Battenkill is known as America’s Queen of the Classics, for is rough, unpaved sectors, much like France’s Paris-Roubaix.  The race, ranked also as a UCI 1.2 event on the America Tour Calendar, never has consistent weather and always boasts a dramatic race of attrition to select its victor.  Boasting eight (8) sectors of unpaved, tire shredding roads per lap and covering a total distance of 124 miles, KPC will have their work cut out for them on multiple fronts.  Not only are we in attendance to win, but also enter as the NRC leaders in the individual and team categories.  Click here to visit the course map.

One of the smoother unpaved sections known as Juniper Swamp.

Phil Gaimon, now in the ‘hot seat’ as NRC leader, will be at the start line and has raced several editions of the event in the past.  The race includes many elevation changes and punchy inclines, well suited to his talents and the team’s strengths.  KPC will be up against several European and upper-division teams that have also been attracted to the classic race style, usually reserved for the Flanders region of Europe.  A list of the teams in attendance can be found by clicking here.

Making his pro debut in a UCI event in our colors is the 2011 elite US National Road Race Champion, Max Korus, who has singled this event as his number one spring target.  Keep an eye on this young and versatile strong-man to make a huge impact for the team on race day.  Sadly missing from the start for KPC will be Bobby Sweeting, who in still recovering from the head injury he received at San Dimas Stage Race in March.

Kenda Tire has also become an official sponsor of the race, and rightly so.  In the last edition, our team had the fewest flats (only two) of any team, proving the Kenda Volare 25c the most versatile and dependable tubular for competition.  Click here to see the official press release for Kenda’s partnership with the event.

The KPC 2012 Tour of the Battenkill roster will include Jim Stemper, John Murphy, Luca Damiani, Max Korus, Phil Gaimon and Shawn Milne.

Gaimon stormed the prologue uphill time trial for a win, just as he had the week before at the San Dimas Stage Race.  While he conceded his yellow jersey to teammate Andy Jacques-Maynes on day two of that event, Gaimon would never relinquish the yellow for even one second over the four days of the Redlands event.  The task would not prove easy though, as all of the country’s best came to compete for the coveted NRC points.  Day after day, the “red train” of KPC would dominate the front and quash very move made, be it major contenders or simple escapees.

Gaimon rolls to victory in the prologue. Photo Deborah Tracey.

“We could not risk any leak in our lock-down.” stated team co-captain, Shawn Milne, “Phil only had a three second lead after day one, which is defensible with a rider like Phil, but way too narrow for comfort.”

Milne’s sentiment rang true with the flawless efforts of his eight-man army marching to his orders and executing each plan to perfection.  The team controlled the day two road race allowing no break-aways to stick, and forcing a field sprint.  On day three, the Kenda men again took to the front from the gun and strung the field out without allowing any contenders to escape for seventy-three minutes of the ninety minute criterium.  The pace was so high, that many were wondering if any team had the grit to come around the “red train” before the conclusion.  But the plan was to allow for the field sprint and relinquish the final laps to Bissell Cycling, which is exactly what happened.

KPC’s “red train” was a familiar sight all week.  Photo Deborah Tracey.

The final day of Redlands Bicycle Classic is touted as one of the most treacherous courses in the US, the Sunset Loop Road Race.  With massive elevation gains every lap, and cold, wet and windy conditions, only forty of the one-hundred-ninety starters would make it to the finish on the two wheels they started on.  Competitive Cyclist’s Paco Mancebo (once third overall at the Tour de France, and last year’s Redlands winner) launched attack after attack, trying to shake the men in red and lose Gaimon.  In the closing miles, Gaimon clawed his way back to Mancebo after the last of his teammates’ matches were burned.  Gaimon, Mancebo, Bissell’s Paddy Bevin and amateur, Evan Huffman were all that were left for the stage win.  Bevin of Bissell grabbed his third consecutive stage win and nearly unseated Gaimon from the yellow.  But, in the end, Gaimon remained in yellow and won the stage race by a scant two seconds over the hard charging Bevin.

“This is my first NRC win, both stage and general classification.  While it has not totally sunk in yet, I have already shed tears and hugged all of my teammates.  To be clear, I did not win this, we won this.  There is no way I could have done this without them or our sponsors and staff.  No way.” proclaimed Phil of the victory.

Redlands Bicycle Classic final podium. Gaimon, Bevin, Mancebo.

Frankie was elated for the team and said, “This is huge.  Huge for Phil, huge for the team, and huge for both Kenda and 5-Hour Energy.  I think we proved during the last four events that we are among the best.  We are proud and hope we can continue in this winning way for our sponsors in the coming weeks.”

As stated previously, the Redlands Bicycle Classic win follows an undefeated and fairytale string of victories, going four for four thus far on our team’s official event list.  Gaimon sits in first on the NRC points charts ahead of Paddy Bevin (Bissell), and the team sits in first as well, also ahead of Bevin’s Bissell team.

