Scottsdale Cycling Festiva

This weekend 8 El Grupo representatives (5 riders & 3 coaches) will be riding in the 70 mile Scottsdale Cycling Festival.

About a month ago, El Grupo was approached by the promoters of SCF and asked for our participation. In return for our involvement 8 riders will receive free entry to the event and El Grupo will receive publicity for our efforts. Moreover, we received a $300 donation from the Velocity Group Cycling to help cover the costs of food, gas, and transportation. As you could imagine we jumped at the opportunity.

Everything you could ever want to know about the Scottsdale Cycling Festival is here
Everything you could ever want to know about Velocity Group Cycling is here

We will leave here mid-day Saturday and return Sunday afternoon-ish. My parents will put all of us up for the evening and have a cook out in our honor. We also will go on a “day before the race” ride in my old stomping grounds. We have to get up at 4 something in the morning on Sunday to make the 7AM start time. Enjoy ourselves for 70+ miles and come on back to Tucson. Happy and (hopefully, not too) tired.

I do want to take a moment to talk about something that is happening all around us....right now. This tree is starting to bear fruit. People are taking notice of us and our hard work. So it is of the utmost of importance that we walk our talk, now more than ever. Cycling is a sport of support. It doesn’t matter if you’re Lance or Joe Cat 5, all of your cycling efforts are done with the assistance of sponsors. So those of you who are attending this years event as El Grupo diplomats understand this responsibility. You and your actions will represent all of us. So act by the golden rule, because nobody wants to help a jerk. Everyone loves to help someone they like. Or is likeable, which all of you are. Just be the best you, you can be and this tree will continue to bear fruit.

Those of you who are staying in town this weekend will have practice as usual. Also, look at the riders who are going to the SCF this weekend as the future you. To the riders who are going up to Phoenix. Look at the riders who remain in Tucson as the past you, and carry yourself in a manner that benefits all of us. Past, present, and future.

I am looking forward to this weekend!

Hopefully, this years El Grupo will open the doors for the entire team next year. Good luck guys and gals!

We believe in US!

If any of you have any questions feel free to ask Ignacio, Daniela, or myself. I will also post specific times after my meeting with Daniela and Ignacio later today.


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hunter

Coaches' Mtg - Friday

This is a message for: Hunter, Christian, Richard, Alex, Colin, Ashley, Julia, Travis

We will be having a coaches' meeting this coming Friday, Oct. 1st at 5pm at our house. Please plan on being there for an hour to discuss upcoming practice schedules, training goals, etc etc. Some snacks and beverages will be provided, but feel free to contribute to that. Damiano will provide entertainment.

Thanks! Daniela & Ignacio

MTB bikes today

Short track fun today.

Donovan show Hunter the course and have fun with it today. You should race with the rest of the A and B team today. Maybe a 10 minute like 3 lap show down and have the other team do 2 laps. After just focus on skills and have fun, but work on stuff.

So yes Colin---- with one L---- MTB's today.

Thanks again

Ignacio

Thanks Collin

Dude totally sweet new web site. I am totally impressed.

Everyone, he has been working really hard on this and we should all give him a big shout out when we see him next.

Thanks Collin.

Also Hunter has done a lot of the art work for the page and also deserves a very big thank you!!!

Both of you guys have really stepped up to be very important people in this organization and we are super fortunate to have you around.

Thanks for putting up with me and loving this team.

Ignacio

Mt. Graham State Championship pics!

Right Here!!! Facebook link to the full album.

As a spectator, this is what I can tell you: Logan had a great race, meaning he had a lot of F-U-N, racing up the mountain with his buddy Kenny Polley who is from the Landis team in Phoenix. They yabbered and supported each other all the way up and then Logan sprinted for the win.

John (affectionately known as our Kramer) faced the pain of his race with courage only to get a front flat in the last 1K. Richard stopped his own race effort to support John. I'm telling you it was an amazing and touching thing to witness.

There are lots of reasons I love El Grupo...watching our 3 boys in action today are 3 of them.

New State Champ in Town

Logan has done it!!!!

Logan won the state hill climb champs for the second year in a row!!!

I am sure Kathleen will post pictures soon. We are super proud of you young man, and can't wait to hear the stories.

Well Done!!!

