Team Sandbag Bicycle Racing

"WE MAKE BICYCLING FUN"

CURRENT NEWS
TEAM
SCHEDULE
RESULTS
MEDIA
TRAIL DAYS
SPONSORS
LINKS
VISION
APPAREL
CHARITY EVENTS
CONTACT US

CURRENT NEWS & EVENTS

MTB Marathon in Metro Detroit!
June 29th, 2009
Stop #5 of the Michigan USAC Mtb Series made its way to Stony Creek Metro Park for a grueling event of climbs, rolling double track and blazin' single track in the woods.

Congratulations to the following Team Sandbag members who took the challenge and finished. John Osgood managed to hang on for a 7th place finish and Kevin Kahl finished 8th after the 60 plus mile battle. Mitch Bolt held his own and placed 11th, Lee Tremp managed to pedal his way to a 12th place, Mike Liagre held onto a 7th in the SS class, and Mike Coronado placed 5th in his age group.

Look for TSB to sport the team colors at Big "M" stop #6 of the USAC series on July 19th.

Complete Results
_______________________________

The Lumberjack 100 Takes Its Toll!
June 22nd, 2009
This event is probably one of the hardest endurance events in the state. With close to 10,000ft of climbing and 100 miles of single track to beat you down. The mental battle to finish seems to lurk about the competitors more than once throughout the day.

This year the entrants were capped at 300 up from 250 the years previous. With a sold out field the stats at the end of the day definitely favored the lumberjack 100 course vs the finishers.

Team Sandbag had a strong showing with Brad Hranach finishing the course with a blistering time of 9:01. This gave him a 12th place finish in the Men's Single Speed class. Chad Schut battled the Manistee National Forest single track trails with a finishing time of 9:50 in the Men's Open division. Congrats to both for representing Team Sandbag all the way to the finish!

Complete results
_______________________________

Todd Shorkey smiles after a long battle in the woods.

Ruby Trail Project "One Of A Kind"
June 15th, 2009
With all the rain this past spring many people were waiting with much anxiety to see what the Ruby Trail Project was going to be like for the 4th stop of the Michigan USAC MTB Championship Series.

TSB had limited time to prep the course, but made the best of the situation with what Mother Nature left behind. Thank you to all the TSBer's for the hours of trail prep and a special thank you to Lee Tremp who spent many nights the last few weeks prior to the event adding all the finishing touches. The trail was in prime shape come race day on Sunday June 14th.

All the classes had a good size field with plenty of competition. As always the Ruby trail poses its challenges with either a LOVE IT or HATE IT attitude from the racers. At the end of the day most of the racers came across the finish line smiling.

Team Sandbag was ready to show em' how to rock the home turf. Brian Crook paced himself to a steady 2nd , John Osgood held on to his first podium this season with a 5th . Todd Powers pedaled through the woods for a 6th . Kevin Kahl rolled the home course to a 7th place finish. Todd Shorkey had a mechanical, but was able to regroup and finish with a solid 5th for his first podium finish ever. Todd Lawrence placed 2nd, Jeff Simpson came in a solid 3rd, Mitch Bolt placed 3rd, Dave Burke held onto a respected 3rd . Michael Maniaci place a strong 8th in his category. Ben Miller rocked the SS to a 2nd place finish, Mike “Masher” Liagre finished in the SS category holding onto 6th place. Dystani Smith rocked the beginner 10 under division with a 1st place finish, Michael Coronado held onto a strong 2nd place in his category.

In the kids race Nolan Osgood, Makenna Osgood, Rayna Powers, Reese Powers, and Nora Green wore the TSB colors and represented the team AWESOME for the day!

Congrats to all that came to challenge the Ruby Trail Project. Team Sandbag will be in full force at the Lumberjack 100 this coming weekend. Good luck to all racers!

Complete results "CLICK HERE"
_______________________________

Ruby Is Ready!
June 4th, 2009
Well, just like much of the entire mid-west Mother Nature has not been kind to our area. Ruby is always a challenge come race day and this year will be no different. TSB has cut in a few new re-routes to avoid some of the lower wet areas. The main river crossings will more than likely be a hike-a-bike for all levels.

TSB will complete the trail prep this coming weekend June 6th and 7th. The trail is open with some areas still needing a bit of tlc. HOPE TO SEE YOU ON JUNE 14th!

RACE REGISTRATION & INFO
_______________________________

photo credit: Steve Balogh
Brighton Stage Race Has It All!
June 2nd, 2009
Two complete days of racing action. Saturday had a 6 1/2 mile time trail on the Torn Shirt Trail and quick multi-loop short track event in the afternoon right in the park/beach area of the Brighton Recreation Area. Sunday finished up with a cross country race on the Murry Lake Trail.

Congrats to John Osgood who placed 5th in the stage race. Other TSBers who competed in the XC race on Sunday had great results. Brian Crook placed 2nd, John Osgood 10th, Todd Powers 15h, Kevin Kahl 18th, Lee Tremp 8th and Nolan Osgood rock the childrens class.

