Team Paisa Racing

Dont forget to join us on our club rides

2011-05-26T13:06:00.002-04:00

Don't forget to join us on our club rides - they happen every Sunday morning starting from Kendall Lakes Elementary School on 142Av. 7AM Sharp going East on 72 St (Sunset)!

Pictures from the 2010 Labor Day Cycling Cup

2010-09-05T18:25:00.004-04:00

TPR had a great weekend, with several wins & podiums - here are some pictures from the 2010 Labor Day Cup!

TPR @ 2010 Gwinnett Bike Fest

2010-08-09T17:53:00.001-04:00

TPR Flies at Space Coast Races...Wins Three Races!!!

2010-05-17T17:36:00.002-04:00

It was beautiful to watch, not only as a racer in the heat of battle, but as a fan of the sport and of TPR. You ask what? 5 podiums in three races with first place wins in all of them with two second places as well as several top 10’s. And by the way, that was just the first day on Saturday!

Yes folks, TPR showed up this past Saturday with one goal, to bring the battle to all the teams out there, including the Z Motion juggernaut, and that’s exactly what happened. In the Masters 35/45+ race, Jose Hernandez, Peter Carlos and Israel Vera took on the rest of the field in a very fast circuit race which had all the top teams represented, including Z Motion and TPR. It was a case of who’s turn with every attack. Z Motion tried at every opportunity to send someone off the front with hard attacks and each and every time, TPR would cover and counter. You could see their frustration as what up to know had been a dominant season for Z Motion, had quickly shifted in just one race. No longer could they control the race for TPR was ready and able to respond. In the end it was TPR that took the battle to Z Motion when Israel Vera, in what now is considered “the move”, took a flyer with 500 meters to go and left the rest to react late and not be able to catch him on the final sprint. Israel gapped the field and came in with 20 meters to spare and saw Peter Carlos take second and Jose Hernandez sixth as they all came to the line with no separation between the best of the rest but hundreds of a second.

In the second race of the day, our prized Junior, Mateo Zuluaga, kept close proximity to a very challenging field and let his sprinters legs do his talking as he put two bike lengths on the rest of the bunch, taking first place in the Juniors 17 – 18 category. Once again, Mateo, proved to be the cream that rises to the top and sprinted to a very decisive victory.

The CAT 4’s had Tomas Velez at the front of the race for every lap not falling below 5 places, but in the final lap was not able to sustain a very difficult pace towards the finish. It was a great effort by our young and rising star and certainly used that experience to help him for the following days race where he placed 6th in the long road race.

Finally, in the CAT 3 race, Jose Hernandez, Peter Carlos, Mateo Zuluaga, Israel Vera and Fernando Garcia came together and once again proved why TPR is the number one CAT 3 team in Florida. Nothing was more telling than what happened during the race when one racer asked Peter Carlos, why isn’t your team chasing down some small break that had formed, and Peter very wisely and almost prophetic responded, “cause we are busy winning the race”, and how true that was. TPR controlled the race at every turn, every attack and had one and two racers going off the front forcing the peloton to chase throughout the race. In the end, TPR formed the green train for the lead out with the conductor, Israel Vera, leading the way. Israel had Mateo on his wheel followed by Sheriff. Peter Carlos took to the front and raised the pace to string out the peloton. Israel came hard on the left as the main group pressed to the right and Sheriff gapped Israel and Mateo for two seconds. They were off!!! Sheriff jumped and opened a gap with Israel and Mateo in sight and the peloton charging hard behind. The lead out was at over 37mph and Mateo had just enough to come around Israel as Israel screamed, “dale Mateo”, to take first place with Israel in second. The charging peloton swallowed Sheriff in the final 10 meters for 16th and saw Peter taking 6th and Fernando Garcia just a few seconds behind in 24th. That was no doubt the best team effort of the year and hopefully the roadmap for the rest of the season.

On Sunday, the Masters 35/45+ race once again had Z Motion and TPR attacking and covering each other over the 40 mile race. Blain Reeves, who has been atop the standings for most of the year, attacked at every opportunity, but only to see TPR on his wheel each time. Both teams controlled the race and in the end, Peter Carlos moved up to the front as the lead out trains formed. The final turn into the 500 meter sprint climb had Peter in third wheel and Sheriff a few places behind. At the line, Peter came in 3rd with Sheriff in 8th and Israel in 9th. TPR Masters 45 is now in 1st and 2nd and 10th place overall for the second half of the FPS season with Peter, Israel and Sheriff respectively.

In the Junior 17 – 18, Mateo held on for a 4th place finish to cap off a great weekend where he had two 1st places and one 4th place. Finally, in the CAT 3 race on Sunday, Fernando Garcia was left to deal with the Pro 1 2’s as both categories were combined. Fernando did a great job of remaining in touch with the main field which is never easy to do, and came in for a great top 20 finish in 18th. Great job Fernando!

Great job to all the racers and thanks for your time and effort!

The Sheriff

Freddy "Chico" Matute Lives His Dream!...Wins State TT Championship!!

2010-05-03T13:54:00.002-04:00

In this sport that is so rewarding and yet, often can be merciless, we find ourselves wanting to be better with each pedal stroke regardless of how difficult it can be to sometimes turn those gears. It takes time on the saddle to find even a fraction of improvement. This is reality for most of us. But not for Freddy "Chico" Matute, who this past Saturday went up to Jacksonville to live his dream of becoming a Florida State Individual Time Trial Champion. Chico won the CAT 3 Individual Time Trial by placing almost a one minute gap to the second place finisher. He placed 4th overall when compared to the Pro 1 2 field which included the likes of Ivan Franco and Yip Tsang, the winner of the day. This is a tremendous accomplishment for this young, talented and raw cyclist, who lives to ride and does it with discipline and passion. Congratulations to Freddy "Chico" Matute for bringing home another State Championship to Team Paisa Racing!

