ELITEWAVE NEWS AND HIGHLIGHTS

Pendrel named Kamloops Female Athlete of the Year

April 16, 2007

Catharine continues her ride to the top of the cycling world with a well deserved award. At a gala banquet on Saturday night, she was awarded Kamloops Female Athlete of the Year.

This is an incredible compliment to Pendrel who has only lived in Kamloops since August. Kamloops is a well recognized sport community who has played host to at least 4 National cycling championships in the last 5 years.

Pendrel finishes Norba with 2 solid races.

April 2, 2007

Catharine Pendrel (Norco) started the season with some fine performances in the first Norba event of 2007. Pendrel raced against some of the best riders in North America this past weekend – finishing 9^th in the short track event and 13^th in the cross country event. Catharine is still in the early phases of her preparation for the season and showed that she is well on track for this season’s demanding schedule. Pendrel normally does Sea Otter as her first race of the year in April. The Arizona race, nearly a month earlier, has given Pendrel renewed confidence and motivation as she heads into the 2007 season. Pendrel will be contesting for one of only 3 spots (selection spots were reduced from 6) for the World Championships.

Andrew Wilson Starts Season with Strong Performance at Devo Spring Series.

March 31, 2007

Elitewave’s newest rider, Andrew Wilson (Atomic) rode well in his first race of the 2007 season – taking 10^th place in the B Category this past weekend. Andrew commented: “I didn't get to contest the sprint because there was a nasty crash about 600 meters before the finish. I didn't crash, which was a miracle as it happened all around me. 10 guys went down very hard. I had to move off the road onto the grass to avoid going down. I unclipped and came to a complete stand still.” Despite the rough finish, Wilson was inspired by his strong ride. He felt that it was one of his best races ever.

Junior Cyclist Continue to Improve – Team Coastal Update

March 20, 2007

Team Coastal junior riders continue their accelerated progression into the world of track cycling. Since beginning the track program in January, several juniors have continued to meet at the Burnaby Velodrome each Monday for a 2 hour training sessions. These riders are quick learners who have begun to full adapt to their new sport. Riders have dropped an average of 2-3 seconds from their flying 200m times (used mostly to gauge pedal coordination and technique). They have also begun to master the subtle art of paceline riding and team trialling. Currently, they are developing skills in the match sprint event. All of the athletes are having fun and progressing well. Coastal athletes will be racing at the BVC Summer Meet on May 5^th, 2007.

Pendrel prepares for Norba in Pheonix.

March 27, 2007

Catharine Pendrel (Norco) will be kicking off her fifth season as an Elitewave athlete with a Norba event in Pheonix, Arizona. Catharine is excited about the season ahead and looking forward to an early season warm-up and test of her hew bike from Norco. Catharine will be competing in both the short track and cross country events. She has reported feeling very strong with improved wattage during compu-trainer testing. She feels like she can already push herself to a higher level than last season. Much of this improvement has come from the Aerobic Power phase we pursued over the course of the past month. It was the most intensive interval training that Catharine has done to date. It will be interesting to see how this influences her racing performance in the early season. Racing begins this Saturday!

Blizzard Bike Club - Fort St. John, BC
March 25, 2007

Elitewave’s Geoff McDonald of Grande Prairie edged out team mate Blaine Richter to win the first road race of the Blizzard Club's 25th season of racing, Sunday. Geoff came in all alone to win the 68 km Cecil Lake road event with a time of 2:10:46. Blaine was second at 2:11:35 and Gary Hilderman capped off an excellent performance with a sprint for third place at 2:19:38, from Pat Ferris and Bob Andrews.

Geoff has been a member of Elitewave since January. He has trained very well over the past few months and is confident that he will have a great season ahead of him. Geoff completed his trip from Grande Praire, Alberta with a couple of cold and snowy training days in Jasper following the Fort St. John race. Elitewave is proud to have such a motivated and inspired rider on our team.

Impact Magazine Features Coach Dan

March 1, 2007

Coach Dan is featured in Impact Magazine’s special focus on running in the March issue. His article features a workout for time strapped athletes looking to get the most benefit from the least amount off time. You can see the feature and a photo of Coach Dan working on track-side (page 39). Photos were shot at the Oak Bay Track in Victoria, BC. The photos were taken by Simon Desrochers.