USA Cycling NRC Individual Men (Top 5):

1. Phil Gaimon (Kenda/5-Hour Energy Pro Cycling p/b Geargrinder)
2. Paddy Bevin (Bissell Pro Cycling)
3. Alexander Candelario (Team Optum – Kelly Benefit Strategies)
4. Francisco Mancebo (Competitive Cyclist Racing Team)
5. Evan Huffman (California Giant Berry Farms – Specialized)

USA Cycling NRC Men’s Team (Top 5):

1. Kenda/5-Hour Energy Pro Cycling p/b Geargrinder
2. Bissell Pro Cycling
3. Team Optum – Kelly Benefit Strategies
4. California Giant Berry Farms – Specialized
5. Competitive Cyclist Racing Team

The team’s next appearance will be at at the USA Cycling National Criterium Calendar (NCC) opener in Tampa, FL, at the Cigar City Brewing Twilight Criterium this coming Sunday. The team will be on the start line after winning the USA Crits Old Pueblo Criterium (Isaac Howe) in much of the same fashion as we have won the other races.  Following Cigar City, the team heads off to the UCI and NRC ranked Tour of the Battenkill on April 15, where Gaimon and the red army aim to keep the NRC points lead.

Be sure to follow us on twitter and facebook to be in all of the action, real-time, as well as coming back to our team web-site for race reports and results.

Dr. Brayley stated “We know how important Bobby is to the team, and did not know the extent of his injuries initially.  His headaches were very minor and extremely short in duration and diminishing.  So, we took a wait and see approach.  We focused more on his shoulder dislocation from the same SDSR Stage 2 crash.  After some harder efforts on the bike yesterday, his symptoms did worsen and we had to side on behalf of caution for Bobby.”

“I am bummed.” said Bobby of the late exclusion and the incident creating the issue.  ”I am, or was on track for a good showing at Redlands and did not want to let the team down.  But, the team is so united and Jim is so strong, so they will be fine without me.  I am going to follow the Doctor’s orders and recover as quickly as able.  But, no one wants to watch from the sidelines.”

While not the avid time trialist that Bobby is, Stemper is no stranger to high ITT results and hard efforts.  Jim has placed highly in many important races against the clock in 2011, and put on a forty minute solo display last week at the USA Crits Old Pueblo Criterium last week, nearly winning the event.  Despite being caught by his own teammates with less than a full lap remaining, his efforts were the perfect set up for the team’s victory and a ticket into the USA Crits Laps Leader jersey.  Jim also had the same fate in 2011 at Redlands, nearly winning the penultimate stage with a breakaway attempt that was captured with less than eight hundred meters remaining.  The 2010 Tour of America’s Dairyland overall winner will have all of the necessary horsepower needed to support the team’s GC threats Phil Gaimon, Nathan English and Andy Jacques-Maynes in any capacity.

Get well very soon, Bobby, and good luck this week, Jim.

We have only raced SDSR once before, and that was last year.  We returned to the San Dimas, California event as defending champions, having delivered the victory for Kenda with Ben Day, who has now moved to the Pro-Conti team, United Healthcare presented by Maxxis.  His GC void was filled, and then some, with Andy Jacques-Maynes, Nathan English and Paul Mach, bringing our GC threat number to six, instead of three.  Our ever-rising GC talent, Phil Gaimon, did not disappoint, storming up the stage 1 hill climb TT to victory by a large margin, securing the race lead and yellow jersey for the team yet again.  The team was off to a perfect 2012 campaign start, despite not being invited to the USA’s crown jewel, the Amgen Tour of California.  ”This was seven years in the making for me.” claimed Phil Gaimon of his performance.  ”I have been here so many times on different teams, and could never get to that top step.  I am so happy with this right now and so happy for my team and Kenda Tire USA.”

Stage 2 would present drama, mishaps and both good and bad luck for KPC.  With torrential down pore, hail and thirty-five degree weather, the race blew apart and only forty of the one hundred twenty starters would make it to the finish line.  Attrition was not the only problem for teams, as crashes marred the course from beginning to end.  The first of such events removed Bobby Sweeting with a dislocated shoulder and Chad Hartley with bicycle damage, though he attempted to finish within the time-cut parameters before getting close to hypothermia.  The next victims would be our top two GC contenders, Nathan English and Phil Gaimon.  ”It could not have come at a worse time for either of us.” said Gaimon, “A break was forming and both of our GC guys were gapped beyond reasonable repair.  That’s bike racing I guess.  Thank God we had Andy today!”  While the team rallied to get either or both of the GC men back to the front group, gaining KOM points for Gaimon in the process, the gap became insurmountable with a group of eight riders gaining time quickly.  Andy Jacques-Maynes was sitting quietly in this group until Frankie gave the green light to go for yellow due to the incident behind.  ”I had great form, and was excited to be able to come through for the team.  I thought I could get it done, despite being thirteenth in the TT.  The break had great talent, including my twin brother, Ben, which made the day that much better for me.” stated Andy.  The full panic mode saw an amazing chase by Gaimon and company, ultimately earning the KOM jersey (that Gaimon would keep).  Andy, also contended the time bonus sprints along the way to help Gaimon, and ultimately himself, too.  The time bonuses and the second place finish (Jacques-Maynes) on the stage would take Gaimon out of yellow, only to trade it to his teammate (Jacques-Maynes), who would hold on to the lead by a mere two seconds over Schmalz of Elbowz Racing.  AJM also captured the green points leader jersey in the process and would move to stage 3 as the owner of both.

