Presented by Andy Cummings |
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Presented by Andy Cummings |
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Archives
November 12, 2007: Season Finale Picturesque cyclocross conditions this past weekend afforded the team one last opportunity to get out and race. A USCF permitting debacle nearly dashed any hopes of local racing, but in the end the folks at Handlebars came through and pulled off a top notch event. Additionally, Mike Loranty made the trip to Toronto on Saturday to make a double header out of the weekend.
Thanks to all of our sponsors on behalf of the entire team. The season would not have been a success without you!
October 20, 2007 Sprague Brook Cyclocross.
Perfect weather greeted Mike Loranty, Chris Fuller, Rob Hillyard and Dave
Kina for the 'Brook Cyclocross. By perfect I mean 50's and rain- cold
steady rain! Chris Fuller was 2nd in the master class, Mike Loranty
looking svelte below was 3rd in the "elite" class.
October 14, 2007: Sprague Brook October Surprise
October 3, 2007: Roots, Rocks, and Ridges.
As expected Dennis Baldwin and the folks from the Ellicottville Bik This years Roots was the epitome of a true east coast style mountain bike race, from start to finish. Riders covered 25 miles of the areas most demanding terrain in no less than 2.5 hours. Post race aches and pains were eased with Smokin' Tom's BBQ and a keg. A nice size prize table was emptied, everyone walked away with at least one prize. It was a good day for the team too. Mike Loranty placed 2nd overall, and Chris Fuller was 3rd in his age group. Joe Saviola had enough flat tires for everyone and wisely chose to abandon while he could rather than be stranded. On the road this weekend it was the BBC Wyoming County race which wraps up BBC events for 2007. Ken Thomas and Jim Cowle chased down the A, B and C packs to take the top 2 spots with Jim coming home the winner!! This was an emotional win for Jim as he won this race as a “C” rider back in the early 90’s when he was still in middle school!! Up next is the Fall Fest Mountain Bike Race in Ellicottville, and the Ommegang Brewery Cyclocross. The team should be well represented between the two races. Mike Loranty will head south to West Virginia for the Race for the Riddles , a race to benefit his friend Joey Riddle who was hurt in a race. In addition to the race some nice frames and other prizes are being raffled, check the link for more info. September 26: We're still here! Apologies for our lack of updates lately. September typically signals the end of intense racing for most cyclists. But this doesn't mean that we've packed our bikes away for the winter, we've still been busy in the past few weeks. In fact, there have been reported sightings of Andy Cummings riding through the woods. Breast cancer charity, and team sponsor, Viva for Life is holding their annual fundraiser this Friday evening. Tickets are still available, click on the pink Viva for Life logo above for more information. Many team members will be in attendance, we hope to see you there. On Sunday, Dennis Baldwin of team sponsor Ellicottville Bike Shop is promoting the Roots Rocks and Ridges mountain bike race in Ellicottville. The race includes nearly all of the best singletrack in Ellicottville, and promises to be one of the best local mountain bike races of the year. The race starts in the town park at 10:00, more info can be found here. Lastly, we haven't completely stopped racing. Jim Cowle and Ken Thomas have been racking up points in the BBC and QCC club races. At the end of August Chris Fuller participated Hot August Nights 24 Hour Championship of the Whole Galaxy. Teamed up with several riders from other local teams, Chris won the intergalactic championship and with it a really cool jersey. This past weekend Mike Loranty kicked off the cyclocross season in Hamilton, ON. Missing the start of the race and then crashing while trying to catch up made for a pretty wretched start to the season. Mike managed an 8th place finish (in a field of 15 or so, don't be impressed) in the Cat 1/2 race. September 3, 2007: Congratulations! Congratulations to Mike and Erin Loranty on the birth of their first child June. Born Friday August 31st weighing 7lb 14oz (which is slightly less than Ken Thomas Cervello) Baby and Mom are well, Dad is still stunned but he's coming around.
August 29, 2007: Congratulations!
