Coast to Coast Podiums for Whole Athlete/Specialized Team

Gorry gains momentum with his win at Dark Mountain.

What a weekend! The Whole Athlete/Specialized Team topped podiums across the US, on both road and dirt, from Junior to Pro. Cypress Gorry kicked things off with a win at the Southern Classic Dark Mountain Pro XC race in North Carolina, as Mike Mace continued his successful early season with yet another win, this time at the SERC Fort Yargo XC in Georgia. 

Mace continues his winning streak on the dirt.

Meanwhile on the west coast, Sean Bennett took top honors in the senior Cat 4 Wente Road Race to bring the team's 2014 win total to 23. Bennett will head to Europe next month to race the Junior UCI World Series races in Germany and the Czech Republic, joined by Neilson Powless, Casey Williams, Zach Peterson, and Haley Batten.

Bennett on top at the Wente Road Race

Whole Athlete/Specialized Juniors Impress at the Sea Otter Classic

Bennett patiently plans his winning move. (photo: Mark Avery)

The 2014 Sea Otter Classic proved to be a resounding success for the Whole Athlete/Specialized Team as the Juniors earned top honors in each race. Sean Bennett kicked things off with a victory in the Junior 17/18 XC, followed closely behind by National Champion Christopher Blevins with the Junior 15/16 win. Then it was Haley Batten's turn, also flying her National Champ colors winning the Women's 15-18 race, while Mike Mace continued his undefeated streak in the Under-15 XC.

Blevins readies for crunch time. (photo: Mark Avery)

And in the first big event of the season for each of them, Zach Peterson earned a solid 4th place in the Junior 17/18s while Veda Gerasimek took 8th in the Junior Women's 15-18 XC. Cypress Gorry would go on to finish 27th in the 100-rider Pro race, the 3rd place U23.

Gorry shows his determination. (photo: Mark Avery)

Batten tops the 15-18 Junior Women's podium.

Mace on the top step once again.

A well-deserved win for Sean Bennett.

Check out all the team's 2014 Top-10 results here.

Next stop: The Nove Mesto and Albstadt World Cups in the Czech Republic and Germany on 5/23 and 5/30. Stay tuned for more exciting news!

Whole Athlete/Specialized Team on Podiums from Coast to Coast

Avery on his way to a solo victory. (photo: Mark Avery)

After a podium finish at the Bonelli Park ProXCT, Cole Avery showed that his preparations for Sea Otter are right on track with decisive wins in both the Super-D and Junior Cross Country events at the SoCal Santa Ynez Kenda Cup. 

Mace speeds along the lonely Florida TT course.

Meanwhile on the East Coast, Mike Mace earned his third Florida State Junior title of 2014 with a victory in the time trial. The TT Championship marks Mace's sixth Junior U-15 win this season.

Gorry on the podium in his first race of 2014. (photo: Angie Shatas)

And with another strong team performance in the East, Cypress Gorry kicked off his 2014 Pro season with a podium finish in the competitive Tsali Knobscorcher in Bryson City, NC.

Blunk with his first podium of 2014.

Perhaps most impressive of the team's weekend performances was Silas Blunk's 2nd place finish in the Napa Valley Dirt Classic Junior Cat 1 race. Overcoming a severe back injury that sidelined him for all of 2013, Blunk is building back his form after many months of rehab that kept him off the bike and saw him start again from zero. Perseverance and patience pays off.

Next stop: The Sea Otter Classic on April 10-13. Stay tuned for more exciting news!