Tour de Health

Alan was in Mobile, Al this past weekend racing in the The Infirmary Tour De Health. Alan raced in 2 races finishing 6th in the Master's 35+ and 5th in the Cat 4 races. Great effort considering he got hit by a car on his training ride Thursday!

Just Another Manic May

Apparently someone shot this team out of a cannon to start the month off, and there has been no let up since.

George kicked the month off on foot at Toad Suck Daze in Arkansas. George won his age class in the run, then turned around and did a 66 mile ride as part of the event.

Hardwack was also in Arkansas to kick the month off and raced in the Ozark's competing in Syllamo's Revenge. Hardwick finished 2nd in his age class, and 28th overall.

Alan ventured over to Charlotte, N.C. to race in a criterium in his old hometown.

Mitch teamed up with another mountain biker and headed out to Winder, GA to race in the Dirty Spokes 12 hour race. The team that Mitch was on finished 2nd.

Payne raced in a criterium training race down at the Shelby Co. Airport and finished 5th in the breakaway group.

Lastly, Zach headed up to Fayetteville, TN for the Dirt, Sweat, and Gears 12 Hour Race. The team that Zach was on finished 7th out of 22.

Those are just the races that the team was in. Several members of the team went out and rode in the Tannehill Ironworks Century to benefit trail construction at Tannehill, and a majority of the team was present last Wednesday for the Ride of Silence commemorating riders struck by cars while on there bikes. Laural also rode her first century of the year last weekend while riding in the Tour de Cure that benefitted diabetes research.

Stay tuned......

Gang Green Invades Anniston

The team hit the road the weekend of April 17th and 18th and took the 2 hour trip over to Anniston to compete in the Sunny King Criterium, Cheaha Challenge, and Foothills Road Race. The Sunny King Criterium kicked the weekend off for the team. Alan, Larry, Mike G., Mike H., and Mitch flew the team colors proudly in probably some of the most intense racing that the team has seen this year. All of us came back "Shinny Side Up, Rubber Side Down", which after seeing some of the crashes at this years race, was quite impressive. Though the results may not have been exactly what we wanted, we rode hard, and hung tough. We lived to fight another day.

Sunday greeted us with cool temperatures and sunny skies. Alan, Mitch, Hardwick, and Stacey flew the team flag in the Foothills Road Race. Hardwick scored a top 15, and Stacey earned her first road race podium finishing 3rd.

The rest of us went out and led an assault on Mt. Cheaha, the highest point in Alabama. Ashley, Beth, George, Liz, Larry, Mike G., Mike H., and Mick set out early in the morning to concur the route. George and Mick went the full 102 mile distance, Liz opted for the 66 mile route, and the rest off us, we did the 88 mile route.

After a full weekend of racing and riding I think we were all glad to finish our events. Now, for most of the team, the focus will switch from the road to the dirt with several mountain bike events coming up.

Ride to Live Circuit Race

The team got the opportunity to race at the Barber Motorsports Park over Easter weekend in the Ride to Live Cancer Classic Road Circuit Race. The road course covers 2.38 miles, has 17 turns, 80 feet of elevation change, and a 45 foot wide racing surface.

Stacey kicked things off early in the morning and actually had decent weather contrary to what the weatherman said should be happening. Stacey raced hard and earned her first road racing podium finishing 3rd.

Mick and Payne had the unfortunate duty of racing the CAT 5 race in the rain. Both of them avoided the accidents on the slick pavement. Mick raced hard, and Payne notced himself a top 15 finishing 11th.

Payne must have drawn the short straw for the day. Not only did he double-up racing the Cat 5's and Juniors, but he also had to race in the rain and cold in both of his races. Shivering and tired, Payne wound up on the podium with a 2nd place finish.

Larry, Mike G., Ashley, and Alan raced in the Masters 4/5 30+ race. The sun came out, the track dried, but the wind remained. We were a man down with Herring suffering from a respiratory infection, but he was at the pit wall cheering us on. Larry finished the highest at 15th, Alan and Ashley finished right next to each other, and Garner suffered a "racing deal". All finished up-right and in one piece.

Both Larry and Alan felt strong enough to pull the double and also did the CAT 4 race. Alan led out early and both riders raced really hard. Larry pulled his second top 20 of the day finishing 16th.

It was a great day for Team CCR. We had 2 podiums, and thankfully we avoided all the accidents. We all came out of it healthy and with our bikes in one piece. Here are some pictures from the races. Enjoy!

Tour de Tuscaloosa

The team kicked off the season with a short road trip down to Tuscaloosa to participate in the Tour de Tuscaloosa. The Saturday race, The City of Tuscaloosa Criterium, brought out the strongest attendance from the team. We were greeted with bright blue skies, warm temperatures, and great racing. The difficult 1.2 mile course was a figure eight with 8 corners to navigate. The roads had seen better days, and the wind added another degree of excitement as we navigated around the course.

Mick raced hard in his very first Cat 5 criterium ever.

Mike G. came back to racing on the road after a year off and earned a top 25.

Larry doubled up and did both the Master's 35/45+ race and then did his first race as a Cat 4.

Mike H. battled hard in the Masters 35/45+ race.

Alan also raced in the 4's and put in a solid effort.

On Sunday, Alan and Josh headed out to participate in day 2 of racing at Lurleen State Park. As the field rolled out mother nature unleashed her fury on the riders. Several riders, including Josh, opted for the safe route and withdrew because of the racing conditions. Alan's race started after the rain, but the roads were still rain slicked. He put in some solid efforts, and raced really hard. Earned a top 30 against a very stacked field.

Overall the team was pleased with their first weekend racing. We all came out of it in one piece and healthy.

Next stop the Ride to Live Road Race at Barber Motor sports Park.

Check out pictures from Mike G.'s album.

Ouachita Challenge

Hardwick debuted the new colors last weekend while competing in the Ouachita Challenge in Arkansas. The Ouachita Challenge is a mountain bike race that traverses the Womble Trail, Ouachita Trail, and forestry roads. Unlike most races where you have different age classifications and skill levels, this was old school. They broke the field into Men's, Women's, and Single Speed. Hardwick battled hard but had an issue with his chain that had him off the pace for 10-15 minutes. He finished strong in the top half of the field. Good effort for the first race of the year!

Powerman Alabama Multisport Weekend

Team CCR's first cycling podium of the year came last weekend when Beth Santoro competed in the Xterra Off-road Duathlon at Oak Mountain State Park. Finally, we had some nice weather, so the event was contested under pristine conditions. The event involved a trail run, a mountain bike leg, and another trail run. By the time Beth crossed the finish line she was totally spent. Her efforts in the race did secure her a podium finish in 3rd place. Way to go Beth!

(Pictures)