Pan-American Games Recap

Maddie just returned from representing the USA at the Pan-American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico. She raced in the team sprint with her partner Liz Carlson, with whom she teamed up with to win a national title with two weeks ago.

Here is Maddie's race report:

Traveling to Mexico was a fantastic experience! We were staying in the Pan-Am Village with people from 42 countries and a multitude of different sports, so the Olympic atmosphere was very infectious and my partner and I were very excited to stretch the legs against the other teams. We had two days of training before we raced, and both of us were feeling good.

Race day finally came and we were sitting on the line listening to the countdown. Off we went and our qualifying ride felt fast and smooth. Liz was the starter and I finished the team sprint as I was riding 2nd wheel. When I crossed the line I looked up at the scoreboard to see what our time was. 34.788 seconds. The US women's team sprint team had only ever gone as fast as 35.8, so to take over a second off of the best time and break into the 34 second range was amazing! We couldn't believe it! However, we qualified 4th so we were in the ride for the bronze medal against the team of Mexico, who had qualified 3 tenths of a second faster than us, so we quickly got refocused for our ride in the finals that night. I filled up on my stock of Mix 1 that I brought along in the bottom of my bike box in preparation for the final because they provide the best pre and post race nutrition.

When our final came we were both ready to go, and the stadium was at an insane noise level, being that we were up against the hometown team. This ride didn't feel as clean, and our time ended up being a 34.993, which was still .3 off the time of the Mexicans. We were both disappointed to miss out on a podium spot, but it was a good learning experience and there will be some valuable lessons taken away from this race. Although, for some consolation, our time was the fastest on record in the US, so Liz and I are the new national record holders in the women's team sprint!

Overall this trip to Mexico was very positive, and the US Olympic Committee and the people of Guadalajara did a wonderful job of staging the Games. The US team had a very fun time, but now on to more races! I want to thank all of the sponsors of enCompass Racing for their support, Mix 1, FOCUS, and Schwalbe tires, and hopefully more great things will happen in the future.

I leave next week to participate in the first round of the UCI Track World Cup series in Astana, Kazakhstan where I will be racing in 3 events, including the team sprint. Stay tuned for more enCompass Racing race reports from all over the world!

Liz leading Maddie out during the team sprint on the track in Guadalajara

photo from ESPN

Elite Track Nationals

This past weekend Maddie proudly flew the enCompass Racing colors while she raced around in circles at Elite Track Nationals in Carson, CA.

Maddie's Race Report:

What a weekend! Nationals was the first race of the season, seeing as track cycling is a winter sport, so it was good to race away the nerves, and just go out and have some fun on the bike. All of the training that I have done this year definitely helped me come into the race prepared. The first race of the meet was the 500 m TT. This is a 2 lap race from a standing start, and I went out and rode as hard as I could, which was good enough for 4th place! I was happy with my time, and it was a good opening effort. I had an off day in between the 500 and my next race, so I went out for an easy ride and spent the day resting up for the Match Sprints.

About to start the 500

Sprint morning! We had the 200 m qualifier in the morning, and I just wanted to put out a good time and get as far up the seeding as possible. After my coach pushed me off, I wound the gear up, and just went as hard as I could. When I finished there were still quite a few riders to go, so I hopped on the rollers to spin my legs out. By that time, everyone had finished and it was announced that I had ridden the fastest time, so I was qualified as first! We raced the quarter finals in the morning session and I progressed through to win that round in two rides. Then the evening session came, and I was in the semi-finals. In both rides it came down to a photo finish, but unfortunately I came up short, so I was put through to the bronze medal final. I got refocused and came up with a plan with my coach on how to win those two races. I was patient and executed it perfectly, coming away with a bronze medal!

200 m Qualifier

The staring contest at the line

The last and final day of Nationals was the team sprint. This is the race that I was most looking forward to, seeing as it is what I had qualified to ride in the Pan-American Games with my partner, Liz Reap Carlson. We were riding Nationals as a warm-up for Mexico, and to practice making our ride and transitions smooth. She was the starter, and then I would finish the race as the 2nd rider. We got a clean start, and then she dropped me off and I concentrated on pushing hard on the pedals to keep my speed up, which earned us the fastest qualifying time and a spot in the gold medal final! We had about an hour before the final, so I put in my iPod and got motivated for our second ride, while pretty much living off of Mix 1 to recover and get ready for my 2nd 500. Similar to our first ride, we rode perfectly together and pulled out for the win! It was a good confidence builder heading into Pan-Am's as the fastest American team sprint team, and it was exciting to earn my first elite national title!

Start of the team sprint in the final

On the top of the podium!

I am happy with the way I raced, but it is back to the boards for another hard training block before leaving for Mexico in two weeks time! I want to send a big thank you to all of our amazing sponsors that keep us going with the best products, FOCUS, Mix 1, and Schwalbe!

It's that time again...

Cyclocross season has now officially come barreling down upon us and enCompass Racing is enjoying some down and dirty 'cross racing! The air now rings with the deep clanging of cowbells cheering racers on to go faster, and morning start times now warrant legs warmers and the thermal jacket makes it's grand entrance for the season from the back of the closet. Tim has been flying the enCompass colors for the last 3 weeks, but this past weekend he rode a strong race that placed him on the podium in 3rd, at Boulder Racing's Xilinx race!

