PlanetZ/Echelon is pleased to announce its small masters 45+ national cycling team managed by current US National Road Champion, Cale Reeder. The team is charged with marketing the Echelon Challenge and Gran Fondo series, its related charities, and our sponsor company products, Wilier Triestina, Garmin, Hammer Nutrition, Vredestein, Shimano, Bicycling, and Bike Radar. The team will compete largely in California and Oregon but also attend the US National Championships and the World Championships in 2011.
Racer Bios:
Cale Reeder (46) was a member of the 1982 Junior National Cycling Team. He competed in the World Championships in 1982 in Italy for both Road and TTT. After racing for the Senior National Cycling Team as a CAT 1 and a member of the 25 Man Olympic Development Team in 1983 and 1984. He retired from racing in 1984. In 1996 after a couple of Silicon Valley startups and weighing in at over 180 pounds he started riding his bike again. He fell in love with cycling again, but had no desire to race back then. He decided to start racing again in 2009, but in February 2009 he suffered a set back when he had a ruptured kidney and nearly died from blood loss. Still, after missing the first third of the season and recovering from severe Anemia, he was finally able to start racing and produced amazing results. Cale is a husband, dad and entrepreneur. He lives in the NorCal Sierra Foothills, enjoys good food, wine, loves climbing and likes to win with integrity.
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| Cale Reeder: 2010 US National Champion |
Cale's Recent Race Highlights
- 2010 US National Masters Road Champion (45-49)
- 2010 Podium Finishes: 16-1st Places, 10-2nd Places, and 5-3rd Places
- 2010 Northern California Best All-Round Rider (BAR) Point Series Champion
- 2010 Northern California Endurance Racer Points Series Champion
- 2010 Central Coast Circuit Race - Spring Series Champion
- 2010 Cascade Classic Stage Race - 2nd overall GC
- 2010 Mt. Hood Stage Race - 2nd overall GC
- 2010 San Dimas Stage Race - 2nd overall GC
- 2010 Madera Stage Race - 2nd overall GC
- 2009 Northern California Best All-Round Rider (BAR) Point Series Champion
- Other Notable Podium Finishes:
1st - Mt Hamilton RR 2010
1st - Nevada City Classic 2009 & 2010
1st - Winters RR 2009 & 2010
1st - Pescadero RR 2009
1st - University RR 2009
1st - Spring Hill RR 2009
1st - Sea Otter Circuit Race 2010
1st - Mt Tamalpais Hill Climb 2010
1st - Fremont Peak Hill Climb 2010
1st - Cantua Creek RR 2010
1st - Henleyville RR 2009
1st - Sonora RR 2009
2nd - State Road Championships 2009
2nd - Sea Otter Road Race 2010
2nd - San Ardo RR 2010
2nd - Challenge RR 2009 & 2010
3rd - Mt Hamilton RR 2009
3rd - Pescadero RR 2010
3rd - Spring Hill RR 2010
3rd - State TT Championships 2010
Kurt Bickel (51) (Joes Pro Bikes) began his two wheeled racing as a teen in the early days of BMX. After switching to motorcycles, he turned professional, winning two state roadrace and two regional dirt track titles, while serving as a Aviation Crew Chief in the Army Reserve. After injuries forced retirement, he took up free dive spearfishing, while plying his trade as a writer/editor for numerous publications. At 40 he returned to cycling because of health considerations, and returned to racing in 2005. Since that time he's won over 90 races, including two national and nine state championships, all of which has surprised the heck out of him: "I was just some fat guy trying to lose weight and not end up on blood pressure meds". He splits time between McKinney Texas and Reno Nevada with his wife of 24 years Karen, and their two Chesapeake Bay Retrievers.
