zMotion Racing

zMotion rides with Tom Danielson's Holiday Cruise

2009-12-22T11:40:00.007-05:00

Sunday was the scene of around 50 riders that braved the cold to hang with Tom Danielson over in Naples at his first annual Holiday Cruise. It was an 80 mile ride and a great chance to both ride and learn from a ProTour Rider. Tom will be riding is first Tour de France this year with his breakout Garmin-Transitions team.

It was a great event and we got to experience TRYING (and failing) to hang with Tom when the pace picked up before the halfway point. The only brave souls that could stick with him were two naples guys and our very own Alex and Victor.

We even got to see Pablo Santa Cruz wearing a zMotion jersey (just don't tell his team).

Kids in Distress Ride 2009

2009-12-07T10:16:00.001-05:00

As Title sponsor, zMotion was proud to be part of the 2009 KIDS annual Inlet Challenge and as always it proved to be a fun and challenging ride for all 700 plus riders that participated and we look forward to next years as well. Congrats to Jennifer Homan and the entire staff at KIDS for all their efforts, as well as Gina, Emily and our staff at zMotion for providing all of us with such a great venue . I was particularly glad to see the weather cooperate, especially for me, those long windy rides can make it very difficult for a guy like me. BTW, the food was incredible this year too, a little mix of Tai, Sushi and some good ole pasta and salad, let’s not forget the extra cold beers too !!

Most important, is the satisfaction we derive from participating in such a great event for such a great cause that benefits children of many ages and their families , of all walks of life that are/have been abused and/or abandoned. I encourage all our readers to visit their facility, if you have children, bring them, it puts everything into perspective on what’s important in life. Like all organizations that suffer the economic times, KIDS is no exception and they need all of our helps even more than ever. So regardless if you rode this year or not, if your reading this article and have a heart give a buck or two, it goes a long way.

Happy Holidays to all
Your Captain
Pat Patregnani

Tom Danielson races with zMotion

2009-11-15T20:12:00.005-05:00

This is Tom Danielson racing with the zMotion Mountain Bike Team.

Race Report - Florida State Mountain Bike Race #3

2009-10-16T19:20:00.006-04:00

From our onsite reporter Joe Vietro

Ok, round 3 of the FSC series was held in Alafia River State Park near Lakeland and it was by far the hardest, longest (30 miles for xc-1), and most technical race to date with lots of large roots, big drops and steep climbs. Steve LaRue took 1st place in the 40+ xc-1 class with a super strong showing for his 2nd win in three races putting him in 1st place overall! Nice job Steve keep it up!

Jimbo also took 1st place making it three in a row for him putting in 1st over all in his class also. Joe Vietro took 5th place in 30+ xc-1 class (Joe hit the dirt a few times, I think four, but who's counting). Joe is slowly move up the ranks in his class and now is in 2nd place overall. Stay tooned for next week race round 4 In Tallahassee.

ZMotion FPS Celbration

2009-10-14T17:48:00.008-04:00

After a hard day of racing it was time for the celebration of the season’s efforts. Sponsored by ZMotion at The Appleton Museum of Art, it was a classy affair. There were security guards a plenty, but that still didn’t stop us for viewing some really neat art including some tricked out Chopper-style motorcycles. Dinner was provided between 7 and 8pm where there was a video playing with scenes from the years races and then awards were passed out from 8pm to around 9:30pm.

With over 400 trophies to pass out, Tim did a great job keeping the pace going. We even had two lovely podium girls to help pass out trophies. The venue itself was beautiful, set in the middle of an Art Museum, with a fountain in the middle. It was cool seeing all of these racers’s that you normally see in spandex all dressed up. The women especially clean up nicely.

Course even the women couldn't compete with Jeff's pimped out hat.

Race Report - State Road Race Age Day

2009-10-13T12:20:00.003-04:00

The State Championship Road Race weekend is the last state-wide race of the 2009 season. You find that some racers love Criteriums and some don’t but EVERYBODY loves a road race and we had the numbers to prove it. With over 120 riders in the Master’s 30-44 and over 100 in the Master’s 45+ races the racing was fast and furious.

The weekend is broken up into two days with the first day being Age Day and the second day being Category day. On a typical weekend, you can race either or both but not this weekend. The other interesting thing is that the age brackets are only 5 years apart, so 30-34 is scored separated that 35-39, etc..

The course itself was the same course as last year’s Category race day with a 5 mile loop that offered up a difficult power climb just after the start/finish line. The rest of the course was rollers with a crazy fast downhill finish. We had more record temperatures on Saturday with the highs in the low 90’s. The feed zone on the uphill offered welcome water from helpful teammates and it was needed.

Both Master’s races were 8 laps with the 30-44 starting first. With lap times of less than 15 minutes, the late start of the Master’s 45+, due to the difficulty in finding a driver for the wheel truck, had both groups on the course just a couple of minutes apart and their fates were inter-twined today. As the 30-44 group came down to the field sprint all together, a horrific crash happened that took out major sections of the peleton. It was one of the worse crashes I have seen as close to 10ambulances showed up on scene. But our man Vinny weaved his way through the carnage and snagged the State Championship Win. Congrats.

In an interview with Vinnny he was quoted as saying " The race was very hard and fast. I haven’t been on the bike in awhile but I still ended up pulling if off somehow, because I am a “Bad Ass”. Yup, I just want to prove everyone wrong about me because they are always talking crap about me by calling me “Fat Ass” and “Slow Ass”. I have still got it. But it was very hard and I ended up pulling it off. Was I lucky? Very! It was actually a fun, fun race and I enjoyed it.".

The Masters 45+ group ended up being stopped for around 30 minutes just sitting out on the course. Just prior to this a small group of five, including our own Steve Griffith, were off the front and they got a head start when the road was cleared of accident victims and managed to stay away for the rest of the race with Steve coming in 4th.

Race Report - Florida State Mountain Bike Race #2

2009-09-28T13:15:00.004-04:00

Just got this in from Joe Vietro...

Round two of the Florida State Mountain Bike series was held in Fenandina Ft Clinch State Park . Trail was in great shape and the weather was around 80 degrees with a nice ocean breeze . The race consisted of 4 laps with 6 miles of sweet single track and 1 mile of paved road. ZMotion was well represented with another solid performance from Steve Larue with a 2nd place finish, Jimbo Mcguare with a 1st place finish (that's two in a row), Joe Vietro with a 2nd place finish which ended in a very exciting sprint finish with 4 racers with Allison taking the win and Joe getting 2nd. Adam Goldfarb took 6th place and Oscar Camacho finishing up in 10th in the 40+ expert class. Overall it was a great weekend of racing!

Race Report - Sugarloaf Mt. Weekend

2009-09-23T17:41:00.002-04:00

I think it is safe to say that besides the absolutely ridiculous Webster-Roubaix race, this Road Race was the hardest race of the year. We had 90+ degree weather and clear skies (where is the rain when you actually need it?). The course itself was a 10 mile loop with a 3 mile rollout to the start/finish line. They kept saying we were going up the “easy” side of sugarloaf, but there was nothing easy about it for me. I heard several people complaining at the beginning of the race about that, but the funny part was that after the race those same people were glad to just sit down and have survived.

The Masters 35+ and 45+ fields were combined to have a nearly 80 man field. The initial 3 miles started slowly but by the time they hit Sugarloaf, people were already starting to get dropped. Rumors were flying around at the start line that Brian Lancaster (Orlando Road Club) had been training in these hills for the last month. Before the first lap was even finished, you could see Brian followed by Blain Reeves (Bike America Racing Team) off the front of the field. In between, was Ron Ray (ZMotion) doing a valiant solo chase in no-mans land. These guys were scheduled for 43 miles (4 laps+) and by the time the second lap came around, the field was already splitting with a select group of riders having caught Brian. By the third lap the field had split into three distinct groups that stayed that way pretty much to the finish. Karl Fele was the best placed rider for ZMotion and made the select group of 11 in the front group. He came in 6th overall in the 35+. Ron Ray was the best placed 45+ ZMotion racer at 11th.

The Criterium course on Sunday continued the theme of pain and presented a 1.5 mile loop shaped roughly like a figure 8 that was either up or down. There was no flat anywhere and with the off camber turns made for a highly technical race. The finish line was at the top of one of those uphill sections.

The fields were noticeably smaller today and the Master’s 45+ had around 25 riders on the starting line. The warm and dry weather trend continued with no shade in sight for those watching these guys in their suffering. Alan Badia (Florida Velo #1) launched the first serious attack just begging for the field to come chasing. By the time the field had re-grouped, there were some noticeably tired legs. As the race neared the end there ended up being a select group of five racers with a gap on the rest. Ken Schofield (Orlando Velo) led a lot of the last lap trying to setup Alan Badia for the win, but the ever dominant Peter Aldridge (Team Performance Fitness) showed again that he is the fastest 45+ racer in Florida by grabbing the win followed by Dallas Rose (Gearlink Racing) with Wills Powell (Bike America Racing Team) in third. Ron Ray was again the best placed 45+ ZMotion racer at 10th.

The Master’s 35+ starting field was even smaller but definitely not slower than the 45+ field with two guys off the front in a breakaway attempt on the very first lap. Soon after the field was back together and we saw Curtis Juteram (Bike America Racing Team) attacking the field. Jeff Fleming (ZMotion) also tried his hand several times but was shadowed by Carlos Soler (Team 19 Cycling) who sits just behind him in the overall FPS series. Carlos, if you are reading this, please work with Jeff, not just chase him down.

Early on Alex Yarnell did some work up front to control the breakaways with Karl Fele taking up that same role for the rest of the race. In a similar pattern to the 45+ field, the final laps saw a select group of six riders off the front of the main field. Chad Spicer (Orlando Velo) launched early and managed to hold off the hard charging field for the win followed by Jeff Fleming in second and Didier Fresne (Florida Velo #1) in third.

Race Report - Mountain Biking in Oleta Park

2009-09-19T16:43:00.001-04:00

Just heard from Joe Vietro.. He raced down at Oleta Park in Miami on Sunday in an Open Class race and got the V(ictory). There were around 70 racers on the starting line and the course had them going a couple of times around the open field with various little obstacles thrown in and then an open road section followed by a loop around the entire course. The distance ended up being around 16 miles.

Right from the go, Joe was in the front and when he hit a paved section those road racing legs kicked in. What few people were still around were dropped immediately as he hit 26mph on knobbies. By the time he hit the trail he was all by himself and stayed that way the rest of the race. The course itself was wet but that didn't slow him down. Congrats on your win!!

Race Report - Gainsville Mtn Bike

2009-09-14T11:39:00.010-04:00

ZMotion is all pervasive, first it was Charity Rides, then it was a Road racing team, and now they have branched out to include a 6 person mountain bike racing team headed by Joe Vietro. They had their first Florida State race this weekend up North in Gainsville and Joe provided me with his first ever race report with pictures from Joel. BTW, Joe and Joel are best buddies but you can never tell by listening to them since they sound like an old married couple when they get together..

From Joe:

The Forida State Mountain Bike Series got under way this weekend in Gainsiville. There was a 4 mile MTB Time Trial on Saturday with a Cross Country race on Sunday with ZMotion fielding 6 racers (really 5 and then there was Joel, just kidding).

In Saturdays TT race Jimbo McGuire took first place in his class, Stephen Larue took third, and Joe Vietro also took third in his class . On Sunday, with conditions wet and muddy, Jimbo again took first place, Steve also got first in a very competative 40+ expert class, Oscar Camcacho took 7th in 40+,and Joe got 7th in 30+ expert. Oh yah and then there was Joel who finished up around 10th in the beginner class.

Race Report - St. Augustine

2009-09-13T16:35:00.002-04:00

This weekend we headed way north for some criterium racing in St. Augustine while keeping one eye on the weather report. We locate the venue fairly easily courtesy of google maps to find a surprisingly technical course. On the map you see a fat sausage shaped course but in person you see at 1k loop laid out in a parking lot with a couple of twisty turns.

Both of the 45+ and 35+ fields were around 35 racers with some women in each. Zmotion had five in 35+ and four in 45+.

The 45+ field started with cloudy but dry skies but that didn't last too long. There were several attacks each with a Zmotion racer, but nothing was sticking and then the heavens opened and it poured. The field slowed some but soon the deep puddles became a factor as taking a wrong line could put you through 3 to 4 inches of water and slow you down a couple of mph. It came down to a field sprint and the wet roads made it tricky but Peter and Aiton were duking it out for the win which Peter snagged with Raife being the top finisher for Zmotion with seventh.

In the Master's 35+, an attack from the first lap by Jody from Zmotion followed by a rider from ORC established an immediate gap. The ORC rider got shelled, but Pedro Medina launched a flyer from the field to eventually bridge up and join Jody. Zmotion took up constant blocking duty headed by Amir and Chris which to allowed Jody a maximum of 24 seconds on the field. Ryan Saylor attempted a solo bridge and was away for several laps but couldn't get out of no man's land in the middle. Early attacks rarely succeed in these type of races, but the with Jody dragging his breakaway companion through the turns so smoothly along with the blocking saw them staying away. They even picked up a lapped rider for the last few laps. After Jody did more than 80% of the work in the break, Pedro sprinted for the gold with Jody in the bronze. Back in the field, Dennis Sutherland attacked the field in the last lap to stay away for third. Zmotion still packed it in with 7th through 9th by Chris, Jeff and Amir respectively.

So this weekends format is an Omnium with a Criterium, Time Trial and Road Race. Thus the results of all three races are totalled and there is also an overall top 3 for the Omnium with trophies in this case. There are typically two ways to get results, time or points and each has it's advantages / disadvantages. In a points each place gets a certain amount of points regardless of time so it tends to limit the damage due to a breakaway. In a total time scenario, a field sprint in a criterium basically puts all of the focus on the time trial.

St. Augustine used the points format and scheduled the time trial early Sunday which was a variation from the typical Saturday PM TT.

