Mt. Lemmon TT Post Game Wrap Up

I really like this event. It's in our home town, just down the street, we are totally familiar with it, and the sky is up there where you are peddaling and you know exactly what you are shooting for. I enjoyed myself immensly on Sunday and am super proud of how hard everyone on the team worked. Each rider had their own specific goal and not one rider gave up on it until the end. That makes me feel real good. Thanks to Carol and Kathleen for all their support up the mountain.

We had 14 people out their representing El Grupo:

4 Coaches Myself, Alex Strickland, Zack Ellet, and Kylie Walzack

8 Youth riders and 1 old School grupo rider turned college boy

I was able to win the title of fastest on the team out of high school. I barely beat Alex and Nick who gave me everything I wanted on the hill. I was wishing most of the time that they would slow down, but of course I could not ask them, and Kramer was still ahead of us. I started with Nick, Zach, and Alex at the bottom about 45 seconds behind Kramer the last youth rider to start. And we commenced trying to catch everyone.

So Kramer went last and was the hunter chasing in order Logan, Donovan, Pablo, Conner, Ricardo.

Your Grand Champion

Look like fun to win Huh! Of course I had to make sure that he knew he did not beat my best time ever.

Kramer's winning time 1.02:42, my best time ever 57.14, seems impossible after my 1.04.02 of this weekend but hey I have excuses. But yes Max I know how you feel about those.

The girls did their own thing going up the mountain each was going for a personal best of reaching mile marker 12 the end of the race at Bear Canyon. Each one did and Julia actually beat Donovans time. They did awesome and were big smiles at the end. As they deserved.

After the mountain we went out to the only breakfast place in town that has a place in my heart. The one and only great BOBOS. Really I can get the kids to ride from here to Flagstaff and back if they know there is Bobo's at the end. It has power and I use it. So on we went.

Here we can sing songs, wistle, eat too much, have pancake buddies, really it has everything. Danny the cook is incredible and ladies running around should be sponsered by shoe companies for all the moving they do. This place is full action all food with no concern for decoration. You don't need fluff when you've got style.

Thanks Team
Great Day
Ignacio

Sunday Race Day meeting time and place

Sunday we will meet at the club house at 5:30 am. I know this is early but it will ensure that we get out there on time. The first rider leaves the base of the mtn at 7am. I hope that we are not too far behind. So to be warmed up and ready we need to be there with time like 6:30am. If we meet at 5:30 that means we leave at 5:45. It takes about 30 min to 45 min to get there so that puts us at 6:30. Voila! So 5:30 it is, but worry not the great BOBO will be that to take care of all afterwards and my mother will be there so you may all learn stories to terrorize me with.

Ignacio

Mt. Lemmon Hill Climb SUNDAY

That's right the grand daddy of them all, not me, the hill climb race. It will be this Sunday. Many of will be officially racing in it, and others of you will be out there riding going after personal bests. Most excitingly though is that my mother will be out there for all the fun. That's right Mama Ignacio will be out for the fun. However there are a few logistics we need to figure out. Like getting kids out there:

So Riders racing will be:
Logan
Kramer
Conner
Donovan
Ricardo
Pablo

Riders going for personal bests:
Ashley
Julia
Dillon

The logistics of the cars needs to be figured out because with my mom and her boyfriend in my car I can only take two riders with me. I know Kathleen you can take Logan and two more bikes and all. Conner I am going to assume that your mother will get you to the start. That leaves three more people that need rides.

Also after the ride I would like to have breakfast with everyone at Bobo's so come hungry and with a buck or two to subsidize your meal.

When does this all go down, well I will be registering everyone Saturday afternoon at the given location. I want to have all El Grupo riders starting on top of each other so you guys can battle each other to the finish.

1st person to start goes off at 7am so we could start any time there after.

May the force be with you.

Ignacio

July is Field Trip Month

July a time of swelting heat and antcipated monsoon rains. What does this mean for us? Well we will use it as field trip month. There are many frame builders in town that I would like to introduce the team to, there are pools we have never swam in, companies that like us and we should like and so on. So stay posted to the blog so you know where will be off having fun. We are doing this because A) it is going to be hot, B) there are not any great races to get ready for, C) everyone needs a break, D) swimming sounds real good, E) sometimes its just fun to hang out.

Practice Times a Changin

For the rest of Summer:

Tues: 7am start (just this week) then 6:30am there after

Thurs: 7am start

Friday: Optional Practices

Sunday: 6:30am start

I am doing in the hopes that having the one day off in between will help with attendance. I expect everyone to be at practice unless I am given a valid excuse with time. Also this summer after the Mt. Lemmon TT on Sunday the 28th we are going to have a very easy July. I want to go on some fun field trips around town, visit different places, go swimming, and just enjoy summer. Practice times and destinations will be changed and noted at the prior practice, so you will have to show up to know what is happening. Thanks everyone for the hard work and see you soon.

Logan TT Win

This past weekend Logan, the youngest El Grupo rider, newly crowned at 13, competed in the Three Bears TT. A 4o km out and back course. Kramer and Ricardo would have raced but I messed up there entry, so they will race in July when I signed them up, Sorry guys. However this post is about Logan and his victory. This was his second victory of the season, as he won his age group in the Trips for Kids MTB race, but his first on the road. Logan has battled his home boy and team mate Max all season and has been unable to come around him. However without Max in town Logan went out and won his group by 5 minutes. Even better though he bested his time from a month ago on the same course by 2 minutes. Well Done Logan you deserve this win. This should go to show the rest of the team, a rider who does not miss practice and always works hard, receives rewards at the end for hard work.