The stage 3 finale would be a criterium showdown between Elbowz, Team Exergy and KPC.  The previous day, Morgan Schmidt of Exergy was crowned the new race leader by a scant second, until the referees imposed a twenty second time penalty for drafting.  As a result, Schmidt moved down the GC charts, and Jacques-Maynes and Elbowz‘s Schmalz moved into first and second, respectively.  Schmidt made an immediate attempt to separate himself and gain valuable time, and was joined by seven others, leaving both Elbowz and KPC unrepresented in the breakaway.  ”We kept it at exactly twenty seconds for ninety percent of the race.” said John Murphy.  ”We knew the team could close the gap, and with assistance in the closing laps from Mancebo (Competitive Cyclist) and Elbowz, we shut it down on the final lap to set Andy up for the sprint!.”  It worked.  Andy placed sixth on the stage and ahead of Schmalz, sealing the victory for the team by a thin five seconds.  The awards ceremony was vindication for the team as we collected all of the jerseys we were eligible for (Yellow, Green and Polka-dot).  Frankie Andreu stated “Its great for the guys to prove to fans, sponsors and more importantly, themselves how good they really are.  The ToC invitation hurt them deeply and they want blood.  Heck, blood is what they got, winning all of the jerseys, the USA Crits race in Arizona and the Shamrock Criterium in Norfolk, VA!  We are batting a thousand this week!”

As mentioned above, two other victories were sealed for Kenda/5-Hour Energy Pro Cycling presented by Geargrinder on St. Patricks day.  In an absolute text book display, the KPC gang took on the Athlete Octane Old Pueblo Criterium in Tucson, AZ.  While it was the second stop for the USA Crits Championship Series, it was the first the team attended due to the timing of the team’s pre-season training camp.  At the half way point of the event, Jim Stemper snagged the mid-race prime and never slowed down, remaining away in a solo effort for over forty minutes.  ”Thompson (Chad) called me earlier in the day and said ‘Hey, go for the laps leader today.  Win if you can, but I think you are a perfect fit for that jersey. You don’t have to, but it would be nice.’  Well, no pressure there I thought” joked Jim of the plan and the phone call.  ”I looked back after the prime and said what the heck, I will go for it.  I put myself through torture to stay away.  It would have been awesome to win it, but the team did exactly the right thing and exactly what we had planned.  Isaac killed the sprint.  We are so happy as a team.”

That sentiment resonated with everyone, even our competitors who tried in earnest to stop the red machine.  The team would stay on or near the front for the entire solo clinic Stemper had put on display.  With several futile attempts to close the gap from Team Mountain Khakis, Wonderful Pistachios and Optum Health presented by Kelly Benefit and Strategies, the gap looked like it would stick.  But, with five laps remaining, Stemper was in sight of the field and Howe directed the troops to sacrifice Jim for the win.  ”We wanted him to win so badly.  He earned it.” claimed Howe, the team’s ace sprinter and 2010 USA Crits Champion.  ”But. it was getting too close and there was no way we were going to let this slip through our fingers.  TMK is too strong and the best crit team at our level.  Throw in all the other contenders and we had to take over and work for the field sprint, which I was hungry for!”  The red train took to the front with fervor and swallowed Jim with a mere half of a lap remaining and Luca Damiani lead-out Howe to perfection, who capped of the win by two bike lengths.  Howe’s victory interview included the following, “I won the whole series in 201o, but never won a single USA Crits race.  Man, this feels awesome.  I can only thank Kenda, 5-Hour Energy, Masi and all of our sponsors for this happening.  More importantly, I have the best team on earth.  Thanks guys.”

The weekend was topped by another victory at a regional event in Norfolk, VA, where our newest Neo-Pro and design man, Curtis Winsor, blasted to another “W” for the team at the Shamrock Criterium.  Chad Thompson, the teams GM, was elated with the team and said “It was the most exciting, stressful and happy weekend in team history.  The team deserves the redemption and recognition they are getting.  I told the guys we do not recognize anything else but success.  Strive for more.  They listened.  I do not think they are anywhere close to done yet, either.”

With plenty of bike building, hardcore training, meetings and team bonding, the team also had a seminar held by pertinent sponsors during each weeknight.  These seminars included social media training by professors of the University of Arizona and team member, Phil Gaimon, which was the highlight for many at camp.  Speedplay, Masi Bicycles, Vincero Design, CarboRocket, Carmichael Training Systems of Tucson, Yelo Velo and 5-Hour Energy all spent time with the team to insure all products were used appropriately, inform riders on each product offered and answer any critical questions riders and staff members had.  Our resident physician also spent time explaining “Impact” testing for concussions and general intake for professional athletes.  Enjoy the camp gallery below (all photos credit Veronika Lenzi and Chad Thompson)!

