TRIA Orthopaedic Center Your Cycling Blog

Paul Bruning, MA, ATC
TRIA Orthopaedic Center
Manager Clinic & Sports Medicine Program

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As cyclists begin to head outdoors for longer rides, some start to feel pain in their foot, a phenomenon known as “Hot Foot.” Today, Dr. Heather Thoerner, CAQ and Medical Director for the Nature Valley Grand Prix, addresses issues related to foot pain in cyclists.

Hot spots are an uncomfortable challenge that many cyclists encounter as their journeys increase in length and time during the warmer months. With Hot Foot, the rider will begin to feel an uncomfortable burning sensation, often in the ball of the foot. Despite the common thought that this comes from actual heat, ‘Hot foot’ is actually a condition known as ‘metatarsalgia.’ Metatarsals are the long bones of the feet, and ‘algia’ means painful – hence metatars-algia. In cyclists, metatarsalgia occurs when all of the riders body weight is focused on too small an area of the foot overlying the pedal.

Below are the main issues that should be addressed to alleviate or prevent hot foot.

Bike fit:

proper bike fit and positioning on the bike can be addressed by your local shop or physical therapist. Bike fit has implications for all joints and points of the body.

Shoe type:

the type of shoe you choose can also help to alleviate hot foot. Start with a stiffer soled cycling shoe with an adequately wide toe box. Carbon fiber, although the most expensive, creates the stiffest platform so that the pressure during a pedal stroke can be distributed throughout the foot, rather just onto the ball of the foot where the pedal sits.

Pedal type:

a slightly larger platform pedal can also be helpful in distributing the stress.

Pedal position:

moving the cleat slightly further back on the shoe may help to take the pressure off of the hot spot, but be cautious with these changes as they will change the overall position and alignment of the rider, which may contribute to other joint pain.

Shims:

shims put between the cleat and the shoe can help to put certain riders into a more anatomic alignment. Again, seek expert advice when altering the foot position.

Shoe inserts:

the most helpful way to off-load the metatarsals and alleviate Hot Foot is to cushion the area behind the ball of the foot and off-load the pressure point on the metatarsal. This can be accomplished by either a customized shoe insert or by metatarsal padding.

Orthotics:

many different brands of semi-custom orthotic inserts can be purchased. These inserts can be bought at many local bicycle shops, outdoor sporting shops, and doctors and physical therapy offices. Again, the goal is to have more support behind the ball of the foot. This will be different from the typical insert that a runner (with heel-strike issues) would want.

Metatarsal padding or buttons:

over the counter padding can be found at most drug stores. Use the adhesive tape to place the button just behind the ball of the foot.

Whichever method or combination of methods you use to help you alleviate your pain, remember, the goal to alleviate pain is to distribute pressure evenly throughout the foot.

To contact TRIA sports medicine physiciasns, visit http://www.tria.com/Default.aspx.

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Knee pain is a common occurence this time of year. As the miles ramp up with the weather warming up, the tendency is to “over-do” the base mile training. Today, Dr. Anne Moore, CAQ, a sports medicine physician specializing in musculoskeletal primary care, assesses the solutions to cycling knee pain:

Knee pain which occurs with biking is often due to mechanical symptoms, involving both the bike itself and the biker. Proper bike fitting is critical in order to ensure the best alignment and limited load stress at the knee joint. Weakness through the core/pelvifemoral region can result in pain in the patellofemoral joint, tendons about the patella, or iliotibial band. While adequate training is necessary, physical therapy can be helpful to address musculoskeletal/biomechanical deficits. Although knee bracing can be helpful in the short run, physical therapy is more effective at fixing problems on a long term basis.

To contact TRIA sports medicine physicians, visit http://www.tria.com/Default.aspx.

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The most important skill a rider who participates in group ride must possess is: PREDICTABILITY.

Spring is here and with it the beginning of group rides. Cyclists have been cooped up all winter, riding spin bikes or trainers in basements. These bikes require no bike handling skills and the rider has no need to think about anything other than riding with the planned effort.

