2023 JAM Fund Grant Recipients

JAM Fund announces names of 21 cyclists to receive grants

The JAM Fund is excited to announce the recipients of this year’s JAM Fund Grant. Twenty-one cyclists from six New England states and from overseas in India were selected to receive the grant because they have shown passion for the sport and a dedication to being an all-around good person on and off the bike. The grants may include funding, equipment, coaching or a combination of those to help support the recipients’ cycling goals and participation in cyclocross races. The recipients will formally receive their awards during a special ceremony at the JAM Fund Grand Fundo on July 23 at Cummington Fairgrounds in Cummington, Massachusetts. The event is open to the public, and all proceeds go to JAM Fund’s cycling development and grant program.

This year’s JAM Fund Grant recipients:

Eli Billings, 13, of Newton, Massachusetts; Tanya Boulanova, 28, of Beverly, Massachusetts; Günther Breismeister, 11, of Northampton, Massachusetts; Boden Chenail, 16, of Granby, Connecticut; Henri Dumont, 11, of Northampton, Massachusetts; Eneas Caden Freyre, 15, of Redding, Connecticut; Nathaniel Gervez, 16, of Plymouth, New Hampshire; Eric Harrington, 15, of Pittsfield, Massachusetts; Kellie Harrington, 18, of Pittsfield, Massachusetts; Betty Hasse, 20, of Providence, Rhode Island; Charles Jarm, 15, of Needham, Massachusetts; Madison Johnson, 11, of Southampton, Massachusetts; Vinay Kumar, 26, of Karnataka, India; Griffin Larson, 17, of Essex, Vermont; Jackson Malone, 19, of Hollis, New Hampshire; Aiden Mapel, 20, of Southwick, Massachusetts; Cormac Nagle, 14, of Bolton, Massachusetts; Sophie Parrott, 16, of Chesterfield, Massachusetts; Gage Payer, 15, of Lee, Massachusetts; Priscilla Richardson, 15, of Taftsville, Vermont; and Melinda Wetzel, 19, of Niskayuna, New York.

The purpose of the JAM Fund Grant is to help young riders overcome the financial barriers associated with cycling while also mentoring them to be good members of society. Grant recipients were selected after a review of applications that were due in June.

JAM Fund is a 501c3 non-profit organization, created in 2003 by Jeremy Powers, Alec Donahue and Mukunda Feldman. The team's activities are made possible through corporate sponsorships and individual donations. Each year, the organization issues grants including financial and technical resources and professional training to aspiring cyclists who show enthusiasm and determination to do their best. To find out more about the grant program and JAM Fund, visit jamcycling.org.

Join us at the Grand Fundo! Even if you don't want to ride, come out for the barbecue and celebrate these awesome kids.

Can’t join us for the ride? Please consider making a tax-deductible donation. Your gift supports the cyclists in our program.

For more information, please contact JAM Fund Media Coordinator Vicky Sama at jamcycling@gmail.com.

Join us for two days of fun at the 2023 GRAND FUNDO!

Get ready for a fun-filled weekend with the JAM Fund at our annual GRAND FUNDO bike ride on Sunday, July 23. Yes, that's right... Sunday. After all of the past years holding our event on Saturdays, this year we're making it a two-day extravaganza! Join us for a weekend of riding, camping, eating and more starting on Saturday, July 22 and topping off with our main event, the GRAND FUNDO on Sunday, July 23. This year is going to be bigger than last-- with more miles of gravel and more days to camp out and play at the Cummington Fairgrounds, which serves as our base and the start and end points for all our events. Here's what we have in store:

SATURDAY SHAKEOUT RIDE AND SWIM

Join us at 3pm on Saturday, July 22 at Cummington Fairgrounds for a shakeout ride to a local swimming hole. Experience the beauty of the surrounding area and cool off in refreshing waters. You'll also have the chance to mingle and spend time with present and past JAM Fund Team riders. Before the  shakeout ride, we will have an hour of Q&A where you can ask JAM Fund riders and special guests any gravel questions you may have.

CAMP OUT WITH US!

On Saturday night, set up your tent and enjoy a night under the stars at our overnight campsite at the Cummington Fairgrounds. Immerse yourself in the vibrant atmosphere of the Grand Fundo weekend and prepare for Sunday's main event. Bathrooms and showers are available. The fairgrounds are at 97 Fairgrounds Rd., Cummington, Massachusetts, 01026.

SUNDAY FUNDO BREAKFAST

The Chesterfield General Store and Cafe will provide a delicious breakfast and coffee to kickstart your day of the Grand Fundo. The food will be ready for you at the fairgrounds so you can fuel up for the thrilling adventure ahead.

SUNDAY IS GRAND FUNDO TIME!

This year's GRAND FUNDO is on Sunday morning! We will ride together and all leave at the same time, no matter which route you choose. All three of routes include scenic views and plenty of gravel and exhilarating climbs. Relish and refuel at our fully-stocked rest stops with amazing pastries from Jake's Old Fashioned Ice Cream and Chesterfield General Store.

GRAND FUNDO AFTER PARTY

After the ride, the celebrations begin! We will have food ready and waiting for you as well as games, our dunk tank, raffle, expo, music and so much more! We will honor our new grant recipients in a special ceremony after we eat and recover a bit, so relax, eat and enjoy the games!

SAFETY CHECK

All riders are required to wear a helmet and follow traffic laws. Everyone will receive an email on Friday prior to the event with the GPS files of the routes. Please make sure you download your route. The course will be marked with road signs and arrows at every intersection. Hazard signs will also be placed on the routes where appropriate. Your safety is our number one priority. We will have a sag vehicle and simple bike repair tools at each rest stop to aid you on your adventure. We ask that you come prepared to the Grand Fundo as you would any other ride.

ABOUT THE JAM FUND

By participating in the JAM Fund Grand Fundo, you contribute to the growth and development of young cyclists. All proceeds from the event go directly towards funding grants for motivated young riders, empowering them to pursue their cycling dreams. Don't miss out on this incredible weekend!

We can't wait to ride with you at the JAM Fund Grand Fundo!

The JAM Fund

Ride with us at the Grand Fundo

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

jamcycling@gmail.com

Get ready for the Grand Fundo bike ride on Saturday, July 23

Ride your bike through the scenic Pioneer Valley in the JAM Fund GRAND FUNDO on Saturday, July 23. This year’s event includes new routes, more gravel roads and a new start and finish location. The one-day fundraiser bike ride starts and ends at Cummington Fairgrounds in Cummington, Massachusetts. Riders have an option to pedal the 29-mile Mini Fundo, 46-mile Fundo or the 65-mile Grand Fundo. Along the way, riders can fuel up with drinks and snacks at fully-stocked rest stops. Make sure you don’t miss the signature Fluffernutter, peanut butter and blueberry sandwiches! After the ride, participants are treated to beer, barbecue and other refreshments. During the post-ride festivities, the JAM Fund will celebrate its newest group of grant recipients who are receiving a JAM Fund Grant, awarded to cyclists who show a commitment to the sport and to being a better member of society.

The Grand Fundo is JAM Fund’s biggest fundraiser of the year. All proceeds go to the non-profit’s development program and to providing grants to deserving riders. Your participation makes a difference. For more details about the event, see GrandFundo.com. Register online until July 19 at BikeReg.com or at the fairgrounds on the morning of the bike ride.

The JAM Fund is a 501c3 organization created in 2003 by Jeremy Powers, Alec Donahue and Mukunda Feldman, three great friends brought together in their passion for cycling. JAM Fund’s mission is to help motivated, young cyclists to reach their potential on and off the bike while not being limited by finances. To learn more, visit www.jamcycling.org.

2022 JAM Fund Grant Recipients

The JAM Fund is pleased to announce that 23 cyclists from New England to as far away as Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Ashland, Virginia, are receiving the JAM Fund Grant this year. The JAM Fund is providing the grant recipients, aged 10 to 28, with funding, equipment, coaching or a combination of those to help support their cycling goals and participation in cyclocross races. Cyclists selected for the grant have shown their passion for the sport and a dedication to being an all-around good person on and off the bike. The recipients will formally receive their awards during a special ceremony at the JAM Fund Grand Fundo on July 23 at Cummington Fairgrounds in Cummington, Massachusetts. The event is open to the public, and all proceeds go to JAM Fund’s cycling development and grant program.

This year’s JAM Fund Grant recipients:

Ryan Avery, 17, of East Bridgewater, Massachusetts; Jeremy Bloyd-Peshkin, 27, of Chicago, Illinois; Günther Louis Breismeister, 10, of Northampton, Massachusetts; Luke Callan, 14, of Highland Park, New Jersey; Erik Carlson, 23, of East Greenwich, Rhode Island; Ted W. Collins, 18, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin; David Diehl, 28, of Quincy, Massachusetts; Otis Engel, 16, of Mertztown, Pennsylvania; Keven Figueroa , 17, of East Providence, Rhode Island; Schuyler Hagge, 13, of Plymouth, Vermont; Kellie Harrington, 17, of Pittsfield, Massachusetts; Talia Loiter, 21, Shelburne, Vermont; Reid McCoy, 14, of Whatley, Massachusetts; Ethan Morris , 13, of Ashland, Virginia; Cormac Nagle, 13, of Bolton, Massachusetts; Marcus Orr, 19, of Westerly, Rhode Island; Sophie Parrott, 15, of Chesterfield, Massachusetts; Alexander Scopinich-Burgel, 16, of Concord, Massachusetts; Tommy Servetas, 19, of Albany, New York; Rohin Singh, 17, of Florence, Massachusetts; Phillippe Tjahya, 17 of Leesburg, Virginia; Ethan Turner, 20, of Montgomery Village, Massachusetts; and Melinda Wetzel, 19, of Niskayuna, New York.

The purpose of the JAM Fund Grant is to help young riders overcome the financial barriers associated with cycling while also mentoring them to be good members of society. Grant recipients were selected after a review of applications that were due in late June.

