Posts By: Gord Fraser

This is the first week of school. For some of us we need the time to settle in and get back into rhythm while others can commence right away and get things going.  With that in mind, practice this week will be optional, however there still will be practices happening.

There will be two options on each day as to help all of you get what you need.

On Tuesday and Thursday in the afternoon we will have two separate groups on the mountain bike.  For folks who have not been around much lately we will have skills based rides; just to get back on the bike and moving.  Those that have been riding regularly will go on endurance rides.

Wednesday we will have road rides. These will also be group appropriate.  More chilled rides for those returning from a busy summer while the others will have a solid endurance ride.  It’s our intention to introduce some aerobic intervals next week.

After each practice, no matter which group you are in, there will be a cross training session to attend.

NICA is now 6 weeks away.

Let’s get everyone back together and excited to try and be their best.

NICA SIGN UPS NEED TO HAPPEN THIS WEEK

Re-invites have been sent a few times to parents over the past month.  If you haven’t received this invite please let us know.  This is the critical week to make it happen. We will begin to kindly hunt you down if you have not signed up by Wednesday. Please consult with us to make this happen on time.

Here is the practice schedule for the coming weeks;

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/904054DADA72CA3FC1-august

It sure has been wonderful to see the desert get some much needed precipitation.  It has complicated some of last week’s practices but we’ve been able to co-exist with rain quite well.

I’m excited to finally be able to attempt to cross the Canadian border on Monday.   It’s been too long since I’ve visited my family up North.  I’ll be gone until the 30th but hope to hear that team members will start getting back into the swing of practices as everyone returns from vacation and travel.  Coach Ignacio will lead a road ride this Tuesday the 20th at 6:30am.  He will take a measure on what direction everyone wants and needs to go and we’ll post additional practices for this week on Tuesday night.

I’m excited that the Olympics are finally on the brink of starting after a long year delay.  Look for exciting cycling events to take place.  I believe the road races are early on the Olympic program and they should be thrilling.

Gord

Coach Ignacio led a strong 9 rider contingent to the mountain bike National Championships last week held in Winter Park, Colorado.  Highlights include Damiano winning the National Champion’s jersey in the cross country, Jorah with a 5^th place in her xcountry event and Axel jumping over one hundred places from a back starting position in his xcountry event to finish an excellent 11^th.   We are super proud of everyone’s efforts and achievements.

Jorah;  5^th in xcountry, 40^th in shortrack

Taryn; 28^th in XC, 16^th in ST

Jesus;  63^rd in XC, 32^nd in ST

Axel; 11^th in XC, 21^st in ST

Alex; 16^th in XC, 25^th in ST

Damiano;  1^st in XC, 16^th in ST

Eliott; 64^th in XC

Thomas; 85^th in XC

Kaiden; 102^nd in XC

Cycling’s biggest stage is happening in France with the Tour de France offering dramatic and emotional racing almost everyday.  It was particularly amazing for American race fans as one of their own wins in Andorra yesterday.  Sepp Kuss raced many times against Team El Grupo only 6+ years ago and he inspired many of us with his victory.   Here’s the highlights of the stage;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00ufPXSGqkc

We are 8 weeks out from the first NICA race.  The goal is to get everyone back and increasing the frequency of rides and attendance.  We will have 2 mountain bike rides and 2 road rides this week.  This is a reminder that we need to properly hydrate before each practice.  This starts the night before so make sure you drink plenty.  The heat really took its toll on us last Thursday so be mindful of the extra heat and humidity out there.  Here’s the practice schedule;

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/904054DADA72CA3FC1-july1

I hope everyone is enjoying time off school and varying locations of vacation time.  It’s been fun riding in humid conditions for a change and maybe we’ll experience some ‘hero dirt’ out on the trails. Coach Ignacio is leading a small but motivated crew up in Colorado this week for mountain bike Nationals.  Best of… Read more »

We had a tremendous three weeks of Summer Bike Camp.  We got through some record heat temperatures and together we brought smiles and miles to over 150 kids that participated this year.  Hopefully the camp will start a cycle for newcomers to El Grupo.  Many of our team members in the senior programs of BikePacking… Read more »

A new week and the promise of slightly cooler weather await.   I’m looking forward to our last week of Summer Bike Camp.   Working with our team members in their junior counselor roles has been rewarding.   Let’s finish off with great energy and enthusiasm that El Grupo is renowned for. Body Work sessions with Coach Daniela… Read more »

We had a fantastic Week 1 of Summer Bike Camp with incredible experiences for the kids, the staff and of course our Team El Grupo members acting as junior counselors.  Week 2 promises much of the same.  We will meet Monday at 6:45am for the extra preparation entailed in welcoming all the new faces for… Read more »

June will be a busy month as Summer Bike Camp is starting.  This important program serves many purposes.  It primarily is a great service to the community as families need a place to keep kids engaged and occupied while school is out.  Our camp once again is sold out and the popularity is only growing. … Read more »

Happy Memorial Day!  Most students are now on summer break and I hope you all enjoyed your first weekend free of homework.  Most practices will begin in the morning to avoid the rising temperatures.  Keep an eye on the signup genius for practice times linked below. We have a busy week ahead of us.  Summer… Read more »

Thanks for all those that attended our little garage sale.  We were able to tidy up around the clubhouse and unload some great items that we just can’t use with the team.  We continue to rely on the generosity of the Tucson (and beyond) cycling community which is responsible for almost 90% of the bikes… Read more »