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Updating the Team website at Cafe Vino
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This anything-can-happen race is as fast and competitive as it is fun and unpredictable with its epic course that is quintessentially mountain biking: high elevation, wooded singletrack, exposed fire roads, rutted downhills, rocky climbs, rushing ice-water crossings, and even enough pavement to remind the MTB’er why you love the dirt.  The Firecracker 50 course is a 2 x 25 mile route
Thomas Borch, former European pro, had a great day in spite of vexing mechanicals while racing this American championship event with a 1st place finishing time of 4:56:35.57 in the Cat 2 Men 35-39 division.  Thomas Borch approaching the start/finish area of the 2010 Firecracker 50 Bill Frielingsdorf (Cat 1 Men 35-39 19th Place 4:54:09.97) recalls, “I had a great time racing in Breckenridge! The weather was just about perfect. Maybe a little windy, but this kept things from getting too hot, which is good for a race that is very difficult in terms of staying hydrated. The Firecracker is a fantastic event for a lot of reasons. The atmosphere at the start is energizing. Being cheered on by all the people who are in Breckenridge for the 4th of July parade is a pretty special feeling. The racecourse itself includes grueling climbs, fast descents, and spectacular views. The aid stations and volunteers are numerous, and among the best you will find at any mountain bike event. I rode my 2010 S-Works Epic and wore my S-Works MTB shoes. In 2005 I rode the Firecracker on one of the original S-Works Epics. I wasn’t as fast this year, but I cannot blame the bike! Everything worked perfectly.” Bill is now looking ahead to racing the Laramie Enduro.  Bill Frielingsdorf leading the way to Iowa Mill at the Firecracker 50 Jim Fu (Cat 2 Men 35-39 7th Place 5:24:24.64) recaps, “This was the anniversary of my first year racing, so the race itself holds great sentiment to me, especially for all of the people that I met there last year and the great things that have been happening since. I had three goals: to improve on my time last year; to clean the French Gulch climb both times; and to ride a good technical race with no mechanicals or crashes. While I did shave 8 minutes from my time and finished 9 places ahead of last year, rear tire flats plagued me beginning from the descent of Sally Barber on the first lap and cost me about 15 minutes, but otherwise my Stumpy 29er was solid. Cleaning French Gulch the first time was really motivating, but the second time with the left turn at the hillcrest already in sight I let myself get blocked by walkers. Ouch! No crashes or cramps, however, and improving 4 places on my second lap is consistent with my observation that I pass many riders late in the race and end up with too many matches to burn at the finish. Lots more to learn, especially on optimizing pacing and nutrition. I’d like to take space to thank Peloton Cycles, Specialized Bicycle Components, American Classic, Ergon, Crank Brothers, Ritchey Logic, and, of course, my teammates, my family, my coach Yuki Saito, and all of my friends for their generosity and encouragement.” The Laramie Enduro is next on tap for Jim.
 The 2010 Firecracker 50 marked the first anniversary of racing for team newcomer Jim Fu Greg Scanlan (Cat 1 Men 40-49 20th Place 4:52:06.32) reports, “Coming into this race I was quite concerned that my effort from the Crested Butte Fat Tire 40 was going to affect me. The first lap went off as planned: heart rate and effort never hit redline. Never had to get off the bike. Lap 1 was the fastest I have turned by 8 minutes! Felt really confident coming through the feed zone heading back up. Lap two didn’t go as hoped. Seemed to lose the power in the legs and just couldn’t make consistent tempo. Had to fight through cramping all the way up French Gulch, and could do nothing about the riders that I was in front of wheeling by me! First lap 6th, second lap went backwards to 19th! I was hoping for better results, but I did beat my last year’s time by over 3 minutes. Next year, I need to come into this race with better recovered legs and go deeper into the Pain Cave on lap 2!” Greg will next race the Vic’s Espresso State Championships Crit in Longmont.  Greg Scanlan on a confident start to Lap 2 of the Firecracker 50 Greg and Bill finished together, and Bill provides the following addendum: “Greg rode a wheelie across the finish line, but I don’t think his wheelie skills are the equal of his crushing speed in criteriums and on the mountain bike. He lost control and crashed into the barriers. His stunt was an enormous crowd pleaser and he received a huge cheer from all of the spectators gathered at the finish in Carter Park.” At the Firecracker 50, anything can happen!
Team Peloton-Specialized wishes you and yours a safe and festive 4th of July holiday weekend.
Bruce Runnels, Scott Ellis, and Bill Frielingsdorf represented the Peloton-Specialized Cycling Team at the Bicycle Tour of Colorado which is a 6-7 day tour that takes place every June.
 (L-R) Bruce Runnels, Scott Ellis, and Bill Frielingsdorf sporting the team colors as they enter New Mexico on Day 3 of the Bicycle Tour of Colorado The Tour takes cyclists on a different route each year, but always includes a few challenging passes and showcases Colorado’s spectacular scenery. This year’s 470+ mile loop started and ended in Gunnison, and included overnight stays in Creede, Alamosa, Chama NM, Pagosa Springs, and Center.
 The brochure with route and elevation for the 2010 BTC. (Click image to enlarge in new window). The shortest day of the tour consisted of 50 miles, while the longest day was 106 miles. Passes included Slumgullion (11,361’), Spring Creek (10,901’), La Manga (10,320’), Cumbres (10,022’), Wolf Creek (10,850’)and North Cochotopa (10,149’). This was the 16th year for the tour.
