Racer: Adam Bradley
NEMBA Chapter: Blackstone Valley
Category: Expert Senior
Racing History: I started racing in 2005 working my way up through the novice to the expert class. 2007 was my best year competing in 7 NECS races and winning the Expert Senior 1 title and 4th place overall in the point standings. I also competed in the first NH100, placing 1st in the Expert Senior class and 5th overall. Since then, work, weddings, and house buying has slowed me down a bit – but I am looking forward to getting back on the bike in 2011.
Goals for 2011: I plan on getting back on my bike, start commuting to work again, and to get back to my favorite NECS races. I am hoping to continue to improve as the season progress and eventually get back on the podium again.
Racer: Leah Breen
NEMBA Chapter: North Shore
Category: Women’s Sport/Cat 2
Racing History: I’m eighteen years old and started biking with the mountain biking elective at my high school, Waring, in Beverly, MA. Since then, I’ve competed in the 24 Hours of Great Glen (2009 and 2010) on a four person, men’s sport team. I’ve also raced in several of the EFTA and Root 66 series. This fall, I tried cyclocross for the first time, but I enjoy the ability to explore the woods that mountain biking offers.
Goals for 2011: After graduating from high school this May, I’m planning to train and prepare for collegiate cycling. I don’t know what school I’m headed to yet, but I’ll most likely compete in the Eastern, Rocky Mountain, or Midwest Collegiate Cycling Conference through the cycling club at the college I attend. This summer, I will compete in the EFTA and Root 66 race series. I hope to improve my technical mountain biking skills as well as my endurance.
Racer: Courtney Cowan
NEMBA Chapter: Boston
Category: ‘not sure’
Racing History: I have a handful of races under my belt on the West coast in San Diego back in 2006. I have yet to do a race on the east coast. In the past 3 years that I’ve been back east I have focused more on endurance races, Adventure racing 12-24 hour plus races. I thought that this year I would try my hand at some mtb races to see how I do.
Goals for 2011: Since I’m fairly new to strict mtb racing, as well as to the East coast terrain, I am interested in seeing how I do in competition. I am fairly competitive and would like to do as well as I can, though I hope to have some fun along the way. I would aim for this to be a great introduction to racing and will start me on many more years on the racing scene.
Racer: Steven Crossley
NEMBA Chapter: Greater Boston
Category: Expert Vet I
Racing History: My first race was part of a team at the inaugural 24 hours of Killington. At certain points during the race, it was raining 1” per hour. It was one of the toughest physical and mental challenges I have faced. I was completely unprepared and totally hooked on racing.
Goals for 2011: Have fun, win, support NEMBA and help others enjoy mountain biking as much as I do.
Racer: Dustin DeLuke
NEMBA Chapter: Central NH
Category: Sport Vet 1, Singlespeed
Racing History: I raced for Plymouth State University from 2000-2003. One of
my favorite races from my time with PSU was the Second Start Enduro in Weare
NH. Last summer I realized that I wanted to start racing again after I completed
the Hampshire 100.
Goals for 2011: I really enjoy endurance racing and my goal is to complete in the
NH 100 again this year with a faster time and participate in a few other longer
format races along with some classic EFTA races.
Racer: William DeProfio
NEMBA Chapter: Merrimack Valley, MA
Category: Sport Vet I
Racing History: I did my first races back in the late 1990’s doing a hand full of Route 66 races (never finishing in the lead pack) and a 24 hours at Great Glen in 2000. After Great Glen I just stuck to riding with the guys on Sundays for the next 10 years, suffered a broken leg in 2008 (riding Lowell/Tyngsboro/Dracut SP). After losing the entire 2008 season to mend a broken leg 2009 was a rebuilding year for my Sunday morning rides. In 2010 I entered two races (Horror at Harding Hill, and TRV) as a novice, I ended up taking a podium spot in both races, then decided to move up to the sport class if I raced again in 2011.
Goals for 2011: For 2011 I look forward to moving to sport class, entering mainly EFTA races, NH 100, and another run at 24 @ Great Glen.
