Matt Seeley hammering at Calgary 70.3

Matt's bike split was 2:11! He is the Masters champion, 2nd age grouper over all and 9th overall including pros. Matt finished in only 4:03! BUT THAT'S NOT ALL! Alizabeth Bronsdon, friend and elite athlete coached by Matt Seeley also tore it up out there. According to Matt, Ali debuted her new PHX2 on this coarse with a 2:29 bike split, TOP age grouper and also finished 9th over all!

Iron Man Lake Placid (Rick Fesler and Josh Beck)

After a challenging swim, Josh Beck leaves the water in 113th place. Climbing onto his Valdora PHX2, Josh reduces the deficit and ends the bike in 11th place over all! Josh turns in the fastest pro and amateur bike split of the day! The next fastest bike split, eight minute behind josh, is turned in by world class cyclist and triathlete Andy Potts. Wow!..way to go Josh! 35 year old age grouper Josh finished 7th overall (amateur and pro). An amazing effort that will not be soon forgotten. Rick Fesler, 32, also on a Valdora PHX2, has an equally impressive race. Rick turned in the 2nd fastest amateur bike split of the day and finished 9th overall amateur and pro. Rick said it all - “Knowing that you still have to run 26.2 miles after biking for five hours, or 112 miles, but then getting off the bike knowing your legs feel great was a big motivator” If you want to learn first hand about Valdora bikes, visit Josh and Rick at Appalachian Running Company in Carlisle, PA. Pick up a new pair, or two, of running shoe while you're there! And maybe a new Valdora.

Elite Triathlete Matt Seeley's Race Report - June 2012

Triathlon fans and other curious parties, (warning - this may get long, self-centered, and otherwise distracted so please feel no obligation to start or continue as your interest wanes) I have to admit that turning 40 in the middle of a multi-year battle with a foot injury nearly broke my spirit. You might see my struggle as just another example of someone in denial about the inevitable loss of youth, and I did nurse a few crushed fantasies of miraculously maintaining elite speed into my 5th decade, but the frustration was much bigger than that. With no foreseeable running future, my long-term life plan was on the rocks. I had always looked forward to training and racing with my three girls who are just now getting old enough to enter triathlons and running events, and my ultimate goal was to emulate my award ceremony heroes and still be racing into my 80's. I tried to tell myself that 31 years of competitive running and 23 seasons in triathlon were more than anyone deserved, but that provided pretty limited comfort. Of course describing it now sounds pretty selfish and ridiculous when compared to the many people who battle much more serious and debilitating injuries and ailments, but my psyche was the emotional hostage of that tiny little spot on my right heel. I still had a powerful aerobic engine, endurance honed muscles, and the explosively tamped desire to run. Every new potential remedy filled me with delicious hope and set me up for another plunge into frustration. I would lurch back and forth between a dogged determination to solve my dilemma and a more reasonable desire to accept my circumstances, count my many blessings, and find new ways to enjoy life. Eighteen months later and through no clearly identified mechanism or strategy, my body has settled its own internal grievances and I have been running pain-free for nearly half a year. During that time, I have reaped many benefits of the long-term deprivation. I can honestly say that I have enjoyed nearly every step of every run I've been lucky enough to complete. For the first few months, I stuck to my plan of running for pure pleasure with nothing fast and no competition. Eventually, as I regained confidence in my body's durability, I sprinkled in some workouts and short races. Obviously I still struggle mightily with the conflicting demands of work, family, and a completely over committed schedule, but my pure joy in endurance exercise and motivation to push my body in training have never been stronger. Fulfilling my plan to rise from the humbling crutch crawl at the 2011 Grizzly Tri to a solid sub-60 effort at this years race was incredibly satisfying and gave me a sense that I could finally risk dreaming big again. This past weekend I drove north to Wasa Lake in BC for another significant test of my comeback worthiness. The Griz Tri means business, but the pool swim makes it feel a bit artificial and it catches everyone in at best marginal early season form. I needed a real multi-sport showdown and Charlie Cooper puts on a world class Olympic distance event just an 90 minutes north of Eureka. I cruised through Whitefish feeling pretty confident about powerful bike legs honed by last Sunday's 82-mile state cycling championships, encouraging recent running and brick workouts that seemed to have me at maybe 85-90%, and even having managed seven invigorating visits to the 45-53 degree waters of Flathead Lake and the Pablo Reservoir for desperation swim training. But then it started to rain. At first it was just passing showers, but by the time I rolled into Saturday's prerace check-in at Wasa Lake, heavy rain was falling steadily and the temps were barely above 40. I picked up my packet and then drove to the campground where despite all my efforts to set up my tent in less than 2 minutes, the floor was pretty damp when I rolled out my pad and sleeping bag. Intimidated by the cold, wet night ahead, I wimped out on my planned final swim and bike tune-up workouts and forced myself to run 3 or 4 drenched recon miles before heading to dinner at 7:00 pm. With most of the other 700+ racers opting for upscale restaurants and lodging in nearby Cranbrook, the 6 tables at the tiny Wasa Cafe were all empty. Unimpressed by the menu, I asked the high school aged waitress what she would eat if she were doing the triathlon the next day. She smiled and then paused as she looked out the window at the endless rain and dripping gutters. "Maybe a bacon cheeseburger and sweet potato fries," she said with virtually no conviction. I believe in the power of local mojo, so I accepted her suggestion and it served me well. As I lay in my warm and mostly dry bed later that night, listening to the incessant pounding of the rain, I was tempted to be discouraged about my miserable luck and even doubtful about my desire to race hard, but then I remembered two important things. First, my body was strong and healthy, ready to do my first serious triathlon in almost three years and return to the thrill of the racing that I had missed so dearly. Second, I was experiencing the heightened sense of vulnerability and doubt that is probably my most important reason to continue competing as an adult. In this culture, it can be so easy to establish a comfortable an secure life that lacks the vitality of uncertainty and real challenge. Of course I longed for the warmth of my bed and a relaxing Sunday morning at home, but I had driven this far for and real test and nasty conditions could only enhance my experience. I woke up at 5:30 on race morning and noticed that though temps were in the high 30's, the rain had stopped. The ground was still soaked and water dripped from the trees, but the cloud ceiling had risen and there was brightness n the west. I forced down the necessary breakfast of cold energy bars and fruit, packed up my gear, set up my still clean bike, and then road the 10 minutes from the campground to the transition area. During body marking and chip pick-up, the big news was that low water temps (55 degrees) had forced the Tri Canada officials to shorten the Olympic swim to 750 meters instead of 1500. Apparently they were only a few degrees from cancelling the swim completely. Cold water isn't generally a big deal to the fast guys, but I understood the concern about slower swimmers getting in trouble too far from the shore. My biggest competitors tend to beat me out of the water, so I suppose the change worked slightly in my favor. Based on last year's results, there were a number of fast guys in the field capable of racing under 2 hours, but heavy favorite was defending champ Grant Burwash, an amazing swimmer/runner and former member of the Canadian National Triathlon and Duathlon teams. I wasn't sure how I would stack up, but I planned to try to lead off the bike and race to win. As the field charged into the water, elbows and feet were flying at the front and I felt a little out of my comfort zone, but my years of experience allowed me to bounce off a few bodies and establish a smooth and quick stroke in a small patch of open water. Despite limited training, my open water workouts served me well and I moved past a group of 5 or 6 in the second half and exited the water in 10th place, only about one minute behind the leader Burwash. I took advantage of the provided wetsuit strippers and flew through transition to jump on my bike somehow already in 5th place (the place warp in T1 never ceases to amaze me). My only concessions to the cold were a heavy layer of vaseline on my knees, a swim cap under my helmet, and a pair of gloves on my aero bars for later. Despite the chilly water, I felt immediately comfortable on the bike and easily capable of pushing big gears at high speeds. I passed one guy while he dinked around with his shoes and then zeroed in on the next two guys riding close together only a few hundred meters ahead. As I blew by them without digging too deep, I caught the fancy team Canada ITU style skinsuits with the names LOSHACK and SCHAERZ. I also noticed the glances of recognition and it was good to know that even after a few years, my Montana cycling prowess was still known by a couple fast guys who I had never met. The first turnaround came at 5.6k and I was pleasantly surprised to find that I was already in 2nd place and less than 30 seconds behind Burwash in his bright red suit. It took a bit more effort to catch Grant, but I was riding well and the flashing lights of the lead vehicle were a great carrot. I took the lead around 8k and spent the rest of the ride pushing hard to build my lead. The course was mostly flat with a few rolling hills (maybe 300-400 ft total) and the weather was staying dry and warming up slowly into the mid 40's. This out-and back route runs right along the base of the spectacular, snow-covered peaks of the Kootenay mountain range, but they were still shrouded in dense clouds. Back into the transition, I was up by roughly 2 minutes and my 56:11 40k bike split (including both transitions) was among my best ever. I feel both powerful and comfortable on my new custom gold Valdora PHX2. It responds perfectly to everything my legs dish out and thrives in every type of terrain. My legs had felt pretty good while riding, but as I jumped off my bike, I noticed that the bottoms of my feet were completely numb and my cold, tired quad muscles prevented my from running normally. I ignored this and rushed through the transition and out onto the run course, dodging some returning athletes from the sprint race and trying to establish a fast pace to maintain every second of my lead for as long as possible. My leg muscles warmed up quickly, but for almost 3k, I had sensation that a piece of cardboard had gotten lodged in my right shoe. After a few shuffle steps to slide my foot around, I realized that this was just the slowly thawing skin on the bottom of my foot so I stopped thinking about it. The run contains a few small hills, but it mostly flat and covers a nice mix of pavement, winding bike paths and hard dirt trails around the lake. The first turnaround was at 4k and Burwash had already closed to 1:00 back, so even though my watch showed a pretty solid 17:35 at 5k, my pace was slowing and my time at the front was gradually coming an end. I battled on, but Grant picked it up with me in his sights. I wanted to blame my 41 years to his 27, but basically he was doing to me on the run what I had done to him on the bike and I just didn't have those gears and probably never did. He passed me just after the 7k mark and went on to split 32:54 and beat me by 1:14. My leg muscles seemed to unravel in the last two miles, but that probably had mostly psychological causes. I wasn't thrilled with my 36:44 run split, but the 2nd place finish, adjusted overall time (maybe 1:54-1:55 with a full-length swim), and $500 check felt pretty good. Racing at this level again feels like and incredible blessing that I may not deserve, but will certainly appreciate every time I am given the chance. I feel like my spirit is renewed and I am a warrior once again. Arpil 28, 2012 Duathlon National Championships Tucson, AZ Rocking her PHX2, Lynda Best-Wiss wins her age group and is a National Champion! What Lynda said - " I'm a national champion!! I love my PHX2 - the bike is awesome! It handled so well during the race - I just can't say enough good things about it I'm a national champion! Last weekend I rode it up to one of the mountain towns. The bike lived up to my expectations on both the ascent and descent. It was a fun ride!

