NEWS
KMC Cross Fest
JAM Fund/NCC had a big showing at KMC Cross Fest this weekend. Read all about it here.
The JAM/NCC race team had a big showing at the KMC Cross Fest at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park in Connecticut over the weekend. The blue, black and white team colors were spread out over several categories, making their presence widely visible in one of New England's largest cyclocross events.
On Saturday, elite team rider Jack Kisseberth had an outstanding finish in a grueling battle in the mud, getting 7th place in the premiere event--- the UCI C1. In a pretty tight race, Kisseberth finished seconds ahead of some of the toughest guys in the field including Justine Lindine (NBX), Anthony Clark (Squid), Cody Kaiser (Specialized), Danny Summerhill (UHC) and Jeremy Durrin (Neon Velo).
"I didn't start at the front but I moved my way up throughout the race," Kisseberth said. "It's my best C1 race result, so I'm happy."
On the women's side, Natalie Tapias had a solid finish in Saturday's Cat 2/3 race, getting 6th place, while teammate Rhys May finished in the top 15.
"My objective was to finish within the top five, but unfortunately a few mistakes kept me from achieving that goal," Tapias said. "Sunday's course had a lot more logical flow to it but was still challenging."
JAM Fund/NCC grabbed top podium spots in a few races. On Saturday, Trent Blackburn won the Cat 2/3 race-- the largest field of the day -- with 120 riders. It was an impressive victory with a 50-second lead over second place. On Sunday, Blackburn lined up with Kisseberth and Scott Smith and raced the elite men's pro 1/2.
Katie Johnson took the top step of the podium on Sunday, winning the junior women 15-16. Her first and second place finishes over the weekend earned her the overall KMC champion jersey in her age group.
After getting 9th on Saturday in the Cat 2/3, Kale Wenczel put the hammer down and won the Cat 3 race on Sunday in a field of 90 riders that also included fellow JAM Fund grant recipients Erik Carlson and Ben Jankowski. Devo team rider Chris Niesen also raced in the Cat 2/3 on Saturday and crashed but recovered to finish 23 seconds behind Wenczel.
Other recent JAM grant recipients raced this weekend including Anna Savage in Cat 3, Mira Fowler in 13-14, Aiden Mapel in 15-16, Beau Guenther in 13-14, and Jaden Wise, who crushed the junior 13-14 field winning back-to-back races on Saturday and Sunday.
And the coaches were out on course too. Al Donahue and Adam Myerson (Cycle-Smart) dueled over the weekend in the Masters 35+ 1/2/3. Donahue finished 2nd on Saturday, about 35 seconds ahead of Myerson. But on Sunday, the two were neck-in-neck in the long sprint for the finish and Myerson nipped Donahue at the line for the win. Still, Donahue earned the KMC leader's jersey for getting second place both days.
JAM Fund Grant Recipient Jaden Wise (in bright green helmet) gets the hole shot in the combined junior fields and holds on to win the 13-14 race.
JAM Fund/NCC heads to Charm City Cross next weekend in Baltimore. Keep up with the team events at http://www.jamcycling.org/new-events/.
Banner photo courtesy DaHanger.
Scott Smith Races Vegas World Cup
The world's best lined up at the CrossVegas World Cup on Wednesday night-- 58 men from more than a dozen countries, including 17 Belgians and 16 Americans. Among them was Cyclocross World Champion Wout van Aert and JAM Fund's Scott Smith.
The race at the Desert Breeze Sports Complex was a bumpy 2.8k course that sucked the life out of every rider.
"The grass was very thick," Smith said. "It zapped my legs. I couldn't coast at all. There is almost no recovery."
Fifty-eight riders sprint at the blistering start of the men's race at Cross Vegas World Cup on Wednesday night. Look closely over the shoulder of the world champion in white and you'll see Scott Smith in his white Kask helmet.
As the announcers placed their bets for the odds-on favorites, the start lights turned green. Then, mayhem and riders bumping into each other and swerving to get around. Smith started in the back row and got through.
"I barely squeaked by," he said. "One Belgian on the ground kicked my down tube. I was that close."
Thousands of fans lined the course to watch the big show under the lights.
"I love the energy and all the people around," Smith said. "It's super cool racing the best in the world."
Smith, #42, hops the barriers on the first lap as the field starts to spread out behind.
Smith was selected for the Vegas World Cup team this summer.
"In mid-August I got an email from Marc Gullickson who coordinators all the off-road world cup riders for USAC asking me if I wanted to go," Smith said. "I was next in line because someone turned down their Vegas spot. I was pretty psyched to get that email."
This is Smith's second season in a World Cup race. He competed at the World Cup in Hoogerheide and World Championships in Zolder last winter.
Smith is resting this weekend. His next race is KMC Cross Fest on October 1.
Coach Al's Tips for Racing in the Heat
How to race in the heat: get tips from the expert, Coach Al Donahue. Anthony Clark douses himself with water after the 100-degree pro race at Rochester Cyclocross. Photo by Meg McMahon.
Above: Anthony Clark (Squid Bikes) douses himself with water after the race. Photo by Meg McMahon.
The race action was hot and so were temperatures at the UCI cyclocross season opener at Genesee Valley Park in Rochester, New York. As the mercury soared into the triple digits on Saturday, a few pro riders suffered heat stroke and at least one ended up in the hospital. Sunday was a bit cooler. JAM Fund Co-founder and Coach Alec Donahue finished on the podium both days, getting 2nd on Saturday and 3rd on Sunday in the Men's Open Open. How did he do it?
"A rider needs less time warming up in general in the heat," Donahue said. "Still, you need to get in course inspection and have the technical aspects under control."
Donahue says as temperatures rise, you need to cut back on the warmup intensity and duration.
"Since there is no ideal warmup for everyone, I can't make a blanket statement on exactly how much that should change," he said.
During the race, Donahue suggests taking water and possibly tucking ice in the jersey.
"Put a bottle and cage on your bike if there isn't shouldering on that course," he said. "Ice socks are okay, but they move a lot, so you have to be careful and make sure they don't slide down your back. Wear as little clothing as possible. No base layers, no caps. I still hear some people saying that they keep them cooler. There is no way that is possible in a hot cross race. If you have long sleeve heavy skinsuits, ditch that for bibs and a jersey. If you can get away with no gloves that is also helpful. Balance the need for grip on the bars and keeping your mitts in the open air."
Are those freewheels or cicadas we hear? Either way, when the dust blows off the grass, you know it's hot and dry during the elite men's race at Rochester Cyclocross.
The heat hit JAM Fund Grant Recipient Chris Norvold at Silk City Cyclocross on Saturday, and he was not able to finish the race. But the next day Norvold changed his tactics at Quad Cross.
"When you don't drink enough water before a 95-degree cross race, it won't end well," Norvold said. "I learned a lesson and managed 13th in the Cat 3 at Quad."
After Saturday's race, Norvold got a hot tip on how to race in the dust from JAM Fund Devo Rider Chris Niesen, who affectionately goes by the name of a famous export from his home state Wisconsin.
"Cheddar is a genius for using gum in a dusty race," Norvold said.
Hydration is important on those hot race days, but you can't always reach for a bottle. Niesen chews a stick of gum while he's out on the course.
"It keeps my mouth from getting all dried out and gross," Niesen said.
We can expect more heat and dust next week at Cross Vegas, where the average temperature in September is 94 degrees.
COACH AL'S TIPS FOR RACING IN THE HEAT
- pre-ride the course, but shorten your warm up
- take a water bottle if there are no shouldering sections on the course
- wear as little clothing as possible
- use ice socks with caution
- avoid using gloves if possible
The Games Begin
JAM Fund tacked the dust at the cyclocross season opener in Rochester, New York. Photo by Dave McElwaine.
Above photo by Dave McElwaine.
JAM Fund tackled the dust at the first UCI cyclocross race of the season in Rochester, New York this weekend. It was two days of exciting racing starting with a hot and humid triple-degree C1 race on Saturday. JAM/NCC's elite team of Scott Smith, Jack Kisseberth, Natalie Tapias and Rhys May battled the intense competition and conditions for strong showings by both the men and women.
"It was hard," Smith said on Sunday. "Yesterday I hit a limit and was pinned and not going anywhere, like driving around in first gear. Today, I could actually pedal hard."
Natalie Tapias and Rhy May warm up for the first UCI cross race of the season. It was more than 100 degrees in Rochester when their race started at 2:30 p.m.
May competed in her first-ever UCI cross event.
"I was happy with that as my first go," May said. "I went really hard and I wanted to finish with the lead lap. I was so, so close."
Tapias stayed with the lead lap on Sunday.
