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June 2003
06/20/03 - Diaci alcuni ragazzi del podium!
Sometimes, events happen that make you say "Enough injustice, enough!" and you have to take a stand and make the world a better place. Well one such injustice has been nagging at us and it is time to do something about it.
We recently sent some Bella Beams (patent pending) to Lynn Gaggioli who will be racing in the Giro D' Italia Feminile. In her Bella Beam (patent pending) Laura, Chair of Velo Bella Social Activities and Other Absurdities, innocently asked Lynn if there would be podium boys at the women's Giro. Laura was shocked to learn that while there were some podium boys in the past, last year there were podium girls and it would probably be the same this year.
Here are Laura's comments:
"It has been brought to Velobella's attention that there are no podium boys at this year's women's giro! We are outraged! Where are the podium boys? How is a Bella supposed to step up without a wellheeled, Itallion stallion waiting to greet her with a nice kissie on the cheek?! Diaci alcuni ragazzi del podium!! Give us some podium boys!!"
Of course, this got us Bellas to thinking (never a good sign) and we wondered why not just the Giro, but every podium. Every podium should have podium boys. And until they do, we will not rest! This injustice can go on no longer! And so begins our campaign to make the world a better place. The search for podium boys begins. And, if a podium is lacking a podium boy, we will just have to bring our own.
If you know of an event that features podium boys, please email us at
, so that we can heap tons of praise on the promotor. Or, if you are or aspire to be a podium boy, email us. Send pictures, we want to celebrate podium boys everywhere. Perhaps we can do a feature on them like Velonews.
Velo Bella, making the world a better place for cyclists everywhere.
Ed. Note - Outraged? Overjoyed? Feel free to send us your comments in our cute new Guestbook.
06/12/03 - Zippers and Ranklings
Did you see the profile of Lynn Gaggioli in Velonews? It's in the issue with some downhill dude on the cover. Anyway, take a good look at her jersey. Notice the zipper? It's broken. Yep, Lynn has been kicking butt all season on the one lousy busted zipper jersey we were able to scrounge up for her. And you know what? She never once complained. Since then our clothing order arrived, and we were able to send over some sparkly new jerseys. Whatever. Doesn't seem to phase Lynn any. She's currently ranked #2 in the NRC standings, behind the phenomenal Genevieve. She is also the first American. If that ranking holds, she should qualify for World's team, but it will be interesting to see if politics come into play and the entire TMobile/USA Cycling squad gets to go instead. If she doesn't, looks like Bryan and the Velonews crew will send out their sleuths to figure out how come.
Also, a surprise in the NRC ranklings (I know, I misspelled it, but I liked it so it says) is that Velo Bella is somehow rankled 5th! Well, whaddya know! Cool.
What's Lynn been up to since we last chatted? Well, she won CapTech by outsprinting Ina Teutenberg. She also got some OLN coverage and a Richard Fries interview (while wearing one of her sparkly new jerseys!) And then she proceeded to surprise everyone by finishing 2nd at Liberty Classic. She'll be heading out to Italy to race the Women's’ Giro and some other stuff. We're sending Bella beams her way!
Locally things have been going real well too. Some highlights include:
Jen "I can sprint now" Chapman won Mt Hamilton and earned her upgrade to Cat 3!
Ginger Buller earned her upgrade to Cat 2 and won that freakish Mt NeverRest Challenge!
Christine Vardaros joins our road team as she prepares for another successful cyclocross season.
Suzy Nahlik has been kicking Sacramento bootie by just about sweeping the Prairie City MTB Series Word is, she's upgrading to
expert now.
New recruit, Andrea Mackie, just earned a 2003 NCNCA District Time Trial Championship. That makes 6 current or former NCNCA District Champ Bellas (Shelly, Kathy, Monica, Tracie, Alyson and now Andi!)
Four Bellas, Me, Alyson, Shelly and Janet, volunteered to help lead a beginner’s mountain bike clinic at Wilder Ranch. We had a great time. We didn’t make anyone crash. Ann Hall is such a wonderful teacher and the women out there learning were so darned brave that they inspired me.
Even with all the recent publicity, we are still just as goofy and silly as ever. In case you were worried.
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