Kramer's Birthday Tomorrow

So yes your favorite Kramer, Mr. Rouge, is turning 17 years old tomorrow. I know old. Don't let him forget that it is his day. Tell him how much he means to the team and how much we like him. I wish I had a picture of him when I met him last summer. Talk about a change. He is a young man I am extremely proud to coach, be a friend of, and to mentor. I am thrilled to watch him grow and become the person that he is. We are going to have normal practice tomorrow and I would like all to join us.

Kramer your good enough, your smart enough, and dog gonit, we really like you.

State Champ Road Race Results

I know finaly huh. Sorry it took me so long, but I'm back so here we go.

I suppose I am going to leave this short and sweet as it now seems forever ago. But really it was a great time on great course with exceptional weather. All the kids raced hard and the results show how hard the kids are working. Everyone of them put in huge efforts on an extremely hard course and I know that they are all proud of what they did.

Also I have to make a big point here to say THANK YOU NIPPY! A long time Tucson cyclist who has been great to us as a team and bought the whole team lunch after the ride at the Taste of China. A very kind offer that the kids made sure to take advantage of. Also thank you to all the parents and team supporters for making this happen. You guys are what make the team possible.
Getting ready for the start of the race. We had to leave Tucson at 4am because of the start time and the fact there is no way we could have afforded hotel rooms.

Kramer finished Second in the 17- 18 boys division because of poor race coordination, but we know we can win next year which is good motivation. He is starting to really blossom as a racer and has heart, so the sky is getting lower. Conner and Donovan played cat and mouse with each other all day with Donovan winning the battle between the two. They finished well and left with the race with smiles.
Kramer Rouge on his winning block. Second place 17- 18. Ricardo also raced in the this category but never really got the chance as his shoe lace got stuck in his chain ring at the beginning of the race and he never got a chance to hang with the pack. Next year!

Lizzy on the left in her very first race ever. So why not make it the State Championships? I did not see her riding but she said even though she fell over 3 times that she would do it again. Oh yeah by the way she got third place 13-14 girls.

And here is the unbeatable combo of Max and Logan so far every race they have entered this year they have not been beat. They have gone 1-2 in everything they have entered this year. These boys work there butts off too and deserve everything that has come there way so far. I am extremely proud of them and really enjoy coaching them. This is the second state champ event in which they have gone 1-2. They did it in the Crit Champs as well. We are proud of you guys!

Here we are tasting China. Thanks again Nippy!!

State Champ Road Race

So ok this is coming up fast and is this weekend. As I am counting riders right now it seems that with the Cronyn vehicle, mine and Kathleen's we have enough seats and bike carrying compacity to get everyone there.
Riders as I see it now will be:
Max
Logan
Avery
Kramer
Connor
Donovan
Lizzy
Pablo

Max, Avery and Logan will go in the Cronyn car.
That leaves five riders that need rides to get to Globe. So we have plenty of room. The junior race starts at 7:30 and I would like to be there at 6:30am. It will take me about 2 hours to get to the race site so I will need riders at my house ready to go at 4:30am. This does not mean get to my house at 4:30 this means I am leaving at 4:30am. Those riders that I have listed above please contact and let me know that you understand this. Also we have been invited to lunch after the race so that is taken care of. You might also want to bring 10 dollars just in case you might want something along the way.
Ignacio

Friday June 5th Practice

Tomorrow we have been invited to ride with the folks from the Carmicheal Coaching group. Every friday they take folks on a 35 mile group ride that leaves no one behind and is pretty darn fun. It is not too fast but you must have good pack skills to be able to enjoy the ride. I am hoping that by the end of the summer we are all riding this ride together. However tomorrow I recognize that maybe only a hand full of us are going to feel comfortable doing this. I have spomken to most of you whom I think should go. To the others that are not going tomorrow but will be racing this weekend I highly recommend that you ride your bikes again before Sunday.
The ride at Carmicheal starts at 6:30am and is around the river and dodge intersection. If you would like to go and I have not spoken to you about then please call me. I will be leaving my house at 5:45 am to get there on time and I know that some kids will be riding with me to get there.

State ChampionshipRoad Race

Sunday June 7th is the day, the place Globe, AZ. The kids start time is 7:35am. So we will have to leave town like crazy early. I have signed up Donovan, Milo, Connor, Kramer, Lizzy, Ashley, and Julia, while Max, Logan and Avery signed up separately. The 13-14 age group kids will ride 18 miles while the older kids will ride 35 miles. The course is very fun a point to point so a to b type of race. It has a great hill to climb much like Gates pass so it makes for an interesting and fun race. I will be driving up early and can take 3 riders in my car that can sleep comfortably. Which means I need help getting four more riders to the event. I can also take four bikes. So I need help for four riders to get there and three bikes. Please let me know if you can help. At practice tomorrow I will ask and see what we cant figure out. Things are great here at the house in our great transition and we doing great. Thanks everyone for the support and I cant wait to ride with you all tomorrow.
Ignacio