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Cycling injuries occur across a spectrum of severity.

Many bike injuries are caused by overuse or ramping up into activity too quickly. Falling off the bike can involve more serious injuries, such as abrasions, muscle/tendon strains, ligament  sprains (or tears), fractures, joint dislocations and concussions.  Typically,  pain or soreness which occurs after activity and resolves with rest is less worrisome.  Pain that occurs during biking may be a sign of an injury that could benefit from further medical evaluation.

Soreness is simply less intense than pain, and can certainly be expected with intense physical activity.  One of the most basic prevention strategies for these types of injuries is to undergo a formal bike fitting and make sure that you do not overload any body part simply due to malalignment.   Additionally, cross training with strength training, flexibility exercises, swimming, and core stabilization can help overall fitness and minimize overuse injuries.

If a fall is sustained while biking,  open skin wounds should be cleaned thoroughly and may require antibiotics  and/or stitches.   If localized swelling, redness, or bruising  occurs at an injury site, this should be evaluated by a health care provider, especially if it persists for days (sooner if sharp pain or loss of function accompanies the injury).

Although helmets are necessary and can protect riders from skull fractures, serious head injuries can still occur with falls from a bike.  Concussions are the most common of these injuries, and  should undergo formal  medical evaluation. Some typical signs and symptoms of concussion can include headache, dizziness, memory loss, difficulty concentrating, feeling foggy, visual disturbances, feeling nauseated, or changes in sleep. The majority of concussions resolve within 1-2 weeks, but lingering symptoms are more concerning.

As  a recreational and competitive sport, biking  is especially beneficial for people with knee arthritis since it does not tend to overload the joints.  However for patients with low bone mineralization/osteoporosis, it is not very beneficial from a bone strengthening standpoint.  None the less, biking provides several other health benefits, and can be  enjoyed throughout one’s lifetime.

USA Cycling coach Fiona Lockhart provides a few tips to help you conquer the hills that will break up the race later in the day.

by Fiona Lockhart, USA Cycling Coach

www.FionaLockhart.com

One of the most common questions I get from cyclists is “Why is riding up hills so hard for me?”  My standard response, which I stole from my colleague and mentor Dean Golich is “Because gravity is a law.”  What I mean by this is that by virtue of the laws of physics, hills are hard for everyone.  Of course, we know that some people seem to scamper up hills pretty easily, while we are grinding away in our granny gear, breathing too hard while seemingly going nowhere fast.   I guarantee you that those mountain goat riders who make the hill climbing look simple are actually working pretty hard too, but they likely have some tricks and tools up their sleeves that help make their work just a little more manageable.   Adopting some of these yourself may help you manage those climbs just a little bit faster and more efficiently.

Lighten Your Load

It’s no secret that it takes less energy to move a smaller weight up a hill than a larger weight.  So, to make hill climbing easier, losing weight off your body or your bike can definitely be useful.  Even a pound or two can make a difference.  Of course, losing bodyweight is not always the easiest thing in the world (and is too big of a topic to cover here), but if you can finagle a way to lose even a few pounds of bodyweight, you’ll almost certainly notice that on a hill.

The other option is to lose weight from your bike.  If you’re riding an entry-level bike from years ago, it might be worthwhile to think about getting a new bike frame.  Frame technology has come a long way over the years, so you may be able to find a much lighter bike than what you currently have within a fairly decent price range.  Of course, you can spend many thousands of dollars on a tricked-out carbon fiber frame that you can hold up with one finger, but you don’t need to do that to get a light bike.  If you don’t want to change out your frame, investing in lighter wheels can make a huge difference as well.  It may be worth a trip into your local bike shop just to see what they have available and what your options are.

One of the easiest things you can do on a given bike ride to keep the weight down is to just mind what you are bringing with you.  Of course, you need to have the things you need to get you through the ride (water and food, tools to fix a flat or other mechanical, and weather-appropriate clothing options), but try to plan ahead so that you have everything you need and nothing more.  If you are loading up a backpack or saddle bag with a bunch of extra stuff that you probably don’t need, know that there will be a price to pay for those things on the hills.

