2012 Snowshoe Race #1

race report by GROM racer Jay Fesperman

Jay dropping the flat rock - heading out into the slopes

This past weekend I made the trip up to Snowshoe, WV for the first of the 2012 Snowshoe Race series. My dad was flying in from Kansas City Friday night, so we had a late start to the weekend, rolling into the Shoe around 1:00 AM. It was a late night but thankfully we made it up there safely and I got a couple hours of sleep in the car. We got up early Saturday morning for downhill practice from 9-4. I ate an early breakfast and pedaled up to registration to get signed up to race. The Snowshoe staff did a great job making registration quick and easy as always. I was running the #2 plate, which is where I finished in the points series in pro last year. 

After registering I got my Demo set up for practice doing a bolt check, setting tire pressure, and making sure everything was running smoothly. The conditions on Saturday were perfect! The sun was out, the track was tacky, and the lifts were running quick! I wanted to take as many runs as I could on Saturday because I wanted the most time on the bike I could get to continue adjusting settings and getting used to the new Specialized Demo. I was riding really well on Saturday and I got really comfortable on the bike. I took a bunch of runs with my buddies Walker Shaw, Luca Saw, and Sam Pensler.  The track was really smooth and fast with some sweet corners in the woods, making it a great track for me to develop skills and practice because my greatest strengths are in the rocks. I got a lot of runs in on Saturday, and was feeling great out on the track, and I couldn’t wait to get back out on Sunday and do some racin’! 

I got up really early Sunday so I could get a good breakfast and go for a spin to warm up my muscles for the day. I was feeling really good and I couldn’t wait to go out and crank out some practice runs. The conditions on Sunday were just as good as they were on Saturday and the corners were running really good. I took four practice runs and then the wait started. Pro practice ended at 11:00 and my start time was at 2:11. I had some time. I had some relaxing time, ate a big lunch, and got my bike cleaned for my finals run. I did my warm up and I was ready to hit the gate. The beeps started and I was off! I stayed under control and conservative to have a solid run. I gave it everything I had in the sprint and threw pedal strokes in everywhere I could. When I crossed the finish line I knew I had a clean quick run but I was afraid it might have been too conservative. When I sprinted across the finish everyone was dead silent. Everyone started going crazy when I was taking my goggles off and I was hoping I had put down a pinned time. I was sitting in first place in Pro, but the infamous Snowshoe local Trevyn Newpher still had to come down. It was a tense minute as we all waited for Trevyn to cross the line, and he looked pinned when he came across the line. I managed to squeeze out the win with Luca in 2^nd, and Walker in 3^rd. It was a great weekend up at Snowshoe and it felt really good to lay down a clean, fast race run on the new bike!

Many thanks to Jay Schultz for taking such great photos of all the racers at Snowshoe this weekend. Much appreciation goes to Specialized, Nema, Industry Nine, Cane Creek, Hawley and The Cycle Path for their support my racing this year. 

2012 Massanutten YEE-HA! Downhill Race

race report by GROM racer Ben Calhoun

 

Last weekend the team rolled up to Massanutten Resort, Virginia to compete in the Massanutten YEE-HA! Downhill Race. As always, the YEE-HA! is the early season test of downhill bike suspension! All of us riders were apprehensive of mountain rains, but when we woke up Saturday morning the sun was shining - a perfect day. Jay, Eric, and myself sat down in the morning and and ate a huge breakfast cooked by my dad, Mike. After we finished cleaning our plates and bowls, we realized we were supposed to leave some for the parents. So after a little wait for parental food to be cooked (and consumed) we left for the mountain. For Jay and Eric this was the first race they would get to race their new Specialized Demo 8's. After a few runs and suspension tweaking from Brandon Blakely from Cane Creek (thank you!), we were nothing but smiles. Cane Creek's Brandon Blakey visiting with GROMs

The race turn out was as big as ever (200+) with even a few riders from Canada. Also, on the mountain were riders Luca and Walker Shaw, last year GROM team mates. Every time they show up at a race the bar is raised to the next level. It was awesome to get to see them again!  Seeing the Shaws reminded everyone that Jimmy Leslie is still out with a bad knee. Good luck in surgery this week buddy!! We look forward to seeing you at future races.

 

As practice continued on Saturday the atmosphere was easy going and well organized. Over the years the Massanutten downhill races have been known for their laid back environment and epic tracks. Thanks to George Willets for consistently putting on great events every year! You SuperD'ers need to check out his race planed June 9.   A few thunder showers moved in later in the afternoon but it didn't stop us from learning the track. The rain even helps the sandy soil hook up with our Specialized tires. That night when we got back to the cabin we all were pumped to do race runs; we were ready. We had all practiced separately and didn't really know how we compared. After chicken parmesan from Eric's dad we all went turned in for the night, stomachs full and bodys tired. 

