JAZZ™ Apples Finish Campaign with 1-2 Punch
July 17-19, 2009, White Rock, B.C.

During the final weekend of the JAZZ™ Apple cycling's 2009 North American tour, the team delivered a pair of top overall finishes at the 30th annual Tour de White Rock.

The weekend started -- quite literally -- on a high note for JAZZ™ Apple, with Dotsie Bausch topping the first grueling 700 meter hill climb 12 seconds ahead of the field. The top five climbers, which included not only Dotsie but also Marina Duvnjak, ascended the 16 percent grade a second time to determine the winner. After the second leg-melting, lung-bursting hill climb, Dosie and Marina climbed again...onto the first and second place spots, respectively, on the podium.

Read more here

Saturday brought Marina back to the dais, this time on the top tier, as the winner of the 30-lap, kilometer criterium. By her side on the second step was last week's Tour de Delta winner, JAZZ™ Apple's Lauren Ellis.

Read more here

JAZZ™ Apple continued its dominance on Sunday from the starting flag of the 130 kilometer road race, which offered spectators beautiful views of Mount Baker and Semiahmoo Bay. Sight seeing was not on the race plan for JAZZ™ Apples, however, with a speedy Dotsie crossing the finish line two full minutes ahead of the bunch sprint, which was led by Marina.

When the weekend's results were tabulated, JAZZ™ Apple was once again called to the podium, with Marina's unparalleled performance in the criterium helping her garner the top spot, just a scant 3 points ahead of Dotsie overall. Lauren Ellis and Steph Roorda, who played support roles throughout the weekend, celebrated their teammates' spectacular performances from sixth and 21st place, respectively.

See all results here

JAZZ™ Apples Taste Victory at the Tour de Delta
July 10-12, 2009, Delta, B.C.

Three days of racing culminated in a triple crown for JAZZ™ Apple, with Lauren Ellis, Dotsie Bausch, and local favorite Steph Roorda occupying the top three slots on the general classification podium when the race series concluded Sunday.

The 2009 Tour de Delta kicked off three days earlier, with Lauren finishing fifth, followed directly by Steph and Dotsie in the three kilometer time-trial prologue.

Then on Saturday evening,  the speedy JAZZ™ Apple cyclists showed their strength by stealing the top three steps on the podium of the Tour de Delta’s grueling 36 kilometer criterium event. Lauren claimed first, Dotsie second and Steph third.

Malindi Maclean snagged 90 percent of the early cash prizes before Marina turned up the volume midway into the race.  Malindi and Marina's swift moves softened the field before Lauren and Dotsie began to launch Steph, hoping to rocket her to a hometown victory.

Lauren successfully managed to rocket Steph to the front in a multi-lap breakaway , but a furious chase ensued and Steph was caught with four to go.  Fortunately Lauren and Dotsie streaked by right on the catch, and stole away with the race. In the gallop, Marina and Malindi steered Steph into the last corner in perfect position, and she delivered a tremendous sprint for third. Marina finished fifth and Malindi sixth in an excellent effort.

Sunday it was Marina’s turn to shine, as she scooped up a victory in the final stage of Tour de Delta. There was plenty of excitement during the 88 kilometer circuit race, with Malindi convincingly collecting the sprinter’s jersey by claiming six of eight sprints, while Marina ruthlessly took control of the Queen of the Mountains competition.

Overall race leader Lauren and second placed Dotsie continued to exude dominance; their presence was consistently felt in every threatening move on the windswept circuits. In the final two kilometers, Marina rocketed away for a stunning solo victory while Steph blitzed around Malindi's lead-out to finish second. Steph's second place in the stage garnered her valuable time bonus seconds that moved her into third place overall in the general classification. Dotsie finished third in the sprint, which landed the JAZZ™ Apple Cycling team first, second and third in the stage as well as in the general classification.

Lauren was duly crowned as the overall Tour de Delta winner, and is the proud owner of the event’s best young rider (U25) jersey.

And to top it off, JAZZ™ Apple clinched the overall team title. What a weekend for JAZZ™!

