Hand out those

Awards!

The "Off Season Team Night Out" was its usual success.  Burgers were snarfed,  Beer Quaffed (Al N. even had some beer!!),  Videos watched,  unsuspecting dive bar patrons confused.  Pretty much normal.  A Wednesday school night and a "blizzard" kept the debauchery to a minimum,  good for all the old people.

Our buddy Lee of the Miners Tavern

hooked us up once again,  a great venue,  big screen,  and a few pitchers of good beer on him.  Many thanks,  and good luck to Lee on his second Leadville 100 this year.

We did an expanded Team Award/Accomplishment section this year,  with 4 riders getting awards for their efforts over the season.  Besides these nifty certificates,  Some nasty Belgian Beer & Mad Alchemy Embro was doled out to the hard working recipients.   (Click-ey on the certificates below to get the full test of the awards.)

Jonathan Jones - Media Darling

Armin Bantowsky - Best Race Planning   (Armin,  do NOT think the irony of giving YOU a "race Planning" award is not intended & intentional...)



















David Claude - Get Back on that Horse

Ric Stofflet - Most improved Rider (or most improvement in gravity avoidance... NEVER have we seen someone crash SIX times in one race,  and yet finish.)

Video Productions are available on DVD upon request,  but the 2 full productions are also here for your viewing pleasure.

Dale Riley - Cross - Up Close

Cross - Up Close from Dale Riley on Vimeo.

John Deibert - Karnage Kam

2012 Cyclocross season highlights video from John Deibert on Vimeo.

That wraps up the CX season for sure.  Spring "Training" camps,  summer MTB,  and maybe a trail work day are the top of the team activity list for the Summer.  Enjoy the "quiet" time,  soon it will warm up.....

Wrap it up

The 2012 Cross season is a wrap,  folks.

High Peaks Masters had a great season again.  Great results from our small (but deadly...) bunch,  some riders had breakthrough seasons,  some got TRULY hooked,  and we even had some new blood jump into the fray.  This shot shows why I love riding with this bunch.

Top 10 For Colorado Cross Cup in both 35+4 and 45+4 is a solid result,  again given the small number of riders we have.  Managing to beat both the Blue Horde and the "Unnatural Way" was a bit of icing on the cake for the year.  Great to have a little rivalry,  imagined or not,  to help motivate the troops.  I think everyone who raced scored SOME Cup points,  a nice way to do the team competition.

JJ got serious enough about the Natural Way rivalry,  he pulled out the Cross Cup numbers across the entire spectrum of categories.  Anything worth doing is worth overdoing.  Hopefully this will have less of a motivating effect on the competition than John D's last dig.

Nicely Done!

State Championships was a great party.  Solid race results,  and a great time.  Perfect end to the season.

Lots of Racing done,  with Al Naudin taking what is probably an insurmountable lead in the raw number of races,  taking my lead away with a vengeance.

Great job by the whole bunch.  Get your rest,  enjoy the winter,  and get ready to make it hurt next year.  Thanks for yet another great season!

GEEK OUT!

As Dale mentioned, High Peaks Masters is sitting in third place for the CO Cross Cup Team classification in the 35+ 4s.  We're going to wind up in 2nd place there, and maybe first if we can rally just a little to beat one key player.
Here's the analysis:

Obviously the Natural Way Racing Team has a sizeable lead on us.  Team Evergreen Racing also has a 10% edge on us.  But a quick glance at the "Congratulations, you're upgraded!" web page from the last two weeks shows that a certain Robert Brudenell (Natural Way) and Thomas Fiorillo (Team Evergreen) have both been upgraded.  Awesome!  Way to go, guys.

Brudenell is responsible for 86 of Natural Way's 146 points, and Fiorillo scored 66 of Evergreen's 77 points.  Neither of those guys will score another point in our beloved BDDL this season, so guess what?  We have four guys that have all notched top-20s this year and we're scoring an average of 14 points per race.  Team Evergreen only has one other rider who has scored 11 points all season, and we might overtake them as early as this weekend if we can put a couple guys in the top 20 and beat out that one guy.  The Natural Way team will be a tougher nut to crack.  54 of their non-Brudenell points have been scored by a certain Joseph Coffey, who I've had some trouble getting in front of:

Armin, however, has had slightly more success against this guy:

Coffey is also playing it cool enough to only have four upgrade points, so we can't wait for him to disappear.  We need to go out and beat this guy!  And take what's ours, which is first place in the team points.

So start hard, hammer your brains out and somebody bring me some 'embro' on Saturday.  Kirk got me hooked on that shit, then left me hanging on Sunday.  I was freezing on the starting line.

 

Interview - Paul Riciputi

Cross season is well underway with some STELLAR results from some of the team!

