Batten Scores European Podium, U-23s Ready for Marathon Nationals

In her first foray into European racing, Haley Batten is already turning heads with an impressive 2nd place in the Junior Women's Landgraaf International in Holland. At racing age 15, Batten was the top 15/16 finisher in the combined 15-18 field.

Batten's first European race and first Euro podium.
(Annemarie Worst 1st, Haley Batten 2nd, Kaylee Blevins 3rd)

 

Batten battles eventual winner Annemarie Worst on the muddy, technical course.

Meanwhile, Cypress Gorry and Jacob Albrecht prepare at high elevation to take on the country's top pros this weekend at the Marathon National Championships in Sun Valley, ID. 

Gorry and Albrecht enjoying the high elevation trails of Sun Valley.

Next up: Marathon National Championships (Sun Valley, ID), the Sankt Vith Grand Prix, in Belgium, and the UCI Category 1 Saalhausen Bundesliga in Germany.

Under-23s Come of Age at Missoula, O'Neal & Newcomb Shine at Skyline

In only their first year racing the professional ranks, Under-23s Casey Williams, Cypress Gorry, and Jacob Albrecht took on a very elite field at the Missoula ProXCT and showed they belong, finishing 12th, 16th and 21st respectively. The professional race held at the Marshall Mountain Ski Area boasted the best talent in North America, including former Olympians, World Cup winners, and National Champions. 

Gorry negotiates one of the many switchbacks on the fast descent.

Williams on the hunt.

Valdez shows good form on the A-line gap jump.

Albrecht speeds through the tech/feed zone.

Meanwhile back in California, Tyler O'Neal and Lucas Newcomb honed their form for XC Nationals on the former World Cup course in Napa at the Skyline Classic. O'Neal took a convincing win in the Junior race, while Newcomb took on former Tour de France rider Levi Leipheimer and other fast, local pros, landing on the podium with a strong third place finish.

Newcomb on the Pro podium.

And while Whole Athlete/Specialized riders stand out in races across the US, Sean Bennett, Marcus Segedin, and Haley Batten head to Europe this week to race three UCI races in two weekends in Holland, Belgium, and Germany. 

 

Next up this weekend: The Windham, NY ProXCT and the Landgraaf International UCI C2 in the Netherlands. 

Stay tuned for more exciting news!

Juniors Europe-bound as Batten Wins in Colorado, Avery Takes Silver in California

Haley Batten may be only 14 going on 15, but you wouldn't know it seeing her race. A mid-season addition to the Whole Athlete/Specialized Development Program, the 2012 Under-15 National Champ has already earned two wins with the team at the Intermountan Cup in Draper, UT and the KMC Classic Colorado State Championships in the Junior 15-18 field. Batten heads to Europe at the end of this month with fellow teammates Sean Bennett and Marcus Segedin to race three UCI races in two weekends in Holland, Belgium, and Germany.

Batten ready on the start line in Colorado.

Meanwhile, Cole Avery continues his steady season success adding a California State Championship silver medal to his five 2013 Junior Under-15 XC wins and the overall series title in the Kenda US Cup West. 

Avery on the podium with silver.

Next up: Whole Athlete/Specialized riders head to Marshall Mountain in Montana to race the Missoula ProXCT this weekend. 

Stay tuned for more exciting news!

Williams Goes Two-for-two at Big Bear, Avery Steps Up, as Both Take Overall US Cup Series Titles

Casey Williams is on a breakout season. At only 19, the first-year pro has already scored two cross country wins in 2013. And on his way to taking the overall series title in the hotly contested Kenda US Cup West, Williams did the double at the series finale in Big Bear with victories in both Super-D and XC.

Williams wins both Pro XC and Super-D at Big Bear.

Cole Avery is also on an impressive season with no fewer than five Junior Under-15 XC wins and the overall series title in the Kenda US Cup West as well. And the summer has just begun... 

Avery with the series overall honors.

Next up: Round three of the World Cup on June 15th in Val di Sole where Casey Williams, Kate Courtney, and Zach Valdez will race the world's best in the mountains of Northern Italy. 

