We educate, equip, and empower veterans and their families through physical activity and self discovery.
The Veteran Community
In March, veterans Richard Lawrence and Haby Ramirez joined Project Echelon at their FUNdo in Tucson, Arizona. We are honored to have them both share their stories.
Richard Lawrence
I am not only shocked, but honored to be featured in the Project Echelon newsletter along with my longtime friend, Haby Ramirez. I recently moved to St. Petersburg, Florida with my 14-year-old chihuahua, Keoni. St. Petersburg is a wonderful place to be a cyclist. There are wonderful beaches, and the roads are relatively cyclist-friendly. There are a number of good cycling groups in this area, too.
I started cycling in 2014 after I retired from the Federal Bureau of Prisons. What started as a way for me to keep busy and get back in shape turned into a passion which has allowed me to meet some great people who happen to be cyclists!
I served in the military on and off from 1992 to 2010, when I retired from the Army Reserve as a Chief Warrant Officer 3 with a combined 24 years of active and reserve component service. I started my service when I enlisted in the active Army as a Food Service Specialist, where I served for three years. A few years later, I enlisted as an Infantrymen in the Marine Corp on active duty. During this enlistment, I was in the 1st Gulf War, and participated in combat operations during the invasion and occupation of Kuwait. When this enlistment ended, I transferred to the Reserve Components. I spent four years in the Army National Guard, three years in the Air Force National Guard, two years in the Air Force Reserve, and finally, 11 years in the Army Reserve. During my time in the Army Reserve I became a Warrant Officer and also participated in combat operations during the initial invasions of Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Additionally, I had a career in the Federal Bureau of Prisons. During this time, I spent twenty years initially working as a Correctional Officer, then transferring to the Food Service Department as a Cook Supervisor, and working my way up to a Supervisory Food Service Administrator. I was also a Firearms Instructor, as well as a Disturbance Control Instructor and member. I retired in 2014. During my career, I was able to earn an Associate Degree in Culinary Arts from the Culinary Institute of America, and a Bachelor’s Degree from Western Illinois University in Liberal Arts.
After my retirement from the Federal Bureau of Prisons is when I started cycling. At first, it was to lose weight, but eventually, I found a passion for cycling. It was not only good for my body but also good for my mind. I began to get involved with different veterans’ cycling groups since spending time with veterans was my comfortable place. It was difficult relating to civilians after a career in both the military and law enforcement.
It was during this time that I met Haby Ramirez during a veteran's cycling event. Since then, Haby and I have ridden in numerous military, veterans, and civilian cycling events together, ranging from one-day group rides and centuries to Gran Fondo’s and multi-day challenge rides across the country. During these events, we have formed a close friendship. We communicate frequently and plan on participating in future cycling and non-cycling events together.
Most recently, Haby and I participated in the Project Echelon Gran Fondo in Tucson, AZ. We both had a great time during this event! Tucson is a beautiful part of the country and a great place to cycle. During this event, we met and cycled with the Project Echelon Cycling Team, fellow veterans who are part of the Project Echelon Veterans Community of cyclists, other professional cyclists, and recreational cyclists who were training in the area and participated in the Project Hero Fondo. Everyone made us feel welcomed!
Participating in the Project Echelon Fondo and spending time with the team was a great experience. The Project Echelon Team members really embraced and welcomed us. It truly made us feel like I belonged to this community of elite cyclists. It has also provided a new cycling family that I am now part of and embrace!
Project Echelon has been a critical part of my recovery to wellness journey. They have provided me with a community where I feel like I belong, they have provided professional-level coaching, guidance, and support to me, not only as it relates to the cycling world but to help me become a better version of myself, and to live a healthier lifestyle. This community has allowed me to meet some great people that not only do I respect, but I also enjoy spending time with.
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Haby Ramirez
I joined the Army on 9 July 1985. After my initial assessment and after taking many tests, I was selected to be a linguist who listened to enemy communications. My first assignment was in Panama, then the National Security Agency (NSA), then in 1988, I was selected to be deployed to El Salvador on a combat deployment for 9 months. During that time, I had three friends killed in action, one tortured to death. Upon my return, I experienced some PTSD symptoms, but I went to a doctor who said that I was fine; but I knew that something was wrong.
I got out of the Army and decided to go back to college. After a few years, I decided to apply for an Army education scholarship, and got it. I joined the Army again in 1997, and was sent on deployment to Kosovo on my first military assignment after school. While on deployment, I was the only person in the hospital with my skills, so I worked daily and on call for 10 months. There was no combat, but it was exhausting and I suffered from health issues all throughout the winter months since there was no heating available. But I didn't go to the ER for a reason that, to this day, I don't understand.
