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Tales from the Peloton
Team Rona/Esker
Focusing on the "fun" of racing
By Jonathan Devich
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Over this past winter, the women's peloton was shaken up considerably and not exempt from that was the Rona Cycling Team, now Rona/Esker. Rona/Esker will be starting its third season as a pro team and shows the experience it has gained since its inception. It began as a team to support its star rider and rising young talent Genevieve Jeanson. While the team holds true to its original purpose it has also grown into a team with great depth and with this an ability to place several riders on the podium at once or have a number of potential race leaders.
To grow that depth this year team manager, Andre' Aubut, pulled together a very strong line up of experienced riders and young talents. After the two week training camp in Fountain Hills, Arizona, Aubut felt good about what he saw.
"I think were a strong team, the chemistry is very good. Everybody is ready to work and enthusiastic. The team's spirit is incredible. With the team I have, I have a lot of strong riders, girls who can cover every aspect; Girls who can climb, sprint and are good on the flats. I have a very good mix. "
When asked about specific goals for the team Aubut was reluctant to point to specific events.
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"It's always the first goal to have fun. When you obtain that, I think everybody will work together and when everybody works together, the victories will come. You can't go straight to the victories….so far what I have seen from the girls was good, the chemistry was good and I think were not far away from victories."
Contributing to the chemistry of the team are new riders for this year Carrie Tuck, Errine Willock, Kristen LaSasso, Magali La Floc'h (French National Road Race Champion), and Catherine Marsal. Returning riders are Melissa Holt (New Zealand National Time Trial Champion), Andrea Hannos (Canadian National Criterium Champion), Karin Bockel and Genevieve Jeanson (Canadian National Time Trial Champion). Jeanson is optimistic about this year and feels that she recovered well from her injury at last years World Championships.
"I think I was way too tense during the time trial. I really pushed hard and stretched my Achilles; after that, I had trouble pedaling and continuing. The hospital said I had a little tendonitis. I've had injuries before, and I've made the mistake of going on, and they got worse so I thought that it's not my last World Championship. My off-season went super. We did some great training in Montreal, not to much on the road because of the weather, but we did one or two good rides a week and then running, weight training and cross-country skiing. It was maybe two years since we could do it because we didn't have the snow in Montreal so I was very happy to be able to do it."
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Jeanson is also very happy with the team for this year.
"The camp was super, better than last year; everybody gets along good with everybody. I think we are a complete team… Cathy (Marsal) will be our captain. It's going to be great to have somebody like her to help us. I feel that she is somebody I can rely on, that will help me and I can ask questions. Marsal echoed Jeansons thoughts about being on the team and having the opportunity to help out.
"My goals for this year are to help the team as much as I can and to be there for Genevieve when she needs my help and my personal experience.
Moving to the Rona/Eskar team from the top woman's team in the world was a big step for Marsal. However she feels that the move fit in with her personal goals.
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"I was on the best team in the world last year and it was a tough decision. We won the World Cup with Petra Rossner last year and it was an incredible moment. Then the politics of Saturn changed….the two Germans left the team, Anna Millward left the team, Kimberly Bruckner left the team and pretty much everybody took off. It was a moment in life where everybody had to think about different goals and objectives. Why Rona? I had a very good conversation with Andre' after HP and racing for Genevieve is something I had been interested in and wanted to experience. I completely understand what she is going through; I have been through this at the same age and I think I can help her to avoid some holes that are in front of her."
Cathy brings to the team more than 15 years of racing experience and, like Jeanson, got big results at an early age. At 16 she won the Junior World Road Race Champions, Junior World Pursuit Champion at 17, Elite World Road Race Champion at 19, Team Time Trial World Champion in 1991. She has been on the French Olympic team 4 times and won such races as Tour de l'Aude, Giro d'Italia, and Tour of Norway to name a few.
Heading into the new season Aubut can certainly be proud of the team he started only 3 years ago. With no less than 4 national champions, in every road discipline, as part of the squad this year he seems to have found the depth he once was looking for. And if the chemistry continues as good as it has begun, Aubut, although he will not yet speak of it, may just end up with a current world champion on his team. But for now they will focus on the "fun" of racing.
Photos
Images by Jonathan Devich/TheFastrack.com
- Riders out in the hot Arizona sun
- French National Road Race Champion Magali La Floc'h
- Riding through the mountains
- Team Rona/Esker and the odd cactus
- Catherine Marsal shows off the new jersey
- Marsal pumps through a TT run
- Canadian National Time Trial Champion Genevieve Jeanson
- Genevieve Jeanson on her TT bike
