Brabbit impresses at Opus opener

Jens Brabbit, showing off his skiing muscles, for the Opus win

GrandStay Hotels racer Jens Brabbit showed that, at the tender age of 21, he's still growing ever stronger, taking the win in the opening night of the Opus Criterium series in convincing fashion. With five teammates on hand to support his quest for the overall, Brabbit was able to win three of the six contested sprints, including the finale that was worth double points. Brabbit's total of 20 points easily outdistanced the 7 points his nearest competitor managed for second. Of special note is the fact that Brabbit's teammate, Doug Swanson, who has dominated the Opus series for years, put his own aspirations aside in the interest of orchestrating the win for his young teammate (though Swanson was still able to win one sprint in the process and take 4th overall)...a demonstration of the selflessness that has undergirded much of GrandStay Hotels' prior successes. Teammates Dan Swanson and Lance Buening were also able to notch points. A fine showing by the team in the leadup to this weekend's skirmish...the Durand Road Race.

Wisconsin training camp complete on cusp of race season

The ten members of the GrandStay Hotels cycling team held their annual training camp in Chetek, WI over the past weekend. Lucking out with great weather conditions, the team put in four good days of training, got to meet with their title sponsors, and continued to foster the tight-knittedness that helps translate to team success on the bike. Just around the corner is the 2010 race season, with the Opus Crit on April 13th and the team's first big challenge, the Durand Road Race, on April 17th. Check back here for results.