Complete results for the Stage Race
_______________________________

Finally...Dry Trails To Race On!
May 25th, 2009
After two consecutive weeks of postponements and cancelations due to heavy rains, Mother Nature finally cooperated and allowed a mountain bike race to take place. Originally scheduled for Sunday, May 17th , the Bloomer Park XC Race was postponed until the 24th due to much of the trail being under water. Luckily a relatively dry week allowed the trail to dry out, along with excellent weather for racing the day of. The Bloomer Race is the 2nd race in the USAC MTB Series.

Team Sandbag had four racers competing on the day, all racing early in the day in Expert Classes. Brian Crook nabbed his second expert podium with a 5th place finish. Todd Powers rolled in 10th place and Kevin Kahl in 13th . John Osgood made it through 3 of the 4 laps before a flat tire forced him out of the race. Great job guys, way to represent the team.

Watch for Team Sandbag out at the Brighton Stage Race on May 30th and 31st . This is a two day event combining a time trial, short track and XC race.

Complete results for the Bloomer Park XC Race
_______________________________

Spring Opener @ Pontiac Lake!
April 27th, 2009
Seven TSBer's made the trip to the Michigan USA-C Time Trial opener this past weekend. All in all not a bad showing for such an early event in the season.

Congrats to Brian Crook who managed to hold on for a 5th place position and a 21st in the SS division. Mitch Bolt placed 7th in his respected race category, John Osgood placed a 16th and 16th in the SS divison. Stan Christy came in 10th, Paul Seely 11th, Todd Shorkey 12 and Kevin Kahl fell off pace after the first lap with a dnf.

Complete results for the Pont. Lake TT

For many TSBer's the next event will be the 6 & 12 hours of Addison Oaks event May 9th!
_______________________________

Leprechaun Loop Annual 5k!
March 14th, 2009
Talk about one heck of a way to start the racing season! Team Sandbag was well represented during a local 5k at the Blue Water YMCA. Maverick, genxer, Chunky, girlyman, bdseely, mtb_jay, studlee and masher all showed up with running shoes on. At race time, the temperature was near 30, the wind was calm and the sun was shining. Everyone brought home a good finish time and some even won some podium hardware. It was great to see the team at a new venue and you know that where ever TSB is, a party follows! Check back soon as TSB begins the bike racing season at the end of March with events all over Michigan!
_______________________________

Lee Tremp Climbed His Way To A Podium Finish!

Cyclocross State Championship!
December 8th, 2008
The final race of the 2008 Tailwind Cyclocross Series, held at Waterford Hills Sportsmens Club, was also the USAC Michigan State Championship. Held on Sunday, December 7th , the weather made it an interesting race, with temperatures in the low teens at the start and about 6” of snow on the ground. Robert and the rest of the crew from Tailwind had a challenging course set up, and actually plowed the course before the race to help the racers move a little faster.

Team Sandbag had six competitors racing. John Osgood did his usual double race, both geared and single speed, grabbing a 2nd place geared and 3rd in single speed. Lee Tremp had his best cyclocross finish ever; grabbing a 2nd place in only his third race ever. Ben Miller finished 12th , Curt Potocki 17th , Jason Schneider 18th , and Joe Ashley pinch flatted early in the race so he had to abandon.

In addition to the standard race finishes, the USAC categories were a little different so John Osgood ended up taking the 1st place state championship in C-men 34 and under and 2nd place singlespeed. Plus John won the series for C-men 39 and under, taking 1st , and finshed 2nd in the series for singlespeed. Great job John and everyone else who braved the cold and snowy weather.
_______________________________

Curt Potocki Crushin' The Barriers At Bloomer

Cold Weather For Hot CX Action!
November 25th, 2008
Cold temperatures, frost and even some snow have been the theme at the last two cyclo-cross races in the 2008 Tailwind Cyclo-Cross Series. The 7th race in the series took place Sunday, November 16th at Munson Park in Monroe, MI. John Osgood was the lone Team Sandbagger racing on the day, representing the team well with a 1st place finish in the C-race and a 2nd place finish in the single-speed class.

The following week, the mercury stayed down in the low 20's for race number 8 at Bloomer Park in Rochester Hills. TSB had a big showing at this race with five members racing. John Osgood grabbed another 1st place finish by fractions of a second in a sprint finish. Todd Lawrence placed 4th , Ben Miller 15th , Curt Potocki placed 19th in his first race back this year after being sidelined with a knee injury, and Jason Schneider finished in 21st . In the next race John Osgood followed up his 1st place finish with a 3rd place in the single speed race. Great job to everyone who came out to race and thanks to the teammates and family that braved the cold to cheer on the racers.

Watch for more Sandbaggers to finish the series out at the Waterford Hills State Championship CX race on Sunday, December 7th.
_______________________________

Ben Miller Doing What TSBer's Do Best...Have Fun!