So we awoke early Sunday to more rain and darkness and with a 7:45am rollout there were a lot of people who didn't get a stellar warm-up. The course was a flat out and back and was originally billed as a 6 mile course, but it ended up being only 4.4 miles.

The Master's 45+ started before the 35+ and each racer was started at 30 second intervals. Raife rode an awesome TT and came in second by just one second to a Triathlete that came just for this one race. This then put Raife into contention for the overall with a second after the tied pair Ken Schofield and John Faulk with Pablo Santa Cruz in third.

In the 35+ TT, our man Chris Hoch in only his third ever TT won the race launching him into overall contention. We also had the always amazing Jeff in third just after Ryan Saylor with Jody coming in sixth. So entering the Road Race we had Jody in 2nd, Chris 3rd and Jeff in 6th in overall contention.

The road race combined both Master's 35+ and 45+ into a 58 man field. The course itself was a 13 mile flat loop which we did 3 times. The attacks started early with Zmotion always represented. None of the attacks stayed away for more than a few minutes due to very attentive field. The finish which was on a very long straight away, came down to a field sprint with both categories totally mixed together with Carlos Soler taking the overall in his first win of the year. Hats off to him as a 48 year old racing 35+ with gusto and coming in 2nd in the overall.

Pablo Santa Cruz crossed the line second to win the 45+ category and 2nd in overall. Chris Hoch came in third to take second in 35+ and win the overall Omnium! Jeff came came in fourth in 35+ to take third in the overall. Raife came in 4th in the 45+ to take the Omnium overall. Basically there were so many Zmotion guys on the podiums that i was getting confused which was which award. Yes we ROCK!

Race Report - Tour of Bartow

2009-09-08T15:25:00.003-04:00

This in from Claudio on Pro,1,2 race at Bartow...

Saturday night Twilight Crit was a four corner race in the downtown of Bartow. In typical night racing fashion the race started it what seemed like amazing speeds. The field was strung out from the start with our Zmotion Pro1-2 Riders, Hector Pastorino,Chris Deluise,Calixto Bello and Juan Gaspari representing every move. Several moves had the right riders in them but were quickly brought back until Hector was able to get in a move with two other riders that was maintaining a 20 second lead on the peloton. The laps went by in this 60 minute plus 2 lap crit and we were going to see the 3 battle it out in a sprint. On the last lap the leader started playing games in the back stretch and as they came into the final straight away the field was touching their heals. Hector was able to hold on to second place as they came accross the line. Juan finished in 6th, Calixto 9th, and Chris 26th, all in the points due to the fact that this was a Florida Cup event and provided points for the Florida Points series 35 deep.

On Sunday the race would be in the same place except that the course would be an eight corner crit with the same finish line. Riders took off and again attempts to get away were covered by Zmotion Pro1-2 until Juan was able to get a gap with another rider. They started to work together and with Calixto and Chris covering moves in the peloton were able to extend their lead. As the laps went on the Juan and Yip were able to lap the field. with about 5 laps to go Calixto attacked the peloton to create a gap of 10 seconds. With one lap to go it was holding at 8 seconds and the field would have to sprint for 4th place, as they rounded the last turn Calixto was stillholding the gap and came accross the line in 3rd place with Juan taking the Win in the field. Hector finished 17th an Chris 20th after closing some huge gaps and chasing breaks all race long.

Race Report - Labor Day Criterium

2009-09-08T15:13:00.004-04:00

Where there is racing, ZMotion shall triumph!! While some members of the team went up to Bartow to race, others decided to head South to Brian Piccolo Park to put some hurting on. Monday's 35+ race was a great example of that.

In a field of around 45 guys we only had four guys with Chris, Jody, Alex Y and Tim on deck, but that was enough. The race started fast and strong and within 15 minutes there was a break of 5 guys off the front powered by our own Chris Hoch with almost a half lap on the field. The field desperately chased until they brought them back, but Chris must have had his wheaties because he immediately counter-attacked with another guy. Seeing that this was THE move, Jody and 3 others bridged up. Alex did a great job of blocking in the main field and they were GONE. In the break of 6, Jody did monster pulls to keep the break away. With less then three laps to go, the ever wily Ransford snuck off the front of the group and managed to stay away. With just 1.5 laps to go, Jody got up front to drag the remaining guys around and when he pulled off with just a half lap to go, Chris launched an attack that no one could respond to for a podium finish of 2nd place!!

Race Report - Kendall

2009-08-25T18:06:00.003-04:00

While the 45+ and the P12 team went North to Jacksonville, the 35+ team went south to Kendall for circuit race. The course was a 3 mile L shaped course with 2 180 degree turns at either end. We had a great representation of 9 guys and came prepared to put some hurt on. At the starting line we saw the amazing Ivan Franco roll-up and knew this would be interesting.

There were numerous attacks and ZMotion covered everything and launched a bunch of them. Towards the end there was a decisive break with Julio and another race that looked like the winning move. ZMotion used their tried and true blocking techniques but with 2 laps to go on the fourth (can you say painful) consective attack, Ivan slipped away with another guy in tow and bridged up to Julio to win the race. Julio came in 3rd with ZMotion also taking 5th and 7th.

Race Report - Nocatee

2009-08-25T18:00:00.003-04:00

The Masters 35+ team went up to Jacksonville this weekend and continued to ride solid. In the Stage race, the group stayed together and ZMotion remained in striking distance. In the Time Trial, we had Raife in 3rd and Steve in 6th making for a very exciting result in the Crit. Finally in the Criterium, Steve snuck into a break that stayed away giving him 4th for the Stage and 3rd overall in GC. Nice job guys.

Claudio gave this write up for the P12 team who kicked BUTT this weekend.

Zmotion Pro1-2 Team attended the Nocatee stage race on August 22nd and 23rd 2009. The first stage was a road race of 6.6 miles in length for a total distance of 66 miles. Zmotion Pro1-2 team consisted of Juan Gaspari,Winston David, Hector Pastorino, Alex Defreitas,Tiago Depaula,Calixto Bello and Victor Lavinsky. Juan launched an attack right of the start and the team continued attacking the field during the entire road race. The first stage was finilized with Juan coming in solo for the WIN, Calixto(5th), Hector(6th),Winston (8th) to place 4 riders in the top 10.

The afternoon time trial was cancelled till Sunday morning @ 7:00 AM. Winston was able to get on the podium in 3rd place on the TT with Juan(6th), Hector(8th),Victor(10th) Calixto (12th).Placing Juan in first and Winston in 2nd on the General Classification.

On the last stage which was a criterium of .9 mile with a nice breeze to make it a wide open hard race. Again attacks right from the start and the Zmotion riders initiating and taking part of every attempt to break up the field. Juan,Winston and Tiago were able to get in a break of six with hector jumping accross to join them with another rider and then calixto doing the same to make it 5 Zmotion riders in a break of ten.As the race was coming to an end Tiago was able to gap the break to finish solo again for the win with Hector(2nd),Winston (3rd) and Juan (4th) and Calixto(7th) and Victor and Alex were able to take the field sprint for 11th and 12th.

To finilize an exciting weekend of racing Zmotion Pro1-2 Team also took the Overall and 2nd place on the General Classification of the Nocatee stage race.

Race Report - Pal Omnium Cycle Race

2009-08-03T20:28:00.002-04:00

Jeff, team captain and racer extraordinere contributes this weeks race report as ZMotion continued to shine...

Howey-in-the-Hills located in central Florida just north of Clermont was the site of this past weekend’s racing. The festivities began with the Juniors racing in a slightly technical criterium course with Cirilo Benscombe taking 1st place in the 15-16 race and his brother Arturo Benscombe taking 2nd in the 17-18 race! Nice job!!

Next up were the Master’s races starting with the 55+ races - Billy Tittle and Mike Rowe representing. Billy was in the hunt all day and in the final sprint Billy took 4th. After the Crit, the time trial was up beginning at 5pm on a very hilly course. The course was much harder than all of us expected. Billy took 2nd in the TT! Sunday morning brought us a very hilly road race. Billy took 3rd in the road race and earned 2nd place overall in the Omnium!!

The 45+ zMotion race team was represented by Steve Griffith, Raife Snover and Ronnie Ray. They worked well all weekend and all 3 placed in the top 10 in the Omnium. Steve was in a break of 6 during crit finishing 4th. Raife was 2nd in the field sprint for 8th in the crit. Both Steve and Raife had some difficulties interpreting a u-turn sign and the meaning of an orange cone in the middle of the road during the TT. Thus, they both missed the turnaround adding time to their TT results…

In the 35+ race we had a solid team of six representing zMotion. All worked well together all weekend. In the crit, it was a field sprint after several attempts were made to break up the field with zMotion always representing. In the sprint, Pedro took 2nd and Jeff took 5th. In the TT, Jeff again took 5th, Jody was 8th and Pedro was 9th. This put Jeff in 3rd in the Omnium and Pedro in 4th going into the road race on Sunday. Early in the race two guys slipped of the front and after about 4 to 5 laps of the 8 lap race they looked like they were not giving up the gap. So, Jeff, Jody, Pedro and Joe went to the front and Team TT’d to close down the gap. Julio was launched on a hill and bridged across looking like the move for zMotion. Unfortunately, with two laps to go several riders bridged across making the break now 8 with 3 teams of more than one rider in the break. The break fell apart and riders were all riding solo across the finish other than the two leaders. Jeff and Julio ending up 6th and 7th. This put Jeff on the podium with a 3rd place finish overall in the Omnium.

Lisa Frink represented the women for zMotion and took 2nd, 3rd and 3rd in the crit, TT and RR, respectively. With these results she finished on the podium with a 3rd overall in the Omnium!!

The Pro 1,2 crit ended with Juan Gaspari and Winston David taking 1st and 2nd from a break of 6 that lapped the field. Hector Pastorino and Calixto Bello took the top two spots in the field sprint for 7th and 8th. In the TT, Winston finished 5th, Calixto 7th and Victor 9th. In Sunday’s RR, Hector took the “V” with Winston in 3rd, Calixto in 5th, and Juan in 9th. This resulted in Winston taking 1st place in the Omnium by one point!!

Race Report - 2009 Gwinnet Bike Fest Georgi

2009-07-30T21:17:00.002-04:00

This from Claudio about some fast bike racing in Georgia by ZMotion...

Tiago Depaula Took part of the 2009 Gwinnett Bike Fest Race in Georgia.

Stage 1 - July 22 Road Atlanta Circuit Rolling/Hilly 2.5 miles laps(50 miles)

This first race was to settle in and see who is who in the peloton. Tiago found himself racing against top Pro teams such as Type 1 Team, Rock Racing, Kenda Pro Team, FLY V Australia,etc...At the start he followed a lot of breaks trying to participate in as many as posible. Halfway into the race he was in a break with the major pro team represented and he began to work really hard to make it stick. The peloton was able to bring them back. As that happened there was a break of 11 and without any teamates Tiago was forced to sit and wait to see if the would bring them back. With one lap to go he attacked and was able to hold off the field to finish 12th between the break and the chasing peloton..

Stage 2 - July 23 Gwinnett Center Criterium Flat 1 mile(CRIT race,90min)

This was a 1 mile flat criterium that was fast from the start. Tiago was forced to race aggressively and continuesly attacking the peloton. A break of 7 formed with Tiago, A Kenda Pro rider and 2 others chasing the original break.Tiago was not able to follow all the moves and the fact that the local riders know him made it dificult to make the final break finishing in 9th place for the day.

Stage 3 - Road July 24 New Hope Road Road Race Rolling 8.5 miles per lap race (85miles)

This race proved to be a very hot and dificult race to participate in. There was a very steep hill and the riders were continuesly attacking.A break of 6 managed to get away from the peloton which did not have much organization to chase them down. The field was racing for 7th place with 2k to go Cesar Grajales(Rock Racing, (winner of tour the Georgia stage and beat Lance on the climb to Brasstown Bald),Benjamin Day Fly V australia(former national champion from Australia) ,Matt Winstead Pro team Kenda lead the charge up the hill.As soon as he felt them slow down he attecked and only one rider from the field was able to come around him at the line to finish second in the field sprint and 8th in the race.

Stage 4 - July 25 Satelitte Rd. Time Trial Time Trial Rolling 6 miles

The Time Trial was going to be a good way for Tiago to get some points back for the General Classification.
With his legs still feeling tired from the day before he knew he had to dig deep to compete against the riders from Rock Racing, Jelly belly, Fly V Australia, Kenda Pro, Team,Team Type 1,all UCI Pro Teams . With all the pro teams represented the time trial was of national level and Tiago was able to finish a strong 7th place.

Stage 5 - July 25 Norcross Criterium Flat 1 mile

Todays course was a flat 1 mile very technical Criterium. Riders with great ability and power off the corners were the ones that would exel in todays event.Tiago tried to position himself in the top front of the field because right from the start it would be Fly V australia trying to control the field and other teams trying to attack. The first 10 laps was single file racing and Tiago was waiting for the split to happen and it did. A group of ten riders was able to break away and Tiago was able to make the break and lap the field. Towards the end 2 pro riders were able to get a gap with Tiago sprinting in the field to get 5th in the field sprint and 8 in the day maintaining a top 10 in the gc.

Stage 6 - July 26 Progress Center Circuit Rolling 2.7 miles

With all the riders tired from the days before it was Fly V trying to control the race again. Tiago was trying to break away but since he was in the top 10th in the GC and a had chance to step on the podium he was chased every time. He followed all the dangerous moves but none stuck. At the end he managed to get in the lead out train from Fly V Australia and finish 9th in the day and 7th overall in the Gwinett Bike Fest 2009.

Race Report - VIVACE Criterium

2009-07-22T06:36:00.001-04:00

This in from Claudio.. Congrats Winston!!!