We then get outside and ride in a group setting. Riders bike handling skills are reduced from the long winter, fitness is likely not as good, yet the instinct to ride hard in the group is there. Add all these up and the risk of crashes and other incidents is high.

Predictability in the peloton is really nothing more than holding your line as much as possible, then making controlled changes and no abrupt movements. In addition, keep your eye on the road and call out holes and road debris well in advance so both you and the riders around you are prepared to move safely.

Practice riding a straight line on each of your individual training rides. The easiest way to do this is to ride the white line which separates the shoulder from the road. Obviously, this should be practiced on low traffic roads, all the while paying attention to vehicles coming up behind you and moving off to the shoulder smoothly.

If you don’t have access to a road that fits this criteria, simply ride on the shoulder, keeping your eyes well ahead of you and aiming for that area. This should be done while practicing on the white line as well. Focusing your eyes right in front of the bike forces abrupt movements, which is exactly what we’re trying to avoid. Rather, focus 30-50 feet ahead and you’ll remain nice and smooth and on a great line.

There’s nothing more unnerving in a group ride than riding near somebody who’s unpredictable. This person is not welcome in the group and won’t be invited back. Don’t be this person. Practice your riding skills, be smooth and controlled, call out any changes.

Make your ride and the ride of the rest of the group fun and safe. Be predictable.

Feel free to contact me with any questions. In the meantime, GET OUT AND RIDE!

Bob McEnaney trains cyclists, triathletes and other endurance athletes through his company, Total Cycling Performance (www.totalcyclingperformance.com). Bob is also the head coach for Life Time Fitness cyclists and other athletes. He has coached and trained endurance athletes of all levels for over 20 years. Bob is certified as a professional Cycling coach through USA Cycling and a Triathlon coach through USA Triathlon. Bob lives in Woodbury and may be reached at Bob@totalcyclingperformance.com.

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Minneapolis — New teams and new favorites make this year’s Women’s Prestige Cycling Series wide open when it begins Thursday in California with the Redlands Bicycle Classic.

Since 2004, the Series has highlighted women’s racing by giving them a spotlight they do not have to share with men. It is the only national series solely for women and is considered to be the heir apparent to the HP International Women’s Challenge, which ended its 19-year run in 2002.

Last year’s winner, Mara Abbott, returns to defend her individual title, but she will not be supported by her new Diadora Safi-Pasta team. Instead, she will be guest riding for SC Velo-Empower Coaching. Other favorites for the individual title include two-time world time trial champion Kristin Armstrong, who managed Abbott last year as part of the Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12 squad. Armstrong, the 2008 Olympic time trial gold medalist and four-time Nature Valley Grand Prix champion, has come out of retirement to ride for Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12. Other individual contenders are Catherine Cheatley (Colavita Forno D’Asolo), who finished third in the Series last year, and former world time trial champion Amber Neben (HTC-Highroad).

Mara Abbott celebrated her lead in the Women’s Prestige Cycling Series last year on Father’s Day at the Nature Valley Grand Prix. (courtesy Stephanie Williams)

Neben’s teammate, Amanda Miller, is the favorite for the Women’s Prestige Cycling Series Best Young Rider competition. An alumna of the Nature Valley Grand Prix’s Collegiate All Star team, Miller was runner-up at the San Dimas Stage Race, the traditional tune-up for Redlands. The 25-year-old is also the only rider who retains her age eligibility from the top five of last year’s Best Young Rider classification.

The Series Sprint classification is wide open. Last year’s champion, Carla Swart, was killed in a training accident in January, while runner-up Shelley Olds is racing in Europe. Third-place finisher Carmen Small (Team TIBCO/To The Top) may be challenged by Cheatley or Abbott, particularly if they are not contesting the individual title.