It has been an exciting two weeks for Team AG Edwards since Ascension
Church Criterium, both on and off the bike. Congratulations to Ben
Willis (the handsome devil pictured below) who took a break from winning
crits to pr Congratulations as well to Ken Thomas and his wife Erin on the birth of their second son. Charles Bernard (Chuck?) Thomas was born early Sunday morning. Both mother and baby are dong well. In race related news Jim, Mike, and Ken participated in the Wine Country Classic on the 18th. A short course and competitive field made for a tough race. Mike and Jim finished in the main field finishing 9th and 12th respectively. This past weekend a number of team riders raced in the annual Toyfest Road Race held in East Aurora. Again, the short course made for fast racing. Mike and Jim made it into an early escape of 6 riders. Mike's propensity for ill-fated attacks landed him a sweet 6th place finish. Fortunately Jim was able to take advantage of this during the sprint to take 2nd, literally missing out on the win by inches. Stay posted next week for a recap of what is likely to be the final road race of the year, this weekend's Niagara Square Crit. Most of the team should be in attendance, except for Mike Loranty who, along with his wife Erin, are expecting their first child a little over two weeks late. Good luck to all.
August 14, 2007: Ascension Criterium
Photo compliments of Buffalophotocd.com This weekend Team AG Edwards dominated the Ascension Church Criterium, a race promoted in North Tonawanda by the Buffalo Bicycling Club. Ben Willis was the star of the team taking two wins! It was a full day of racing, starting in mid-afternoon for Frank Mesi and Dan Park in the masters 45+ race. Things heated up for the team in the Category 4/5 race with Pat Merrick, Keith Pellerin, and Ben Willis. The guys rode conservatively for most of the race biding time, a strategy which worked well. Ben was able to hold off the field after a solo attack with 3 laps to go, with Pat near the front of the field making sure the chase never got too organized. The main event for the team was the Category 3/4 race in which Andy Cummings, Dave Kina, Mike Loranty, Pat Merrick, Frank Mesi, Ken Thomas, and Ben Willis competed. The race started relatively peacefully until the promoters used a $20 preem to stir the pot a few laps in. Dave Kina went off the front winning the preem and spend a little time on his own. Dave was brought back soon after, and Frank Mesi immediately attacked and spent a few laps on his own. An AG Edwards rider off the front was a recurring theme for the day with Cummings following Mesi, and then Loranty and Thomas each taking several shots. In the end it was Ben Willis with another solo attack taking the win for the team. Dave Kina smartly latched on to the wheel of a chasing Ryan Nye (Preferred Care) to place 5th, while the remainder of the team contested the field sprint with 3 more riders placing in the top 15. Andy Cummings, Mike Loranty, and Ken Thomas stuck around to try their hand in the Pro/1/2/3 race. A combination of many strong riders and a small field meant the pace would be fast and there would be nowhere to hide. This proved to be too much for Cummings and Loranty who fell off the pace near the half way mark. Ken Thomas was the lone finisher for the team placing 13th. July 30, 2007: This weekend several members of the AG Edwards team headed back to Holiday Valley for the 6 Hours of Power mountain bike race. Chris Fuller and Mike Loranty tackled the event solo, while Brian Borowiec and Joe Saviola joined forces in the team category. A classic local race, 6 HOP is enjoying increased popularity as more riders are choosing endurance events. In the 6 hour format riders complete as many laps as possible of the 10 mile course in, you guessed, 6 hours. After roughly 1 mile of climbing to reach the summit, riders enjoy some of the best singletrack around before descending back to the base for another lap. Out of 53 solo competitors Loranty placed 2nd and Fuller 14th, and they were 1st and 4th in their respective age categories. In the team category Borowiec and Saviola placed 37th, and were 9th in their age class. Once again, nice work team! July 25, 2007: The Wednesday night mountain bike race series at Holiday Valley in Ellicottville, NY wrapped up tonight with two AG Edwards riders taking top honors in their classes. Chris Fuller won the expert men 45+ category. Mike Loranty was the overall winner, claiming victory in each of the four races he entered and taking the expert men 19-34 title as well. Dennis Baldwin, owner of team sponsor Ellicottville Bike Shop, finished second in the expert 19-34 class. Stan Skotnicki was in contention for a podium spot in the expert 35-44 age class with a pair of podium finishes, but was not able to participate in the four races required to contest the series. Great job guys!