Running over the barriers.

Tim's Race Report:

'Cross season is now upon us...the racing is intense and so much fun! There are so many levelers in cross that keeps every rider honest. During the short length of a cross race, you push yourself further than in many longer events. It is the most anaerobic endeavor in which I have ever participated.

Racing with the beautiful Boulder flatirons in the background.

After a pair of 4th's the last 2 weeks, I moved up a spot in today's race and made the podium by finishing third. It was fun to be a part of the front of the race as the top 3 riders today rode together by separating ourselves from the rest of the field and trying to figure out how to beat each other. Unfortunately I bobbled the last set of barriers and paid for it with a 2 second gap...lights out! I was not going to get the lead 2 riders back but was happy in finishing third. Certainly what makes this possible is @mix1. It provides excellent nutrition for hard efforts before the race and great recovery afterwards. I love my mix1's on race days like this one!

Tim in 3rd place!

Colorado Track State Championships

The weekend of September 4 and 5th enCompass Racing headed down to Colorado Springs to race in the state championships. Despite being in a hard training block, Maddie zipped up the speedsuit and put on the race wheels for a dress rehearsal for Elite Nationals. She raced the women's 500 meter time trial and was recruited to be a starter for a men's team sprint.

Race Report:

The 500 m went off first, and the goal of the ride was to see where I was time-wise, seeing as I haven't ridden a 500 yet this year. Since I am riding second wheel and consequently a 500 in the team sprint at Nationals and the Pan-Am Games, this would be a good practice run for the upcoming track season. The gun sounded and I pushed the gear over and just kept winding it up as fast as I could. When I came into the infield to ask my coach what the time was he just looked at me. I had taken 1.1 seconds of my previous PR, and the time was good enough to win by over 2 seconds! In track racing where races sometimes come down to thousandths of seconds, to take over a second off is a very good thing and bodes well for my future racing.

500 m podium (the 3rd place finisher was MIA)

I had a while until the team sprints so I just relaxed and hung out. When it was time to go I warmed up on the rollers and made my way to the ready area. I was to start and my two teammates were to follow me with one of us pulling off each lap until the last person completes a lap by himself. By this time the wind was starting to pick up, but we all stayed in a tight formation and held out for the win!

On the top step of the podium!

Men's team sprint podium

Look for more updates as the track and cyclocross seasons start to heat up!

¡Mexico!

USA Cycling announced today that Maddie has been nominated to represent the US at the Pan-American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico in October! She is very excited for her first international competition at the senior level and along with the many people who have helped her get to this point, she would like to thank the sponsors of enCompass Racing, Mix 1, FOCUS Bikes and Schwalbe tires, for providing the best products.

Here is the official press release from the USA Cycling website.

World Bicycle Relief

enCompass Racing has achieved its goal of raising funds for one bike from each member through World Bicycle Relief! That's 3 bikes and $406 of race winnings earned that will go toward helping others achieve a better life through bicycles.

A big thank you goes out to everyone who has donated in support of our team, every dollar helps!

If you would like to donate and help fund a bicycle at $134, or any partial amount, here is a link to our fundraising page.

We look forward to helping raise money to help World Bicycle Relief's mission in the future.

July Recap

It has been awhile and we apologize for our lack of posting! There hasn't been much racing going on but July 14-17 Tim and Zane headed up to Sun Valley, Idaho for Mountain Bike Nationals.

Tim's Race Report:

MTB nationals…Sun Valley was beautiful, the weather was idyllic, Focus bikes, Schwalbe tires and mix1 nutrition was perfect! Everything was all set for some epic racing ascending straight up and then descending straight down the ski resort. The category 1 course went up some cool single track, and the descending was curvy, but fun. Given the conditions, I rode to the best of my abilities and finished 8^th on the day. I was hoping for a top 5 but happy with a top 10. Zane’s XC race didn’t go well, and he finished a disappointing 32^nd. However, he had a great start in short track XC was riding a super strong fifth position, but unfortunately finished 9^th on the day. We didn’t quite get the results, for which we were hoping, but we had a fun trip and glad we raced the championships as a way of representing our sponsors and seeing other riders from around the country.

Zane going down the rock garden during the XC race

Tim racing through the woods in the Masters XC

Zane cornering during the 17-18 Short Track

Getting some air during short track!

After a restful week at home Zane flew up to Helena, Montana for the inagural Cyclocross Development Camp hosted by the National Team U23/Junior Coach Geoff Proctor of USA Cycling.

Zane's Experience:

Most of the up and coming top juniors were there on the basis of getting ready for 2013 when Worlds come to the States. On one of the local properties Geoff and all the Helena locals had a cyclocross course set up and it was a great opportunity to work on all of the necessary skills.

Zane on one of the many group rides

Zane showing the campers how to bunny-hop the barriers

Meanwhile, Maddie was supposed to race the FSA Challenge in Portland, OR and the Marymoor Grand Prix in Seattle, WA but a bad crash and a concussion sidelined her 3 days before departure so she spent a couple weeks off healing and is back on the bike training heading into two busy months of track racing! Look for upcoming posts on her many fixed gear adventures.