JAM Fund is a 501c3 non-profit organization, created in 2003 by Jeremy Powers, Alec Donahue and Mukunda Feldman. The team's activities are made possible through corporate sponsorships and individual donations. Each year, the organization issues grants including financial and technical resources and professional training to aspiring cyclists who show enthusiasm and determination to do their best. To find out more about the grant program and JAM Fund, visit jamcycling.org.

Join us at the Grand Fundo! Even if you don't want to ride, come out for the barbecue and celebrate these awesome kids!

Can’t join us for the ride? Please consider making a tax-deductible donation.

Your gift supports the cyclists in our program.

For more information, please contact JAM Fund Media Coordinator Vicky Sama at jamcycling@gmail.com.

JAM Fund Alumna is Going to the Moon

JAM Fund alumna Christina Birch is now an astronaut.

NASA announced 10 new astronaut candidates, among them, Birch, who is 35 years old and ready to fly. According to the space organization’s press release, this is the first new class of astronauts in four years. More than 12,000 people applied to the program.

Birch got her cyclocross roots racing with the JAM Fund from 2011 to 2015 before becoming a pro track cyclist and 11-time U.S. Track National Champion. During her cycling career, she also won two gold medals at the Pan American Games and a spot on the 2021 Tokyo Olympic long team. Now, Birch is a NASA astronaut and is poised to be one of the first Americans to go back to the moon in more than 50 years.

“There’s really no one path to becoming a NASA astronaut,” she said at the NASA announcement on December 6, 2021. “You might think that my path as a bio engineer and a cyclist is a little bit out there, but it was really all of those skills that I gained from those experiences that helped me get here.”

Birch graduated from the University of Arizona with bachelor’s degrees in mathematics, biochemistry and molecular biophysics. She earned her doctorate in biological engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

She will start her new career in January and will begin with two years of initial training, after which she could be assigned to missions into deep space and to the moon.

Ellen Noble Takes Break from Pro Cycling

Ellen Noble announced she is taking a temporary break from professional bike racing due to ongoing health problems that have plagued her for the past three years.

“It’s hard to say out loud,” Noble said in an emotional message on Instagram this week. “But I know that, for me, a step back is the only way forward.” 

Noble, 26, was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease in 2018. Earlier this year, she suffered multiple fractures of the spine during a crash at her first mountain bike race of the season.

Noble is two-time U23 U.S. National Cyclocross Champion and two-time U23 Pan American Cyclocross Champion.

“In 2018, I was having the best seasons of my career when I began to feel off,” she said. “It seemed as though one day I just lost my spark. My drive to win was gone, my energy was gone. My mood had shifted, and I watched my body change right before my own eyes.”

Despite the setback, Noble vows to continue her junior women’s ENCXQuest and mentorship program.

“I don't want to stop doing any of my non-racing initiatives, and I hope to do even more of them now that I have more time,” Noble told Cycling News magazine. “I have every intention of staying in the sport even if it's not on the race course.”

Noble’s cyclocross camp offers girls and young women opportunities to grow in the sport with a mission to foster inclusivity and health awareness.

Rider Profile: Mark Hewitt

Jam Fund in the time of Coronavirus

Above: Mark Hewitt races Really Rad Festival of Cyclocross in Falmouth, Massachusetts on Nov. 3, 2019. Photo by Katie Busick.

During the year of the coronavirus pandemic, Mark Hewitt expanded his dirt-loving toolbox, transitioning from trail user to trail contributor. He finds joy and reward in helping maintain what he loves, and helping other people have better access and experience riding near his home. This is exactly what we hope to see out of our JAM family members.

“2020 has been very upside down,” Hewitt said. “Usually by September, I would be traveling out to Easthampton to the sandpits and local course that really define a lot of the skills many of the JAM riders have. I would train during the week in Boston, just riding the same trails I have learned to train on. Every trail had a purpose for training. As trees fell or trails became overgrown, I would just ride other loops until someone cleared the trails. I never really had the time, with work and training, to help in the effort."

Now Hewitt is working with saws, shovels and axes to improve the trails he has used all of these years.

“Exploring the trails and keeping them accessible has been an amazing experience,” he said. “Through Strava and Slack groups I’ve been able to share these loops with so many local riders. I’ve also interacted with other trail users I would normally just pass by with a wave or a quick ‘hello’ and now I have a chance to educate them on what bikes I ride, what JAM Fund is and what cyclocross is about. I feel like Kevin Costner in ‘Field of Dreams.’ If you build, maintain and ride an awesome loop, more people will find it and enjoy it. It is something I hope I can continue to do next year when racing hopefully returns.”

Sandpit Saturdays

Keeping with the social distance protocols, Mark Hewitt trains with other members of the team each weekend in the secret sandpit, like this sunny September afternoon near Northampton, Massachusetts.

Photo by Jeff Fowler.

Hewitt competed in only one race this year and is looking forward to racing more in the future.

“After not racing for a year, I am more excited than ever to race at a high level again,” he said. “I can’t wait to get back out for large group rides with the rest of the team. Jeremy, Alec and Mukunda have really developed an amazing atmosphere to bring athletes together and work to push each other.”

Chief Relaxation Officer

Mark Hewitt shows his teammates Chris Norvold and Jane Rossi the secret of long team drive recovery.

Archival photo by Alec Donahue.

“The diversity of personalities and skills is something that doesn’t just happen. Everyone on JAM Fund or around the JAM-Fam works really hard to learn to get to that next step while sharing what they have learned to help others build upon their past experiences.”

Off the bike, Hewitt is a talented engineer who works on medical air systems.

“I’ve been leading the design of 26 custom air handling units for an upcoming upgrade to Beth Israel Medical Center in Boston as well as two rooftop units for Mass General Hospital,” he said.

Way to go Mark!

Rider Profile: Anna Savage

Jam Fund in the time of Coronavirus

Above: Anna Savage racing at the Verge Northampton International Cyclocross on Nov. 10, 2019. Photo by Angela Dixon.

Running the sand

Anna Savage,19, has hardly missed a cyclocross race on the local calendar since she started racing ten years ago.

She competed both for her collegiate team at Lees-McCrae and for JAM Fund at Cyclocross National Championships in Tacoma, Washington in December 2019. She finished 9th among the U23 riders.

Photo by Mike Albright.

Anna Savage is one of our U23 riders and all-around team morale booster.

During this past spring as the coronavirus was spreading through the United States and businesses were closing and college students were in flux on what to do, Anna Savage was a student at Lees-McRae in North Carolina, studying biomechanics and exercise science while racing for the varsity cycling team. She decided to move back closer to home and transfer to UMass Amherst.

“I loved living in North Carolina and being around all my friends,” she said. “But I felt that I need more of a challenge academically. Being at UMass also gives me the opportunity to be closer to the team and my family.”

During the summer, Savage started working at Gorham Bike and Ski shop in Kennebunk, Maine.

“Working at the shop I have learned a lot about maintaining bikes,” she said. “I have learned about taking care of equipment when I'm on my own. Working at the shop has been a good way to stay involved with the cycling community.”

Wrenching for the win

Savage has become more comfortable fixing bikes since she started her new job at a bike shop. She’s also juggling a full load of classes and training, proving her focus, determination and work ethic.

When Covid-19 put a stop to most sports events, Savage decided to take a year off from racing and focus on training and other parts of her life.

“The goal is to boost my aerobic foundation,” she said. “It is the first time since I was a kid that I won’t spend my entire fall racing. The time off is also giving me time to develop in other areas. I have been balancing all the different things going on in my life. For the summer I was just working full time while living on my own and training. However, with the start of school I’m learning how to better stay on top of everything I have going on. I am working full time while doing school full time. I am also still living on my own and training. This time off is also giving me time to work on different skills with my cross bike. I also get the chance to work on different disciplines.

While racing for the varsity cycling team at Lees-McCrae, Anna Savage showed off her mad skills in the rock gardens in the downhill mountain bike event on Sept. 23, 2019. Here she finished 2nd place. Photo by Emily Tay.

Rider Profile: Chris Niesen

JAM FUND in the time of Coronavirus

Above: Chris Niesen races at Hendersonville, North Carolina, Nov. 24, 2019.

Chris Niesen is one of our most improved athletes in the JAM Fund rider program, and is a huge help at all of our events including at our annual summer Grand Fundo. We count on him and his foodservice expertise to keep our events cooking at a high level. He's traveled across the country and overseas representing JAM Fund in search of the best racing we can find. It's been good for him to see the world and meet athletes from a wide range of cultures.

Cooling down after a breakout race

“Yesterday was a big day for me, years in the making to go top 10 in a UCI race and pick up precious UCI points. Top 5 is up next.”

Go Cross at Fallon Park, Sept 1, 2019.

Photo by Dan Brock.

“The year 2020 started out on high point, coming off my best season in 2019,” Niesen said. “The winter was filled with trainer miles and then in March a trip to Spain with the goal of getting in a winter block going into the spring road season and then another summer racing in Belgium.”

But Niesen’s plans changed, just like everyone’s when COVID-19 hit the United States in mid-March.

“Before we left for Spain, I really didn’t think too much of it,” he said. “For sure, it was a little scary, but it wasn’t until the last week in Spain when COVID was now a full-blown pandemic to us. The country went into lockdown. Being in a foreign country during the explosion of a pandemic is for sure up there on one of the crazier things I’ve ever experienced.”

Niesen wasn’t fully prepared for what was about to come.

“Three days prior to the lockdown we marched down the streets of Malaga, 100-thousand strong for the international women’s day march,” he said. “Now the streets are empty, flights are canceled, borders closed, and no one knew what was going on, or at least I didn’t. There was only so much information happening. At that point in time I was completely okay with settling into my new Spanish life and probably wasn’t as concerned as I should have been. We eventually found our way home. ‘The last flight out of Spain,’ is how our pilot announced it as we took off for the United States.”

