Velo Bella-Kona Latest

Bellas do the Otter

2008-04-16T13:17:00.001-07:00

Bellas do the Otter
Originally uploaded by Sabine Dukes

Let the racing, or whatever.....commence!

See us at Booth #509

Dear EVERY Velo Bella across the US,

2008-01-25T09:39:00.000-08:00

In late September I was scrambling, pleading to find someone to support me in cyclocross, for a team to ride with. My procrastination was getting the best of me again. I began searching the results for team ideas from all the 2006 local races and from nationals, then Googling the names in attempt to find some sort of contact information. But then what? What to write when you know it is far too late in the year for a team director to welcome you aboard? What to write for yourself when you know it is your own fault for assuming things will work out? Things always work out, right?

Well, actually, yes…everything worked out splendidly. Alex Burgess, Velo Bella – Kona Team Director called me back the next day. Without the normal formality of a phone conversation, Alex got right down to business. "Ok, I remember you being a peanut, so will a 47cm frame work?" "That was a Selle San Marco saddle you were riding right? Was it the Aspide or the Blaze?" "Sidi shoes, right? Kids shoe or do you have to wear triple layers of socks to fit into an adult shoe?" "And your helmet…that Giro looked like a melon on you…we'll get you their smallest size."

Geez, I thought, creepy, who is this guy? This guy is one of the most selfless people in the cycling world. See him in his pink suit with his purple boa – his life seems to be centered on supporting women in this world of a man-dominated sport.

Well that was easy. But then he asked for my goals…something I have never been very good at communicating. I can't remember what I stumble-mumbled out, but after Alex said "…hmm…" I knew it wasn't what he was looking for. "How about you go out there and race your bike when you want to and have fun, and smile for goodness sake!" Wow, pretty laid back and relaxed; this will be a low key year.

From there things turned into a whirlwind of a year. I started riding faster, and with the 2006 U23 title, Alex wanted me at the USGP's. So I started traveling and not only was the support incredible, but I was meeting new Velo Bellas on my new team every weekend. After traveling to races alone last cyclocross season, I embraced this amazing new change, and was so excited to have fun, smart and smiling teammates. I never did meet every single one of my seventeen teammates, but my 2007 cyclocross season as a Velo Bella has left me forever a Bella.

To all the Velo Bellas who made my trip to Worlds possible, I cannot thank you enough; your generosity and support has been overwhelming. Truly, this trip would not have been possible without the plethora of outreach from the Velo Bella family. I am having the time of my life here in Italy and Belgium, racing my bike, enjoying eye-opening new experiences, sampling new and delicious foods, and loving every second. I am happy that I have been able to be a part of the Velo Bella story and look forward to the coming years.

Amy

Treviso, Italy

Winter Traning on the Kona

2008-01-03T21:05:00.001-08:00

Photo Break, originally uploaded by sabinedukes.

Socks for Amy

2007-12-28T06:51:00.001-08:00

Help send Amy Dombroski to Worlds in Italy, and donate to Breast Cancer research and look stylie as a bonus.

Thanks to the generous support of DeFeet, Velo Bella is pleased to offer these special wooly warm calf length socks.

Price is $12/pair and 25% of proceeds go to Breast Cancer research, while 75% will help send Amy to CX Worlds.

Contact Alex if interested, but hurry!!

More info HERE

Amy Dombroski wins Under 23 CX Nats

2007-12-16T09:56:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Amy on her second U23 National CX Championship!

Cyclingnews
Velonews

Shannon Gibson Wins 40-44 CX Nationals

2007-12-15T08:02:00.000-08:00

Congrats to our latest National Champion

Mired in Cross

2007-11-27T09:15:00.000-08:00

We are in knee deep in our favorite time of the year, cyclocross season. Check out the reports here and here

Velo Bella's Surf City a Psychosuccess!

2007-11-02T09:37:00.000-07:00

Velo Bella has been promoting the Surf City Cyclocross Races for 4 years now. This year we dubbed our Halloween Race, Psychocross. And it lived up to its name. In addition to 350 racers and 40 kiddie kross participants, we had over 70 people in our now famous Costume Cross. I have no idea who keeps records of such things, but it sounds like a costume cross record to me.

Thank you to all the bellas and fellas who chipped in to make a spooktacular day. I've heard nothing but raves for the course and venue. We also raised $500 that we will be sending off to the NorCal High School Mountain Bike League.

Clickie on the pic below to see the start of the costume cross race

and Clickie here to see more video, pics, results and the fabulous sponsors that made it all happen.

Interbike 08

2007-09-29T10:01:00.000-07:00

Its always good to go there and thank all of our wonderful product sponsors in person. It was even more fun this year to race a little cross while we were there.

Sabine to be Honored at Interbike

2007-09-20T07:10:00.000-07:00

Outdoor Industry Women's Coalition Honors the Queen Bella!

Sabine Dukes - First Ascent Award

This award recognizes a woman new to the industry who demonstrates strong potential for leadership. This award furthers the vision of OIWC by increasing visibility of talented young women at lower levels in an organization, thereby facilitating and nurturing their leadership skills.

Sabine co-created Velo Bella, a women’s cycling club that now has more than 300 members. She says of her organization, which is staffed entirely by volunteers, “Our mission is to encourage women to take up the sport of cycling. We hope to encourage women by showing how much fun the sport can be. We have a great time, and we hope it shows. We do have a race-focused interest, but welcome any women interested to our team. We have no membership fees and the only requirement of the team is to purchase a jersey, participate in at least one race, and to have fun.”

In her nomination, Sabine is praised as being an inspiration to women everywhere. “In 2001 or 2002 she and a friend founded a cycling club with one mission in mind: Cute uniforms. The group has evolved into Velo Bella, a worldwide collection of pro and amateur racers and rec riders spreading the message that strong women can look good and have fun on a bike. The pros are always race-favorites among the 6-year-old girls at races because of their sassy uniforms. And they inspire women everywhere to be a part of their club and join the party.”

Sabine is also the Controller for Fox Racing Inc. A CPA and Dean's List scholar graduate of San Jose State with a BS in Business Administration, she is at home in the bicycle industry. “It’s a pleasure now coming to work and seeing other people clomping around the hallways in bike shoes!”

Sabine will receive a scholarship to a Strozzi Institute for Leadership workshop in Petaluma, CA. The popular four-day workshop, “Leadership in Action 1: Principles and Practices,” is valued at $2500.

Awards will be given at the OIWC Gathering, Thursday, Sept. 27 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in Casanova rooms 503 and 504.

VELO BELLA – KONA ANNOUNCES 2007 WOMEN’S ELITE CYCLOCROSS TEAM

2007-09-18T07:47:00.000-07:00

VELO BELLA – KONA ANNOUNCES 2007 WOMEN’S ELITE CYCLOCROSS TEAM

The Velo Bella - Kona women return for another year of dirty fun all across the United States and Europe. For the fourth year in a row, the world’s most successful all female cyclocross team will spread the Bella vibe around the Crank Brother’s US Grand Prix of Cyclocross, US Cyclocross Nationals and over 92 local races across the US. The Velo Bella – Kona team will also send a select squad of racers to Belgium this December to show the Europeans how female American cross racers get their groove on.

