SERC #5 aka.... Kym's BACK!!!!

Kym on the podium!!

Okay, so I'm still not 100% but after last weekend's dismal performance at Stumpjump I am just so happy to feel almost like a bike racer again I can hardly stand it. I felt strong this weekend, still not fast, but strong.

The SERC series is half over and even after being sick I might have a shot at the overall if I can put together a few good results. There is a make-up race and two dropped scores so there is still hope. I went to Athens, GA this weekend hoping that it might be my turn around. I did it!!! I WON!!!! It felt so good to win a race, especially after being sick for so long. I raced as hard as I could and although I was still not as fast as I was before getting sick, my endurance was GREAT and I felt strong the whole race. It was a good day.

Catherine wins again!!

Catherine is hooked on mountain biking. She raced her 3rd race ever and WON. It was wet and slippery and so it was that much more impressive. She is not fond of the wet roots or tight trails and there was an abundance of both. Great job girl!!!

Emily was also there and held her own to finish 9th. She is doing so great this year, it is so impressive to me that at 15 years old she is not only racing in a combined Pro/Expert field against adults but that she is competitive. It is going to be so much fun to see her race at nationals against girls her own age.

Thanks for reading...

Stumpjump- Spartanburg, SC

Thursday May 15th I was cleared by the doctor. I now am once again healthy. The pneumonia is GONE. My immediate reaction was "does that mean I can race this weekend??". The answer was "yes" so I immediately started packing. Before I go any farther with this little story let me just say that just because the mind is willing does NOT mean that the body is able. 6 weeks of being sick takes a bit of a toll....

There was a lot of racing that happened in a two day time period. 6 girls did 3 different races in two states. We ended up with 8 podium appearances. It doesn't get much better than that!!!

Star and Lisa went to the greater Nashville area for some road racing Saturday (where they took 3rd (Lisa) and 4th (Star) in the category 1/2/3 women's field. They obviously had not had enough racing because they then went and raced on the dirt the next day at Montgomery Bell State Park and took 2nd (Lisa) and 5th (Star). Both ladies had a great time and represented well.

Jamie, Tanya, Emily and I went to SC to Stumpjump; a big AMBC mountain bike event here in the southeast. They were running separate Pro and Expert women's categories (as well as a Junior Expert Women's category) and they paid REALLY well. We were going to have our hand full with the competition.

Emily started us off on the right foot by scoring a win in the Junior Expert Women's race. Jamie, Tanya and I lined up in the Pro race and we were off. OUCH. I knew that the first race back was going to hurt but DAMN THIS HURTS!!!! It is amazing how badly one can suffer while going so slowly. Jamie took the lead with one girl on her wheel and never looked back. Tanya and I were in a chase group of three and we worked together for about a lap. Tanya eventually dropped me but I never lost sight of her. Jamie won, Tanya took third and I was 4th, 15 seconds behind her. Had it been anyone else I might have dug a bit harder at the end but I was very content (and very much blown....) to get beat by Tanya. It was a really great day for the team but a really tough ride for me personally. I am glad the first painful one is over. Hopefully the next race won't hurt quite so bad.

Great weekend ladies...

Tanasi SERC #4

The team.


This past weekend was the Tanasi SERC race. It was significant for a number of reasons. First, we had the ENTIRE team there. Everyone raced except me (more on that in a minute) and we had numerous podium appearances. Second, those are some of our "home trails" and we had a great local crowd and cheering section. We even got Bill out with his "fancy camera" to get some team photos. It was a GREAT day.


Tanya and Emily on the starting line.


Okay, first my disclaimer: I have walking pneumonia. I have been fighting this "mystery desert funk" since the trip out west 5 weeks ago and it started getting MUCH worse after the Winder, GA race last weekend. After two trips to the doc I have been diagnosed and I am feeling almost 100% again for the first time in what feels like FOREVER. Because of this I was not allowed to race this weekend (Doctor's quote was "chill out"). I asked if that meant racing was out and he said YES. I can't race again until after I go back to see him next week.


Lisa and Gina with their "game face on".


The morning started with us trying to all get in the same location for 10 minutes for some pictures. Easier said than done!! Jamie lost the car (she rode with Star and didn't remember what it looked like after she ran to the restroom when they first got there) and everyone was getting ready and running in circles. We finally got some shots of all of us that are GREAT. Too bad the new clothing showed up today instead of before the weekend.