"Today, I felt a lot stronger and a lot smarter," Tapias said on Sunday. "Yesterday I had a tough start. I pre-rode the course with Jack and Scott and that really helped my strategy, so it was fun."
Other JAM Fund riders were racing all over the Northeast during the weekend.
Chris Niesen (right) sprints for 5th place at Silk City Cyclocross on Saturday. Photo courtesy Team Health Warrior.
JAM/NCC was at the Aetna Silk City Cyclocross in Manchester, Connecticut on Saturday. Devo rider Chris Niesen raced in the pro 1/2/3 field with some good hard efforts, finishing 5th on the day. JAM Fund grant recipients Erik Carlson and Chris Norvold raced the Cat 3/4, with Carlson coming in 6th. Junior riders Mira Fowler and Aiden Mapel, both two-time JAM Fund grand recipients, lined up together at the start in Silk City. Fowler shredded to 10th place in the junior 13-15 combined boys and girls race.
Mira Fowler ready at the start of the juniors 13-15 race at Silk City on Saturday. Photo by Jeff Fowler.
Katie Johnson (center) and Anna Savage (right) gunning it from the start at the Quad Cx on Sunday. Photo by Katie Busick.
Katie Johnson and Anna Savage represented the JAM/NCC kit at the Quad Cx on the grounds of the Run and Gun Club in Maynard, Massachusetts. And they runned and gunned it! Both women started at the same time in combined fields. Savage won the junior 15-18, beating out the second-placed rider by a minute. Johnson, looking in good form following her return to cross after breaking her femur in April, got 8th in the Cat 4.
Past Year Highlights
Highlights from the past year at JAM Fund
The past year was a good one for the JAM Fund. It was full of strong performances and victories at home and amazing experiences abroad. Ellen Noble moved up to the pro ranks with Aspire Racing after an incredible cyclocross season with JAM/NCC/Vittoria, winning her second consecutive U23 Cyclocross National Championship and finishing 6th at the U23 World Championships in Heudsen-Zolder, Belgium, the best-placed finish of all Americans. That pushed her up into the UCI’s top 20 world ranking in January. Earlier in the season, she won the U23 Pan Am Championship and was crowned the U23 Champion of the Verge New England Cyclocross Series. One of her most stunning performances was last September at the Grand Prix of Gloucester where she finished a very close second to Caroline Mani and ahead of U.S. National Cyclocross Champion Katie Compton. We now know that was indicator of things to come, and Noble delivered.
Scott Smith represented the U.S. at the World Championships in Heudsen-Zolder, Belgium in January. Photo by Vic Geerlings.
On the elite men’s side, Scott Smith had impressive results, finishing third at the UCI Supercross Cup in Stony Point, New York, and top ten at Cycle-Smart International, making him the U23 Verge New England Cyclocross Series champion. Smith was selected to race for Team USA at the World Championships in Belgium after finishing 4th in the U23 Cyclocross National Championships in Asheville, North Carolina. Among the 29 Americans chosen for the U.S. team were six current or former JAM Fund riders. In addition to Smith and Noble, there was U.S. National Cyclocross Champion Jeremy Powers (Aspire Racing), Stephen Hyde (Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld.com), Anthony Clark (Squid Bikes) and Jeremy Durrin (Neon Velo).
“Now my dreams are coming true, and I’m going across the pond to do what I love and race cross against the best in the world,” Smith said.
Jack Kisseberth crosses the line in 11th place at Cyclocross National Championships in Asheville, North Carolina on Jan. 10. Photo by Vicky Sama.
Jack Kisseberth represented JAM/NCC/Vittoria in the elite men’s fields last year and landed his first UCI podium, getting 3rd at the NBX Grand Prix. The most notable performance of Kisseberth’s season was at Cyclocross National Championships where he finished just outside the top ten. Following a strong cross season, both Kisseberth and Smith traveled to Europe for a month of spring training to prepare for this year.
In other highlights…
Of course, there were many more great things that happened in the JAM Fund this past year, but there are too many to count. Here’s to another great year!
Grand Fundo Lives up to its Name
The Grand Fundo one-day bike ride through Western Massachusetts raised money to support young cyclists
Photo by Meg McMahon
About four hundred cyclists participated in the Grand Fundo on Saturday, pedaling elbow to elbow with U.S. National Cyclocross Champion Jeremy Powers. The large pack of riders-- some who came as far away as California-- rolled out of the Black Birch Vineyard in Southampton down Glendale Road and around the scenic Pioneer Valley. After pedaling their first 21-miles up and over challenging hills, riders reached the first rest stop in Chesterfield stocked with plenty of fruit and treats including peanut butter, blueberry, Fluffernutter and bacon sandwiches as well as refreshing drinks and iced towels for relief from the sunny day. From there, riders had the option of heading in one of three different distances of 38, 65 or 85 miles. Some chose to take the shorter route because of the heat, but everyone stayed well hydrated with the free Nuun Hydration drinks provided at all of the rest stops.
"I had a ball," said rider Art Goedeke of Albany, New York. "The support was awesome and road marking was perfect. Those frozen washcloths may have saved my life. I had a great time today."
Fundo rider cools down at the last rest stop located at Williamsburg Market Photo by Meg McMahon.
Cyclists ride the Fundo's gravel roads with U.S. National Criterium Champion Brad Huff. Photo by Meg McMahon.
Among the 376 cyclists were current and former cycling pros including U23 National Cyclocross Champion Ellen Noble, Stephen Hyde (Cannondale/CyclocrossWorld.com), U.S. National Criterium Champion Brad Huff (Rally), Anthony Clark (Squid) and former Olympian Lyne Bessette.
The ride went smoothly with the help of the Sram support vehicles that stopped to fix a few flat tires. The Grand Fundo included some gravel roads, which have become quite popular among cyclists these days.
Enjoying the post-ride feast in the shade of the Fundo's big tent. Photo by Meg McMahon.
After the ride, everyone was treated to a delicious meal with barbecued pork and tofu, herbed chicken, coleslaw, corn on the cob, corn cakes, watermelon, beer, and ice cream from the famous ice cream truck, which also was at one of the rest stops during the ride.
"I loved every second and will be back for sure," said rider Justin Costa of Providence, Rhode Island. "Thank you a million times over!"
JAM Fund co-founders Alec Donahue (far left) and Jeremy Powers (top row right), pose with the grant recipients at the awards ceremony following the Grand Fundo ride. Grant recipients (from left to right): Ben Jankowski, Patrick Collins, Kale Wenczel, Daniel Vaughn, Mira Fowler, Katherine Johnson, Beau Guenther, Anna Savage, Jonathan Hills, Erik Carlson, Aiden Mapel and Jaden Wise. Chris Novold not pictured. Photo by Meg McMahon.
The JAM Fund celebrated the day by awarding grants to thirteen young cyclists who applied in spring. JAM Fund co-founders Powers and Alec Donahue presented each grant recipient with a certificate and check for the purpose of helping offset competition costs.
"This is so helpful to me and all the others," said grant recipient Aiden Mapel. "I'm looking forward to this cross season, and thanks to all who make it happen."
"I had so much fun at the Fundo," said grant recipient Anna Savage. "Thanks JAM Fund Cycling for such a cool event."
The day ended with a raffle, where ticket holders had the chance to win Powers' Focus Mares cross bike. Curtiss Dosier from Irvine, California was the lucky bike winner. Several other people won prizes from Rapha, Kask, Crank Bros., Thule, WD-40 Bike, Clif Bar, Nuun Hydration, IceDot C-Bear and products from other JAM Fund partners.
The annual bike ride supports the JAM Fund non-profit organization in its mission to develop the next generation of cyclocross pros.
Patrick Collins Wins a JAM Grant
Shrewsbury cyclist rides to the top for a JAM Grant
Photo above by Katie Busick
Patrick Collins of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts jumped into cyclocross two years ago following a year of racing on the road. He was a natural at cross and immediately landed on the podium in 2014, winning the Riverfront Cross of Hartford, his third cross race ever.
Collins, 21, started riding a bicycle when he was a junior in high school.
“I was overweight and I wanted to get in shape,” he said. “I took my dad’s road bike out one day and reached speeds that were exhilarating. I got serious about it, bought my own bike and did group rides that were really hard for me. I got dropped at first but got stronger and knew I wanted to take it to the next level and start racing.”
Collins is the winner of the JAM Fund Grant. He is one of thirteen cyclists who will receive financial or equipment assistance from the JAM Fund to support racing cyclocross and help offset the cost of the sport.
“If it’s money, I’m going to use it on the expensive UCI race fees,” he said. “If it’s equipment, I’m looking to get another bike so that I can have one in the pit. Last year I didn’t have a pit bike and that proved to be tough in a couple of races where I had a mechanical. I’m hoping this year to have a pit bike.”
