Elite Team News

Fisk wins Air Force Academy Road Race, Peltonen takes CSU Crit

Vitamin Cottage Cycling Team — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 09:45:00 GMT

For the second year in a row Beth Fisk won the women's pro-1-2 Air Force Academy Road Race on Sunday April 18 in Colorado Springs. After a cold, foggy and late start the race was underway. A break formed on the second lap when Fisk attacked on the start/finish hill. In the break was Fisk with Colavita Baci team member Susannah Gordon. Behind the break NGXP teammates Sharon Allpress and Renee Eastman were coving attacks and policing the chase group. Fisk and teammate Eastman emerged from the cold and fog of the spring morning to finish first and fourth for the Natural Grocers presented by XP Companies squad.

In other early season race news, new recruit Garrett Peltonen took out the win at the CSU oval criterium. Peltonen joined an early breakaway that stayed away the entire race. With the field closing in late in the race, Peltonen was able to hold on for the win.

Garrett Peltonen

Natural Grocers riders Lisa Strong and Bill Kellagher take State CX Championship

Vitamin Cottage Cycling Team — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 07:24:00 GMT

Dec. 5 , 2009 - Lisa Strong won the women’s elite cyclocross Championship held at the North Area Athletic complex in Arvada, CO. On a challenging technical course that featured many slippery off-camber sections, Strong led the race pretty much from start to finish as no one else could come up with the right combination of technical skills and horsepower to mount a challenge. Strong’s state championship victory caps a stellar cyclocross season with her results summarized as follows:

DATE	RACE	PL	CAT
2009	Best All-Around Cyclocross Rider (BCR)	2nd	SW Open
12/05/2009	Colorado Veldrijden Crusade Colorado CX Championships	1st	SW Open
11/29/2009	RRV Cross Series	2nd	SW Open
11/28/2009	Alpha Cross #2	3rd	SW Open
11/22/2009	Green Mountain Sports Cross	1st	SW Open
11/01/2009	NACT – UCI Boulder Cup	8th	SW Open
10/31/2009	NACT – UCI Blue Sky Velo Cup	10th	SW Open
10/25/2009	USGP – UCI Kentucky day 2	16th	SW Open
10/18/2009	RRV Cross Series	2nd	SW Open
10/17/2009	Valmont Bike Park Ground Breaking Cross	3rd	SW Open
10/11/2009	Boulder CX Series #2	1st	SW Open
10/04/2009	Frisco Cyclocross	1st	SW Open
09/26/2009	Boulder CX Series #1	1st	SW Open
09/13/2009	VeloCross	3rd	SW Open

http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/blue-sky-velo-cup-c2/elite-women/photos/94042

Other State Cyclocross Championship news: Kirsten Williams took second in the junior Women’s 13-14 category and Bill Kellagher won the Senior Men 55+ state championship. Great job to Kirsten, Bill and Lisa.

Tarkington takes Primal/Hart Criterium

Vitamin Cottage Cycling Team — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 04:42:00 GMT

8.23.09 - For the second time in his racing career, Natural Grocers rider Jon Tarkington won the pro-1-2 Primal/Hart Criterium located in the suburban office park district south of Denver. Tarkington last won the race back in 2005. The 1.4-mile course features a stiff little climb and about 100 feet of elevation gain per lap. The repeated efforts required by the climb coupled with close to 100-degree temperatures made for a lethargic race. Breaks went away and slowly came back throughout the race. Eventually, the collective will of the field ran out of gas for the chase and Tarkington went away in a group that included teammate Joe Taddeucci. With two men in the break, Tarkington struck first with two laps to go. The move drew out Dan Porter (Rio Grande Racing) who also had teammate Logan Garey in the break. The race came down to a three-man sprint with Tarkington taking the win ahead of Porter and Eric Jones (unattached).

