We like to keep current on the locals out racing on the big scene – fighting the good fight. Jelly Belly neo-pro Sean Mazich is one of them. Below are a couple Q&A’s with Sean as he’s just returned from racing in China.

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Velocity Group Cycling: How has the first half of your season gone? Are you happy with your performance?

Sean Mazich: It has gone great I think. I have gotten results and helped the team. For it being my first year I would say I’m very happy with it and can’t wait to hopefully keep learning and getting better.

VGC:  What’s surprised you most about racing on the professional circuit?

SM: What has surprised me the most would be HOW INSANE CHINA WAS!!

A photo Sean snapped while in China.

VGC: Have you become pretty proficient at living out of a suitcase?

SM: I’m truly amazing at it. I have been doing it all year.

VGC: We hear you’ve recently spent some time in China. How was the Tour of Qinghai Lake?

SM: Wow where do I even begin on this question. China is insane. We where in the mountains at 10 to 14,000ft the whole time in these little tiny mountain towns. which was good and bad. Got so see some amazing views which was really nice. The racing was really tough. I was working full on for my teammate and gave the man everything I had. It was also my first time completing a 10 day stage race. In the end I’m glad I went and was very pleased with way I rode. Gotta go back in October to!

A China photo Sean shared with us.

VGC: What are your plans for the rest of the season?

SM: Still have a ways to go for the rest of the season. Road Nationals is in South Carolina on September 19, then off to Vegas for Inter bike, After that its back to China for another 10 day stage race then shooting over to Korea for a 5 day stage race. Should be gone and home on November 1.

Thanks Sean and best of luck with the rest of 2010.

By now you may have noticed the Scottsdale Cycling Festival (formerly the Tour de Scottsdale) logo running on the right sidebar of our website. We were recently contacted by the event management team to discuss the event and how we might be able to assist. After meeting with everyone to chat about this year’s edition of the event we whole heartedly offered our support and endorsement. It’s not often that you come across a local cycling event that is not only excited about providing an excellent race but committed to seeing the event grow in the future. That’s the vibe we got from the people behind the Scottsdale Cycling Festival. It’s small grassroot events like this that grow into the larger national level cycling events we see today. All it takes is the support of the cycling community – that’s where we stand, in support.

So… you all will see a lot more about the Scottsdale Cycling Festival on our website in the near future.

But for now, why not browse their website to become a bit more familiar with the event. As an example, new to the event this year is an all-categories criterium.

Or, check out their Facebook page.

Thanks.

Admin

We like staying up-to-date with cyclists in our state. Whether you’re training for a big 24-hour mountain bike race, winning State Championships, or racing the NRC circuit – we’d like to keep in touch with you and keep our cycling community updated on your happenings. Staying true to that theme we decided to drop Jonathan Parrish a quick line with a few questions about what he’s up to and what the 2010 season has been like with Kenda Pro Cycling Presented by GearGrinder.

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Velocity Group Cycling: Jon, this is your second year in the professional ranks. Tell us how your season has been going so far?

Jon Parrish: This season has been pretty low key for me considering a deeper roster than last year.

Team Bio Photo

VGC: How does the professional racing in NRC events differ from a local event? Obviously we know it’s faster, but is it better organized, more focused, more team work, what?

JP: NRC events are more focused and more teams are represented which means the competition is greater and just about everyone knows how to ride their bike. There is very little negative racing and everyone really brings their A-Game.

VGC: Your team, Kenda-Gear Grinder, has added some real strength and depth this season. How has that helped the team?

JP: Picking up Luca Damiani from Colavita has really added to our consistency when it comes to sprinting. A few of the other strong riders, such as Chad Hartley and Chad Burdzilauskas, have given our team more options and depth.

The squad.

VGC: What’s it been like having Frankie Andreau as director?

JP: From what I see he has been a great addition of knowledge and experience.

VGC: What races are next on your 2010 schedule?

JP: Tour of Dairyland. After that the schedule for the remainder of the year is still to be determined due to budgetary constraints.

VGC: Any goals or plans with those races?

JP: One of my goals is to work towards getting my teammate Chad Hartley in the overall again and secure a stage win.

