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You Can Now Sponsor Team Traveller as an Individual
December 17, 2011
We are always at the forefront of innovation. We have added a new way for individuals to get in on sponsorship. In these challenging economic times many teams are struggling or closing up shop, but we continue to grow. Click the photo on the left and go to Please Fund Us and you can see the levels of support and the premiums you receive.
Next year we will have a European team racing a full schedule in Britain, France, Belgium, Holland and Spain, An American team with several Eastern Europeans joining us, racing from Canada to Georgia, and an Australian team in Victoria and New South Wales.
We Want You to Sponsor Team Traveller
October 13, 2011
The team has big plans for 2012 and we are seeking companies to join us for the ride. We are setting up expansion teams in Australia and Europe and developing squads in the Carolinas/Tennessee and Baltimore, Maryland. Next year's racing schedule will take us from the Deep South to the Midwest to Canada and Europe.
We work hard to promote our sponsors, and make every effort to accommodate their requests. We take our responsibility seriously, maintaining the highest level of professionalism and integrity. We offer your company exposure through our social media network and team website. We have about 10,000 Twitter followers, 1/2 million hits on the photography site Flickr, Team Facebook page and more. Click the photo on the right hand side to open our 2012 sponsorship proposal. We'll be more than happy to work out a deal that is mutually beneficial. Contact us at team@teamtraveller.com for more information.
Team Video by Sam Theurer
October 13, 2011Cinematographer Sam Theurer created this mini-dcoumentary with team members Dan Baur, Ben Frederick. Brian Frazier, Spencer Holland, Ken Hewett, Paul Low and Judah Brownstein. Scenes were shot at two races and some training rides in the Shenandoah Valley. This is the first time we have worked with Sam, and look forward to another project in Spring 2012.
Ben Frederick's Race Report for Granogue CX
October 22, 2011
Ben Frederick has been on a roll this cyclocross season. Ben began racing CX this season and quickly moved up through the ranks. He is now first place in the MABRA CX series and raced his first UCI event in Wilmington Delaware, at Grnaogue. The du Pont family Estate is 400 acres in Wilmington Dealware and a perfect venue for CX. Weather had been predicted to be mediocre with a muddy, wet course, but the conditions were perfect and Ben had a great weekend placing 11th and 20th in the UCI Men's event.
You can read a report of the weekend on our blog. Ben Frederick’s Granogue UCI CX Race Report. Ben is racing the next two weekends and will be defending his MABRA leader's jersey at DCCX on the 23rd and then finishes up the cross season with two more UCI events in New Jersey the following weekend.
Ben Frederick Wins Two for Two in Cyclocross
October 10, 2011
Ben Frederick, leads the MABRA Cyclocross Series after a Sunday win in Hyattesville, Maryland in the Hyattesville CX. He was the lone rider in the front for the last half-hour, and grabbed the win easily. Saturday was a much closer race in Richmond. The VACX Richmond Festival of Cross had Joe Dombrowski and Greg Wittwer in the 1/2/3 event, and the three were neck-and-neck up to the last lap. Ben and Greg Wittwer dropped Dombrowski and fought for the 1st place right up to the last turn. Ben edged out Wittwer for the win in the last 100 feet.
James Stout reports in from the Tour of Tobago
October 5, 2011Well I'm on a plane again, earlier than expected and less comfortable. I'm coming back after the uci race in Tobago. I haven't been riding very well for various reasons, some of which it wouldn't be very professional to go into on a public site. While I was away my Sugar management wast always optimal, often this was my fault. I always tell kids with diabetes to take control of their own situation nd never rely on threes who will never fully understand "your" condition I was guilty of ignoring my own advice..... coninued on his blog
Ben Frederick's Report on Tacchino Cyclocross
September 29, 2011My cross season has only been going for a weekend a half, but some crazy stuff has happened in the short amount of time. Waiting on my upgrade from cat 4 to cat 2 in cyclocross, I competed in Charm City Cross as a 4, and was able to win the first day and get second on the second day, starting form the 70s. Surprise surprise, I got my cat 2 upgrade in my email Sunday night. Now, I don't want to wait around in lower categories so I immediately applied for my cat 1 so I could apply for my UCI liscense for the UCI races at the end of October. I actually got the upgrade only a few days later! I think Mr. Collins is tired of hearing from me. My UCI elite license is in the mail, only a week and a half from my first race as a cat. 4.
So that leads us to Tacchino Cross, the MABRA cross opener as well as my first big boy race in the 1-2-3's. I was eager to see howni stack up agaist Cat 1 riders who have been traveling to cross Vegas and are planning on going to most of the UCI races and going to Nats in Feb. From the gun, I went from the 5 th row to the front 5 in the first 30 seconds and took stock. Jared Neiters went to the front, flashing his 2010 MABRA leaders jersey, followed closely by Greg Witter, Weston Schempf, Steven Cummings and myself. We were all together for the first lap, but when Greg went to the front, Weston was the only one to follow, chased by Jared. Not wanting to go too deep, I sat in behind Steve. The front group got a sizable gap that kept growing and no one was coming up behind Steve and I so I settled in to race for fourth. After trading a few laps, I noticed that every time up the run/ride up I would be completely in the red, so I needed keep close. With 3 to go, Steve led after the run up and I followed his wheel off line into the woods. He escaped clean, and I got ripped to a stop by a hanging vine. I tried my best to get on his wheel, but was already in the red. He saw he had a gap and attacked, and thus began my timetrail to the end of the race. I was able to have some fun, hopping the barriers on the last lap, and riding the whole run up, hopping both logs, and being heckled mercilessly by the roadie crew.
