TEAM UPDATE - Spring cleaning for 2018+

After a wonderful 6 year partnership, EVOL Foods is moving on from supporting our Cyclocross team. We cannot thank them enough for their faith in our program which provided a solid backing to our team to expand, grow and dominate the Colorado and U-23 national scene during this time, and of course for the thousands of tasty burrito's that powered our athletes to the top of many a podium.

We are committed to continuing our team's mission of supporting under-23 riders into the upcoming 2018-19 season, with Denzel Stephenson and Eric Brunner on board. We are currently pursuing a variety of sponsorship and partnership opportunities, and are open to any and all possibilities with interested organizations, companies and brands - please get in touch!

World Cup Power Analysis, kind of

For the 2017-2018 Cyclocross season we will be presenting a power analysis of EVOL Racing and Apex Coaching rider Maxx Chance’s big races. Last week, Maxx got a new training tool from Stages, one of their new head units, the Dash. I am personally a big fan of this head unit and we thought we would kick off this series now that he has such a great tool. So, it was off to the second World Cup of the year in Waterloo, Wisconsin to try it out.

Last week in Iowa Maxx had a great start and after staging in the last row he was quickly into the top 40 early on. He kept it going throughout the race and finished a nice 31^st battling some strong European riders. Iowa was hot, but Waterloo promised to be even hotter with temps forecasted in the upper 80’s and high humidity. Maxx staged with another last row start but was looking for a second great start in as many weeks.  The Dash was ready to go and so was Maxx.

Up the start straight and into the first corner and then…

You’ll notice in the clip that Maxx thinks quickly and picks up the Dash that was dislodged in the melee. It is much too valuable a tool to lose. In the process of tucking it in the skinsuit, buttons were pushed which led to lost connections and our data was limited to the time up to that traffic jam. What we can take from this though is the aggression with which ‘cross races begin. Look at the peak power in that first 30 sec and the average up the start straight.

The race starts with a 1300+ watt sprint from a standstill and maintains a power above 500 for a full 30 sec before the abrupt stop. This is the key to CX racing, these early huge spikes that spike heart rate and require the ability to recovery very quickly.

In lieu of Maxx’s data I will insert mine. While I am no Maxx Chance (20+ years older, much heavier, though infinitesimally wiser) we raced on a similar course and in similar conditions. This is also from my Stages power meter and through the Dash.

The pink graph lines represent power and the yellow cadence. The spikes in power reach 700+ watts at every peak and the cadence at 90+ with sustained 30 sec efforts at over 450 watts and 90 cadence. The Waterloo course was a test of high speed lose corners and off camber dusty descents with short, punchy climbs. It was unrelenting and consistent. While many cyclocross courses feature a 2-3 min section that is the hardest, the course at the Trek factory was constantly off and on the gas and made repeatable power and fast recovery a must.

Analyzing fitness must be done differently in a CX power file. Simply looking at average watts through the race won’t quite tell the story. I prefer to look at the peaks of power. If those peaks stay consistent during the race, the rider is demonstrating some good fitness for CX. If you notice from the file above, the peaks are consistent, with some of the highest ones near the end of the race. If the rider is struggling at the back end due to fatigue, lack of fitness or conditions, those peaks will start to get lower and will show a downward trend.

As the season goes on we will tell the story of Maxx’s races through his power files. Thanks to Stages and their new Dash, we can provide a detailed story and teach a thing or two as well.

x

2017-18 EVOL DevoElite Cyclocross Team And Sponsors Announced

BOULDER, CO – August 31, 2017 – The EVOL DevoElite Cyclocross Team is excited to announce the return of its Under-23 development cyclocross team along with its roster of Elite and Master’s level racers based out of Boulder, Colorado. Launched initially in 2011 to support Elite level racing, and more recently having focused on supporting a women's elite team, the program expanded last year to provide a home to up and coming Under-23 riders Maxx Chance, Ian McPherson and Eric Brunner. The program continues its U23 focus this year with the addition of Denzel Stephenson, a multi-time, multi-discipline Junior national champion, with Ian McPherson graduating to the Elite program.

"I am super excited for this coming cross season with Evol! This will be my last year as an Under-23 rider so I will be looking to make my mark this year before transitioning into the elites. I am very pleased with how last year went, both in racing and with the new team, and I am ready to take on the new season with all of the support from the great brands who believe in what this team is doing” said Maxx Chance.