May 13th, 2012 Olympic Distance - Arrick Nietert does it again with the fastest bike split at the Tempe International Triathlon. Once again.........faster than the pros! May 5, 2012 Olympic Distance - Arrick Nietert 1st in age group, fastest overall bike split 25.5 mph average! Crazy for a course with this many hair pin turns! (pictured in black and white below) Cara Payne - 2nd over all female Dan Cadriel 4th in age group (pictured in One Multisport kit)

Photos courtesy of Joe Courtney at SonicFitness.com

Pictured above Eite Triathlete Dan Cadriel

January 29, 2012 Race Report by Matt Seeley

Endurance Racing Fans, The great cherry picking John Hartpence would have been proud of my weekend accomplishment at the Powder Hound winter triathlon in the mountains east of Butte, America (6300'). A month ago, the race was suddenly given the National Championship designation when the original New Hampshire venue ended up short on snow. I figured the top dogs would have trouble finding Butte so I went over to do a fun and different race despite the fact that I was feeling less than super fit or well-prepared in any of the three disciplines. My one ace was that my daily commute probably means that I spend more hours plowing my bike through tough, snowy conditions than almost anyone. As expected, the field only had about 60-70 racers and most of them were from Montana. There were some good athletes, but definitely not a national class group. The 5k run started fast on sometimes slippery and sometimes soft ski trails. Two guys blasted off the group and I hung back in 10th or so and figured the hills and high elevation would take their toll in a hour+ race. When we hit the big hill up to the turnaround, the pace slow and I was able to surge up to 3rd place and lead a string of runners all the way back to transition. My recently sprained ankle and long-suffering heel both performed perfectly and without pain. The bike ride was a little more of a challenge. We all had big tires and had lowered the pressure down to about 15 psi, but there was still a lot of washing out and sinking. On the first extended uphill, everyone was reduced to dismounting and pushing the bike with feet slipping and sinking. The leader was long gone, but I saw the second place guy struggling ahead, managed to remount my bike while still climbing, and caught him near the top. With improved shifting technique, careful balance, and a firmer trail, I was able to ride the whole rest of the 10k course. The second half was a roller coaster thrill ride with steep ups, plunging drops, and tight, sliding corners. I returned to transition maybe 2 minutes down and with a strong junior rider/skier named Landon Beckner (son of Randy) having moved into 3rd, maybe 20 seconds back, and gaining. The ski leg was the fastest and most exciting, especially as I felt like an aging warrior running from a youthful predator. Landon had clearly superior technique and got within 20 meters and few times, but I always managed to hold him off with gut-wrenching surges on any extended climbs. With balmy temps and fast snow, the endless corners and dips put my novice skills to the test. In the last kilometer, I still had a small gap and my biggest focus was just avoiding a crash. Landon gave one final burst in the finishing stretch, but I slid across the line 3 seconds ahead. The winner (Mike Wolfe) beat me by more than 3 minutes and had just done the OSCR 50k nordic race in Seeley Lake the day before. I can't say my race was a masterpiece, but I put out a huge effort and avoided any significant mistakes. The real surprise came at the award ceremony where USAT presented me with a check for $450 and an invitation to Finland for the elite World Winter Tri Championships in late March. Finland sounds fun, but the reality is that I can't spare either the time or money for such a trip at this point. More importantly, it would be a little silly to see me lining up and attempting to race against those European nordic super heroes who actually take that type of training and racing seriously. Matt http://www.usatriathlon.org/news/articles/2012/1/012912-winter-recap.aspx P.S. Chuck Dumke also competed and ended up 6th. He would prefer that you don't compare his time to that of the women's winner.

So race start arrived and as my full experience of time trial racing was watching the Tour de France TT at Grenoble this year, I put myself in a Cadel mentality and took off into Lake Mead National Park. I rode hard and my new PHX2 and I loved the challenging course with just under 2000m climbing in the 120kms. I had debated wheel selection all week as winds rose and fell, but in the end was pleased to be on my Reynolds Strike 66s. The wind was very manageable. Thanks to Pete from Valdora for the option of an alternative front wheel though. The night before wind gusts hit 50mph so it was good to know I had a good option irrespective of the day that dawned. Rachel Joyce and Leanda Cave from the UK passed me early on the bike and looked super strong, as did Nicola Butterfield, my Australian counterpart who was busy ripping through the field. I rode solid and came into the run transition feeling really good and out-transitioned Margaret Bailey to run out onto the 4 lap course in 15th place. I was really pleased that my run felt good throughout the 4 laps and I kept in rhythm and on or just above my target time. Unfortunately in this super strong field it wasn't quite enough to hold my place so I slipped into 19th by the finish. Still a top 20 finish at the World Champs was by my standards a great race. I believe I managed all the controllable elements as well as I could; pacing, nutrition/hydration, course knowledge, mental prep, clothing, wheel selection etc. so I got to give all that I could at the end of a long season. Funnily enough one of the little mind candy things I used on the bike course through the Mohave Desert was, my lovely race bike, a Valdora PHX2 comes from just near here. It was designed and created a few hours away in Tempe Arizona so it should feel right at home out amongst the gulches. It certainly rode like it! Now if I could just borrow Rachel Joyce's legs for the next race ... Enjoy your riding, wherever it is. I'm now in relax mode back in France and enjoying the off season with my rides usually involving my husband, and / or kids and at least one coffee stop en route until the snows fall and riding is relegated to the home trainer for a few months.