All in all, it was a great experience, and I know what I need to get ready for the rest of the season. Up next is Apple cross in Winchester for round 2 of the MABRA cross series.
Charm City Cross
September 22, 2011Our team's first cross race went well. Charm City Cross in Baltimore was a success for Ben Frederick. Started at the back and worked his way up to first place in the first day of racing. Second day was equally as difficult and Ben finished in second place.
Plenty of CX racing this season with Ben Frederick and new team mate Jason Lewis, of Joesborough, TN, race the entire season.
Carolina Cup Criterium
September 16, 2011
We wrapped up the road season with one final criterium in North Carolina. Justin Meade, Ken Hewett and Spencer Holland raced multiple events. Ken raced Masters and Cat 4 and finished in the pack with both, Spencer raced the Junior 15-18 crit in the morning and joined Ken for the 4's in the afternoon. Spencer managed 4th in the Junior event and walked away with some cash. Justin finished our day with the Cat 3's and took a flyer with three to go and couldn't keep the peloton away, and finished back of pack.
Appalachia Visited, Grant Park Criterium Dawg Days of Summer Circuit
August 23, 2011Wrapping up the road season with a flurry of crits,kermesses and road races. Ken Hewett and Spencer Holland raced the Appalachia Visited Road Race on Saturday the 20th. Ken finished 10th and Spencer followed behind in 22nd position. Jason Mogensen finished 7th in the Dawg Days of Summer Circuit race in Bowie, MD Sunday the 21st. Meanwhile Justin Meade finished 6th in the Grant Park Criterium in Atlanta, grabbing a few primes along the way. James Stout continues to race 3 to 4 times a week in Belgium and is still working on a podium finish.
Podiums at Crossroads Classic and Tour of Page County
August 10, 2011
Ben Frederick and Justin Meade raced the first two events of the Giordana Crossroads Classic Cat 3 event in Concord and Salisbury, NC on the 3rd and 4th of August. Justin continued racing the remainder of the omnium through Sunday. Ben finished 4th in the Concord race on Wednesday and grabbed first on Thursday after Justin made a breakaway with 5 to go that didn't last, but did manage to wear down the competition and gave Ben the chance to break away on the last two laps to win the night's event. Justin continued the omnium and pulled out a second place win in the Friday event in Statesville and 9th overall in the omnium. Ben Frederick managed 14th with only two days racing. It was a twilgiht crit and by the time the 3's started, most of the twilight was gone and the photos were blurry. We found a phtographer who took some photos of the first race and we may add more in the near future. You can see the images in our 2011 gallery.
Our second time at the Tour of Page County was a mixed bag with an exciting finish. Ben Frederick and Paul Low raced the Cat 3 in Page County. Ben participated in all three events and Paul Low targeted the State Raod Race only. Ben finished 2nd in the road race, first in the criterium and 1st overall giving him the points to Cat up to 2, after spending three weeks as a Cat 3. Paul nabbed 3 KOM's in the race despite a flat tire and one lap of playing catch-up. In the Category 4's Ken Hewett placed 19th and Spencer Holland and Brian Frazier raced their first event as 4's, but didn't have their best weekend.
James Stout Finishes 8th in Toronto and Jason Mogensen First in Roanoke
August 3, 2011Long week of racing this week was kicked off in Toronto, where James Stout raced in the Tour of Terra Cotta. James finished 8th in the race and had some quality time with some fans of the team. Tuesday, Jason Mogensen and Brian Frazier finished first and second in the Roanoke Civic Center Training Crit in Roanoke, VA. Barry Brown and Spencer Holland finished 4th and 5th, respectively.
Tuesday and Wednesday, Justin Meade and Ben Frederick race in the Crossroads Classic Cat 3 events in Concord and Salisbury, NC. Justin will race all five events and Ben Frederick returns to Virginia to race the Tour of Page County in Luray, VA, along with team mates Paul Low, Brian Frazier, Spencer Holland and Ken Hewett.
Results in South Carolina and Racing in Canada
July 30, 2011Justin Meade finished 6th in the Pro/1/2/3 Friday Night Fights criterium in Gaffney, SC on Friday. Justin participated in a couple of unsuccessful breaks, helped reel in some others, and finished with lead group of about nine. Justin will continue racing the 1/2/3 category in The Girodana Cycling Classic Series beginning on Aust 3rd in Concord, NC and finishing up on the 7th in Salisbury, NC
Meanwhile, we participate in our first event in Canada. James Stout races the Tour de Terra Cotta on Monday. Twelve laps totaling 104 kilometres on a 9k course with Canada's second largest cash purse. Start/finish is on King Street in the village of Terra Cotta west of Toronto. The Elite race is scheduled to begin at 12:30.