Tarkington pictured here with Janez Brakovic (Astana) and teammates Baker and Friel

Eastman wins Vic's Espresso Criterium

Vitamin Cottage Cycling Team — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 09:09:00 GMT

August 8, 2009 - Renee Eastman (Natural Grocers pb XP Companies) won the women’s pro-1-2 Vic’s Espresso Criterium in Prospect, Colorado. Eastman won the race out of a two-rider break that formed out of a larger group about halfway through the race. Eastman attacked the original break on a prime lap and got away alone. Soon after, Meggan Hottman (DFT p/b TREADS) bridged up and between the two of them, they had enough teammates behind to control the chase. The finish was tight with a solo rider bridging up from the field in the closing laps, but the two stayed away until the end with Eastman winning the sprint.

NATURAL GROCERS RIDERS TAKE SALIDA OMNIUM

Vitamin Cottage Cycling Team — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 04:32:00 GMT

Natural Grocers riders Beth Fisk and Jonathon Baker won their respective titles in the Salida Omnium held over the July 31- August 2, 2009 weekend. The race was held in Salida, CO - elevation 7,100 ft. It consisted of an 8-mile out-and-back individual time trial, a demanding road race held on a 12-mile circuit that included 1,300 ft of climbing per lap, and finished with a technical figure-eight criterium in downtown Salida.

Fisk won the opening time trial 10 seconds ahead of second place finisher Ambre Levy (DFT p/b TREADS). Fisk’s teammate Maegan Daigler slotted in fifth 25 seconds back. Jonathon Baker took second in the men’s time trial aboard a new Blue Triad carbon time trial bike.

Fisk and Baker both finished third in the demanding road race stage. Baker benefitted from teammate Jon Tarkington getting in an early break with Seth Rubin (Subaru – Vista Auto). Tarkington and time trial extraordinaire Rubin took out a quick two minute lead on the field putting pressure on most of the other teams. The break eventually came back under the pressure of the race and Baker and a few other select riders moved forward to contest the win. In the end Darren Lill (Team Type 1) took the win ahead of Brad White (Ouch Maxxis) and Baker.

In the women’s criterium, Beth Fisk finished in eleventh with enough points for the overall Omnium title. Fisk’s high placing going into the stage provided an opportunity for her teammates to go for the breakaways and take points away from the other overall contenders. Maegan Daigler and Renee Eastman did a nice job of doing just that by taking 2nd and 5th respectively.

Similar tactics played out in the men’s race with Natural Grocers hoping to put numerous riders in the breaks to minimize the points available for Baker’s closest threats. The team came through putting three riders in two different breakaway groups ahead of a shattered main field. Despite a last corner crash, Baker retained enough points for the overall Omium title for a well deserved victory.

With the victory, Baker has virtually locked up the Tour of Colorado (see related velonews.com article). With an overall omnium victory, Natural Grocers rider Jason Anderson clinched the the men's category 3 Tour of Colorado.

Beth Fisk wins Bannock Criterium

Vitamin Cottage Cycling Team — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 04:23:00 GMT

The Bannock Criterium, one of Colorado’s longest running criteriums, was held on July 26, 2009. Beth Fisk took the victory in the women’s pro-1-2 race; her third time winning the event in the last four years. Fisk and her Natural Grocers teammate Jenna Allen were in a break of 7 for much of the race. With one lap to go it looked like it would all come back together as the field closed in on the break. But a few of the breakaway riders had other ideas and gave it one last surge. Fisk latched on eventually jumping ahead and handily outsprinting her breakaway partners by a sizeable margin.

Newsflash - Baker second at Truckee Criterium!

Vitamin Cottage Cycling Team — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 05:40:00 GMT

Natural Grocers pb XP Companies rider Jon Baker lapped the field with breakaway partner Chad Gerlach (Lifetime Fitness/VeloVie) in the opening stage of the Tour De Nez. Gerlach took the victory ahead of Baker. Click here for a complete Velonews.com article and race photos. The photos include some great shots of Jon Baker and teammate Dirk Friel in action as well as Baker on the podium.

