Whole Athlete/Specialized Riders Shine at Road Nationals

Blevins wins both Junior 15/16 Road and Criterium National Titles.

Taking a brief hiatus from the dirt to compete in the 2014 Road, Time Trial, and Criterium National Championships, Juniors Christopher Blevins, Neilson Powless, and Sean Bennett joined U23 Jacob Albrecht in Wisconsin over the weekend...And the boys did not disappoint.

Blevins was nearly flawless, winning both Junior 15/16 Road Race and Criterium National Titles, as well as earning 3rd place in the Time Trial. Powless also set a fast time in the TT, finishing 4th against an extremely competitive Junior 17/18 field. Bennett followed suit with 4th in the 17/18 Criterium, confirming the Whole Athlete/Specialized Juniors' bike racing depth. All three will transition back to the dirt for the XC National Championships in Pennsylvania next week.

Powless rides to a 4th place finish in the TT.

Bennett on his way to a top-5 finish in the Criterium. (photo: Tim Aiken)

Making a full transition from MTB to road this season and progressing from Cat 3 to Cat 1 in only few short months, Albrecht underscored his progress with a strong 14th place finish in the 160-rider strong road race. He will continue his breakout season at the Cascade Classic in Oregon later this month. 

Albrecht motors the U23 TT. (photo: deanwarrenphotography.com)

A 160-rider peleton taking on the U23 road race.

Blevins takes the win!

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

Next up for Whole Athlete/Specialized:

7/12 ProXCT#6 - Portage, WI
7/18 XC National Championships - Bear Creek, PA
7/26 ProXCT #7 - Catamount, VT
7/31 World Cup #5 - Mont Sainte Anne, Quebec, CAN
8/07 World Cup #6 - Windham, NY 

Stay tuned for more exciting news!

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ProXCT Racing Heats Up at Colorado Springs

Williams giving it all in the Short Track.

At sharp contrast to the humid Montana "Hub of Five Valleys", the ProXCT series continued with the fifth round in the desert-like Southern Rockies of Colorado Springs. With temperatures in the 90s at 6400 ft. elevation, the riders were challenged by both the competition and conditions.

Haley Batten kicked off the Whole Athlete/Specialized Team's weekend with a solo victory in the Junior Women 15-18 race, while teammate Kelsey Urban embraced the heat and high elevation, finishing 6th.

Batten hammers in the heat of the Springs.

Battling a competitive junior men's field, Silas Blunk landed a solid 6th place finish as he builds toward XC Nationals. And wrapping up the weekend with his best ProXCT finish to date, Casey Williams earned a hard fought 11th place in the Pro Men's Short Track. 

Blunk in pursuit on the loose descent.

Urban focused at the bottom of the XC descent.

Batten wins the Junior Women combined.

Staying cool and hydrated in the dry Colorado Springs heat.

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

Next up for Whole Athlete/Specialized:

7/12 ProXCT#6 - Portage, WI
7/18 XC National Championships - Bear Creek, PA
7/26 ProXCT #7 - Catamount, VT
7/31 World Cup #5 - Mont Sainte Anne, Quebec, CAN
8/07 World Cup #6 - Windam, NY

Whole Athlete/Specialized Team Flyin' in Missoula

Cypress Gorry takes the A-line at the Missoula XC.

Amid the lush mountains of northwestern Montana, the Missoula ProXCT served up some of the country's best racing. And Whole Athlete/Specialized riders came to play, earning three wins and seven podium finishes. 

Christopher Blevins did the double, winning both the Cat 1 short track and cross country, and doing so with the fastest amateur time of the day. Haley Batten took a convincing win in the Junior Women's XC, followed by teammate Kelsey Urban in 4th place. 

Sean Bennett and Neilson Powless both landed on the podium in the UCI Junior race with 3rd and 5th, while Cole Avery took 3rd place in the very competitive Junior 15/16 race. Silas Blunk also hit the top-10 with a solid 6th place finish in the Cat 1 combined event. 

Blevins on his way to the Cat 1 win and the fastest amateur time of the day.

Batten flowing the singletrack.

Urban dropping in.

Avery on a podium run.

Zach Peterson and Neilson Powless charging the first climb.

Bennett on the flyover jump.

Williams battles in the Elite Men's race.

Blunk climbs his way to a top-10 in the Cat 1 open race.

Blevins soars the A-line.

Urban and Batten were all smiles after their podium performances.

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

Next up for Whole Athlete/Specialized:

6/28 ProXCT #5 - Colorado Springs, CO
7/12 ProXCT#6 - Portage, WI
7/18 XC National Championships - Bear Creek, PA
7/26 ProXCT #7 - Catamount, VT

Another Top-10 World Cup Performance!

Powless rides to another top-10 World Cup finish.

For the second weekend in a row, Whole Athlete/Specialized Junior Neilson Powless hit the top-10 of a European World Cup, this time in Albstadt, Gemany. Powless faced yet another huge field of over 125 racers from all over the world. His final lap on the fast and slippery course was the fastest of all the juniors, showing that he has what it takes to finish well in the world's most demanding cross country events. 

Albrecht on his way to a podium finish at the Cat's Hill Criterium.

Meanwhile, U23 rider Jacob Albrecht's transition to the road has been spot on, reaching his goal of upgrading from Cat 3 to 1 in only a few short months. Already landing on podiums in Pro 1/2 races, Albrecht's future in road racing looks bright. 

