Eisen Wins Green Valley TT!

Event Name:	Green Valley Time Trial
Date:	April 29, 2012
Description:	Dead flat out and back, light winds
Cat 3 Men:	6th - Jesse Nofziger
Cat 4 Men:	1st - Andrew Eisen 3rd - Tim Farrell

Congratulations on the win, Andrew! Fantastic ride by Tim, sliding in only 6 seconds back.
Full results here.

FareStart Cycling Team Represents at Olympic View Road Race

Clean face, hairy legs, just the way Greg likes it! Photo courtesy of Kirsten Reed.

Event Name:	Olympic View Road Race
Date:	April 28, 2012
Description:	18 mile circuit with rolling hills
Cat 3 Men:	18th - Tony Bravetti 37th - Dave Hecht
Cat 4 Men:  Cat 5 Men:	17th - Martin Chvoj 19th - Andrew Eisen 30th - Aaron Griffith 42nd - Tim Farrell 28th - Neal Goldberg
Masters 35+ 1/2/3:	10th - Martin Criminale 22nd - Greg Kauper
Masters 50+:	15th - Corrie Martin
	Great turnout and great work team! Official results can be found here.

Cat 4 Men light it up at crash-filled Olympic View RR

FareStart's Cat 4 team was well represented at the Olympic View Road Race by Andrew Eisen, Tim Farrell, Martin Chvoj, and Aaron Griffith. Aaron offered up this race report:

"I think all four of the guys in the race (Andrew, Tim, Martin and myself) raced well.  Everyone was aggressive and for the most part was at the front of the pack the entire race.  Tim got in a nice looking break but nothing was really let go.  I think it was Kornmann? who counter attacked a break attempt and was let go by himself.  He rode a long ways by himself.  The pace slowed a bit and he was kind of left up the road about 45 seconds for at least a lap and a half.  He was caught on the back half of the final lap and the finish was a big messy pack sprint.  Looked like there was a small crash when a few guys started fighting for some premium ditch position at about 300m.  Luckily we all avoided it."

Olympic View Road Race - A Day in the Saddle with FareStart's Cat 3 Men

FareStart's Tony Bravetti recounts his day in the saddle in the Cat 3 field at the Olympic View Road Race.

"Dave and i signed up to do the 90 mile course with 70 competitors. My race strategy going in was the typical sprinter mantra: sit-in and wait for bunch sprint.  The race unfolded much to my predictions. There was a 2 man break on the second lap that lasted until the final lap and it ended up a pack sprint. Dave spent most of the day working the front and worked hard to bring back the break. Kudo to Dave. At 1.5 K to go, Dave came to the front again to give me a lead. i was 3 wheels back on Dave. He pulled off at 500 meters and there was hesitation in next two wheels. We got swarmed. Hindsight i should have gone at this point. At the time i thought 500m a bit early which resulted in getting boxed in and pinched. Some yahoo tried to feel me up and slammed into my right side and i bounced off some other groupie on the left. My left foot came out of the pedal and dragged on the asphalt as i racked myself. Cursing and frothing, swerving around in the middle like a pin ball... Ultimately I was able to stay upright and finish, but not the podium spot i was 99% positive was going to be mine... it always tickles me how we can spend 4hrs in the saddle setting up for a split second decision."

Aaron Griffith Scores Top-10 GC Result in Tour of Walla Walla for FareStart Cycling Team

Team FareStart had four riders in the Cat 4 field: Martin Chovj, Andrew Eisen, Tim Farrell and Aaron Griffith. 

Aaron Griffith's Tour of Walla Walla race report follows: 

Walla Walla Criterium

I showed up about 8:35 thinking I had 25 minutes to get ready.  When I went to sign in, they told me that they had taken it, and the race was starting in 5 minutes.  I then tried to find the official so I could sign in and just told me to line up.  I go line up and notice I am wearing my winter vest with wallet, keys, camera and food stuffed in the back pocket.  I looked around and disn't see anyone I knew so I just gave it to some random guy who threw it onto the curb.  Jesse then showed up with my race wheels and asked if I want a wheel change.  I think I must have been in panic mode because I said no, then sat there for 5 minutes doing nothing.  After that the race was pretty uneventful.  I saw Andrew on the front for some good portions of the race and he looked good.  I decided I didn't really care and was going to sit in for a pack finish, someone let a small gap form in the finish sprint and Tim and I lost 5 seconds.  I wasn't very happy about that.