Valdora Pro Athlete and Team Sport Beans member Brad Seng takes the checkered flag for the second year in a row at the Racing for Recovery Half Iron Tri in Monroe, MI. In the process of taking the victory, Brad smashed his own course record by 10 minutes in a time of 3:57:55. Nice job Brad! Valdora Pro Athlete and member of Team Sport Beans, Daniel Bretscher, posts a win at the Muncie, IN Olympic Tri with winning time of 1:54:44. Great job Daniel! Congratulations to Team Sport Beans on a fantastic weekend. Three great finishes at the Boise 70.3 for Ben Hoffman, Nicholas Thompson and Uli Bromme. Way to go TEAM!!! Additional wins by Daniel Bretscher, Lauren Jensen and Jessica Jones Meyers.

Andriy Yastrebov posts a win at the Long Course Open National Championships in the Ukraine in early June. Andriy's bike split was the fastest overall by 6 minutes, and second fastest bikesplit was also on a Valdora!

Sincere congratulations to all those who conquered (and even attempted) the American Triple T!!! As though completing a triathlon in a weekend is not enough, in this event, you are competing in four events in three days. Here is the weekend schedule: Friday pm: Super Sprint (250m swim, 5mi bike, 1 mi run) Sat am: Olympic (1500m swim, 40k bike, 6.55mi run) Sat pm: Olympic (mixed) (40k bike, 1500m swim, 6.55 mi run Sun am: Half Iron (1.2mi swim, 55.5mi bike, 13.1mi run

TeamToledo member Jon Hoag (and Valdora rep and athlete) takes a moment to savor the day at the Triple T at Shawnee State Park outside Portsmouth, OH. For those of you aware of this event, you know what a challenge it is. For those of you who do not, it is billed by Shannon Kurek of HFP Racing as "3 days, 4 triathlons, 140+ miles, 1 Epic Event!" Here is an excerpt from Jon's account of the event. Referring to Kurek's description of the event as "epic", Jon writes: "That last part usually gives me pause because it is overused in our sport of triathlon. However, even as a veteran of multiple IM events and basically every distance and configuration dating back to 1986, I can tell you this: THIS IS AN EPIC EVENT! I have been inspired to write my very first race report in all these years to both describe this event and the performance of my VALDORA PHX tri bike in this very technical and challenging race. First you should know that back in January of this year I became an Independent Representative for Valdora. This was my first race on the PHX and it was a great experience. I have, of course, been training on the PHX this spring and found the bike to be very comfortable and responsive with excellent power transfer. However, until you actually race a bike, you are not going to know its true strengths. I do not think you could invent a better testing ground than the American Triple T because it requires everything you could ask from a bike (as well as an athlete) at different points on the various courses. This area is beautiful, secluded (READ: no cell service whatsoever!) and HILLY! Did I mention it is known as the Little Smoky Mountains? A bit different from Toledo, OH where I live, a place where we basically have to go to an overpass to get a "hill" workout in. My tri team (TEAM TOLEDO) was well represented with 10 athletes at this year's event.....Race #1 is a nice quick Super Sprint. There is a terrible temptation to go all out during this race and go into the red zone right away, which would be stupid of course for a race that is actually Ironman distance. So naturally I usually succumb to the temptation, partially because of the killer hill that is smack in the middle of the course. It is going to hurt no matter what, so going slow does not really help. So there you are at the top of the hill, already in the red zone, then you have to decide if you are going to risk your life going 45pmh down the hill while others are still coming up. And yes, I succumb to that as well. This was my very first race on the Valdora PHX and I learned some very cool things. It has a reputation as a great climbing bike as well as excellent handling abilities. Both are true, and though I am not a great climber, no one passed me on the way up (NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE!) and I was able to go full speed all the way down the hill with complete confidence. There are many of the athletes that use a road bike for this race as well as the Sunday 1/2 due to the hills. I think that this is one of the great attributes of the PHX, it has great versatility as I never felt like I should be on some other bike at any point during the race. Jon and fellow competitors conquered storms, humidity, cold water temperatures and of course, the normal challenges of triathlon for three straight days. Our hats are off to all of you! Congratulations!

Valdora athlete and Team Sport Bean/NTTC Team member Daniel Bretscher posts another win at the Pleasant Prairie Olympic Tri in Wisconsin. Winning for the second consecutive year, Daniel posted a time of 1:56:23. Just one week prior, he took the win at the Indianapolis Sprint Tri with a time of 51:18.5. Congratulations Daniel!

Jay Fiscalini of San Luis Obispo takes 2nd in his age group at the Breath of Life Tri in Ventura, CA. Fiscalini, who finished the sprint in 1:10:13, poses at the Valdora booth after the race with his wife Feydra and his PHX. Come join us at the Breath of Life Triathlon in Ventura, CA. This event supports a great cause and is loaded with fun for both athletes and spectators. For more information CLICK HERE

Pro Triathlete Molly Hummel on the bike course at IM St. George, which took place in May. Over a very tough course and extremely cold waters, Molly finished a respectable 9th OA in the Pro Women's division. Afterward, she learned she had a fractured wrist from a previous "run-in" with a car while training on Maui. Molly's a tough competitor and we'll be watching as she gets stronger throughout the season!

Congrats Valdora Riders!

Valdora sponsored Pro and member of Team Sport Beans/NTTC Racing, Daniel Bretscher pulls in a top 10 finish at the IM 70.3 in Racine, WI, posting a time of 4:21:16. Great job Daniel. Where will we see Daniel competing next? Daniel's next quest is the Steelhead 70.3 at Benton Harbor, MI on July 31. Best of luck to Daniel and all his teammates! Valdora athletes Joe Company and Drew Greaves had an impressive showing at the NewTown Tri outside of St. Louis, MO. Joe posted a decisive victory over the 1k swim, 20 mile bike, 4 mile run. Once again he had the fastest bike split (27.1 mph over 20 miles). This was Joe's third win in four weeks on his BpStealth. Young triathlete Drew Greaves had a great race as well. He placed 5th overall and posted a great bike split (25.0 mph average). As Joe pointed out, he is getting very strong! Drew plans to compete this fall on the CU tri team out of Boulder, CO. We look for more great things from this guy! Up next, we will look for Drew at the Show-Me Games Tri in Columbia, MO and both athletes at the Missouri State TT Championship. We wish you both well! Race Report – Joe Company I raced Topeka Tinman near Topeka, Kansas. This was the 30th anniversary of the event, so it is one of the oldest triathlons in the U.S. The race consisted of a 1 mile swim, 20 mile bike, and 6.9 mile run. Brief recap: It was hot and humid (80 and sunny at the start of the race). The water temperature was 77.6 so wetsuits were allowed. I opted to go with the speedsuit rather than the wetsuit to try to delay the onset of the overheating that I knew would occur some time during the race. I swam well and exited the water with the leaders. I was second out of T1 and moved into 1st place within the first mile. I kept the bpStealth pushed to the max over the 20 mile course and rode into T2 with the fastest overall bike split and a 2 minute lead over second place . The run was mostly on a concrete sidewalk that surrounded a lake. The path was pretty, but unfortunately, it was exposed (temperature got over 90... with humidity). I kept it mellow and worked on just doing enough to keep the lead. I never saw the second place runner during the run and was able to keep it relaxed to the finish line. This was a nice win in tough conditions. In addition, I had been battling Achilles tendonitis, so it was nice to keep it relaxed on the run. One week later, I raced the Ultramax Quartermax in Innsbrook, Missouri. This race consisted of a 1000m swim, 26.5 mile bike, and a 10k run. I won this race the previous two years and I really wanted a 3-peat. Again, the temperature was warm (80s at the start with sunny skies). Unlike previous years, this year I was in the third wave, which started over 6 minutes after the wave with the 34 and under guys. I knew that my competition would be in the first wave, so I pretended that everyone had a head start and I needed to catch all of them! I had a good swim and worked hard during the first 5 hilly miles of the bike. I passed bunch of folks before heading out on the relatively flat country roads. By the end of the bike ride, I had passed everyone but one person, Jon Shearon. The bpStealth flew as I broke my previous bike course record and posted the fastest bike split by over 3 minutes. I entered T2 about 2 minutes behind Jon (which meant that I had a 4+ minute lead on him). I ran well and managed crossed the finish line shortly after Jon for a 5 minute win and my third title in three years. This race also secured my slot as the Missouri State Champion and qualified me for the Best of the US championships in Mission Viejo, California in October.

Our Congratulations to Joe who's having a phenomenal season!

