Members of the Minuteman Road Club donate $500 to the Sterling, Ma Recreation Department. L to R: Doug Kennedy (Treasurer), Chris Pare, Bill Turner (Race Director), Judy Janda (Sterling Recreation Director), Mark Bernard (Membership Director)

In recognition of and gratitude for the ongoing hosting of the Sterling Classic Road Race in the town of Sterling Road Club made a donation of $500 to the Recreation Department on the morning of November 27, 2013.

On hand were club Treasurer, Doug Kennedy, past President Chris Pare, Race Director Bill Turner and Membership Director Mark Bernard. Accepting the donation on behalf of the Recreation Department was Sterling Recreation Director Judy Janda.

The contribution will distributed to offset expenses for free Community events that the Sterling Recreation Department sponsors. This includes the Summer Concert Series, Holiday Tree Lighting, and Easter Egg Hunt.

The Sterling Classic Road Race, which will celebrate it’s 20th anniversary in 2014, features both amateur and professional cyclists competing on an 8 mile loop with an exciting but grueling uphill finish on Meetinghouse Hill Road.

Minuteman Road Club is saddened to announce that the Sterling Classic Road Race will not take place in 2014.

On Wednesday, January 8, 2014, the Sterling Board of Selectmen voted to not permit the race for it’s 20th year.

Unfortunately, a truly classic race and a staple of the Massachusetts road race season will not have a chance to celebrate it’s 20th year. Over the last few years, a vocal minority of residents and on the Board was able to sway opinions against holding a race in Sterling, regardless of the quality of the organization or how much revenue it generated for the town.

As a club, we remain committed to fostering and promoting bike racing and will look into potential alternatives. Hosting a race in 2014 is a long shot, but we are actively looking for new partners to host our race. We will also need the support of the cycling community to make anything happen. We look forward to your support!

Minuteman Road Club.

This past January 25th, 40 MRC members and s/o’s joined at the International Country Club in Bolton, MA, for an evening of great food, drink and awards. Classic New England winter weather greeted attendees as they arrived at the venue: a couple of inches of snow on the ground along with a gentle flurry floating down.

Jeremy & Courtney Cratty with Greg & Kelly Jackson

Delicious hor d’oeuvres were served as introductions were made, adventures were recounted and beverages were consumed. It was great to see that more than of few of our newest members came to the celebration.

Chris & Katie Busick with Anna Savage

Katie & PJ McQuad with Nolan & Ron Garon

Soon, it was time to sit down for dinner: a buffet that included a roast tenderloin, veal marsala, salmon, butternut squash soup, mashed potatoes… and then a dessert bar that had tiramisu, yummy cookies, apple crisp, dipped strawberries and more.

Once we were thoroughly fed, MRC President John Smith and Sponsorship Director Jeremy Cratty directed the attention of those gathered to a big flat screen TV on which they gave a well produced presentation (watch a movie of it here) that featured a look back at the accomplishments of the club over the year. Included were amazing stats like the fact that, as a club, we rode over 170,000 miles and climbed over 7,500,000 feet in 2014!

The presenters also recognized the many members who stood on the podium last year: there were 35, 10 of whom stood on the top step! There was a recap of the road, crit and cyclocross seasons, a feature on the team time trial challenge the MRC rose to and won (see video here) followed by a warmhearted tribute to the members of the outgoing leadership committee.

Jeremy Cratty & John Smith summarize the 2013 season and present the awards.

This was followed by the presentation of four awards, each preceded by a description of the winner’s accomplishments and accompanied by a series of photos of them racing.

The winners were:

Anna Savage – Best Female Racer

Nolan Garon – Best Male Junior Racer

Chris Busick – Best Domestique

Chris Paré – Best Male Racer

Chris Busick’s award for best domestique of 2013.

MRC President John Smith presents former club President Chris Paré with the Best Male Racer Award for 2013.

Lastly, a special award was given after John Smith and Doug Kennedy chronicled a number of Strava stats built up by three members. As they tallied miles rode, feet climbed, hours on the bike and total number of rides, all without saying who the rider was. Finally, when it was obvious there was a clear winner, along with displaying a photo of Jeremy Cratty, the true nature of the award was revealed when his WIFE was presented with the “Cycling Widow of the Year” award – a gift certificate for a spa treatment!

 You can view all of the photos from the party in this gallery.

The Minuteman Road Club is pleased to announce the Harvard Firefighters Association Ken Harrod Memorial Bike Festival p/b the MRC on Saturday May 31, 2014 in Harvard, MA. The Festival will include BOTH a USAC sanctioned road race AND a bike ride both of which will benefit the Harvard Firefighters’ Association. Registration is now open for both the race and the ride.

Those familiar with the road race the Minuteman Road Club has hosted for the last 19 years will appreciate the similarities and differences this new venue offers. The approximately 10 mile course loops clockwise out of Harvard Center and rolls over some of the 495/Metro-West area’s most familiar climbs. (You can see the course in this Strava Segment). The race course will challenge competitors as they climb Westcott and then Warner Road to the highest point in the loop then after a brief descent, back to climbing on Green Road. This is followed by a rapid descent to Still River Road where two more gradual longer climbs await – the second of which brings racers back to the start/finish in the center of town.

Registration is now open for the race: https://www.bikereg.com/ken-harrod-memorial-road-race and closes May 28th, 2014 at 5pm.

On the same day as the race, the MRC is presenting Harvard Firefighters Association 5th Annual Ken Harrod Memorial Bike Ride. With an 11 mile and 19 mile loop available to registered riders, the routes for this ride take the cyclists along some of the most scenic roads in the area.

