Bella Loca’s Whacky Wild Watsonville Adventures!

By Bella Loca

I was happy to be home for a weekend in between east coast trips, teaching a clinic and racing in Santa Cruz, just a mile from home at Soquel High School. Good ol’ Santa Cruz is as weird as ever, and of course my weekend at home was “eventful.”

It started on Friday evening, as MattyWabbit and I headed home from our short, easy training ride. Pedaling toward the Boardwalk trestle (yes, the one both Corey’s of the 80’s jumped off into the fog in Lost Boys) we spied a group of about 30 cyclists in costume in the empty Boardwalk parking lot. We tried to just keep pedaling, as any well behaved cyclist should when spotting a rogue group of costumed bikers in a parking lot at dusk, but they hailed us over with loud whistles and we couldn’t resist.

As we approached, their ringleader held up an “applause” sign and the group busted out a well rehearsed round of TV cheers. They welcomed us to the “Friday Night Mystery Ride” and told us the theme this week was “Superhero Costumes.” As the only two riders in full spandex team kits, Matt and I certainly fit that description. We were forced to come up with a name for our costume kits to complete the initiation. “The Rabbit!” blurted Matt. “I’m Bella Loca!” I announced. They cheered again.

They lined us up for the main event, a race to the far light post and back. The guys on fixed gears held proud track stands while we waited for the guy in a long black trench coat to unload 30 pounds of chains out of his baskets. The race was off, and The Rabbit took it! His closest competitor was a local fixed gear rider, who promptly collapsed onto his bike, clutching his chest and gasping for air. I was becoming concerned, but someone lit him a cigarette and he stood up and seemed to be doing a lot better. The Rabbit happily accepted his prize, a child’s Flash Gordon costume. We thanked them and rode home, the flash costume flapping like a cape around Matt’s neck.

Saturday I joined teammates Ann and Barb for Velo Bella’s pre race clinic. We had a huge turnout, and I’m glad I got to see the course a day in advance. For all the talk of this being a fast course, it had a lot of running over rough terrain, and several tricky, loose off camber corners. The “fast sections” were often interrupted by very bumpy turf. I started to feel sorry for all those gophers, those course designers really didn’t leave any of their territory untouched.

Sunday finally came, and I focused on my strategy for winning Vanderkitten’s first lap prime. It was really only 2/3 of a lap, and all the technical parts of the course, between the start and the prime/ finish line. Unfortunately, I suffered a mechanical not 2 minutes into the race, and by the time I got it all sorted out I was at the back of the group. Rachel Lloyd was already clear of the group and on her way to winning the prime uncontested.

In a flash back to last weekend’s races, I picked my way through the riders. I came up on Erin, who was having a great ride. I then put my sights on the next few racers, playing leapfrog between Lauren, Mel, Stella, then finally Josie who was in second place. Josie and I worked together, and brought Rachel to within 15 seconds. The crowd was cheering us on, we were closing the gap and still had 3 laps to go! Josie is riding like her old self again, and later after the race (with the help of a few of my special homemade Giant Strawberry Daiquiris) she told me her secret. It turns out she has taken to some secret “pain tolerance” training with Andy, something to do with nipple rings and pulling tractors in the strawberry fields in Watsonville... ouch. I’ll stick to my hill repeats, thanks very much.

At some point, Josie and I become separated as we came upon a group of lapped riders negotiating a section that some rode, and others ran. From that time on, I chased Rachel solo, and never quite got up to her, finishing in 2nd. I was disappointed to have raced from the back again, but I’m looking forward to a rematch in two weeks at the Watsonville Fairgrounds when Velo Bella hosts the Surf City Halloween event. Between now and then, I’m off to Philly for a double header UCI weekend up against the nation’s best racers…. and hopefully, this time I’ll be racing at the front!

Bella Loca

2006 Velo Bella Pro Team Cross Frame

Friday, October 13th, 2006

There is still time for you to purchase your own 2006 Jake the Snake Cyclocross frame in Team colors! The frames are GORGEOUS and made of Easton Ultralite aluminum so they are super light, strong and durable.

Frame Geometry can be found here:

http://www.konaworld.com/bikes/2k7/JAKETHESNAKE/index.html

Besides, who wouldn’t want a kitty and our logo on their bike?