Last fall, Collins upgraded to Cat 1, raced 23 cross events, scored ten podium finishes, and earned the title of Best All-Around Rider at the New England Cyclocross Series.
Patrick Collins won the Ken Harrold Memorial Road Race on June 4 in Harvard. Photo courtesy Angelica Dixon.
Collins is proving he is certainly a rider to watch after winning the pro 1/2 Ken Harrod Memorial Road Race in June and Plainville Spring Crit in April.
“My results have been good,” he said. “I’m really passionate about the sport and dedicated to my training. I’m consistent and race from March on the road until December in cross.”
Collins is senior at Clark University in Worcester. He is studying geography and economics and hopes to continue onto grad school.
“I applied to Clark’s fifth-year master’s program in environmental science so I can do something about climate change,” he said. “That’s what I’m really interested in.”
There is no cycling team at Clark, so Collins is mostly on his own; however, he receives support from his team Minuteman Road Club.
“My club is very supportive of me and helps me out with race reimbursements,” he said. “One of the members gave me his cross bike back in 2014, when I was looking for a bike but couldn’t afford a new one, and that’s the only bike I’ve ever raced on. I still have that bike now. Another member gave me tubular wheel sets to use that I gave back at the end of the season.”
Collins is working 40 hours a week during summer to save money for the upcoming race season.
“I have a full-time job this summer at Shrewsbury Electric and Cable Operations,” he said. “I work as an intern in the town’s electric department with engineers doing GPS of all the electrical infrastructure and GIS data entry.”
Once school resumes in the fall, Collins will focus strictly on his homework and cyclocross.
“I like that cyclocross is mainly up to the individual to do well,” he said. “You need good technical skills and good power. There’s no hiding in cross and it rewards the complete cyclist. I also like the community of cyclocross. It’s a great group of people that you can see every weekend.”
Collins discovered JAM Fund three years ago while watching Bay State Cyclocross in Sterling.
“I hadn’t seen cross racing until then,” he said. “I watched the elite races and saw the JAM racers place in top ten and do really well. Last year, I applied online. I was looking to get on the team, but the grant is great.”
Collins will receive his JAM Fund Grant at the July 16 Grand Fundo, a one-day ride through scenic Western Massachusetts. The event is the non-profit organization’s biggest fundraiser and includes a post-ride barbecue and raffle for some really nice prizes, including a bicycle owned by four-time U.S. National Cyclocross Champion Jeremy Powers. All the proceeds benefit the JAM Fund and go directly to supporting the riders. The public is invited to register for the Grand Fundo, get raffle tickets or just attend the barbecue and awards ceremony by going online to bikereg.com.
Kale Wenczel Wins a JAM Grant
Amherst Teen's Homework Leads to Grant
Imagine competing in cyclocross races every weekend during the season. That’s what 18-year-old Kale Wenczel did last year. The Leverett, Massachusetts rider competed in more than 16 cross races, missing only one race weekend. That’s pretty dedicated for a guy who started racing cross two years ago.
“I got on my game and registered in time for Gloucester, Providence and all the big races,” he said. “I made sure I got there and did my best.”
Wenczel successfully completed every cross race he started in 2015 and finished in the top twenty at the KMC Cyclocross Festival in Providence.
“I started at the back of Cat 3 and moved up by the end of the season to call ups for Cat 3, which was pretty cool,” he said. “In Providence, I got in the money, which was so awesome.”
Wenczel is one of thirteen cyclists selected for a JAM Fund Grant—financial and equipment assistance provided to promising cyclists to help offset the cost of cyclocross racing.
“I’m really psyched to have a grant,” he said. “I applied for it last fall, and I think it helped that I have been riding with the whole JAM group in the past couple months.”
Wenczel often saw the JAM Fund Team at races; He met JAM’s Co-Founder Jeremy Powers by doing a high school homework assignment.
“I was taking an Anthropology class and had to write an ethnography about some culture I observed,” Wenczel said. “It was a big project, and I decided to do it on cyclocross because I already knew the subject, so I thought it would be easy. My teacher wanted to see that we got interviews, so I emailed Jeremy and didn’t expect a response, but I had to show my teacher that I at least tried. But then he responded, and I was taken back by that. We ended up meeting. It was too late for the paper but we went for a bike ride and I stayed in touch. Eventually we went for another ride in late February with the whole group, and I’ve been going with them a bunch of weekends ever since.”
Wenczel graduated from Amherst Regional High School last month and will be starting classes at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in September.
“I’m going to be a mechanical engineer,” he said. “My end goal is to hopefully work at Sram some day. That would be ideal. I picture myself designing derailleurs.”
Wenczel got a later-than-usual start to cycling training after playing Ultimate Frisbee this spring.
My team was undefeated this year, and we were invited to world’s tryouts with the top 100 people in the country,” he said. “We won the Paideia Cup in Georgia, the high school invitational, where they invite the eight best teams in the country. Our team solidly won that, so we can say we are the best in the country.”
Kale Wenczel (far left) and his team, the Amherst Regional High School Hurricanes, won the Paideia Cup Ultimate Frisbee tournament in Atlanta, Georgia on April 17. Photo by Christina Schmidt.
Wenczel says Frisbee helps his cycling fitness.
“Ultimate is such a physical sport, it conditions your whole body to take pain,” he said. “If nothing else, it gives me a lot of mental strength, which is essential in any sport, and my running and general conditioning is pretty solid as a result. I’d say it’s definitely helpful.”
For now, Wenczel has packed away his discs.
“I just entered retirement last week, but I’m not going to give it up for good,” he said. “I pick up a disc every now and then, but I’m going to focus on biking, my first and only true love.”
Wenczel has been racing the past two years for Joe’s Garage, but someday hopes to make the switch to JAM Fund.
“I am a strong person who has a lot of potential because until this summer, I never trained a day in my life,” he said. “As far as I’ve gotten is just me going out on rides with nothing particular to them and learning from just doing it. I have a ton of potential in terms of technique, training and becoming more specialized. Going out and riding with Al, Jeremy and everybody else and have them see what I can do, is hugely instrumental. I have the drive to make something happen here, that’s the reason I got a grant.”
His short-term desire is to move up the ranks.
“My big goal for this year is to move from Cat 3 to Cat 2,” he said. “That will be huge, if I can achieve it. Also, nationals is very doable in the U23.”
The JAM Grant that Wenczel received is made largely possible by the fundraising at the JAM Fund’s Grand Fundo, a one-day bike ride through Western Massachusetts. Wenczel will formally receive his grant at the Grand Fundo on July 16.
“I’ll probably use the grant for entry fees,” he said. “I guess I would replace broken things, because I break a derailleur every season.”
Beau Guenther Wins a JAM Grant
Vermont Teen Inspired by Tour is Awarded JAM Fund Grant
Beau Guenther started riding a bike when he was six years old while growing up in Putney, Vermont.
“I got obsessed with it after I watched the Tour de France with my friend Darius Parker,” Guenther said. “From then on I looked for a small road bike that I could race and ride.”
Now 12, Guenther is certain about his future.
“I want to be a professional cyclocross racer,” he said. “I want to race for Jeremy Powers’ team.”
Guenther is one of 13 dedicated cyclists who are receiving a JAM Fund Grant award—financial or equipment assistance to help defray the expenses related to competitive cyclocross.
“I’m very happy about the grant,” he said. “I race as hard as I could basically, and that’s why I think I got it.”
Beau Guenther sports his Tour de France team kit that he got as a birthday present in June.
Guenther started racing when he was eight. His first cross race was local event by the West Hill Bike Shop.
“It was quite awesome, one of the funnest races I’ve ever done,” he said. “I got the Vermont State Championship and that was my first medal. There were 20 people in my race. It’s pretty fun. You go through a bunch of cornfields and gnarly run ups and crazy barriers and obstacles.”
His other favorite races are the Northampton Cycle-Smart International and Providence KMC. This fall, he plans to do those again and more.
“I want to do some night races like the Night Weasels and Fitchburg.”
Guenther is in the 7th grade at Putney Central School. He’s learning science and studying genetics about the characteristics and traits of ancestors. After class, he often rides bikes with his friends Darius Parker and Liza Bell.
“I ride a few times a week with my core group of riding friends Darious, Liza and a couple other kids,” he said. “We do a 20-mile ride every Wednesday with this guy who leads it.”
Guenther races for the West Hill Thunderbolts, a team made up of young kids like himself.
“Our team helped put on a mountain bike race last summer called the Cider House Classic, which goes around the Putney High School campus,” he said. “I helped make the course.”
