Another Successful Weekend for Whole Athlete/Specialized Juniors at NorCal High School Race #3

A good sign of early season form, every Whole Athlete/Specialized rider competing this weekend finished on the podium at the Granite Bay NorCal High School race. Kate Courtney started things off with a convincing win in the Varsity Girls, while Tyler O'Neal followed suit with a solo victory in the Sophomore race. 

Kate Courtney goes two for two, with her second win in as many races.

Tyler O'Neal wins the Sophomore race and takes over the series leader's jersey.

 

Lucas Newcomb had the Varsity Boys race in hand, but a wayward lapped rider inadvertently took him down, forcing Lucas to settle for 2nd. Jacob Albrecht also battled back from an early race crash to a solid fourth place finish, while Ben Spurr landed on the podium for the third consecutive race, finishing in fifth. Steffen Andersen also showed his consistency with a strong second place in Junior Varsity. 

Lucas Newcomb, Jacob Albrecht and Ben Spurr on the Varsity podium.

Next stop for the Whole Athlete/Specialized Team is the Fontana ProXCT on March 30-31. Stay tuned for more exciting news!

Juniors Lead Bonelli XCT Charge with Wins in Short Track and Cross Country

The Whole Athlete/Specialized Cycling Team headed down to Bonelli Park in SoCal this weekend for the second stop on the ProXC-Tour. With victories in both short track and cross country events and multiple podium finishes, it proved to be another successful weekend for the team.

Cole Avery leads out the first climb on his way to winning the Under-15 XC race.

Cole Avery took his second consecutive win of the season in the Under-15 XC race, while Shane Skelton followed his 2nd place finish in the cross country on Sat with a convincing overall win in the Cat 1 short track on Sunday. 

Shane Skelton on the top step of the STXC podium.

Casey Williams battles the afternoon heat in the Pro short track.

Cole Avery tops the U15 XC podium.

Awaiting the podium.

 

Bonelli ProXCT Top-10 Team Results:

Shane Skelton - 1st Cat 1 Short Track
Cole Avery - 1st Under-15 XC
Dario Fredrick - 1st Cat 1 40-44 XC
Shane Skelton - 2nd Cat 1 17/18 XC
Sean Bennett - 4th Cat 1 17/18 XC
Steffen Andersen - 5th Cat 1 15/16 XC
Tyler O'Neal - 6th Cat 1 15/16 XC
Matt McCourtney - 9th Cat 1 35-39 XC
Marcus Segedin - 10th Cat 1 17/18 XC

See all the team's top-10 race results here>

Next stop for the Whole Athlete/Specialized Team is the Fontana ProXCT on March 30-31. Stay tuned for more exciting news!

Courtney & Newcomb to Continental Champs; Skelton, Albrecht, and Andersen Victorious in NorCal and SoCal Races

Whole Athlete/Specialized juniors Kate Courtney and Lucas Newcomb were recently honored by their selection to represent the US at the 2013 Pan Am Continental Mountain Bike Championships in Tucuman, Argentina, from April 3-7. The Continental Championships will see riders from across the Americas - from North, Central, and South - competing for the Pam American title.

Kate Courtney.

Lucas Newcomb. 

 

Meanwhile, in the fast and furious NICA high school leagues, Shane Skelton went two-for-two with another convincing Varsity win in SoCal, while Jacob Albrecht followed suit with his second consecutive win in NorCal Varsity South.

Shane Skelton tops the SoCal Varsity podium.

Jacob Albrecht on top of the NorCal Varsity South podium. 

Steffen Andersen also took the win in NorCal Junior Varsity South, while Tyler O'Neal was second in the Sophomore Division. In NorCal Varsity North, Lucas Newcomb and Ben Spurr matched their strong finishes from the last race with 2nd and 4th.

Steffen Andersen prepares for his 2013 season.

 

Lucas Newcomb and Ben Spur on the NorCal Varsity North podium once again. 

Next stop for the Whole Athlete/Specialized Team is the Bonelli Park ProXCT in San Dimas, CA on March 16-17. Stay tuned for more exciting news!

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Whole Athlete/Specialized Juniors on Podiums from California to Texas

Whole Athlete/Specialized's newest young recruit Cole Avery kicked off the team's weekend results with a convincing win in the Under-15 category at the Vail Lake US Cup Race in Southern California.

Cole Avery on his way to winning the Under 15 race.

Meanwhile in Dripping Springs, Texas, a few Whole Athletes were contesting the first stop of the ProXCT national series, landing both Lucas Newcomb and Shane Skelton on the Junior Men's podium in 2nd and 3rd, after Zach Valdez earned an impressive 8th place and the top U23 rider in the UCI Pro men's race.

Lucas and Shane lead the charge in the Junior 15-18 race. (Photo: Tyler Frasca)

Zach Valdez gives his all toward an impressive top-10 finish amid a stacked pro field. (Photo: Tyler Frasca)

Casey Williams rode from a 63rd place call up in the back of the Pro field to finish 20th in his first-ever ProXCT. (Photo: Tyler Frasca)

Lucas Newcomb and Shane Skelton had their hands full with the on-form Mexican National Champion Jose Ulloa in the Junior Cat 1 race. Despite both suffering crashes on the loose, technical course, Newcomb and Skelton fought back to contest the podium. 

 

Lucas Newcomb and Shane Skelton flank Mexican National Champ Jose Ulloa.

Next stop for the Whole Athlete/Specialized Team is the Bonelli Park ProXCT in San Dimas, CA on March 16-17. Stay tuned for more exciting news!

2013 Team Video