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| Kurt Bickel at Texas state crit champs |
Kurt's Recent Race Highlights
2010 US National Track 50-54 Team Sprint Champion
2010 US National Track 50-54 2km Pursuit Silver Medalist
2010 US National Track 40-50 Team Pursuit Bronze Medalist
2010 Texas 50-54 Criterium Champion
2010 Texas 50-54 Time Trial Champion
2010 Texas 40+ Team Time Trial Champion
2010 Texas Track 50-54 2km Pursuit Champion
2010 Texas Track 50+ Team Sprint Champion
2009 Texas 40+ Best All Around Cup Champion
2009 Texas 45-49 Road Race Champion
2009 Texas 45-49 Time Trial Champion
2008-2009 Horse Country Time Trial Course Record Holder
- Other Notable Podium Finishes
1st- Rockwall Criterium 2010
1st- Elk Hill Circuit Race 2010
1st- Horse Country Time Trial (Fall & Spring editions) 2010
1st- OKC Rocks Criterium 2010
1st- Windy 100 Criterium 2010
1st- Superdrome Omnium 2010
1st- Topsport Stage Race TT stage 2010 (3rd GC)
1st- Pace Bend Road Race 2010
2nd- Tour of the Gila TT stage 2010
2nd- Sea Otter 35+ Criterium 2010
1st- Ft. Davis Hammerfest Stage Race GC (1 stage win) 2009
1st- Alsatian Omnium GC (2 stage wins) 2009
1st- Tour of Arkansas GC (2 stage wins) 2008
1st- Joe Martin Stage Race GC (3 stage wins) 2008
1st- Fayetteville Stage Race GC (1 stage win) 2008
Janne Hamalainen (48) (Tulsa Wheelmen) ran cross country and track growing up in Finland and finished a few times on the podium in the Finnish Junior Nationals. He attended the University of Tulsa on a track scholarship and earned an electrical engineering degree 1986. Janne started racing with Tulsa Wheelmen in the spring of 2003. By spring of 2005, Janne had two top 30 GC finishes in NRC races at Joe Martin (28th) and Tripeaks (23rd) earning him NRC points. He finished second that year in the M40+ US Nationals Criterium in Park City, Utah. He won the Sea Otter M40+ Circuit Race the following year and accumulated enough points to get upgraded to category 1. He was unable to participate in the Master's Nationals in 2006 and 2007. Janne was able to return to the Nationals in 2008 and finished third in the M45+ Road Race. In 2009, Janne won 10 races including the US National Masters Road Championships. Janne is married to Rae who also enjoys cycling.
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| Yanne Hamalainen (far right) at Sea Otter 2010 |
Janne's Recent Race Highlights (photo far right)
- 2009 US National Masters Road Champion (45-49)
- 2010 Oklahoma State Elite Road Race Champion (Cat 1-2)
- 2010 US National Masters Road Championships – 4th
- Other Notable Podium Finishes:
1st - Sea Otter Road Race 2009 & 2010
1st - Sea Otter Circuit Race 2009
1st - Tour of Lawrence Circuit Race 2010
1st - Tour of Kansas City Crit 2010
1st - Breakthrough Tour Crit 2010
2nd - Sea Otter Circuit Race 2010
Dirk Himley (48) started racing in 1977 in New Jersey and moved to Northern California in 1979. In 1980 he was selected to be on the US Junior National Team and was an alternate on the Junior World Team after healing from a bad crash. Later that year Dirk left cycling to pursue a career. After back surgery in 1994 he started riding again. He started racing competitively again from 1996 to 1999 and now again in 2010. Dirk is excited to be part of finding and fighting for a cure for cancer through his involvement with Echelon. He is also a mentor to the youth and up and coming riders, and helping others to realize their dreams. Dirk only began racing with Echelon in August of 2010 and won 3 out of 5 races he entered.
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| Dirk breaking away for the win at Central Coast |
*Dirk's Recent Race Highlights
1st - Challenge RR 2010
1st - Henleyville RR 2010
1st - Central Coast Circuit Race Fall Series 2010
*Dirk only began racing again in August of 2010.