“Velo Bella is dedicated to providing a place for women to ride their bikes, race their bikes, and above all, have fun getting muddy and cold in a skinsuit,” said Team Co Founder, Sabine Dukes. “Our membership continues to grow with nearly 400 women in 28 states climbing up the category ranks in every major cycling discipline. Velo Bella - Kona professional teams exist to mentor and inspire our members wherever they are. Therefore, we are proud to announce the largest elite cyclocross team in the world with 19 athletes competing at the highest level in every corner of the country.”

West Coast

Barb Howe (Larkspur, CA) - 2004/05 US World Championship Team Member

Natasha Perry (Santa Cruz, CA)

Ann Fitzsimmons (Morgan Hill, CA)

Marian Jamison (Verdi, NV)

Northwest

Shannon Holden (Spokane, WA)

Kari Studley (Bothell, WA)

Mid-Atlantic

Melanie Swartz (Reston, VA)

Jennifer Bodine (Garret Park, MD) - 2007 US Collegiate Criterium National Champion - Div 2

New England

Anna Milkowski (New Haven, CT)

Stephanie White (Durham, NH) - 2007 US Junior XC National Champion

Melody Chase (Portsmouth, NH)

The Rockies

Kathy Sherwin (Heber City, UT)

Jennifer Tilley (Boulder, CO)

Amy Dombroski (Boulder, CO) - 2007 U23 Cyclocross National Champion

Monique Hein (Boulder, CO)

Natasha Cowie (Boulder, CO)

Shannon Gibson (Durango, CO)

Kristin Danielson (Durango, CO)

Minnesota

Maria Stewart (St Paul, MN)

The team will be riding in sweet style with custom painted cyclocross frames from Kona Bicycles, featuring Easton stems, seatposts, bars, forks and wheels, as well as SRAM Force drive trains, Avid brakes, Chris King headsets and Selle San Marco saddles. TeamEstrogen.com sells team clothing and sexy skinsuits provided by Louis Garneau, and Giro helmets and Zeal Optics protect our racers through the worst conditions possible. Patagonia and the Vanderkitten clothing line will help us relax post-race, and the lovely Good Vibrations will keep our racers “safe” at the post-race parties. Pedro’s and Ultimate Support rovide our mechanics with all they need to keep the team’s bikes rolling smoothly.

What Happens in Snowmass

2007-08-15T11:44:00.001-07:00

stays in Snowmass

Alicia Styer Becomes Junior 8-10 XC National Champ

2007-07-25T18:24:00.000-07:00

One of our younger Velo Bellas, Alicia Styer became the 2007 US National Junior 8-10 year old XC Champion last Sunday morning.

Full story and pics here

Stephanie White is the Junior 17-18 National Champion in XC

2007-07-25T18:12:00.001-07:00

By Stephanie White

Congratulations Stephanie and best of luck at Worlds in Scotland!!

Read Stephanie's report here

The real race of truth

2007-07-23T22:42:00.000-07:00

Velo Bella wins Naked Crit

A New York Kudo for our Ice Kate

2007-07-16T16:53:00.000-07:00

Dear Bellas,

I just wanted to let you know that Velo Bella is very
well represented by New York State member Kate Stewart!

My kid Eleanor is a Junior Elite level speedskater who is attending an Olympic Training Center summer residency program in Marquette, MI. Eleanor was told that part of her training would involve cycling on a road bike. The kid had a bike but was not comfortable using it. We are talking high anxiety! She had a couple of spills last year trying to learn to use the bike and had let it go.

Eleanor and Kate are both members of the Syracuse Speedskating club, and Eleanor knows Kate is a great cyclist. To prepare for the OTC Eleanor asked Kate to help her get used to the bike, and Kate took her out on the bike before the Marquette program began. Kate was so great. It took a lot of patience on Kate’s part to get Eleanor comfortable and to instill a little confidence in her, there were clip-in pedal spills, uphill meltdowns and turning lessons, but with Kate’s help it all worked out.

I don’t think that Eleanor would have made it to Marquette with the bike without the generosity of Velo Bella Kate.

Very Sincerely,

Marcia

Bellas Take Win at Coyote Creek

2007-07-10T11:34:00.000-07:00

Linda Tersegno Claims Double Bronze in Senior Games

2007-07-04T06:49:00.000-07:00

Linda's report of the National Senior Games, Louisville, KY is here:
New York Regional Bellas Home Page

Final results for Linda:
Bronze in the 20K RR
Bronze in the 40K RR
8th in the 5K Time Trial
7th in the 10K Time Trial
Congrats, Linda!!

More Natasha in the News

2007-06-29T12:51:00.001-07:00

WTF?

2007-06-27T12:54:00.000-07:00

You're going to have to read the New York blog here to find out.

Doing hard time in Folsom

2007-06-19T16:10:00.000-07:00

Stella Carey snags a third at Folsom Crit

Check out some pics from Folsom and Nevada City Classic

A good weekend for our Natashas!!

