Lucky 7 :)   I had a great time in Wisconsin and so far it was the most organized National of the year in my opinion. The course had plenty of single track and also many places to pass but best of all were the tons of spectators cheering everyone through the whole course. I truly believe in the power of cheering and there is nothing better than that, so a BIG thank you to the Wisconsin crowd for a wonderful atmoshere:) We will be back for sure. 
    I'm really happy with my result. I tried to keep a steady hard tempo through the whole race and I was battling with Chloe Forsman for the first 3 laps. I loved the single track and that was my advantage for sure. I'm still working on my power so when on the last lap I saw Kelli Emmet and Kaitie Compton in the woods I had to ask myself " Am I in the right spot? " suprising myself... Saw Mike on the feed zone screaming and jumping around giving me more of that much needed power - I knew I had to push harder to catch Kelli. Even though I didn't catch her but I'm proud of my last lap which I gained quite a bit of time. I can't wait for the next race. 
     Mike had a good solid race with kind of bad luck with the final results which happens to him quite a bit on the important races...  :(  I almost think that he puts too much energy and effort into my races and kind of forgets about himself. Being in the feed zone running around and cheering me all morning in the heat takes away your energy. ... He got 32nd but it was listed as 36th.  Famous Seamus finished right behind after riding the whole race together which was great to see them together.  After the race we went immediatelky to our hotel to pick up our bike boxes and packed our bikes. We lost the "protest time" and we couldn't do anything about the wrong result. I guess it's good lesson for both of us but I'm still pretty upset about it. We sacrifice a lot for those trips and it would be nice to see an actual correct result posted. 
   After rewards we drove to Madison to stay with Linnea's family before our departure the next day. Thanks for Linnea, Zoey + her parents for letting us stay in their beautiful and comfy house. Great people and we hope to take care of them one day in Saratoga! You guys are welcome anytime.
    Linnea didn't have a good day but I think her time is coming. She is so dedicated and a really hard worker so I'm sure this will all pay off soon.  I know it.  Her friend Zoey finished her first race ever 2nd overall in the sport class on a single speed against the geared people.  Awesome result for her.  Bryna is showing great form , she got 14th- she loves her new 29er and she thinks it made her faster. I think she is faster :) but also there is nothing better that 29'' wheels. 
   
     Have a great time riding and hopefully to see you on the trails,
Aleks and Mike



     




  

   Made it to America's Dairyland with no trouble other then one broken bike box.  Not a big deal considering the amount of things that go wrong when you travel these days.  Seamus "Famous" Powell joined us this time around and he is a great travel companion.   Best of all he doesn't snore which is a good thing when sharing a room.  We have been able to pre-ride the course twice so far and we all decided the course is alot of fun and has a nice mix of climbing, singletrack, and technical sections.  The forcast was calling for rain which would make it interesting but I think its going to be hot and dry.  The race is also a bit later then usual with the women going off at 12:30pm and the men at 3:30pm.  Cross your fingers.  
 mike and Aleksandra in cheeseland
 

    The annual William's Lake race has been around for many years but we've never raced it.  Usually it's around Halloween time so my season is usually over by that time.  We've heard such great things about the race and now that Favata's Bike shop puts it on we decided it was one that had to be checked out.  We went down with Scotty, Stevo, and Mabel.  Luckily for us the super awesome Powell family watched Mabel while we raced.  It was hot and humid but overall a great race.  The limestone cave that I've heard about for years is really neat.  Its about 100yards long with candles lighting the way.  I looked forward to it every lap because the temp went from 85 to about 50.  The rest of the course was really fun with mostly singletrack and a couple of nice climbs.   Seamus won the pro men's race with me following behind for second and Aleksandra won the women's race.  Scotty and Stevo both did very well but I'm not sure how they did because the NYS series won't post the results until 2012.  We will definetely be back next year.
 mike and Aleksandra 

   Last Saturday we took a much needed break from racing. It was great to spend some time at home, sleep late and enjoy long mornings getting our fill of pancakes and coffee. The weekend started out pretty rainy but that didn't discourage the big turnout for the Great Demo event put on by our local club SMBA, short for Saratoga Mountain Bike Association.   The club put on a super event with plenty of food, drinks, friendly faces and best of all BIKES to beat on. HaHa just kidding.  Gary Fisher and Trek provided demo bikes which was a perfect time to check out how a bike rides that being in pouring rain and mud everywhere you go.  After  the ride we both agreed we liked the Superfly but not as much as our Bedfords.  Brian from Sigma and Steve the Happy Chain guy were also both there showing off their great products.   
  It was great to see everyone! Steve G did a great job on welcoming everyone.  Thanks for all the work, great food and atmosphere. You guys are the best!

See ya up there on the trails,
Happy riding,
Aleksandra & Mike

A super BIG thank you to the folks over at Saratoga Water for hooking us up with a season's supply of wonderful drinking water.  We normally buy their products regularly,  so having them as a sponsor is a big bonus for us.   We will be bringing cases to all of the regional races to hand out to people so if you see us hit us up for the world's best water.  Check them out:   www.saratogaspringwater.com

  Sunday was a great day for racing.  We made it out for the first time to the Domarski family ranch in Ware Mass for the 5th stop on the root 66 calendar.  It was a bit on the wet side with the usual New England style roots and rocks but with way more climbing then our normal sunday get togethers.  The course was 10miles in length with the pros and experts doing 2 laps.  I was excited because I like it when its wet and I like long courses especially.  One thing I forgot was maybe I should of changed my SoCal tires for a more sensible tread like a Farmer John or Dart/Smoke combo.  I was all over the place.  I was leading the first lap and bam down I went in the mud.  Luckily I was up and able to stay on the fast guy train of Justin, Seamus, and Adam until the second lap where I fell again in the same mud section.  This time the bars were heavily wrapped around everything and in need of adjustment.  It took me a bit to get going again and by that time I wasn't able to catch those guys, so a fourth place finish it was.    Aleksandra also had a great race winning the stacked womens field that started with the pro men.  She is not a big fan of the long laps but the technical muddy non stop fun made it all worth it.  She is starting to be more like me when it comes to mtb racing.  The more technical the better.  In the expert mens field Matty M keeps getting better and better.  He finished second this week with a rocking finishing time.  Also in racing news Bryna came in second with her new hot bike.  What a great weekend and thank you to Chris, Jill, and the Domarski Family.

see you on Bee

mike and Aleksandra

  To ALL : If you are interested in purchasing our Team Clothing - here is the opportunity! Verge is taking orders until June 12th and you can contact them directly. We will be so excited to see other riders with our team clothing and be assured that you will be wearing the most comfortable, best quality cycling kits made in Poland by VERGE. 

  Contact Kurt from Verge at kurt@vergesport.com   

    Thanks and hope to see you looking good next time:) 

Aleksandra & Mike