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Tim and Our Charity Featured On Haute Route

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April 11th 2012

Riding the Haute Route 2012 for a good cause!
The Haute Route is the World’s Highest and Toughest Cyclosportive for amateur riders and for a select group of riders in this year’s Haute Route their motivation to finish will not only be a personal achievement but they will be spurred on by the fact that they are doing it for a good cause, raising much needed funds for a number of great charities around the world.

Last month OC ThirdPole, the organisers of the Haute Route, released seven final places for this year’s sold out event specifically for riders who will raise money and awareness for charities from different countries. Fifty per cent of each entry fee of the seven chosen riders will be donated by the organisers, and all of the selected riders have set ambitious targets to raise the maximum amount for their charities.

First up is entrepreneur and cycling enthusiast Tim Smith… Originally from America, but currently living in Japan, Tim will be riding to support The Tyler Foundation, an amazing group of professionals and supporters dedicated to helping children suffering from cancer and those especially affected in the wake of the Tohuku Earthquake in 2011. Tim commented on why this charity was so special to him: “As a father and a resident of Japan I wish to contribute to an organisation that is local and provides direct support to those who need it most urgently. 2011 has been a difficult year especially for many residents of Japan in the earthquake stricken areas and all too often those who suffer greatest are the future’s greatest hopes – the children”. To prepare for the Haute Route, Tim’s currently training in the mountains around Tokyo on his trusty custom titanium fixed gear road bike. With the event rapidly approaching, he’s covering 200-400km per week in the “toges” surrounding the city, with 1000-3000m of climbing to get in the best possible shape for the Alpine cols in August. Visit Tim’s blog http://hauteroute.gsastuto.com

Tim Smith supporting the Tyler Foundation

Jonathan Berry joins us from the UK, raising funds for the well-known charity Help for Heroes that supports members of the Armed Forces who have been injured in the service of their country. The charity is close to Jonathan’s heart, as he’s a serving member of the Royal Air Force and currently training for the Haute Route from his military base in Lincolnshire. Jonathan told us why he had chosen to apply for a charity rider position: “The Haute Route stands out among the great cycling events as the toughest and most arduous event, with a limited number of participants. I considered that it would be the perfect event whereby I could set a unique physical challenge, receive lots of positive media coverage for the Help for Heroes charity, and join other riders in similar circumstances”. More information about Help For Heroes can be found at www.helpforheroes.org.uk/ and we’ll let you know soon how you can follow Jonathan’s training through his dedicated social media sites.

The youngest rider to be selected for the charity team is 26-year-old Thomas Heunicke from Denmark. Supporting Projekt OmSorg (Project Care) from the Danish Cancer Society, Thomas will battle the 19 mythical cols of the Haute Route to raise money for children who have lost close friends or family to cancer. For Thomas, riding the Haute Route for charity gives him an extra incentive to push himself to the limit preparing for the start line. So far he’s been training in tough winter conditions with tricky icy roads and freezing cold, dark afternoons. One recent training ride, in the area surrounding Copenhagen, ended rather unfortunately: “It was not due to the conditions, but I was so exhausted that I overlooked a curb and crashed. I’ve got a couple of bruises and a fractured hand, but luckily I didn’t damage myself or my bike further.”

Thomas Heunicke riding for Project Om Sorg

The four remaining members of the “Haute Route Charity Team” will be revealed shortly, along with more details of all the riders’ donation pages and fundraising progress as their training continues.
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Shuzenji Report

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April 1st 2012 was the second stage of the JCRC Tour of Japan. Set at the Shuzenji cycling center on the Izu peninsula, it was one of the hardest tracks our riders have ever ridden before.

The weather was perfect with no clouds and a slight breeze. The course was packed with many riders of all skill levels, but our rider Stefano stood out above the rest (literally). He was by far the tallest competitor in the race.

Eric and Stefano were to race together in the B-class event which started at 8:30 am. The plan was to stick together and dominate the downhills and flats while allowing other riders to pull them up the steep hills.

From the start however, things went wrong quickly as Stefano dropped his chain in the first corner. Within a few seconds he was dropped from the main pack and would have to fight hard to make his come back.

Eric started off with good position and was able to maintain it through the first few laps. It was during the 3rd lap however, the lighter riders who had an advantage on the climbs started to make their attacks. One by one the riders started to pull away from Eric, who struggled the rest of the race to keep on pace.

At the end of the race, Eric came in 14th position only 5 minutes behind the leader and Stefano came in 32nd place 14 minutes behind. For the both of them however this was a great experience. It was Stefano’s first race ever and with that said, he preformed to the top of his abilities even after his mechanical problem. Eric had pushed himself to the max and never held back. With more training and conditioning our riders will be able to keep up with the lighter riders on the hills. The flat races still belong to our boys!

Eric Takes Second at JCRC Stage 1

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Sunday, March 18th was the opening stage of the JCRC Tour of Japan.

The stage took place in the port city of Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture. Weather conditions were touch and go for the whole day as it was raining lightly all day with few breaks in between. Luckily for the C class race in which Eric raced in, the weather let up just long enough to have a clean race. The course, which was originally set to be 10 laps of a 1.2 kilometer loop, turned into a nasty 2.2 kilometer narrow course with 6 turns including 2 hairpin turns.

“The key was to make your move at the finial hairpin turn” explains Eric. “All the racing before that last turn was to stay on pace in a good position. The road was still wet so the farther back you were in the peleton(main body of riders), the more dirt, sand and water you ate. I stayed near the front usually in about 3rd to 5th position. Any farther back than that and chances of getting back up were slim. Once you reached that last hairpin turn however, anyone in the top 5 positions had a chance at sprinting to win the lap. This was a points race so every lap was important to me.”

Eric was looking for a first place finish on the last lap when he was over taken in the last few meters and took second place. The last lap of this criterium race was worth more points than any other lap, making it the most important. In the end Eric took second place with 32 points, just 1 point back from the leader with 33 points.

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