Ignacio

Mt Graham Hill Climb state champs

Tomorrow Logan and Kramer are out to contest one of the hardest races in the state.

The State hill climb champs. It is taking place at Mt Graham just north of Safford. Last year Kramer won the 17-18 year old division and broke the record by more than 10 minutes. This year he is going after Chad Beyer's record so things will be a little harder. But all the best to you young man.

Logan rode the event last year on the back of the tandem with Max. They were the first ever 13-14 year old duo to try such a thing, so they set a new record. This year Max is in Africa, in Niger, so Logan gets to contest for the jersey on his own this year.

The best to you both!!! Everyone who reads this send them good juju power.

Also check out the new face book page for more photos from last years event.

EL GRUPO FACEBOOK PAGE NOW UP!

You asked for it, you got it. I've created an El Grupo Facebook page. You can find it HERE.

This will be another place for all of us to post photos and spread the word about our group, not only who you are as riders but also the good you do in the community.

If you are already on Facebook, please become "friends" with or "like" the page. And, then repost on your page and invite your friends to join. The page can grow a lot but I need your help to do so.

I will periodically add more photo albums but if you have photos about El Grupo that you want to add, please feel free to do that or email them to me and I will post them.

Hope you enjoy the page and make good use of it. Let me know if you have any suggestions to improve it, ok? Thanks!

Also, if any one wants to be a co-administrator of the page, let me know.

Ashley and Julia, feel free to add photos from your trip this summer.

It will be good for others to see the many different aspects of who we are as El Grupo. I added an album that shows the "many faces of El Grupo"....you might want to include or have me upload of an image of the other activities you do or have done...like Newgan/D-son (BMX bikes), Matt (swim meet pic), Emily (one from your trip to Russia), Pablo (doing the pedicab or registering someone voting), Donovan (working at BICAS), Hunter (artist image)....stuff like that that shows how diverse you are. I have one of Logan (XC), Ignacio (bike education) and Marcos(Eagle Scout) up now and want to add more.

Sunday - Hoco Family Arts Festival

This Sunday El Grupo will be providing free bike valet parking to all those who want to partake in the HoCo (Hotel Congress) Family Arts Festival.

We will need LOTS OF HELP FROM YOU to staff the bike valet parking from 9:30am to 5pm out in front of Maynard's Market & Hotel Congress on Toole Ave.

Here is what they say about the event:
The Tucson Pima Arts Council partners with the HoCo Festival to celebrate arts and cultural enrichment with FREE Family Friendly Arts and Cultural activities. The private public partnership is also an opportunity to provide the public with a showcase of local classes, workshops, programs and organizations who provide access to the arts all year long. The Tucson Pima Arts Council (TPAC) is the designated local arts agency for the City of Tucson and Pima County. TPAC fosters artistic expression, educational development and the economic growth of our diverse community by supporting, promoting and advocating for arts and culture.

Here is their website. It should be a fun event with music, entertainment and more to check out. I will expect that most of the youth riders sign up for a one hour shift, at least.

PLEASE COMMENT to let us know what hour works best for you, first come first served, and the rest I will kindly ask to fill the others!

Daniela

Yeah for our bike shop!!!

Fairwheel Bikes, our resident very own bike shop sponsor for El Grupo, has been recognized with some prestigious acclaim at Interbike in Vegas, and its only the first day! Check out the story here:



Way to go Fairwheel!!

2010 Rider Goals

First off thanks everyone for your help at the El Tour Fun run. I was impressed to see the turn out and how on time everyone was. At 5:30am that's pretty dang good. Thanks!

Those 3 hours get us on our way to our almost free entry into El Tour. We have to do 7 more and hopefully we can work with Ben's Bell's again to make that happen.

For many of you your first goal of the session is El Tour, so I am really looking forward to us all having a great time out there.

As for the rest of the session and your time in El Grupo folks have many different goals. During the Blue Loop trip I asked all youth participants to write down their sessions goals. One so that I could understand them and try to be the best coach possible to help each rider get to where they want, and 2 so that we as teammates to the other riders could be supported and cheerleaders to those goals.

For any one rider to accomplish any of these goals it will take a whole team effort. So I am going to post them as they were given to me, anonymously, because it makes no difference from whom these goals come, our only job is to be the greatest support network possible to allow our teammates the chance at achieving their dreams.