Jamie on the top of the Pro Women's podium.


The first wave was the Pro/Expert women's race and the Sport women's race. Because this was a SERC bonus round I had to "start" to get my bonus points. I lined up, in my kit (no bottle...) and when they said "go" I buried myself and blew the field apart for the first 30 seconds, got the hole shot, and then sat up and quit. It was kind of fun. I got some really strange looks from the other girls in the field. I then handed out bottles to all my teammates and a few of the boys. I was running in circles in the feed zone for two hours!!! The girls kicked butt in what was arguably some of the strongest fields we have seen in a long time. Jamie won the Pro/Expert race. Paula was sitting third until she blew the sidewall of her tire and had to quit. Tanya took 6th and Emily was 13th. Shannon had some trouble and ended up pulling out and helping me cheer and hand out bottles. Our "roadies" took to the dirt convincingly this weekend with Gina taking second in the Sport race and Lisa taking third. Star gets the award for the day for the biggest bruises and most blood. She took a SPECTACULAR fall and got up and finished in 10th.


Catherine is all smiles after her win.


Catherine lined up in the later wave at 11:30 to race the beginner women's race. Since she just started mountain biking two months ago we agreed to let her do the beginner thing for a while. She ROCKED. She took the lead when they said "go" and never looked back. She won by 6.5 minutes. I see sport racing in the near future for her!!


Emily on her pretty new PINK Specialized.


We ended the weekend with a great lunch and fun race stories. It was really a bummer that I didn't get to race but it was still one of the most fun race days I have had in a LONG time. I was so proud to be part of "that women's team with all the fast girls". Everyone was so impressed with our racing and the size of our team.


Kym wishing on the starting line that she could go race today...


Thanks ladies for such a great weekend!!!

SERC #3 Winder, GA

Emily, Jamie and Kym on the starting line.

This weekend was the third round of the SERC series in Winder, GA at Fort Yargo State Park. It was definitely a rough weekend for me, although as a team the Vantaggio ladies did great.

Catherine, who is the teams only "true roadie" got herself a mountain bike this year. By this year I mean three weeks ago. She entered the beginner race and although she had some nerves at the start, she did AWESOME. She took third in a three way sprint for the finish; they started 14 girls. She probably would have fared better but went to the "start" line instead of the "finish" line in the heat of battle. I think we have converted her, she's scheduled to race 3 more SERC races this year.


Emily showing how it is done!

In the Pro/Expert women's race it was Jamie, Emily (who is 15 and went to prom the night before in Knoxville) and myself. I led from the gun and after about a half of a lap Jamie took over and never looked back. My fever and cough were a bit of an annoyance but I am chasing the series and can only miss two races. I already have those two scheduled for National Series races so I raced against my better judgement (It's those darn "bad idea jeans again...). I held on for second (barely) and Emily took 10th. Ah, youth. I tried to race a couple of years ago on two hours of sleep and about killed myself. She rode with a smile and had a blast!!!

As an after note: I have been feeling generally miserable and ill since our trip out west. I contracted some weird desert "funk" in California and have been training and racing for the last four weeks with an on again, off again fever and cough. Every time I think it is gone it comes back. Well after lining up AGAIN with a fever this weekend I decided that it was time to go see the Doc. I have a nicely developed sinus infection. He gave me lots of drugs and has told me that I can ride and race but that my "performance will be less than optimal". Really??!! I think I have adequately demonstrated that fact...

Tanya is ROCKIN' in NC and SC

While the TN part of the team has been sticking close to home the past few weeks, Tanya has been showing off our team colors in North and South Carolina. Here is her report on the past couple of weeks....

By the way, she also took second at the AMBC Tiger Rag in Clemson two days ago.... I don't have the details yet.

IN TANYA'S WORDS....

April 12th Caraway Hill off road omnium part of the Maxxis Southern Classic Series

Short Track and Super D:

The short track was a 20 min. sufferfest as usual. A half mile course with lots of single track and climbing. I had single speed superstar Rebecca Tomaszewski on my tail the entire time. Managed to grab 1st and I was beat!Once again a horrible thunderstorm moved in right before the super D. What a technical course too. Rocks, roots , huge drop offs, you name it. This thing could have passed as a NORBA downhill course!!!I pretty much rode the whole thing in my preride but after the thunderstorm decided it wasn't worth killing myself riding it in the rain! After the lemans start and getting the hole shot I managed to still get a first even with running the tech sections.