On paper, HTC-Highroad is the favorite to unseat 2010 team champion Peanut Butter & Co TWENTY12. While HTC-Highroad is stacked with talent, Peanut Butter & Co TWENTY12 has lost Olds (to Diadora-Pasta Zara-Manhattan) and Abbott. However, Armstrong’s return from retirement may well fill that gap. Other teams that could be in contention include Colavita Forno D’Asolo and Team TIBCO/To The Top.

2011 Women’s Prestige Cycling Series Teams:

Colavita Forno D’Asolo
Danbury Audi
HTC-Highroad
Missing Link Coaching Systems-Specialized
NOW-MS Society
Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12
Primal/MapMyRide
SC Velo-Empower Coaching
Team Juvederm
Team Rouse
Team Kenda presented by GEARGRINDER
Team TIBCO/To The Top
Vanderkitten-Focus
Webcor Alto Velo

About the Women’s Prestige Cycling Series

The only only national-level competition produced by women for women features four races in its eighth year. Its origin can be traced back to a discussion at the 2003 Women’s Cycling Summit Conference, held at the Nature Valley Grand Prix. Since then, more than 30 teams have participated in some of the United States’ top races from coast to coast. Following the Redlands Bicycle Classic in California (March 31-April 3), the Women’s Prestige Cycling Series travels to New Mexico for the SRAM Tour of the Gila (April 27-May 1), continues with the Nature Valley Grand Prix in Minnesota (June 15-19) and wraps up with the Bend Memorial Clinic Cascade Cycling Classic (July 19-24) in Oregon.

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Minneapolis (Feb. 8, 2011) – Six new events are part of the 2011 Nature Valley Pro Ride, the qualifying races for amateur cyclists to earn a trip to compete against the country’s top men and women professional bicycle racers at the Nature Valley Grand Prix.

The Nature Valley Pro Ride selects the top amateur man and woman at each race to become part of a pair of composite Nature Valley Cycling Teams for the 13th annual edition of the premier stage race on the 2011 USA Cycling National Racing Calendar. This year’s Nature Valley Grand Prix is June 15-19 in East Central Minnesota and Western Wisconsin.

Rider invitations will be issued following each of the six stops on the Nature Valley Pro Ride national tour: Fayetteville Stage Race (March 19-20), near Austin, Texas; Jefferson Cup (March 27), Charlottesville, Va.; Tour of the Depot (April 9-10), Salt Lake City; Sterling Road Race (May 7), Boston; Mutual of Enumclaw Stage Race (May 21-22), Seattle; Quad Cities (May 28-30), Iowa and Illinois.

Nature Valley Pro Riders who are invited to compete in the Nature Valley Grand Prix earn free entries to the race, generous travel stipends, team clothing, housing, ground transportation, and staff support for their composite teams. They will also receive pro-level recognition before, during and after the events, including pre-race call-ups and participation in promotional and media appearances.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for an amateur to receive a ‘battlefield promotion’ to compete with the top professionals,” Nature Valley Grand Prix Executive Director David LaPorte said. ”Since its inception 12 years ago, the Nature Valley Grand Prix has emerged as the top women’s bike racing event and one of the top men’s races in the U.S. The Nature Valley Pro Ride gives top U.S. amateurs a chance race in front of huge crowds, to be noticed by pro team managers and potentially to receive a pro contract.”

Donnie Miller, promoter of the Modern Woodman Bank Quad City Criterium – one of three races that make up the Quad Cities event – said being the last Nature Valley Pro Ride qualifying race makes it even more exciting.

“Those that don’t get in at the other five Nature Valley Pro Ride events have to come to our weekend and do all three races, not just one,” Miller said. “We definitely want to highlight some of our Midwest’s best and give them the shot they deserve. We have some pretty good talent here.”

More details on the qualifying process can be found at:
http://www.NatureValleyProRide.com

Snapshot glances of each event:

Fayetteville Stage Race (March 19-20), near Austin, Texas: This three-stage race includes a 68-mile road race for men (48 miles for women) and a 6.6-mile time trial on Saturday. A 95-mile road race for men (49 for women) is the following day. Both road races take place on circuits with rolling hills, while the time trial is also over rolling terrain.

