For race updates and to follow along with our journey check out our Instagram:
@velocio_exploro
Recent ATHlete BLOGs
3T Blog - CARO AND VELOCIO // EXPLORO’S NEWEST TEAM MEMBER
Rachel Wills - The Unpacking of Unbound XL
Rachel Wills - Cascadia Super Gravel
Lauren Cantwell - 2021 Exploro RaceMax Bike Check on the 3T blog
Rachel Wills - Gravel Circumnavigation of the Olympic Range
Rachel Wills - XPDTN3: GCOR.LITE
Velocio Blog - VELOCIO // EXPLORO CHOOSES THEIR OWN ADVENTURE
Lauren Cantwell - XPDTN3: CIRCUMNAVIGATING THE WIND RIVER MOUNTAINS
Canadian Cycling Magazine bike check
New York, NY - April 15th, 2020
Canadian Cycling Magazine chats with BrittLee Bowman about our 2020 team bikes.
Photos by Dan Powell.
Read the feature here:
https://cyclingmagazine.ca/gravel/bike-check-brittlee-bowmans-gravel-racing-3t-exploro/
Velocio and 3T Support Elite Women’s Gravel Team:
Velocio // Exploro
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New York, NY – January, 30th 2020
BrittLee Bowman
matchestoburn@gmail.com
Cycling clothing brand Velocio and manufacturer of the Exploro gravel bike, 3T, headline the team organized by veteran women’s team director and racer BrittLee Bowman of Matches To Burn management. The elite women's gravel cycling team features a powerful roster of 8 women who will be racing at the biggest gravel events in the U.S. for 2020 with a calendar spanning coast to coast with lots of gravel in between.
The squad is from all around the country but will come together in search of adventures off the beaten path. After spending most of the last decade racing many of the highest level North American road and criterium events they are stoked to return to the gravel for a second season off road. Velocio // Exploro is proud to be proving that team dynamics and comradery are an important part of gravel racing. With the new season they bring on new riders and sponsors while also maintaining a strong base of athletes and supporters who have been with the team for years.
Velocio is a respected clothing brand, with thoughtfully designed products that are high quality and made responsibly. With an even-gender offering since their launch as a brand in 2014 and zero compromise in technology, design, development and performance, their apparel takes aim at a better cycling experience.
“We're thrilled to partner as the co-title of the Velocio // Exploro program,” described Velocio’s Marketing Director, Andrew Gardner. “To support the evolution of what's been a progressive, dynamic team committed to national caliber events is an ideal collaboration. Every cyclist wants more matches to burn. BrittLee and this program offer just that.”
The team will be riding the 3T Exploro; the world’s only full-aero gravel bike. The bikes will be outfitted with SRAM Force eTap and Eagle AXS groups, Fi'zi:k cockpits and saddles, and Stages Dash bike computers. Fast on any surface; paved, gravel and singletrack, the Exploro has changed gravel riding & racing forever, combining road speed and mountain toughness. “I know how hard it is to run a team (back in the day with Cervélo Test Team) and have been a fan of BrittLee’s project for some time now. It’s a relatively small team that punches way above its weight, both in racing and in all activities off the bike. On top of that, they have the best looking uniforms, so I am sure Exploro owners and other gravel enthusiasts the world over will follow and cheer on the Velocio // Exploro team this upcoming season.”says Gerard Vroomen, founder of 3T Bike and Cervélo.
For 8 years and counting, the team continues to enjoy the support from tubeless wheel and sealant manufacturer Stan’s NoTubes. Pairing perfectly with the wheels, the team welcomes Schwalbe tires.
The full list of brands excited to support the project are; Velocio, 3T, POC, SRAM, Stan’s NoTubes, Fi'zi:k, Stages Cycling, Clif Bar, Schwalbe, The Meteor Cafe, Feedback Sports, Bruce Paly Dentistry, Muc Off, Strava
Kicking off the season with a March training camp in Emerald Isle, NC, the team will come together for bonding and miles. The team includes four new riders; Lauren Cantwell (Palo Alto, CA), Danielle Clark (Travelers Rest, SC), Regina Legge (Salem, NH) and Meghan Owens (Essex Jct, VT). BrittLee Bowman (New York, NY) teams up again with former teammates: Rachel Wills (Oak Harbor, WA), Sarah Moloney (Austin, TX) and Team Co-Manager Cynthia Frazier (Lexington, VA).
