Interview with Dominique Rollin and his coach, Brian Walton

Note: Dominique Rollin is a multi-time Canadian national champion and professional cyclist for Cervelo Test Team Professional Cycling Team. Dominique had an outstanding 2008 season during which he won Stage 4 of the Tour of California, took home the overall points leader jersey at the AToC, and won numerous NRC events in the United States. His impressive 2008 palmares landed him a spot on one of Europe's top road teams for 2009. His coach, Brian Walton, was likewise a multi-time Canadian national champion and was a silver medalist in the 1996 Olympic games (points race). Brian has been coaching Dom (reverently refered to as "the Horse from the North") since 2007.

5 Questions for coach Brian Walton and rider Dominique Rollin:

1. Now that you have moved from a top level North American team to Cervelo Test Team, one of the top teams in Europe, what is your role and responsibility on the team?
• DR-"Well it changes from race to race depending upon which race I am doing. This year is all about learning. Learning the courses, learning from Thor and Carlos, learning from our Director Sportif's, tactics and where I fit in but I will have my chances!"
• BW-"My job as the coach is to have him ready for when the team tells me! And an important aspect of Dom's role will be being a domestic or team helper during the races. Sacrificing himself for the team and team leader. Dom will play a very important part of Thor Hushov's lead-out."

2. What are your early season goals?
• DR-"Stay upright, learn, finish the early season healthy and do well at Paris Roubaix!"
• BW- "In his first year the early season goal is the classics and Paris-Roubaix. Dom is built mentally and physically for PR and the Spring Classics. Coaching is not just about the numbers, especially in his first year. It's about helping the athlete at adapting to a new environment on the bike, within the team, and off the bike in Europe."

3. How was the start to the European Classic Season for you?
• DR-"Man it was tough but I loved it! My first Classic was the old "Het Volk" in Gent, Belgium and Thor won the race! I flatted with 60km to go and it was really the end of the day for me. The next day we had another 200km classic, Kurnne-Brussels-Kurnne. I felt good even after the race the day before. My pack positioning or placing ok, not the greatest. I lost my concentration for a couple of minutes and ended up at the back and out of contention. I need to work on staying calm while fighting for position. I get shoved too easily. I missed the front group because of that and not because I couldn't be up there, got slowed down by other riders and couldn't bridge after the Kwaremount!"
• BW-"For me it was a great start to the season for Dom. He is where he should be physically at this point in time. He has not done the racing that he did last year at this time but then again his goal race is a little further into the season. He made a few rookie tactical mistakes in Belgium but Dom is very smart and will only make these mistakes once!"

4. How is it different than the Tour of California?
• DR-"Tour of California was ugly this year, rain and cold for the first half of the stage race! Last year I had my best day on the bike as a pro when I won Stage Four and attacked George Hincapie at the end of the long stage. This year I was strong but it was my first race of the year. I was there to help Thor and we did that when he won Stage 5. This year the stage race was all about preparation for Europe."
• BW-"As Dom said this was his first race of the year this year. Last year I had Dom go to Mexico for a week long stage race and also a couple of road races in California before ToC. It was his goal of the year. To showcase his talents in front of the top teams in the world. He pulled it off perfectly! A stage win and the green sprinters jersey! This year, learn, stay healthy, and use the hard stage race as a solid training foundation for the early European season."

5. What is a typical training week during the Classics?
• DR-"I'll leave that one to the coach. He tells me what to do! I give him feedback if I have not recovered from the racing and traveling or if I am feeling run down. I may change a recovery day here or there or lessen the miles if something comes up but for the most part, what he says goes!"
• BW-"That's what I like to hear! Dom is very coachable and not because he listens to me. He is a very smart guy and the training feedback he gives me is invaluable. We are a great team and I could not build a training program without his knowledge and support. As for a typical training week during the classics season…Man it's tough! This is where I earn my keep. Race, rest, recover and still fit in true workouts…It's crazy and we are constantly tweaking the training. A quote I like to use is "Less is More" and this is especially true when an athlete finishes an 8 day stage race, travels back to Europe and then has two races the following weekend. Sometimes you need to throw tradition out the window. Dom's heart rate may come back to resting rate and I may give him a couple of intervals after three days but if he can not get his heart rate and wattage up into the correct zones Dom has the green light to shut it down."

Next up for Dominique Rollin on Saturday March 7th is the 190km classic in Italy, Eroica. With over 50km of dirt and gravel…on his Cervelo S2 road bike.