With races canceled over summer and then early fall, it wasn’t long before we all realized that cross season wasn’t coming.

“This was hard to accept,” he said. “All the time and commitment to be at my best… but obviously there is a bigger picture and bike racing is well, just bike racing.”

With not much choice, Niesen took off the 2020 cyclocross race season that hardly existed, but says he will be back next year.

“The goal is to put the bike aside for a bit and focus on some more life goals, at least for the time being,” he said. “I’m trying to figure out what I want to do in the future.”

During the challenging coronavirus times, Niesen discovered a new love: carpentry.

“I wake up and start my day framing a deck and end the week with fine detailed trim work,” he said. “I’ve had three raises in two months. The detail and focus it takes to do the job means discipline. This is the most important thing and a take away from bike racing and the JAM program. It is because of bike racing that I’ve had the chance to explode into the world with this year’s honed discipline. It is a gift I’ve received through bike racing. It’s something I will use and be grateful for the rest of my life.”

Grill Skills

Niesen cooks up a cowboy breakfast as the sun rises on the July 2019 JAM Fund Grand Fundo. His bacon and eggs are legendary.

Photo by Meg McMahon.

Even with a new career underway, Neisen says he will still focus on bike racing.

“While I may have toned down my training for the moment, when the time comes, I’ll be ready to rip,” he said.

Grand Fundo 10th Anniversary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Vicky Sama

JAM Fund Media Coordinator 

(707) 362-1420

jamcycling@gmail.com

JAM FUND CELEBRATES 

GRAND FUNDO 10th ANNIVERSARY and 

JEREMY POWERS RETIREMENT PARTY 

Ride your bike with 4x U.S. Cyclocross National Champion Jeremy Powers, JAM Fund and friends on July 13

This year, the JAM Fund marks its 10th anniversary GRAND FUNDO bike ride and celebrates National Champion Jeremy Powers’ retirement from a successful career in professional cycling. The one-day bike ride in scenic Western Massachusetts starts and ends at Glendale Ridge Vineyard in Southampton on Saturday, July 13, 2019. 

“We’re pulling out all the stops and it’s going to be a great ride and big party,” said JAM Fund co-founder Powers, who recalls the first Grand Fundo in 2010. “We had over 100 people come out that first year, which felt like a big success. We made food, we gave stuff away, we raised money and that’s how we got to fund the JAM Fund and become a non-profit officially.”

About 500 people are expected at this year’s special anniversary ride, and participants will be treated to a delicious meal and beer under a big tent on the vineyard grounds. All registered riders will receive a pint glass with a signature JAM Fund logo, and all proceeds from the event go toward the non-profit’s program supporting young cyclists.

Registered riders can select one of the three route options, a 39- or 68-mile road ride or the 65-mile gravel adventure loop. All rides start at the same time at 9:30 a.m. Along the way, there are fully stocked rest stops with their famous peanut butter, Fluffernutter, bacon and blueberry sandwiches and drinks including electrolytes from JAM Fund partner Nunn Hydration. The price of registration also includes all-you-can-eat ice cream and SRAM support vehicles to help riders who have mechanicals. You can buy raffle tickets for a chance to win great prizes including one of Jeremy Powers’ bikes. All of that and more to provide you with an amazing ride experience.

The Grand Fundo is JAM Fund’s biggest fundraiser of the year. All proceeds go to the non-profit’s development program that helps young cyclists achieve their goals and be better ambassadors in the community. Your participation allows JAM Fund to teach riders life skills and provides the support needed to send the team to races around the country and to major cycling events such as National and World Championships. But it’s not only about the competition: Traveling introduces the riders to different cultures in a way that they can better understand their own. In addition, the JAM Fund will again award more than three-dozen grants to young cyclists this year to help them overcome financial barriers to the sport. The grant recipients will receive cash, equipment or both and will be presented their awards during the post-ride barbecue. So your participation in the Grand Fundo is for a great cause!Register now for the GRAND FUNDO.

About the JAM Fund

The JAM Fund is a 501c3 organization created in 2003 by Jeremy Powers, Alec Donahue and Mukunda Feldman, three great friends brought together in their passion for cycling. JAM Fund’s mission is to help motivated, young cyclists to reach their potential on and off the bike while not being limited by finances. To learn more, visit www.jamcycling.org.

2019 Grant Recipients

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA CONTACT:

Vicky Sama at jamcycling@gmail.com

JAM FUND AWARDS GRANTS TO DESERVING CYCLISTS

JAM Fund is excited to announce the recipients of this year's JAM Fund Grant! Forty-one enthusiastic cyclists will receive money, equipment, coaching or a combination of those to help support their cycling ambitions and cyclocross race season. The recipients will formally receive their awards during a special ceremony at the JAM Fund’s 10th Annual Grand Fundo on July 13, which will be held at Glendale Ridge Vineyard in Southampton, Massachusetts. This year’s recipients include ten young women and cyclists as young as 10 years old up to 24 years old. They represent cyclists from the 11 states of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, Maine, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina and Maryland. All of those selected for the grant show their passion for the sport and a dedication to being an all-around good person.

The Grand Fundo is the non-profit organization's fundraising bike ride through the scenic Pioneer Valley followed by a post-ride feast. Money raised goes directly to supporting the JAM Fund development riders and getting the kids to races. Join us for the bike ride and celebrate the next generation of cyclists. If you can’t come, consider supporting the program.

The following are the 2019 JAM Fund Grant award recipients:

John Paul Amalong, 16, of Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Katie Aman, 22, of Hanover, New Hampshire;  Ryan Avery, 14, of East Bridgewater, Massachusetts; Neal Bachmann, 21, of Westfield, Massachusetts; Jessica Beck, 13, of Greenfield, Massachusetts; Liza Bell, 15, and Sadie Bell, 12, of Putney, Vermont; Jon Brito-Roman, 16, of Providence, Rhode Island; Evan Bulock, 16, of Mendon, Massachusetts; Nathan Champney, 14, of West Kingston, Rhode Island; Patrick Collins, 24, of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts; Ari Daube-Valois, 13, of Florence, Massachusetts; Luke Enright, 15, of Southampton, Massachusetts; Keven Figueroa, 14, of Providence, Rhode Island; Mira Fowler, 16, of Northampton, Massachusetts; Beau Guenther, 14, of Putney, Vermont; Betty Hasse, 16, of Providence Rhode Island; Alexis Hills, 12, of Westmoreland, New Hampshire;  Kristof Hopkins, 15, of West Kingston, Rhode Island; Elijah Hughes, 16, of Providence, Rhode Island; Jacob LeBlanc, 24, of Ludlow, Massachusetts; Henry Lord, 16, of Kittery Point, Maine; Aiden Mapel, 16, of Southwick, Massachusetts;  Ian McDonald, 17, of Oak Hill, West Virginia; Ben McGranaghan, 22, of South Deerfield, Massachusetts; Ethan Morris, 10, of Ashland, Virginia; David Northcott, 12, of Walpole, New Hampshire; Finnegan O'Connor , 19, of Hatfield, Massachusetts; Sophie Parrott, 12, of Chesterfield, Massachusetts; Levi Picard, 16, of Providence, Rhode Island; Maxwell Schwartz, 16, of of Providence, Rhode Island; Rohin Singh, 15,  of Florence, Massachusetts; Asher Tilghman, 15, of Germantown, Maryland; and Owen Wright, 21, of Amherst, Massachusetts.

In addition to the above, this year's JAM Fund Team riders Trent Blackburn, Chris Niesen, Chris Norvold, Jane Rossi, Anna Savage, Kale Wenczel and Daniel Vaughn also receive grants.

The purpose of the JAM Fund Grant is to help young riders overcome the financial barriers associated with cycling while also mentoring them to be good members of society. Grant recipients were selected after a review of applications that were due in early June. JAM Fund is a 501c3 non-profit organization, created in 2003 by Jeremy Powers, Alec Donahue and Mukunda Feldman. The team's activities are made possible through corporate sponsorships and individual donations. Each year, the organization issues grants including financial and technical resources and professional training to aspiring cyclists who show enthusiasm and determination to do their best. To find out more about the grant program and JAM Fund, visit jamcycling.org.

Join us at the Grand Fundo! Even if you don't want to ride, come out for the barbecue and celebrate these awesome kids!

Header photo shows 2019 grant award recipients, courtesy Meg McMahon.

JAM Fund in 2018

This past year, the JAM Fund/NCC team had an active cyclocross race season, with members of the development squad competing in 20 races from August to December including UCI events at Rochester Cyclocross, KMC Crossfest and Gran Prix of Gloucester. Topping off the season, the team took a big road trip in December to Louisville, Kentucky for Cyclocross National Championships. Our riders landed in the top ten on multiple occasions, gaining valuable UCI points and international ranking.

Race Rewards

JAM/NCC's Natalie Tapias raced to earn the silver at the KMC Crossfest, gaining valuable UCI points to boost her international ranking.
Photo by Angelica Dixon.

Giving Back to the Community

Racing is only part of the work for JAM/NCC. The team put its race aspirations aside to help the cycling community, including volunteering for set-up and the sausage tent at the Verge Northampton International Cyclocross.

View fullsize

JAM/NCC members volunteered as mentors at the Northampton Cycling Club’s Kids Cross, organized the weekly Montague Criterium series and put on the annual JAM Fund Grand Fundo.

Honoring the Next Generation

At our 2018 Grand Fundo, the JAM Fund awarded a record 35 grants to deserving and passionate cyclists who show dedication to the sport.

Those grants were in the form of money, equipment and training and helped support the dreams of young riders. One of our grant recipients, Magnus Sheffield, will be representing the U.S. junior men’s team at the Cyclocross World Championships in Denmark in February.