"Teen Coastal" gets started at the Burnaby Velodrome

Jan 21, 2007 - Courtesy Team Coastal

January 12th, 19th and 26th mark the evenings the TeenCoastal group hits The Track for the Learn-to-Ride (LTR). Several young, new members of Coastal were out learning to ride the "fixies" (with no brakes I might add!). Taking them through the paces were some Burnaby Velodrome instructors along with our own coaches Elmar and Dan.

'Becca on the track!	"Theory" session	Coach Dan

 If you know some kids who would be interested in joining TeenCoastal email Todd todd.hansen@teamcoastalcycling.com

Penticton Camp Fills in 30 minutes

The 2007 Edition of the Penticton Training Camp is now full.

Thank you to all athletes who expressed an interest in the camp.

If you would like to be added to the wait list, please email Dan@elitewave.com

PinkBike.com Shares the Christmas Spirit.

Radek Burkat of www.Pinkbike.com spread the Christmas spirit to 100 needy families in the lower mainland this week. Burjat, owner of Pinkbike, bought 100 new Norco kid’s bikes for needy families in the Vancouver region. Burkat and friends built up the bikes and distributed them to the families over the weekend. The kids enjoyed their first pedal strokes on brand new bikes in their choice of color. This is a great story and a great way to share the love of cycling with kids who may have not been able to ride a bike this year. Congratulations to Radek and the generous folks at Pinkbike.

Race Organizers Form Grass Roots Mountain Bike Association of British Columbia

Squamish mountain bike race organizers have taken the next step to support grass roots mountain bike activities in British Columbia by forming the Grass Roots Mountain Bike Association of British Columbia (GRMBA). The not-for-profit association is designed to fill a void in recreational grass roots mountain bike event sanctioning.

The void was created when the official provincial sanctioning body, Cycling BC, began to move toward supporting higher level competitive events, and away from their past support of recreational mountain biking. Newly created sanctioning policies led to the need for GRMBA, which is spearheaded by Test of Metal and GearJammer race directors Cliff Miller and Curtis Roberts.

The purpose of the newly formed Association is to provide insurance to grass roots mountain bike clubs and race events that concentrate on providing race experiences to recreational racers. One goal of the Association is to encourage recreational clubs to hold events where members of other clubs are welcome to attend. See full article HERE…

Elitewave Sponsors Coaching Development Series with Sungod Swim Club

The Delta Sungod Swim Club, under the guidance of Head Coach Michelle Wilson, has recruited Coach Dan to provide a series of cycling specific workshops for the Sungod coaching staff. Wilson has been an active supporter of swimming, waterpolo and triathlon for years. In 2007 their program is planning to do a major expansion into the world of junior triathlon. The Sungod coaches have started their training early with the first of several clinics being held on December 3, 2006. 4 coaches took part in the event which focused on skill development for junior cyclists and triathletes. In addition to safety and route planning concepts, the coaches were also exposed to their first taste of skill development through a series of drills and games designed specifically for young riders. For Elitewave, this is an exciting group to be involved with. In comparison to swimming, the sport of competitive cycling is relatively simple. By taking Level 2 and 3 swim coaches and showing them how to teach cycling, it is easy to see that they will be successful. These coaches will be able to break the sport down and make it accessible to a wide audience. They already have professional coaching experience which is the most important elements in the development of young athletes. These clinics will allow the Sungod coaches to hone their coaching skills in cycling at an accelerated rate.

Coach Dan Shares His Coaching Experience with Team Coastal

Coach Dan met with Team Coastal President Kerry Kunzli to discuss the development of a junior cycling program in the White Rock/Sout Surrey region. Team Coastal is already one of the largest teams in the lower mainland. Their latest initiative will put a substantial junior program into an area that encompasses many different riding areas and a host of young families who will benefit from exposure to the sport. Kunzel outlined their approach to the development of the program and also spoke with Coach Dan about his experience with the development of Junior programs at the Olympic Oval National Cycling Center and Pacificsport. This was a great opportunity to pass on the knowledge gained through the successful development of some of Canada’s best young riders. Currently there are 4 riders, developed through the Junior program that Dan created, riding for Canada at the Senior National Team level. These riders were brand new to cycling when they began their immersion in the sport in Calgary nearly 10 years ago. Passing along tips on program structure, costs, facilities and outlining an approach to long term athlete development should help Coastal get off on the right foot as they begin to work to develop the sport. It is great to see a strong club like Coastal take pride in contributing to the sport at the junior level. Through this initiative, Coastal will demonstrate leadership and a commitment to growing the sport in the future.

