She Cycles by the Seashore

U.S. Open Cycling Championships & Tina Pic

Did you get to see the U.S. Open Cycling Championships on NBC last Saturday? Wasn't it amazing to see pro cycling on regular network TV? I hope that the ratings were good, and that NBC and the other networks will offer more cycling races to viewers in the future. I for one would love to see our Tour of California and Tour of Georgia given the TV fanfare of the NFL, MLB, or NBA.

One thing viewers might not know is that there was a women's race as well. The 27-mile circuit race was won by Tina Pic, of Colavita Sutter-Home. You can read about the race details here, if you scroll down to the bottom of the article. It's sad but frustrating that the men's prize was 3-4 times more than that for the women's race.

Tina is a four-time U.S. National Criterium Champion, in addition to her other accomplishments. What I love most about her is that she is 41 years old this year, and at the top of her race. She exemplifies the  adage "getting older, getting better," and is such an example to all of us that you're never too old to ride and race. And win!

Here is a January 2006 interview with Tina in Cycling News. Velo News has also promised an interview with her in their upcoming April 23 issue as well. Here is her bio on the Colavita Sutter-Home website.

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Two quick notes: First, I wanted to thank Natalie for her comments left on this site, and to let her know that when I try to reply, I can't seem to get the email to go through. I am sorry about that, and hope that you will still continue to visit and share your opinions with us.

Second, I apologize for the lack of riding content lately. Our New England weather has been so disappointing this spring, unusually cold temperatures and nasty winds. We had a fierce downpour this morning, and another nasty storm (not sure yet if it's rain or snow!) is predicted for Sunday. As the riders in last Saturday's snowy U.S. Open will attest, it's been difficult to get out to ride.

My goal for this site, in addition to the cycling news, is to share ride photos and experiences as I train for a century in September. As it is, I'm starting to worry about the first major ride, the NYC Five Boro, which will be on May 7. It's 40 miles, and I've had almost no training in the past two weeks. So I ask your patience with these text-heavy posts, and promise some good photos and ride descriptions as soon as nature cooperates.

Stay upright! Debby

Kristin Armstrong & Laura Van Gilder

Kristin Armstrong and Laura Van Gilder were both a part of TEAm Lipton, the first national pro women's team that I had seen race last summer. Kristin Armstrong has continued with TEAm Lipton this year, though Laura Van Gilder has become captain of Cheerwine. This week's "support your sisters" cycling biography will introduce us to both riders.

Kristin Armstrong was born in 1973, and spent her childhood in various states and countries, due to her father's position in the military. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sports Physiology from the University of Idaho. She became interested in cycling when, training as a triathlete, she was diagnosed with osteoarthritis and had to stop running.

In 2002, she was part of the US national T-Mobile team. From 2003-2005, she became part of the T-Mobile Professional Women's team, and in 2004 was the US National Road Race Women's Champion. In 2005 & 2006, she was the US National Women's Time Trial Champion. In 2005, she won a bronze medal at the World's Time Trial Championships, and won the gold medal in 2006. 2006 was also the year Kristin joined TEAm Lipton, and won 1st place in the Nature Valley Grand Prix.

Kristin has remained with TEAm Lipton, now in its second year, and has her eye on the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Having been the 8th place finisher, and the top US finisher, in the women's road race in Athens at the 2004 Summer Olympics, there is no doubt she is going to succeed there too. If you'd like to know more about Kristin, there is a lengthy interview with her in the Jan/Feb 2007 issue of Road magazine. And no, she's no relation to the Other Armstrong in cycling.

Born in 1964, Laura Van Gilder attended college in East Stroudsburg, PA, earning two degrees in hospitality and hotel management. While working in her family's business, she took up cycling, and rode in her local MS150. She soon turned her sights to racing, and with over 300 wins, she has become one of America's top female sprinters. She also won the Nature Valley Grand Prix in 2002. She has been a member of various teams, and is currently a team captain of Cheerwine, along with Catherine Snell Cheatley of New Zealand. A two hands-off-the-handlebars salute to team owner Anne Bolyea for her creation of the team in 2002, and continuing support of women's cycling. Cheerwine's 2007 racing schedule can be found here.

*Please note that media coverage regarding some of the pro women racers and their teams is very spotty; in this case, the TEAm Lipton site has yet to be updated for 2007, and it looks like the Cheerwine site is still in progress. Some riders have their own blogs and websites, but others do not. Some have been interviewed recently in cycling magazines, but again, others have not. If anyone has updated information they'd like to contribute to these biographies, please leave me a note in the comments, and I'll be happy to include it.

*For a USA Cycling weekly update for Feb 28-March 6, with results of recent women's races, click here.

*Lastly, I want to draw attention to the Tour de Pink. Yes, it's my favorite color, and yes, the main sponsor is Hershey's/York, responsible for my current Peppermint Patty addiction. It was while purchasing a bag of these that I noticed the pink foil wrappers instead of the usual silver ones. I learned they were sponsors of the charity ride to support the Young Survival Coalition, a group that assists young women with breast cancer. Please click on over and consider joining the ride, or sponsoring a rider, or making a general donation. Email Hershey's/York and tell them how wonderful they are to support women who are fighting a terrible disease. If ever we are to encourage our cycling sisters, this is the time and the event in which to do it.

Amber Neben

My first "support your cycling sisters" biography of a pro female racer will be Amber Neben. She is currently on Team Flexpoint, based in the Netherlands.

Amber was born and raised in California. A runner while in high school and college, she became a cyclist after she graduated from the University of Nebraska, and began attending the University of California at Irvine for her master's degree. She had to give up running after an injury, and turned to mountain biking. She also did some road riding on the side. Amber began racing in 1997, and in 2001, she won a stage of the Women's Challenge. After that, she devoted herself to road racing, and was on the Road World Championship team in 2001 and 2002.

In 2005 and 2006, Amber won the Tour de l'Aude. She is currently training for her next race, the 2007 Redlands Cycling Classic in California, March 22-25.

If you'd like to learn more about Amber, you can visit her personal blog. You can see a photo of her, and meet the other members of her team, on their website (be sure to click on the British flag on the right for the English translation). There is also an in-depth interview with her in the October 2006 issue of Road magazine (the yellow issue, with Floyd on the front). Good luck at Redlands, Amber!