Racing with the Evol DevoElite team last year, Maxx had a breakout season. He won the USA Pro CX cup series in the Under-23 category, then travelled to Belgium to spend Christmas with his adopted Belgian family and race in the toughest conditions on the planet at a handful of the storied courses on the World Cup and Superprestige circuits. The trip lead to a win at the Club National Championships and a podium finish in the Under 23 category in Hartford, CT, last January. Maxx finished the season with tough luck at the World Championships in Luxembourg, where he finished 33rd. We are excited to see what this year has in store.

Eric Brunner is ready to build off of his great first season as and Under-23 with the team. Last year, mixed racing in the US with multiple trips to Europe, where he had an amazing ride at the Zeven World Cup, finishing in the top 25. Eric’s European campaign did not stop there, he had strong rides during the Christmas block with USA Cycling and finished a respectable 14th at the US National Championships. “I am hopeful that I can improve upon my European results from last year with the team.” says Eric. “ I learned a lot last year traveling the elite circuit with the team and I’m looking forward to being able to build off of these experiences”

Over the summer, EVOL DevoElite picked up junior phenom Denzel Stephenson. Denzel took the international cyclocross scene by storm last year where he finished 9th at the World Championships in Bieles and 5th overall in the UCI rankings for Juniors. Along with great international success, also Denzel finished on the top step of the podium at both the National Championships and the Pan-American Championships. Needless to say EVOL is excited to see what Denzel can do this year in the Under-23 category. “I am very excited to be on EVOL this year. They are a great development program and I think it will be a great fit for my first year as an U23” Denzel noted.

“We have been building towards this developmental focus for some time now, following the Elite team's success within Colorado where we have won the Best-Team-Overall women's open for the last 4 years in a row, and previously 3 years in a row on the men’s side,“ said Team Manager and Elite rider Josh Whitney. Mitch added, "Building this development team has been my baby for the last couple of years and I am really excited to see it build momentum with the EVOL Racing program. I could not be more excited to see where these guys go this year."

Grant Holicky, Director Sportif, coach and Elite rider echoed Mitch's comments with the program's emphasis on providing a transition platform for these up and coming athletes, "We are excited to help these young racers bridge the gap from the Junior ranks to success on the national and international Elite level."

The U23 team will travel to all of the domestic UCI U23 Category races, as well as a variety of additional races across the country while the Elite team will focus primarily on regional races from Colorado and select national UCI races.

Returning riders to the Elite team include, Melissa Barker-Tamplin, a former 40-44 Master's US CX Champ and Women's Open CX Colorado State Champ, Breeze Holicky, Jess D'Amato, and Kristen Legan on the women's side, with Christa Ghent moving on to a coveted spot on the Amy D. Foundation team. Josh Whitney and Grant Holicky, who share team management duties with Mitch Hoke, return with Chris Case and Michael Friedberg rounding out the Men’s squad.

EVOL Foods returns for its sixth season as the team’s title sponsor. Based in Boulder, Colorado, EVOL Foods manufactures and markets premium frozen convenience foods with a focus on pure and simple ingredients, including those that are antibiotic- and hormone-free, and are free of artificial preservatives or flavors and made with organic ingredients. The EVOL DevoElite team sponsors also include: Giant Bicycles, Panache Cyclewear, Velo Saddles, Todd Plymale-Mallory Massage & Acupuncture, Apex Coaching, Full Cycle Boulder, Shimano, Donnelly Cycling, CLIF Bar, Kappius Components, and Stages Cycling.

For more information on the team visit: www.evolracing.blogspot.com.

For media or sponsorship opportunities email: mitchell.hoke@gmail.com.

CX season wrap up from Josh

The second half the cross season is a different beast. Leaves change, temps (are supposed) to drop, 2 months of riding circles gutting each other leads to consistent duals and battles with friends. Skills are tuned and fitness holds if you’re able to stay healthy, hungry and focused. It’s the heart and darkness of the season, snow falls and dreams drift to the winter that is near, it is my favorite time of year.

With a forced break following a nasty bit of crashing and breaking carbon in mid-October, I rebounded following a few weeks off from the local UT circuit with 6 weeks of focused racing remaining on my schedule rolling into November. The Ogden TRP Cup coerced a few national caliber riders to the Wasatch for a 3-day weekend of USAC and ProCX points, and I made a solid return to racing, finishing 9^th and then 3^rd on a quieter day 3. Best of all was racing on a course hand designed with my own two hands and put on so damn well by our local rock star promoter Joe Johnson of Ptown CX, grass roots quality racing at its finest.