T-shirts and gift bags will be provided to the first 100 registered riders and in addition to the rides, there will also be a short chaperoned kids ride. Additional information is available on the registration page: https://www.bikereg.com/harvard-firefighters-association-5th-annual-ken-harrod-memorial-bike-ride

Map of the loop for the 19 mile ride.

Funds raised from the ride and the race will support a number of different causes:

• The Harvard Firefighters’ Scholarship Fund ($1,000 awarded in 2013)
• The Harvard Firefighters’ Equipment Fund ($4,000 on thermal cameras and gear lockers)
• The Student Awareness of Fire Education Program
• The Harvard Firefighters’ Benevolence Fund
• The Harvard Firefighters’ Family Crisis Fund
• Sponsorship of Harvard Youth Sports

Former MRC triathlete Hans Thamain passed away Thursday after crashing his bike in Hyannis a few days ago. The details are fuzzy. Nobody seems to know if he was hit by a car or run off the road, or if he had some medical episode. He was in a coma for a couple of days before passing.

Hans was amazing: he was 77 and was still racing Ironman triathlons and teaching at Bentley. In fact he qualified for Kona for the fifth time this year.

The MRC sends out condolences to his family and all who knew this remarkable and kind man. Details of services here.

Turning of the leaves and crisper mornings can mean only one thing: the Minuteman Road Club’s annual cyclocross race, now in it’s fifth year at the Bolton Fair in Lancaster, is right around the corner on Sunday, October 12! What better way to unwind from the hustle and bustle of Holy Week than to return to a grassroots cyclocross with a great vibe and fun atmosphere.

Remember how we doubled our elite payouts last year? Well, we’ve bumped them up ANOTHER 50% for this year. That’s right, winners of the men’s and women’s 1/2/3 race gets $300! Landry’s Bicycles has stepped up to the plate and is providing GENEROUS gift cards to the podium toppers in the non-elite races. More about payouts and other details of the race in our race flyer.

MRC CX is also part of the NEBRA CX BAR (Best All-Around Rider) Series, tracking points for 16 categories over 13 races.

Single speed racers: Harpoon Brewery is now the beer sponsor for the Zanconato SSCX Series! You can guess what will be waiting for you should you make the podium in one of the SS races

You’ll be competing on grass, pavement, an EXPANDED tractor pull area (with BIG ess turns!) and wood chips. We’ve got Chris Paré collaborating with Colin Reuter for course design – you won’t want to miss what they come up with!

Don’t hesitate, get to BikeReg now – this is right about the time that the 4/5 and 3/4 fields start to fill up: https://www.bikereg.com/25780

Racers gathered yesterday under the glowing fall foliage for the fourth edition of the Minuteman Road Club Cyclocross Race p/b Landry’s Bicycles in Lancaster, MA. The morning racers faced damp course conditions and chilly temperatures, but the clear sky brought the sun to warm the course, removing the chill from the air on a quintessential New England autumn afternoon. By the time the Elite races and Zanconato Single Speed races were underway, the course had completely dried, making for some fast racing. The course featured wide, sweeping turns, some winding through a tricky sand section. The course had its technical sections as well: stairs, barriers, and the venue’s signature twists through woodchips under the barn roof.

Kate Northcott (NESS Team New England), who took second place in this venue mere weeks ago behind European Cyclocross Champion Helen Wyman at Midnight CX, was off from the whistle in the Elite Women’s race. As Northcott took control of the race, Catherine

Sterling (Bikeman.com), Leslie Timm (Ladies First Racing), and Melody Chase (Gus CX/Ralegh) worked to reel in the leader. However, Northcott, having a stellar season so far, was gone for good. The leader rode her own race – at lightning pace, free of bobbles and mistakes – and the chase group settled in for a battle for the remaining podium spots. Sterling launched an attack, shaking Chase loose, and the race was decided. Northcott rode in for a clean win, as Sterling crossed the line second. Chase followed in third, and Timm held on for the fourth spot.

The fastest race of the day took to the course, with Dylan McNicholas (PolarTec), Jerome Townsend (Joe’s Garage p/b BikeReg.com), and Peter Goguen (Race CF) taking an early lead in the Elite Men’s race. Adam Myerson (Cycle-Smart) and Nick Keough (Keough Cyclocross) organized a chase, but the three leaders seemed to only add seconds to their lead.

Meanwhile, Frankie McCormack (Clif Bar/Pactimo) was busy dieseling his way to the chase with son and teammate Brendan on his wheel. Goguen lost contact with the leaders, leaving McNicholas and Townsend to battle for the win, as Brendan connected with the chase. McNicholas and Townsend fought hard for the victory, staying together throughout the final laps, but the win was ultimately decided by who hit the loose gravel turns before the finish first. It was Townsend who claimed the win, McNicholas hot on his heels in second. Goguen finished third. Myerson gapped McCormack to cross the line fourth, and Keough rolled in sixth.

In the Zanconato Single Speed Series, men’s series leader Mike Rowell (Bikeway Source/Bell Lap Racing) took the win, but not easily: Rowell had to fend off Matt Sousa (Cuppow/Geekhouse/B2C2) for the entirety of the race. Sousa claimed second, while Benjamin Pagano (Bikeway Source/Bell Lap Racing) finished third. In the women’s race, each podium finisher was racing her second race of the day: Joanne Grogan (Cyclocrossracing.com) won, while Clara Kelly (NEBC p/b Cycle Loft) crossed the line second, and Michele Smith (Hup United) claimed the last podium spot.

— by Cindy Brennan

For complete race results, visit the 2014 MRC CX page on CrossResults.

See more of Katie Busick’s photos here.