Jefferson Cup (March 27), Charlottesville, Va.: With a 20-year history, this is the oldest continually run road race in the Mid-Atlantic region. The course for the one-day race winds through rolling countryside south of Charlottesville. The race is 70 miles for men and 40 miles for women.

Tour of the Depot (April 9-10), Salt Lake City: The three-stage, two-day race is based in Tooele, Utah, about 35 miles west of Salt Lake City. Men race 90 miles on Saturday and 40 miles on Sunday. Women race 62 miles Saturday and 25 on Sunday. Saturday’s nine-mile time trial is run in the foothills of the Oquirrh Mountains.

Sterling Road Race (May 7), Boston: A rolling, eight-mile loop in Sterling, Mass., culminates with a challenging hilltop finish to this 48-mile race for women and 80-miler for the men.

Mutual of Enumclaw Stage Race (May 21-22), Seattle: Set near Mt. Rainier National Park, this is the longest running stage race in Washington state. A 6.2-mile time trial Saturday is followed by a 40-minute criterium for women and hour-long for men. Sunday’s road race is 58 miles for women and 72 miles for men on a 14-mile loop featuring a challenging climb.

Quad Cities (May 28-30), Iowa and Illinois: The three days of racing in the Memorial Weekend Omnium consist of three unique criteriums: Snake Alley, Melon City and the Modern Woodman Bank Quad City Criterium. All three have been a fixture on the Midwest racing circuit on Memorial Day weekend for more than 25 years.

About the Nature Valley Bicycle Festival

Now in its 13th year, the Nature Valley Bicycle Festival is a 10-day celebration of bicycling that includes amateur and professional racing and community events. The Festival will open on June 10-12 with the Minnesota Fixed Gear Classic at the National Sports Center Velodrome. The marquee event, the Nature Valley Grand Prix, will be held June 15-19. The stage race has become the top event on the USA Cycling National Racing Calendar, attracting top American and international racing teams and nearly 300 riders from around the world. The Festival is a volunteer-run event with all profits donated to the pediatric hospice at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota. For more information, visit www.naturevalleybicyclefestival.com.

About Nature Valley

Nature Valley, the brand that created the granola bar category in 1975, brings variety to healthy, active consumers looking for wholesome and great-tasting snacks. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Nature Valley is part of General Mills, a leading global manufacturer and marketer of consumer foods products. For more information, visit www.NatureValley.com.

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Minneapolis (Jan. 24, 2011) – Organizers of the Nature Valley Grand Prix have announced the establishment of the “Carla Swart Sportsmanship Award” as a memorial to an alumna of their 2008 Ryan Collegiate All Star team. The award will recognize the female athlete at the race who sacrifices her own chances for the good of the team. Carla Swart was a South African Olympic hopeful and the most decorated collegiate rider in U.S. history.

Swart died Wednesday after she was hit by a truck during a training ride in the central Free State province of South Africa. The 23-year-old was a member of the Ryan Collegiate All Star team at the Nature Valley Grand Prix in 2008 and competed professionally on Team Vera Bradley Foundation in last year’s race. She won 19 national titles during her collegiate career and most recently finished 10th in the women’s elite road race at the world championships in Melbourne, Australia.

“Cycling is a team sport, with talented athletes often sacrificing their own chances to support a teammate,” Nature Valley Grand Prix Executive Director David LaPorte said. “The Carla Swart Sportsmanship award will recognize these unsung heroes. We’ll ask the racers to vote for the rider on another team who has sacrificed the most in support of her teammates. Particularly since the radio ban, the riders themselves know the most about who deserves this award.”

The Carla Swart Sportsmanship Award winner will be recognized before the race’s final stage, the Stillwater Criterium. The honoree will receive a special jersey to wear and a front row call-up, LaPorte said. Besides the recognition, a front row start is particularly valuable in Stillwater since the race hits the fabled 23 percent grade on Chillkoot Hill almost immediately.