Racer: Carl DeVincent
NEMBA Chapter: Merrimack Valley
Category: Sport Vet I
Racing History: I was first introduced to racing when a friend convinced me to join their team for the 2008 Bradbury 12 Hour. The festive atmosphere of the race made it a lot of fun and I was hooked. The following year after placing in a few Novice class races and a much improved effort in the 2009 Bradbury 12 hour I self promoted to Sport for the EFTA season finale at Fort Rock. After a slow start in 2010 due to a pulled quad I placed in the last three EFTA season races and assembled enough points to finish first. I’ve made some good friends racing and I’m looking forward to the 2011 season.
Goals for 2011: While the points leader in my age group last year I’ve decided to remain in the Sport classification start this season. There were a half a dozen plus guys that were much stronger than I and had they participated in more events would have easily beaten me. This spring I plan to start training with some of the teams Expert gents and if things go well I’ll self promote towards the end of the season. Also looking forward to participating in my 4th Bradbury 12 Hour 
Racer: Fabian Esponda
NEMBA Chapter: Connecticut
Category: Cat 2 Single Speed
Racing History: 2010 was my first year racing a MTB. I decided that I liked single speeds so started in that class. I had so much fun I decided right after my first race that my goal would be to complete every Root 66 race. My fitness improved with every race and I ended up 2nd in my class with an Iron man award.
Goals for 2011: To start off with SSapalooza and then some Root66 races, maybe hit some of the other races in the area. To put a race on in Meriden, Ct. at the Meriden Motorcycle Club – “Wrath of the Boneyard”. I’d like to try a Cyclocross race in the fall. Lots of fun rides.
Racer: Mark Gedraitis
NEMBA Chapter: Pioneer Valley
Category: Cat2, Sport
Racing History: My riding friends and I decided to bite the bullet and start racing about 6 years ago. None of us raced before so we decided to dive in and learn together at the 24hrs of Great Glen as a 4 man team. We were instantly in love. Much has changed since then, but what I remember most was the teamwork and devotion. I really enjoy doing endurance type races the most. I love the look of pain, despair, determination, and sacrifice of all the racers faces as the event goes on. These events also are a great place to meet new riders and people. I find the stories and experiences from others perspectives invigorate me to try new things and push myself more. I try to do the same to them. Over the past 4 years I have done the BC bike race, the Leadville 100, Great Glen, Pat’s Peak and Crank the shield. Meeting riders from around the country and beyond is what I enjoy most.
Goals for 2011: I am traveling to Portugal in early spring to race the “TRANSPORTUGAL” 9 DAY STAGE RACE. I haven’t trained nearly hard enough due to the winter weather. At this point my only goal is to survive and “have fun at all cost”. This year overall I hope to do some more local races in New England and the New York area. I hope to spend more and more time helping build and repair the trails in my area as well. In doing so I feel I can spread the word on what NEMBA is and does to others new to the sport I love. My personal racing goals are not to be faster at the start, be a better climber, or finish on the podium, (all would be nice) but to continue to have fun riding and spread that feeling to the people I meet while on the trails.
Racer: Howie Granat
NEMBA Chapter: North Shore
Category: Sport Vet II
Racing History: After a 10 year hiatus from MTB racing, came back last year and placed 3rd in the Novice Vet II class in the EFTA New England Championship series with various finishes from 7th to 2nd. From 1990 through 2000 raced in the NORBA series in both Novice and Sport classes with various mid-pack finishes.
Goals for 2011: I believe that I have the endurance and stamina to compete this year in Sport Class and although I don’t necessarily expect to finish in the top 3rd places, I hope to get into the top 25% of the class for the season. With NEMBA I have been actively involved with the effort to bring new people into our organization – especially kids – and I hope to present a message that this is a lifelong sport which offers health, exploration, and sometimes a little competition!
Racer: Harold Green
NEMBA Chapter: Pioneer Valley
Category: Category II – FKA Sport – 50+
Racing History: Been racing about a half dozen years. Started with the Root66 series and have stayed there almost exclusively. Not the most competitive racer, but the scene is fun and some of the courses are really good places to ride.
Goals for 2011: Finish in the top half of my bracket in the series, even though there are several events in the series that conflict with Greater NEMBA’s schedule of events which always take precedence. Attaining this goal will take more than a bit of luck keeping the bike in working condition on some of these mud based courses.