View official GC standings
Check out this terrific profile of Vancouver’s Sweetheart Steph Roorda!
Read more about JAZZ™ Apple Cycling at the Tour de Delta
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0907/S00167.htm

Dotsie Bausch Victorious at Masters Nationals
June 28 – July 4, Louisville, Kentucky

In a very hot and humid Louisville, Kentucky, JAZZ™ Apple's Dotsie Bausch took home two Masters National Championship titles -- both in the road race and in the criterium events.

The road race was hard fought, with a flurry of spicy and animated attacks being shot off the front around the five mile, technical, hilly course.

Dotsie finally took matters into her own hands and attacked at the top of the steepest grade of Cochran Hill, 6.5 miles from the finish line, and she never looked back. Her solo effort was good enough for a one minute 13 second advantage over the silver medalist, Leslie Jennings of Washington, D.C.

Read more road race coverage by USA Cycling

The July 2 criterium was not too active from the start, as the riders had Dotsie marked from the gun. As the scene unfolded, and the field began to attack, Dotsie counter-attacked a move by one of the tougher teams, and two other women bridged to her, making a solid three woman breakaway that never was caught.

With one lap to go and 50 seconds up on the rest of the field, the ladies began a cat-and-mouse game that saw them at one point on the far straightaway stationary, in a literal track stand!

Keeping the eye on the prize and know her strengths and weaknesses, Dotsie took off and sprinted for the victory at the 350 meter line, with the field almost nipping the break-away at the line! Dave Toll, the announcer for the week, called it the "most exciting race finish of the week."

Read an interview with Dotsie Bausch in the Louisville Courier Journal
Read more criterium coverage by USA Cycling
View photos by Kentucky Backroads Photography

Malindi Claims Silver at Manhattan Beach
June 28, Manhattan Beach, California
(Reprinted from RoadCycling.co.nz)

The Manhattan Beach Grand Prix was a 2.25km criterium, part of the USA Cycling National Race Calendar (NRC). The men raced for 80 minutes and the women for 50.

The course is considered one of the more technical courses on the NRC. It is shaped like a slightly bent paperclip, featuring two long straights, two sweeping 180° turns, plus a touch of climbing every lap. The finish line is only 300m after the final turn, meaning tactics and positioning are crucial.

Malindi Maclean [JAZZ™ Apples] found her position and finished second, just unable to catch Corinne Rivera of Proman Hit Squad.

Mixed Results for JAZZ™ Apples at Nature Valley Grand Prix
Minnesota, June 10 - 14

The eleventh annual Nature Valley Grand Prix presents an epic 5-day, 6-stage challenge that tests the strength, speed and endurance of the world’s peloton elite. The challenge began with a double header on Wednesday, June 10, starting with the St. Paul Riverfront Time Trial.

It was an early 8:30 a.m. start for the ladies on a drizzly day. Dotsie Bausch was off the blocks first for the JAZZ™ Apple Cycling Team and had the team’s best finish for the day in 21st position. The time trial is often called “the race of truth.” There is hiding in the pack or drafting behind teammates, as each rider must test themselves against the course alone. Defending champion Kristen Armstrong set the tone for the series to come, finishing 13 seconds ahead of second place finisher Alison Powers from Team Type 2.

Later that same day the racing continued at the St. Paul Lowertown Criterium – a one-hour event that circuited an open course with a gentle incline to the finish.

NGVP Stage 3: Ruth Claims QOH in Cannon Falls Road Race
June 11

The Cannon Falls Road Race wound through scenic Goodhue County before finishing on a circuit in downtown Cannon Falls.

The action started from the beginning, with Ruth Corset handily claiming the first Queen of the Hills (QOH) sprint at 3.6 miles. Then, an early attack by Christina Smith of Veloforma launched after the first QOH marked the only notable break, gaining up to 20 seconds before getting caught within 4 miles.

The lead group missed a turn onto a 1-mile stretch of gravel road and had to double back to rejoin the race. Several cyclists crashed in the resulting melee, but fortunately the JAZZ™ ladies escaped mostly unscathed from the wreckage.

