Niko Holler finishes third and takes mountains leader’s jersey on stage 3 of An Post Ras (UCI 2.2) in Ireland

Stage 3 of Tour of Ireland gave the riders several opportunities for King of the Mountain points as well as sprint points. The stage was consistently hilly meaning the climbers would have their opportunity to shine. Today’s stage required top level teamwork to claim the stage win.

All day the Stradalli – Bike Aid team rode in support of Niko Holler, who would capitalize on every opportunity the team provided him.

Stage 3 is the shortest of all the stages at 133.2 kilometers, but it confronted the riders with the most difficult terrain. The beginning of the stage was flat, but the riders rode aggressively to take the early sprint points on offer. Many of the riders had put in huge amounts of work before the first ascent of the category 3 Knockabout Cross mountain at 51 kilometers.

The riders who made it over the top of the first ascent in the main group competed for more sprint points at the 60 kilometer mark. The Stradalli – Bike Aid riders were busy all day controlling the race. Even Patrick Lechner, who finished 6th in the sprint on stage 2, rode his hardest to support Holler all the way to the final category 1 ascent of Conor Pass.

In the toughest race in Ireland, Holler finished 3rd and now holds the mountains leaders jersey. Stage 4 continues tomorrow with 162.8 kilometer mountainous stage with 4 categorized climbs.

With a massive sprint final and the perfect help of his team mates, Patrick Lechner proved his good shape and sprinted to 6th place on today’s stage at Tour of Ireland.

It was the longest stage of the tour today, with 188 kilometers from Mullingar to Charleville through the heart of the Emerald Isle. To participate at The Ràs is always very special. This race is more than just a normal stage race. It has the character of a big tradition in Ireland and it seems that everybody celebrates The Ràs when it rolls through the villages.

Also the Irish county teams are every year more than motivated to fight against the professional teams from Europe and give the best they have to make the race as hard as possible for them. Couple of times this also leads to nervous and hectic race and leads to crashes from time to time. And you can believe: to get down on Irish roads hurts like hell, as the asphalt is very hard and not friendly to skin and bones. This is also what makes this race so unique and special!

Today’s stage had all what it needs to have an interesting race day. It began very fast and hectic. The peloton did 51 Kilometers during the first hour and one attack was followed by the next as there are also many young riders who are very motivated and aggressive. After a while a 2 man break away made it and reached a gap of 7 minutes until the pack started to bring them back. Road racing is not a kind of mathematics where you can always calculate everything, as there are so many influences why things are as they are. Road racing is such a complex sport and we all love this pure kind of sports. In the end the two guys could take a couple of seconds to the finish and fought among themselves for the victory. Behind them the real race went on. Sprint preparations, positioning and fighting for every centimeter. That is what it is about when the pack arrives to the finish line.

The Stradalli – BIKE AID boys did so well today. It needs a lot of teamwork to be successful as a rider. Especially in the sprint you need to rely on your team mates. When you ride alongside your competitors with couple of millimeters of distance, speeding up to 70 kph and fighting with all you have your teammates make all the difference. It is scary to think about. In the last kilometer nobody really takes this in mind. Today it was Nikodemus Holler who brought the guys in position and Joschka Beck was leading Patrick Lechner out to the final sprint. One by one they all did a good job and just a crash in front of them avoided more. Patrick sprinted to 4th place of the pack and reached 6th place on stage result!

STRADALLI – BIKE AID PREPARES FOR IRELAND AND WALES UCI RACES

The An Post Ras Ireland is the most prestigious race in Ireland, begins May 22 and Stradalli – Bike Aid pro cycling team will bring a full A-squad to compete for the overall of the 8-day UCI 2.2 stage race.

The Ras has been sponsored by An Post for the past six years, but has been a mainstay in the top level of Irish racing since 1953. The race regularly attracts top teams from all over the world. In attendance this year will be well known trade teams such as Madison Genesis UCI Continental Team and JLT Condor presented by Mavic from Britain. 

The An Post Ras is noted for being a tough race due to the hills and volatile weather. The weather in Ireland is consistently rainy and windy. The hilly terrain of Ireland combined with the weather will ensure all teams will have a tough time fighting for the leader’s jersey over the course of 8 stages.

A team containing a mix of German , French and African riders will contest An Post Ras while another top level group of Stradalli – BikeAid Riders will make their to Wales for UCI 1.1 Velothon Wales, a race also historically frequented by top level professional riders from Europe.

The team is finalizing their preparations for the race. Stradalli – Bike Aid team management are taking the ferry from Dunkerque, France to Dover in the United Kingdom so they can safely transport team cars, busses, bikes and gear necessary to complete a long block of racing in Great Britain.