Rolling with the high of Mike hitting the top five they then watched the
Pro men race later that afternoon. Mike and Stan had a relaxing night as
they where invited to stay with the crew from Stan's NoTubes and the newly
crowned women's pro national champion Mary McConneloug, 3rd place finisher
in the men's pro race
Two medals in two days and a memorable weekend left Stan and Mike looking forward to a return to Mt. Snow for next years Nationals.
July 17, 2007: Ben Willis’ win in the second stage criterium was
the highlight of the Owasco Stage Race weekend for the AG Edwards team.
Ben launched a solo attack with three laps remaining in the race and was
able to hold off the 70-rider field.
June 24, 2007: A strong contingent from AG Edwards traveled to Rochester for the Rochester Twilight Criterium this past Saturday. The race is has quickly become one of the marquee events in the region, and is currently the only criterium on the UCI America Tour, the premier race series in the US. Most of the team members participated in the Cat 3/4 race, with the exception of Frank Mesi and Dan Park in the masters race, and Maureen Mayer who placed 10th in the women's Cat 4. With over 100 listed starters the Cat 3/4 race promised to be highly competitive. As expected the race got off to a quick start. Unfortunately a dull-witted spectator decided to drag his behemoth mountain bike into the street during the early laps, causing a pile up. Our own Andy Cummings was caught in this, despite being well positioned near the front, and was forced to get a wheel change and chase back on for the rest of the race. Meanwhile a barrage of unsuccessful attacks were mounted in the first half of the race. Jim Cowle, Mike Loranty, and Ken Thomas were all very active and made sure that the team was represented in nearly all of these attempts. Once it was clear that no one was going to get away, the race became a game of constant jockeying for position until the finish. Several more wrecks disrupted the field at various points throughout the race. Jim Cowle and Ken Thomas remained strong until the end finishing 6th and 10th respectively. Jim was the highest placed American in a race dominated by aging Canadian pros. Chris Cej, Mike Loranty, and Ben Willis, all finished in the front half of the field, which was whittled from 100 starters to 56 by the finish.
June 18, 2007: This weekend the Western New York cycling community lost Ben Pritchard, 25, of Rochester. Ben suffered heart failure while completing a lap at the Hardcore 24, a 24-hour mountain bike race in Naples, NY. He was an employee of Park Ave Bike Shop in Rochester. The race was immediately cancelled. Stan Skotnicki and Mike Loranty competed in the two person category at the Hardcore 24. When the race was stopped, around 9:00 pm Saturday, Stan and Mike held a lead of nearly 1 hour over the rest of duo class. The entire AG Edwards/Fortistar Cycling team extends their deepest sympathy to Ben's family and friends. June 16, 2007: CONGRATULATIONS to Keith Pellerin and his wife Annette on their wedding day!! June 14, 2007: UB Criterium Results- Ben Willis goes 2 for 2 again winning the "B" race, congratulations! Jim Cowle and Ken Thomas rode strong all night in the "A" race, and in the end finished 4th and 5th after a challenging sprint finish. Good Luck to the guys heading to the two man time trial on Sunday! June 7, 2007: Congratulations to Ben Willis for his "B" race win and Jim Cowle for his strong 3rd place finish in the "A" race at the Queen City Cyclists Criterium series races. It was unseasonably hot and windy and the whole team rode smart and strong. June 4, 2007: This past weekend was another busy one for team AG Edwards with riders participating in a variety of events. On Saturday Chris Cej, Frank Mesi, Dan Park, and Joe Saviola participated in the Tour de Cure, a charity ride to benefit the American Diabetes Association. A little friendly competition usually finds its way into charity rides like these, especially on the longer courses. So in addition to supporting a great cause, our guys logged some serious training completing the 100 mile route. Meanwhile in Ohio Mike Loranty was on his own 100 mile ride competing in the Mohican MTB 100. As the second stop on the National Ultra Endurance MTB series calendar the field was highly competitive, including two time US Olympian Tinker Juarez, six time 24 Hour world champion Chris Eatough, and defending series and Mohican champion Harlan Price. After close to 9 hours in the saddle Mike turned in a respectable 19th place finish. Full results and a report can be found on Cycling News. In other mountain bike competition Rob Hillyard competed in Duke's Epic 8, an 8 hour race in Mansfield, Ontario on May 26th. Rob participated in a four person team relay category with several local riders, and they placed 5th out of 20 teams in their category. On Sunday many of the remaining team members lined up for the Empire State Games Western Regional Qualifier in Boston, NY. As expected many of the top local cyclists from Buffalo and Rochester area teams came out to try and make the team for Empires. Qualifying included a 6.1 mile individual time trial, and a 48 mile road race. Pat Merrick kicked things off for the team turning in an 11th place finish in the time trial. Five laps on the hilly course coupled the high level of competition took its toll on the field, with over 1/3 of all riders not finishing. Ken Thomas was the best placed AG Edward rider in the road race. With 40 riders vying for 5 spots our team was unable to qualify any members. Congratulations to all of the riders who qualified for Empires!
