Reported: Iron Hill XC

By: Hebrew Cyclist

Martin sure does have a sweet pain face!

Bring on the HEAT!.......... and humidity.......

This past weekend, while Gary was displaying the Giant Blue & White at JORBAfest and the Philly Pro Race, the team was at Iron Hill Park in Delaware on Sunday for the next stop in the Mid-Atlantic Super Series.  In attendance for the Giant Mid-Atlantic crew were Matt, Martin, and Jordan.  The course was FAST and fun, with a relatively flat profile.  But don't be fooled!  There were plenty of short climbs and long false-flats that provided plenty of vertical on the day.  With 4 laps on tap for the Elite/Open field, it was sure to test our legs and spirits on the day.

A Mega-Dip....er....Jordan, entering the Mega-Dip

The start was a bit furious, with people knocking elbows and squeezing in gaps that weren't there, but we all stayed upright and got into the singletrack without incident.  Matt made some smooth moves to make it towards the front, while Martin and Jordan had gotten squeezed out at the start and were sitting somewhere mid-pack in a group of 30.  We skipped the big course feature on the first lap, the 'MEGA-DIP', which was good since that would have certainly caused some havoc with everyone wheel-to-wheel.  One the first climb of the day, Jordan made his move through the group and got clear, while Matt kept steady and held position.  Martin did the same as Jordan, but had to deal with a little more traffic.

This is where the Giant Mid-Atlantic team practices their mega dips.

Now, because of the heat, things get a little blurry, but in the end Jordan crossed the line 4th, with Martin in 13th.  Matt, feeling the effects of last week's scorcher in Texas, decided to pull the plug and save his energy for the upcoming Triple Crown in Virginia (Massannutten Hoo-Ha, June 19/20th).

We've been blessed with cooler weather for many races thus far this year, but today was somewhat brutal early on, with both heat and humidity making their presence known.  Thankfully, our bottles were filled with Elete the entire race and everyone was cramp free and well hydrated!  I just can't say enough about this stuff!

Elete Electrolyte Replacement.  Addictive in a good way!

Next on tap for the team is the Curt's Cyclery Century, in Nazareth, PA.  Then, the following weekend is the Triple Crown Massannutten Ho-Ha.  Word on the street is that Jordan is gonna hit all three races, Super-D, Short Track, and the Cross Country.  No doubt that the Anthem X will be the bike of choice for the weekend!

REPORTED: Tymor Park Challenge, Lagrangeville, NY

By: Hebrew Cyclist

Ripping the fast singletrack at the beginning of the lap.  

I traveled solo this past weekend to the second stop in the Campmor/H2H race series in Lagrangeville, NY, the Tymor Park Challenge.  I did this race last year, and liked the course which is a good mix of steep & difficult climbs and technically tasty singletrack.  For the 2010 edition, the course designers took out a climb, which sped the course up a bit, but didn't take away from the experience.

Taking a fast corner on one of the descents at the end of the course.

The start of the race was average, and after passing one or two 'fast-starters' I settled into a fast rhythm in the singletrack sections, while attacking the climbs in order to claw back the leaders.  The Anthem X rode beautifully with the shock in the pro-pedal position during the first lap, giving me some extra stiffness for out-of-the-saddle climbing.  Into the second lap, I threw the shock open and started ripping the descents to help make up more time.  The Geax Barro Mountain tires hooked up everywhere and kept me confident through the corners and over the rocks & roots and off-camber trail sections.

The rig for the day, and by far the sexiest beast there.  Definitely a head-turner!

After riding most of the race in 4th, I finally saw 3rd place with less than 1 mile to go.  I dug deep, hoping that he was suffering and just trying to finish, but ultimately ran out of course and finished in 4th. After a confusing podium ceremony (I couldn't figure out when the picture was getting taken, since the said it 3 times), I grabbed some Chipotle with my friends Tim and Janel and headed home.

#4 Pro on the day, #1 in my book.......

Great time, great course, and great burrito!  Thanks again to all of our great sponsors for providing such great equipment and products to help make this racing addiction even more fun!

REPORTED: Cascade Classic XC

By:  Hebrew Cyclist

The Pro/Open podium.  Matt far left, Jordan second from right.  

For a nice recap of the beginning of the race, check out Matt's blog HERE.  Very accurate.

As for the rest of our story, it begins in East Stroudsburg amidst delicious vegan pancakes and scrumptious homemade cinnamon bread french toast.  Just some of the breakfasts of choice of the Giant Mid-Atlantic Cycling Team.  Toeing the line today for the team were Matt and Jordan.  The weather was great, and the course conditions were just a bit soggy, but still nice.  After the start of the race, both Matt and Jordan were in solid position for a top-5 podium run, with Jordan in 5th and Matt in 6th.  Navigating the technical singletrack was challenging, but made much easier on our new Anthem X race bikes.  Seriously, these bikes make you feel like you're cheating.  Unfortunately, as the group containing 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place got within 10 seconds, we (along with many other riders) took a wrong turn at an unmarked trail junction and had to make due with chasing back through the pack for the rest of the race.

This was all good, as we were still having a good day and didn't let the setback bother us, but late in the third lap we both suffered time-consuming mechanicals which allowed a few more riders to slip past.  In the end, the team finished with Matt in 7th and Jordan in 8th.  Not too shabby considering the time lost out on the course.  

Speaking of the course, it was awesome!  Super techy, with lots of steep climbs to help make up more time, or reel riders in.  Our new Stan's ZTR Crest wheelsets were superb, and felt great the entire time!  Thanks Stan's NoTubes!  And of course, our Geax treads gave us confidence, even in the muddy, rocky, and rooty conditions on course.

Next race on tap is one of the Campmor/H2H series races in Lagrangeville, NY, the Tymor Park Challenge.  We all did this race last year and it was a blast!  Hope you can make it!