Also attending the TT Championships, was Israel "Malanga" Vera where he went up with arguably the strongest overall class of Time Trialers. Israel placed 9th and more importantly moved up in the Florida Points to come within 50 points of the 4 others ahead of him. To put it into perspective, that 50 point gap can be erased with one weekend of racing. Congrats Israel!

In other racing news, "Chilly" Willy Gonzalez once again proved to be the King of the Masters 35+ division at Rosewood this Sunday. He placed third in the final race of Series 1 and remained in 1st place overall to win another Yellow Jersey. In attendance and support of Willy were, Peter Carlos, Damian Serrania, Carl Fornaris, Alex Bianchi and Jose Hernandez. Congrats Willy!

In the Masters 45+, Israel "Malanga" Vera retained his overall White Jersey as "BEST SPRINTER" for Rosewood Series 1. He had that jersey from week one and never let it go, in fact, yesterday he was so far ahead in points that he did not even need to race, but he did and won one of two sprints during the race. Congrats Israel!

Congratulations to our three champions!

GO TPR!!!!

The Sheriff

Vista View Race Report

2010-04-26T10:13:00.002-04:00

There is a reason that most sprinters do not even show up for the races held at Vista View Park and yesterday was no exception. Only the brave or really stupid...lol...dared to take on the course which most consider the hardest crit race in Florida. TPR had it's fair share of representation and despite the challenging course, the team did very well.

In the Masters 35+ race, Chilly Willy, had been preparing for this race for weeks and it showed throughout the race as he was the most active racer in the peloton. He broke away early, but was up against teams that were out to get him and CW was the only TPR rider in that race so he had little to no support. Another local team, EBP (European Bicycle Parts), had three guys constantly shadowing CW and in the end it was an ex TPR racer, Noe Gonzalez, that with an incredible show of strength up the back climb, rode away and came in solo. CW sprinted for a 4th place finish, but now is in FIRST place overall in the Masters 35+ Rosewood Series 1.

In the Masters 45+ race, The Sheriff, Malanga, White Wolf and Braveheart, all showed up for battle in the hills of Davie and battle they did. Early on, The Sheriff and Braveheart took to the front to string out the peloton and begin the process of elimination. Slowly racers began to drop off as there is no time to recover between the two climbs and either you had it or you were just a pretender. During the 5th lap on the sharp turn off the very quick descent, an accident took The Sheriff out of the peloton and though he did not fall was left to chase the rest of the race. This created a split which Malanga and Braveheart took full advantage of by staying in the break or near the front. In the end, the real monsters of the Pyrenees of Davie, took control and broke away from the main field. A break of three with two of the favorites in Caballo and Wills Powell were never caught. Wills Powell came in for the victory. All the TPR racers finished with Braveheart (Peter Carlos) taking 7th, Malanga (Israel Vera) in 11th, White Wolf (Danny Stauber) in 17th and The Sheriff just behind in 18th.

In the PRO 1 2 3 race, TPR was represented by Freddy Matute. This was definetely a course for Freddy that is one of the better climbers around. Freddy played it smart and maintained himself close to the front with the likes of John Durango, Ivan Franco and others, but never wasted his bullits, leaving enough for the end when it really counted. Two racers got away and were never caught and in the end, Freddy came in 6th overall and 1st in the CAT 3's. That was an impressive finish and by the way, ahead of Ivan Franco who seems to be mentoring Freddy, too well it seems and should remember that Freddy races for TPR and not Santo-Megacycle. :)

In the final race of the day, Damian, Tomas, Josh and Juan braved the course. Tomas and Juan were there for the very first time and maybe the very last time...hahaha. In the words of El Loro, "man, this was the hardest race I have ever done and wanted to quit from the very first lap", which is probably a sentiment shared by everyone doing this race. But despite himself, El Loro and the others took on the challenge and in the end experienced a great test that challenges the very best of the best. Damian finished top 10 with an 8th place finish. Congrats Killer, you are flying!

Congratulations to all the racers that participated yesterday. Keep on training and thanks for your support.

The Sheriff

Sunrise Classic by Zmotion!

2010-04-12T16:02:00.005-04:00

Great weekend of racing for TPR – the team had great results and some of our sponsor came out to support the team during the race weekend.

El Sembrador was out Saturday at the Bank Atlantic Center giving away some products for racers and spectators to try! The Sunday Smoothie King was with the team in downtown Fort Lauderdale give out special drinks. Hopefully we will have the chance to showcase our sponsors at other events during the remaining of the racing calendar!

Saturday Circuit/Crit. Results

Master 45+

Peter Carlos 6th
Jose Hernandez 11th
Daniel Stauber 20th
Israel Vera 28th

Master 35+

Willie Gonzalez 3rd
Frank Delarosa 4th
Conrad Gomez 12th

CAT 3

John Mateo Zuluaga 1st
Fernando Acevedo 11th
Freddy Matute 12th
Jose Hernandez 26th
Fernando Garcia 33rd

CAT 4

Tomas Velez 28th
Damian Serrania 29th
Josh Haber 31st
Carl Fornaris 34th

After a hard race several of the riders, those who wanted to compete for the overall championship and still had the leg raced the short but hard and fast time trial.
Saturday Time Trial Results

Masters 45+

Israel Vera 2nd
Peter Carlos 9th
Jose Hernandez 13th

CAT 4

Tomas Velez 13th

Sunday in downtown Fort Lauderdale the team continued to get great results but the rain made several of our top rider crash more than once and several could not finish the race.

Master 45+

Peter Carlos 2nd
Jose Hernandez 12th
Israel Vera 13th
Daniel Stauber 18th

Master 35+

Willie Gonzalez 3rd
Frank Delarosa 7th

CAT 3

Freddy Matute 8th
Fernando Acevedo 13th
Peter Carlos 17th
Fernando Garcia 23rd
John Mateo Zuluaga 24th

CAR 4

Tomas Velez 4th
Josh Haber 17th

Great Job Racers! we got a total of 7 top 5, 1 win, and 5 podiums!!!

