August 2007

August has proven both fruitful for Inferno's charities and the camo team, yet disastrous for A&F team leader, Mark Hekman!

The team rolled into the US National Criterium Championship as the favorite to win the coveted Stars and Stripes National Champion's jersey. The team went to conquer with 13 athletes, a solid set of plans and 3 potential winners in showing form. The rain soaked and dangerous Downers Grove course proved too much for most of the 187 starters, leaving a select 35 riders or so to finish. "We raced to perfection. All of us. We raced in waves, we raced for both the break and for the field sprint. Bad luck just took its course, once again!" claimed manager, Chad Thompson.

Bennet van der Genugten navigates the wet US Championship course.

Thompson makes reference to the season-ending crash of Mark Hekman on the final lap of the race, that left him with a severely fractured left heel. "We were set to win. We had our 4 rider lead-out train, just as planned, steam rolling the final lap. Mark entered a diesel fuel soaked turn at 43 MPH and went down hard. Our hopes of winning went down with him." This crashed more than crushed the team's National Championship, but forces Hekman to miss the final 2 events of the USA Crits Championship Series that he has led since day 1. Mark was the guaranteed victor for the overall spot, as well as the Laps Led competition. The team also led the Team competition and the best Under 25 (U25) competition. The lads put up a great fight with Bennet van der Genugten and Remi McManus charging hard at Chris Thater Memorial, but AEG's Travieso proved too strong and took over the lead in Mark's absence.

The team is still poised to win the team competition and awaits a decision regarding missed points at the CSC invitational, where race promoters only allowed 2 of our riders to start, despite the team leading all of the competitions within the series. All other teams fielded 6-8 riders. USA Crits organizers have heard the complaint and intend to assist the team in its correction. The team has also defended Mark's Laps Led lead, and while Gavic has slipped to 2nd in the U25 competition, he has more than a solid chance of recapturing it in Las Vegas. Mark will still stand on the final's podium, where he can do no worse than 3rd overall. Mark will, nonetheless, end 2008 as the number 1 ranked criterium rider in the country! And yes, Mark will return with an expected 100% recovery for the 2008 road racing season.

As September winds down, so does the tremendously successful 2007 season for the camo team. The 2008 roster is complete and Inferno is looking very forward to both Interbike and the World Criterium Championships.

The program has served its outside charities well, too, with a couple of worthy donations taking place. One saw a team kit and various equipment donated to the team's biggest fan, Michael Musilli, a 10 year old Ohio native. The team also sent 4 riders to one of the well organized JDRF rides in the name of Inferno and Team Type 1. 2008 will see the program's efforts concentrate on cancer charities.

Keep your eyes peeled for the camo at cyclo-cross events throughout the country, too. A&F will be hitting the dirt with the A&F/Masi cyclo-cross team, starting in September. Lead by team VP, Ryan Rish, the 6 man cross team will keep the season and charity fund raising alive while racing off of the pavement.

Thank you, to all of our 2007 sponsors for what has proven to be an incredible season thus far. Keep up-to-date at www.infernoracing.org and we hope to see all of you at Interbike!

Best regards,