While most of the Mtn-Wester’s headed to CXLA, I kept the travel powder dry and had a few great weekends consistently battling against a returning to form Alex Grant following his massively long healing foot injury. At the Weber County Fairgrounds, I led the entire race, only to get caught and passed by Alex with 2 to go after he aced the one technical feature, a 3 foot horse jump gap that had eaten many a carbon wheel that day. But revenge was all the sweeter the following weekend on a last minute trip south to “Dixie land” as the locals call it (St. George, UT for those not in the know, the South is relative in Utah) with the Utah State Championship title on the line.

The course was on a working farm, complete with suicidal ducks, corn maze, haunted house, a pond, two massively gnarly methane producing rows of dairy cows that they made us ride straight through, not recommended but gave a certain Belgian flair I guess, and some flat field grass that was turned into a slightly gratuitous 90 degree turn fest. From the gun, Alex, Jeff Bender, young gun Evan Clouse and I created separation and we spent the first 40 minutes pacing ourselves through the course, with a few punches, attacks and tests throughout. Tip of the hat to Evan for proficiently jumping the barriers each lap causing the rest of us to chase, though I think we all knew that at some point he could, and eventually would crash himself out – kids ya know?! Out of nowhere Jeff’s front axle undid itself somehow and he was gapped, down to three. By then I was feeling good, in my mind and body almost stronger and stronger as the laps ticked down 2 to 1. 

For a moment, I thought to myself, I could win. Today could be the day. I quickly snapped myself out of the day dream and got down to business. Cross allows for no such dreams and moments of distraction. Onto the gravel and through the start finish, tightly together staying out of the wind.

Through the methane gauntlet and around the bend, moving into 2^nd behind Alex. As we entered a small bowl Evan spun out, lost traction and dabbed the ground taking himself out of contention. Down to us 2, stay focused, move up and attack, this is it. I immediately gassed it and passed on an inside corner before a short forced run up. From here out it a short gravel drag and then into turnfest 5000, making it very hard to pass. I put down all the watts I could and accelerated out of every corner shutting the door each time as I could feel Alex try to jump ahead. After the last corner there was a long arcing drag around the pond and then a final turn through gravel before the finish. Pedal was to the medal and with a final sprint I checked left then right and threw one arm up and a yell of victory into the air!  My first cyclocross win. To top it all off, my mom was waiting for me on the line with a hug and kiss, my eyes drifted skyward and thought of my dad and how proud he would be to have seen this day. 

The following week, the calendar flipped to December and with it the snow flew hard for a few days, making the finale of the Utah Cyclocross series a real frozen mudder of an event. 20 minutes into our race the temps had warmed to just above freezing and combined with a full day of traffic the frozen snow turned to mud and made for a super challenging, super fun slip slide-a-thon. Near perfection bike driving. 

Unfortunately, the combination of snow, sand, grass and mud neutered our drivetrains. I quickly went from 11 gears to 2 within the first 2 laps and with no pit bike was stuck in a high cadence spin off the front. After 30 minutes of bouncing on my saddle trying to stay away from the chasers, i went from 2 gears to none as the gunk build up rendered my chain to cassette connection useless and I click-click-clicked my way to the S/F and stopped asking for anyone with a brush or spray gun. 

The chasing 3 passed me as I jumped back on the back after getting a gracious quick power wash of the cassette. 20 seconds down, work to do but now I could at least shift, 3 laps to go. I made up time through the next lap getting within reach of 3^rd placed Kevin Day. But through all the passing of riders and jumping in and out of the snow line, the drivetrain was once again back down to 1 gear. I dug deep and pushed on getting oh so close to catching Kevin through the last few turns but ran out of real estate. But man so fun to ride in dynamic, challenging and completely different conditions than we have had nearly this entire season. 

And that brings us to this past weekend, with 2 days of racing down in Garland, TX at Resolution Cross Cup. A most excellent event and fantastic course that challenged both the legs and skills with a great mix of grass and pump track flow section of wooded rooty goodness. With the season nearly behind me and a few powder days already tempting me off the bike, I put all my chips on the table and gave it my best effort, coming away with two top 15 finishes, my highest ever UCI level placing. Mostly though I’m proud of the way I raced this weekend, really all season: hard, smart, clean, leveling up and building on the successes and failures each time the whistle blew. It feels so good to put a weekend all together after such a long, fun season of racing, and years of doing this bike racing thing. All the intervals, skills, rides short and long, before, between and after work, and so many moments thinking about the bike, the battle of one’s mind and body, the race within the race. It’s a love deep down inside. I love this sport so much because its provided me with a canvas and experience to push myself not just physically but mentally in ways no other experience has, to explore pain, perfection and my limit. To define and achieve what is my best, if only for a moment. It’s such a beautiful and fleeting thing. And a search that I know will only continue because we are always changing, growing, learning and challenging what we know is our best – how awesome is that?

