CCR | A Birmingham Cycling Team

Beat the Freak

2010-11-03T20:45:00.002-05:00

Riley Spahn, long time friend of the team, and our newest team member will be splitting his season between his collegiate team, The Auburn Flyers and Team CCR.

Riley's first race with the team was a dandy. He traveled up to Fayetteville, TN to race in the Beat the Freak Cyclocross series. Riley doubled up and the first race was the P/1/2 race. After a morning full of rain, Riley set out and bested the field bunny hopping the final set of barriers and winning the uphill sprint to take the P/1/2 race.

After a brief rest to clean the mud off his bike Riley went out and won the Singlespeed race. Riley had the race in hand, but had to deal with a late race crash before winning it by a wheel.

Congrats on the wins, and welcome to the team.

The Young Gun get his first victory.....

2010-09-26T11:43:00.002-05:00

Team CCR's Junior rider Payne Griffin headed down to race in the Columbus Road Race and netted his first victory of the year. The Junior class that Payne was registered to race in ended up being combined with the Men's 4/5 field making it quite deep. The lessons that Payne has learned through the course of his first season racing with Team CCR paid off in full as he rode in the top 10 of the mixed field the entire race. In the abnormally sweltering 96 degree September heat Payne bested his closest Junior competitor by over 15 minutes winning the Junior's race. As an added bonus Payne also netted a top 15 in the combined field. Congrats on the first win and to a great effort!!!

Bump and Grind's Sweet 16.......

2010-08-07T13:27:00.003-05:00

On an unseasonably hot and humid day, six CC Racers participated in the sixteenth annual Bump n Grind mountain bike race at Oak Mountain State Park. Bump n Grind is presented by the active local club, Birmingham Urban Mountain Bike Pedalers and is the 4th Southeast qualifier for the Kenda Cup. The world-class quality of the trails and popularity of the race bring several hundred racers to the venue from all over the United States. Thus, the fields for Bump n Grind are very competitive. We had six team members participate in this year's Bump n Grind, and all of them netted top ten finishes.

Larry Stanley achieved one of his long-standing dreams to place first in his category, Men's Sport 45-49, at his hometown race.

Josh Powell placed 2nd in Men's Sport 25-29 - a very strong finish.

Hardwick Gregg grabbed a podium spot in third place in the Men's Expert 50+ race.

Mike Herring also took the honor of a 3rd place podium in the Men's Sport 50-59 race.

Mitch Moses took 6th in the Men's Sport 45-49 category and Justin Poland placed 8th in the Men's Sport 25-29 class.

Congratulations to all of our guys in green at the Bump n Grind 2010! Strong work on the dirt!

Turn-N-Burn 360

2010-06-17T09:15:00.003-05:00

On June 5th Beth won the inaugural Turn-N-Burn 360 race that is now part of the Bump N'Grind race weekend. The short course race covered about a mile, featuring 1 steep little climb, and was 30 minutes long. Beth said that it was kind of a like a cyclocross race. Nice job brining home the win Beth!

LAMBRA-Natchez, MS

2010-06-17T09:10:00.002-05:00

Alan was in Natchez, MS the weekend of June 5-6 racing in the Mississippi Road Race Championships. On Saturday Alan battled sweltering heat and humidity to bring home a 9th place finish in the Masters 35+ race. On Sunday he raced the Cat 4 race and brought home a hard fought top 15 with a 14th place finish. Solid effort!

12 Hours of Tsali

2010-05-25T12:07:00.002-05:00

Beth and Stacey raced the 12 Hours of Tsali this last weekend and flat MASHED their competition. The kicker is that they were a 2 woman team racing against 4 woman teams. They did twice the work and still won!!! This was the first time they raced together, and if I was a betting man, I would stake the farm that you would see them together again. Awesome job!

Attack on Swayback

2010-05-25T11:56:00.003-05:00

We sent 6 riders down to the Attack on Swayback, and came home with 5 medals. It should have been 6 except for an ill-timed flat for Mike Herring who was destroying the competition in his race. The team swept the Sport Men 20-29 podium with Josh in 1st, Justin 2nd, and Zach 3rd. Hardwick placed 2nd in the Expert Men 40+ race. Larry rounded it out with a 2nd in the Sport Men 40-49 race. They needed a trailer to haul all of their swag home. Crazy good effort!

Tour de Health

2010-05-25T11:52:00.003-05:00

Alan was in Mobile, Al this past weekend racing in the The Infirmary Tour De Health. Alan raced in 2 races finishing 6th in the Master's 35+ and 5th in the Cat 4 races. Great effort considering he got hit by a car on his training ride Thursday!

Just Another Manic May

2010-05-25T10:51:00.002-05:00

Apparently someone shot this team out of a cannon to start the month off, and there has been no let up since.

George kicked the month off on foot at Toad Suck Daze in Arkansas. George won his age class in the run, then turned around and did a 66 mile ride as part of the event.

Hardwack was also in Arkansas to kick the month off and raced in the Ozark's competing in Syllamo's Revenge. Hardwick finished 2nd in his age class, and 28th overall.

Alan ventured over to Charlotte, N.C. to race in a criterium in his old hometown.

Mitch teamed up with another mountain biker and headed out to Winder, GA to race in the Dirty Spokes 12 hour race. The team that Mitch was on finished 2nd.

Payne raced in a criterium training race down at the Shelby Co. Airport and finished 5th in the breakaway group.

Lastly, Zach headed up to Fayetteville, TN for the Dirt, Sweat, and Gears 12 Hour Race. The team that Zach was on finished 7th out of 22.

Those are just the races that the team was in. Several members of the team went out and rode in the Tannehill Ironworks Century to benefit trail construction at Tannehill, and a majority of the team was present last Wednesday for the Ride of Silence commemorating riders struck by cars while on there bikes. Laural also rode her first century of the year last weekend while riding in the Tour de Cure that benefitted diabetes research.

Stay tuned......

Gang Green Invades Anniston

2010-05-25T10:12:00.003-05:00

The team hit the road the weekend of April 17th and 18th and took the 2 hour trip over to Anniston to compete in the Sunny King Criterium, Cheaha Challenge, and Foothills Road Race. The Sunny King Criterium kicked the weekend off for the team. Alan, Larry, Mike G., Mike H., and Mitch flew the team colors proudly in probably some of the most intense racing that the team has seen this year. All of us came back "Shinny Side Up, Rubber Side Down", which after seeing some of the crashes at this years race, was quite impressive. Though the results may not have been exactly what we wanted, we rode hard, and hung tough. We lived to fight another day.

Sunday greeted us with cool temperatures and sunny skies. Alan, Mitch, Hardwick, and Stacey flew the team flag in the Foothills Road Race. Hardwick scored a top 15, and Stacey earned her first road race podium finishing 3rd.

The rest of us went out and led an assault on Mt. Cheaha, the highest point in Alabama. Ashley, Beth, George, Liz, Larry, Mike G., Mike H., and Mick set out early in the morning to concur the route. George and Mick went the full 102 mile distance, Liz opted for the 66 mile route, and the rest off us, we did the 88 mile route.

After a full weekend of racing and riding I think we were all glad to finish our events. Now, for most of the team, the focus will switch from the road to the dirt with several mountain bike events coming up.

Ride to Live Circuit Race

2010-04-20T14:46:00.002-05:00

The team got the opportunity to race at the Barber Motorsports Park over Easter weekend in the Ride to Live Cancer Classic Road Circuit Race. The road course covers 2.38 miles, has 17 turns, 80 feet of elevation change, and a 45 foot wide racing surface.

Stacey kicked things off early in the morning and actually had decent weather contrary to what the weatherman said should be happening. Stacey raced hard and earned her first road racing podium finishing 3rd.

Mick and Payne had the unfortunate duty of racing the CAT 5 race in the rain. Both of them avoided the accidents on the slick pavement. Mick raced hard, and Payne notced himself a top 15 finishing 11th.