The Iceman Cometh!
November 10th, 2008 / Written By Jason Schneider / Photo By Curt Potocki
The beginning of November is a special time for mountain bikers in Michigan . For 19 years in a row, the Iceman Cometh Challenge has taken place, a point to point 27 mile race from Kalkaska to Traverse City . The event has grown into a bit of a tradition for many of Team Sandbag's members as one of the final events of the year. In addition to the race there's an expo, awards ceremony, and plenty of parties around Traverse City the night after the race.

The 2008 edition of the race started with sunny skies and almost summer like temperatures in the 60's the Friday before the race. In true Michigan fashion, a cold front moved in overnight and the racers woke to temperatures hovering in the mid to upper-30's with light rain. The rain was helpful though, packing down the abundant sand, making for a fast course this year.

Team Sandbag had 12 members competing in the Iceman this year. Brad Hranach posted the fastest time of the day for the Sandbaggers, finishing in 1:53 . John Osgood was the only member to make the podium, finishing 4th in his class. Also racing were Ben Miller, Brandon Groleau, Dan Holland, Don Miller, Jason Schneider, Kevin Kahl, Lee Tremp, Todd Powers and Todd Shorkey. Most of the team members set personal bests for the race. Brian Crook also made the long drive up north for the race, but unfortunately picked up a stick around a mile into the race that tore his derailuer off and ended his chances of finishing his first Iceman. Better luck next year Brian.

Nolan Osgood rounded out the racers, competing in the 2 mile Sno-Cone kid's race. Nolan finished strong amongst a hundred plus kids on a portion of the same course the big kids race. Great job to everyone that raced. Additionally, a big thank you to all the sponsors, spouses, family and friends that came up to stand in the cold and cheer the racers on.

While Iceman marks the end of the mountain bike season, keep an eye out for TSB at the remaining Tailwind Cyclocross races, Munson Park , Bloomer Park , and Waterford Hills.
_______________________________

Stoney Cyclo-Cross Action!
October 6th, 2008
The Tailwind Enterprises fall cyclocross series continued on Sunday, October 5th with the Stoney Creek CX race held at Baypoint Beach within Stoney Creek Metropark in Shelby Township . The course included a long stretch of asphalt parking lot, lots of tight turns in the grass, a log run-up, a set of barriers, a trip through a volleyball court, and about 300 yards of beach. Temperatures were hovering around 50 when the race started, but quickly warmed up once the action got under way.

Four Team Sandbag members competed in the C race at 10am . TSB newby and CX first timer Todd Lawrence surprised everyone, including himself, with a 2nd place finish, losing first in a sprint to the line. John Osgood joined him on the podium with a 4th place finish. Ben Miller came in shortly after to finish 7th and Jason Schneider finished up in 23rd . Great job to all the racers

CX Results
_______________________________

Ithaca Grand Prix Of Cyclo-Cross!
September 29th, 2008
Cyclocross action continued on Sunday, September 28th with the 2nd annual Ithaca Grand Prix of Cyclocross. The grass roots event is organized by Brian Hancock and held at Woodland City Park in Ithaca , MI . John Osgood was joined in the C race by Nolan Osgood, making his debut in the “big kids” race. John and Nolan both placed 2nd in their class. Like father, like son. Next up, Todd Powers and Ben Miller decided to give the Killer B's a shot and finished 9th and 10th respectively. Additionally the race featured primes, basically cash payouts for the hole shot sprints at the beginning of each race. John Osgood and Todd Powers each won the primes in their races. Great job guys.

CX Results
_______________________________

Fall Classic & The KTR Michigan Double Cross!
September 22nd, 2008
Tailwind Enterprises kicked off the fall cyclocross series with the two day Double Cross event held at Springfield Oaks County Park in Davisburg , MI on September 20th and 21st . John Osgood raced both days, finishing in 10th on Saturday and improving to 8th on Sunday. Ben Miller joined him in the race Sunday and grabbed a 12 th place finish.

In other action Sunday the 21st , the Metro North Chapter of the MMBA hosted the Fall Classic MTB cross country race at Addison Oaks County Park in Oakland Township . Five Team Sandbaggers showed up to race the great singletrack course. Brad Hranach finished 3rd in his class, Lee Tremp finished 5th , Don Miller 7th , Todd Powers 8th and Brian Crook 9th . Great job to everyone that raced both days.

MTB Results / CX Results
_______________________________

Closing Out The USA-C Series
& Big Time Fun In Northern Michigan!
September 8th, 2008
The last race of the 2008 USAC-MTB Michigan State Championship Series was held on Sunday, September 7th at Stoney Creek Metropark in Shelby Township . The race, presented by Tailwind Enterprises, was a standard XC format with a pretty even mix of Stoney's single track and two tracks. Rain the night before and most of the morning made the race wet and muddy for the Elite and Experts, though the sun came out late morning and dried things up a bit for the Sport and Beginner racers.

