Masters Track States had LOTS of Ladies racing

You can spend your time, waste your time, or invest your time. It's your choice.

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Sat-Sun July 26-27th ~ This past weekend the 2008 SCNCA Masters Track Championships were held at the San Diego Velodrome. What a fantastic weekend of racing by the men and the women. All of the racing was fast and feisty.

But I have to say that what thrilled me the most this weekend was the number and quality of the women participating!! I was thinking back to my first SCNCA Masters Track States in 2006 when only 11 women competed. Of those 11, only 3 women toed the line for the Women’s Points Race and 7 women raced the 2k Pursuit. Each of the remaining women’s events generally had only 2-3 total competitors. Back in 2006, women were guaranteed a medal just by showing up.

Discouraged by a lack of competition in 2006, it was that event that inspired me to start a track training program for Ladies Only. For 2 years now the LOTS program has continued to introduce women to the exciting sport of track cycling. Together we have educated, equipped and encouraged more than 200 women of varying abilities in all ages in all areas of track cycling and track racing. It has been thrilling to be a part of the growth and excitement that is consuming the women’s fields on the tracks in Southern California. And the more exciting the women’s races become, the more excited the women are to race. And as the quality of the women’s races increases, the quality of the women who race also increases. And all of this is great for us now and for the future of the sport.

So now here we are at the 2008 Masters Track State Championships this weekend in San Diego and all of the women’s fields were packed with top notch competitors ready to do battle on the track! With more than 30 different women competing throughout the weekend’s events, no one had the luxury of blinking! Seconds and inches definitely mattered this year as everyone had to gut their way to victory without hesitation in every single event. There were no free laps, free Jerseys and no free medallions this year!

The 2008 Women’s Championship Points race saw more than 13 women toeing the line and racing the race!! And I do mean “racing the race”! This was absolutely the fastest and safest Masters Women’s Points race that any of us has experienced! There was not one quarter of a lap or split second when the pack sat up or held back; it was full gas all the way to the finish line with everyone strung out single file chasing as hard as they could for every point and position for all 30 laps! Even the guys on the infield and the spectators in the stands were on their feet cheering for us! It was a very exciting race to be a part of!

Even the 2008 Individual & Team events were nothing to snicker about! In 2006 just 7 women participated in the 2k IP. In 2008 we had 3 times as many women racing the same event. Every women’s age division and every women’s race this year saw an increase in participation of 3-4 times the 2006 numbers.

Throughout the weekend, every event was as exciting to the spectators as it was to the participants! Adding to the excitement was the fact that 3 of the women who raced with us are World Champions and 2 of them are world record holders in women’s track events.

Thank you everyone for making LOTS successful!! And thank you everyone for making the 2008 SCNCA Masters Track State Championship so amazing!! And thank you Ladies for continuing to improve the quality of the Women’s races!!

Thank you San Diego Velodrome for hosting this year’s State Championship event!! Please visit the SD Velodrome’s website for more info on their training programs, race schedules and their facility.

I look forward to seeing all of you at the 2008 Masters Track Nationals in just a few weeks!!

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Jr Nationals & USADA need Volunteers ~
Linda Both is the on-site anti-doping coordinator for both the Eite/U-23/Jr Road Nationals and Jr Track Nationals. While the anti-doping coordinators have enough volunteer male chaperones for these events, they still need 7 (seven) women for anti-doping chaperones for the Road ITT on Wednesday, August 6 , and 7 (seven) women chaperones for Saturday’s Road Race on August 9.

Wednesday, Aug 6th ITT ~ The first racer goes off the start line at 9:00 am ~ all chaperones need to be in place at the finish line at least one hour before the expected finish time of the first racer.

Saturday, Aug 9th RR ~ The race begins early and the volunteers would need to be at the finish 1-hr before the expected finish time.

Thurs-Sun Aug 14-17th Track Racing ~ Jr Track Racing begins at ADT on Thursday Aug 14th at 10AM. There are two race sessions (10AM & 6PM) scheduled for each day with the final session on Sunday Aug 17th at 10AM. Anti-doping Chaperones will be needed throughout all 4 days of racing. Please contact Linda to coordinate your schedules.

Duties include ~ notifying the rider of their anti-doping test and escorting them to the RV for medical control. The riders have 1-hr from the time of notification by the chaperone to present themselves for doping control. The escorts job is finished when released by the USADA personnel—usually when the rider reports. Prior experience not necessary!!

Thanks, Linda Both
ljboth@charter.net
562.431.0018

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UPDATE: August 14-17th ~ Junior Track National Championships ~ USA Cycling and the ADT Event Center at The Home Depot Center are proud to announce that Dr. Kay and OUCH Pro Cycling have agreed to be the Title Sponsor of this year’s USAC Jr Track National Championship Event. This sponsorship continues OUCH’s strong tradition of supporting track cycling development. OUCH Sports Medical Center also sponsors OUCH Pro Cycling and two-time World Champion and 2008 U.S. Olympic Team member, Sarah Hammer, as well as many other track events, including last year’s USA Cycling Collegiate Track National Championships and the Los Angeles UCI World Cup event.

