VIP Vanderkitten-Focus 2012 Launch
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Ruth Winder wins Cherry Pie Criterium in Napa, CA. Kathleen Billington wins two stages and Overall @ Tour of the Bahamas.
Mmmm... the sweet taste of Cherry Pie!! (c) JasonPerryPhoto
Vanderkitten-Focus has had its winningest ever start to the season, with Kathleen Billington winning both stages and the Overall Classification in the Bahamas while Ruth Winder picked up the Cherry Pie Criterium trophy in Napa, California yesterday.
Cherry Pie is an important California season opening event, with the recent win list including names such as Tina Pic, Brooke Miller, Megan Guarnier and reigning Swiss National Champion Pascale Schneider.
Vanderkitten-Focus fielded a small squad led by captain Jenn X and including Maura Kinsella, Courtney Dimpel, Vanessa Drigo and Ruth Winder. They would be up against the likes of California teams Stevens Pactimo, Metromint, TIBCO II and Red Racing, whilst International Pro’s from Chirio Forno D’Asolo, Primal Map My Ride, Exergy, Optum Health and NOW-Novartis put some spice in the field.
Maura Kinsella HAWT in her new Smith Pivlock V90s and KASK Vertigo (c)JasonPerryPhoto
Lucky for the VK gals, each rider was on their 2012 Izalco Pro 1.0 Team Issue steed- a bike Courtney Van Dizzle says is “SoFast”.
VK-Focus quickly asserted their authority on the 6 lap, twisty and undulating Crit Circuit in Napa Valley, being active in the front early on as rider after rider tried to break clear from the peloton.
The most dangerous California riders early in the year look to be Emily Kachorek and Liza Rachetto from Primal, along with Pascale Schnider (Exergy) and Olivia Dillon (NOW-Novartis). Luckily the VK’s were able to use their skills to patrol the front and negate any dangerous moves, while Captain Jenn X kept throwing bombs down the road for priem points.
With 8 laps to go Ruth launched a huge attack that saw her gain up to 11 seconds on the charging field, as rider after rider attempted to bridge the gap in the challenging crosswinds. With 4 laps to go Heather Nielsen from Touchstone managed to bridge, but soon after that Ruth was re-absorped into the field.
Sensing a need to change tactics, JennX again attempted to go off the front, but her efforts were negated by the field who could sense the win and smell the Cherry Pie.
ONE LAP TO GO and Courtney is DRILLING IT! (c) JasonPerryPhoto
With a lap to go Courtney van Dizzle, an ever faithful domestique, led the field over the finish line and strung out the bunch. Courtney rounded the U-turn in first and charged down the back straight putting pressure on all the teams. under the 1km to go and Maura Kinsella took over with Ruth steady on her wheel. Maura stomped through the final straight into the last chicane, and then dropped off Ruth with 150 metres from the line. With Swiss National Champ Pascal Schnider on her wheel, Ruth had to kick with everything she had and more, and in the drag to the line managed to even distance 2nd and 3rd place on the podium to throw her hands in the air in front of a jubilant crowd, family and friends. What a win!!!
Ruth outkicks her rivals in the sprint. Pic by Jason Perry Photo
Put your hands in the air for VK-Focus!! (c) JasonPerryPhoto
Big Step for lil' Ruth (c) JasonPerryPhoto
The weekend previous our East Coast USA based Kathleen Billington made a trip out of the Connecticut winter to the sunny Bahamas for the Holowesko Partners Tour of the Bahamas. Kathleen showed her prowess in the small but strong field, winning two stages and the Overall general Classification to show that she is ready to build upon her 4th place at the USA Cycling National Championships in 2011. This kitty aint done yet!
Kathleen Billington #1 at Tour of the Bahamas
Look forward to news soon relating to the March1-7 Vanderkitten-Focus team camp in Los Altos and Scotts Valley, California, including a VIP Team Launch Party!
Emily Collins in the HOT SEAT!
Emily Collins is going to the BONFIRE! Image by OTB Photography
Chipper Kiwi Emily Collins had a breakthrough year in the USA in 2011, after placing highly and winning races in New Zealand, Australia and the Netherlands. The New Zealand under 23 champion forged a solid reputation in her first season with Vanderkitten-Focus, and will return to the US in 2012 with renewed focus and determination. Behind the scenes Emily studies Business at Massey University and entertains her teammates with her witty, tongue in cheek banter. Here are the answers to her Q&A:
Name: Emily Collins
Hobbies: Biking, tennis, beaching, running, fun with friends and fam
Non Cycling action/ adventure/ fitness story or memory: When I was 14 I won the Auckland Junior singles tennis champs. I was pretty stoked. Soon after, I gave up the racket for the bike 
First Bike Race: My first Tour was the Junior Novice Tour of Manuwatu. I had no idea how to race and when it came to the first KOM I was slightly confused why all these crazy little girls were sprinting up a hill! The next stage I was told by my coach to race up all the hills as fast as I could. I did !! The field wasn’t too happy
When did you first hear about Vanderkitten? When racing the NSW Crit series in Aussie. They were the ‘cool american gals’ that everyone loved.
