Gran Fondo Campagnolo
Posted Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008
Chris Butler is joining David Talbott in Europe and the rest of the Hincapie Barkley Development Team is getting ready for some important events coming up soon. Hincapie Barkley's U23 riders are not the only team members shooting for results in Europe this month. On June 10, Christina and Randall Maddox will embark on their journey to Italy where they will compete in the Gran Fondo Campagnola in Feltre, Italy. The event will culminate more than 6 months of preparation to achieve their goals.
Popular in Europe for the challenges they present to the participants, Gran Fondo events pit amateurs and professionals against each other on difficult courses that include thousands of meters of climbing over hundreds of kilometers. An International field of over 3000 amateurs and pros will face off in the 215km Gran Fondo Campagnola on June 15. It is hard to find anything like these races in the US.
Finishing strong is a serious accomplishment, because the age groups can include several hundred riders and are typically made up of past Grand Tour Stage winners and distinguished European racers. Christina is shooting for a top 5 overall finish in the women's field, while Randall has been training hard for a top 5 finish in his age group. The duo will be proudly representing the US in their Hincapie Barkley team kits. We know that they are capable of achieving their goals, and we wish them the best of luck on their adventure.
Chris Butler Wins the Division II Collegiate National Road Race Championship
Posted Thursday, April 15, 2008
We are very proud to announce that Hincapie Barkley Development Team member, Chris Butler won the Division II Collegiate National Road Race Championship this weekend, while racing with his Furman University teammates in Ft. Collins, CO. The team rode really well in support of Chris, who's results leading up to this weekend foreshadowed his success in Colorado. In addition to Chris' impressive victory in the road race, he and his teammates (Spencer Beamer, Todd McClure and Craig McKinney) also won the D2 Collegiate National Team Time Trial Championship on Friday. Spencer came close to making it a clean sweep for Furman by placing second in the criterium on Sunday. It was a fantastic weekend for the entire Furman team and a great result for Hincapie Barkley's very own Chris Butler. Congratulations to Chris and the whole team for making us all so proud.
Chris' has been progressing quickly as a top-level talent and his performances have been attracting the eye of many in the cycling community. We are very proud to announce that Chris has been selected to race in Europe on the USA U23 National Team next month. Chris will join Hincapie Barkley teammate David Talbott in Belgium in June to gain some valuable international racing experience. We are very proud of Chris and David, and we wish them the best of luck in Europe.
New Team Bus
Posted Saturday, April 19, 2008
It's been a busy couple of weeks for the Hincapie Barkley Development Team, and I'm happy to report that the team has been getting some attention and scoring some impressive results. I will try to summarize briefly in order to make this a fairly short email.
The new Hincapie Barkley Team Bus has been making the rounds of the racing scene and it's leaving quite the impression on all that experience it. Thanks to our friends at Vision Screen Printing in Greenville, for wrapping it with some great graphics designed by Barkley. See the attached image for a preliminary look. The bus will be traveling around the state for the entire week of the Tour de Georgia, garnering even more attention for this young and promising team.
National Champion, Ben Gabardi scored an impressive win in the Chattanooga Cat 3 criterium last weekend, when he rode away from the field with 5 laps to go. He out sprinted his breakaway companion for the win, while Steve Baker took 4th place behind him. It was a great race for the cat 3 men's team and helped Ben take 4th place over all in the three stage race.
The men's Cat 1,2 Team had a good showing for the weekend as well. Round 4 of the Georgia Cup in Chattanooga saw some of the fastest racing to date, and the Hincapie Barkley boys stood tall. Chris Butler and Nick Housley showed their time trialing prowess by placing 4th and 7th respectively in an impressive field that included some of the country's top domestic professionals! These are some speedy guys to keep an eye on this season. Dave Hutton, Steve Carpenter, AJ Meyer and David Talbott all rode strong to finish the criterium that evening and protect the top 10 positions for Chris and Nick. Sunday's 92 mile Road Race was brutal and the NRC pro teams set a blistering pace. Thanks to some smart riding and teamwork, the Hincapie Barkley GC positions were protected and Chris and Nick both finished strong. Chris ended up with a 5th place overall in the stage race. It was a great showing for the team.