Not all news was good news for the team this month though.  The team received bad news in March with the exclusion of its team from the 2012 edition of the Amgen Tour of California, a race the team had built itself around for 2012.  The team, sponsors and fans are all perplexed by the lack of invitation to our team, that has only participated once, despite Kenda being one of their official sponsors and building of one of America’s strongest domestic stage race teams.  ”Having six members reside in California and PorTour talent recruited seemed to be all we needed to secure a spot.” said Chad Thompson, the team’s founder and GM.  ”Even with Kenda sponsoring them for years and our major step forward from 2011, we were not even considered it seems.  But, we have to respect their decision and move our focus to the NRC and NCC calendars and hope they take notice for the Tour of Utah.”

Nonetheless, the team has racked up ‎14 victories, 4 days in Leader’s Jerseys, 1 GC win and 25 podium appearances so far in 2012 for the program and its sponsors.  ”This is a strong sign of things to come.” said Frankie Andreu, team Director.  ”This is our strongest team yet, and we keep getting stronger.  The media will have to notice, and our sponsors will be proud.”

Be sure to follow your favorite racer and the team on facebook and twitter, as well as checking back here on a regular basis for team news and results.

2012 San Dimas Stage Race Roster:

Andy Jacques-Maynes
Bobby Sweeting
Chad Hartley
John Murphy
Nathan English
Phil Gaimon
Roman Kilun
Shawn Milne

]]> http://www.kendaprocycling.com/news/kenda-in-the-news/2012/01/2014/feed 2 http://www.kendaprocycling.com/news/race-reports/2012/01/a-closer-look-at-the-next-kpc-generation http://www.kendaprocycling.com/news/race-reports/2012/01/a-closer-look-at-the-next-kpc-generation#comments Mon, 02 Jan 2012 18:54:54 +0000 Inferno Racing http://www.kendaprocycling.com/?p=1927 [Continue Reading]]]> The team continues it march toward its desired Pro-Continental status with a new class of recruits coming aboard to join returning veterans, creating the next generation for the Kenda/5-Hour Energy Pro Cycling presented by Geargrinder program.  While losing GC leader Ben Day to United Healthcare in the off-season, the team gained more than it could have imagined in speed, GC talent and experience, resulting in its deepest and most talented roster ever.  Here is a closer look at the entire cast:

 Andy Jacques-Maynes (33, USA) is no stranger to the U.S. Peloton, or any of its major events.  Andy and his twin brother (Ben Jacques-  Maynes  of  Bissell)  are touted as two of the best GC men the U.S. has to offer.  In fact, team GM, Chad Thompson stated that he thinks the biggest  untapped  story of  2012 will be the twin brothers facing off at U.S. events for the first time in many years.  Andy’s departure from Bissell brings  more  excitement to the peloton with his versatile and aggressive racing style. “Andy is crazy strong.”, says Frankie Andreu.  ”It will be fun to use  his  talents to shake up the field on a regular basis.”  Hailing from Berkley, CA and now residing in Santa Cruz, CA, Jacques-Maynes comes to the  team  as a captain and  veteran of major racing.  This should bode well for the team that has generated a totally new type of roster for 2012 and  beyond.  With 42 wins and  counting, AJM has 3 national championships under his belt and is considered one of the most aggressive available. His favorite race?  Andy says, “Without question, the Amgen Tour of California is where any credible rider or team needs to be.  I aim to be there with this team in 2012!” Jacques-Maynes sites Andreu as his draw to the team and a need for change in his team dynamic and racing style.  AJM will don his new team colors with his team for the program’s first stage race defense of the year at San Dimas Stage Race in March.

 Bobby Sweeting (24, USA) is returning to the team for his second consecutive year, coming off the most successful season of his career.  The  funny  thing  is, this will be Bobby’s first year trying it full-time.  Sweeting won two NRC races and a UCI race in 2011, despite recovering from the  rarest  form of  skin cancer known during the pre-season.  Bobby chose to tell no one and have his hand at his new found racing style . . . . and it  worked!  Sweeting won the queen stage of the Cascade Cycling Classic and the road race of the Tour of Elk Grove, where he also scored second  overall  by mere  seconds in the most exciting race of the year, where he and Amaran (Jamis) exchanged leader on the road several times before a  crash  nixed  Sweeting  chances of the overall win.  While hailing from Florida, Bobby and his wife now live in Connecticut, where he was a  promising  engineer for  Cannondale.  Satisfied his job will wait for him, he is giving a shot at a full schedule in 2012 and we expect big, big things from this time trial specialist in 2012.  Both Andreu and Thompson rated Bobby as their top target to keep during 2012 contract negotiations and were fortunate enough to prevail with many teams seeking his talents for the coming year.  Sweeting says Fabian Cancellara is his cycling idol, and it shows in his riding style!  Bobby  lists the Amgen Tour of California as his top priority for 2012 and points out he has never had the opportunity to test his metal in the U.S.’s grand event as of yet.  Sweeting is yet another arrow in the Classic and Stage Race GC quiver for KPC.