Winston David Represented Zmotion Racing in Riverviw, FL Saturday July 18th, 2009. He attended the VIVACE Criterium Pro1-2 Race which was held in a technical .5 mile criterium course in a mall parking lot. The race was 60 minutes long and Winston attacked right from the start of the event and was able to lap the field solo. A few other riders later were able to do the same but Winston was able to stay near the front to avoid the numerous crashes of the event. With 2 laps to go Winston attacked going into the first corner and was able to maintain the gap to sprint solo to the line and not only win the event but also a New Colnago CX-1 frame.

Race Results - Superweek #2

2009-07-15T06:59:00.002-04:00

Claudio is doing a great job of keeping us in the loop and the ZMotion guys are doing a great job REPRESENTING!!!

Arlington Heights, IL -- July 14, 2009
Pro & Cat 1/2 Men

Zmotion Racing Pro1-2 team attended the Arlington Heights Criterium, Tuesday July 14th 2009. After a rest day yesterday Hector Pastorino, Juan Gaspari, and Calixto Bello were joined by our newest member Tiago Depaula. The Criterium was held in an 8 corner .7 mile course that was so easy that it made for an extremely hard race. Juan and Hector were able to get in a 10 man break with all the major pro teams being represented with Calixto and Tiago blocking and chasing breaks in the peloton. When they thought the break would stick the peloton brought it back allowing 4 riders to break away and stay away till the finish. Hector was able to finish 14th, Calixto 21th and Juan 39th in another race that was single file from the start to the finish.

Race Results - Superweek

2009-07-12T17:08:00.003-04:00

Claudio gave me an update how the ZMotion Pro 1,2 guys are doing in Superweek in Illinois....

On Friday (July 10th), the Pro 1-2 team which consisted of Juan Gaspari, Hector Pastorino, and Calixto Bello, raced the first race of the superweek series in Beverly Hills Cycling Classic presented by Vee Pak/Beverly Bike & Ski. The race started at 5:45 PM, with top teams such as GARMIN SLIPSTREAM PRO-TOUR, Fly V Australia Pro Cycling, and Kenda Pro Cycling. The course was a 1 mile six corner crit course that started with attacks. Hector managed to get into a break that lapped the field, after lapping the field a few riders managed to get of the front and Hector remained in the peloton as the race finalized, He managed to outsprint the peloton for an 11th palce finish with Juan finishing 23rd.

Saturday (July 11th)
Pro 1-2 Juan Gaspari, Hector Pastorino, and Calixto Bello raced in Blue Island, Illinois. This race was on a 1 mile 4 corner criterium course, Juan and Hector managed to take several Primes throughout the race including the Gamblers prime of the event. On the last lap Jaun and Hector were perfectly placed for the sprint when on the second to last corner were cut off and forced them to scramble back towards the front of the peloton, Juan got boxed in on the last corner not allowing him to pass riders and Hector not willing to give up managed to finish 6th with Juan in 10th and Calixto finishing in the peloton.

Junior (north Carolina Update)
We also have a new Junior, Cirilo Bencosme(16 years old) current Florida Point leader junior 15-16, that joined Zmotion recently and on his first race representing the Zmotion Racing raced in North Carolina, The Piedmont Triad Omnium , After falling due to 2 riders crashing in front of him, he chased many breakaways, until 2 riders managed to get a gap. The 2 riders were about 100 meters in front of the peloton and Cirilo was waiting for the riders to get caught. The riders managed to stay away with Cirilo outsprinting the field and taking the final podium spot to put Zmotion in the 3rd place step in North Carolina.

Race Report - Clermont Circuit Race

2009-06-21T14:24:00.005-04:00

Todays race course was a curvey 2+ mile circuit race that was the site for a showdown between Zmotion and Florida Velo in the 45+. FV had three guys in GC potential but we had Steve G who was leading the GC.

The race was marked by a series of attacks but the entire team worked flawlessly together to cover them. Raife and Mark were on dedicated chase duty and the entire team was constantly up front so that Steve could ride as a protected rider. The 55+ raced with us also so Billy was also able to lend a hand.

The race came down to the desired field sprint with Chuck Lisa launching himself onto the podium with second place. Steve came in soon after surounded by z-guys to win the overall GC.

Billy also rode a perfect race to get sixth on the stage and 3rd overall in GC.

Julio had help today in 35+ with Chris and Joe helping out. Julio covered Vance several times but missed the decisive break. Chris covered the break and did everything he could to shut it down. With three laps to go, Julio launched a solo chase and was able to recover some of the time lost but his 6th place still put him in second overall in the GC. Up in the break Chris launched a great sprint and was second by just 1/10 of a second.

Lisa Frink really outdid herself this weekend by getting 3rd in her race and 2nd overall in GC. Way to go.

In the Pro 1,2's instead of doing the circuit race that everyone else did, they did a BRUTAL 80 mile loop. Normally most road races go multiple times around a 10-15 mile loop, but this was a FPS first having a single loop. They did it at the hottest part of the day and everyone was suffering but even with the constant rolling hills they finished in under 3 and 1/2 hours. The race itself was really exciting. Calixto attacked right after the first KOM and had two riders chase him down. After Calixto was caught, they joined forces and managed to get a respectable gap on the field. Calixto was able to drop the two riders and was able to get a gap of 6 minutes on the field riding solo. He was on his own for over 60 miles. In the meantime Hector,Juan, Victor, and Flaco covered the attacks while Mariano and Winston kept coming back to the Team car to get food and drinks for the team. They did numerous trips back making sure that everyone was well hydrated. After a heroic effort, Calixto was caught with only 10 miles to go. After several attacks from the remaining riders the peloton was reduced to about 12 riders with Zmotion having 3 riders in the group. At that point two riders attacked and were able to get a gap on the reduced peleton when Juan went after them and started closing the gap. A solo rider was able to reach Juan and they tried working together to catch the two leaders. Both riders in the lead finished solo with Juan outsprinting the rider that had bridged up for 3rd place, Hector fininshed in 6th outsprinting the field. With Victor finishing in 12th and Flaco in 19th.

Race Report - Clermont Crit and TT

2009-06-20T21:31:00.005-04:00

It was hot but not as hot as Zmotion was in racing. The crit course was a little over a mile in an unfinished development that had an uphill finish to the line.

The time trial course was a brutal 7 mile pain fest that tackled sugarloaf mountain at the halfway point. The weekend also had the stage race format with Sundays circuit race being the final piece.

The smoking started early with Billy in the 55+ getting a podium spot with a solid third place finish. He topped it off with a good TT to keep near the top of GC.

The 45+ team rode really well as a team and was involved in every breakaway attempt but as usual the 45+ ended in a field sprint with Chuck in 6th, Tim in 7th and Raife in 9th. But in the TT Steve G put the 45+ team on the V map with our first team victory of the season. Steve enters tomorrow's race with a sixteen second lead and other teams beware Zmotion will shut you down tomorrow for our man Steve.

The 35+ had only Julio representing Zmotion, but hey, that was all we needed. The Ball Watch guys launched attack after attack but Julio was alert. Since there were time sprint bonuses available, Julio jumped for 2nd place seconds and ended up off the front until Vance James and one other bridged up. With the Ball Watch guys blocking and the three of them working together smoothly they were gone. The final sprint was all Julio as he takes yet another Victory. What is worth mentioning is that the caught the main pack on the final sprint. In the TT, riding his road bike he widens the GC gap by winning a second time. Unbelievable!

In the Pro 1,2 field the cat 3's swelled their ranks for a very large field. There was a break of two guys that stuck but the ever Hector consistent was second in the field sprint for fourth overall. Victor continues to impress with a seventh place overall. Joe finished with the main field to take 5th place in the Cat 3's. In the the TT Victor continues to shine with the top Zmotion placing.

Race Report - Tradewinds - June 16th

2009-06-16T21:53:00.003-04:00

I can tell you that Tradewinds wasn't this fast or strategic last year. The bar has definitely been raised and tonight was no exception. The evening started with lots of rain and we were not even sure if we would start due to the lightning, but 6:15 and we were off.

Tonight was a special race since this was the last race in the first "series" for Tradewinds and Grant sat in 1st, Vinny was 2nd and Joe Vietro was in 3rd. An early break stayed away and a few people managed to bridge up to swell the group to 10 people. Joe slipped into this break while Grant was focusing on Vinny. Despite several super hard pulls by Grant, the break-away stuck with Raife, Karl, Chuck and Joe representing. Coming into the final laps, two riders were off the front and Chuck drilled it to pull them back. In the final sprint Chuck came in 2nd with Joe close on his wheel for 3rd which was enough to launch him into 2nd overall in the series with Vinny still on the podium with 3rd. Captain Jeff rode his typical amazing race to sneak away with less than two laps to go to come in next and Vinny ended up winning the field sprint.

Once again, ZMotion rocked!!!

Race Report - Ocala Stage Race

2009-06-14T16:02:00.002-04:00

This weekend was an interesting format with two road races and a time trial. Not only were there individual races places available, the time from all three races were added up and the top three from each category got trophys.

Zmotion was out in force and made their presence felt as always. The Masters race combined the 35 and 45 fields which made for some challenging racing. What also added to the efforts were temperatures nearing 100 degrees.

In the combined Masters race on Saturday there were lots of attacks on the rolling terrain, but it was a decisive move by Captain Jeff that finally stuck. Jeff was joined by Julio and Karl and three others. Chris did his typical great job of blocking to help establish the break and they were gone finishing almost 4 minutes up on the field! We could have used Raife's presence in the 45+ but he missed the start but Shaun still managed to come in 6th.

In the time trial, Chris looked impressive on a full TT bike and rode into an impressive second place. Jeff strapped some bars onto his road bike and amazed everyone with third overall. One of the most memorable parts was that Vinny got beaten by everyone including some of the girls.

Sunday's road race in the Master's became a much more strategic race since we had three riders all with GC (general category) potential. The race itself consisted of attack after attack that never stuck. Anytime one of the GC favorites made a move it was covered like bees on honey. There was also some fresh legs that didn't race yesterday to keep it interesting. As it came down to the last mile, Julio tried a last minute attack. After Julio was swallowed up the the final turn was sketchy but Vinny launched his attack to win the 35+ with Shaun coming in 3rd in 45+. Jeff hung on for 8th in 35+ to place 3rd overall in the stage race and snag a trophy. Mark would have helped in the finish but with one lap to go he managed an impressive crash on an easy turn.

On the women's front, both Shannon and Lisa rocked the stage. In the road race Lisa took a podium spot with 3rd with Shannon coming 6th after getting boxed in. In only her second ever time trial, Shannon really shone as she took a strong second place to move into GC potential.

The stage came down to Sunday's road race where Shannon came in 4th with Lisa right on her heels for 5th. Shannon's overall time put her in second but her main rival took sprint and KOM bonus seconds to give her the third place trophy.

In the Pro 1,2 field Zmotion continues to shine. Saturday's brutal 60 mile race saw a successful breakaway with not one but two Zmotion riders in the form of Calixto and Mariano. Calixto cramped as the finish line approached with the result of Mariano and Calixto coming in 4th and 5th respectively. In the time trial Calixto strapped on Jeff's bars and powered to 6th (somebody get that guy a TT bike) to launch him into GC potential. Sunday's road race ended in a field sprint with rocket man Hector coming in 3rd. Calixto finished in the field to get a 3rd place GC trophy. Also deserving of congrats is Victor with an 8th place in GC. We are also hoping that Winston is ok as he was taken to the hospital with a possible broken collar bone.

ZMotion FPS Team Results

2009-06-09T15:46:00.004-04:00

Wow, Jeff pointed out that the Team Classification Results are now posted for the 2009 Florida Points Series and ZMotion is winning left and right. It is hard to believe that this is the first year for the team. It takes many teams years to gel together like we have and produce these kinds of results.

Pro 1,2 - Leading the Series

Masters 35+ - Leading the Series

Masters 45+ - Leading the Series

Women's Cat 4 - Leading the Series

Men's Cat 4 - Third overall

Men's Cat 5 - Leading the Series

Race Report - Stuart Racing Weekend

2009-06-08T10:09:00.007-04:00

Another great weekend of racing for ZMotion happened just North of us in Stuart. Saturday's venue was a 3.2 mile circuit race in a never completed housing development while Sundays race was the annual Downtown Stuart Criterium course (0.9 miles) that we have every year. For some the weather was perfect, but later racers got drenched when the heavens opened and rained cats and dogs.

What is interesting about the sport of Bicycle Racing is that every race is unpredictable. If you are doing a race like running, you can typically identify the five fastest runners and pick the winner from that select group. Not so in a Florida Points Criterium. So it follows that some weeks one of the ZMotion categories will do great and some not so great and it was finally time for the Master's 45+ team to shine.

The Master's 45+ team still hasn't had the elusive "V", but with a 2nd, 4th and 8th on Saturday's race, they came pretty darn close. Here's how it played out.. The 3.2 mile circuit tempted the racer's to try numerous break attempts, but with a strong headwind on the back side, plus great visibility it initially looked like all attempts would fail. Then out of nowhere, our "sleeper" racer Ron Ray sneaked away with 3 other guys and they were GONE. When it came down to the final sprint there was a crash that both prevented the "V" but also took out the 4th place spot. Then our 45+ sprinter Shaun launched it to win the field sprint for 4th with Raife close on his heels for 8th.

On Sunday's race, the 45+ field was HUGE with 57 riders and it was fast from the go. Super strongman Steve Griffith tried numerous break away attempts, and he and Ron Ray even had a late race breakaway that looked like it had potential but was fated to be caught. So it came down to the final lap and the field was all together, sprinter Shaun was feeling good and in position until with just 3 turns to go he had a flat (yes, he was robbed). Mark managed to get into position to pull off a 5th place for the team.

