The RTB Hits The Presses...

Hi everyone! Check out this article as it was published in the Idaho Mountain Express on May 30, 2008. The full content is provided below, but it can also be found at the following link...

http://www.mtexpress.com/index2.php?ID=2005120892

Nice work being important Ryan!!
-Mitch

Idaho Mountain Express: Stanford cyclist Ryan Parnes rides to the head of the class - Cardinal rider is sinfully good

Photo & Caption :

Ryan Parnes and his sister, Devyn, celebrate after his third-place finish at the 2008 USA Cycling Collegiate Road Nationals at Fort Collins, Colo., earlier this month. "I'm blessed to have such a supportive family," Parnes said Photo by Courtesy photo

Article By JODY ZARKOS Express Staff Writer:

Cycling is at once a team and individual sport, but Ryan Parnes set himself apart from the pack in recent races.

Parnes, in his senior year at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Ca., stepped up on the podium during the 2008 USA Cycling Collegiate Road Nationals competition at Fort Collins, Colo., May 9-11.

A member of last year's national championship team, Parnes posted his best individual result at Nationals.

He finished third in the 60-mile road race in two hours and 32 minutes. In a field of 119 Division I riders, Parnes was just 17.4 seconds off the winning pace.

Parnes was pleased with his third-place finish, given that his large frame, 6-3 and 196 pounds, doesn't make him physically suited for a hilly course like the one in Colorado.

He said, "I definitely had one of those moments when it hurts so badly you ask yourself why the hell you do it, and you just want to stop and get off. But part of why I ride is to work through moments like that.

"I didn't stop, but I also didn't have the legs to go with the attack on the final climb. It's really a tough moment to watch the national championship ride away from you, but the lungs are on fire and your legs are screaming and you simply cannot go any harder."

Parnes went on to place 16th in the 100-rider criterium, which he said "featured one of the scariest turns I've ever seen."

He said, "It was a downhill off-camber left with a two-inch seam that swallowed wheels and belched little pebbles. At one point they had to stop the whole race to take people out on stretchers."

Parnes finished sixth overall in the individual omnium, and Stanford was fifth in the team omnium with 290 points, behind winner Lees-McRae College (473), Fort Lewis College (424), Colorado State University (362) and University of Cal-Davis (342).

In all, 37 teams qualified for the omnium, which counted six men's and women's races for an overall team score.

The week prior to the national finals, Parnes, who also suits up for Metromint Cycling in San Francisco, was the bronze medalist in the Pro Category 1/2 division at the Sugar CRM Hill Classic in Los Gatos, Ca. The race is legendary among cyclists for its murderously steep 23 percent climb up Nicholson Avenue.

"The race was an hour and a half, so we slammed into that sucker maybe 45 times," Parnes said.

The event, whose past champions include Greg LeMond, will not only stick in Parnes' memory as the race in which he earned his Category 1 upgrade, it was the first time his girlfriend got to see him in compete in the saddle.

"So I had to pull out a special ride," he joshed.

A graduate of Vermont's Putney School, Parnes also attended Wood River High School and Silver Creek Alternative School, both in Hailey. He went to grade school at Ketchum's Hemingway Elementary and also to The Community School and Wood River Middle School in Hailey.

Geez, I almost hit 'em all," said Parnes about his diverse schooling background. "I love Ketchum to death—it'll always be my home."

Parnes is an athlete who participated in many sports growing up, including lacrosse, baseball and cross-country skiing. He is the eldest of three children of Kate and Andy Parnes. His siblings are Dan and Devyn. Ryan picked up his father's road bike four years ago and immediately connected to the sport.

"I found my dad's old Miyata road bike. It was older than I was, but still resplendent in white splashed with neon geometric accents," Parnes recalled. "I took it out for a spin and it blew my mind. Who knew skinny tires would let you go so fast!"

Just like white rice, Parnes was instantly converted, and began participating in the Wednesday Night bike rides put on by The Elephant's Perch and joined the Stanford cycling team as a freshman.

Nappy Neaman, who organizes the Perch's rides, remembers when Parnes showed up four years ago.

"He was scary at first. You had no idea how good he was going to be," Neaman said. "He needed a place to put all that strength and ability, not to mention to find a place in his helmet for all that hair. Next thing you know he's winning a national championship and a Cat 1. Amazing."

