Whole Athlete District Road Champ Wins Wente!

With impressive teamwork, the Whole Athlete juniors were victorious in the Wente Road Race, delivering Nick Newcomb the win and maintaining his lead in the Junior Points Series. Will Curtis and Tony Smith finished 3rd and 4th, while Colby Pastore took 6th.

Whole Athlete Junior Development Team Discovers Sea Otter Success

Marin County-based Whole Athlete Cycling Team continued a successful Spring campaign at the Sea Otter Classic. Following dominant performances at the Bonelli Park US Cup and Fontana Pro XCT races, the squad kept its momentum rolling with an astounding 14 podium appearances at the three-day Sea Otter event in Monterey, CA.

Cat 1 Junior 17/18: 1st Mitch Bailey, 2nd Zach Valdez,

3rd Seth Kemp (not pictured) 4th Will Curtis, 5th Nick Newcomb

Cat 1 Junior Girls 15-18: 1st Essence Barton, 2nd Sofia Hamilton,

3rd Shayna Powless, 4th Kendall Ryan (not pictured), 5th Kate Courtney

Zach Valdez found his winning streak in XC Cat 1 17-18 broken by 2008 Canadian National Champion Mitch Bailey, but managed a more than respectable 2nd place, while teammates Will Curtis and Nick Newcomb took 4th and 5th respectively. Newcomb also went on to place 3rd in the Cat 4 Circuit Race, securing his upgrade to Cat 3 on the road. Sofia Hamilton continued her rise to the top by following her win at Fontana with a convincing 2nd place in XC Cat 1 15-18 girls, while 14 year-old Kate Courtney took the 5th spot on the podium.

With the best Specialized bikes, yoga among the Monterey cypress and groceries from Whole Foods Market, the team was well taken care of for the weekend. Here are some of the team's recipes for success:

• Organic Whole Foods Red Quinoa with 365 Everyday Value garbanzo beans and organic veggies (carrots, peppers, zucchini) cooked in garlic, 365 Everyday Value extra virgin olive oil, and dried Italian spices.
• Organic Whole Foods free range chicken, 365 Everyday Value black beans cooked in extra virgin olive oil, and dried italian spices, organic brown rice, lettuce, avocados, tomato, cheddar cheese, Amy's organic salsa and 365 Everyday Value whole wheat tortillas.
• Organic Whole Foods rolled oats, walnuts, raisins, apples and bananas, 365 Everyday Value soy milk, organic eggs, juices, whole grain bread, 365 Everyday Value organic peanut butter and jams.

The Sea Otter classic marks the last of the national-level spring targets for the Whole Athlete Cycling Team. Even bigger goals come later in the year: an altitude camp in Lake Tahoe at the end of June, US MTB National Championships in Colorado in July, and the World Cup Finals in New York in August. From regional races to international competition, team members are learning to compete (and succeed) at the highest levels.

The mission of the Whole Athlete Cycling Team is to invest in the future of youth and the sport of cycling by supporting development of junior & espoir cyclists, while providing a team program where young cyclists can race and ride together guided by a defining philosophy of dedication, integrity and fun. This mission is enabled by mentors, volunteer time and donations to the Velo Development Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. More information can be found at http://www.wholeathlete.com/team and http://www.velodevelopment.org/

Sea Otter Photo Gallery

Getting ready for the team pre-ride

Best XC bike, period.

Specialized demo

Checking out the course

Will Curtis & Zach Valdez

Taylor Smith

Sea Otter Classic - Day 2 Results

Junior Cat 2 15-18 XC
2nd Taylor Smith

U23 Circuit Race
4th John Bennett

Elite Cat 3 Road Race
3rd Carl Hesselein

Elite Cat 4 Circuit Race
3rd Nick Newcomb (upgrade to Cat 3)

Cat 5 Circuit Race
2nd Will Patterson

Sea Otter Classic - Day 1 Results

Junior 17/18 Cat 1 Boys
2nd Zach Valdez
4th Will Curtis
5th Nick Newcomb
6th Alec Kassin
7th Riley Predum
10th Alex Stevenson

Junior 15-18 Cat 1 Girls xc
2nd Sofia Hamilton
4th Kate Courtney

Cat 1 19-24 xc
5th Will Patterson

Coaches - Mentors
Cat 1 Women 40-44 xc
1st Helene Drumm

Cat 1 Men 40-44 xc
2nd Dario Fredrick

Cat 3 Men Road Circuit
2nd Carl Hesselein

Whole Athlete Junior Development Team Targets Sea Otter Classic XC

Marin County based Whole Athlete Cycling Team is once again hitting the road in search of the podium. Following hugely successful outings to US Cup Races at Bonnelli Park and Fontana Pro XCT (where they accumulated an astounding 18 combined podium appearances including 6 wins) the team is setting up camp in Monterey for the weekend, looking to capitalize on their momentum. Leading the charge will be one of the newest team members, Zach Valdez, and one of the veterans, Will Curtis. Valdez took the top step at San Dimas and Fontana in the Cat 1 17/18 XC races, while Curtis placed 2nd at both races and has won the first two rounds of the NorCal High School MTB League. Also hitting the dirt after an early spring road campaign that saw him take 4 wins on the road including the Cat 2 GC Overall at the prestigious San Dimas Stage Race will be U23 Pro XC rider John Bennett. Rounding out the squad's push will be several top female competitors: Sofia Hamilton, who took a breakthrough win at Fontana; Kate Courtney, a freshman who won the last round of the NorCal High School League in the Junior Varsity division; and Victoria Hamilton, who is chasing her first win of 2010 after getting on the podium at Bonnelli Park, Fontana, and both rounds of NorCal High School League.



The Sea Otter classic marks the last of the national-level spring targets for the Whole Athlete Cycling Team. Even bigger goals come later in the year: an altitude camp in Lake Tahoe at the end of June, MTB Nationals in Colorado in July, and the World Cup Finals in New York in August. From regional races to international competition, team members are learning to compete (and succeed) at the highest levels.

The mission of the Whole Athlete Cycling Team is to invest in the future of youth and the sport of cycling by supporting development of junior & espoir cyclists, while providing a team program where young cyclists can race and ride together guided by a defining philosophy of dedication, integrity and fun. This mission is enabled by mentors, volunteer time and donations to the Velo Development Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. More information can be found at http://www.wholeathlete.com/team.htm and http://www.velodevelopment.org/

Whole Foods Signs Up to Fuel Whole Athlete Cycling Team

In a natural alliance, Whole Foods Market, Northern California's top provider of quality groceries, has pledged to support the Whole Athlete Cycling Team, Northern California's top provider of quality junior cycling talent. Whole Foods will become the junior development team's exclusive grocery sponsor, providing access to the healthy, organic foods essential to the team's mission of teaching young cyclists the skills to perform at their highest potential.

The Whole Athlete Cycling Team holds several trips and camps in support of target race events like this weekend's Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, the US National Mountain Bike Championships in Colorado in July, and the World Cup Race in New York in August. For each event the team rents a house to serve as base camp, with Fredrick and other mentors preparing healthy meals, leading restorative yoga classes, and doing whatever else is necessary to help the young cyclists learn healthy habits for peak performance.

"One of our main goals is teaching our athletes how optimal nutrition helps them achieve their goals in a healthy, sustainable manner," said team founder and director Dario Fredrick. "Whole Foods has the fuel our team needs and it is a sign of their commitment to community that they are stepping up to help these kids reach their dreams."

For more information about the Whole Athlete Cycling Team, please visit http://www.wholeathlete.com/team.htm