Elitewave Partners with Spoke n’ Motion to Provide Velodrome Training Clinics.

The Burnaby velodrome was the site of Coach Dan’s most recent track training seminar with the athletes of Spoke n’ Motion who work under the guidance of Level 3 Coach and former National Team rider Judy Latoski. Coach Dan shared his track coaching experience with Latoski’s athletes during the first of several two hour workshops. Five riders took part – ranging from Elite women like Moriah MacGregor and Heather Lamson to experienced Cat 2 and 3 men. During the clinic athletes focused on riding proper lines for maximum speed on the Burnaby velodrome. Athletes also had a lot of time to talk about the finer details involved in successful bunch racing on the track. It was great to work with Latoski’s riders who are all very competent and fit. Most of the Spoke n’ Motion riders use the track as a way to train for their road season. Adding some of the detail to their track program will really compliment the great work that Latoski is already doing with them. In addition to the athletes benefiting, it was also a great chance for Coach Dan and Coach Latoski to compare notes on training, bike fit and the current state of cycling in BC. It was great to work with another cycling coach in a collaborative setting. This type of colleagial atmosphere is rarely seen in the sport of cycling. It was a nice chance to share and learn for all coaches and athletes involved. More clinics with Spoke n’ Motion are planned for the New Year.

Elitewave’s Catharine Pendrel Earns Pan American Cycling Championships Silver Medal

Canada Wins Silver at Pan American Championships
Courtesy CCA

Catherine Pendrel (BC) won the silver medal in the elite women's 2006 Mountain Bike cross-country Pan American Championships competition in Camboriu, Brazil, on Sunday (October 15th). American Mary McConneloug took the gold medal and Argentina's Jimena Florit finished third.

The Penticton, BC rider, who was aiming for a top-five finish (which she had captured in the 2005 Pan Am Championships in Mexico), was full of joy after her race: "I worked my way up and in the second lap already found myself in third position. I rode consistently and was feeling really good. Conditions were way better than the training conditions over the past few days, with lots of sunshine and the course much drier. Before the race, I said to Michel (Leblanc, CCA mountain bike coach): I'm going to medal today!"

"It's so exciting, when you imagine that Catherine just learned one week prior to the event that she was selected to replace Alison Sydor (who could not make it to Brazil from the Roc d'Azur in France ñ which she won - in such a short period of time)," added Michel Leblanc, Canadian National Team mountain bike coach.

October, 2006

Sparling signs with Giga-Bike for 2007

Courtesy Giga-Bike

October 11, 2006 (Victoria, B.C.) – In an ongoing bid to snap up Canada’s best talent for the 2007 cycling season, Giga-Bike Cycling Team signed Jamie Sparling, who rode with Bicisport – Alberta in ‘06. Jamie had a great year with a 2nd place finish at Canadian Track National Championshps in Dieppe, NB and had some early season wins in BC’s Spring Series on the lower mainland.

“I am really excited to be racing with the 2007 Giga-Bike race team. The team has so much talent and so many good people involved with it. I was more than impressed with how things turned out last year; everything was well planned and there was a real professional feel to it. I am confident the team will make another giant leap in ’07 and turn a lot of heads," said Sparling.

“Jamie is a great all ‘round rider. He first caught our eye in a great performance at BC Cup #1, where he played a big role in driving the winning break. He is a great athlete to have on the Giga-Bike Cycling Team. Jamie will bring a tremendous amount of horse power that will see him stick it out with the best of them," said Director, Calvin Straathof, Giga-Bike Cycling Team.

Giga-Bike Junior-Espoir Development Cycling Team is Vancouver Island’s only cycling trade team dedicated to the development of Junior and Espoir cyclists and is based out of Victoria, BC. Giga-Bike Junior-Espoir Development Cycling Team participates year round in road racing events in Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia and the North West Coast.