Stay tuned for more exciting news!

Another World Cup Top-5 for Courtney, Newcomb Gains Traction Racing the World's Best

Kate Courtney scored yet another top finish with 5th place at round two of the World Cup in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic. In a four-week span of racing, the Pan American Champion earned two podiums and a top-5 in three world-class races - and in only her second year of international racing.

Courtney is soaring this Spring.

Joining Courtney in Europe for the Albstadt-Nove Mesto World Cup double was teammate Lucas Newcomb, the top US finisher in both Junior Men's events. Among massive fields of 128 and 115 riders on the two extremely technical, wet courses, Newcomb finished 29th and 34th - a solid start to a big season which will see Newcomb race a total of four World Cups and hopefully a shot at the World Championships as well. 

Newcomb flying over one of the technical rock sections in Nove Mesto.

A World Cup podium for Courtney in Albstadt.

Next up: Round three of the World Cup in Val di Sole, Italy and the BMC Swiss Cup in Granichen where U23 riders Casey Williams and Zach Valdez will gain valuable European race experience against the best in the world.

June 9 - BMC Swiss Cup, Granichen, Switzerland
June 15 - World Cup #3, Val di Sole, Italy

Then it's a big five-week block of back-to-back racing in the US with three ProXCTs and two National Championship events for the Whole Athlete/Specialized Team.

June 22 - ProXCT #6, Missoula, MT
June 29 - ProXCT #7, Windham, NY
July 6 - Marathon National Championships, Sun Valley, ID
July 13 - ProXCT #8, Mt. Morris, WI
July 19-21 - XC National Championships, Bear Creek Mountain, PA

Stay tuned for more exciting news!

Courtney Scores Big with World Cup Podium, O'Neal Crowned CA State Champ as Team Earns Eight Podium Places on Two Continents

Kate Courtney showed her class once again with an impressive 3rd place ride at round one of the World Cup in Albstadt, Germany. 

Courtney happy with her podium finish in Albstadt.

Against the best junior women in the world, Courtney rode her heart out, leading the final lap in a bold bid for the win. It was a tight battle resulting in a major result for the young rider. 

A World Cup podium for Kate Courtney.

Meanwhile back in the US, Tyler O'Neal continued his successful Spring run with a well-deserved Sophomore State Title at the NICA CA State High School Championships at Stafford Lake. 

Tyler O'Neal takes the Sophomore CA State Title.

O'Neal wasn't the only one to end up on the podium, as Whole Athlete/Specialized riders took four of the top five Varsity places with Jacob Albrecht, Sean Bennett, Marcus Segedin, and Ben Spurr 2nd through 5th. Steffen Andersen added to the podium tally with 5th place in Junior Varsity. 

CA State Champs Varsity Podium.

And the team wasn't done yet. Casey Williams battled back from an early week flu to take a hard-earned fourth place in the highly competitive Pro race at the US Cup at Lake Morena. 

Casey Williams with another solid Pro finish in 2013.

Next up for Whole Athlete/Specialized riders is round two of the World Cup in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic next weekend.

Stay tuned for more exciting news!

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Courtney Scores BMC Racing Cup Podium

Kate Courtney showed her class with an impressive 2nd place at the the BMC Racing Cup in Solothurn, Switzerland. The Swiss race marked the final preparations for the first two World Cups coming up this month in Abstadt, Germany and Nove Mesto, Czech Republic. 

Courtney on the world-class podium.

The muddy, slick race conditions were extreme and the competition world class, but Courtney was up to the challenge as she battled for a hard-earned podium finish among some of the best young riders in the world. 

A muddy, happy Kate Courtney.

Thank goodness for SRAM XX1!

Pre-riding the wet, technical course.

A big result for the talented Courtney.

Next up for the young Whole Athlete/Specialized riders are the World Cups in Abstadt, Germany and Nove Mesto, Czech Republic, and the NICA California State High School Championships at Stafford Lake. 

Stay tuned for more exciting news!