Armin Bantowsky and John Deibert ate getting top 10 & 20 results, and setting up good call-ups in Cup & non Cup races. Kirk has (as usual) hit a top 5. Rest of the team is also riding well. Season taking off, with the USGP kicking off the "meat" of the season this weekend.

Xilinx
35+4
Armin - 6
John - 11
Paul -46
Jonathan - 48
David - 67
35+ 3
Matt - 32
45+
Kirk - 6
55+
AL - 15
SW4
Lori - 8

Frisco
35+4
Armin - 13
John - 15
Paul - 29
Dale - 49
35+ 3
Matt - 27
45+
Kirk - 15
Dale - DNF
55+

Al - 17
SW35+
Lori -11

And now, Meet Paul Riciputi, the latest HPM interview victim.

Who are you? Your "vitals"?

Originally from rural Maine, I currently reside in Gold Hill, west of and uphill from Boulder, the best combo of near-but-not-in the front range I've found, with no street lights, no pavement, and high speed internet access.

What do you do for a living?

Software and IT management, generally for health care IT.

What do you do on a Bike? (or Skis?)

The last two years my main focus is CX, though I enjoy getting out on the road bike and some mountain biking as well. Try to avoid hitting deer whenever possible.

When did you start racing Bikes? Start Racing Cross? Start Nordic Ski Racing?

After lots of training rides with racers since moving to CO in 2001, I started racing 2 years ago, CX only so far. I've been riding consistently for 10 years or so, and have done competitive endurance sports on and off since high school (track, cross-country, some triathloning, some multi-sport).

Any other "interesting" bike history or stories?

I managed to hit a deer at high speed two miles from home two years ago, descending to Boulder for a race. Not a good idea at for anyone considering it: 8 fractures and a 3-4 month recovery, and a persistently sore lower back. ER staff in Boulder understand though: they asked immediately if my bike was OK when I arrived.

Any Great Racing Results?

Not yet.

What else do you do for fun?

Ski, ski some more (with the useful fat boards, not those strange underfed skinny planks some on the team seem fond of), eat good food, drink good beer and wine, hike with our two goldens, get out backcountry to hike and fish.

Any bike racing goals or dreams to share?

Consistent top 20 later in the season in 35+4, if things pull together physically this year.

Why are you on H.P.M. ?

Dale's consistent supply of post-race beverages when I forget mine, team focus on cross, Kirk and Dale's interest in a team that is serious about cross but not too serious otherwise.

If you hit the Powerball lottery tomorrow, what would you go do?

Buy a second cross bike and two sets of tubulars, plan some good ski and mountaineering trips, spend more time cooking good food for friends, look for small companies that want to make a difference and give them a boost without needing to worry about an income.

Interview - John Deibert

So, Cross season is underway. Al Naudin was the first one out of the gate, racing to a 5th place in the 55s at Queens of Cross in Golden. way to break in the season for us, Al!

Many more will be starting their season out Saturday the 17th in Boulder's new Valmont park, including John Deibert, a new member this year, and the subject of this team interview session.

Who are you? Your "vitals"?

John Deibert, 37, 5'8" 148 lbs. Happily married to Lori Antolec, no kids, two cats (hers), five bikes (and need one more, fast)

Where are you from?

born in Cheyenne, WY, lived in Fort Worth, TX and mostly grew up in Sioux Falls, SD. Moved to Boulder for college in 1992 and have been hanging around since then.

What do you do for a living?

Mostly button-pushing and typing. I test disk drives at Seagate.

What do you do on a Bike?

Go fast, fly through the air, wheelies, stoppies, the usual stuff. I ride roads, mountain bike, plan to start racing cross this year. I ride a bike to work most days (but I draw the line at -10 degrees F).

When did you start racing Bikes? Start Racing Cross? Start Nordic Ski Racing?

2003. This year. Not on your life.

Any other "interesting" bike history or stories?

I think I had a concussion from going over the bars for the first time at the age of, oh, maybe 10. And I went 1 year without driving my car to work when we moved to our current residence (1.5 miles from work)

Any Great Racing Results?

10th place in the 2004 Iron Horse (30-34 mens), 5th place sprinter in 2004 Mead series (Settje was 1st), 1st place in the 2008 Breck 32 (overall), 6th in the 2011 Breck 32 (30-39 mens).

What else do you do for fun?

Snowboard, travel with Lori, watch the Grand Tours on TV religiously

Any bike racing goals or dreams to share?

Not really. My goal in any race is for it to be good at the finish, get to fight it out and do something heroic to beat someone. I hope to have fun trying some cross races this year, and watch Lori tear it up more than she did last year.

