It’s the time of year when YGR starts hassling all the local teams to get their press releases so everyone knows what everyone else is up to. By my count, there are 16 cycling teams in Fort Collins. This week we’re dropping some Sugar Beets deets. As one of the more active teams in the area, they’ve got a lot planned both in the way of racing and supporting/building community.
Sugar Beets Cycling Team enters their 3rd season with renewed energy focused on the mission to grow women’s bike racing in Northern Colorado. The Sugar Beets’ goal is to empower more women to compete in the sport of cycling by breaking down real or perceived barriers, leading, and inspiring by example.
The Sugar Beets race in the Pro / Elite / Cat 1 fields in mountain and cyclocross. In 2019 the team hosted the 1st and 2nd place Pro racers at the Colorado State XC Championship series. We had 5 competitors at USA Cycling MTB National Championships—the most Pro racers for any one women’s team. There we earned a 4th place podium in the Single Speed Category, 11th place in Pro Enduro, and 2-Top 20’s in the Pro XC race. We led 30 group rides including women’s road, women’s mountain, and our Beet Roots youth skills series, and the team put in over 120 hours of volunteer service in the cycling community.
For 2020 we are stoked to #UnleashTheBeets. Our fire and passion for the mission have reignited with fresh faces, gritty determination to be our best, and inspiration to dare other women to do the same. This year the Sugar Beets are ambassadors for the Pikes Peak Apex and plan to race USA Cycling MTB Nationals, Colorado State XC Championships, Laramie Epic, Steamboat Stinger, Epic Off Road races, Winter Park Classics, and more. This spring we’ll again be leading a progressive road ride series focusing on skills for women. We’re planning to host “Beet Roots”, an empowering mountain bike program for young ladies, with concomitant mom’s rides this summer. In the fall look for our intermediate and advanced mountain bike group rides.
Fresh Beet faces this year are Valerie Collins, Maria Esswein, Tenae Jones, and Becky Mikrut. Returning members are Celeste Cannon, Anna Kelso, and Samantha Welter. OG members Jenny Gerow and Bella Oleksy will continue to support the team mission from afar.
The magic happens with wonderful community support and partnerships from Trek Bicycle Fort Collins-South, Scrimshaw Tattoo, Whole Family Neurofeedback, Chiropractic Associates of Fort Collins, GardenYards, Ben Cornali with C3 Real Estate Solutions, Endurance Health and Performance, CBDepot, Kind Care of Colorado, Old Town Athletic Club, Rally King Brewing, and Borah Teamwear.
Try to keep up
Site: https://www.sugarbeetscycling.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SugarBeetsCycling/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sugarbeetscycling/