Radomsky and Trew sign with Giant Canada

Giant Canada Sponsors Elite Women's Team for 2007

Team Release:

In keeping with Giant Canada's mandate to support cycling in B.C., seven riders will compose the Giant Canada Elite women's team. Chelsea Bilsbarrow, Claire Cameron, Jenelle Cassidy, Leah Guloien, Alena Radomsky, Katherine Short, and Jenny Trew will join forces for the 2007 season. This seven-person team boasts top credentials with a strong focus on development as well.

Katherine Short (16) and Chelsea Bilsbarrow (19) are two of the most exciting young prospects in cycling on the BC scene. Katherine wins just about everything in her age group and is a strong contender even at the elite level in mountain biking while Chelsea stormed onto the scene in 2006 taking the BC Jr. road championships and 7th at Nationals in her first season. Claire Cameron (24) is an elite track and road racer and a National Paralympic team member having raced in 2004 at Athens as a blind tandem pilot. Leah Guloien (25) is a very strong local road racer who is rarely off the podium in any event she enters. Jenny Trew (25) is a track and criterium specialist having won multiple medals at Track Nationals. Alena Radomsky (24) is a seasoned rider, and excellent team player with experience racing internationally. Jenelle Cassidy (29),while relatively new to road racing, made a quick ascent up the ranks in 2006 and brings a wealth of experience from being a National team downhill racer.

Giant Canada's Elite women's team riders possess skills that will complement each other, giving the team a deep and balanced attack for 2007. The tentative race calendar for the Giant Canada Elite Women's Team will be comprised of local BC and NW road, track, and mountain bike races including the BC Cup Road/Off road Series, BC Superweek, and the National Road/Track/Off Road Championships.

Giant Canada's operations manager Wayne Bleakley says, "The formation of our elite women's team was a logical step towards our vision. Our women will be a dominant force on the Northwest cycling scene. Giant Canada looks forward to supporting women's cycling and specifically Leah, Jenelle, Claire, Jenny, Alena, Chelsea, and Katherine in pursuit of their goals and is very excited to have the opportunity to develop a women's team."

Pan Am Cycling Championships for Pendrel

Catharine Pendrel was recently notified that she will be heading to Brazil on Monday to represent Canada at the Pan American Cycling Championships. Pendrel, who competed at the Championships for the first time last year, will represet Canada in the Cross Country Mountain Biking Race. This race falls during Cathatrine’s normal off-season training program, so she will be calling up all of her energy reserves and experience to challenge for a medal in this competition.

Stewart Wins Bayside Cross Classic

Sarah Stewart (Wedgewood Cycling Club) took the top spot on the podium at the Bayside Cross Classic in Crescent Beach. Jenny Trew (Giant) was second in the event. Elitewave’s Tom Skinner suffered through the race with a badly cut knee after crashing into the barriers after lap 1 of the elite men’s race which was won by Sugoi’s Andrew Kyle.

Radomsky and Stewart Take on Starcrossed

Alena Radomsky and Sarah Stewart battled some of North America’s best riders at the Star Crossed cyclocross race at Marymoor velodrome. Both riders competed in a top notch field under the stadium lights near Seattle. The race featured an intricate course that included stairs, sand, veldorome sections, grass sections and a large wooden ramp constructed specifically for the event. Both riders competed strongly and completed the pro women’s event which was won by Kona’s Wendy Simms. See Complete Results Here

West Point Grey Cyclocross – Third for Stewart

Kelly Jones (Sugoi) was the winner of the first annual West Point Grey cyclocross race hosted by Escape Velocity. Jones raced hard over the European style course which featured substantial amounts of climbing in each lap. Victoria’s Lisa Ludwig (Oak Bay Bikes) was second in the race with a very strong performance throughout the event. Sarah Stewart (Wedgewood Cycling Club) took third place.

Stewart Second at Fort Langley Cyclocross

Battling over the Aldor Farm course for a second year in a row, Sarah Stewart claimed second place on the Podium to Kelly Jones (Sugoi) in the first stop of the Giant BC Cup Cyclcross Competition. Alena Radomsky of Elitewave finished in 4^th overall. Tom Skinner, also of Elitewave, completed the elite men’s race in 11^th place. Complete results Here

Septemeber, 2006

Pendrel Qualifies for CCA Carding

Funding a world class mountain bike career just became a little easier for Elitewave’s Catharine Pendrel who was recently informed that she has met the criteria for carding from the Canadian Cycling Association. This funding will help Pendrel to travel and train throughout the year. While the carding money is modest in Canada, this support will allow Catharine to pursue her ambitions without the hardship of also having to work full-time.

