Project Echelon Newsletter November 2022

Project Echelon Honored with the 2022 American Red Cross Brave Heart Award

We educate, equip, and empower veterans and their families through physical activity and self discovery.

The Veteran Community

Veteran Feature Story

by: Dale and Hope Benedict

Service has been the driving force in Dale L. Benedict's life for as long as he can remember. Dale and his wife, Marti, are the co-founders of Bio-Tech Pharmacal, a family business that supports hundreds of thousands of people through pharmaceutical-grade vitamins and supplements. The President of Bio-Tech Pharmacal, Dale comes from a long line of individuals who instilled in him a desire to serve and to ensure that his actions benefit the most people. From gentle beginnings in a Quaker community, in a farmhouse once a part of the Underground Railroad, Dale has believed in service that benefits the community his entire life.

After graduation in 1953, Dale joined the United States Army his medical background and devotion to service led him to begin training as a medic. By the end of his service, Dale was married and had an ever-growing family. Finding work in the pharmaceutical field, he became interested in the developing world of preventative medicine.

“They talked about how they were able to change the life of the individual,” Dale said. “I had been taught that you can’t change their life, you can only palliate them. I learned a different way of looking at health.”

Dale and his wife, Marti, founded Bio-Tech Pharmacal in 1984 with the mission to produce pharmaceutical-grade nutraceuticals to provide worldwide health support. More than 35 years later, the veteran-owned, small, family business continues to utilize more than 50 years of combined research and development experience to provide the best formulations to most effectively meet the needs of each of its customers.

Now following Dale’s desire to touch as many lives as possible, Bio-Tech Pharmacal is used around the world by hundreds of research institutions, universities, and hospitals because of their commitment to purity, potency, and quality. This driving force of service has led Dale to cross paths with Project Echelon, a program whose purpose aligns with his own.

Promoting a healthy and active lifestyle has always been important to Bio-Tech Pharmacal, and Project Echelon exemplifies that goal. Project Echelon is committed to empowering veterans and their families through the healthy development of their emotional and physical health. They provide a service to those who served, helping veterans strive for success in all areas of their life. Bio-Tech Pharmacal is happy to be a proud sponsor of Project Echelon and congratulates them on being North America’s newest Professional Cycling Team. Bio-Tech Pharmacal is looking forward to continuing this partnership of service towards our common goal for years to come.

Bio-Tech Pharmacal is nearing its 40th year as a global provider of all-natural vitamins and supplements. Dale’s daughter, Vayle Benedict, another United States military veteran, looks to continue his vision of serving everyone who is a part of this human community.

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Tuan Bui and Mark HelfenStine Travel to Europe with Project Echelon

In July, Project Echelon flew across the pond for the team's second-ever European racing tour. Project Echelon veterans Tuan Bui and Mark Helfenstine accompanied the team, experiencing European professional racing from a veteran's perspective.

Tuan: "I really wanted the opportunity to give back to the team in some way and this was my chance. Eric Hill made it clear from the beginning that this trip was not going to be a vacation. So, from the start, I approached it like a military deployment. That meant getting things done and not becoming part of the problem, always thinking one step ahead, and acting and preparing for surprises. Rest comes last.

Essentially… put the team and its goals above all else. From a cycling and racing perspective, I had no idea what I was doing and getting myself into. On the other hand, from life and work experience, I’ve been through and seen a lot. This trip would reflect that, but in a different environment. It boils down to taking care of people so they can accomplish what they’re there to do. My hope is that I was able to deliver on that.

The first week was spent in the Nord region of France, but we were actually staying in Belgium. The guys did a few kermesses in Belgium and one UCI race in France, on cobbles. Those races in Belgium blew me away. It was so cool to see “little” 100km races being held in the middle of these towns. I would equate it to Friday Night Lights here in the US.

GP Perenchies was next and that was my first exposure to a “real” race. Big development teams were there with shiny, matching gear, decked-out team cars, and everything else they would need. We were there in our plain rental cars, with no chairs, and no canopy to shade us from the unusually warm weather. Despite the differences, it was no factor for the guys. In fact, we had no mechanicals – no flats! The day after the race, I took a quick ride out to the cobble section of the course to give it a go and to say that I’ve ridden on cobbles. I don’t know what I was expecting but it was not smooth riding over those boulders!

