Five Juniors World Cup-Bound, Team Preps for Nationals with High Elevation Camp

No fewer than five Whole Athlete-Specialized Team Juniors will compete at the highest level of the sport at the two upcoming North American World Cups on June 24th and 30th in Monte Sainte Anne, Canada and Windham, NY. 

The Junior Women's World Cup start in LaBresse, France.

Coming off a top-10 at her first-ever World Cup in Nove Mesto, CZE, Kate Courtney looks to build on her breakout result with strong rides in Canada and New York. 

Kate Courtney rides to a World Cup top-10 finish in Nove Mesto, CZE

2011 US World Championship team member and World Cup veteran Casey Williams also looks to earn valuable UCI points and make the 2012 World's Team selection with his performances.

Casey Williams negotiates the rock garden in the Pietermaritzburg, RSA World Cup

Shane Skelton and Lucas Newcomb also seek to take their recent successful European race experience up a notch, while NorCal High School Varsity Champ Jacob Albrecht steps his ever-improving game up to the international level. 

Shane Skelton on his way to the top step of the podium in the Bonelli Park ProXCT short track

Lucas Newcomb rides into the top-10 in the Swiss Cup in Bern

NorCal High School Varsity Champion Jacob Albrecht in his best season yet

Meanwhile, the rest of the team will be working equally hard to prepare for the rigors of racing at the National Championships in Sun Valley, ID with the team's fourth annual three-week high elevation training camp. Starting in South Lake Tahoe then onto Sun Valley, ID, the young riders will follow a schedule of daily yoga, epic riding, optimal nutrition and team camaraderie.

Lake Tahoe provides the backdrop for the team's fourth annual altitude camp

Load 'em up and and move 'em out!

Follow the team's adventures over the next few weeks here.
Stay tuned for more exciting developments!

Valdez Wins Big Bear US Cup Final, Newcomb and Nordrum Top-10 in Europe

Zach Valdez takes his fourth win of the season at the Big Bear US Cup Final Pro Cross Country Race. At only 20, Zach has already established himself as one of the most promising U23 riders in the country.

Zach on his way to a fourth Pro victory in his best season yet.

Meanwhile across the Atlantic, Josie Nordrum, Lucas Newcomb and Shane Skelton were busy competing with some of the world's best Juniors in Belgium and Switzerland. 

Lucas works his way into the top-10 on the muddy course.

 

In her first European Foray, Josie took two top-5 finishes with 4th and 5th in Malmedy (BEL) and Bern (SWI), while Lucas took a hard-earned 7th in a cyclocross-like mudfest in Bern. Shane rode a strong, consistent race to finish 12th in the highly competitive Malmedy XC.

Josie gets psyched up for a tough race ahead.

Check out all the team's 2012 top-10 results here.

Next up is the high altitude team training camp in preparation for the XC National Championships in Sun Valley, ID. Stay tuned for more info!

NICA State Champions!

The National Interscholastic Cycling Association's (NICA) NorCal and SoCal High School Leagues wrapped up their 2012 season with the State Championship Race in Los Olivos yesterday, and Whole Athlete-Specialized juniors did not disappoint. Three state titles and eight podium finishes underscored the young riders' success. 

Silas Blunk takes the Junior Varsity Title.

 

Josie Nordrum (Redwood) finished the Varsity Girls season on top, earning a well-deserved California State Title as the super-consistent Mackinzie Stanley (Drake) landed on the podium once again in 4th. Silas Blunk (Independent) took a breakthrough victory in the Junior Varsity race, going 1-2 with teammate Sean Bennett (El Cerrito), while Sarah Ogden (Redwood) capped off an undefeated Junior Varsity Girls season with her title.

State Champs Josie Nordrum (Varsity) and Sarah Ogden (Junior Varsity).

The extremely competitive Varsity Boys race saw a small yet super-strong group battling it out to the end, with Lucas Newcomb (Drake) taking 3rd, Jacob Albrecht (Santa Cruz Composite) 4th and Casey Williams (Independent) rounding out the podium in 5th.

Lucas Newcomb follows eventual winner Taylor Smith on his way to a top-3 finish.

Casey Williams battles the heat and a back-row starting spot to claw his way up to 5th on the day.

 

Josie Nordrum leads Shayna Powless on her way to eanring the Varsity Girls Title.

Silas Blunk and Sean Bennett 1-2 on the Junior Varsity Podium.

 

State Champ, Sarah Ogden undefeated in Junior Varsity Girls.

A familiar sight, Josie Nordrum and Mackinzie Stanley on the Varsity Girls podium once again.

Varsity Podium: Taylor Smith 1st, Tobin Ortenblad 2nd, Lucas Newcomb 3rd, Jacob Albrecht 4th and Casey Williams 5th.

 

Check out all the team's 2012 top-10 results here.

Next up for the team is the USAC European Race Camp for Lucas Newcomb, Shane Skelton and Josie Nordrum, where they will be racing in Switzerland and Belgium the next two weekends. Then it's onto the team's high altitude training camp in preparation for the National Championships in early-July. 

Stay tuned for more exciting news...

Courtney Takes World Cup Top-10 Finish

In her first-ever international race, Kate Courtney took on the world's best in the Nove Mesto (CZE) World Cup and rode to an impressive 10th place finish. The result is even more impressive considering the challenge of having to start at the back of the large junior women's field and work her way up on the wet, technical course.

