By Mark Deterline

Women’s cycling: It is time
In Disney’s animated classic, The Lion King, the sovereign’s most trusted advisor could sense when the moment had come to anoint the king’s successor. “It is time,” he would declare, leading to a solemn assembly in which the Dauphin – or Dauphine! – Would be anointed. All the animals would assemble at Pride Rock, the kingdom’s hallowed ground, for the ceremony. It heralded the coming of a new age, and of a new order, built respectfully upon the one before it.

Marin County is that kind of hallowed ground for cyclists around the world; a real-life land of legend and tradition. Its sacred landmark, Mount Tamalpais, is every bit as mystical and magical as a Disney invention, looming above the countryside and often crowned itself by a wreath of fog floating in from the headlands’ rugged coast. Marin’s fertile soil has nurtured a passion for Continental road cycling for decades, finally inspiring some to seek the freedom of off-road riding in a sort of free-love version of the sport in the 70’s, which – to make a long and intriguing story very short – ultimately contributed to the birth of the mountain bike.

Like snowboarding infused skiing and the ski industry with new life and innovation in the 80’s and 90’s, so has mountain biking stoked the fires of road cycling and racing in the US, as well cyclocross, triathlon and track racing. In fact, there is enormous crossover between the disciplines: one of this year’s Tour de France favorites is a former World Cup mountain bike champion, Aussie Cadel Evans.

Emancipation
As is so often the case, cycling’s heritage and history tend to focus primarily on the men. And though the early days of Continental cycling may have been made – and written – by men, the early days of mountain biking and mountain bike racing were much less gender biased (once again, a great story for another time). The buying power and growing presence of female cyclists will greatly affect the future of the bike industry, and if teams like the PROMAN Professional Cycling Team have anything to do or say about it, road, cyclocross and track bike racing will be much more co-ed in the years and decades to come, as well. Which brings us to the story of the PROMAN women’s professional and development squads, as well as the part it has played in the recent history of the Carrera de San Rafael…
Where there’s a will, and a whole bunch of estrogen

When I began working on the Peninsula in the fall of 2006 as marketing director for a bike components manufacturer, I was already a strong proponent of women’s cycling. Having grown up with a single mom who regularly attended aerobics classes, and sisters who excelled in Pilates instruction and soccer, respect for women’s sports and their unique equipment needs came with the territory. In 2002 I had become an enthusiastic bike racer myself, and the individuals who made the biggest impression on me during my formative years were elite females, all of whom trained with men, and sometimes even raced with us.

I brought to this new job position the knowledge that women now made up the majority of bicycle retail customers in the US. That meshed nicely with my employer’s renewed emphasis on how the company’s offering could accommodate better bike fit for all cyclists. The timing was right: not only were new products in development that catered specifically to women’s needs, but the company was already in negotiations with other women’s teams regarding sponsorship for the coming season.

I began receiving calls from PROMAN’s sponsorship director Julia Violich, former owner of San Anselmo-based bike shop, Paradigm Cycles, in December of 2006. At first it appeared to be just one more of myriad requests for sponsorship that arrived on my desk, in my voicemail box or in my email inbox each week. I had pretty much maxed out my 2007 budget with commitments already, and my initial thoughts were how to let this determined woman down as easily as possible.

As the brief phone conversations continued, however, now also with Team Founder/Manager Nicola Cranmer, I began taking this PROMAN squad more seriously. Ultimately, Julia and Nicola won me over: I could see they would do anything for their riders, women’s cycling and the success of the team, so how could I say no? I freed up some time and went over the budget spreadsheet, playing around with the numbers for the umpteenth time. I decided it would be worth taking some heat from my supervisor, who in the end was very supportive. We were sponsoring a promising new women’s team, and were truly excited about the association.