In the 35+ category, the Saturday race was a case of breaks and chases with ZMotion doing a lot of the bringing back of breaks. Grant Potter put pedal to the medal and managed to ride away for the V, but hey, it's Grant Potter. The Sunday Race for 35+ yielded some nail-biting excitement as breakaway specialist Julio was in a very good 4 man break. Chris Hoch and Jody were constantly seen at the front taking up blocking duties. Julio was finally caught by the field on the final stretch of the final lap (ugh) but still managed to come in 9th with Jeff in 12th. Vinny launched himself right onto the podium with an excellent 3rd place.

The Juniors continue to distinguish themselves with Ruben winning the Crit on Sunday and 2nd on Saturday. Jay got 2nd both days. These guys are our future and the future looks bright (but guys fix your team info to show ZMotion!!!!).

We didn't get any Intel on how the P12 faired on Saturday, but on-site race reporter Jeff shared this about Sunday's P12 race...

On Sunday there were several failed breaks with Victor in one that looked good, and then he rolled a tire. Another break of 7 went away gaining over 30 seconds and included Winston & Hector. The Santos boys put there heads down and slowly reeled ‘em in with a few laps to go. Grant lit it up out of the final corner and no one could come around him so he took the “V” impressively. zMotion packed it in tightly soon after with Hector in 3rd, Juan in 4th, and Calixto in 6th.

State Criterium Weekend: zGirls Blog

2009-05-20T11:27:00.002-04:00

Ashley DiVeronica reports on racing from the woman's perspective...

The women’s Cat 1-3, 4 race proved to be an exciting and intense one as it’s by far the most girls we have raced at one time this season. From the start of Saturday’s race it was clearly going to be Shannon’s weekend. With new flashy green tires, she rode her heart out and was the only zGirl to finish with the main field which consisted of mostly Cat 1-3 girls. She finished in an amazing third place. Lisa, Emily, Joleen and myself all raced as well and put up a tough fight.

Sunday the pressure was on… cue dramatic music… State Championships. The day was another Green Machine (aka Shannon) day. The zGirls all rode awesome but it was Shannon who took another top 3 finish, woot woot! So we officially have the third best woman rider in Florida. We are SO proud!! Before the race, I told Shannon I wanted a repeat performance from Saturday and that is exactly what she did. Again, she held on to finish in the main field. Only a small break of 3 got off the front during the race. Lisa finished 6th , Emily 14th (in W1-3)and I ended up at 10th. With the points from the weekend, Shannon has moved to 7th in the FPS, Lisa moved to 11th and I moved to 13th for Cat 4. Emily stands at 22 in W1-3. Watch out Florida… zGirls on the rise.

Race Report - Lakeland Twilight Criterium

2009-05-17T16:21:00.001-04:00

The Lakeland course is a traditional crit course with four turns around 1k in a rectangle shape in downtown Lakeland.

The Masters 35+ again delivered nail biting excitement and can be summed up by two words, Julio and Teamwork. The rain had just finished and the sun was peaking out which seemed to encourage lots of breakaway attempts. Julio snuck into an early three man break that had potential and in between Vinny covered a lone attacker. The break was finally caught and Julio attacked the field for a solo attempt which eventually coaxed three others to join him. ZMotion did every thing possible to block and you could see Z-men constantly in 2nd, 4th and 6th positions. The field was relentless in their chasing and reeled that break back with few laps to go. Then our jaws dropped as Julio launched a massive solo attack with just three laps to go and caught the field completely unaware. Like a true champion he held off the entire field for three laps and even had enough time for a victory salute. After the race Julio, man of few words simply said "I felt good today". Back in the main field, Zmotion continued to dominate as Pedro gave Jeff a lead out for 3rd with Vinny in 4th and Chris in 8th.

The Master's 45+ got the worst of the rain with brick pavers in the turns as slippery as a greased cookie sheet. Chuck was constantly up front the entire race. Mark (yes writing in 3rd person is creepy) moved up with a few laps to go and came in 5th.

The top racers in each category got to participate in a finale race that was blistering fast and ZMotion kicked butt as usual. With a few laps to go there was a single rider off the front that managed to win, but in what is fast becoming his signature move, Julio attacked with two laps to go to secure 2nd with Vinny in 4th, Chris in 10th and Jeff in 14th.

The Pro 1,2 race was held at 9pm and the pace was faaast from the gun and the field was strung out the entire time. Juan figured into the early breaks but everything was getting pulled back. With just a a couple of laps to go Zmotion was lining up perfectly but a flat tire took Juan and Calixto out but Hector still managed to work his magic at the end to secure 2nd.

In the Womens race they started the Cat 4's with the 1,2,3's and the field started splintering after just three laps and our Z-girl Shannon hung tight with the front group to finish on the Cat 4 podium with 3rd.

In the Juniors, Jay Major bridged up to a group of three and lanched a big sprint on the last lap but was nipped at the line for 2nd.

Mobile Blogging from here.

Race Report - Rosewood 5/10/09

2009-05-11T10:11:00.004-04:00

Where there is a race, there is ZMotion...

We had a great turn out of ZMotion Master's racers at Sunday's race in Rosewood. The day started early with the Master's 35+ at 8am and it was rocking. The field ended up splitting into 3 groups around 2/3 of the way into the race with a lead 2 out front, a following group of around a dozen and the rest of the field. ZMotion was represented in the middle group by Jeff (of course) and Mark. The group seemed uninterested in chasing the two guys and let them ride away into the sunset. Jeff being the rider that he is managed to turn a bad situation on it's head by a late race two man break-away that put Jeff on the podium in 3rd. Wow!

The Master's 45+ race was up next and ended up in a field sprint. We had Ron Ray in a two man break but the field was having none of it. Shaun has really come into his own as the Master's 45+ sprinter and was barely nipped at the line by super speedster Peter Aldridge for 2nd place in a dramatic finish. Great job Shaun.

In the Pro 1,2,3 race, a series of tired by determined Master's guys did their second race of the day but still managed to finish up there with Shaun in 9th, Joe Vietro in 10th and Jody in 11th. Way to go.

A letter from Mike on MS 150 Ride

2009-05-04T13:52:00.005-04:00

This was sent as an internal email, but it does a great job of expressing our appreciation of all Pat Patregnani has done for us as a team, so with his permission, it is posted here...

What an amazing weekend and I wanted to thank all of you for participating in the 2009 Zimmerman MS Bike Ride and riding with the zMotion Team. It was incredible to see all of the zMotion jerseys riding strong (I know this first hand as I watch hundreds fly by as I changed my flat!) united in our fight to find a cure for MS. I was so proud of our collective accomplishments, performance and the zMotion spirit. It is also important for me to specifically share my pride in our fearless leader… Captain Pat!

Captain Pat,

You have been an inspiration to us all. First and foremost, for your commitment to the sport of cycling and your determination to be the best. You inspire us to drive ourselves further and commit to making ourselves better at everything we do each and every day. You were awesome this weekend, in that your physical training and mental commitment drove you to cross the finish line in first place at an incredible record pace and show us that it is determination (OK, AND training) that really separates the men from the boys!

You inspire us to be better role models each and every day. It is not just about being great racers, but more about being great people. Thank you for your friendship, generosity, and most importantly, your ability to laugh and extent a hand to others.

You inspire us to reach for great things each and every day. You teach us over and over that nothing is impossible and that if you put your mind and commitment against your goals, then all your dreams can come true.

You inspire us to be better friends to another and to support each other in life and in riding. You teach us to be better cyclists, to be better mentally focused, and to work together as a team…and ultimately to WIN together as a TEAM.

On behalf of the entire team, thank you for making us shine. It is through your leadership and in your reflection that we are able to see the best in ourselves. We could not have asked for a better leader, friend, mentor, and cyclist.

Mike Schweiger
Zimmerman Chief Financial Officer

2009 Zimmerman MS 150 Bike Ride

2009-05-04T11:48:00.011-04:00

What an amaZing weekend. This weekend, almost 2,800 cyclists converged on Miami to participate in the Multiple Sclerosis 150 ride. Not only was Zimmerman Advertising the title sponsor, the ZMotion team brought almost 600 riders to the starting line.

The ride started at 7am on Saturday and followed a zig-zag path through Miami to John Pennecamp Park in Key Largo via Card Sound road. ZMotion lead the first wave of over 200 cyclists. The quick pace was slowed a little by some rain and poor breaking surfaces for part of the Miami trek, but ZMotion had lots of power up front to keep driving the pace. There were several late ride breakaway attempts to ensure that ZMotion was first to the line (yes, it is supposed to be a ride, but who are we kidding). With less than 8 miles to go Flaco charged off the front with Calixto hot on his heels and they both stayed away to make ZMotion proud and be the first to the line. The rest of the group came in soon after in around 3hours and 2minutes with an average close to 25mph even with the rain.

Saturday afternoon was spent by the pool at Holiday Inn with the weather just perfect. Zimmerman (as always) took great care of their riders and hooked us up with much needed pool side massages. The pool was full, the mood was euphoric and the friendships among the team were evident.

Saturday evening saw a party to behold with a live band and yummy food. Many people spoke on behalf of both the Florida MS Society and Zimmerman, but the crowning moment was the words shared by Alie Rothman who was diagnosed with MS at the age of 14 in 2006. She brought the effort home and attached a face to this terrible disease. In her sharing of her struggles and the help that rides like this has provided, she made every effort and contribution truly worth it. ZMotion raised 1.3 million dollars this year towards MS and next year we plan on being 1,000 strong!!

Sunday greeted us with good weather and by 6:45am we were off and flying. On Card Sound road, the riding was more like a Pro 1,2 criterium race than anything else and the speeds were hitting 30+ for miles until finally a small group of 5 went off the front with Pat (aka: The Boss) right there. The group was powered by the driving forces of Calixto and Winston and they delivered Pat to the number one spot back in Miami. Way to go ZMotion and especially Pat.

Race Report - ZMotion Racing Weekend

2009-04-29T13:30:00.012-04:00

This report is less a report on who placed when and how then a celebration of how far the ZMotion team has come this year and the impact we have made on the sport.

In 2008 there were a few individuals that raced under the ZMotion banner and the focus was the Club and the extremely important Charity Events such as the MS 150. In 2009, we have almost doubled the riders participating (close to 600 riders) in this year's MS 150 ride which happens this weekend.

We have also grown the Club from a bunch of A1A hammer riders to a Club that supports the development of Women and Juniors. Finally, we went from a few riders that participated in P12 races to having a team with serious representation in almost every category. We started the season with just a Master's 35+/45+ and P12 teams and have added a Men's 55+ team, a Men's Cat 4 team, a Men's Cat 5 team, a Women's Cat 4 Team, a Cat 3 Team and a Junior Team. Wow!!

A perfect example of what we have brought to the sport was the races hosted by ZMotion this weekend, especially the one at BankAtlantic Center. Under the guidance of Gina and the rest of the gang at Zimmerman, ZMotion hosted one of the best run races with the highest purse of the year. Pat and company are still receiving accolades on the professionalism of this race as well as the downright fun to be had.

I am proud to say that I race for ZMotion and here are some highlights of our ZMotion race teams accomplishments (looking at top 20 or above):

Master's 35+
- Jeff Fleming is leading the Individual Florida Point Series by a rapidly growing margin.
- The 35+ Team is leading the Florida Point Series
- Chris Hoch in 7th, Vinny in 10th, Pedro in 16th, Amir in 18th, Julio in 20th
- We have also had at least 5 victories (yes that means #1)

Masters 45+
- The 45+ Team is leading the Florida Point Series
- As Individuals we have Raife in 4th, Shaun in 7th, Chuck in 15th and Steve in 16th

Pro 1,2
- Hector Pastorino is leading the Individual Florida Point Series
- Victor is 9th, Juan is 11th
- We also have 3 victories with a boatload of 2nd and 3rd places

Women's Cat 4
- As Individuals we have Shannon in 9th, Ashly in 18th, Lisa in 19th

Masters 55+
- Billy Tittle is in 17th after only 5 races

Cat 3
- Calixto Bello is 8th in the Individual Florida Point Series (and he just moved up to P12 team!!)

Cat 5
- Ramone is 15th in the Individual Florida Point Series

Junior 13-14
- Recent addition Jay Major is 1st in the Individual Florida Point Series
- Max Thilen is 7th in the Individual Florida Point Series

Junior 15-16 (all just recently added)
- Amir Merali is 4th in the Individual Florida Point Series
- Ruben Del Cristo is 7th in the Individual Florida Point Series
- David Cueli is 9th in the Individual Florida Point Series

Cat 4/5
- Adam Mayer is 17th in the Individual Florida Point Series

Race Report - Brian Piccolo Training Race - 4/23/09

2009-04-27T14:49:00.002-04:00

I am starting to get behind on the Race Reports. There are so many cool things to report on (and I still have to train and race). I have to update everyone on this non-FPS race because it was soooooo amaZing. Every Thursday at 6:30pm there is a Training Race at Brian Piccolo park open to Category 1..4, but I can tell you that this last Thursday there were not too many 4's there and it was basically a Pro 1,2 race. There was BIG money on hand with 6 - $50 primes, a first place prize of $300 including a monster huge trophy.

The course itself is a 1K course that is shaped like a capital "B" and is very technical and super fast. The starting line-up was almost 50 guys and looked like a who's who of South Florida racing. Within 1/2 lap we were already doing 30mph and it didn't slow down. ZMotion had great representation with 6 racers.

The field was strung out for over 30 minutes until a slight gap happened. Being a super smart racer, Jody helped make the gap a little wider and around 10 guys were off including 3 ZMotion riders. Coming into the final lap, Juan drag raced for 500 meters with Hector on his wheel. Hector came around his wheel to win yet another race for ZMotion. Great racing guys.

Race Report - Chain of Lakes Criterium

2009-04-19T15:00:00.003-04:00

Winter Haven hosted a new race course for 2009 and I for one hope it returns next year. The course has eight (yes 8) turns around downtown and it was pretty technical.