More information about these events can be found on our Race Calendar and Results pages.
Lost River Cycling Classic
July 25, 2011
The team scrambled to find a race to replace Blacksburg Omnium. Luckily, there was a road race with hills in West Virginia, just a couple hours drive. Mary Cerkey Syrrist, Brian Frazier, Spencer Holland and new team mate Ben Frederick made the trek up to Mathias, WV. The race had two climbs and some rollers, and it suited us fine.
First off were the Cat 5's and Women's 1/2/3. Mary raced in a larger than normal women's field and grabbed first place, beating a field that included several category one and two riders. Mary is upgrading to Cat 2, but still waiting for it to be processed. Next in the morning races were the Cat 5's. Spencer Holland and Brian Frazier were in a breakaway when Brian dropped a chain and fell back to the peloton. A second dropped chain left him off the back and he took a wrong turn, leaving him seven miles off course and out of the race. Spencer meanwhile held on and finished 11th in the race. Both are now catting up to 4 for their next event at the Tour of Page County.
The afternoon races began at 1:30 and new team mate Ben Frederick raced his first event as a Category 3 rider. The field went off and Ben led the race for the first lap and stayed in a breakaway for the remaining three laps. As the heat approached 100 degrees he fought for the number 1 spot, but had to settle for second place in a sprint finish.
Change of Plans This Weekend
July 22, 2011With the cancellation of the Blacksburg Omnium, the team is heading up to West Virginia for the Lost River Classic in the town of Mathias. Ben Frederick, Mary Syrrist, Brian Frazier and Spencer Holland will be racing this event. Report and photos will follow on Sunday
James Stout begins racing in Belgium again. We will post the races he will be doing as soon as we have the information. You can always check the team Facebook page for any updates that have not yet been posted on this site
James Stout Has a Tough Week
July 18, 2011James Stout was at a festival in Denia Spain and managed to get minuted by a bull in the process. A couple broken ribs and a concussion wasn't enough to keep him off his bike. He is racing in France again. James competed in a Nocturne and had a crash. Some road rash, but no broken bones. He keeps pressing on.
James is in the blue shirt on the platform at about 25 seconds into the video.
James reports on his performance in the Nocturne in France and shows off his battle scars.
Tour de Toona Stage Race
July 12, 2011
On Saturday, July 9th the team finally made it to the Tour de Toona. Paul Low and Mary Cerkey Syrrist coordinated with Celerity Cycling's Dan Netzer and Frank Cundiff to make the most of the trip. Saturday was the road race. The pros and cat 2's went off first and several groups of each category managed to get lost along the way. A helicopter had to be sent out to find a group of women who had veered off course. By the time the Category 3 race took off, the signage problem had been solved and the race finished with Celerity Cycling's Dan Netzer and our team mate Paul Low taking 3rd and 4th in the road race and 1st and 3rd in the King of the mountains.
Paul's feet were killing him after the race and he felt like crap, so he skipped the cool down and put his feet up. The Women's 3 and 4 categories were combined due to low numbers and their race was delayed for about 45 minutes as the previous categories continued to come back. Mary continued to warm up and we bumped into fellow Virginia rider Ben Frederick, who had won the overall in the ID3 omnium the weekend before. Finally, the Cat 4/5 men's race took off.
The women's event was the last race of the day. The event was 20 miles and therefore too short for road race points and offered criterium points instead. Mary broke away from the pack and won the Queen of the Mountains and managed to solo her way to victory. Several minutes ahead of the competition.
Going into Sunday's Criterium, Paul Low felt pretty bad and it showed as he was dropped from the peloton and pulled from the race. Paul hoped the officials would pull him sooner, but they made him do a few more laps than he really wanted. Finally they pulled him and placed him, so he could keep his 7th position in the GC for the weekend.
Mary dominated the criterium with a few Cat 3's and the GC leader of the Cat 4's. They eventually lapped some fours on the last lap in a bad spot before the final sprint, and Mary had to be satisifed with 2nd place in the criterium. She easily won the GC by about 7 points and retained the yellow jersey.
James Stout Races in Lourdes..... Miracles Not Forthcoming
July 7, 2011"Last night was the Nocturne Lourdes. Nocturnes are pretty much a french peculiarity, you start at 8.30 and race about 90k. I don't like nocturnes, you spin in the morning, spend the whole day not feeling like eating and worrying about tiring yourself out. I took the chance to go and visit most of the lourdes "attractions" and purchase some food for lunch. I also took the chance to buy an opinel penknife which i have wanted since i was 8, my parents wouldnt let me have one then as they thought it was too dangerous. Now i am obviously 200% older and wiser so i invested 8 euros in such a knife. and within 3 hours i was getting adhesive stitches in my finger...." Insulin and Embrocation - Monday Night In Miracle-Town
ID3 Omnium
July 6, 2011
First time we've raced this event, though it is in our back yard. Falling on the 4th of July weekend, it was difficult to field a team, but locals Jason Mogensen, Tim Webster and Barry Brown showed the stripes. Paul Low was dying to do the Mill Mountain Hill Climb, and raced both crits as well (not Paul's favorite format) to compete in the omnium.