May 31, 2007: Tour of Somerville
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May 20, 2007: BBC Langford Race Report -
The day was kind of gloomy, overcast, and slightly cold, but the AG
Edwards team looked eager to race and heat things up sporting their new
bright blue kit for 2007. The race started off with a bang as we intended
to be represented in any move that went off the front, and as promised
Stan Skotnicki took off at mile 0.1 and quickly established a healthy gap
for the first half lap by himself until a very fast Glenn Hansen (Tom's
Pro Bike) made a solo bridge up to him and they worked together to
increase their lead. After a lap and half a very talented group of riders
left the main field including Adam Garlapow (Shickluna), Wayne Luther
(Preferred care), Joe Halter (Handlebars), and our own Jim Cowle (AG
Edwards).
April 28, 2007 - Most of our team members
gathered this past Wednesday for what turned out to be a really nice
training ride. Everyone is really excited to have Timex as a new sponsor,
and when word came that our new heart rate monitors and watches had
On the racing side things are beginning to pick up. This weekend we'll have a large contingent at the circuit race in Binghamton, and a rider contesting an AMBC mountain bike race in Maryland. Check back early next week for race reports and results. Our new team kits should be arriving soon, so keep your eyes peeled for the blue train in weeks to come. Thanks to Keith Meyer at Timex for his generous support. We are also pleased to have Ray Laks Automotive group on board as a helmet sponsor.
Battenkill- Roubaix: April
14, 2007 The pack left the village of Salem, a quaint town just across the river from Vermont in Upstate NY, to tackle a hilly 55 mile loop tucked between the Green Mountains and the Adirondack foothills. Each team member turned in a solid performance, and the day was capped by Mike Loranty's 4th pace finish in the Cat 3 race. The somewhat sluggish field came to life with less the five miles to go. Not one to hang around for a bunch sprint, Mike bridged to a lone rider chasing two leaders less than two miles from the finish. JW Dundees rider Cheyne Hoag joined the group, and although they were unable to reel in the leaders, the trio managed to hold off the field. A rather exciting finish to an otherwise uneventful race. Bad luck befell Stan Skotnicki, who still managed to finish, at 74th in the Cat 3 field. In the huge Cat 4 race Ben Willis and Keith Pellerin placed 54th and 95th respectively. Maureen Mayer cut 10 minutes off her time from the 2006 edition to finish 18th in a strong women's Cat 4 field. Chris Fuller definitely finished the Masters 40+ race, his result is not posted, probably because race officials are still verifying his age. Good times were definitely had by all. Thanks to Maureen for hosting the team at her family's place. Race Report from the Buffalo Spring Giro by Frank Mesi March 25th, 2007 - At the fourth spring Giro our team was near full force today despite Kenny and Andy almost not making the group because they were too cold to get out of the car!! Maybe we should look into a heated bike seat sponsor! The race started out with all of the teams watching each other, no attacks that broke the group right out of the gate, which was not the norm. Finally a small band of riders rode off the front. This included Jason Skalski (PC), Mike Loranty (AG Edwards_Fortistar) our hero, Joe Halter (Handlebars), Al Lombart (FMV), and Steve Burget (JW Dundees). With all the major teams represented, except for the Shiks’ (Shikluna), we knew our job was pretty much done for the day. As Jason and Mike pulled the train out of the station, we got a free ride from the Shiks, who knew they made a mistake but did not have the horsepower to bring back the escapees. Stan, Ben, Jimbo, Dave, Ken and Andy all took turns making sure the pack stayed together. Jimbo had a flat, we are still waiting for the Sports Director - Dan the wheel van Park to show. Not to worry, Jimbo can still catch the group next