NEW YEAR = NEW TEAMMATE

OUT OF THE DARK AND INTO THE SUN
Top Michigan Mountain Biker to Race for Bell’s in ‘08

January 1, 2008

They say a good woman is hard to find. The Bell’s Brewery/Quiring Cycles Midwest Mountain Bike Team knows this. For several years, the Team had been searching for the right Pro/Elite Michigan-based women to add to its impressive stable of racers. Alas, we were coming up empty-handed in our search. But, our lack of fortune was to change last August, on a hot day in Marquette, Michigan.

The Team was basking in the glory of its victory at the 2007 Ore-to-Shore point-to-point mountain bike race – drinking a variety of fine Bell’s products at the finish line and watching the leading female racers arrive, when we saw her. Erin Vicary, one of the top racers for the all women’s Dark Horse Brewing Race Team, was coming down the chute. A fast female racer who liked good craft beer? It was like we were dreaming – witness to some utopian vision that could only be a mirage. Then it happened. Erin, parched from her effort which saw her achieve a top 10 finish, reached up, snatched a Bell’s Pale Ale out of one of our Team member’s hands and downed a big swig. She took the hand-up as effortlessly and naturally as most racers would grab energy drink at an aid-station. We had found our women.

After a long “silly season” of negotiations leading up to Erin’s signing of her new six-figure* contract with the Team, we welcome her to the madness that will be 2008.

* Sorry, the Bell’s Team does not disclose decimal places.

For those of you who are statisticians, we provide you with the following race information on Erin from 2007:

CHICKASAW TRACE CLASSIC (Columbia, TN) - 3/25/07
Expert/Pro Women-7th Place
PONTIAC LAKE TIME TRIAL - 4/15/07
Expert/Elite Women-1st Place
YANKEE SPRINGS TIME TRIAL - 4/22/07
Expert/Elite Women-2nd Place
FORT CUSTER STAMPEDE CROSS COUNTRY - 5/6/07
Expert/Elite Women-1st Place
BRIGHTON RECREATION AREA STAGE RACE - 5/19/07
Expert/Elite Women-Stage Champion
HANSON HILLS CROSS COUNTRY - 6/3/07
Expert/Elite Women-1st Place
BLOOMER CROSS COUNTRY - 6/10/07
Expert/Elite Women-1st Place
STONY CREEK MARATHON - 6/30/07
Expert/Elite Women-1st Place
USAC NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS (Mt. Snow, VT) - 7/20-22/07
Expert Women 25-29 Cross Country-4th Place
Open Women Short Track-5 Place
BIG M CROSS COUNTRY - 8/5/07
Expert/Elite Women-3rd Place
ORE TO SHORE - 8/11/07
Hard Rock Women 25-29-1st Place
Hard Rock Women Overall-6th Place
PONTIAC LAKE CROSS COUNTRY - 8/26/07
Expert/Elite Women-1st Place
STONY CREEK CROSS COUNTRY - 9/9/07
Expert/Elite Women-2nd Place
PEAK-TO-PEAK CROSS COUNTRY – 10/20/07
Elite Women-1st Place
ICEMAN COMETH CROSS COUNRTY – 11/10/07
PRO/EXPERT WOMEN-11th Place

USAC MI Women Elite Champion 2007

Teammates Mike Simonson, John Meyers, Joe Bruszchanski, Jason Lummis, Scott Quiring and Jason Jones Welcome Erin to the team. Not only is she a fast racer, she is an outstanding person, that brings a great personality to any race or ride.

Look for the 2008 jersey design in the next few weeks.

AND YES HOPLSLAM IS HERE !