Tim Farrell flying in the Walla Walla Time Trial

Walla Walla Time Trial

I had my best time trial ever.  It was the second time I raced the new bike so I felt pretty good about it.  I wanted to stay within a minute of the leaders and I did that.  Andrew and Tim both had similar times and we were all in the top 10 heading in the road race.

Aaron Griffith sprints for 6th place finish in Kellogg Hollow Road Race

Kellogg Hollow Road Race

I showed up early for this race and was able to sign-in warm up a little bit with Martin and talk about the race.  I think all of us should have probably discussed what we wanted to do since we had 3 riders in a pretty good position.  The race started out horribly slow and when we started up the first climb I couldn't take it anymore.  I took some pulls on the front to try to get the pace going a bit faster but it didn't seem to help.  Everyone seemed like they were content to just ride lazy for the first lap.  I didn't think that sounded like a good way to make up 50 seconds, so I accelerated again and this time no one came with me.  I was very surprised but thought I would just ride a nice steady pace up the hill and see what happened.  At the top of the hill the gap was about a minute so I kept pushing over and tried to ride tempo until they caught me.  The official then pulled up and told me I was holding steady at 40 seconds and he wanted to bring me a wheel car.  I told him it was windy and I wasn't going to ride super hard so they would probably catch me so I didn't really need a wheel car.  5 minutes later he comes up again and tells me the gap is now 55 seconds and I'm getting a car.  At the base of the climb to the feed zone the gap was at 1:15 and I think that was the last time I got a split.  I rode through the feed zone and on the final hill of the first lap it looked like the field was about 30 seconds back and all together.  So I slowed up and re-joined them.  The race stayed pretty easy until the climb to the feed zone.  I was probably a little too content and sitting near the back of the field on the start of the climb.  I guess this is when people finally decided to race because the pace increased and people started going backwards.  I had to pick my way up through the field and ended up about 10 seconds behind the leaders going over the hill.  Lucky for me there were 4 other guys in the same spot so we all started working together to chase back on.  We finally caught on about half way up the final climb and stayed together over the final hill.  There were two guys (Starbucks guy in 3rd and the leader) off the front but not too far up the road.  We had 2nd place (Apex) with us in the group with two teammates.  They never really tried to pull in the lead group and Apex guy lost 2nd place by 1 second.  I was pretty wasted by the end and just tried to save up a little bit for a sprint.  Sprint went OK, and I ended up 6th.  My best stage race finish ever – 6^th place in the GC.

Top Ten Finishes for FareStart's Greg Kauper and Aaron Griffith in Kellogg Hollow Road Race

Racers were treated to the site of rolling fields and lumbering tractors during the Kellogg Hollow Road Race

Event Name:	Kellogg Hollow Road Race (final stage of the Tour of Walla Walla)
Date:	April 22, Sunday
Description:	Final race of the Tour of Walla Walla. For Masters and Cat 3 the Kellogg Hollow Road Race is the longer road race of the event, for Cat 4 it was the only road race.
Cat 3 Men:	19th - Jed Bardon
Cat 4/5 Men:	6th - Aaron Griffith 26th - Andrew Eisen 27th - Tim Farrell 43rd - Martin Chvoj
Masters 40+:	6th - Greg Kauper 35th - RC Rogers

After launching a withering solo effort mid-race, Aaron Griffith rejoined the Cat 4 pack for a sprint finish, where he finished 6th. His outstanding effort in the final stage propelled him to 6th place overall in the GC, his best finish in a stage race to date. Way to go, Aaron and congratulations to all the FareStart lads who spent the weekend racing through Washington's wine country.

Huge shout out to Jesse Nofziger for racing the Tour of Walla Walla, just six weeks after breaking his collarbone - hard man, for sure!

