The Nature Valley Grand Prix wrapped up yesterday with a lot of yellow on the top step - and I am not talking just about the yellow leader’s jersey that was draped over Kristin’s back but also the yellow jerseys of TEAm Lipton as we stood on the top step after bringing home the overall team GC title, too.  The TEAm put forth a huge effort last week and Kristin brought home the goods.  From the word “GO” in St Paul, we took charge of the race, not relenting one bit until we crossed the finish line in Stillwater, and our hard work paid big dividends - 3 stage wins, overall individual GC and overall team GC.

Starting with the new and thrilling downtown St Paul Crit, the TEAm proved that we showed up to race our bikes.  After previewing the course, no one would have guessed that a break would end up going away but, sure enough, it did.  And to our advantage, Kristin, the biggest threat of the race, helped drive the break to the finish gathering a 20 sec lead on several other top competitors on day 1.  Brooke Miller (TIBCO) took the stage honors on day 2, and the security blanket of Lipton surrounded Kristin throughout the stage, protecting her and keeping her fresh for the following day’s TT.  Kristin once again smashed the TT, stamping her authority on the race and authenticating her World Champion rainbow stripes for the first time in the US.  Moving onto the downtown Minneapolis Crit later that evening - which was DRY for a change - the TEAm once again took control to make sure our yellow jersey-clad super star stayed out of trouble as the sprinters took over every 7 min for an intermediate sprint and the rest of the sprinters went gang busters for the stage win.  Day 4 was another spectacular day for us as a team - Kim, Lara and Brenda worked incredibly hard, flogging themselves tirelessly on the front, leading into the finishing circuits to bring back the break off the front so that Kristin had a clear path to launch her assertive attack.  Kristin put the hammer down on the first of 4 laps and never again looked back.  Although Kristin had an almost unbeatable lead going into the Stillwater Crit, we showed up to race our bikes.  And certainly not one to watch a race go on around her, Kristin solidified her domination in this race by rolling off the front -  only Mara Abbott (Webcor) having the strength to catch her -  and then crossing the finish line once more victorious.  It may have been a tough spring for this team but, just as we did last year at this race, we showed just what solidarity and teamwork can do.

Yet, with all the exciting events from this last week, we were hit with some pretty disheartening news at the beginning of it all.  First, we were told that Lipton will not be coming back as a sponsor in ‘08.  Alright, well, it is a damn shame but, on the flipside, Lipton has given us many wonderful opportunities these couple of years, and the TEAm they have helped develop has risen to the top, leaving a lasting impression on women’s cycling.  Second, Thomas, our loyal, big hearted director, will be leaving us (hopefully only temporarily) to tend to family issues back in Germany.  We may or may not see him again this year depending on how the situation works out for him, but we certainly wish him all the best and hope to see him stateside again in ‘07.  However, with all that being said, this TEAm still has a lot of fight left in it and the season is far from over so don’t expect us to hang our heads.  No way, we will show up to race our bikes at every event we enter!

Alright, alright, this write-up may have been a little more on the serious side then I would have liked so I’ll wrap it up with a few laughs from the week.

First, we’ve got Kristin’s face emblazoned on the gi-normous Wheaties blow-up box that was parked in the “fan zone” at every race…

Next, there is Jack, my favorite dog ever and a big lover of Smith sunnies, too…

Then, there is Matt, never one to take bike racing too seriously…

And, finally, here’s Courtnay Brown taking charge of the runaway horse in the parking lot at the Stillwater Crit…

And as our mechanic Stef (who REALLY DOES like us better than the Navigators!) would say…happy days!
-MM