Nicole Bossie hung tough with some stiff competition to finish the women's Pro,1,2 stage race in 7th place overall. She had a strong 10th place finish in a very fast criterium and a 6th place finish in the road race. Cinthia Lehner and Angela Austin rode strong in the women's cat 3/4 field for the entire weekend. This was their first 3 race stage race, so they are learning very quickly. Both finished all the races, highlighted by Cinthia's second place in a very challenging road race. That was good enough for a 2nd place overall.
Previous week's highlights from Rock Hill, SC:
The team scored 2 wins at the Rock Hill race weekend. Cinthia Lehner won her first race with an impressive victory in a rainy criterium. Just looking at the smile on her face at the finish, you could tell that she was proud to take 3 primes and the win on a very difficult and technical circuit. Randall Maddox won his first bike race as well in Rock Hill by out sprinting the 45+ Masters competition in the Rock Hill Road Race. The win was good enough to secure 4th place in the overall omnium competition. Great job to Cinthia and Randall on their victories. Nicole Bossie finished 3rd in a rainy women's Pro,1,2 criterium to help her place 7th overall for the omnium. Evan Wynn showed that he has the leg speed to spring with the field using junior gears by placing 6th in a very long and difficult cat 3 road race on Sunday. Great job to Evan for a great performance in the longest race he's ridden to date.
Previous week's highlights from Gainesville, GA:
Chris Butler placed 3rd in the TT in Gainesville, while the team helped him stay near the front for the rest of the weekend. He came away with a 7th place overall, in a field that included many top professional riders. The team is riding well together and Chris' individual fitness is proving to be very competitive in the Pro,1,2 fields.
Congratulations to the team on their efforts. Look for more great reports coming soon. Thank you for your support and encouragement.
Hincapie-Barkley Team Featured in NY Times
Posted Friday, March 21, 2008
We are very excited to share that the Hincapie Barkley Development Team was featured in an article on March 21, 2008 in the NY Times authored by Stuart Elliott, one of the most respected journalists in his field. Thanks to the help of our awesome sponsor, Barkley, the cycling team leads off an article that includes some of the advertising industry's heavyweights. This is a fantastic accomplishment for the team and cycling in general. Thank you to all of you for making this such a great program.
Rain or Shine
Posted Tuesday, March 18, 2008
The Hincapie Barkley development team was competing in several events all across the southeast this weekend. Inclement weather made for some tough days in the saddle, but the team came through with some good performances.
Hincapie Barkley teammate Chris Butler had another fantastic collegiate weekend in Dahlonega, GA where he placed 2nd in the road race after helping the Furman Cycling Team win the team time trial in convincing fashion. Chris has proven to be a serious force in southeastern collegiate cycling, which continues to help him when he competes in his Hincapie Barkley team kit.
Nick Housley, Dave Hutton and Ty Magner competed in Perry, GA where Nick proved he's one of the top time trialists in the area with a 7th place finish in the TT. Dave and Ty supported Nick in the circuit race and the road race as well. Nick and Ty were two of only 20-something finishers out of 95 starters in a very difficult road race on Sunday.
Ben Gabardi showed his time trial training is right on track with a strong 55 minute 40K race this weekend. His time was strong enough to put him in the top 10 of the 1,2,3 field, so he's on schedule to repeat as a national champion in that discipline.
Tyler Karnes raced a time trial and criterium in Virginia and he substantially improved his time from 2007. After taking 10 minutes off his time from last year in the time trial, Tyler placed 7th in a very competitive cat 3 criterium. He made the break and lapped the field, showing that he has some great early season fitness.