What does it mean to you to be a part of Vanderkitten?: Being on Vanderkitten is pretty awesome. I love the people, the team, the management and everyone involved. I love that even though when it comes to racing, it’s serious, there’s always an element of fun with VK. We are definitely a focused but relaxed team which is very cool.
It’s also great that Vanderkitten is highly focussed on women’s sport and leadership. I love repping the VK gear and having people comment on our badass kits! Women’s cycling is a huge growth sport and being part of VK is a great way to promote the sport and it’s many benefits!
Q&A with MKULTR4
The Real MKULTR4. For Realz.
Name: Maura Kinsella
Hobbies: You mean besides the strenuous life as a Vanderkitten Covergirl? Well, I actually enjoy many hobbies outside of cycling as I strive to be the most balanced extremist that I can be. My hobbies include but are not limited to: studying for Biology exams, crazy dance parties, playing the guitar, pretending I’m Nicki Minaj, entering rap competitions in East St. Louis and then chickening out at the very last second, raising chickens, hiking, making lists, playing Words with Friends (find me!), grocery shopping, making googly eyes at hot professors, fixing flats (just kidding – that’s not very fun), and making bean juice (AKA coffee).
Non cycling-related action/ adventure/ memory: At the end of the season this past summer, my roommate sent me off on this gorgeous hike in the Santa Cruz Mountains. However, unbeknownst to my friend and I, this hike wound up being a tough 5 hours. I’m usually not one to bonk but we’d anticipated a much shorter hike and, hence, had only brought a total of two water bottles and four AussieBites (found at a CostCo near you) to split between the two of us– i.e. definitely not enough. Nevertheless, we surveyed all that Big Basin has to offer and literally climbed a waterfall, strode through innumerous redwoods, and found ourselves in the middle of the ‘desert’ – all in one hike. By the end, we were so glycogen-deprived that we were pretty slaphappy and seriously thought we were the funniest people alive… Dave Chapelle’s got nothin’ on us. The next day I was so sore that I could barely get out of bed (as I hadn’t walked over a mile in about 9 months). Needless to say, my roommate will never hear the end of it.
First Bike Race: My very first bicycle race was in late February of 2009 for the local junior team, Mesa Cycles. I rode with the Cat 4 women at a race in Columbia, Missouri aptly named “Froze Toes.” I crashed three times… literally. I could not stop from taking myself out. However, much to the peloton’s horror, after each brief love affair with the pavement, I hammered and hoofed my way back to eventually win the race! Not more than 24 hours later, a blog-post was written about me in which the author nicknames me “Kaboom… demonstrat[ing] the resilience of a Sherman tank”. I’d have probably laughed more if I hadn’t been so horrendously mortified at the time (but c’mon… LMFAO now). Moral of the story? There’s hope, gals, that even if you can’t ride a straight line to save your life, that you, too, will one day be able to race in the biggest Pro/1/2 races in the nation.
End Note: Much to my chagrin, I have been persuaded to provide the entire said blog-post for your entertainment purposes only: http://www.teamrev.org/archives/570
When did you first hear about Vanderkitten? I think that I first heard about Vanderkitten at my first race in California, an Early Bird in January 2010 where I saw my current teammy, Starla Teddergreen, decked out in a fresh kit (obvi, VK). I always joke with her now about how intimidated I was of her (since, if you know her, you know she’s the sweetest pixie ever), and how tough and “kick-ass” she looked. I was envious to say the least. Then, I did a little research on the Vanderkitten Focus Cycling team and the brand, and I became secretly (I was on a rival team, after all) obsessed. Now I’m stoked to be Pretty in Kitty.
What does it mean to you to be a part of Vanderkitten? While Vanderkitten-Focus is about winning races and striving to be the strongest team that we can be like every other NRC team, another essential component that Vanderkitten is trying to permeate across the nation that the brand is more than just a cycling team, VK is a way of life. I think that in a world where the sports market is still so dominated by men, women are often an after-thought. At VK, women are the one and only priority, period. Therefore, being apart of this brand reflects not only my athletic abilities and potential but also the way I want to live my life day in and day out. We represent a revolution in opportunity, community, and protecting the fun in sport. Vanderkitten brings out the “e.d.g.y.” of women’s cycling and appeals to women everywhere itching to unfurl their competitive nature. Vanderkitten… it’s who I am. Meow!