After my second deployment, I thought that I was not going to get deployed again, until 2009, when I was told that I was going on deployment to Iraq. I trained with my unit for six months, but I suffered a cervical injury one month prior to the deployment. This caused a lot of mental stress, and I started suffering from anxiety, shame, insomnia, memory lapses, and nightmares, to name a few. After this episode, I was never the same.
I started riding in 2010 since I couldn't run and I needed to stay in shape and pass a physical fitness test. At first, I did it to exercise, but then I started to love riding in groups and with my wife. I am a very competitive person, so I started riding at least three times a week. At that time, I was assigned to Fort Gordon near Augusta and my wife stayed in Columbus, Georgia, so I rode in groups in Augusta during the week and then with my wife on weekends in Columbus, after a long drive on Fridays.
After 21 years in the Army, I decided to retire in Dec 2012. I continued to ride, and in 2015, I found a nationwide non-profit veteran’s organization called Ride 2 Recovery, and that was when I got hooked on multi-day rides with disabled veterans. That year, I rode from Jacksonville to Atlanta, and from San Antonio to Dallas. It was really something special to ride with veterans with similar experiences, and stories.
I joined other veteran riding groups, and that's how I met Richard during a multi-day riding event. During these events, I helped with the slower riders, especially the recumbents that I assisted in pushing up the climbs. The goal was to finish the ride together as a group, and I gave everything I had to help my brothers make it together. Every day, I had a purpose, and it felt good to be part of something good. I basically planned my year around these events, so I kept a friendship with many of the riders. A few years ago, Richard and I did a small group ride in Puerto Rico, and that's how we started a closer friendship and started planning more rides together.
One day, he mentioned Project Echelon to me and I decided to apply and got accepted to the group. I am very grateful to Project Echelon for the distinct opportunity. Project Echelon has provided an experience somewhat different from what I had experienced in the past, which I believe is a much deeper impact on veterans since it tries to help us improve both the mental and physical aspects of our lives. It also provides the unique experience to get involved with a professional cycling team. This is a different experience from what we had done in the past and it certainly is unique at least to me.
Recently, Richard and I got selected to be part of one event where we were the ones that received help to keep with the main group and not the other way around. This event was the 2023 Project Echelon Gran Fundo in Tucson, Arizona. This certainly was a unique experience for me. I met the Project Echelon team, sat down and talked to many team members, and had a great time. Richard and I went up Mt Lemmon, one of the best climbs in America, on Saturday, and then did the Gran Fundo on Sunday. We rode with the many professional cyclists and had a great weekend of riding. I have nothing but good things to say about Project Echelon, they made this weekend experience one that I will never forget. They genuinely care about veterans and it shows in all they say and do. All the positive energy and ideas that I absorbed that weekend helped me look forward and prepared for 2023.
Life is a journey, and Project Echelon is making a difference in mine, and they can help yours too.
Haby Ramirez
USA (ret)
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Project Echelon is always looking to connect with new veterans, as well as veteran friends and family. Contact us on social media or through our website at www.projectechelon.org.
Project Echelon Racing Team News
With newly-minted status as a UCI Continental team, Project Echelon opened their 2023 season in Spain for the first time in the team’s history. Less than nine months after the team raced across Belgium and France, Project Echelon lined up at the Challenge Mallorca.
This was to be the biggest race in the team’s history, racing against WorldTour teams such as Soudal-QuickStep, BORA-Hansgrohe, EF Education-EasyPost, and Movistar. The first race of the Challenge Mallorca, the Trofeo Calvia, featured a stacked start list, including the likes of former World Champions Julian Alaphilippe and Rui Costa.
The season couldn’t have started any better as Matt Zimmer won the KOM competition at the Trofeo Calvia.
Despite being the smallest team at the Challenge Mallorca (by far), Project Echelon continued to represent themselves in each breakaway, and live on GCN. Tyler Stites earned the team’s best result by finishing 15th at the Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana, the team’s fourth race in as many days.
On top of the racing, Project Echelon also got to experience a different part of the world, beautifully summarized in this post from January 30th: “One competition we won every day Challenge Mallorca... First to the dining hall.
It's quite amazing to see how well supported the cycling infrastructure in Europe is. Team hotels, race provided meals, airport transportation support, dedicated parking and more. Hopefully we see this grow at USA Cycling events.
It was also interesting to see the cultural differences amongst the teams. Most teams didn't come down to eat until 8:00 p.m. or later, as that's when a lot of cultures typically would eat dinner. Coming together early to enjoy quality time with one another outside of our hotel rooms was a nice change of pace for us each day. Not to mention, the @Garden Hotels in Alcudia did an exquisite job with the meals and hospitality, so first dibs was 👌”
Project Echelon’s first race on US soil was the Valley of the Sun Stage Race. It’s the traditional season opener for many American road racers, and this year was no different. Zach Gregg and Stephen Vogel finished 1-2 in the Stage 1 time trial, testing out their ultra-aerodynamic equipment dialed in at the wind tunnel.
