Otter Roll Call

Who will be

at the Sea

Otter?

MTB Elite Stage Race:
Erin Duggan
Kristin Danielson
Sami Fournier
Shannon Holden
Wendy Simms
Jennifer Tilley
Noel Weddle
Kim Heiser

Circuit Race:
Jen Joynt, Pro 1/2

Nicole Freedman, Pro 1/2
Kele Murdin, Pro 1/2
Jane Zeigler, Pro 1/2

Lula Vecchi, Women 3
Denise Ramirez, Women 4
Kathie Reid, Women 4
Elizabeth Benishin, Women 40+
Monica Neilson, Women 40+

Road Race:
Patty Selbicky, Women 3

Lula Vecchi, Women 3
Denise Ramirez, Women 4
Heidi Horton, Women 4
Kathie Reid, Women 4
Soni Andreini-Poulson, Women 4
Jessie Hickel, Women 40+
Elizabeth Benishin, Women 40+
Monica Neilson, Women 40+

Short Track:
Julie Porter, Expert
Ryan Hostetter, Expert
Alex Fabbro, Expert
Daphne Hodgson, Sport
Julie Starling, Sport
Kelly Miller, Sport

Cross Country:
Ryan Hostetter, Expert 25-29
Julie Porter, Expert 35-39
Sabine Dukes, Expert 35-39
Kathleen Bortolussi, Expert 40-49
Lorena Seldon, Expert 40-49
Alex Fabbro, Pro/Exp Singlespeed
Teshia Cordia, Sport 25-29

Meredith Obendorfer, Sport 25-29
Kim White, Sport 30-34

Piper Ehlen, Sport 30-34
Julie Starling, Sport 35-39
Dana Lookadoo, Sport 40-49
Cynthia Robles, Sport 40-49
Nicole Bumbaca, Beginner 25-29
Rosalind Rondash, Beginner 30-34
Katrina Loera, Beginner 45-49
Daphne Hodgson, 50+

Downhill:
Allie Rau, Pro Women

Dual Slalom:
Allie Rau, Pro Women

Redlands 06 - fast and furious

Redlands Classic was this past weekend.
We had some tough battles to start with (warm weather, smog, shorter race, and Amber Neben).

The Bella's held it together even though they were out numbered. Kele did a great job of being active in the Crit and took a big shot at a solo break away with about 6 to go, to only have Tmobile recognize her as a threat work hard to not let her go.
In the Circuit Race, Kristin D worked hard in the chase group to finish a respectable 24th at one of the toughest races around. Jen J and Jane Z did great and remaining near the front and safe through the crit and helping Kele and Kristin whenever possible. Nicole suffered due to asthma induced by the valley smog and had to sit out the event.

Check out Kele's write up on her 3 blogs about the race:
Sunsets are Beautiful

Redlands Crit

Uphill Time Trial

We also saw 2 junior Bellas do well in the kids crits. In the 7 year old category where Kat Baty took 2nd place, and Mary Ellen in her first race finished mid pack for the 9 year olds.

Pictures and a Video coming soon.

Land of the Cold and Crazy Wind

By Lula

I've decided to write a little race report about Zamora RR "the land of the cold and crazy wind", regardless of my disappointing 22nd place...that's right! Whoever said Lula wanted to upgrade and be a cat 2 is insane....believe me! I can barely keep up with the 4s, most of the 3s, and not even with one of my team-mates to make part of the racing plans, how can I upgrade?!

Oh, I know, maybe after I get a job and have some kids .... Like the gals who finish on the top 10.... what I learned during the warmup. Great!!!

Thank God I had no expectations coming to this race. Besides expecting a warmer weather...which for my early disappointment it wouldn't happen...But wait a minute, the Bellas is not all about placing and upgrading, right?The Bella world is all about flair, and fun, and friendship, and flair, and fun, and flair....you got the picture.

And my Bella friends, "flair and fun"I do know about. I've been training my whole life for this moment. It is a beautiful discovery...Back to the race report.

Before the race we all gathered at Sabine's car to talk about race tactics. Thank God, Monica and the gals decided NOT TO ride for 1.5 hrs before the race.... I can tell you that Lula appreciated!