Our Past and Our Future

Our JAM Fund alumni continue to impress the cycling world as well. Among them, Stephen Hyde (Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld) won his third Cyclocross National Championships; Ellen Noble (Trek) had a streak of commanding victories and podiums; Anthony Clark (Squid Bikes) had double victories in Japan; Scott Smith developed a new cycling program, the Dirt League, and raced to eight podium finishes including a win at Really Rad Festival of Cyclocross (pictured above); Rhys May created a cycling program that mentors young women; and Jack Kisseberth landed a pro contract with Garneau Easton p/b Transitions Life Care and has an impressive race season to show for it.

We are proud of our program participants current and past, but all of these accomplishments could not be achieved without the generous support of our friends and fans, and of course, our partners at Northampton Cycling Club, CycleSmart, Pactimo, Kask, Koo, Sram, Zipp, Crank Bros., Nuun, Clif Bar, BikeReg, Taylor Rental and Tart Baking Co.

If you would like to make a year-end tax deductible donation to the JAM Fund, you can do so here. 

Thank you!

Jeremy, Alec and Mukunda



2018 Grant Recipients

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA CONTACT: Vicky Sama at jamcycling@gmail.com

JAM FUND AWARDS GRANTS TO A RECORD 35   DESERVING CYCLISTS!

JAM Fund is happy to announce the recipients of this year's JAM Fund Grant! Thirty-five enthusiastic cyclists will receive money, equipment or both to help support their cyclocross race season. Grants are awarded to cyclists from the age of 10 to 25 years old who show passion for the sport and a dedication to being an all-around good person. This year, the JAM Fund pulled all the stops to award 35 grants, five more than last year and more than double from the year before. Recipients will formally receive their award at the JAM Fund's Ninth Annual Grand Fundo on July 14 at the Glendale Ridge Vineyard in Southampton, Massachusetts. The Grand Fundo is the non-profit organization's challenging one-day bike ride through the scenic Pioneer Valley followed by a post-ride feast. Money raised at the Grand Fundo goes directly to supporting the JAM Fund team and getting the kids to races.

The following are this year's grant award recipients:

John Paul Amalong of Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Katie Aman of Hanover, New Hampshire; Neal Bachmann of Westfield, Massachusetts; Jessica Beck of Greenfield, Massachusetts; Liza Bell and Sadie Bell of Putney, Vermont; Evan Gunn Bulock of Mendon, Massachusetts; Erik Carlson of East Greenwich, Rhode Island; Patrick Collins of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts; Ari Daube-Valois of Florence, Massachusetts; Luke Enright of Southampton, Massachusetts; Mira Fowler of Northampton, Massachusetts; Elijah Spence Hammarlund of Florence, Massachusetts; Jaymz Lipinski of Kingston, Massachusetts; Jacob LeBlanc of Ludlow, Massachusetts; Aiden Mapel of Southwick, Massachusetts; Luke Mello of Seekonk, Massachusetts; David Northcott of Walpole, New Hampshire; Finnegan O'Connor of Hatfield, Massachusetts; Sophie Anne Parrott of Chesterfield, Massachusetts; Anna Savage of Westborough, Massachusetts; Magnus Sheffield of Pittsford, New York; Rohin Singh of Florence, Massachusetts; Aliza Tobias of Killington, Vermont; Jaden Wise of Belchertown, Massachusetts; Travis Wold of Berlin, Massachusetts and Owen Wright of Amherst, Massachusetts.

In addition to the above, this year's eight JAM Fund Team riders Trent Blackburn, Ian Gielar, Mark Hewitt, Chris Niesen, Chris Norvold, Natalie Tapias, Kale Wenczel and Daniel Vaughn also receive grants.

The purpose of the JAM Fund Grant is to help young riders overcome the financial barriers associated with cycling while also mentoring them to be good members of society. Grant recipients were selected after a review of applications that were due in early June. JAM Fund is a 501c3 non-profit organization, created in 2003 by Jeremy Powers, Alec Donahue and Mukunda Feldman. The team's activities are made possible through corporate sponsorships and individual donations. Each year, the organization issues grants including financial and technical resources and professional training to aspiring cyclists who show enthusiasm and determination to do their best. To find out more about the grant program and JAM Fund, visit jamcycling.org.

Join us at the Grand Fundo! Even if you don't want to ride, come out for the barbecue and celebrate these awesome kids!

Header photo shows the 2017 grant recipients by Meg McMahon.

Graduation Time

Scott Smith is ready to spread his wings and leave the nest. He joins an impressive list of other JAM Fund elites who graduated from the cyclocross development program to move onto the pro ranks including Stephen Hyde (Cannondale), Ellen Noble (Trek), Anthony Clark (Squid) and Jeremy Durrin (Neon Velo).

Smith has put in an enormous amount of blood, sweat and tears into JAM Fund and the cycling community, which earns him high praise from JAM Coach and Co-founder Alec Donahue.

“Scott has put more shovel time in than any JAM rider,” Donahue said. “By that I mean all the jobs we have in the program that require you to break your back lugging hundreds of pounds of gear, set up courses in the dark in sub-zero conditions, pound in stakes for events, clear trails, anything that is probably going to make you a worse bike racer. But you still do it because it was to build the cycling community, and I asked him to do it. You know jobs that make you want to crack a cold one a.k.a. seltzer, (that goes out to Polar Seltzer, you know you want to sponsor JAM). So that's my overall memory of Scott. He put his back into being a member of the team. Yeah, he's a bit of a punk, but he has earned it.”

“I’ve grown as a rider and learned the ways of cyclocross riding with Powers, Hyde, Jack, Ellen and Anthony,” Smith said.

Smith’s teammate Jack Kisseberth is also graduating from JAM Fund and moving to Garneau Easton Cyclocross alongside Canadian National Champion Michael Van Den Ham. Rhys May is starting her own team and will mentor junior women (more about that coming soon).

“Ideally we graduate from JAM Fund and go to a pro team,” Smith said. “ But now there are only one-person teams, so there’s nowhere to graduate to. Look at state of the sport right now. Where are you going to go? Cannondale? Maxxis-Shimano? Donnelly? Squid?  I’m trying to think of teams that have multiple riders.”

Smith would be stoked to race for an established team but has already started working on plan B.

“The direction I’m going right now is to start my own team and call it The Dirt League, “ he said. “The whole idea is to get kids like me when I was 14 and show them cycling and what they can do with their skills.”

Smith grew up riding BMX at his local skatepark in Agawam, Massachusetts. Inspired by what he learned from his JAM Fund mentors, Smith is passionate about giving back to the sport. He wants to provide kids an opportunity that can change their lives and keep them out of trouble.

“A lot of my friends got addicted to drugs, and a couple made it out,” Smith said. “I don’t want to see kids go that way. I was lucky when I was young. I ran into some older guys who were into racing. I made fun of them at first but then they got me into mountain biking and then from there I got into cross. There needs to be more focus on bringing people outside the sport in. BMX’ers have skills. With a little fitness they’ll be really good. The skatepark is a good place to start. High schools are getting more involved with cycling. Something like that is going to make a big impact and grow the sport huge. So that’s The Dirt League’s goal eventually.”

Smith started out with JAM fund in 2013 as a ragtag Cat 3 rider. That first year, he got a few team jerseys and a Rapha Focus bike frame that he built up himself.

Jeremy Powers, one of the co-founders and the “J” in JAM Fund, remembers when Smith called wanting to join the program.

“Scott left a message on my voicemail and said, 'I don't want to miss this opportunity to work with you guys'” Powers recalls. “That ambition told me everything I needed to know-- that his journey would be one we wanted to take on. Needless to say, I’m happy we did.”

Smith raced hard his first year with JAM and by the end of the 2013 cross season, he upgraded to Cat 2. Donahue told Smith if he could find a way to get to Boulder, Colorado he would have a place to stay to race at Cyclocross National Championships.

“Thom Parsons of Dirtwire TV, Lesli Cohen and I drove for 30 hours in Lesli’s Chevy pick-up truck,” Smith explained. “We hauled a trailer with all the JAM stuff and we only stopped for food but not to sleep.”

Smith made it to the startline for the U23 race, his first time ever at a national championship.

“The whole crowd and atmosphere was so much bigger than I had ever seen before and it freaked me out,” Smith said. “I went as hard as I could, and on the first lap I looked down and my pedal sheared off at the spindle. There was only a metal rod sticking out. I needed a new pedal. I didn’t have a pit bike and did not finish. I was so upset. It was my first and only DNF that season.”

Things got better for Smith in fall 2014. He was promoted to JAM Fund’s elite team and invited to China for his first-ever UCI race.

“The deal was if you wanted them to pay for your $1200 plane ticket, you had to do a road race along with the cross race,” Smith said. “I wanted them to pay for the whole ticket, so I decided to do the road race, which was only about 50 miles long and pretty much flat until the last 15 minutes where there was a climb to the finish. I was in a massive field of Chinese riders like a swarm of bees. We were on a four-lane highway until we took an exit-- the only turn in the race-- and then we went up hill. The other Americans and I had no idea what was going on. We had translators but the instructions were, ‘do not win but do not lag behind.’ I guess what they meant was ride the pack. I wondered, are we going to die? What happens if we lag behind? That whole trip was nuts. They bused us everywhere and the bus rides were really long. I did a week there and that’s where I met Ryan Trebon, Carl Decker and Molly Cameron. Everyone stayed in the same hotel. That was my first UCI cyclocross race ever and it was a C1. I got 19th and made some decent prize money. So overall, it was a pretty good trip.”

Thinking back over his time with JAM Fund, Smith says that China trip was one of his favorites.

“They had grandstands at the start/finish and they bused people in to watch,” Smith said. “I’m not sure if they were fans or if they were forced to go. But the announcer would say my name and then everyone would shout, ‘Yay Scott Smith!’ The people treated us like rock stars. We would roll up and they would take pictures. There were tons of fans that adored us.”