For the second year in a row, the Minuteman Road Club has partnered with the Harvard Firefighter’s Association to put together the Ken Harrod Memorial Road Race. And now we have great news: the Harvard Board of Selectman approved the MRC’s new route for the Ken Harrod Memorial Road Race this past Tuesday nigh March 3rd. Coupled with that we already had the approval of the Harvard Police, Littleton Police, and Littleton Board of Selectman, our race is fully approved by the locals!

The race will be held on Saturday, May 30th, 2015, and will include a men’s P/1/2 field! Follow this link to register now:
https://www.bikereg.com/ken-harrod-memorial-road-race-2015

The new course will start northeast out of Harvard Center, down a quick descent along Littleton road, taking competitors over several rolling hills towards Littleton Station where they loop around and head southwestand up a challenging climb that should be familiar to many locals: Oak Hill/Old Littleton road. After that effort, there’s not much rest as the course turns left on Pinnacle and up a short punchy climb to the highest elevation in the race. A right turn onto Oak Hill Road past Carlson Orchards then down a super fast descent followed by a 10% climb back into town for the Start/Finish.

The second edition of the Ken Harrod Memorial Road Race presented by the Minuteman Road Club occurred on May 30th, 2015 in Harvard, MA. This was the second year the race was held in Harvard after 19 years of MRC presenting a road race in Sterling, MA.

MRC’s Chris Pare rolls out of downtown Harvard, MA with the Cat 3 peloton.

There were two waves of races, with three in the early morning wave and another three in the late morning wave. This year’s edition included a completely new course including the famous Oak Hill climb, the addition of a P/1/2 race, and a KOM competition. The race helps benefit the Harvard Firefighters Association, and was aided by sponsorship from Murphys Insurance, Landrys Bicycles, 3Cross Brewing Company, Ameriprise Financial, and Sports and Physical Therapy Associates (SPTA). The weather was fantastic on the day, even a bit hot and dry for most riders that left many out of fluids by the end of the race.

The course was met with rave reviews, with comments of “Thank you for bringing back the VeryFine race course” from various long time racers, “What a race!” from the Cannondale team, and even people who could not make it like Adam Meyerson commenting that “Thank you, Minuteman Road Club, for bringing back the classic, combined “Harvard-Littleton” road course, running good distances, reasonable entry fees, and an actual $1000 prize list for the P/1/2 men’s field.”

In the early morning fields:

The Mens Cat 5 race stayed together for much of the race which led to a sprint finish, where Dek Tuttle came out 1st, with Johannes Stromski of Riverside Racing and Orlando Correa of Team Columbia close behind for 2nd and 3rd.

In the Womens 3/4, a four woman breakaway got away from the main pack pushed by a Green Line Velo with two women in the group, Regina Legge and Julie Van der Hoop, with Antonina Hafner of Harvard University and Jennifer McCarthy of Riverside Racing. In the end, Legge won the sprint, following by Hafner in 2nd, Van der Hoop 3rd, and McCarthy 4th. The pack sprint was won by Leslie Timm for 5th place.

The Women’s 3 / 4 field approaches the turn onto Littleton Road in Harvard, MA.

Finally, the Mens Cat 4 race had the largest field of the day and plenty of strong up and coming riders in it. There were plenty of attacks, and on lap 3, a break of two riders looked like it might stick, but Minuteman Road Club and Greenline Velo pulled back the break by the top of Oak Hill. On the last lap, things stuck together as every rider seemed to gear up for the sprint. At the finish, Minuteman Road Club’s Brad Bradford slingshot around the field for the win, with Steven Edwards of PVC/CycleMania, Jeb Fowler of Linen/BCA, Jose Ordovas of Green Line Velo, and Josh Burgel of Bikeway Source/Bell Lap Racing taking 2nd through 5th place.

MRC’s Kevin Teves (left) helps Brad Bradford (right) celebrate his Cat 4 victory.

In the late morning fields:

The Mens Cat 3 race turned into a slower and tactical race for the rest of the field due to a four man breakway getting away. After an early break was caught on the 2nd lap on Oak Hill, a second major break formed through a counter attack. Dawry Cabrera of NEBC, John Eckert of STAMPEDE, and Brendan Longe of Community Bicycle Racing got away. Although the pack did some work to try to bring back the break, it was not enough to catch it in the end as they were 1 minute ahead with a lap to go. Cabrera won with his own break to come across solo, followed by Eckert, and later Longe. Miles Billings of 545 took off on the last climb up Oak Hill to claim a clear 4th, and then Scott White of Rancourt & Co won the pack sprint to claim the last podium spot in 5th.

Dawry Cabrera posts up as he crosses the line in his Cat 3 solo breakaway win.

The Masters 45+ field had a large field of very experienced riders ready to attack the course. There were many attacks, and the climb up Oak Hill on the 2nd lap was extremely fast paced and caused everyone to suffer. Shortly after, Tom Francis of Wheelworks Racing and Chris Crowell of Stage 1/fusionTHINK got away on a two man breakaway. No one thought it would last, but the pack didn’t work together to share the load of catching the break. By the beginning of the last lap, those two had a 1:40 lead on the pack and mostly had just each other to think about. Francis was able to pull away with a well-deserved win and Crowell getting a well-earned 2nd. Kurt Begemann of Castellli BRS attacked on the final steep part of Oak Hill and stayed away for 3rd, while Guillermo Herrera of Downeast Racing and Robert Campbell of Cycle Lodge grabbed the last two podium spots for 4th and 5th.

