LETS GET IT STARTED IN HERE!!!

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Jazzy and Emily ready for SummerNats

Jazzy Hurikino is set and primed for todays Mars Cycling Australia National Championships Road Race, while Emily Collins and Kate Chilcott will be racing across the pond at the RaboDirect Bike NZ National Road Race.

All three riders will be contenders for the Under23 Best Young Rider Championship of their nation, and based on current form, each rider will be fighting for a top spot amongst the best riders in their country in the Open/Pro division.

Jazzy has come off a heavy block of training in Queensland, and will contest the 102km Road Race in Bunninyong, Victoria against the likes of the powerful GreenEdge squad, Jayco-AIS and State federation teams. Recent winners of the race include Alexis Rhodes, Carla Ryan and Ruth Corset.

Emily and Kate won a stage each of Tour of the Vineyards in the final week of December, so are favorites for the title in the RaboDirect Bike NZ Road Race of a gruelling 125kms in Christchurch. In fact, little Emily has a nice writeup as a “rider to watch” in the official race guide: http://flipflashpages.uniflip.com/2/37378/79448/pub/

Emily Collins will be aiming for a top spot

Last year Emily was 5th in this race and won the U23 Jersey. In 2012, without 2011 winner Cath Cheatley in the field, and favorite Linda Villumsen being ill, Emily will be gunning for her first Open Championship Win.

 

 

Courtney Dimpel, the little Vanderkitten who could

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Courtney Dimpel, rider on right next to DS Jono Coulter will joing Vanderkitten-focus in 2012 after racing select 2011 events with the team

Speedy Santa Cruz Cyclocrosser Courtney Van Dimpel has graduated from guest riding with Vanderkitten-Focus in 2011 to making the selection for the 2012 roster. The universally popular young Santa Cruz rider has shown her hand at CX racing with Team Rambuski Law this winter, including multiple wins and podiums in NorCal racing, and top finishes at USGP and UCI events across the USA.
Earlier in 2011, Courtney joined the Vanderkitten-Focus road program as a guest rider at Tour of America’s Dairyland in Wisconsin and Gateway Cup in Missouri.
“Even though selection for positions on the 2012 roster was a tough process, Courtney earned her spot by showing she is a valuable team member on and off the bike. Definitely a strong competitor on, it was the fact that several members of our team kept asking “Will Courtney be on it?” that sealed her spot. She really is adored as a hard worker and motivating spirit to be with” says Team Captain Jennifer Reither.
Van Dimpel will be one of the local riders when Team Camp gets underway with 12 riders from 4 countries in Scotts Valley, California in early 2012.

Vanderkitten Stocking Stuffers Sale!!

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The Vanderkitten Sale only happens once a year- get your premium apparel at www.vanderkitten.com/apparel this week in time for Christmas and look fab whilst supporting the HOTTEST team in cycling!!!!

Fit, Fashion, Function. PICK 3!!!

Emily Collins and Kate Chilcott Sizzle Down Under!

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Emily Collins throwing down. (c) Anthony Sill Photography

Kiwi Kittens Emily Collins and Kate Chilcott rode impressively the past two weekends in Australia and New Zealand. At the NSW Skoda International GP, Emily Collins scored 5th overall after two days of competition against the best teams in Australia including BikeExchange.com.au, Specialized SA and Jayco AIS (now GreenEdge-AIS).

Dimunitive Kate Chilcott was impressive in her debut for Vanderkitten-Focus

The weekend after their Aussie foray, the two athletes travelled from Auckland to Christchurch to compete in the Armstrong Motor Group Festival of Cycling, which drew hundreds of competitive and recreational cyclists from across NZ. Emily led out the day 1 Watarai 90Km Challenge, finishing 2nd int he headwind sprint with Kate in 3rd.
The following day the Vanderkitten-Focus riders were caught out by a solo move late in the race and finished 2nd and 4th.
This gave Emily and Kate 1st and 2nd Overall for the weekend, a fantastic sign as they head into NZ Criterium Championships this weekend, followed by RaboDirect NZ National Elite Road Championships in January.

Kate rocking it in Australia (c) Anthony Sill Photography

Katheryn Curi Mattis joins Vanderkitten-Focus

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Katheryn will join U23 riders Maura Kinsella and Jazzy Hurikino in 2012

2008 Geelong UCI World Cup Winner, 2010 tour De l’Aude Stage Winner and 2005 USA Cycling National Champion Katheryn Curi Mattis is set to join Berkeley, California based Vanderkitten-Focus. One of the most experienced and accomplished US athletes in Women’s Cycling, Katheryn- who ended her professional racing career with Webcor will take on multiple roles at the upstart Vanderkitten-Focus squad.

According to Vanderkitten-Focus director Jono Coulter, Katheryn will act as Co-Director, as well as a training and racing mentor to the squad, which will include 5 athletes under 23 years of age in 2012. As she did at the 2011 Cascade Classic, Katheryn may race the occasional NRC event providing hands on tactical advice to the team whilst bolstering the squads firepower on some of the tougher race days.

 ”The addition of an athlete and mentor with the pedigree of Katheryn Curi Mattis to the Vanderkitten-Focus lineup is something that Vanderkitten Founder Dave Verrecchia, team Captain Jennifer Reither and i have looked forward to for a long time. I am so excited it is someone as friendly and down to earth as Katheryn. She is family.” says Jono Coulter.

“The single most important thing that our young athletes ask for time and time again, is to be guided more closely in races so that they can learn to instinctively react to things in the correct manner. With Katheryn, we have someone who knows the in’s and out’s of the Women’s professional peloton, who has gained the respect of all the top athletes and who still has the fitness to be able to show our riders what to do in a race situation. With her knowledge and strength, and the raw ability of some of our younger riders, we couldn’t be happier with how the squad is looking for 2012″.

Katheryn will continue her role on the Executive Committee with the Webcor/ Alto-Velo Cycling Team where she is a lifetime member after close to a decade riding for the Webcor Women’s Team. Webcor/ Alto Velo is committed to helping spread Bike Safety and Advocacy awareness, also a primary aim of the Vanderkitten Athletics program.

KASK Helmets to protect Vanderkitten-FOCUS in 2012

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Vanderkitten-Focus rider Maura Kinsella and the stylish 2012 KASK "Mojito"

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KASK Helmets is set to make a colorful impact on the the 2012 NRC Season with Vanderkitten-Focus Women’s Cycling. KASK America is the North American branch of Kask S.r.l., an Italian company that specializes in developing, designing, and manufacturing of safety helmets of the highest quality. In every field of application KASK helmets are at the forefront, be it cycling, downhill skiing, ski touring, mountaineering, climbing, rescue or work safety. Safety Equipment market -leader KASK, will add to its sponsorship of UCI Pro Team SKY Pro Cycling and UCI Continental Team Exergy by partnering with the Berkeley, California based Vanderkitten-Focus.
Vanderkitten-Focus athletes, including New Zealand U23 Champion Emily Collins, rising US talent Maura Kinsella and pixie sprinter Starla Teddergreen will exclusively wear KASK helmets, including the “Vertigo”, “K-10 Dieci” and new for 2012 “Mojito” in KASK’s attractive colors with limited edition schemes designed by Vanderkitten. In Time Trials the riders will benefit from the K-31 Chrono.
“Kask America was looking for an established high visibility forward thinking women’s cycling team to add to our sponsorship program. When the opportunity to work with Jono Coulter, Dave Verrecchia and Team Vanderkitten-Focus was presented to us we felt that this team fit exactly what we were looking for.” says Kask America Sales Manager, Marc Katz “we are excited to be able to offer Vanderkitten-Focus our full range of customized helmets protecting the team with safety and style.”
“Vanderkitten Athletics is delighted to be working in conjunction with KASK America. Not only does KASK represent the finest Italian quality and craftsmanship, but the helmets are sleek, functional and conform to the highest safety standards” says Vanderkitten-Focus director, Jono Coulter “Plus Vanderkitten creator Dave Verrecchia jumped at the chance to add Ophelia Vanderkitten to the brilliant colour schemes featured in the KASK range”.
KASK helmets with Limited Edition Vanderkitten designs will be available exclusively on the www.kaskhelmets.com and www.vanderkitten.com websites early in 2012.
KASK’s perfectly ergonomic helmets, produced entirely in Italy, were developed to fit the needs of world’s top athletes, and therefore ensure the wearer unparalleled comfort even in the most rigorous circumstances.
All KASK products are 100% made in Italy and passed through the most rigorous safety and quality tests of the KASK’s distinctive CSD Project – Comfort-Safety-Design. All KASK’s exclusive designs and product features implemented in the helmet collections are absolutely innovative, proprietary and protected by numerous patents.
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Kate Chilcott to Debut with Vanderkitten-Focus at SKODA NSW International GP

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Kate Chilcott at UCI NZCT

New Zealand speedster Kate Chilcott is set to make her debut in the colors of her 2012 Californian based squad, Vanderkitten-Focus at this weekend’s SKODA NSW International GP in Australia. Chilcott first caught the attention of International teams when she represented New Zealand in this February’s UCI NZ Ladies Tour and finished 10th on GC and 2nd to Emily Collins in the U23 classement.
The determined youngster raced the Northern hemisphere summer in the USA with FCS Women’s Cycling Team, where she won a stage of the Fayettevelle Stage race, was 2nd at Tour de Grove Stage 3 and 2nd Under23 at Joe Martin NRC Stage Race. Kate backed up these results with a 12th place finish at the UCI 1.1 Liberty Classic in Philadelphia, 3rd on a stage of Tour of America’s Dairyland and 8th at the NRC Sunny King Criterium.

Kate Chilcott in a TIBCO sandwich on the podium of Tour de Grove in Missouri. Photo courtesy of FCS Women's Cycling

“Kate really impressed me in her first stint in the USA this year. Something about these young Kiwi’s that come over here with a never say die attitude”. says Vanderkitten-Focus Director Jono Coulter “Combine that with some of the natural speed that Kate has, and the fact that she is a fun personality, i think Vanderkitten-Focus has a new treasure of Women’s Cycling. We signed Emily Collins last year after the NSW GP, we figured we had to acquire her teammate BEFORE the GP this year before someone else found her!”.

Kate Chilcott hails from Auckland, NZ and will join fellow Aucklander Emily Collins who had a breakout 2011 with Vanderkitten-Focus this year.