In addition to being a little ripper on the bike, Guenther is serious about cross-country skiing.
“This winter, I raced 4 and 5k classic and skate all over the place in the White Mountains,” he said. “I’m pretty hard core into it. Sometimes when the snow gets hard and icy, I go out in the field and ride around on it on my mountain bike.”
Guenther also likes to play around on the skateboard and ride BMX. He played trombone when he was in 4th grade.
“I played it for two years and kinda stopped,” he said. “It’s a little heavy.”
But of all his hobbies, he says cross is the best.
“Cyclocross is my favorite because it’s a mix of mountain biking and road and you’re riding on dirt and roots and harder obstacles and stuff,” he said.
Guenther’s dad rides cross too and supports his son’s passion.
“It’s great and I think he has realistic view of it,” Pete Guenther said. “It keeps him on a bike and off the couch and keeps him fast. If he becomes a pro cyclocross racer, that would be great. I’ll go cheer for him and even be his team mechanic.”
Beau is excited for the fall cross season to start.
“I’m just going to do as many races as I can and place well so I’m more noticed,” he said. “Also the JAM Fund will be good thing for that.”
Beau Guenther catching air while playing around on his cross bike in France. Photo by Greg Guenther.
The grant that Beau Guenther received is largely funded by the JAM Fund's biggest fundraiser, the Grand Fundo, a one-day scenic ride through Western Massachusetts. This year's ride is on July 16, where grant recipients will receive their award. The public is invited to the ride the Grand Fundo and attend the post-ride barbecue and awards ceremony. Registration is at bikereg.com.
A list of current and past JAM Fund grant winners is at http://www.jamcycling.org/grant-recipients/.
Erik Carlson Wins a JAM Grant
Rhode Island Teen is Selected for JAM Fund Grant Award
Above photo by Alice Johannen
Erik Carlson dreams of becoming a rocket scientist. This summer, the 17 year old from Greenwich, Rhode Island started basic training at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs where he will study aerospace engineering. As part of his acceptance into the Academy, Carlson is required to play a sport. But when he first applied, he wasn’t sure if the Academy would accept cyclocross.
“The Academy weighs your application on whether you played a sport in high school like football,” Carlson said. “It was in the middle of cross season, and I told them I really want to race cross. I want to make something more of bike riding. It is the best sport ever, and if it was going to jeopardize my entrance into the Academy, I said, heck with it.”
Fortunately, the Academy agreed to accept cyclocross as a sport. JAM Fund is pleased to help support Carlson’s passion by awarding him a JAM Fund Grant. He is one of 13 grant recipients to receive the award of financial or equipment assistance.
“This spring I applied to JAM Fund, and I got the grant, which is amazing,” he said.
Carlson started riding bicycles when he was 3 years old.
“Cycling was a family activity where we’d go out every weekend and ride around the pond by Big River Management Area,” he said. “I started riding every day three or four years ago.”
By the time he was in high school, he started racing mountain bikes, but he also played football and hockey.
“I was goalie and not as good as other goalies,” he said.
Erik Carlson played goalie for his high school hockey team, but gave it up for cycling.
Carlson competed in his first cyclocross race in winter 2014, as he was finishing his junior year in high school. But he didn’t have a cross bike.
“I went to my first race at the Battle of Burlingame and I was riding a 26” hardtail that I bought on Craigslist," he said. "And that was my do-everything bike."
And so, he rode the mountain bike at his first-ever cross race, the NBX of Cross.
“I hadn’t heard of cross before and didn’t know anyone, so I was getting into it blindly," he said. "I saw Matt, the owner of NBX, and he said I could race this on a mountain bike. I decided I was going to try it, and I loved it. It was the last race of the year, so I didn’t do any other cross races that season.”
Carlson raced in the men’s Category 4/5.
“It was a massive field with 100-some riders,” he said. “I was in the back of the pack, and it was my first time ever experiencing cross. I didn’t finish poorly, I got like 80th. It wasn’t anything to write home about, none of my results are, but I wanted to see what this sport was. When I do poorly at a race, it makes me more motivated, and I want to strive to be so much better at it.”
Last year, Carlson was at the NBX race again, and this time he noticed JAM Fund.
“I remember seeing the truck. It was my first time there,” he said. “And then I remember learning about Ellen Noble and realizing she rode for JAM Fund. And it clicked- oh wow, cyclocross in New England is huge.”
Carlson raced a lot last season and had hoped to go to Cyclocross National Championships in Asheville, North Carolina, but it was the same week as his midterm exams. So he watched the races on his laptop.
“I watched nationals while I was doing my AP Chemistry homework,” he said. “I watched a race and then went back to homework and then watched more of the race and back and forth it took me five hours to do my homework that night.”
Carlson took Advanced Placement Chemistry, Physics and Calculus at East Greenwich High School, where he graduated last month. He played football and hockey but gave up both of those sports for his real love, cycling.
Carlson is not only a rider but a cycling advocate. He helped start the New England High School Cycling Association at his school.
“I was the only student in my school who enjoyed mountain biking, and I wanted to see more juniors in mountain biking and cross,” he said. “My biology teacher Christopher Wren was a mountain biker who got me into mountain biking, and he and I held assemblies and showed kids in the high school what mountain biking is. We got about 20 kids in our school to sign up for the league. And sometimes I had to talk to their parents and tell them it’s not as dangerous as you think. My biggest contribution was that I was able to get kids out on bikes who would not normally give it a try.”
The grant that Carlson received is largely funded by supporters and the JAM Fund’s biggest fundraiser, the Grand Fundo, which is a one-day scenic ride in Western Massachusetts. This year’s ride is on July 16, where grant recipients will find out details of their award. The public is invited to join the Grand Fundo and attend the post-ride barbecue and awards ceremony. Registration is at bikereg.com.
A full list of current and past JAM Fund grant winners is at http://www.jamcycling.org/grant-recipients/.
Jaden Wise Wins a JAM Grant
Belchertown teen is awarded JAM Fund Grant to support his cyclocross racing
Above photo: Jaden Wise lines up at the start of the NEXC Bar Finals in Fitchburg, Mass. on 11/29/15, where he got 3rd in the junior boys 12-14.
Jaden Wise wants to be a pro cyclist. The 12 year old from Belchertown, Massachusetts is certainly on the right path. He started riding bikes four years ago and began racing cyclocross soon afterward.
“I went to the races with my dad and I saw the juniors racing and what fun they were having, and I wanted to do it too,” he said.
Wise races for the Northampton Cycling Club, and last year he competed in 14 cross events. While watching his dad Greg race at Providence, Wise met JAM Fund Coach Alec Donahue.
“Al said I could send a letter and apply for a grant,” Wise said. “He said that once I’m older that might turn into a spot on the team.”
So Wise applied for a grant, and this year he got it. Wise is one of 13 grant recipients to receive the JAM Fund Grant to help support their cyclocross racing.
“I’m going to use it on a new kit and for race fees,” Wise said.
“I’m really excited about the grant and so proud of him,” said his mom Jessica. “So much of cycling is teaching him about life, about how to work harder, be a team player and how to deal with defeat.”
Wise is dedicated to his training. When he gets home from school, he rides his trainer in the basement for an hour and a half or rides with his dad outside.
“We have trails in the backyard and I ride with him there to gain confidence on the barriers,” he said. “In winter, we zip around when he gets home from work.”
Wise also rides with his friend Michael.
“I’ll go over Michael’s house and we’ll do jumps in his backyard,” Wise said. “So I’ll go over after I ride the trainer.”
Jaden Wise on a leisurely mountain bike ride. Photo by Greg Wise.
Wise is in the 8th grade at Jabish Brook Middle School where he plays soccer on Mondays and Thursdays.
“I play midfield offense and defense,” he said. “There’s a lot of running and sometimes after I ride and have a game I’m tired, but I do it to get better at cross.”
Wise says his favorite sport is still cycling. His favorite race is the Grand Prix of Gloucester where he got 7th and 8th place in the junior 9-14.
“The start was hard to get into a good spot for the first turn,” he said. “I started in the second row and I was behind the leader. I followed him and had a good start. Some spots were steep, and you have to make sure you’re in the right gear and take the right line in the ruts or you’d slip and someone would catch up. I had a pretty clean race.”
Wise rides five days a week. This week, he was working on long miles on the trainer.
“I did two endurance rides this week of one to two hours at 18 mph, so that’s 150 watts for me,” he said.
On the weekends, Wise and his dad enjoy riding a two-hour loop through nearby towns.