Race report from Matt Seeley, triathlon coach and seasoned triathlete.

"My season is starting off a little slow with some nagging running injuries, but that has allowed me to get really strong on the bike. I spent a good training week in Sierra Vista, AZ and managed to outsplit fast biking tri pros Ben Hoffman and Adam Jensen at our local but very competitive Grizzly Triathlon. My 28:52 (20k plus both transitions) was one of the fastest ever and my third place overall time was my best since 2003. Now I am focusing on cycling events with a few Montana stage races and TT's over the next few weeks. I ended up 3rd in the Cat 1,2 Montana Cup Series last year so hope to keep winning on the bike even with the dreaded "40" now on my license."

Race Report- Lincoln Murdoch

Saturday, I did the University of Okoboji Triathlon in Okoboji / Spirit Lake, IA. There were 360 starters and 330 finishers who headed out into the 93% humidity. Lake swim of 1000 yds., 18 mile bike and 5.5 mile run. Interesting distances I know... I was fueled up on my Hammer products and had what I needed for the bike/run ready to consume! I had a strong swim in my Xterra skinsuit and Barracuda goggles. Came out of the water in 19th place with a PR swim of 15 min. Beat several who were ahead of me out of T-1 and then started picking off others during the bike leg on my speedy Valdora PHX with my Valdora deep rim wheels. Pretty technical course through a lot of residential areas. In and out of sunshine and shade so I pulled my Zeal Optics "Lift" sunglasses on and off as needed because the shaded areas were really dark. Only one highway that I could really open up on. Not a hilly course but several rollers and lots of turns. Came off the bike and into T-2 in 6th overall and took off on the run, strapping on my Nathan race belt and Sidekick which held my nutrition. Ran alone in 6th the entire run which had tons of turns and rollers. With a 1/2 mile to go my hamstring started to tighten up badly for some reason - probably pressing too hard - so I emptied a Hammer Endurolyte under my tongue and washed it down. It was very hot and humid that morning. I finished running but not at full speed. I was thankful for holding on to 6th and 1st in the 50-59 age group. I was also blessed to have grabbed the 2nd fastest bike split of the day. The 5 guys who beat me were between 17-36 years younger than me. It's tough chasing fast young kids, some of them younger than my kids. Anyway, I was thankful for what was, up til the last 1/2 mile, one of my best races ever I think. I had no energy let downs at all and felt strong and fast - thank you Lord!!!

Another awesome finish by Brad Sengat IM Lake Placed. The member of Team Sport Beans and NTTC Racing and Valdora sponsored athlete pulled in a 6th place finish after an exciting day. With over 2600 athletes competing, Brad was 16th coming out of the water, then 15th off the bike (with a PR on the bike by over 7 minutes!), then, as Brad is well known for his running abilities, he moved up to 6th with the 4th fastest run of the day, averaging 6:48/mi. Brad's final time was 9:15:19. We are proud to have Brad representing us so well, and eagerly watch him continue to achieve his goals this season. *Did you know that this professional triathlete is also a coach? If you live in the northern Colorado area and are in need of coaching assistance, contact Brad at BradSeng.com Pre-Race report from the UK's Andy Brodziak, as he reports in from over the ''big pond'' prior to his Full Vineman race this weekend. "Hi guys, had a solid last week or so, no dramas, even got to spend 3 days at Lake Tahoe at 6500ft above sea level & let me tell you I recommend Lake Taho for summer destination! It's awesome! Into final week now, resting up & getting excited for Ironman this Sat. Feeling good & done all I have to so should be a great showdown... Picture taken at Tahoe, close call to Cape Town." Andy

We wish Andy the best of luck this weekend at Vineman. May his travels "across the pond" be filled with great memories and an amazing tale to tell...

Jay Fiscalini of San Luis Obispo had a great race Saturday at the Lompoc Sprint Tri. Jay was 1st in his AG with an age-group course record of 1:03. Nice job Jay. You are having a terrific season!

The Valdora athletes presented themselves well at this years half iron distance event. Cara Payneof Seattle, WA took first in her age group and was 2nd OA female with a strong finish, her final time was 4:57:46. Cara has consistently been on the podium this year and we expect to see her there often in the future as she continues to excel.

Tempe's Brian McHenry also had a great day in Flagstaff with a first place finish in his age group and a 12th place overall. Brian's final time was 4:54:05. Brian gets stronger each year and we look forward to what he brings in future events!

Joe Company Triathlete Champ

In a tough TT Championship in Missouri, Joe Company took 4th OA on the day, averaging 27.3 over the 25 miles. Congratulations Joe!

In the Junior Division of the MO State TT Championships, Drew Greaves took home the gold with a time of 29:12 for 20K, a 25.6 mph average. Way to go Drew!

Caneron Ingram – Race Report

It was another great race weekend. The Alcatraz Tri is one of the best events I have done. Challenging and very rewarding, with spectacular views and an incredible course layout. The PHX did an AWESOME job on the hills of San Fran, and it allowed me to save some energy for the run. Finished 50th OA and 5th in my AG, 4th in my AG on the bike.

Congratulations Cameron on a great race!

Lincoln Murdoch Race Report

Everyone-Just wanted to give a quick report from the Young Life Sprint Triathlon this morning. This is an annual race held in Detroit Lakes, MN. There were 217 in the race this year so it wasn't a huge race, but...I'll take the results...Last year, I took an overall first place victory so, I was trying to repeat. Had a good swim in my Xterra wetsuit and Predator Barracuda goggles. Chose the clear lenses as it was real foggy due to the high humidity. I was 4th out of the water and on to my Valdora PHX. I rode faster than I ever have in 17 yrs of racing as far as mph go. My bike computer said I averaged 24.7 mph. I had the fastest bike split on the day. I really felt like I was flying at times. I had a quick T2 pulling on my newest sponsor's product - my Somnio racing flats. I now use Somnio Pacemakers for training and the new Hot Sauce flats for racing. They are custom fit for each athlete and even each foot. Check 'em out. It's like getting a bike fit, only for your feet! Anyway, I had to hold off a fast 25 yr old and a few others right behind him but by God's grace, I did and scored my 9th career OA first place victory. Pretty fun for a 53 yr old! I'm very thankful for your support, encouragement and great products and services this season. I plan on doing some road racing this fall to keep some race fitness...then the long NE winter. Lord willing, I'm hoping to race at US Nationals next year for my "A" race, qualifying for the World Championships and Team USA in 2012, aging up and racing in the 55-59 age group. I love aging up! Thank you so much for your help. I'm grateful to the Lord for all of you and grateful to Him for the strength He gives me. It's been an amazing season getting an overall win in a 5k and this tri, and getting top 6 overall in four other triathlons, winning my age group in every race I did this season.

Blessings!

Lincoln

Local athlete Julie Theroux shows what she can do in the 1/2 at Rev3, Cedar Point, taking top honors in her age group and kicking butt on her Pearl! Julie has been training extremely hard for this race, as a stepping stone to her first full IM right here in Tempe, AZ on Nov. 21. We wish Julie the best of luck!

Pro Daniel Bretscher shows his stuff at the Rev3 Cedar Point Full Rev, taking 9th with an awesome bike split of 4:43:23 and finish of 8:52:37. This was Daniel's first full IM event, and the first is often the toughest....full of "unknowns." Daniel had a solid race and learned a few things along the way. No doubt we'll be seeing him at this distance again. Great job Daniel! You can read more about Daniel's experience in his blog at bretschermultisport.com

Daniel coming out of the swim in 6th place. Great start to a long day!

Team Sport Bean/NTTC Racing and Valdora Pro Brad Seng takes 7th at IM Wisconsin, ending the day with a blazing marathon at 2:51:25. Brad collected his second Top 10 IM finish this year by taking 7th in Madison with a final time of 8:58:15. He was the 15th male pro out of the water and off the bike, but, relying on his amazing running ability, Brad brought in the day's 2nd fastest marathon split (2:51:25) to bring himself up to 7th at the finish. Brad's having another solid year and we look forward to watching him as the season winds down. Great job!