Payne must have drawn the short straw for the day. Not only did he double-up racing the Cat 5's and Juniors, but he also had to race in the rain and cold in both of his races. Shivering and tired, Payne wound up on the podium with a 2nd place finish.

Larry, Mike G., Ashley, and Alan raced in the Masters 4/5 30+ race. The sun came out, the track dried, but the wind remained. We were a man down with Herring suffering from a respiratory infection, but he was at the pit wall cheering us on. Larry finished the highest at 15th, Alan and Ashley finished right next to each other, and Garner suffered a "racing deal". All finished up-right and in one piece.

Both Larry and Alan felt strong enough to pull the double and also did the CAT 4 race. Alan led out early and both riders raced really hard. Larry pulled his second top 20 of the day finishing 16th.

It was a great day for Team CCR. We had 2 podiums, and thankfully we avoided all the accidents. We all came out of it healthy and with our bikes in one piece. Here are some pictures from the races. Enjoy!

Tour de Tuscaloosa

2010-04-04T10:01:00.002-05:00

The team kicked off the season with a short road trip down to Tuscaloosa to participate in the Tour de Tuscaloosa. The Saturday race, The City of Tuscaloosa Criterium, brought out the strongest attendance from the team. We were greeted with bright blue skies, warm temperatures, and great racing. The difficult 1.2 mile course was a figure eight with 8 corners to navigate. The roads had seen better days, and the wind added another degree of excitement as we navigated around the course.

Mick raced hard in his very first Cat 5 criterium ever.

Mike G. came back to racing on the road after a year off and earned a top 25.

Larry doubled up and did both the Master's 35/45+ race and then did his first race as a Cat 4.

Mike H. battled hard in the Masters 35/45+ race.

Alan also raced in the 4's and put in a solid effort.

On Sunday, Alan and Josh headed out to participate in day 2 of racing at Lurleen State Park. As the field rolled out mother nature unleashed her fury on the riders. Several riders, including Josh, opted for the safe route and withdrew because of the racing conditions. Alan's race started after the rain, but the roads were still rain slicked. He put in some solid efforts, and raced really hard. Earned a top 30 against a very stacked field.

Overall the team was pleased with their first weekend racing. We all came out of it in one piece and healthy.

Next stop the Ride to Live Road Race at Barber Motor sports Park.

Check out pictures from Mike G.'s album.

Ouachita Challenge

2010-04-01T09:42:00.002-05:00

Hardwick debuted the new colors last weekend while competing in the Ouachita Challenge in Arkansas. The Ouachita Challenge is a mountain bike race that traverses the Womble Trail, Ouachita Trail, and forestry roads. Unlike most races where you have different age classifications and skill levels, this was old school. They broke the field into Men's, Women's, and Single Speed. Hardwick battled hard but had an issue with his chain that had him off the pace for 10-15 minutes. He finished strong in the top half of the field. Good effort for the first race of the year!

Powerman Alabama Multisport Weekend

2010-03-30T09:19:00.002-05:00

Team CCR's first cycling podium of the year came last weekend when Beth Santoro competed in the Xterra Off-road Duathlon at Oak Mountain State Park. Finally, we had some nice weather, so the event was contested under pristine conditions. The event involved a trail run, a mountain bike leg, and another trail run. By the time Beth crossed the finish line she was totally spent. Her efforts in the race did secure her a podium finish in 3rd place. Way to go Beth!

(Pictures)

The dawning of a new season

2010-03-25T19:41:00.004-05:00

This weekend is the equivalent to opening day in baseball for Team CCR. We have riders headed down the road to Tuscaloosa to race in the Tour de Tuscaloosa, and we have riders headed out to race in the Power Man Alabama Mutisport Weekend that Team Magic is putting on out at Oak Mountain State Park. For those members of the team that will not be racing they will be leading 2 rides out of the Cahaba Cycles location in Pelham. Getting to this day though, has been quite the experience.

On the bike, we have dealt with a little of this.......

and some of this......

We have had more snow this year than in the 6 years I have been here. When it is not snowing it has been raining. When it has not been doing either it has been cold and gloomy, so when we have had sunshine it has been cause for celebration. Through the snow, the rain, and the gloomy weather it has not kept us off the bikes. The team was able to participate in the training races held in Sumatanga.

One of our off season additions and resident Marine, Alan Laytham, notched 2 top 10's in the training races held at Sumatanga. Not to shabby for a guy who took a 17 year break and hopped back on the bike less than a year ago.

Larry and Mike both worked on racing form and opted to race with the big dogs in the "A" races. It was a great learning experience for both of them and after a few rides with them after the races, I would say they both came out a lot stronger.

The weather has played havoc on the roads around town and forced the cancellation of the "Spring Forward Metric Century" that we were planning on doing to celebrate the new season. It has been tentatively re-scheduled to August. We are going to have to come up with something catchy for that one.

We have also grown quite considerably since 2009. Not only did we add Alan, we also added Mick Gould from Britain, junior rider and climber Payne Griffin, cross junkie Chris Leven is back on the team after a year sabbatical, George Shamburger and his wife Elizabeth not only co-sponsor the team but but can ride a bike with the best of them and have the paint jobs to prove it, mountain biker and slowly becoming a roadie Mitch Moses, and jack-of-all racing disciplines Beth Santoro. When you add that roster to the returning roster it is a pretty stout bunch.

It was also a time for Team CCR to dawn it's new look along with it's new sponsor. Team CCR was pleased to announce it's association with Digital Era Banking Serivces. No longer will we be sporting the red, yellow, and black. We have traded those colors in for green and white and chose a classic look to show it off.

The time is finally here for us to open up this season. Cheers!

Red Nose Run

2010-01-25T12:55:00.002-06:00

In the off season most cyclists recover from the long hard racing season. Hardwick on the other hand, laces up the running shoes, and heads back outside. Recently, Jan. 9th, Hardwick competed in the Red Nose Run finishing 1st Grand Master (50+). To add a degree of difficulty to the run, the temperatures were abnormally cold, 18, with a wind chill hovering around, ZERO! Nice way to start the season off Hardwick!

Turn out the lights when you leave.......

2010-01-15T08:58:00.003-06:00

The team arrived in Cullman with high hopes and the possibility of taking home some heavy hardware for 2009 Bama Cross season. The theme for the season was unchanged. Though it would not rain today, it had rained enough all year to guarantee mud and lots of it. The temperature the week leading up to the race took a nose dive so that by the time race day arrived it was below freezing. In some of the shady spots, some that probably have not seen sun in the 50 years the trees have been there, a light dusting of snow clung on for dear life. I am beginning to think that this team thrives on the muddiest, nastiest conditions, because today they were spectacular.

Hardwick Gregg joined the team early in the season and did not disappointment. Honestly, he should have to re-tread his shoes with as many times as he was up and down the podium. Hardwick battled a cold all week, so he skipped the 45+ race to focus his efforts on the Men's "B" race. Hardwick won the "B"race, and then won the overall in the 45+ and the "B's".

Lisa Trainor also joined the team midway through the season. Accompanied by her trusty side kick Sophie(seen in the picture) she went on to win races, and lead points. Lisa, a Maine native, was dreading the weeks race because of the amount of water to cross and the freezing temperatures. Her inner polar bear shone through for the race as she went on to not only win her race, but also sealing the deal to win the Women's 4 overall.

Stacey Davis moved up this year to the Women's 1-2-3 category and never missed a beat. Riding focused, Stacey won the finale of the Women's 1-2-3 race, and finished second overall.

Larry came into the season with lofty goals, and nailed pretty much everyone of them. Larry finished 2nd in the 35+ race, and 3rd in the series overall. Keep in mind that he was also doubling up racing the Men's 3/4 races as well. Awesome effort.

Zach moved up this year from Junior's and let it be known that he will be a force in the 4/5's, and probably the 3/4's in the near future. Zach finished 4th in the 4/5 race and 4th overall in the series.

Mike Herring just missed the bottom step of the 45+ podium finishing 4th in the series, and 5th on the day. Mike also doubled up throughout the season racing in the Men's 3/4 category.