2007-06-01T10:15:00.000-07:00

Natasha Cowie sprays onlookers with champagne after her win on the Dausett Trails in Jackson, GA. The race was the sixth in the SERC series and the latest in a series of successes for Natasha Cowie, Southeastern Pro Bella. For full results, visit goneriding.com.

~~~~

New NorCal Bella, Natasha Perry, landed on the podium at Memorial Day Criterium in Morgan Hill. It was a hard fought sprint against powerhouse teams like Tibco and Proman. A great showing for Natasha and the entire Velo Bella-Kona road team.

Ridin

2007-05-24T09:49:00.000-07:00

15 Velo Bella-Kona riders participated in the Kern County Women's Stage Race, a fabulous event, just for us womenfolk.

And besides causing a little mischief in the streets of Bakersfield, we participated in 5 categories of racing.

6 Stage Wins!
3 Overall GC Wins!

And lots of good times with a great team.

Thank you to our wonderful support team of Miss Mary, Michael, Tyler and Jeff. The Disco boys don't even have it as good as we did.

Click here for pictures
Click here for results
Click here for Sabine's report
Click here for Erika's report
Click here for Marian's report

6 Hours of Bella

2007-05-24T07:29:00.000-07:00

Natasha Cowie, pro southeastern Bella, took first in the 6 Hour Solo Women’s division at the 12 Hours of Tsali on May 19. She was also the only woman to complete 6 laps. See goneriding.com for full results. Photo courtesy goneriding.com.

2007 Jersey Now Available at Team Estrogen

2007-05-23T13:45:00.000-07:00

Velo Bella wear is available for purchase at Team Estrogen.

And for those who like to swim and run in their chamois, check out the new Bella Tri Wear!

Gravity Girls in Cyclingnews

2007-05-22T13:09:00.001-07:00

From the Barb Howe diary

Introducing the Kona Lisa Supreme RD

2007-05-15T12:25:00.000-07:00

The official bike of the Velo Bella-Kona race team!

How lucky (and cute) are we?!

More info on the bike can be found by clicking here

Our team bikes are outfitted with:

SRAM Force drivetrain
SRAM Rival brakes
Easton Orion II Wheelset
Easton handlebar, stem, seatpost
Selle San Marco saddle
Crankbrothers Quattro pedals
Schwalbe Stelvio tires
Fuzzy flair

Those who opted for standard geometry will be riding the Zing Supreme

More details, links, photos and fun about this bike on our forums.

2007 Gravity Girls

2007-05-07T10:41:00.000-07:00

Allie Burch - 2004 Pro Women's Super D NORBA National Mtn Bike Series Champion, pick up hockey player extraordinaire, and 2007 Sea Otter Hula Hoop champion.

Sara Johnson Washington, Idaho, Montana state champion 5 years running and too fast for the camera.

Kimber Gabryszak First year Pro, nationally ranked Skeleton, and all around cutie pie

Clickie here for more info about the team and their gear.

Hello Pretty Pretty

2007-05-04T19:24:00.000-07:00

Velo Bella is exquisitely delighted to announce that Barbarella is back

Back racing
and back to Cyclingnews

Check out her Sea Otter entry

Another Sea Otter in the books

2007-04-20T11:24:00.000-07:00

60 Velo Bella entrants
2 Wins!
14 podiums
3 pairs roller skates

One damn good time

Clicky Clicky for more:
Reports
Results
Photos

Whatchya doing this weekend?

2007-04-12T20:39:00.000-07:00

We're doing this:

Super D

Pro: 04/12/07 1:00p.m. - 3:00p.m.
Alex Fabbro

Open Women: 04/12/07 1:00p.m. - 3:00p.m.
Elizabeth Cantu
Daphne Hodgson
Rene Ridgely

Time Trial

Pro: 04/14/07 8:00a.m. - 12:00p.m.
Shannon Gibson
Jen Tilley
Natasha Cowie
Kristin Danielson

Short Track

Pro: 04/14/07 1:15p.m.
Shannon Gibson
Jen Tilley
Barb Howe
Natasha Cowie
Kristin Danielson

Open Women: 04/13/07 1:15p.m.
Kathleen Bortolussi
Julie Porter

Cross Country

Pro: 04/15/07 12:25p.m.
Shannon Gibson
Erika Krumpelman
Jen Tilley
Barb Howe
Natasha Cowie
Shannon Holden
Kristin Danielson

Expert 19-39: 04/15/07 8:06a.m.
Renee Ridgley
Ryan Hostetter
Jen See

Expert 40-49: 04/15/07 8:08a.m.
Sabine Dukes
Kathleen Bortolussi
Julie Porter
Elizabeth Caraker
Bonnie Darrah

Sport 25-29: 04/15/07 8:46a.m.
Marian Hunting

Sport 30-34: 04/15/07 8:48a.m.
Esther Kim
Meredith Obendorfer

Sport 40-49: 04/15/07 8:48a.m.
Yvette Cockrell
Katrina Loera

Beginner 30-34: 04/14/07 8:06a.m.
Maria Perez

Beginner 50+: 04/17/07 8:10am
Daphne Hodgson

Expert SS: 04/15/07 8:02 a.m.
Alex Fabbro

Dual Slalom

Pro: Finals 04/14/07 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Allie Burch

Open Women 19-29: Finals 04/13/07 9:00am - 12:00pm
Rene Ridgley

Downhill

Pro: Finals 04/15/07 10:00am - 12:00pm
Allie Burch

Road Race

Women 3: 04/14/07 12:40pm
Kim White

Women 4: 04/14/07 12:45pm
Marian Hunting
Amy Fischer
Ashley Erickson
Angela Aldrich
Kathie Reid
Soni Andreini-Poulson

Women 40+: 04/14/07 12:35pm
Monica Neilson
Liz Benishin

Circuit Race

NRC Cat 1/2: 04/14/07 10:00am
Stella Carey
Mary Maroon

Women 3: 04/13/07 12:14pm
Kim White
Heidi Horton

Women 4: 04/13/07 3:37pm
Marian Hunting
Amy Fischer
Angela Aldrich
Kathie Reid
Denise Ramirez

Women 40+: 04/13/07 12:14pm
Liz Beneshin

Let the Racing Begin

2007-04-05T12:35:00.001-07:00

Its on...

Where all the bellas at?

2007-02-22T11:16:00.000-08:00

We've been kind of busy lately...but more news is coming super soon. In the meantime, race reports are pouring in. Go lookie

Surf City Final Word

2007-01-04T22:17:00.000-08:00

Thank you to everyone who came out to our Surf City cyclocross races and put up with our shenanigans! Big slurpy kisses to all of our Surf City sponsors. It was a crazy season for sure. But in the end, we hope everyone had a great time. Because otherwise, whats the point of so much suffering?

We want to especially thank Barry Wicks, Ben Jacques-Maynes and Andy Jacques-Maynes. They were our top three overall finishers in the Men A category. At the awards ceremony, they decided to donate their cash winnings to the Nor Cal High School Mountain Bike League.

Their generous act inspired us too, and so the Surf City crew decided to match their donation.

It made us feel so warm and fuzzy inside that we think we might make this an annual tradition.

High School race season starts soon. If you want to feel warm and fuzzy inside, consider a donation to one of the finest junior cycling programs in the country.

Click here

And see you next year!!

Dede earns nomination to Worlds!

2006-12-20T21:47:00.000-08:00

Dede has been informally called the "rookie of the year" for her surprise success in cyclocross this year. Now her success, which culminated in a 4th place finish at nationals, has earned her one of the five coveted invitations to race at Cyclocross Worlds.
Congratulations to our own grasshopper!!

Read the story at
USA Cycling
Cyclingnews.com

Grasshopper Wins

2006-12-16T07:43:00.000-08:00

After walking away from the field on the second lap of the race, Dee Dee "Grasshopper" Winfield stretched her lead to 44 seconds and became the 2006 US Nationals Masters 30-34 Champion today in Providence, RI.

Joining Dee Dee in today's race were Sarah Kerlin (7th), Melanie Swartz (8th) and Anna Milkowski (who suffered a crash on the first lap while in the lead) finished 12th. Stay tuned for a detailed race report to follow...

More soon!

Alex

And once, when I went to Kona Headquarters...

2006-11-27T12:19:00.000-08:00

By Alex Burgess

A few weeks ago I travelled to Seattle for the fifth round of the US Grand Prix of Cyclocross and decided to make a quick pit stop at Kona Headquarters in Ferndale, WA. Not knowing the trip would take a total 4 hours roundtrip from SeaTac airport, I figured it would be nice to see where our frames come from and the folks taking care of us.

Kona is located on a side highway about 110 miles north of Seattle a few miles off of Puget Sound in a pretty town called Ferndale. The geniuses designing and selling our frames are housed in a non-descript warehouse with a couple of offices and all one needs to throw a fantastic party. There are two stoves, a coffee maker, and espresso maker, fuseball table, pool table, basketball net, ski boat, showers and A LOT OF BIKES!

