KENDA PRO CYCLING

Hot off the press!
It’s a little bit late to be announcing the good news, as its been on cyclingnews.com for a few weeks, but I wanted to get my contract sorted out and turned in before I got too excited and started posting. All that’s done, checks in the mail, cats outta the bag, I got a pro contract! Here is the official press release:


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Kenda Pro Cycling p/b Spinergy Debuts Industry-Supported, All-American UCI Team
COLUMBUS, Ohio (October 3, 2008) – A new UCI Continental Pro Team is set to debut in 2009! The team formerly known as Team Inferno has become Kenda Pro Cycling presented by Spinergy for 2009 and beyond, signing a talented roster to challenge the domestic road racing scene on all fronts.
While primarily a criterium team with international fire power in 2007 and 2008, the team’s management, cast of sponsors and financial backers have unanimously opted for something unique: a purely industry-supported and American-driven professional team. This means not only a 100% American roster, but all staff are US citizens as well.
“This has been a long and challenging road, but we could not be happier with the idea, or the final product!” said team Director, Chad Thompson. “We have spent 4 years learning, 4 years building and 4 years networking to make a truly special program. And, this was not all Inferno Racing’s design. Stefano Lumbaca of Kenda actually contacted us with the idea and it simply took off from there!”
While the program will miss its international contingent dearly, the concept is one that Inferno believes is important. Many teams have collapsed in this pained economy and as such, fewer teams will exist domestically in 2009. This means American racers will be without a home, and to have talented racers from abroad take the few openings that remain simply is not in the best interests of American cycling. This sport is experiencing resurgence in America, and Kenda Pro Cycling p/b Spinergy aims to have Americans at the helm.
With the addition of long-time sponsor Spinergy as the presenting sponsor, the team finds itself in the unique position of being the only domestic team backed entirely by bicycle industry support. “Apart from the newly announced Cervelo Test Team, which is a Pro Tour team, we are the only other professional team of its kind that I know of. And, we are a single citizenship team. This means our entire roster can line-up at our National Championship races!” stated Thompson.
While most sponsors have returned for 2009 through 2011, some new partners have joined to support the team in the domestic peloton and to adjust their sights on races such as the Tour de Georgia and the Tour of Missouri. Team assistant manager/rider, Remi McManus exclaimed, “There is no doubt in my mind that this team will turn heads in 2009 and that every team backer, fan and fellow competitor will be impressed!”
While the team’s complete sponsor and supporter details are to be released in the very near future, the roster has been finalized with all riders putting the ink to paper shortly after Interbike.
2009 Kenda Pro Cycling p/b Spinergy roster:
Professional – Chad Burdzilauskas, Jaime Gandara, Bennet van der Genugten, Remi McManus, Benjamin Renkema, Jacob Rytlewski, Tyler Stanfield, Timothy Swain, Scottie Weiss, Matthew Winstead.
Elite – Marco Aledia, James Baldesare, Jeffrey Braumberger, Ryan Gamm, Richard Harper, Ryan Rish, Russell Stevenson, Chadwick Thompson.
Team updates are available at www.kendaprocycling.com or www.infernoracing.org and in any issue of ROAD Magazine!


Now that this is all sorted out, I feel like there is a monkey off my back and I can really put my mental energy into my studies and my training, both of which have been suffering quite a bit in the chaos of post-season changes.
Our race schedule is in the process of being ironed out at the moment, but most definately I will be in bigger/harder/longer/sweeter races this year, and will need to get going on the training to be prepared.
Good news travels fast, and I have already gotten a ton of emails and calls of congratulations, so thanks everybody for celebrating with me. I also want to say thank you to all of the folks who believed in me and supported me for the bad times too- here is a top 10:

1. getting dropped like a stone at Toona on stage 2 of 7, taking the grey-dog home and leaving my bike with Mike Busa with no intention of ever touching it again.
2. getting mono
3. breaking my ribs
4. breaking my tailbone
5. overtraining
6. being broke and eating oats 3x a day
7. eating dogfood on accident for 2 weeks
8. getting dropped like a stone at..... (fill in the blanks!)
9. posting up a victory salute too early and getting pipped on the line!
10. sleeping in a van, down by the river, getting busted by the cops and having to go wait from 4am to the start of a race at 12.

those are some of my favorites for sure, anyone care to add to this illustrious list or want to share one of their own? Coming up I am getting my wisdom teeth removed (my insurance runs out when I graduate) and then lots of one on one time out on the roads with DJ scooter and my new favorite Norwegian metal band, Lordi!

Yeah Jason!

My first close friend, Jason Williams, got married this weekend in Winston-Salem NC, and my first real wedding experience is in the bag. It was an absolute blast, I arrived a few days early and hung out with Jason, his family and new wife, Morgan, and helped set up the wedding – hanging lights, beer runs and putting together the arbor for the marriage. In the wedding itself I was one of two ushers, which was a big honor. I had really no idea what that entailed until the practice dinner, and I learned I was escorting Jason’s grandmothers and all the other wedding guests down the isle! Everything went super smooth and I very much enjoyed being able to do that. Once the ceremony finished my only job was to dance poorly, and for those who have witnessed this before, know that I did this job to perfection. Thanks again to my southern family for a great weekend, and congratulations Jason and Morgan!

Fall

The pace of life has slowed down a little, as you can see here. I'm taking time now to relax and enjoy the fall before the chaos of finals rears it's head, I drove up with Elicia to her folks cabin deep in the woods and did some fishing, a little riding, and a lot of sleeping. It is so striking to leave a city and go into an area where your nearest neighbor is through the woods, and the nearest highway is miles away. You forget how used to the noise of traffic, sirens and "drive by krunkings" (or when cars go by with terrible loud music blasting) until you get into a place where the only noises you hear at night are the grunts of deer and the wind through the trees.

We carved up some pumpkins as well, I tried to go for a sort of halloween black cat, but it ended up looking like a rat. I'm back in Indy now, and was ushered in by the usual sights and sounds - and I just want to go back into the woods for a while! Stick me on a boat with a fishing pole, or in front of a pile of wood with an axe and I'll be just fine.

"A" for effort

I continue my off season relaxation with a rousing game of flag football between "the rock and roll clowns" .. better known as my skinny team mates, vs. some other dudes who didnt have a sweet made up team name. The clowns put up a good fight, but in the end the other dudes put us away 32-22, a good job for some go-hard-turn-left guys. I sat out the match, it was hard not getting out there to help the team, but the risk of injury is a little too high, there have already been a number of sprains and a broken nose.

I also spent a little time in Bloomington over the weekend doing a little riding and hanging out with friends and family. Already at the halfway point in the semester and grades are looking reasonable, so graduation is still on schedule. Go Clowns!