 

Race day greeted us with more sunshine and perfect weather. After grabbing two practice runs we all felt confident and ready. David and Eric went to the top of the mountain early for their race runs in the Jr. Sport and - Jr. Expert categories. Jay and I then headed to the start gate and waited for our start times. We saw Eric come out of the start gate looking strong and aggressive in that brutal rock garden at the top.  After chatting with other Pro riders to pass the time, things got quiet as Jay and I got in the zone to attack the long race course. Both of our race runs were plagued with mistakes, but we had fun and learned some things we can apply at the next race. Luca Shaw was smoking fast winning it. After the race, Luca's dad, Doug Shaw, gave me some good notes to help me get back to being consistently strong.

 

Overall the weekend was a success with everyone being able to race their Specialized Downhill Bikes for the first time of the season. The weekend was a great time and we look forward to returning. Next year is the 25th anniversary event, so you know George will have things primed!

 

2012 ETSU Tennessee State Championships for Downhill & Dual Slalom

race report by GROM Racer Jay Fesperman

        This morning we rolled up in Johnson City,Tennessee to  compete in East Tennessee State University's annual Weekend World Champs, which was a National Championships qualifier. When we pulled in the parking lot we were very happily surprised with a large turnout for the race. Both parking lots at the trails were packed! There were two events planned for the day; downhill in the morning and dual slalom in the afternoon with over 100 riders registered. ETSU Pro Dual Slalom 4-14-2012
        As usual, we were hurrying to get out on the track and start some practice. The elevation of the mountain the biggest, but the guys at ETSU Cycling did a great job designing a great with drops, gaps and beamed turns. Practice went really well and everyone was feeling solid, and before we knew it it was time to race. We had the benefit of having the best time of two runs being counted, so it let us be able to give it everything we had and throw down the best times we could. After our first race runs we knew where we had more time to shave, and we planned to speed it up. Eric and Ben had solid second runs, but unfortunately I got a flat in the second corner of the track. Luckily I had a decent first run to hold main contention for the podium. It was good to have a good number of racers in the junior class and a lot of new racers (many new racers under 15).
      After the downhill was over, we headed over to the Dual Slalom track for some good ol' head to head racing. We had plenty of time to practice the tight, snappy slalom course before we had to crank out our qualifiers. The weather was hot and sunny making for some dusty, loose corners. It was really fun to get loose out there and throw some drifts! Before we knew it the qualifiers had started. The top two junior qualifiers were allowed to race with the pro's, which made for some good racing! I got a first round bye, and Eric and Ben had good races, advancing them into round two. Ben and I were matched up to race in the second round, so there was some teammate racing! Ben and I were really closely matched and we ended up having to do a third race to break the tie. We duked it out and I ended up with the win barely over Ben. It sucked having to take out my teammate, but business is business and I had to do what I had to do ;) Before we knew it Eric and I were getting ready to race our opponents for the final runs. I was up against Gerrit Beytagh for the second time this year in the finals! Gerrit and I were pushing hard, and I won the first heat and he won the second. This threw us into a tie breaker. Since I had qualified first this gave me the lane choice advantage. We lined up in the gate and battled for the win. The race was intense and I was giving it everything I had and ended up grabbing the win! Now it was time for Eric to race for the finals.  He was lined up and ready to go. Eric was putting the hammer down and had two great runs in the final. Just like Gerrit and I, he won one race and got slipped by on the second, so he had to race a tie breaker also. Eric was killing it and ended up pulling out with the win! It was a great day for GROM and we all had a blast. We rode a lot and even rode some dirt jumps after! It was a great day of racing and the guys at ETSU did a great job with the race. 2012 ETSU Jr. Dual Slalom Podium

RESULTS:    
Downhill: 1st place junior men, 3rd place pro men, 4th place junior men
Dual Slalom: 1st place pro men, 1st place junior men, 4th place pro men

Props to our sponsors:
Specialized for help with the great bikes: Stumpjumper, SX, and P bikes
Nema: Custom jerseys, shorts, socks and gloves
GAMUT: trouble-free chain guides 
The Cycle Path: keeping us on the trail and rolling 

2012 Beech Mountain Dual Slalom Qualifer, March 10

race report compliments of GROM Racer Eric Vest

Jay on the Pro PodiumOver the weekend we headed up to Beech Mountain for the dual slalom national champs qualifier. The course was the same as 2011 Nationals but a little bit wet from rain on Thursday night.  Even though it was wet in the berms it wasn't too slippery (something about this dirt that allowed it to provide traction even when there was an inch or two layer of muck on the top), which was good because I only had street tires on my bike (Ben, Eric and Jay were all riding Specialized P Bikes - Jay and Eric on single speeds).