Entering the front door, one sees years and years of memorabilia from world champions to national champions in many cycling disciplines. One also sees more bumper stickers and anarchist propoganda than one would normally in the average place of business, but hey, it's Kona... A stereo connected to an Ipod pumps out a wide variety of tunes including everything from Dance Hall reggae, funk, folk punk, house and other styles of chemical-infused music.

Dale, Sarah, Ruth and Cory all work the phones in this area and sell Kona products to dealers all across the US. Dale and Cory tried to explain their sales territories to me, but I quickly got confused as they each have states all over the place and certainly someone was enjoying some good Washington micro-brew when the territories were drawn-up.

The Road team swung by the headquarters a few months ago on their way to British Columbia for races and signed one of our jerseys for the entire office. The jersey is located right next to the front door and one can't help but see our glorious colors as soon as one walks through the door. No wonder everyone was smiling!

Just to the right of the front door sits our venerable ally and all around cheerleader/supporter, Mark Peterson. Mark has worked at Kona for almost 11 years and done everything from selling to marketing to shipping to barbecuing, and now heads worldwide team sponsorship. Mark is the guy who approached us a year ago about sponsoring the organization and has been instrumental in encouraging Kona to incorporate our design change requests into their Lisa line of women's bikes. Mark also encouraged Dan and Jake (Co-owners) to include the Velo Bella logo on all 2007 Lisa frames/bikes. Thanks Mark!

At first I was a little taken aback at how small the office was and thought to myself, "this is it?" Well, like Alex in Wonderland (work with me), all I had to do was open a camoflaged door in the back left to see where the rubber meets the road (so to speak).

I have never seen so many bikes in all of my life. Boxes piled three and four high full of frames and components. Stacks of shirts, jerseys, pedals, forks and all manner of cycling gadgetry, the Kona warehouse was impressive to say the least.

Bre, Trevor, Dennis and Ed are the ones who make sure your frames have all the bits and pieces they are supposed to, as well as sending you all the items you've ordered from Kona. They are in the process of bringing the warehouse into the 21st century with a new barcoding, scanning and inventory management system and I found them hard at work drinking coffee and preparing to prepare to move boxes from end of the great hall to the other. Ed was a little shy, but Bre, Trevor and Dennis were kind enough to pose for this photo.

All in all, my visit to Kona was fantastic. I really enjoyed meeting Ruth (who I speak to all the time on the phone) and Cory (who is responsible for much of the midwest including my local Kona dealer), as well as the rest of the team there. Definitely a happy group who clearly love creating and selling bikes. Not a bad gig! The drive back to Seattle along the coast helped me understand why they love living here so much. Breath taking...

Thanks everyone! We love our Kona bikes and hope to see you all at some races soon...

Lieselot Decroix wraps up her 2006 Road season

2006-10-30T14:25:00.000-08:00

Lieselot Decroix just sent a message to let us know she just now finished off her season on the road over in Belgium.

On Sept 24 she took 2nd place in the Jemeppe, Belgie dames elite race in her Bella colors.

With both sadness and excitement Lieselot has signed with Lotto-Belisol which is a UCI trade team near her home and not far from where she is attending college. Lotto-Belisol is also where Christine Vardaros headed last year.
Like Christine, Lieselot will always remain a Velo Bella at heart but race professionally for another team.

We were so happy to have Lieselot on the team this last year and giving her that first pro opportunity. I think we figured she could learn a lot from racing with our team, and it turned out we learned a lot from racing with her!

We wish her the best of luck in her career as a pro rider in Europe and know she has incredible talent and heart and is one of the sweetest gals we know. Which is what we know makes the best champions of all.

Shine on little Bella!

2006 Velo Bella Pro Team Cross Frame

2006-10-13T11:06:00.000-07:00

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?

Loca spanks it Bella-Style on the East Coast

2006-10-11T18:08:00.000-07:00

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!

USGP #1 and #2

2006-10-11T15:04:00.000-07:00

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

And now, YOUR 2006 VB-K Professional Cross Team

2006-10-03T08:51:00.000-07:00

VELO BELLA – KONA ANNOUNCES 2006 WOMEN’S ELITE CYCLOCROSS TEAM

The Velo Bella - Kona women are back for another year of flinging dirt and spreading mayhem across the cyclocross circuit. And, now they’ve gone bi -coastal. For the third year in a row, the nation’s largest all female cyclocross team will spread the Bella vibe around the Crank Brother’s US Grand Prix of Cyclocross, US Cyclocross Nationals and at over 60 local races across the US.

“Velo Bella is dedicated to providing a place for women to ride their bikes, race their bikes, and above all, get muddy in a skinsuit. With continued membership growth across the US, we felt it necessary to create a bi-coastal cyclocross team to mentor and inspire our members wherever they are. That and there just isn’t enough mud here in California” said Team Co Founder, Sabine Dukes.

The 2006 Elite Velo Bella-Kona Cyclocross Team will consist of ten riders from around the United States. Roistering dry California sand will be Sarah Kerlin, Barb Howe and Ann Fitzsimmons. Sarah (Capitola, CA) was the 2004 US National Cyclocross Champion, 30-34, and 2004 US National Team member. Barb Howe (Larkspur, CA) has won numerous UCI races here in the US and was a National Team Member in 2004 and 2005. Ann Fitzsimmons (Morgan Hill, CA) rose through the Velo Bella ranks as a beginner a few years ago to place 12th at the 2005 US National Cyclocross Championships. Team veterans Erin Kassoy (Palo Alto, CA), Shannon Holden (Spokane, WA) and developmental racer Marian Jamison (Reno, NV) complete the squad.

The mud squad is led by Anna Milkowski and Melanie Swartz. Anna (New Haven, CT) has placed highly at UCI road and cyclocross races, including taking 11th at the 2005 US National Cyclocross Championships. Melanie (Reston, VA) is a rising star in the Mid-Atlantic region and ranked 6th in US for UCI points in cyclocross during 2005. Veteran Bella Jennifer Tilley (Lawrence, Kansas), Dee Dee Winfield (Charlottesville, VA) and developmental racer Stephanie White (2004 US Junior National Champion, 15-18) from Bedford, NH complete the eastern squad.

The team will be riding in sweet style with custom painted cyclocross frames from Kona Bicycles, featuring Easton stems, seatposts, bars, forks and wheels, as well as SRAM Force drive trains, Avid brakes, Chris King headsets and Selle San Marco saddles. TeamEstrogen.com sells team clothing and sexy skinsuits provided by Hincapie Sportswear, and Giro helmets and Zeal Optics protect our racers through the worst conditions possible. The ever sassy Vanderkitten clothing line will help us relax post-race, and the lovely Good Vibrations will keep our racers “safe” at the post-race parties. Pedro’s and Ultimate Support provide our mechanics with all they need to keep the team’s bikes rolling smoothly, and UC-Davis Sports Medicine ensures our athletes are ready to perform wherever they race.