VGC: Thanks for taking a few minutes to chat with us. We’ll check back in with you in a few months for another update. Best of luck with the upcoming races!

Chad Beyer (BMC Racing Team) has won the points classification at the Tour de Romandie!

Going in to the final stage of the tour, Beyer needed to maintain his point advantage over Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d’Epargne) and he did just that.

Photo courtesy of Tim de Waele.

Read more about it on the BMC team page: Click here.

For some great photos of Beyer in action at the Tour de Romandie, please visit BMC Racing Team’s Picasa page – more great Tim de Waele photos!

That’s all.

Admin.

Anyone out on the Arizona cycling scene has seen Sean Mazich in action the last couple of years. Things have gone well enough to secure him a ride for the 2010 season with the Jelly Belly Professional Cycling Team.

Like anything good coming out of Arizona, we’re keeping tabs on him.

A few light questions to keep you updated on his 2010 campaign….

Velocity Group Cycling: What’s your first few months as a professional been like?

Sean Mazich: Amazing!! Riding for Jelly Belly P/B Kenda has been everything I thought it would be and more.

VGC: So team camp… was it like Christmas day when you got your suitcase filled with clothing and team gear?

SM: It was. When we first showed up we walked into a room filled with nothing but Jelly Belly “swag” I have everything you can think of with Jelly Belly on it!

VGC: How have you been getting along with the team? Good group of guys or what? Be honest, we won’t tell them…

SM: We get along great! Amazing group of guys. Especially Brad Huff. I mean what a good person. He has really taken me under his wing and already in one race I’ve learned so much. Couldn’t ask for a better man to learn from.

VGC: What’s next on your racing campaign?

SM: Bisbee then maybe Joe Martin.

VGC: How has your mentality changed since turning pro and cycling becoming your full-time job?

SM: Just truly blessed. I just wanna thank Jelly Belly P/B Kenda and Danny for giving me this opportunity. It’s the first time I’ve just been able to ride and not work. Truly a dream come true. Thanks guys.

VGC: Any big goals or plans for the racing season?

SM: To do whatever is asked for me by my team. This year is more about learning for me. Such a awesome team so many amazing guys to do so from. But I’ll still win races in the meantime!!

VGC: Thanks Sean. We’ll catch up with you later in the season for some more Q & A.

Many of us know Chad Beyer from his years and years of involvement in the Arizona cycling scene. For those that don’t know Chad, his abbreviated progression went something like this: Domenics → USA National Team → and now on to the BMC Racing Team.

Photo courtesy of Tim de Waele

Yeah, like the big time BMC Racing Team… as in Cadel and Hincapie “big time”. We’ve done our best since this site started to follow Chad and keep up to snuff with his progression, travels, and career. This is just one installment and update of many for the 2010 cycling season.

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Euro Integration

I’m back in Europe and it’s not with the USA U23 National Team. It’s a little different this time around there’s not an American bubble. I’m currently living with Tejay Van Garderen here in Lucca, Italy. I’m working on getting my own place with Bjorn Sealander. The riding here is awesome, I’m really enjoying it. I’ve already have had a couple of big races. My last race was Criterium International. It’s pretty cool getting to race with all the guys I grew up watching on TV. It’s a whole other level though. It’s going to take me a little while to get there, but I’ll get there. My next race is Giro della Trentino. It’s one of the last tune up races for all the guys headed to the Giro de Italia. It should be a good show. I won’t be doing the Giro de Italia, I think I’ll be in California. The food here in Italy is amazing, but I do miss me a good burrito…

-Chad Beyer

Photo courtesy of Tim de Waele

After some voting, some thinking, and some insight from you all, we’ve decided to introduce a Forum to this site.

All we ask is this: lets do our best to keep this forum positive and not some sort of grounds for bashing folks.

I fully support debate, discussion, and banter, but let’s keep it ‘above the belt’.

To access the Forum, click “The Forum” tab at the top of this page. There is one post that is a requested read before you ‘register’ for an account. Read it over as it sheds some insight in to the Forum and the registration process.

Best of all, the Forum will now allow us to pull in more community participation and enable this website to better circulate Arizona cycling information. That’s our goal!!

Thanks.

Admin