The following week was spent on the opposite side of France for a 4-day stage race. The week flew by. Every day was like the day before – rinse and repeat. I would drive to the start line, race, feed, feed, feed, drive to our Airbnb, and reset for the next day. It was busy and I loved the grind. I drove the van with all the bikes and had the post-stage food, that I made in the mornings, so I made sure I was well prepared.

Every start line, feed zone, finish line, and the parking lot was mapped out ahead of time. My goal was to get the guys to where we needed to be in time, without getting lost, then race over to the feed zone, then race to the end and get a good parking spot (which was already reconned on Google Maps and whatever else I could use.) After the first race, I figured out that Vogel would probably ask for a recovery shake right away, so I always had one ready for him. Fantas were ready for guys like Ricky and Hugo, Matt could take a Jupiler and cereal for Tyler. Then when we got back to the house, it was cleaning bottles, the cars, and the house.

From my perspective, it was really fun to see and be a part of the race within the race. The team cars during the race drove like they were in a police chase or movie. They really pushed the limits of those vehicles. The equipment vans racing to feed zones and other areas was a separate race. I had no bikes to worry about in the back and I made sure I was in a good spot to park. It was fun getting somewhere first and beating the other teams.

Traveling is always tough, especially overseas, but the guys made it look effortless. I was really impressed with the resiliency they all showed. With flight delays, lost luggage, missing equipment, and getting attacked by mosquitoes at night, they did not let that stuff impact their racing. Most of the team were on their laptops, working their day jobs before and after the races. It was awesome to witness them race bikes at a really high level, then have the dedication to put in hours towards work. I guess it also serves as a mental break from thinking about racing but it was nice to see that they all are multifaceted.

I had a really good time. Drove about 1,400 miles in two weeks, countless grocery-store runs, and I didn’t mess anything up too bad. I think I was successful in getting the guys and equipment to all the places we needed to go. All of the guys were really great. They raced really hard and were down to Earth. If asked to soigneur again, I would do it in a heartbeat."

Mark:

"This summer I had the opportunity to travel to France as a team staff member with Project Echelon. I’d never been out of the country other than some time in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, so the experience was a completely new one. I met a few of the guys at the team’s Gran Fundo in March so there was a little familiarity that came from conversations during that ride.

We all arrived via Paris or Brussels and Isaiah, Team Director for the trip, came a few days after that. We spent the first couple of days getting vehicles, building bikes, making grocery runs, and retrieving guys from the train station in Lille, France. Half the riders were able to get out on a ride either the first or second day which surprised me. I had no idea what racing life was like. It was so natural and normal for the guys to get to the house and start building their bikes. They got kitted up and went for a ride before they even unpacked their luggage.

The racing experience was excellent. We started with a Kermesse-style race in Belgium. A Kermesse is essentially a small circuit race, longer than an American crit and it takes around 15 minutes to complete each lap. In Belgium, there are Kermesse races going almost every day of the week in multiple towns throughout the country. The town will shut down all business and set up a beer garden or some sort of festival and it becomes a town-wide event. The old men all place bets and everyone else sits on the front step of their row houses to watch the race.

The racing itself is fast and fierce, very different from American racing, and it’s a sprint out of every corner. The roads are narrow which makes positioning a crucial strategy along with aggressiveness. My job for these races was to drive the team to the staging area, assist with unloading the bikes, and provide whatever support I could with pinning on numbers, fetching a helmet or extra gels, etc. When the race started I'd head to a strategic location we'd discussed as a team to be the feed zone. It was here that I stood on the curb, sometimes a couple of feet into the road, and did my very best to hand water bottles to the guys as they flew by at upwards of 30mph. The first race was really rough and I dropped a lot of hand-offs. The next race was Perenchies and both Tuan Bui and myself did amazing with hand-offs that day. We were starting to get the feel of it.

As the racing progressed it got more and more serious. The first week was almost a warmup for the second week of racing which was Kreiz Breizh Elites (KBE) in western France. That was a stage race but the format was almost like the world championships: Ride 100K+ from point A to point B and then do another 60K worth of circuit racing through the destination towns. The guys were cooked after each ride and were reaching for Coke and Fanta almost before they got off the bikes.