Big Blue 24Hr Lake Tahoe Adventure Race

More than anything I was excited about eating every hour for 24 hours:

Yeah, there is such a thing as a 3-person kayak. This was more of a scenic tour boat than a lean mean race machine:After a little paddling it was back to dirt (via some pavement). I have no idea what the heck I’m doing in the middle of the road:

Loca spanks it Bella-Style on the East Coast

Sarah Kerlin, aka Bella Loca, rocked the opening weekend of the US Gran Prix of Cyclocross series with two top-10 performances last Saturday and Sunday in Massachusetts. Read the report from Loca herself here!

Described as “one of the strongest mental warriors out there” by Olaf Vanderhoot (NorCal cycling god and blogging phenom), Sarah is certainly poised to put the cyclocross world on fire once again. Stand baaaaaack and watch for them flames.

Go Loca!

Bella Loca Pegs-it in Gloucester!

By Bella Loca

The first weekend of the national cyclocross series, US Grand Prix, came early this year to Gloucester, Massachussetts. With my new race bike barely built last week, tubular glue still drying, and legs not sure if they were primed or trashed from months of hard preparation, I set off to the east coast for the opening of the season. I was nervous about the unknown that a new season brings, and at the same time very excited to try out my fitness and race on my beautiful new race bike. I especially love the new SRAM group, the carbon is so sexy and the parts are very light.

Travelling across the country to race can be taxing, but Velo Bella is very lucky to have support of people like the Kapsten’s in Gloucester who took us in yet again this year. MattyWabbit and I arrived late on Thursday night to a warm home and a delicious hot dinner. Nancy is an outstanding chef, and Bruce was very helpful with his local knowledge and well stocked bicycle workspace in his garage. Their son Jesse was a presence all weekend as well, and did a great job with the color guard performances at the event.

The Gloucester course is a mix of wide open, fast and often windy sections right along the Atlantic Ocean, with a good sprinkling of technical turns. To add a little excitement this year the course designers snaked 5 turns through the sand pit. The course was tough, with even the downhill areas not providing rest. Add in several top athletes from around the country, and we were in for a battle.

Cross is very popular on the east coast, and the women’s field had about 70 starters. Unfortunately for me, at least half of them had more UCI points than I did (based on last season’s tally) so I was stuck with a poor start position on both days. Gloucester is a course that does not really lend itself to moving up through the pack, and I was disappointed to hit the dirt in about 39th place on both days. My strategy was to make passes whenever possible, and then hold my position once I could make up no more ground. That gave me two 9th places for the weekend and a few more UCI points, but for the effort I put out I would have loved to have started near the front and put it to some of the other top 10 girls from the get go.

The next weekend of the USGP is an entire month away, a mile high in Colorado. Before then, stay tuned for a possible unexpected UCI appearance, and for those of you in Northern California, I’ll be seeing you at Velo Bella’s own Surf City event thisweekend. I’ll be teaching a clinic on how to play croquet with a flamingo, and if you bring me a bribe I may even share my secrets to a fast barrier section.

Bella Loca

USGP #1 and #2

What a beautiful weekend in Gloucester!

If you have never been to Massachusetts in the fall, you should go. Gorgeous colors as the trees begin to shed their leaves, few tourists and PLENTY o’ bike racing…

Almost 70 women started each day which is more than I can recall ever lining up before. Cyclocross is truly taking off here in the US and there were at least as many spectators (not just racers) attending the Gloucester races as there were at most of the NORBAs this year. What a fantastic scene!

The Velo Bella tent was BY FAR the most colorful and commented on set-up at the race with streamers, grass skirting and gorgeous bikes hanging on the Ultimate Support racks up front. The beautiful bike racers didn’t hurt either!