Sunday April 13th Cross Country:

No rain and some great trails! For a race in the middle of NC this course was awesome. Had some super steep climbs and even a section with 6 steep switch backs. Stared out once again with Rebecca on my tail for the first whole lap. We'd managed a pretty good gap over the other girls, then she stared loosing air in her tire which she later said went completely flat. I got a bit too comfortable with my lead and ended up almost being reeled in by some of the other gals! Had to pick it up again in the last 4 miles and managed another first and first overall in the omnium!

Rock Hill Omnium

Friday Night April 4th- White Rose Sprints

I headed down to York SC in the middle of a horrible thunderstorm with tornado and hail warnings posted for the entire area. Stubborn as I am if I've paid/registered for a race I'm doing it no matter what.I couldn't believe we still had over 22 girls show up for sprints in the rain!By the time we took off for our first 500 m sprint it had stopped raining but the streets were still wet. I managed to easily win my heat of 8 racers and advance straight into the finals.By the time the finals rolled around so had another lightning storm. They postponed the race for about 30 min and by 9pm finally decided to just let it be. It was dark, pouring rain and lightning all around!I don't really remember much, I pretty much took off right from the start and gunned it to the end for another first place. I just wanted to be off the streets and into the safety of my car!

Sat April 5th Rock Hill Crit

The weather was still not cooperating and once again being my stubborn self and determined to complete the entire omnium I decided to race unlike most others who decided in was in there best interest not too. The course is one of the most technical on the local race calendar with 6 tight turns and medians you have to navigate. The course plus the rain made for a very nerve wracking day of racing. Crits are not my favorite to begin with. I'm just not comfortable out there even when its dry. I was determined to survive the entire race no matter what. Once again about 20 of us lined up in a complete downpour. After a few attacks we dropped about 5 gals and I wore myself down trying to reel in a 2 person breakaway pulling the whole group for a few laps till I was able to reel them in. The group was going to let them get away and I wasn't about to let that happen! This coupled with my lack of wet road handling skills and another attack on my part in the next to last lap left me in dead last place for the sprint. I got 11th in the field sprint.

Sunday April 6th-Brattonsville Road Race 45 miles

Finally no rain but we still had wet streets. Got to chase down a bunch of breakaways did a few myself and spent way too much time doing too much work. Funny another gal from the Ashville area mentioned on her blog how I was one of the few out of over 35 girls willing to do ANY work...I just use it as training for my mountain biking! oh well. I just get frustrated when no one will pull so I just go do it myself!! Once again ended up pulling the whole field to the finish and watching them sprint around me. Still managed a 9th place. The teams really worked together in this race, sending racers up the road and blocking etc.

Great Job Tanya!! We're so excited for you... can't wait until next weekend when we get to race with you.

Shannon Wins at Cohutta 35

Saturday was the Cohutta 35 mountain bike race. It was part of the National 100 mile series and although there was a 65 mile and 100 mile option, Shannon the cross country racer decided to stick to what she trains for and raced a more sane and manageable distance. It was a smart choice and it paid off....

SHE ROCKED!!!!

Shannon won convincingly in what can only be described as nasty, miserable conditions. It rained the night before and the trails were WET.

Great job Shannon!!!

Dogwood Crit-Knoxville, TN

Sunday was the Dogwood Crit in Knoxville. It was a fun day. I love that course so even though I am STILL fighting a lingering illness I picked up in California, I decided to head up there and see just how close to recovered I am. Star and Lisa, newly upgraded to Cat 3's, were also going so no matter what happened it would have been a fun day with my teammates.

After getting to Knoxville and seeing the start list, it was going to be a tough day. There were two or three really strong girls there, including Deb and Cara from BMW-Bianchi. I spent all winter chasing them around while racing 'Cross so I knew we were in for a good race. Once the race started, it became obvious that no one was going to let anything get away. We were going to come down to a drag race at the finish. I have raced Dogwood enough times to know (through my own trial and error) that with the downhill finish the sprint needs to go EARLY. I am sure I not only caught a bunch of people off guard but made at least one or two swear at my "going too soon". The gamble paid off and I was spun out ahead of the field at the finish. I think my legs and lungs are finally coming back to me and I had a great time.

Star and Lisa did great, both also finishing in the money at 8th (Lisa) and 9th (Star).