Wassner Twins Race Schedule for 2009

Check out Rebeccah and Laurel Wassners' updated website at: www.wassnertwins.com! Here's their race schedule for 2009:

02/22/09 Desert Classic Duathlon Bec 2nd
03/08/09 ITU Ecuador
04/26/09 St. Anthony's
05/09/09 Iron Girl Las Vegas
05/17/09 Columbia Triathlon
06/14/09 Eagleman 70.3/Alcatraz
06/20/09 ITU World Champ DC
06/27/09 ITU World Cup HyVee
06/28/09 Philadelphia Tri
07/11/09 Life Time Fitness
07/25/09 Uberman Sprint Tri
07/26/09 New York City Tri
08/02/09 SheROX Philly
08/23/09 Iron Girl Columbia
08/30/09 Chicago Tri
09/13/09 70.3 Muskoka
09/27/09 Westchester Tri
10/04/09 Los Angeles Tri
10/11/09 U.S. Open Tri
10/14/09 70.3 World Championships

California Climbing Camp 2009 a Huge Success!

Big George

The 2009 California Climbing Camp crushed expectations! Not only was the camp OVERSOLD forcing Cadence to add an additional mechanic and an additional coach, but it OVEREXCEEDED all expectations. European peloton veteran and Liquigas pro Andrea Noe was flown in by Cannondale just for the Cadence event, and all campers were given the opportunity to ride Cannondale's SuperSix. Check out the pictures below, you'll note a few familiar faces!

Bobke and Crew

Liquigas pregame, stage 8

Johann

Beccah Wassner Reports on First Race of Season & Podium Finish!

The 2009 season got off to a great start: a podium finish at the Desert Duathlon, outside of Scottsdale, Arizona. I finished second in my first official duathlon. I'm not ready to become a duathlete, but a run-bike-run is definitely a good workout. This race is a particularly good workout because it is almost all hills--my kind of race! I'd recommend the Desert Du to anyone training near Arizona. The runs are short and are mostly on desert trails. Twisty, hilly singletrack, one misstep and you're face to face with a cactus (I found that out the hard way). Coming from the east coast, it was hard to believe that so many people were racing and in top shape in February.

I'm not exactly in top shape yet, but it felt good to push myself again after months of not racing. I lost the lead in the second half of the bike, but felt strong the whole way. Kim Loeffler, a long distance triathlete training for next month's Ironman China, won the race. We've been doing some training together over the last few weeks in Tucson.

It's back to hard training now, we're trying to make the most of our last days in the warm sunshine. Today we did a 5k swim, right into an hour run. After a short nap we went up Mt. Lemmon to mile 14. Now we get to relax by the pool!

Pro Triathlete Rebeccah Wassner Spring Training in AZ

Posted by: Rebeccah Wassner, Cadence pro triathlete

As much as we love New York, the cold weather has forced us into some warm weather training. The location is Tucson, Arizona - where lots of pro cyclists and pro triathletes are training for the upcoming season. We're here with 2 other Cadence members for 3 weeks of hard workouts.

We've been starting each day with a 5k swim at an outdoor, heated pool. Today we did 26 x 100, coming in at 1:05 for each 100. That's about 1500 meter race pace for us and the pace we'll need to swim to make the first pack in a World Cup race. After swimming each day, we usually rest for an hour or so and then go out for a bike ride. Today we rode up Mt. Lemmon, the big climb in Tucson that is 26 miles long. We rode to Mile 10, saw the snow on the ground and then turned around. That was 1 hour of straight climbing. Laurel averaged 175 watts and I don't have a power meter, so I don't know my average, but I did manage to hold off a pro cyclist! All of those Cadence computrainer rides must be paying off!

After the run, we headed over to the desert trails for a 40 minute run. It wasn't easy to get the legs going after all that climbing on the bike, but the setting sun and perfect temperatures actually made the run very enjoyable. We've signed up for the Desert Duathlon in Scottsdale this weekend. This is a pre-season race for us, but the pro field should be a good one. Looking forward to getting back out on the race course!

What brought me to Cadence…

Jack Braconnier
Age:22

What brought me to Cadence…

The first race I ever ran was an all out 100 meter sprint for St. Kevin’s grade school. My prerace activities included tying my shoes as tight as I could. Much has changed since then; I now take 30 minutes setting up my transition area and tread water for 3 minutes waiting for the gun. I am a runner turned triathlete that has been competing in triathlons for 3 years. I ran for Cardinal O’Hara high school competing for the cross county and track team mainly as a middle distance runner. I actually raced mostly as a quarter miler and even a sprinter at times. Never would I have thought that after college I would become an endurance athlete.

As an athlete for O’Hara I earned many honors competing on the track, the greatest being named All-American three times. After graduating from O’Hara I continued my running career as a University of Connecticut Husky competing in the Big East. I enjoyed greater success on the track then I ever had while running for UConn. After one cross country season with the Huskies I was bumped up to the 800m run on the track. My greatest honor while running for UConn was being named All-East in 2005.