Arica Allar of the ValueAct Capital Cycling Team was unfazed by the gravel and claimed the stage win. Steph Roorda was the top JAZZ™ cyclist in thirteenth place, just ahead of Ruth Corset who placed second in the QOH competition with Dotsie Bausch placing in third among the QOH.

NGVP Stage 4: Uptown Minneapolis Criterium
June 12

The Minnesota Bike Festival moved to downtown Minneapolis for Friday night’s criterium event. The course set competing pro teams racing past Calhoun Square on a 1-kilometer course that comprised six tight corners and a furious race to the finish. The stage win went to Brooke Miller of team Tibco, and JAZZ™ Apple’s Ruth Corset finished second among the climbers.

A group of New Zealand JAZZ™ apple growers joined the team in the expo area to share fresh samples of JAZZ™ apples with the hungry downtown crowd – lending some added excitement to the festivities surrounding the race.

A lot of people who visited the booth tried JAZZ™ for the first time. Comments ranged from, "This is my favorite apple!", to, "This apple has a pop!", and, "It's so juicy it's like drinking juice," and, "I love the crunch!"  Some even said, "This is better than a Honeycrisp!", and coming from Minnesota, the home of the Honeycrisp, that was quite the compliment.

NGVP Stage 5: Dotsie Second in Mankato Road Race
June 13

Racing continued on Saturday with the Mankato Road Race. This was a test of endurance and racing tactics, starting and finishing in the City of Mankato.

Dotsie Bausch had a brilliant ride to finish second in the 98.1-mile Mankato road stage. Dotise was a part of an exciting six member breakaway that survived ahead of the peloton.

"Marina Duvnjak was awesome,” Dotsie said. “She was off the front all day going for break after break, and Steph Roorda was back getting bottles. I saw two major teams go; then the third; and I knew we had to get somebody on this so I went for it. I just gritted it out because I wanted to get a podium for the girls."

The six member group dominated on the four finishing loops, which included a brutal 18 percent uphill grade every lap. The stage was won by Webcor's Alexis Rhodes. Ruth Corset finished in the lead group behind, with Marina Duvnjak, Lauren Ellis, Steph Roorda and Malindi Maclean finishing shortly thereafter. Dotsie and Ruth were second and third among the climbers that day.

Watch a video recap

NGVP Stage 6: Stillwater Criterium
June 14

The Minnesota Bicycle Festival returned to historic downtown Stillwater for the Grand Finale. The Stillwater course featured a trek up the infamous Chilkoot Hill on every lap. This lung-busting hill climb along with the heart stopping downhill turns stretched the riders’ bike handling skills to their limits.

In this last and final stage Kristen Armstrong, competing without team support, pushed herself to a dominating win. Shelley Olds (PROMAN Hit Squad) and Andrea Dvorak (Cooking Light) followed Armstrong’s attack in the second lap to take second and third for the stage, respectively. JAZZ™ Apple’s own Ruth Corset finished twelfth in the stage, and Dotsie and Ruth both finished third and fourth among the climbers, respectively. Lauren Ellis placed seventh among the young riders, and the JAZZ™ Apple Cycling Team placed seventh in the overall team competition.

View photos by Christopher Jankowski

Ruth Crowned Queen of the Mountains at Liberty Classic
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, June 7

On a stunning day in downtown Philadelphia, more than 100 international pro women cyclists competed in the 57.6-mile Liberty Classic race, consisting of four laps of a 14.4-mile circuit with four steep climbs up the grueling Manayunk Wall.

The JAZZ™ Apple Cycling team put forth a classic effort to catapult Ruth Corset through the multiple Queen of the Mountain (QOM) sprints, delivering her handily into first place. Marina Duvnjak was instrumental in Ruth's early point collection, driving up Lemon Hill where Ruth was able to successfully contest against Team High Road's climbing phenom, Mara Abbot, Team Webcor’s Kathryn Currie, and the powerful Nurnberger team.