Kate Courtney negotiates a technical rock section of the Nove Mesto course.

 

Courtney is no stranger to success. In her first two seasons of mountain bike racing alone, the 16-year-old high school junior already has two US cross country national titles to her name. She heads into her second World Cup this coming weekend in La Bresse, France.

Stay tuned for more exciting news...

Podium Perfect: Whole Athlete-Specialized Juniors Stellar Across the State

Whole Athlete-Specialized Juniors were once again on top of podiums in every race entered this weekend with eight wins and twelve podium finishes. From NorCal to SoCal High School League racing, to Pro XC at the Idyllwild Spring Challenge, the team is flying high this Spring. 

Casey Williams wins the SoCal High School Finals in convincing fashion.

 

Casey Williams and Shane Skelton led the charge in the SoCal High School League, with 1st and 3rd at the Lake Arrowhead Challenge. 

Meanwhile at the historic NorCal Stafford Lake series final, Jacob Albrecht (Santa Cruz Composite) took both the Varsity win and the overall series title. Also earning their respective series titles were Kate Courtney (Branson - Varsity Girls), Sean Bennett (El Cerrito - Junior Varsity) and Sarah Ogden (Redwood - Junior Varsity Girls).

The start of the NorCal Varsity final race. Jacob Albrecht took both the race win and overall series.

At the Stafford Lake event, the Varsity Girls went 1-2-3, with Mackinzie Stanley (Drake), Kate Courtney and Josie Nordrum (Redwood), while the Junior Varsity Boys took a three-way tie for first with Silas Blunk, Sean Bennett and Ben Spurr (Marin Catholic). Lucas Newcomb rounded out a strong Varsity Boys podium in 4th, as Sarah Ogden went undefeated in the Junior Varsity Girls series. 

Mackinzie Stanley takes the Varsity Girls win.

If podium finishes between the NorCal and SoCal high school leagues weren't enough, Zach Valdez battled with legend and Mountain Bike Hall of Fame inductee Tinker Juarez at the Idyllwild Spring Challenge Pro cross country race, taking the win by over two minutes! 

Zach Valdez earns his third Pro victory of the 2012 season at the Idyllwild Spring Challenge.

Ben Spurr, Silas Blunk, and Sean Bennett on the Junior Varsity podium. 

Casey Williams and Shane Skelton on the SoCal Varsity podium. 

Jacob Albrecht and Lucas Newcomb on the NorCal Varsity podium. 

Sarah Ogden went undefeated in the Junior Varsity Girls series. 

Mackinzie Stanley, Kate Courtney and Josie Nordrum go 1-2-3 in Varsity Girls. 

Check out all the team's top-10 results here.

Whole Athlete-Specialized Juniors Europe-bound

Five Whole Athlete-Specialized Juniors are heading to Europe to compete at the highest level of the sport. 

Cypress Gorry wins the Whiskey Off Road 25 Proof.

 

Fresh off his win at the Whiskey Off Road 25 Proof this weekend, Cypress Gorry will be joined by Sea Otter Classic winner Kate Courtney as they compete in the World Cups in the Czech Republic and France on May 13th and 20th.

Kate Courtney wins the Sea Otter Classic XC.

Also heading for international racing in May are Josie Nordrum, Lucas Newcomb and Shane Skelton, as they participate in the USA Cycling Junior XC Mountain Bike Race Camp. 

Josie Nordrum on the Sea Otter Road Race Podium.

Confirming their strong spring campaigns thus far, Nordrum, Newcomb and Skelton will compete against some of the world's best Juniors at the Grand Prix d’Europe in Belgium on May 27th and Swiss Bike Trophy in Bern, Switzerland on June 3rd. 

Shane Skelton on his way to winning the Bonelli Park XCT Short Track. 

Lucas Newcomb takes a bottle on his way to a podium finish at the Mellow Johnny's Classic.

Sea Otter Success!

Five wins and nine podium places spells success for the Whole Athlete-Specialized Cycling Team at the 2012 Sea Otter Classic.

Sean Bennett and Silas Blunk take the top honors.

 

Sean Bennett and Silas Blunk go 1-2 in the Junior 15-16 cross country race, with teammate Ben Spurr in 5th. Kate Courtney and Josie Nordrum followed suit with a 1-2 finish in the Junior Women's event as well, with Mackinzie Stanley 5th.

Kate Courtney and Josie Nordrum go 1-2 in the Junior Cat 1 Women

In the Junior 17-18 race, Cypress Gorry finished in 2nd place only 21 seconds down to an on-form Keegan Swenson, fresh off a 3rd place World Cup finish in Houffalize, Belgium. Jacob Albrecht and Lucas Newcomb rounded out an extremely competitive top-five in 4th and 5th. 

Cypress happy with a strong finish in only his first race of the 2012 season. 

After a strong ride in the junior women's cross country race the day before, Josie Nordrum tried her hand at road racing with the best possible result. 

Josie Nordrum with the win in the Cat 4 Women's road race. 

Even girls team coach Julia Violich got out there and led by example with wins in the Cat 1 40+ XC race and Cat 3/4 criterium. 

Girls team coach Julia Violich takes the Cat 1 women's race. 

On the startline, ready to rock!

 

Josie and Kate were all smiles post-race. 

Job well done for Sean and Silas. 

Dedication, Integrity and Fun!

Check out all the team's top-10 results of 2012.