Gears Matter

If you know that much of your riding will be done in the hills, or you have an important cycling event you want to complete that is very hilly, you’ll want to make sure that you have the appropriate gearing for that task.  There is a “standard” crankset, which consists of a 53-tooth and 39-tooth chainring for your front gears (the ones by your pedals).  However, for most people, having either a compact crankset or a triple crankset is enormously helpful in improving one’s ability to get up hills in the most efficient manner.   A compact crankset usually consists of a 50-tooth and 34-tooth chainring. These smaller gears give you the ability to keep a little bit higher cadence on the hills and are easier to pedal with on hills.  A triple crankset consists of 3 different gear options in the front, with something like a 53-tooth, a 39-tooth, and a 30-tooth chainring.   This will give you a lot of gear options for climbing different size hills.

Another option for you is to make sure you have some larger cogs on your rear cassette (that’s the gear system on your rear wheel).  For example, if your largest cog is a 23-tooth, you could get a cassette with a 27- or 29-tooth cog, which translates into easier gear options.

There’s this strange thing that I sometimes hear from riders, that it’s somehow “uncool” to ride anything less than a standard crankset.  To me, that’s just silly.  What seems more uncool is to ride gears that are inappropriate for a particular course or person – I mean, if there are tools available to us to help us ride more comfortably and efficiently (which then usually also transfers into “faster”), why wouldn’t we use them?  Options are cool.

To be continued as Fiona covers efficient use of gearing, pacing and the benefits of a fit attitude…

That was 2001. Saturn won both the men’s race with Frank McCormack and the women’s race with Suzanne Sonye. The Saturn women returned with good reports of the race.  It was mostly criterium style racing but the crowds were enthusiastic and the community was very supportive of the idea of a big race in the community. Saturn received some very useful press from attending the event; all in all it was a homerun: my sponsors and athletes were happy with the event. In my mind it was an early success.

Two weeks later Dave called me for feedback.  I was taken aback.  A promoter taking the time to ask me what he could do better?  He wanted my commitment to send a full squad the following year.  At the time I asked him to move the race so it wouldn’t sit over the HP race.  I asked him to support the teams with free entries, travel, gas, meals, and housing.  With smaller team budgets, a race offering assistance to the teams rather than prize money would help to get riders to MN.  I wanted a competitive field for my team to race in.  What I wanted from Dave was the same treatment we received when we traveled to Europe for a UCI World Cup or Tour.  Make it as financially feasible as possible for as many teams as possible to travel to MN and the competition would be then be world class.  It would take time, and over time, it has.

Later that same fall, the cycling community received the sad news that HP would not renew their contract for the HP Women’s Challenge.  Again my phone rang with Dave asking me how he could make his race the new June destination for women bike racers. I wanted to work with this promoter, as I also wanted to grow women’s cycling. His eagerness to grow the women’s side of the race was new to me.  I sent him a wish list of what my sponsors would like from a race, what my riders would want and what I wanted as a Director.  Some of these ideas included a women’s summit, an outreach program to women in the community, travel assistance, an easy housing support system, lots of media support, challenging courses, and a venue which allowed our sponsors to interact with the crowds in the Midwest.  It was a lot to ask.

It took a few months but Dave was relentless in his pursuit of growing the race.  His sponsors rose to the challenge and the following year Nature Valley Grand Prix became the destination for women bike racers in the month of June.  Over the years Dave and his amazing staff have worked tirelessly to ensure women bike racers have extraordinary courses to test themselves, sponsors have tangible returns to utilize, and team management has a tremendous support system to make the race accessible to every team and every rider – not just the ones with the big budgets.

Over the years, some of the greatest women athletes in world have tested themselves at Nature Valley Grand Prix. Some of the “greats” include Kristin Armstrong, Ina Teutenberg, Petra Rossner, Georgina Bronzini, Lyne Bessette, Christin Thornburn, Katie Mactier and Amber Neben.

