Thanks to everyone that came to the Cedropalooza races this past weekend. The team had a blast (and some stress) organizing and running the race, but in the end everything worked out.
If you have any questions or comments, send them to race@mountaintopcycling.com
We have posted the Super-D results, and the XC results.
Thanks to our sponsors and volunteers!

| 09.15.2008 |

Sport Systems MTC claimed the top three spots on the podium at the Signal Peak Challenge on Sunday August 26.
Damian Calvert won the Pro/Semi-Pro category, with Jens Nielsen second and Santiago Chavez third. The team was treated to a fast and dry course in the beautiful Gila Mountains.
Check our updated results.

| 08.25.2008 |

Sport Systems recently purchased Sportz Outdoor, improving their position in both winter sports (skiing, snowboarding, XC, etc...) and summer sports (road cycling, mountain biking, BMX, hiking, etc...). For the best in local service and support of your outdoor activities, stop by the store located at 6915 Montgomery, near Louisiana.
We are excited to have Sport Systems as our title sponsor for 2008 and beyond! You can reach the bike shop at (505) 837-9400.

| 08.13.2008 |

This year saw a course change in the Pajarito Punishment race near Los Alamos. However, that did not change the team's ability to get some top finishes, including the pro win by Damian Calvert.
Mountain Flyer has an article about the race.
Oh, and Damian also won the Santa Fe Hill Climb on August 3.
Check our updated results.

| 08.13.2008 |

Travis Dixon won the Bonanza Creek road race this past weekend.
On the dirt, Damian Calvert, Jens Nielsen, AnnMarie Bailey and Chris Casey took the top spot in their MTB categories.
Check our updated results.

| 07.30.2008 |

A parent enjoyed the kid's race that Sport Systems MTC sponsored at the Sandia Peak Challenge:

"Thank you for hosting the kids' race. My kids had a great time racing, and of course loved the prizes they brought home. They wouldn't stop talking about it after we came home. We really appreciate your effort in putting that on.
-Ben Spencer"

There are also some pictures posted, taken by Kevin Eddy. Contact him if you want a copy.

| 07.28.2008 |

In the height of the New Mexico monsoon, the NMORS series resumed with a great race, to race money for Cystic Fibrosis, at the Sandia Peak Ski area outside Albuquerque. The trails were nice and tacky, even a little wet in places.
However, that didn't prevent the team from finishing in the top positions in many of the race categories.
Check our updated results.

| 07.16.2008 |

Sport Systems MountainTop Cycling has become a true international team. Not only does the team compete in New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and Texas, but also in Finland and Australia. Jason Quenzler won a 3man 8hr endurance race in Newcastle, Australia. And this coming weekend, Jeff Collins will race his mountain bike Teko, Finland.
Check our updated results.

| 06.24.2008 |

On June 1, Sport Systems MountainTop Cycling showed up with a strong group of riders for the Sandia Crest Road Race. The Pro/1/2 race had a good group of team members, all with the focus on delivering Damian to a top position.
After good teamwork, and very fierce competition from strong racers, Damian finished with a very respectable 4th place.
The Cat 3 had 4 racers from the team. There was no obvious leader as the race started, but when Jens got into a 3 man break after just 25 minutes, the teamwork in the field was exemplary.
The Jason, Dax and Ethan controlled any attempts to chase down the breakaway. This excellent work resulted in a win for Jens in the Cat 3 race.
The final results will be posted soon.

| 06.03.2008 |

In the 3rd annual La Tierra Torture in Santa Fe, Damian wins the Pro race, and team finished with many top 3 results.
This past weekend, Jens Nielsen wins his second solo 12 hours of Mesa Verde title. He rode 126 miles and climed over 11,000 ft in 11:40.

| 05.13.2008 |

The next NMORS race is the Sandia Peak Challenge on July 12, but the break in the NMORS off road calendar just mean that the team can race other venues. This past weekend, Dax Kastrin, Adam Hoppe, Chris Casey and Jens Nielsen raced in the Chili Challenge at Angel Fire. The team finished with several top results.
Several team members made the trip to Durango to race in the Iron Horse Classic. However the road race was canceled, so the team only got to race in the Criterium and time trial, but with good results.
On June 1, look for us in the Sandia Crest Road Race.

| 05.27.2008 |

Last weekend, the team raced in the NMORS Tour of Socorro. Marty Moriarty wins the Omnium in Expert 30-39. Jay English finishes 3rd in the same category. In the Pro category, Santiago Chavez finishes in 3rd place.
Other noticeable were: Tyson - 1st Sport 20-29, Bill - 2nd Sport 40-49, Annmarie - 2nd Expert women.
Results...