week. During the second lap things got interesting, Steve B. flatted and sent the JW boys into a panic. They were pushing the pace to near 30 mph with the tailwind. I was trying to hide behind them and was killing my self, so it was to the back of the bus for me. They had the break away in site but could not close the gap, Mike must have been on some kind of high, taking pulls with someone of Jason’s caliber shows what kind of rider he can be. In the end the break stayed away, and our hero placed 2nd behind Jason. This brings us back to the pack, for a little fun and games. We knew that there were two places left, and points are points. So the group started to ride like the wind, with small attacks everywhere. Andy was itching to get behind someone, everyone knows that is Andy’s favorite spot. So he saddled up behind me and we waited for our time, patience is very important in sprinting. As we came into the finish, I saw that the top guys Todd (PC), Staffo, Roden, (JW) Justin Jones (shiks) were taking the inside route. This gave the AG Edwards boys the outside lane. Before they could start their engines, we took off, pushing the pace to 37 mph knowing that my teammates were on my wheel. With the finish line in site I knew we were going to place. What a good way to start the year, Mike 2nd, the old man 5th , Kenny 6th, and Andy 7th. Now, if we could just get that wheel van... I am old but not slow, Frank Mesi
March 5th, 2007 - Congratulations to Andy and Amanda on the birth of their second daughter, Olivia Claire Cummings! She arrived mid-morning Wednesday, February 28th, weighing in at just over 9lbs. Everyone is at home and doing well. On a cycling related note, Ben Willis kicked off the race season for Team A.G. Edwards at the Tour of Pickaway County in Ohio. Ben placed 2nd in the Cat4/5 race, where the winner bridged to some teammates in the Cat 3/4 race which, apparently, is legal in Ohio. Photos from the finish indicate that Ben crushed it in the sprint because no other riders are visible. Look for the photo on the results page later today, and stay tuned as the Spring Giros kick off the season locally.
February 25, 2007 - Several members of the A.G. Edwards team were spotted at KB this afternoon. Skiing? Not so much. Bike riding sure is fun, especially when it warms up into the 30's. Race season is just around the corner, and we need to be ready. We are excited to welcome our newest member, Frank Mesi. Frank brings an unrivaled depth of experience to our team, welcome! The team also is pleased to welcome Fortistar, as a new presenting sponsor. In addition Dollnar & Thomas Aesthetic Dentistry, and LSA, and Mayer Brothers have offered their support as well. The team is grateful to the new sponsors and looking forward to representing them this season.
February 2, 2007 - The past few weeks have been busy for A.G. Edwards Cycling. The team is pleased to announce new sponsorships with The Buffalo Brew Pub, Cannondale, Ellicottville Bike Shop, Maxxis; Rupp, Baase, Pfalzgraf, Cunningham, & Coppola LLC Attorneys at Law, and Smokin' Tom's Barbecue! Everyone is excited about our new sponsors and grateful for their support! You may have also noticed that our website is being redesigned, please bear with us.
January 7, 2007 - Newly announced team member Ken Thomas suffered a fractured Ulna during a slow speed incident on Sundays training ride. Thomas will undergo surgery on Tuesday January 9th to set the break. We wish him a speedy recovery!
November 27, 2006 - AG Edwards cycling is pleased to announce the addition of Maureen Mayer, Stan Skotnicki, and Ken Thomas to the squad for 2007. Thomas brings a strong Category 3 addition as well as his sense of humor and incredible drive. Mayer is the first female appointed to the team bringing a wealth of diversity with both road and mountain experience. Skotnicki is a talented Category 3 road and expert mountain rider. Each rider brings a unique dynamic to the team, we feel that the balance we achieved in the latter part of 2006 will only be strengthened in 2007!