Nicole Bossie raced several women's events in North Carolina. She placed 10th at the Out Like a Lion road race and 13th in the Salisbury criterium. Nicole is using these early season events to prepare for her targeted NRC events this summer and she's right on track.
David Talbott took a break from racing this weekend to lead a junior cycling clinic in Chattanooga, TN with the local cycling club. David is one of the most respected young riders in the southeast, so it was really great for local juniors to learn from him.
Thank you for all of your support and encouragement.
Another Fun Weekend of Racing
Posted Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Hincapie Barkley finished another strong weekend of racing, as teammates sharpen their skills for the season ahead. The Greenville crew finished up the third and final Greenville Training Series weekend with some good riding and team work. The most impressive weekend results came from two Hincapie Barkley teammates racing elsewhere. AJ Meyer competed in a fast and furious criterium in Maryville, TN where he took 2nd place by lapping the field in a powerful break that included two national champions. Furman University student, Chris Butler asserted his collegiate road race dominance once again with another impressive win in the GA Tech road race.
Saturday's Greenville Training Series road race at River Falls included a stiff 1K climb that compounded the difficult 45 degree weather conditions. Nicole and Cinthia raced well in the women's race, trying to stay in position and make some of the moves. Rain and sleet made for epic early season conditions. Cinthia scored 2nd for the Cat 4 women with a strong last climb, while Nicole finished in 17th overall. Evan and Randy started the Cat 3 men's race and stayed comfortably with the group all day. Evan attacked on the last hill to lead out the field, scoring a great 6th place finish. Chris rode very aggressively in the pro, 1, 2 race trying to make many of the early breaks. He spent some time off the front with various groups but found himself in the field for the last lap. He showed his climbing prowess with a strong 10th place finish in front of the charging field.
The last race of the series was held at Donaldson Center in a not so spring-like 40 degrees. Nicole, Cinthia, Angela and Christina competed in the women's race and everyone finished with the group. The team is getting stronger and it's nice to see them all competitive in the race. Cinthia doubled up for the day and raced in the junior race as well. She held pace with the others, as they whittled down the field to a select few. Cinthia finished in 8th place and showed that she's learning very quickly and getting stronger every week. Randy, Steve B. and Evan raced hard in the Cat 3 race and finished strong in 4th, 8th and 10th respectively. The guys rode well together and worked hard in a competitive finishing sprint. Randall's Master's 45+ race was fast from the gun with some aggressive riding from several teams. Randall worked on his pack positioning and managed to stay up front much of the time. He got involved in the sprint for the line and finished in 26th place.
Overall, it was a great spring series for everyone. The team is riding well and many of the new members are learning quickly. We'll be sure to share all the exciting news from the upcoming weekends as the action happens. Thank you for all your support.
Greenville Spring Training Series
Posted Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Hincapie Barkley Development Team teammates were racing and training in several different cities this weekend. The core Greenville team raced the second Greenville Spring Training Series weekend, while Chris Butler, Dave Hutton and Nick Housley participated in other events.
Chris donned his Furman University colors to compete in the UGA collegiate cycling weekend in Athens, GA. After a very strong third place finish in the time trial, Chris trounced the competition in the road race with a convincing solo victory. Dave and Nick traveled north to Dave's old stomping grounds in Ohio for a rare early season criterium with a huge purse. The technical course combined with early season bike handling jitters by some of the field, to lead to some nervous moments, but the boys showed well. After avoiding some late-race incidents, Dave scratched out a 16th place finish.
Greenville saw sunny skies and warm temps for the entire weekend, so the fields were packed with competitors. George Hincapie joined the group that included Hincapie Barkley members Steve Carpenter, AJ Meyer, David Talbott, Steve Colavito and Rich Hincapie in the Pro,1,2 race. The wind was blowing and the speeds were high for the entire race, so it didn't take long for the field to be whittled down to a fast few. The team raced well together and worked hard all day. AJ Meyer proved his early season strength once again with a very impressive third place finish. Evan Wynn, Randy Owens, Steve Baker and Jeremy Ellis were active in the Cat 3 race. The team is learning each others strengths and weaknesses in these early season efforts, and several teammates rode aggressively from the start. Nicole Bossie, Angela Austin, Cinthia Lehner and Christina Maddox raced a difficult women's open race that split up from the start. The ladies rode well and showed strong determination that will help them excel later in the season. Randall Maddox finished strong with the field in a competitive Masters 45+ race as well.