Mill Mountain hill climb was first on the menu and Paul finished the 1.87 miles in 9:44, which was good enough for second place in the 3/4's and put him in the top 5 overall. It was great to see our friends Dan Netzer and Frank Cundiff from Celerity Cycling, who were both signed up for the 3/4 and 1/2/3 events and therefore raced six times over the weekend.
The Sunday crit was pancake flat and Paul fell behind the peloton, but finished the race. Before Paul's race was the Category 5 event. New team mates Tim Webster and Barry Brown gave it their best in their second road event, but a former member of the team, Whit Zirkle, took first place for the CBC team out of Charlottesville.
The Monday crit was on the Roanoke Twilight course with a little extra block added. First up for us was the 5's. Barry and Tim had dramatically improved since the day before, and Barry Brown took third in the crit. Paul had improved his performance. On the last lap, he was in 6th place after falling off the back and catching back up to the peloton. The sprint on the last lap was too fast and he finished at the back of the peloton. Still, he managed 6th place in the omnium and walked away with a little cash
James Stout races in the basqueland
June 30, 2011James Stout raced in the Basqueland last weekend.He was doing well at the beginning in a break, but was caught. Since he had to do it without support, a flat tire took him out of the race. Still he managed to get a free lunch out of the deal and enjoyed the hospitality of the locals. You can check out his blog Up and Down on his blog "Insulin and Embrocation."
James Stout in Spain, Upcoming Races and Tour of Washington County
June 22, 2011
James Stout raced the Gran Premi St Joan, in La Pobla de Mafumet, Spain, and the Gran premi de Alquerías del Niño Perdido in Valencia. You can read about his weekend in his new blog Insulin and Embrocation - The Sights, Sounds (and Smells) of a Diabetic Bike Racer in Catalunya
We have a full schedule in the Roanoke area in the upcoming weeks. The team will be racing the ID3 Omnium which has two crits and a hill climb. Several of our new riders, Timw Webster and Barry Brown will be there. This is the first time we've raced this event in spite of it being in our back yard. The race is in the same location as our Twilight crit in April. The race begins on July 2md with the Mill Mountain Hill Climb and has two cuccessive crits on Sunday the 3rd and Monday the 4th. These races are part of the Commonwealth Games. You can register at ID3: Independence Day 3 Race Weekend, Roanoke, Virginia, VA on BikeReg.
Mary Syrrist and Paul Low raced the Tour of Washington County Stage Race in Hagerstown Maryland last weekend. It was a tough event with stiff competition. Mary raced the Women's Open field agains some truly spectacular riders and came away with a 5th place GC and 3rd in the road race. Paul Low raced his second Cat 3/4 event and wished there were a few more mountains to use his hill-climbing skills. Still he managed to creep up the GC throughout the weekend.
Latest Updates
June 16, 2011
Latest blog from Europe by James Stout So What Does a Full-Time Cyclist Do on a Rest Day?. James continues racing this weekend at the Gran Premi St Joan, on June 18, in La Pobla de Mafumet, Spain.
Starlight Bikes Sponsor an the Roanoke Parks and Recreation Department have a series of training criteriums at the Roanoke Civic Center on June 28th, July 12th, July 19th and August 2nd. If the event an event is canceled due to rain, there are plans for rain dates. For more info click the thumbnail for the flyer.
Mary Syrrist and Paul Low are racing the Tour Of Washington County Stage Race in Hagerstown MD this weekend. The racebegins with a kick off criterium on Friday night and continues with a prologue and road race on Saturday, followed by a time trial and criterium on Sunday.
James Stout's Race Report for the Gran Prix de Pollestres in southern France
June 14, 2011James Stout blogs about a Kermis in Belgium
June 9, 2011It is a type of fair, but unlike any county fair you might see in the states. The Kermis includes food, beer and bike racing, but not necessarily in that order. And as James mentions, not in the best order before a bike race. Check out his blog at http://ridelikeamuppet.blogspot.com/2011/06/kermis-means-fair.html. James continues racing in Europe with a few events in France, before moving on to Spain.
James Stout's Race Report for the Trophee van Vlaanderen
June 9, 2011People's Community Bank Omnium
June 8, 2011
Vic Franklin was initially the only team member to sign up for this race, but once we checked it out, Dan Baur decided it was a must for us. Vic and Anita Franklin, along with their whole family, hosted us for the weekend and we were determined not to let them down. Vic was a tremendous help with logistics and was willing toplay domestique for the race to get Dan, Paul and Chris into position for their wins. We can't thank Vic and his family enough, and look forward to seeing them again very soon.
Couldn't ask for better weather or a better event to be more tailored to our strengths. The omnium had a hill climb, which Paul Low won, A short time trial which Chris Syrrist won and a crit which Chris Syrrist and Dan Baur took 1st and 2nd, by quite a distance from the 3rd place finisher. Mary Cerkey finished second in the omnium and second in the road race, 3rd in the crit and 4th in the time trial. She won the Cat 3 bonus finishing first in her category. Justin Meade only raced the crit, and finished 2nd by breaking away from the pack in the last few laps and holding it until the end.
