Team Peggy August 2001 Update

Team Peggy has had a successful summer thus far at races from Tennessee and Georgia to California and West Virginia.

June 15th-17th saw Team Peggy in Snowshoe, WV for the second round of the National Off Road Bicycle Association (NORBA) National Racing Series. Nine Peggys attended. Rain made racing much of the weekend difficult, especially for the Beginner and Sport riders who saw more than three inches of rain fall the night before their race. Kym Flynn put up a valiant fight in both the Pro Women's Cross Country and Short Track races despite torrential downpours. On Friday, Cheryl Battista placed 2nd in Expert Women 35-39 and qualified for the US National Team that will be racing in September at the Master's World's Championship in Bromont, Canada. Linell Wright, also racing in Expert, placed 11th in her age group. Team Peggy came out in force in Saturday's amateur races! First up was Petty Smith in Sport Women's Downhill. Petty was on her way to a podium spot when a flat tire ended her ride. In Cross Country, it was Team Peggy's day to shine despite the rain. In Senior Sport Women, Trish Albert captured the Silver Medal, and Rachel Park finished in the Top 10. Competing in her first race, Heather Yamada placed 4th in Master Beginner Women. In Senior Beginner Women, Stephanie Hopka rode her way to the Gold Medal.

In mid-July, several Team Peggy members headed to Mammoth Mountain, California for round 4 of the NORBA NRS. On Friday, Kym finished the Cross Country race, beating the altitude. On Saturday, Kym fought her way to a Top 40 placing in Pro Women's Short Track, which is a remarkable placing with the level of competition this year in the Pro Women's division. In the Senior Sport Women's division Ilsa Scheifelbein finished 11th.

Closer to home, a good group of Team Peggy ladies competed at the Lock Four Challenge in Galatin, TN on July 22. Galatin is part of the Tennesee Off-Road Best Area Rider series. Heather Yamada took second in Master Beginner Women. Rachel Park and Heather Yamada took 4th and 5th, respectively, in Senior Sport Women, and Linell Wright won 2nd in Expert Women. With their placings, Rachel moved up to 2nd in her division in the points standings, and Linell put an even stronger hold on the Expert Women's high point title.

August 5th saw four Peggies compete in the Southeastern Championship Series race at the Ocoee Whitewater Center in Tennessee. Kym showed her winning ways and won the Expert Women's race, beating her nearest competion by a wide margin. Kym was all smiles after her race! Linell finished in the Top 10 in Expert Women. Senior Sport Women saw Trish finish 4th and Stephanie hang on for 5th after a near collision with a deer. Trish moved into the Top 3 in the Southeastern Championship Series points standings.

July 8th was the annual Tour De Signal, presented by Rock City. This is one of the fun events that Team Peggy puts on every year. Approximately seventy riders from Georgia and Tennesee enjoyed a 65 mile casual bike ride around the top of Signal Mountain. Two sag stops provided riders with refreshments on the hot day. The Signal Mountain police and fire departments provided traffic control at several congested intersections so that riders could cross safely. A huge thank you went to the Signal Mountain police for helping with this event year after year.

Daisy Blanton qualified for the National Senior Games. Daisy has also ridden in Bike Across Magnificent Alabama and several centirues. She is also very active with the Chattanooga Bicycle Task Force in promoting cycling around Chattanooga and was on the Jeff Stiles show to promote the 'Bike It and Like It' program. In her spare time, Daisy has continued her work with the Cherokee National Forest Service in doing volunteer trail work around the Ocoee area and in organizing Mountain Biking events in the area, including the Tanasi-Ocoee Festival in October.

Peggys have also been participating in other events around the Southeast including the Georgia State Games mountain bike race, the Cartersville Boys and Girls Club Benefit Century tour ride, the Three State-Three Mountain Challenge, and much more. Plans are already in the works for the fall events, including the MS 150, one of the highlights of the year. The MS 150 raises money for the Multiple Sclerosis Society. Each rider pledges to raise at least $175. Team Peggy member Karen Rogers is on the MS 150 Planning Committee, which is working to make sure this year's September event is a success. Team Peggy expects to have a huge team turn out for the MS 150. Team Peggy will once again be putting on the Lula Lake Brow Beater mountain bike race in October, benefitting the Lula Lake Land Trust. In addition, a fun day is being held the day prior to the race with activities that include hiking, fun rides, kid's races, and a cycling skills clinic. The Lula Lake Land Trust strives to maintain the natural beauty of the waterfalls and ponds that lie within its boundries. The Lula Lake Brow Beater provides one of only several yearly opportunties for the public to hike and mountain bike on land. In August and September, Team Peggy is conducting several bicycle safety clinics in conjunction with the city of Chattanooga. October 19-20th will see Team Peggy assisting the Chattanooga Bike Club with the Ocoee/Tanasi Fall Festival. Team Peggy will be putting on the "ride like a girl race" and coordinating some of the children's activites.