The Heat Was On

Humidity was high but so were our hopes for a smooth and successful 1st annual Cause for Paws Crit on Sunday. Rainy skies in the wee morning hours cleared to gray and eventually blue by the time it was all said and done. We had a nice turnout and the numbers were well distributed among the various races. In the women’s open race, there were 17 entrants at the line. Cook took off right from the start with one rider jumping on her wheel. They got a gap halfway into the first lap of the .6 mile loop, with BJ and Ali sitting on the front of the pack and Suszann in the middle. A few laps in, BJ jumped and scrambled the field. Ali bridged up shortly thereafter and the break of three now held their split for a few more laps around the course. Then Cook jumped and pulled away to solo the next several loops, gaining solid distance from the two. Ali sat in and ultimately made a move to try and bridge up to Cook. Once that was done, they alternated positions with the remaining laps to finish up 1st and 2nd. BJ and Suszann worked hard in the field and finished strong, all four getting lots of support and encouragement from teammates working the race as well as spectators.

Many thanks to all who helped out in the preparation and staging of this event. It could not have been pulled off without the multi-tasking abilities and leadership of Cap’n Cook, the guidance and experience of Carolyn Goble, the cooperation and assistance from the City of Chesapeake and all of the volunteering team members & Manderkittens. We greatly appreciate everyone who supported us by coming out to participate whether it was to race or watch or both - most especially those who traveled from out of town! We hope a good time was had by all and you’ll all be back next year! Results will be posted on BikeReg soon. In the meantime, you can take a look at the numerous pictures our fabulous photographer, BJ, took to capture the day’s activities:http://bobandbj.smugmug.com/Cycling/Cause-for-Paws-Criterium-2010/12546574_R5JnF#900203212_sCHSM

Last but not least, a special shout out to those who donated items and/or money for the critters at the VBSPCA. We’re looking forward to delivering all of your contributions this week.

The BJ is back!

Time trials, while they hurt like hell, are relatively safe. Crits, on the other hand, have the potential to knock you down and bang you up, making you wonder "is this really worth it?" Two years ago BJ was asking herself that question as she lay on the ground, cut and broken, at the Casey Crit. A broken collar bone, several stitches, a pretty bad concussion, and months on the trainer led her to decide that no, crits were not worth it. Since then she has continued to do time trials, beating not only the women in the 40 plus category, but also almost every other woman as well. She is a time trialing Goddess! So, as they say, time heals. And thus it has for BJ. At 59 years young, BJ is THE most energetic person I have EVER met. Not to mention a little competitive. And determined. And crazy, in a good way :) All of those characteristics combined, plus the support of an amazing husband, brought BJ to the conclusion that maybe crits aren't so bad afterall. That taking calculated chances is worth it. After dipping her toe in the water in a couple of crits earlier in the season, BJ jumped in with both feet this weekend. And, as expected, she ROCKED. Here's how the weekend played out: At the Amphib Crit yesterday she made an early break and stayed out there with various other racers as things played out behind her. In the end she came away with 2nd place for the 40 plus women and 4th place overall. One of the other racers was heard saying, "I almost ran you down in the sprint!". At just over half BJ's age this woman was excited that she ALMOST caught BJ in the sprint! After an almost 60 mile ride this morning, BJ decided she would forgo her usual Sunday afternoon routine of manicuring her perfect lawn (think Martha Stewart on steroids) and throw her hat in the ring at the Langley Speedway. Once again she found herself in a breakaway, this time with two very strong women, one who is a Cat 1 racer. BJ ended up 1st for the 40+ women, lapping the field, and third overall. We should all be so lucky when we're 59. Cap'n Cook and Cap'n of the BJ is a BadA** Fan Club

It Is What It Is

And what it was wasn't pretty. Headed to Newport News Saturday for the Casey Crit @ Todd Stadium. Tunnel traffic & a wrong turn made a short road trip a bit longer & more comical to start things off. Laura & Ali raced with Suszann & about 15 other women in the Women's Open category. BJ was there to take her standard stellar photos of several different races on what turned out to be a sunny Saturday afternoon.