Overall in the Cat 4 omnium, Dan Baur was first, Chris Syrrist second and Paul Low third. Paul and Dan are both catting up to 3 and Chris isn't far behind. Mary Syrrist is closing in on a Cat 2 upgrade.
Tour of Tucker County, SC State Road Race, Tennessee State Time Trial and SERRL Stage Race
May 30, 2011
Another big weekend for our team. Racing in West Virginia, South Carolina, Tennessee and England. As usuallthe Lexington squad did the TOur of Tucker County in West Virginia. Ken Hewett and Justin Meade raced the South Carolina State Road Race outside Greenville, Vic Franklin raced the Tennessee State Time Trial Championship in Lascassas, TN and james Stout gave it his all in the SERRL Stage Race in the County of Kent in England.
In the Tour of Tucker County, Mary Cerkey podiumed with 2nd in the Women's Cat 1/2/3, Dan baur placed 4th in the Men's Cat 4, Brian Frazier finished in a respectable 9th place in the men's Cat 5. Chris Syrrist finished 30th in the Cat 4, saying he will never race this again. All said as usual "This is the hardest thing I have ever done".
Meanwhile in South Carolina, Justin Meade raced the Cat 3 State Road Race (which he won in 2010 as a Cat 4), but didn't place. Ken Hewett, sho is a veteran of the event raced the 50+ doing well throughout. He lead the race for a while, but the higher category master's got the best of him at the sprint finish. Ken finished 16th.
Vic Franklin raced the Tennessee State Individual Time Trial Championship in Lascassas, TN finishing 31st out of 60 participants in the Cat 1/2/3/4/5 Men's with a time of 1:03:03.74. The winning time was 53:27.14 (mostly Cat 1/2/3 riders in the top 10).
James Stout raced two events in England this week. The first being the Castle Combe Summer Series, where he placed 16th in a large field and the SERRL Summer Series 3-Day Stage Race in Kent. No top 20 finishes, but it is early in his racing season and we are expecting more from James when he begins racing in Belgium soon.
Highland Rim Omnium
May 16, 2011
Vic Franklin raced this event solo. A classic race that has been going on for decades. Vic raced the road race and time trial finishing 24th in the road race and completed the time trial in 15:01, just one second off his goal. Sunday in the criterium, Vic took a prime and was in the lead for a time. He finished 14th in the crit and 8th overall in the omnium.
Meanwhile, in Spain, we tried to get James Stout ready to race in the Cursa Ciclista del Llobregat. A point-to point road race beginning in Barcelona and ending in the Pyrenees. We had a snafu with some paperwork and James was not able to participate in the event. Most definitely Spain's loss we weren't included in the race. He instead followed behind the caravan and added some training for the week. We're working on fixing the problem and James will be racing in England or Belgium in the near future.
Lexington Road River Relay, Jefferson Cup Road Race, Spartanburg Crit and Dilworth Crit
May 9, 2011
The weekend began on Friday with Justin Meade in the 2/3 race of the Spartanburg Crit in South Carolina. Justin again was wrecked out on the last lap with three other guys. He escaped with just a few bruises, again no road rash thankfully. This was a fast and technical course, and he is really feeling his fitness come around.
In Lexington, we fielded teams in the traditional, non-traditional and 18 and under categories this year and won all of them. Dan Baur, Steve Baur, Dave Holmes, Judah Brownstein, Chris Syrrist, Jason Mogensen, Mary Syrrist and Brian Frazier all raced. Dan, Steve, Judah and Dave won the event with the help of a VMI runner and took the overall win, traditional category and set a new course record overall. Dan Baur also set a course record on the bike leg, beating Elliott O'Brien's record pace in 2010.
On Saturday in North Carolina, Justin Meade podiumed at the Dilworth Crit 3/4 race with a 2nd place finish. There was a lone breakaway about 25 seconds ahead and with 3 to go Justin made my move and broke from the pack. Managed to close the gap in 2 laps to 6 seconds, but couldn't do too much more and left it at that. It was a great finish and payout.
Sunday took the Lexington squad to Charlottesville for the rescheduled Jefferson Cup Road Race. The team put in a good effort and Dan Baur placed 8th, Chris Syrrist 11th in the 4's. Mary Syrrist finished 5th in the Women's 3, While Paige Harry placed 15th in the Women's 4. Spencer Holland, Ryan Hartman and Ken Hewett all put in great efforts as well. We met up with Whit Zirkle, who is racing for a Junior team in Charlottesville, and will be doing some triathlons for us this summer.
The team had planned on racing the Wintergreen Hill Climb, but Jay Catlett and Paul Low were both under the weather and had to pass up the event. Justin was scheduled to race the Sandy Springs Crit in Georgia, but decided to spend some familuy time on Mother's Day. The Lexington squad takes a break until the end of the month, having raced 15 different events sinc February. Matt Chisholm is scheduled for a tim trial later this month and Vic Franklin will be racing the Highland Rim Omnium in McMinville TN. Darby Collier is scheduled for the Golden State Race Series in Sacramento, CA. The next race for us in Virginia is the Tour of Tucker County in Thomas, WV. The full schedule is on the Race Schedule page of the site.