In the most highly anticipated race of the day, the P/1/2 field got off with a solid field. As usual, the high pace of the field caused many DNFs within the P/1/2 group as many dropped riders decided to save their energy for another day. Keith Kelly of ENGVT-UnTapped was able to get away on a solo breakaway with still 30 miles still to go. He was able to hold that lead until Brendan Rhim and Ansel Dickey (both of California Giant / Specialized) were able to pull themselves up to Kelly along with some of the rest of the field. In the finish, Rhim and Dickey were able to get a small gap and come in 1-2 for California Giant / Specialized. Kelly was able to summon enough energy to get 3rd, with Joseph Siegel of Grinta! p/b Best Buddies Challenge and Brendan McLaughlin of CCB Racing coming in 4th and 5th in a very tough race.

We look forward to hosting the 2016 edition of the Ken Harrod Memorial Road Race, which will be on the same weekend (the Saturday after Memorial Day) which is Saturday June 4th 2016. Our plan is to have exact same course as 2015!

For complete race results, visit the 2015 Ken Harrod Memorial Road Race page on Road-Results.

See more of Katie Busick’s photos here.

It’s true CX weather now and the Minuteman Road Club’s annual cyclocross race, now in it’s sixth year at the Bolton Fair in Lancaster, coming up on Sunday October 11th! Your legs are fully rested from Holy Week and returning to the sanity of a grassroots race with smaller fields is just the ticket.

Winners of the men’s and women’s 1/2/3 race gets $300! Landry’s Bicycles has stepped up to the plate and is providing GENEROUS gift cards to the podium toppers in the non-elite races.

EVERY winner in each category will also get a fresh baked apple pie from Bolton Orchards!

More about payouts and other details of the race in our race flyer.

MRC CX is also part of the NEBRA CX BAR (Best All-Around Rider) Series, tracking points for 16 categories over 14 races.

Single speed racers: Harpoon Brewery is the beer sponsor for the Zanconato SSCX Series. Podium finishers will receive some of Harpoon’s delicious brew and winners of the SS races will also receive an apple pie!

You’ll be competing on grass, pavement, with the addition of some hoppable logs!

Don’t hesitate, get to BikeReg now – the 4/5 field is already full (there is a waitlist available) https://www.bikereg.com/2015-minuteman-road-club-cyclocross

Congratulations everyone, the awards dinner on January 23rd was a fantastic success just like our 2015 season.

Thanks to Jeremy Cratty for getting the International to take care of us again this year. What a great venue.
Thanks to Russ Campbell for putting together the slide show, award trophies and presentation.
Thanks to Mark Bernard for pulling together all the stats.

2015 was an amazingly successful season. Minuteman Road Club raced in 239 races resulting in 53 podiums and 151 top 10 finishes!

We recognized our achievements at the dinner with the following awards and winners:

• U23 racer of the year – Patrick Collins had a great road season but it was just a precursor to an unbelievable cross season that culminated in 1st place in the season long NECXBAR series. 1st place in New England!!!
• Top female racer of the Year – Megan Woodacre with 3 podiums in her 1st year of racing an outstanding way to start her road racing career.
• Top male racer of the year – Brad Bradford progressed from Cat 5 to Cat 2 in 1 year and clocked up 7 wins, 3 2nd places and 1 3rd along the way. A quite remarkable season. What else is there to say? Well Brad certainly did with lots of praise for the club and and an impassioned farewell as he has moved back to Toronto.
• Most improved – Winslow Woodacre with 2 wins and 3 other podiums in his 1st year road racing showed that there is a lot more to come.

Patrick Collins receives his Top U23 Award from Jeremy Cratty.

We also had some special award recognitions:

• Sandbagger of the year – Smudger who had no idea how he could win this. May be something to do with the fact he has mad mountain bike skills, incredible fitness and still raced novice at weeping willow just to get on the top step of the podium.
• The Mechanic – Russ Campbell who can fix anything with duct tape
• Celebrity crash out – John Raguin who “may” have taken out former NFL star Kellen Winslow Jr during our California training camp resulting in him getting airlifted to hospital.
• Walk-the-Walk – new member Antony Haivanis joined the club full of big ideas and delivered with incredible sponsorship for 2016

The 2 most important awards of the evening go to 2 incredible people:

Sara Pare who allowed her husband Chris Pare to ride 502.3Hrs and race an amazing 30 times in 2015 won out in the most understanding and accommodating spouse award.

Jeremy Cratty who thoroughly deserved recognition as “MinuteMAN” of the year. Sacrificing himself in races for others, demonstrating the selfless team spirit that facilitated all these amazing results also providing excellent coaching and guidance to our new members.

With our 2015 achievements fully recognized we were able to start looking forward to 2016 and were very fortunate to have TJ from our new headline sponsor Wachusett Brewing Company and Andrew from Privateer Rum join us for the evening. TJ and Andrew presented us with funds on behalf of Wachusett Brewing and Privateer Rum that will be used to fund our club wide race program for 2016. We are really looking forward to working with both companies and helping get the message out to the New England bike racing community about their great products.

TJ Morse (Wachusett Brewing), Antony Haivanis (MRC Sponsorship DIrector), Andrew Cabot (Privateer Rum)

Thanks to all who attended. What a fantastic 2015 we had and here’s to an even better 2016!

— John Smith, MRC President

View a full gallery of photos from the party here.

It is with great pleasure that the Minuteman Road Club announces our official road race team sponsors for the 2016 season. Returning are the support of Landry’s Bicycles, Rudy Project, and Verge Sport. We are proud to announce our new road race team title sponsor Wachusett Brewing Company. Also supporting the Minuteman Road Club are Privateer Rum, Enterprise CarShare, Murphy’s Insurance, and Intra Systems.

Landry’s Bicycles – Full service bike shops in Boston, Norwood, Natick and Westborough. Everything the beginner or the pro would need, professional bike fitters, sales and service. The MRC’s oldest and most stalwart sponsor!