Rosewood Series Starts and TPR is There!

2010-03-02T16:34:00.002-05:00

In past years, racing at the Rosewood Series in March usually meant the first race for many of the locals, but with the Florida Points Series starting earlier and earlier every year, it created a racing venue with racers in peak form and needless to say, very fast races. Such was the case this past Sunday as every single category had large participation and many of the top teams were there, including your very own TPR.

TPR fielded a mix of the local and travel teams in each of the categories. The team had great representation with Willy Gonzalez, Conrad Gomez - one our newest members, Carl Fornaris, Fernando Garcia in the Masters 35+ and Jose Hernandez, Israel Vera, Jose Molina, Alex Bianchi and Daniel Stauber in the Masters 45+. The team worked well in both races, but it was Israel Vera and Daniel Stauber had the moves of the day by getting into the break that stayed away in the Masters 45+ that finally got TPR a 4th place finish with Israel hanging on for those honors.

In the Pro 1 2 3's, Willy Gonzalez, Jose Hernandez and Conrad Gomez joined an elite field that included the likes of Frank Travieso, Yosvany Falcon, Grant Potter and Ivan Franco just to name a few. Conrad and Jose finished with the main group after a small break got away that saw Frank Travieso come in for the victory with Ivan Franco just behind him.

In what was the main event of the day, at least for TPR, Freddy Matute put on a show that will not be forgotten. Shortly after the first prime of the race, a small group that included Freddy broke away holding on for several laps. In a decisive move, Freddy attacked the break away group and got away solo increasing his gap with each lap that passed. Sideline fans could not believe what they were witnessing as Freddy maintained a time trial pace which finally put almost a 2 minute gap by the time he crossed the finish line. That was amazing to watch and a very proud moment for TPR as one of our own took care of business. In that race were also Damian Serrania and Daniel Stauber, each contributing by staying close to the front and keeping a watchful eye of all the action. Damian finished with the best of the rest in a sprint with an 8th place.

The Sheriff

Rosewood series starts and TPR is there!

2010-03-02T11:25:00.002-05:00

TPR fielded a mix of the local and travel teams in each of the categories. The team had great representation with Willy Gonzalez, Conrad Gomez - one our newest members, Carl Fornaris, Fernando Garcia in the Masters 35+ and Jose Hernandez, Israel Vera, Jose Molina, Alex Bianchi and Daniel Stauber in the Masters 45+. The team worked well in both races, but it was Israel Vera and Daniel Stauber had the moves of the day by getting into the break that stayed away in the Masters 45+ that finally got TPR a 4th place finish with Israel hanging on for those honors.

In the Pro 1 2 3's, Willy Gonzalez, Jose Hernandez and Conrad Gomez joined an elite field that included the likes of Frank Travieso, Yosvany Falcon, Grant Potter and Ivan Franco just to name a few. Conrad and Jose finished with the main group after a small break got away that saw Frank "Media Noche" Travieso come in for the victory with Ivan Franco just behind him.

In what was the main event of the day, at least for TPR, Freddy Matute put on a show that will not be forgotten anytime soon by those that were there to witness this kids natural strength and ability to endure pain. Shortly after the first prime of the race, a small group that included Freddy broke away holding on for several laps. In a decisive move, Freddy attacked the break away group and got away solo increasing his gap with each lap that passed. Sideline fans could not believe what they were witnessing as Freddy maintained a time trial pace which finally put almost a 2 minute gap by the time he crossed the finish line. That was amazing to watch and a very proud moment for TPR as one of our own took care of business with no questions asked.

This weekend, the travel team heads up to Winter Haven for a circuit, criterium and individual time trial. Wish us luck!

The Sheriff

TPR Dominates CAT 3's with 1st and 4th in Winter Garden/Lake Mary

2010-02-22T11:12:00.003-05:00

TPR continued it's control over the CAT 3 division in the Florida Points and Florida Cup races this past weekend in Winter Garden and Lake Mary, Florida.

Israel "Malanga" Vera took a flyer with half a lap to go and held on for the solo 1st place entry followed by a field sprint where Peter Carlos took 4th. The race was controlled by TPR with several racers including Mikey Perez, Mateo Zuluaga, Fernando Garcia, Fernando Acevedo and Jose Hernandez each taking turns at the front and bringing back any breakaway attempts and initiating their very own breaks at various stages of the race.

The short criterium course created a very fast race and made it very difficult for any breaks to succeed. With two laps to go, Jose Hernandez took the point and started the lead out and with half a lap to go, Israel attacked hard from the right side just when the entire peloton had come together into the "tuna can" to prepare for the final 1000 meters. They chased, but it was too late and Israel had put the hammer down never to be caught! It was a great team effort and TPR once again showed why it's the number one team in CAT 3 in the state of Florida. Fernando Acevedo is currently 7th overall in CAT 3 individual standings.

In other racing news, Freddy Matute continued his dominance in the CAT 4's with a 1st and 8th place finish in both weekend races. He is now a marked man and yesterdays race was a testament to that having the whole peloton looking for Freddys every move and reacting to each and every breakaway attempt. In the end, he was not able to get away and the race came down to a field sprint with Freddy taking 8th, Tomas Velez 38th and Juan Acevedo 48th.

In the mens Masters 45+, Peter Carlos moved into 2nd overall and Israel Vera 3rd overall in Florida Points with impressive placements Saturday and Sunday, only 3 points behind 1st place lead by ZMotion racer. TPR currently holds second overall in Masters 45+ division just behind ZMotion and gaining ground with every weekend that passes.

