Morgan Stanley/Specialized/Team Spine Racing

R.I.P. Chris Hipp

A great loss to the cycling world. He will be missed.

Our hearts go out to his family and friends.

KMC Chains Joins as New Sponsor

The Team is only too glad to welcome a new sponsor: KMC USA. We will be training and racing on their top-performing 9- and 10-speed, award-winning chains for the 2010 season. Look for them -- way ahead of you.

Bikes for Tots a Resounding (and Fun) Success!

The 2009 Bikes for Tots charity ride and dinner was a great time. The weather and company were perfect, the riding sweet, the lobster dinner even sweeter (and more savory). We'll keep you updated on when we'll be hosting bike-building nights in the next month (locations include spots in the East Bay, North Bay) -- please consider volunteering. It's fun, worthwhile, and you get to see the smiles on the faces of numerous children. What could be better?

A report from team member Paul Chuck:

"I was fortunate to have my son Colby with me this year at the Bikes for Tots event and at the end of the day he  old me that this was "one of his best days ever."

He did the short ride with me and we finished off a wonderful ride at the Bouchon Bakery with Scott and Ann Cole and Diane. Pastries and savory treats with coffee and Chai Lattes.

Shawn...you get better and better every year. The food was fabulous and having Freddy there was worth at least 10 more bikes for the kids. I must let everyone know that Shawn was first to the park Saturday morning but made up for it by being "fashionably late" for the Healdsburg All Club Ride this morning. We chased back on.

Thanks to all of you for not bidding against Colby in his quest for the Specialized sunglasses. When he found out he won he was grinning from ear to ear. For sure it was the coup de grace that topped off the evening. He went
for a ride with him Mom this morning and proceeded to blow her doors off. She was glad he rode yesterday and that he was "tired out" or else it could have been real ugly. He said the glasses definitely made him ride better.

As team members it's nice to see what we can do when we don't wear spandex. I'm extremely proud of what we do for the Trips for Kids program and the Fast Freddy Foundation. I'm hoping next years edition is even better than
this year.

Colby can't wait.

Paul"

Remember: Get Your Bikes for Tots Tix Today!

Remember, we'll be hosting the 2009 Bikes for Tots (spirited) ride and fantastic lobster dinner in the fabulous Napa Valley on October 17th 2009. Proceeds go towards a great charity for the region's needy children.

Join us and have fun, and do good. Just click on the "Bikes for Tots 2009" link on the upper left of this page.

Thanks!

Sweep at San Ardo

Team Morgan Stanley/Specialized/Team Spine had, you could say, a good day.

You could say that. You could also say it doesn't get much better than a winning sweep in the Masters 35+, 45+, and 55+ 1/2/3 categories.

Just saying.

Congrats!

Lyman Takes Second at Worlds!

Team Morgan Stanley/Specialized/Team Spine's Chris Lyman powered to a strong Silver Medal at the 2009 Masters World Championships! Thanks to all our fantastic sponsors. And note that in the race photo, Chris is actually on his Specialized TT bike; it's just so aero' to the wind that you can barely see it.

Here's Chris's report:

"Finished second, fourth fastest overall.  By comparison, Mike Olheiser elite national champ and masters AG champ) was two seconds faster. Third best time was one second faster than me. Jens out-classed us all by 20+ seconds. Feldman was roughly 30 seconds behind me.  Hard to think that 30.6 gets you second place, but that's how the competition is here.  My time (24:21) was about the same as Jens' time last year.

