bluckett posted on September 01, 2009 10:00
To our Sponsors,
These slightly cooler days signal the end of road season and a return to the mud and madness of Cyclocross season! But, before we start ringing the cowbells, I wanted to let you know that BikeClicks/Team Louisville enjoyed a successful and fun road racing season, with a podium or top ten finish in nearly every race. We are quite a presence at local races as well as spots as far reaching as northern Illinois, Indiana & St. Louis and even Arkansas as many of our members traveled to race this summer after the local spring series was over. Your logos and support for our team was seen far & wide this summer!
BIKECLICKS.COM
With the upcoming Cyclocross season, the OVCX (Ohio Valley Cyclocross) series, and the expansion of the USGP series to four races; the BikeClicks.com membership is growing daily and steadily. OVCX and USGP are two of the most active communities on the site – both Cyclocross centered groups are bringing members from all over the country to the site, further expanding your exposure.
COMMUNITY
In addition to our racing pursuits, BikeClicks/Team Louisville was a big presence at many community events this summer, including a memorial ride for fallen triathlete John Carr (who was tragically killed during a race this summer), the Mayor’s Hike and Bike last weekend and this weekend’s big event put on by the Louisville Bicycle Club: The Old Kentucky Home Tour. BikeClicks/Team Louisville hosts a “sag” stop (a sag stop is literally, a stop along the way of a touring ride where riders can rest, eat and then continue their ride). We’ll have team members at this stop and lined up along the toughest climb on the ride, cheering riders to the top. We’re proud to be a part of the festivities.
File this under fun facts: The Old Kentucky Home Tour typically boasts over 1,000 participants and is one of the largest cycling events in the state. BikeClicks.com also powers the OKHT website, and is happy to have them as a new and growing community on the website.
EVALUATION RIDES & NEW MEMBERS
We completed our evaluation rides a few weeks ago and invited seven new members (six guys and one girl) to join the ranks of BikeClicks/Team Louisville. We are thrilled to have them on board. In addition to having evaluation rides and getting to know interested applicants by inviting them to join some of our training rides, we ask that they jot down some of their reasons for wanting to join the team. We’re always humbled and buoyed by the fact that folks out there see what the team is doing and what we’re all about and want to be a part of it. Here are just a few snippets of the letters we got from interested applicants:
I don’t want to join just any regular team around town.
I want to be a part of a team that will allow me to grow as a better cyclist,
but also give me the tools to help the cycling community around the Louisville area.
What I like about Team Louisville / Bike Clicks is the camaraderie that everyone has.
I don’t want to be just on a cycling team, but part of a cycling team
Whether it’s helping with the OKHT, the Mayor’s Hike & Bike,
or promoting safer riding and roads I am impressed with the team’s goals and missions.
These sentiments were echoed in all the messages! BikeClicks/Team Louisville makes a good impression in the cycling community and folks are taking notice and want to be a part of it. None of what we do would be possible without your continued support, so we thank you for that!
WOMEN’S SQUAD
Our women’s squad is changing and growing, both in numbers and development. All of our women (mostly, with 2 exceptions - comprised of fairly new racers – 2 years experience at the most) upgraded to the next, higher category (cat 3) by the end of the season. The last race we did was the PUR Tour in Mason, Ohio and it was at this race that we had really figured out a thing or two about racing, tactics and strategy; in fact, two BC/TL women finished that race on the podium, taking 1st and 2nd place! Quite a few women admitted to us after the race that they were both impressed and intimidated by how well we worked together. Many of them had heard about the great “things coming out of Louisville for women’s cycling” and several asked how they could get on the women’s squad!
CYCLOCROSS
Okay, now feel free to get out your cowbells & start ringing them! The first race of the series is in Landen, Ohio on September 20th. The first local race is ours: the Tour de Louisville held at Fisherman’s Park on October 4th. This is a great venue – plenty of parking and space to spectate; we invite you all to come out and see what ‘cross is all about! With the exception of the USGP weekend (October 24th & 25th) and two other races (Tour de Louisville and Storm the Greens in December), the ‘cross races are held primarily in Ohio, Indiana and Lexington – don’t miss a chance to come to a local race and see the mayhem!
SPONSORSHIPS
This newsletter marks the end of the 2009 season with our sponsors. Many of you have already renewed for 2010 and for that we are most appreciative! It’s been a super year and we look forward to continuing our relationships.
As always, we thank you for your continued and generous support!
Suzanne
WebGirl, BikeClicks.com