After a very successful trial run last year, Norco has decided to once again offer pre-registering Norco-ites the chance to "Ride in Style".

When you pre-register for any of the three 2006 VPS-Fest events, you will automatically be entered to win the chance to ride a 2006 VPS Team DH, take home $1000 in head-to-toe Mace riding gear, spend some one-on-one coaching time with one of our Factory Team riders, hang in the pits, and party like a Rock Star all day long!

“Going to VPS Fest at Mt. Washington was the highlight of my summer; it's like Woodstock for mountain bikers. Winning the Ride in Style contest upped the experience a notch. I showed up in the morning and got decked out head to toe in new gear and set up with a Team DH, then I met the Norco crew and team, what a great vibe! I rode with some team members, received some coaching and gained the confidence to try things I never had before. By the end of the day I had put in a full day of riding on the whole mountain, chilled with the Norco crew, had some burgers and brew, and finally, had the dreaded "last run" crash... apparently, the new armour and helmet came in handy! All thanks to Norco!”

-Ryan (last year's Mt. Washington Ride In Style Winner)



Plus, even if you don’t win, just for showing up you’ll get an entire day of FREE lift-accessed riding (1/2 price at Blue), a chance to win over 5000 in prizes, FREE Professional tech support and flat repairs all day, the chance to ride & pick up a few pointers from professional athletes, and, if you pre-register online, the chance to be our 'Ride In Style' winner - and all this just for choosing to purchase a Norco.

VPS-Fest is Norco's one-of-a-kind customer appreciation day. Three years ago Norco created the event as a fun way to give back to the community and a great excuse for us to get together and have a great time. Since the first event in 2003, VPS-Fest has grown and expanded into a much-anticipated event on many Norco riders' calendars.

For more info on VPS-Fest, or to pre-register for any of the three ’06 VPS-Fest events and be automatically entered to win the Norco ‘Ride In Style’ contest, go to: vpsfest.com

Congrats to Norco Factory Team DH racer, Dan Csokonay on his 3rd place finish in the Junior Expert Men's field at the Mt. Ste. Anne Canada Cup.



Pros as well to Ontario based racers, Justin Brown and Derek Cowell on their respective 7th & 18th place results in the tough Elite Men's category.

This past weekend Symmetrics was in Brazil and once again, the S-Team rocked.

Sao Paolo hosted the annual Pan-Am Championships, attracting the top athletes from North and South America. Symmetrics was well represented, wearing the white and red of the Canadian national team for the event.

In the time 32.5km individual time trial, Eric Wohlberg and Svein Tuft took second and third, with Brad Fairall taking silver in the under-23!

Quite a haul for the Norco sponsored yellow-and-black!

Source: Symmetrics Cycling

Norco Factory Team World Cup DH racer, Fionn Griffiths captured another podium spot on the World Cup Circuit; this time in Willingen, Germany.



Source: Willingen DH Women's Results

Matt Hadley and I left Bromont on Monday and headed to Tremblant for the second stop on the Canada Cup circuit. There, we were hooking up with a couple more maritime mountain bikers to spend the week in a Cabin on Lake Dufour. We spent our time getting to know the area better, giving our bikes some TLC after the Bromont mudfest, eating, movie watching… and for me, dialing in my descending speed so as not to be scooped for the win twice in a row.

The weather improved continuously showering us with sunshine rather than raindrops. For once it looked like we would have a dry race at Tremblant! The course was in good shape, pretty much the same as last year with lots of single track but a more substantial climb than last weekend. Friday night saw some showers, but the morning brought the sun and temperatures in the low to mid 20’s. The women were slotted for 4 laps and I was ready to go. Off the start I fell back to 5th, but after about 500m the girls looked like they were settling into a pace so I took that opportunity to attack and go off the front. Getting into the single track first was going to be crucial to success and I wanted it badly. I drove hard on the first lap making as much use of my fitness as possible. The course was slick after the rain and early races, but I was able to make out alright. By lap two I had opened 2 min on second place, but I new I had to continue racing scared to win. The course was a blast with all the singletrack and hammer climbs and I was able to maintain my lead to the finish. Mical rode in 1:30 after and then Karen Dewolfe at 5.17 followed in a close battle by Amanda Sin and Jean-ann Mckirdy. It felt great to get the win and although I wasn’t able to move into the leader’s jersey, I have that motivation to spur me on next weekend. It should be a good battle!

My Norco Teammate Roddi Lega finished 7th in the men’s field, with Hadley coming in 9th. In the DH Norco rider Justin Brown had a wicked ride finishing 4th. My Bro and friend Goss after finishing 2nd and 1st at Bromont both had crashes this weekend and finished 10th and 5th respectively. Still pretty sweet.

After spending a couple hours at the complimentary spa today it is with high spirits we head to Hardwood Hills tomorrow. We’re planning to go the scenic route to Barrie, stopping for a hike at Camp Fortune.

-Kika-

Source: cpendrel.blogspot.com

Last weekend's Bastion Square G.P. was full of action, as always. The S-Team truly showed just what great teamwork is about, managing to sweep both the men's and women's races. The men took 1 through 5th, and the women took the 1st & 2nd place spots. It was a great conclusion for both the team and supporters at the Victoria Cycling Festival.

The women constantly attacked the field knowing that eventually one would stick. That is exactly what happened and Marni Hambleton was able to ride away with about 10 minutes left. Mandy Poitras took the sprint for second.

The men really worked well in the crit and showed their prowess in the discipline. Using great team tactics, Svein Tuft, Cam Evans and Jake Erker broke away and ended up lapping the field on lap 38 of 70. Svein went straight through the group and was solo before the lap was over. Marsh then attacked and bridged up to Svein. From there Cam and Christian and Eric jumped across a very tired field and there was soon five S-Team riders going for a second lap. They slowed down and held themselves about 15 seconds behind the field. The balance of the field was pulled with five to go and Jake and Svein and Cam rode came around with Cam taking the win. The race was especially important for the S-Team as both Coast Capital Savings staff - the team's newest sponsor - and Norco - was there to watch the yellow-and-black put on one great show.

Source: symmetricscycling.com