Tour de Ephrata and Athens Twilight
May 5, 2011Two of our riders were racing this past weekend. Dan Baur in Pennsylvania and Justin Meade in Georgia. Justin race the Athens Twilight Crit in the Cat 3 event. Everything was going well until he was caught up in a 10-man crash. He was given his free lap and crashed again on the last lap. It still hasn't dampened his spirits and is looking forward to his next event. We have a few photos from the race in the image gallery Athens Twilight.
Dan Baur was suffering with a cold all week and felt better by Thursday. With the cancellation of the New River Valley Omnium in Blacksburg, he decided to give it a go at the Tour de Ephrata in Lancaster County Pennsylvania.
Dan woke up and still felt ill, but put in a good effort in the road race on Saturday. We quickly returned to the hotel for rest, dinner and caught a flick at the local theatre. The next morning, Dan wasn't feeling a little better, but didn't feel he did well in the Pain Mountain Time Trial portion of the stage race. So, back to the hotel for a nap and then over to the crit in downtown Ephrata. Dan went to check his results, expecting to be near the bottom, but was pleasantly surprised to find he had won the time trial by 31 seconds. That put him in 5th place over all. He prepped for the crit and dug deep for a 5th place finish to grab 4th overall in the omnium and plenty of cash for his effort.
Roanoke Twilight Criterium
April 19, 2011
The team's yearly sponsored race. This was a big one, and the team showed up in force. Saturday the 16th started with a huge storm that was one of the worst recorded in the Southeast. Tornadoes, high winds, rain and widespread flooding. There were thoughts that the race would have to be canceled, but the weather cleared and all of races were under clear skies and comfortable temperatures.
The evening began with the 4/5 race with a full field of over 50 participants. Whit Zirkle, Dan Baur, Paul Low, Jason Mogensen, Spencer Holland, Jay Catlett and Chris Syrrist all started the race. Initially, Whit took off and led the race for a while. Dan and Chris came up in a breakaway for a bit, but eventually were pulled back. Then Chris went on a solo breakaway that none of the other competitors could catch. Dan and Paul helped keep the field back, as one by one other team mates were pulled from the race. In the end it was Chris won it with authority and Paul and Dan finished 6th and 7th. Chris was our only jersey winner of the night, but it was a great show that the crowd remembered.
Next up were the Masters and Just the Right Gear sponsor, Steve Hetherington, donned the stripes for this race. Steve was doing great but was caught up in a crash and had to drop out. Mary Cerkey raced the Women's 1/2/3/4 and was in the lead at one point, but couldn't hold it and finished in the money in 4th place, in her second race as a Cat 3.
Next up, all of the 4's in the 4/5 race, plus Ken Hewett, raced in the 3/4's. Another large field and we mustered a 6-man team. This was a much tougher race and most our riders were pulled from the event. Dan Baur cramped and had to drop out, leaving Paul Low and Chris to finish out of the money, but in the remaining peloton of about 25 riders.
The race finished with a 90-minute Pro/1/2 event. The team fanned out to do some marshaling on the back of the course. The crowd had grown through the evening and it was packed at the Start/Finish line. Afterward, team mebers stuck around to do their duty with cleanup and left around midnight. A successful night for the team and our sponsor, Stratton Delany of Starlight Bikes. Already planning a bigger event for next year.
Bristol Motor Speedway Crit
April 16, 2011
Vic Franklin raced in the zebra stripes for the first time at the Bristol Motor Speedway Crit last weekend on Sunday the 10th. Vic is from Knoxville, TN and joined the team for the 2011 season. He is married to one of our biggest fans, Anita Franklin. Vic finished 8th in the men's 4/5. Great start to the season. He continues to race this weekend at the Aaron Shafer Road Race in Sparta, TN
Roanoke Twilight Criterium
April 16, 2011The first Roanoke Twilight Criterium is a bicycle race for professionals and amateurs alike taking place in Downtown Roanoke’s West End. Start the day with the Blue Ridge Marathon – America’s toughest! The bike races start at 5PM and culminate with the pro men’s event at 9PM. The $7500 purse is sure to bring out some of the best racers in the US.
Roanoke Twilight will provide the best spectator atmosphere possible. There are over a dozen restaurants and bars within a block of the 3/4 mile course with many more within walking distance. You can also enjoy live music at the venues participating in the 2nd annual Down by Downtown music festival.
Rock Hill Classic
April 7, 2011
The 5th year in a row we have raced the Rock Hill races. This year it was not an omnium. A little fact we missed until Sunday. Regardless, we put our all into the weekend and had some great results. First up was Whit Zirkle raced his first road event ever. Whit is on a mountain biking team and resides in Charlottesville, VA. He led the race for a good bit, but bonked on the last lap. next up was Ken Hewett who raced the Cat 4/5 Master's 50+ event and finished 7th. mary raced her first 1/2/3 Women's event for a 13th place finish. New team mate and South Carolina resident, Justin Meade raced the Cat 3 event and finished 14th. The big race of the day was Category 4 with Dan Baur. Dan won the race in the very last second of the sprint finish.