Josh, after taking a year long break from cross came out and raced like he never was off the bike. Josh finished 7th in the race and 5th overall. We at CCR are glad that the endurance running he did in place of cross did not work out.

Chris Leven made his come back appearance with the team. As you can tell, it did not end like he wanted. I am glad to have a good friend back with the CCR family.

What can I say. I raced hard, had a lot of fun, and have a ton of stories. A series worth of mechanicals had me just wanting to finish. As director sportif for Team CCR, I filled the void of my sub par season by watching the team just crush it. It really was an awesome sight.

As a team, 3rd overall in the men's and 2nd in the women's!

Pictures

Fain Pain=Rain

2009-12-22T14:14:00.002-06:00

Every true cyclocross racer dreams of racing in the nastiest of conditions. I guess we here in the states are drawn to those conditions because of what we see over in Europe. It snows and we want snow, it rains and we want rain, it blows sideways and we want it to knock us down. I guess deep down in our souls we realize that in order to call yourself a true cross racer, you will be required to race in conditions that make the mere mortal cyclist stay inside on the trainer.

Montgomery continued the tough racing conditions that we have experienced pretty much all season long in Alabama. It was like racing on a peanut butter covered sponge. They actually re-routed the course before the Master Men's race because the water crossings were too deep. No matter how hard you pushed, you still went the same speed. Changes in air pressure seemed to work the best, but irregardless of wet tire or dry tire, it all came down to how you managed your power to get the tires to hook up.

Team CCR had 7 top 5 finishes on the day. Hardwick doubled up and won both the Master Men 45+ and the Men's B races. Lisa continued her dominance with a victory in the Women's 4 race. Stacey showed how quick she is regardless of the conditions with a victory in the Women's 1-2-3 race. Larry Stanely had a strong showing and finished 3rd in the Master Men 35+ race. Mike Herring finished just off the bottom step with a 4th place in the Master Men 45+ race. Zach went out strong and managed to secure a top 5 finish in the Men's 4/5 race. Garner struggled, it's just one of those years.

The team going into the last race at Cullman has the the potential for a podium finish in the overall team competition, and the potential to snag 5 spots in the overall competition. Another solid outing by the team.

Anniston After Dark

2009-12-14T19:28:00.004-06:00

When the Bamacross series calendar comes out towards the end of summer, everyone looks for the (brackets) after the race venue. It means one of 2 things, either the state championships or a night race. Since the 2009 state championships have come and gone, it could mean only 1 thing going into this week. For some riders it really messes with their flow. They are used to a routine for the Sunday morning races. Eating, packing, travel, are a mastered science. Now their world is turned upside down for that one night race of the season. They spend the day discombobulated. For the rest of us, we greet the night race with the anticipation of school kids knowing that we have a day off. We are so excited that we show up 2 hours before the course even opens to get a good spot for the tent, put out the chairs and coolers, set up the bikes, and then we nervously wait. We seemed to be the giddy school kids that day. With no organized caravan to Anniston, Zach, Garner, and Powell managed to all run into each other at Chick-Fil-A, while Larry was there 30 minutes before we even got there. We still had over an hour before the first race!

We had an awesome night of racing. CCR put 3 riders on the podium. Lisa Trainor won the the Women's 4 race, while Hardwick Gregg and Mike Herring got 2nd and 3rd, respectively, in the Master Men's 45+ race. Top 10's were earned by Zach, 5th, and Josh, 7th, in the Mens CX4 race. Larry fought his way to a 5th in the Master Men's 35+ race. Hardwick, doubling up, just missed the podium finishing 4th in the Mens CX 3/4 race. Garner raced hard, but never could catch back on after a first lap incident with several riders. The team put in a solid effort and is setting themselves up for a top 3 finish in the overall team standings with efforts like this. Check out some photos from the racing.

Sloss Cross

2009-11-13T08:30:00.002-06:00

One of the coolest parts about racing in a grass roots racing series like BamaCross is that you get the opportunity to race your bike in some really cool venues. We had the unique opportunity to race at the national historically registered Sloss Furnace in Birmingham last weekend. With the city of Birmingham and crystal clear blue skies as the back drop, the course weaved it's way around what at one time in it's life was a bustle of industrial activity. The course was flat, dry, and fast, while the racing was as hot as the furnaces used to be.

The riders took note of the unique venue and came out in droves. The "C" race had over 60 riders that took the starting line. After a kind of sluggish start to the year, CCR has found their legs and the results are pouring in.

Stacey drilled the "A" women's race again, making this the third victory in a row.

Hardwick continued the march of CCR riders onto the podium with a 2nd in the Masters 45+ race, and a victory in the "B" race. Larry took his first steps onto the podium during a cross race with a 3rd in the Masters 35+ race. Herring finished just off the bottom step with a hard earned 4th place in the Masters 45+ race.

The large field in the "C" race made the riding fast and intense. Zach and Josh stood fast bringing home a 6th and 9th place finishes respectively, but most importantly they protected their positions in the overall series classification. Garner finally found his legs and his luck securing a 13th place finish. Justin Poland, taking a break from marathon training, even caught the Bamacross bug, hung up his sneakers for the clipless shoes, and came out and raced.

Our home on race days "Camp Cahaba" was packed with friends, family, and other racers. The team had an awesome day placing 7 riders in the top 15 in their respective races. With the sun ablaze, great temperatures, and a great vibe we all left the race with a lot of great images from the day.

Spooktacular in Tuscaloosa

2009-11-12T08:55:00.002-06:00

It's the day after Halloween and we are racing cross bikes, and guess what? It rained. For the most part the course was dry, but the stuff that was wet really made you work. Larry fresh off the anniversary weekend took one more step closer to his goal of getting on the podium finishing 5th in the Masters 35+ race. Mike Herring not wanting to miss out on any of the fun also got a top 5 with a 4th place finish in the Masters 45+ race. Hardwick, who is making an instant impact, took the extra step on the podium this week to the top winning the 45+ race!

The "C" race field was again jam packed, but Josh and Zach charged to the front and fought hard to bring home top 5 finishes. Josh finished 5th while Zach took a step onto the podium in 3rd. Garners run of bad luck continued, but he still fought to get home in the top 25.

Stacey fresh of her State Championship victory, went back to back, winning her second race in a row.

In the "B" race Hardick took the 3 steps back up to the top of the podium winning his second race of the day! Larry scored a top 15 with an 11th place finish, and Mike Herring put in a solid effort for his second race of the day finishing 18th.

Check out some pictures of the weekend, we will see you at historic Sloss Furnace in Birmingham!

Dead Dog IX

2009-11-12T08:50:00.002-06:00

Congratulations go out to both Larry and Hardwick for their podium efforts at this years edition of Dead Dog. Hardwick finished 2nd in the Singlespeed classification, and Larry finished second in the Sport Men's 40-49 classification. Way to go guys!

Revenge of the Beast from Cooters Pond

2009-11-12T08:17:00.003-06:00

Finally some blue skies and dryer conditions to race in! What a welcome relief from the peanut butter thick mud that we raced in during the opening weekend. Prattville is one of the more picturesque courses that we will race in on the circuit. Lush green rolling hills painted against a backdrop that includes the Montgomery skyline and Cooters Pond itself. Thankfully, for the first time in a long time, no rain preceded the race and we had optimal conditions to race in. The icing on the cake was that this race was this years Alabama State Cyclocross Championship.

It turned out to be a great weekend for the team. We welcomed our newest teammate, Hardwick Gregg, Garner broke out a new bike, Stacey raced with us, and Larry took the weekend off to celebrate his anniversary. Things were already great before we took one pedal stroke on the course.

Hardwick and Mike Herring kicked things off in the Masters 45+ race with both earning top 10's. Hardwick ascended the steps of the podium notching a 2nd place finish in his first race with the team.

The "C" race field was big again with a starting field somewhere in the 50's. Zach and Josh charged out hard with both securing top 10 finishes. Garner and John both struggled, but put in a good solid fight.