In an incredible supporting capacity Lauren Ellis and Dotise Bausch were on hand for all eight QOM sprints, either leading out or usurping valuable points from Ruth's would be contenders. The final time up the Manyunk Wall, the fast pace split the race and a group of 11 escaped from the pack, including Ruth. The breakaway survived, and upon taking the final double points on Lemon Hill, Ruth clinched the title. In the final sprint, Team HighRoad's Ina Teutenberg delivered a scorching sprint to win, followed by Tibco's Jo Kiesanowski and PROMAN’s ever present Shelley Olds. Ruth finished eighth in the end and proudly took to the stage for her coronation as Queen of the Hill.

Malindi Maclean and Steph Roorda had pleasing support rides, finishing in the surviving group of a largely decimated field.

Read more in the Daily Peloton

Training in Kutztown, Pennsylvania
by Malindi Maclean, June 4

The JAZZ™ Apple girls further broadened their cultural awareness in the pastoral surrounds of Pennsylvania’s Amish community. The team’s latest home base is within two hours of the Big Apple itself, but the surrounds of Kutztown couldn’t be more different to the hub of New York City.

The town here is familiar to years of cyclist traffic, which share the quiet roads with the Amish horse-drawn carts and old yellow school buses. Training rides feel like a history tour as we find ourselves waving to girls in long dresses and bonnets working in the fields. While chatting about the irony of a society living without technology so close to the metropolis of New York, like any true bike fanatics we realized the significance of the bicycle as a unifying feature of such different cultures. Although the high-tech bike couriers whizzing around NYC are vastly different from the old Amish man we passed rocking side to side on his Dandyhorse utility bike, the efficient transfer of human energy to movement is a universal novelty. The perfect machine in so many ways, we were eternally grateful of the technology invested in our super light Fuji bikes ten minutes later as we started our grueling hill repeats under Chris’s watchful eye.

Ruth Corset Fourth in Montreal World Cup
Montreal, Quebec, May 30

Ruth produced a sterling ride to finish fourth in the Montreal World Cup! In the sixth round of the World Cup racing series, Ruth finished in a small, elite group of five behind the solo winner, Emma Pooley. Pooley managed to stave off their chase to win by a margin of 1 minute and 14 seconds. Ruth finished third in the sprint after twelve laps of the infamous and extremely demanding Mont Royal.

Montreal World Cup Race Report
by Ruth Corset

A total of 22 teams lined up at the start of the famous Montreal World Cup on May 30. This race is known to be one of the most challenging races in the World Cup Series, consisting of 11 laps of a 10km circuit. I knew all too well how grueling this race would be, having raced it last year with the Australian National Team.

As the field pushed for position at the start of the race, knowing that the 2 km climb was 1 km after the starting line, Emma Pooley (Cervelo) attacked from the gun, surprising everyone. On the second lap Webcor, Tibco and Colavita attacked up the climb to chase Pooley. The three riders were eventually caught, however, on the sixth lap, with Nurnberger driving the pace at the front to reel Pooley in. The field dwindled down to 15 riders, then 10 in the last lap (including myself) as the pace was accelerated by Highroad and Nurnberger. Pooley amazingly blitzed the field by 1 minute 15 seconds.

I managed to maneuver to the front before the hairpin turn to the finish. It was a close sprint, with Emma Johansson (Sweden National Team) finishing second, Trixi Warrak (Nurnberger) third and myself finishing fourth. As I crossed the finish line completely exhausted and dehydrated, I was extremely happy knowing that I had given it 100 percent.

Ruth will rejoin the JAZZ™ Apple Cycling team at the Liberty Classic in Philadelphia.

The Montreal World Cup is the 6th stage of a 10-leg circuit that takes place across the world. Each year, the Union Cycliste Internationale assigns only eleven world spots to determine the World Cup champion. Montreal hosts the only road cycling World Cup event to take place on the American continent.