Jose "The Sheriff" Hernandez
TPR, Captain

February 7th – Rosewood Series

2010-02-09T12:19:00.003-05:00

Day Results: Pro 1,2,3
Willie Gonzalez: 6th

Day Results – 40+
Peter Carlos: 2nd
Willie Gonzalez: 3rd
Daniel Stauber: 16th
Carl Fornaris: DNF

Day Results – CAT 4/5
Juan Hernandez: 4th
Damian Serrania: 11th

TPR Still Number One CAT 3 Team after Gainesville Races

2010-02-08T11:52:00.002-05:00

Cold temperatures were not enough to keep TPR from traveling to Gainesville for this past weekend's races. With a an individual time trial, team time trial and criterium on the schedule, there was plenty of racing to warm those legs up. As becoming customary and almost expected, TPR once again proved worthy of it's number one team placement in the CAT 3's, and though was missing a key player in Peter Carlos, remained steady in the Masters 45+.

On Saturday, TPR woke up to temperatures in the 40's to take on an individual time trial followed later in the afternoon by a team time trial which was the first ever for TPR and first for each individual racer that made up the team. First up were the Juniors with Mateo taking the course and a challenging one it was with a tail wind that brought speeds up to around 32mph, but the way back proved leg breaking for many as the pace was brought down to 22mph with those very same winds, now hitting us in the face. Mateo, now with his trademark aerodynamic position, came in for a nice placement in 5th. Following Mateo were the CAT 3's for this day with Fernando Acevedo and Mikey Perez. Each took on the same challenge and had great times with Mikey placing 8th and Fernando placing 18th. Freddy Matute and Tomas Velez followed in the CAT 5's and while Freddy's 1st place time was no surprise (best TPR time also), Tomas coming in 6th was definitely a very pleasant one. The last of the ITT racers were the Masters with Israel and Jose, both coming in to add points to the Masters team placements with Israel placing 11th and Jose 22nd within the division that posted the fastest times overall with 17 racers posting sub 22 minute times.

The day ended with a team time trial which was the first ever for TPR and certainly the first for Mikey Perez, Fernando Acevedo, Israel Vera and Jose Hernandez who were there to suffer once again with the winds now having picked up to almost 20 mph on a direct headwind. The pace was set by Israel Vera, a seasoned time trialist and winner of several ITT's in his career, and the way out saw speeds reaching 33mph. If taking on the wind wasn't enough, the pace and the proximity of the bikes while in a tuck position was enough to make anyone fear falling with every pedal stroke. But, the team showed tremendous promise and they (without any previous practice), maintained an even rhythm and high enough average pace as three of the four came across the line to give TPR a 4th place finish. That was truly the highlight of the day on Saturday.

On Sunday, TPR went to downtown Gainesville for the annual Swamp Classic criterium. This is a very technical course laced with bricks on the back stretch which makes the bikes feel like they are falling apart. In the Juniors race, Mateo still recovering from the ITT, recovered in the end with about one lap to go and used his sprinting skills to place 5th. In the Masters race, ZMotion and Jacksonville Racing had large numbers and controlled the race throughout. In the end, the race came down to a field sprint as the course went upward to the finish with Israel placing 11th and Jose 17th...where was Peter Carlos?? The CAT 5 race was once again had Freddy "Chico" Matute outclassing and outpacing the rest of the field as he broke away for several laps to open up a 30 second lead on the main group as they chased. Tomas held steady in 5th position, but with 3 three laps to go was pushed along the brick portion of the course and saw his race end as he tumbled onto the sidewalk. Freddy stayed away and brought his record to 4 - 0 in the CAT 5. The CAT 3's, the highlight race for TPR on Sunday, saw large numbers in the field as nearly 60 riders came to the start line. TPR fielded 5 racers and were pumped to go. The number of racers and the course itself made it very difficult to move up in the pack. This coupled with the "balls to the wall" pace set, saw racers dropping off with each lap. TPR held strong and each and everyone of us took turns at the front staying close to the action. With 3 laps to go, the pace was above 30 mph and Fernando had a great move to get closer to the front brining with him Mateo. The race came down to a field sprint and all the Paisa's were at top speed as Mateo using the leadout by Fernando came across in 5th, Fernando 7th, Mikey 21st, Jose 26th and Israel 28th all seperated by two seconds. This effort helped TPR CAT 3 maintain it's number one position in the Florida Points Series Team race. Also, Fernando is now 5th and Mikey 7th overall in FPS CAT 3 standings.

Next Weekend, TPR is back to Orlando for Race for Humanity - San Antonio Road Race and Dade City Criterium.

The Sheriff
Captain, TPR

TPR Foils ZMotion in Don Pan Ride

2010-02-03T11:55:00.001-05:00

ZMotion brought some heavy guns to this mornings Don Pan ride with Grant Potter, Yip Tsang and others and it certainly created a buzz even before the ride started. From the gun, the attacks came and Potter had thoughts of getting away early. This was not to be as the main group with several TPR racers brought back every attack. The pace was probably one of the fastest this year. In the end as the infamous climb up the Key Biscayne bridge approached, Yip Tsang from ZMotion attacked hard with TPR's very own Chilly Willy in tow. The main group immediately picked up and began chase, but CW playing it smart let Yip take the long pull as he lead CW out for the TPR win!

The Sheriff

TPR News from Deland - Remolacha and Bianchito Rule!

2010-02-01T17:43:00.002-05:00

It was a show of defiance, strength, speed and consistency as our top two youngsters took to the field and outclassed everyone else in their respective categories. John Mateo (a.k.a Bianchito) Zuluaga picked up right where he left off last year with his Florida State championship to win both Juniors races this weekend. He outsprinted the field as the rest of the field was no match for this very talented sprinter. Dominance is what can best describe how our newest racing member, Freddy "Chico" (a.k.a. Remolacha) Matute, performed in both CAT 5 races this weekend. In both races, Remolacha came in solo after breaking away from the field. This was an incredible show of strength that simply outclassed everyone else in that field. Congratulations to Bianchito and Remolacha for their 1st places and being atop of the Florida Points Series after two races.

