Sponsors and Friends,

Here is the latest news, results, and ride reports from Louis Garneau Racing!

We are pleased to announce that Ted King has joined the team. Ted is currently a student at Middlebury College and will be a great addition to the team.*

June turned out to be a great month for us. The groundwork that was done in the spring is now starting to pay off as we head into the peak of the summer racing season. June started off with a bang as our Cat 3's dominated New England racing. Damon Parke secured our first win of the season at the Ashburnham Grand Prix with new recruit Ted King coming in just behind him. Dan Cassidy and Ted were not to be outdone by Damon- the very next day, Ted won the New England Crit Championships and Dan followed in right behind him for second place! What a start to the month!

Dan and Ted have both received their cat 2 upgrades and Damon only has 6 more points to go! I am looking forward to racing with these guys as they have all shown some great strength this spring.

I have just finished packing up the car. Tomorrow the team heads down to Fitchburg, MA for the annual Longsjo Classic. This race has been the team's focus for the past 6 months and we are all looking forward to mixing it up with the top racers in the country. Dan, Ian, Mat and I will be doing the Pro/1/2 race while Bill will be doing the cat 4 race. Look for a full Fitchburg report in our July newsletter.

I wanted to take a moment to thank all our sponsors. This team would not exist if it wasn't for your continued support. Thank you!

Andrew Knight
Team Director, Louis Garneau Racing

*Editors Note: Unfortunately, Ted broke his collar bone in the Auburn Road Race....he is on the road to recovery, but will be out of racing until GMSR.

Team Members Update's

Damon, Dan, and Andrew met up with the Louis Garneau crew in Stowe, VT for the 2004 catalog photoshoot. Damon is now reevaluating his career options and is contemplating a career as a cycling model. The 2004 catalog should hit dealers this fall.

Damon is taking a 3 week break from New England racing to go ride in France (Damon, that sounds so Pro). He will be catching some of the Tour de France and participating in a few races while there, most notably, a 120 mile race in France that will take him over many of the famed climbs in the tour. Good luck Damon, and we will see you in July.

Two weeks ago, the team took the weekend off from racing and headed up to Quebec City for the Louis Garneau summer sales meeting. We had a great time hanging out with the Louis Garneau crew and leading a ride with all the sales reps.

Top Results:

May 31, Ashburnham Grand Prix    photos | full results
Damon Parke 1st (Cat 3/4)
Ted King 2nd (Cat3/4)
Bill Dillon 8th (Cat 3/4)

June 1, New England Crit Championships    photos | full results
Ted King 1st (Cat3)
Dan Cassidy 2nd (Cat 3)
Bill Dillon 8th (Cat 4)

June 8, Auburn Road Race   photos | full results
Andrew Knight 8th (Pro/1/2)
Damon Parke 3rd (Cat 3)

June 9, Auburn Crit   photos | full results
Damon Parke 3rd (Cat 3)

June 21, Ninigrit Crit   full results
Ian Beilby 5th (30+)

June 22, VeryFine Grand Prix   full results
Dan Cassidy 8th (Pro/1/2)
Andrew Knight 14th (Pro/1/2)
Damon Parke 4th (Cat 3)
Bill Dillon 3rd (Cat 4)

Ride Reports

Tour of Somerville   photos
by Ian Beilby
Rain has been the story for much of the season in the Northeast, so it was no surprise that after a weekend of damp drizzle, the weather really opened up for this fast, 20 mile criterium. One nice feature at the venue in downtown Somerville was the abundance of roof overhangs riders could stay dry under while warming up.

Andrew Knight and I showed up for the self billed "Kentucky Derby" of cycling and after a quick dash around the course to get a preview, we lined up with the other 80 or so riders. We were dressed in everything from full Winter training garb to mid Summer skins.

As expected the race started fast. With only twenty miles to race, nearly everyone expected to arrive at the line together for a sprint but since that didn't suit us very well, I was going to do everything I could to make something happen. My strategy was reinforced when riders started going down in the puddles on the first lap. I figured it as better to be out with a small group than in a mass of cyclists with impaired vision and heart rates way above lactate threshold.