Team Sandbag had a great showing of racers out to represent the team, with multiple podium finishers. Kevin Kahl grabbed a 9th place finish, Brad Hranach finished 3rd , Brian Crook 1st , John Osgood 3rd , Jason Schneider 8th , Lee Tremp 10th , Mike Coranado 5th and Stan Cristy 5th . Congratulations to all the racers and thanks to everyone who came out to cheer the Sandbaggers on.

Also, congratulations to the series award winners as well. Stan Christy grabbed 1st place in his age group as did Brian Crook. Both John Osgood and Paul Seely took 2nd place in their age groups and Mike Coranado placed 5th in his.

Chippewa Hills MTB Race
Farther north over the weekend Don Miller (pictured above) made the drive to Alpena for some great racing on the Thunderbay Trails system. Promoter Randy Fairbanks along with Mike and Ron Anderson have developed some of the most challenging single track in northern Michigan.

Don pedaled his way to a victory in his class and plans to attack the race course again next season with a few fellow TSB teammates. Awesome job, Don!
_______________________________

Sunny Skies and Fast Racing at Pontiac Lake
August 25th, 2008
In stark contrast to the snow, rain and cold temperatures at the Pontiac Lake Time Trial held just over four months ago, the weather on Sunday August 24th was great for the Pontiac Lake XC MTB Race. Held at the Pontiac Lake Recreation Area in Waterford , this is the 7th of 8 races in the USAC Mountain Series presented by Tailwind Enterprises.

Eight Team Sandbag members showed up for racing. Todd Powers and Kevin Kahl both had to do the three lap expert race. Todd managed a 6th place finish after suffering a flat tire. Also racing where both Stan Christy and Brian Crook placing 1st , Mike Coranado and John Osgood both grabbed 3rd place finishes, James Lacroix in 8th and Lee Tremp in 12th .

In other action this past weekend was the second annual Blue Water Triathlon held in Port Huron at Lakeside Beach Park . Representing Team Sandbag were Ben Miller and Mel O'Farrell, both finishing 2nd in their class. Also, Paul Seely competed on the winning team in the relay, pedaling the bike portion to help grab 1st place.

Great job to everyone who represented the team. Watch for TSB on the 7th of September at the Stoney Creek XC race, which will be the final race in the USAC Mountain Series.
_______________________________

West Side Action!
August 18th, 2008
The weekend of August 16th and 17th was a busy one for racing in Michigan and Team Sandbag had multiple racers out there tearing it up. First up on Saturday the 16th was the 6 and 12 Hours of Pando, hosted by Fun Promotions at the Pando Ski Center in Rockford , MI . Joe Ashley made the trip over to compete in the 6 hour event, placing 6th . Great job Joe!

The next day was the Fort Custer MTB Time Trial, hosted by Tailwind Enterprises at the Fort Custer Recreation Area in Augusta , MI . This is the 5th and final race in the Michigan MTB Time Trial Series. TSB had seven racers travel over for the race. Brian Crook placed 1st , John Osgood 3rd , Stan Cristy 4th , Don Miller 5th , Lee Tremp 8th and Brad Hranach and James LaCroix both placed 9th in their respective classes. Good job guys.

Watch for TSB at the Pontiac Lake XC race on Sunday, August 24th.
_______________________________

MTB Time Trial Series Champs!
August 18th, 2008
The Fort Custer MTB Time Trial marked the end of the 2008 Michigan MTB Time Trial Series, hosted by Tailwind Enterprises. Team Sandbag had three state champions in their respective classes. Congratulations to John Osgood for 1st place in Sport Men 30-34 and 3rd place in Sport/Beginner Singlespeed, Brian Crook for 1st place in Beginner Men 30-39 Stan Christy for 1st place in Beginner Men 40-49, and Don Miller for 3rd place in Sport Men 45-49.
_______________________________

Racing At Big M!
August 4th, 2008
Tailwind held the Big M XC MTB race on Sunday, August 3rd at the Big M Ski area in the Manistee National Forest , just east of Manistee , MI. This was the 6th of 8 races in the USAC Mountain XC Series. The six mile course winds through the beautiful northern Michigan forests and includes lots of climbing, false flats and some super fast downhills.

Being so far north the race has a fairly small turnout compared to the races in the southeast Michigan area. Team Sandbag had three team members show up to race. Both John Osgood and Stan Christy grabbed the top podium spots, each placing 1st in their class. Brian Crook blew out a tire and was unable to finish. Great job guys.

Watch for Team Sandbag at both the 6/12 hours of Pando on August 16th and the Fort Custer Time Trial on the 17th .
_______________________________

Sunshine, Beaches, Tri's and TT's!
July 28th, 2008
What a busy weekend for TSB. On Saturday Ben Miller competed in the Mackinaw Mix Duathlon placing 1st in his age group and 5th place overall. Paul Seely (pictured above) gave the Tri thing a go in the Lexington Triathlon. He finished 4th in his age group and 34th overall. Congrats to both!

On Sunday the rest of the gang headed down to battle the heat at Stony Creek. This was the 4th race in the Michigan MTB Time Trial Series. Many of the TSBer's doubled up in classes (racing both SS and geared). The course was about 12 miles long and used just about every bit of Stony Creek's trail system.

