Kenny: February 2010 Archives

Roster Change!
For 2010, Herring has several additions to the roster. All our new recruits drag down the average age of the team. They are all young and talented and have very impressive resume's. We've always believed in bringing on younger talent, but usually just one at a time. This year however, we were faced with a difficult decision to choose from 3 great riders all with brow raising results. We choose all 3. These 3 riders will be a great addition to the Boys in Blue and will give us great depth. Here they are:
 

Ben Gabardi:

The very talented Ben Gabardi has already competed in 4 Mississippi Grands Prix!... and he's not yet 17. Ben (racing age:17) has several Junior National Championship Jerseys already and for 2010, he won the BMW Performance Center Pro/1/2 Circuit Race as well as the Omnium in Greenville South Carolina. Ben is aggressive and calculating on the bike and his speed is impressive. His resume' is way too long and well stacked with 1st places to list here. We look forward to seeing Ben all season long at the front of the race.
 

Andrew Hammond:

Andrew is 18 and he's a natural. "He looks like he's been racing for 10 years" said Frank Moak, Team President. Well, there's truth to that. He was already an Expert Category BMX racer at 8 years old.... He moved over to the road at 12. At our annual training camp in January, Andrew kept quiet at the back of the pack for most of the day. Then when things got a bit out of hand, it was Andrew, bridging across to the more experienced Cat 1's on the team, staying off the front with them to the end. Andrew is a former LAMBRA Junior TT champion, LAMBRA Junior RR Champion, MSGP Junior Champion and has 2 Junior UCI Tours l'Abitibi  in Canada under his belt. Andrew is a great addition to the team and he's going to just get stronger.
 

Jeb Falgout:

There was a thorn in the side of many of the Herring Gas riders in 09' and it's name was Falgout. Every time a Herring rider looked over his shoulder while going off the front, he would most likely see the gray Precision Bikes Team jersey of Jeb coming across to him. If Jeb weren't riding hard for his team mates, he was going for it alone. We were impressed so we asked him aboard. It's a tough decision to leave your home-town team for one you've been racing against but we think we have a lot to offer Jeb for a long career in cycling. Jeb is 23, 100% dedicated and is strong as a diesel engine. We have a lot of faith in him and we're relieved he's on our side now.
 

Jacob Brewer:

You might already know Jacob has been in Herring Blue for a year already, but we've never formally introduced him. Jacob has quite an impressive pedigree. While attempting to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Trials for Beijing in the 10K running event, chronic lower leg injuries knocked him out of competition. He hung up his running shoes for good and turned to cycling for cross training and therapy. Now he's addicted. We believe with Herring's depth that Jacob is our future. He spends more time on his bike than anyone and he has a real "eye" for the front of the race. Jacob is new to this but looks like an old pro and we believe that's the direction he's going. He was recently awarded a spot on the U.S. Military Worlds team and hopes to compete for the Military World Championships later this year. We're very proud to have Jacob wearing blue.
 

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First Race, First Victory!

The weekend of Feb 20-21 was the season opener for many regions and our youngest member, Ben Gabardi took first prize in the Pro1/2 Greenville Spring Training Series race at the BMW Proving Grounds Circuit in Greenville, SC. He made it into an early breakaway of 3 riders and despite a desperate chase from a strong field, they were never seen again. By the end, Ben crossed the line first. His high placing from the day before (13th) in the Donaldson Center RR gave him the Overall win for the weekend omnium. "I only finished 7 laps of this race last year" said the young prodigy after his win. This year he finds himself on the top step of the podium for the Pro/1/2. Go Ben!!!
 

Next On Schedule:
Several of the guys are heading over to Tallahassee, FL for a 3 day stage race the weekend of 2/26. Then on to the epic day of days, Rouge Roubaix in the woods of St.Francisville, LA on March 6th.
See you on the road.