Like this:
Vanderkitten mornings…
- I step out into the cold, crisp air. The warmth and comfort of bedtime interrupted by the piercing chill of a winter morning. For a split second the fleeting thought of heading back inside crosses my mind. It is overcome, and i swing my right leg over the bike and clip in and let momentum carry me down the driveway towards the rising sun.
Long base miles in the saddle call for dedicated support... but everytime i look behind to see the race car, i realize i am on my own...
It is cold. In fact colder now as the windchill factor seeps through openings in my hastily affixed winter wrappings. I think about stopping to re-adjust my clothing, but my fingers would be too frigid to make a difference. I keep pedalling. Pedal stroke by pedal stroke, block by suburban block, my core is warming as I near the end of oft traversed roads and near the edge of the forest. The black bitumen in front of me drawing a sleek line up towards the inviting mass of O2 dispensing foliage that rises on the horizon to meet me.
With the sun now at double its diameter off the horizon, the first rays of warmth skim through the earths atmosphere and land on my face. I smile. I am at the forests edge now. A car passes on my left with it’s occupants safely encapsulated in their warm cocoon. A cocoon that keeps them from sensing the delightful smell of the dew touched evergreen pine needles glistening in the sun. A cocoon that hides from them the baby deer running alongside the road only feet behind the shoulder of the road, darting around and under and over scrub as I maintain my pedalling pace in wide eyed amusement.
Im warmer now, condensation from my breath filling the air in front of me before sweeping over the slipstream of my shoulders as my ride begins to take pace and the possibilities of the ride ahead of me jump around inside my mind.
I know in 20 minutes i’ll be climbing. In 90 minutes i’ll be riding Highway 1 along the ocean, and in less than 5 hours i’ll be home. I’m thankful i took those first 2 pedal strokes, that let me take a million more….
ENJOY the RIDE!
My bike takes me to places i never dreamed
Like this:
Vanderkitten memories. Q&A with Ruth, Starla and Kate
Vanderkitten-Focus athletes Ruth Winder, Starla Teddergreen and Kate Chilcott may be gearing up for a season at the premier level in the USA. But it wasnt so long ago these three fast girls were pinning on their first race numbers and discovering the sport of competitive cycling. A timely reminder that even the coolest kittens have to start somewhere!
Ruth Winder set for 2012
Name: Ruth Winder
Hobbies: Besides riding my bike, I spend my time walking my dog, Nero. Or drawing for hours.
Non Cycling action/ adventure/ fitness story or memory: Hm…Something non cycling related…Difficult. When I was younger I took horse back riding lessons for about 5 years. In 2007 I stopped horse riding and started cycling. For as long as I can remember I have dreamed of galloping a horse through a big grassy field. In early 2011 I got to live that dream. A friend let me know of lady that needed her horse exercising once a week. It felt like I owned my own horse for 2 hours once a week! That itself was a dream come true. First day I got to gallop the horse through a nice big grassy field. Next on the list is gallop along the beach!
First Bike Race:
My first bike race was at the end of 2007, San Ardo Road Race. I raced the Junior 13-14 age category, I was 14 at the time. There was one other girl in the race and two boys, and they were all on the same team. A few miles from the finish I was innocently taking my turn at the front when all three of them attacked and dropped me. I rolled in alone and a bit upset, but ready to try again.
When did you first hear about Vanderkitten?
Early 2008 I went to go and watch the Tour of California women’s crit. I saw VK race for the first time. It was actually the first time I can remember thinking ” I want to do this some day. ” Little did I know that one day I would be racing races like the Tour of California women’s crit, but get to race them for VK.
What does it mean to you to be a part of Vanderkitten?
For me being a Vanderkitten means the chance to show that women cyclists an be fierce and tough while maintaining their beauty and style. That is really important to me, keeping women’s sport feminine, but at the same time giving no one a doubt that we aren’t just as tough as any guy. To be able to wear the Vanderkitten kit makes me very proud. The team is being run by some of the best people I have ever met. People who are genuine and really looking to grow women’s cycling.
Starla Teddergreen. Photo by OTB Photography
Name: Starla Teddergreen
Hobbies: Riding bikes. Sleeping. Cooking. Fingernail painting. “How I met your mother” marathons.
Non Cycling action/ adventure/ fitness story or memory: Every day and every memory is an action adventure when you’re a ninja. BOOM.
First Bike Race: My first road bike race as a cat 4 that I can recall was Burlingame crit. My bike was a steel davidson that I also messengered on for work. I can not recall much from this race, except one thing. When I remember this moment it is as if I am standing behind the barriers watching my self.