After graduating this spring with a degree in International Relations with a focus on Russia, Parnes will travel to Europe with Metromint teammate Mitch Trux to compete in some of cycling's toughest competitions in Belgium, the Netherlands and France, as well as travel some of the sport's most hallowed roads.

"It's going to be incredible to get a chance to live, train and race in country where cycling is actually respected, instead of being that fringe-sport weirdo in spandex who's always dodging cars," Parnes said.

Dreams don't come cheap; thus the "Race to Belgium" is a fund-raising effort to support the cyclists in their dream of racing professionally in Europe. The pair would like to generate $6,000 to help defray the cost of competing and traveling.

"Race to Belgium funds will only be used for the expenses of life as a bike racer and not for the sampling of Belgium ales or souvenir purchases of the yellow flag of Flanders," the Web site, www.racetobelgium, states.

While competing in Europe, Parnes and Trux will donate any prize money they earn to Trips for Kids, a non-profit organization based in Marin County, Calif., that "provides opportunities for inner-city and underprivileged youth to experience the wonders of the natural world from the seat of a bike."

Any funds raised above the original sum will be donated to the same organization.

While he has yet to discover if his dreams will pan out, Parnes knows that after four years seriously dedicated to academia, it's time to give racing a sincere shot.

"I'm going to try to spend next year racing my bike. It's really hard to do professionally, but I figure if I don't at least give it a go I'd kick myself forever," Parnes said.

Bike Trail Banners--We need your $$$

The Race To Belgium has begun its final push in the call for new contributors. As you’ll see in the photos below, we’re expanding our search in every direction. These chalk billboards seemed like a clever and cost effective method of getting the word out among our fellow cyclists.

We have less than 3 weeks until our departure and we’re only 1/3 of the way to our fundraiser’s critical $6000 goal that allows our European racing campaign to be underway.

If you or someone you know can help us by making a contribution—we would be honored if you/they act now and bring us one step closer to making RTB’s goals a reality.

To make a contribution click HERE


Thank you very much for checking in! We’ll stay busy and post frequent updates of our progress throughout these closing weeks.

Best Wishes,

- Mitch & Ryan

The RTB goes to Hollywood

Hey all—Mitch here with a fun little bonus report for you all.

About a month ago I had a unique opportunity for some monetary stimulation that took me away from my day job at Breezer for a couple of days of pedaling in the sunshine while I earned 3 times my usual pay rate. Oh yeah—I got paid to ride my bike. ☺

But as the story goes, this was no ordinary bike ride—this was the Tour de France…
…at least as far as Hollywood is concerned (we were actually in Healdsburg, CA).

Please enjoy the video clip below courtesy of the good people at Gatorade, and look for the complete commercial on a TV screen near you. Friends and family of mine have already spotted it on some of the major networks here in California, and its been seen as far away as Hawaii. I haven’t seen it on TV yet, but I heard that the version you would see might also have famous cycling commentator Phil Liggett speaking. Rumor is that the version below has been plucked from what will appear on screens in France. Would you believe that? My image might actually pedal a bike in France before I do. ☺

I’m second wheel throughout the commercial—that’s right, my name’s on the marquee, top billing. I’m the first rider in the pink and white jersey. Wierd about that 10-year old kid--he was a fast little mother(courtesy of a two-stroke motor digitally removed in editing).

Make some popcorn and enjoy!!!

$$$$$ Fund Raising Update $$$$$

Now that the hard weeks of training and racing that built up to our early season fitness peaks and major race goals are behind us…it’s come time for us to re-focus our energy on our funds search and shift it into high gear.

**We only have a month left until our departure for Belgium.** Can you believe it?

Our plane travel has been secured, but not entirely paid for. We’ve got some money for meals, but not enough, and we’re still working on acquiring some of the specialized equipment such as the wheel sets and tires that will be required when riding and racing on Belgian cobblestones. So, while the many generous contributions from our friends and family have helped our Race to Belgium really begin to take flight--there’s still a lot of ocean left to soar over. ☺

What’s next?

We’ll be hitting up the e-mails again so look out, we’ll be wallpapering our neighborhood bike shops with RTB flyers, and if worse comes to worse--we’ll be hitting the streets covered in spots and wielding picket signs that spread the word to anyone that passes by. ☺

We’re really getting excited about seeing this all come to fruition.

2008, Mt Hood Cycling Classic

Well then…

I’ve survived another week as a faux-pro bike racer.

