Coach Al Lyman to become official sponsor of the MVC Junior Cycling Team. Coach Al Lyman, CSCS, is the owner and founder of Pursuit Fitness LLC, a nationally recognized coaching company for endurance athletes. An author, columnist, and motivational speaker, he has been coaching athletes of all ability levels from novice to elite, since 1999. Coach Al is certified by USA Triathlon, USA Cycling, and the National Strength and Conditioning Association, and is a member of the American Swim Coaches Association.

Coach Al's theories and beliefs about the best ways to train for endurance sports, developed through practical experience over 25 years as an athlete and researcher, have always been cutting-edge and often considered "out of the box" thinking. His approach to coaching revolves around a more holistic, balanced approach that includes Yoga, flexibility and mobility training, and smart functional strength training. Most importantly, he advocates a balanced approach that blends training and racing goals within the context of the "triangle of life," which is family, work, play.

BIKE GUY: JUNIORS THEN AND NOW PART II: RIDING WITH GREG LEMOND Bill Humphreys September 10, 2008
	Flash forward 30 years from my 1978 Junior National Road Team of LeMond, Demgen, Kiefel, Rogers, Carmichael, Bradley ET. All to my current Mystic Velo Club junior team made up of mostly 15 year olds beginning their first full season of racing. I would not have taken on this team if I did not have the commitment of two dads’ with racing experience and one mom who would travel to the races with the team. The presentation meeting in February was meant to introduce the parents and riders to the sport and what roll the sponsors would play in supporting the team. The first clue that I may have to adapt my coaching style to fit the diverse personalities on the team was evident when I read the questionnaire’s I made them fill out in January. This group consisted of; honor roll students, robotics team guys, and school band members with season goals ranging from; podium 3 times, to finish every race, to beating master’s in the local time trial, while their Cycling Goals beyond 2008 varied from; someday going pro, to winning the Tour de France, to maybe being accepted at a college with a cycling team. This was not a bunch of kids that were concerned about qualifying for a junior development camp or if the Belgian junior team was doing tempo behind a motor over pave in the rain that day. It was a bunch of kids however that had some horsepower and if guided properly could make their mark on the regional scene here in New England. Sensing that my commando style of coaching left over from those days working with the national teams on the dirt roads of South America and rainy mountain stages in France might not be appropriate with this group of youngsters, I put two dads between me and the boys. These dad’s, were my partners in this venture, and my job was to secure the sponsorship and manage the overall direction of the team through them. I distinctly remember telling them and everyone in that crowded room that night that, “I will not be traveling to all the races, but I expect weekly reports on training and race results. If the direction and focus of the team begins to get off track and communication breaks down, you will hear from me and you probably won’t like it.” For many of the parents in the meeting that night back in February, this was a whole new world that did not fit snuggly into the organized sports programs that exist in every school or park and recreation system in this country. There were no set practices from 4 to 5:30pm 3 times a week, where they could drop of the kids and pick them up. There was no set game schedule with local towns on weekends. There was no familiar carpooling to practice or games and even more importantly there was no knowledge of what the rules of the game were. We were essentially taking these kids, in the very beginning of their teenage years, out of the social structure of the local school sports system and putting them into another system for which there was no point of reference or proven track record of success, other than what we had told them. It is now May 19th and Greg LeMond is coming to spend the day with the kids. I had arranged for Greg to be a featured speaker at the Major Taylor Statue Unveiling in Worcester, Ma and he was gracious enough to grant his old coach a favor by coming down to Connecticut to do an informal clinic for the juniors and a press conference for my upcoming criterium, The Whaling City Cyclone. The boys had written permission to miss school this day and there was excitement in the air, which was overcast and cool. It was also the same day that our new custom kits had arrived from Squadra, whose vice president of sales was Doughboy, Greg Demgen, a former member of the 1978 junior team. Greg arrived at the house on time, squeezed into our team kit jersey, and immediately blended right in with the boys as they tried on their new kits and shook hands with their instructor for the day. As our group headed down the road towards the bike shop I had the boys in a single file pace line with good tempo, when our town line champ, Ben, goes after the first sprint of the day, which brings a smile to Greg’s face. As we roll into Niantic on a particularly fast section, I tap Greg on the butt to let him know it is going to get fast real soon, and just then Ben take’s off again from behind us Greg goes for his wheel but is too late and he gets boxed out by two juniors who get Ben’s wheel and away they go for the town line sprint. Greg sits up coasting and looks over at me with a big grin and the thumbs up sign. This will end up being the highlight of the day for me, and for the riders when I tell them later what happened on that now famous town line sprint. The rest of the day went by without a hitch. We arrived at the race course on New London’s waterfront with local television and newspaper reporters interviewing Greg and the juniors.  Greg just loves to ride his bike, and his enthusiasm was contagious, as he stayed at the front keeping me for sure, and many of the juniors on the rivet for the 20-mile headwind ride back to the lake.  Once back at the house Greg finished setting individual bike position’s for each rider when his wife reminded him that they had a plane to catch. In an instant he had packed his bike, changed his clothes, said his goodbyes and was gone. It was a magical day, one that these young riders will never forget as they had plenty of quality time with this former junior and 3 time winner of the world’s greatest bike race.