The podium saw its share of the black, red and white jersey's. Congrats to Jackie Schneider who placed 3rd in her class. Brian Crook placed 1st, John Osgood took a 3rd, Don Miller placed 3rd, Todd Powers placed 5th. Rounding out other respected finishes were Kevin Kahl 15th, Todd Powers 12th (SS), John Osgood 6th (SS), Jason Schneider 14th and 11th(SS), Lee Tremp 17th, and Stan Christy placed 8th in his class.

Good luck next weekend as the TSB gang travels to this hills of Big M for stop #6 on the Michigan USA-C MTB series.

For complete race results CLICK HERE
_______________________________

Rain, Mud, and Sunshine...Ruby XC Style!
July 21st, 2008
Stop #5 on the USA-C series is in the books. The rain poured, the racers came to play...then the sun came. All in all it turned out to be a pretty good Sunday afternoon. The band (Nervz End) Rocked! The beer was cold and the grill was smellin' tasty!

TSB had a full house of racers, family, and friends out for the day. Filling the podium is always tough to do in the USA-C, but TSB captured many spots today. Congrats to Brad Hranach for taking home a 1st, Paul Seely placed 1st as well. Mel O'Farrell placed 1st in her class, Jeff Simpson placed 1st, as did Brian Crook. Many other TSBer's place well including John Osgood 2nd, Joe Ashley 3rd, Jason Schneider 4th, Stan Christy 2nd, Tim VanHowe 3rd, Mitch Bolt 3rd, Todd Powers 3rd, Kevin Kahl 5th, Michael Coronado placed 4th, Drew Loewenthal 6th, Nolan Osgood, Makenna Osgood, Reese Powers, and Darian Ashley all tackled the children's race with success. Two special guest riders for the team did their first Ruby XC races: Fox 2's very own Lila Lazuras placed 2nd in her class and Jordan Porter place a 3rd in his class. Congrats to all that raced!

Thanks to Dave @ BFB, Ruby Campground and Tailwinds for the great event!

For complete race results CLICK HERE
_______________________________

The Kentucky Chapter Takes A Breather!
July 1st, 2008
Although the southern TSB chapter is kind of quiet a lot happens when nobody is looking. Brian and his wife Christon got a way for a few days and were spotted training in Denver. LOOK OUT!

The Kentucky CXer's have been finding plenty to do through out the summer months. Read all about it HERE.
_______________________________

Stony Creek Marathon & The Mud!
June 30th, 2008
TSB sent the troops out to take on the rain and muddy course. This was a multi loop race with a variety of distances depending on your race category.

Brian Crook took home the crown in his class with a solid race. Paul Seely placed 2nd, Stan Christy placed 3rd and Darren Brewster took a respected 6th. Also, John Osgood placed a solid 6th and Lee Tremp placed 12th. Kevin Kahl completed 3 of his 6 laps and had to throw the towl in for this event.

Look for the TSB swam to invad the next event...Ruby July, 20th!
_______________________________

TK Lawless Time Trial!
June 23rd, 2008
The course was just under 14 miles. There was a 10 minute downpour which was welcomed by all the racers. This made a slippery course in places but the last 6 miles were nice and fast as things started to dry out.

Congrats to Brian Crook who placed 1st in his class. Kyle Tabor made the trip up from Chicago to race in 2 classes for the day. He finished 6th in both the SS division as well as his regular age category.
_______________________________

Lumberjack 100
June 16th, 2008
The National Ultra-Endurance Mountain Bike 100 Series made stop #3 on the tour in Michigan. Founders Brewing Company presented the Lumberjack 100 and the Michigan Ultra Single Speed Championship. Michigan's only 100-mile mountain bike race! The Lumberjack 100 utilized Michigan's beautiful Manistee National Forest , with a 25-mile loop snaking through the Big-M Ski Area.

TSB had 3 entrants of the the 250 field. A challenging course with mud, logs, hills, some more hills, and a finish line 100 miles later.

Brad Hranach completed the killer course in 9:20 for 11th place and Todd Powers did it in 10:10 for 21st place in the Single Speed division. Jason Schneider who entered the Men's Open pedaled 50miles and ran into a few nutrition battles and decided to play it safe on the side lines.

A great showing for TSB and congrats to all the racers who took the challenge and finished!
Results and Photos: Click Here
_______________________________

2-Days At The Brighton Stage Race!
June 9th, 2008
Team Sandbag at the Brighton Stage race on Saturday and Sunday the 7th and 8th of June.
_______________________________

TSB Heads North!
June 2nd, 2008
Most of the racing action in Michigan headed up north the past couple weeks and Team Sandbag was represented. First, Saturday May 24th was the 12 & 24 Hours of Boyne endurance race, held at Boyne Mountain Resort. The event is hosted by Fun Promotions and is the second race in the Michigan Endurance Cup Series. Joe Ashley made the journey up to race in the 12 hour solo event and ended up finishing first in his class. Great job Joe.