Wachusett Brewing Company – Wachusett Brewery founders Ned, Kevin and Peter developed a significant appreciation for beer while attending Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Adventures in biking, canoeing and hiking that led the trio to the Northern New England states allowed them to visit some of the first operating craft breweries. Armed with a “we can do this” attitude the three cast off from their careers in engineering and biology to found the Wachusett Brewing Co. in 1993. Wachusett Country Pale Ale was introduced to the beer fans of Massachusetts the next year after lots of experimenting to get the formula just right. When Wachusett opened, the three designed and built most of the equipment; did the brewing and filling, selling and delivering, and everything else that a small startup brewery needed.
Along the way the founders were joined by some of the most passionate and capable co-workers in the brewing industry. Wachusett Ales continue to be hand crafted with the finest ingredients available, bottled, canned and kegged in our Westminster facility. Wachusett Brewing Company has never strayed from the founder’s plan to brew and sell the freshest, highest quality beers possible.

Privateer Rum -America embodies freedom. And the men and women who served as privateers during our Revolution embodied it too. And passion. And a gritty, bare-knuckled determination to fight the good fight. And to profit from their success.
There was no easy way to win against the greatest sea power in the world. So privateers innovated. They changed the rules of engagement, and ultimately the outcome of the war.
Today, that same spirit drives us at Privateer Rum. A spirit that demands doing what you believe is right. Doing it well. And doing it your own way, even when this means defying convention.
Freedom. Innovation. Conviction. It’s in our DNA. It’s in our rum.

Enterprise CarShare – Enterprise CarShare is an automated way to rent a vehicle by the hour, the day, or overnight. A variety of makes and models are parked in your community – where you live, and where you work – and are accessible 24/7.

Murphy Insurance Agency – Murphy Insurance Agency is among the largest independent agents in Massachusetts with locations in Bolton, Groton, Harvard, Hudson, Marlborough, Medway and Mendon. We represent 29 companies and have access to many more. Where you purchase your insurance makes a difference. Murphy Insurance offers you one reliable relationship for safeguarding your financial stability – whether your needs are personal, business or both.

IntraSystems – IntraSystems empowers companies to deliver secure, on-demand access….anytime, anywhere. As a Citrix Platinum Solution Partner, our certified engineers design, deploy, implement, and maintain complex IT infrastructures throughout the U.S. Our mission is to provide secure application delivery, virtualization services, and secure network infrastructure solutions centered on the principles of excellence, service, and quality.

Rudy Project – Sunglasses, helmets, goggles and other gear. Rudy Project works in cooperation with athletes from all fields, listening to what they want and need – they never stop researching to find the latest and best materials available to realize cutting-edge products.

Verge Sport – The inspiration behind Verge Sport came from the clothing needs of an elite athlete. Racing in the European road cycling circuit throughout the early 1990s it became obvious to Michael Magur that the custom technical apparel needs of athletes were outpacing what was being delivered — the wheels turned and Verge Sport was born in 1996. Since those first orders on through to today, customer satisfaction has been at our core. Our goal is for you to be happy with not only the final product, but the entire ordering and communication process involved in bringing your design to life.

We look forward to another amazing season and want to thank all our sponsors for believing in us.

Welcome to a new feature on the MRC website called Directeur’s Chair. Throughout the season we’ll speak with members of our racing teams and get recaps from our new Directeur Sportif, Jeremy Cratty.

Below is an interview we did with Jeremy on the heels of a successful weekend at the Chris Hinds Memorial Criterium in Rhode Island.

MRC: Jeremy first off, thank you for your taking the time for this interview. More importantly congrats on being the first ever Directeur Sportif for The Minuteman Road Club. You must be very excited.

Jeremy: Yes I’m very excited. I’ve always wanted to be in a position where I could tell people what to do, no questions asked.

MRC: We’re a few weeks into the 2016 season. What are your thoughts so far?

J: I’m definitely feeling an increased excitement around road racing, which was the point of the whole program. I get emails everyday with questions about races, strategies, who is on form, what the weather going to be like, should they use chamois cream. You know, important stuff.

MRC: Is there anything that has surprised you that you weren’t expecting?

J: Well I expected some good results, but even I was surprised when we came away from Chris Hinds with 2 victories. It was especially sweet because we came up with detailed strategies and the team executed them exactly as planned. It’s further proof that team racing delivers superior results than an “everyone for themselves” approach you typically see in amateur racing.

MRC: What are you looking forward to for the rest of the season?

J: More wins and more Wachusett beer consumed! Seriously though, winning an early season crit is one thing, but I can’t wait to plan some tactics for bigger races like Quabbin and Battenkill. Should be EPIC!!!!!

MRC: Any other comments you’d like to add in closing?

J: Stop reading this and go do some hill repeats!!!!!

MRC: Thank you for your time Jeremy. Looking forward to talking with you throughout the season

We’re back with another edition of Directeur’s Chair. Celebrating another strong weekend of racing at the Quabbin Road Race in Ware, MA we catch up with MRC DS Jeremy Cratty.

Mark Miller, photo: ©Pete Talbot

MRC: Jeremy, Congrats on yet another weekend of great racing! You must be pleased with the way your race squads have come together and race as a team.

Jeremy: It’s truly amazing what people will do for free stuff. Dangle a nice helmet in front of them and a free beer at the end of the race and they’ll do anything… Seriously, there’s 2 ways to win an amateur bike race, solo away at 6 watts/kg or have a team frustrate the living crap out of everyone until they give up. This past weekend we did each!

MRC: Is there a standout moment in the race that comes to mind?