Velo Bella - Kona is a non-profit, grassroots, multidiscipline cycling team based out of Watsonville, CA. Velo Bella’s contagious spirit and unique approach to women’s competitive cycling have created a following across the United States and around the world. The Bellas encourage women to cycle, no matter what their level. The distinctive Velo Bella kit can be found on recreational riders, elite level racers, and all those in between. More information on Velo Bella can be found on their website: http://www.velobella.org/.

Bellas GoGo to Interbike

2006-09-24T22:37:00.000-07:00

After we are done baking cookies for sponsors, and pro-spotting, and geeking out on bike stuff, we'll be at the Schwalbe booth # 3425 at 2:30 on Thursday, Sept 28th.

Yummy.

More babbling about it here

Surf City Website is UP!

2006-09-15T09:58:00.000-07:00

Check it out by clicking here

Looking for Sponsors for Surf City!

2006-08-31T11:38:00.000-07:00

Surf City will be back in 2006!

But we need your help to keep the series alive! If you are interested in sponsoring the country's longest running cyclocross series, please email us:

sabine@velobella.org

We are the only cyclocross series in this area to offer top racing, beginner incentives and free kid's races. But we need your help to pull the party off!

You'll get the undivided attention of loyal cross racers and fans, and the unashamed kisses from hundreds of thankful bellas. What could be better than that?

Here are a couple of prelim dates to tease you with:

October 15th, 2006 - Soquel High (tentative)

October 29, 2006 - Watsonville Fairgrounds

November, 12, 2006 - tba

We're still scouting out locations, so more on that when we know.

In the meantime, dream about cross, it will be here before you know it.

Our popular cyclocross clinics will be held at course locations on the Saturday before the first two events.

October 14th, 2006 - Soquel High (tentative)

October 28th, 2006 - Watsonville Fairgrounds

Surf City Cyclcross is a fundraiser for the Velo Bella Elite Cyclocross team. Thank you for your support of our team. In addition to cyclocross team funding, this year we are also donating $2/entry at each race to local charities and groups. Donees for each race are as follows:

October 15th, 2006 - Janel Lodge Medical Fund

October 29th, 2006 - Shared Adventures

November 12th, 2006 - Second Harvest Food Bank

Rockstar Simms Preparing to tear it up at Worlds

2006-08-22T23:07:00.000-07:00

Wendy Simms is representin' da Maple Leaf down in Rotorua, New Zealand in this coming Sunday's Mountain Bike World Championships. Read about her pro-star-living experience (aka training camp) and catch the latest in her live report from New Zealand!

Photo Credit: Bruce Hildenbrand

Give it up for Wendy Simms...
(& in the spirit of your funky bright blog font colors):

GO WENDY!

Bellas do Downieville

2006-08-07T15:27:00.000-07:00

A couple of weekends ago, several fearless Bellas tackled the endless climbs and killer descents of California gold country's most infamous race, the Downieville Classic. Click here to read about the pain, suffering and fun times.

What did you do this weekend?

2006-08-02T14:09:00.000-07:00

Karla won the 24 Hours of 9 Mile in Wisconsin

Monica broke her silver streak

Rene, Zoe, and Tina drove a bazillion miles to race and win the Montana State Championships

and the two Sues and Amy got compliments on their fluff

Read all this and more in our race reports

We met some chicks

2006-07-27T12:51:00.000-07:00

while we were in Vancouver.

Check them ouoot. We hope to share more about this team soon!

Special Thanks for BC Super Week and Kona

2006-07-25T12:02:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to send a special thanks to the people of Delta, White Rock, Vancouver, and Tsawwassen BC.

This past season Jamie Davidson and the folks of BC SuperWeek invited the Velo Bella-Kona team to attend the BC SuperWeek events and we were glad to have gone. Gastown was amazing, huge crowds so loud it was hard to here. You got to get there early to get the good spots! *read Jen Chapmans race report!

The support and crowds were some of the best in racing we have seen. The people in these areas were super gracious by letting us stay in their homes and supporting the huge community events. The gals went on a massive community ride with families where it ended in a fun BBQ and music.

The team and I would highly recommend this series of races to anyone who is interested in some tough but fun road races as the purses are pretty nice and the folks are some of the nicest we have met! Canadian cycling is alive an well, and should be looked at by anyone serious about racing that doesn't want to fly back East.

We also want to thank Kona bikes of Vancouver for the super BBQ, Matt hooked up a good one!

-Brent Chapman
Velo Bella - Kona Road Team

Bellas Survive NorCal Heat Wave

2006-07-24T11:15:00.000-07:00

Bellas raced in record high Northern California temperatures this weekend. Nobody melted. Tough cookies.

Denise, Angela, Sabine and Soni were out there racing in the sweltering heat. Monica was out there too, mentoring the juniors on how to race your bike in triple digit temperatures.

Read about it here and here and here and here.

MTB National Photos Added

2006-07-21T16:07:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the delay in getting these up.

But the Tour has been soooo distracting.

Pics of MTB Nationals in Sonoma have been added to the gallery here

Wendy goes to Gastown

2006-07-20T20:54:00.000-07:00

The VB-Kona road team is in BC for BC Superweek.

Wendy wanted to race, but dirt called. But the good little bella that she is, she wrote in a report with pics on the Canadian fun!

Story and pics here

MTB Nationals

2006-07-17T10:46:00.000-07:00

Just some pics to tease you with...

reports and more pics soon!

Monica earns silver at Nationals

2006-07-13T09:04:00.000-07:00

Monica stormed the tough, hilly, windy and wet time trial course and earned a silver medal yesterday at USA Cyling Masters National Championships at Seven Springs Pennsylvania. Other bellas competing in the time trial included Barb Grabowski and Liz Benishin.

Racing continues on Friday for the criterium and Sunday for the road race. The masters team will be joined by Lisa Samuelson and Diane Castor. More reports as we get them and I find a coffee shop to post them.

Full time trial results here

Bellas get super "toit" at Deer Valley

2006-07-12T19:11:00.000-07:00

Wendy writes in about the team's latest adventures at the Deer Valley NORBA.

What happens to a cross country team when the downhiller invades their world?

Wendy's report here!

Whats up for the Velo Bella -Kona Road team for July?

2006-07-11T14:35:00.000-07:00

Report from Bend Oregon.

This week starting Thursday the Bella gals will be racing the Cascade Classic stage race (the same one Lance used to springboard back after cancer!).

The weather is beautiful and the ladies are all excited about this race as this is one of the final races of the year for the team to travel to.
We will post more to the Velo Bella email aliases as the week progresses.

Right after Cascade is over we head straight to wonderful British Columbia Canada where the gals partake in the BC Superweek series. This is the first year for Velo Bella to attend so everyone is super excited as we hear that this race series is one of the best on the west coast. Be sure to check out the BC Superweek site!

First on the list is "Tour De White Rock" where the gals fresh off cascade will only be able to make the Criterium however flamingo flocker Sarah Kerlin might be sneaking up for an early bid at taking home some money on the Kona Queen Zing! Sarah might also be going to the newest edition to bcsuper week called "Giro di Burnaby". Looks like a blast! Go Sarah!

After that we head on over for "Tour De Gastown" the gals are worried about me having too much fun at this race because the smell coming from the back seat can be terrible when on the road! Just kidding. Gas Town is another Super Classic for the Canadian road scene that the ladies are bound to have a blast at.