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2008 © Wachovia Securites Cycling Team |
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Saturday's
event was part of the two race Toronto International Pro-Am UCI C2 race
weekend. Because the race offered UCI points and the accompanying
prize money Canada's best as well as some tough Americans were in
attendance. Mike raced in the elite men's field and finished a
respectable 18th place, accomplishing his goal of not getting lapped.
On Sunday Mike, Stan Skotnicki, and Chris Fuller were on the line at the
Delaware Park Cyclocross race. It was to be another banner day for
the team with Stan winning the single speed class, Mike placing second
over all, and Chris finishing near (or maybe at?) the front of the masters
class. Ben Willis was out in full force, as a super-fan, although he
seemed to be fixated on mounts and dismounts. At any rate, it was
cool to have him there.
Cool weather and dry trails greeted participants in
the first annual Handlebars October Surprise Mountain Bike race at
Sprague Brook Park, in Glenwood, NY. The course featured twisting single
tacks trails developed on this county park land by the Western New York
Mountain Bike association. The cool weather and dry trails made for fast
times over the 8 mile loops. Some fun cat and mouse racing played out by
the chasing Rob Hillyard and worried looking Chris Fuller (below).
e
Shop did a top notch job promoting Roots, Rocks, and Ridges. Brian
Borowiec, Chris Fuller, Rob Hillyard, Mike Loranty, and Joe Saviola
represented AG Edwards in the race. Maureen Mayer was on hand, but opted
to marshal as she was sick. With temperatures in the 70's, it was a great
day to be outside no matter what you were doing. 
opose
to his girlfriend, Lynn. We are all really happy for Ben and Lynn,
and hope they get married soon so we never have to figure out how to
pronounce Lynn's last name. It is so complicated that I'm not even
going to attempt spelling it for you. In all seriousness, best wishes for
continued happiness to Ben and Lynn! 
July
23, 2007: This past weekend Stan Skotnicki and Mike Loranty of the AG
Edwards cycling team put their road bikes aside and hit the dirt at the
National Mountain bike championships at Mt. Snow in West Dover, VT. All
fields were filled with stiff competition from across the country,
prepared and ready to race for the coveted stars and stripes jersey of
national champ. The course was a true mountain bikers course that offered
tough climbs, fast technical descents, and winding singletrack all over a
greasy wet terrain littered with roots and monstrous rocks. The race was
an early 8 o'clock start with temperatures in the mid 50's and clear skies
making for a perfect race day. Mike entered the Expert 25-29 class and
Stan the Open Singlespeed class, starting within 4 minutes of each other.
After over 2 hours of this grueling, but unbelievably fun course Mike hit
the podium with an amazing fifth place finish while Stan ended up with a
15th place in the SS class. 
Mike
Broderick and Jeff Inman of Cayuga Ski and Cyclery in Ithaca, NY. This
great evening left Mike with the energy and ambition to race the Expert
short track 19-29 on Sunday morning. This sort of race is like a dirt crit
style racing keeping you at anaerobic threshold for the entire time. This
high paced event forced Mike to go hard from the start and make the right
moves which landed him in a selection of the final five fighting it out
for the third place spot. With the No-tubes squad cheering him on Mike
sprinted his way back on the podium for a fantastic fourth place finish.
The weekend consisted of an individual time trial and criterium on
Saturday, and a road race on Sunday. In addition to Ben, Pat Merrick was
also competing in the Cat 4 race while Mike Loranty contested the Cat 3
race. The level of competition combined with challenging courses made
this a tough weekend for all. Both Ben and Pat were placed within the top
20 in the General Classification (GC) going into Sunday’s road race,
however the hilly course splintered the field and changed the leader board
quite a bit. This was truly a climber’s course, with one climb so steep
that rider’s wheels were spinning! Mike was placed around 30th
going into the road race, the hilly course helped him and he ended up 16th
in GC. Ben and Pat ended the weekend 35th and 43rd
in the GC respectively. A great job by all three riders, not to mention a
fun weekend. 