It was a very cool experience to ride the track when you can look down the hill and see skiers. The track held up nicely with a little work from trail builder Christopher Herndon. We had Jay, Ben, David, and I practicing on all different parts of the track, with Jay and Ben laying over in the berms to David showing everyone he was not here for play. And I, well I was trying to clear the jumps with Nathan Swarts tuck-no-handering them like it was nothing, which didn’t help me at all. After a couple run ins on the big jump I went for it and landed right on the back of the lander but OK.

Since Jay and I were the only two riders in category Cat. 1 Juniors, it made us first and second with Jay in front. He also won the whole race winning the pro class as well. David finished 2^nd in CAT 3 overall with a tough time to beat (if we were in age groups, David would have taken 1st in Cat.3 Juniors). Thank goodness Christopher and USA Cycling combined the age groups within the categories. In made the race flow better and allowed everyone to compete against riders of all ages. 

After the race we all headed to the Black Cat in Boone for dinner.

On Sunday we had a lot of fun at the new Rocky Knob trail system in Boone (Specialized was an early financial contributor to this new trail system that will bring more XC riders to the High Country). The XC ride was a true ride in my eyes; super fast down hill and then you ride all the way to the top which is a little harder than you would think. Jay and Ben were just monsters on the ride. I was having a little trouble from not being on the XC bike as much as I should. David gets the most credit for keeping in the pack the whole way without complaining (that's tough for a young rider and he really stuck it out with us).

Over all it was a very fun weekend but we were sad to say good bye to our 2011 Specialized Big Hit bikes but the new bikes are on their way. We loaded up the pick up and the trailer then headed home followed by a very exiting car wash so we could return Jay's Grandpas pick up clean.  

2012 Clemson Freeride Downhill Race

The first race of the 2012 season for the GROMs is in the books. What a great day of racing and catching up with friends that haven't been seen during the off-season. The guys at Clemson put together a well organized race with few if any glitches. 

GROMs traveled down on Friday night to Anderson and stayed at the Fairfield Inn & Suites (just like last year). The staff at the hotel was so helpful. As a courtesy, they provided storage for our bikes to protect them from the bad weather that was expected. This was much appreciated as we had a huge thunder storm on Friday night. After a big order of wings from Wild Wing Cafe, the GROMs crashed for the night. 

Saturday AM brought overcast skies and lots of water standing around the hotel. After breakfast at the hotel, we headed out for the Clemson Freeride course. Registration was easy and fast with lots of familiar faces excited about a day of riding and racing. By 10:00 Ben, Eric and Jay had a run in and were comparing info on the course. A new structure at the top of the course (whale tail) and a new starting gate were nice enhancements over last year. All the structures were in great shape. Thanks to a steady breeze, the structures were drying quickly. 

A good number of runs were completed and then some lunch. The sun was out and the day was warming up nicely. Race pants were traded for shorts and lost of water consumed to prepare for the warmer than usual afternoon. A race meeting at 12:30 gave all the details: best of two runs, in addition to the overall winner, the fastest hardtail time would be recognized as well. 

After the first run, Ben was 3rd and Jay was forth. With both riding hardtails, they were in the running for that prize as well. Both had good first runs but Eric had dropped a chain on his run; no injury to bike or Eric but it prevented him from some pedal strokes on the flat sections. Course strategy was discussed and all looked for areas to pick up some speed and cut their times. 

GROMs had better second runs and were anxious for the times. While times were being finalized, GROMs had a few minutes to visit with some younger riders in attendance. It was good to see several riders new to the sport with the youngest out with his dad at only 8 years old. 

Times were posted quickly and it was up to the shelter for awards. Ben, Eric and Jay all rode in the elite class which put them competing with some strong competition and older racers. Ben was called as the 3rd place finisher, Cecil Linder in second, and Jay finished first. Next the hardtail finishing: Jay first, Ben second.

Within just a few minutes, Ben Eric and Jay were back on the mountain sessioning the tabletop and wallride. Check out the video here on www.gromracing.com.