But the bigger story is that of the women who are not household cycling names but those who are the foot soldiers of women’s cycling.  It is the story of these women that needs to be told when talking about the Nature Valley Grand Prix.  These are-the women who work 40 hours a week in “normal jobs” who carve out time from their families and their jobs to train and race, and who hold women like Kristin Armstrong in awe.  These women have stood at the line with Olympians, World Champions, World Cup and Tour winners, they have tested themselves on the same courses, side by side with the women who have worked to create our cycling history. Nature Valley Grand Prix is also about these women, who have had the opportunity to race with the best of the best for several days; an opportunity not to be had here in the US without Dave LaPorte and Nature Valley.  To hear the crowds in the Twin Cities screaming for the winners, to see your team’s jersey on a baseball card, to be able to be on the radio, TV or the newspaper is available to ALL women who participate at the Nature Valley Grand Prix – not just the “Queens” of the sport.  It is truly an equal opportunity for all.

Nature Valley Grand Prix has supported all facets of women’s cycling: athletes, sponsors, and management.  I will look to the 2012 edition of Nature Valley Grand Prix to indicate who some of the next great women in cycling will be, as well as a point in history when women and men racers are treated equally.  At the 2012 Nature Valley Grand Prix every woman will have an opportunity to experience what is like to be treated as the Champion bike racer she is.

Giana Roberge
http://TeamSpeedQueen.com

Nutrition

There is nothing more difficult than running out of energy halfway through a long ride, or even worse, cramping up due to dehydration! As the Menomonie Gran Fondo and Spectator Rides approach, your nutrition becomes the critical component for a successful and enjoyable day. A few days prior to the ride you should start hydrating. Drink water frequently, cut back or eliminate caffeine and alcohol, and add carbohydrates to your diet. Practice proper nutrition habits for each training ride leading up to the event to be sure you are eating and hydrating properly.

On the day of the Gran Fondo, eat a light breakfast of high-carbohydrate foods and drink lots of water. During the ride drink before you’re thirsty. The rule of thumb should be one water bottle (20 ounces) per hour on the bike especially if it is warm weather. Water or a sports drink should be your first choice. Carry two bottles and alternate your consumption throughout the ride. Eat easily digestible, carbohydrate rich-food such as energy bars, bagels, fruit or granola bars. Don’t try something new on the ride; eat things you know agree with you. Remember, practice makes perfect so do several test rides before the Gran Fondo.

Attitude

In a large group ride, it’s only natural to feel a sense of competitiveness in our veins. Don’t let the adrenaline take over your ride! Ease into the ride pace. The Menomonie Gran Fondo isn’t a race and if it’s your first long ride, the goal is to finish comfortably and enjoy the experience. Stay positive and attentive to others around you. Safety should be at the front of your mind during the day. Here are some more tips for an enjoyable ride:

• Change your position on the bike frequently. Move your hand position, get off the saddle, stretch your arms, shoulders, neck, and calves, and arch your back. Avoid staying in one position too long.

• Take short rest breaks off the bike. The Menomonie Gran Fondo includes both water and food stops. Take advantage of this time to get off the bike, refill your water bottles, stretch, and use the restroom. Keep these stops to 10 minutes or less or you may risk getting stiff from lactate build up in your muscles.

• Find a companion or two who ride at a pace similar to yours. The ride will go faster and feel easier with a friend or two who you can chat with and provide mutual support. Also, skilled riders can take advantage of drafting and save some energy in the wind. On windy days, take turns leading into the wind with your fellow riders to conserve energy.

Attitude is everything. If you have prepared yourself well, you can sit back and enjoy the beautiful scenery around Menomonie and Dunn County (and maybe plan your next big ride). In my next entry, I’ll cover Gran Fondo day-of-ride preparation.

Get out and ride!