I learned so much during this trip. Their calmness at the line and while getting ready in the parking lot was very surprising. I will draw from that on my future racing attempts. I couldn't see nervousness at all, at any time. These guys are pros.

The amount of food consumed was absolutely insane. Fried rice and chicken was a favorite, along with "sammy" sauce (Samurai Sauce – a spicy mayo very popular in Belgium/France).

The guys were all able to juggle full time jobs with racing and training at this level.

The teamwork in the peloton was neat as well. If a bottle was dropped at a feed zone by one guy but the next got one, he'd navigate through the bunch and hand off the bottle to his teammate.

We were in the winning move at each Kermesse and also Perenchies. Super important, and it really paid off.

Adaptability is key. Our shipment of bottles and nutrition failed to arrive so we had to scrounge at local bike shops to get supplies at the last minute.

Finally, camaraderie is incredible. I was welcomed as one of the guys and quickly became the butt of jokes while throwing some out as well. We're all friends now and I'm looking forward to being able to ride with any one of them again. The experience was truly a once-in-a-lifetime thing and I'm extremely grateful to Eric Hill and Eric Beach for putting this opportunity together."

Kyle Dow and Adam Zimmerman Team up in 2022

Veterans team up to explore pass less traveled

Adam: "This was my second year racing for Project Echelon, and I set the bar high with the amount of racing I wanted to do. However, when our second child was born in May, I had to rethink my plan of attack for the 2022 season. Kyle Dow is another veteran on the team who races mountain bikes, and we were on a training ride together when we started chatting about the Breck Epic, a six-day mountain bike stage race in the high-altitude town of Breckenridge, Colorado.

We thought it would be an interesting idea to race the Breck Epic as a Duo, so with a shortened race schedule for myself, I put all of my focus on getting ready for the Breck Epic. The mileage over the course of the six days was approximately 200 miles, but the elevation gain was the most difficult aspect at 40,000ft in total. I spent the majority of the summer training for Breck in August, and the tough part about training for the event wasn't the intervals, or race efforts, or even the 4-5 hour hard MTB rides. It was the sleep deprivation from having a newborn in the house. The icing on the cake was having a three year old at the same time!

But I made the most of the free time I had to get in some solid training sessions. I did a nice taper the week before the race and I felt super rested for six days of racing.

Although this would be my fifth time racing the Breck Epic, this was my first time racing it as a Duo. The rules are simple: you need to finish within a minute of each other during each day's stage.

The first two days started out well and we held onto a sizable lead over second place. The third day brought rain storms to the area so the day's stage was canceled. Halfway through the race, we were finding our rhythm as teammates but I also started to realize I was pushing the pace a bit too much on Kyle. Being the stronger climber, I got overzealous trying to gain more time over our competitors. I felt this overwhelming responsibility to bring us to victory. The same way I was in charge of my squad during my time in the Army. Racing as two veterans together was a cool feeling. We both shared a love for the bicycle but also a connection to our past life in the Army. "Never leave a battle buddy behind." We ended the week of racing by winning the Men's Duo Open. Sure, it was a great feeling to win, but it also taught me a few things about pacing on the mountain bike.

I might not have been able to race as much as I would have liked this season, but it did give me a chance to enjoy my bike a bit more. As a competitive athlete, I'm always asking myself, "When's the next race?" This season I found myself heading out for rides to enjoy the bike more than using it as a strict training tool, and that to me feels like a success in itself."

Kyle: The 2022 season has been a big one for me. Through Project Echelon, I’ve able to experience new places, new races, learn more about myself, and meet new people that I likely never would have. This year has brought some incredible experiences that I was able to share with my fellow veterans and Project Echelon riders, most notably, Breck Epic. But I was also able to race Cactus Cup, Firecracker 50, Grand Junction Off-Road, Cross Country Mountain Bike Nationals, Trek Cup, and Cross of the North.

Breck Epic was a massive undertaking, but luckily for me, with support from Project Echelon, I didn’t have to do it alone. I had the pleasure of meeting Adam Zimmerman, a Breck Epic veteran and former winner, and we were able to compete as a duo team.

Every day, Adam was tasked with pushing me to a point I didn’t think I could go. Over the week, there were definite highs and lows, from the incredible views and fast-ripping descents, to multiple flats and a broken spoke all in the same day. We were able to support each other through it all. And not only did we finish, but we also won our division.