Hamming it up for the crowds in China, Smith does a wheelie while crossing the finish line on Sept. 4, 2014.

Smith reached another pinnacle in 2014. After the long trip in China for his first-ever UCI race, Smith returned to the states and earned his first UCI point.

“It was a small race called Baystate Cyclocross in Sterling, Massachusetts where I finished 9th and got one point,” Smith said. “I started on the last row and there was a foot of snow on the course. They plowed it so we could ride it and I got a good start and started plucking off people. Adam Myerson said I flew by him so fast about half way through the race, he wasn’t sure it was me. It was a compliment and I felt good about that.”

The following week, Smith pulled off another top ten, getting 8th and more UCI points at NBX Grand Prix in Warwick, Rhode Island. He was in top form heading into Cyclocross Nationals in Austin in January 2015. But then, a stroke of bad luck ruined another one of Smith’s national competitions.

“When we got to Austin, I was training on the bike path because I hate training inside,” Smith said. “I wasn’t afraid of the rain. I actually was on the bike path, which was embarrassing, and I rode over wet plywood because they were doing construction, and there was a descent into a left hand corner. I grabbed my front brake. I didn’t slam on the brake. I knew it was wet. But my front wheel locked up and sent me skidding into a wall made of 2 x 4’s at 20-miles-per-hour and the wall just stopped me. I was lying on the bike path and had to call Al. I was crying my eyes out when he picked me up in the van. I wasn’t crying from the pain. I was crying because of what it meant. I went to urgent care and had X-rays of my shoulder and they said I tore my AC joint. I was in a sling all week. I couldn’t race. It was a month-and-a-half long road trip for nothing. Two in a row: no finish. It sucked.”

The fall 2015 cyclocross season saw some big changes on the JAM/NCC race team. Kisseberth came on board to join Smith on the elite team after Hyde and Clark left for the pro ranks. Smith was still racing in the U23 category, and this year’s goal was to qualify for Worlds. Smith had a strong start in his second full year as an elite racer, getting a top-five at Nittany and winning the U23 at Trek Cup. Then he landed his first UCI podium in third place at Supercross Cup, ahead of quality national-level riders. The following weekend, Smith says he was feeling strong enough to win NBX.

Scott Smith hugs former JAM teammate and friend Anthony Clark (Squid) after Clark wins day two and the overall series of the NBX Grand Prix on Dec. 6, 2015. Smith finished fifth overall and was the U23 race leader. Photo by John Kavouris.

“I had really good legs but dropped my chain right at the startline and I was last,” Smith said. “So I had to get off the bike and put my chain on, and then I rode back up to fifth. It was an impressive ride. I felt like I could have won. The only saving grace was Anthony won. Anthony and I were in the same leaders jerseys hugging each other at the finish line. It’s funny because you can see the grease on my hands.”

During a banner year, Smith wins the U23 at Verge Northampton International Cyclocross on Nov. 8, 2015. Photo courtesy of Cycle-Smart.

As 2015 was turning out to be Smith’s best cyclocross season, he was determined to have a good race at the 2016 Cyclocross National Championships in Asheville, North Carolina. He refused to settle for another DNF.

“I had a crazy bad start for the first half of race and was riding in 15th or high teens,” Smith said. “Everyone wrote me off, and then I rode back to 4th and was psyched.”

Smith’s fourth-place national’s finish earned him a spot on Team USA for the U23 World Cup in Hoogerheide and World Championships in Zolder.

“That was huge! Super cool!” Smith said. “That was my first trip ever to Europe. Hyde and I stayed after the World Championships and raced some more. I got to race Sven and Wout and Hyde. It was a pretty awesome experience. The races were hard, no joke. The whole environment is different from in the U.S. I had people come up to shake my hand and take pictures with me. I was a celebrity, even though I wasn’t very good. In Europe, everyone follows cyclocross and has cards from every rider.”

In one of the highlights of his career, Smith, #33, represents Team USA in his first U23 World Championships in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium on Jan. 30, 2016. Photo by Marc Deceuninck.

With the exciting start to 2016-- a fourth place at nationals and racing in Europe-- Smith’s year was not without challenges. He spent three weeks in Florida for base training, and shortly after returning home to Massachusetts, he started having knee problems.  

“Everything fell apart. I couldn’t pedal without pain,” he said. “I could barely walk up the stairs. I was limping. I had no idea what I did. That was around April and I had to go to Belgium again for two months in the summer to race on a new road team. They were sending Jack and I for May and June, and here I am in April with a bum knee sitting and home doing nothing.”

The pain persisted, and he went back to Belgium anyway.

“Unfortunately it didn’t give us time to figure out the knee injury,” Smith said. “I rested the leg until the pain went away and then trained until it hurt again. I couldn’t do base, I could only do one and a half hour rides. I flew to Belgium with no training in my legs and had to do kermises with a new team. A kermis is a three-hour all-out road race with tight corners and an insane amount of turns. You corner at zero-miles-an-hour and then rip back up to 30-miles-an-hour to another corner and do that for three hours. I got dropped in more than half of them. And then of course, my knee started to kill me. That was a tough trip.”

Smith returned home on July 1 and was selected to race at the mid-September World Cup in Las Vegas, the official opening day of the fall cyclocross season.

“That was cool to do and I’m glad I did it, but I didn’t get a good result,” he said. “I think I got lapped, not surprising, seeing the build up to the year. I couldn’t expect more than that. You cannot be drained and go to a World Cup. I learned that the hard way.”

No doubt, 2016 was Smith’s roughest year on the bike.

“I was out of the top 20 most of the season,” he said. “I only got a 9th and 10th place in two UCI races. It was a brutal year. No training. And just as I got some good legs in October, something cut me down again. Either the knee flared up again or just busy working. I wasn’t making prize money, so I had to work. Standing up at the bike shop all day was a formula for disaster.”

The 2017 Cyclocross National Championships were to be held in JAM Fund’s home turf in nearby Hartford, Connecticut. The race course was less than an hour from Smith’s house. Weeks before the event, Smith and Coach Al talked about Smith skipping it. But Smith is a fighter and determined not to quit even with the cards stacked high against him.

“I didn’t want to skip it,” Smith said. “I drove all over the country dealing with bad luck at nationals, so I could at least do the one down the street. In the weeks leading up to the race, I would go to bike shop and be on my feet all day and then go home and do rides at night. I hate the trainer, but I suffered through it. My threshold was a whole zone lower, no joke. On the trainer it was hard to even get to tempo. I went to nationals with no expectations, and I made the lead lap. It was a really technical course, super icy and gnarly, so that helped a ton.”

Smith finished 13th at Hartford ahead of some big names in cyclocross like Anthony Clark, Danny Summerhill and Travis Livermon.

“I was really satisfied with that coming off of a really bad season of suffering and pain. The mental side of it is a deadly game. You can’t beat yourself up. But at the same time, you have to be good at goal setting and not looking at results. You have to look at progress and the process of figuring it out. If you just look at results you’re going to beat yourself into the ground. I learned that just because I have bad results, I’m not going to quit racing. I’m going to fight back and put in the work and see the right people to fix the issues and get back on track. That year kinda happened to me, but I’m here. There’s nothing I can do about it.”

For Kisseberth, Hartford was a real breakout ride. He ended up just off the podium in fourth place. Donahue is proud of both of them and says Smith has always been a true professional.

“The guy has dealt with disappointment in a very professional mature way,” Donahue said. “His relationship with Jack has been the ideal for all team dynamics. Even when he had a bad weekend they supported each other in a way very few elite athletes could possibly do.”

Kisseberth and Smith huddle near the space heater in the JAM Fund tent prior to the elite men's race at Cyclocross National Championships in Hartford, Connecticut on Jan. 8, 2017. Kisseberth finished 4th and Smith 13th. Photo by Vicky Sama.

Kisseberth stuck to the front group at Hartford Nationals to finish just off the podium in one of his best career race finishes. JAM alum Stephen Hyde (Cannondale) won his first cross national championship that year. Photo by Vicky Sama.

After Hartford Nationals, Smith was determined to fix his knee problem. He went to a physical therapist three days a week for intensive muscle work. She figured out what was wrong.

“What ended up happening was my left hip gave out and was too weak, so it couldn’t track my knee straight,” Smith said. “So my knee was wobbling through the pedal stroke and grinding bones, which made my quads super tight by pulling on my knee. So Kirsten did a ton of dry needling, which is where you stick a needle into the muscle and get the muscle to spasm and then let it rest and then do it again. And it was the most insane feeling you could ever get. It was only on my left leg and it felt like I had run a marathon. I would limp because my leg was so sore from dry needling. And then we’d do it on my hip. We got the muscle to normal and then strengthened my hip and eventually got my hip strong enough to hold my knee for hours in a day. That took a couple months.”

By June, Smith healed and returned to Belgium for a month with other members of the JAM Fund team.

“I had a much better experience,” he said. “I was doing big hours with no pain and getting excited for cross season. I got out of my bummed-out mental state and hit the reset button.”

The 2017 cyclocross season would be Smith’s last with JAM/NCC.

“I lowered my expectations and went in relaxed and not stressed about results,” Smith said. “At first, it went slowly. In Rochester, I immediately smashed my knee on my stem and had to leap off the bike. I hit my patella and it sent me down and out for a week. We did more dry needling and quad workouts but mostly rest and ice. So that took me out for most of September. But I started training again and went into Gloucester toward the second half of season and started getting in the top 10 again, and it felt really good to be back.”

After Gloucester, Smith went to Canada and landed on the podium both days at the Silver Goose. Kisseberth won both days. The following weekend, Smith won the second day at HPCX.

“I felt like a real pro for once in my life,” he said.  “It was a small race, but I was still proud of myself. It was confirmation that I could be good one day if I put in training without getting injured. That race was a mudfest and required a lot of bike handling and some power because it was sloggy. But I do really well in those conditions.”