Racer: Jeffrey Green
NEMBA Chapter: Pioneer Valley
Category: Category II – FKA Sport 19-29
Racing History: First race was 3 years ago, but I don’t like to talk about those DFL first few… I’ve done Ok in a few of the climby but less technical venues in the past.
Goals for 2011: I’m a freshman at Lehigh University in PA and am planning on studying in Germany this summer for 6 weeks so the commitment for 4 races will pretty much dictate which venues I’ll have to hit. I want to improve my results so I’m no longer at the back of the pack. My brother Matt has promised to push me to improve so that should help my technical riding which is the challenge today.
Racer: Mark Horvath
NEMBA Chapter:
Category: Sport Vet Master
Racing History: He’s been racing!
Goals for 2011: To race.
Racer: Greg Katz
NEMBA Chapter: Southern NH
Category: Sport Vet II
Racing History: Prior to 2010 I only did a couple races in the late 90’s. Came back last year and raced the Novice Clydesdale class for the first few EFTA events before moving to the regular Novice class. I ended up only missing the first event in the schedule and finished out the year strong with a 2nd overall in Clyde and 4th in the regular Novice class. Last year was also my first endurance event with the NH 100 where I finished 1st in my class.
Goals for 2011: For 2011 I’ve self promoted to Sport Class (Vet II) where I expect things to be much more competitive. The goal is still the same; stay in shape and have fun. Looking forward to spending time with my NEMBA teammates and spreading the NEMBA message!
This year I’ll be a regular at the EFTA NECS series and I am planning to race the NH 100 again.
Racer: Mark Lurie
NEMBA Chapter: Connecticut
Category: CAT2, Singlespeed
Racing History: I got my first taste of racing in 2009 in the Root66 circuit on my singlespeed in the CAT3 40 – 49 yr old group but the early start times in this category were not to my liking. So, I tried the CAT2 SS Open class at Winding Trails and found that more to my liking. Unfortunately, life got in the way and couldn’t do any more races. Last year (2010), on a different bike, I raced solely CAT2 SS and while I didn’t reach the podium I was pretty consistent in finishing and ended the year with an unofficial third place but didn’t have enough races for the official placement.
Goals for 2011: This year, I just want to push harder and complete more races, we’ll see how that meshes with my family and their activities. I will be riding a new frame this year, a Misfit Psycles diSSent. I also plan on showing the team colors at some non-racing events, like our Connecticut Mountain Bike Adventure Series rides at the Happening at Huntington and Cockaponset, the Blooming Metric that I will ride again with my daughter on our tandem, and some other events throughout the summer and fall.
Racer: Kevin Orlowski (Team Captain)
NEMBA Chapter: Central NH
Category: Expert Vet I, Singlespeed
Racing History: I got my introduction to racing in college for our club team. Took a short break after graduating but got back into the local race scene in 2006 after converting my bike to a singlespeed. I have been making consistent appearances on the EFTA circuit since then with a few podiums in the NECS overall, due mostly to my tenacity rather than speed. I have spent the last 5 years attempting to get myself up to speed with the rest of the one geared crowd. I haven’t quite cracked the upper echelons yet but I’m not getting slower each year so I continue my quest for speed (and pain).
Goals for 2011: I have spent the last year or two experimenting with endurance formats and triathlons, but with my more active role in NEMBA Racing this year I will be getting back to focusing on mountain biking. I plan on getting to as many of the EFTA races as possible with a few 12hr races and my third straight NH100 as well. I am hoping to continue to improve and compete in the Singlespeed class and place as well as I can in the NECS Overall.
Racer: Shaun Pinney
NEMBA Chapter: Greater Boston
Category: Sport Vet I
Racing History: I got my introduction to racing in college for our club team. Stopped racing consistently after college and just rode for fun with friends for about 5 years. Last year I bought a new bike and got back into the EFTA scene, doing 3 races. I finished in the middle of the Sport pack in each.
Goals for 2011: Last year was a nice shock to the system as I jumped back into racing. This year, I want to be faster, in better shape and be more competitive in the races I attend. I also would like to do a few new (to me) races this year, including the NH 100 and Moody Park.