Christine Hemphill, Elite Race Report - I am very happy to be at the end of my season here as it has been a long time since I had a break. The Worlds last year meant I trained all through the Oz winter. I then raced the Australian summer followed by the European summer. Must be time for a winter! Last weekend I finished my season on a high note, so I can enjoy the break after a good first European season. I completed the Challenge Barcelona-Maresme in 10:17 coming 8th in the female pro field. It was my first ironman (in fact my first marathon too) and first race in a selective pro field. I enjoyed the race but also learned a lot. I am looking forward to doing a few more next year, and improving again building on this season's experience. I now have some good options to chose between for key races in the pro field next year. So to the race... The swim was through stunningly clear Mediterranean water off the Costa Maresme coast of Spain, near Barcelona. However it was pretty dark as we started. Dawn broke as we rounded the second marker. I swam with the first bunch with three other pro women. It was a good swim for me coming out of the water in 1:03 with only 3 women having swum faster than our group. Also as I was drafting effectively with only occasional spurts as the group lifted a bit, so I swam really within myself and didn't raise my HR too much or take in much sea water. T1 was pretty smooth so I was soon out onto the flat, fast coastal ride. There were 3 laps, 2 of 69k and one shorter to make up the 180k. One of the interesting very Spanish course management issues was to avoid the cactus that fell off the cliffs along the coast onto the road. No good for bike tyres! They swept the course ahead of the day, but still a few had fallen by the race. My bike was steady but solid. I felt good the whole way despite the wind picking up by the last lap and ate and drank to plan. I rode my own race dropping back 50m behind a couple the women who were all vying with each other ahead. By the time we came into T3, I was 5th after a bike of 5:15 and we were still all close. I was feeling great despite being 10m ahead of my target time and at that point on track for a sub 10h first ironman. So the run. By then it was a very warm (31oC) running the 4 laps of 10.5k through the towns of Callela and Pineda and across the fields to Santa Susanna. A few lessons here! I got a bit excited and ran the first 5k too fast, as I moved into 4th by the 4k mark. However I think I could have managed the pace by just pulling back a bit if I had not also gone fuel low. I had only taken on water in the last 10k of the bike and first 3k of the run as I had been worried about settling into the run. This proved too long without energy sending my internal battery flat for a while. The legs felt good but there was nothing left to power them. It took another full lap and a half taking in copious coke/water and gels to get back to a reasonable pace. Unfortunately I got passed by 4 girls in that time and although I did move back up on them in the last lap I was just too late to get any back. The last lap I paced with a French triathlete from Les Lions who was fantastic for both keeping a good rhythm and enjoying the experience. So all up 10:17 across the finish line and 8th woman. I could have gone better in the run had I managed my fuel differently, but I have no real disappointment, as overall I did better than I had hoped and have the tempting possibility of going even better with the experience of this one behind me. So I've finished my first European season. It has been amazing. The experience has been wonderful and the highlights have been many. The obvious ones would have to include winning the Long Course World Champs in Germany in August, racing across cobblestones and under the Eiffel Tower in July and racing my first ironman in the pro field in Spain finishing in the top 10 in a good time. The less obvious but probably more real highlights would be learning to love the many and fantastic training options throughout our region, the Aravis Valley and surrounds, struggling with and coming to more friendly terms with my swim, beginning to feel a part of my team, TMT Triathlon, swimming with triathlete friends from Australia past the castle under the cliffs in Lac d'Annecy, appreciating the growing practical and emotional support from Rob and the boys both at races and throughout my training (we are a team and our results are Team Hemphill's not mine), watching the Tour de France pass through our village with Cadel in yellow and watching on TV as they rode over many cols I had also ridden on (albeit somewhat slower!), getting some great guidance from good people and slowly building and learning to trust my own internal guidance better and most of all meeting the many, various and wonderful people at races, in training and through our travels. Of course it has not all been sunshine, fresh pastries and smiley faces. We had a month of rain and cold when we first arrived in France exhausted and disoriented in our new world that we hoped to make a home in, I lost a good friend, feeling like an alien at school events and realizing how hard it must be for the boys each day as they go through their own significant transition, cold cold descents off cols through sleet and/or rain, occasional injury and illness concerns, mechanical troubles (generally with our car and scooter not bikes as they are much better designed, built and looked after), and of course the tired muscles, body and soul - sometime all at the same time. Overall however it has been overwhelmingly a fantastic, rich and rewarding experience. But for now, after enjoying a short holiday with the family in Barcelona, the Pyrenees and Avignon it is time to settle down for a quieter period, of recovery, more focused language learning and building a triathlon based business for next summer in the Aravis so we can stay in this great part of the world.

Thanks to Valdora for your assistance throughout this season. F

It was another great day for Valdora athlete Brad Seng, who has been having a tremendous season. Brad was the top American male, finishing 7th overall. He finished in 4:04:45 for the 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, and 13.1-mile run. Brad was using this race as final prep for IM Florida in Panama City Beach on Nov. 6. He will be joined there by fellow SportBean teammates Jessica Jacobs and another Valdora Pro Daniel Bretscher.

Great job at IM Kona! Valdora athletes Andy Brodziak, Jackie Pearce, and Tomaz Sinke all turned in some great times!

Ukraine Long Distance Triathlon Championship - Two Valdora bikes at this championship race. 2 Valdora bikes finsih ONE / TWO overall !! 1st Place over all - Andriy Yastrebov, 2nd Place over all - Anatoliy Nesterov! Andriy has promised us a race report to be posted soon....