In other categories, Peter "Braveheart" Carlos, Jose "The Sheriff" Hernandez and Israel "Malanga" Vera battled a very strong Masters group which held together throughout the race despite several attacks to finish in a massive field sprint. TPR managed a great placing with Braveheart coming in 5th place followed by The Sheriff and Malanga.

TPR found themselves taking on the CAT 3'ers with very wet roads as the skies opened up. For the first time in TPR's existence, there were 6 teammates together for one category. That in itself was very exciting. Present were Fernando "Ace" Acevedo, Mikey Perez, Bianchito, Braveheart, The Sheriff and Malanga to take on one of the faster venues in criterium racing. The wet pavement played spoiler to many and while there were no accidents, navigation through each turn made it very difficult to execute any team strategy. In the end, we were all very thankful to just have finished unscathed. The team placed 5 out of the 6 in the top 20 with Braveheart once again coming in 5th place.

On Sunday we woke up to temperatures in the 40's which for us South Florida boys, was way too cold! Nevertheless, TPR took to the roads and took on the Masters, CAT 3's, CAT 5's and Juniors. Joining us on Sunday was Daniel "White Wolf" Stauber, our newest Masters racer. Our team did very well in all Categories with two wins, a 7th and a 4th place finish. In the Juniors race, Bianchito took on the field for a final sprint to come across the line first. Remolacha also took first, but he did it by coming in solo across the line. In the Masters race which held together to the end, had Braveheart win the field sprint for a 7th place. The surprise of the day was Mikey which got into a break with two Colavita racers and held on for an amazing 4th place in the CAT 3's with Ace holding back the main group and finishing a very respectable 12th.

Way to go TPR! Traveling all that way and having the energy to take on most of those racers that live up and around that area is never easy. Equally difficult was the weather and having to deal with wet pavement and cold temperatures. Thanks to all the racers for your loyalty, fellowship and commitment to TPR.

Pictures will be uploaded to http://www.teampaisa.com/ in the coming days.

Deland Racers

Fernando Acevedo
Jose Hernandez
Peter Carlos
Mateo Zuluaga
Mikey Perez
Israel Vera
Daniel Stauber
Freddy Matute

The Sheriff
Captain, TPR

1st official racing weekend of 2010

2010-02-01T10:09:00.002-05:00

As the first official weekend of racing ends TPT had great results – if this is the beginning I cannot imagine what’s going to happen the following weekends once the racers find their legs.
TPR was racing at the 3rd Deland Spring Fling Classic were Freddy Matute won both the crit and the road race (CAT 5) and Mateo Zuluaga also took the win in both races (JUNIORS) – 4 wins in 2 days, what more can we ask? We also had strong performances by Peter Carlos placing 2 top 5 and 1 top 10 during the weekend.

Here are the results for the 3rd Deland Spring Fling Classic (TPR only)

Cat 3 – Saturday Crit
Peter Carlos (5th)
John Zuluaga (12th)
Israel Vera (15th)
Fernando Acevedo (21st)
Jose Hernandez (22nd)
Michael Perez (30th)

Junior 17-18 – Saturday Crit
Mateo Zuluaga (1st)

Masters 45+ – Saturday Crit
Peter Carlos (5th)
Jose Hernandez (17th)
Israel Vera (23rd)

Cat 5 – Saturday Crit
Freddy Matute (1st)
Tomas Velez (17th)

Cat 3 – Sunday Road Race
Michael Perez (4th)
Fernando Acevedo (11th)

Junior 17-18 – Sunday Road Race
Mateo Zuluaga (1st)

Masters 45+ – Sunday Road Race
Peter Carlos (7th)
Israel Vera (12th)
Daniel Stauber (14th)
Jose Hernandez (32nd)

Cat 5 – Sunday Road Race
Freddy Matute (1st)
Tomas Velez (9th)

Locally in South Florida TPR was present at the Rosewood Winter Series and at the 1st Tropical Cyclocross race.

The following are the results:

ROSEWOOD - Cat 4/5
Damian Serrania (5th)
Juan Hernandez (10th)

ROSEWOOD - Masters 40+
Willy Gonzalez (8th)
Jose Molina (16th)

Tropical Cyclocross – Masters
Carl Fornaris (DNF)

New Logo - New Name

2010-01-27T11:40:00.001-05:00

Team Paisa Racing is now "TPR"

TPR 2010 Team Bike

2010-01-20T17:10:00.003-05:00

Thanks to our sponsor Javelin Bikes TPR racers will be racing in the Amarone SL - see the picture!

The Amarone SL is a:

Monocoque carbon fiber frame
Aerodynamic seat tube with wheel cutaway
Wishbone seat stays to absorb road vibrations more effectively
Oversized bottom bracket shell for greater stiffness
Traditional Italian geometry
1100g (Frame and Fork)

2010 Sponsors are confirmed!!!

2010-01-12T16:00:00.002-05:00

2010 Sponsors are confirmed!!!

We are all excited to have finalized all the sponsors for a new season of racing. We have some returning sponsors, and gained new ones. Here is the list of the sponsors in alphabetical order:

All USA Elevator Services
AsMaster
El Sembrador
Enterprise Rent a Car
Florida Foot & Ankle Associates
Gold Wing Motors
Great Florida Bank
Greenberg Trauring
Javeline Bikes
Latca Group
Legacy Academy
NSI Insurance
Rudy Project
Smoothie King
Veloce Speedwear
Zero Components

Great Florida Bank New Sponsor for 2010

2009-12-14T15:44:00.002-05:00

Great Florida Bank New Sponsor for 2010!