Hardwick did the double also racing in the "B" race. He secured his second top 5 of the day with a 4th place finish.

Stacey not only moved up to the women's "A" category but she also defended her State Championship title from 08, and now has the distinction of being the women's state champion 2 years in a row. It was an awesome effort.

Enjoy some photo's of the race, and we will be back Halloween weekend in Tuscaloosa.

War at the Ward

2009-10-16T09:14:00.002-05:00

The 2009 Bamacross season kicked off in fantastic fashion last Sunday at George Ward Park in Birmingham. The states wettest year in recent memory took what could have been a lightning quick course and turned it into a muddy mess where conditions deteriorated with each passing race. For a cross racer, this weather is stuff that we dream of. I think the only thing that would have made it better was snow. Through the days racing Larry, Zach and Josh fared better in the mud than the rest us with each posting top 10's finishes. Herring, Garner, and John Pugh fought the good fight and posted decent finishes, but the mud dampened their high hopes. In all it was a great day of racing, found some bugs that needed to be ironed out, got to see some old friends, and best of all kicked off the season in fantastic fashion. Please check out some of pictures from the race, and come on out to Prattville this Sunday Oct 18th to root the team on at this years State Championship race.

Bump N' Grind XV

2009-06-23T13:14:00.002-05:00

Team CCR got back to it's fat tire roots by racing in the Bump N' Grind XV Mountain Bike race at Oak Mountain State Park in Pelham, Alabama. The trail at Oak Mountain is one of the premiere tracks in the Southeast. Since it was a "home" race it also allowed a majority of the team to come out and cheer on our racers. Larry and Mike Herring both suffered crashes during the race, but it hardly effected the final results. Larry finished 4th in his race, and Mike Herring finished 5th in his race. Justin Poland kept the streak of top 10's alive with his 6th place photo finish. Zach Davis, fresh off of graduation and a week of R&R, capped the day off with a 10th place finish. In all, 4 riders went into the race, and all 4 were in the top 10. It was a solid day of racing for the team, and we got to cap it off by watching the Pro Men's and Women's races later that day.

Enjoy our photos of the races.......

Row, Row, Row, your bike.......

2009-05-22T08:42:00.002-05:00

The cycling Gods have not been nice to the Birmingham cycling scene this 2009, and the dreadful weekend weather continued for this years edition of the Sunny King Criterium. In what was described as being stung by the rain drops, 4 weary souls raced during the deluge that sat on Anniston, Alabama. Gardner Fish brought home another solid top 10 finish with a 6th place in the Juniors 13-14 race. Brad and Larry brought home top 15's in the Men's Cat 4/5 race finishing 14th and 15th. Doing the double Larry also backed up his first race with a 10th in the Cat 5 race. Big pats on the back went to Brad and Mike Herring who road to their limits to help bring Larry home in 10th. A HUGE thanks also goes to Laurel. She found solace in the liquid sunshine and rooted the guys on and snapped a few rain soaked pictures for us as well.

The Gods cranked up the weather tenacity for Sunday's Cheaha Challenge. This time along with the rain, came hail, wind, and tornado warnings. Luckily for us Laurel and Mike Herring road as if the storm was chasing them and were finished and in their cars by the time the bad weather struck. Kudos to them for their 88 mile effort, in the South's toughest century.

2009-05-06T13:37:00.002-05:00

Team CCR had a busy weekend taking on the 1st edition of the Cyclisimo Criterium in downtown Birmingham and Attack on Swayback Mountain Bike race in Prattville, Al.

The weekend kicked off with the team getting to race on freshly paved streets in downtown Birmingham. The race was centered around a weekend celebration of heritage at the Birmingham International Center. Todd Pope, Todd Topeano, and Larry Stanley carried CCR's colors into battle while racing in the Cat 5 race. Larry had Lady Luck and momentum on his side, and cruised home with a hottly contested 8th place finish.

Sunday saw Larry and Justin heading down to Prattville to race in the Attack On Swayback mountain bike race. Swayback is a tight, technical trail that tests a riders endurance and bike control over the rocky and rooted 8.7 mile course. Justin was first out of the gates racing in the Men's 20+ sport class. Justin's hard off season effort paid off with an 8th place finish, and bettering his time from last year by 4 minutes. Larry did not miss a beat from Saturday and tamed the wild beast bringing home a victory in the Men's 40+ sport class.

Congratulations to Larry on his 1st victory of the season.

Ride to Live Road Race

2009-04-19T13:11:00.002-05:00

The team had a unique opportunity to race on the road course at Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, Al.. The track is 2.38 miles of pristine black top with 16 turns adding to the excitement. Gardner Fish continued on his Top 5 roll, and brought home a hard earned 2nd in the Juniors. The team then focused their attention on the Cat 5 race and the Cat 4/5 30+ race. In the Cat 5 race they worked hard and delivered Larry home in 13th. Brian Tucker came home in 14th to secure 2 top 15's for the for team. Big pats on the back went to Brad and Justin for the hard work they put into getting Larry and Brian home.

In the Men's 4/5 30+ race the team pulled together again and brought Ashley home in 10th. Brad, Larry, and Mike H. put in maximum effort to put Ashley in position for his 10th place finish. In all the team came home with 4 top 15's and a solid day of racing on a beautiful track.

Hoover Criterium

2009-04-19T08:43:00.004-05:00

Team CCR went into it's first home race at Spain Park High School with the team at full strength, and the results were evident early on. Gardner Fish notched his second victory of the young season with a thrilling victory in the Junior race. Larry Stanley backed that up with a solid top 5 in a stacked CAT 5 35+race. Mike Herring(11th Master 45+) and Brian Tucker(11th Cat 5 35+) brought home 2 additional top 15's for the team. Justin, Ashley, Todd P., and Todd T. all raced incredibly hard to help get us in a position for the finishes that we had. It was a very solid effort from the team.

Marching On

2009-04-14T10:21:00.002-05:00

CCR's racing season went into full swing in March starting with the Winter Training Race Series at Camp Sumatanga. The team made a decision to move up from the "C" races to the "B" races for 2009. Racing in the "B" races is more organized, bearing a slight resemblance to what you would see on T.V.. This year we had also decided we were going to be more active and not just sit and ride. With the second race being canceled for snow, our training efforts were shortened into 2 quick weeks. The boys rode hard in both races, and like a prize fighter, they kept jabbing at the peleton, then would tactfully drop the hammer. The team showed lots of fight and by the end of the third race, everyone knew who we were.

After completing the training series we kicked things off with the first real test at the Tour de Tuscaloosa. The crit is tabbed as the toughest Crit in the South, and not even a course change would damage that reputation. Brad and Gardner brought home top 15's for the CCR gang with each finishing a very respectable 12th. By the time we got to the road race we had lost several to sickness and sent out a skeleton crew at best. Todd Pope and Mike Herring both raced with a lot of grit and determination representing CCR well in the road races.

CCR made it through March relatively unscathed. The only incident we had was Justin's crash during the training races, which resulted in some scratches and bruises. The season really fires up in April.

Enjoy some photos: Training Races and TDT

TT Team Fish

2009-03-10T12:57:00.004-05:00

Chalk 1 up for Gardner Fish. Our newest and youngest addition to the CCR family went out and scored his first cycling victory at the Georgia Cup TT Series in Adairsville, Ga.. Racing in the Junior's under 14 class, you would have never know it was his first race, ever. Gardner carved up the rain slicked 9.5 mile course and cruised home with an average speed of over 20 mph.

Brad, racing in the Clydesdale Class, fought of cramps to come home with a 4th and an average speed over 23mph.

Congratulations to Gardner for his first win!!

CCR Welcomes Gardner Fish

2009-02-11T10:16:00.002-06:00

It's with great excitement that we welcome Gardner Fish to CCR. Gardner is the son of Brad "The Piranha" Fish and will be racing in the Junior classification. Go get'um Gardner, you can do it!

Also, if you haven't registered for the Hoover Cycling Festival (Criterium/Century) starting at Spain Park High School on April 4, 2009, registration is now open. Please visit www.hoovercrit.blogspot.com and register, this year is going to be even bigger than last.