Race Report submitted by - Andy Brodziak IM Kona World Championship

Andy Brodziak riding his PHX-2 triathlon bike at IM World Championship in Kona Hi! aloha from the big island Before I start, year after year I cherish the support from my family, so thank you and also to the sponsors that play an important role. Andrew Jackson & Cairn Capital Valdora Cycles Chelsea & Fulham Chiro Profeet - bike fit and run shoes/insoles 2XU & GU energy I'm writing this a few days after the big event, always good to recover and reflect on your day which truly makes you go to places I know most individuals won't tap into in their life on the planet if they haven't done an Ironman. Yes, there are marathons out there which are very hard, things in life, non sport focussed that are incredible difficult too don't get me wrong. Until you compete in an Ironman I think it's hard to know how hard it is. I arrived 10 days before this time, which was perfect I think. Had chance to recover from flights and do a longish ride in the heat and just switch off from normal life and work. My sister and family arrived few days before race and they were just fantastic! Cooking me awesome meals, taking things very relaxed and great having them around as usual. Not many people know this, I had to take antibiotics for 3 days prior to the race to get over some bacterial infection I think I had, nuked it early on so I could race well as I have spent the better part of this year firstly qualifying for this race, but it was all geared around improving my swim and bike this year. I am a natural runner so when I want to I can run around 3.07 marathon off the bike but that's no good if I come off the bike where I have been in the past, so plan was to get faster in water, ride with better athletes and then run what feels good for me. It's working and another year of this approach and I'll be up there I think. through the Mohave Desert was, my lovely race bike, a Valdora PHX2 comes from just near here. It was designed and created a few hours away in Tempe Arizona so it should feel right at home out amongst the gulches. It certainly rode like it! Now if I could just borrow Rachel Joyce's legs for the next race ... Enjoy your riding, wherever it is. I'm now in relax mode back in France and enjoying the off season with my rides usually involving my husband, and / or kids and at least one coffee stop en route until the snows fall and riding is relegated to the home trainer for a few months. USA Triathlon’s Winter Triathlon National Championship January 29, 2012 Race Report by Matt Seeley Endurance Racing Fans, The great cherry picking John Hartpence would have been proud of my weekend accomplishment at the Powder Hound winter triathlon in the mountains east of Butte, America (6300'). A month ago, the race was suddenly given the National Championship designation when the original New Hampshire venue ended up short on snow. I figured the top dogs would have trouble finding Butte so I went over to do a fun and different race despite the fact that I was feeling less than super fit or well-prepared in any of the three disciplines. My one ace was that my daily commute probably means that I spend more hours plowing my bike through tough, snowy conditions than almost anyone. As expected, the field only had about 60-70 racers and most of them were from Montana. There were some good athletes, but definitely not a national class group. The 5k run started fast on sometimes slippery and sometimes soft ski trails. Two guys blasted off the group and I hung back in 10th or so and figured the hills and high elevation would take their toll in a hour+ race. When we hit the big hill up to the turnaround, the pace slow and I was able to surge up to 3rd place and lead a string of runners all the way back to transition. My recently sprained ankle and long-suffering heel both performed perfectly and without pain. The bike ride was a little more of a challenge. We all had big tires and had lowered the pressure down to about 15 psi, but there was still a lot of washing out and sinking. On the first extended uphill, everyone was reduced to dismounting and pushing the bike with feet slipping and sinking. The leader was long gone, but I saw the second place guy struggling ahead, managed to remount my bike while still climbing, and caught him near the top. With improved shifting technique, careful balance, and a firmer trail, I was able to ride the whole rest of the 10k course. The second half was a roller coaster thrill ride with steep ups, plunging drops, and tight, sliding corners. I returned to transition maybe 2 minutes down and with a strong junior rider/skier named Landon Beckner (son of Randy) having moved into 3rd, maybe 20 seconds back, and gaining. The ski leg was the fastest and most exciting, especially as I felt like an aging warrior running from a youthful predator. Landon had clearly superior technique and got within 20 meters and few times, but I always managed to hold him off with gut-wrenching surges on any extended climbs. With balmy temps and fast snow, the endless corners and dips put my novice skills to the test. In the last kilometer, I still had a small gap and my biggest focus was just avoiding a crash. Landon gave one final burst in the finishing stretch, but I slid across the line 3 seconds ahead. The winner (Mike Wolfe) beat me by more than 3 minutes and had just done the OSCR 50k nordic race in Seeley Lake the day before. I can't say my race was a masterpiece, but I put out a huge effort and avoided any significant mistakes. The real surprise came at the award ceremony where USAT presented me with a check for $450 and an invitation to Finland for the elite World Winter Tri Championships in late March. Finland sounds fun, but the reality is that I can't spare either the time or money for such a trip at this point. More importantly, it would be a little silly to see me lining up and attempting to race against those European nordic super heroes who actually take that type of training and racing seriously. Matt http://www.usatriathlon.org/news/articles/2012/1/012912-winter-recap.aspx P.S. Chuck Dumke also competed and ended up 6th. He would prefer that you don't compare his time to that of the women's winner. October Boulder City Nevada - Valdora riders Rock Pumpkin Man - October 15th. Congrats to Arrick Nietert for an overall win at Pumpkin Man 1/2 Iron triathlon! 1st in age group for Dan Springborn and Skylar Rubakaba in the Pumpkin Man Olympic distance! Race Report submitted by - Andy Brodziak IM Kona World Championship Andy Brodziak Kona World Championships Andy Brodziak riding his PHX-2 triathlon bike at IM World Championship in Kona Hi! aloha from the big island Before I start, year after year I cherish the support from my family, so thank you and also to the sponsors that play an important role. Andrew Jackson & Cairn Capital Valdora Cycles Chelsea & Fulham Chiro Profeet - bike fit and run shoes/insoles 2XU & GU energy I'm writing this a few days after the big event, always good to recover and reflect on your day which truly makes you go to places I know most individuals won't tap into in their life on the planet if they haven't done an Ironman. Yes, there are marathons out there which are very hard, things in life, non sport focussed that are incredible difficult too don't get me wrong. Until you compete in an Ironman I think it's hard to know how hard it is. I arrived 10 days before this time, which was perfect I think. Had chance to recover from flights and do a longish ride in the heat and just switch off from normal life and work. My sister and family arrived few days before race and they were just fantastic! Cooking me awesome meals, taking things very relaxed and great having them around as usual. Not many people know this, I had to take antibiotics for 3 days prior to the race to get over some bacterial infection I think I had, nuked it early on so I could race well as I have spent the better part of this year firstly qualifying for this race, but it was all geared around improving my swim and bike this year. I am a natural runner so when I want to I can run around 3.07 marathon off the bike but that's no good if I come off the bike where I have been in the past, so plan was to get faster in water, ride with better athletes and then run what feels good for me. It's working and another year of this approach and I'll be up there I think. I have had a good year of results even after losing my Mom in June and doing Ironman UK after that. Race day arrived I was fresh. Looked like a hot day, but it's always hot so no bother really. Turned out to be around 35-40 deg most of day. Swim was horrible at the start, it's normally carnage but today I got pushed down under bodies and had no where to go. I went into panic mode, seized a bit, no space two swim but managed to pull out of it but that was the pack gone and swam easy back home. Swam a 1.08, same as last time but felt easy and I see most people swam slow this year so I wasn't bothered. Onto bike, easier conditions this year, winds not as brutal and heat felt manageable at times. Amazing aid stations, ice cold water the whole 180km was fantastic and I got my eating spot on, no stomach problems so feeling confident from 2009! Did a PB on bike by over 20mins to 2009, but felt good and strong, no pain through the ride and didn't go into discomfort which is quite rare! Some facts from bike: Took 25 salt tablets during the 5hr23 bike. Lost count amount of water! Managed 350 calories an hour of food during bike Onto the run, the first 10miles are hot, they are in town and no moving air so just stayed comfortable to save it, running 7.30miles I think, waited until I was out on the main highway the Queen K to see how I felt, if I was keeping nutrition in and not vomiting or feeling terrible. So far so good, thought I could manage a 3.30 marathon which would bring me close to my 10 hour mark of finish time. Once out there I saw the real main guys struggling home, Chrissie in the lead and I decided after such a year I wanted to enjoy the rest of it and not go into pain. That's what I did, stayed steady, slowed a bit then just kept on the coke, gels and loads of ice each station. Into the last mile, sun still up which was a good sign and I decided to see what I had left! Think it took me 6 mins to run it. Loved the last mile, felt like I was being lifted by the island all the way home. My family were all lined up along the finish straight which was electric, high fives all around, no stopping just flying! Run facts during the 3h39 marathon: 8-10 salt tabs Lots of water & ice Coke 6 GU gels No cramps this time, no medical tent either and a big PB on this brutal course by 40mins! Finish time 10hr18. Ironman number 7 complete and recovering the best I have to date.

IM 70.3 Kansas Jackie Pearce of Columbia, MO just finished 2nd in her A.G. and 16th OA (including pro's) with a time of 4:53.46. Fantastic race Jackie! Proud to have you on a Valdora! *

Morrow Bay Tri Congratts to Jay Fiscalini for his 2nd place A.G. finish and 12th OA at Morrow Bay. Nice job Jay! *

Payson Sprint Triathlon Results of Valdora athletes: Lincoln Murdoch, 3rd OA, 1st A.G. Tom Galvani, 3rd A.G. Matt Terminel, 3rd A.G. Kendra Olson, 2nd A.G. Great day for Valdora riding athletes! *

July 24, 2011 - 24 hours of Duathlon!

Valdora athlete James Smith takes 1st place at the 24 Hours of Duathlon in Wisconsin this past weekend! James completed 14 duathlons and covered 198 miles in 24 hours. Way to go Jim! Boulder City Nevada - Valdora riders Rock Pumpkin Man - October 15th. Congrats to Arrick Nietert for an overall win at Pumpkin Man 1/2 Iron triathlon! 1st in age group for Dan Springborn and Skylar Rubakaba in the Pumpkin Man Olympic distance!

Race Report by Valdora athlete Matt Seeley - Wallace, MT 07/18/2011

Here is a quick report for the last two stages of the race last weekend: My race in Wallace ended pretty well on Saturday. Another rival, Josh Tack, from Missoula showed up for the mass start hill climb up Dobson. He and I had just separated ourselves from the rest of the pack and were attacking and counterattacking each other into a fog of pain when a black bear casually walked out onto the road 100 yds ahead, stood up to check us out, and then ambled on across the road. It definitely added a new dimension to the race, but I can't really blame the bear for helping Josh just manage to drop me before the top of the climb. Unfortunately, I will not be the king of Dobson Pass this time around. Jarrod Nelson finished 3rd up the hill so that put me 2 points ahead overall going into the final downtown criterium stage. Wallace did an amazing job with the criterium. They completely blocked off a 6 block downtown rectangle with nice wide streets, and installed 5 different building top speakers so the race announcer could be heard by spectators and racers around the entire course. Folks were lined up in front of the bars, shops, and restaurants to watch. Gwen and Isabel both got a thrill out of the one lap kid's race and then it was my turn to start at 6:15 pm. I felt great in race, but every time I established a small breakaway, the other riders refused to help because I was leading in the points so I had to drag others along. This is the nature of cycling and part of what makes it so dynamic, but it can be frustrating in my position without teammates. I knew Jarrod would likely win the final sprint, so that would mean I would have to get 2nd to hold my lead. With two laps to go, I tried one last desperate attack and almost got away, but when two guys reeled me in, I could only manage third at the line. Jarrod took the win so we had an overall tie on points and he was given the victory as the last event was the tie breaker. Inspired by my current racing form, I will take Malia and Gwen and head to the Cascade Cycling Classic in Bend, OR this coming weekend. This 4 stage event (road race, TT, crit, road race) is one of the biggest in the northwest and I will be up against a field of 120 riders in the Cat 2 field. I will try to send a race report if folks are interested.