Goals:

Ride a self Supported bike tour from Portland to Tucson
Build a wheel that I won’t immediately break
Build a bicycle that I feel confident will last

Do some cross races
Kickass with Nathan in the 17-18 age group
Do a race as a cat 4
Get faster
Become a better climber

I want to win a race
I want to go really, really, fast up any mountain
Do crazy bike race strategies with Donovan—like the Madison
109 El Tour
Mt. Graham Hill Climb
Bike to school regularly

Under 1:13 at 24 hour race
Get accepted to Ft. Lewis College
Tour de Gila

Win 24 hour race
Sub hour Mt. lemmon
Platinum El Tour
Decide what to do about state champs and stick to it/ give it my all
Have fun/ get into cross country running
Maybe join track

Complete and do well in all races as possible
Learn how to “fixie-skid” and “track stand”
Win the UofA crit
Finish the 109 El Tour
Make a champion out of Sabina and Emily
Win all the State Championships

Go up Mt. Lemmon all the way
Finish El Tour
Win a big race

Get a race title, ( 1st place)
Beat everyone to A-mountain in the Points race
Impress my team immensely
Help someone get faster
Have the best sportsmanship possible

My number 1 goal is to show Nacho, the other coaches, and the other team members that I have the commitment, capabilities, and dedication to earn El Grupo membership.
I would like to participate in a race and look like I know what I am doing ( aka not noob like)
I would like to participate in El Tour (and finish)
Pick up a water bottle
Participate in the 24 hour race
Beat Lizzy in a race


Try to guess who's is which.

Also if you have not done this, it is a good practice, so that you may understand why you are working so hard.

Thanks

Ignacio

I Just Found This!

This guy has the best trackstanding skills I have ever seen.

Remember, it's always the rider never the bike.

Hope you all have a lovely Sunday

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hunter

Pics from the Fun Run Today....this is how we roll at 530am

O2

We as a team are in the process of creating a very special relationship with O2. The spinning/ yoga/ bike fit studio in Downtown. We have had the great pleasure of taking two of their classes and have been able to use their space to do our own self taught Yoga sessions. We are super excited to be creating this relationship and we hope to see it grow and flourish in the very near future. And if we continue to get to take Mike's Boot Camp classes and Chadwicks Yoga classes we are going to be super tough. Those guys provided us with some great classes that were super hard. THANKS!

More info at o2modernfitness.com.

Here is what they say on their site about what they do:
O2 MODERN FITNESS is Tucson's only dedicated Spinning® Indoor Cycling studio. Founded on the proven health and training benefits of cycling, O2 supports athletes and fitness enthusiasts of all levels. O2 also offers additional group fitness classes including Yoga, Pilates and Tai Ji for cross-training and general fitness maintenance.

YEAH LADIES!!!

Last weekend I had a fantastic day on the bike with the team. I want to thank everyone for a great ride and beautiful day, but I really want to make a point to thank Julia and Ashley.

These two amazing young ladies really never seem to stop amazing me and their new dedication to the team is really exciting.

The two ladies have accepted the challenge of coaching two different El Tour teams. They both in very short time have gone from new riders, learning the fundamentals, novices to strong, capable, intelligent cyclists that I am excited to have coaching our new riders.

I have full confidence that these ladies can get the new riders in shape and smart enough to complete there said goals.

Just super cool to see young, old riders, coaching new young riders to great achievements.

Thanks ladies I am really proud of the two of you.

El Tour Fun Run

What: El Tour Fun Run 5 and 10k

When: This Saturday the 18th.
Start time 5:30am.

Where: St Gregory school. 3231 North Craycroft Road.

Why: So we can do work trade to get into El Tour for a more affordable price.

Last year we were able to work out a deal with the PBAA, the organization that puts on El Tour. We cam up with work trade program so that we could work our way into the event. Anybody 18 and under and in school has this opportunity. We work 10 hours each and that takes care of our entry. This is a great opportunity to get 4 hours worth of work into the books. I highly, super highly, recommend that every one comes and participates in this event.

I will be at the clubhouse at the crazy time of 5:00 am to meet anyone that might need a ride. Please comment if you need one. Also after the event I would like to invite everyone to Bobo's. Yes that's right. Also if you could each bring $2 to subsidize the cost of b'fast that would be great.