Looking calm and cool, Smith won at HPCX, one of the highlights of his final season with JAM/NCC. For podium shot, see cover photo at top. 

The team took a few weeks off and started to make its way west for the national championships in Reno. On the way, Smith and the JAM Fund crew stopped in Tulsa, Oklahoma for Ruts n’ Guts.

“I never do well at the first race after a break,” Smith said. “Saturday was a C1 and I got 19th. The next day I did much better and got 7th with the same field and all the big guys were there. I beat Driscoll and Kaiser and it sucked because it wasn’t on the C1 day. I know myself more and more now and what I need to do to get ready for a race.”

The following week, Smith drove with the JAM Fund crew to Dallas and Albuquerque to train in the high desert to prepare for Reno. Joining Smith were Jeremy Powers, Coach Al and Ian Gielar, who rides for JAM/NCC and also works as the pit crew for the elite riders. They stayed with HiFi wheel guru Robbie Douangpanya.

“It was the four amigos, “Smith said. “We stayed at Robbie’s house. He’s insanely nice and very hospitable. He literally took the shirt off his back and gave it to us. The most giving, caring people I’ve ever met. We stayed at his house for about a month. All we did was go out training, eat a lot of food and rest. I was feeling strong.”

Around Christmas time, Smith got sick as did other people in the house. He took antibiotics and went on some hard rides to flush out his system. Still, he feels it impacted his race in Reno. No longer U23, Smith lined up with the elite men this time.

“I didn’t have a whole hour in me,” Smith said. “I faded hard. I think it was because I was not going on big rides and having the antibiotics kill everything in me. I finished 16th. Not that happy with the result but happy with the season, and I’m not going to let one race bum me out. I’m sure I’ll have a lot more nationals to do, so I’m not going to let a bad one upset me too much. It’s not like I’m 4th off the podium. I had a bad day. Nothing really went wrong except I didn’t have a good ride.”

Smith jumps over the tricky ditch during Cyclocross National Championships in Reno, Nevada on Jan. 14, 2018. Photo by Vicky Sama.

Smith is a skilled rider and known for his ability to jump large obstacles, hop onto picnic tables and balance on skinny curbs. He’s also skilled at producing videos, such as the Jammin’ episodes he put together with teammates Gielar and Kisseberth this past season. For his Dirt League though, Smith is going to be more edgy.

“I don’t want to do run-of-the-mill race recaps or a vlog,” Smith said. “I want to add a BMX-style edit to a video and bring a breath of fresh air to the cycling community. I want to be an influence to someone who is 16 and is not sure they want to hang out with 40-year-olds in spandex. A video like that might attract them to the sport.”

Skillz with Scott: Smith helped lead several cross clinics over the years, even teaching the elders how to have fun on one wheel. Photo by Janice Checchio.

Smith is determined.

“As far as running a program my size, you have to be sustainable. So going into this year, if I get no sponsors and maybe have to borrow a bike, I could still go to all the races. You see that happen with people that quit their job and go fully into cycling, and if they make it, they make it. Dude, that is so much pressure. You would have to beat Hyde every weekend and get on Cannondale. That’s a huge step. I work part time in the bike shop all year and that makes me money to pay rent and go to races. You have to make yourself sustainable without sponsors until you’re getting the results you need to fund yourself.”

Smith leaves the JAM Fund with great memories and a lot of lessons learned.

“Never quit,” he said. “There’s been a lot of people that came through the team and stopped racing or just fizzled out, but I’ve seen that if you keep trying and keep your head down and keep fighting for it, you’ll get there someday. That wasn’t something that they taught me, but something that I’ve seen happen. So that’s the biggest lesson I take away from the JAM Fund.”

Coach Donahue likens the exit of Smith and Kisseberth to the Hotel California.

“You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave,” Donahue jokes. “But JAM reservations, unlike the hotel, have a bit less negative connotation. We'll still be directly involved in both Jack and Scott's development in the sport as long as it's a good fit for them. I'm always here for former riders, that's the truth. The people we pick for the program are engaging and motivated, and their post-JAM projects give me energy and motivation to keep JAM moving forward. Also, neither Scott nor Jack have taught me how to wheelie, so they owe me.”

With Smith and Kisseberth gone, there may be room for new elite riders on the team.

“I'm always looking for the next JAM rider, but we have to manage direct team size versus resources,” Donahue said. “If Jeremy or I are out there and we find the next Scott or Jack we can make room. But at capacity, a rider we bring on has to be really willing to be 100 percent into becoming a top level rider.”

“There are still plenty of riders in the area who can benefit from JAM,” Powers said. “It may take a little time to find and develop that talent, but we certainly have a great pool of riders here. And I'll say we don't always need to have someone in the pipeline on the fast track to being the next big star. JAM fund will be here cranking along, doing our thing for many years to come.”

The JAM/NCC 2017 cyclocross team (left to right): Coach Alec Donahue, Kale Wenczel, Trent Blackburn, Rhys May, Jack Kisseberth, Scott Smith, Natalie Tapias, Chris Norvold, Tim Willis, Daniel Vaughn and Ian Gielar. (Chris Niesen not pictured.) Photo taken in Coach Al's backyard in Southampton, Massachusetts on July 20, 2017. Photo by Vicky Sama.

Story by JAM Fund Media Coordinator Vicky Sama at jamcycling@gmail.com.

Road to Reno

Four weeks before Cyclocross Nationals, Jack Kisseberth and Scott Smith were riding in the JAM Fund van with the organization's co-founder and coach Al Donahue and development team rider and mechanic Ian Gielar. They were on the long road from Western Massachusetts to Reno. The four of them raced in Oklahoma and Texas and went for several training rides in the desert to acclimate for the cyclocross national championships. Smith, Donahue and Gielar headed to New Mexico where they met up with another JAM Fund boss, Four-time Cyclocross National Champion Jeremy Powers and his Aspire Racing team. Meanwhile, Kisseberth flew out to his parent's house in Northern California to spend a full month training at the coast.

"For the first time since the summer, I had a long block off of racing to focus on training," Kisseberth said. "I found that hard four- to five-hour rides with intervals were passing by like nothing."

Toward the end of that training block, Kisseberth had a special visitor: another member of the JAM Fund family, Defending National Champion and JAM Fund Alum Stephen Hyde (Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld).

"Showing Hyde around the roads I had been training on freshened up the training and allowed me to crank out the last few hard rides I had left," Kisseberth said.

Jack Kisseberth posted this photo of Stephen Hyde on his Instagram one week before Nationals. The two spent a week training together on the California coast in early January.

Kisseberth and Hyde pushed each other hard during interval training that week. Kisseberth said he felt stronger than he had ever been. A year ago at Hartford, Kisseberth finished fourth in his breakthrough national championships with the elite men. His prospects for a podium finish in Reno were promising.

"Not only had I put in one of the hardest blocks of training I had ever done, but after an up and down season I went to Reno without the pressure that riders like Hyde and Tobin [Ortenblad] were surely feeling," Kisseberth said.

When Kisseberth and the rest of the JAM Fund team got to Rancho San Rafael Regional Park in America's "Biggest Little City," they were as ready as they were going to be. Kisseberth was having a good week leading up to the championship race. He won the 23-39 non-championship event on Tuesday. Smith got fifth. Both were looking strong during practice runs on the off-camber descent on Saturday until the sun went down. At the start of the elite national championships on Sunday, Kisseberth got a front row call up next to the race favorites that included Powers and Hyde.

"Jack Kisseberth is a rider that I really like watching," said former cyclocross national champion and race announcer Tim Johnson during the live broadcast. "He puts so much into riding his bike as fast as he can, and man he hangs it out there."

Smith started in second row. Both had an excellent start, with Kisseberth in second and Smith in eighth coming out of the holeshot. If that was any indication of what was to come, it was going to be a very good race for the JAM Fund guys.

The field stretched into one thin line as the elite men zig zagged through the sandpit. Both Kisseberth and Smith bounced up the Belgian stairs and held their ground in the top ten. The training in Albuquerque in the weeks leading up to Reno was paying off.

Three minutes into the first lap, Powers took control at the front and pushed the pace. Gaps were forming. Kisseberth and Smith were in the lead train of about twelve riders. But as they ran up the first big climb, the space between bikes grew larger. Kisseberth was fourth on the descent, showing his fine-tuned skills by posting a front wheelie, flicking his rear wheel out to take a nice tight line through the 45-degree turn at the bottom of the descent. Smith made the turn taking the inside line too, smooth and steady.

Traversing the hill on lap one, Scott Smith makes the chase ahead of Jonathan Page. Photo by Vicky Sama. 

By the time they completed their first lap, there was a clear separation of six leaders that included Powers, Hyde and Kisseberth. Smith was in a chase with the likes of JAM alum Anthony Clark (Squid), Jamie Driscoll (Donnelly Sports) and Former Cyclocross National Champion Jonathan Page (Assos/Shimano).

Jack Kisseberth was in the lead group of five for more than half the race. Here he goes toe-to-toe with Stephen Hyde and Kerry Werner (Kona). Jeremy Powers and Tobin Ortenblad are just ahead, reflected in the shadows at Hyde's feet. Photo by Vicky Sama.

Then, lady luck ran out. At the end of the fourth lap as Kisseberth was approaching the run-up, he hit a sharp rock hidden in a puddle. His front tire deflated. It was impossible to ride the off camber with a flat. He was forced to run the entire hill section and lost contact with the other four leaders.

"Right before Powers and Hyde put in a dig to split the group with three laps to go, I flatted and lost the opportunity to really test my legs," Kisseberth said. "I still had matches to burn. I knew we had a sizable gap to the rest of the field, so I kept pushing myself to give it all I had."