Matt

Race Report - Hercules Prologue TT Silver Spokes Omnium - Stage 1 Wallace, ID - July 15, 2011

Last night's race was a new experience for me - super short and excruciatingly hard. The course consisted of a flat 2.5 mile time trial (1.25 out, a 180 degree turnaround on a narrow road, and then 1.25 back). This wasn't exactly the ideal venue for an ironman triathlete, but I had my brand new hot pink Valdora PHX2 to magnify every bit of explosive speed I my legs could dish out. On a bike that looks this flashy and fast, there is no choice but to go all out and I was very motivated to reward the new machine with a debut victory. The field was fairly small, but I noticed a couple serious contenders with aero helmets and disk wheels. It looked like my biggest rival would be a Cat 1 sprint and short TT specialist from Bozeman, MT named Jarrod Nelson. After a short warm-up and a few hard intervals to get my body primed, I was on the line as the first rider on the course. I consciously focused on a conservative effort for the first 25 strokes and then dug in to ramp up the speed as fast as possible. Despite holding back, my start was still a bit too fast as I was soon cranking along at nearly 40 mph and then forced to fight through a wave of lactic acid and fatigue less than 1 mile into the course. I dug deep to hold maximum speed as I rounded the bend and saw the turnaround cone. A few easier breaths at the turnaround revitalized my legs and I couldn't believe how powerfully the new PHX2 accelerated back to speed. I maintained a very hard, but steady tempo just over 30 mph into a light headwind on the way back and crossed the line feeling like I had left everything on the course. After the other riders crossed and the results were tallied, my finish time was 5:06 for 2.5 miles (just under 30 mph including dead start and turnaround) and amazingly this ended up givng me the victory by just 2 seconds over runner-up Nelson. Winning a TT by such a tiny margin, I have to give a big part of the credit to every little aerodynamic design advantage from Valdora. Or maybe it was the extra boost of power from the striking PINK color scheme. Either way I head into today's mass start Dobson hill climb and downtown criterium with a lead in the omnium points. Matt Seeley

June 5, 2011 -

Valdora bikes 1st and 2nd place over all! Ukraine Long Distance Triathlon Championship Valdora bikes win two divisions 2 top ten overall - Boulder Sunrise Triathlon Valdora bike 1st place overall at 25th annual Norfok, NE Triathlon

Ukraine Long Distance Triathlon Championship -

Two Valdora bikes at this championship race. 2 Valdora bikes finsih ONE / TWO overall !! 1st Place over all - Andriy Yastrebov, 2nd Place over all - Anatoliy Nesterov! Andriy has promised us a race report to be posted soon....

Boulder Colorado

The two Valdora bikes at this weekends Boulder Sunrise Triathlon - both claimed 1st place division finishes as well as top 10 Overall finishes!!

Norfolk, NE

Lincoln Murdoch does it again with an overall win at the 25th annual Norfolk, NE Triathlon! June 29, 2011 Valdora's Lincoln Murdoch triumphs in epic 172 mile race. Read more on the challenges he faced in his blog:

Lincoln Murdoch - named USAT All American 3rd year in a row. Bryan Melnuk 2nd over all with FASTEST bike split at the Rocky Point Triathlon. Great Job Bryan! Bryan Melnuk 1st over all at the Lake Havasu Triathlon. Great Job Bryan! March 27, 2011 Vestancia Sprint Triathlon Peoria, Arizona USA inter is over! Coach Leo Jenkins of Tri Yoga Endurance from Golden Colorado get's his feet wet with his first triathlon of the season. Finishing 3rd overall, it would appear Leo is off to a good start!

PHX Pearl Riders @ IM 70.3 Florida - Pro Daniel Bretscher of Team Sport Beans / NTTC Racing finishes 9th overall with a smoking fast bike split! Elite, Bryan Melnuk wins his age group and also turns in a smoking hot bike split only 5 min. behind the fastest pro!

After three 3rd place finishes, Christian Kohler takes an overall victory at Triathlon Hofheim. Congratulations on a well-deserved win! Christian is now gearing up for the INFERNO Triathlon August 22 in Switzerland. We'll be watching! Best of luck.

Valdora is the official bike sponsor of the Timberman IM 70.3 August 23 and the Longhorn IM 70.3 Austin on Oct. 25. Come see some of the fastest bikes on the road at the Valdora Expo booth.

Another win by Daniel Bretscher of Team Sport Beans/NTTC Racing at the Lake Geode Challenge in Danville, IA. Daniel is really racking up the wins this season on his PHX Pearl. Even a bike crash in Kansas can't stop him! Keep up the great work Daniel!

Lincoln Murdoch places 4th overall at the USAT Holiday Lake Triathlon in Brooklyn, IA, netting him yet another age group win with the 4th fastest bike split. Congratulations Lincoln!

Another PHX Pearl win. Pro triathlete Jeff Piland of Team Sport Beans / NTTC Racing wins the Tri for Real Olympic distance tri in Herald, CA. Way to go Jeff!

There were two Valdora PHX bikes competing in IM Canada. There were two top ten overall finishes by Triathletes riding the Valdora PHX at IM Canada this year. Congratulations to Andriy Yastrebov (4th place over all) and Matt Seeley (10th place over all). Andriy talking about PHX and SR-1.0 aero bar - "I went 10 min faster then last year on the bike and 14 min overall! It was tough field this year. It was easiest bike ride in my 20 Ironmans!"

Yastrebov Victorious at New Balance Half!

The 13th running of the New Balance Half IM took place today under near ideal conditions at Elk Lake in Victoria, Canada. The race, steeped in tradition, has included Ironman legends Lori Bowden, Peter Reid, and Jasper Blake to name a few. The race was originally billed as the "Battle of the Champions" with local stars Blake and Cheryl Murphy set to take on respective international competitors and fellow Subaru Series Champions Andrej Yastrebov (UKR) and Linsey Corbin (US). Valdora athlete Andriy Yastrebov finishes 3 minute ahead of the next finisher!

Ted Zderic wins the 35-39 age group at Kansas 70.3! Ted was the 4th overall amateur at Kansas with the 2nd fastest amateur run split. Ted qualified for Worlds 70.3 in November which was his goal.

Joe Company has the Fastest amateur bike split at Kansas 70.3!!!

Ted Zderic wins the 35-39 age group at the Hyvee Triathlon right away after winning his age group a couple weeks earlier at Kansas 70.3!!!

Triathlon - Phoenix

All American, Lincoln Murdoch finishes 7th over all (1st in age group) with the 2nd over all fastest bike split! Great results and even better when you take into account that the 6 earlier finishers were between 7 and 28 years younger. Way to wrap up the season!

Congratulations Joe Company! Riding his Valdora PHX, Joe Company represented MO well in the Best of the US National Championships on Sunday. Run simultaneously with the SOMA Triathlon, Joe turned in the fastest bike split out of all of the Best of the US National Champs!

Congrats also go out to Brian Melnuk. Brian turned in a smoking fast bike split on his PHX which was good enough for a 4th overall amateur finish!

Dermot Galea travels to UK, wins the 1485 Bosworth Duathlon and sets new course record before returning to Matla. Right on Dermot!

Malta National Triathlon Championships

Dermot Galea wins again. Dermot has won the last 3 years in a row on a Valdora bike!

Amy Regan finishes 1st in her age group (52 minutes ahead of second place). Amy set a new course record for her age group as well. Right on AMY!!! Look for her at Kona....again.

February 2008 Lincoln Murdoch

Sr. Olympics Cycling Time Trials - 1st Place - State Champion 5K, and, 2nd in AZ in the 10K.

Valdora Sponsored Teamss To date, Valdora is the official bike sponsor of several teams across the country. Joining the 2009 Valdora team are: Team Sport Beans/NTTC Racing Capital MultiSport, NH Inland Inferno, CA Univ of Dayton, OH Triatomics, NM Univ. of Wisconsin

Valdora is the Official team bike of TEAM SPORT BEANS/ NTTC Racing!