Michael was there and gave us some really good tips on what to do and not to do; later you will see that the gals did a good job following Mike's what to do and I did a beautiful job following Mike's not to dos. What can I say...It was too windy and cold for me to concentrate.. I could barely pin my number on the jersey...seriously. If wasn't for Sabine I would be there until now..

Ok, Monica, you said you wanted to separate yourself from the 4s but you forgot to mention some of the 3s too, including me:)

Once the race started, I kept thinking on what Mike told us: "no matter where you are in the field, you will be working. So don't panic and work. Get your face into the wind on that long stretch so you are well positioned after the turn"...wait a minute, put your face into the windy? Did he really said that? Nooo.

Here we go... come on Lula, move up, up, up, up, move, come on, everybody is suffering, up, up, it is windy, and cold, ... (this is me talking to myself) up, good job, keep going, I see Sabine, look, she is going, wait a minute, she is not into the windy, she is protected, she is going, and going, and gone....

Come on lula, move up, oh, look....a paintball field? That looks fun, maybe I should be there...wait more fun, but I don't like guns, Oops... The right turn, little hill, S*%#, focus Lula, focus....oh, I remember, after this roller, there is a small down hill and then a turn and then it will get crazy, so focus, NOW..... There is the turn....and wow...it is windy. I will let these people go, and these too, you too, i will get protected and rest....right.... I see Monica up front, Sabine with her and here comes Kim...hi Kim! She is gone....

Up hill andthere they went...gone with the wind...wait a minute.. COME ON LULA....WORK..PADDLE PADDLE PADDLE....I can't breath.....

I looked back, and saw a small group way behind and like Mike said "you don't want to be in the wind by yourself" so I waited for that group instead of chasing down the group in front of me. For a long time, almost the full lap, the gals were so disorganized... Some inexperienced but quite strong riders. I even tried to get them going but one gal finally said "I'm wondering if they don't want to work because they have team-mates up there"and I said "I have 3" and smiled :)

We were about 10 gals with only me and another 2 gals with no team-mates; so I did the "wuss" (just learned that :) thing...I just didn't work too hard at all. I would do my part of the work, but not my best. Some times, we could see a group in front of us and they would work harder but sometimes they would give up.

Oh well.... The paintball field....Oh I wish I was there...

After the 2nd lap, I mean, right before passing by the finish line at the 2nd time I started getting really bored...and was planning on just stopping.That's it! I'm a quitter... But then, something happened, something magical happened: I see Mike jumping up and down yelling: Good job Lula, you're look great (or something like it) .... Oh Sabine, he said I look great!

So... I kept on going....but at this point we were about 6 don't know how. And I started thinking that we were the last group of the race...I was cold and tired and bored. I kept thinking of Kim who just raced in the snow the weekend before and she was way up in the front...crazy Bella!

So, we actually caught up with 3 other gals who got dropped from the group in front and before the KOM we caught Jana who was exhausted. Then, after the last right turn we saw the crash (3 gals down) and two gals in front of me decided to just stop...seriously, they stopped in front of me ... Another crash?! So I yelled: hey hey hey...I always do that :) and 3 gals on my group took off and I stayed behind with jackie to the end.

At this point, I just wanted to finish...I forgot to mention that at lap 3 I had cramps in my legs... but since I imagined this was a silly excuse to avoid working, I told my fellow group riders that something was wrong with my bike....yeah...that was even sillier... Do you think they believed on my excuse?!

Anyhow, I managed to stay at the back to the group for a couple of minutes until the cramps were gone. But then, my "piriquita" started yelling.... "that's it! I'm done!" I was soooooo cold....you are all too good for me! Kim, you were my moto:"if Kim can ride in the snow so can I ride in the cold" :)

MTB Update: Hunger Launches Holden to Victory in Whidbey Island "Dash"

Two weeks since Training Camp and the Pro MTB team has opened the season with Shannon Holden's VICTORY at the "Dash for Cash" on Whidbey Island, WA this past weekend. Shannon had a stunning "come from WAY behind" victory in her first MTB race since giving birth to the "Next Lance Armstrong," Noah Holden, eight months ago.

Sweat pouring off her and grinning ear to ear, Shannon was heard to say , "This win is for my son, my husband, my teammates, Spokane, WA, and above all, for my Team Manager Alex who I can't wait to split all my winnings with at Sea Otter."

