PINK RIDES RAGBRAI

This photo also shows several non-pink ladies who obviously are considering the offer of a team beer to join the pink team next year!

On Wednesday, the Pink Team gathered at the coffee shop in Clear Lake to head out on a day's journey across Iowa. Many of the team members were already doing the full week of RAGBRAI while others traveled up to ride for the day. It was a strong showing of 20 or so pink that traveled to Charles City. As Wednesdays are often group fun ride, this just added to a memorable summer of fun rides. The many training rides to Cumming Tap, Jasper Winery and Rendezvous Bar proved to be excellent training for this day of RAGBRAI.

VELOROSA BUILDS A BIKE FOR DESERVING YOUTH

The Pink Team answered a call to build a bike for a worthy young man who is riding for tranportation and also for his first RAGBRAI. As usual, many offers were made with parts, money and help. What a great team project. Here is the summary of how it ended up:

Kim H., who put out the initial plea, reported that there were many offers of bikes, parts, money and support. Once again the ladies repsonded with a great showing of community support.

Mike was able to find a Cannondale frame. Angie B. gave up some sweet Shimano 105 components and carbon seat post with saddle. Ernie Fisher did the build. The bike was presented to Zach this past Thursday. Mike reports that Zach was super excited.

Zach is riding RAGBRAI with Dream Team. So if you see him with his cool yellow bike and a helmet with a raccoon tail, be sure to holler out: "Sweet ride, Zach!"

VeloRosa ladies: JOB WELL DONE!

Your Roving Bike Reporter,

Luanne

Dee Races Single Speed at RLG

Dee and Lee celebrate Lee's last race of the year with TEAM VELOROSA BEER!!!

It was a hot and muggy night................wait that is from a PEANUTS cartoon or something. But it was hot at RLG Thursday night. Once again as Lee was telling Dee how she was going to smoke her, Dee revealed she would be racing single gear. Lee gave up right there as HOW could she compete with THAT advantage. Dee turned in a stellar performance regardless of the limited capacity of her bike.

In the first race, the field still expected Dee to pull them along. The lead group broke away with Dee and Lee in the second pack. With the encouragement of Dave, Lee broke from her wheel and got in front of Dee to pull for part of the lap. According to Dee, "Lee pulled me back to the lead pack." With the domestique duties out of the way, Lee faded back wondering where she left her lungs. Lee did hang on to overtake another lady for the finish.

The second race was such that the winner of each of the 5 laps dropped out. Dee used her exceptional skills to lead the first lap and get out of the race. Lee raced hard but was not able to over the leader for the 5th place lap win.

Both of these fine VeloRosa ladies took the rest of the night off to sample VeloRosa Team beer and recruit. Lee failed in her recruitment pitch of, "We have a team beer", but the green ladies had fun listening to it. So no new recruits but an overall fun time.

Several other biking folks, including the soon to be newly-weds, did share in the fine beer and offered to help brew the next batch while Lee is recuperating.

Stay tuned for the next team bike night from WDM. Be safe on RAGBRAI!!!


Your roving bike reporter,

Luanne

DUBUQUE DUATHON

Last Saturday a group of energetic athletes arrived in Dubuque with the goal of mastering a run/bike/run race. While there is no swimming, which for some is a blessing and for others is a curse, there are distances to cover at 1.2/17/3 miles. Melinda Reese took the challenge and represented the Pink Team in fine fashion finishing in 1:46:36. Congrats to Melinda for doing the Pink proud!

Your roving race reporter,

Luanne

Big Creek Road Race, Saturday, August 21st

Directions: Race start and registration is north of Polk City, Iowa on the East side of Big Creek lake in the parking lot near the corner of Big Creek State Park Road and NW 142nd Street.

Pre Registration: Register early and save money! Online registration is $23 at www.bikeiowa.com before
midnight on Thurs, August 19th. (additional $2 registration fee goes toward supporting BikeIowa.com)

Race day registration: Registration is $30 on race day. Open from 7:30 am - 8:30 am.

For more information go to: http://www.bikeiowa.com

Scott County Mountain Bike Race

The Scott County Mountain Bike Race took place this last weekend.

VeloRosa's own, Elaine, finished third in her age group . The challenging course lasted 181miles. Even through the heat and humidity she held on to claim third.

Congrats to Elaine on her fine race.

Your Roving Race Reporter,

Luanne

VELOROSA SWEEPS IOWA GAMES MOUNTAIN BIKE RACE

A hot and muggy morning greeted the participants at the Iowa Games race at Peterson Pits north of Ames. The Novice race was two laps of 5 miles each, for as accurate as a mountain bike distance can be measured.