Then we cruise over to "Tour De Delta".. man if you haven't had enough in 2 weeks straight of racing this is supposed to be the epic way to wrap it all up!
The gals will also be meeting up with another local group of ladies called the Dizzy Chicks for group ride and then a local event with the Mayor oh my!

Send out those Bella Beams to the chicas of the road.

-Brent
VB-Kona Road Team Manager

Kiersten's North Carolina Adventures

2006-07-07T22:08:00.000-07:00

Kiersten headed out to the North Carolina NORBA National in full flair style. Photos added here

More and more race reports

2006-07-06T10:34:00.000-07:00

Read about Tina's revenge, Lula's flipflops, and Angela's salsa in our just updated race reports.

And congratulations to Tina for coming back to a race and showing it who's boss with a win!

Lieselot Decroix 2006 Minnesota State Champ!

2006-06-28T21:24:00.000-07:00

While searching the web it was brought to my attention that our newest Velo Bella-Kona Elite team member Lieselot Decroix won the Minnesota State Road Race Championships.

Lieselot along with a handful of other Bellas represented and did great. Congrats Lieselot on your first big win in the USA! Congrats to the other Bellas Margot, Sheryl, and Laurel who rode great too! And to Paula and Sarah in the Cat 4 race.

Brief Results:
1 704 Lieselot Decroix Velo Bella State Champ
2 707 Ann Hansgate U of M
3 710 Anne Grabowski FCCC
4 709 Margot Herman Velo Bella

Full results can be found here.

Wacky Jackie Wins!

2006-06-28T12:26:00.000-07:00

Jackie Yamanaka wins the 24 Hours of Rapelje in Montana

and survives to tell about it!

Lieselot Decroix to finish out season with the NRC team

2006-06-15T12:36:00.000-07:00

Everyone keeps asking me who Lieselot Decroix is. Well if you live near Minneapolis or somewhere out in Belgium or event Hood River OR you just might would know who she is.

Lieselot is one of our Jr. Velo Bella’s (international too), just 19 years old living here as an exchange student from Belgium. Her name is pronounced pretty much like its spelled (lisa-lot). Tough one for promoters when they are calling her up for awards!

I had Lieselot on the radar for the team for a while, but wanted to make sure she was ready to race in the NRC circuit. Well, I contacted Sarah Stratton out in MN and asked her to keep an eye on Lieselot’s progression for me. She started the season off with a bang and took several top 3s and started racing in the masters’ men’s races to get ready for some NRC fun.

After Nicole had decided it was time to retire I contacted Sarah about Lieselot's progression and told me that she was ready for NRC. So I extended the offer to have her join us at Mt Hood to test her legs out. And test them she did. Lieselot took 7th place on Sunday's final grueling mountain stage and 12th overall in GC in her first NRC race!

We have extended our offer to her and she will be joining us at Cascade and BC Super Week to wrap up the season before heading back home to Belgium. Plans are for her to move out here to the Bay Area and spend some time racing in some local races in between the next few weeks. So keep your eye out for her and say hi.

I will keep you all updated on how it goes for her!

More photos of Lieselot at MT Hood

Cheers,
Brent Chapman
VB-KONA Road Team Manager

Velo Bella Mudderflies

2006-06-13T22:05:00.000-07:00

bellas...

bikes.....

mud........

wings.

We don't need to say more, but Miss Mary did anyway. And pictures too.

Bellas in the Hood

2006-06-05T12:20:00.000-07:00

Is there a Hood in Oregon?

I think there is.

Photos (photos by Brent)

Results

Kele's report

Its Happening in Kern County

2006-05-25T11:31:00.000-07:00

About a half dozen bellas made the trip to Bakersfield, CA for the 10th annual Kern County Women's Stage Race.

Lots of trials and tribulations and teetotaling (whatever that is)

Ryan won a stage
Liz won the overall
Linda won our hearts (and the award for doing this 10 years in a row!!!)

and our support crew treated us like the princesses we are.

If you missed out on the fun, you can check out the pics here

Bittersweet Belgian Chocolate for Wendy

2006-05-22T12:38:00.000-07:00

Wendy Simms rode to her best ever finish in a World Cup event this past weekend!! Fresh off the presses race report here

photo by Rob Jones of Canadiancyclist.com

Rolling in Fayetteville

2006-05-19T13:06:00.000-07:00

Hiroko feeling good at Fayetteville! Brent's report here

Jen Chapmans post will be going up in Race reports soon.

GIla Monsters and Wildflowers

2006-05-09T21:34:00.000-07:00

Racing all over the place this weekend.
Gila, Wildflower, Fontucky, Sacramento, Minnesota, and Cool.

Be sure to read some of the hot of the presses race reports:

Wendy Simms Gets Shot at in Fontucky

Brent's Gila reports here and here

Jen's Gila report

Kele's got stuff on Heela here and here

Tim got Fontanafotos

and Brent's got Gilapics

and be sure to be enthralled with all of our results

Race Reports Rollin IN

2006-04-24T21:12:00.000-07:00

Catch up on your bella racing news..its only Monday and we already have 4 race reports ready to go from this past weekend's action.

Numero Uno

2006-04-20T19:57:00.000-07:00

And this just in from the IronDad in Texas...

So far this year Kiersten Inserni has won every event she has entered, and along with being crowned, for her age group, the Texas Cyclocross State Champion, the Texas Mountain Bike State Champion and (again) achieving a #1 national ranking by NORBA, she can now add the impressive achievement of being the #1 ranked Duathlete (run/bike/run) in the South Midwest Region by USA Triathlon to her impressive palmares! Even more impressive is that according to USA Triathlon she is also the #1 ranked duathlete in the nation, but since the national rankings won’t be released until July 1st it’s unofficial until then.

Keep on rockin' it Kiersten!

Surf City CX Series, yeah mon!

2006-04-19T08:59:00.000-07:00

Surf City will be back in 2006!

Here are a couple of prelim dates to tease you with:

October 15th, 2006 - Soquel High (tentative)

October 29, 2006 - Watsonville Fairgrounds

November, 12, 2006 - tba

We're still scouting out locations, so more on that when we know.

In the meantime, dream about cross, it will be here before you know it.

Our popular cyclocross clinics will be held at course locations on the Saturday before the first two events.

October 14th, 2006 - Soquel High (tentative)

October 28th, 2006 - Watsonville Fairgrounds

October 15th, 2006 - Janel Lodge Medical Fund

October 29th, 2006 - Shared Adventures

November 12th, 2006 - Second Harvest Food Bank

Velo Bellas little future

2006-04-17T14:12:00.000-07:00

Katya Baty - Velo Bellas newest Jr. rider (age 7 cat)
2nd place Redlands Crit

This year while the road ladies were racing Redlands Classic we were lucky to meet the Baty family, Jonathan, Michelle, and Katya. Kristin Danielson and myself stayed in their home and found that their 7 year old daughter is a cycling phenom!

Katya rides to school with her mom and dad most every day of the week. The Baty's are avid cyclists and supporters of bikes as year round commuter vehicles.

This year she raced her first time at the Redlands classic crit as a new Velo Bella on a single speed and took 2nd place narrowly losing to another local racer on a geared bike. Katya plans on training all year in prep for next year where she can race in the 8 year old category and take the win this time.

Welcome to the team Katya and good luck!

-Brent
VB-Kona Road Team Manager

Otter Mischief

2006-04-14T10:17:00.000-07:00

Yea...so it rained a little at the otter this year.

As if that was going to stop us any

Congrats to all who raced (regardless of whether you are listed in the results or not)
and bella kisses to all who helped out

Photos of the otter here

Soni's report
Monica's report
Wendy's report

Kristin in ProCycling

2006-04-13T18:09:00.000-07:00

Introducing the Texas State Champion

2006-04-13T17:45:00.000-07:00