Really hot day, the winds turned around from what we were anticipating -- sounded like everyone struggled a little bit with the heat difficulty but still a very fast course. With a head wind out the plan was to go out a little bit harder and I mistakenly chased too many watts and paid the price. Lesson learned that next time I would dial it back and take what the body's giving instead of working to hit a number.Heat and elevation contributed to a tough day and sapped the energy.  Even though it was not going well, I hit the turn in approximately 12:30 so I thought maybe I had a shot. Managed to finish strong and covered in soupy combo of sweat, drool and likely other assorted bodily fluids. I rolled back to an area near the finish line with the time board and plenty of room to pace off energy (where was all that reserve on the course???). Had first place but with 20 people yet to come in I was far from ready to celebrate, as the fastest guys were still out on the course including Jens Volker who had the fastest time overall last year. One by one, people came in and you could see toil with times ranging from 25-29. Came right down to the very end with the final bunched together; just had a sense the winner was in there. Sure enough, Feldman came through 30 seconds back but Volker was right on his wheel with a time of 23:56. Fastest time of the day and the only person to go under 24.That night, after many beers and wine at dinner, I congratulated Jens before walking to the stage, and spoke again after the ceremony. I commended him on the incredible time. he responded in his German accent -  "I know Richard but I look you up on ze Internet and say "who iz dis man who come from the U.S. to race me?" 

We both laughed at that and traded a few German-US backslaps. I told him I'd hopefully see him next year to give him a run for his money. Very humble, nice, fast guy.

Epilogue: what a fantastic experience, beautiful venue and cherished opportunity to see and race in such an event. As a bonus, I learned that trophies make great biersteins and that a silver will hold just shy of 2 pints. Looking forward to 2010."

     

US Bicycling Hall of Fame Super Saturday

Trish Black for the Win, Chris Black for Third in Somerville NJ

This was a four corner criterium in Somerville with a small hill; uphill between turns 3 & 4, downhill between 1 & 2. Trish was up first today with the open women's field. There were 20 starters (there were 10 cat 4's who were picked separately). Trish rode smart and stayed near the front the entire race. She was sure to cover all of the attacks from Team Type 1 and let the TT1 riders close the gaps from other attackers. The race came down to a bunch sprint with TT1 setting up the leadout. Trish was smart and followed the two rider TT1 train; she popped out with 50 meters to go and pipped Monique Hanley (TT1) on the line for the win!

I was up next in the 45+ men's event. I sat near the front for the first lap and attacked on the hill on lap two. I was caught on the back straight but went again when Dirk Cowley (SBO) attacked on the hill. Dirk and I kept the gas on and were off the front in different groups for most of the race. Patrick Gellineau (Unattached) took a prime and kept going. There were two away but we caught them with two to go. Dirk set a high tempo but pulled off too early. I ended up second wheel when a Liberty Cycle guy went. He died on the back straight and Someone jumped on the left side. I went around on the right and the guy who jumped first swerved violently to the right, into my front wheel. I stayed up but it set me up for a crappy line into turn three. I hit a big pothole and heard a loud crack. I thought I flatted my front tire but was not sure. I sprinted hard up the hill and was first into the final turn. I was unsure about the pressure in my front tire so I backed off in the turn. I hit it again when I straightened out, but I slowed too much in the corner and two guys got by me in the sprint.

-- report by Chris Black

Get Ready for Bikes for Tots 2009

Remember to get your tickets now!

Join the Morgan Stanley Cycling team for our annual Bikes for Tots bike ride and amazing lobster dinner at the scenic Rutherford Grove Winery (http://www.rutherfordgrove.com/) of the Napa Valley on October 17th 2009..
The proceeds go towards purchasing new bikes for children in need for the holidays as well as funding promising  junior bike racers.     

The bike ride leaves Yountville's Washington Park at 9:30am. The two options include:
a 25 mile flat rolling  ride
a 60 mile rolling to hilly ride (challenging pace) ride with the fastest masters racers in the US along a surprise guest.

Party begins 3:30pm
Live music, silent and live auction
Amazing lobster dinner feast begins at 6pm

(To see the menu and images from a recent lobster dinner, click here)

Tickets are $75.00
includes the ride, & dinner party, lots of fun!
(the party is limited to 125 people and sells out -- so book early!)