J: In the Cat 3 race at Quabbin, we executed the very underrated “alley-opp” technique where we send a worker up the road in a break, and then the team leader bridges across to their teammate, uses them like a piece of trash to be discarded, then goes on to win the race.  I was the piece of trash, Mark Miller was the winner.  Last time I saw that executed properly was between Alejandro Valverde and Nairo Quintana in the Vuelta (which is a fair comparison I think)

Dave Mingori, photo: ©Pete Talbot

MRC I noticed that Dave Mingori scored his second win in as many weeks. Looks like you’ll have a new Category 3 racer to add to the squad.

J: Yes Dave’s on a mission since last year’s GMSR, definitely one of the most improved racers on the team. And it’s good we’ll have a new guy in the Cat 3 because the regulars are getting sick of me sending them to the front.
MRC: Also, one of your new editions Josh Burgle looks to be on good form already. I’m assuming he’s soon to join the Category 3 ranks.

J: I’ve been “racing” against Josh for years on the Monster Bullet-train. I always thought he was a Cat 3 anyway. We have a word for those types of guys, I’ll leave it at that

MRC: Lets talk about your Category 2 squad. Initially it was just Patrick Collins but now with Joe Magro coming back to MRC and Jason Croteau joining the club it looks like you’re going to be quite the force in the 2’s.

J: Actually we have several other Cat 3’s very close to making the jump. I actually told Patrick to slow down before he mistakenly upgrades to Cat 1. Next thing you know MRC will be a Continental Pro team and I’ll have to quit my day job and buy a Skoda.

MRC: Anything else you’d like to add in closing?

J: I’m going to need a massage after all this typing.

MRC: Maybe you need to look into a team soigneur?

J: YES!!!!!

For the third year in a row, the Minuteman Road Club has partnered with the Harvard Firefighter’s Association to put together the Ken Harrod Memorial Road Race. The race will be held on Saturday, June 4th, 2016.

The race course will be the same route as the 2015 edition.

There are a few additional changes to the 2016 edition as we try to build upon the success the race has had so far in Harvard:

• Addition of a Women’s Cat P/1/2 field that will be run with the Women’s Cat 3/4 field. Each will have separate prize purses and different colored numbers to be able to distinguish the competitors in each field.
• Addition of a Masters 55+ field that will be run with the Masters 45+ field. Each will have separate prize purses and different colored numbers to be able to distinguish the competitors in each field.

Important links:

Race flyer with information

Reg NOW at BikeReg and get more info

Awesome video of the race

We’re back with another edition of Directeur’s Chair. Celebrating again another strong weekend of racing at the The Myles Standish State Forest Road Race in Plymouth, MA we catch up with MRC Directeur Sportif Jeremy Cratty.

MRC: So Jeremy what color and model Skoda did you end up choosing? That’s four more wins for MRC at The Myles Standish Race, Congrats!!

Jeremy: I couldn’t afford a Skoda, so I bought a used moped from my crazy Uncle Fredo. The good news is we can use this for motor pacing…

MRC: Two wins in the Cat 4’s and the Women’s Cat 4. I’m thinking soon you’ll have a strong Cat 3 Men’s AND Women’s team.

J: Chris Gibson came out of nowhere to win the first Cat 4 race which was a nice surprise, with his buddy Nick Leger coming in 3rd and Kevin Teves grabbing 6th. Nick and Kevin’s reward for their hard racing was road rash for Nick and a private tour of Beth Israel Plymouth Hospital for Kevin. Sometimes you gotta take one for the team. Smartly, Sarah Shipley just rode away from the group to avoid sprinting into the Myles Standish Funnel Of Death. Also, don’t forget Chris Pare’s breakaway victory in the Cat 3 and Winslow Woodacre’s sprint win in the 2nd Cat 4 race. Winslow won by less than a tire width with a classic bike throw. He clearly benefitted from the “Bike Throw” clinic we held earlier in the season.

MRC’s Winslow Woodacre wins with a bike throw!

MRC: Besides the four wins for the team you personally raced well. Three races and three “top tens” on the day for yourself. You’re becoming a regular Reggie Dunlop.

J: Yeah I grabbed 9th in both the Cat 3 and 45+. But my best result of the day was the surprising 8th place I somehow got in the Cat 4 race. That’s pretty hard to do when, a) you’re not a Cat 4, and b) I was watching from the sideline in civilian clothes. Luckily I didn’t get caught up in the crash…

MRC: Unfortunately with all the success it didn’t come with a little price in the Cat4A race.

J: Yeah our Sponsorship Director has some work to do, as we ruined a few brand new Lazer Z1 helmets (ugh and the AEROSHELLS!!!) and Verge Speedsuits. Hey at least we know they work… I’d like to wish Kevin Teves and Nick Leger a speedy recovery. Looking forward to having them back on the bike.

MRC: Looking ahead what’s next on the schedule? Anything that the team is really looking forward to?

J: There’s a couple of short easy races coming up in Battenkill (NY) and Killington (VT). I think they’re crits or something like that… And lets not forget about the 22nd edition of the Ken Harrod Memorial Road Race that we are hosting. This will be our 3rd year running it in Harvard featuring everyone’s favorite, the Oak Hill climb. Free beer for the K(or)QoM winner of each race, which is always nice.

MRC: How about the Wachusett Gran Fondo we’ve been seeing advertised? What can you tell us about it?

J: Did I mention free beer? Actually it’s not totally free. But for a bargain price you get an incredible ride, with a Mt. Wachusett summit, great food, music, and of course lot’s of delicious Wachusett brew. It will be held on June 18th starting and finishing at the Wachusett Brewery in Westminster, MA. Registration and more information can be found on BikeReg.com at https://www.bikereg.com/31276 It will be an amazing day, lets make it happen people…

MRC: Anything else you’d like to add in closing?