The Matches To Burn managed squad goes into this season with a new look and a new name, making their first official appearance in their new colors at the starting line of the Croatan Buck Fifty this March, where last year they podiumed in all three distances.
The team seeks to achieve the best results possible while carrying out a unifying goal of embodying positive and powerful role models, on and off the race course. The women are committed to teamwork, pushing athletic limits, building confidence, developing as individuals, expanding horizons, setting and achieving goals, and building a strong team atmosphere. Watch out 2020, they’re coming in hot! And they've got #matchestoburn.
Team Roster and Athlete Instagram Accounts:
BrittLee Bowman, @bbrittlee
Cynthia Frazier, @watt_wagon
Rachel Wills, @rachelawills
Sarah Moloney, @teenygils
Lauren Cantwell, @lmackenzie87
Danielle Clark, @daniellec67
Regina Legge, @leggerm4
Meghan Owens, @meghan__owens
Team Web/Social
Instagram: @velocio_exploro
Twitter: @velocio_exploro
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MatchesToBurn/
Website: www.MatchesToBurn.com
Hashtag: #MatchesToBurn
2020 Team Race Calendar:
Croatan Buck Fifty March 14th, 2020. Cedar Point, NC
Raputitsa/Bittersweet April 18th, 2020. East Burke, VT
Belgian Waffle Ride May 3rd, 2020. San Diego, CA
Dirty Kanza 200 May 30th, 2020. Emporia, KS
The Ranger June 14th, 2020. Tunbridge, VT
GraVista June 22nd, 2020. Buena Vista, VA
Jam Grand Fundo July 11th, 2020. Southampton, MA
Rooted Vermont Aug 2nd, 2020. Richmond, VT
SBT GRVL Aug 16, 2020. Steamboat, CO
The Overland Aug 23rd, 2020. Reading, VT
Rebecca's Private Idaho Sept 3-6, 2020. Ketchum, ID
The Big Sugar Oct 24, 2020. Bentonville, AR
###
North Shore Weekend feature
Chicaco, IL - June 23, 2019
Ahead of the Intelligentsia Cup in Chicago next month the North Shore Weekend newspaper sat down with our rider Rachel Wills to chat all things cycling, how she got into the sport, and why parity is important. Also, we love this illustration done from Daghan Perker’s photo.
Read the feature here:
https://jwcdaily.com/2019/06/26/sunday-breakfast-rachel-wills/
Daily News-Record: Women's Bike Week Coming Up
Harrisonburg, VA - May 8, 2019
Rocktown Bicycles is taking one step forward to getting more women on bikes by holding its annual Rocktown Bicycles Women’s Cycling Week.
With May being National Bike Month, every year the Rocktown Bicycles holds a Women’s Cycling Day, but Kelly Paduch, who is the Rocktown Bicycles assistant manager and moonlights as a professional gravel and cyclocross racer, said that wasn’t good enough anymore.
Read more:
NPR: Cancer Leads Athlete To Tough Choice
by BRADLEY CAMPBELL - March 9, 2019
Athlete and team owner BrittLee Bowman discussed her recent breast cancer diagnoses and journey with NPR.
Photography by Dan Chabanov
CyclingTips.com Team Profile
by Michael Better - June 1, 2018
USA CRITS team profile: Meteor-Intelligentsia, Racing on Caffeinated Watts
Photography by Brian Vernor; Bear Cieri/USA CRITS
Bike Rumor.com Stages Cycling Feature
May 16, 2018
Stages Cycling’s Link training system now offers curated workouts from the Pros
SOCIAL EVENT AT THE METEOR CAFE
Little Rock, AR - April 10th, 2018
LITTLE ROCK come get social ✌️, Tuesday April 10th 6pm at The Meteor Cafe! Our team will be hanging out at the CATA monthly social and we want to meet you! Come say hi and cheers!
USA CYCLING: Sunny King Criterium Kicks Off PRT Calendar
Anniston, AL - April 9, 2018
Rain, wind and freezing temperatures are not the typical southern-style charm that rolls out each spring for the Sunny King Criterium in Alabama. Strong fields for the men and women turned out no matter what the weather for the 16th edition of the “king of all crits,” and the first of 20 events for the Pro Road Tour.
Between 2 Wheels Podcast: Chico INTERVIEW
Chico, CA - Mar 22nd, 2018
CSR Hot Lap #7 - The Meteor//Intelligentsia Women’s Team Interviews
Between 2 Wheels Podcast: Cycling News, Commentary, and Analysis from NorCal; Host Tyler Janke, Curt Mills and Chris Flower; CyclingNews.