 Chad Hartley  (30, USA) came to the team in 2010 and continues to captain the team, as well as become more involved in the team’s operations.  Not only a  major talent, Hartley is a top-notch mechanic and hails from a family of cyclists and shop owners.  As well as being a top rider for the  team,  Hartley is also the team’s new service course manager and assistant sponsorship coordinator.  Chad is relied upon by most of his teammates  as true  horse power for lead-outs and chases.  Team sprint ace and go-to-guy, Luca Damiani simply will not race without him.  ”I need Chad in any  race,  he is good for me and me for him.”, says Damiani.  Hartley has ridden for many top teams, including BMC before landing here, where he has  vested  himself in the program and its vision.  Chad currently resides in Fox Point, WI and is the proud father of a new baby girl.  A sprinter in his  own  right, Chad can show versatility when needed most, as shown during the late Tour de Georgia, where he was the only domestic rider keeping pace on the major climbs of the event.  Hartley overcame a major iliac surgery to find his way back to the top of U.S. racing and seems to be gaining additional strength with each passing year.  Harltey says he is excited most for returning to racing with Damiani and the new found criterium super-team that will accompany them.  He, like most others on our program point to the Amgen Tour of California as his most desired race to participate in during 2012.

 Curtis Winsor (23, USA) hails from Harrisonburg, VA and is entering his first season with KPC as a neo-pro.  With impressive results and a  successful graphic design company, Winsor also has a promising career in cycling.  Showing most of his talent in criteriums and short “punchy”  efforts, Winsor says his favorite event is the Rutas de Amercia stage race in South America.  Curtis is most excited about learning from his director,  Frankie Andreu and racing with Luca Damiani in 2012.  Winsor aspires to someday race the Amgen Tour of California.

 Gregg Brandt (25, USA) is entering his second year as a pro and his second year with KPC.  Gregg resides in Minnesota and has proven to be a  versatile all-arounder who seems to be finding his place in big game criteriums.  His first taste of big crit life was 2011′s Athens Terrapin Twilight  Criterium,  where he and the lads rode Luca Damiani to an amazing victory over the mighty 8-man United Healthcare team for the program’s  second Athens  victory to date.  Gregg went on to play major support roles in many races, including ToAD and Gateway Cup.  Greggs most desired  race  entries in 2012 are the Cascade Cycling Classic and National Pro Road Race Championships.

  Isaac Howe (25, USA), winner of the 2010 USA Crits overall, best young rider and team competitions returns as one of the teams primary  finishers  with a speed few can match.  Despite many glitches and injuries in 2011, Howe is back to 100% and determined to notch up NRCC wins  in the  inaugural year of the national calendar category.  Born in Burlington, VT, he still calls New England home, where he now resides in New  Hampshire.  ”Isaac has proven he can beat the best, beating Cantwell more than once and being oh-so-slose to Keough as well.”, says Thompson.  Andreu also  has faith in Howe’s speed and knows it is just a matter of time before he scores the big win he has been waiting for.  You may  recognize Isaac from  the larger than life graphics that adorn the sides of the team’s trailer, and many Road Bike Action ads.  A 2010 US Pro  Crit  Championship  podium finisher who desires the stars and stripes, sites his favorite race as Terrapin Athens Twilight Criterium and aspires to one day ride the grand daddy of them all, the Tour de France.  Isaac says proudly that he looks forward to working with everyone on the team, but also says he cannot wait to see the amazing lead-out engine with the addition of John Murphy from BMC.  The program hopes Isaacs fourth  professional season will prove the most fruitful for he and the team alike.

 Jim Stemper (26, USA) returns for his third year with KPC and for his third year as a pro as well.  The Wisonsin native and winner of the 2010  Tour of America’s Dairyland overall title has developed into a dependable all-arounder early in his career, and highlights his 2011 stage 3 ToC  breakaway with then world champion, Thor Hushovd, as a day to remember.  Jim will be located in Northern California, along with four of his  teammates in 2012.  And, like many others, has his sites set on an Amgen Tour of California selection should the team find itself with an invitation  to  the event.  Stemper has a big motor and is most comfortable in long break-away attempts, which he hopes to show off in the coming season.

 John Murphy (27, USA), AKA JMurph, returns to the U.S. with massive accolades and Pro Tour experience.  The 2008 U.S. Pro Crtierium  National Champion spent the last three years with the mighty BMC team racing a heavy european racing campaign that earned him a coveted spot  on the  2011 U.S. men’s professional world championship team.  While approached by many top-tear teams, Murphy opted to contact the team’s  DS,  Frankie Andreu, early in the season in order to secure a spot on a team with growth and a solid U.S. calendar.  While John does want to race  in  europe more, he wanted to base himself and race in the states for a bit before diving back into the european calendar.  Reuniting with fellow  teammates Kilun and Milne seemed the perfect platform to take a team to Pro-Continental status and beyond, which he has done on the past.    Murph’s huge engine and uncanny ability to read a race will no doubt pay dividends and grab major results.  John enters the team as a captain and desires a berth to the Amgen Tour of California and the U.S. Pro Cycling Challenge above all other races in 2012.  John is most excited to ride under Frankie’s direction in 2012 and points to Andreu as the reason for contacting KPC first.  He lists his favorite one day target as Philly and will no doubt have a huge impact on all of these events.

 Luca Damiani (27, ITA) is the team’s only foreign rider and comes back for his third year with KPC.  Transferring from Colavita (now Jamis) in  2010, Luca came to the team as a winner of the grueling CSC invitational and a solo victor of the Iron Hill Twilight.  Luca’s most notable win,  however, came in 2011 with a masterful victory at the Athens Terrapin Twilight Criterium against the mighty United Healthcare team.  What made  the victory  sweeter for Luca and his six teammates was that it is Luca’s favorite race and one he had put in his most desired sights again, along  with the Tour  of the Battenkill, where he was fourth in 2010.  ”Luca is the go-to guy in any situation.”, said team GM, Chad Thompson.  ”He is the  smartest and  most dependable rider I know.  He relishes the break away and can handle his bike like it is a part of his body.  Damiani is simply the  most exciting  bike racer to watch and is respected by every single one of his peers.  We are glad he loves racing in the U.S. and that he is ours.”  The cagey veteran yet again sets his sites on Athens Terrapin Twilight and the Tour of the Battenkill as his most wanted races for 2012.

 Max Korus (23, USA) is a neo-pro for the 2011 season and earned his right of passage with a convincing win at the 2011 U.S. Elite National  Championship Road Race win.  A win at this event is traditionally an earned contract to the professional ranks and it the very case with Max and  his contract at KPC.  At only 23 and a solid climber and finisher, Max will aim to hone his skills under the tutelage of Gaimon, Jacques-Maynes,  Mach and  Sweeting.  Max says he is most excited to race with Phil Gaimon, his mentor and biggest advocate for his team selection.  While Korus  dreams of a ToC  selection, he has set his ambitions on the Tour of the Battenkill and adding a professional road  race championship to his resume.  It should be noted,  too, that Max was born in the city of Cleveland, Ohio, where the team’s management company is based.
 Nathan English (27, USA), a Berkley, CA resident and neo-pro for 2012 was Frankie Andreu’s first pick during the early season as a rider to  watch.  Nate impressed Andreu with consistently placing in national caliber stage races, and grabbing a GC win at Mt. Hood, to boot.  English’s  ability  lies in the race against the clock and climbing ability, making him an eventual stage race threat on the national level.  With the team’s  strong GC  presence, it should not be long before Nathan is winning many overall titles in the U.S.  Being a California resident, English focuses  solely on  racing his home state race, the Amgen Tour of California.

 Pat Lemieux (24, USA) is a second year pro hailing from Minnesota.  Entering 2011 as a a neo-pro and completing college proved a bit tough in
in the early months for Pat.  But time proved Lemieux was up to the task.  Pat got his first taste of the big leagues at the Philadelphia International  Champinship, replacing an injured rider for the event.  He rode well and completed every task asked of him.  He would later prove a great asset at  the U.S.  Pro Criterium Championship, keeping Isaac safe and being a constant aggressor and chaser for the team.  Lemieux is in his early years of  bike  racing and is eager to progress.  Pat sees Chad Hartley as the person he can learn from most on the team and desires to race Philly again,  above any  other event.
 Paul Mach (29, USA) is one of the U.S.’s top GC threats, winning Mt. Hood overall and being a top-10 contender at the brutal Tour of Utah on  more than one occasion.  Mach has been a long-time Bissell Pro Cycling rider and transfers to KPC with the hopes of completing his Masters  Degree and competing at the  highest level simultaneously.    We have seen it done before.  Mach was an easy decision for Andreu and Thompson  alike, as he is a formidable time  trialist and climber, and his addition brings increased fire power to our growing stage race roster.  Paul, being a  California  resident aspires to again race the  Amgen Tour of California, as well as the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah in 2012 and sites working with  Andreu  and Gaimon  as his draw to the program.
 Phil Gaimon (25, USA).  At 25, Phil still has a lot of growing room.  With an already quick learning curve, Gaimon is proving to be the U.S.’s  next biggest GC contender and has shown this at many major events in and out of the states.  In 2010, Gaimon was second overall by only eight  seconds at the Tour de Taiwan, claimed the Redland’s Stage Race KOM Jersey for two days and was the KPC rider with the most break-away time at  the Tour of California and many other races.  ”We hired Gaimon from Jelly Belly in 2010 knowing he would be the best GC guy in the U.S.” states  Chad Thompon, the team’s GM.  ”We still believe this and he only lacks a pure time trial ability.  He has everything else.  But, he proved at the Tour  de Beuace, with a fourth in the ITT, that he is quickly patching up that hole.  He was only beaten by Pro Tour riders.  Phil will win a stage race this  year, mark my words.”  While Phil is still the teams GC man, he has a lot of pressure off of his shoulders with Sweeting racing full-time and the addition of Jacques-Maynes, Mach, and English.  The quintet are all GC favorites and can play off of each other to keep the peloton guessing and chasing.  Gaimon has talents off the bike, too, running three companies (including Podium Legs) and writing an extremely informative and humorous column for VeloNews.  He looks most forward to racing along side of Bobby Sweeting and being yelled at by Frankie Andreu.  While he is no doubt heading to Europe in the near future, Gaimon claims his strongest desire is to be chosen for the Amgen Tour of California, along with his favorite classic race, the Tour of the Battenkill.

 Roman Kilun (30, USA) is a dual citizen and a barred attorney, in addition to being a professional cyclist.  Born in Uzbekistan and now residing  in  Oakland, CA, Roman is a pursuit specialist on the track with multiple national championship titles.  Despite his pursuit prowess, Roman can  climb  and sprint, making him one of the most well-rounded riders on the team.  Kilun came to KPC after many years under the HealthNet/Ouch  team  colors and slid right into his role as a natural leader and strong domestique immediately.  Off the bike, Roman plays a large role in team  communications and rider advocacy, as well as mediation.  Kilun says he loves working with everyone on the team, but is most excited to have the  new arrivals of English and Mach to the team.  As a Northern California resident, he repeatedly voices his excitement over his group of teammates  also located in the California Bay Area (Mach, Jacques-Maynes, English and Stemper).  Roman sees the Amgen Tour of California as his biggest goal, but also says it would be so great if the team would get a U.S. Pro Cycling Challenge berth in 2012.

  Shawn Milne (30, USA) continues his co-captain role at KPC in 2012 and beyond.  The sprint and stage race specialist has had massive  experience  on teams such as HealthNet, Navigators and TT1.  The 2007 U.S. Pro Criterium National Champion grabbed a narrow second on a  stage at the  Tour de Beuace, two top-10 finishes at the Amgen Tour of California and in all reality won a stage at the SRAM Tour of the Gila prior to  a major  error on the officials’ behalf, seeing the results changed despite many objections.  Milne is an optimistic and calm individual that often  has most riders coming to  him for  advice during race time.  Milne says he cannot wait to be back with Bobby Sweeting, Andreu and Thompson,  but sees the reunion of  himself and  John Murphy as the highlight to the 2012 roster.  ”Shawn is a natural leader and a great stage race sprinter.”,  claims Thompson.  ”Frankie wanted  him right away when he became available, and I am so glad we made it happen.  He was a major priority for us and it has paid dividends.”  Shawn wants most to be back in the Amgen Tour of California to improve upon his 2011 performance and also sees the Tour of the Battenkill as a desired event in the coming season.

 Stephen Housley (22, USA) resides and was born in Marietta, GA and is entering his first professional season as a neo-pro for 2012.  Considered a rising time trial talent, Housley prefers long road races and lead-out duties.  Perfect!  He idolizes George Hincapie’s riding style and  accomplishments and tries to emulate the same riding style.  While Stephen (AKA Nick) is fairly new to racing at his level, his most desired race is  the Tour of the Battenkill, where he thinks he can make a large contribution to the team.

2/25 – 3/4
Pre-Season Training Camp presented by WCJ Pilgrim Wire
Tucson, AZ

3/2 – 3/4
Old Pueblo Stage Race  (USA Crits)
Tucson, AZ

3/16 – 3/18
San Dimas Stage Race
San Dimas, CA

3/22 – 3/25
Redlands Bicycle Classic Stage Race (NRC)
Redlands, CA

3/30 – 4/8
Tour of Uruguay (UCI)
Uruguay, South America

4/15
Tour of the Battenkill (NRC/UCI)
Cambridge, NY

4/21
Sunny King Criterium (NRCC)
Anniston, AL

4/28
Terrapin Twilight Criterium (USA Crits)
Athens, GA

5/2 – 5/6
SRAM Tour of the Gila (NRC/UCI)
Silver City, NM

5/26 – 5/28
U.S. Professional TT and RR Championships (UCI)
Greenville, SC

5/31
Base Camp International Criterium (NRCC)
Basking Ridge, NJ

6/3
Philadelphia International Championship (UCI)
Philadelphia, PA

6/9 – 6/10
U.S. Air Force Cycling Classic (NRCC)
Washington DC, USA

6/13 – 6/17
Nature Valley Grand Prix (NRC)
Minneapolis, MN

6/21 – 7/1
Tour of America’s Dairyland (NRCC)
Wisconsin, USA

7/14
Boise Twilight Criterium (NRCC)
Boise, ID

7/17 – 7/22
Cascade Cycling Classic (NRC)
Bend, OR

7/28
U.S. Professional Criterium Championship (NRCC)
Grand Rapids, MI

8/3 – 8/5
Alexian Brothers Tour of Elk Grove (NRC/UCI)
Elk Grove, IL

8/7 – 8/12*
Tour of Utah (UCI)
Utah, USA

8/20 – 8/26*
U.S. Pro Cycling Challenge (UCI)
Colorado, USA

8/26
Chris Thater Memorial Criterium (NRCC)
Binghamton, NY

9/3
Capital Criterium (USA Crit)
Washington DC, USA

9/15
Univest Grand Prix (UCI)
Souderton, PA

9/23
Mayor’s Cup Criterium (NRCC)
Boston, MA

RS:  The biopsy results came back in early November of 2010,  but it took over a month to begin treatment.

KPC:  Was it scary?  Be honest and not tough.