Congrats to Andy Pele, Sherry Coons and Amy Rees for excellent performances at the IM World Championship in Kona Hawaii!! Thank you for representing Valdora. I'm probably forgetting a few people but we were in contact with you three just prior to the race.

SOMA Triathlon Tempe, AZ -

It was truly my pleasure to speak with all of you that stopped by to talk at the SOMA Triathlon this month. WOW! Lot's of Valdora bikes there! Great job guys/gals! For those of you who stopped by inquiring for your local Valdora dealer, we will get around to contacting dealers soon. Sorry...R&D and new product projects first, marketing 2nd. Feel free to ask your local dealer to drop us a line as well.

Joe Company had the fastest amateur bike split at the Hyvee triathlon!!! Go Joe!

June 2008 Lincoln Murdoch

Norfolk, NE Triathlon - 7th overall and 1st in age group.

Payson, AZ Triathlon - 5th overall and 2nd in age group.

May 2008 Lincoln Murdoch

Deuces Wild Olympic Triathlon, Show Low, AZ - 24th overall and 2nd in age group.

July 2007

Nate Smith turns in a smoking time and earns 3rd amateur over all at the Mountaineer Triathlon 1/2 Iron distance.

June 2007

Deuces Wild Long Course

"I came in third (female overall) at the Deuces Wild long course yesterday. Here are a couple of shots coming out of T1. It certainly is a nice bike!" Amy Regan.

Deuces Wild Olympic Distance

Masters Triathlete Lincoln Murdoch comes in 7th over all. Way to school'em Linc!

Sherry Coons places 3rd in the Kona 70.3 and earns a slot for IM World Championship!

John Kenny places 6th over all at Philadelphia Triathlon with his Valdora PHX.

May 2007 Elite Triathlete Andy Pele finishes 8th overall solo at American Desoto Triple T, 2nd solo masters in 10:31:09.

May 22, 2007 Tempe International Triathlon Congratulations Valdora Athletes! Ryan Humes 8th overall Olympic. Lincoln Murdoch 6th over all Sprint. Scott Moomaw 17 over all

Three Valdora athletes (and counting) Kona bound!

Sept 2007

Lincoln Murdoch travels to Hamburg, Germany for the Age Group World Championships! An impressive finish includes 6th fastest bike time!

August 2007

Valdora - Team Columbia, MO continues to finish at the front of the pack!

Read about these elite triathletes https://offtrackevents.com/elitetriteam.html

July 2007

Note from Andy Pele - "just wanted to let you know I qualified for Kona at IM CDA. I finished 5th in my age group and 43rd overall (21 pros in the field). My time was 10:04:08. I was conservative on the bike (5:21) averaging 223 watts in hopes of running a 3:15 marathon. Legs felt great for the run though I was only able to pull off a 3:24. In Kona I'll push a bit harder on the bike and tweak my nutrition a little."

Congrats to Simon Malo! With one of the fastest bike splits, Simon was the 7th Professional Triathlete to finish! Gulf Coast was his first race back in 4 years!

Valdora - releases images of the new Valdora Carbon Aero Bar at Interbike! Have a sneak peek here.....

Thanks go out to Professional Triathlete and coach Luc Morin for being a tremendous help at Interbike!

Want to see some preliminary photos of 2008 bikes?click here.....

Olson International, Inc. home of Valdora Cycles & bp Stealth is excited to announce that the Valdora PHX carbon monocoque TT/Triathlon framesets and the all new XRD compact carbon road framesets are now available! Contact us to locate a dealer. Already in the bicycle business? Contact us to become a dealer, independent rep or distributor. Territories available. Need a smoking fast bike?......Always accepting race resumes from elite and pro triathletes for frameset sponsorships. Contact Us and tell us a little about yourself.

Professional Triathlete Heather Haviland burns up the bike course with the fastest bike split and a 2nd place finish that came down to a sprint on the beach separating 1st and 2nd. Heather placed 1st in her age group and was the 2nd over all female! Age grouper Scott Moomaw makes us proud again with yet one more 1st place age group finish!

Lowell, MA Olympic Distance Triathlon - Congratulations Professional Triathlete Luc Morin! Luc won this event!

Cranberry Olympic Distance Triathlon - Another great finish for Luc Morin, 5th place over all.

IM Canada - Age Grouper Darrell Longley qualifies for Kona! Darrell received his PHX aero bike about 2 week prior to the race. Darrell's recap - "I came off the bike feeling like a million bucks and went on to run a PB as well. I think I had the 30th fastest marathon on the day so I was very happy with that. That was the 1st race ever where I got off the bike and my lower back wasn't seized up. What a confidence booster that was." Right on Darrell!

Musselman 1/2 IM Geneva, NY- Congratulations Professional Triathlete Luc Morin! Luc finished 7th place over all.

Small and Large PHX frames ready to ship!

Thanks to all who stopped by our booth at the Tempe International Triathlon May 21st. Valdora / bpStealth bikes made up approximately 2% of the field and turned in three top ten finishes! Congrats to Scott Moomaw and Lincoln Murdoch in particular!

Welcome......Dragon Sports of Ft. Walton Beach, FL.! Stop by their shop or their booth at Gulf Coast Triathlon May 12-13th for an up close and personal look at the Valdora PHX and Valdora AC-Tri.

An excellent showing for bp Stealth and Valdora riders at Iron Man AZ! Congrats to all who participated. We have a ton of pictures of many of you riding your Stealth or Valdora tri bikes. Feel free to e-mail with your clothing description and race number. We might have a great shot of you.

Professional triathletes and Elite triathletes - Valdora Cycles is accepting sponsorship requests for the 2007 season! E-mail your race resume and proposed 2007 schedule to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with 'Sponsorship' in the subject line. Triathlon clubs with more than 10 members or triathlon teams with at least 4 members may qualify for Valdora's grass roots sponsorship program. E-mail for details!

October 29, 2006 - Thank you Valdora and bp stealth athletes for a strong showing at the SOMA Triathlon! It was a pleasure speaking with those of you who stopped by to say hello. Tons of positive feed back on the PHX carbon aero bikes! Congratulations go out to Scott Moomaw for yet ANOTHER 1st place age group finish!

October 21, 2006 - Congratulations to Valdora Professional athlete Luc Morin! Luc won the Florida Challenge 1/2 IM distance finishing 15 minutes before the 2nd place finisher.

October 11, 2006, Malta - Congratulations Dermot Galea! Valdora Cycles announces that sponsored elite athlete Dermot Galea takes home the National Triathlon Championship!

We just returned form Interbike, the industry wide tradeshow. There's a definitely a buzz about Valdora Cycles! A big thank you goes out to all of the IBD's who visited with us and inspected the new PHX first hand.

Sept 16 – Montreal ½ Iron QC ESPRIT TRIATHLON–Congrats to Professional Triathlete Luc Morin Again! Luc Finished 1st with a record bike time @ 43,6kph for 90km - The PHX was flying that day!

Congratulations Professional Triathlete John Kenny. John finished 11th over all at the Los Angeles Triathlon with the fastest swim and a very fast bike. Great job John!

Ultra Max series - MAX TRAX Long Course

TRIFECTA!

Team Valdora kicks off the season with 1, 2, 3 overall finish with 3 of the 4 fastest bike splits! Congrats to Ted Zderic, Joe Comapny, and Andy Pele. Read the race report here..........

Dermot Galea wins again! Dermot Galea wins the National Point Olympic Triathlon Race April 29. 2007.

Valdora earns the highest possible fatigue testing certification in the bicycle industry!Read more here....

Congratulations to Lincoln Murdoch for an impressive first place over all finish at the Lake Havasu Sprint Triathlon. Lincoln is an All American Masters triathlete.

Another Valdora win. Ryan Hume victorious at the Pasadena Triathlon.

Welcome aboard Valdora sponsored athletes. The Athlete Profiles section will be updated as soon as all the information is submitted.

The Valdora PHX is reviewed in Triathlete Magazine's February issue on news stands now!

Read the Review! Valdora PHX "Bike of the Month"

Valdora PHX and Valdora XRD ---- Limited number available in Guards Red with 12K carbon showing through down tube logo.