Kisseberth ran the descent and coddled his bike a long way to the pit where Donahue and Gielar were waiting with a fresh bike. The eighth and final lap was painfully close. Coming into the finish, Kisseberth, Curtis White (Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld) and Tobin Ortenblad (Santa Cruz) were only seconds apart. Kisseberth got sixth.

"While this wasn't the result I was aiming for, I'm feeling good knowing that I had the fitness to contend at the front of the race," Kisseberth said.  "Who knows what would have happened without flatting. I just know I still had some fight left in me."

After getting a new bike from the pit, Kisseberth had to make up a lot of ground. He fell back among the chasers including Curtis White who also suffered a flat. The two battled for fifth place with White inching out Kisseberth at the finish. Photo by Vicky Sama.

Kisseberth was in great form the entire race looking comfortable on his Focus Mares. Photo by Vicky Sama.

Smith finished sixteenth in his last national championships racing for the JAM Fund.

"For whatever reason, I just couldn’t get my legs to the result I wanted," Smith said. "I’m not disappointed though. I’ve had my best season to date with multiple podiums and a UCI win. I fixed an on-going knee issue that I thought would end my short lived career. Probably the biggest news this year is that it is my last season with JAM Fund. I’m so thankful for the time I’ve spent on the team and for everything I’ve learned and have been able to give back through the program."

Smith isn't sure what his next move will be. But he hints that he'll still be racing.

"I don’t have any plans as of right now for next season, but I’m working on it and hope to come in faster than ever," he said. "I’m excited for this new chapter, and can’t wait to see where it goes."

At the end of a wickedly hard and eventful nationals race, Scott Smith and Jack Kisseberth are greeted by teammate Kale Wenzcel who raced earlier in the day. Photo by Vicky Sama.

Anna Savage rides the high line on the off camber hill during the combined junior women 17-19 and U23 race. She finished tenth among the juniors. Photo by Vicky Sama.

Other members of the JAM/NCC team raced at Cyclocross National Championships. Anna Savage had one of her best nationals yet, getting tenth in the junior women 17-18, which raced in a combined field with the U23 women. 

"The season definitely ended on a high note," Savage said. "It’s hard to believe that was my last race as a junior. I’m so thankful for everyone who helped me this year, especially my coach Scott Smith and my dad."

Savage's father Todd worked the pit for her and fortunately, she didn't have any mechanicals. She enjoyed a clean, consistent race.

Ian Gielar and Al Donahue were the pit bosses for the JAM Fund crew. Photo by Vicky Sama.

Kale Wenzcel smoothly navigates the sharp turn at the bottom of the descent during the men's U23. Photo by Vicky Sama.

Kale Wenzcel and Chris Norvold represented JAM/NCC in the U23 race. It was a blistering fast event and Wenzcel held on for 29th place. Norvold was not having his best day and crashed on the tricky descent onto his left shoulder. Injured and unable to hold the handlebars, he could not finish the race.

Chris Norvold flipped over the bike and kissed the dirt on the hard turn that tripped up several riders. He hurt his left shoulder and was forced to quit. Photo by Vicky Sama.

The second podium of the week for JAM Fund: Coach Al Donahue finished fourth in the 40-44 national championship race.

Coach Donahue raced on Thursday with the master's 40-44, sprinting at the finish to get a fourth place podium spot. Donahue spent the bulk of the week overseeing the JAM Fund team practices and warm ups and also coaching his several athletes competing during the week including defending champ Stephen Hyde.

JAM/NCC's elite rider Natalie Tapias skipped out on Reno and for good reason. She had the opportunity of a lifetime, spending three weeks racing on the European pro cyclocross circuit, getting her first overseas race experience.

Watch Natalie Tapias notch her first lead lap finish in Belgium at the GP Sven Nys in Baal. Read more about her European race adventures at natalietapias.com.

The season is over for most of the JAM Fund team, but Kisseberth has more racing to come. Following his sixth-place nationals finish and top ten overall standing in the USA Pro Cx rankings, Kisseberth was selected to represent Team USA at the World Championships at Valkenburg, Netherlands on February 4. But not all athletes are fully support so he needs help to get there. Please consider giving a boost to Jack in his RallyMe campaign to offset the cost of travel overseas for this great opportunity to race for the U.S.

Watch JAM/NCC's Savage, Wenczel, Norvold, Smith and Kisseberth race in the full replay of Cyclocross National Championships.

Year in Review

The JAM Fund has had an action-packed year full of racing, travel at home and abroad, fundraising and volunteering for a variety of events. Several team riders had the chance to race, train and tour around Europe last spring and in summer. We had a great turnout at our annual Grand Fundo and awarded a record number of 33 grants to young cyclists. During the fall race season, at least three team riders earned their first-ever UCI points while others moved up the ranks from the amateur to the elite fields. The JAM Fam grew larger this year adding more riders to the development team. And the love didn't stop there. Four JAM Fund teammates are now engaged. Our founders Jeremy Powers, Coach Al Donahue and Mukunda Feldman are always there making it all happen for JAM Fund. It's been a wonderful year made possible by our generous partners like Focus Bikes, SRAM, Zipp, Kask, Fi'zi:k, Crank Bros, Pactimo, Park Tool, Nuun, Clif, Northampton Cycling Club, Cycle-Smart, WD-40 Bike, BikeReg, Tart Baking Co., Taylor Rental, Family Bike and CEP.  And of course we owe gratitude to all our cyclocross fans, riders and their families who show up to cheer us on!

We wish you all the best as we approach the New Year, and with that, here's a look at some of our team highlights from 2017.

Jack Kisseberth

competed in 22 cyclocross races this season and finished 11 times on the podium. He had four wins including HPCX day one (pictured). He is 8th in the USA Pro Cx ranking and 58th in UCI ranking. He finished 9th at Pan Am Championships against some of the best in the world. At least once in a race this season, he has beaten current U.S. Cyclocross National Champion Stephen Hyde, Tobin Ortenblad and former U.S. Cyclocross National Champion Jeremy Powers. One of Kisseberth's early year highlights was racing at the Hoogerheide World Cup for Team USA.

Scott Smith

In his final year with the JAM Fund, Scott Smith competed in 22 races this cyclocross season, getting five podium finishes including a win at HPCX on day two. He is 17th in the USA Cycling Pro Cx ranking. Smith has been mentoring and coaching other members of the JAM/NCC team by sharing his super secrets to successful bunny hopping barriers.

Natalie Tapias

earned her first UCI point ever at KMC Cross in September. Since then, she continued to rack in UCI points. She competed in 22 races with four top-ten finishes with three podium finishes including a win at Suckerbrook Cross. She is 34th in the USA Cycling Pro Cx ranking. She is in Europe for three weeks for her first run at Belgium cross racing. Her highlight off the bike is her engagement to JAM Fund teammate Tim Willis.

Chris Niesen

says this is one of his best years on and off the bike. He competed in 21 races this year, finishing in the top twenty. That's a significant improvement over last year when he was finishing in the 40s at the UCI races. Highlights of his race season include getting 3rd at Night Weasels Cometh (pictured) and 3rd at Hartford Riverfront Cyclocross. He got engaged to teammate Rhy May just two weeks into cross season. Ah, love.

Ian Gielar

is having a great turnaround this year after a year marred by injury. In his second season with JAM Fund's development team, Gielar earned his first UCI Cx point ever at Supercross Cup in November. He competed in 17 races this year (up from six last year) and got six top-ten finishes including 3rd at Ruts and Guts. To top that, he was the mechanic for JAM Fund's elite team at UCI races. In summer, Gielar traveled and rode his bike in Spain. Photo by Sam Rosenholtz.

Trent Blackburn

started with a win at Hartford Riverfront Cyclocross and then got 2nd at Suckerbrook and 3rd at Midnight Rider. He competed in twelve races landing on the podium three times. One of his strongest races was on day one at Northampton International where he finished in the top twenty. He spent three weeks training in Belgium in June with teammates Jack, Scott, Chris Niesen and Coach Al.

Mark Hewitt

competed in 22 races, getting six podium finishes include two wins, one at Northampton International and the other at Supercross Cup in the men's Cat 3. After earning the needed upgrade points, Hewitt moved up the ranks  and raced his first UCI elite men's race at the NBX Gran Prix in December. Photo by Daghan Perker.

Chris Norvold

represented JAM Fund Development Team in the Category 3 races all season, competing at 22 races and getting three podium finishes. He won Hartford Riverfront Cyclocross in the men's 3/4 and is enthusiastically earning points toward his upgrade. Photo by Angelica Dixon.

Kale Wenczel

In his first full season as a Cat 2, Kale Wenczel competed in 18 races, getting two podiums: 2nd at Uncle Sam GP and 3rd at Cheshire Cx. He had respectable finishes at Rochester, Gloucester and NBX against the nation's best riders.

Tim Willis

raced in 13 cyclocross races this season and finished every one. No DNF's for Tim! He got 2nd at Cheshire Cross, but one of other highlights is his engagement to Natalie Tapias and helping support her as she races in Europe this winter. Photo by Daghan Perker.

Daniel Vaughn

competes in the junior 17-18 and men's 3/4 categories. He lined up for 17 races this season and finished every one of them. He got four podiums including winning Cider Cross. One of his best performances was at Northampton International where he finished 12th and 11th out of a combined field of more than 80  junior and masters riders.

Bound for Belgium

JAM Fund/NCC's Natalie Tapias is preparing for the opportunity of a lifetime: the chance to race in Europe. On December 17, she departs for three weeks of intense racing in Belgium. It will be her first time racing there. 

"I'm excited to experience challenging courses and race with some of the best women in the sport," she said. "The plan is to race five to seven times."

Tapais will return to the states on January 9, the day that U.S. Cyclocross Nationals begin in Reno, Nevada. But Tapias and JAM Fund Coach Alec Donahue decided that she will skip cross nats in exchange for the European experience.

"The goals are for Natalie to get familiar racing in Belgium, and to see the level of competition and the difficulty of the courses," Donahue said.