Team
AG Edwards sent a strong contingent to New Jersey to contest the Tour of
Somerville. The weekend included four criteriums, culminating the
the headlining event on Monday. Challenging courses and highly
competitive fields made for a tough weekend of racing, not to mention the
oppressive heat. Jim Cowle, Andy Cummings, Mike Loranty, Frank Mesi, Ken
Thomas, and Ben Willis were in attendance for the team. Racing
kicked of with Friday's Manville Madness. An entire day of driving
and an unfortunate crash took their tolls on the team, however Ken Thomas
and Mike Loranty managed 13th and 14th place finishes respectively.
Everyone rebounded nicely for the Super Saturday Cycling Classic.
Ben Willis was in contention for the win, but was caught behind a crash in
the last corner. The results for this race have not been posted.
Sunday's Bound Brook Criterium featured a fast wide course with a tight
chicane ri
ght
before the finish. The team was in excellent position coming into
the last lap, but such an aggressive field proved to be too strong.
Andy Cummings and Ken Thomas finished well nonetheless in 16th and 17th
place respectively. Monday's Tour of Somerville was the crown jewel
of the weekend, dubbed 'The Kentucky Derby of Cycling'. With an extremely
wide open four corner course and a Cat 3 field of 135 riders this was by
far the weekends most exciting event. The race was relatively
smooth, aside from one crash in the field that unfortunately caught Andy
Cummings. Everyone else finished in the front of the field, with Ken
Thomas as the teams top finisher in 18th place. Everyone arrived
home relatively unscathed and ready to race again soon. Thanks to
Andy Cummings for organizing this trip for the team. 
This
group caught up to Skotnicki and Hansen and they all started working
together at a very fast pace, while the main pack was being closely
watched by our boys to make sure no one else escaped unattached. After 2
and a half laps of racing Skotnicki fell off the fast pace of the leading
group and moved back to the main field, as Halter and Hansen hung on for
another lap not to be caught by the main field. Jim Cowle single handedly
worked pedal for pedal with two great riders from the Buffalo area to the
end, before Luther spit off the front to take a solo victory leaving Cowle
and Garlapow to sprint it out for second place with Jim Cowle taking the
honors. Back in the bunch, Chris Fuller, Pat Merrick, Stan Skotnicki, Andy
Cummings, Ben Willis, Chris Cej, and Ken Thomas played games off the front
until Willis, Cej, and Thomas formed a group initiated by Cummings that
stayed away with Scott Farrell (Red Door) taking most of the remaining
spots in the top ten and Cummings also taking the field sprint of the
remaining bunch to the line.
All in all it was a great day with a strong showing in both the A and B
race (Maureen Mayer and Keith Pellerin). We are a team that will continue
to get better and better as we continue to race together and take the good
and the bad from these club races and build on them for upcoming USCF
races. Good job team.
May
3, 2007 - There are races on the horizon every weekend from now until
August, the season is in full swing. This past weekend team AG Edwards
sent a strong contingent to the Binghamton Circuit Race where Andy
Cummings placed 5th in the Cat 3/4/5 race, and Maureen Mayer took 11th in
the Cat 3/4. Mike Loranty contested the Greenbrier Challenge in
Hagerstown, MD finishing 8th in the first proper mountain bike race for
the team. 
arrived
it took little to organize a group ride. The ride started out a
little on the wild size, but once Stan arrived and organized things we
were moving down the road like a well oiled machine. Everyone was eager to
contest the sprint for the EA village limit near Knox park, so much so in
fact that we repeated the circuit around Knox and did it twice. 
- Team AG Edwards was well represented at the third annual
Battenkill Roubaix. Like many other races this time of year, the course
included plenty of rough unpaved surfaces in celebration of the classic French
race, Paris-Roubaix. The Battenkill Roubaix has become one of
the biggest early season races in the northeast, boasting over 1000 registered
participants. 
January 8, 2007 - Ava Catherine Saviola arrived
Sunday January 8th, 6lb 6oz and 18 inches long! Everyone is healthy and
doing well. As you can see she is already being recruited to ride blue!