Stage 2 was a tough one as a nasty crash took out Gregg in the final hundred meters, and caused major splits in the peloton leading to GC gaps. Vogel held onto a GC podium spot, while Gregg avoided serious injuries.
The team got right back to it for the Stage 3 criterium, putting three of the team’s new riders in the Top 10: Sam Morris (2nd), Colby Lange (5th), and Cade Bickmore (10th).
Valley of the Sun was a rare opportunity for the UCI Continental Team to race on the same stage as our Project Echelon veterans. While Vogel wrapped up 3rd on GC in the Professional Men’s race, Kyle Pitman won the Masters 45+ GC, and Dennis Connors won the Upright Trike category at the Valley of the Sun Stage Race.
Next up was the Tucson Bicycle Classic where Stites would be attempting to defend his GC win from 2022. There wasn’t much doubt left after he won the opening time trial on a new course that finished atop Pistol Hill. Ricky Arnopol finished 3rd, showing signs of great form that would continue for the next two months.
Over the next two stages, the entire team rode as a unit, defending every attack and chasing down every threatening breakaway. Stites and Arnopol held their spots from the time trial, finishing 1st and 3rd, respectively, on GC at the Tucson Bicycle Classic.
Team camp was capped off by the 2nd Annual Project Echelon FUNdo, held in Tucson, AZ with the help of El Grupo Youth Cycling. The FUNdo is one of the biggest events of the year for the Project Echelon community, bringing together hundreds of recreational and professional cyclists, veterans, hobbyists, and junior riders. The event was an absolute blast – if you haven’t already read Richard and Haby’s feature story, check it out for a recap of the Project Echelon FUNdo.
After a few weeks of training, Project Echelon headed into one of the biggest goals of their season: the Redlands Bicycle Classic. The team would again be attempting to defend their GC win from the previous year, with Stites being the marked man in every single stage.
But it was Arnopol who impressed first, taking 3rd from the breakaway on the Stage 1 Highland Circuits. After the race, Arnopol said, “We went pretty late in the race. We were kept on a tight leash. We were working really well together and then it was just a drag to the finish.”
Ricky’s hot streak continued on Stage 2 where he moved into the GC lead after an epic ride up Oak Glen. Stites took 2nd on the stage that saw riders ascending into freezing fog on the way to the finish line.
“I didn’t expect to be in yellow but I think the day worked really well, the team rode really well,” Arnopol said. “Tyler and I both had the legs we knew we could have and we knew the day we knew we could have. To have it work out with Tyler [Stites] on the podium and me being in yellow tomorrow is just a great feeling… I think we’re the best time trialing team in the country. We spend a lot of time working on it. It’s going to be really close but I think we have a really good shot. Tyler waxed everyone in the TT last year, so I think he can do it again.”
He was right.
With only a few seconds separating the top riders on GC, it was all to play for heading into Stage 5 amidst the infamous Sunset Loops. The team rode as a single, cohesive unit the entire stage, shedding riders and pulling back dangerous breakaways. In the end, Arnopol sacrificed his own GC ambitions to catapult Stites into pole position as he defended his yellow jersey on the descent back into Redlands.
Only 15 riders remained as Stites began the last lap of the Redlands crit course en route to GC victory. He crossed the line in 8th place, solidifying the GC win in the yellow jersey, and adding his name to the trophy for the second consecutive year.
project echelon 2023 Racing Calendar
Up next, Project Echelon continues its packed race schedule with tips to the Joe Martin Stage Race, Armed Forces Cycling Classic, Vuelta Colombia, and US Pro Nationals – and that’s just the next two months.
Check out Project Echelon’s complete schedule for the 2023 season.
Project Echelon Racing 2023 roster
Ricky Arnopol (USA)
Ethan Craine (NZL)
Zach Gregg (USA)
Will Hardin (USA)
John Heinlein III (USA)
Colby Lange (USA)
Sam Morris (Can)
Peter Olejniczak (USA)
Hugo Scala, Jr. (USA)
Tyler Stites (USA)
Stephen Vogel (USA)
Matt Zimmer (USA)
Cade Bickmore (USA)
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2023 Sponsors:
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Follow Project Echelon on Social MEdia
Instagram: Project Echelon (@projectechelon) and Project Echelon Racing (@projectechelonracing)
Facebook: Project Echelon and Project Echelon Racing
Thank You to All Our Sponsors
Credits:
Photos by Snowy Mountain Photography and Kai Caddy