The road race on Sunday began with dan's Cat 4 race. Again a pack finish, with Dan placing 7th. Mary was in her element in a road race. She wished there were more hills, but managed a 6th place finish. The second wave of races went off about a half-hour late. Ken Hewett's was the last race of the day. He broke away with a group early on and finished 3rd in the Master's 4/5 50+. The best finish of the day was Whit Zirkle, who raced his first road race and won by about a minute and a half.
A great weekend all around. we'll be back next year. The promoters did a fantastic job and they thanked us for helping to attract so many Virginians to the race.
Walton Park Crit
March 28, 2011
A cold day outside of Charlottesville on March 26th. Brian Frazier and our newest rider, Garrett Koller braved the elements to compete in the Walton Park Cat 5. This was the fallback race for everyone who didn't get into Jefferson Cup the following day, which was postponed until May 8th, because of snow. The temps were in the 30's, but both Brian and Garrett finished one more race toward their cat 4 upgrade. No great finishes on their part, but no wrecks either.
Garrett koller is from Tulsa Oklahoma and a member of the W&L class of 2014. He is new to road cycling and only just bought his bike in October. Good to see him in the drops right off the bat. One of the great things about newbies is that we don't have to spend all our time breaking them of bad habits. The race spurred Garrett on to increase his training, and we expect you'll see more of him through the spring.
Thanks to Dan Netzer and Frank Cundiff of Celerity Cycling for the photos. There are some pictures of Dan racing the 1/2/3 event in the latter part of the photo gallery.
Richmond International Raceway Crit
March 21, 2011
A bittersweet day for the team. Dan Baur and Jason Mogensen raced the 3/4 event finishing 24th and 41st. Paige Harry did great racing her third event in the combined women's event finishing about 8th. The tough part was the Cat 5's which started well, but both Spencer Holland and Chris Syrrist were caught up in a crash that stopped the race. Chris was fine, but his bike was in pieces. The ambulance was on the course tending to Spencer who was covered in road rash, but somehow his bike fared better than Chris'. Chris grabbed Jason Mogensen's bike, got back into the race and won it. Chris is happy to say farewell to Cat 5, with his 10th race under his belt.
New Team Members From Colorado and Winchester Virginia
March 13, 2011
Matt Chisholm started his cycling career seven years ago when he bought a 1992 Trek women's frame (53 cm he found out later) in college and started climbing nearby Paris Mountain every chance he got in his sneakers and running shorts. He developed a passion for riding that didn't slow down, and in the Spring of 2007 he bought his first road bike and began racing Triathlons.
That first year he managed to log 6 races, including a few age group wins, and was hooked on the multi-sport lifestyle. The next year he raced in 10 triathlons placing well but losing some of the passion that had spurred him on the year before. He missed the team aspect of endurance exercise, and when the opportunity to join a local team in Charlotte came up and he readily agreed.
He began his Category 5 career in 2009 racing for Westwood Custom Homes, managed to get 5 top 10 finishes, 1 win, and 2 podiums. Matt was hooked on the sport and wanted nothing more than to race his brain out (much to the chagrin of his wife). He started 2010 with a new team, Big View Diner Cycling, and after 2 road races upgraded to Cat 4.
He managed to race decently over the course of the season, finishing 306th in points for USA cycling criteriums across the nation and 21st for Cat 4 in North Carolina, once again in the criterium category. In May he wrecked in a race in the mountains of North Carolina and ended up tearing jis hip flexor, and after sitting out a month and doing nothing but swimming with a pull buoy at the Y, he decided to head back to Triathlon to finish his season and temper his training.
This year he's ready to get back in the saddle and race, preferring to use his strength as a Time Trialist to place in races. Looking forward to bringing what He can to Team Traveller, and work to grow the team in Colorado with the help of W&L law school student and new team member Mike Bombace.
Michael Bombace is from Denver Colorado and comes from the world of marathons. He has raced all over the mountain states and midwest. He arrived in Lexington as a first year law student and was introduced to the team by a law professor. He has raced one event this year, the Snowball criterium #1 and enjoyed the change of pace.
Mike has also taken on researching all of the legal aspects of running the team as well as running the team's new Colorado membership. After Mike's first race he took his bike in to a shop and tweaked it out for racing.....a sure sign he is hooked.
Paige Harry is from Winchester, Virginia, just up the road a couple hours from Lexington. She is a freshman at Washington and Lee and comes from the world of triathlons. She raced her first road events at the Snowcone #3 and the Snowball #2 crits over the past weekend and plans on racing more with the team in the spring.
Snowcone Training Crit #3 and Snowball Crit #2
March 11, 2011
The first race of the season where our team came out in force. Veterans Chris and Mary Syrrist, Judah Brownstein, Brian Frazier join new riders Paige Harry and Steve Baur in this hour-long Category 4/5 criterium. Chris finished 4th, Judah had a crash but got back into the race, Mary was caught up in a crash on the last lap, Paige finished her first-ever crit and Steve Baur and Brian Frazier dropped off the back and fought hard to catch up, but the wind was just too much. The team had a great time and Chris Mary and Paige continued on to Chesapeake for a crit on Sunday.