“Every time we do it, seems we’re getting faster and faster,” he said. “It goes through South Hadley, Granby and Amherst. There’s a decent amount of hills. Best part is where you can go super fast down a hill. We’ll go 35 mph, and my dad will say I’ll meet you at the bottom, and we’ll sprint down and meet up again.”
And once in a while, he rides with his mom too.
“The reason I get on the bike is to maintain a relationship with my son,” Jessica Wise said. “Some of my favorite time with Jaden is when I’m on the bike.”
Jaden Wise hopes to be successful like his favorite three pro riders.
“Jeremy Powers, Stephen Hyde and Scott Smith… those are the guys I look up to,” he said.
Jaden’s mom is smitten.
“Cycling has connected him with a lot of positive peers,” she said. “There is a fire he displays when he is on the bike that he doesn’t display with other things. But he’s humble. He’s not a kid to brag. He didn’t even tell his friend Michael that he won the JAM Grant.”
Wise will formally receive his JAM Fund Grant on July 16 at the non-profit organization’s biggest fundraiser, the Grand Fundo, a scenic bike ride through Western Massachusetts. The public is invited to ride the Fundo and attend the post-ride barbecue and awards ceremony. Registration is at bikereg.com.
A full list of current and past JAM Fund grant winners is at http://www.jamcycling.org/grant-recipients/.
For media inquiries, contact Vicky Sama, JAM Fund Media Coordinator at (707) 362-1420.
Katherine Johnson Wins a JAM Grant
Katherine Johnson, 14, of Kittery, Maine tootled around on a bicycle as a little kid, but it wasn’t until a year ago that she really fell in love with cycling. She started riding mountain bikes in May 2015 and by last October she competed in her first cyclocross race at Orchard Cross in Hampton Falls, New Hampshire.
“It’s super cool and they put on such a great race,” she said. “There were so many people. The race goes through the apple orchard and the apples fall on you and good friends throw apples at you. It’s so much fun.”
Although she’s new to cyclocross, Johnson was selected this summer for a JAM Fund Grant. She is one of thirteen grant award winners who will receive financial or equipment assistance from the non-profit cycling development program.
“I’m over-the-moon-so-crazy thankful,” she said. “The JAM Fund is so cool that they recognize the younger generation’s passion for cycling and believe in us and are willing to help us out, because it’s certainly not easy to afford everything.”
Katherine Johnson jumps the barriers on a borrowed bike at Orchard Cross on Oct. 25, 2015.
This fall, Johnson will enter her sophomore year at Traip Academy, where classes start at 7:30 a.m.
“I get off school at 2:15, so I grab something to eat at the grocery store and head to work until 7,” she said. “I do homework before dinner, then ride the trainer for about an hour and take a shower. On a good day, I’d get to bed around 10:30, if I didn’t have too much homework.”
During the summer, Johnson is working four days a week as a sales associate at the Colonial Bicycle Company.
“Right now trying to learn more mechanics about bikes,” she said. “It’s not really my strong suit but I’m trying to learn more.”
Johnson is becoming more structured with her training and even got a coach.
“I’m working with Ellen Noble,” Johnson said. “She is really kind and so supportive, and I always looked up to her. She reached out one day and a few weeks later we met for coffee and a few weeks later she was my coach. We started working together about a month ago. It started slow, just getting base miles, and now we’re focusing on nutrition.”
Noble, the U23 National Cyclocross Champion and JAM Fund graduate, shares some similarities with Johnson. They’re both from Maine, worked with the same mechanic and are passionate about cross.
“I saw her race at my very first mountain bike race at Weeping Willow Kenda Cup,” Johnson said. “I didn’t know who she was at the time, but I thought, wow, she’s riding really fast. And then I saw her again at Bear Brook. We talked and she said we should meet up and she was really generous and gave me a lot of equipment. I told her I was looking for a coach and a couple of weeks later she offered, and I couldn’t say no.”
Johnson was in serious need of some guidance after breaking her femur in an April skiing accident at Cannon Mountain in Franconia—part of the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
“I was skiing down with my friend and I caught an edge and that was that,” she said. “It was the last day and the last five minutes of ski season. But I am great now and back to normal. I’ve pretty much forgotten about it.”
Johnson had surgery the day after breaking her left femur. Doctors repaired the bone with a four-inch titanium plate and 12 screws. After a month of complete rest, she started riding the trainer.
“The first two weeks back on my bike, my leg was really swollen and I had to break up the scar tissue by riding the trainer outside,” she said. “I pedaled one side at a time and get the motion going. After a while I was able to clip in, and right now I’m working on rebuilding that muscle.”
Johnson is riding and doing well. She says she’ll be racing a full cross schedule this fall, with some mountain biking during the week.
“I’ll do the high school mountain bike league for a bit of fun and some cross training,” she said. “That’s about six mountain bike races and 20 cross races including nationals. I’m focused on getting my A-game back.”
Johnson turns 15 at the end of July. She hopes to get her Cat 3 upgrade this fall and finish strong at Cyclocross National Championships in Hartford, Connecticut in January.
“I would like to continue pursuing cycling and working hard and see where that takes me,” she said. “I want to go to college and fulfill my dream of living in the Vermont mountains. That’s my ideal place to live, where I can go skiing and riding all the time.”
The grant that Johnson received is largely funded by supporters and the JAM Fund’s biggest fundraiser, the Grand Fundo, a one-day scenic ride in Western Massachusetts. This year’s ride is on July 16, where grant recipients will find out details of their award. The public is invited to join the Grand Fundo ride and barbecue by registering at bikereg.com.
For media inquiries, email JAM Fund Media Coordinator Vicky Sama at jamcycling@gmail.com.
Anna Savage Wins a JAM Grant
Westborough Teen is Awarded Grant to Support her Cyclocross Racing
Photo by Janice Checchio
Anna Savage of Westborough, Massachusetts is an active 15 year old. She plays volleyball and softball, does gymnastics, is member of the Girl Scouts and races cyclocross.
“My parents raced a lot when I was younger,” Savage said. “I learned to ride when I was little and started racing when I was eight.”
This month, Savage was awarded a JAM Fund Grant. She is one of 13 grant recipients who will receive financial or equipment assistance to help support them in racing cyclocross this year.
“My dad called me after I finished a final and told me that I won the grant,” she said. “I didn’t believe it for the first half hour, and someone said it was on Facebook. I looked and saw my name, and then I knew it was true!”
She says her favorite cross race was last year’s Cycle-Smart International, where she won the Verge New England Cyclocross Series overall ranking for junior women 15 to 18 year olds.
“I just love that race and the Verge jersey,” she said. “It’s officially the first time I had it and it was cool. Ellen Noble had given me one of her Verge jerseys when I was younger, maybe my first year racing. I’ve known her for a while. Our dads went to high school together.”
Anna Savage with her mentor, U23 Cyclocross National Champion Ellen Noble at the Verge New England Cycle-Smart International in November 2015.
When she first started racing in 2010, Savage raced on the same team as her dad, the Minutemen Road Club. But riding for a team named for men didn’t satisfy her. So she eventually did something about it.
“I made a team called Girls First to encourage girls to ride,” she said. “I raced with them for two years, and then one of the other girls won a national championship and I got an offer to join the Cannondale team. And now I’m here.”
Savage raced for Girls First p/b Milton Cat from 2012 to 2104. She joined Cannondale Sports New England last year and raced for it at Cyclocross National Championships in Asheville, North Carolina in January. She says the JAM Grant will help her achieve her goals this coming cross season.
“I’m going to do a lot more training this year than I’ve done in the past because I want to be competitive at nationals,” she said. “I’m also going to do all the Verge races this year and hopefully upgrade to Cat. 2.”
Savage is in the 10th grade at Westborough High School. This past year she took Honors Algebra, Honors Biology, English, History and Spanish.
“I got mostly A’s but foreign language and English I struggle a little bit,” she said.
All that, and she still manages to enjoy her favorite sport.
“What I like about cycling is I get to play with my friends,” she said.
The grant that Savage received is largely funded by supporters and the JAM Fund’s biggest fundraiser, the Grand Fundo, which is a one-day scenic ride in Western Massachusetts. This year’s ride is on July 16, where grant recipients will find out details of their award. The public is invited to join the Grand Fundo ride and barbecue by registering at bikereg.com.
For media inquiries, email JAM Fund Media Coordinator Vicky Sama at jamcycling@gmail.com.
Jonathan Hills Wins a JAM Fund Grant
New Hampshire Teen Selected for Grant Award
Photo by Kent Baumgardt
Twelve-year-old Jonathan Hills grew up in suburban Cincinnati, Ohio watching Jeremy Powers race in the Cincy3 cyclocross events. Ever since he started racing cross when he was eight, Hills would compete in the junior races and then cheer on Powers, the U.S. Cyclocross National Champion and co-founder of JAM Fund. When Powers won the Pan Am Championships last November in Covington, Kentucky, Hills went to his tent.