The next weekend was another Fun Promotions event, the Hanson Hills Challenge XC race, in Grayling on Sunday June 1st. This is the third race in the MMBA Championship Points Series. Don Miller made the drive up to represent TSB and walked away with a 6 th place finish in his class. Great job Don.

Watch for Team Sandbag at the Brighton Stage race on Saturday and Sunday the 7th and 8th of June.
_______________________________

A Busy Weekend For Team Sandbag!
May 19th, 2008
Team Sandbag was well represented at multiple races over the weekend. While rain clouds threatened on and off all weekend the race courses stayed dry, other than some quick showers. That combined with some mild temperatures made for a couple great days of racing. The 6 and 12 hours of Addison Oaks was held on Saturday the 17th at Addison Oaks County Park in Oakland Township. This event is the first race in the Michigan Cup Endurance Series, sponsored by Fun Promotions. TSB had 6 racers there for the 12 hour event, two riding solo and the others as a four person group. Both Todd Powers and Jason Schneider rode the 12 hour solo and managed 15 laps of the course to place 6th and 2nd respectively. Bill Biskey, Brandon Groleau, Joe Ashley, and Lee Tremp teamed up for the 12 hour team event. They faced some tough competition, but still managed 21 laps and a 3rd place finish.

Also on Saturday the 17th , Kyle Tabor represented TSB at the Monsters of the Midway Criterium in Chicago . Kyle was able to finish mid-pack in a group of about 50 riders in his class alone.

On Sunday the 18th some Sandbaggers headed to the west side of Michigan for the Owasippe MTB Time Trial in Whitehall , MI . This is the 2nd race in the Michigan MTB Time Trial Series, sponsored by Tailwind Enterprises. TSB had 4 members racing, all podium finishers. John Osgood recorded two more 1st place finishes, winning both his geared and singlespeed classes. Brian Crook continued dominating his class with another 1st place finish. Stan Christy finished 3rd in his class and Don Miller finished 4th.

_______________________________

TSB Well Represented At The Bloomer XC Race!
April 28th, 2008
The second race in the USAC-MTB Michigan Championship Series was held Sunday, April 27th at Bloomer Park in Rochester Hills. The weather was beautiful and the course was in great shape, a challenging combination of tight singletrack, switchbacks, a great ridge trail and some fast two-track.

Team Sandbag was well represented, with 9 team members competing. Todd Powers and Kevin Kahl both toughed it out for 4 laps, placing 16th and 12th respectively. John Osgood finally got that 1st place finish he's been pushing for and Brian Crook made it two for two on the year with another 1st place in his class. Other finishers of the day were Brad Hranach placing 3rd , Jason Schneider at 6th , Bill Biskey at 10th , Stan Christy in 5th and Darren Brewster in 9th place. Great job to everyone who race or came out to support the team.
_______________________________

08' Race Season Begins
April 14th, 2008
The 2008 racing season started on Sunday, April 13th with a Time Trial at Pontiac Lake Recreation Area in Waterford , MI . This race is the first in both the USAC Mountain Bike State Championship Series and the Mountain Bike Time Trial Series, through Tailwind Enterprises. Rain the night before the race changed to snow flurries with a drop in the temperature overnight. Trail conditions started out a little muddy, but quickly started to dry up and improved considerably over the course of the day.

Based on the cold, damp weather the turnout was lower than in years past, but Team Sandbag was still well represented. Making their TSB racing debut were Brian Crook, placing 1st in his class, Stan Christy, placing 4th and Drew Loewenthal with a 6 th place finish. Three TSB veterans raced as well. John Osgood raced both geared and singlespeed classes, finishing 2nd in both, Darren Brewster placed 5th and Todd Powers took 10th in his class. Great job to everyone who came out to race.

April 21st, 2008: The weekend after was the Yankee Springs Time Trial in Middleville , MI . This is the first race of the Michigan Mountain Bike Association Championship Points Series. Great weather and a popular venue combined for a well attended race. One Sandbagger made the long drive across the state to race. Kevin Kahl placed 23rd in a large, competitive class. Great job Kevin.

Watch for more of the team to start hammering the pedals this coming weekend at the Bloomer Park Mountain Bike Cross Country Race in Rochester , MI . The race, scheduled for Sunday the 27th , is the second in the USAC series.
_______________________________

MTB Season Starts April 13th With A Time Trial
The 2008 season will be underway and the winter blues, cabin fever, or what ever you want to call it will soon be gone from Team Sandbag's minds. The event will be held at the Pontiac Lake Recreation Area and is know to be a fast technical course. This event will be a time trial format and is part of the USA-C Michigan Series. All the TSBer's have been indoors training and will be sure to lay down the smack come race day!

GO TEAM SANDBAG!
_______________________________

'08 Team Will Be Pedalin' Big Chain Rings With Big Sponsors?
The dust has settled and TSB is ready to rock the new season. All the regulars are back and ready for the battle. Many new faces will be sportin' the red, white, and black jersey this season. We welcome them all. Team Sandbag would also like to welcome the 2008 sponsors to the mayhem, we can't thank them enough!