While Lyne Bessette, Wendy Simms and Georgia Gould battled for podium positions on both days, the true sensation of the weekend was Dee Dee “Grasshopper” Winfield of the Bellas. Dee Dee lives in Charlottesville, VA and is a natural born locomotive… She was pregnant last year, and so her starting position on Sunday was anything but spectacular, nonetheless, in three laps she powered past almost the entire field and had the announcers, pit crews and spectators saying, “Who is THAT?” Oh, she’s just a Bella bike racer who has already won two events this season; including dropping Georgia Gould at the Charm City Cross race in Baltimore a few weeks ago… Grasshopper’s latest race report can be read here…

Fact is, all the girls did a fantastic job of representing themselves, the Velo Bella organization, our sponsors and their products. Dee Dee merely stood out because no one (but me) expected her to do what she did. Keep an eye on the results this year, the Grasshopper will be hopping all the way to Providence…

Alex

Crank Brothers Gran Prix Race #2

Crank Brothers Gran Prix Race #2

By Dee Dee Winfield

The race was my first with the Velo Bellas on such a national setting, and so I was a little skeptical of the outcome of Sunday’s race b/c usually partying and bike racing don’t mix so well.

My husband and I arrived in Boston on Thursday to be a part of a good friend’s wedding party. Thursday evening began with a visit to Pedro’s headquarters where we got to test out the new SRAM shifters (SO EASY and INTUITIVE!), talk about gearing ratios and bolt patterns, drink out of cool pint glasses and leave with a departing gift of an authentic Pedro’s hat. I also had the chance to actually meet my team manager Alex Burgess and teammate Erin Kassoy.

The wedding was Saturday and we had a fantastic time: dancing and socializing with friends we hadn’t seen in years, keeping at bay the pre race jitters and wishing my friend a lifetime of joy and happiness. Sunday arrived, I woke-up early and the weather was incredible. I got to meet the rest of my teammates one by one, and rode the course with them receiving input and opinions on certain sections, whether to ride or run, what gear to be in, how the course on Sat. compared, etc. All of this information was extremely helpful and being able to have the hour before the race to pre ride the course was essential. Always pre-ride the course with those who have been there before you…

I was VERY nervous about this race. I had never done a cross race with more than 16 women and now there were 60+ to contend with. I was extremely concerned about starting towards the back and wondering if I could make it towards the front quickly enough. Sarah was my inspiration as she had to start way back on Saturday and completely plowed through the field to have an awesome finish.

In a cloud of pre-race thoughts; how to get past this person and that one, when to sprint and when to spin, I hear “Deidre Winfield!” Sweet, the official called my name. I got to move up one row. I was psyched. Needless to say, I was far from the hole shot but the course was wide and although I kept positioning myself poorly through the turns I soon found some solid ground to start turning the pedals.

It seemed like a sea of people ahead of me and the leaders, well, I never saw them. Honestly, I didn’t see much of anything other than the wheel in front of me. That was my focus, one wheel at a time and there were moments in which I would pass someone’s back wheel and not get by their front one and think one more push.

For me, the race sort of “settled in” with about 2 laps to go. Melissa Thomas and Rhonda Mazza were seemingly within an arm’s length (forever) and at one point I pushed by Rhonda only to immediately get counter attacked. I had a bad “barrier day” and felt like I was mounting a horse with each lap, needless to say I was getting “dropped” on the barriers. I could see Sarah making ground hoping she was going to bridge so we could work together to take these women.

One final push by Melissa Thomas and she was away for good. I wanted to assure enough distance b/t myself and Rhonda thinking she would be able to come around me at the end in the sprint up the hill, so I gave it my all on the downhill before the paved finish and took 7th place with Sarah fast on my tail.

It was great to be there with the Team and it felt wonderful having teammates there to warm up, race, cool down, and share tidbits of their experience with. So often we ride in training groups where we’re the token woman riding alongside 30 or 40 men and joining the Velo Bellas has given me an opportunity to race with women who are as focused and gifted as I am. Mad props to Bella Stephanie White who finished the course after twisting her ankle in a tough crash (and she’s only 17!!!) and I very much look forward to riding with each and every one of my new friends/teammates in the near future.

I felt wonderful about my race but I have to admit that as soon as it was over I was totally looking forward to the smile I would get when I arrived at the airport in Richmond to be greeted by my little girl and my parents. Not only did we get the smile but we got an open armed salute, nothing beats that!