“I asked him for an autograph, and he asked me how long I’d been racing,” Hills said. “I got an autograph and water bottle. He told me about JAM, and then I looked it up.”
Hills applied for a JAM Fund Grant, and this month he received word that he won. He is one of thirteen grant recipients who will receive financial or equipment assistance from the JAM Fund this year.
“I’m young and I’ve raced 50 races,” he said. “I love riding and competing in cross is fun.”
In November, Hills moved with his family to Westmoreland, New Hampshire. His mom Tiffanie, dad Peter and 9-year-old sister Alexis all race cyclocross. Hills says his favorite race was winning the 2014 Cap City Cross Finale in a combined field of juniors and women.
“I raced against my mom and beat her by a fair amount,” he said.
Hills keeps a busy race schedule. He competed in 15 cross races last year and then competed in his first Cyclocross Nationals in Asheville, North Carolina in January.
“I felt good and it was a hard race, “ he said. “I got 57th out of 74, and I learned a lot. The hardest part was the big run up. It was really steep.”
Hills will enter 7th grade at Westmoreland Middle School this fall. And like a well-prepared student, he has already planned his race calendar.
“I have 17 races scheduled but that might change if I need to rest or have other things going on,” he said. “I hope to have 15 races and finish in the top ten. I want to have fun and do well.”
The grant that Hills received is largely funded by supporters and the JAM Fund’s biggest fundraiser, the Grand Fundo, which is a one-day scenic ride in Western Massachusetts. This year’s ride is on July 16, where grant recipients will find out details of their award. The public is invited to join the Grand Fundo ride and barbecue by registering at bikereg.com.
For media inquiries, contact JAM Fund Media Coordinator Vicky Sama at jamcycling@gmail.com.
Natalie Tapias: Dancing Ballet to Pedals
Story by Vicky Sama
Above Photo by Tim Willis
Natalie Tapias is racing the Longsjo Classic this weekend—three days of pro criteriums in three different cities in Massachusetts. She’ll be wearing the kit of her road team Velo Classic p/b Stans No Tubes, but starting this fall, Tapias will be racing for the JAM Fund's Elite Cyclocross Team.
“I was very excited to be selected for JAM," Tapias said. "This is crazy. The support network and people who give their time and people who live in that area seem really amazing.”
Tapias is moving from Brooklyn to Western Massachusetts to live, train and race with JAM.
“It’s going to be a way for me to change my life,” she said. “This will allow me to become the best cross racer I can and achieve things I could not do on my own. I’m a driven person and want to succeed."
Natalie Tapias racing in the Downtown White Plains Criterium on June 5. Photo by Nin Lei.
Tapias, 26, is a legal coordinator at CBS in New York, protecting the network from copyright and trademark infringements and sending out cease and desist letters. But there’s no stopping Tapias now. She’s determined to pursue her passion for cycling. She and her boyfriend Tim will move next month, and racing Longsjo gets her closer to the new digs.
“When I came to New York, I thought I would be passionate about my career, but cycling is what keeps me sane,” she said.
Tapias is racing in the pro fields, and it might be surprising to hear that her first long bike ride was only two years ago.
“April 2014 was my first real long ride,” she said. “I was so enthralled by the experience of riding through the city that I wasn’t looking on the ground. My boyfriend pointed out a beautiful theater that I had never seen before and I hit a pothole and flew over the handlebars. I skinned my shoulder and elbow. And you know what? I kept going. I got back on the bike and rode all the way from Brooklyn through Manhattan up to the George Washington Bridge, across into New Jersey and up to Piermont. Round trip it was about 50 to 60 miles. I was ‘all in’ immediately, and I started riding different distances over the bridge every weekend.”
Tapias was hooked on cycling, joined a club and started racing.
“I wanted to challenge myself and grow,” she said. “So I got a new road bike and road so much and started racing immediately. I did Tour of the Catskills and stage races and got tan lines and all new friends. It was amazing.”
By the end of that summer 2014, her teammates introduced her to cyclocross. She rented a cross bike and raced at Gloucester and Providence.
“Never before would I have taken myself riding in the rain and mud,” she said. “It was freezing and a new experience. It was so much fun, so I raced every weekend. I don’t think I had a weekend off.”
Last fall, Tapias raced cross in New England, California and Washington, D.C. She upgraded to Cat 2 in October and got her UCI license. Then she went to Cyclocross National Championships in Asheville in January.
“It was really eye opening,” she said. “On race day, the course was extremely technical and very different from what I had pre-ridden, so I was pulled at two laps. Katie Compton and Elle Anderson passed me. It was insane. I can’t believe I was going down that shoot! I went to nationals hoping I would have a great performance, but I didn’t have the best. But it was interesting to see that level and what I have to do to be a part of that race. It’s so great. Glad I went.”
A 14-year-old Natalie Tapias pictured as the Snow Queen in The Nutcracker at the Vancouver Dance Theater in December 2002.
Tapias may not have a long history in cycling, but she has always been a serious athlete. She grew up as a ballet dancer in Vancouver, Washington. She started dancing when she was six. By the time she was 14, Tapias was traveling five hours from Vancouver to Portland six days a week for dance practice.
“I went Monday through Saturday for class at the Oregon Ballet Theater,” she said. “I would leave school early to rehearse with the pro ballet company. I loved dancing and music. There was something about the discipline that I was attracted to it.”
When she was 18, Tapias gave up ballet to attend the University of Washington in Seattle.
“It came to a point where there was a fork in the road,” she said. “There were women who were going to become professional dancers, and I wasn’t, so I refocused and went to college.”
During sophomore year, Tapias took her brother’s bike to campus, despite her mother’s concerns.
“She was uncomfortable with that and told me she didn’t want me to ride in the streets with cars,” Tapias said. “I was defiant. I took the bike anyway. I met a group of people who rode bikes and that was my first interaction with cycling.”
Tapias used the bike for commuting and road it casually. She graduated and moved to Brooklyn three years ago with a steel Brittoni that she bought from a neighbor for $50.
“My boyfriend fixed it up with cruiser bars and a nice saddle,” she said. “I brought that bike with me to New York. A year goes by and I don’t have much going on. Change is good, but nothing I’m doing was like ballet was for me. I lived and breathed that life and I didn’t have anything to fill that void. I’m a really stubborn person, I got to the point that whatever I did had to be my idea. I told my boyfriend I want to go on a 60-mile ride some day, so I trained for that.”
And hence, her maiden ride across the GW Bridge.
Now, Tapias is racing the road in preparation for her first cross season with the JAM Fund. She raced a series of criteriums at Speed Week in May and tonight she will be racing in the Twilight Criterium in Leonminster. Her race will be online live at 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
“It’s been two years and I’ve traveled so much and I raced nationals with an Olympian,” she said. “I never thought I’d be expressing myself in this manner. Bikes change the world. They changed my life.”
You can ride bikes with JAM Fund’s new elite team rider Natalie Tapias and the rest of the JAM crew at the Grand Fundo on July 16 in Southampton, Massachusetts.
JAM Fund Announces Grant Recipients
THIRTEEN CYCLISTS WIN 2016 JAM FUND GRANT AWARD
The JAM Fund is pleased to announce the recipients of this year’s JAM Fund Grants. Thirteen cyclists from Western Massachusetts and New England were selected to receive the annual grant award. JAM Fund provides the grants to developing riders who demonstrate a commitment to cycling through racing and serving the racing community. This year’s grants go to the following nine men and four women:
Erik Carlson, 17, of East Greenwich, Rhode Island
Patrick Collins, 21, of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts
Mira Fowler, 13, of Florence, Massachusetts
Beau Guenther, 13, of Putney, Vermont
Jonathan Hills, 12, of Westmoreland, New Hampshire
Ben Jankowski, 20, of Mansfield, Massachusetts
Katherine Johnson, 14, of Kittery, Maine
Aiden Mapel, 14, of Southwick, Massachusetts
Chris Norvold, 17, of Berlin, Massachusetts
Anna Savage, 15, of Westborough, Massachusetts
Daniel Vaughn, 17, of Horseheads, New York
Kale Wenczel, 18, of Leverett, Massachusetts
Jaden Wise, 12, of Belchertown, Massachusetts
The grants provide financial and/or equipment assistance that best serves the goals of the recipient, and also includes mentoring by the members of the program. Riders are encouraged to join the Northampton Cycling Club (NCC) if they don’t currently have a supporting club. The NCC and JAM work collectively to develop riders. See more details here.