Why are you on H.P.M. ?

My first matching kit, awesome! And to hang out with a bunch of great riders and fun people.

If you hit the Powerball lottery tomorrow, what would you go do?

Maybe fund the medical research it's going to take to replace all my failing joints. Either that or go mountain biking all around the world with Lori.

Interview - Tim "Foon" Feldman

Continuing with the "who are you" segment, we bring you our own master of riding longer than you can imagine, Tim Feldman.

Who are you? Your "vitals"?

Tim “Foon” Feldman, age 51, size 45 ⅓ Salomon boots, 59 cm road -- just a bit too big for Kirk’s hand-me-downs

Married to Donna Feldman, two adult daughters (SITCOM*)

timfoonfeldman@gmail.com

Where are you from?

I started cycling and skiing after my family moved to Stevens Point, Wisconsin in 1971. It was in Wisconsin that I got the nickname Little Foonman that eventually shortened to Foon. I moved to Boulder County in 1978 and have mostly been here since.

What do you do for a living?

Technologist at Seagate

Volunteer Ski Patroller at Devil’s Thumb

What do you do on a Bike?

As many different things as possible. The diversity of the sport is fantastic. Once in a while I actually ride to work, but mostly I it’s my RV. Recently I have been doing long rides -- randonneuring and brevets up to 750 miles over four days.

When did you start racing Bikes? Start Racing Cross? Start Nordic Ski Racing?

First bike race was in 1979, the first spring after moving to Boulder.

First ski race was around the same time, probably the Stampede when it was at Devil’s Thumb.

Racing cross since 2013.

Any other "interesting" bike history or stories?

I rode the Mesa Trail in 1979 on my race bike (sew-ups, cleats). Remember there were no mountain bikes back then. By the time I got back to Boulder and stopped in at the Spoke, people were already talking about the crazy guy on the trail. As best I know, that was the first time anyone road the Mesa Trail, and it got closed to bikes shortly after. You’re welcome.

Shortest race: 200 meters (track sprints in Kenosha, Wisconsin, 1981)

Longest ride: 3400 miles (PACTour Elite Tour transcontinental, 19 days, 2010)

24-hour PR: 410 miles (first 24 hours of Last Chance, 2010)

Any Great Racing Results?

Most crashes: twice in the criterium at Bisbee, Arizona, three times in the stage race (1980)

Time Trial PR: 54:20 (25 miles, Colorado State Championships, 8th place, 1981)

Largest winnings: $150 (Bob Cook Memorial Mt Evans Hill Climb, 6th place in Pro-1-2, 2:02:32, 1982)

Yep, it’s been downhill since 1982.

What else do you do for fun?

Hosting a team cookout after cross camp.

I’ve also been having fun running a chain saw to deal with beetle kill and blow down in Fraser.

Any cycling or skiing goals or dreams to share?

- My goal is to enjoy cycling and skiing for the rest of my life. I would like to get back to bike touring where my cycling started -- spending days or weeks on the road with just the gear I’m carrying.

- I have designed a new 750-mile brevet, Haute Route, that goes through the central mountains and hits many of the big climbs (Trail Ridge and 8 major passes). I would like this to become the world’s premier high challenge brevet.

- Birkebeiner: never have; need to soon. Both of them.

Why are you on H.P.M. ?

1. To impress the chicks.

2. I needed new cycling shorts and a ski race outfit.

Kirk has done a great job putting together a low key group with cheap stuff. The clothes, not the chicks.

If you hit the Powerball lottery tomorrow, what would you go do?

Fly to Europe with my touring bike, passport and credit card. Then spend the winter skiing in Norway.

* Single Income, Two Children, One Mortgage

Interview - Kirk Olson

Team member interview #2. The Man, the Legend, The King of HPM himself.

Kirk Olson

Who are you? Your "vitals"?

Kirk Olson, 45, Married, 2-dogs, no kids.

Where are you from?

Born and raised in Montana, lived in CO since 1991

What do you do for a living?

Project Manager for Seagate Technology.

What do you do on a Bike?

Ride Mountain bikes for fun, Intervals on road bike and race cyclocross.

When did you start racing Bikes? Start Racing Cross? Start Nordic Ski Racing?

Always raced against neighbor kids in Montana. Raced a couple of Duathlon (run,bike,run) in AZ, but First official bike only race was the "Cat's Hill Critierium" in Los Gatos, CA. - 1989 I think.. (got lapped in a cat 5 field)
First full bike racing season was in 1992 in CO.
Started cyclocross and MTB racing about 92 or 93.

Started my ski career Alpine ski racing at age 5. Played with the classic skinny sticks as a kid, thru school sponsored trips. I didn't start Nordic skiing or racing until the 2000's after I quit bike racing for 4 years. Being from MT and raised with guns, Biathlon was a normal route a year after learning to skate ski.