Kiersten Inserni has clinched the Texas State Mountain Bike Championship for Women 11-12 by winning every race she's entered so far this season. More importantly, both she and her brother have been spotted wearing great flair...helmet flair, arm flair and look closely - she is rocking the Big Cheese bar grips. Suh-weet.

Congratulations Kiersten!

A big shout-out to her brother as well who has been spotted wearing rockin' helmet flair on their dad's blog. That's cool! He's also an amazing mountain bike racer. Check it out:

Saddle Up

2006-04-04T15:41:00.000-07:00

Selle San Marco ad appearing in Cycle Sport, Triathlete, and The Ride.

Sea Otter Roll Call

2006-03-31T11:47:00.000-08:00

The bella huntin will be good at Sea Otter.

We've got about 50 entrants in the event.

Long list of bellaotters here

Race O Rama

2006-03-30T10:40:00.000-08:00

Just checked the results from last weekend. Seems we had bellas competing in everything from Crits, to Stage races, to MTB Marathons. Only thing missing was a little gravity action.

And where's a cross race when you need one?

Naked no more!

2006-03-24T09:07:00.000-08:00

Our 2006 Clothing is now available at Team Estrogen

The Zamoran Wind

2006-03-22T11:38:00.000-08:00

A few bellas headed out to the Zamora Road Race and lived to tell about it.

Bunny's weekend introspection
Lula's Land of Cold and Crazy Wind

Meet Wendy Simms of the Pro MTB Team

2006-03-20T17:17:00.000-08:00

Dirt Bella, Wendy Simms, writes in.

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

2006-03-20T10:53:00.000-08:00

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.

Read the rest of the story here

Glamour Shots By Deb

2006-03-17T10:08:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the generous support of GA Communications, we got more than Glamour Shots by Deb. Which is nice, because we can't even afford Deb.

So to Chad and the rest of the great crew at GA Communications ...thanks! We're excited to see what the final product will be like. Also can't forget to thank the Safeway/GA Communications Cycling Team for letting us take advantage of them like that. Such nice boys.

The Velo Bella-Kona Pro MTB Team is coming to a race near you!

2006-03-14T12:13:00.000-08:00

Friends of the Bella Nation! Your Velo Bella – Kona Pro Mountain Bike Team is on the hunt for host housing at a race near you!

Members of the pro MTB team will be at each of the NORBA National events, as well as the US Nationals at Mammoth, and the only way we can provide that kind of representation with the resources we have is to rely on host housing wherever we can.

If you, or anyone you know at or nearby any of the following places on these dates can host the Team (or parts of it), please contact me as soon as you can at alex@velobella.org. If you have never hosted talented female professional (hungry) athletes before, the joy can only be expressed and experienced fully in person… A profound effect on your daughters, pets and family for sure...

Sea Otter Classic Monterey, CA 6-9 April -- Taken Care of! Thanks!
NORBA 1 - Southridge Park Fontana, CA 5-7 May
NORBA 2 - Suger Mountain Banner Elk, NC 10-11 June
NORBA 3 - Mt Snow Mt Snow, VT 17-18 June
NORBA 4 - Deer Valley Park City, UT 8-9 July
NORBA 5 - Infineon Sonoma, CA 15-16 July
US MTB Nationals Mammoth, CA 20-23 July
NORBA 6 - Brianhead Brianhead, UT 5-6 August
NORBA 7 - Snowmass Aspen, CO 12-13 August

Thanks again to Sue, Chris, Steve, Mike, Tim, Laura and the rest of you for taking care of our Sea Otter stay!

Have fun!

ab

Where we be at the Sea

2006-03-13T10:47:00.000-08:00

Otter.

Come and visit us over in booth 749 for some bubbles, groovin, and hoola hoops. Oh and some bike racing too.

Dear Diary

2006-03-13T08:36:00.000-08:00

Kristin's got something to say on cyclingnews

Early Season NRC

2006-03-12T08:09:00.000-08:00

The NRC season has begun with the long swing through California.

Kele's been babbling about them.

Check out her report on the McClane Pacific
and her reports from the fields of the Central Valley Classic

And one time, when I was at Velo Bella - Kona Pro MTB Camp...

2006-03-06T15:29:00.000-08:00

Camp was on this weekend for the all new Velo Bella-Kona MTB team. Clickyclicky here to read Alex's report from camp.

Training Camp Photos
Bella Photo Shoot Fun

Update on Jen Chapman

2006-03-06T12:30:00.000-08:00

We had a couple crashes this weekend at Mclane Pacific races as was predicted in early races.
Jen Chapman was taken away to the hospital after being in a pretty bad pile up on Sundays road race. Good news is that the X-rays are all good and shes just a little banged up with a chipped elbow. She says she will be back in a couple of weeks and says thanks for the nice thoughts and phone calls!

Latest will be updated soon with more info on the weekends events!

Brent Chapman
VB Road Team Manager

Weekend Wrap Up 26-27

2006-03-01T16:28:00.000-08:00

The Tiny Texan led the charge this weekend as she completed her first duathlon AND her first road race. And won. Check out proud poppa's story here.

Bellas showed up for the Central Coast MTB #2 in all categories. Kathleen Bortloussi is in a tight battle in the Pro/Expert women category as she finishes in 2nd this week. New bella, Ryan Hostetter, completed her first expert race. LAURA did a mountain bike race and didn't even tell me and now she's in trouble. And Katy Kintz came back for her 3rd race, so I think that makes her a racer girl now.

Roadie girls headed back down to the Central Valley for the sunny happy Senlling race and the icky rainy Merced Crit. Kelekelebobella rode smooth in the rain for a 3rd place finish in the crit. It was a great warm up for next weekend's NRC opener, McClane. Big news is that the Cat 4 women's field sold out and a second field was added. Numbers were high for all women's categories. Women's racing in NorCal is so hot right now. Check out Kele's report on the road race and the crit and JJ's enchilada revenge.

Of course, the coolest news of the weekend was that some of the Kona team bikes have arrived and they are swank.

RESULTS
RACE PICS

Kristin's Kona King (queen) Zing

2006-02-21T10:59:00.000-08:00

2006 Velo Bella -Kona pro MTB and road racer Kristin Danielson, had the pleasure of getting her hands on a Kona King Zing full carbon steed earlier this year and spent many hours turning over the sweet pedals. Recently she stayed in the Santa Cruz area with her husband Tom Danielson while he prepped for the Tour of California. Alex Burgess (mtb team manager) and I (Brent road team manager) got to spend some time riding with Kristin on her sweet riding Kona and we watched in amazement at how comfortable and effortless it looked climbing on that bike. I asked her to let us in on her King Zing for all of you who are tempted to order one up for yourself.
*(The King Zing Kristin got is the mint green shade presented on the Kona site. Pictures of the special Velo Bella paint job available from Kona will be posted some time next week!)

"Since riding my new Kona King Zing I have decided this is going to be a keeper for a long time. Not only do I feel extremely comfortable on the bike, I like how well it handles. When I am climbing, I notice myself standing more without having my quadriceps screaming at me to sit back down on the saddle. The all carbon bike is obviously very light weight and great for those long climbs. I have never been the best at descending but since I have been riding on my new Kona I feel very confident and balanced. I find the snappy ten speed gearing to be right on when I am searching for the right gear for the terrain. Of course since I am female color matters; and this bike has a beautiful teal shade that, personally, I love. Needless to say I have enjoyed riding my new Kona and look forward to putting more miles on it around the globe."

Krisitin Danielson
Velo Bella-Kona pro mtb racer

They're racing in Texas too!

2006-02-15T22:35:00.000-08:00