This coming weekend - look for us in Santa Fe, for the La Tierra Torture

| 04.28.2008 |

At the Tour Del Paso, Santiago wins the GC for Men 3, Damian finishes 3rd in GC for Pro/1/2/3 and Bill finishes 3rd in GC for Masters 45+.
While the road team was busy in El Paso, John rode his mountain bike to a strong 3rd place finish in the Dawn til Dusk 12hrs race in Gallup.
Results...

| 04.14.2008 |

In the final weekend of March, the team scores two wins.
Damian Calvert wins A-race at the Tierra Del Sol road race, and Matt Chanin wins the B-race. In the first race of the NM Off-Road Series, Damian wins the Pro mountain bike race.
Results...

| 03.31.2008 |

The team scores a win in the 2008 Lobo Classic Criterium.
Damian wins the Pro/1/2/3 Criterium, and the team has several other top 3 finishes in the other races of the weekend.
Results...

| 03.04.2008 |

So another 24hrs In The Old Pueblo has come and gone, and I'm glad to say the second time was better than the first...with the exception of getting second in the 4 man open instead of winning the Duo Open in 2007.
The snow was falling as we rolled into Mudville 24Hr town, the bikes already had been put through the ringer before they got off the rack!
Marty had the 28' Budget moving truck set up for us and King Kong was setting up the camp by the time we arrived. Quenzler and I decided to suit up and went out for a 30min ride to get dialed in. Taosenos don't shy away from a wet snow ride, especially in Tucson, AZ!

After a night of carbon monoxide dosing in the Budget moving truck with the door pulled down, we awoke to snow on the offloading ramp and wet soggy conditions. Perfect day for racing...especially for 24HRS...NOT! Perfect time to sip coffee, stay warm, and catch up with the guys.
Quenzler warmed up for his "1/4 mile run-to-the-bikes" start and threw down an amazing run. 'The Natural' is a ringer and he was first into the singletrack on the bike, the perfect start! He came through the start/finish tent in 6th spot or so and handed the baton to me to get out there and get it done. I had a fantastic lap and really felt great on the bike, kinda scary since it's only mid February and I'm feeling June fit already. Must've been the Astana training, and all the time working legs and core at Defined this winter. My first lap proved to be my best lap and at 1hr 9seconds it became the lap time everyone would shoot for the rest of the race.

Marty took his turn on the bike and blew out some winter crud for sure, his shivering all night sapped some of his power but he still turned a quick lap. Hoppe, the self proclaimed "Pro/Sport rider" followed Marty and he showed some of the old skills that kept him atop the podium here in NM for years. Being sick and his "crazy busy life" showed they were slowing him down some though.
At this point in the race, after the first 4hrs and 4laps we were in second place behind the Kona (2 time defending champs, PRO MTB'rs, title sponsor of the event). Last year they won handily by over 2 hours so they were probably a little confident going into their second rotation of their riders. On lap 5 Quenzler turned a six minute gap into a six minute lead and we were back in the front of the race!!!
Let's give them a run for it this year!

After my second lap we were up by 11mins and so they sent out Barry Wicks (Short Track MTB National Champ) for some back to back laps and he pulled the gap back in. We were in a dog fight and alarm bells were going off at camp Kona. They had the set up that we all envied, 4 Eurovans for warm plush relaxation, the two huge shade tents with full mechanic set up - and a mechanic, full food buffet, lounging camp chairs around the firepit, and right next to the start tent...sponsoring the event has it's benefits!
With the alarm bells ringing over at Kona we fired up the propane heater in the 'ghetto moving truck/RV' we were camping in. It was going to be a long cold night. We took the lead through the night and at one point we were up by over 22mins.

They responded as a super Pro team would, they kicked their two slower riders out of the rotation and put the task of reeling us back in on the shoulders of Wicks and Chris Sneddon (Pro Marathon AZ champ). Those two went to work on us and chipped away until they got the lead back. We gave them as much as we could muster at 4am but we all had some issues; Q had some engine troubles, I saw tracers for 15mins one lap, Marty was sacked out in the Budget RV, and Hoppe and my lights went dead during our laps - rookie mistake - never trust a company's statements about light 'burn-time' being 4hrs on high beam!). I mentioned this team was a rookie team right??

