CRCA/Blue Ribbon-Translations.com Cycling Team

Riders

Salvatore Abbruzzese just recently joined the team. Until we have more a more complete biography from him, we'll just say that he can TT extremely well, that he got 3rd in the recent Mengoni in a break he initiated (his third of the race) and that he always reminds us to race with fire in our bellies.
Mark Alden lives with his wife and daughter (almost 2 yrs. old) in Montvale NJ. He has been the service manager at the Campmor bike shop for 12 years. Past results include wins in the 2004 Unionvale Road Race (cat 3) and the 2004 North Stonington Classic (cat3). In 2005 mark finished 5th GC at the Coupe des Ameriques stage race (30+) and won the Jockey Hollow Challenge (30+). Even with a new baby mark managed a 6th GC in the 2006 Fitchburg stage race (35+) and 3rd at Unionvale (30+). So far this spring Mark has had three 2nd place finishes Ð Battenkill (30+), Central Park Spring Series(35+) and Jiminy Peak (35+). Mark also occasionally fancies himself an artist. He has shown work in many area gallieries such as the sadly defunct CBGB gallery.
Joe Azze hasn't allowed much to be known about himself except that he's a personal trainer for a living and racing at the semi-pro level, he's really fast on a mountain bike. We were going to write more about Joe and make up ridiculous stories for his bio, but Joe's a nice guy so we'll just leave it at that. Oh, he also soloed the last three laps of the GMSR crit to take the win and finish 5th overall in his second ever stage race.
Aleksander Betko is a studio manager at nVision, a multimedia production company. Apart from the day to day, Aleksander has enjoyed successes in the art business such as showings in Chelsea's Henoch Gallery and a number of private sales and commissions. Having an affinity for cycling since childhood, Aleksander finally took up the sport a year and a half ago. Born originally in Katowice, Poland, Aleksander has no fear of riding in freezing weather. He lives in Harlem with his wife Tracy and her charming son Skylar.
David Cavallo, one of the founders of the team, is now a graduate student in the School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina studying nutrition and public health policy. He lives in Chapel Hill with his wife Dora and cat Ruby. He enjoys pastries and not having to work a full-time job. His recent results are a matter of national security and cannot be published on this site.
Eddie Espitia has been racing since 1995 and enjoys all aspects of racing. He has raced all over the country and world including races such as Superweek in Wisconsin, the Tour of Ohio and last year the Vuelta de Colombia Senior Master. He has won criteriums at the Tour of Ohio and hilly road races such as the Bear Mountain Spring Classic. Eddie has worked as an auditor in the past and is currently working as a hedge fund accountant. He rides to work a short 10-mile commute on a daily basis. His other interest includes mixing house music with his two turntables, and he also holds a private pilot license.
Greg Fiore is vice president and co-founder of 401Konnect, a private company that specializes in the distribution of corporate retirement plans. Greg has been road racing for two years and has already competed in more than 60 races from Georgia to Vermont. Racing success has been frequent with a win at the Tour de Newark and multiple top ten finishes.
Marc Mauceri is the Vice President of First Run Features, an independent film distribution company which specializes in art house and documentary movies (including the recent hit Hell on Wheels). Marc is also in his fifth year on the CRCA Board of Directors. On the bike, Marc has won races at Bear Mountain, Central Park and Prospect Park, and has dozens of top-10 placings in races throughout the northeast. The 2006 season marks his eighth season racing. Marc is also the proud father of Djuna, who is training to win the Junior Worlds Road Race Championship in 2019.
Xavier Meléndez is Interactive Development Manager at American Express Publishing. Some of his industry recognized work includes streaming video, podcasts, and microsites. On the bike, Xavier is often riding off the front or racing the clock in time trials to top finishes in both local and regional races. Some of his experiences include racing for several years in Boulder, Colorado, competing all over the country, and more recently racing at the 2004 Milk Rás, a UCI-ranked 8-day stage race through picturesque Ireland. Ever the romantic, he proposed to his then fiancée after completing the last stage of the event with the "Ring of the Rás" engagement ring he had tucked under his jersey for good luck. Xavier happily lives with his lovely wife Rachel and daughter Sadie in Manhattan.
Jason Parkin is freelance design director and a Co-Founder of Motionbox, the best place to view and share personal video online. Now racing as a Cat 3 on the road and cyclocross, Jason is looking forward to a strong road season in 2007. A multi-sport athlete in the off season, Jason keeps true to Central Park playing pick-up ice hockey at Lasker Rink. He lives in the antithesis of hip neighborhoods, the Upper East Side, with his dog Jasper.
Thomas Pennell manages Pennell Venture Partners, a venture capital firm. Thomas started racing bikes in 2000. Results in the last year include podium finishes in the Spring Bear Mountain 40+ race as well as in the Bermuda Grand Prix 40+ road race, criterium and GC. Prior results he is likely to recall in times of poor form include a 4th in the Cat 3 Green Mountain Stage Race GC; 2nd place finishes at the Cat 3 Bear Mountain, 40+ Coupe des Ameriques road race, and masters Pete Senia race (the latter taking place the day after the far more significant birth of son Reed—yes, thank you Stephanie); as well as a solo road race win and GC win at the Bermuda Grand Prix. Thomas leaves to his teammates the squabbling over who has the best looks, quickest wit and greatest ability to exaggerate accomplishments.
David Taylor is an Operations Consultant at AXA Equitable. He lives in Manhattan with his wife Kimille. Racing since 2001, David comes off a strong year in 2006 that brought 4 wins including the Jiminy Peak RR & the Tour de Christiana as well as dozen more podium places and the #1 ranking from the USCF for Masters category stage racing. Going into 2007 David is happy to discover that he still has motivation to train and race but when that motivation wanes he intends to lobby the CRCA to create an event or race series that he is uniquely suited to win, failing that, he will just brag about his past exploits.
Christophe Wilkes is an institutional money market broker for Prebon Tullett Holdings Corp. He started racing in 1990 but really got serious about it in the mid-90s. Over the years, he collected a few wins in Cat 4 races, among them the 1995 Rockland Road Race, the 1996 CRCA Club Championships, the 2001 Fitchburg Criterium, and more recently the 2004 Doc Reilly Road Race. He has also amassed numerous wins and podium finishes on the local scene. He lives on the Upper West Side during the week and near Albany on the weekend.