SONYA LOONEY SHOWS YOU HOW TO EXECUTE YOUR FIRST BIG RIDE

Need help executing that first long mountain bike ride or race?  Topeak-Ergon team rider, Sonya Looney spills the beans.  Click the red arrow to read the full article!

PHOTO SHOOTING

Here is a select sampling of the photos taken back in April at the Sea Otter Classic in California.

KURSCHAT TAKES WIN

The third race of the German National Series (Bundesliga) took place this last weekend in Heubach.  Once again, fans were delighted to see a double podium, with Kurschat grabbing the headlines.

Riding on his 34th birthday, his birthday wish came true.  The former German Champion knew that it was a field of strong contenders, with the arguably the World’s best rider competing – Julian Absalon.  He was the man to watch, and even with a good start, by the end of the long descent the Frenchman riding for team Orbea had a small lead.  Kurschat was able to close this gap on the climbs however, and by the fifth lap he managed to pull away from him.  There remained five laps to go, and with Kurschat’s form, he was able to keep everything smooth and perfect, building a two minute lead that he took to the finish line, beating the Olympic champion.

“It was a perfect race, and a great birthday present.  The rain prior to the race had made the going tough.  It wasn’t easy out there” an elated Kurschat said at the end of the race.

For the women’s race,  was pleased about the conditions.  She always enjoys a good mud bath, and this was no exception.  A solid performance saw her take second place behind Elisabeth Osl (Team Central Ghost).  “I rode my own race, as I am preparing for Madrid next weekend”.  The Russian started well, but dropped down to fifth before pushing forward again.  The second place finish, between Osl and Nathalie Schneitter (Switzerland) was respectable for the former World Champion.

For Robert Mennen, also riding in the Elite field, it was less of a good day.  Stomach problems meant that he had to drop out during the first lap.  The problems had been with him all week, and it was only determination that brought him to the start line at all.

GERMAN CYCLIST OF THE MONTH – WOLFRAM KURSCHAT

Cyclist of the month – Team Topeak Ergon’s Wolfram Kurschat

In a monthly vote on the popular German web portal, rad-net.de – a site covering everything cycle racing for German language users – Wolfram has won the title of cyclist of the month.

His 26.4% of the vote saw him beat the road cyclist Heinrich Haussler (Cervelo Test Team) and Junior MTB rider Mona Eiberweiser (SKS MIG Team).  “It’s cool.  I mean if you compare mountain biking to other type of professional cycling, it is clear that the credibility has gone up in the last 10 years.  It’s a real honour to be voted for by the public as a professional cyclist”, Wolfram responded when asked about what it means to him.  It is clear that his two World Cup Podium silvers this year, have not escaped anyone’s attention.

This Sunday will see the father of three competing an the Heubach Bundesliga (National Series) race.  He will be celebrating his birthday on the day too, turning 34.  The race is set to attract many World Cup riders, who will be there not only for the Bundesliga points, but also the UCI overall points that are on offer.  Team Topeak Ergon’s Irina Kalentieva and Robert Mennen will also be at the start.  For Irina, this is her local race, as it is only a few miles from her home.

All in all, it is set to be a good weekend.  A challenging 4.7km loop will see the riders tested.  A climb gaining 170 meters in height, and a demanding downhill will leave either a huge grin or tears on people’s faces.

NUUN- FEED THE MACHINE ADVENTURE RACING TEAM SOUNDS OFF ON ERGON

Click the image for the full review from this top North American adventure racing team.

FRIDAY! FRIDAY! FRIDAY!

Hey you, rider from Colorado!  Click the image and get the ‘klinik’ details.  Future dates are being planned outside of these dates.  Stay tuned!

HARLAN PRICE SPILLS THE BEANS

Ergon sponsored riders spills the beans on his race bike….including his Ergon GX1 grips.  Click image to view the video!

DAVE & LEADVILLE 100: A RACE TO WATCH

Velonews recently rated Dave Wiens racing for win number 7 at the Leadville 100 one of the top cycling stories to watch for the 2009 season.  You can read about it an other stories in the latest issue of Velonews.