Jonas Carney
Performance Director

Optum Pro Cycling Team

A milestone in the life of any avid cyclist is riding in a major event like the Nature Valley Bicycle Festival’s Gran Fondo rides in Menomonie, WI, June 16. While riding 65 or 85 miles in a day may sound extreme to a non-cyclist, you can do it too! Almost any novice cyclist can complete a Gran Fondo ride if they follow a consistent training routine. The key is to start your program early to give your body a chance to respond to the training plan and not wait until the last minute to train. If you are not up to the challenge of a “Big Ride” this year, give yourself a chance to succeed on your own terms by participating in the shorter distance Menomonie Spectator Rides, which are 32 or 15 miles in length!

There are 4 key success factors to have a fun and rewarding Gran Fondo experience:

• The right equipment
• The right training
• The right food
• The right attitude

Equipment
The right equipment means comfort and functionality. Your bike should fit you well and you should be familiar with it. If you aren’t sure about fit, have your local bike professional provide a fit-assessment. A visit to the local bike shop will also identify any mechanical issues with your bike. Don’t plan to ride a new or a borrowed bike on your first Gran Fondo ride. Consider having a tune-up before the ride, and carry a spare tube and patch kit, tools, a pump and knowledge of how to use them. Other essential equipment includes:

• A helmet that fits appropriately (must be worn to be effective)
• Water bottles and cages
• Energy drink and snacks for the ride
• Cycling clothing, including shoes, shorts, gloves and rain gear
• Sunglasses and sunscreen

Training
The core of your training should be endurance training. If you start your training at least 12 weeks before the ride, you will have ample time to prepare for the Gran Fondo. If you already ride more than five hours a week, you will need far less time to prepare. While most of your rides will be at about 65% of your maximum heart rate (MHR), add two days of interval training, where you push hard for several minutes – up to 85% MHR. Hills are a great way to add interval training to your ride. And don’t forget to allow one day per week for recovery. If you can only ride four to five days a week, don’t do your rest days consecutively. A sample training schedule may look like this:

• Saturday: 1-2 hour ride with 30 minutes of hard effort
• Sunday: 1-2 hour ride at steady pace (65% MHR)
• Monday: Rest
• Tuesday: 1-1.5 hour ride with hills
• Wednesday: Rest or 1-hour easy recovery ride
• Thursday: 1-1.5 hours with interval training
• Friday: Rest or 30-minute easy recovery ride

More Training Tips
• Maintain a cadence of 80 to 100 revolutions per minute
• Increase your mileage as you get closer to the Gran Fondo, no more than 10% at a time.
• Ride with friends, family or your local club to increase your level of comfort riding in larger group.
• Plan a 50- or 60-mile ride at least two weeks before the century to gauge your fitness
• Taper your mileage a week before the century. During that week you may even reduce your riding to one or two days of an easy five to 10-mile spin. Also, try to get plenty of sleep.

In the next blog, I’ll cover Nutrition and Attitude as you approach the day of the Gran Fondo rides. So, stay tuned!

Get out and ride!
Jonas Carney
Performance Director

Optum Pro Cycling Team

The 13th annual edition of the top event on USA Cycling’s National Racing Calendar featured a surprising outcome to a women’s race that included reigning world road champion Giorgia Bronzini, Olympic time trial champion and four-time Nature Valley Grand Prix winner Kristin Armstrong and past world time trial champion Amber Neben.

“Even for fans who attended the races in person or followed the live streams on the internet, this program is a chance to put all of the pieces together,” Nature Valley Grand Prix Executive Director David LaPorte said. “For everyone else, this is an opportunity for them to see some of the best professional cycling in the United States showcased in a half-hour broadcast.”

The Nature Valley Grand Prix is part of the Nature Valley Bicycle Festival, a 10-day celebration of bicycling that includes amateur and professional racing and community events. The Festival is a volunteer-run event with all profits donated to the pediatric hospice at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota. For more information, visit www.naturevalleybicyclefestival.com.