Many thanks to the Clemson team for putting on a good race. The weather turned out to be near perfect and the course safe and dry by race time. It was a great way to start the 2012 GROM season.

See you at Beech Mountain on Saturday, March 10 for some Dual Slalom followed by skiing.  

2012 GROM Racing Update

As the 2012 race season approaches, GROM racers are beginning their preparation to make it a great season. Here's what's going on:

Team Work

• Parents are working with sponsors to finalize plans for 2012. Current 2012 sponsors include Specialized, GAMUT, Smith Optics and new for 2012, The Cycle Path. Several potential sponsors still remain. Looking forward to some positive responses to help support this group of young riders that promote southeast mountain biking so positively around the US.
  
  Many thanks to Christopher Herndon for his support with continuing sponsorship relationships.
• Marketing: parents are working on updating on-line media and preparing jerseys/race kits for the 2012 season.

Racers

• Most are finishing up the off season with cross-country rides and days on the slopes. Jimmy Leslie continues to compete on freesystle skiing and skis for the Lib-Tech NAS team, Oakley, Giro, Full Tilt, and Marker.
• GROM racers Jay Fesperman and Eric Vest have spent the early part of the winter reconstructing pump tracks at their homes. Weekends often found them sessioning the pump track. Many weekend evenings found them riding under the lights.

Schedule

• Recent 2012 Downhill and Slalom race schedule was posted on www.gromracing.com.

Mulally Signs with Specialized/GROM

Specialized/GROM proudly announces the addition of East Coast talent, Logan Mulally, for the 2011 season. Logan had many options for 2011. Choosing our program not only pushes us forward towards our goal of preparing young American riders for International competition, but takes Logan to the next level as well. We are honored that he chose Specialized/GROM.

Christopher Herndon- Team Director, former National Champion and World Cup competitor say’s of his teams latest addition: “I’ve had a long relationship with the Mulally family and have seen Logan develop since he was 10 years old racing at Snowshoe, WV. Having the opportunity to introduce and prepare him for World Cup competition is very inspiring. He has an incredible natural talent and we want to compliment that talent with a solid program designed to prepare him both mentally and physically. We have some incredible young riders in our program and Logan exemplifies what we’re looking for in those riders. He has a lot of experience for such a young athlete and we know the rest of our riders will benefit from having him on the team.”

Logan recognizes that there is more to winning races than just talent. Specialized/GROM’s training program is focused on preparing riders to compete and win races internationally. Mulally’s goals are high, and so are his skills. We have a solid program that produces solid riders and Logan is the next step in bridging the gap between great domestic competitors and great international competitors. Combining his talent with our tailor made program will take him, and us, to the next level of racing. 

We are excited that Logan will be representing Specialized/GROM in Europe this season. We need to prepare our riders for the next level of competition and this is our first opportunity to prove we can deliver American talent to the International racing scene and show that our riders are physically and mentally prepared to perform at a World Class level.

“Our mission is to develop US talent and offer a well rounded program. I think for Logan it’s about being able to work with our staff and fully develop him into a well trained and well disciplined World Cup competitor” -Christopher Herndon 

Logan says, “I’ve known Chris and Tim for as long as I’ve been racing Mountain bikes. Chris has always been there in the background doing things to help us whenever he could. When it came time for me to make a decision for 2011, I was offered several really generous opportunities to choose from. For me, it all came down to the hands on approach I knew I would get from the Specialized/GROM racing program. Tim raced World Championships both years as a junior and I know he has a lot experience and advice to offer about upper level competition. I’ve ridden with the GROM squad and am very impressed with the professionalism of the program and the riders. I see a solid structure for me to build a world cup career upon. Chris and Tim have the experience to help me get there prepared to win. I am ready for a great season in 2011!”

We are looking forward to seeing what a winter of training alongside big brother Neko will do for Logan, and everyone is excited to see where this next chapter will take us. Look for Specialized/GROM at our first race of the season, the Port Angeles Pro GRT. Check out gromracing.com for more news and a full race schedule. Specialized/GROM is proudly partnered with Specialized Bikes, SRAM, Cane Creek, Industry Nine, Sycamore Cycles and Snowshoe Mountain for 2011.

Tim Price

Specialized/GROM Coach

Gravity USA - Specialized USA

Specialized GROM Racing is happy about the Gravity USA announcement of Curis Keene and Brad Benedict as  pro downhillers riding for Specialized in 2011. Riding similar Specialized bikes with SRAM and GAMUT components will make it even more fun at races.