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

Next up for Whole Athlete/Specialized:

6/21 ProXCT #4 - Missoula, MT
6/28 ProXCT #5 - Colorado Springs, CO
7/12 ProXCT#6 - Portage, WI
7/18 XC National Championships - Bear Creek, PA
7/26 ProXCT #7 - Catamount, VT

Whole Athlete/Specialized Juniors Continue to Shine Worldwide

Powless rides to 6th place at the Nove Mesto World Cup.

Whole Athlete/Specialized Juniors continue to impress around the globe with top-10 World Cup finishes, a Canada Cup podium, and a state championship title this weekend.

Neilson Powless and Sean Bennett took on the largest and most competitive Junior field in the world at the Nove Mesto World Cup, coming away with outstanding 6th and 8th place finishes out of 130 riders! The Czech Republic race marks the first World Cup of the season for the dynamic Powless-Bennett duo, as they head into their second World Cup event in Albstadt, Germany next weekend.

Bennett leads the charge up the first hill.

Meanwhile, Kelsey Urban took her second podium in two weeks at the highly technical and competitive Canada Cups, this time with a strong 3rd place finish in Baie Saint Paul, Quebec. 

Urban takes the drop with confidence.

And the intrepid Michael Mace has been simply unstoppable this season as he makes it five for five in U-15 Florida State Championship events, adding the Criterium Title to his Cyclocross, Road Race, Time Trial, and Cross Country Titles. 

Mace with his fifth Florida State Title of 2014. 

Teammates, friends, and top-10 World Cup finishers!

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

Next up for Whole Athlete/Specialized:

5/30 Albstadt World Cup - Germany
6/21 ProXCT #4 - Missoula, MT
6/28 ProXCT #5 - Colorado Springs, CO
7/12 ProXCT#6 - Portage, WI
7/18 XC National Championships - Bear Creek, PA
7/26 ProXCT #7 - Catamount, VT 

Stay tuned for more exciting news!

Three Podiums in Three Countries, Whole Athlete/Specialized Girls Rock the Dirt

Gerasimek won't let a little mud get in her way.

Building on the team's international success, all three Whole Athlete/Specialized Junior Women landed on podiums around the globe this weekend. In North America, Veda Gerasimek took top honors at the Maryland State XC Junior 15-16 Championships, while Kelsey Urban earned a strong 2nd place at the highly technical 15-16 Canada Cup in Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, only a week after taking the silver medal at the NICA CA State Varsity Championships. 

Urban battles X-terra World Champion Finchamp at the CA State High School Championships.

Meanwhile, Haley Batten scored a very impressive 3rd place at the Bundesliga XC in Heubach, Germany, against a world-class 17/18 field which included the current Junior World Champion. The Bundesliga result comes only a week after another podium finish in Graz, Austria, and marks her third Euro podium in three races. Batten is still only 16. 

Batten cleans the drops with ease at the UCI HC Bundesliga race.

Batten in good company in Germany. 

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

Next up for the Whole Athlete/Specialized Cycling Team this month:

5/24 Canada Cup - Baie-Saint-Paul, Quebec
5/24 Nove Mesto World Cup - Czech Republic
5/25 Mt. Hamilton Road Race - San Jose, CA
5/30 Albstadt World Cup - Germany

Stay tuned for more exciting news!

Whole Athlete/Specialized's World Tour

Batten makes short work of the technical features in Houffalize.

From Belgium to California, Florida, Maryland, and New Mexico, the Whole Athlete/Specialized Team continued to hit podiums in both the US and in Europe. Haley Batten faced a world-class Junior Women's 15-18 field at the Vayamundo MTB Cup in Houffalize, Belgium, pulling off a strong 2nd place finish on an extremely technical course. Batten's race tour of Europe will see her compete in Austria, France, and Germany before the month is out. 

Mace adds a FL State MTB title to his ever-growing palmares.

Back in the US, Mike Mace earned yet another Florida State Under-15 Title, this time in MTB Cross Country. Adding to his recent State road race and time trial victories, Mace hopes to continue his success at the FL criterium championships later this month.

Blevins flies the stars and bars as current Junior 15/16 National Champ.

At the Alien Run MTB race in Aztec, New Mexico, Christopher Blevins showed that at only 16 years of age he is already a force to be reckoned with. Blevins took the win in the pro field against some serious competition.

Gerasimek runs in the LeMans start.

Testing out her skills at the ultra endurance 9 Hours of Cranky Monkey in Flintstone Maryland, Veda Gerasimek earned the win in the Female Duo Race.

Albrecht with a strong finish in a deep Pro 1/2 field.

And in California, Jacob Albrecht continued his rise up the road ranks, earning a 4th place podium finish at the highly contested Pro 1/2 Cat's Hill Criterium.

Another European podium for Batten, the Junior Women's 15/16 National Champ.

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

Next up for the Whole Athlete/Specialized Cycling Team:

5/10 Grazer Bike XC - Graz, Austria
5/11 Berkeley Hills Road Race - Berkeley, CA
5/17 Canada Cup - Mont-Tremblant, Quebec
5/18 Coupe de France - Lons-le-Saunier, France
5/24 Canada Cup - Baie-Saint-Paul, Quebec
5/24 Nove Mesto World Cup - Czech Republic
5/25 Mt. Hamilton Road Race - San Jose, CA
5/30 Albstadt World Cup - Germany

Stay tuned for more exciting news!