“The JAM Grant helped me out tremendously,” said Trent Blackburn, who received the grant last year. “I used a large part of it for race fees and to pay for my cycling license.”
Full details of the 2016 grants will be announced at the JAM Fund’s Grand Fundo on July 16 at Black Birch Vineyard in Southampton. Grant recipients will be present at the Grand Fundo, the organization’s biggest annual fundraiser, where hundreds of cyclists gather to ride bikes through the Pioneer Valley. Afterward, everyone celebrates the day with a scrumptious barbecue, raffle and the coveted grant awards presentation.
The JAM Fund was created in 2003 by U.S. National Cyclocross Champion Jeremy Powers, Coach Alec Donahue and Mukunda Feldman, good friends brought together with a passion for cycling. The JAM Fund helps young, motivated cyclists achieve success both on and off the bike.
Registration for the July 16 Grand Fundo is open now.
For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Vicky Sama, jamcycling@gmail.com
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Ian Gielar
Ian Gielar is one of the new members of the JAM Fund Development Team. Here's his story.
Photo by Ted Anderton
On Sunday, Ian Gielar finished third in the pro XC race at the Pats Peak Mountain Bike Festival in Henniker, New Hampshire. The two-hour race was part of the Root 66 Series and a state championship event.
“I got a good start and went into the woods in 6th or 7th,” Gielar said. “It was a really tough course—a little slick with technical climbing and descending. I was super surprised with how consistent my lap times were. I felt strong and felt like I could save a little bit for the harder obstacles. The training that Al helps me with is paying off.”
Gielar, 23, is one of the newest members of the JAM Fund development team. He lives with his dad in rural Gilsum, New Hampshire and says there’s not much around. But the town is home to Badger Balm, the company that makes lip balm, sunscreen and insect repellant.
“It’s really desolate,” he said. “I don’t understand why they’re here. It’s in the woods, and they’re shipping all this stuff.”
In those woods, Gielar found mountain biking. When he was a senior in high school, his younger brother Cody showed him one of those Red Bull downhill videos.
“We thought it was so awesome,” he said. “We had bikes with knobby tires and we started riding them in the woods and thought that was like downhill. We would build jumps out of doors. It was free. It was fun. Looking back, it was pretty crazy to do it on a bike with flat pedals and no suspension.”
Gielar got serious about cycling when he entered college at Rochester Institute of Technology.
“I grew up in a low income family, so I couldn’t do much stuff,” Gielar said. “So when I got to college, so much opened up for me. I worked as a tutor so I could race.”
Gielar became president of the school’s cycling club and ran it for three years. But he needed a better bike than the one he had in high school.
“I got scholarships to college, some of them were small and they send you a check,” he said. “I figured I would need a campus bike, so I bought another mountain bike with the scholarship money, which was pretty awesome.”
Then he discovered cyclocross.
“There were kids on the RIT team into cross and they were pretty good Cat 2’s racing elite,” he said. “So I built up a cross bike and raced it on the road in the spring. I thought it was the best bang for my buck so I could race cross in the fall.”
Gielar raced road, cyclocross and mountain bikes for RIT. His first foray at a national championship came in 2013 at the Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships at Beech Mountain, North Carolina.
“I got eliminated,” he said. “I couldn’t come close to those guys. But the next year, I got 13th and this year I got top five.”
He competed in Collegiate Road and Cyclocross National Championships as well. But his collegiate racing days are over for now. In May, Gielar graduated from RIT with a B.S. in mechanical engineering.
Gielar’s passion for mountain biking grew in the summer 2011, after his father took him to a World Cup mountain bike race in Windham, New York.
“There were real racers, and it was cool,” he said. “And they said I should try racing. For some reason I was interested in cross-country, maybe because the Norco guys were cross-country racers. I thought it was cool under your own power you had to be fit and a good bike handler without taking lifts. It was kind of like a dream of mine to race the World Cup there some day”
And that dream soon came true. In August 2014, Gielar was selected to race with the U.S. National Team at the Windham World Cup.
“I had some good results in collegiate mountain bike nationals, so I petitioned to USA Cycling’s Mark Gullickson who puts together the off-road national team,” Gielar said. “And so you fill out this form and put results on there and hope for the best. And he emailed me right away and said he had a spot for Windham. So I raced it and got eaten alive.”
At the time, Gielar did not have a coach.
“I couldn’t possibly afford to pay someone, but I was really interested in training,” he said. “I would ask people what they did for training and was so confused because everyone did different things. As far as trying to figure it out, I just went as hard as I could all the time. It was kinda dumb. But now with Al at JAM, the time I put into cycling is way more effective.”
Last summer, Gielar was awarded a JAM Fund Grant.
“That was a huge help,” he said. “I was racing elite for cross and each weekend would be 100 dollars, so it was great to have that money.”
Gielar says he was interested in JAM ever since meeting the team three years ago.
“I was so interested in JAM ever since 2013 at the Cycle-Smart International where I saw Jeremy Durrin race, and he was on JAM,” Gielar said. “And it was cool to see all the stuff they were doing, and Jeremy Powers’ Behind the Barriers. I started talking to Al at races and he emailed me in July about the grant, and I was excited.”
Gielar raced last winter in Cycle-Smart International, Cobbs Hill, the NBX Grand Prix and Cross Nationals, but his early season riding was sidelined by illness.
“I was swimming with my dog and I woke up the next day and couldn’t walk, my leg was so painful,” he said. “I went to school because I had to and drove to Rochester. The campus medical center sent me to the hospital emergency room, and I ended up with some weird staff infection. It kept coming back. I had to spend two days in the hospital and they gave me IV antibiotics. But the antibiotics had a big effect on me. I had to take them for a couple months, and I was slower. They were able to treat it, but it effected my racing a lot. It wasn’t a good time.”
Gielar recovered enough to finish out cross season, but this year, he says he’s even more focused.
“I’m excited to switch to cross in August. I really enjoy cross racing. I’m pretty light and don’t make a ton of power, but I’m going to work on that and be as good as I can for cross this year.”
In May, Gielar was selected to the JAM Fund development team.
“I couldn’t ask for anything better for my level of racing,” he said. “It’s hard to find anything like this level of support. Being able to travel to races like Canada Cup, it’s cool to have people who are interested in the same thing and we ride the course together and I learn a lot from everybody.”
Gielar and Trent Blackburn are the two new additions to the JAM Fund development team this year. Chris Neisen and Case Butler are also on that squad. The elite team racers are Scott Smith, Jack Kisseberth, Rhys May and Natalie Tapias.
You can ride with all of the JAM Fund team members at the Grand Fundo on July 16.
For more information
contact Vicky Sama, JAM Media Coordinator
Rhys May Wins Marathon MTB Nationals
JAM Fund has a new national champion.
Just one month after joining the JAM Fund elite team, Rhys May won the Marathon Mountain Bike National Championships in the women's 19-29 category on Saturday. The 60-mile race in Columbia County, Georgia was even more of a challenge due to the 95-degree heat and sweltering humidity. May won the race in 6:06:29, beating the second place rider by sixteen minutes.
"It was a hot day so pacing was all-important, and dialing back after a hard start worked out well," May said. "I moved into first after about four hours of racing, and kept it together for another two hours to pull off the win in my category. It definitely didn't feel real until I had the jersey on, and I'm celebrating with an epic burrito."
Immediately after the race, May posted the following message on her Instagram:
"I destroyed myself racing some very badass ladies today, and I get to go home with this stripey shirt and I can't stop smiling."
May competed against defending 19-29 champion Elizabeth Lee, one of her longtime friends, who ended up in third place.
"I got to line up with my cyclocross friend of several years Elizabeth Lee, the defending 19-29 champ!" May said. "She's been racing with me since I was off the back of the cat 4 CX races."
19-29 Marathon Mountain Bike National Champion Rhys May and her friend Elizabeth Lee celebrate after their podium finishes on Saturday.
Meet Rhys May
Rhys May was selected for the JAM Fund team last month, and since then, she’s been revving up for cross season by racing on her mountain bike.
One of the newest members of the JAM Fund elite team will be racing at the Marathon Mountain Bike National Championships near Augusta, Georgia on Saturday. Rhys May was selected for the JAM Fund team last month, and since then, she’s been revving up for cross season by racing on her mountain bike.
“My goal is to make noticeable jumps in every area, which JAM will help me with,” she said. “I built up my athletic base and handling and know how to use equipment, but I can improve in all of those things.”
May made strides by racing a lot this past season. In January, she competed in just about every event she could at Cyclocross National Championships in Asheville. She finished fifth in the non-championship race despite flatting and pitting.