CLICK HERE
2008 Race Team
2008 Sponsors
_______________________________

Perfect Race Weather for the CX Michigan State Championship!
Dec. 3rd, 2007
Mother Nature Knows what Cyclo-cross is all about! With Temperatures around freezing, 3 inches of snow mixed with slush, constant drizzle, thick fog, and soupy mud, CYCLO-CROSS weather was finally here and racers were put to the test! And just in time for the most important CX race of the year, the USAC / Tailwind Michigan State CX Championship Race held at Waterford Race Track in Waterford, Mi.

5 Members of Team Sandbag were ready to take on the weather, the course and some of the best CX racers in the State. John Osgood finished 5th, Joe Ashley finished 8th, Todd Powers finished 16th, Jason Schneider finished 21st, and Curt Potocki Finished 22nd. In addition, John Osgood scored a Michigan State Championship podium spot in his age group (Men C-34 and under) with 3rd place for the day! Congrats to all that Raced and thanks to Masher's Media for following the CX crew all season long!

As For the Tailwind CX Series, TSB has turned several heads as we have become serious players on the Michigan Cyclo-cross scene. The final series standings are as follow, John Osgood finished 6th overall, Curt Potocki finished 8th overall, Joe Ashley with his best race of the year at the Michigan State Championship, secured a tie for 10th place overall. Way to go Joe! Ben Miller Finished 13th overall, and Jason Schneider Finished 19th overall.

Look for TSB in the coming months sportin' the Red, Black, and White on the Road, the Trail and Trainers as they prepare for an even “FASTER” season in 2008!

Until then, Happy Holidays and have a Safe and Happy New Year!
_______________________________

Columbus County Park / St. Clair County, MI
Nov. 28th, 2007
Tuesday, November 27th Team Sandbag and the MMBA attended the public visioning session for Columbus County Park in Columbus Township, MI. The meeting was an information gathering session that encouraged St Clair County residents to share opinions on the development of the proposed park.

The St Clair County Parks and Recreation Commission currently has over 92 acres purchased for the establishment of Columbus County Park, with an additional 291 acres currently held by the Trust for Public Land. They expect to finalize the purchase of the final portion sometime in December, using a $1.4 million Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grant. In total, the park will have over 383 acres of land, partially bisected by the Belle River.

Landscape architect Pamela Blough, who has been contracted to develop the park master plan, polled the meeting attendees for potential uses for the future park. Many good suggestions were given, including both singletrack mountain bike trails and a paved walking/biking path. The Parks and Recreation Commission plans to compile all these suggestions into a preliminary plan and hold another public session in late January.

The possible addition of new singletrack is great news for residents of St Clair and Macomb counties. TSB and the MMBA will continue to stay involved in the planning process.
_______________________________

Munson CX Style!
Nov. 19th, 2007
Racing on the same battle field that American and British soldiers did in one of the bloodiest battles in the War of 1812, "The Battle over the River Raisin", TSB was waging war of their own on the CX course. With temps barely above freezing and a constant Northern head wind, it finally felt like cyclocross season was here!

Team Sandbag had 5 racers making the long journey down to Munson Park in Monroe, Mi. And they were very noticeable as they lined up to take on the Men's C-39 and under class. As the announcer put it, " Team Sandbag brought 15-20 guys down to day to battle the Rhinos!" Placing 6th was John Osgood, Joe Ashley took home 10th, Curt Potocki took 11th. Ben Miller exploded his drive train half way through the race and still managed 19th. And Jason Schneider finished off with 20th.

Come on out for the final CX race of the year, the USAC CX State Championship race at Waterford Hill Race Track Dec. 2, and cheer on the Team. The FAB 4 will be out in full force as they all look to take a top 10 in the overall points series race!
_______________________________

"Iceman Cometh 2007 "
Nov. 12th, 2007
Team Sandbag closed out the 2007 mountain bike season at the 18th Annual Iceman Cometh Challenge on Saturday November 10th . The point-to-point race begins in Kalkaska and ends 27.5 miles later at Timber Ridge Campground in Traverse City . Northern Michigan weather can be unpredictable this time of year, but the racers and spectators couldn't ask for much better, with sunny skis and temperatures in the upper 40's. The course consists of mainly two tracks and fire roads, some singletrack, lots of sand and over 2000 feet of climbing.

TSB was well represented with 14 racers and many more teammates and family members ringing cowbells and cheering the riders on. All of the team members improved their times over last year, many moving up to more competitive classes. Three racers managed top ten finishes with Kyle Tabor placing 5th , John Osgood at 7th and Ben Miller at 8th . Other racers included Todd Powers, Dan Holland, Brad Hranach, Jason Schneider, Curt Potocki, Joe Ashley, Mike Riffe, Todd Shorkey, Kevin Kahl, Darren Brewster, and Kevin Callahan. Great job to all the racers and thanks to our friends and family for standing out in the cold to cheer us on.