See you all at the really stupid time of the morning, on Saturday, not even a school day.

Ignacio

Giving Tree event Success

Late post on this:

This past weekend we went out to the Giving Tree home facilities and partnering with the United Way we were able to fix 10 bicycles for the youth of the homes. These homes are for families that are finding there way in town and need some help. They are not homeless, as they now have a home, but they are receiving help to get back and going again. Pretty sweet program and help offered. I am glad we have something like this in town. So when Hunter heard that they needed help with their bicycle fleet for the kids he did not hesitate to get us involved.

So that's what we did. Last Saturday we went to the Giving Tree homes and fixed 10 bicycles, handed out a ton of safety info, and left with big smiles. We have always had an outreach component to this team, and this was the first time we used our skill in such a way. I had fun working with you all, so THANKS!!!

Thanks to all the riders and Parents who came out to help and lend a hand. Grupo is a big word and I am happy to know that we are making it even bigger.

Ignacio

Early Shift Tomorrow

Meet at the clubhouse at 8am.

Hunter and I will be driving out and you can throw your bikes on the cars.

See you then!!!

Ignacio

Giving Tree Event

When: This Saturday, September 11th, 9am-3pm

Why: The Giving Tree is an organization in town that helps out homeless families by giving them houses to live in the like. At these facilities they have many bicycles for the kids that live there, so that they may play like we do with ours. However as we all can imagine the bikes at times fall into conditions of disrepair, and so we are going to go out and help the kids fix their bikes.

Who: Really I would like to see as many people as possible out. One and all really. The more the merrier. I suppose this way we could really help out.

Where: Major cross streets are 22nd and Swan. On Swan south of 22nd on the east side of the street. I can give better directions tomorrow after speaking with Hunter.

You may come in the afternoon or in the morning whatever you are comfortable with and can do. Please post and let me know when you think you will be able to come. Also at noon to 3pm the Air Force will be out having a BBQ for all so at least be around for that.

Please post as to when you think you might be able to make it. This is just one of those things that is great to do.

Ignacio

Holy Tan Lines, Batman!

This is what cycling does to you when you have to wear ridiculously short shorts for Cross Country running...

GABA Blue Loop 2010

Thank You!!

To GABA and El Grupo. Everyone of these trips are priceless little adventures. The memories and stories garnered from these trips last a lifetime. So thank you to every El Grupo member for being there and making them possible. Also a huge thanks to GABA, Larry Robinson, and Linda. Without their support and direct love of El Grupo we would not be going on these trips. So please always remember to give Larry and Linda very special thank you's when you see them they really make sure that these opportunities are open to us.

The trip itself was just great. Really there is no way for me to capture it in this post. I can just post photos and tell you to talk with riders that were on the trip. Really it was just great.

For some kids it was the their first time in New Mexico, like quite a few, and for others it was their third time on this trip with me. Logan and Kramer. I feel very fortunate to have made such friendships that I am able to go on these trips with the same kids over and over. Pretty cool to watch them grow and to watch our friendship grow.

The weather was great for the whole trip. No rain this year, just a bit hot. I think most of us got burned.

I was fortunate enough to get to ride with Daniela on each of the days which was really pretty awesome. This was the first Blue Loop that she and Damiano have been on and I really hope not the last.

I suppose I hope just the same for everyone that was on this trip. I would love it if everyone from this year, was on the trip next year.

The trips are special in that I always say, you are not truly an El Grupo member until you go on an overnight with us, and well we have two "new true" members. D-Son and Newgan. WELCOME!!! Emily your time is near. This should be both scary and exciting.

Lastly a very special THANKS to the whole Franklin crew. Grandma Lou, Cherish, Kathy (Mom), and Mark (Dad). Without them this trip would not have happened. They drove the two extra cars it took to get us and all the gear there. They then drove the whole course so that Mark and Emily could ride the portions they were comfortable with. They also shuttled Damiano around the whole weekend with super baby sitter Cherish. Thank you Cherish you were amazing with Damiano and I will hire you some day when I have ice cream in the fridge.


THANK YOU TO THE WHOLE TEAM, GABA, THE FRANKLINS, DANIELA, AND DAMIANO