Great Florida Bank (NASDAQ - GFLB), was established on June 30, 2004 as a state-charted commercial bank. The Bank listed on the NASDAQ Global Market (GFLB) on December 5, 2007 and joined the prestigious American Bankers Association Community Bank Index in June 2008. Great Florida Bank surpassed $1 billion in assets after only 18 months in operation which, at the time made it one of the fastest growing de novo institutions in the country. On September 30, 2009, total assets were $1.7 billion, Tier 1 Capital was $114 million, and the Tier 1 Leverage ratio was 6.5% -- 30% above the federal regulatory definition of a "Well Capitalized Bank". The Bank operates twenty-eight (28) Solution Centers located throughout Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties. For more information please visit: www.greatfloridabank.com

Please visit http://www.teampaisa.com/ for more information on sponsors and the team!

Legacy Academy - New Team Sponsor for 2010

2009-12-14T15:38:00.001-05:00

TPR is proud to anounce one of its new 2010 team sponsors!

Legacy Academy for Children is at its foundation an early care and education program for children 6 weeks to age 12. With the choice of the name, Legacy Academy for Children®, we have laid the groundwork for the mission and philosophy of our organization. Your children are your legacy, hence our motto "the perfect beginning for your legacy". For additional information regarding the school nearest you and/or for franchising opportunities, please call 1.800.298.4046 or visit us at www.legacyacademy.com.

Please visit www.teampaisa.com for more information on sponsors and the team!

Annual Christmas party

2009-12-13T09:13:00.002-05:00

We all had a great time this past saturday during are annual Christmas party, thank to all that helped to make this event possible!

Here are some pictures (courtosy of: Juan Antonio "Flecha" Hernandez)

Team Paisa X-mas Lunch Slide Show

Team Paisa 2008 Video

2009-12-05T09:55:00.002-05:00

2009 Team Picture

2009-11-30T08:55:00.008-05:00

To see more pictures please click here

Team News!!!

2009-11-05T11:27:00.001-05:00

We are glad to present the following people as new members of TPR – They will all be racing for the team next year in different categories and all share the same goal, of helping us collect great results!

Daniel Stauber
Israel Rivera
Javier Perez
Mike Perez
Laura Parsons
Freddy " chico"

We also have some news in regards to new sponsors – we will share more information at a later date.

Physician convicted in cycling case

2009-11-03T08:57:00.002-05:00

Story from the LA Times
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/11/jury-reaches-verdict-in-cycling-case.html

A physician accused of deliberately injuring two cyclists by slamming on his car’s brakes on a narrow Brentwood road last year was convicted Monday of assault with a deadly weapon, mayhem and other serious criminal charges.

The three-week trial of Dr. Christopher Thompson drew close attention from cyclists, many of whom viewed the case as a test of the justice system’s commitment to protecting cyclists.

Thompson, wearing a dark blue suit, bowed his head as the verdicts were read. He faces a possible prison term.

To read the full article please click here

Video to watch!!!

2009-10-29T15:42:00.002-04:00

Here is a video that one of our racers (Peter Carlos) sent - Its amazing!!!

Pictures from the Rosewood Finale

2009-10-26T09:28:00.004-04:00

Pro 1,2,3 Pictures and some of the 45+

GREAT JOB GUYS - We are all proud of your efforts...

Series 3 @ Rosewood - Final Race!

2009-10-19T17:22:00.003-04:00

What a result for Team Paisa over the weekend (Rosewood Race last Sunday – Oct 18, 2009) We had several of our riders racing in different categories, and while the team was not in full force we had excellent results.
The following are the guys who raced: Willy Gonzalez who had two great results a 2nd and a 3rd , Peter Carlos who won the 45+ race, Fernando Garcia, Jose Hernandez, Alex Bianchi and Damian Serrania

Days Results:
Pro 1,2,& 3
Willy Gonzalez: 3rd

Masters 35+
Willy Gonzalez: 2nd
Fernando Garcia 4th
Damian Serrania: 18th
Carl Fornaris: 20th

Masters 45+
Peter Carlos: 1st
Jose Hernandez: 14th
Alex Bianchi: 25th

Cat 4/5
Damian Serrania: 17th

For the overall of the 3rd rosewood series Team Paisa took first and second in the 35+ with Willy and Noe Gonzalez; in the 45+ Peter Carlos was 5th and Jose Hernandez was 8th, and in the Pro 1,2 & 3 Willy finished 13th
Congratulations to all!!! Here is the link to the rosewood page

2009 Road State Championships

2009-10-12T09:30:00.002-04:00

What a great weekend for TPR in Ocala, FL! This was the last race of the season & the road state championships. Our team had great results throughout the year and Ocala was no exception.

Mateo Zuluaga (AKA: Bianchito) - Is the 2009 Junior Florida Road State Champion taking his victory passing one of the top riders in the state/country (former national junior champion)

Willy Gonzalez (AKA: Chilly Willy) - took 3rd place in the masters 35+. Making it to the finish after a horrible crash in the last corner that took out most of the field including our very own Noe Gonzalez (He was taken to the hospital, but later released)

For Saturday’s race we also had the following riders racing: Jose Hernandez, Peter Carlos, Fernando Garcia, Fernando Acevedo, and Jennifer who was our only girl that could race. All had great races and displayed our team name and colors high (the best do not always win)

Here is a slide show of some of the pictures for Saturday: Click Here for Slide Show

TPR Picture Slide Show

2009-09-14T09:28:00.001-04:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/41586012@N02/show/

TPR - Weekend Results!

2009-09-14T09:07:00.011-04:00

This has been an incredible weekend for our Racing team. First of all, we had podiums in all the races we participated locally and throughout the state.

Weekend Championships in San Agustin

Saturday 1 Podium
- Mateo 3rd place

Sunday 2 Podiums
- Mateo 2nd place - juniors – Mateo is currently # 2 in the state
- Fernando 3rd place - CAT 4 -Fernando is currently #4 in the state and very close to #3

Since this was a race composed of many stages both Mateo and Fernando was 2nd overall for the weekend!!!!!

If you noticed Mateo has placed podium in every race he has entered for the past 3-4 months. (Impressive stuff) Mateo Good job!