The Master's 45+ was fast as always and numerous breaks were attempted and reeled in. With just under 5 laps to go Mark took a flyer off the front but was caught by the field with one lap to go. In the final sprint Shawn weaved his way to the front for a solid 3rd.

Always an exciting race, the Master's 35+ started with a beatifully executed three man break featuring the amaZing Pedro, but a big early race crash caused the race promoters to neutralize (stop) the race for several minutes and then restarted it giving the 3 only a 5 second head start. The three of them worked well together and stayed away for many laps but the pack smelled blood and finally was able to reel them back in (I am almost 100% sure that if they hadn't restarted then they would have stayed away). ZMotion continued to police the front until Jody tried (another) daring solo breakaway. A few laps later he picked up a racing partner and the two of them got up to a 38 second lead on the main field with Jody getting his 2nd win of the season. Curtis Long did a late breaking move for third and then we killed the field sprint with Vinny in 4th, Pedro in 5th, Jeff in 6th and Chris in 8th. Talk about ZMotion domination!!!

In the P1,2 race, they again had to neutralize the race due to another corner 2 crash. Victor, Yosvany from Champion Porche and a Toshiba guy were off in a break for along time but itn came back with Toshiba doing quite a bit of the chasing?? Near the end a Toshiba guys took a solo flyer and opened a huge gap quickly. He ended up staying away for the win. In the field sprint, Durango took it with Juan and Hector right behind for 3rd and 4th!

Finally our newest junior Reben Del Cristo, again did well and placed 8th.

Race Report - Chain of Lakes Road Race

2009-04-19T14:44:00.002-04:00

What is exciting about Zmotion team's, is that we are improving across the board. We field rider's in almost every category and today was the Cat 4's day to shine. The course itself is a 13 mile loop. It is not too hilly but the finishing straight is a surprisingly difficult false flat that is almost two miles long.

The Cat 4 came down to a field sprint due in large part to some monster long pulls at the front by Pat (a.k.a The Boss) who made sure that there was constant representation at the front. As the field came up to the finish line, Joel started up a z-train with Ramone and Mark Lim on his wheel. After Joel gave it all, Ramone took over delivering Mark to the line where he got 2nd place with Ramone still hanging on for a 7th overall with a 5th in Category 5. This was also Ramon's first race so a double congrats are in order.

In the Master's 35 plus, the indomidable Jeff got away with Vinny and four other's with half the race still to go. Jeff did a ton of work to help keep the break away with Zmotion taking up blocking duties in the main field. In the final sprint, Vinny was cramping badly but still managed to secure 3rd with Jeff coming in 6th. We then won the field spring with Chris next at 7th, Pedro in 9th and Joe in 12th.

Our girls cat 4 team is growing and improving with Lisa Fink in 6th, Shannon Odonnel in 8th, Ashley Diveronica in 10th and Joleen Turner in 11th. Congrats ladies in general and Joleen specifically for doing well in her first race.

Our newest junior Reben Del Cristo, starts his tenure with ZMotion in fine style and placed 3rd.

I am missing details (hint hint) from the P12 category, but I did hear that Juan drag raced with Grant Potter to win yet another race for Zmotion. What a rider! Also a special thanks to Joleen for some pictures and race updates.

Race Report - Webster

2009-04-11T19:29:00.003-04:00

The race is billed as the hardest race of the season and after doing it, the promoters called it correctly. The course is a 9 mile loop with 2.5 miles of dirt roads. The women and 55+ did 4 laps, the masters and cat 3 did 7 laps and the Pro 1,2 doing a whopping 12 laps (180k).

Zmotion had representation in just about every category and the results started early. In the Masters 55+, Dave Viney took off early and Billy went with him for a while. By the third lap the field had shattered (a recurring theme for the day) with Dave gone and Billy and newbie Mike in a six man break. A crash in the break threw it into chaos and Billy took off solo and time trialed into a podium position of 2nd with Mike coming in 4th. Wow!

In the 45+ we had Steve, Raife, Mark and Chuck. Today was the Steve Show with a break by Steve and Chuck Jerebek on the first lap. Zmotion got right up front and policed the peleton to assist Steve. On lap 3 the front guys hammered on the dirt section and blew up the field with the front group whittled down to just around ten guys. JRC seemed motivated to chase their own guy and we finally picked up Steve again. With just two laps to go the field again separated and Steve made the final cut and finished in a solid sixth place.

The Master's 35+ was absolutely the best teamwork of the season and was represented by Captain Jeff, Chris, Julio, Jody and the amazing Pedro. On the first lap Jody got away with three others and Zmotion shut down the chases until lap two when five others including Jeff bridged up. By lap four the front group had a couple of minutes on the field and Jody was helping pull Jeff back to the group since Jeff seemed to think he was on a slip and slide. By the next couple of laps the front group deteriorated into four, then two and two with Jeff in it. In the much diminished main field Pedro launched attack after attack and finally got away with Brian Lancaster, with one lap to go, who bridged up to Jeff. They proceeded to drop Jeff's original breakaway companion with Jeff finishing 8th and Pedro in 9th. As the next group approached all you could see was Chris charging to the line for 10th followed by Julio in 12th with Jody rounding out the top 15. Beautiful racing.

The Pro 1,2 field had 47 total guys who were just asking for pain by the boatload with 12 laps (108 miles) through the dirt section that was getting severly mushy. In an absolutely stunning display of power and prowess, Juan broke away solo for lap after lap until he had several minutes on the field. In a late breaking move, Hector followed three others up to Juan and the five of them were never to be seen again. It came down to the sprint and Hector yanked the win from the breakaway group to give Zmotion it's second victory in P12. Juan still had enough gas in the tank to come in 4th. Only 18 people finished and Victor came in a strong 10th with Alex in 14th. What an amazing race!

In the Cat 3 and 4 race, Joe found himself in a 9 man break. He got dislodged from them and spent several laps in no man's land with a couple of other guys. Finally a group of 15 guys bridged up to them and the combined group then caught the breakaway. Joe then hung on for 7th. In the 4's, Joel got dislodged from the 35's but still managed to place 10th in his category. No flat's for him.

Race Report - The Dump (4/5/09)

2009-04-07T11:31:00.003-04:00

I really appreciate Claudio sharing this with all of us...

The Pro,1,2 Team participated in the Vista View race this weekend. With all major South Florida Teams in attendance, Alex, Flaco, Hector, Juan and Victor were in for more than just a training race. At the start they announced that they were going to give several primes in the race ensuring that the race would have a fast pace from the gun. After a few laps Juan and Hector were part of a 10 person break with Flaco and Victor blocking and chasing anyone who tried to bridge across. Hector was able to out sprint the guys in the break to take the first prime. Towards the end of the race two more riders had bridged across when they took advantage of a prime to form a gap and jumped to the break. As the field disintegrated, Flaco and Victor attempted several times to bridge across but were unsuccessful as the remaining riders quickly chased them down. On the final sprint Hector was beaten at the line by a Santos rider to finish second with Juan finishing 4th on this hilly South Florida race. When the field Sprint came we had Flaco and Viictor take the sprint to finish in 12th and 13th.

Race Report - Update on Brian Piccolo

2009-04-06T12:46:00.002-04:00

Max Thilen emailed me an update to the BP Race. I have posed it here. Thanks Max and congrats on a good placing!!

I saw the disclaimer and in case you wanted to write about the juniors races they were pretty eventful. In the 13-14 race at Brian Piccolo a kid from the Bahamas broke away from the start and stayed away the whole race. There was a sprint for second, I started sprinting a second late and I almost passed the other racer but the line came to soon and I got 3rd by less than a bike length. In 15-16 one of the zmotion riders I think his name is David was destroying the field in the last few laps but didn't have enough energy for the sprint and got something around fifth. Richard placed I think somewhere between 10th and 17th. I don't know much about the 15-16's on the second day. The juniors had to restart because they stopped our race because someone almost had a heart-attack. In my race, 13-14's the first time I was doing great drafting off a good kid in my category who was really tired. When they restarted, I lost my energy and he got a second wind. So he got a big lead on me. Towards the end I started going really fast and I passed a few 15-16's, I saw about 5 kids or so at the top of the finish line climb and I was closing in on them. Then towards the top of the climb I shifted to the little ring without thinking and my chain fell off. Two guys came to help and it took them a long time. I tried to chase but had lost too much time. I ended up getting a third place.

Max

Race Report Disclaimer

2009-03-30T13:25:00.002-04:00

One can only write what one knows about. I find it a privledge writing the Blog for ZMotion, but I can only report events that I either witness first hand or someone tells me about (email, phone, text, ..). Lately there has been a distinct lack of feedback from Racer's and I fear that the blogs tend to be biased towards the Masters (but they HAVE been kicking butt) because I can't participate in or watch every single race.

Please, Please, share your race stories with me. You can either tell me about it and I can write it up or just send me the text and I will post it on your behalf. We are all doing well as a team and each person has their own personal success stories. This is YOUR Blog so share YOUR story.

Mark Hewitt

Race Report - Bike America @ "The Dump"

2009-03-30T13:24:00.001-04:00

For anyone that thinks that South Florida is all flat, they haven't tried racing at Vista View Park (aka. The Dump). This is an old landfill that has 2 climbs (one to the finish line) and NO recovery. It truly separates the strong from everyone else.

The story of the day was Pedro in Masters 35+. Around a third of the way into the race, Pedro found himself in a break with around 10 guys (which shrunk to 9 over time) with Jody doing a lot of work early on (Steve had flatted out and there was a no Free Lap rule). The attacks started right away and kept coming. Pedro was isolated with three Bike America guys (and some others) and had to race super smart. Jeff tried super hard to get up to Pedro in the break knowing that he was isolated. Towards the end, one of the lead guys managed to get away solo, so the race was then for 2nd. With a drag race up the final hill, Pedro timed it to perfection to snag the field sprint and 2nd overall. Jeff then ended up dropping the field on the last lap up the big hill and solo'd in for 10th behind the 9 in Pedro's break.

In the Pro 1, 2, the super strong Frank Travisio managed to pretty much drop the entire field but the dynamic duo of Juan and Hector both placed in the top 6th.

Race Report - Bike America @ Brian Piccolo

2009-03-30T13:10:00.003-04:00

There is something really cool about going away for a weekend of racing where you only have to worry about eating, sleeping and racing your bike. But when an FPS race in practically in your "back yard" it is so nice to not to have to travel.

As most of you know, Brian Piccolo Park has a dedicated road cacing course that is very technical and shaped roughly like a capital B. The day was overcast and it was crazy windy but ZMotion was there to represent.

The Masters racing was fast and furious as always, in the final 3rd of the 45+ Race, Jeff was away first with someone else and then finally solo for almost fifteen minutes (with Chris doing major blocking) and was heartbreakingly reeled in with just one lap to go.

In the Masters 35+, there was one real breakaway with potential and that was covered by Vinny but was again reeled in. The finish was led out by a hard charging Grant Potter but I guess Jeff was on the warpath because he hung right up there for 3rd. We also secured several other places in the top 20.

In the Pro 1,2 race we were happy to have Juan swell our ranks. He attacked from the very first lap was joined several laps later by a few other strongmen and they were GONE. The race field was shattered by this show of strength with less than half of the original field finishing. As it came down to the final spring, Juan held on for an awesome 2nd place. What a great thing it is to have him on the team.

The day was marked by a series of crashes which included Vinny and Mark in the 35+, Adam and Joel in the Cat 4's but luckily no one was serious injured. The other notable events include Billy placing 5th (or 6th?) in the Masters 55+, Ashley getting 3rd in the Women’s Cat 4, and David the Jr. placing 4th (or 5th?). Congrats all.

Race Report - Pinellas Park Circuit Race

2009-03-24T20:58:00.003-04:00

After Saturdays super tight course, the wide open 2 mile circuit seemed so much more bike friendly, but that didn't mean slow. I keep on trying to figure out what these guys are eating for breakfast that I am not, because they need to share!!!!

With a dramatic win in the Master's 35+ on Saturday, the team was primed and ready to show that winning is the ZMotion way of doing business. The race (for 35+) was 14 laps around the course with a pretty good wind on the back side. Early into the race Pedro was seen off the front and later a six man break formed with some really strong dudes and, of course, Captain Jeff. They were away for lap after lap and ZMotion did some solid blocking to help the gap stay, but with about 3 laps to go they were reeled in. Then out of nowhere Jody flew solo off the front and the field grossly underestimated his strength. Jody was solo with 2 laps to go, then 1 lap to go till finally he crossed the line in Numero UNO. Congrats!!! Since the 35+ team is also trying to win the team points, they stacked the results getting Jeff in 5th, Vinnie in 8th, Amir in 10th, Chris in 10th and Joe in 15th. I think we are now tops in the team category.

ZMotion had representation in almost every category with some notables being Adam Goldfarb at 10th in Cat 4, David Cueli at 7th in Cat 5 and 9th in Junior 15-16. In the Masters 45+ we had 3 guys in the top 20 with Shaun in 7th, Raife in 10th and Chuck in 19th.

In the premier event with the Pro 1, 2 guys, we again saw breakaways look like they were going to stick and then come back. Our man Hector once again made sure that everyone knew that we came for some serious racing and placed a solid 5th. Way to go!!

Race Report - Tampa Downtown Crit

2009-03-21T22:33:00.000-04:00

Today was another red letter day for Zmotion Racing Team. We christened a brand new course in style with great results. The course was almost 1 mile with 6 turns and varying widths which made for lots of twisting and turning while the many patches of bricks added some bumps to the mix.

Another interesting thing was the addition of an Amatuar Finale where the top racers in each category got to duke it out.

In the 45+ race Chuck was our top finisher in 10th, but Shaun and Raife also qualified for the Finale.

The 35+ was all Jeff, all the time. The field was strung out the entire time but when Brian Lancaster attacked, Jeff was on him like white on rice. They bridged up to a 3rd guy and that breakaway was gone. The z-team did some solid blocking on the front to make sure it stuck. Jeff had a plan to attack with two turns to go and executed it to perfection to chalk up his 2nd win of the season.

