In 2011, dVELO membership reached 75, the highest number since its founding in July 2005.  Many thanks to all the 2011 members for their support.

dVELO’s goal for 2012 is to surpass the 2011 roster of 75 members. Join us and help us to make it happen!

Membership breakdown

Seven deaf cyclists participated in this 80-kilometer road race on 10 July 2011 in the Eagle Mountains, where they had to complete a total of 4 hard climbs (Luisino údolí, Šerlich, Komáří Vrch a Hanička). The total elevation change was 1600m over the 80 kilometers.

The cyclists – Čapek, Diblík, Dohnal, Kocourek, Pastrnek, Meruňka and Studýnky – went out at a relaxed pace in a tight group at the beginning. After five kilometers, the road began to rise and the pack started to stretch out. John Capek stayed up front, along with Frantisek Kocourek. Kocourek pushed hard to get in the lead and won, leaving Capek to win second place. In third place was a surprise Diblík, who began racing this year and proved to have a promising future. In fourth place was Pastrnek, an impressive finish considering this was his first race since he broke his collarbone last March. Fifth place went to Dohnal and sixth to Merunka. Studýnky did not finish because of technical problems with his wheel. This championship race generally went well – nothing particularly bad happened.

Results:

Reported by Ota Panský

Remember Gallaudet’s bid for a Capitol Bikeshare station? Out of approximately 100 proposed station locations, Gallaudet tied with the Northeast Branch Library for 4th place! The top contenders:

1. Upshur Street & Georgia Avenue NW – 94 votes
2. Connecticut Avenue & Nebraska Avenue NW – 58 votes
3. H Street & 6th Street NE – 55 votes
4. Northeast Branch Library – 54 votes
   Gallaudet University (Florida Avenue & 8th Street NE) – 54 votes

Sam Swiller, Associate Director of Real Estate and Economic Development at Gallaudet, mentioned that Gallaudet is expecting to hear from DDOT by the end of the month about moving forward with the Gallaudet Bikeshare station. Hopefully Gallaudet will indeed receive a station on its campus.

The full results in PDF can be found at District Department of Transportation (DDOT).

Just a few days after Remi Girardet won the gold medal in the cross-country race at the 2011 World Deaf Cycling Championships in Mont Tremblant, he and his teammates took a trip to Vannes, about 500 kilometers southwest of Paris, for the French Paracycling National Championships. Despite the exhausting trip from Canada, Girardet then won gold in two events, the road race and the time trial.

Remi Girardet (orange-covered helmet) pulls to the front. In Paracycling competition, the orange-covered helmet signifies that the rider is deaf. (Photo credit: Adrien Pelletier)

A total of 16 deaf cyclists and 30 hearing paracyclists attended the two-day competition. During the road race, Girardet was one of six riders (and the only deaf rider) who broke away from the pack. The six worked together until near the end of the race, when two cyclists fell away. Girardet then broke away and rode solo until the finish line. The next day, he won the time trial.

In just one week, Girardet won two French national paracycling championship jerseys and a gold medal in Cross-country in the 2011 World Deaf Cycling Championships! Each event is vastly different – mountain bike race, road time trial, road race – and Girardet’s triumph in all three shows his versatility as a cyclist.

Girardet done his national jersey on the podium. (Photo credit: Adrien Pelletier)

Adrien Pelliter, the French coach, said that Girardet’s accomplishments in France were amazing because the cycling events at Mt. Tremblant and the long trip back to France were tiring. Pelliter had not expected to see any of the cyclists stand on the podium, and was very happy to see Girardet succeed. Additionally, Girardet is the first deaf cyclist to ever win the time trial during the French Paracycling competition.