After Breck being the high point in my mountain bike season, I quickly transitioned into cyclocross. Again, I was met with support from Project Echelon. With Will Hardin and Eric Hill providing mentorship and competition as I was able to race with/against them at Trek Cup.

Trek Cup is one of the biggest cyclocross events in the United States and it kicked off the cyclocross World Cup season. It had thousands of people there each day to cheer on the professional and amateur racers alike. On top of that, the course was just a ton of fun.

This experience has inspired me to tailor my season next year to include more travel for cyclocross. I want to meet more of my fellow Project Echelon veterans and share with them the support, community, and comradery I have found in the mountain bike and cyclocross scenes thanks to the Project Echelon organization. Cycling is an amazing sport to be a part of because it has so many disciplines, there is something for everyone and for me that is off road.

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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

In late July, Project Echelon headed to Europe for a packed block of racing in France and Belgium. Europe is hallowed ground in cycling, with so many hopefuls having gone and fallen (quite literally) on slippery cobblestones.

This year, Project Echelon didn't just show up, they put riders on the podium in two of their first three races. Hugo finished second in Lierde, held back by a questionable tire width.

The European block was a huge success, and many lessons were learned along the way. Project Echelon's performance was noticeably better than ever before, and the riders were probably jet-lagged half the time.

"There are so many positive takeaways from experiences like this, most of which come as a result of the new challenges racing overseas offers. With that adversity comes growth and we are better for it. Coming home with 3 podium finishes over 7 days of racing 👌"

Project Echelon Racing climbs to Continental status in US for 2023

Following an incredible 2022 season, Project Echelon will be advancing to UCI Continental ranking in 2023. This change marks the official becoming of Project Echelon as a professional cycling team. A dream that started less than a decade ago is suddenly becoming a reality.

FULL ARTICLE ON CYCLINGNEWS

It could be a story in and of itself recapping the events of Project Echelon’s 2022 season, but here is a summary of the team’s biggest results.

• 1st – Redlands Bicycle Classic GC (Tyler Stites)

• 3 stage wins – Tour of the Gila (George Simpson and Tyler Stites)

• 1st – Points Classification at the Tour of the Gila (Tyler Stites)

• 3rd – Joe Martin Stage Race GC (Tyler Stites)

• 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th – US Pro National Championships Time Trial (George Simpson, Zach Gregg, Tyler Stites, and Stephen Vogel)

• 2nd – US Pro National Championships Road Race (Tyler Stites)

• 1st – American Criterium Cup (Brandon “Monk” Feehery)

Project Echelon Racing 2023 roster

Ricky Arnopol (USA)

Ethan Craine (NZL)

Zach Gregg (USA)

Will Hardin (USA)

John Heinlein (USA)

Colby Lange (USA)

Sam Morris (Can)

Peter Olejniczak (USA)

Hugo Scala (USA)

Tyler Stites (USA)

Stephen Vogel (USA)

Matt Zimmer (USA)

Cade Bickmore (USA)

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2022 Sponsors: Bio-Tech Pharmacal, Bryton, Brioso Coffee Pirelli Tires, Koo, & Vafels

Bio-Tech Pharmacal is an industry leading, veteran owned, family operated nutraceutical company based out of Fayetteville, Arkansas. Fayetteville is a booming cycling community and Bio-Tech has seen the benefit that cycling tourism and the industry as a whole has brought to their region. We couldn't be happier to be partnering with them to educate others on the importance of proper nutrition and equip them with top of the line, science-based training tools like tri-salts and vitamin D3.

Bryton is a Taiwanese-based company that is making waves in the cycling computer industry. Their top of the line computer graphics, maps, data tools, and affordable price point, make them the device of choice for the team.

Who doesn't like coffee and bikes? This small town Columbus, Ohio based company has big dreams of changing the coffee industry in the United States. Inspired by some of the best cafes from around the world, you won't be disappointed by the unique roasts produced at Brioso. Sign up for their subscription service today!

We ride with confidence with Pirelli. Whether you are ripping the final corner of a crit, descending down slopes of a mountain, or throwing some dust on the mountain bike, Pirelli is our tire of choice and gives us the confidence to perform at the highest level.

A clear vision is the key to success. Koo eyewear is one of the best in the industry in both performance and style.

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Follow Project Echelon on Social MEdia

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