PRESS RELEASE
NEW DOMESTIC ELITE WOMEN’S TEAM:
THE METEOR // INTELLIGENTSIA
New York, NY – February 22, 2018
The Meteor and Intelligentsia Coffee headline a new team organized by veteran women’s team director and racer BrittLee Bowman. The Domestic Elite women's road cycling team features a powerful roster of 8 women who will be racing on the U.S. national stage in 2018 with a calendar including USAC Pro Road Tour races, UCI international events, and the USA CRITS Champ Series.
The Meteor is a premier bicycle studio and café, with a thoughtfully selected assortment of the best bicycles and gear in addition to a scratch bakery, beer, wine, and, of course, Intelligentsia Coffee. With its first location in Little Rock, Arkansas, The Meteor has three more locations on the drawing board. “We are excited to be supporting these excellent women cyclists. I’m confident their strength, finesse, and determination will set a wonderful example for all athletes and bring The Meteor and Intelligentsia a bit closer to existing fans. And hopefully create some new ones!” says The Meteor founder and Intelligentsia co-founder, Doug Zell.
BrittLee brings with her the continued support of upwards of 6 years from tubeless wheel and sealant manufacturer Stan’s NoTubes. Chris Currie, Creative Director at Stan’s NoTubes said "BrittLee's dedication to women's cycling is something Stan's NoTubes has always been proud to support, and we're excited to work with her new team in 2018. More people than ever are seeing the performance advantages of tubeless tires and rims on the road, and we're really happy THE METEOR // INTELLIGENTSIA will be helping tell our story and show people what tubeless can do."
Other brands excited to support the project are; POC, Jakroo, Stages Cycling, Clif Bar, BikeFlights.com, IRC Tire, Focus Bikes, Ridge Supply, Feedback Sports, Strava, The Rover Cycle Co., Bruce Paly Dentistry, and Gavilan BFF/ RadicalVelo. The team is also partnering with JAM Fund through a series of grants. A goal of JAM is to create more opportunities for amateur women to compete on the national and international level. The team and JAM are aligned in the belief that creating positive role models through elite women in the sport helps bring more young women and girls to cycling and creates strong individuals who contribute to their communities on and off the bike.
Kicking off the season with an early March training camp in Ventura, CA the team will come together for base miles and team bonding. The team includes three non-USA riders; Jessica Mundy (AUS), Harriet Owen (UK), and Kirstie James (NZL). Jessica joins THE METEOR // INTELLIGENTSIA from team Colavita/Bianchi and is looking forward to her third season of U.S. racing. Harriet hails from Oxford, England where she previously raced on Matrix Cycling, she brings with her a rocket-like sprint. BrittLee teams up again with former teammates: Cynthia Frazier, Nicole Mertz, Daphne Karagianis, Kristen Arnold, Kirstie James and she looks forward to developing this team into a force to be reckoned with.
The team welcomes Sport Director Drew Christopher. When not leading the team on racing strategy, Drew can be found trading cryptocurrencies and smothering his food in sriracha while drinking copious amounts of black coffee. Drew brings a wealth of knowledge from his years of racing at the UCI level both domestically and internationally. "I have watched these riders develop for years and am looking forward to working directly with this talented group of women for 2018. Women's racing is in a good place and it is consistently fast, dynamic, and very fun racing among the peloton. Using an approach that differentiates the way tactics and strategy works in women's fields, I am excited to see what this team can accomplish this year."
The racers, known well among the U.S. criterium racing circuit, are excited to also include stage races in their 2018 calendar; Chico Stage Race and Joe Martin Stage Race (UCI). THE METEOR // INTELLIGENTSIA make their first appearance in their new colors at the starting line at Chico this March. The team seeks to achieve the best results possible while carrying out a unifying goal of embodying positive and powerful role models, on and off the race course. These women are committed to teamwork, pushing athletic limits, building confidence, expanding horizons, setting and achieving goals, and developing as individuals and a team.
Team Roster:
BrittLee Bowman
Cynthia Frazier
Nicole Mertz
Daphne Karagianis
Kristen Arnold
Kirstie James
Jessica Mundy
Harriet Owen
Web/Social:
Website: www.matchestoburn.com
Instagram: @themeteor_intelligentsia
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MatchesToBurn/
Team Jersey:
