(left to right Volodymyr STARCHYK , Philipp MAMOS ,

Andrew TALANSKY , Richard ENGLAND ,

Yuri METLUSHENKO , Chad GERLACH)     

-ALLENTOWN, PA

Team Amore e Vita (presented by Life Time Fitness & Velo Vie) blazed their way to a 7.7 mile team time trial victory on day one of the Univest Grand Prix in Pennsylvania.  With a sizzling 16:21 time, they easily held off the field.  Second place Team Garmin was twelve seconds back, Swedish Team Cikle City was thirteen back for third and Lance Armstrong's Team Trek/LiveStrong fell to fourth, sixteen seconds behind.

The day was all Amore e Vita.  Philipp Mamos (Germany) sailed accross the finish first, with teammates Volodymyr Starchyk (National champion of Ukraine) and Russian Vladislav Borisov (not pictured) wrapping up the one-two-three.  The trio will don the leaders jerseys tomorrow.  Yellow leader jersey for Mamos, King of the Mountain jersey for Starchyk and the points jersey for Borisov.

After the race, a pleased, but unsurprised Team ManagerCristian Fanini beamed, "All the guys did an unbelievably great job, our goal was to win tomorrow, however I knew we were going to be the best team, so this victory isn't something unexpected. Now we look further, we want to take the win tomorrow and I am confident we can deliver results. I would like thank our sponsor Life Time Fitness and Velo Vie for their incredible support. Without their help this wouldn't be possible. This amazing victory is for them!"

Tomorrow the road race in Souderton PA, and the team is ready and focused like never before.

Follow the race @
www.univestgrandprix.com
www.twitter.com/UnivestGP

We had the privilege of sitting down with Chad Gerlach from the Amore eVita Cycling Team (presented by Life Time Fitness and Velo Vie). Gerlach tells a bit about his beginnings with cycling and we see thatspark in his about returning to the sport he loves.

Chad Gerlach of Team Amore e Vita

We'll be heading to Chicago this weekend to cover the Amore e Vita team in the Chicago Criterium ; ranked by USA Cycling as the #1 Criterium (fast paced street race) in the coutnry.

We'll have great interviews and live blogging from the event as we cheer the Life Time Fitness sponsored team on to victory (hopefully).

We're speeding up on Tour de France time.  Excitement is high as Lance Armstrong clips up for another return to the race.  The never ending onslaught of doping accusations and testing continue to hound the American rider.  However, amid the clamor leading into Tour time, the AFLD has cooled their hot-pursuit of Lance.  The French anti-doping agency's president Pierre Bordry has praised Armstrong and promised he will be treated in the same fashion as other riders.  Without delving into the quagmire of politics that surround testing and the various cycling alliances, let's back away a bit and approach this with broader vision.

The sports world is plagued with charges of performance-enhancing and the ugly mess has besmirched the basic joy of sport.  I have been involved in countless arguments with friends about "cheaters".  These trying times have left fans and hopefuls discouraged with the state of sports.  Lance Armstrong has long been the poster boy for doping accusations though he's never failed a test.  Certain people just can't or won't believe that someone is that good... that determined...  that strong.  I wish I could say without a doubt that I knew he was clean.  He is the only one who knows.  And I trust him.  I don't want to lose that trust.  I believe that his fortitude is from an inner source.  The man beat cancer.  That requires a strength that cannot be denied.  My mother beat (and continues to beat) cancer and I can tell you, that her strength and perseverance is remarkable.  Those who doubt Lance, can doubt all they want.  But, be aware that within the slings that are levied against Armstong exists a denial of true human perseverance and will to endure.

On our Amore e Vita (presented by Life Time Fitness/Velo Vie) team we have a true rider in Chad Gerlach.  He is a man who has battled back from dark days.  The spirit in his eyes is of ambitious hope and determined resolve.  As we are inundated with stories of nefarious "nogoodniks", let us not toss out the good ones and what they represent.  Ride strong Lance and ride even stronger Chad!

GERLACH Takes Tour de Nez Overall Omnium;

TALANSKY Best Young Rider

Andrew Talansky & Chad Gerlach on the podium

Chad Gerlach continues tearing up the track in his first year back.  The Amore e Vita (presented by Life Time Fitness/Velo Vie) star won the Tour de Nez in Nevada.  It was the first overall win for Gerlach this year.  He took the overall title on the back of a fantastic Stage 2 crit (criterium: street race) win as well as strong finishes throughout the omnium (multi-race event combining different cycling disciplines/races).