MVC Junior’s

Road Trip

Tour de FCCC

Nicole Reinhart Memorial

July 19^th & 20^th, 2008

By Coach Bill Humpreys

Dave Reed suggested this be our official road trip focus for our first season way back in February, sitting around a Dunkin Donuts with Wayne Kirk and myself.

So here it was the week of July 14^th and it was time to get the 5 riders and 4-parent entourage organized and on the road.

We were headed into the heartland of east coast cycling Mecca and the learning curve for riders, and parents was still in full effect.

This was to be a two day 3 stage event to benefit the Nicole Reinhart Memorial Fund. For those not familiar with Nicole, she was a world-class rider who grew up racing on the Trexlertown Velodrome winning a total of 2 Senior Elite Track National Championships, 9 Junior National Championships, with 2 National records to her credit. On September 17^th 2000 Nicole was primed to take home $250,000 bonus prize money for securing First Place in the BMC Software Grand Prix Race Series, when a fatal crash on the last lap of Tour of Arlington, Ma. Criterium took her life.

Our 4-car caravan departed Old Lyme on Friday morning and arrived at the time trial and road racecourse in time to take a few laps of what was a fun course with some climbs and fast descents. The heat was noticeable and the boys were trying to stay on top of hydrating. This was going to be the first time trial for a few of the boys, but it had a nice down grade start that would allow them to get rolling quickly before the hills came.

We then had them ride about 10 miles to a bike shop where Ben’s bike was getting some last minute work on the shifters at Cycle Drome Bike Shop right across from the Velodrome.

That evening I was able to get us all free tickets to the Friday night races and into the infield where the boys were met by none other than Marty Northstien former Olympic Gold Medalist in the Sprints who welcomed them all to the track. They were looking around the track from the infield watching the early elimination rounds with jaws open while I introduced them to several coaches and riders who had raced around the world and garnered many medals in their careers including, Gibby “The Bear” Hatton who won the Junior World Championships Sprint in 1975 and who had gone on to win several Masters World Championships and was there coaching.

We left the infield and found our seats in the bleachers and the boys got a great lesson on a live chalk board of how to attack, close a gap, and time your sprint. It was an enlightening evening to say the least.

Saturday morning Time Trial: 4.6 miles of the same loop as the road racecourse.

Very hot, as Tisha Kirk, Dave Reed, Carol Merkt and I set up the tents and coolers for the day.

When the results finally came out, Nate Etchells was 3^rd Ben Wolf was 5^th and we felt like we could be competitive in the road race.

The heat was become a real factor as they cooled off in the shade for a few hours drinking and snacking before the road stage.

I have misplaced all my notes and GC sheets but there was a very strong experienced team from Lehigh Valley holding down the first two spots and several of the top 10 positions.

During the time we were waiting for the TT results to be posted I began to introduce several scenario’s that were unique to stage racing, but all this went out the window once results were posted.

What Nate in his first year of racing had to realize and focus on was just a bit overwhelming and the heat was not helping any of them prepare for what was about to happen.

What did become clear however was that Evan, David and Ian was now playing support roles for Ben and Nate. They were prepared to sacrifice themselves to make some early moves and to cover early moves, which to me was one of the key elements in making this trip.

I had to make it clear to the officials and to the race director in her first year at the position that I did not come all the way down here from Connecticut with 5 riders and parents to have my 15&16 year olds mixed in with 17 &18 year olds for the road stage. Regardless of how they planned to keep the results separate, it would influence how the race was ridden and we wanted no part of it.

They heard me and started the groups about 3 minute apart, but the heat of the day was going to take its toll no matter.