Brian Sheedy, Swart’s fiancé and a former professional racer, said he and Swart’s family are extremely grateful to have an award established in her honor.

“She touched so many people with her vibrant and loving nature and her smile,” he said. “She did so many things in this sport in such a short time. She was probably South Africa’s top cyclist – man or woman – and their biggest hope for the Olympics, by far. On the world stage, she was making a name for herself really, really fast.”

John Barron, director of the Collegiate All Stars, said it made sense to establish an award in Swart’s memory because her performance at the Nature Valley Grand Prix helped her gain a professional contract.

“No one will forget Carla’s infectious smile, razor-sharp focus and her stunning athleticism that she displayed at the 2008 Nature Valley Grand Prix as a member of the Ryan Collegiate All Stars,” Barron said. “I expect the recipient of this annual award will receive the extra strength, spirit and fortitude she will need to finish the last, brutal stage of the race.”

Swart went on to ride for the Team Vera Bradley Foundation at the Nature Valley Grand Prix last year. Her former team manager, Lisa, Hunt, said the award will serve as a long-lasting symbol of the rider that her teammates and friends referred to as the “ginger ninja.”

“Few cyclists will achieve what Carla did in the short span of her career,” Hunt said. “And by this, I mean not just the victories, but the relationships she built with her teammates. She gave more than 100 percent in every race. This award will strive to recognize others who display the same unselfish nature that made Carla the ultimate teammate.”

The Nature Valley Grand Prix is part of the USA Cycling National Racing Calendar (NRC) and takes place June 15-19 as part of the Nature Valley Bicycle Festival.

About the Nature Valley Bicycle Festival

Now in its 13th year, the Nature Valley Bicycle Festival is a 10-day celebration of bicycling that includes amateur and professional racing and community events. The Festival will open on June 10-12 with the Minnesota Fixed Gear Classic at the National Sports Center Velodrome. The marquee event, the Nature Valley Grand Prix, will be held June 15-19. The stage race has become the top event on the USA Cycling National Racing Calendar, attracting top American and international racing teams and nearly 300 riders from around the world. The Festival is a volunteer-run event will all profits donated to the pediatric hospice at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota. For more information, visit www.naturevalleybicyclefestival.com.

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Minneapolis (July 19, 2010) – The individual, sprint and team classifications remain up for grabs with one race remaining in the Women’s Prestige Cycling Series.

The 30th edition of the Bend Memorial Clinic Cascade Cycling Classic begins Tuesday. The six-day event is the longest consecutively run elite stage race in the United States.

In the Women’s Prestige Cycling Series individual standings, Mara Abbott (Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12) holds a 41-point lead over Alison Powers (Team Vera Bradley Foundation). Powers said she is feeling good and will have a team of seven riders around her while Abbott will bring only three teammates to Bend, Ore.

Mara Abbott (left) wore the Sports Beans Queen of the Hills jersey on the final stage of the Nature Valley Grand Prix in Stillwater, Minn (photo courtesy: Stephanie Williams)

“I have good fitness and I’m motivated and our team is strong, so I’m hoping we can do well,” Powers said. “This has been a hard season competition-wise, which is really cool. All the teams have strong riders. All the teams have good depth.”

Brooke Miller (TIBCO/To the Top Pro Cycling Team) stands third in the sprint classification, but the two riders ahead of her – Shelley Evans (Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12) and Carmen Small (Colavita/Baci presented by Cooking Light) are not on their teams’ roster for the race.

Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12 holds the lead in the team classification, but Team Vera Bradley Foundation remains in striking distance.

The difference in sizes of the Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12 and Vera Bradley Foundation teams could mean some drama in the team classification since the top four riders score points, said David LaPorte, the Women’s Prestige Cycling Series co-founder who also directs the Nature Valley Grand Prix.

“Abbott’s teammates will probably all be riding in support of her, which doesn’t bode well for their individual results,” LaPorte said. “Abbott’s points are doubled since she’s under the age of 26, but the Vera Bradley Foundation is likely to have more riders gaining points.”