During the summer of 2006 I was introduced to my first triathlon at the Jersey shore. I was so pumped to compete but I lacked some of the proper gear and training to actually say I was ready for my first tri. I had no wetsuit and the bike I was using was a road bike my grandfather gave me that was over 20 years old. I finished in 386th place for that first triathlon and absolutely loved it. I realized that in order to be able to compete with the leaders I was going to need to learn how to swim and I was going to need a new bike. I purchased a used tri bike and competed in a second tri a few weeks later having some greater success and taking 2nd place in my age group. After that race I became completely hooked on triathlons. My training completely changed to endurance work. Since that first summer of triathlons I have completed 4 marathons, one being Boston in 2:56 and I have been fortunate enough to go undefeated in my age group during my last tri season.

This is what brings me to Cadence. Since my first few races as a triathlete I noticed many of the top finishers were Cadence athletes, proudly wearing their Cadence gear. I got the opportunity to meet many of Cadence’s top athletes working for Tancredi Chiropractic and Rehabilitation Center and all of them spoke so highly of the staff and coaches at Cadence. I felt that to be able to reach the next level in the sport of triathlons Cadence would be the crew that would help get me there. They are clearly the premier triathlon facility in the Philadelphia area. I am so excited to be a part of the Cadence team and to be one of their athletes proudly wearing their gear.

In an Inaugural Year, Cadence Backs Two Winners: Wilier Cento Uno & Cannondale SuperSix

What is the perfect bike? Does it exist? Is the "perfect ride" something like the "perfect bottle of wine," namely, an ephemerally elusive and entirely subjective experience that transcends objective criteria?

Let's dissect this for a moment: for high-performance bikes--like great bottles of wine--we can all agree that there are fundamental objective criteria we look for in determining a better from a lesser ride. For instance, we know that bottom bracket stiffness and power transfer are absolutely critical qualities. In addition to this, head tube stiffness is essential for sure-footed handling. None of us would prefer to ride a bike that is wholly inefficient at transferring power or is unsafe on windy, high-speed descents.

Then there are the admittedly subjective criteria: ride quality and road feel are among them. A bike that feels "smooth and buttery" to one rider may feel "harsh and jarring" to another, and vice versa. Some riders prefer the solid, rugged feel of aluminum, others prefer the soft feel of titanium and steel, and still others like the snappiness and lightweight of carbon frames.

So here's the dilemma: given the hodge-podge of the objective criteria we can all agree upon and the subjective criteria we're likely to disagree upon, how do we all agree that one bike is the perfect bike? Surely this problem isn't as difficult as, say, sorting out whether or not a sub-atomic particle has a determinate state! We're talking bikes, after all!

Here's where we stand. For 2009 two bikes are standouts. In fact, these two bikes may just be the best damn bikes we've ever ridden. From an objective standpoint, both bikes are phenomenally stiff with lightening fast acceleration, and both have massively oversized and stiff head tubes for rock solid, precise, and confidence inspiring handling, sprinting, and cornering. As for subjective criteria, we have consensus on our side: those who have ridden both bikes sing effusive praises for the uncommonly smooth and solid feel of these framesets. So what bikes are we talking about? The 2009 Wilier Cento Uno and the 2009 Cannondale SuperSix.

These bikes are good. Amazingly good. Reports on the Cento Uno range from "as good as a bike gets" to "quite possibly the perfect ride;" ironically, reports on the SuperSix are nearly identical! The remarkable thing about both these bikes is that they are extremely light: the Cento Uno size medium just tips the scales at 1100 grams, but that includes its integrated seat mast which, on other super light frames, would add an additional half-pound of weight! Light as it is--light as both these bikes are--they ride with a weighty, confidence-inspiring assurance that one would only imagine possible on a steel or titanium frameset.

Where do these bikes differ? The Cento has a kind of plushness to its ride that is immediately belied by its uncanny willingness to jump to life as soon as you put power into the pedals. On a steep ascent where you want to accelerate, or just getting going off the start line, the Cento Uno will dumbfound you with its remarkable power transfer. Let off the reigns a bit, though, and the Wilier is as docile and comfortable as your grandfather's Cadillac. The Cento Uno seems a mix of conflicting qualities, but ride one and you're likely to agree. The Cannondale, on the other hand, may lack a bit of the Wilier's road-going finesse, but that's not to say it's any less of a bike. The ride may not float over bumps and macadam like the Wilier, but it eats up the road so fast, so solidly, and so confidently that you'll not want to ride home...ever. The Cannondale leaves no doubt that racing is in its blood, but it does so without the constant reminder in your jaw that you're on a thoroughbred. Like the Wilier, the SuperSix jumps to action at the slightest provocation, but if you think the SuperSix is harsh or rough, think again: it too provides a remarkably compliant, comfortable, and fatigue-staving ride--exactly what the pros on Liquigas need!

At the end of the day, choosing between these two bikes is a really difficult proposition. The Cento Uno provides a sublime ride with oodles of power; the Cannondale provides a race-inspired, solidly compliant ride with oodles of power. In a perfect world you could have both. It's not a perfect world, but at Cadence you have the chance to ride both in our demo program!