Now let's get fat and go skiing!

Refuel right and keep your gut in check

As we near the end of 'cross season and the days get shorter, darker and colder, we're asking some tough questions this holiday season: What's the point of hard training if you're not recovering and refueling properly? And with the occasional indulgent meal backed up by holiday travel, how can you keep your immune and GI system in top working order? By eating smart of course. Fortunately, the combination of products from two of our sponsors makes for a delicious no brainer way to refuel right and get your body healthy. We reach for Clif Bar's Chocolate Recovery Mix and Goodbelly's StraightShot as the base for post-workout recovery shakes, with the combinations being endless.

Here's a staple from our go to team menu:

• 3 scoops Clif Bar Chocolate Recovery Mix
• 1 Goodbelly StraightShot
• 8 oz. Almond Milk, plain unsweetened
• 4-6 oz. cold, filtered water
• 1 banana
• 2 tbl. sp. Almond Butter
• 1 tbl. sp. Coconut Flax & Chia mix (Whole Foods 365 brand)
• 1 tbl. sp. Maca powder
• 1 tbl. sp. MCT Oil
• dash nutmeg or cinnamon
• 3-4 ice cubes if banana is not frozen

Enjoy!

Chefs Cycle - Giant and EVOL rider Mike Friedberg team up with No Kid Hungry

Make $50 a life changing sum of money!  

Does that headline seem like an infomercial?  Keep reading, I promise I will show you how!

Can you think of a time where you had a bad start at a race?  It’s happened to all of us for a million different reasons.  The guy ahead of you slips a pedal, your rear tire was on a loose patch, you were distracted, had a mechanical or just plain old bad luck.  It’s so frustrating!  You have to exert so much energy just to get back into the field.  When the race really gets going, you’re exhausted having expended so much effort just to be mid pack. Is everyone with me? At the end of the race you are left wondering what could have been if you’d had a decent start & could have used that same energy to move up, rather than catch up. Can you think of a time where this has happened to you?  This is the perfect metaphor for childhood hunger. Kids who do not get a good start in life have to work so hard just to be average. 

This fall I got involved with Chefs Cycle, a group of restaurant professionals who love cycling & use it raise money for No Kid Hungry, a charity dedicated to eliminating childhood hunger in America.  I was lucky enough to do a Pro/Am event with them at Blackberry Farms in Tennessee.  We rode well & raised $30,000 for No Kid Hungry. It has been an amazing journey personally & professionally.

Professionally, I am the co-founder/co-owner of Yellowbelly Chicken. We are a fast casual, fried chicken concept built around offering people better, healthier versions of the food they already love. We want to change the way people eat! We want people to eat better, feel better & do better.  I’m passionate about healthy food & lifestyle.  I love helping people eat better.  At the same time it is important to respect the fact that there are still lots of people in this country who are not getting enough to eat. I struggle with the idea that we are able to scrutinize every ingredient we source while so many people are still going hungry.  While we are at Whole Foods worrying about whether or not something is local or organic others are wondering how they are going to feed their kids.  

Personally, I have been lucky enough to be an athlete all my life. I was on the US Ski Team when I was younger.  I skied moguls on the World Cup Tour. Now I race bikes for fun. Sports are all about self actualization. For the most part they are selfish pursuits. You have to have a lot of things in place to be able to focus on yourself & what you need to be successful. I feel truly blessed to have been able to chase my dreams. As I get older I realize what a gift it has been. My parents were able to provide me with everything I needed. Not everyone is so lucky.  In America, 1 in 5 kids are not getting the food they need.  

Chefs Cycle is an amazing opportunity for us to give to others through the sport we love. Too many people are living without & we can help. This season I am donating every dollar I make racing (both in the form of prize money & also in beer drenched hand ups) to No Kid Hungry.  For every $1 donated up to 10 meals will be provided for kids in need.  Here is where I make good on the headline: I won $50 at a race called Cross of the North.  That is 500 meals for kids that would not otherwise eat.  That is a life changing amount of money! Together we can end childhood hunger in this country. Who knows what great things these kids will achieve with our help!  

Please consider donating to No Kid Hungry through my Chefs Cycle Page.