Team FareStart Puts Three in Top Ten in Tour of Walla Walla Time Trial

Aaron Griffith rolls past a massive wine storage facility in the Walla Walla Time Trial

Event Name:	Walla Walla Time Trial (a stage of the Tour of Walla Walla)
Date:	April 21, Saturday afternoon
Description:	The race of truth. Man and machine against the clock. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. Just roll it as fast as you can. The weather was sunny with a typical afternoon breeze whispering through wine country.
Cat 3 Men:	39th - Jed Barden 45th - Jesse Nofziger
Cat 4/5 Men:	5th - Andrew Eisen 7th - Aaron Griffith 8th - Tim Farrell 56th - Matin Chavoj
Masters 40+:	35th - Greg Kauper 41st - RC Rogers

The Cat 4/5 crew had a very productive afternoon, placing three riders in the top ten, realizing a goal of staying within a minute of the race leaders for the general classification (GC).

FareStart's Kauper Recaps Walla Walla Masters SufferFest

Walla Walla 2012 Race Report – by Greg Kauper

RC Rogers and I represented the FareStart Masters at this years Tour of WallaWalla.
They should call it the only race in Eastern Washington that anyone
goes to.  The weekend on paper was perfect: sunny, 80 degrees, 60 racers in
our field from all over the region.  This was going to be the hardest
race of the Washington road season by far.

Friday RC and I had planned to take it easy until the inevitable drag race
up the finishing climb - when you push your pedals as hard as your legs can till
you cross the line. We managed to hold on until about the last kilometer and finished just off the
lead.

RC Rogers Hammering with the Masters Field in the Walla Walla Stage Race Criterium on Saturday morning.

Saturday the obligatory criterium presented the opportunity for some fast cornering enjoyment through the heart of Walla Walla.  Both RC and I made a few moves inspired by the cheering of friends, family, and teammates.  Someone in the race filmed it and the perspective from the handlebar-mounted camera is super cool.



The Time Trial proved to be our downfall, as the TT specialists put time into
both of us.

Dinner was enjoyable with friends and family.  We met a local who
wants to increase bicyclist safety in the area by installing bike
safety signs on local roads that cyclists frequent.  His inspiration
is the female cyclist who was killed last year on the road to
Waitsburgh.

Greg Kauper stokes the furnace during the 2012 Walla Walla Road Race

The queen stage lived up to its hype. RC and I hung tough and bided our time. As the final break was coming back the leaders attacked and we managed to stay with them over the final climbs. I managed to get good position in the finishing sprint and hold on for 6th on the day.

While I’ll miss not having the Cherry Blossom Classis this year, I could not ask for a better start to the 2012 Stage Race season.

The Walla Walla Stage Race is a tough three days of racing. Congratulations to Greg Kauper, RC Rogers and all race participants!

Team FareStart Kicks Off Stage Race Season at Tour of Walla Walla

FareStart boys (center right) rolling with the pack during the Tour of Walla Walla Kellogg Hollow Road Race.

Event Name:	Waitsburg Road Race, First stage of the Tour of Walla Walla.
Date:	April 20th, Friday afternoon
Description:	Afternoon road race to kick off the season's first multi-day stage race.
Cat 3 Men:	45th - Jed Barden 72nd -Jesse Nofziger
Cat 4/5 Men:	Today's stage was Pro/1/2, Cat 3 and Masters Men only
Masters A Men:	27th - Greg Kauper 44th - RC Rogers

Check out complete Tour of Walla Walla race reports from Greg Kauper and Aaron Griffith.

Walla Walla Criterium - Fast and Furious in Wine Country

Event Name:	Walla Walla Criterium (a stage of the Tour of Walla Walla)
Date:	April 21, Saturday morning
Description:	A multi-turn criterium through the epicenter of Washington's wine country. The course was flat with good pavement and streets lined with appreciative locals wondering why anyone would voluntarily ride a bike so fast, for so long, when there is so much good wine to enjoy.
Cat 3 Men:	24th - Jed Barden 81st - Jesse Nofziger
Cat 4/5 Men:	18th - Andrew "Ice Ice" Eisen 29th - Tim Farrell 31st - Aaron Griffith 55th - Martin Chvoj
Masters 40+:	12th - Greg Kauper 19th - RC Rogers

Find Tour of Walla Walla race reports from Greg Kauper and Aaron Griffith here.