About Nature Valley
Nature Valley, the brand that created the granola bar category in 1975, brings variety to healthy, active consumers looking for wholesome and great-tasting snacks. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Nature Valley is part of General Mills, a leading global manufacturer and marketer of consumer foods products. For more information, visit www.NatureValley.com.

Now that we have a 2011 NVGP champion, it’s time to focus on our training again as we build for our next race. Many of the blog posts leading up to the Nature Valley Gran Fondo focused on specific issues, such as nutrition, specific bike riding skills, bike fit, testing, etc.  These are all important issues as you get ready for a specific event such as the Gran Fondo.  But today, I want to talk about the bigger picture:  how do you work on improving your overall fitness month after month, year after year, while still keeping yourself motivated and excited about riding your bike?

One of the big concepts we use in exercise physiology is “periodization.”  Periodization is the idea that an individual needs to vary his or her training throughout the year in order to maximize the physiological benefits of training.  As a general rule, for cyclists that means that some time should be spent on “base” or “foundation” training (i.e. somewhat easy, steady efforts), some time should be spent on lactate threshold training (i.e. longer, medium to medium-hard intensity efforts), some time should be spent on VO2 max training (i.e. maximal efforts), and some time should be spent on specific bike skills (cadence, bike handling, etc.).  

The key with training any of the above systems is that you need to train each system enough that you give your body enough stimulus to make it adapt and get stronger, while not doing it so long that you either stagnate (both mentally and physically) or over-fatigue yourself.   There are lots of different ways to structure the timing of that training, and that is often dependent on a cyclist’s riding history, strengths and weaknesses, and goals. 

As a very general example, a cyclist who wants to get ready for some Gran Fondo-type events through the summer and starting in June could do base training in January and February, lactate threshold training in March and part of April, VO2 training in late April and May, and then have a little bit of a taper (or easing-up of riding) prior to the event in June.  But that might vary for others – some riders who can ride forever but don’t have any “punch” when they need it might need to spend some more time on their VO2 systems.  Other riders who seem to be able to go fast for a while but then fatigue early may benefit from more time in the base or lactate threshold training periods.

If you’re confused, don’t worry:  this idea of periodization can be very complex.  But if you’d like to give it a try, there are books and online programs available that lay out periodized plans for cycling (books by Chris Carmichael and Joe Friel are popular, for example).  If you’d like a more personalized approach, you could seek out a local cycling coach to help you plan out your program.  Many coaches work with all levels of riders from beginner to elite, so don’t worry about where your starting point is.  And often coaches will have plans available at different price points to fit your budget and needs, so don’t be afraid to ask. 

Another option that is becoming more popular, particularly up here in the Midwest where our outdoor riding can be limited in the winter, is indoor cycling training classes led by cycling coaches.  These are different than standard “spinning” classes in that they are usually done on your own bike on a computerized trainer, the goals of the class are specifically set to help you get stronger for outdoor riding, they are usually led by a cycling coach, and the classes are often structured with the concept of periodization in mind. 

These can be enormously helpful for a few reasons.  First of all, they usually start in the autumn or winter months, which as I noted above is the ideal time to get that base training in (and exactly when a lot of people don’t ride because of the weather).  Secondly, they give you face time with a coach so that you can get a better understanding of training concepts and how to improve your own cycling fitness and skills.  Third, they can act as a great motivator as you’re riding with others who are working on similar goals.  There are a number of these indoor training studios popping up in the Twin Cities; two that I am affiliated with are at Balance Fitness Studio (www.seek-balance.com) in Minneapolis and Now Sports (http://nowbikes-fitness.com/) in St. Paul.

Hopefully that gives you something to think about over the medium to longer term with your cycling – it really can be a lifelong sport and continuing to find ways to feel strong on the bike while enjoying the process can be tremendously rewarding.  I hope you enjoyed the Gran Fondo and continue to enjoy ll of your riding endeavours!