Rhys May (far right), on the podium at Cyclocross National Championships in the non-championship 23-34 race on January 5 in Ashevlle, North Carolina.
“I reached a level of cracked that I had never felt before,” she said. “I got on the podium in fifth, which I refer to as the bronzer-er medal.”
After that, she raced the singlespeed and industry races and the team relay, where her group came in sixth.
“It was really, really cool,” May said. “I got off that course and lined up for the next race. It was pretty crazy. I was so cracked to race in front of all those people. I was grinning the whole time.”
And finally, she tackled the seriously fun donut race.
“There’s debate as to who won that race,” she laughs. “I ate six donuts and did four laps.”
May fell in love with cross six years ago while living in Athens, Georgia. She immediately started racing because she wasn’t afraid of a new challenge.
“It’s accessible. I wasn’t scared to show up not knowing anything,” she said. “I like doing laps. Even long laps. I like to plan attack spots, know the good places to put my butt on my rear tire and slide down a little bit. I have a lot to learn about race tactics, but I like the purity of everyone going hard the whole time.”
Her first steed was a steel singlespeed Univega.
“Someone gave me the bike for free and I took it to Sunshine Cycles and said, ‘Hey, these gears don’t work and it’s really heavy, can we remove them?’” she said. “It was when singlespeed was cool.”
So for the next two years, May commuted and raced on that bike. She moved from Athens to Atlanta and conducted a jewelry business out of Loose Nuts Cycles. In 2014, she started a grassroots cycling team named after the shop.
Rhys May in her former team kit during the Georgia CX Series on December 17, 2014. Photo by Ali Whittier.
“Our kits were camo and orange,” she said. “People would say they are ugly, and I’d say, ‘but you noticed us!’”
The team started out small with May and three guys.
“We were all Cat 3, and three of the four of us got state CX championship jerseys that year. We had a ridiculous amount of fun,” she said.
That same year, May met Cycle-Smart Coach Adam Myerson at the Athens Twilight Criterium. It was a chance encounter that changed her cycling career.
“I was excited to race my bike and get better at cyclocross,” she said. “And Adam said, ‘you have all this passion and you don’t know what to do with it. You’re doing it wrong.’ And he set me off on this awesome path.”
So that summer in 2014, May went to the Cycle-Smart Cyclocross Camp in Southampton, Massachusetts, which also happens to be the area where she was born.
“I put cross camp and a plane ticket on a credit card and made it happen,” she said. “I got a big bag and told Delta that it was tradeshow display so that I could fly with my bike for $25.”
Last summer, May drove up to cross camp again. Only this time, she stayed longer and was invited to go for a ride with the JAM'ers.
“It was me, Ellen Noble, Jeremy Powers, Anthony Clark and Scott Smith, and I was like, wow, how do I stay out of everyone’s way,” May said. “We went to a crazy sand dunes place and rode a bunch of sand. And I was riding behind Ellen and watching her handle her bike, and that was really cool. And [Stephen] Hyde was on that ride, and I was bloody and bruised by the end of it. I did a move that Al refers to as a ‘turtle.’ I fell over in the sand with my feet still clipped in and couldn’t get back up, and I was sliding down a dune and Jeremy’s trying to train and I’m trying to wiggle on my back and get out of his way. I was like, oh boy. Here it goes.”
May, who is now 26, stands out in a crowd with her contagious smile, pixie dark hair and tattoos.
“I have tattoos of cogs from my left hip up to my shoulder blade. They’re all different sized cogs but all have the same number of teeth: 14, which is wrong. I was 20. I rode a fixed gear all the time. What did I know about the number of teeth on a cog back then? I just knew I loved bikes.”
Rhys May poses with some of the jewelry she makes out of metal. Photo by Forrest Aguar.
May is a medalsmith with talent that reflects her love of cycling. She designs and creates brass and silver jewelry and other items with bicycle themes. Her company is called Rhys May Jewelry.
“I made awards for the Georgia CX Series and Grant Park races and I make custom head badges,” she said. “Anthony [Clark] got me in touch with Squid Bikes, so I’m making badges for them of a squid roasting marshmallows and another one of a squid eating pizza and donuts. So those are my two worlds coming together.”
In April, May got an offer from JAM Fund asking her if she’d like to join the team and relocate from Georgia to Massachusetts.
“I got an email that said we have a spot open for you on JAM if you’re interested,” May said. “And I’m crying, jumping up and down, and of course I’m interested. They asked if I can make the move, and I said, see you soon!”
Rhys May finished third at the Canada Cup Series mountain bike race at Mt. Tremblant, Quebec on May 22. It was her first race representing the JAM Fund team.
Other new members of the JAM Fund Team include Natalie Tapias of Brooklyn, New York, who will join May on the elite team with Scott Smith and Jack Kisseberth. JAM also has two new members on its development team; Ian Gielar and Trent Blackburn will be racing alongside Chris Niesen and Case Butler who continue on the development team for a second year.
After competing at Mountain Bike Nationals this weekend, May will load up her 1997 teal-colored Volvo she has named Ingrid and move to Easthampton, home to the JAM Fund family of riders.
“I’m very mentally willing to work hard,” she said. “I’m weird. I like doing intervals. They looked at my numbers to know whether I’m physiologically able to keep up with what I want to do. I sort of passed the test.”
JAM Fund Announces 2016 Team Roster
New riders named to elite and development teams
JAM Fund is excited to name two new riders to its elite cyclocross team. Rhys May of Athens, Georgia and Natalie Tapias of Brooklyn, New York are relocating to Western Massachusetts to train and race for the JAM Fund.
May was born in JAM’s backyard in Northampton, Massachusetts but has lived in Georgia since she was ten. She started racing cross four years ago on a singlespeed steel Univega. Since then, she started her own small grassroots cycling team got a coach and drove around the country racing cross. She participated in Cycle-Smart Cyclocross Camp for the past two summers where she met JAM Fund members. Now she returns to her birthplace to race for the JAM Fund elite team.
“I got an email that said we have a spot open for you on JAM if you’re interested,” May said. “And I’m crying, jumping up and down, and of course I’m interested. They asked if I can make the move, and I said, see you soon!”
Tapias has a unique athletic history as a highly disciplined ballet dancer who made the switch to cycling two years ago. She fell in love with cross while watching Cross Vegas and raced almost every weekend this past season. She also races on the road and just competed at Speed Week, a series of pro criteriums in the Southeast, when JAM made her the offer to join the team.
“This will change my life,” Tapias said. “Being with JAM Fund will help me become the best cross racer I can be and achieve things I don’t think I could do on my own.”
JAM Fund Coach Al Donahue says May and Tapias show a lot of promise.
“Both of them are newer to elite racing and we are going to take a multi-year view on their progression,” Donahue said. “The main reason they were selected is the willingness to immerse themselves in the team environment. This means moving to Easthampton and expressing intentions of making CX their primary focus for the next two years. I would say these riders will give us an idea of how much of an environmental factor the program has on turning ambition into performance.”
May and Tapias join Scott Smith and Jack Kisseberth who continue to represent JAM’s elite squad. Three-time U.S. National Cyclocross Champion Ellen Noble, who raced for JAM for the past two years, has graduated to the pro ranks and will be racing along with four-time National Cyclocross Champion Jeremy Powers on his team, Aspire Racing.
JAM Fund is also adding two new riders to its development team. Trent Blackburn of Wilmington, North Carolina and Ian Gielar of Keene, New Hampshire are relocating to Western Massachusetts to train and compete in road and mountain bike races this summer. Blackburn and Gielar received JAM Fund Grants last year. Chris Niesen and Case Butler continue racing on the development squad for a second year with Niesen showing especially good improvement at Ontario, Canada’s Paris to Ancaster gravel road race last month.
In addition to the four new team members, JAM Fund has made a new partnership with Kask helmets for the 2016 cross season. JAM Fund continues its longtime partnership with the Northampton Cycling Club. Riders interested in joining future JAM Fund development teams are encouraged to join NCC and volunteer in its events.
“The idea is to have people race for the club first and then come race for JAM,” Donahue said.
JAM Fund is a non-profit cycling development program founded by Powers, Donahue and Mukunda Feldman. Their purpose is to create the next generation of cyclocross pros and good ambassadors of the sport. The organization’s biggest fundraiser is the Grand Fundo, a challenging scenic ride through the Pioneer Valley, on Saturday, July 16. Register for the event and ride your bike with the new JAM Fund cyclists, alumni and friends.
JAM Fund will have more in-depth profiles on the new riders out in the coming weeks.
Above: Natalie Tapias (courtesy Tim Willis); Rhys May; Trent Blackburn; and Ian Gielar (courtesy Alan Thomas).