Other 35+ guys to qualify for the Finale included Karl, Amir, Mark and Chris. Speaking of the Finale, the race was strung out from the gun and by the time half the race was over, so was half the field. Our intrepid leader Jeff tried bunny hopping the curve (he failed) and big power guy Chris was drilling it in the front with one lap to go until he basically got shoved into a barrier. You win some, you lose some.

The final race of the night was the 75 minute Pro,1,2 race and it was memorable. With a large field loaded with Florida's strongest riders the race was FAST. Hector once again made Zmotion proud and slipped into a four man break that was flying. Zmotion again showed excellent teamwork and worked up front to make the break stick. The break actually lapped the entire field and moved right up to the front of the field. The last few laps were so awesome to watch with Hector in perfect position in fifth or sixth position. Hector lit up the sprint to come in 3rd. Wow!

Race Report - Polk Country Circuit Race

2009-03-16T15:59:00.000-04:00

Stop the presses, front page news!! The ZMotion Pro 1,2 team scores our first ever Pro 1,2 Victory. The Polk Country Circuit Race was held on a brand new race course in a beautiful venue by Lake Alfred near Lakeland. It was a 2 mile circuit race with a looooong straightaway directly into a stiff headwind and an uphill on one end bracketed by a technical downhill on the other end. The weather was perfect and made for a great day of racing.

ZMotion had representation in pretty much every race of the day, but the big news was the breakout victory by the Pro 1,2 team. As the entire P12 team showed in the ZMotion R/V we knew we were in for a treat. The race started early afternoon with almost 50 guys on the starting line. The pace was fast, the course was windy and the breaks were relentless. ZMotion covered every break and the entire team worked together like a well oiled machine. Some of the notable breaks included Victor along with Seth and Chris who were away for several laps and got caught with only around 5 laps to go. Then it was Adam and Jody's turn to get away. As the race got down to the wire, Flaco put his head down and dragged Hector up to the front guys and Hector launched a blazing sprint to win the race. Congratulations guys!!

Some of the other notable things included solid placings in the 45+ field by Raife (6th) and Shaun (8th). The 35+ field looked to be the largest of the day and Vinny was our top finisher at 8th with Jeff a couple of spots behind at 10th. We are even working on developing our future riders with some Junior riders. Max came in 3rd in the Junior 13/14 class.

I will post the top 20 for each field when the "official" results are posted, but this blog needed to be written immediately. Plus we need to understand why Randy is getting all of this attention from Gina and Christina.

Lay It Down For Leon

2009-03-10T15:03:00.001-04:00

This from Pat regarding the tragic death of Leon Hamer.

A marketers POV: Ok, so how do we get people’s attention, how do we make some noise ( quietly ), how do we get some free news press, how do we protest this behavior , how do we get the attention of our representatives, how do we utilize Leon’s tragedy to bring about some change to a sport he obviously had a passion for. Publicity , legally that makes a statement and has relevance, take a moment and visualize this … In Honor of Leon, we organize not a ride of silence but a protest that makes loud noise , imagine hundreds of cyclist on a Saturday morning that line A1A and lay down their bikes, “ Laying it down for Leon” ….. that’s right, from Ft Lauderdale to WPB, hundreds of cyclist for a few hours will lay down their bikes on the side of the road and we will waive signs at motorist that pass us by , we will have the “ LAWS “, deadly and accidental facts written on them, we will all wear fake blood on our arms, faces and legs to demonstrate what a cyclist hit by a car would look like, let them see the brutality of what being hit by a mirror actually can do to a human being. Bring our wives and children to show that we are family people too !!!!! This dramatization will be filmed and a copy of this act will be sent to Tallahassee demanding more to be done in terms of Infrastructure and education.

In addition, we have a PR firm in Tallassee that I am going to approach about doing the same “ Lay It Down For Leon “ there around the Capital Building. From this, my hope and goal will be to get a face to face with our Governor and/or other representatives so they can feel our pain and passion . I want to demand that we get some monies allocated to TV advertising for education and infrastructure support. I would also push that in order to get a driver’s license, in the test they not only have to know traffic signs and laws , but, interaction with cyclist laws as well.

There you have my idea. Thoughts, comments, other ideas….

Rosewood - 3/9/09

2009-03-09T12:09:00.005-04:00

Rosewood racing in Miami Lakes was off with a BANG this weekend. This race series has been running for years and we had some record crowds and some really fast racing. zMotion had people in every category and people knew we were there.

We started the Masters 35+ a little late as the registration line was crazy backed up, but our seven starters were ready to go. The overall pace was very fast with an average speed of 26.5 mph. Julio tried one of his signature early race attacks and that was just one of several attempts that were all reeled in. We rode well as a team with Chris focusing on being constantly near the front. Jody went to the front to keep the pace high and then Pedro launched an attack to keep the hounds at bay while the always wise Jeff positioned himself near the front. In the final sprint it looked like Jeff would win but he was pipped at the line by a fast charging Lee Fox.

The Masters 45+ again had a nice group of Z-guys and as the race developed, a five man breakaway ended up staying away (thanks to some great zMotion blocking) with our man Ron Ray keeping it real. He ended up finishing 5th with our guys also going for positions in the field sprint.

The Pro,1,2,3 was a monstrous field (it looked like around 80 guys) and they kept a nice pace with a 27.1 mph average. There were a lot of break attempts but it basically came down to a field sprint in the end. Our newest Racer, Patrick and Julio were taken down in a crash with a couple of laps to go (both of them can barely walk today). With one lap to go Captain Alex launched a ferocious attack that was unfortunately reeled in but strong-man Hector duked it out for a solid 4th place.

The Cat 4,5 field is sooooo much stronger than in previous years and maintained a 25 mph average and our team kept things real. All in all, we had a great time and some solid racing.

A summary of our Top 20 placings include:

Cat 35+ - Jeff in 2nd, Chris in 8th, Julio in 13th, Amir in 17th
Cat 45+ - Ron Ray in 5th, Shaun in 9th
Pro 1,2,3 - Hector Pastorino in 4th
Cat 4,5 - Randall Jacques in 10th

Paceline Training Ride

2009-03-06T13:22:00.005-05:00

Jeff and Chris organized a Paceline Training Ride at Gina's suggestion for this morning for some of our newer riders and it was a 100% success!!! We had 20 people show up with 5 of them from the Race Team. After some "words of wisdom" at the Cove, we headed North on A1A in a double paceline. After doing that for several miles we switched to a rotating single paceline. Initially things were a little rough but with some encouragement and a quick discussion after a stop at Atlantic, we smoothed things out nicely. What was especially promising was the fact that we got back into a paceline after a full stop.

Check out the New Forum

2009-03-05T20:26:00.002-05:00

This team is like a bunch of "chatty cathys" and some days I get over 100 emails from everyone. So to fix this and give everyone a place to rap, I have created a Forum.

http://www.zmotionracing.org/phpBB/

Now you are supposed to limit the Smack Talk, but since The Boss is the worst offender then I guess I will just ask you to not let the Smack get out of hand.

Ride Report - Hospice Ride for Life

2009-03-02T12:23:00.004-05:00

The Hospice ride offered both a Road ride and a Mountain Bike Ride. Our on-scene Road rider Chris Hoch shares the following:

The charity ride started like all others do. Once everyone lined up for the start other teams starting rolling in like Santos, Herbal Life, and Bike America so we knew it was going to be fast. About 250 riders of all calibers were there, but the main peloton stayed together only in the the beginning. The wind played a huge factor in the ride as it was gusting between 15-25 mph. The peloton got smaller and smaller as the miles tacked on. As the groups started to break up, there was a crash amoung the not so experienced/conditioned riders, where a guy lost control of his bike, taking down Shannon and 5 other riders. Fortunately nobody was seriously hurt with the only damage being a few scratches on the bikes.

Once the group started picking up speed, a few riders broke away including Julio and a Bike America rider which lasted for many miles. Bike America partnered with zMotion and controlled the front of the peleton to allow them to pull away. Unfortunately it wasn’t the right time for a break as it got caught. After about 25 miles, Pedro and Chris got into a break with two other riders. Julio did some blocking at the front to allow them to get away and they were gone for nearly 30 miles when Hector and 4 other riders caught the first break. With only about 6 miles left, the 9 riders kept attacking each other until they all were exhausted and 8 of them came in together for the finish, 3 being zMotion Team Racers…

The end of the ride was finished with everyone hanging out enjoying Firehouse Subs and trying to rehydrate from a hot windy ride…

Our on-scene Mountain Bike rider Karl Fele adds:

The mountain bike race was extremely challenging. Markham park is one of the most technical trails on the East coast.

There were over 50 solo riders competing on the 100K track, but only 6 finished the entire distance. I think Joe Vitro was setting the fastest laps for the first third of the race, but he paid the price of being away from mountain bike training later. It was amazing how fast he went though without really training on the MTB. I went out a little slower, but I only lasted till lap 6 (out of 10). I couldn’t continue riding safely, so it was just not worth the risk. Once you are cramping and making mistakes on that course, it can be deadly (literally). Adam Goldfarb and his team came in second in the team division though, so that is an awesome result.

It was great training and I had a lot of fun. I will really appreciate this tough experience during the Vista View road race. Thanks for the support and putting this event together.

Race Report - Lake Mary Crit

2009-02-25T10:54:00.004-05:00

Talk about large fields... Both of the Master's fields had 60-70 racers on the start line and the Pro 1,2 field was close to 90 racers. The race course itself was pretty mild after the last few technical races we have had, and almost every race ended in a field sprint. The final sprint is LOOONG and fast and some people were hitting almost 40 mph. Talk about rocket boots.

ZMotion had representation in almost every category and even had people race on Sunday that didn't race on Saturday. The day was cool but clear and a good time was had by all. A big shout out to Hector for finishing 4th in a very fast Pro 1,2 finish.

A summary of our Top 20 placings include:

Cat-5 35+ - Brad in 3rd, Mark in 9th, Randy in 13th, Chris Le. in 16th
Cat-5 U35 – Adam in 4th, Chris La. in 10th
Cat 4 - Joe in 5th, Chris in 8th, Shaun in 9th, Alex Y in 16th
Cat 3 - Patrick in 10th, Karl in 14th
35+ - Julio in 10th, Chris in 13th, Joe in 16th
45+ - Shaun in 8th, Raife in 12th, Chuck in 13th
Pro 1,2 - Hector in 4th, Flaco in 17th
Women 4 - Shannon in 6th

We have a few weekends till our next FPS race, but anybody that feels the need for speed can race at Rosewood on March 8th.

Race Report - Sanford Crit

2009-02-22T15:27:00.003-05:00

The Sanford Crit with it's six turns and some narrow roads is one of Florida's more technical courses. A special thanks to Joleen for these great pictures!

Zmotion brought a full squad today and came out to play. We had racers in 45+, 35+, Women's, Cat 3, Cat 4 and Pro 1,2.

In the women's, new racer Shannon continues to ride well with a 4th place. In both Master's races the fields were strung out in a long line from the gun. All of the Master's must have been getting a lot of iron in their diet because they are as tough as nails.

In the 35+, Zmotion was seen at the front a lot, especially in the form of Jody. At the end Julio was the big finisher with a hot 3rd place.

Our newest recruit, Patrick Sansbury just moved up to Cat three and in his first Cat 3 race came in fourth. I think we will be hearing more from this guy.

In the Pro 1,2 race there ended up being a five man race but our very own Hector powered through the field sprint to come in 7th.

Finally in the Cat 4 race, Chris seemed to be enjoying the front as he launched attack after attack but it came down to a field sprint where Joe snagged 2nd. Do I smell upgrade? Come on, Patrick is lonely.

Race Report - Dade City Crit

2009-02-15T15:12:00.000-05:00

Just like the San Antonio RR this race was Hard! This is a very technical course with 6 turns, cobbles and a small hill.

The Master's 45+ started crazy fast and strung the field out for lap after lap. Zmotion was represented by Raife, Mark and Tim. Mark attemped to be in a series of (ultimately futile) breaks. With 4 laps to go Tim took a flyer that was reeled in and the race ended in a field sprint.

The Master's 35+ showcased our best teamwork to date. The race was also strung out from the gun. Julio was involved in some early race breakaways and snagged one of the two available primes. Jody was chasing lots of breaks. Pedro then got in a breakaway with Adam Baskin while Chris acted as the "rolling wall" letting them stay away for countless laps. Finally with just four laps to go their break was reeled in. Then continuing the Zmotion assault, Julio (now pronounced jewel-ee-o) launched what looked like the winning move, but he was going sooo fast he cooked the second to last turn and crashed. Then plan B took over and Jeff continued to show why he is the Captain as he drag raced Phil Eliot and came in second by mere inches. Chris then came in 9th to cap a great day of racing.

The Pro 1,2 race, as always, was raced at lightning speed and by the finish the field was probably half of it's original size, but ZMotion still had a strong presence at the end. As you can see by the pictures, ZMotion had no problems riding at the front of this fast field.

Race Report - Dade Road Race

2009-02-14T19:02:00.001-05:00

They were not kidding when they said this was one of Florida's hardest races. Hill after hill with one lap being 17 miles and beautiful weather to boot.

Zmotion had solid showings with Lisa Frink coming in 3rd in Women's Cat 4. In the Master's 45+ Steve Griffith helped power the winning break and came in 4th with Raife again doing an excellent job blocking.

Master's 35+ provided lots of excitement with our 10 person team making things happen. Pedro did an early race break to help get things going. Then Julio took up attack duties on both the first and second laps. Half way through lap 2 (of 3) a breakaway group of 5 starts slipping away and Captain Jeff bridges up and they are Gone! Half way through the last lap, Mark and Doug (from Dent Wizard) broke away and Chris shut down the field to allow them to stay away. Coming into the finish Jeff snags third (there is a story behind that) and Mark gets 7th. Back in the field Karl leads Julio off the front but they get swallowed up by the hard charging field. Joe drag races for the line coming in 2nd in field sprint for 10th overall with Chris coming in 14th. We should be well placed as a team in FPS after today.