One other thing that the officials should have changed was the no feeding rule. Had they allowed us to do hand ups after the second lap, I am quite certain my boys would have done much better.

Standing on the top of the second climb it was a pleasure to see all 5 of the MVC kids holding their own for the first 3 laps, but Ben was shaking his head the third time around letting me know he was not going to be there much longer.

On the fourth lap it was like a bomb went off in the 20-man peleton, they were spread over a ½ mile and struggling because of the heat. Ian and David had made efforts off the front early on and were paying for it before the group shattered but now, Ben, and Evan were off the back and struggling, while Nate had lost contact also. At this point I rode back to the start finish area and loaded up with water bottles submerged in the cooler ice water. I was flashing back to my days in South American stage races where you protected your riders no matter what the rules. I was going to ice the boys down on the next lap regardless but as I stood there on the hill only Nate came by and was he happy to see me with cold water. I noticed the race marshals getting in their cars and leaving, that’s when I knew the officials must have called off the last lap.

Back at the start finish, the tent area looked like a war zone. Ben was still cooling off in the ambulance and others were getting in line. It took awhile for the boys to recover and it would take all night for the officials to figure out the GC.

Sunday morning’s 20 lap criterium at Rodale Park, across the street from the Velodrome was supposed to start at 9:30am but a panicked call from Ian back to our hotel said things had changed and it was a 8:30am start. Ben, Evan, and David were able to get over to the course in time to warm up and the final stage began at about 8:45am.

The field of 20 stayed together for most of the race with single forays off the front that never got more than a few seconds. There were some premes but nothing ever split the race up even when Ian was involved in a crash that was not his fault. His bike brake levers were destroyed to the point that he could not take advantage of the free lap rule and he had to watch the remaining laps.

So on the final stage the boys were able to sit in and compete with some really good riders, many of which race on the track, and had lots of speed and snap in their legs.

Ben took a serious flyer off the front with two laps to go and had Evan near the front, but it was to no avail. Evan was best placed in the final group sprint at 5^th place and was still moving up when he ran out of room.

Nate Etchells was our best-placed rider in 9^th place on GC and received a medal for his third place in the time trial. I am sure they can comment on this a little further regarding what an experience this was for them.

For me it was mission accomplished. They all finished or in Ian’s case would have finished, and can file this weekend away in the memory banks of those young legs and minds for future reference in the coming years.

It is now early August and the team has come down to a core group of five riders who are actively training and racing on weekends. Nate, Ben, Evan, David and Ian continue to travel to races and rack up training miles consistently each week.

The support system of parents, sponsors, and Mystic Velo Club continues to make sure this program is a success in its first year.

Bill Humphreys

The following article appeared in Road Bike Action Magazine and was written by our own Bill Humphreys. Read it here.

Jr team news as forwarded from Bill Humphreys on 3/7/08:

As you make room for your new cycling related Christmas gifts, consider donating your old gear to the MVC Junior program. I had a pair of pedals and shoes gathering dust, those are the things that they need right now. Contact Bill Humphreys with these items at the address below.

Bill Humphreys, MVC Junior Team Manager, had this to say about the MVC junior team ...

Mystic Velo Club Junior Cycling Team

The team is made up of riders from the Southeastern Connecticut shoreline between the ages of 14 and 18. This junior team is a division of the Mystic Velo Club, and as such will be seeking its own sponsorship program before beginning the 2008 season.

The team will be managed by Bill Humphreys of Bike Guy LLC and will be directed by Wayne Kirk and David Reed. With a cap of 10 riders established for 2008, the team will race in selected USCF and NORBA events in New York, New Jersey and New England

Current Sponsors:

• Connaughty Chiropractic (Title)
• Mystic Velo Club
• Niantic Bay Bicycles
• Lake Shoes
• Bike Guy LLC

Inquires to:

Bill Humphreys
Bike Guy LLC
5 Devitt Loop
Old Lyme, CT 06371
bill@bikeguy.biz
www.bikeguy.biz

My name is Andy Van Dore, I'm 11 years old and this was my first bike race ever. I went with Ron Livingston, but my mom couldn’t come. I had just gotten my first road bike a few weeks before, and hadn’t had much time to ride it yet. I was both excited and nervous.

Winning the Lance Armstrong Junior Olympic Race Series (LAJORS) Nicole Reinhart Memorial Stage Race on July 16-17 in Trexlortown, PA. put Mystic Velo Club Junior Men’s 11-12 rider Paul Lynch in first place in the LAJORS national rankings for stage races.