Toney Time Trial

2009-02-03T09:48:00.003-06:00

Brad Fish launched CCR's racing season with a solo time trial effort at the Toney Time Trial in Toney, AL. After taking several months off to enjoy his off season and recover from nagging injuries, he chose this as an opportunity to test his fitness level and start his racing season.

The Toney course is a fairly flat 9 mile out and back. The weather was perfect but the wind added a degree of difficulty. His first race back from his layoff brought home a solid 5th place finish in the Master's Race.

Congrats to Brad on his 1st top 5 of the season.

New Year / New Team

2009-01-13T11:36:00.006-06:00

Well, the names are in for our 2009 roster, see right. We will be racing and riding in every cyling discipline again this year. We will be updating the rider profiles here in the next couple of weeks.

We will be riding with pretty much the same active members as last year. So, we have a strong foundation to build on.

[ 2008 Summary ]

39 - Top 5 Finishes
66 - Top 10 Finishes
80 - Top 20 Finshes
38 - Podium Finishes

We are excited about what the future holds for CCR and we are thankful for the companies, thus far, that have stepped up to sponsors us in this economy for 2009: Cahaba Cycles, Stanley Steemer, American Safety Tread and Beljum Budder.

We will also be producing two of the finest events in the Southeast, the Hoover Crit and the CCR Spring Century.

2009 is looking bright!

CCR's Army invades Cullman

2008-12-21T13:40:00.006-06:00

The CCR Army invaded Sportsman Lake Park in Cullman Al. for the season finale of the 2008 Bamacross season. The grueling muddy conditions from the prior week had been traded in for much cooler temperatures, and yes, more mud. Sportsman Lake Park is a unique course that incorporated your standard issue man made barriers and steep run-up, but also took into account the parks unique attributes. We traversed part of the lake itself, crossed a creek and a bog, ran around a jungle gym area that was filled with pea gravel, crossed back and forth over the mini-train tracks, rode some sweet fast single track, and had a triple tree crossing. Sprinkle in Christmas decorations, cowbells, screaming fans and you have yourself a perfect cyclo-cross venue.

As has been the trend all cross season long, the team raced with guts, heart, and dogged determination. Some were racing for a podium spot, others racing for that elusive top ten finish, others for that top ten overall, and others to top their best finish this season.

The cooler temperatures brought out the hard core crossers. There were no field fillers and no one timers. Lining up at the start line, though the fields were smaller, were the hardest of the hard. You knew looking around that the faces staring back at you were familiar. They were the same faces that you had toiled with all season long. You knew in your heart that there was going to be no let up, and that you were going to have to work, probably the hardest all year to realize your dream.

At the end of the day covered in mud, extremities numbed, lungs scorched by the cold, and facing sheer exhaustion the team closed the curtain on the 2008 season. The racing had been everything we could have hoped for and more. Stacey’s momentum was not affected by her off week, and she cruised home to victory in the women’s CX 4 race. Larry had again doubled up coming home 4th in the Master 35+, and 11 in the men’s CX 3/4 races. Mike Herring also did the double and raced to an 8th in the Master 45+, and 13 in the men’s CX 3/4 race. Chris Leven went out and seized the moment getting himself a top 10 in the CX 3/4 race with an 8th place finish. Diesel ground out a 7th in the men’s CX 4/5 race, and Zach doing what he does best brought home a 2nd place finish in the juniors race.

Before we left to go home, 2 of our own took their spots on the podium to be recognized for their achievement for the season. Zach finished the season ranked second in the Junior’s class. Stacey got to go one step higher on the podium and finished 1st overall for the women’s CX 4 class. For the rest of us, we had a 2 week wait till we found out how we finished. In his second full season of cross, and racing half of the Master 35+ series, Larry finished the year 7th, and 10th in the CX 3/4 series. Chris Leven, with his gutsy finale finish, blasted into a 15th place finish for the CX 3/4 series. Mike Herring racing in his first full year, finished the year 13th in the Master 45+ series, and 23rd in the CX 3/4 series. Lastly the rookie, and destroyer of many a bike part, Mike “Diesel” Garner, held on by a mere 4 points for a 5th place finish in the men’s CX 4/5 series. As a team we finished in 6th place for the series, the highest finishing rookie team.

Please enjoy probably our best photo gallery of the season, and race reports should be forthcoming. See you next season.

Fain Park Mud Cross

2008-12-05T07:52:00.003-06:00

The cyclocross Gods smiled on the Bamacross race #6 at Fain Park in Montgomery over Thanksgiving weekend. Whether any cross racer will admit it or not, we long for the brutal conditions that the sports riders in Europe face. We long for the rain, snow, wind, and cold. We want the conditions to be raw. It helps separate the racers from the wannabe’s.

Starting Thanksgiving night and continuing through Sunday’s Masters Race, 2+ inches of rain turned the fairly timid Fain Park course into a monster. The winds kicked up, and the temperatures dropped. The ditch crossings turned into tricky watery traverses or peanut butter thick mud. The 2 run-ups turned into mud slicked slip and slides, and the bog on the back of the course turned into a quad burner with a water crossing that could swallow a semi-truck.

The team relished there opportunity to get the seasons first taste of true cyclocross weather. 5 races in sunny temperate weather is for the roadies, we wanted, no feigned, for this weather, and we were not going to let our opportunity go to waste.

The tone for the days races was set on the very first lap of the very first race. It was going to be a slow, back breaking, quad burning slog around the course. Larry started things off and showed the way in the Master’s race coming home in 5th. Mike and Zach then took their turns with Zach coming home 2nd in the Junior’s, and Diesel coming home 6th in the CX4/5. Both Larry and Diesel decided to relish the epic conditions and doubled up to race with Chris and Mike in the CX 3/4 race. Chris lead the way in 12th, with Larry close behind in 13th, Mike finished in 17th, and coming home dead last, racing for the love of the sport, Diesel.

Lots of mud and lots of fun. We will probably never get all of the mud out of our clothes, or our bikes. The series season finale is in Cullman this Sunday, so come on out and cheer us on.

Stacey Davis, Womens CX4 Cyclocross State Champion

2008-11-30T20:20:00.002-06:00

Alabama's state cyclocross championships took place at a new course under the lights in Anniston, AL. Our very own Stacey Davis, mashed the competition, and brought home the state championships in the women's CX4. The field was the most competitive to date. Stacey took control of the race early, never looking back. 3 was a charm for Stacey, pacing herself to her 3rd victory in as many weeks.

The guys on the other hand put up the good fight but could not match Stacey's victory. Larry, doubling up, finished in 4th in the Master Men's race, and put in a solid top 20 in the men's CX 3/4 race. Mike Herring also doubling up, finished 9th in the Master's race, and also put in a solid top 20 in the 3/4 race. Chris Leven rocked out with a 15th in the men's 3/4 race. Zach Davis finished 5th in the Juniors race. Lastly, the Diesel, had the dubious distinction of being the team's Lantern Rouge, pulling up the rear with a 20th place finish in the 4/5 race.

We apologize for the lack of race photo's. It is incredibly difficult, to ring a cowbell, hold your drink, hand out water, scream your head off, and take photo's. With 2 races to go, to team is in a dog fight for a top 5 finish in the team standings, and in bitter battles to stay in the top 10 in points in the Women's CX4, Juniors, Men's 4/5, and Men's 3/4. Check back for an update after the Montgomery Race at Fain Park.

Half way home.....

2008-11-10T14:55:00.011-06:00

Nothing compares to racing at home. You get to sleep in. The walk back to the course was longer than the drive over. You get to have your family, friends, dogs, and other team members there to cheer you own. You get home earlier and it is just a more relaxed atmosphere.

The fall foliage made a beautiful back drop for a fast and intense race. This was the inaugural race at Heardmont Park, and by far the most technical that we have raced this year. It was a tight track with several tight switch backs, several dry creek bed crossings, a sand pit, and a Belgium inspired up hill spiced with barrier crossings. The difficulty of the course never allowed for big gaps in the races. You were always within sprinting distance of the racer in front of you, and there was always someone lurking behind you waiting to pounce and take your position.