In the 2010 season GROM Racers got to meet and attend National Championships with Curtis Keene. In addition, several GROM members joined Curtis for the recent Sea Otter Classic. Congratulations to Curis on his 8th place finish in the downhill competition. Plus, teammate Brad Benedict finished with an impressive 19th place finish too.

GROM looks forward joining Gravity USA at more races in the 2011 season. Read the full press release at: http://iamspecialized.com/gravity/team/specialized-racing--gravity-usa 

Specialized/GROM at ETSU

Race report by Specialized/GROM Racer - Ben Calhoun & Jay Fesperman

This weekend (April 9 & 10) the majority of the Specialized/GROM Racing team went to the ETSU national championship qualifiers. The rest of the team was busy racing the Port Angeles Pro GRT. ETSU was a relaxed, fun race with the most important goal to qualify for national championships later this year. 

We all had a great time in between races relaxing and having fun. Midway through the day, the downhill was over and we all grabbed our Specialized SX's and sessioned the slalom and 4x track. The tracks were great! Sadly the races were cancelled due to a heavy rain storm. Jay qualified first and picked up the win.

We were the last team in the pits packing up and the tornado sirens in the town started to blare, "Life threatening situation, A tornado has been sighted in the area, Stay away from windows and doors." As the brave Specialized/GROM Racers chilled in the pits determined what to do next. Sam Pensler (top GROM racer) hid under a table to humor everyone. The whole team went to the ETSU library to stay safe and eventually the sirens ended and it was all clear. However, the rains returned just-in-time for the awards presentations, forcing the ETSU race organizers to distribute the ceremonial "Shovels" from the back of the race trailer.  

The next day the team decided to race XC. A few of us raced it on our sweet slalom bikes. The track was fun and everyone had a good time and overall the weekend was a great success for the team, with everyone quaifying for nationals and having a bit of pre-big race season fun. Click Here for more photos (courtesy of Tim O'Brien).

DOWNHILL

2nd JR Ex- Jay Fesperman

3rd JR Ex- Ben Calhoun

3rd PRO- Sam Pensler

2nd PRO WMN- Lauren Daney

SLALOM

1st JR Ex- Jay Fesperman

2nd JR EX- Ben Calhoun

3rd JR Ex- Sam Pensler

CROSS COUNTRY

1st- Ben Calhoun

2nd- Jay Fesperman

3rd- Eric Vest

Carmichael Training Systems and Specialized/GROM

Six weeks ago, I heard that Carmichael Training Systems was going to sponsor Specialized/GROM and I had no idea what to expect. I ride road with some of my dad’s friends that use heart rate monitors as well as specific training programs, but I didn’t really know what to think. 

We received our first instructions from Tristan Cowie. We were told to purchase heart rate monitors and send in what we had been doing for the last 2 months. I was fortunate, for my brother and I keep training logs; therefore we knew exactly what we had been doing. Then we were given our training peaks account. This was where we could communicate with the coaches as well as view our program. I was super excited to start the training. After several weeks of getting used to it, I could feel my body becoming accustomed to it. Personally what really helped me was that I had been doing A LOT of riding prior, including Cyclocross, BMX, and XC. The program has really established some routine and structure to my training. It is based on getting a really strong base/foundation during the winter months. It mainly consists of road rides, some gym work, and my favorite... Pump track sessions in my yard.

            In late February, I was given the chance to go up to the CTS office in Ashville NC, not too far from my house. The head coach, Colin Izard, gave me the opportunity to do a lactate threshold test. I was super pumped to give it a go, and see how I could do. The day felt like a Race day for me personally, as there were some nerves involved. The test is on a stationary bike with a power meter. The watts increase roughly every three minutes, which form zones. The beginning was super easy, but things got serious really quickly. It felt just like one of the many Cyclocross races I had competed in, during the fall. My finger was pricked, and blood taken every zone, to test the amount of lactic acid in my blood. The purpose of this test was to see the highest level you can ride before you cross your lactate threshold. In other words, hurting really badly. The test took about 40 minutes and at the end I was cooked. Afterwards, I sat down with Colin and Tristan and they spent some time explaining things with me. They showed me what all the numbers meant, as well as the graph of the power meter. I was very happy with how I did, and how much I learned. I was very excited, and it made my day when I found out, that with some different training, XC racing would be right up my alley.

            I’m super excited to be working with Carmichael Training Systems. I have already learned so much, and I know that with a lot of hard work, that this can lead me to great places. I want to thank everyone associated with Specialized/ Grom as well as Colin and Tristan at CTS for the opportunity.

                         -Walker Shaw