Junior Track Nationals is a well attended event that brings together hundreds of kids (and their parents) from all across the United States. Please feel free to contact the race organizers for more sponsorship information.

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Friday-Saturday, Aug 1-2nd ~ The San Diego Velodrome will be hosting its annual Velodrome Championship event & Elite Qualifier. If you are planning to compete in USAC’s 2008 Elite Track National Championships, then you must first qualify. And, all you have to do to qualify is compete in any one velodrome championship event held at any one track in the US and finish in the top 1, 2, or 3 places in any one endurance and/or sprint event.

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Wed-Sun Aug 6-10th ~ USAC will be hosting the 2008 Elite, U23 & Junior National Road Championships. These events will be happening in and around The OC. Complete registration and course information is available through USAC and Jet Cycling, LLC.

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Sunday August 10th ~ The August Ladies Only Track Sessions will be held at the Encino Velodrome again. Before returning to our home track at ADT in September, the Ladies will be enjoying the August Session at the Encino Velodrome. So make your plans now to join us on Sunday Aug 10th from 12-2:00PM.

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Sat-Sun Aug 16-17th ~ The Encino Velodrome will be hosting its annual Velodrome Championship Event & Elite Qualifier. If you can’t make it down to San Diego this weekend, you can always head on up to Encino to try your luck.

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Wed-Sun Aug 14-17th ~ USAC will be holding the 2008 Junior National Track Championships. Thanks to OUCH Pro Cycling and Momentum Cycling, this event will be happening at the LA Velodrome. Complete event and registration information is available through USAC and Momentum Cycling’s websites.

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Sat-Sun Aug 23-24th ~ The LA Velodrome will be hosting its annual Velodrome Championship Event & Elite Qualifier. If you still haven’t qualified for an event at Elite Natz, then ADT’s qualifier will be your final opportunity in So Cal to make your dreams come true.

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The LA Velodrome will be CLOSED on and off during the month of August ~ This week it will be closed this week, July 31-Aug 3rd; Thurs Evening (No Roger Session), and all day Friday, Saturday & Sunday. The schedule returns to normal Monday through Friday, Aug 5-8, before closing again the following weekend. The velodrome will then be closed for Junior Track Nationals Saturday-Sunday, Aug 9-Aug 18th.

If you are planning to head to ADT in the next couple of weeks, please make sure you check the LA Velodrome calendar first.

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Have you seen USA Cycling's Web article featuring the LOTS program? If you, your employer or anyone you know, is interested in sponsoring the LOTS program, please contact me. The LOTS program is dedicated to introducing women to the exciting sport of track cycling and we intend to grow this program as far into the future as we can see!

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2008 Championship Track Events ~ As we move closer to the end of the road season we also move closer to the beginning of the Championship Track Racing Season.

1) June 21 ~ SCNCA Jr Track States at ADT (done)
2) July 26-27 ~ Masters Track States SD. (done)
3) Aug 1-2 ~ Elite Qualifier SD. (see attached flyer)
4) Aug 14-17 Jr Track Nationals at ADT
5) Aug 16-17 Elite Qualifier Encino.
6) Aug 23-24 ~ Elite Qualifier ADT
7) Sept 2-7 ~ Masters Track Natz San Jose
8) Sept 11-13 ~ Collegiate Track Nationals Co Springs
9) Sept 13-14 ~ Elite Track States Encino.
10) Oct 1-5 ~ Elite Track Nationals at ADT

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Women’s Bikes for Sale ~ From the USWCDP & Michael Engleman ~ Giant is letting us sell a few bikes to fund the USWCDP so we currently have a few listed on The Pro's Closet (below) and we will sell a few of the Giant TCR CW/DuraAce support bikes after Nationals. These bikes are similar Small listed with Pro's Closet except higher end wheels and the bars/stem/ cages are all Aerus carbon. All of these bikes are new or only have a few miles on them. Right now I have every size.

All proceeds go to scholarship riders for travel and equipment.

Bike #1; Bike #2 ; Wheels

Michael Engleman
US Women's Cycling Development Program, Inc.
PO Box 992
101 Central Ave.
Dolores, CO 81323
970.769.4292
m.engleman@uswcdp.org
http://www.uswcdp.org/

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The 2008 USAC Athlete Waiver is available on-line.

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The 2008 SCNCA Racing Calendar is available on line.

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The 2008 USAC Rule book is available on-line.

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One of our Cycling Moms, Donna Stern, is a licensed CPA. She will be conducting several classes on Bookkeeping throughout the Summer. These classes are geared toward High School Students, New business owners and especially Women who may be returning to the work force or running a family or home based business. Donna’s classes are located in The OC near John Wayne Airport. Please email me for additional information.

Have a super week Ladies!!

Julia Cross