Race Report - Gainsville TT and Crit

2009-02-12T18:25:00.001-05:00

ZMotion had a small presence at Gainsville this last weekend but a large amount of fun. David (the General), Raife and Mark went up to represent. Saturday was cold in the morning (38 degrees) but it warmed up nicely in time for the Time Trial. It seemed like the wind was both coming and going on the 9.8 mile out and back loop.

On Sunday, we all combined forces to race the 45+ crit. There were several attempts at a breakaway but it all came down to a field sprint in the end (we missed you Jeff). Mark narrowly avoided a crash just after the final turn to come in 8th with Raife at 18th and David finishing safely in the pack.

I just found out that in the Pro 1,2 Crit on Sunday our very own Winston David rode extremely well to place 5th in a very fast bunch of boys. Congrats!!

Also, the Florida Points Series (FPS) results just got published with our top placed people being Raife in 5th for Masters 45+, Amir in 8th for Masters 35+, Joe in 27th for Cat 4 and David Winston in 9th for Pro 1,2.

Race Report - Deland Road Race

2009-02-01T15:30:00.001-05:00

Another great day of racing for ZMotion in Deland. The Masters team combined forces to field 17 guys in the 35+ race. We raced the seven mile loop eight times and for over five of those laps had total coverage of every single break. Karl spent almost two laps solo off the front between laps three and four.

Then we saw a break form with 11 people and 5 of them some of our ZMotion strongmen. We immediately got up front and totally shut down any attempt to bridge up. Special props go out to Raife as he was constantly blocking.

Up in the break ZMotion was doing the lions share of the work. On the final lap Julio took a flyer but with a guy on his wheel he sacrificed for the team and shut it down. Then Jeff grabbed some wheels and when he went around he never looked back to get win number two.

Julio was temporarily boxed in but got out in time to snag 3rd with Amir, Chuck and Shaun coming in 5th, 6th and 7th. Another Masters domination.

The Pro 1,2 race was again blazing fast with a race length of 63 miles and a decisive late break that stuck. Flaco was involved in some breaks and race rumos said that Wayne, Tiago and Chris all did some good work out there.

This just in from Randy on the Cat 5 race...

Wanted to give you an update of what happened in the Cat 5 - 35+ race. I left with a second breakaway group with 2 other riders (G2 & Orlando something) and we tried to catch the first first breakaway group of 3. We worked well and held off everyone else but were not able to catch them. At 200 meters I took of and sprinted for 4th. But alas it wasn't to be. Unknown to most of us, 2 riders has snuck out early and stayed away for 1st and 2nd so my wonderful sprint only netted me 6th. Next time.

Race Report - Deland Circuit Race

2009-01-31T20:27:00.001-05:00

Day one of Florida State races and we already have our first Victory. We awoke to a chilly 39 degrees, but what is a little cold for Florida's premier race team?

We started off the day in typical grand ZMotion style with our tents and z-chairs between the z-van and the new team RV. The support among the teams was amazing as we had over 25 guys racing.

The Masters 45+ was first and proved that age is no barrier as those guys were rolling! This race started the days trend of lots of breaks but finishing in a field sprint. Shaun, Chuck and Raife wound it up over the long finishing straight to come in 2nd, 4th and 5th respectively. What a way to start the day!

Then the Masters 35+ started and magic happened. There were three different primes available that were all snatched up by our very own Julio. Continuing our domination, after being involved in all of the doomed breaks, ZMotion put the T in Team as Karl started pulling with one lap to go. Team captain Jeff took over pulling duties in the very front with Amir glued to his wheel. Out of no where Vinny crossed the line first with Amir and Joe giving us one, two and three!

In the Cat 4 we had less guys but still made or presence felt with Joe again coming in third and Alex Y coming in 7th. Joel said he got a flat at the very end but winesses swear that they saw him letting the air out.

The Pro 1,2 field was 75 strong and was loaded with the who's who of Florida racing. From the gun it was blazing with the field strung out single file almost every lap. Any breaks were squashed by the massive horsepower present in the field. To add insult to injury, the second to last lap had a $250 prime that pushed the pain meter to max. Our man Wayne manuvered into the front for 9th place. All in all a great day of racing. The day ended on a high note with a massive feast at the Brick House restaurant and a much needed rest.

ZMotion Masters Team Training - 1/29/09

2009-01-29T09:26:00.000-05:00

This comes directly from Captain Pat..

Ok ok ok , so here it is the “Line Of The Day” …. zMotion Masters training ride this morning, we looked good, about 10 of us in-line high speed tempo ride with really smooth rotations all the way to Spanish River where we met up with “ Mike’s Ride “ . So now were going south, all zMotion again in-line , fast, fast pace and were leading the ride all the way south with a unified team rotation and everyone from Mikes ride hanging on to our draft and we catch the light at Pompano road. We stop, someone from another team yells out “ hey, I thought zMotion was supposed to go slow today “ and yes, yours truly , Captain Pat, turns casually looks this person in the eyes and says “ WE ARE ! “ yea, …………

Race Report - Brian Piccolo #2

2009-01-26T09:56:00.001-05:00

ZMotion is in the house!!! Wow, what an awesome turn out and a really fun day. This is what racing is truly about, a bunch of people who love the sport, enjoy being together and a really fast set of races.

A special thanks to Joel for bringing and setting up the tents. Of course, ZMotion did things in typical grand style with energy bars, bananas and drinks on hand. We also had these folding chairs that said "ZMotion Racing", how cool is that? As far as race support, this is the best I have ever had!!

Now onto the racing. There were 4 different races and we had a big presence in each of the 40+, 50+, Pro 1,2,3 and Cat 4,5 races.

ZMotion raced the 40+ very tactically, as we had coverage in all of the breaks. Around the half-way point a break formed that had both Jeff and Jody in it along with 6 other riders. This looked like a perfect break, so ZMotion (temporarily) teamed up with Herbal Life to "Shut it down". We sat up front and basically let the other guys stay away. Up at the front, Jody did a lot of work to keep the break going and pulled Jeff up until the 2nd to last turn. Jeff hit the gas to come in a very respectable 3rd.

The 50+ race was very fun to watch and we even got to see Pat dragging the whole field behind him. The Pro 1,2,3 was definately faster than the 40+ and had numerous attacks and pain for all involved. Our very own Wayne Burgess emerged from the pack at the end to snag a 4th place, congrats!! We finished it off with the Cat 4,5 race where we got to see our local strongman Chris single handedly bring back the most dangerous break of the day.

Here are the "Numbers":

Masters 40+ - Jeff Fleming in 3rd (I believe that Jody was 9th, Chuck 10th, Shaun 11th and Mark 13th)
Masters 50+ - Billy Tittle in 7th, Pat Patregini in 8th
Pro 1,2,3 - Wayne Burgess in 4th, Shaun Redman in 9th, Charles Lisa in 10th
Cat 4,5 - Joe Vietro in 10th

Race Report - Brian Piccolo #1

2009-01-20T13:43:00.001-05:00

I got intel and pictures from my onsite race reporters Raife and Joel about this weekends exciting first race of the season. Even though it was "only" a training race, ZMotion was there to help spool it up.

From Raife,

Good racing on Sunday...

In the 40+ it was just Jody and me and Jody still managed a 5th place. We should do well when the team shows up in strength.

In the 1-2-3, Vinny managed a 5th place. I think Jody was his only help...again...the team should do well...

The 4-5 race was a lot of fun. Pretty decent finish considering we're just a bunch of guys that ride together on weekends. If we continue to race in that category, I suggest at least a team meeting before the race. With a little organization, these races will be more fun for everyone and we should own the podium.

Congrats to us!!!

Kristen, Gina, Dana and the rest of you that showed up for support...Thanks for that...We love you...

Raife

From Joel,

Myself, Raife and Chris were out front most of the race and I felt good the entire race. With one lap to go, I was on the left turn before the straight away up in the top 5 or so just taking a breather to get ready for the last lap to sprint. Then a couple of guys swung wide right in front of me and it was either let them run into me and have a massive wreck or ride off the shoulder. I was lucky to keep the bike straight and it was tough to try and get over the lip from the grass back onto the pavement and I barely avoided going down. For the 1st race for Category 4 it was very competetive and averaged 24.2 mph.

Well there you have it..

Masters Keys Training Camp - Day Two

2009-01-17T18:07:00.000-05:00

Well, the consensus is in, Jeff really can cook. We also had to give Dave some grief because he couldn't fathom how Jeff managed such a yummy salad with such few ingredients. The biggest travesty of the evening was what Julio made Jeff do the steak. While the rest of us like our meat nice and rare, Jeff had to kill that steak deader than dead before Julio would touch it.

So back to riding.. The plan for the day was to head to Key West for the Seafood Festival which was a 75+ mile ride one-way, so I took the ZMotion Van down and then rode north until I met the guys. We had a new addition as Tim showed also and when I saw them they were cruising 25-26mph in yet another smooth paceline (go team!!). A recap afterwards tells the real story with Chuck blowing things up on 7-mile bridge and Jeff panting on his wheel leaving the other three out in no-mans land. I even heard rumors of cell phone calls asking Chuck to slow down. The ride rolled into Key West with Jeff snagging a tow from a dump truck, so he he won a dubious "victory".

Now onto the good stuff, the food!! Julio peeled off the group in search of the "perfect hamburger" (are you kidding me?) while the rest of us feasted on Lobster, Shrimp, Conch Salad, Stone Crab with rice and beans. Wishing you were here...

Masters Keys Training Camp - Day One

2009-01-16T18:58:00.000-05:00

Well, for anyone that missed it (you know who you are), a good time was had by the rest of us. Day 0 (Thur Night) started with a nice dinner at the Lazy Days restaurant in Island Morada with Jeff, Julio, Chuck, Mark and Dave in attendence. Then a short drive later, we crashed at Jeff's cool Keys pad.

Day 1 started around 8am (soooo nice to sleep in) with the five of us hitting the road around 9am. We headed north on US1 and wow, what beautiful views. After around 2 hours of easy pedaling we had to stop for some kick-butt Cuban espresso and my day was complete. We went north for a little longer, then with a small tailwind started crusing south at a nice clip. We stopped for lunch at a quaint little Cafe before the final few miles.

After getting back, some of us (yes, I mean me) had to get our little nap before we decided to take the boat out. Over by the dock we saw this Manatee and Jeff "fed" it some fresh water from a hose.

We then took a beautful cruise flying through the mangroves and looped out ocean-side to come back in the other end. Of course we had to have a little drama, with Jeff shearing off his antenna as we tried to sneak under a short bridge.

So to finish a great day, Jeff decided to cook for us and we picked up some CRAZY BIG steaks and even made some salad as our attempt at eating healthly. As of this writing, I cannot tell if they are any good or if Jeff really has the skills. Only time will tell..

ZMotion Masters Team Training - 01/15/09

2009-01-15T11:11:00.000-05:00

It was that time of the week again, time to get up before what is normally sane (say 4:30am), time to brave the dark and cold (~50degrees), time to HURT. Yes, I am referring to the weekly Masters Team Training ride where we had a starting group of 16+ people, but we sure didn't finish with that many.

We started with our typical double paceline warm-up at A1A/South Atlantic at 6am, but this time we kept it going till almost Linton and it got faster and faster. We tried some new training methods today (compliments of Jody) and of course, the first couple of tries were not very pretty as people were blown off the back and our nice clean paceline broke to pieces.

We finally regrouped as a team at Linton and had a team talk and our next effort went sooooo much more smoothly. That is the best part about this team is their ability to work together and learn, which is certainly a major ingredient for success.

Today we practiced a "Surge" interval which is intended to help us stay together when the pace changes and replicates what it’s like to control a race. What we did was to get a smooth fast single paceline going and after three full rotations at "base" pace (a brisk 26+mph), someone attacks (Steve G was our guy) and our job was to follow and then maintain the surge effort for just one full rotation of the group. Then when the attacker got back to the front he would back off down to the base effort for 3 rotations again. What we did today was a 3-base: 1-surge effort.

Please send me your stories and pictures

2009-01-12T07:30:00.000-05:00

Writing for the blog is getting more fun as people read it and share photos and their thoughts with me. I am hoping to get stories from your point of view also as I can only write about what I know. Here are some pictures from Joleen from Saturdays ride down to 17th St. Causeway.

A smiling Joleen

Bridgett on her new Pinerello

Oh, that bridge

Pat ponders the bridge

Inaugural ZMotion MS Ride

2009-01-11T17:08:00.000-05:00

What an amazing day, we had a turn out of well over four hundred riders with a mix of very new riders to the entire ZMotion Racing Team. Several people spoke including a beautiful teenage girl with Multiple Sclerosis that shared what it is like living everyday with this disease. Listening to her only made you want to work harder to support MS and rid the world it.

We had a pre-ride breakfast and pulled out with a police escort (I could get very used to that) blocking all of the intersections. It almost felt like we were doing the MS ride today. Everyone rode up to Boynton Inlet where we stopped to enjoy a quick drink and some fun yapping. That is one thing about Team ZMotion, this bunch LOVES to talk.

On the way back, things got a little more serious with the team getting up front and Victor pulling like a race horse. We even had the B&J van taking movies and pictures and with the draft the speed got over 35 mph, ouch! Then everyone chowed down to a great breakfast at The Cove and a good time was had by all.

Safety First

2009-01-11T16:56:00.001-05:00

We all enjoy the feeling of cruising in a long fast paceline, but that sickening crunch you hear when someone crashing just turns your stomach. No matter how talented the riders, then an accident is always possible. Here is a picture yesterday at the scene where even experienced riders like Chris and Jody can take a spill (luckily with no major damage) if the circumstances are such.