This year’s Mt Hood Cycling Classic was bigger than ever. The field of 150 riders consisted of North America’s top professional teams as well as a handful of the country’s top amateur(Semi-Professional) teams. Then, there was a literal handful of underprivileged Cat 1 racers out there on their own. J I was one of those, and by the end of the week I think I was the only one of those. Only 86 of the race’s starters reached the finish line of the last stage. I ended up 76^th in the final GC and had some amazing races along the way.

The racing started Tuesday, May 13^th with a short prologue in downtown Portland Oregon. It was followed by 5 hard days of racing between Portland, The Columbia River Gorge and Mt Hood. Choosing my battles, I took it easy on the second and fourth days of racing(Weds & Fri) to save my energy for the harder days. With this strategy I lost time in the GC competition, but was still able to keep myself away from the time cut.

Thursday’s ‘all up’ and ‘all down’ circuit race was a good hard bike race with 8750 feet of climbing on the lower slopes of Mt Hood. Last year I came off the pace the 3^rd time up the 15 mile climb. This year I only lost 3 minutes to the race leaders when I managed not to come off the pace until I was most of the way up the 5^th and final circuit. I was pleased.

Saturday’s 101 mile road race climbed 11,200 feet and was the king stage of the event, It’s been going down as one of the hardest days in the saddle that the National Racing Calendar has ever seen. The first 30 miles were particularly hard as teams and riders attacked to establish a breakway group. Before the 30 miles were up, a third of the remaining peloton was shed from the race for good.

A 10-man breakaway group eventually rolled up the course and the attacking pace cooled off. Those were some of the hardest miles I’ve ever endured courtesy of the 100 degree heat in the dry east Oregon plains, and the fact that un-supported armatures like myself were not offered any relief in the first feed zone. I was literally out of water and dying within the first hour. I eventually resorted to stealing water out of the back window of the race official’s vehicle as well as off the bike of “B World Champion” Ivan Stevic of the Toyota United Pro Cycling Team. This act to spite his act of throwing a full bottle of water that he didn’t want to the dust as less talented others were sweltering around him. Yeah I did!!! J

In the miles that followed we gradually climbed into cooler air I got re hydrated and was able to achieve some of the finest riding of my career as a bike racer. To sum it up—I was “in the zone”. I’ve never put out so much consistent & hard power in my life. If ever I began to feel the effort, I was able to overcome it by telling myself to “stay on top of it” or I’d say “you’ve hurt before and you’ll live.” Each time I successfully coached myself, I felt shivers pass through my body and down my legs as my brain sent a message that said “pain wouldn’t be a factor today.” The legs just kept turning and I was amazed.

When we hit the 10k sign we turned onto a new highway and began gobbling up the last feet of climbing in the day’s long race. The finish was in the parking lot of the Mt Hood Meadows ski resort somewhere over 5000 feet up the side of Mt Hood. When the race leaders began their attacks I positioned myself as best I could and held on for dear life. The pain couldn’t be held back any longer. L As I fought to stick to the few wheels that weren’t going backwards, I was really ready to give up. But each time I was about to stop pedaling I’d see some famous pro stop pedaling first—so I had to keep pushing. J Unfortunately that only lasted a few cycles and I eventually found myself in no-man’s land somewhere between the leaders and those who had cracked under the pressure—I was cracking myself. But I kept pedaling. The road turned back down a bit and I almost caught back onto the leaders again before hitting the final 2.5 mile climb up to the ski resort. As it turned out, I’d be on my own the rest of the way to the finish line. Climbing at something like 3mph I limped my way in passing a couple more riders as I went--suffering like a dog the whole way. It was awesome!

The last day was the high energy criterium in downtown hood river. Surprisingly I was pretty well recovered from the prior days thrashing and was able to pop around the string of riders pretty much enjoying myself as I went. It was fun. At the end of the 75 minute race I rolled in 11^th among the field but missed out on the 10-man breakaway. Oh well! It was a nice way to end the week anyway.

Weird that that’s my idea of a good time—but there you have it.

Mitch Trux

Collegiate Nationals

Whew! I'm finally back in my little room at Stanford after a 4am wake-up call in Colorado and a mad dash to make it back for Russian History at noon.  I made it, and if I can actually get some work done I might pass my classes and get a degree.  Fingers are crossed.