We don’t intend to dredge up what Chad has been through in his four years off from the sport (you can google if you’d like, but you should get the gist by hearing that he was on A&E’s “Intervention”).  Clearly the man is breaking through the storm clouds.  Chad is an incredibly personable guy, approachable and down to Earth.  There is strength in his smile and a steadfast passion as he naturally assumes a leadership role on the team.  By now he calls himself a veteran and has the swagger of humble champ.

It’s no wonder (or small feat) that he won the Omnium.  He described his cycling specialty as being an all-around rider, comfortable sprinting, climbing or enduring and just as satisfied to set a teammate up for a win.  This time around, he excelled at all-of-the-above and took the win himself.  Bravo Chad!  To many more!

Check-in with us again for exclusive Team Amore e Vita content and coverage of the team traveling the country.

Worthy of more than just a post-script; Andrew Talansky took the classification of Best Young Rider.  The kid is true grit.  Expect big things from him in races to come.

STILL WATER FAST BIKES:
VICTORY FOR PHILIP MAMUS AND AMORE e VITA!

The Amore e Vita (presented by Life Time Fitness/Velo-Vie) team capped an intense week of cycling with a victory by Philip Mamos in the 6th and final stage of the Nature Valley Grand Prix.  The team finished 4th  on the day and 5th for the total Grand Prix.   Each stage was a chess move as they built a team dynamic that paid off big time with Sunday in the crit at Stillwater, MN.

Criteriums are intense road races that often involve crashes and high speed zigs and zags through city streets.  They tend to be crowd favorites since you can see the blur of riders whip by you multiple times throughout the race.  The rush of the wind and load hum of the peloton (pack of riders) as they blaze past you is one of those moments that makes you feel alive.

The week started off a little rough for Team Amore e Vita with a sub-par time trial.  But, these boys were exhausted after a 20-hour car ride following a 157-mile race in Philadelphia.  They recouped for a burst in the St. Paul Crit, but, a flat tire with just eight laps to go deflated a run at putting sprinter Yuriy Metlushenko in position to take the race.  Day two was a road race in Canon Falls that stretched the legs a bit, Richard England finished 9th and the team nestled into a spot at 14th overall. Chad Gerlach captured the Most Aggressive Rider jersey for the day and wore it proudly the next day in Uptown, Minneapolis.  The Uptown crit ran very fast with  Yuriy finishing 5th, Richard England 7th and Mamos 13th.   The team was 2nd on the day and moved up to 12th overall.

Richard expressed disappointment but steadfast confidence in the two races to go,

 
“Stillwater.  Stillwater.  The legs are good.  We’ve got plenty left”.

Andrew Talansky, smiled through the street grit peppered across his mug and explained that while the course was one of the best he’d seen (sun setting gorgeously in the back), it’s frustrating when you’re racing with semi-pros.

“Some of these go out there thinking, if they take this lap, or muscle their way through, that they’ll get picked up and turn pro”.

It’s tough to race with guys that don’t have the share the standard set of road rules and etiquette.

Chad Gerlach, the team veteran, broke through on Saturday in Mankato, MN with a stellar push 10 miles from the finish of the 92-mile road race.   He may have broken just a little early because he got caught and wound up second with Mamos 4th, England 6th, and Volodymyr Starchyk 8th. .  Chad took the Jelly Belly Sports Beans King of the Hills Jersey for his hard work climbing and the team rocketed to 1st for the day and 5th overall.  The race did a great job stretching the legs for Sunday’s crit finale and Philip Mamos’ triumphant hill victory.

This team has the spirit of a winner.  It’s a diverse set of guys who have a great chemistry with one another that ignores borders and language.  Personal goals are put behind the goals of the team and that true spirit of team sport is refreshing.

We here at Life Time Fitness are thrilled to be involved with the team and excited about the races to come.  Be sure to check back here where we’ll have conversations with the team, pics, video and ongoing coverage of their tour around the country.

Next up for Team Amore e Vita (presented by Life Time Fitness/Velo-Vie) is the Manhatten Beach Grand Prix in Manhatten Beach, CA.  I think these boys have earned some beach time.

photos via Caroline Yang

Amore e Vita team (presented by Life Time Fitness/Velo Vie) rides with Life Time Members in Chanhassen, MN

As cities grow and put in more bike lanes fascitating the flow...  there are going to be those who infringe.  Check out this SITE where people report violations and work together to enforce/ensure that these lanes are safe and usable.  Ride smart, ride safe.  When you're on a bike watch for cars, when you're in a car, watch for bikes.