Craig Parker--Craig started bike racing at age 16 and was Junior State Champion in road, time trial and multiple track events. He was on the 1979 Junior National Track Team and on the 1980 National Development Track Team before going to college and medical school. Craig raced somewhat competitively on the track throughout the 1980's and re-started a racing career in the Masters category after moving to California in the early 90's. He has won more than 30 National and State Championship medals. Craig was the 2008 Masters 45-50 Northern California State and U.S. National Champion on the track in the kilometer and was 7th in the 2008 UCI Masters World Track Championships in Sydney, Australia. He is currently an entrepreneur in the biotechnology industry and unlike most of the Echelon team has a serious aversion to races with hills.
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| Craig Parker at Worlds |
Key Results
1st - 2008 Masters National Track Championships
1st - 2008 Northern California/Nevada State Track Championships (Kilometer)
3rd - 2008 Northern California/Nevada State Track Championships (Pursuit)
7th - 2008 UCI Masters World Track Championships
Hunter Ziesing worked in the investment banking industry for nearly 20 years for Thomas Weisel (founder of the U.S. Postal/Discovery Cycling Team) before founding PlanetZ/Echelon Foundation. Over the years, Hunter's passion grew for cycling and later, philanthropy. Hunter's full time occupation is now managing the cancer foundation and its events, "The Echelon Challenge and Gran Fondo Series." His roll includes traveling the country speaking at schools, hospitals & local cancer foundations as well as marketing Echelon at various professional, amateur, and recreational cycling events. Hunter finished second in the California Best All Around competition in 2010 and has aspirations of winning a national title in Bend Oregon next year in the age 50-54 category masters cycling championships.
"Being able to race my bike at this level at age 50, while running an up and coming foundation that helps others, has added ultimate self purpose and inspiration to my graying years."
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Chris Horner/Hunter Ziesing @Echelon Oregon 2010 |
Hunter's Recent Race Highlights
- 2010 Northern California Best All-Round Rider (BAR) Point Series - 2nd
- Notable Podium Finishes:
1st - Cat's Hill Classic 2010
1st - San Ardo RR 2010
1st - Modesto RR 2010
1st - Mt Hood Crit 2010
1st - Three Village Tour RR 2010
1st - Wente Vineyards Classic Road Race 2009
2nd - Winters RR 2010
2nd - Ronde Van Brisbeen 2010
3rd - Snelling RR 2010
3rd - Giro Di San Francisco 2010
3rd - Topsport Circuit Race 2010
3rd - Cantua Creek RR 2010
3rd - Central Coast Circuit Race Spring Series 2010
3rd - Central Coast Circuit Race Fall Series 2010
3rd - Napa River Velo Grand Prix 2009
3rd - Ronde Van Brisbeen 2009
3rd - Spring Hill RR 2009
3rd - Henleyville RR 2009
Proposed 2011 Race Team Schedule:
Pine Flat Road Race
Southern Nevada Stage Race, Las Vegas
Snelling Road Race
Madera Stage Race
Tucson Classic Stage Race
San Dimas Stage Race
Bariani (Zamora) Road Race
Topsport Stage Race
Copperopolis Road Race
Spring Hill Road Race
Sea Otter Classic Circuit Race
Sea Otter Classic Road Race
Cherry Blossom Classic Stage Race
Wente Road Race
Tour of the Gila Stage Race
Cat's Hill Classic
Sonora Road Race
Berkeley Hills Road Race
Panoche Road Race
Mt Hamilton Road Race
Mt. Hood Stage Race
Pescadero Road Race
Nevada City Classic
Cascade Classic Stage Race
NorCal State Masters Road Race Championships
US National Masters Road Championships
UCI World Masters Road Championships
San Ardo Road Race
University Road Race
Winters Road Race
Challenge Road Race
Giro Di San Francisco
Mt Tamalpais Hill Climb