With Wicks and Sneddon turning laps and the energy running low at camp Tres Hueddos y un Coyote I resigned to keep spirits high and have fun. Every race has a moment when you know you've either won or lost and I had that moment on lap 17 when I bridged the gap to Kona Chris Sneddon on the rollers and then we raced most of the lap together. After overshooting a tight corner I flatted and watched him ride away. I fixed the flat and tried like hell to keep my moral up and hammer the last climb. Finishing 3mins down from him was the last time we'd see Kona within our reach.
We got fired up on caffeine, realized we were not going to win - this time; then we gave it hell and had some fantastic laps to finish out the event. Marty awoke from his slumber and burned two of his fastest laps, Q stepped as always and I managed to turn a sub 1:05 lap on my last time out (1:04:59sec)!!
What an experience - what a full day on a bike!!

After the non-existent dust settled we had taken second place, 16mins down on Kona, and ~1:20mins up on third place Rocinante. Before Before awards we congratulated team Kona and they recapped their experience (that's how we knew alarm bells were going off LOUDLY in their camp). Their two "ringers" really stepped up and we cannot say anything but DA-DAMN about their effort. I wish their team would've battled our team straight up (4-on-4 grudge match), but there's always next year! We'll definitely be there to try and to take one more step up the podium. I'll be defending the fastest lap of the race *asterisk at the bottom of the results... but most importantly I'll be there to go through trials and tribulations of battling the Pro's, the elements, the carbon monoxide, the bonk tracers in the night, and the internal struggle that makes us all tick - pedal stroke by pedal stroke, lap by lap, sun to moon, day to night, high noon to midnight; knowing some of my best friends are there with me.

D-Rock

Cheers,
Damian

A bunch of pictures

| 02.24.2008 |

"So I hopped into this group ride today..." The Astana team rolled out of the Embassy Suites this morning for their training ride and I was there sliding into the back of this pack with some of the best in the world. At the first stoplight I saw Chris Horner and called him out, "Yo Horner". He was totally cool and rode with me almost to Tramway. Once he and I were laughing together I figured Bruyneel and Galopin wouldn't give me the boot out of his teams ride. It was media day with a caravan of 10 or so cars with camera lenses sticking out of them. Speaking of sticking out, I stuck out like a sore thumb in my red jacket, black shorts, and Cannondale SuperSix bike. Riding in the sea of Astana blue and Trek Madone's looked cool to me, but I bet I stuck out big time - even in the back of the pack. Marta Bastianelli, 2001 Women's World Champ, was along for the ride in her non-Astana kit so I had company in the odd-color back of the pack. She spoke French and Italian but no habla espanol or English so we didn't say much. Horner pointed out who she was and then it all made sense why I was getting half-wheeled at the back.

Horner is a totally cool rider from Bend, Oregon who spends 3 months a year in Denia, Spain; a tourista hub for English and Germans. His credentials are huge (15th last year in the tour behind teammate Cadel Evans who got second!). He has always been one of the best from the US and has had some great Euro results too. So he's layiing it all out there for me, the lifestyle in Spain, he wants to learn more espanol but can't find the time. He started going through his spring schedule and it blows me away with how heavy that physical burden is, racing, racing, stage racing, recover for 2 or 3 days then get back on it. I asked when the exhaustion kicks in and he told me about the post Tour de France exhaustion and depression. After being amped on so much caffeine, sugar, and the adrenaline of racing in the fastest pack on the planet, you're alone and your system is wrung out and you feel like doo. I dug deep into my memory reserves and recalled last years 24hrs In the Old Pueblo mountain bike race for something that maybe slightly resembled what he was talking about. I was cooked for over a week after that race and I was only half of a 2 man team.... but to do the big spring UCI campaign and finish it off with the TOUR DE FRANCE....that'll make you take some naps!!!
So we kept rolling along, through all the stoplights, escorted by the policia. When the road hit Bernalillo I was glad we turned East...onto the climbs...this is what I came for...