Watch for the TSB crew at the last two cross races of the year on November 18th at Munson Park in Monroe and on December 2nd at the USCF State Championship CX race in Waterford Hills.
_______________________________

"Racing with the Devil, at Veterans Park Double CX Weekend!"
Nov. 5th, 2007
With a nickname like "The Devil's Soup Bowl", it's not hard to imagine that Veterans Park in Ann Arbor, Mi. is a brutally difficult place to hold a cyclocross race. Surrounded by steep fast down hills, long run ups and technical off camber sections, TSB was up for the challenge of 2 straight days of CX racing with several top 10 finishes.

On Day 1, Ben Miller got his highest position of the CX season so far with 6th. John Osgood placed 7th, Curt Potocki placed 10th, and Jason Schneider in his cyclocross debut this year took home 17th!

On Day 2, TSB was looking for revenge and were able to improve on their overall results from the day before. John Osgood placed 6th, Curt Potocki placed 7th, and Joe Ashley placed 14th. Also, racing both days and tearing up the kids course for 4 straight hours each day was Nolan Osgood. Way to go boys!

Look for TSB at the Next CX race at Munson Park in Monroe, Mi. Nov. 18th. Until then, good luck to all making the trip up north to race the ICEMAN COMETH.

GO TEAM SANDBAG!
_______________________________

Temps Remained Hot And So Did TSB At Lower Huron CX!
Oct. 22nd, 2007
A favorite among the TSB cyclocross regulars, Lower Huron Park in Belleview, Mi has it all. Grass, pavement, small dirt paths, a beautiful river, lots of trees and a huge hill for a quad swearing run up. Throw in 2 sets of barriers and you have one of the best CX courses around! With temperatures still hovering around 80 degrees for the 5th race in the series, TSB was turning up the heat themselves with 3 top 10 finishes. John Osgood took 3rd, Curt Potocki took 5th and Joe Ashley to 9th.

Look for Team Sandbag to be bringing the Fantastic 4 out the Veterans Park CX race in Ann Arbor, MI for 2 days of pain and the Nov. 3rd and 4th event on the Tailwind CX series!

Watch out for TSB to be in full force for the final mountain bike race of the year at the ICEMAN COMETH the following week on Nov. 10th.
_______________________________

Stoney Creek Temps Rise and So Does TSB!
Oct. 8th, 2007
So what month is this? It feels like July but it looks like October, the trees are changing colors, pumpkins and halloween decorations are out, and we are 4 races into the cross season but it is 90 degrees in Michigan. Very strange for this time of the year.

The course was a challenge. They had 3 running sections and a set of barriers. Two of the runs were rideable to some extent, both were through a sand volleyball court, the first however was a 180 degree turn. The last run on the course was a long run on the beach, 75 yards is what they were saying.

Congrats to the fab four of the TSB Cross Team: John Osgood 6th, Ben Miller 7th, Joe Ashley 9th, and 15th Curt Potocki
_______________________________

Bloomer Park CX Race!
Sept. 24th, 2007
What a huge turnout today for the Bloomer race. It is good to see the events getting bigger each year. There were a quite a few mountain bikers that did their first cross race today also. The weather has been very uncross like also, which probably gets more people out to race.

The course was similar to last year, but they added in the short steep uphill on the side of the velodrome, and moved one of the sets of barriers around. It seemed like a combination of the last 2 years races.

Lots of pavement and lots of long straight sections. They mixed in a little bit of trail riding as well, similar to last years course.

Team Sandbag had five racers compete with good results: Todd Powers finished 4th, John Osgood 18th, Curt Potocki 20th, amd Joe Ashley 26th.
_______________________________

Closing Out The USA-C Series At Stoney Creek!
Sept. 10th, 2007
The last race of the 2007 USAC-MTB Michigan State Championship Series was held on Sunday, September 9th at Stoney Creek Metropark in Shelby Township . The race, presented by Tailwind Enterprises, was a standard XC format with a pretty even mix of Stoney's single track and two tracks. The weather was perfect, dry with temperatures in the 70's. Some rain the night before firmed the trail up nicely to make for a fast course.

Team Sandbag had a great showing of racers out to represent the team, with multiple podium finishers. In total, 16 racers competed between Expert, Sport and Beginner classes. Lee Tremp, Mel O'Farrell, and Mitch Bolt all took 1 st in their class. Kevin Kahl placed 2nd while Jennifer Bolt, John Osgood and Tom Tramski all took 3rd. Hans Boelstler placed 4th , Kimi Yamanaka placed 5th in his last race before heading back to Japan , and Mike Riffe placed 5th as well. Other racers included Jason Schneider at 6 th , Dan Tompkins at 7th , Kevin Callahan at 8th , Todd Powers at 9th and Darren Brewster at 10th. Congratulations to all the racers and thanks to everyone who came out to cheer the Sandbaggers on.
_______________________________