Tapias is having her best-ever cyclocross season, including a 10th place finish at HPCX and 15th at KMC where she earned her first-ever UCI point.

"By October, I was pleased with some progress I'd made with the help of Al and my teammates," she said. "At the same time, I was disheartened that there were so few race opportunities in November and December. We decided that instead of training during December with the aim of racing Nationals, as I have in the past, I'm going to fly to Belgium to race as many times as possible."

"This trip allows for a good block of races at the end of the season and helps us identify what we need to work on for the coming year," Donahue added.

Fortunately, JAM Fund has some support overseas. Tapais will stay at the ChainStay where her teammates stayed on a previous trip.

"Once a rider gets to Belgium there is minimal travel, so they can focus on putting everything into being a top level athlete," Donahue said.

Racing overseas requires a lot of preparation and organization, skills that Tapias masters well.

"I'm preparing, as I do for any big race, with a focus on my fitness, nutrition, technique and mental game," she said. "I'm also watching a lot of European cross race videos. I'm going through my bikes and wheels this week to make sure my equipment is in top shape."

JAM Fund/NCC teammates Tim Willis and Natalie Tapias announced their engagement in November. Photo by Maria Tapias.

Tapias will travel with Tim Willis, her teammate both on and off the bike. He also races with JAM Fund and the two were engaged in late November.

"I'm definitely intimidated by the level of racing on the women's side," she said. "Tim will be there for moral support. Mechanical support is TBD but we will work with Greg from the ChainStay to find a solution for each race day."

Tapias says her goal is to soak up the experience.

"It's an incredible opportunity to get to travel and race at such a high level," she said. "I aim to learn as much as I can, figure out the areas that need improvement and make changes to my practice so that I can continue improving in 2018."

Tapias finished 10th at Supercross Cup in Suffern, New York on November 18, which earned her yet another UCI point. She has racked up a total of 11 UCI points this season and is now ranked among the best racers in international women's elite cyclocross. Photo courtesy Supercross Cup.

You can follow the adventures of Natalie Tapias on her personal website at https://natalietapias.com/.

Header photo of Tapias racing at DCCX in Baltimore by Daghan Perker.

JAM Fund Team 2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The JAM Fund announces its 2017 cyclocross team with the return of its four elite riders Jack Kisseberth, Rhys May, Scott Smith and Natalie Tapias. Kisseberth made a name for himself this past year with his fourth place finish ahead of some of the biggest names in cyclocross at the Cyclocross National Championships in Hartford, Connecticut. He crushed a field of 53 pro riders to win day one of Supercross Cup and raced to podiums in five other pro races. Kisseberth represented the Team USA at the World Cup in Hoogerheide in January. He will certainly be looking for a pro contract in the near future.

This summer, Kisseberth and Smith spent several weeks racing in Belgium as part of their pre-cross season training. Smith is the longest team member, racing for JAM for the past four years. May and Tapias are returning to the JAM Fund elite team for a second year. Both have been on the local race circuits this summer and are amped for a strong cross season.

JAM Fund's development team includes returning riders Trent Blackburn, Ian Gielar, Chris Niesen and Kale Wenczel. New to the devo squad this year are Mark Hewitt and Tim Willis and junior riders Chris Norvold and Daniel Vaughn. All riders receive training under JAM Fund Coach Alec Donahue, who is arguably one of the best cyclocross coaches in the country. Donahue coaches pro cyclist Ellen Noble, the U23 U.S. National and World Cup Champion.

You can read more about the team at jamcycling.org/riders.

Pictured above from left to right: Coach Alec Donahue, Kale Wenczel, Trent Blackburn, Rhys May, Jack Kisseberth, Scott Smith, Natalie Tapias, Chris Norvold, Tim Willis, Daniel Vaughn and Ian Gielar. Missing: Chris Niesen.

2017 JAM Fund Grant Recipients

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA CONTACT: Vicky Sama at jamcycling@gmail.com

JAM Fund is happy to announce the recipients of this year's JAM Fund Grant! Thirty young, enthusiastic cyclists from six states will receive money, equipment or both to help support their cyclocross race season. Recipients will formally receive their award at the JAM Fund's Eighth Annual Grand Fundo on July 22 at the Glendale Ridge Vineyard in Southampton, Massachusetts. The Grand Fundo is the non-profit organization's challenging one-day bike ride through the scenic Pioneer Valley followed by a post-ride feast. Money raised at the Grand Fundo goes directly to supporting the JAM Fund team and getting the kids to races.

The following are this year's grant award recipients:

Liza Bell of Putney, Vermont; Jessica Beck of Greenfield, Massachusetts; Erik Carlson of East Greenwich, Rhode Island; Patrick Collins of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts; Ari Daube-Valois of Florence, Massachusetts; Mira Fowler of Northampton, Massachusetts; Maria Hyde of Ocala, Florida; Ben Jankowski of Mansfield, Massachusetts; Eric Kirouac of Goshen, Massachusetts; Gabriel Kovacs of South Hadley, Massachusetts; Jacob LeBlanc of Ludlow, Massachusetts; Aiden Mapel of Southwick, Massachusetts; Luke Mello of Seekonk, Massachusetts; Finnegan O'Connor of Hatfield, Massachusetts; Sophie Anne Parrott of Chesterfield, Massachusetts; Camden Risinger of Sherborn, Massachusetts; Anna Savage of Westborough, Massachusetts; Cameron Scott of Somers, Connecticut; Magnus Sheffield of Pittsford, New York; Rohin Singh of Florence, Massachusetts; Daniel Vaughn of Horseheads, New York; Kale Wenczel of Leverett, Massachusetts; Jaden Wise of Belchertown, Massachusetts; Travis Wold of Berlin, Massachusetts; and Christian Yorks of Warwick, New York.

In addition to the above, JAM Fund Development Team riders Trent Blackburn, Ian Gielar, Mark Hewitt, Chris Niesen and Chris Norvold also receive grants.

The purpose of the JAM Fund Grant is to help young riders overcome the financial barriers associated with cycling while also mentoring them to be good members of society. Grant recipients were selected after a review of applications that were due in early June. To find out more about the grant program and JAM Fund, visit jamcycling.org.

Last year's grant recipients received their awards from JAM Fund co-founders Alec Donahue (L) and Jeremy Powers (R). Photo by Meg McMahon.

And there's still time to join us at the Grand Fundo! Even if you don't want to ride, come out for the barbecue and help us celebrate the kids!

8th Annual Grand Fundo is coming soon!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Vicky Sama

JAM Fund Media Coordinator

(707) 362-1420

jamcycling@gmail.com

 

Registration is Now Open for the Eighth Annual Grand Fundo!

Ride your bike with 4x U.S. Cyclocross National Champion Jeremy Powers

and friends on Saturday, July 22

SOUTHAMPTON, MASSACHUSETTS (June 20, 2017) Catch the allstars of cyclocross at the JAM Fund’s eighth annual GRAND FUNDO, the one-day bike ride through the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts. Leading this year’s ride is four-time U.S. Cyclocross National Champion Jeremy Powers and the JAM Fund riders and friends. The ride starts at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 22 at Glendale Ridge Vineyard in Southampton (previously Black Birch Vineyard), located in Powers’ own neighborhood. After the ride, celebrate with a delicious barbecue and beer under the big tent on the vineyard grounds. All registered riders will receive a pint glass with the signature JAM Fund logo to take home as a reminder of the special day. More than 400 cyclists are expected to participate.

“What’s great about the Fundo is all the smiling faces, awesome music, food, drinks and beers,” Powers said. “But what I love most is that everybody comes to our area, and before the ride and we take pictures, hang out and then head out for a nice day of riding. The best part is seeing everyone.”

Because they were so dialed in, this year’s Grand Fundo will follow the same routes as last year, although, you never know what Powers has under his jersey sleeve. He’s been out scouting new roads this summer. When you register, select to ride one of the three distances: 39-mile Mini Fundo, 65-mile Grand Fundo or 85-mile Grand Hundo. As in previous years, all rides have rest stops fully stocked with the JAM Fund’s world famous peanut butter, Fluffernutter, bacon and blueberry sandwiches. Riders can stay refreshed with plenty of drinks from Nuun Hydration. It wouldn’t be a fun Fundo without the stocked-to-the-hilts ice cream truck, and SRAM will supply support vehicles to help those who have mechanicals along the way. Of course, there’s the giant pig roast and raffle where ticket holders can win special prizes including the Focus Mares bike that Jeremy Powers rode during National Championships! All that and more exciting stuff to provide an amazing ride experience!

The Grand Fundo is JAM Fund’s biggest fundraiser of the year. All proceeds go to the non-profit’s development program that helps young cyclists achieve their goals and be better ambassadors in the community. The fundraiser allows JAM Fund to teach riders life skills and provides the support needed to send the team to the highest level races such as National and World Championships. But it’s not only about the competition: Traveling introduces the riders to different cultures in a way that they can better understand their own. In addition, the JAM Fund will award grants to more than a dozen young cyclists to help them overcome financial barriers to the sport. The grant recipients will receive cash, equipment or both at the post-ride barbecue. So participation in the Grand Fundo is for a great cause!

To register for the GRAND FUNDO, go to https://www.bikereg.com/jam-fund-grand-fundo.

---

About the JAM Fund

JAM Fund is a 501c3 organization created in 2003 by Jeremy Powers, Alec Donahue and Mukunda Feldman, three great friends brought together in their passion for cycling. JAM Fund’s mission is to help motivated, young cyclists to reach their potential on and off the bike, while not being limited by finances. This is reached through close mentoring and involvement in the cycling community. Grants are issued to young cyclists in and around the Pioneer Valley who show the interest, determination and desire to be their best. To learn more, visit www.jamcycling.org.

For media: Journalists interested in riding the Fundo should contact Vicky Sama at the number above. Use of attached photos please courtesy Meg McMahon.