Please always be careful in any size group and use a combination of hand signals and verbal communication to prevent issues. Pat mentioned this morning that he has someone working on a pamphlet on hand signals that we can use to promote this most important communication.

We have also been experiencing a series of tickets (I got one) and some very upset police officers up and down A1A. To resolve that, we need to focus on two things: Never ride more than two side by side and stop at all lights and stop signs.

We are having a great time together on Team ZMotion, so lets be accident and ticket free.

ZMotion Masters Team Training - 01/08/09

2009-01-08T10:48:00.000-05:00

We had over 16 guys (with Lisa representing the women) show up at 6am at Atlantic/A1A for the Masters Team Training. Someone gave Jeff the sadistic idea of not only doing our team pacelines but to add a multi-group pursuit ride in there.

After we warmed up with a double paceline and turned around at Palmetto, we broke into 3 groups which were supposed to start 20 seconds apart ending in a lead-out for the designated group sprinter.

Group one was 6 or 7 guys and made the light, so group two started more than 20 seconds behind. We never saw group one again until the turn around at Hillsboro inlet. Group two consisting of 6 riders was off. Somehow I got stuck in group three with some big guns like Chris, Jeff, Steve and Raife and 20 seconds later we were off. We immediately got into a very smooth rotating paceline after Chris pulled us up to speed and we were moving out at between 28-30mph and slowly started catching group two. Just before the sprint line we did our lead-out and Jeff was the designated sprinter, but I was between Chris and him. Chris pulled and pulled and pulled until he managed to just drop me from his wheel and Jeff had to come around. By this time, we had passed group two and Chris and Jeff took it. Wow that hurt.

But unfortunately the pain wasn't over since we rode back up north again so that we could do it a second time. This time we broke into two groups with a 25 second gap. As group one took off, I was wondering who was left for group two. We ended up having five guys and again worked smoothly together. We slowly gained on group one with big pulls from Julio and Vinny getting us really close until group one blew apart near the end with Amir going off of the front. Jeff dragged me behind him and we ended in that order.

The best part of this whole thing is that it really feels like we are starting to work together as a real team. Our single pacelines are getting really smooth and we are starting to understand each others strengths and weaknesses.

25 Reasons Vinny needed to show up

2009-01-08T10:14:00.000-05:00

Prior to our Master's Team training ride this morning there was an absolute avalanche of emails (around 70) concerning the ride. I was starting to think that I was riding with a bunch of chatty junior high girls. Over half of them had to do with bets about Vinny showing up at 6am on Thur for the ride and what his "punishment" should be if he didn't show. This is a slightly edited list but still conveys the point. We sure do have an "interesting" race team!!

If Vinny didn't show he needs to:

Serve everyone breakfast on Saturday

Wash everyone’s bike before every race

Fix every flat tire on every ride

Shave your head like Alex

Treat Flaco nice for two weeks…

Ok one week…

Make that a day!!

Pull China Doll for 10 miles

Ride behind Mark Hewitt for 10 miles…

Ok, 5 miles…

Second thought 1 mile!!!

Adjust Scott Chiacks bike when needed

Wear Kroupa’s Knee High’s

Feed Alan B lox for a month

Sleep with Ira on a road trip

Chase down all breaks in the first 3 races

Respond to just one email

Not say a word for an entire group ride… impossible

Be nice to Shaun for a day!

If he doesn’t win the first 35+ field sprint, he has to start with #1 on the list and go thru all again…

Sell us bike parts for cost

(Oh, he all ready does...)

Give us all 20% discounts a the shop

Make that 40%, because the 20% he says he already gives us is really 0%!!!

Answer his cell when people call

Gina and Shannon's Muffin and Birthday Ride

2009-01-05T12:11:00.001-05:00

With the holidays and great communications from Chris (Team Compliance and Safety Officer), the ZMotion team had lots of great miles together and we even did some long slow miles with paces under 20mph (hard to believe). One ride worth mentioning was Gina and Shannon's Muffin and Birthday Ride last Friday. Around a dozen of us met at The Cove at 7:30 and headed north for a leisurely ride where we stopped at the Ritz for a muffin and espresso.

Chris and Flaco were entertaining us with their usual "smack" and a good time was had by all. What really made the ride was the fact that it was Shannon's birthday (just turned 23, ahh to be young again) and Gina had a surprise birthday cake on ice back at her SUV. After some yummy calories we went our separate ways to meet again on Saturday.

Muffin Ride

2008-12-30T13:20:00.000-05:00

The Tuesday morning Mike's Ride is starting to looking like a ZMotion recruiting poster as our racing team was out in full force and was ready to play. Due to the holidays, just riding Mike's apparently wasn't enough because after they got back to The Cove, they turned around again to head south down to 17th ST causeway in Ft. Lauderdale. The weather started getting beautiful and so were the the sights.

Of course we all had to stop at Bart's Coffee Co. for some Espresso and Muffins. I think I am starting to see a trend with this team and food. My question is, which is more important Riding or Eating? Only time will tell...

Death Ride 2000

2008-12-30T13:04:00.000-05:00

Saturday's ride can only be described as a "Death Ride" as an extremely windy day was combined with Victor motor-pacing us on the moped. I personally missed part of the ride, but everyone I talked to said that this was one of the hardest rides yet. On the way back the group just shattered and there was a "grupetto" of around 15 or so that finished with the moped. It was hard to get an echelon (diagonal line of riders) going and with that side wind, being in the gutter was painful as you didn't get as strong a draft.

We were welcomed back to The Cove with the typical awesome spread so graciously provided by the ZMotion team. People were quieter (and hungrier) than usual and the kitchen staff had to go back to refill the buffet line several times. I even snagged this photo of Victor who seemed to be really enjoying his meal.

ZMotion Masters Team Training - 12/24/08

2008-12-24T12:04:00.000-05:00

It's 6am on a Wednesday morning with overcast sky and winds of 15+ mph and the ZMotion Masters Racing team not only looks like a team but is training like one also. This morning we had at least 16 guys decked out in the new racing kits working on pacelines up and down A1A. We only lacked for the presence of our sprinter Vinny.

After a short warm-up we started out with a double paceline with each pair pulling for around a minute cruising at 26mph and above. We turned around at the bridge before Palmetto and started our single pacelines trying for smooth pulling through while pulling into the wind. We got a little disorganized as the pace moved upwards of 30mph but learning is part of why we were doing this. We did a couple of more of these pacelines and the last one had us doing a simulated lead-out.

If we can translate this training to actual racing and form a ZMotion "train" at the end of a race, then the sky is the limit...

zMotion Welcomes the A1A cycling club!

2008-12-24T08:41:00.000-05:00

What a beautiful Saturday morning, perfect SFLA weather with temps in the mid 60’s, no wind and bright sunny skies. There is no better place to be cycling in the month of December. Pedals up at 7:00 am sharp with over 100+ riders participating in today’s zMotion Group Ride. Today we are joined by 20+ riders from the A1A club – thanks Katrina for coordinating!
Someone must have needed to complete their holiday shopping as the pace was fast and furious right from the get go. Speeds ranged between 25 and 30+ mph all the way to the Palm Beach Inlet and back. Over 80+ miles at a ridiculously fast pace! What was really cool though, was seeing the sea of zMotion jerseys dominating and leading the entire ride, pros, masters and club members all together in a double rotating pace line, like a well oiled machine that never misses a stroke and seemed to stretch as far as one could see on A1A........wow, amazing how big and how far this team has come and I can only imagine just how big this zMotion movement will become !!!!!! If Robert Donovan and Ricky could see us now...

You are giving me a ticket!

2008-11-08T13:39:00.000-05:00

Accidents and crashes are inevitable if you are a weekend warrior or competitive racer. As we spend a significant amount of time riding on the busy roads of South Florida, the odds are that one day you will have an incident with a motor vehicle. The question is not if but when. And when that day arrives you can only hope that you walk away unscathed, minimal damage to your bike and you haven’t broken a collarbone.

Today was my day! As our group of 50 + Zmotion Riders hammered north on A1A to the Palm Beach Inlet, the ride started out fast and hard! The first 50+ miles where at a steady pace of 27 - 29 mph. (So much for taking it easy in the off season!). The weather was perfect; no wind, sunny and about 70 degrees. After a quick stop at the Shell station we headed back south to finish off a 100 miler. About 5 miles into the return ride, we came upon the round about. As I was into the turn, anticipating the Volkswagen Passat Wagon to continue on her way, she seeming thought it necessary to come to a sudden stop. Seeing 50+ cyclists coming thru the round about must have made the driver frightened and instead of driving thru she decided to stop short right in the middle of the road. Unfortunately I wasn’t going to be able to stop as quickly and rammed into the side of her vehicle with my right shoulder going thru the back side window!

I was extremely lucky as I only have some deep cuts on my right thigh, bike seems to be ok and I did not break any bones. Then the Police arrive, make sure everyone is ok and proceed to write me up for a ticket. – Failure to Yield! Are you kidding me! However I cannot complain as I am ok and will be able to ride the HH 100 next weekend!

Zmotion takes bunch sprint!

2008-07-25T09:07:00.000-04:00

What a great night of racing for the entire Zmotion Team! In only their 2nd race Pat and Mike continued to gain confidence improving their overall performance. After the race they were quoted as saying “Next week we will attack right from the start!”

Adding to the night’s excitement was the return of Flaco. With several laps remaining, Flaco showed great form pulling Vinny back into the lead group. Working as a team; Flaco, Jeff and Julio setup a perfect lead out for Vinny who outkick the field and won the bunch sprint. Sprinting at over 45 MPH Vinny was heard yelling “Bring on Cavendish” as he raced victoriously across the line!

Thanks for all of the support and appreciate everyone’s efforts and team work!

Zmotion Racing - Making our way to the Top!

2008-06-15T13:54:00.000-04:00

We are on our way; building a solid foundation for the upcoming 2009 season. Zmotion was well represented at the Toyota of Stuart Criterium achieving exceptional results in the Pro 1/2, Masters 35+ and Cat 5 categories. Even without the support of a full team, Flaco achieved a top 10 finish in the Pro 1/2 race. That is awesome!Especially when you consider the race was won by Jose Garcia of the Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team. Flaco finished in 9th place behind a team that raced in the Tour of Georgia! Come on that is outstanding! What excites me the most is the success we will have with 7 or 8 riders representing Zmotion Racing in a Pro 1/2 race. Riders which have had the opportunity to train together strategize race tactics and work together as a cohesive group! The team also had an impress showing in the Masters 35+ with Vinnie coming in at 4th due to the strong efforts of Jeff, Mark H, Wayne, Joel, Joe, Raife, Pedro and Shaun. Finally a big congratulations to the Cat 5 riders; Mo who finished on the Podium in 3rd and Ramon who broke his cherry finishing in 6th place. Ramon thanked Mark Lim for holding back the field and Flaco who stayed to cheer.

State Criterium Lakeland

2008-05-25T10:46:00.000-04:00

Thanks to all of the Zmotion Riders who participated in the State Criterium Championship weekend racing in Lakeland. We had great results including two podium finishes in the Masters 30+ and Masters 45+. These results will be the building blocks for the 2009 Season and our goals of winning the overall Florida Point Series.

Bicycle Safety

2008-05-19T14:47:00.001-04:00

This is what remains of Craig “Cannonball’s” bike after being struck by a car on a Thursday morning while riding on State Road 84 east of Markham Park. The driver of the vehicle never even stopped! For several days Craig had been in ICU at Broward General and is now in a regular room. He suffered a punctured lung, cracked vertebra, severe road rash (will require skin grafts) and numerous cuts & abrasions. He is in a lot of pain but is physically strong and determined to heal quickly.
Despite the new Florida law requiring motor vehicles to leave a three foot buffer/gap when overtaking cyclists; Craig’s unfortunate incident highlights the inherent dangers cyclist’s face when they take to the roads. We have all experienced cars, trucks and vans whizzing by way too close. Hopefully law enforcement will do more to enforce the law, but until then please remember to use commonsense and review the following bicycle safety suggestions.

http://bicyclesafe.com/

Organized Chaos

2008-05-18T20:11:00.000-04:00

With 200m to the finish line, inside the peloton the teams have set up their sprinter; riding shoulder to shoulder, pushing and shoving to get him to the front. Now he must fight for the best position, follow the fastest wheel and then explode to the line, accelerating to speeds over 40 mph, and propel body & bike to the finish line for the win.
“Organized chaos” That’s how I envision the Zmotion Racing team! Bring together the strongest riders in Florida, to form a Pro 1-2 & Masters 35+ team. Individually everyone will have their role but together, working as one, we will win the Florida Points Series Championship!

2008-05-17T13:11:00.001-04:00

Captain Pat,

Congratulations on the success of the 2008 Zimmerman MS Bike Ride. The culmination of hard work, commitment, passion and drive to raise the bar to new levels was evident as everyone had an outstanding and rewarding weekend. We are all very proud to be part of the Zmotion Team and all of the people you led; collectively we successfully raised over $2.2 million dollars for the Zimmerman MS Bike Ride and are helping the MS Society in their fight to cure MS.
Your exceptional leadership challenged us to be our very best and to never accept mediocrity and this is much appreciated. You continued to lead by example; raising over $90k for the MS Society and never quit continuously pushing your body as hard as possible. This is because of one simple fact: your heart is stronger than your legs; you should be very proud finishing in the top 10 among the top cyclist in South Florida.
I truly and sincerely appreciate your generosity, spirit, friendship and thank you for bringing together an outstanding group of individuals who are passionate about cycling, committed to community involvement, and ultimately, bring family and friends together in celebration of our combined success.

camp patregnani

2008-05-16T16:27:00.000-04:00

Hi Team check out our new blog site, all my further communications will come from here as well as links to our new Z-Motion Team facebook. All weekend rides and events will be posted here, wow are we getting pro here or what.