Stillwater, Minn. – The Stillwater Criterium once again provided thrills and excitement to conclude the Nature Valley Grand Prix as defending champion Rory Sutherland (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team) attacked the penultimate time up Chilkoot Hill Sunday to win the final stage.

With the assistance of his Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth teammates, Jesse Anthony survived all the attacks to finish second on the stage and claim the overall classification. Frank Pipp (BISSELL Pro Cycling) was third on the stage.

“Everyone here sees the crowd and how many people come out to cheer us on, it’s an awesome stage and it’s fantastic for the city of Stillwater to have such an event, there are not many like this in the country,” Sutherland said.

Anthony, perhaps better known for his cyclocross prowess until now, credited his team for helping him win the first stage race of his career.

“Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth has been working super hard all year,” he said. “We’ve been racing aggressively in every race we’ve done and we threw it down this week as hard as we could. Everyone went in 110 percent, everyone on the team was committed and it ended up working out for us.”

Rory Sutherland (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team) powers up Chilkoot Hill Sunday to win the final stage of the Nature Valley Grand Prix

Only the strong survive the notoriously brutal criterium course that features Chilkoot Hill’s 21 percent grade at its steepest point during a two-block climb to the finish line. Riders started falling off the fast pace set by Anthony’s green train as it controlled the front, quickly reacting and neutralizing dangerous attacks from Luis Amaran and Tom Zirbel (Jamis/Sutter Home).

With two laps to go, Robert Förster (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team) upped the pace on Chilkoot, exploding the dwindling field as the battle for the stage win commenced. Sutherland, Anthony, Amaran and third-on-general classification Bernard Van Ulden (Jelly Belly presented by Kenda) all went with the attack. Sutherland attacked the next time up the climb and was able to hold on to enjoy his second consecutive victory at Stillwater.

“Last year was beautiful,” Sutherland said. “But this year, being actually able to enjoy the climb on the last time instead of having to sprint up, was nice.”

Anthony battled until the last lap keeping his closest rivals close and then passing them on the final climb to the finish line.

“The crowd here in Stillwater is unbelievable,” he said. “It rivals the Mayanunk Wall in Philadelphia. The hill is unexplainable until you really do it, even if you’re having the best of days, it hurts so much. I had great legs today and all week, but it was a battle to stay up front and stay with my teammates and follow the wheels at the end.”

Halfway through the 20-lap race, Timothy Rugg (Nature Valley Pro Ride) and Jeremy Vennell (BISSELL) got away and built a gap of 25 seconds before being reeled in eight laps later.  Rugg was awarded the red Freewheel Bike Most Aggressive Rider for his efforts.

Kyle Wamsley (BISSELL) won the Sports Beans King of the Hills jersey after a tough fight with Logan Hutchings (ELBOWZ Racing) for it the final two stages.

“It makes me that much more happier that I could hold on to the jersey when I have somebody racing me for it,” Wamsley said about his fight for the polka dot jersey.

Förster won the  Wheaties FUEL Sprint Competition. Chad Haga (Team Rio Grande) took home the final Nature Valley Top Amateur green jersey while Joseph Schmalz (ELBOWZ Racing) won the white TRIA Orthopaedic Center Best Young Rider jersey. The BISSELL Pro Cycling team won the team classification.

Stillwater, Minn. – Giorgia Bronzini (Colavita Forno D’Asolo presented by Cooking Light) attacked at the bottom of Chilkoot Hill Sunday to secure her third stage win at this year’s Nature Valley Grand Prix as Amber Neben (HTC-Highroad) held on to win the race overall.

Kristin Armstrong (Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12) attacked the penultimate time up the leg-breaking climb that was packed with spectators, hoping to repeat her previous years’ success at the Stillwater Criterium. But Neben’s HTC-Highroad teammate, Evelyn Stevens, and Bronzini jumped after her. Bronzini’s win was the reigning world road race champion’s third of the five-day, six-stage race.

Giorgia Bronzini (Colavita Forno D’Asolo presented by Cooking Light) wins atop Chilkoot Hill Sunday at the Stillwater Criterium, the final stage of the Nature Valley Grand Prix.