A bit of a set up is required first. I was on McGuire race team, formally a messenger team, that was how I got involved with the team as I was a currier. This race was kind of a big deal for the team as we were setting up infront of the McGuire office, they provided us with food, chairs and trainers to warm up on. This was my first experience like this and my first time warming up on a trainer, and really warming up at all. I sit on the trainer watching the other girls, trying to mimic what they are doing. Trying not to draw any attention to my self. This is where my memorie gets fuzzy and I soon find my self on the side line watching my self in the race.
One lap in and im in the middle of the pack, the next a bit further back, and further, and further until I am off the back, my head is down, riding as hard as I can, the pack is still in sight, a few laps more and they are gone. I watch as I go by the Mcguire tent head down as people cheer and ring bells. They eventually stop cheering and im thinking what are you doing? Why are you still riding? Even the crowd has given up on you, now this is just sad. I cant watch any more. And this is where my memory ends.
I know, not my best memory, or first race. But I have to give my self credit for not giving up. It would be a few years after this experience when I got back in to racing, and learned how to ride in a pack and stay in a race.
When did you first hear about Vanderkitten? I first saw VK when I returned to racing in 2007. I remember thinking “Wow those girls look strong, and I love their kits. I hope to be to that level some day.”
What does it mean to you to be a part of Vanderkitten?: Vanderkitten is like no other team I have ever raced on. Vanderkitten is more then a clothing company for women, more then a women’s professional race team. Vanderkitten is a family and a way of life. When we are out on the road, traveling the country and beyond to race, people reach out to us because VK reaches out to them, in one way or another, and a connection is made. VK the brand sparks peoples curiosity, this starts a conversation, we take time,before and after races to share our story. For some, this is the first bike race they have ever been to, or the first woman bike racer they haver ever talked to. Because of Vanderkitten and all of our sponsors, we are given this incredible opportunity. We are able to share our passion for the sport, and hopefully inspire others, to fallow their dreams as we do.
Kate Chilcott. Photo by Anthony Sill Photography
Name: Kate Chilcott
Hobbies: skiing, hanging out with friends and family, reading, going to the beach.
Non Cycling action/ adventure/ fitness story or memory: have had many so it is hard to pin point just one. Love summers of water skiing, swimming, jet skiing, boating, beach hopping, picnics etc. and winters of snow skiing and mountain adventures.
First bike race: Was a school cycling team time trial race when I was 14.
When Did I first hear about vanderkitten: When I raced them at the NSWGP in 2010, quite possibly the most fun times at a race ever.
What it means to be apart of Vanderkitten: So excited to be apart of VK in 2012, not only do they have alot of sucess and fun on the bike, but of the bike too!
Vanderkitten-Focus kickstarts 2012 with German efficiency.
Vanderkitten-Focus took advantage this weekend of the sunny Californian winter with a special pre-season Focus Bikes and equipment pre-fitting session at Integrate Performance Fitness in Mountain View, CA.
Vanderkitten-Focus California based riders together for the first time in 2012
After a gruelling morning training ride taking in climbing roads featured in recent editions of the Amgen Tour of California, our US based VK athletes met with Vanderkitten-Focus staff and management to dial in their equipment for the impending season.
Optimizing the efficiency of their German counterparts, Focus Bikes USA ensured delivery of the 2012 fleet of Focus Izalco Pro 1.0 road bikes well ahead of the 2012 season start.
2012 Focus Izalco Pro 1.0
Straight out of the gate, Team Mechanic Karl “with a K” Hanoud dialled in the bikes of Ruth Winder, Maura Kinsella, Starla Teddergreen, Jennifer Reither and 2005 US Champion Katheryn Curi Matthis in a day long event that saw the riders trial several new items from 2012 sponsors.
Helmets from Italian manufacturer KASK were prefit in preparation for the 2012 KASK Vanderkitten range, which will be available in team issue colors to be revealed at the beginning of the NRC season in March.
Items from Chamois Butt’r, JL Velo, Smith Optics, K-Edge and Feedback Sports were available for staff and athletes to trial and give feedback on prior to the season proper.
Importantly, the US based contingent were able to map out an early season structure that will see them prepare at San Dimas Stage Race prior to the 2012 NRC debut at Redlands Bicycle Classic March 22-25.
It was the first time the VK-Focus crew were able to listen directly to Katheryn Curi Matthis lay the framework for the 2012 season, and a special time as one of the most succesful US cyclists in the modern era donned the Vanderkitten-Focus jersey for the first time.
Katheryn Curi Mattis
Official Team Camp and Media Launch is slated for March 1-7 in Scotts Valley, California and the latest Vanderkitten designs and news will be released to the public that weekend.
Starla Teddergreen is on the road to recovery from hip surgery. Looking stylish in VK apparel with Smith Optics and KASK Helmet.
VK gals will be looking sleek in their KASK Mojito and K-31 helmets in 2012