I was up in Fort Collins, CO attending the Collegiate Cycling National Championships.  This is a once a year event where the best college cyclists from around the nation converge for 3 days of brutally hard racing. Its rewarding no matter how it goes, but the best of the best take home bragging rights and the stars and stripes jerseys reserved for those who have won a national title.  Cycling is funny because since its not an NCAA sport you can have professionals that still race collegiate.  Think New England Patriots vs. Washington Huskies. Ouch.  Also, this year nationals were held at altitude, so us poor sea level folk would be missing that sweet, rich air we've come to know and love.

Despite the odds, Nats proved to be pretty rewarding.  The guys from Mitch's alma mater rode an INCREDIBLE team time trial the first day.  They beat everyone else handily and earned themselves some of those sweet, sweet stars and stripes.  I'm also proud to say the Stanford women also managed to win the TTT, pulling off a major upset by beating a team with a number of professional women on it.

As for me... well, I'm normally a criterium specialist, and with a hilly road race and not much air to breathe I wasn't expecting any fireworks. But in cycling you just never know, and i was lucky enough to make it into the winning break for the day with 6 other riders (including Paul Mach from UC Davis). We fought freakish headwinds and a looming blizzard and managed to stay away for 50 miles. In the end it came down to the last mother of a hill, and when the rider from Lees McRae attacked Paul was the only one who could stay with him.  I chases like mad with 2 other riders as we watched the National Championship ride slowly away form us, but we couldn't close the gap. So, with about 300 to go when it was clear we were racing for 3rd we started looking around at each other.  Its a classic game of mouse that always happens when a small group comes to the line together. Who's fresh? Who's got the best legs? Should I make the jump or should I wait to react? There was a stiff headwind into the finish and I trusted my jump more than my top end speed, so I figured I'd wait for the first person to make a move and then try to hop in his draft.  Sure enough, Taylor, from CU Boulder, went for it and I had just enough to get into his slipstream and come around him for 3rd place.  It was an incredible moment for me, and I still don't think its really sunk in that I podiumed in a National event.

Alas, the rest of the story is one of heartbreak.  After a strong road race I was poised to take the win in the individual omnium that determines the #1 college rider in the US, but I wore myself down to nothing in the road race and just didn't have it in the crit the next day. It was one of the bloodiest races I have ever seen with maybe a dozen crashes, many of them simply spectacular, complete with aerials and acrobatics, the smell of burning brakes and jarring screech of metal on pavement mixed with agonized cries. Criterium racing is rarely beautiful, but on Sunday it was downright ugly. I didn't have the legs to stay on the front, and when a promising break I was in with 10 laps to go I just didn't have the legs to finish.  I ended up 16th in the Crit and 6th in the individual omnium.  Not too shabby, but its tough to be so close to a national title and have it slip away.

But, despite being bone tired I'm riding as well as I ever have, and after I get a little rest I'm gonna get myself to Belgium where the racing is flat, windy and hard, just the way I like it.  Thanks for reading, and for helping send me and Mitch to a place where cycling is king, the hills are few and far between and the big guys like us get a chance to laugh last.

Mitch & Ryan @ Cat's Hill

Ryan's Cat's Hill Podium

Cat's Hill Classic

Ryan Seals the Deal on his Cat 1 License…

Mitch here to tell you about last weekend when Ryan, myself and three of our Metromint teammates lined up at the famous Cat’s Hill Classic in Los Gatos, CA. Boy what a race! With huge crowds in attendance to see us racers charge up the 23% grade “Cat’s Hill” every couple of minutes for an hour and a half, it was nothing short of exciting.

Going into the race all the Minties were pretty whipped as we were all just through some of our toughest weeks of training for the first half of the season. The other 4 were preparing for the Collegiate National Championships being held this weekend in Ft. Collins, CO (We’ll keep you posted on developments there for sure), while I was preparing for the Mt Hood Cycling Classic to begin in Portland, OR this Tuesday the 13th where I’ll be up against the nations best pro teams for 6 straight days.
So, despite our tired legs at Cat’s Hill the Minties gave the other boys of the northern California race scene quite a thrashing. We were in the most aggressive moves of the day and definitely made our interests known. Mr Ryan Parnes made his fame with a charge into a breakaway during the last laps and a 3rd place at the finish line. A stellar result!!!

The points he scored in the world of USA Cycling that day were more than what he needed to polish off his Category 1 upgrade as he joins Mitch among the top tier of the country’s amateur cyclists. The only upgrade from there is the one jokingly referred to as the “Cat 0” up-grade, which requires a professional contract and a salary to race your bike. If Ryan keeps riding like this, we may just see that development. ☺

More soon…

Mitch Trux
Race to Belgium