Date Rider
               | Name - Megan Kelly Hometown - Saint Cloud, MN Interests/Activities - I'm a grad student in Water Resources Science, where I study water pollution, so that's pretty much the only thing I do other than bike racing. How'd you get into cycling? - I bought my first bike in February 2009. It happened to be a cyclocross bike, but I mainly bought it just to ride around. Then someone told me that cyclocross was a thing, and showed me this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWGnM_1ViZA -- I HAD to try it! So I started road racing (on my cross bike) to get in shape. One thing led to another, and all of a sudden I was racing road and track every week. Favorite Riding Memory - Eating most of a blueberry-rhubarb pie immediately following the road race at 2011 Collegiate Road Nationals. Favorite Pro Rider - Marianne Vos! Name - Charlie Kranz Hometown - Tonka Bay, MN Interests/Activities - My other interests included fishing, boating, running, and eating. Professionally, I am interested in corporate finance and consulting. How'd you get into cycling? - Got into cycling when I bought an old road bike to get to class and save a few minutes in the mornings. I got hooked as biking was such a great form of exercise and was something fun and new compared to rowing. I've been biking a little over a year now, and look forward to more riding and racing in the future. Favorite Riding Memory -My favorite riding memory so far is the team's spring break trip to Arkansas in 2011. The hills were brutal but the weather was (mostly) great and I got way stronger on the bike. Favorite Pro Rider - Fabian Cancellara Hometown - Eden Prairie, MN Interests/Activities -Fishing, Hockey, and Cycling: Riding and fixing bikes takes up the majority of time How'd you get into cycling? - I started working at a bike shop in 2006 without any knowledge of the sport at all. I got progressively more interested, but didn't really start riding until the summer of 2009. I joined the University of Minnesota team fall of my sophomore year, and that's really when my interest skyrocketed. Favorite Riding Memory -Jasper disaster 2011. After training inside for months the best thing I can imagine is going on a cycling trip in warm weather. The UMCT spring break trip into the Ozarks was capped off with a great day of climbing from Kingston, AR to Jasper, AR and back. Favorite Pro Rider -Tyler Farrar Hometown - Milwaukee, WI Interests/Activities -Road and track cycling, playing with my dog, hanging with my family, eating, rowing, and watching bike races. How'd you get into cycling? - Watching the Tour de France in 2009 inspired me to start riding my mom's old road bike (vintage Fuji Grand Tourer) to cross train for rowing, my primary sport at the time. Favorite Riding Memory -Most recently: winning the 4/5 state championship points race with the help of Alex, Megan and Coach Kevin. Overall: Ridey Fridays last fall. I can't wait for them to start again!"Favorite Pro Rider - Dave Zabriskie Name -Gracia Folkeringa Hometown - Pine River, MN Interests/Activities -Besides biking, I enjoy running, being outside as much as possible, and relaxing at the lakes. I’m also studying occupational therapy and hope to work in pediatrics or outpatient/acute hospital care when I get my license in June. How'd you get into cycling? - I started off as a distance runner and I ended up with 2 pelvic and 2 tibial fractures from training. The doctor told me I could bike or swim only for the next 6 months, and since I'm terrified of drowning, biking was going to be my new sport. So during my junior year of undergrad, I bought a road bike and I was immediately hooked Favorite Riding Memory -I loved the rides out to Stillwater last fall. I had just started riding with the team and it was fun getting to know everyone. A close second favorite memory is when Hank decided to pee in his chamois during a race this spring. Disgusting, but funny. Favorite Pro Rider - Amanda Miller Name - Nathan Kemp Hometown - Bloomington, MN Interests/Activities - Other than road cycling I dabble in mountain biking. I'm also really into music and I play bass or guitar and do vocals in a band I'm in call After the Credits. I currently study microbiology and I'm interested in the fields of virology and immunology. How'd you get into cycling? - It all started with regular rides in a nature reserve fairly close to my house in Bloomington, and I was hooked. Starting last summer I rode longer distances and I joined the team in the winter after getting a road bike. Now I feel incomplete if I'm not riding close to everyday. Favorite Riding Memory - I had a great time in Arkansas, getting a real taste of mountain riding, but I also enjoyed all the speedy riding with T-Quass money (Trevor Quass) Favorite Pro Rider - Andy Schleck Name - Jennie Zhu Hometown - Starkville, MS Interests/Activities - Cycling, hiking, walking, computer games, baking, walking my dog, having my bike fixed by other people. How'd you get into cycling? - My dad told me to ride my bike, so I did. I always do what my dad says. Favorite Riding Memory - Sitting in a child trailer being towed by my dad, going around Sioux Falls, drinking a slushie, sitting next to my stuffed panda bear, doing no work. I love doing no work. Favorite Pro Rider - Megan Kelly Name - Alexander Matson Hometown - Eagle River, AK Interests/Activities - Bike Racing, Economics, Literary Theory, Math, Hip-Hop How'd you get into cycling? - Back in '02 I saw the Tour on OLN and decided cycling was going to be my sport. Since then every year I find myself more and more in love with the sport every day. Favorite Riding Memory -My first collegiate season was some of the best riding