Team Peloton-Specialized was represented at the Mountain States Cup #4 Wildflower Rush on June 26, 2010, in Crested Butte by riders Greg Scanlan and Jim Fu.  Crested Butte sits at 8924' and its namesake mountain peaks at 12162'. Photo: Devon Balet/MountainFlyer It was both riders’ first time in Crested Butte, for which the Fat Tire 40 XC race provided Greg and Jim quite the introduction to its epic reputation.  A racer's eye-view of some of the Fat Tire 40 course scenery. Photo: Tim Gillies/PreRace.com The course spanned 40.4 miles with nearly 8000′ of climbing all happening between 11000′ and 12500′. As spectacular as it was brutal, the Fat Tire 40 was characterized by Greg as “perhaps the hardest effort of the season so far, with the highest race altitude I have ever competed at.” That’s saying a lot coming from Greg, who is an experienced powerhouse rider and all-around athlete. Greg rode his Specialized S-Works Epic running Specialized Renegade tires front and rear. He adds, “I had a great day, my legs were there. Great event and course!”
 Greg Scanlan seeking a line... and some oxygen molecules. Photo: Tim Gillies/PreRace.com For Jim, who in July will be anniversarying his first year of racing, the Fat Tire 40 was a “monumental experience-building and conditioning” venue. “Comprehending a course profile versus actually riding it at elevation and race-pace are two different things, and I just took things as they came, as a big training race,” recalls Jim of his race plan. Jim rode the Specialized Stumpjumper Expert Carbon 29 and ran Specialized The Captain tires in front and back. ”Seeing Greg before the race, and knowing he was out there with me was a great source of motivation, particularly after witnessing several gnarly crashes happen right in front of me which claimed at least one pro and left another rider with some pretty severe facial injuries.”  Jim Fu dances on the pedals threading the aspens. Photo: Tim Gillies/PreRace.com As for results, Greg finished 7th in the Men’s Cat 1 40-49 with a time of 4:32:22, while Jim placed 35th in the “Wildcat” (non-MSC scoring) division with a time of 5:27:41. Both sense great achievement from participating in this excellent event for their first time, especially in light of a DNF rate claiming 1/3 of racers who started that morning. For more coverage and photos of this event, see MountainFlyer and PreRace.com featuring photography and commentary by Devon Balet and Tim Gillies.
The colors of Team Peloton-Specialized have been proudly flying at the CU Boulder Cycling Short Track series, with Jim Fu having raced during the last two weeks.  Photo: Yuki Saito
While Short Track is not normally Jim’s “thing” as an endurance racer, the camaraderie and opportunity to represent the Team at a venue which commingles pros, kids, and ardent enthusiasts makes the 1.5 hour drive for 30 minutes of redlining over twisty hardscrabble still a most worthwhile venture. It’s a great workout, and a great time. The CU Boulder Short Track series is held every Wednesday night until August 11 at the CU Research Park off Discovery Drive. Congratulations to Greg Scanlan for a 6th place finish in the SM35+3 category in this past weekend’s Niwot Criterium.
With a time of 49:59:97, Team Peloton-Specialized’s time-trials master Mike Williams secured the 45+ Colorado State Individual Time Trial Champion title. Mike’s achievement is all the more impressive considering the extraordinary pool of talent and level of competition among the Colorado cycling landscape. We’re very proud of Mike – please join us in congratulating him for this well-deserved win! More on the discipline of individual time trials.
UPDATE: Team Type 1, under whose auspices Peloton-Specialized teammate Dustin Folger has been riding the RAAM Ride Across America, has finished first in the team competition! Dustin briefly recaps some of his experience in the video below at 1:35:
Check back for more updates as they arise. Originally posted 6/12/10: Follow the blog of Dustin Folger, our teammate, all-around good guy, and team shop liaison for Peloton Cycles, as Dustin races in the multi-day Race Across America (RAAM).
 The unmistakable silhouette of Dustin Folger On this race Dustin is riding for Team Type 1, a team of cyclists who, in addition to negotiating the rigors typically encountered in competitive cycling, are further distinguished by their overcoming the special considerations presented by diabetes. Team Type 1′s goal is to complete this year’s race in 5 days and 2 hours. We wish Dustin, his teammates, and all of the other participants and supporters a safe and successful event!
Among the cruel ironies in cycling is that as you spend more time improving your fitness and skills on the saddle, the odds become increasingly inevitable that you’re going to fall off of it, with the corollary that the faster you are, the more you’re going to hurt. Here are some tips* based on MayoClinic.com to help quell the oozing tattoos of velocity that are the source of stuck garments and spotted bedsheets. Stop the bleeding. Minor cuts and scrapes usually stop bleeding on their own. If they don’t, apply gentle pressure with a clean cloth or bandage. Hold the pressure continuously for 20 to 30 minutes and if possible elevate the wound. Don’t keep checking to see if the bleeding has stopped because this may damage or dislodge the clot that’s forming and cause bleeding to resume. If blood spurts or continues flowing after continuous pressure, seek medical assistance. Clean the wound. Rinse out the wound with clear water. Soap can irritate the wound, so try to keep it out of the actual wound. If dirt or debris remains in the wound after washing, use tweezers cleaned with alcohol to remove the particles. If debris still remains, see your doctor. Thorough cleaning reduces the risk of infection and tetanus, and helps promote healing and minimize scarring. To clean the area around the wound, use soap and a washcloth. There’s no need to use hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, iodine, or an iodine-containing cleanser, especially as some of these agents are destructive to tissue and can lead to scarring.
 A commonly available hydrocolloid bandage Change the dressing. Unless you are using a hydrocolloid bandage which is intended to be worn for several days at a time, change the dressing at least daily or whenever it becomes wet or dirty. If you’re allergic to the adhesive used in most bandages, switch to adhesive-free dressings or sterile gauze held in place with paper tape, gauze roll, or a loosely applied elastic bandage. These supplies generally are available at pharmacies. *The tips above are not intended to preclude seeking or following professional medical direction in the treatment of injury. Always promptly seek professional medical attention when needed. |
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