We had been riding for about an hour at 22mph, nice and easy in heart rate Zone 1...but that was changing quickly. Contador, Noval, and some other 130lb'r rode off the front for an effort, and I stayed put. The pack re-grouped at the top of the first big hill and I was about 3 guys back in a 2-man paceline. Then Then we hit the Placitas Mini-Mart climb and Horner and I took over from Leipheimer and Contador who just pulled off.
This is where it all happened for me, I realized we just took the pull from numero uno y tres in the Tour. So Horner and I are keeping the pace strong and before we know it, there's a big gap behind us. We both decided to keep it going and he mentioned we were pushing some good watts as he could see on his power meter. Shoulder to shoulder with one of the best climbers and stage racers from the US, in the blowing snow of Placitas! DA DAMN! The grade decreases at the top before the snow packed dirt road forces the turn-around, so we could finally speak again and he gave me some climbing props that I humbly appreciated...apparently this is some real altitude for the Euro's as the tour only hits 6,000ft occasionally and we were probably at 7,000ft today. The photographers were snapping pics and one of them asked "who are you??" ...."I'm just a local guy" ... and the disappointed "oh" response came after that, then they floored it. Pretty funny. So we went off the front and gapped the Astana train by about 30 seconds. That did not just happen!
The storm was hitting hard by now and so everyone gathered around the back of Johan and Galopins car and out came the coffee, pastries, bananas, and the full cold weather jackets. Oh to be pro.....
The guy from cyclingnews.com told Johan to get my resume and he looked at me and sneered..."ah you snuck into the ride, very good...". Just yesterday he was not giving me the green light to join the ride, but he didn't give me the red light either so here I was, at the top of a climb, in the snow, with Astana! The AP photographer and cyclingnews photographer said they'd email me some pics of the climb. I'm hanging that one in my bike shop/ man cave for sure, the wall of fame just got another pic to go along with the jersey Horner and Leipheimer signed for me...hell yeah I had the sharpie in my jersey pocket ready to write!
Horner later told me that once they know you can ride they aren't too nervous about you being in the pack as long as you're respectful; so I assumed my place at the back of the pack once again.
Freezing cold with a perma-frost grin, I was hanging at the back and then Contador rolls up from the cars ...I throw out "Hace mucho frio no?"
El Campeon: "No...en Espana entrenamos en quince grados...."
Yo: "Oh entonces este clima es perfecto!"
El: "Si...mas o menos..."

Then this young crazy Swiss dude that resembled my towering teammates on Mountaintop Cycling rolls up singing some kind of Christmas carol and yelling how he feels right at home, because he can't feel his fingers anymore! Laughing all the way... on his one horse open sleigh...singing all the way! He tells me his name is Shar then he drills it to the front, I guess he had to go to work or something. All the bikes had their names on the back upper right of the top tube so I could scout out names along the ride. I recognized Vaitkus, and Brajkovic (talk about a climbers build!). I also tried to ride my line the best I could so I didn't get kicked off cloud nine by Johan or Galopin!
The rest of the ride was chilly and great, rolling back into Albuquerque with the police escorts, shooting the breeze with Horner about the San Diego roads, the Swami's group ride, his boy Trent Klasna, and being a working dad. He's got three kids...and my respect for him just increased even more! His European re-insurgence has been a great thing for fans and I conveyed how pumped I was to ride with one of the animators of major races, here and abroad. His 20+yr career has been consistently stacked with HUGE results. He also replayed a stage in the tour, a BIG CLIMBING stage when he was with Vino, Heras, Botero and some others.
On a rotation Levi came alongside briefly, I had met him before at a party Bart Bowen threw when he lived here in the late 90's. Levi and Bart were teammates on Saturn and one of our local massage therapists Brian Miller was their soigneur so we had a few things to talk about. Horner and Leipheimer signed my jersey and then went out for a few more hours in the snow...hard core! So it was another great day on a bike, and the overall theme that became clear was; these amazing riders and the stellar results don't change the fact that they are just guys who love to ride bikes...very fast!

Ride on,
Damian

| 01.27.2008 |

As reported by Josh.

Our great Sunday RR turned into a killer once-in-a-lifetime ride.... we had already done the Northwest loop and were coming south, we stopped in Ventana Ranch for some grub. 5 minutes later, Jens hollers "there they are!" after we had been talking about Astana all morning.
We split that Giant at warp speed, tailgunned the caravan and police escort. We were a bit hesitant about cutting off Johan Bruyneel (even though he rolled down his window and told Marty "hi") nd tacking on to the end of the group, so we stayed a couple cars back.
And let me tell ya, they were flying....like it aint no thang. Then at a stoplight, the perfect opportunity arose as a couple riders freewheeled back the fleet of rented minivans.....No kidding, Levi and Conta both came back, and we had a chat....
Rod was chatting with Levi, warning him of the storm that's coming tonight...while it hit Marty who's red whit and blue jersey that was in front of him....hehe.