RS:  Of course it was scary.  I don’t think anybody could hear that they have cancer and not be terrified.  I always took for granted that I would live a long life, never once thinking that it could end tomorrow.  To think that if things hadn’t gone exactly as they did, that if I hadn’t moved to Connecticut, it would have gone undiagnosed and possibly killed me later.  That is a scary thought, for sure.

KPC:  How did the team take it when you told them, and what did you take from it?

RS:  I decided not to tell the team at first.  I didn’t want to be viewed as anything other than a rider, or for anyone to think that it had taken a negative effect on me.  I told Chad Thompson (the team’s GM) last week (November 30, 2011)  for the first time because I knew that it would eventually be released to the public in the New Yorker.  I wanted to tell him first.  Both he and Frankie wondered why I hadn’t mentioned it sooner!  But, neither was anything but concerned for me and my family.

KPC:  Did it affect your training or performance?

RS:  Fortunately neither the cancer nor the radiation treatment affected my training from a physiological standpoint.  I must say, though, that there were some very hard days where the depression got to me.  There were days where I sat in bed and did nothing but feel sorry for myself.  There weren’t many of them, but at times the whole situation made cycling seem unimportant altogether.  Once I realized that sitting in bed wasn’t going to cure me I was able to go out for the day’s training, and always felt better afterward.

KPC:  You won the final stage of Cascade.  Was that your biggest win to date?  Was it your only NRC to date?

RS:  That was my first NRC win and definitely my biggest.  The Awbrey Butte circuit is notoriously tough and I feel like I’ve raced it a hundred times at Cascade and at the national championships.  Winning that stage meant a lot to me.  It also proved I had a well rounded riding talent.  It proved to my bosses and myself that I could time trial, climb, ride tempo and sprint.  It was a great day.

KPC:  Then you won the road race stage at Elk Grove, both UCI and NRC ranked.  Did that become your biggest win?  How did you overcome the last minute crash with less than 10K remaining?  You pulled it off!  Did Frankie play a role?

RS:  I think on paper the Elk Grove win is bigger, but I believe the Cascade stage win means more to me.  The Elk Grove road race was tactically very tough but it doesn’t compare to how selective the Awbrey Butte circuit is.  The team put me in a position to win the overall during the final day’s circuit and I was leading on the road for a while.  To a lot of fans, that was the most dramatic day of racing in the US.  Amaran led, then I led, then we were tied.  So exciting.  Unfortunately the skies opened up with a few laps to go and all tactics went out the window once the crashes started.  I played it safe in the corners but didn’t expect a pile up on the straight away with one lap to go.  I had quite a few teammates around me when I got back on my bike and that was obviously a huge help.  Then Frankie was there straight away to keep me relaxed and focused while chasing, which was a huge help.  I’m not sure if I’ve ever ridden quite as hard as I did during the final 3k, but watching the clock when I reached the line to see that I had kept 2nd overall was a great feeling.  I could not have done it without my team or such a great director.

KPC:  This was your 5th pro season, but first with KPC.  Did you like it?  If so, what do you like about it?

RS:   I’ve been on quite a few teams with some great riders, but what stood out to me was the leadership roles that the veteran riders took on.  The road captains (Hartley, Day and Milne) took control in the races and it really kept things fluid and organized.  Everyone knew how we were going to win each race that we entered and knew that we could trust the experience of our director and veteran riders.  That level of trust is important for any team and I definitely feel it here at Kenda/5-Hour Energy Pro Cycling presented by Geargrinder.

KPC:  Are you excited to come back?

RS:  I’m more motivated for 2012 than I’ve ever been.  After five years as a pro, I’ve never had the chance to race full time, and Kenda/5-Hour Energy is allowing me to do that next year.  I’m planning on improving myself immensely and am already anxious to start racing.

KPC:  What are your goals for 2012, realistically and seriously?

RS:  My biggest goals are to win NRC and UCI races such as Battenkill, Nature Valley, Elk Grove, and some individual stages that suit me at bigger stage races.  I am also working towards the Tour of California and know that the team we’ve built for 2012 will have a very strong showing there.  All of our fingers are crossed for the nod and invitation to attend the event.

KPC:  Where do you see the team in June of 2012 and June of 2013?

RS:  We have much more depth on the team for 2012 and I think that will allow us to split up and win a lot of races.  Being able to field two strong squads at a time should put us very high in the NRC rankings come June, I hope.  In 2013 I believe this team will have a much stronger international presence.  A strong European and Asian schedule is important for the progression of the team and I think that’s certainly the direction we’re heading.

KPC:  When will you start training again?

RS:  I took my time off in October as I always do and starting my winter program in early November.  The strength and endurance work is definitely in full swing right now.  I feel great!

KPC:  What is the race on US soil you want to do the most?

RS:  I think every US rider, myself included, sees the Tour of California as the biggest race in the country.  The USA Pro Cycling Challenge and Tour of Utah are at the top of this list as well, but California is a special race for me and for the team and is at the top of our wish list.

Be sure to follow Robert “Bobby” Sweeting all year long, as we are all sure of even more success for him during his first true full year of professional racing.  Good luck, Bobby, and congratulations on beating one of the rarest cancers known to man.  You are a true depiction of strength, courage and selflessness.  KPC is lucky and proud to have you back.