Herbalife LaGrange elite teams prepare with team camps

PRESS RELEASE

LOS ANGELES – Velo Club La Grange is pleased to announce its Elite men’s and women’s category 1/2 teams, which will be race under the Herbalife La Grange name for 2010 with the arrival of new title sponsor Herbalife. Training camps were held on the weekend of January 16th & 17th in Thousand Oaks and Pasadena for the respective teams. A combined dinner and team meeting was held with longtime professional Tony Cruz, who got his start in competitive cycling with La Grange, coming to speak. Tony also rode with the Elite men’s team on Sunday’s ride to Ojai.

On the men’s side, longtime team captain and former Mexican junior national champion Victor Ayala once again returns to lead the team. Other returning riders include fellow Mexican junior national champion and criterium specialist Raul Frias, longtime manager/rider and multiple SCNCA kilo champion Stu Press, former military national champion Jeremy Dixon, and climber specialist Luis Zamudio who won several races in 2009.

A number of new riders bring a mixture of veteran and professional experience to the team, as well as talented youth with strong future potential. Jason “J.B.” Bausch, who was a longtime professional racer on teams such as NetZero and Seasilver is making a comeback to racing after several years out of the sport. Criterium specialist and one-time member of the Monex pro cycling team Mike Herdman is also coming back after time off focusing on his career. Armin Rahm, originally from Germany, has raced in numerous 6-day track events and adds some real horsepower to the team. Having ridden in the junior world championships for Mexico, Freddy Cruz comes to the team from Rock Racing. Fellow Mexican ex-junior national team member Eder Frayre will be a valuable addition in the mountains.

Likewise on the women’s side, some strong new talent joins several strong veterans with a number of state and national titles. New to the team, Courtney O’Donnell is a former standout on the UCLA collegiate cycling team, and won the first women’s road race she ever did at Boulevard in 2009 and has already won the Poor College Kids road race in 2010. Cathy Keeley, a 3-time masters national track champion, brings veteran sprinting power to the squad. Returning to the team are a duo of current state champions, including Melinda Weiner, 2009 Elite women’s SCNCA road race champion, and Morgan Kapp, the defending CBR Elite women’s criterium champion.

The Herbalife La Grange Elite men’s and women’s cycling teams hope to defend their 2009 SoCalCup titles and will focus on SCNCA races as well as local NRC events including the Redlands Pro Stage Race, Manhattan Beach Grand Prix and Dana Point Grand Prix. In addition, the team will travel to select NRC events and other major races, including Tour of the Gila, Nature Valley Grand Prix, Superweek, Tour of Elk Grove, Cascade Classic, Tour of Utah and elite and masters national championships. The team also features numerous riders with extensive experience on the velodrome, and intends to compete for SCNCA and national championships on the track.

As a supplier of nutritional and energy and fitness products, new title sponsor Herbalife is a perfect fit for the Velo Club La Grange and its racing teams, which will be using Herbalife’s energy and fitness products throughout the year. In addition, long time shop sponsor Helen’s Cycles returns, as do Peet’s Coffee & Tea and sunglass and helmet sponsor Rudy Project. The team will ride bikes from Cannondale outfitted with the new Dura-Ace 7900 components with supporting wheel, tire and tube products from Bontrager. For pedals the team will use Speedplay Zeros that will be connected to shoes from Shimano to put down maximum power, all while looking great in the newest team kits from Voler Team Apparel. GU will also provide gels and other products to the squads.

Other sponsors include Silverado Senior Living, one of the nation’s leaders in memory care resources. By sponsoring bicycle racing they hope to educate the public about ways to prevent dementia, including through exercise. Two law firms are sponsors: Pfeiffer Thigpen FitzGibbon & Ziontz LLP, a boutique firm focusing on litigation, real estate, environmental and entertainment law, see www.ptfzlaw.com, and Gordon, Edelstein, Krepack, Grant, Felton & Goldstein a firm focusing on prosecuting personal injury and workers’ compensation claims for the injured; see www.geklaw.com. Dentist Lane Ochi in Beverly Hills continues as a long-time sponsor, and is joined by DomaineLA, a wine store at 6801 Melrose in Los Angeles and online at www.domaine547.com.

Helping team members achieve their high goals are team sports massage sponsor LA Sports Massage serving all of Los Angeles and team fitness club sponsor TriFit Club and Studios, including TruYoga, located in Santa Monica.

We expect 2010 will be a great year for the Herbalife LaGrange Racing Teams thanks to the team’s wonderful sponsors and strong support from Velo Club LaGrange, and from early season indications, our expectations will be surpassed!

FILED UNDER: Uncategorized