The pace started slow & didn't change much with a couple of surges during the first several laps. Eventually Cook set up Ali to break which worked but another racer got on her wheel. They made a few laps together and then Cook bridged up to assist. Keeping their gap from the field, they continued to run laps around the half mile track, the two of them primarily doing the pulls. As they came into the back side of the course during the bell lap, with Cook leading Ali out, the sprint started right before the final turn. Emily came around the outside and got the win. Ali 2nd and Cook 3rd. Suszann, racing Cat 4, finished in the pack in the field sprint shortly thereafter.

Another well done event this year and a forecast that wasn't expected but appreciated. Thanks to the JRVS Team & to the ladies who came out and gave it their best effort!

Cause for Paws Criterium - June 13, 2010

Vanderkitten Racing proudly announces their first annual “Cause for Paws” crit to be held in Chesapeake, Virginia on June 13.
This is a VA Cycling Bar event which promises to have great primes, lots of race money taking place on a spectator friendly course. We have a 50 plus men’s category and also have special medals for the juniors.

A portion of the registration fee will be donated to the Virginia Beach SPCA so that they can take care of our furry friends.

Registration is now open on BikeReg at: http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=11064

DE, MD, VA: Abbreviated Race Reports

DELAWARE: Hit the road early Saturday morning to head up to the Wilmington Grand Prix. Cook, Anna Lang & Kacey Manderfield raced with another 65 or so ladies in the Pro 1/2 crit held on the streets downtown. The pace was fast and aggressive cornering on a couple of downhill right turns probably helped to split the field, though long straightaways after allowed for some regrouping. For safety reasons, riders were pulled & eventually only half remained to dig it out. Kacey Manderfield was in that group and got in a five person breakaway. She came in a strong 2nd behind Laura Van Gilder.

MARYLAND: Sunday we headed on to Baltimore for the Kelly Cup/Bike Jam. This was a Pro 1/2/3 race so Ali Cat joined them and another 35 or so who showed up to race around Patterson Park. Fun course with swooping turns, one a little tighter then the rest. Group stayed together for the most part with a handful of break attempts being pulled back. In the final lap, Kacey led out Anna who grabbed 3rd, Van Gilder again taking the win.

VIRGINIA: Locally, Suszann raced with the Cat 4s at the Sleepy Hole Smackdown out in Suffolk on Sunday. Heard it was a close finish for 1st and 2nd place. Hope to get more of a report soon!

Knott's Island Century/Sprint Into Spring

A few of the Vanderkittens travelled to Chesapeake to ride the Knott’s Island Century last Saturday. After 25 miles at a sedate pace, we boarded the ferry from Currituck to Knott’s Island. We embarked an hour later to finish the last 75 on country roads. The weather was nice and the ride ended with a pasta dinner hosted by TBA. The only glitch was the unexpected rain washing away the markings which told us which way to go. Since we’d all ridden this course before, we were able to get our 100 miles in, while missing 2 rest stops, by adding 12 miles on at the end.


Suszann made her way to the Sprint into Spring crit at Fort Lee. She loved the course and can’t wait until her next race. It’s always nice to have a newbie on the team whose enthusiasm is infectious. We love having her with us!

Cleo, the $500 Cat

Cleo was a stray cat that had been coming up to John's back porch since his wife loves to feed the strays. He returned from a long bike ride to find her laying on a blanket in the family room. Apparently, she had seen one of their other cats at the back door and walked right in to socialize. Although she was covered with fleas, he knew that this cat was here to stay so he went to Walmart that evening and got some Sargent’s Flea stuff, the kind you place on the back of the cat’s neck.

The next afternoon, John heard the cat meowing downstairs and found her laying on on her side with her legs straight out like she was paralyzed and panting heavily. After consulting with his wife, he put her in a cat carrier for a trip to the vet. Apparently she'd had a bad reaction to the Sargent’s flea medicine but, with $500 of treatment, is going to be fine. Shortly thereafter, she was named Cleo and she is now a part of the household, fully recovered and playing with the other two cats, Penny and Browney.