The team had another very successful weekend of racing. Stacey Davis went back-to-back and won her second race in 2 weeks. Zach came home with a 4th place in the juniors race. Mike “Diesel” Garner came home in 10th, and Josh Powell coming out of his summer slumber came in 13th in the Men’s CX 4 race. Larry Stanley and Mike Herring put up the good fight in the Men’s CX 3 race coming in 15th and 21st respectively.

The team now gets a much deserved week off to rest, heal, and fix anything that they may have broken. The focus then changes to the State Championships under the lights in Anniston, November 22nd. The only thing that the team would love better than having all their fans out there cheering them onto victory would be the cyclocross weather that has been avoiding us all year.

Race Reports: Larry, Diesel,

Spooktacular in Tuscaloosa

2008-11-05T12:50:00.006-06:00

The team ventured down to Tuscaloosa this week for the aptly named Spooktacular Cyclo-Cross Race. With Halloween less than 48 hours departed, the course was still in it's costume, and handing out plenty of tricks, and one big treat for the team. We were treated to a tombstone barrier crossing, plenty of ghosts and goblins, spider webs, the occasional body part, our first steep run up of the year, a wall crossing, and tight twisty single track. The tricking started early on during the warm up laps when Zach flatted and Mike G. destroyed a chain guide. They exercised there demons by the time the racing started, and both of them finished without incident. Zach rode an awesome race and brought home a well deserved 3rd place finish in the Juniors race. Mike G. fought off a stomach bug and dehydration to finish 11th in the men's CX 3/4.
The next race tested the team as a whole. Larry and Chris both started fast with Larry leading into the first set of barriers. As the field began to string out, signs of the tricks the course was playing became evident. Flat tires, and lots of them. Larry was bit on the rear tire, Chris had a rear tire go down only to double flat on the next to last lap, and Mike Herring not wanting to be left out had a front tire flat. The flats ravaged the field. Mike G. and Zach manned the pits for what seemed to be a constant stream of CCR riders coming in. Both scavenged parts off of there own bikes to get the team back into the race. Larry's perseverance paid off with an 11th place finish. Mike Herring brought home a 14th place finish, and Chris rounded it off in 17th.
CCR's treat for the day came in the women's CX4 race. After being teased for riding her mountain bike instead of her cross bike, Stacey promptly went out and destroyed the women's CX4 field and won. Stacey navigated the course without a problem and made her victory look easy.
The team will be back in Birmingham this week racing at Herdmont Park. Come on out and cheer us on.

Reports: Larry, Diesel

CCR Storms Prattville

2008-10-19T21:22:00.010-05:00

We play with enthusiasm and recklessness. We aren't afraid to lose. If we win, great. But win or lose, it is the competition that gives us pleasure. -Joe Paterno

Team CCR saddled up this week and hit the road for the 70 mile ride south to Prattville, AL. For most of us, this was the first time we had ever been to Prattville. We had heard stories that the Prattville track was wicked fast, and she lived up to her reputation.

The Prattville course is built for speed. It is a perfect blend of long straight speed alley’s, tight technical turns, a technical decent through Kudzu and the climb out, and the sand pit. It is a course that made you trust your instincts, your ability, and your equipment in order to be successful.

As will be the case at every race this season, the C race kicked things off. Mike Garner and Zach Davis had the un-nerving task of setting the tone early for Team CCR. The key to the day’s success for both riders was staying out of trouble. Both missed the crash in the fourth turn, and spent the remainder of there race riding smart and protecting their position. Once again both captured lightning in a bottle with Zach finishing 4th in the Junior race, and the Diesel bringing it home in 6th in the Cat 4 race.

Team CCR then sent out their hammers. Larry Stanley, Chris Leven, Mike Herring, and Stacey Davis boarded the pain train for their 45 minute ride. For the men, they were racing against a stacked deck. There are several riders in the Cat 3 class that should be running higher up, but our boys never waivered. Stacey’s group was a 2 horse race. Stacey got behind early, never throwing in the towel and just destroyed 3rd on back. Exhausted and relieved, Larry brought home 10th, Chris brought home 15th, and Mike Herring followed it up with a solid top 20 effort. Stacey, smiling from ear to ear, finished in 2nd.

Another solid outing with 4 top 10's. Watch out T-Town. Here we come..........

Race Reports: Stacey, Diesel, Larry,

Enjoy some more pictures of our excursion southward.

Zach Davis cruises to victory at Dead Dog 8.

2008-10-17T08:56:00.002-05:00

While most of us were laying around last weekend resting up from Avondale, our Junior rider Zach Davis, went and raced his mountain bike at Dead Dog 8. Zach riding on a newly updated course at the Trussville Sports Complex, annihilated his Junior class and cruised home to victory. Zach was so fast that even the camera man could not get his picture till he was on the podium. Congratulations to Zach for a well deserved and hard earned victory.

CycloCross Season Kicks Off at Avondale

2008-10-16T17:02:00.000-05:00

The 2008 Alabama Cyclocross Series got under way Sunday at Avondale Park in Birmingham. The Avondale course according to most, is one of the most difficult in the series. It races around what used to be the Birmingham Zoo, and an amphitheater that hosted groups like the Allman Brothers in the 60's. The grueling course contained some very technical sections consisting of rocky decents, off camber turns, tight switch backs, cobble paths, and the stairs. The stairs are crazy hard. They are inconsistent from step to step and really test your mettle.

Team CCR sent 3 rookies and 3 veterans into the first race of the season. The first race of the day for CCR was the "C" race. This race was a combination of CAT 4/5 and Junior Classes, and also had all 3 of our rookies. After 30 mintues the dust settled and our 3 rookies were now veterans. Zach Davis brought home 3rd place in the Junior Class, Mike Garner brought home a 9th place in the 4/5, and Mike Herring battling through a list of mechanicals brought home a hard fought 17th in the 4/5 race. Stellar results from the rookies.

We then unleashed our veterans, who proceeded to build on the foundation laid by the rookies. The "B" race was made up of all the womens categories 1-5, and the mens Cat 3/4 race. After 45 minutes of mind blowing, soul searching pain, Stacey Davis brought home the best result of the day for CCR coming home 2nd in the Womens Cat 4 race. Larry Stanley followed up with a 9th place in the 3/4 and Chris Leven battling the mechanical gremlin that was in Mike Herrings bike finished 19th.

Four top 10's to kick off the last racing series of the season was an incredible effort. It is nice to have a little momentum going into the Prattville race.

Race Reports: Larry, Stacey, Chris, Diesel

"The Piranha" Strikes

2008-07-14T12:07:00.000-05:00

Our very own Brad Fish won the Sprott TT (Alabama State Championship) on Sunday. Details to come!

Bump N Grind 2008- Justin

2008-06-03T11:39:00.000-05:00

Bump N Grind has passed and blessed us with some good results:

1st- Stacey Davis- Sport Women 40-99
2nd- Larry Stanley- Sport Men 40-44
4th - Zach Davis- Sport Junior 18 & under
7th- Mike Herring- Sport 45-49
10th- Justin Poland- Sport 25-29
14th- Josh Powell- Sport 25-29

This year's race, on one the finest courses in the southeast, was very successful with over 500 riders in uniform. Weather was a bit humid with a high of 88. There was only one report of a dislocated shoulder but other than that, just scrapes and bruises.

Many Pro teams showed for the event: Trek/VW, Gary Fisher 29'er crew, Kenda/Titus/Hayes, Luna Chix and Sobe-Cannondale. Shonny Vanlandingham took the top spot for the Pro Women and Ryan Woodall took the top spot for the Pro Men. Unbelieveably fast riders! Jason Sagar was rumored to be making an appearance but DNS.

All age group races seemed to be larger than last year, making the single track parts harder to pass. So many riders at once really loosens the turns and crashes provide the entertainment. Flat tires were the plague this year, much more than last.