Always a stickler for trail maintenance, Shannon used her Team-issue new carbon SRAM X.9 rear derailleur to trim trail-side branches and twigs as she rolled through the first lap. Fortunately, the X.9 components are strong and ultimately Shannon's collection of branches fell away on the second lap leaving her to focus on the growing hunger pains building within...

Wallowing in purgatory somewhere mid-pack while passing the veggie burger stand grilling-up tasty snacks behind pit row, Shannon realized she hadn't eaten anything that morning being so nervous about her first race. Knowing she was in a race not only against her competitors but also her own fuel supply, Shannon kicked in the afterburners, dipped deep into her labor pain reserves and roared past the race leaders after a two-lap long chase on her way to a fresh steaming sandwich just past the finish line.

Way to go Shannon!

Team Manager's Note: Even the Pro's forget basic pre-race steps sometimes, but the difference between a professional and the rest is how one handles the adversity created by that mistake...

Winter Blues and Caribou
The rest of the Team is hunkered down in snow or waiting for snow to arrive. Sami Fournier continues toward her Wednesday move date with steadfast focus and courage despite all manner of obstacles; and all her teammates wish her a safe journey down, across, up, down, around and over the US as she and Jon make their way to a new adventure in Oregon.

Don't tell the Republicans, but while the rest of us have been freezing down here in the States, Wendy has enjoyed warm sunny weather up in British Columbia for weeks and has put in some serious training, including culturally aware cross training events like seal chasing; running with the reindeer while dutifully wearing her VB-K tri-suit; as well as practicing Super D with a small herd of barely domesticated Caribou on the hill behind her property. Wendy is primed for Sea Otter and an exciting season...

All is well in the build towards Sea Otter and our first major Team race of the year. We hope to see LOTS of pink and blue running around Laguna Seca in a few weeks!

Gelling together at Central Valley Classic

By Hiroko Shimada

The second weekend in CA turned out to be my familiar weather; freezing rain and flurry in New England. I was going to show off my tan-lines back in CT, but I hear they were having a milder weather. So much for a “Sunny California” for me.

Fri: 16 mi pancake flat windy ITT.

It was supposed to be a 6.5-mi uphill TT which excited little ones on the team. But due to the icy conditions on the course, they changed it to a flat one on the race day morning. Everyone put clip-on-bars on her bike except for me who opted to use drops.

Our powerhouse, Kele, would have loved to use a full TT setup for her dream course, but she left the thought behind and just did what she does well with what she had (50/12). She still looked really good on her blue Kona Queen Zing bike. I just cannot wait until she does her thing on the full equipment.

We may all have, could, should, and would? But we are no whiners and just kept having fun. As for myself, I felt pretty comfortable in the drops on my new bike. This machine will be my best friend for the season.

Sat: CR 75mi (5laps)

I was too familiar with this miserable condition for the race. I felt very much at home shivering on my bike. However, I felt very bad about making my pretty bike dirty and I am usually not recognized for keeping my equipment nice and clean. It is a special bike, you know. The machine felt so smooth on any little bump, in water puddle (possibly contaminated with some waste products from nearby dairy farms), even on gravels.

It was actually a mini-break thru race for me. Not sure if my being Japanese has anything to do with it, but I am not famous for being aggressive and quite often found in a less optimal position in the peloton. However, I felt really confident on this brand-new bike and I was surprised to find myself at the front of the peloton, doing my task called “baby-sitting” to cover the moves without wasting much energy. At one point, I heard someone saying “Little Hiroko is growing up” from behind, referring to my semi-aggressive move to get back to the front. I can trust this bike so that “what if?” type of bad thoughts never came to my mind. This Kona bike really helped me break the mental barrier I had.

At a really strong cross-wind section during the third lap, Nicole and Jane were involved in a crash. It was rainy, windy, and chaotic, and our radios were not working. It resulted in no one waiting for them, including me! Unfortunately Jane was at the bottom of the pile up and had to abandon the race.