“I have no words for Evie (Stevens) – she made the race,” Bronzini said, laughing. “I tried to save my power for the last climb because I came here with all of the best climbers and I’m a sprinter. So I tried only to follow (wheels) and save my best sprint for the final.”

Between attacks from Team TIBCO/To The Top and Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12 and the sheer difficulty of the 18 percent average grade on Chilkoot Hill, an elite group of riders quickly separated themselves from the peloton. The decisive breakaway group formed within five laps of the 13-lap race and featured a mix of experienced veterans and promising newcomers. It included Bronzini, Neben with teammates Stevens, Ally Stacher, and Amanda Miller, overall runner-up Erinne Willock (Team TIBCO/To The Top) and teammate Joelle Noumainville, defending champion Armstrong and teammate Kristin McGrath, Anne Samplonius (NOW and Novartis for MS), and Jade Wilcoxson (Nature Valley Grand Prix Pro Ride).

As the teams battled for the general classification, Armstrong and Bronzini were able to sit in the pack and save themselves for the finish.

“I wanted to sit and let Highroad do their work to protect the jersey,” Armstrong said. “I knew two minutes would be too much to gain today so we went for the stage win for the team. I tried my best, I tried to go with two to go but everyone out there was really strong. I just couldn’t get that extra acceleration.”

Neben said it actually was a very easy day for her because her team was so good.

“I didn’t really have to do anything but just watch them,” Neben said. “It went according to plan. I’m proud of them, they rode really well this week. I have the yellow, but really, we all won.”

The HTC-Highroad team protected overall winner Amben Neben on the way to also winning the team classification Sunday at the Nature Valley Grand Prix.

Stevens’ performance earned her the Freewheel Bike Most Aggressive Rider jersey.

“Ally, Amanda and Chloe raced their hearts out,” Stevens said. “Amanda and Chloe took it on the back, then I would take control on the climb. I think it was perfect teamwork – no one could get away. It was really exciting.”

Before the race, Stacher was honored with the “Carla Swart Sportsmanship Award,” recognizing the female athlete at the race who sacrificed her own chances for the good of her team. Swart was a South African Olympic hopeful and the most decorated collegiate rider in U.S. history who died when she was hit by a truck during a training ride.

We raced how Carla would have raced,” Stevens said. “She was just an amazing woman, and I know Ally was her best friend. I can’t think of someone better than Ally to wear that jersey. The way she rode today, she rode her heart out. It’s just incredible, the whole team.”

Stacher’s performance also won her the Tria Orthopaedic Best Young Rider jersey, and HTC-Highroad won the Team classification.

Riding for the Nature Valley Pro Ride team, Wilcoxson finished with the front group of elite riders to win the Nature Valley Grand Prix Best Amateur.

“I was really nervous to start it, but it turned out to be a really good course for me,” Wilcoxson said. “I kind of shocked myself as well. I was really surprised to hang with the big dogs like that. I just wanted to be able to finish the race today, so, I’m really excited about the results.”

Leah Kirchmann (Colavita Forno D’Asolo) held onto her Sports Beans Queen of the Hill jersey and Wheaties Fuel Sprint Competition jersey.

Jersey winners of the Nature Valley Grand Prix Sunday (left to right): Sports Beans Queen of the Hill and Wheaties Fuel Sprint Competition winner Leah Kirchmann (Colavita Forno D’Asolo), Tria Orthopaedic Best Young Rider Ally Tria Orthopaedic Best Young Rider, Freewheel Bike Most Aggressive Rider Evelyn Stevens, overall champion Amber Neben and Nature Valley Grand Prix Best Amateur Jade Wilcoxson.

Menomonie, Wis. — The Menomonie Road Race lived up to expectations Saturday at the Nature Valley Grand Prix. At the end of the more than 100 miles of hard racing in the lush rolling terrain of Wisconsin, the UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team’s winning streak was stopped at four.