J: The only concern we have with our success is the win bonuses are adding up at a staggering rate. Stay tuned for details on the first annual MRC Bake Sale.

Read Myles Standish 2016 race reports in the MRC racer’s own words: http://www.minutemanroadclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=7585&p=43414#p43414

We’re back with another edition of Directeur’s Chair! But this time we’re giving Jeremy a little break. As we await the BattenKill 2016 race reports from our Men’s and Women’s squads, we are taking this opportunity to talk about a couple of the events we have coming up.

On Saturday June 4th The Minuteman Road Club will present the 3rd Annual Ken Harrod Memorial Road Race in Harvard MA.. Starting and finish in historic Harvard Center racers will do laps on a 10 mile circuit on some of the nicest back roads and farming areas in central Mass.

Throughout the race everyone will tackle everyone’s favorite training climb, “Oak Hill” in Littleton Ma. Where on the middle lap of each race a KOM or QOM will be awarded and presented by Wachusett Brewing Company. (note: if a winner is under 21 years of age and for Cat 5, a medal will be given)
Registration and more information about the race are located at https://www.bikereg.com/ken-harrod-memorial-road-race

A couple of weeks after the road race, the MRC will be presenting the 1st annual Wachusett Brewing Company Gran Fondo on Saturday June 18th. This event has a full day of fun lined up that guarantees a memorable day of cycling in the beautiful setting of Central Massachusetts.

Plan on a fantastic ride that starts at the Wachusett Brewery in Westminster, MA then loops around country roads in the towns of Fitchburg, Ashburnham, Ringe,Westminster, Hubbardston, and Princeton summiting Wachusett Mountain, and makes its way back to the the brewery. Three routes (120km, 85km, and 60km) have been created to accommodate riders of all abilities that insure beautiful views and challenging terrain on quiet roads. All rides are punctuated with an after-ride party at the brewery where everyone can enjoy music, food, raffles, and of course Wachusett Beer!

All proceeds from the Fondo will be donated to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Springfield and the New England High School Cycling Association. For more information or to register please go to https://www.bikereg.com/wachusett-brewing-co-gran-fondo

Also for those who raced the Ken Harrod Memorial Road Race, you are eligible for a $10 discount on the Fond entry fee, details on the discount can be found on the KHMRR race registration page.

The Ken Harrod Memorial Road Race presented by the Minuteman Road Club (MRC) occurred on June 4th, 2016 in Harvard, MA, marking the race’s third year in the town. Named for longtime Harvard firefighter and bicycling enthusiast Ken Harrod, the race benefits the Harvard Firefighters Fund, and brings more than 350 amateur and professional racers to compete on the beautiful and challenging roads of Harvard.

(photo: Jeff Dieffenbach)

This year’s edition, aided by sponsorship from Wachusett Brewing Company, Privateer Rum, Murphys Insurance, and Landry’s Bicycles, ran over multiple laps of the same 10 mile course used in 2015, including the roughly 2.5 mile, 350 foot climb up Oak Hill. Each racer competed in one of 8 categories, and new for 2016 were a women’s P/1/2 race in a split field and a men’s Masters 55+ race in a split field. Wachusett Brewing Company supplied a beer tent complete with fire truck, providing refreshment for racers and spectators in the picture-perfect 70-80 degree weather.

The men’s Category 5 race, made up of riders just starting their racing careers, was essentially a war of attrition, with the initial pack of 75 riders whittling itself down each time up Oak Hill. Eventually, with a group of just under 20 riders remaining together as the field rolled towards Harvard Center for the final time, Jon Jantz of 545 Velo attacked the field in the final stretch to take the win with a 6 second margin.

In the Category 4 race, Zach Robbiano rolled off the front of the race at the top of the second time up Oak Hill, building an almost two minute gap on the main field. The main pack eventually collaborated to reduce this deficit, but Robbiano still held on to finish 12 seconds ahead of anyone else, giving the 545 Velo team its second win of the day.

The women’s field, containing two races, with the Pro, Cat1, & Cat2 riders and Category 3 and 4 amateur racers each scored separately. The two races stayed together for most of their distance, though the Oak Hill climb and a major crash winnowed the pack to 8 pro and 13 amateur women. Both races ended in sprint finishes, with Leslie Timm of Sunnapee/Continental Paving/Buchikas taking the Pro sprint and Cody Harris of Portland Velo Club taking the amateur race.

(photo: Jeff Dieffenbach)

Later in the day, more than 50 Category 3 men raced 50 miles over the course. The field remained mostly intact for the first 2.5 laps, with a few riders trying their luck off the front of the race, but none of these attacks gained more than a few seconds. The pace picked up, however, on the third time up the Oak Hill climb, and once the dust settled, only 35 riders remained. That group shed another 10 riders on its final time up the climb, with Josh Saxe eventually winning the 25-man sprint.

The largest race of the day was the Masters men, where more than 80 riders took the start. The race was actually two races in one, with 45+ and 55+ racers competing together, but scored separately. The race started aggressively, with lots of attacking and counterattacking as small groups of riders tried to gain an advantage on the field. These constant changes of pace and two major crashes eventually whittled the field down to just under 20 riders, with Aetna/Expo Wheelmen’s Todd Bowden taking the sprint for the 45+ race and Arc-En-Ciel’s Randy Rusk taking the 55+ honors.