Unfortunately, Peter Carlos crashed during the sprint today. His front wheel got smashed and got a little hurt, but he will be OK! Please remember he is after all brave-heart. PC is currently #1 in the Champion of Champions point’s competition in the state and in podium for State points this year, and its in the top places for the Florida points series and Florida cup.

Rosewood Series - Miami - 2 races 2 First places.

Today we raced 35+ and 45+ and WE WON BOTH RACES. Sheriff stroke again and WON today in Rosewood with an impressive sprint CAT 45 +. Willy won again in CAT 35 + with the yellow jersey which BTW he already Won for this season!

Other Rosewood Results
35+ Race
- Noe Gonzales - 4th
- Fernando Garcia - 12th
- Carl Fornaris - 17th
- Damian Serrania - 20th
- Jose Molina - 21st

45+ Race
- Alexandro Bianchi - 12th

CAT 4/5 Race
- Josh Haber - 10th
- Damian Serrania - 17th

So TRP won 2 out of 3 seasons this year in Rosewood and in the one we did not win we got 2nd and 3rd place with Noe and Willy. HOW ABOUT THAT!!!

Like Lance said in to Contador “THERE IS NO I IN TEAM” - So I have to thank and congratulate the other riders that also won this weekend, because when a Paisa wins WE ALL WIN. Thanks Fernando Garcia, Killer, Carl, Alex Bianchi, Jose Molina and Jennifer… (Please excuse me if I am forgetting anyone) Without you guys we could not have these victories, you guys were essential to our success THANK YOU for your Sacrifice and Support.

Check out some of the pictures on the Flicker Page

TPR @ The Kendall Classic

2009-09-10T12:24:00.005-04:00

Another great result for TPR that raced at the 1st Kendall Classic, it was a hot and long day. Several of our rides represented the team and they delivered, taking 1st, 2nd and 4th place in the Masters 45 race.

1st Jose Hernandez
2nd Sammy Camacho
4th Alex Bianchi

It was a team effort and no other riders or teams could have done anything to prevent the TPR sweep.

We had other racers participating in the Cat 4/5, Masters 35 and Pro 1, 2 events. Congratulations to all!

check out our flicker page for more pictures from this and other events!

TPR @ Tour de Tow (Cat 3 Race)

2009-09-08T12:30:00.001-04:00

Video to watch!

2009-08-31T09:02:00.001-04:00

TPR @ Brian Piccolo

2009-08-31T08:39:00.005-04:00

TPR went to Brian Piccolo for the third race of the Rosewood Series 3 races and did not disappoint.

Willy Gonzalez from TPR came to defend his yellow jersey in the Masters 35+ race with Noe Gonzalez, also from TPR, a close second. In support were Jose Hernandez, Fernando Garcia, Damian Serrania and Jose Molina. This race is arguably the most difficult race of any of the categories including the Pro 1 2 3. Today's race was kept close with several attempted breakaways that failed due to the difficulty of the course and the sustained speed of the main group. In the end, both Willy and Noe were in position for the final sprint and proving he was too strong for the rest once again, Willy took 1st place honors with Noe coming in 4th. This was a great team effort and a tremendous victory for Team Paisa Racing. A special thanks to Jose Molina, Fernando Garcia and Damian Serrania for their support today.

In the Masters 45+, Peter Carlos, Alex Bianchi, Cherie Disque and Jose Hernandez raced and much like the 35+ race, found it fast and closely watched by all teams, negating all attempted attacks and bringing it to a sprint finish where Peter Carlos took 4th. Unfortunately, Alex could not finish the race due to an accident and subsequent mechanical issue with his bike. Alex is doing ok.

In the Pro 1 2 3 race, Noe Gonzalez and Peter Carlos participated and both were part of an ESPN highlight by going on a break which really forced the main group to work hard to finally reel them in. That was a great sight to see and they did us proud with that breakaway attempt where the green, black and white were plainly visible in front of this elite race.

Thanks to all the racers for participating today and again congratulations to Chilly Willy for his victory today and defense of the yellow jersey. One final note, glad to see Cherie back on the race course as well as Noe after being off the bike for 21 days due to a trip.

Here are the results!

Masters 35+
1 - Willy Gonzalez
4 - Noe Gonzalez
21 - Fernando Garcia

Master 45+
4 - Peter Carlos
12 - Jose Hernandez
27 - Cherie Disque

Pro 1,2 and Cat 3
11 - Peter Carlos
23 - Noe Gonzalez

TPR @ The Turnpike Race #3

2009-08-17T09:11:00.000-04:00

Hi Team,

Congrats on a great video and way to represent Team Paisa for a very worthy cause. Some of us raced today in the final race of the Turnpike Series here in Miami with great results.

In the first Masters race, Chilly Willy broke away with one lap to go and solo'd in for a very impressive victory. He has now won two races in a row and is flying! Helping him were Alex Bianchi and one other rider, new to our team which I have forgotten his name.

In the second Masters race, Peter Carlos and I battled very difficult odds as we took on around 10 cyclists from Bike America. The race was very difficult as there were constant attacks from this team forcing Peter and I to cover just about every attack. In the end, a breakaway of two guys got away which included one of the Bike America racers. Peter and I sprinted with the best of rest and came in 6th and 7th places.

In the CAT 4/5's, Josh Haber did a nice job of staying in the top half of a very large group and came in top 20 from a field of about 60 racers.

In the Mens CAT 3's combined with Womens 1 2 3's race, Peter, Jennifer, Mateo, Romina and I battled the midday heat and in the end worked to help Jennifer get our second TPR victory of the day as Jeniffer took 1st place honors in the Womens 1 2 3 division.

Great job by all the racers as today TPR had two 1st place podiums! Thanks to all for showing courage in this heat and battling the very windy course.

The Sheriff
Captain, Team Paisa Racing

Upcoming Races

2009-08-14T13:01:00.002-04:00

There are a few local races in the following days (Turnpike 3#, and Brian Piccolo) While some of the racers may be present at these events for now the focus is riding and training as a team. It's been a while since everyone has been riding together (due to the amount of traveling) - but the guys deserve a nice break.