How to book:
send a check to Trips For Kids, please include guest names.
1083 Mee Lane
St.Helena CA
94574
Att: Shawn Oliver   
Questions
shawn.oliver@morganstanley.com

Chris Lyman on National Win: "It Was a Team Effort"

Chris Phipps had a great road race and nearly pulled it off – so close. The course was probably too flat for him but still made 4th to bring home some hardware.  All Scott Cole needed was a lack of bad luck to be right in there too.

I had a few goals this season: Cat 1 upgrade, win a stage race and podium at others, and Districts. As my TT form came along all of a sudden nats snuck in the picture, and was bolstered by finishing 2nd (and very hung over) in the P-1-2 race at Dunlap, and then throwing down at Sattley to win the State Championship jersey. After comparing numbers and trading emails with Hutch I realized there’s a chance – albeit a very outside one since the 40-44 field was stacked: top three guys from last year’s 40-44 race plus 2nd in the 35-39, and of course Richard Feldman, the multiple world TT champ. Feldman notwithstanding, trying to go against that field with my 1.5-season bike racing career was a lot to chew on.

Phipps and I pre-rode the coarse Monday and I have to say there’s not a flat spot to be found. It’s either up or down with a lot of long rollers in between. Race day came early and we headed out to the staging area only to find out there was a one-hour delay, shortly followed by another one-hour delay. We kicked back under the Specialized crew’s phat Sprinter and shot the bull with Innes, Metcalfe and newly-crowned road champ Roemer. During our stay we got to talking about fast guys we each had to deal with and Innes emphatically told me about Feldman’s crazy palmares.

While thunderstorms were threatening, the weather turned out to be ideal for a TT: cloudy, breezy and only about 70, although the high humidity was a bit of an X-factor. Start time finally arrived and I took it out easy on the 4-5% 2kish climb that began right away. From there it was just get on the gas and drill it. The course was extremely unforgiving and ended with the downhill which would be a 70kph screamer. At the top I decided to get up on the horns to be cautions since I was riding a disk wheel and getting blown around, but after a quick glance at my computer I realized I’d go under 30, got in the horns and pointed it, pedaling my ass off. At about 1.5K to go I smashed it and held 430+ watts to the line. Crossed the line, heard the announcer boom “fastest time so far in 40-44 race”  and knew it would be close. 

Feldman and the other fastest guys started about 10 riders behind and I watched everyone come across. One after another the major players finished well back, and then here comes Feldman storming to the line. I kept looking from him to the clock. As he finished the clock (and nearly my heart) stopped at 29:42 – same as my time. Damn! Then the announcer gave his split - .56 back, and I knew it was in the bag.  Crazy, crazy crazy. Won by a blink – taping the cuffs on my skinsuit, a pedal stroke, smashing it down that hill.

Even though this was an individual race against the clock it was a team effort to win. Thanks to:
·         Phipps for convincing Brian and Shawn to put me on the team, and the two of them for taking a flyer on a rookie rider
·         Steve Archer for graciously giving up the Transition frame he’d ordered
·         Hutch, who shared a lot of insight and kicked me in the nuts when I needed it
·         John O’Donnell, a buddy I met racing from Washington state, who gave me a ridiculous amount of advice on position, component/gear choices and other TT knowledge
·         Jesse Moore, who coached me from a wonky triathlete to national champ in a little more than a season
·         And most importantly, my wife Carm, for putting up with the endless training days, weekends away from home racing, infinite amount of cycling dialogue, and many more things than there’s time to recount here

Thanks again everyone – I’m honored to have been able to get this for the team and make everyone’s contributions pay off.

Chris Lyman

LYMAN WINS NATIONAL TITLE

Chris Lyman brought home the first 2009 National Championship title for Morgan Stanley/Team Spine with hard-won victory in the M40-44 Time Trial. More details to come. Congrats, Chris!

Chasing Lance and Levi at the Nevada City Classic