On lap two I experimented out front, testing the legs and seeing what it was going to take to maintain a lead on an angry field. After about half a lap I was easily reeled in. A few other riders tried similar antics and each time were pulled back into the swarm of cold, wet, upgrade point seeking II's.

The race continued around the 1.25 mile lap and almost everytime some brain dead rider on the front overcooked turn 4 and went down. There must be something that happens when at the front of a bike race that makes one forget how to handle a bike in the wet weather on slippery pavement. Somewhere near the middle of the race, I saw longtime breakaway partner from Fitchburg, and the Poughkeepsie Crit, Dave Ebling of Webevent attack with another rider. I figured this would be my best chance of the day and closed the gap. We gained about 7 seconds quickly but never got more. After a lap of serious effort and a decreasing split, it was over.

Another lap or two and Andrew found his legs and gave a try off the front. He met the same fate as all those before him and was assimilated back into the peleton.

After 15 laps and about 14 crashes, the sprint was inevitable. I put myself in the best position I could and then watched a couple of racers to my right tangle wheels and hit the pavement hard. Andrew was unlucky to be behind it but lucky enough to be far behind it and to stay upright. I continued with the thinned out bunch and came around the last corner in good position, about 8th. That's when I remembered why I wanted to have a go early in the race. Within the space of 300 meters, 22 riders sprung by me to get to the line first, leaving me in 30th spot. That's bike racing.

Downtown Claremont Criterium    full results
by Dan Cassidy
Under beautiful, sunny skies this Sunday's crit at Claremont went as well as I could have expected. With little wind and a flat finish, the day was ideal for a break, and Damon and I put forth a concerted effort to see that the race split. I attacked repeatedly, eventually breaking free by about the fifth lap. Within 30 or so minutes another rider and I had lapped the field, after which I attempted to get Damon up the road. Ultimately, the race came down to a field sprint, which I led out a bit too early to finish second, while Damon rode well to a strong finish in the bunch.

Ashburnham Grand Prix   photos | full results
by Damon Parke
The riders in the mens 3/4 race at the Ashburnham Grand Prix really felt the presence of Team Louis Garneau on Saturday. Represented by Cat 3 riders Dan Cassidy and Damon Parke, and Cat 4 rider Bill Dillon, Team Louis Garneau made the pack work from the start of the race. Early in the race, Damon and Dan tried pushing the pace at the front with hopes of causing a break away from the field of just under 90 racers. Several laps in, Dan tried to get away from the field while Damon and Bill worked to stop the attacks. The field was too fast and the attempts were unsuccessful.

With seven laps to go, and with the rain starting to come down, it was clear that the race would be decided by a massive sprint. Team Louis Garneau was quick to realize this and they worked to maintain their position at the front of the field.

Things could not have worked out any better in the sprint. Damon forced his way out of the top of the field and jumped onto a train of two riders moving up the left side. At 33 mph, these were quick decisions. Damon held his position in third place until the moment came. With one hundred meters to go he jumped for it and he held it until the line. Badda bing badda boom! Victory!

Lake Auburn Road Race    photos | full results
by Damon Parke (Cat 3 Race)
The first hilly race of the season was exciting to say the least. In just the first lap there were crashes, breakaways and blowing tires, enough to make anyone question their security on the bike.

Unlike the week before at Ashburnham, Damon was alone in the Lake Auburn road race and could have used a teammate on several occasions. Due to the pack's unwillingness to respond to attacks, Damon played a lot of defense and bridged many gaps during the race. Coming off his win from the week before, Damon wanted to taste victory again and he worked hard to keep anyone from spoiling his chances.

With 3 miles to go in the race and after capturing the lone escapee that had slipped away from the pack on the 4th lap, the race seemed headed again towards a massive sprint at speeds in excess of 35 miles per hour. The long gradual descent towards the finish was perfect for setting up a massive high-speed field sprint and so it happened. After working hard to maintain a good position at the head of the field, Damon managed to pull off a third place finish, just edging out one of his main competitors, Corey Piscopo from NH.

Other Notable News and Events:

GMBC Time Trial Series    full results
Andrew continues to dominate the local time trial series. Four more course records!