REPORTED: Neshaminy XC, M.A.S.S. race-o-rama

Matt gives a 'pain face', details on tonight's news.

Gonna keep this one short and sweet.  This past weekend the Giant Mid-Atlantic crew were in PA racing the Neshaminy XC race, part of the Mid-Atlantic Super Series.  It was a hot day, as has been the norm this year, and the field was deeper than normal.  The course was super-fun, with challenging twists and turns, log-rides, switchback descents, and just enough rocks to keep you on your toes.

Jordan focuses on the start while matt checks himself out in the mirror he set up course-side.

Jordan took off strong, sitting in 3rd at the end of lap 1 of 3.  Matt was more conservative, sitting back just outside the top-10.  The heat of the day dictated that the pace be a little slower, and Jordan settled back into 7th, while Matt held position on the second lap.  On the last lap, Jordan was able to put in a small surge and pick up one spot for 6th, finishing within a minute of 3rd.  Matt did the same, moving into 9th by the finish.  After a string of super-strong finishes, a racer always has to accept that some races won't be as strong as others.  And if a 6th & 9th are our finishes on a less-than-stellar day, than we really don't have much to complain about!

HUGE thanks as always to Giant Bicycles, Geax Tires, Oakley, Stan's NoTubes, Intercourse Brewing Co., Elete Electrolyte Replacement, ESI Grips, Hincapie Sportswear, Shimano, and BikeFlights.com!

RACE REPORT: Lewis Morris Challenge XC

By: Hebrew Cyclist

This is not the most exciting picture, but it really is representative of my race.

On a weekend where racing on dirt was plentiful, I found myself carefully choosing my poison.  Wisconsin was too far away, especially since I was moving from Philadelphia to Baltimore this past weekend.  The M.A.S.S. Stage race seemed appealing, but I didn't think I'd have the energy for an 8hr endurance race.  So, it was off to Morristown, NJ for the Lewis Morris Challenge, a stop in the H2H/Campmor race series!

Very start of the race, the jersey would come unzipped about 1 second later.......

Now I may have been able to escape long car rides and long days in the saddle, but the one thing I could not avoid was the heat again.  I've never used my car AC so much!  Once I got to the race, I stayed on track by registering and finding a shady parking spot, which was harder than I thought it would be.  With shady spot secured, it was off to preview the course before the start of the race.  Synopsis:  FAST!

Finishing strong after going through a rough spot mid-race.

I did an easier warm-up, making sure not to overheat, and just prior to the start found a person to feed me (Thanks Pat & Pam!).  Lining up, there were about 8 Pros, 2 of which I thought could give me a run for it. Breathing, focused, we start and Ed-C puts his head down and hammers the entire first lap with Maurice G and I on his wheel.  Towards the end of the lap, he dropped us as we decided to ride our own pace, and as we started lap #2 I dropped myself and stopped to smell the roses.  After I came back to my senses, I started riding again and found my rhythm in the heat.  LOTS of pedaling on this course, and not enough difficult sections to help me pull back significant time on Maurice, who was leading the race and Finished with a big 'W'.  Ed-C blew up apparently, and I beat-boxed my way to second place.  Not too shabby considering I was ready to ride the second lap back to my car!  Only one more step to go........

I got to stand on a podium.  Pretty rad!

As always, huge thanks to Giant Bicycles and all our great sponsor:  Oakley, Geax, Intercourse Brewing Co, Stan's, Shimano, Elete, ESI Grips, Hincapie Sportswear, and BikeFlights.com!

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!