Grasshopper

October 7-8

Bay Area Super Prestige Cyclocross #1-Hellyer Park
12th, Andi Mackie, Elite Women
9th, Sabine Dukes, Women B
10th, Soni Andreini Poulsen, Women B
13th, Erika Donald, Women B
15th, Miss Mary Perez, Women B
12th, Yvette Crockrell, Women C
4th, Kathleen Bortolussi, Women 35+
8th, Amy Abele, Women 35+
10th, Mary Hoover, Women 35+
11th, Betty Jordan, Women 35+

Gran Prix of Gloucester-1, MA
9th, Sarah Kerlin, Elite Women
19th, Anna Milkowski, Elite Women
25th, Stephanie White, Elite Women
26th, Erin Kassoy, Elite Women

Gran Prix of Gloucester-2, MA
7th, Dee-Dee Winfield, Elite Women
9th, Sarah Kerlin, Elite Women
22nd, Anna Milkowski, Elite Women
26th, Melanie Swartz, Elite Women
33th, Erin Kassoy, Elite Women
49th, Stephanie White, Elite Women
3rd, Callie McDowell, Women B
9th, Erin Duggan, Women B

Eagle Island Cross Series Race #1, ID
2nd, Rebecca Gross, Women B

A lovely day to ride around the Lilies!

A lovely day to ride around the Lilies!

By Dee Dee

First of all, the weather and scenery were fantastic. The course was winding in and around these small ponds that were developed in 1917. This is a nursery of sorts and I assume you can buy all kinds of somewhat rare but sought after plants. Truly amazing! There were over 250 participants which for a race that was on a competing day with NY seems like a great turnout and not to mention that it was to benefit Ed Sander, a fellow cyclist killed a few years ago.

The course was a bit muddy, for the day prior had seen some rain and clouds, but the sun was out making for another spectacular day of cross. I pre rode the course a few times and the first time through I felt like my legs were blocks of concrete, next time through like there was a piano on my back. My husband was sick and I was wondering if I was becoming ill with whatever virus he had. I hopped on the trainer for about 20 minutes trying to ride that piano right off. Sometimes if I sweat enough it seems to slide off like a piece of melting ice. The B Men finish their race and I jaunt back over to the course for another try. Whew, little better, the piano is gone and there are definitely circles being spun by my legs, woohoo!

We line up at the start, whistle is blown. I get to the grass first and hammer my hardest. The beginning of the course was pretty windy and I didn’t want my competitors getting a free ride. Over the barriers, I have a gap, put my head down and go. I look back a few times but try to increase my lead every pedal stroke. The fans were cheering up every hill and around the turns. They were so supportive out there! It seemed like every time I would try and take a breather someone was there cheering only to keep pushing the pace. After the 2nd lap, I felt I had really found a groove through all of the puddles and mud patches, up the run up and down the other side. Buck yelled this lap was 10 seconds faster, sweet. I actually felt like I had exerted much less effort that lap but it was b/c I found the right gears and the best line and you actually do roll more quickly.

Today was a day for compliments. The fans, supporters, and even the other riders were very gracious today. I want them to know how much it means to hear those things. Thank you guys very much and for your encouragement regarding this week’s upcoming race in Gloucester. Take home note for the day: No matter how trivial it may seem, never deny someone a compliment.

Thanks!

Dee Dee “Grasshopper Winfield

Margot’s Orono report

Orono was my first race back since the end of July and I was feeling a bit out of race shape, nervous, etc. But, I guess there’s only one way to get in shape! My plan was to not do what I always do, which is to start out HARD, blow up and then struggle b/c not only was a unsure I could go hard for that long, but also it was very windy w/ lots of drafting potential.

Of course though, luck had it that I got through the sandpile first on the first lap and after yelling out in celebration that I actually made it through I realized that everyone else was piled up, so…..being the smart girl that I am, I kept going, for what seemed like forever, but was only a couple laps…until my scheduled blow up. 😉

But, after seeing Karla fall off the back of the Linda train, I struggled on back up to her and sat on her wheel until I could breath again! Thanks Karla! We pulled on and off, with the help of some B men who are pretty nice about mixing it up with us and then had a weird finish that consisted of us deciding to split the race money and duke it out for fun and then me getting confused about when the finish was and Karla clipping out of her really wonderful SPD pedals. But, hey, it’s not really about the finish, but the journey. I think I’m signed up for more of this madness next week!

Thanks Bellas for being there to race and officiate and make it fun, and thanks to some of the cool Out’n’About guys for feeds. Really, people are so nice and laid back at cross races.

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