Sunday's races were back at Donaldson Center in Greenville. Nicole and Angela raced the women's open race, while Evan, AJ and Cinthia competed in the Junior race. They took turns attacking the field and ended up dropping most of the competitors. AJ scored another win for Hincapie Barkley while Evan held off the competition for a strong second place finish and Cinthia sprinted to seventh. Steve Carpenter, AJ, Rich and Steve Colavito raced the 1,2 race, and got in some great training. They were active and attentive all day. Randy and Steve B took turns attacking the field in the Cat 3 race, but they never managed to make anything stick. The duo teamed up for a strong sprint finish.
The team is riding well together and everyone is enjoying the camaraderie. We are seeing glimpses of great things to come this season, so look for more good news in the near future. Thank you for all of your support.
Hincapie Barkley Opens Racing Season
Posted Tuesday, February 26, 2008
The Hincapie Barkley Development Team opened the season with a great weekend of racing! Our season traditionally starts with three consecutive weekends of racing at the Greenville Spring Training Series promoted by Rich Hincapie and Hincapie Sportswear in Greenville, SC.
Saturday's races began at 9:00 am at the infamous Donaldson Center, which is a local industrial park with a rolling 7.1 mile loop. Over 590 racers showed for the day of racing thanks in part to mild weather and a little sunshine. The women started at 9:00 am for 5 laps (35 miles) with a field of 55 riders. In her very first race, Cinthia Lehner placed 3rd amongst the Cat 4 women, winning the bronze, while Nicole, placed 15th overall. Randall Maddox showed some early season fitness with astrong finish in the pack in the Masters 45+ race.
The Cat 3 and Pro,1,2 men began racing several minutes apart on the 7.1 mile loop Saturday. It was a lot of action on the course at the same time, and the Hincapie Barkley team was very active all day in both races. Hincapie Barkley teammates took turns covering the early moves in an aggressive Pro,1,2 race that saw the field splinter into many smaller groups by the end of 56 miles. This was our first chance to race together as a team, so it was a learning opportunity for all. In the end, the team finished strong with David Talbott in 8th, Chris Butler 11th, Nick Housley 19th and AJ Meyer in 20th place. The Cat 3 team rode aggressively as well, and the team worked together well covering most of the moves on the day. In the hectic field sprint, Tyler Karnes, Randy Owens and Evan Wynn finished 11th, 22nd and 25th respectively.
On Sunday the conditions were a bit cooler at the BMW Performance Center. Steve Carpenter warmed up his day with a 12th place finish in the Masters 35+ race, while Randall Maddox had another finish in his Masters 45+ field in 29th. Ben, AJ and Tyler ruled the Junior race. Ben and AJ rode off the front for an impressive 1-2 victory, while Tyler sprinted to a strong 4th place finish. The women took off at 1:15 pm and ended with 2 top 10 finishes by Nicole and Cinthia. Angela Austin and Christina Maddox had great first races and finished respectfully. The Cat 3 men had a great day with Ben driving the early breakaway, while Tyler, Evan and Randy patrolled the front of the field. Ben finished 3rd, while Randy and Evan helped Tyler get 4th in the field sprint for 7th overall. The Pro,1,2 field accomplished their goal to be in every move on Sunday. They started or covered every move in the race. In the end, AJ Meyer showed some early-season speed with a great 4th place finish.
Next weekend's races at Fork Shoals on Saturday will start at 11:00am with our Cat 1,2 men. We hope to see some of you there!