Race Update - Natural Grocers Cycling Team Victorious in June

Vitamin Cottage Cycling Team — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 07:43:00 GMT

Beth Fisk, Maegan Daigler and Jon Baker (Natural Grocers pb XP Companies) have accumulated several victories so far in June of 2009. Beth Fisk started the tab in the women’s pro-1-2 race at the June 7 - Denver City Park Criterium. Fisk was delivered to the line via a perfect leadout from teammate Maegan Daigler. Fast forward a week and it was Daigler receiving a full-on team leadout from her Natural Grocers teammates, including Fisk, to win the Glenwood Springs Road Race, part of a three day omnium held from June 13-15. Fisk made another podium visit by taking second place in the Glenwood Springs Criterium, the third day of the Omnium.

In men’s racing, Jon Baker won the Glenwood Springs road race, criterium and the overall omnium. Baker took the road race with a solo move in the final kilometer following a race-long series of attacks by his Natural Grocers teammates. NGXP teammate Christian McCarthy was off the front for much of the race. Once caught by the lead group, Jon Tarkington countered, which set the table for Baker. The road race, which saw several Colorado based pro racers in the field, finished with Baker in first, Tarkington third and Dirk Friel fifth. Baker doubled up on Sunday in the criterium by lapping the entire field in commanding fashion. The NGXP boys swept the podium on Sunday with McCarthy in second and Tarkington in third.

The Glenwood Omnium proved to be a good test for the team’s equipment. Half of the road race took place on dirt roads with numerous potholes and the criterium included a winding descent with four tight ninety-degree turns. The Blue Competition Cycles – RC8’s and Rol Wheels nicely handled everything the courses dished out.

Next up, the men’s team races this weekend on the national stage in the Tour De Nez and Nevada City Classic races. They will have their hands full as Lance Armstrong, Chris Horner and Levi Leipheimer are rumored to be on hand for the Nevada City Classic.

Dirk Friel wins Deer Trail Road Race

Vitamin Cottage Cycling Team — Fri, 01 May 2009 05:53:00 GMT

Dirk Friel left his breakaway companions behind to take a solo pro-1-2 victory at the Deer Trail Road Race on Saturday, April 26. Located on the plains about 45 minutes east of Denver, the Deer Trail course is known for its relentless rolling hills and wide open exposure to the wind. The 2009 course required two laps of an L-shaped route. After a number of attacks and counter attacks a break of six, including Friel, formed after the first turnaround. The break gained about a minute on the field and then hovered there for the balance of the race. The hills and wind took their toll on a few of the riders in the break and thinned out the main field as well. With about 2K to go, Friel made one decisive attack and rode alone to the line.

Ross Berger (Rocky Mountain Elite) and Stefano Barberi took second and third. Finishing 5th and 10th respectively, Joe Pinkerton and Jon Tarkington rounded out a solid day for the Natural Grocers pb XP Companies squad. Renee Eastman finished second in the women's race behind former teammate Sharon Allpress (Value Act Capital).

Beth Fisk wins Air Force Academy Road Race

Vitamin Cottage Cycling Team — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Beth Fisk won the women's pro-1-2 Air Force Academy Road Race on Sunday April 19. After another Colorado spring snow storm tooks it toll on the weekend race calendar (4 out of a possible 5 Colorado races were cancelled), Fisk and teammate Renee Eastman emerged from the snowmelt to finish first and second for the Natural Grocers presented by XP Companies squad. The win would actually be Fisk's second of the year after she won an earlier Saturday training race in Highlands Ranch Colorado. In the men's race, Jonathon Baker's (Natural Grocers presented by XP Companies) first lap escape lasted the better part of 5 laps on the demanding 1986 World Championships course. It wasn't to be, however, and Phil Zaijeck (Fly V Australia) took the top honors on the day.