(photo: Katie Busick)

The final race of the day saw 45 Pro, Cat1, and Cat2 men competing over 6 laps (60 miles) around the course. Early on, a group of 6 pulled clear of the field, and after two laps they’d established a 90 second lead over the main pack. The presence in this group of local pro and fan favorite Anthony Clark (Squid Bikes) had many speculating that this was the winning move. The field had other ideas, however, and once the main group began to collaborate in earnest, the gap quickly fell until the 6 were absorbed by the group as the race crested Oak Hill for the third time. Things stayed together over the next lap until Tim Ahern (Team ERRace), Alex Carmona (Community Bike), Patrick Collins (MRC), Connor Jennings (ENGVTUnTapped), and Sam Rosenholtz (Green Line Velo) pulled clear in the final mile of the lap. This group collaborated well, and their lead grew to over two minutes within the next lap. Not wanting to be caught by the charging pack behind, the five riders pushed as hard as they could on their last time up Oak Hill, dropping the best sprinter in the group, Rosenholtz, up the climb. At speeds in excess of 45 miles per hour, the group of 4 sped into Harvard Center, where the host club’s Patrick Collins took the win.

(photo: Angelica Dixon)

After the race, Collins reflected on his day: “This is definitely the biggest result I’ve had and it’s so awesome that I was able to pull it off at my ‘hometown’ team race with so many club mates and friends present. I celebrated the win with my first legal beer in public provided by Wachusett Brewing. I’ve never shed a tear about bike racing… but I almost did today.”

Minuteman Road Club looks forward to hosting the 2017 edition of the Ken Harrod Memorial Road Race, which will be on the same weekend (the Saturday after Memorial Day) which is Saturday June 3rd 2017.

For complete race results, visit the 2016 Ken Harrod Memorial Road Race page on Road-Results.
See more of Katie Busick’s photos here.

[Remember folks, “saving as a draft” is not the same as “publish now”. Here’s a DC post from 6/13/16 that got overlooked.]

MRC: Hi Jeremy, long time no talk… whats new?

Jeremy: Well we went through the meat of the schedule, and let’s just say I feel like a turkey burger (but with bacon because it wasn’t all bad).

MRC: Last we talked you and the rest of the team were gearing up for the final edition of the Tour of the Battenkill. Tell us of some of the highlights.

J: Yeah Battenkill was the beginning of what I originally termed “3 weeks of Glory” which included Killington and our own race, the Ken Harrod Memorial.  Battenkill was solid if unspectacular.  We had strong teams in the Women’s 3/4s, Men3s, 4s and 45+ which yielded a bunch of top 10s.  Our Women’s team had a great race putting two riders on the podium and two more in the top 10.  In the men’s races, for a while we didn’t think we’d get anyone to take the top spot (except in the beer tent).  Luckily in the 5s John Morrissey saved the day with a monster sprint to take the win and in the celebratory bedlam I dumped a beer on his wife (sorry about that).  Killington was its usual sufferfest, I’ll leave it at that.

MRC: On the heels of Battenkill you and the rest of the Minuteman Road Club had to change gears a little and get ready to host the 4th annual Ken Harrod Memorial Road Race in Harvard, MA.  Even though there were a few crashes the day turned out to be an amazing success!

J: As usual, the Ken Harrod Memorial was an instant classic.  Great weather, solid turnout, a beer tent (see a theme here?) presented by Wachusett Brewing Co., and one singularly amazing win by our own Patrick Collins in the Pro/1/2 race.  The excitement built as Patrick had made the winning break, and President and part-time Race MC John “Smudger” Smith got to call the winning sprint.  I’m sure he said something inspiring, but none of us could understand his Scottish accent.  On a separate note, our own Race Director, John “The Pirate” Raguin came in 5th in the Masters race to put an exclamation point on his tenure as he hands the baton for next year.  Also Josh “Ham” Burgel-er nabbed 5th in the Cat 4 and can officially be removed from top candidate for Sandbagger-of-the-year.

MRC: It’s safe to say our sponsors are a little excited as to how the season is going.  I was with TJ Morse from Wachusett Brewing Company and he was on the phone with the owner of the Brewery screaming “WE WON WE WON!!”

J: It’s been really fun to partner with new sponsors like Wachusett Brewing Co. over the last few months and the results have been off the charts.  Luckily they make a Light IPA or we’d have to switch over to downhill MTB racing.

MRC: A few weeks back was the Massachusetts State Road Race Championships at the Purgatory Road Race in Sutton Ma.  Once again MRC had a few incidents but came away with success!

J: We’ve had a lot of wins so far, but also a lot of crashes.  Lazer should expect a call, because we’re hemorrhaging helmets.  Luckily they work or we’d need a few more racers too.  At Purgatory we got to see Jason Croteau on form, and he came away with the Massachusetts Masters State Championship jersey while finishing 3rd overall.  It’s good to see the “Hulk” back at it, and on a climby parcour no less.

MRC: Wrapping up a busy few weeks MRC hosted the 1st Annual Wachusett Brewing Company Gran Fondo!  By the looks of the pictures it seems like everyone had a great time!

J: I sure did!!! And I think everyone else did as well.  Someone at the beginning said it wasn’t a race, but a handful of us treated it that way, to my discomfort.  It was harder than most races, with some challenging terrain and road conditions.  Luckily there we’re 2 strategically placed Aid Stations with a vast selection of refreshments, oh and a beer tent!!!!  Special thanks to Scott Conchieri for organizing the successful 1st annual event.  I can’t wait until next year.

MRC: Hard to believe that the season it already at its midpoint.  What are some of the races your squads are targeting to round out the year?

J:  I have my eyes set on one event right now, the Longsjo Classic starting this Friday in Leominster.  Three days of awesome crit racing and we have a strong crew of Cat 3/4s, Masters and of course Patrick Collins in the Pro/1/2.  I expect some incredible results, or else I’ll ban all Wachusett Brewing products until further notice!!!

MRC: Thanks again for your time Jeremy.

J: No problem, I’m contractually obligated to conduct this interview.