Racer: Arthur Roti (Team Manager)
NEMBA Chapter: Connecticut
Category: Cat 1
Racing History: I have been racing MTB since 1990 and racing on the road since 1992. I got my start racing while at UMASS and then continued it at UCONN. While at UCONN I was president of the cycling team and steadily improved my racing throughout college. I have done hundreds of races since them with several podiums including a second place in the CT MTB series several years ago. Now that I have quite a bit of responsibility at work and two young children, my goals are different. I aim to get out and compete in at least 15 races a year. I have also raced the VT 50 on a tandem for the past 4 years.
Goals for 2011: My goal is to do at least 6 MTB races and crack the 10 ten by the end of the season. My wife will also return to racing this year, so we will get a feel for how it will work to hand off the kids between races. I will also race the VT 50 and several cyclocross races and road races and some multi-sport races. As director of NEMBA racing my main goal is to help get a great crew of racers at all levels out to as many races as possible and get the word about NEMBA and trail advocacy out to the racing community.
Racer: Melissa Roti
NEMBA Chapter: Connecticut
Category: Cat 2
Racing History: I have been racing MTB since 1995. I started racing bikes in college at both UCONN and UMASS. I raced on the road as a Cat 3 and MTB as expert. I have taken a long break from racing since 2005. Since my husband and I have had 2 children. I can say that I never stopped riding my bike through it all. I even rode my bike the week that I had our first son, Lars! I am looking forward to getting back into the racing scene again this year
Goals for 2011: My goal this year is to get back into racing shape. I want to be a role model for my children and my students at Westfield State Unversity where I am a professor and co-program director of Exercise Science.
Racer: Shawn Smith (The Ride Bully)
NEMBA Chapter: Southern NH
Category: Expert Vet I
Racing History: 1996 Starts the race story. Dabbling in mainly sporadic novice races that sounded interesting to me only to get less than stellar results. This would go on through 2001 when I entered my last race as a Sport rider in EFTA’s Bear Brook Challenge where I had a mid pack at best finish. 2002 -2006 Cycling would take a back seat to other priorities, mainly; home purchase, marriage, and the addition of my two sons. Mid 2006 my co-worker Matt Caron (now Southern NH NEMBA President) had asked if I rode mountain bikes, I said yes, and I was back on the bike. So I credit him with getting the fire burning again and in 2010 I returned to racing. This time more focused, the goal was 4 races as per the 2011 NEMBA team requirements. I ended up getting hooked after my first race at Willowdale where I took 3rd place in Sport Vet I out of 30+ riders. Ran the rest of the series taking two more 2nd place and two 1st place finishes. That would net me enough points to win my Category and finish the season with 54 promotional points. So it’s off to Expert I go for 2011.
Goals for 2011: With a new revamped larger NEMBA team for 2011. Goals; Get stronger, support my team, and move up in the Expert class. Planned events; EFTA series, Hampshire 100 , 12 hour HOGG (solo), and Newton’s Revenge (Mt Washington Hill climb).
Racer: Dan Voss
NEMBA Chapter: Greater Boston
Category: Cat 3
Racing History: 2010 was a “get back in the saddle” year after 2 years of forced hiatus from the bike. I was able to hit both the Hodges Village and Millstone rides – what a great time! For me it was a season of introducing my 2 children to the weekend fun with Nate and Rebecca (5 and 7) taking part in the kids races as well. At Millstone I was very happy to podium in my class and am looking forward to hitting the race again this coming year. Prior to 2010, my racing was back in Australia where I focused on team endurance racing knocking off races on the 24hr/adventure race circuit.
Goals for 2011: In May 2011 I finish up a project that has had me out of circulation 3 of 4 weekends a month for the last 2 years, so #1 I’m looking forward to hitting the trails more often for both racing and recreation – I’m shooting for 6 races this year; #2 Get to know my NEMBA team mates better – and get more involved in my local NEMBA chapter; #3 Work up riding fitness for a 2012 assault on the MOAB 24hr; #4 Work my way back onto the single-speed; #5 Keep my kids charging ahead on the bikes and get my wife on the trail (with Phil’s help); #6 Start training our puppy to become a hardcore mountain bike mate.
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