Astellas Pro Cycling at Tour of America's Dairyland

From June 19 through June 29, Astellas Cycling Team had a team of six riders racing their Litespeed bikes in the 11 stages of the Tour of America's Dairyland (TOAD). This was an exciting tour to follow, as Astellas rider Justin Williams was able to score to stage wins, and there were many top-10 finishes for all of the Astellas riders. By the end of the TOAD, Brandon Feehery was sitting in 3rd overall and Justin Williams in 8th. Not a bad showing! 

Stage 1: Shorewood Criterium Cycling Classic

The first stage of TOAD, Justin Williams took 5th in the field.

Stage 2: East Troy Cycling Classic

On the second stage of TOAD, Brandon Feehery took 4th and Stephen Hyde took 6th in the field.

Stage 3: Giro d'Grafton

Brandon Feehery took 7th in the field and Max Korus took 12th in the third stage.

Stage 4: Waukesha Carl Zach Cycling Classic

Brandon Feehery was able to hit 7th in the field two days in row, this time in the fifth stage.

Stage 5: Beloit Bike Classic

The fifth stage was Justin Williams first win of TOAD, complemented by Brandon Feehery's 8th place finish.

Stage 6: Schlitz Park Criterium

The sixth stage of TOAD saw Brandon Feehery in 12th and Hogan Sills in 25th in the field.

Stage 7: Elkhart Road Race at Road America

Clay Murfet managed to place 24th in the field on the 7th stage of TOAD.

Stage 8: Oshkosh Criterium de Titan

There was no stopping Justin Williams as he sprinted to yet another stage victory. 

Stage 9: Fond Du Lac Commonwealth Classic

Justin Williams kept his momentum, taking 2nd on this next stage, with Brandon Feehery right behind in 3rd.

Stage 10: ISCorp Downer Classic

After the past two days, could Astellas keep their streak alive? Simply put, yes! Brandon Feehery took 5th in the field, while Justin Williams (who placed 18th for the day) was able to take home a $5500 field prime. Clay Murfet took 24th in the field.

Stage 11: East Tosa Gran Prix

On the final day of TOAD, Brandon Feehery was able to go top-10 one more time, placing 8th in the field. Hogan Sills also took 13th in the field.

Litespeed T1 Di2 Build

We've been waiting a long time to finally make this happen, and here it is! Our top-of-the-line titanium road frame, the T1, now fully Di2 compatible! To celebrate, we built this baby up with full Dura-Ace Di2 components and Reynolds 58 Aero carbon clinchers. Light and stiff frame, crisp and clean shifting, along with nimble and aero wheels make this bike a true work of art.

Litespeed SS Cruiser

Every once in a while, we get the itch to make something new and different, like this Ti Single-Speed cruiser. Just something a little out of the ordinary. 

Clean lines, muted tones, nothing extra or unnecessary.

A special head tube badge for a special bike.

Welds don't get much better than that.

Tri Be La.

Proudly made in the USA.

FSA Vero track crankset.

Horizontal dropouts to adjust chain tension, but still with the option to run a rear derailleur.

Yes, it's made of Ti.

The little details are what brings the bike together.

It may not be a Brooks leather saddle, but it matches.

2014 US Pro National Championships

Another race has come and gone; for some, it was just another year of the USA Cycling National Championships. For others, it was a Memorial Day weekend extravaganza. For us, though, it was more than that. Not only was the race held right in our own backyard, not only did we support and sponsor the race, but we finally had a pro team riding Litespeed bikes again. And they certainly did us proud.

We've been gone for a while; it feels good to be back. We ride these roads. We know these roads. And we finally had a team riding our bikes, riding our roads. It's exciting. It's fulfilling. Good job, Astellas. Can't wait for more.

2014 USA Cycling National Championships Preview

It's almost here! The USA Cycling National Championships is this Memorial Day weekend, May 24-26. The Time Trial will be held on Saturday, on Volkswagon Drive. The course will feature 2 X 9.5 mile laps; the para-cyclists will start at 8:30 AM EST, the women will start at 11:00 AM EST, and the men will start at 2:00 PM EST.

The Road Race will be held on Monday, in and around downtown Chattanooga. The women's race begins at 9:00 AM EST, and the men's race goes off at 1:15 PM EST.

The women's course will feature 3 loops of the start circuit, 2 loops of the long circuit, and 3 loops of the finish circuit, for a total of 64.7 mi/104.1 km.

The men's course will feature 4 loops of the start circuit, 4 loops of the long circuit, and 3 loops of the finish circuits, for a grand total of 102.8 mi/165.5 km.

We will have two teams riding Litespeed bikes: Astellas Cycling and Seasucker/Guttenplan, who have been racing hard and racing well this year so far, and who are sure to put on a good show for us this weekend.

2014 Winston Salem Cycling Classic

It was a big weekend for Astellas Cycling at the 2014 Winston Salem Cycling Classic. A brutal 171km road race on Day 1 saw almost half the field DNF, leaving many riders unable to compete the next day in the Criterium. Astellas took full advantage of this opportunity, and Brecht Dhaene came home with a huge win on Day 2, beating out race favorites such as the United Health Care team.

Day 1: Full Race Video

Brecht getting ready for a long day in the saddle on Day 1

Matt Green spent some time leading the breakaway on Day 1

Day 2 Full Race Video

Thomas Brown just before the start of Day 2

Brecht Dhaene spent most of the race in a 3-man breakaway on Day 2

No escaping that post-race interview, especially with a win.

Top of the podium. It's a good place to be.

Check out Chris Uberti's first-person account of the races, and be sure to follow Astellas Cycling on Facebook and Twitter.