I've ever experienced. It was the first time I was training and racing as part of a team. We dominated every race, not because we were necessarily stronger or smarter, but because we came together as a team to defeat all of the individuals. I've never had more fun or gotten more satisfaction out of riding and racing than collegiate racing. Favorite Pro Rider - Philippe Gilbert Name - Ken Hum Hometown - Waukesha, WI Interests/Activities - I'm a mechanical engineering student so you may not be surprised that I like to make things. What you may not expect is that, in addition to all those engineer-y things, I like to make food and desserts. I also like to draw up designs that end up on t-shirts and jerseys. How'd you get into cycling? -I bought my first road bike in high school after I got tired of my dad coasting past me and my mountain bike on his 30 year old Motobecane Mirage. After that, I started doing casual rides (usually involving ice cream) with my family and friends. When I found the UMCT my freshman year, I joined not really knowing what I was getting myself into. I ended up doing 2 races that spring and I got hooked. After that, I started training and racing with the UMCT as often as I possible and I'm loving every minute of it. Favorite Riding Memory -My favorite ride was up Ventoux. Riding slowly and steadily up the freshly paved road that was covered with the names of tour riders from 2009. The descent was pretty fun too. Favorite Pro Rider - Thor Hushovd Name - Kevin Chung Hometown - Maple Grove, MN Interests/Activities - It's pretty much bike until hungry. After that it's video games, TV, and eating. How'd you get into cycling? - I watched my a ton of grand tours with my aunt and uncle who are bike fanatics and after a while I decided to get my own bike and join the team. Favorite Riding Memory - Biking in California over the summer. Transitioning from Minnesota to the climbs over there was pretty brutal but I finally learned why bikes come with two chainrings. Favorite Pro Rider - Levi Leipheimer Name - Trevor Quass Hometown - Green Bay, WI Interests/Activities - Bike racing, fishing, golfing, country music, awesome shoes, Green Bay Packers, watching professional bike racing, training on tubulars... How'd you get into cycling? - My dad got me into cycling, I put in countless miles in the Burley behind him as a kid and have watched the Tour with him every year for pretty much as long as i can remember. I used to love going for a ride with him when he'd get home from work and still love riding with him whenever I can. He used to beat the pants off me when we would ride, but once I realized that if I put the time in and trained, I could keep up with him, I was hooked and have been riding ever since... Favorite Riding Memory -Any training ride I've been on while riding tubies.... Haha just kidding. My real favorite riding memory would be any ride I've ever been on with my dad. If it weren't for him, I can honestly say I would not have ever gotten into biking. Favorite Pro Rider -Thomas Voeckler Name - Daniel Thompson Hometown -Waverly, Nebraska Interests/Activities - I love biking...obviously, music, fishing, hanging out with close friends, and more biking. How'd you get into cycling? - I started riding my mountain bike on bike trails in Lincoln Nebraska the summer after my sophomore year of high school and haven't stopped riding since. One of my lifelong friends was a huge contributor to me riding as well, because he started racing in high school and we would always talk about how much fun it was. Favorite Riding Memory -The Nebraska race weekends for three reasons: One, the whole team gets to stay at my house in Lincoln, two, I get to sleep in my own bed and three my mom makes more food than we can eat. Favorite Pro Rider -Thor Name - Noah Fessler Hometown -Metuchen, NJ Interests/Activities - I'm currently in UMN's College of Continuing Education in hopes of pursuing my Doctorate in Physical Therapy. If I’m not in class, studying, swimming, or running-I’m on my bike. Biking has proved to be my outlet when I’m stressed. The social aspect of cycling also drives me to keep riding. How'd you get into cycling? -Three years ago a friend invited me on a long ride in upstate New York. He lent me his old Bianchi road bike and I was immediately hooked. The appeal of climbing and the technical aspects of descending provided me with the challenge I was looking for. Favorite Riding Memory -Ironman Lousiville 140.6 - Rolling hills, horses, thousands of people cheering along the streets. Favorite Pro Rider - Pierre Rolland & Thor Hushovd Name - Ashraf Zin Hometown -Selangor, Malaysia Interests/Activities - soccer, cycling, technology and gadgets How'd you get into cycling? - My leg was hurting from running during summer 2010 (due to broken leg playing soccer) so I decided that I need a way to keep myself fit for coming soccer tournaments. Swimming didnt help too so I gave a shot at cycling. Then I began to love it as I started to ride longer distances. Favorite Riding Memory -Jasper Disaster Favorite Pro Rider - Lance Armstrong Name - Aidan Orchard Hometown -Minneapolis Interests/Activities - I really like things in the sky. Someday I'd like maybe to fly. For now I'll build things, That may include wings, And that is how I'll get high. How'd you get into cycling? - My dad took me out for a ride. He wanted to get me outside. My shoes clipped right in, I went for a spin, I'm really glad that I tried. Favorite Riding Memory - I was riding the Jasper Disaster, I kept going faster and faster. But then something broke, I'd just lost a spoke. Rode home with some help from the master. (Coach Kevin) Favorite Pro Rider - Djamolidine Abdoujaparov |