In 2007, the Ryan Collegiate All-Stars were fortunate enough to add Erica Allar to their team for the Nature Valley Grand Prix. During the 2007 stage race, Erica stepped onto the podium with a 2nd place finish in Cannon Falls, a 10th place finish in Downtown Minneapolis, and a 2nd place team finish in Downtown Minneapolis, as well. This was a fantastic experience for a novice stage rider, like Allar was in 2007. She was nice enough to recap her experience with the Nature Valley Grand Prix and the Ryan Collegiate All-Stars:

In my opinion, one of the hardest things in cycling is being a U23/Espoir rider who is figuring out whether or not cycling and college and work together or if they must be separate entities. Once a person is a non-junior racer, they are required to start at the bottom of the totem pole and climb their way through the ranks of the professional peloton.

Collegiate racing, especially the national championships, were a huge part of my transition campaign into the pro ranks of the sport. The last year that I attended collegiate nationals before graduation, I finished high enough to be named to the first-ever Ryan Collegiate All-Stars team. This All-Star team is a composite team of non-pro collegiate racers who placed high enough in nationals to win a spot for support to attend the Nature Valley Grand Prix.

Before this opportunity presented itself, I had never done a stage race. I was still a collegiate racer who was transition from the track to the road in hopes to purse a road career. I was ecstatic for the opportunity to experience racing on such an elite level before racing for a real pro team.

Erica Allar on the phone following the St. Paul criterium (photo courtesy of Matt Moses; moses-images.com).

It was going to be nothing more than a learning experience. As a composite team, we stayed at the Ryan’s beautiful family home. It was very nice of them to open their house up to a handful of collegiate bike racers. It was fun to hang out with the girls from the other teams and really get to know one another on a level more intimate than collegiate competitors. Once the racing began, we weren’t competitors. We were now teammates, and that transition came about more naturally than we all imagined.

The Nature Valley Grand Prix is one of the most well-known events on the National Racing Calendar (NRC). I wasn’t sure what to expect but I had decided to accept the opportunity with arms wide open and take whatever it may give (including a few crashes and multiple runs to Chipotle). Looking back on the whole experience, this opportunity is such an important stepping stone for collegiate women who are trying to bridge the gap between U23 and pro racing. Knowing that the “in betweens” have support and opportunities to experience racing on such an elite level is crucial to the development process.

I was lucky to have come out of the stage event with a podium finish in the Cannon Falls Road Race. This is one of my most memorable races because it was the day I placed 2nd to Brooke Miller and met Carmen D’Aluisio, who eventually signed me to my first pro team (Aaron’s) in 2008. The Ryan’s helped created an opportunity for a bunch of collegiate girl racers to show their ability and potential in one of the most prestigious races on the US circuit.

The top three women after the Cannon Falls road race (photo courtesy of Stephanie Williams).

I know that many of the girls who were part of that first collegiate all star team are now racing professionally. Kristin McGrath is part of  the PB and Co/Twenty 12 team, Devon Haskell is part of the TIBCO squad and I am a member of Team Vera Bradley Foundation. It’s a fun learning experience and I hope that the All-Star team continues it’s support and remains a known asset to the development and foundation for young collegiate cyclists.

For more information on the Collegiate All-Stars, visit the Ryan Collegiate All-Stars website. To find out more about Erica and her team, check out their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/teamvbf

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