Abbott, winner of the recent women’s Giro d’Italia, already has the best young rider (Under 26) jersey sewed up.

The Women’s Prestige Cycling Series is the only national bicycle racing series solely showcasing the country’s top female cycling talent. It began in March with the Redlands Bicycle Classic, followed by the SRAM Tour of the Gila in New Mexico in late April and continued at Nature Valley Grand Prix in eastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin last month.

For more information about the Women’s Prestige Cycling Series, visit the official website, www.WomenCyclists.com, or send an e-mail to: wpcs2010 @ womencyclists.com.

INDIVIDUAL CLASSIFICATION

1. Mara Abbott, Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12 – 360.
2. Alison Powers, Team Vera Bradley Foundation – 319.
3. Evelyn Stevens, HTC-Columbia – 275.
4. Erinne Willock, Webcor Builders – 246.
5. Shelley Evans, Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12 – 242.

BEST YOUNG RIDER (UNDER 26) CLASSIFICATION

1. Mara Abbott, Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12 – 605.
2. Rebecca Much, TIBCO/To the Top Pro Cycling Team – 319.
3. Amanda Miller, TIBCO/To the Top Pro Cycling Team – 319.
4. Chloe Forsman, Specialized D4W/Bicycle Haus, 297.
5. Melanie Meyers, Specialized D4W/Bicycle Haus, 275.

SPRINT CLASSIFICATION

1. Shelley Evans, Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12 – 385.
2. Carmen Small, Colavita/Baci p/b Cooking Light – 289.
3. Brooke Miller, TIBCO/To the Top Pro Cycling Team – 286.
4. Ina-Yoko Teutenberg, HTC-Columbia – 220.
5. Carla Swart, Team Vera Bradley Foundation – 198.

TEAM CLASSIFICATION

1. Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12 – 1,185.
2. Team Vera Bradley Foundation – 844.
3. HTC-Columbia – 814.
4. Colavita/Baci presented by Cooking Light – 644.
5. Webcor Builders – 616.

About the Women’s Prestige Cycling Series

The Women’s Prestige Cycling Series was created following input at the 2003 Women’s Cycling Summit Conference, hosted at the Nature Valley Grand Prix. The inaugural edition of the Series was held the following year. The goal of the Series is to promote women’s racing by giving them a spotlight that they do not have to share with men. The Women’s Prestige Cycling Series is considered the heir apparent to the HP International Women’s Challenge, a fabled women’s stage race that ended its 19-year run in 2003.

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Minneapolis (July 9, 2010) – One of the most exciting editions in the history of the Nature Valley Grand Prix, the top-ranked race on the USA Cycling National Racing Calendar, will be broadcast on Universal Sports, sharing nationally what fans in eastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin enjoyed in person last month.

The hour-long program will air on Universal Sports at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. EDT (5 p.m. and 8 p.m. PDT) on Monday, July 12 – a rest day for the Tour de France. The program will feature highlights of all five days of the men’s and women’s Nature Valley Grand Prix that took place June 16-20.

With the retirement of four-time Nature Valley Grand Prix champion Kristin Armstrong, the women’s race was a see-saw affair, with the yellow leader’s jersey changing hands four times. The primary battle was between Armstrong’s new team, Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12, Team TIBCO/To the Top and HTC-Columbia.

The men’s race was a classic duel between two-time defending champion Rory Sutherland (UnitedHealthcare presented by Maxxis) and Scott Zwizanski (Kelly Benefit Strategies). The contest was decided in the last two laps of the last stage in Stillwater.

“It was one of the most exciting races that we’ve held,” Nature Valley Grand Prix Director David LaPorte said. “The women’s race was aggressive and dynamic while the men’s race was a real cliffhanger. Those are the two classic racing scenarios, and we were lucky enough to have had both of them.”