I was rappin en espanol with Alberto:

Hola Alberta, que paso?
Bueno, que tal?
a muy bueno aqui!
tu habla espanol un poquito?
si si, un poquito....
Te gusta? ( my spanish sucks )
Ah mas o menos...es muy frio...something something mal...
Ah si si....

and that was it. the light turned and we waited...he was wearing just a bandito neck gator...pretty PRO.

| 01.27.2008 |

After extensive redesign, Sport Systems MountainTop Racing are excited to announce the new website. The goal is to improve the team's presence on the web and to promote the team, our sponsors and activities. Follow the team's race schedule, results and other activities on this site. Remember to check back often for updates and news.

| 01.06.2007 |

Snow hits New Mexico, giving the team members a chance to do some cross training in the Sandia Mountains.

| 12.17.2007 |

A few team members got their hands on the new Scalpel from Cannondale. The consensus is that Cannondale has managed to make the best cross country race bike even better. Expect to see a lot of MTC riders on the new Scalpel in 2008.

| 11.10.2007 |

The inaugural season of MountainTop Cycling was fun and full of highlights. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of the team and the incredible support of our sponsors we were able to launch our team in January, right before the season began. From the very beginning our team had two requirements; you have to have the right character and values, and be fast on a bike!
We managed to have more fun than we deserved and be more successful as a team than we anticipated. Some highlights were:

Pro/Expert Level MTB Wins: 31
Cat Pro/1/2 Road & Cyclo-Cross Wins: 4

2007 Top 3 Road & MTB Podium Finishes: 76!!

Three of our riders; Damian Calvert (Pro/Semi-Pro), Jason Quenzler (Expert 30-39), and Rich Walters (Expert 40-49) won the New Mexico Off Road Series in their respective categories; while Jay English (Expert 20-29), Santiago Chavez (Expert 30-39), and AnnMarie Bailey (Expert Women) were NMORS runner-ups. Many of MTC's riders had career years on the mountain bike; Jason Quenzler won his third consecutive NMORS Title and won the USA Cycling NOVA National Mountain Bike Race in Phoenix, AZ. Damian went undefeated in the Pro/Semi-Pro category of the New Mexico Off Road Series and became the first New Mexico Pro to ever win the oldest mountain bike race in the USA - Farmington's Road Apple Rally (read complete race report).
On the road MountainTop made a huge splash with Damian winning the first NM Cat Pro/1/2 cyclocross race and three Cat Pro/1/2 road races (including The NM State Road Championships). These victory's and his other top 3 finishes helped him climb to second spot in the New Mexico Road Series. Santiago Chavez and Jason Quenzler both showed strong road skills in Cat 3, while AnnMarie Bailey gained some great road experience also.
2008 looks to be another great year as new members have joined our team. Travis Dixon, the New Mexico Road Series Champion in Cat Pro/1/2, has joined our road team as well as strong men Tony Bettini, James Warsa, Marty Moriarty, and Josh Perez. Jens Nielsen, '06 & '07 winner of the Expert 30-39 NM State MTB Championships, has joined our team and is already working with Albuquerque Open Space/BLM, IMBA, and USACycling to improve the Elena Gallegos trailsystem. With several other teammates joining our competitive racing teams and our non-competitive club teams we are really becoming a team of riders "for the sport". We hope you have a great 2008!

| 10.10.2007 |

by Damian Calvert
Winner of the Pro category

I have to share this story of one of the all time best bike races I've ever been in. The riders that show up annually to the Road Apple Rally are World Class and that's why this unique whoopy race in Northern New Mexico is the best...
According to www.roadapplerally.com lore, Ned got his first MTB win at this race in 1983. It was widely known in the mid-late 90's that he placed it atop his list of favorite courses. He was giving the up-and-coming Euro's something to chew on and have smoke filled bar-room say-it-don't-spray-it arguments over for sure. An American course, a New Mexican course, on top of Ned's list? Impossible, this "Road Apple" rally, horse vs. bikes race.. ffffffffffff. More...

| 10.06.2007 |