JAZZ™ Apples Sweat Through the Tulsa Tough
Tulsa, Oklahoma, May 29 – 31

Day 1: Tough Luck at the Blue Dome Criterium

The JAZZ™ Apple Cycling team confronted stage one of the Tulsa Tough -- a tight figure eight course with a gentle hill on one side. The roads were battered and broken. It was as if someone dropped a demolition ball in the centre of town and tossed the concrete around like little pieces. This became a techinical feature in the race, and multiple crashes ensued from the more than 90 women cyclists skirting around clumps of concrete.Lauren Ellis was again torching it away from the bunch and made several long lasting breaks throughout the race. Steph Roorda was also on hand executing some critical moves in the final stage of the race, Marina also escaped in a break, but unluckily that too was clawed back into the peloton.At the same time and with about eight laps to go, Malindi Maclean fell heavily in a crash, adding to the toll of the race. She managed to collect herself, but her forks had snapped clean, and her frame crumpled. With no time to waste, she boarded a SRAM spare bike and rejoined the back of the group -- a little worse for the wear. Nonetheless, she gallantly got close in the finish and crossed the line in a respectable tenth place.

Tulsa Tough – Day 2, Brady Village Criterium

Read more in Velo News

Tulsa tough - Day 3, Riverview Criterium
by Marina Duvnjak

So today was a stunner once again! Not only was the sun hot and baking, but it was by far the most testing course of the three days. It's called the Tulsa Tough for a reason.

The only flat part of the course was the start/finish area which was about 400 meters long, and then a hard right into a steep 250 meter climb, then a few more steps up and up, hard right and slight downhill and a sharp right hand turn down a steep hill to the finishing straight.

You would think that on such a dangerous corner is where the carnage would happen, but no, seems that the girls in our bunch have a special talent in crashing on the uphill. Thank God the JAZZ™ Apple girls don't posses this talent and were fortunate to get through the races in one piece.

Over the course of the 60 minute race the pace was on from the gun, and within 15 minutes or so, the bunch had whittled down to just 30 survivors. Lauren Ellis and Dotsie Bausch were right up there, covering and countering moves. It was awesome to see.

Malindi Maclean, Steph Roorda and Marina Duvnjak showed support from the sidelines. There was a huge party atmosphere, with a DJ on site and the fans dressed up in Speedos, sparkly suits, pink wigs. The big screen was in perfect position, we got to see the whole race and managed to steal a bit of TV time too.

So back to the race! Watching Lauren so strong and dominant in the pack was a proud moment. She finished eighth overall, a great result to finish on. PROMAN’s Shelly Olds took first and won the series overall.

Read more in Velo News

Dotsie Bausch Featured in Tulsa World News:
Bicycle racing has led Bausch to a better life
By World Sports Writer John D. Ferguson, May 29, 2009

Dotsie Bausch has found peace, focus and control in the sport of cycling. The former model spent seven years living a bit out of control fighting eating disorders along with a drug addiction.

However, a move to California in the mid-1990s and a change of careers were a perfect tonic. Bausch also discovered the world of bicycle racing. The healing began in earnest.

Read more

Sugar CRM Mount Hamilton Classic Road Race
& Memorial Day Criterium
San Jose & Morgan Hill, California, May 24-25

JAZZ™ Apple Cycling’s own Ruth Corset placed second -- not only at the 63.5-mile Mt. Hamilton Classic Road Race on Saturday in San Jose, Calif. (climbing over 6,000 feet in elevation gain) -- but also in the Memorial Day Criterium in Morgan Hill, Calif. It was fantastic to have Ruth on the podium yet again, as well as strong finishes from the other riders. Dotsie Bausch finished in a respectable eighth at the Sugar CRM, and Lauren Ellis was not far behind in eleventh place.

The very next day in Morgan Hill, Calif., Ruth raced around the criterium circuit and pulled off another commanding second place finish -- crossing the line just behind PROMAN’s ever impressive Shelley Olds (who Ruth had beaten the day before). JAZZ™ Apple’s Manlindi Maclean also finished in a powerful seventh place. Go JAZZ™ APPLES!

More photos by Kurt Harvey
More photos by Veronica Lenzi

Next Stop: Mount Hamilton
May 24

JAZZ™ Apples Debut at Joe Martin Stage Race –
Ruth Achieves Podium for Mother’s Day
May 7-10, Fayetteville, Ark.