Thanks to BUMP and all the volunteers for the privilege of riding on this amazing course because of the work that they put forth and we look forward to next year's event.

Check out the results, photos and race reports. Thanks for reading!

Reports: Justin and Larry
Results
Photos

Cheaha Challenge- Mike Garner

2008-05-11T07:49:00.000-05:00

Team CCR sent 10 riders for the teams first ever assault on the Cheaha Challenge, "The toughest ride in the South". The ride boasts cumulative climbing of over 7400 feet for the century riders, but still leaves plenty on the table for the riders who choose the shorter routes. The climb up Cheaha was rated in the top 100 climbs by Bicycling Magazine.

The bad weather that washed our race day out on Saturday, left us clear blue skies and cooler less humid temperatures. Our assault began at 7:30, along with several hundred other riders. The first 22 miles are a dream, pancake flat, with a few rollers. It is very easy to get caught up in the moment and hammer the first 22 miles, but you have to keep reminding yourself that there is a long way to go and a lot of climbing to get there. Read More>>

Attack on Swayback- Justin

2008-04-22T17:54:00.000-05:00

The 2008 Attack on Swayback is behind us now! Saturday Josh Powell and I went to pre-ride the course because neither one of us had ever set foot in Wetumpka, AL on the Swayback Bridge Trail.

After the pre-ride we came to the conclusion that it would be absolutely impossible to pass so hole shot was key from the start. The trail was the tightest singletrack I had ever ridden. It consisted of tight turn after tight turn, quick switchbacks into climbs, short steep leg burning hills and the turns were a combination of sand and gravel. The temps Sat were hanging around 73. Bring on the challenge!

Take off Sunday morning was 10:40. This was Josh's first singlespeed race and man there was some serious competition, mad props to him for following through the challenge. I took off with the 19-29 Sport, Larry shot out with the 40-49 Sport and Stacey followed with the Sport Women.

As you can tell from the pics the race was a success (podium spots) for Stacey and Larry. Stacey placed 3rd overall woman and 1st in her age group. Larry placed 3rd in the 40-49 Sport, Josh placed 6th in singlespeed and I placed 7th in 19-29 Sport. It was a tough race but CCR persevered. This was a good start to our mountain bike season. Next stop Sunny King Crit and the Cheaha Challenge all in one weekend.

Photos: CCR, Others1, Others2
Reports: Justin, Larry
Results

Old Howard 100- Brad Fish

Jamie, Don and myself went down to Marion, AL for the Old Howard 100 on an awesome day to be riding a bike. The ride was perfect in all respects. It was very well organized and had great sag stops. The route was slightly hilly with hardly any cars. We rode the 100 mile route and I decided to "be like Mike" and do the pulling. We did the 100 in 5 hours and 22 minutes.

Tour de Tuscaloosa- Justin

2008-03-31T11:56:00.000-05:00

TDT 2008 is behind us now and sadly the beginning of a huge lull in road and crit racing for the state of Alabama until the Sunny King Crit in Anniston, AL. The TDT crit on Saturday proved to be "the hardest crit in Alabama" all because of "the climb". The 90 degree right turn into a 10% grade is just not right. You go from gasing it on a flat to hitting the brakes and shifting down all in one motion.

Herring, Garner and Fish were the CCR reps for this year's crit. Herring finished 24th in the 35 masters, Garner finished 27th and Fish brought a strong 10th although the results show him at 17th because of a confusion with a lapped rider. Garner gets the man points for this week, racing both the crit and road race with a pretty bad sinus infection.

Sunday was the TDT road race. This was my first time to enter the road race and the sources that I relied on stated that this course is very similar to the training race course from the start of the season. Needless to say those sources are no longer going to be used. This course was a climbers course vs. the sprinters training course, not even in the same category.

Herring raced 35+ Cat 4 not finishing because of a flat on the 3rd lap. Renfroe's rear derailleur exploded about a mile from the start in the Cat 4 race. Fish, Garner and I raced Men's 5's taking 25th, 41st and 31st. Stacey and Alli raced with a strong womens Cat 4 field finishing 5th and 10th.

Altogether it was a great event, no one crashed and the rain held off.

Crit Report(s): Mike
Road Report(s): Mike, Justin
Photos Crit: CCR, Velo City
Photos Road: Velo City

Kits Are In!- Justin

2008-03-28T15:35:00.000-05:00

Chris Storie, Ashley Renfroe, Josh Powell, Mike Garner, Todd Tropeano and Brad Fish

Our new kits came in on Wednesday and are looking some kinda sweet! The guys pictured above couldn't wait to give them a test run so they kicked off our Thursday night training ride at Oak Mountain State Park in"buddery" style and fashion.

We'd like to thank American Safety Tread, Stanley Steamer, Cahaba Cycles, Alabama Neurological Institute and Beljum Budder for making all this possible, you guys are a blessing. Please show our sponsors on the right some L-O-V-E.

Also, Monday started our conditioning for mountain bike season. The Spit-N-Grit Time Trials have been introduced to Oak Mountain via Team CCR. We will log everyone's time and watch to see how much we improve our times throughout the season.

Tour de Tuscaloosa is this coming Sat and Sun. We are sending a few guys and gals to see what we can do with the new kits. I sware it's going to make us faster, I just know it. Stay tuned for some serious TDT race reports!

Ride to Live 2008- by Justin

2008-03-23T15:42:00.000-05:00

Pic Courtesy of Ride to Live Race.com

This weekend was the second annual Ride to Live at the Barber Motorsports Park. Most fields were filled with riders from all across the southeast, as well as a couple of guys from Europe. For those that salivate when the word "Criterium" is mentioned, you better grab a napkin.

Pic Courtesy of Ride to Live Race.com

The track was a 2.38 mile road race track, 45' wide, with 16 flowing turns and 80' of elevation change. This tracks primary use is world renowned superbike and sports car racing. So, when a crit rider hangs a turn, traction is optimal.

Pic Courtesy of Ride to Live Race.com of Tria Market- Daryl Seelhorst and Brent Marshal
Team CCR had four participants: Larry, Brad, Stacey and Robyn. Larry and Brad toed Cat 5 and Stacey and Robyn toed Cat 4. The Cat 5 men's race was packed with 50+ riders as always and things were definitely interesting. Towards the end of the race the middle had some squirliness and resulted in a pile of carbon bikes and one broken collarbone. Fortunately, Larry was in front of the pile and Brad was behind far enough to avoid the pile. Larry continued on to chase the front runners and Brad backed off because of the flash backs from last week. Larry finished 30th after a hard push on the last climb and Brad finished soon after.

Pic Courtesy of Ride to Live Race.com

The women's Cat 4 race went out hard. Two ladies from the Medplan set the initial pace along with Team BooKoo. Team BooKoo tried to make a break but it didn't stick. One of the ladies broke out but the ladies blowed it off thinking she was a decoy. Well, she won the race. Stacey finished 6th and Robyn experienced her first road race.

All the proceeds from the Ride to Live race benefit UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center and
the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

Reports: Stacey, Robyn, Larry

Spokes for Strokes- by Justin Poland

2008-03-17T21:49:00.000-05:00

This weekend was a huge beginning to a small idea expressed by one of our own, Josh Powell. You see, Josh's mom suffered a stroke a while back causing her to endure the effects. In preparing for the 2008 season he wanted to participate in an event that contributed to the very thing that he has watched his mother endure but the closest event that he could get information on was in Canada. So, he felt the urge to possibly make something happen here on the local scene not knowing that it would all culminate into what is now known as Spokes for Strokes.

Saturday's Hoover Crit brought rain, tornado warnings, sun, rain again and ended with a blue bird sky. Nerves were on edge to see who would show for our first Spokes for Strokes event because prior to the event only 40-50 riders were pre-registered. Well, to our surprise about 200 riders would show to support the third leading cause of death in the US, now that speaks volumes about the cycling community.