Amidst a shattered peloton that saw fewer than two dozen riders allowed onto the finishing circuit, Bernard Van Ulden (Jelly Belly presented by Kenda) attacked his fellow escapees on the last of four laps around the two-mile course to claim the victory.

“I died a thousand deaths, but I ate plenty of Sports Beans in the race and also on the circuits and it all worked,” Van Ulden said. “Without my sponsors, none of this would be possible. I’m very happy. This is a dream come true.”

Bernard Van Ulden (Jelly Belly presented by Kenda) celebrates his victory Saturday at the Menomonie Road Race that snapped UnitedHealthcare's string of four straight stage wins at the Nature Valley Grand Prix.

Jesse Anthony (Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth) finished second on the stage and took over the yellow jersey as the general classification experienced a big shakeup.

“We’re really, really happy to have the lead in this race especially with OptumHealth, one of our title sponsors here,” Anthony said. “We’ve been racing aggressively and it’s awesome to finally see it pay off. This is a team effort, I wish all my teammates could wear the yellow jersey with me, we all worked for it equally.”

Jay Thomson (BISSELL Pro Cycling) was third on the stage.

After watching UnitedHealthcare win the first four stages – including a podium sweep in St. Paul on Stage 2 – the rest of the peloton was determined to try and wrestle control from the blue train. The course was equally as conducive for it, featuring plenty of twists and turns and four Sports Beans King of the Hills climbs. With an early break already off the front, the Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth squad lined up at the front heading up the the second tough climb and exploded the field.

“We knew today was going to be a decisive day as well as tomorrow,” Anthony said. “We just had to race real aggressively and use the strengths that the team has. Today was a good long road race of attrition and we raced as hard as we could. The guys threw down, as hard as they could, we just kept attacking and we didn’t give up.”

By the time the attacks ended, only 20 riders remained at the front, including multiple riders from Kelly Benefit Stategies, BISSELL, Jelly Belly, Team Exergy, Jamis/Sutter Home, and only one from UnitedHealthcare – defending champion Rory Sutherland.

The decisive move of the men's race is made with 15 miles to go in Saturday's 101-mile Menomonie Road Race at the Nature Valley Grand Prix. Jay Thomson (leading) split an already select group with an attack that drew out seven riders who survived to the finish.

The next round of hostilities were opened up as the breakaway approached the four finishing circuits with a gap of five minutes on the field. Seven riders (Van Ulden, Anthony, Thomson, Heath Blackgrove and Logan Hutchings (both of ELBOWZ Racing), Luis Amaran (Jamis/Sutter Home) and Freddie Rodriguez and Andres Diaz (both of Team Exergy) were battling for the stage win and the yellow jersey.

“Coming into the circuits here, I was dying a thousand deaths,” Murphy said. “I started cramping and I knew I didn’t have the legs to go against the sprinters so I figured my best chance was going to be either keep it together and try not to lose time because I was relatively high up there on GC, or to try to get off the front.”

In addition to the stage win, Van Ulden was also awarded the Freewheel Bike Most Aggressive Rider jersey. His UnitedHealthcare teammate, Robert Förster, kept his lead in the Wheaties FUEL Sprint competition. Chad Haga (Team Rio Grande) retained the green jersey as the Nature Valley Top Amateur and Joseph Schmalz (ELBOWZ Racing) is the new leader in the white TRIA Orthopaedic Center Best Young Rider competition. Kyle Wamsley (BISSELL Pro Cycling) defended his Sports Beans King of the Hills in an early heated battle.

Sunday’s Stillwater Criterium is billed as “the most brutal criterium course in North America.” Last year, Kelly Benefit Strategies lost the overall in a battle to the wire with UnitedHealthcare. With a similar situation this eyar, Anthony said he is ready to defend his lead.

“It’s going to be an amazing race,” he said. “That course just explodes the race. It’s hard the whole time and hopefully I have the legs. We’ve been working on this for the whole year. We’ll go out there and see what we do.”