The course had flat grassy areas that lured the riders into the view that it would be a relatively easy race. However, the great sand beach that appeared was just a preview of what the course actually entailed. The course held rolling hills, mud, bridges and jumps, a water hazard, heavily-rooted climbs and steep descents. Then back out into the blazing sun, a bit of gravel road and on to lap 2.


The overall women's winner is VeloRosa racer Julie S in 1:01:06. Julie is working on getting back into racing and proved her mettle in this race. She declined a post-race comment but had a great big smile. Lee came in second overall at 1:10;47 in just her second mountain bike race. She opined that sand is much softer to fall on than rocks and roots. Both of our ladies took home age group honors and scored Gold Medals!

Your roving race reporter,

Luanne

IOWA CUP POINTS RACE--GO DEE!

The Iowa Cup Cat 4 Women's race has been very close all season. The level of competition has been very high all year with several women on the cusp of moving up to the Cat 1/2/3 level.

VeloRosa's own Dee Mable is currently the points leader. She is duking it out with Cara H. who is with the Iowa City Cylcing Club. There have been many sprint-to-the-finish endings for these two gals. With three races remaining, it will be a fight to the end.

Two of these races take place right near Des Moines with VeloRosa's own Road Race on Saturday, August 21 and the East Village Crit on the 22nd. Last year's East Village Crit was the deciding factor in the final 2009 standings.

So get your cowbell, cooler and lawn chair and come out and cheer on our teammates! Or get your helmet and bike and join in the racing.

Luanne

Tunnel Ride

Several of the ladies gathered for an evening of riding and took part in the Tunnel Ride. Beth enjoyed her first mountain biking ride as she joined Kim, Karolyn and Lee for a quick tour of Hillside. The mosquitoes won that battle and the ladies headed to the pool for a quick wash up (no one wants poison ivy rash for RAGBRAI) before continuing to Orlondo's. Laura and Angie were already there warming up for the ride to The Cumming Tap.

What an outstanding showing for the Iowa biking community. The grass lot overflowed with riders and beverages. Some awesome pizza slices were quickly devoured and then it was time to head south.

The team members split up at the first tunnel and the lean-to. Music blared, stories were shared and lots of laughter ensued. At last it was time to make haste and get on with the grueling ride to Cumming.

Everyone arrived safely at the Tap and enjoyed adult lemonades and cold barley and hops. The place oozed biking and friendliness. If you left the night with no fewer than 10 new friends, something was greatly amiss. The storm that blew in moved everyone inside but did not diminish the fun.

If you have not done a Cumming Tap ride, grab a teammate and get on it. It is a unique and thrilling adventure.

Stay tuned for news from next Wednesday's Steak Ride. Rumor has it that Dee may find her favorite beverage as she was literally locked out last time.

Iowa Games Tri

On Sunday, July 11, Erika dove into the water to conquer her second Tri at the Iowa Games Tri. This is a sprint distance Tri with competitors of all levels. The weather was not very cooperative with rain and some wind.

Erika turned in a PR shaving 30 minutes off of her time at the Bluff Creek Tri!

Congrats to Erika on this fine race.

Luanne

Clear Lake Races

The weekend saw Dee Mable, Joann Schmidt and Lee Buell head north for a weekend of crit and road racing in Clear Lake. Saturday’s crit was full of action.
Racing in the Cat 4, Dee, Joann and Lee all took off strong. Dee took the lead of the pack and raced hard around the many turns and a strong head wind. Lee road off of Joann’s wheel and even took one turn at pulling, which was a major improvement for her. The mid-race highlight was a race for the Prem among three mid-pack ladies. Lee and Joann did an all out sprint for two blocks for the valued prize. Joann nipped Lee at the line by the width of a tire. In the meantime, Dee kept up at the front of the pack and finished strong with a 2nd place showing. Joann took 7th and Lee took 8th. The VeloRosa ladies did snag all of the Prems with Dee getting 2 and Joann 1.

Dee liked her strong performance and, with the egging-on of her beer-drinking teammates, took on the challenge of the course again for the Cat 1/2/3 race. She raced strong for the full 40 minutes but was unable to hold with the fastest lady around, Lisa V., who had just raced very well in the men’s race that preceded the women’s.

The team awoke to thunder and rain on Sunday. Dee and Joann embarked on the 42-mile road race along with our guy, Dave Mable. Dave rode well in his Master’s 40+ group for a 4th place finish. Dee and Joann led the pack for many of the 42 miles. Dee took second and Joann got flat out robbed. Lee drank some coffee and came to the finish line to cheer them on.

Overall it was a fun racing weekend with great music, food and a rocking fire including S’mores! Thanks to Joe for being our race crew and getting all of our bikes ready so we could concentrate on race tactics and bathroom runs!

Stay tuned for the next bike and beer night as the keg is not dead yet.

Luanne :)