The next official races will be:

August 22 - Nocatee Stage Race in Jacksonville, FL
August 30 - Rosewood in Miami Lakes, FL

News on results will come after each weekend

Train hard, be safe and have fun!

Team Paisa racing @ The PAL Omnium Bike Race

2009-08-02T22:35:00.001-04:00

Today ended a great victory weekend for Team Paisa Racing (TPR) – The team participated at the PAL Omnium Bike Race in Lake County Florida (near Orlando) We had Peter Carlos racing in the Masters 45+ and Mateo Zuluaga racing in the junior category. The race had a crit, a time trial, and a road race- with the 95+ degree heat the racing was extremely hard.

Saturday morning we started with a great victory from Mateo Zuluaga – taking the race in the final sprint and it was later followed by Peter Carlos who managed to stay out in a break and later attacked for a solo win.

Saturday afternoon (after a good lunch) it was time for the time trial – the course had several climbs and proved too hard for our rides. Mateo finished 5th and Peter Finished 9th in their categories.

Sunday’s road race had several hard climbs and the heat was hitting almost 100. Peter Carlos finished 6th. Mateo took 1st place in the final sprint securing 1st place for the general classification.

Congratulations for Peter and Mateo for great results!

On a ending Note: Today (Sunday) Fast Willy took 1st place in Rosewood – this means TPR is 1st and 2nd in the points. Congratulation to all of the racers that participated in the Rosewood race (Noe, Fernando G, Jennifer, Jose H, and Alex B)

Peter Carlos 2nd in superweek

2009-07-31T10:54:00.001-04:00

If you do not know our won Peter Carlos has finished superweek. As we mentioned before this is one of the most important racing events in the country. The best part is that Peter placed second overall in the racing CAT 3. This was a 15 race/day event (1 race every day); there were around 133 riders racing in Peter’s category

This is a huge accomplishment for Peter and Team Paisa Racing, and adds to the great Victory our junior Mateo had in Georgia. (2 great results outside of Florida)

Here are the top 4 riders (overall standings)

1st - Marc Howe - Team Geargrinder - Appleton, WI
2nd - Peter Carlos Team Paisa - Coconut Grove, FL
3rd - Nathan Longley - Team Beans & Barley - West Allis, WI
4th - Geoff Kuyper - Leadout/Chicago DR. Cycling - Grand Rapids, MI
Full Results...

Here is the Event Link for supperweek

Team Paisa @ Gwinnett Bike Fest

2009-07-27T15:07:00.009-04:00

The main purpose of the trip was to give Mateo Zuluaga our 17-18 junior the chance to race outside of Florida, and help him develop his racing skills. The Gwinnett Bike Fest is one of the few stage races in the south east, and promised to be a great 5 day event, with 6 races (2 critirium's, 1 circuit, 2 road courses and 1 individual time trial)

For the juniors the event was 4 days and 5 races, and Mateo raced all 5 races taking 4 victories and one 3rd place taking; the overall championship for his category.

This is a tremendous accomplishment and the entire team is extremely proud of our junior racer. Mateo is one of the top juniors in the state and surly will be one of the best in the country. do not be surprised when a pro team comes looking for him.

The team was also represented by Juan Tobon (Team Paisa – Atlanta) and Juan Acevedo (Team Paisa – Miami)

Congratulations to all!!!

Team Paisa Video

2009-07-14T13:30:00.001-04:00

This video has a combination of images from races through out the first part of the year!

Team Paisa Racing @ “The International Cycling Classic & Superweek Pro Tour”

2009-07-14T13:03:00.000-04:00

Currently Team Paisa Racing is being represented by Peter Carlos at “The International Cycling Classic & Superweek Pro Tour”. This is one of the hardest racing events in the US. Participants from all over the country and the world race for 2 complete week’s nonstop.

Peter Carlos will be racing all CAT 3 Events (Around 20 different races.) So far Peter has placed 10th and 12th in the first 2 events and currently stands 9th overall.

We wish Peter the best of luck!

For more information on the event please visit: www.internationalcycling.com

Noe Gonzalez Wins the 2009 Rosewood Series #2

2009-07-13T09:52:00.009-04:00

Congratulations to Noe Gonzalez for winning the Rosewood Series 2 today.

Racing in the 35+ Category Noe won both the overall yellow jersey (won by 16 points) as well as the white sprinters jersey(won by 5 points).

It’s not easy and common for a rider to win both leader and sprint points in Rosewood - That is a tremendous accomplishment!

A special thanks to all the racers that supported Noe over the 5 race series!

Overall Classification
5/10/09: 6 Points
5/24/09: 6 Points
6/14/09: 10 Points
6/28/09: 7 Points
7/12/09: 0 Points
29 TOTAL POINTS

Sprint Classification
5/10/09: 3 Points
5/24/09: 5 Points
6/14/09: 0 Points
6/28/09: 5 Points
7/12/09: 3 Points
16 TOTAL POINTS

Florida Crit State Championships

2009-07-13T09:39:00.003-04:00

Jesus Nunez raises his arms as he crosses the finish to win the Men’s Masters race of the Florida State Criterium Championships in Lakeland Fl., Sunday May 17 2009.Ernst Peters/The Ledger.

As a young team we are extremely proud of the results we have accomplished. The Florida State Championship is one of the positive results. We are sure that more will come through out the 2009 season!

Congratulation to Jesus Nunez, and all of our racing athletes!

Masters 35+
Jesus Nunes: 1st
Noe Gonzales: 20th

Masters 45+
Peter Carlos: 3rd
Ivan Ocon: 47th

Cat 3
Robert Cespedes: 21st

Cat 4
Fernando Acevedo: 11th
Damian Serrania: 16th
John Zuluaga: 22nd

Juniors 17-18
John Zuluaga: 8th