Day 2 - More and more sweet singletrack

Too busy riding the phenomenal trails here to play photographer, except for this short bit of video from the Western States Trail:

2010 Nats Camp - Day 1 to Tahoe

Twenty kids, bikes and gear. No small feat transporting this flying circus to the mountains.

Two vans and an SUV, and the team caravan was on its way...


We wasted no time getting settled, and promptly set out for a welcome ride. The trailhead is literally out our backyard.

The Tahoe Rim Trail is beautiful, and the northern segment near Watson Lake provides stunning views of Tahoe and its snow-capped peaks.

Aiming High

The Whole Athlete Development Team is aiming high - above 8000 ft, that is - shooting for the Mountain Bike XC National Championships, July 15-18 in Granby, Colorado. How do sea level-dwellers perform at their best at such high elevation?

A high-altitude training camp.

On Monday June 28th, while many are just starting their work day, 20 young Whole Athlete Team riders and five coaches head to the mountains for three weeks of training, yoga, optimized nutrition, and high-altitude racing. After ten days in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the junior girls head to the Downieville Classic XC, while the junior/U23 boys team travels to Colorado Springs to compete in the CTS International ProXCT Stage Race. The team will then reconvene in Granby to make its final preparations for the National Championships at the Sol Vista Ski Park.

This training/race camp is a unique opportunity for the young riders to live and train together as a team, following the lifestyle of a true professional athlete and embrace our three-point philosophy of dedication, integrity and fun. This will be the team's second year supporting the riders with an altitude camp culminating with the National Championships in Colorado.

The team will be posting daily reports from the camp with photos and video. Follow our progress here as we aim for the highest peaks!


You can help too...The Whole Athlete Cycling Team is a non-profit program funded by the 501(c)(3) Velo Development Foundation. Please consider making a 100% tax-deductible donation. Go to http://www.velodevelopment.org and help these young cyclists reach their goals.

Crisis Averted

On the eve of the team's biggest trip of the year, when 20 Whole Athlete kids prepare to head to the mountains for three weeks to acclimate, train and compete at the National Championships, one of the kids breaks her bike...

With one workday left in the week and an early Monday morning departure in store, what do we do?

Rely on the generous and extraordinary support of our sponsors.

Ian and Garth at Specialized went out of their way to assure that our rider would have a bike in time for the team camp. Bryce at Tam Bikes made sure the bike would be assembled and ready to go for our departure. Without hesitation, they stepped up and made it happen. Crisis averted.
The accomplishments of the Whole Athlete Team and its riders may be impressive, with 50 wins to date, including multiple high school and junior cat 1 state champions. But our athletes do not achieve success by their efforts alone. The heros behind the scenes are rarely seen or mentioned, and without them we could not succeed. I want to send a huge thank you out to all our tremendous supporters. Without you were are just a bunch of cyclists. With you, we are a successful team.

Victories on both road and dirt

Tony Smith took the victory in the Pescadero Road Race in the Elite Cat 4s, earning his Cat 3 upgrade and confirming his participation in the Junior Road National Championships in Bend, OR next weekend.

Meanwhile, Zach Valdez continued his winning ways by taking the Big Bear Kenda Cup by 14 min! Racing Junior Cat 1, his time put him third overall in the pros, only one minute slower than Pro winner, Tinker Juarez.

Three Whole Athlete Juniors Crowned State Champions

The Napa Skyline XC Race is considered one of the most technically challenging courses in California. Add to that a significant amount of climbing and temperatures in the 90s, and you have yourself a true state championship race.

Riley Predum

Whole Athlete juniors thrived in the difficult conditions, showing their technical and physical abilities. Riley Predum took the Junior Cat 1 title, finishing the day with the second fastest time overall - even among the pros! Victoria Yoham showed why she loves technical challenges, completing three full laps of the difficult course to take the Cat 1 Junior girls title. Bobby Zidek followed suit by taking the Cat 2 junior title as well.

Victoria Yoham

Bobby Zidek

Congratulations to all the Whole Athletes who rode so well in the brutal conditions!

Whole Athlete Team Top-10 Results:

Junior Cat 1
Riley Predum 1st
Joe Yoham 2nd
Davis Bentley 4th
Taylor Smith 5th
Colby Pastore 6th

Junior Cat 1 Girls
Victoria Yoham 1st

Junior Cat 2
Bobby Zidek 1st

Cat 1 Women 30-39
Abbie Durkee 2nd

Not just Tamarancho...

While the rest of the Whole Athlete Juniors were tearing it up at the Tamarancho Dirt Classic, SoCal rider Zach Valdez was winning the Kenda Cup Ellings Park Race by 8 minutes! His lap times rivaled those of the pros as he solidified his lead in the Kenda Cup Series.

On the road side of racing, Nick Newcomb was busy confirming his podium status in the California Junior Points Series with a strong 2nd place overall.

The Whole Athlete Team shows its class at the Tamarancho Dirt Classic

Held in our backyard on the trails we ride regularly as a team, the Tamarancho Dirt Classic was a local event not to be missed. A junior nationals qualifier and Allison Dunlap Junior MTB Series Race, Whole Athlete Juniors chose to make this a target event. Not only did they represent, but the kids rode with tremendous heart and skill, taking the top spots in every category, sweeping the Cat 1 junior boys and girls events.

Mountain bike legend, multiple national and world champion, Ned Overend showed up to challenge a strong handful of local pros, but it was Marin local and Team Director Dario Fredrick who took the top spot in the pro race.

Jim Hewett, Ned Overend &
Dario Fredrick up Dead Heifer

Max Houtzager shows the
singlespeeders how it's done.

Will Patterson making the 28% gradient Dead Heifer look easy.

Kate Courtney and Sofia Hamilton

Taylor Smith was the fastest
15-16 Cat 1 rider on the day.

Bobby Zidek on his way to
wining the Cat 2 15-18 race.

The Camp Tamarancho Boy Scout motto
is most appropriate

Cat 1 girls

Pro Men start

Girls' Team coach, Abbie Durkee comes
out of "retirement" to show that she's still got it!

Whole Athletes took top honors in nearly every category raced, sweeping the podium in the junior boys and girls Cat 1 events.

Cat 1 17/18 boys
1st Will Curtis
2nd Tony Smith
3rd Riley Predum
Cat 1 15/16
1st Taylor Smith (4th overall in junior boys combined)

Cat 1 17/18 girls
1st Sofia Hamilton
2nd Victoria Yoham
Cat 1 15/16 girls
1st Kate Courtney (3rd in juniors girls combined)

Cat 1 singlespeed
1st Max Houtzager

Cat 1 19-24
Will Patterson

Cat 1 Women 30-39
2nd Abbie Durkee (WA Girls Coach)

Pro
1st Dario Fredrick

Cat 2 15-18 boys
1st Bobby Zidek
3rd Sven Beer

Cat 2 15-18 girls
1st MacKinzie Stanley

A few short videos of the junior racers in action. The Cat 1 boys start, and some feed zone fun.