Talent
When I first met Nicola, she brought a promising young rider with her to the office, Shelley Olds, to see if we had any product options that might help a smaller rider fit better on her bike. Of course, proper fit is essential if a rider is to reach her potential… Well, two years later, Shelley seems to have only begun to reach her potential: she is now an accomplished international competitor on the track (US National Team rider), and has won many regional and national level road events. In fact, a very exciting moment for me was to see Shelley line up for one of our men’s Pro/1/2 events here in NorCal last summer. She rode superbly, and finished the race, while some of the boys couldn’t quite go the distance…

Rachel Lloyd is another prominent PROMAN rider, whose mountain bike and cyclocross accomplishments are too many to cover here, but who won a race as recently as July 12th in Downieville, and last year was the top finishing US rider at Cross Worlds. She also took 2nd at US cyclocross nationals, and is the current Super D National Champion. Then there’s Southern California torch-bearer Kristina Seley, one of the most likeable athletes I’ve ever met; newcomer Hanan Alves-Hyde (whom I watched take 2nd place in Lafayette July 13th), as clever and crafty in a race as she is nice off the bike; Megan Guarnier, also a US National Team rider, who was recently on the podium with top sprinters Tina Pic and Laura Van Gilder; and the list goes on.

And local talent – on display once again at the 2008 Carrera de San Rafael
Two of the PROMAN squad’s most accomplished riders are Kristin and Helene Drumm, who juggle racing at the elite level with day jobs: Kristin is a planner in the Marin Community Development Agency, while Helene is a Marin firefighter. “I use cycling as a stress reliever. I wouldn’t be able to function on my job if I wasn’t able to ride my bike five days a week,” Kristin admitted. She commutes to the Civic Center from her home in Novato most days. “I tell my boss that I should be paid to ride my bike, because when I do, I’m sick a lot less.” In fact, it’s part of the Marin lifestyle. But in the end, what drives Kristin and her teammates is a love of the sport, “Cycling makes me very happy,” she concludes.
Sponsor support

Over the past couple of years, Nicola et al have kept raising the bar. Having begun with the support of PROMAN – a Swiss/German engineering company, Paradigm Cycles and equipment sponsors like my former employer, Ritchey Design, Cranmer and her partners in crime have now added Pure Swiss Water, BMC Bicycles, Rudy Project, Cane Creek, WTB, Mez Design, Violich Farms, Voler, ClifBar, Kreitler Rollers and Cyclist Village (www.cyclistvillage.com – a social networking platform that connects all things cycling). The generosity of these sponsors has made growth of the team possible, enabling its athletes to compete at the World Cup level and in preparation for the 2012 Olympic Games. Cranmer and staff work toward continued growth, with plans to take on a few Junior women in 2009, so I am advised that additional sponsorship inquiries are always welcome (please contact Nicola Cranmer at ncranmer@aol.com, or see what the team is up to at http://proman-paradigm.blogspot.com.)

“I am very grateful to Ryan Dawkins and Project Sport for taking over the reins of this classic event,” expressed Cranmer. “I also extend my gratitude to the City of San Rafael and its downtown merchants. Well promoted and well attended events like this are important for the growth of women’s cycling and our Marin based PROMAN team. The Carrera De San Rafael offers us an opportunity to showcase our sponsors, as well as our riders. It is the best twilight crit on the west coast; a fun evening of dynamic racing!”
See for yourself

There are many more stories to tell, both general and personal in nature. I would summarize by saying that if any of this has made you curious about bike racing and women’s cycling, you won’t be disappointed if you come to watch these affable and accomplished athletes compete on hallowed cycling ground at a local event with a history all its own. For team PROMAN and the Carrera de San Rafael 2008, it is time.

The PROMAN women at the Carrera de San Rafael:

• 2007 2nd Place Shelley Olds
• 2006 1st place Rachel Lloyd, 2nd Place Shelley Olds

[Mark Deterline is a freelance journalist and Director of Strategic Marketing at Leadout Marketing & Creative. He can be contacted at mark@2thefront.com]