Sparling and Mackenzie earn Silver Medal in Madison at Track Nationals

Elitewave’s Jamie Sparling earned a silver medal with teammate Ryan McKenzie in the Madison event at the National Track Championships. According to Sparling, “Ryan can really ride this race…he put me into great position on every sprint and I could just ride into the points.” Both Mackenzie and Sparling used to be teammates as Juniors in Calgary where they both trained under the guidance of Elitewave head coach – Dan Proulx.

Sparling Earns Bronze Medal at National Track Cycling Championships

Jamie Sparling is finishing off his season with a stong campaign at the National Track Championships in Dieppe this weekend. Sparling started the weekend by earning a Bronze Medal on the Team Pursuit with Matt Barlee and Ryan McKenzie. Next, Sparling qualified for the bonze medal final against Christian Meir – where he finished 4^th in a photo finish. After that, Sparling took 8^th place in the Points Race –scoring 23 points in total. The results so far have been great for Sparling who had only 2 weeks to prepare for the Championships after an incredibly tough road season.

August, 2006

Pendrel Completes Amazing Season at World Mountain Bike Championhips, New Zealand

Elitewave’s Catharine Pendrel successfully represented Canada for a 3^rd consecutive year at the World Elite Mountain Bike Championships in New Zealand. Pendrel felt strong throughout the event, with some minor fading on the last lap – completing the event in 31^st place. The completion of the World Championships ends an amazing year for Pendrel who had two top 10 finishes in Norba events and a very solid 4^th place at the National Mountain Bike Championships. With the support of Norco and fiancé Keith Wilson, Pendrel has had her best season to date.

Next season will be an ambitious one for Pendrel who will strive to increase her training load and commitment to the sport in the hope of qualifying for the 2008 Olympics in Bejing.

Stephanie Mathieson Completes Ironman Canada

With only 10 months of preparation, Stephanie Mathieson of Calgary completed the Ironman Canada in late August. After 6 or 7 years away from endurance training, Stephanie returned to training and racing to “knock this one off her list” of life ambitions. Combining training with her job as an administrator at the National Coaching Institute, Calgary was always tough but somehow Stephanie managed to fit all the training in. Stephanie had some serious history in sport as a young triathlete with the Tri-Athletics Sport Club in Calgary (where Dan coached her as a junior), but this race literally forced her to return from “out of shape student” to Ironman in a very short time span. Mathieson joins a growing list of athletes who have completed the Ironman on just one year of training with the help of Dan and Elitewave. In 2007, Stephanie will again be joining the Ironman fraternity to contest the 25^th Anniversay edition of this challenging and prestigious race.

July 31, 2006

Speed Theory Presents: Triathlon Deconstructed Seminar Series

Elitewave.com has joined forces with Calgary based Speed Theory.ca to provide a series of training seminars and workshops dedicated to aspiring triathletes. The first session will be held August 14^th at the Vancouver location. For details look Here.

August 7, 2006

Catharine Pendrel earns best ever Norba Result

Elitewave’s Catharine Pendrel earned her best Norba result ever with an 8^th place finish in Brian Head, Utah this weekend. Pendrel is on a two week road trip through the Norba circuit that will take her to Colorado next week. This weekend’s performance is a nice result heading into Catharine’s final preparations for the World Championships.

Angela Naeth 12^th overall in Bridgeport, Conneticut ITU Triathlon

Angela Naeth had a great race in Bridgeport this past weekend at the Pan American ITU Championships. In Angela’s typical style, she came out of the water near the very back of the field and was forced to ride and run her way back into contention.

Angela’s next race will be Kelowna on August 20^th. In the meantime Angela will focus on her swim in the hope of bringing her performances more in line with her world class cycling and running prowess.

July 27, 2006

Pendrel qualifies for the WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM for a third consecutive year!!!!

Catharine Pendrel (Norco Factory T