Joe Martin Stage 1: Time Trial

Stage 1 - May 7: The JAZZ™ Apple Women's U.S. campaign flew off to an uphill start on Thursday, May 7 with a 4 km / 2.5 mile grind averaging 6.8% in pitch in the notorious Devil's Den State Park.

Straddling her polished and fully ‘blinged’ FUJI bike, Dotsie Bausch rocketed up the prologue climb to finish seventh -- mere milliseconds from the leading three. Ruth Corset was just a nanosecond behind her in eighth -- placing two of the JAZZ™ Apples in the top ten heading into stage 2.

Meanwhile, Lauren Ellis rode valiantly to finish close behind, within seconds of the leaders. The 20-year-old shows promise to perform well in the 2009 JAZZ™ Apple road season after a brilliant World Championship track campaign where she claimed a silver medal in team pursuits.

Read an interview with Dotsie Bausch in the Northwest Arkansas' News Source

Joe Martin Stage 2: 110km Road Race

Stage 2 – May 8: The JAZZ™ Apple Cycling Team embraced a rolling 110 km with a steady climb at the midway point. The finish promised to be an exciting one, with the last 1.6 km a melee of four sharp turns that included a 20% incline for 200 meters. In all, the finishers climbed more than 3,500 feet from start to finish.

Greeted by Arkansas' thundery bellows, the race sympathetically followed suit in an electrically charged affair of constant attacks. From the outset, Team Tibco went on the offensive, and the stage was a bit of a hurry from there on in.

When the major climb of the day introduced itself, JAZZ™ Apple's Ruth Corset shot out solo and effortlessly pedaled away from the shredding field. Carrying the leaders’ jersey, Team Type 2 steadily reeled Ruth back in before Lauren Ellis showed just the form she's promised and made a devastating counter attack before the crest of the 15 km hill. In the most talked about move of the race, Ellis was joined by Webcor's Niki Butterfield and a rider from Veloforma who worked to hold off the chasers until the dying stages. Unluckily, the great escape was foiled.

Alas, in the whirlwind finish Team Tibco prevailed; Jo Kiesanowski took line honors while Ruth and Dotsie finished virtually glued together again -- Ruth in ninth and Dotsie in tenth, leaving the general classification unchanged.

Read more in Cycling News

Joe Martin Stage 3: 110km Road Race

Stage 3 – May 9: the JAZZ™ Apple Cycling team soldiered on, completing a rolling journey around the outskirts of Fayetteville. The task at hand was to complete three laps of a 38 km loop featuring more than 1,500 feet of climbing per lap.

Saturday's road course was like a piece of corrugated iron on steroids with big rollers challenging the field all day long. Despite multiple breakaway attempts, including truly lion-sized effort made by our own Steph Roorda, the bunch maintained a healthy field of 30 odd (albeit beaten-up) riders into the finish.

Dotsie Bausch, Lauren Ellis and Steph were all ahead of the pack approaching the final mile, but in the end the race was won by Mellow Mushroom's Laura Van Gilder with Ruth finishing consistently in tenth. Again, there was no change to the overall standings.

Joe Martin Stage 4: Criterium Finale

Stage 4 – May 10: The climbing did not end after the challenging road stages. Sunday's final stage was nothing short of a cruel way to finish a stage race. A "criterium" with an 800m climb and 1.2 km curving downhill made this criterium less about speed and more about attrition.

The leg burn was apparent in the first lap as fatigued riders immediately lost contact. Ruth Corset, the clever mountain goat, quickly went on the attack and broke clear with Webcor's Gina Grain and Tibco's Brooke Miller. The trio stayed clear for most of the race but Grain and Miller were unwilling participants, and eventually Team Type 1 reeled them back.

Race leader Alison Powers counter attacked, and no one else could respond. Lauren Ellis gave a gallant effort in the final laps to set Ruth up for the uphill sprint, and then Ruth pounced across the line for a close finish with Jen McCrae.

Ruth was crowned third in the stage and moved up to fourth rank overall – a fantastic achievement for the gutsy mother of two.

View Overall Standings
Read more in Cycling News

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