As she has for each of the last three years, two-time mountain bike national champion Kiersten Inserni opens her mountain bike season with a victory and a number one national ranking in her age group by USA Cycling.

Weekend Wrap Up Feb 11-12

2006-02-15T09:00:00.000-08:00

The racing action has begun. At least in California. What else are you going to do when its 75 degrees in February?

Kudo kisses go to little Katy Kintz for doing one of her first mountain bike races. Read about her CCCX adventures, and Kathleen's, in our Race Reports. Lots of mtb bellas showed up for this one!

And in the southern half, gravity bellas Judi and Virgina swept the downhill podium at Southridge.

And on the road, Sabine and Jessie went round and round in circles in search of pie. But there's no report on that because that would be boring. All I can say is that Jessie is like some kind of Napa rock star.

RESULTS

Track Riding 101

2006-02-09T17:14:00.000-08:00

Clickie click here and here to read new Bella, Kele's, reports on her Trackie Track Camp in LA.

Can you smell the start of the season?

2006-02-07T07:00:00.000-08:00

Its in the air...

We already have one of our first road race reports, written by new bella racer, Raja Lahti.

And we just held our sort of annual Velo Bella road clinic.

VELO BELLA – KONA ANNOUNCES 2006 ALL FEMALE PRO MTB TEAM

2006-02-03T08:59:00.000-08:00

The women of team Velo Bella – Kona stand poised to spread glitter and flair across the US and Canadian professional MTB seasons with a brand new professional women’s team made up of international talent from both inside and outside the Velo Bella organization. Although new to the party, as usual, we expect to turn a few heads.

Known in the MTB world for years as a widespread wacky women’s cycling club with a few professional MTB racers here and there, Velo Bella has partnered with Kona Bicycles USA to provide one of the most fun, compelling and competitive professional women’s MTB teams in the country focusing on Cross Country events at the NORBA series, the US and Canadian National Championships, and perhaps even supporting an athlete or two at the World MTB Championships in New Zealand later this year.

Canadian sensation Wendy Simms will captain the 4 member team and after years of racing on her own, Wendy chose to join the pink conga line because of the Velo Bella’s focus on fun, their relationship with Kona Bicycles and the ability to race in a supportive family and female-oriented environment. Kristin Danielson makes her return to the US MTB scene with Velo Bella – Kona and looks forward to showing what Durango and a little road racing can do for one’s off-road form.

In between giving birth to a gorgeous little Velo Fella and preparing for the upcoming racing season, Shannon Holden ran a marathon in Seattle to celebrate her son’s three month birthday… Yeah, we’ll just say she is hyper organized and leave it at that. Noel Weddle completes the team, adding her climbing talents and electrifying enthusiasm to the group. Living at altitude, Noel lives with a continuous case of oxygen deprivation explaining her eagerly looking forward to the more vertical races in the NORBA series…

The Velo Bella – Kona core will be augmented at certain races by professional Velo Bella – Kona riders from around the country including Sami Fournier (Washington, DC), Allie Rau (Detroit, MI), Jennifer Tilley (Lawrence, KS) and Erin Duggan (Apton, CT).

The entire team is brand new to one another and will meet for the first time at their camp in and around Auburn, CA from March 1st to 5th. In addition to the pro athletes, Team Management has asked key Velo Bella development riders to attend the camp as well.

The team will race on custom designed blue, pink and black Kona Kula Lisa and Queen Kikapu bikes featuring the always reliable Chris King headsets; Easton stems, seat posts, handle bars, and wheels; Fox forks and shocks; SRAM drive train; Selle San Marco Glamour saddles; Crank Brothers pedals; Truvativ cranks; Avid brakes and Schwalbe tires taking care of the girls as they roll down the trail.

Patagonia and Hincapie Sportswear will wrap our girls in racing kit and casual athletic wear, with Zeal Optics providing protection for their eyes and SIDI shoes covering their painted toes. Team apparel can be purchased at Team Estrogen.

Velo Bella’s contagious spirit and unique approach to women’s competitive cycling have created a following across the United States and around the world. The Bellas encourage women to cycle, no matter what their level. The distinctive Velo Bella kit can be found on recreational riders, elite level racers, and all those in between.

In addition to national and international racing, the Pro MTB Team will be joined by hundreds of amateur racers who will compete in local MTB races throughout California, Minnesota, Michigan, the Mid Atlantic, North Carolina, Tennessee, Connecticut, Georgia and other events across the United States.

The Velo Bella Pro Mountain Bike Team members are:

Wendy Simms (Nanaimo, British Columbia)
Kristin Danielson (Durango, CO)
Shannon Holden (Spokane, WA)
Noel Weddle (Grand Junction, CO)

Let The Season Begin

2006-01-31T21:24:00.000-08:00

We're ready

Speaking of Rock Lobster

2006-01-24T10:36:00.000-08:00

Barbarella's CX machine is currently being featured in Cyclingnews

Check out the write up to get the skinny on how Barb runs it.

VELO BELLA BUSTS IT “PEANUT” STYLE IN EUROPE!

2006-01-19T21:03:00.000-08:00

As of yet un-built custom Rock Lobster up for auction!

The Velo Bella – Kona’s own, Christine “Peanut” Vardaros, has been selected to join Barbarella and their US National Cyclocross teammates at the romp across the pond in Zeddam,Netherlands on January 29, 2006.

Who knew an email from Europe could have Velo Bellas across the world dancing the “Tiki?”An opportunity to train on the roads she will be racing this spring during the Spring Classics and World Cups isn’t bad either! Peanut is the latest American rider living the dream and heading to race professionally in Europe! While currently racing for the Velo Bellas through the end of Cyclocross season, she’ll be Bustin’ the Bella Beat in Belgium for Lotto-Belisol later this spring!

After a solid 2005 season, but less than fulfilling US Nationals campaign in Providence, RI, Christine returned home to sell all but her last possessions for a ticket to Europe where she could groove with the world’s grooviest and showcase the talent her Velo Bella friends and fans have seen all year. Groove she has, with a podium appearance at the Surhuisterveen UCI in Friesland, Netherlands January 4 and a fourth place showing New Years Day at the G.P. Hotel Threeland UCI in Pétange, Luxembourg.

All that dancing can make a girl tired, but when the US National Team sends a calling card what else can she do but say, “YES!”. A few celebratory vegan waffles, and organic Belgian beers, later with host and friend, Jan Goeman, and Christine remembered she has to pay to play for US at the World Championships! “Uh, check made of recycled paper please…?”

Not to fear, another “Tiki” around the bike later, and a fantasmic California Bella stepped forward donating a custom as of yet un-built custom RockLobster with all proceeds going to support Christine’s World Championship campaign!

Anyone in the world can participate; road, cross, mountain, geared or singlespeed, whatever you want built to your specifications by Paul Sadoff, one ofthe great American custom bike builders; and you’ll be doing a good deed by helping a young talent compete in the biggest race of her life.

More details can be found at our benefit eBay auction.

Barbarella Shags Podium in Belgium

2006-01-13T14:54:00.000-08:00

Fresh off the plane, Barb rode to a supa-fine 3rd place finish at the (pronounce this out loud with me folks) Scheldecross UCI cyclocross race, in Antwerpen, Belgium.

First hand story of the action in Barb's diary
Photos of the fun
Cyclingnews Results