Mary raced in the rain on this weekend. The wind was pretty fierce. A tailwind on the back of the course and a headwind in the front. Mary wasn't thought she had one lap to go and the Cat 1 rider in her breakaway passed her at the last minute. Training Crits are where we iron out all these problems.
Chris raced the Cat 5 event. Much smaller field than snowball 1. The weather cleared a little and Chris stayed with the field for the first half but the three leaders dropped the field and Chris was left to solo his way to 4th place. You can check out photos of Snowball 2 1n the 2011 Image Gallery.
Greenville Training Series Weekend Two and Mineral Wells Stage Race
March 5, 2011
We've been so busy racing, it's been tough updating the website, but here is a rundown from the past two weeks. On February 19th and 20th, Justin Meade and Vic Franklin raced the Greenville Training Series and both had pack finishes in mid field for their first race in South Carolina. The following week The Greenville Training Series continued with Vic Franklin and Justin Meade in the Cat 4 and 3 respectively.
Anita Franklin wrote: "On Saturday, February 26, the Greenville Training Series began it’s second of three weekends on a 14-mile loop around Fork Shoals. The day started early for the masters races with temperatures in the 40’s. By the time the Pro/1/2, Cat 3, and Cat 4 races left around 11, temps had climbed steadily into the 60’s. Cat 3 Justin Meade looked solid the entire race and finished 18th after a grueling four laps. There were no feed zones in any of the categories, so riders had to carry all food and water themselves. Cat 4 Victor Franklin pulled out after two laps with rough sensations in the legs. It was later determined that his brakes were rubbing during the entire two laps. On Sunday, the series used the Donaldson Center as its home base with its 7.5 mile loop around a small community airport. The roads here had some rough spots in places and the wind was fierce all day. Temperatures neared 80 degrees as the riders took the start. In the Cat 3 race, Justin again looked great and hung with the strong bunch. He finished 22nd on the day. Vic finished in 25th place in the Cat 4 race and felt much stronger than the day before. Both Justin and Vic are anxious to see if wearing zebra stripes will make them faster."
Meanwhile three members raced a stage race in a little town in Texas. The Mineral Wells stage race was held on the weekend of the 26th and 27th of February. Promoter Andy Hollinger comped the team's entry and hotle room and we delivered the goods. Mary Cerkey finished first overall in her field and Dan Baur finished 6th overall. Travis Enmon raced his first event in over two years, racing the 2's, but had to abandon after a crash in the first half of the crit. Mary and Dan both finished third in the time trial, and had strong finishes in all three events.
The ride down to Texas ended up being one of the more exciting aspects of the long weekend, with a tornado narrowly missing us outside Memphis. You can read all about it on Mary's Tumblr blog and the upcoming article in the Racing Post article in April.
Snowball Criterium #1
February 21, 2011
The first time out for the Virginia squad this year. Saturday, Jay Catlett raced the Sno Cone training crit finishing 7th, and joined other team members in Chesapeake on Sunday for the Snowball crit. We had Mike Bombace racing his first bike race along with Chris Syrrist in the Cat 5 event, with Chris taking 3rd place and two primes. The following event was the 3/4's with Jason Moensen in his debut with the team, after a 10-year hiatus from the sport. Jason was joined by Jay Catlett and Dan Baur. The three fought hard, with Jason bowing out in the middle of the race, leaving Jay and Dan, who narrowly avoided a crash on the last lap and finished at the back of the field.
Next up for the team is the Greenville Training Series in Greenville, SC and the Mineral Wells training race in Texas.
VO2 Testing, New Bikes and First Races
February 10, 2011
It was time for our pre-season VO2 testing and we had 6 members who showed up this year: Michael Bombace, Judah Brownstein, Jay Catlett, Chris Syrrist, Mary Syrrist and Vic Franklin (who drove all the way from Tennessee). All the tests went off without a hitch, and the results were very encouraging. Of course the actual numbers are a state secret....so don't ask.
Brian Frazier just finished his new Velovie bike with Carbon everything and SRAM Force. It is sweet. He's been out on it a couple of times. The weather and schedules have held him back a bit. Dan Baur's new Kazane carbon frame is great. Dan says "I see the bumps, but I don't feel them." Marshall Walden bought Dave Cobb's Velovie bike this Christmas and begins racing with VCU in the winter and early spring, hoping to start racing for the team as a category 3 in April or May.
We begin our season in South Carolina with the Greenville Training series and the Snowball Crit in Chesapeake, VA on the weekend of February 19/20. Then it is off to Texas for the Mineral Wells Stage race with a road race, crit and tt.
2011 Team Traveller Cycling Kit Design
January 21, 2011
We changed our sponsor lineup and manufacturer, but retained the zebra print. The uniform includes gloves, booties, arm warmers, leg warmers, vests, bib shorts, short-sleeved jerseys and skinsuits. In addition to our zebra kit, we are using Giro Helmets through Just the Right Gear and Tifosi sunglasses from Starlight Bicycles. We'll be adding more proofs to this set as they become available.
Our first races will be on February 19th/20th in Virginia Beach, Virginia and Greenville, South Carolina. The South Carolina members will make their first appearance at the Greenville Training Series as our Virginia members race Snowball Crit #1 in Virginia Beach.