Any other "interesting" bike history or stories?

Punctured a hole and tendon behind my knee with a front chain ring, after being run over by another cross racer. Filled the shoe up with blood but still finished the race. Trip to ER after...Thanks Dale.

Raced the Vail 100 MTB a couple years. Stayed very close to the lead group (within sight) one year until about mile 60 where I had a complete melt down for an hour or so...Still don't remember what I did for that hour.

After a night of parting, I lined up for a MTB race in Hua Hin, Thailand, on a rented 40lb Trek. Drained my camelback at the line waiting for the race to start. Dehydrated, I ended up lost running thru a farmers rice patty field afraid I was going to get bitten by a snake (everything very blurry), and then proceeded to the jungle ending up in some village. (no cyclist around..) Passed out on the ground and some nice villager gave me some water and haled my ass back to the start line after a 30min drive in the back of mini truck.

After Drinking a 4 shot mocha late before a Pagosa Springs criterium, I proceeded to lap the field, ride thru them and miss 1st place by a wheel length. After the race all I could say is "can't stop, got to keep riding.." Next day's Hill climb road race was not as pretty.

You going to ride your bike with that crack?

Any Great Racing Results?

Won the Mead circuit race series a couple years. A few MTB wins, Lot's of top 10's in road, cross, MTB and a 3rd place Podium last year at Cross NACT Boulder Res in 45+.
Two 4th and one 5th place finish at Biathlon Nationals last winter and several top 5 in other Nordic and Biathlon races thru the years.

What else do you do for fun?

Spend as much time in the Mountains as I can, with my wife and dogs.

Any bike racing goals or dreams to share?

Main cyclocross and Nordic goals are just to have FUN and be stay fit enough to mix it up every race with the top guy's. Biathlon the same, but hope to travel and hit more NAC races, Nationals, a trip to Finland for World Masters and the World Masters Olympics in a few years in Italy..

Why are you on H.P.M. ?

ah...I started this... I've ridden for many teams, including Alan and Ridley for Cross. I just wanted my own team, own clothing and to be able to do whatever I wanted, whenever.

If you hit the Powerball lottery tomorrow, what would you go do?

Would be doing pretty much the same stuff, except not working... Would be living more in the mountains, still racing cyclocross, Biathlon and Nordic. More Travel to Visit and race the other world Masters, outside the Colorado mutants. Oh, and go back to school to learn other languages.

HPM hits Vietnam

Flying the HPM kit in HaLong Bay, North Vietnam.
(oh, and the HaNoi beer is just fine, thank you

Team Member Interview - Dale Riley

Been trying to think up something to add some traffic & interest to the old H.P.M. blog.

What Got dreamed up is a series of team member interviews. Going to start with myself. Hope to run thru everyone on the team eventually. So, I present to you, the "H.P.M canned interview". Enjoy.

Who are you? Your "vitals"?

Dale Riley - 50 Years old, Happily married, no kids

Where are you from?

Denver, Colorado. Colorado Native, born & bread. Never saw a reason to leave here.

What do you do for a living?

A geek. Electrical Engineer for Seagate Technology. Make Disk Drives.

What do you do on a Bike?

I Race cross, the odd Mountain bike race, and LOVE to ride the mountain bike and explore on the thing. Have grown to pretty much hate road riding.

When did you start racing Bikes? Start Racing Cross? Start Nordic Ski Racing?

Not really sure about the dates. Probably about 1987 or 1988? I know I went to Colorado Springs for Road Worlds in 1986, and started racing by then or not long after. I also know I rode in the "citizen" races at the World MTB championships at both Durango in 1990 and Vail in 1994, so a while. Remember racing cross at the Boulder series where Velo Swap started in 1989. I don't Nordic ski.

Any other "interesting" bike history or stories?

I used to compete in Observed Trials events in the old Colorado Off Road Points Series races. Managed to win 2 of them in beginner Stock.

Any Great Racing Results?

Not really. Pretty much mediocre pack fodder. A few top 5's in Beginner Mountain bike races.

What else do you do for fun?

I like to Backcountry ski, and in general be in the high mountains, or wandering around in the Desert.

Any bike racing goals or dreams to share?

I would love to consistently finish top 20 in the 35+ 4s So I could then feel good and upgrade & race 45+

Why are you on H.P.M. ?

Wanted a laid back, team of friends to race with that did not need new clothing every year.

If you hit the Powerball lottery tomorrow, what would you go do?

Buy an airplane big enough to haul a few bodies AND their bikes, and do the MOTHER of all mountain bike "road trips".