When I say the race was on, the off button was nowhere to be found. The Masters men started things off right with a few heated laps to show us young lads how to "bring it"! Then the ladies toed the line to prove that this is not just a man's sport. After the masters race it was time for the CATs to line-up. Larry, Brad, Mike and Justin entered a field of about 42 hungry CAT 5 riders- this was the first crit experience for Larry, Brad, Mike and Justin. Larry and Brad started in the front while Mike and Justin hung back to see how things would play out. They played out alright. Larry and Brad held on to the lead pack for a while until an over anxious rider took out Brad's front wheel...notice the road rash in the top pic. Larry stayed strong up front, Mike held on as long as possible and Justin was humbled by the intensity of the sport. Larry finished 9th.

Stacey brought a strong effort to the womens CAT 3/4 race while the other Qwik Chix were there for event support. Thanks ladies!

The Spokes for Strokes series ended on Sunday with the F.A.S.T. Century-one hundred miles of the most beautiful countryside one could imagine. One hundred and five zealous riders showed to tweak their early century fitness. That brings this weekends event to a close with a head count of about 300 riders, tell me one man's vision is a small thing. This was for you Mrs. Susan Powell!

To add to this already long post I would like to announce that we are going to attempt posting individual race reports, as they are submitted, for each event that we participate in. The reports and pics will be posted at the end each post. Thanks for reading, Justin.

Reports: Mike
Pics and more pics

Victoire! - by Mike Garner

2008-03-10T11:42:00.000-05:00

The French word meaning "Victory". After a snow day canceled practice on Saturday, Team CCR showed in force for Sundays race. It was a picture post card perfect day. Not a cloud in the sky, a little brisk at the start, but just a perfect day for us to show the mettle and determination that brought us all together to start CCR. As the race started it was unlike the other 2, a sign of things to come maybe? There was no full on sprint, maybe everyone was tight because it was cold, and may a little jet lagged because of day light savings. None the less it allowed Team CCR to put it together.

On the first lap we had a little scare when a dog dive bombed the peleton taking out a rider at Mike's 11 o'clock. Josh, maybe it was a blessing, stopped to help, got back on, and promptly blew the side wall out of his rear tire ending his day. Chris starting his first race, and fighting the crud going around, put in 2 solid laps, before getting hung up behind a missed-shift from Chain Reaction guy, lost the peleton and hung it up to fight another day. The rest worked doggedly. We chased down a small two man break. Brad, our field general, stood up looking over the peleton barked the orders to not let it get away. Away we went gobbling up the small break. After we blew by them we made the turn, and our boys, Brad and Larry went off the front, and I mean way off the front. What a beautifull sight it was watching your colors dance away. That splintered the field. Brad and Larry on the break. Chase 1, and Chase 2 containing Stacey, Mike, Justin and 3 other riders. Chase 2 did everything we could to bridge up to Chase 1, but to no avail. Chase 2 hung together till the last mile or two. Mike put in a solid pull to try and set Stacey up to bring home the Chase 2 victory. In the end 5 riders in the top 15 from CCR. Podium finishes went to Larry(Malliot Jaune), and Brad finishing a rock solid 3rd. Stacey ended the day in 8th, Mike in 12th and Justin rocking the new Tourmalet finished 13th. Our first victory. Everyone worked there tails off to bring this home. We can all pat ourselves on the back. Enjoy the moment, because next week it is time to get back to work. Looking foward to a week of recovery, and this weekends first official race of the season, Hoover Crit March 15th.

Winter Training Series Part II

2008-03-03T18:42:00.001-06:00

Yo Team CCR fans! I know, you've been waiting so patiently for an update, we apologize.

Well, I guess we can start with team practice on Saturday. The team met at Spain Park High School in Hoover, AL @ 7 am CST. Spain Park is the primere location of the finest criterium known to man, the Hoover Crit.

Some of our teammates are new to the crit scene and some are still not sure if they if they want to race the crit. So, we made about 8 laps around the course to get a feel for what's coming on March 15th. Keith Kittinger, our Tri-guy, was zipping around on his Cervelo time trialing with a broke collarbone making us all look a little ridiculous. After practice Brad, Larry and Wes went for a longer ride through Oak Mountain State Park to do some endurance training while Mike and Justin continued with a good tempo ride around the school. The Quik Chix had other reservations so they went their seperate ways and that was saturdays practice!

Fast forward about 30 hours and Team CCR was at the starting line of the Winter Training Series Part II. We raced the "C" class on a beautiful day hovering around 70 degrees.

The race started out relatively slow because the mileage increased to 30 this week and no one really had a gauge on how hard to peg it. The pack sorted out after the first lap and it was time to focus on who wanted the win bad enough. During the second lap there were two guys that wanted to break out but the peloton remained constant crusing around 30 mph at most. Near the end of lap two we were well represented up front with Brad, Larry and Stacey but there was one strange thing. Justin was there! What in the world is Justin doing in the front on his first road race ever on a borrowed Lemond Zurich, he's a mountain biker. So, somehow Justin is the lead man for like......ummmm......a second. Then, you guessed it, he gets swollowed by the peloton, AMATEUR! The third lap was pretty much the same but we lost Justin. It all came down to the sprint and Brad, Larry and Stacey all finished in the top 10 and Justin, Josh and Mike called it a good training day. Good job guys! Photos

2008 Training Series Report #1

2008-02-24T22:51:00.000-06:00

Team CCR brought a showing to the first race of the 2008 Training Series in Gallant, AL. There were three classes: A, B and C, fastest to slowest. Class C was the race of choice for us today, really just wanting to see where our fitness stood as a team as well as individuals.

The initial pace was pretty strong and all the teams were getting organized for the second and final lap of the 20 mile race. Larry and Brad stayed strong up front with the pack but didn't have the team support that the larger teams had. Larry finished somewhere in the 20's and Brad hung back after working hard to the sprint. The Quik Chix (Stacey, Allison and Tressie) remained toward the back winking, trying to destract the guys on the back. It almost worked, good job ladies. It was a good day for the team and we are looking forward to next weekends race. Photos

2 Legit 2 Quit

2008-02-22T22:04:00.000-06:00

That's right, it's official, we are officially registered as Team CCR with USA Cycling. For those that are just joining us, this is the first year of competition for the "team", although some of us are veterans to the race scene.

We are excited to announce that Beljum Budder will be our headlined sponsor for the 2008 season. Beljum Budder is the natural choice for chafing protection. That said, we won't have chafing problems. WooHoo!

Five riders from Team CCR will hammer this weekend at the 2008 Winter Training Series at Camp Sumatanga in Gallant, AL. This will be the first of three training races to show off early season fitness in the state of Alabama for all the local road cycling teams. Race distances will vary from 20-40 miles based on race class. If you need more info about the race please contact Bill Seitz- weseitz@hotmail.com.

That's all the news for now. Please be patient with the post. We promise they will eventually be more interesting than announcing sponsorships. We will try to post pics from the Winter Training Series as soon as possible.

Stay clipped in!

Come One, Come All!

2008-02-21T11:59:00.000-06:00

Team CCR would like to welcome two more sponsors for the 2008 season: Stanley Steemer and the ANI Foundation. Please feel free to visit their websites and help us in showing support for the services they provide on a national and local level.

In other news.....

The rider line-up has changed a bit due to some riders leaving for other opportunities but we wish them the best in there efforts this season. Rider profiles for Team CCR will be updated as more information rolls in.

Train harder!

2008 Team Announcement

2008-02-13T21:10:00.000-06:00

There's a new team in town!

You've reached the home of Team CRR. That's right ladies and gentlemen Team CCR's droppin' the hammer in 2008. We are excited about the new team and we are looking forward to a great season. There is nothing that this team loves more than suffering with the best in the AL.

We would like to thank the American Safety Tread Company for sponsorship thus far this season, other sponsors are welcome.

We would also like to announce Spokes for Strokes as our flagship charity race. The Spokes for Strokes race will benefit community stroke education through the Alabama Neurological Institute.

If you see the black, red and orange out riding please feel free to join the sufferfest.

Stay tuned to this channel for team updates!