Criminale Brings the Pain at Magnuson Park Half Marathon

Event Name:	Magnuson Park Half Marathon
Date:	April 21, 2012

FareStart's Martin Criminale traded in his MadFibers for his shoes with a funny name and threw down a sizzling 1:30:02 at the Marnuson Park Half Marathon in Seattle, netting him first place in Men's 45-49 and third place overall. You can read his race report here. Way to go, Martin!

Official Results

Lane Seely Wins Northshore Road Race!

Event Name:	Northshore Road Race
Date:	Sunday, April 15th, 2012
Description:	Rolling circuit race through verdant forests and fields near Lake Whatcom (greater Bellingham area)
Cat 3 Men:	13th - Jesse Nofziger
Cat 4/5 Men:	1st - Lane Seely 3rd - Aaron Griffith 15th - Tim Farrell
Masters 3/4/5 Men:	2nd - Dave Hecht 3rd - Ryan Dean

Aaron Griffith (3rd place) and Lane Seely (1st place) enjoy taking two of the top three spots on the Cat 4/5 podium. With Lane's victory he's earned enough points to upgrade. Way to go Lane and Aaron!


Dave Hecht (2nd place) and Ryan Dean (3rd place) broke away from the Masters 3/4/5 pack, demonstrating that facial hair really does make you fast, even if CX season is months away.

Clouds overhead and a light breeze made for cool temperatures for racing - high 40's for morning races, a bit warmer for the afternoon.  The Northshore circuit race features an 8-mile loop with two distinct climbs, a couple of open flat stretches where the pack can really fly, a hard 90° right-hand turn, as well as a long winding descent to complete the circuit.  The last 200 meters diverts from the loop and features a very steep climb that sorts out the field.

Team FareStart was well represented in the morning races with Dave Hecht and Ryan Dean toeing the line with the Masters crew, while half a dozen 'Prints lined up for the Cat 4/5 race (Lane Seely, Aaron Griffith, Tim Farrell, Nelson Jay, Marin Chvoj and Neal Goldberg). Jesse Nofziger, fresh off a 5-week collarbone recovery, was the sole representative in the Cat 3 race.

Congratulations to Lane Seely who scored his first-ever first place finish in a road race and has applied for an upgrade to Cat 3 status. Time to start growing the facial hair, Lane!

Northshore Hill Climb Time Trial

Event Name:	Northshore Hill Climb Time Trial
Date:	April 14th, Saturday afternoon
Description:	2-mile uphill time trial
Cat 4/5 Men:	9th - Tim Farrell

Skagit Valley Time Trial

Event Name:	Skagit Valley Time Trial
Date:	April 14, Saturday Morning
Description:	Cool weather for this event, a solid warm-up for the afternoon hill climb TT.
Cat 4/5 Men:	3rd -Tim Farrell 4th - Aaron Griffith

Volunteer Park Criterium

Event Name:	Volunteer Park Criterium, Seattle
Date:	Saturday, April 7th
Description:	Seattle's Criterium season kicked off with glorious sunshine and a fast track.
Cat 4/5 Men:	5th - Lane Seely* 18th - Tim Farrell
Masters 1/2/3 Men:	6th - Greg Kauper 7th - Ryan Dean 18th - RC Rogers 22nd - Martin Criminale

Team FareStart was well represented at Seattle's traditional kick-off to the criterium season, the verdant and colorful circuit course that makes a kidney-shaped lap through Volunteer Park.  The fine weather brought out lots of racers and fans.

Special thanks to FareStart member Jeff Lynch for these fantastic race photos!  Learn more about Jeff's work at Jeff Lynch Photography.


 Greg Kauper and Ryan Dean bomb the descent with the lead pack


Martin Criminale on the angry end of the Masters 1/2/3 field


RC Rogers rolling down the backside of the circuit


Tim Farrell on a solo flyer in the Cat 4 race

Lane Seely seeing red 

Check out more Volunteer Park race photos from Jeff Lynch photography.


*Editor's Note: It is the editor's sincere belief that Lane finished in 5th place, though unfortunately there was confusion after the finish and Lane missed the official window for protest.  As in all USAC sanctioned races, official results are just that, official... so I'm taking a bit of editorial license here and crediting Lane with a top-5 finish ('cause he really finished 5th).