After a successful 2011 season that included 25 wins, 28 podium finishes and several top 15 results at National Racing Calendar events, Team Panther p/b Competitive Cyclist is pleased to announce the 2012 elite team roster.

Returning to the team are fast finishers Chris Uberti, Ryan Aitcheson and Ryan Knapp along with veterans Kirk Albers, Paul Martin and Andy Clarke. New additions to the team are Ben Damhoff (ABD), Gabriel Moss (Ohio State), Andy Seitz and Bob Stumpf (GPOA). Team Panther p/b Competitive Cyclist will continue its focus on developing young elite level riders by racing a Midwest based schedule which will include several National Racing Calendar and National Criterium Calendar events as well numerous regional pro/am events.

The team will race on Orbea Orca Silver carbon frames mated to Easton bars and stems and Easton EC90 SL carbon tubular wheelsets and use Giro’s Aeon helmet and Giordana clothing.

Full Team Roster:
Ryan Aitcheson, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
Kirk Albers, Upper Arlington, Ohio
Andy Clarke, Medina, Ohio
Ben Damhoff, Morrison, Illinois
Ryan Knapp, Bloomington, Indiana
Paul Martin, North Royalton, Ohio
Gabriel Moss, Columbus, Ohio
Andy Seitz, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Bob Stumpf, Beaver, Pennsylvania
Chris Uberti, Cincinnati, Ohio

For blogs, photos, results and more: teampanther.com, Twitter @PantherCycling and facebook.com/PantherCycling

Team Sponsors include: Panther Expedited Services, a leading provider of expedited ground, air and ocean freight services, Competitive Cyclist, the leading on-line bicycle retailer in the U.S., Orbea Bicycles, Giordana clothing, Easton wheels, stems, bars and Giro helmets and gloves.

Team Panther sent three riders to the Sylvania Classic Criterium just outside Toledo, Ohio over the weekend, this first year crit sported a $4000 purse and a tight, technical 6 turn 0.7 mile course.  I was on the return from a vacation out West with my family and scheduled the drive to coincide with this race, much to the chagrin of my lovely wife and kids.

The tight course made it imperative to stay at the front as the field lined out single file very quickly and gaps were hard to close.  Kirk and Andy started off the attacks right from the gun and put the field under pressure.  I followed an attack from Vince Roberge (MCG/Trails Edge), a strong rider and former Panther teammate, and we worked together smoothly and established a good gap as the skies darkened and a storm approached.

It’s always good to be off the front in a crit before the rain comes down. The rain started to fall about 45 minutes in, causing a number of crashes in the field. Within the last 5 laps, Vince and I lapped what was left of the field where Andy kept me out of trouble and in a good position to jump before the last turn and sprint for the win.  Kirk had escaped from the field and finished a strong 4th, with Andy coming in 12th.

Kudos to race promoter Jon Card who not only put together a great first year event but also finished 3rd in the Pro,1,2 field.

-Paul Martin

I’ve spent the last few months making the best of mother nature’s annual butt kicking. I stayed active on the mountain bike and engaged in nightly dates with my trainer and Netflix account. With a relatively light final semester at school, I was fortunate enough to have some time to make a few trips around the country to visit friends and family. I logged some long hours during my trips to Florida, Arizona and even a week long spring break trip to Northern California. I squeezed in a few training races in Florida and Arizona to boot.

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My winter has probably not been as exciting as many of the guys on the team, at least not cycling-wise. I have spent most of it in cold, snowy and dark Michigan, which means lots of time spent on the indoor trainer. My approach to dealing with this for the past couple of years has been to substitute volume with intensity: keep the rides short and sweet with very little downtime and hit it hard nearly every day of the week. It works pretty well as long as you aren’t planning on any stage races in early spring. Aside from that I have been dabbling in skate skiing, which I found to be a lot of fun and a good way to get some aerobic exercise outdoors when there’s two feet of snow on the ground.

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My hometown is Terre Haute, IN and I have been in Bloomington for 7 years. My favorite race is Hyde Park Blast, the atmosphere at the race is incredible, and racing under the lights is always a good time. Plus, it is one of the few crits that is difficult enough to scale down the field by the finish.

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I’m currently going to school at Michigan Tech which is in Houghton, MI. For those of you who don’t know where that is, it’s on the Northern tip of the Upper Peninsula. It’s pretty much as far North as you can get in Michigan. Needless to say, the winters up here up here are pretty crazy. If I had ride my trainer all winter I would probably go insane, luckily the XC skiing up here is great. Its a nice break from a long season of cycling, but now that spring is here, I’m definitely getting anxious to start riding.

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Chris Uberti checks in with some of his favorites, photo on Mt Lemmon near Tucson, AZ

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