile loop had plenty of riders with the same idea as us. All along the course riders were either just gently cruising or banging out short time trial efforts. We spotted the Garmin-Slipstream and Trek-Livestrong squads on the course and exchanged polite waves as we passed. We're friendly now, but once the racing starts in earnest they are the competition.
The boys doing a recon ride on the TT course
The boys set a steady tempo up the first uphill leg of the course with each rider taking surges to get the blood pumping. At the turn around we had a quick meeting to discuss the gear ratios to use. Like mentioned, it's uphill but raced in the big ring with no need to shift into anything bigger than the 23 rear cog. On the return section the legs should be spinning at a 100 plus cadence and their speed will be at their maximum. This downhill section will allow a bit of recovery before the final six-mile loop. This final portion features gentle rollers that will elevate the heart rate again. After the rolling section it's a straight shot back to the finish line. The guy's heart rate should be pegged as they punch it to the line.
As I write this the guys have woken from naps and are watching t.v. as the dads plan out dinner. It looks like huge portions of pasta are on tonight's menu. However before we eat it's one more short trip into town to pick up race numbers and to double check the time trial bikes on the UCI jig to ensure that the angles are within the allowed tolerances. It's best to double check these things before we roll up to the start line tomorrow.
Follow the team's national championships adventure on Twitter @HincapieDevo and on Facebook. I'll post updates as often as possible.
Parker putting his bike on the TT jig
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June 9, 2010 14:25
by Steve Baker
Hincapie Development rider, Mike Stone won the High Country Tour du Life Omnium in NC this weekend. Mike has been riding very well and turning in some impressive results lately. He's on form just in time for the USA Junior National Championships in Bend, OR later this month. Mike won the hillclimb time trial up Beech Mountain and placed top ten in both the Criterium and the Road Race to take the overal omnium victory. He is certainly showing that his recent category 1 upgrade is well-deserved and we're proud of him. We're excited about the upcoming trip to nationals. The guys are riding great and should be on form to make an impact in the races.
Stone on his way to victory in the uphill time trial.
That's our man standing on the top step! Way to go Mike.
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June 9, 2010 14:16
by Steve Baker
Hincapie Development rider, Matt Lipscomb doesn't live in South Carolina, but that didn't keep him from coming into town to beat up on the locals at the South Carolina State Time Trial Championships. Matt is only 17, but he decided to race the 19-22 year old age group for the day. He was using the race to tune up his TT form ahead of the USA Junior National Championships later this month. Matt averaged 27.4 mph over the 16 mile course, placing him 5th overall and the winner of the age group. We're proud of the way he's riding and we wish him the best of luck at the National Championships.
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April 28, 2010 11:18
by Steve Baker
Fresh off his recent Category 1 upgrade, Hincapie Development rider Mike Stone has headed west to race the Tour of the Gila in New Mexico. Mike's going to be going against some of the best racers in the racers in the country...scratch that...best riders in the world thanks to the presence of Lance Armstrong, Levi Leipheimer and Jason McCartney. Mike is riding like a real champ, so we are confident he's got what it takes to be competitive. Best of luck, Mike!
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