Great Offer On Official Stradalli – Bike Aid Race Gear

Stradalli – Bike Aid’s Nikodemus Holler Places 6th In Oberhausen

With a great start to the season including strong outings in Frankfut and Belgium, the Stradalli – Bike Aid team has shown they can ride with the top teams in the world. That includes pro racer Nikodemus Holler who is having a great season.

Holler and teammate Dominik Merseburg competed in the Grand Prix of Modelstadt Ruck in a 120 kilometer long crit-race. It is a challenging race that demands a lot from the riders and thanks to the big money prizes, is always a battle. Riders from Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands compete in the race.

After a really tough start, Holler showed his ability to read a race and made it up into the decisive break of the day where he was able to continue fighting on his Stradalli Bitonto full carbon road bike. An exceptional climber but not known for his sprinting it was a challenge for Holler to hang in with the lead pack. He finished 6^th in the race won by Daniel Klemme.

The rest of the Stradalli – Bike Aid were heading to another part of Germany for a race in Villingen – Schwenningen. Patrick Lechner, Matthias Schnapka Joschka Beck are joining Janvier Hadi and Jean-Bosco Nsengimana from Rwanda in the 130 kilometer road race that will be full of tough windy conditions and a strong field. The team battled and stayed around the lead the entire race with Lechner and Beck finishing 14^th and 16^th. 

5 Reasons To Own A Mountain Bike

When it comes to the cycling world there are plenty of options to choose from. You have road bikes, time trial bikes, cyclocross, beach cruisers and of course mountain bikes. Believe it or not the MTB outsells every other kind of bicycle in the United States at an astounding rate of 20 to 1. So for every full carbon road cycle purchased there are over 20 MTB’s purchased as well. That’s an insane rate and it made us look at the significance of this type of bicycle and why it is so popular. Here are 5 reasons why you should purchase a full carbon mountain bike for yourself:

1.       Versatility: Unlike other styles, an MTB can go practically anywhere. Tough terrain, smooth road, rainy conditions or anything else you can think of it can handle. Whether you want to ride it for fun, exercise, commute to work or go hit some trails on the weekend this is the only bike that can handle it all and last you a long time.

2.       Affordability: Traditionally you can find better bang for your buck with a mountain bike, especially if you are looking for a full carbon mountain bike with full suspension. For example, Stradalli Cycle sells full carbon mountain bikes that are great quality and built to last on the toughest terrain for only $1,500. That’s half the price of some of the more high-end bicycles you will find online.

3.       Events: Looking for something to do this summer? How about the Trans-Sylvania Epic, an exciting mountain bike stage race held every summer in central Pennsylvania. The epic features over 200 riders and lasts a week.

4.       Health: Studies have shown that people who ride bicycles even a few hours a week tend to be healthier because they get more cardio into their routine. In fact if you can ride to work you actually are under less stress because you are not concerned with traffic, you get good exercise before and after work and you do not have to worry about whether or not you can hit the gym because you’ve already done it for the day.

5.       Did we mention fun: Check out the Trans-Sylvania Epic or some of the articles on Stradalli Cycle and see what a competitive but fun time everyone has during mountain bike events and see if you feel this is the right type of bicycle for you!

Riding a cycle everyday is a good idea to improve your health, get to work with less stress and even have some fun. But if you want to know which bike you should buy, nothing beats an MTB for several reasons but the most important thing to remember is that if you want bang for your buck, mountain bikes are going to be your best bet for a long time. 

Stradalli Cycle – Papa John’s Pizza Cyclist Madison Kelly

While South Florida may not be the center of the United States cycling community, it is starting to produce some of the best cyclists in the sport. A great example of that is Stradalli Cycle – Papa John’s Pizza cyclist Madison Kelly who at the age of only 23 already has multiple wins on her resume.

Unlike many of the pro cyclists from Florida, Madison didn’t get into the sport at a young age. While traveling with her mother, Tish Kelly, Madison decided to try one of her moms’ bikes and was instantly hooked. Upon returning to the US she joined group rides and was not only dominant against riders in her age group but started to beat men and women with years of experience riding.

It wasn’t long before she was climbing the rankings. Going from category 4 to 1 takes the best cyclists years to accomplish. Madison did it in only eight months.  Last year went on to win the Florida State Criterium Championship along with many other races.

Having graduated from Eckerd College, Madison has been competing in many of the top pro category 1-2 races around the country including the Tour of America’s Dairyland, the Gateway Cup as well as the Boston Mayor’s Cup.

With a huge interest in both road and crits racing, a great team, experience coaches and her Stradalli R7 full carbon road bike, Madison Kelly is on the fast track to becoming an elite cyclist.