Nicole incredibly chased the fast moving pack for a lap and a half with a broken handlebar and caught the peloton literally 1km to go, and passed right by me and went to the front in literally two seconds. After such a monstrous chase, she still gave everything for the final sprint! I had a little bonding with Kele at around a couple kms to the finish when she said, “Hiroko, go all the way to the front.” I just went to the very front without any fear and started feeling the head wind on my face. I stayed there for a bit, then, drifted to the second row. I know what I would do the next time; I will bury myself and keep going at the very front till I die and I cannot wait to have another opportunity.

Oh, I have to mention how smart Alisha was riding in the pack. She was always up there and she would be on possibly dangerous moves. She can evaluate moves in a split second and react accordingly. The only thing I did not like about her was that it was difficult to identify her because of her white rain jacket. In the miserable conditions we had, there was nothing she could do about it.

Mini-Jen J. fought hard on this windy flat course. It is such a challenge for tiny ones to handle this type of race and she still did her work for the team! The other Jen, Jen C., was standing in the cold rain and hail along the staff at the feed zone. It must have been truly difficult not being able to suffer together with us; but soon enough. We’ve gotta be patient sometimes?

Sun: 50min crit.

I’d love to give you some exciting report on this, but I have to admit I was a gate’s keeper of the race. My viciousness did not appear in crit just yet so what I tell you here is what I learned after the race.

Nicole did her usual thing and despite of her not feeling 100%, still finished in 9th. Alisha rode really hard, smart and always at the front. She was so close to win a prime, too. We all had a little plan to do in the race and she stuck with her words and raced well. She finished 15th. It was not Kele’s best day as I sometimes saw her bottom out, but fought back when it counted; five laps to go. Jane fought to stay in a safe spot and never came to the tail end. Mini-Jen J. and I were back and forth in the tail end; her being smart at the turn around and passing me, then my passing her on straight-ways. We encouraged each other and it helped.

I really feel that we were gelling together very well over just a couple weekends of racing. I cannot wait to bury myself and go until I die with the team again. As I am typing this I wonder if I am actually a sadistic person.

Anyhow, I will see my teammates in a month and a half at Gila. Until then I will be showing off my pretty bike to people in New England and train hard so that I can pull harder and longer!

Mclane Pacific Report: Kele Murdin

Velo Bella-Kona rider Kele Murdin on an attack

The McClane Pacific Criterium began the women’s NRC road season, with a bang! The first 3 laps of the race allowed everyone to quickly remember the pain that is racing, as each lap offered significant cash primes. After which, with so many fresh legs and multiple attacks, were quickly responded to by our Velo Bella-Kona riders, keeping things together for our phenom-sprinter Nicole! Kele was able to snatch a little $Cha-Ching$ prime mid way through the race, just moments before a front flat in an attack where she took out three-quarters of the field. Jen Chapman noted that these frames have a remarkably smooth ride and she found out they can really take a hit when she rolled over Kele in a crash, the bike came out without a scratch! Super Climber Jane Z credits the bikes awesome responsiveness and snap as being a huge part of her best finish EVER in a NRC crit!

The end of the race came down to a pack sprint, after much hard work from the entire Velo Bella-Kona squad. Nicole snerfed her way into the top 10, to finish our first Velo Bella-Kona race with style, and pain written all over her face!!

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Sunday’s race offered a 3 lap 24 mile loop of mildly rolling, yet quite windy farmland (a nice way of saying stinky). The race has a huge onslaught of attacks early, covered by our speedy and smallest member Jen Joynt. The aggression continued throughout the 72 miles, and Velo Bella-Kona was well represented throughout. Again, our riders rose to the occasion and fought hard in the enormous winds, and fast course. Seeing as most our riders are sub-110 lbs, it was a tough day…Hiroko dug deep to stay protected, what a champ!

Jen Chapman unfortunately got tangled up in a crash on the second lap, but with after some stitches and pain killers, the report is the bike is fine. Oh yea, so is Jen (minus that elbow bone chip that is still on the road and the hematoma riding on her tailbone, preventing her from sitting…otherwise Peachy).

All in all, a fabulous weekend! We rode with pride and confidence on our pimped out Queen Zing carbon Kona frames, and I have a feeling this season will be spectacular. The potential of each rider goes far beyond our expectations, and with Nicole in the driver’s seat, anything is possible. The chemistry of our new team is off to a great start, and the positive energy from our support staff is stellar…So “Bring it!!”, we’re ready!