About the Nature Valley Grand Prix

The Nature Valley Grand Prix, which takes place in Eastern Minnesota and Western Wisconsin, is the premier stage race on the 2010 USA Cycling National Racing Calendar. The 2010 race will include stops in Saint Paul, Cannon Falls, Minneapolis, Menomonie, and Stillwater. The Nature Valley Grand Prix is a part of the Nature Valley Bicycle Festival, a volunteer-run event, with all proceeds donated to Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, the festival’s benefiting charity. More information can be found www.NatureValleyBicycleFestival.com.

About Nature Valley

Nature Valley, the brand that created the granola bar category in 1975, brings variety to healthy, active consumers looking for wholesome and great-tasting snacks. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Nature Valley is part of General Mills, a leading global manufacturer and marketer of consumer foods products. For more information, visit www.NatureValley.com.

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Minneapolis – With one race remaining in the Women’s Prestige Cycling Series, new U.S. national road champion Mara Abbott (Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12) holds a slim lead over Alison Powers (Team Vera Bradley Foundation) and Evelyn Stevens (HTC-Columbia).

Abbott has held the lead in the individual standings since her win at the SRAM Tour of the Gila. But Stevens closed the gap at the Nature Valley Grand Prix with a runner-up finish to Abbott’s teammate, Shelley Evans – who climbed into the top five on the strength of her victory. Abbott, Powers and Evans all plan to compete in the final Series event, the Bend Memorial Clinic Cascade Cycling Classic, in Oregon later this month.

Mara Abbott celebrated her lead in the Women's Prestige Cycling Series on Father's Day at the Nature Valley Grand Prix.

In contrast, Abbott holds an insurmountable lead in the Series Best Young Rider competition in her last year of eligibility. The race is now for second place, with TIBCO/To the Top teammates Rebecca Much and Amanda Miller and Specialized D4W/Bicycle Haus teammates Chloe Forsman and Melanie Meyers separated by a scant 44 points.

Evans, the newly crowned U.S. national criterium champion, took over the lead in the top sprinter category from Carmen Small (Colavita/Baci presented by Cooking Light). Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12’s domination extends to the team standings and Abbott’s commanding lead in the Best Young Rider (Under 26) standings.

Peanut Butter & Co. Twenty 12 not only holds the lead in all of the Series classifications, but also in the team competition, where they lead Team Vera Bradley Foundation by 341 points. Like the Best Young Rider competition, the race may be for second place here as well, with Team Vera Bradley Foundation leading HTC-Columbia by only 30 points.

INDIVIDUAL CLASSIFICATION

1. Mara Abbott, Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12 – 360.
2. Alison Powers, Team Vera Bradley Foundation – 319.
3. Evelyn Stevens, HTC-Columbia – 275
4. Erinne Willock, Webcor Builders – 246
5. Shelley Evans, Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12 – 242.

BEST YOUNG RIDER (UNDER 26) CLASSIFICATION

1. Mara Abbott, Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12 – 605.
2. Rebecca Much, TIBCO/To the Top Pro Cycling Team – 319.
3. Amanda Miller, TIBCO/To the Top Pro Cycling Team – 319.
4. Chloe Forsman, Specialized D4W/Bicycle Haus, 297.
5. Melanie Meyers, Specialized D4W/Bicycle Haus, 275.

SPRINT CLASSIFICATION

1. Shelley Evans, Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12 – 385.
2. Carmen Small, Colavita/Baci p/b Cooking Light – 289.
3. Brooke Miller, TIBCO/To the Top Pro Cycling Team – 286.
4. Ina-Yoko Teutenberg, HTC-Columbia – 220.
5. Carla Swart, Team Vera Bradley Foundation – 198.

TEAM CLASSIFICATION

1. Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12 – 1,185.
2. Team Vera Bradley Foundation – 844.
3. HTC-Columbia – 814.
4. Colavita/Baci presented by Cooking Light – 644.
5. Webcor Builders – 616.

In its seventh year, the Women’s Prestige Cycling Series is the only national bicycle racing series solely showcasing the country’s top female cycling talent in four events across the country. For more information about the Women’s Prestige Cycling Series, visit the official website, www.WomenCyclists.com.

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