ALTRA-SPONSORED DNA PRO CYCLING HEADS TO THE COLORADO CLASSIC

Meet the DNA Pro Cycling team, an all-women’s team stacked full of talent across multiple cycling disciplines. Road, criterium, mountain bike and gravel, these women can be found across the US every weekend pinning numbers and having a ton of fun. 2019 marks the 4^th year of Altra being the official “off-the-bike” shoe for the DNA team, outfitting them in Altra footwear for their gym days, podium presentations and their cross-training road and trail running efforts.

08-20-2019

Since the beginning of Altra’s conception, cyclists have had an affinity for our footwear. Cycling shoes are known for their tight fit and hard outsoles, so it’s no surprise that riders love slipping on a pair of comfortable Altras after a long day in the saddle. Cross-training, from running to cycling and cycling to running has been a great way for both cyclists and runners to add variety and fun to their training regime and balance out their muscle groups, which has been suggested to reduce injuries. In addition, most cyclists love to get outdoors for some hiking, trail running or even pinning on a bib at a running race.

As the newest residents to Denver, Colorado, Altra’s parent company, VF Corporation, stepped up to the title sponsor position for the all-women’s Colorado Classic cycling race. Altra, along with its new sister brands, is also supporting the race and having a party along the way. To compound this excitement, Altra was through the roof when the DNA Pro Cycling Team was one of the teams selected.

Meet the DNA Colorado Classic Roster:

Amy Charity: Steamboat Springs, CO

Amy is the “gravel racer only” rider who is coming out of Road Race retirement to race the Colorado Classic. She is excited for Stage 1 which is in her hometown of Steamboat Springs, CO. On the road, she has raced for Vanderkitten and Optum. She was on the Optum Squad that won the Team Time Trial National Championship and raced Worlds in Richmond, 2015. Amy is the author of The Other Side of Comfortable and is also one of the organizers of the inaugural gravel race event, SBT Gravel.

Heather Fischer: Boulder, CO

Heather is the Road Captain. She lives in Boulder, CO. We call her SMASH. She was rejected as a Ralphie Runner at the University of Colorado, so she became a cyclist. Heather joined the CU Cycling Team and in 2012 became the Collegiate National Road Champion – so it worked out. She raced for DNA in 2014 and ‘15. Since, she has raced for the National Team in Europe and UCI teams including Matrix, Rally and Tibco. Notable results include UCI Tour of the Gila Criterium 1st place and 5th at Drenste Acht Van Westerveld.  

Kimberly Lucie: Tucson, AZ

Lucie pronounced like “Gucci”, is also known as K-ROSE by her teammates. She is a Tucson, AZ native, which is always surprising to people because nobody is actually from there, but everyone has been there to train in the winter. Her favorite part about being a bike racer is when host families have dogs. She enjoys snacks, trap music and Fleetwood Mac. One of her favorite memories was winning the 2016 Manhattan Beach GP and receiving one of those giant “Happy Gilmore” checks.

Melanie Beale: Fort Collins, CO

Mel, aka SPRINGBREAK, got her start in cycling at Colorado State University on the CSU Rams Cycling Team. After college, she pursued her 'pro cycling dream’ by living in Tucson, AZ in the spring of 2016 and 2017 before she began graduate school in 2017. She took a second shot at collegiate cycling and managed a 2nd place finish in the Collegiate Criterium National Championships in 2018! Mel just finished her Master’s in Exercise Science and is now an Instructor at AIMS Community College, teaching Health and Wellness. In her spare time, she loves mountain biking, weight lifting, and hanging out with her two beautiful pups, Aldo and Akira.  

Hannah Shell: Boulder, CO

A recent new resident of Boulder, CO, “SHELLY” is in her fourth season racing bikes. In 2017, she started on a local women’s elite team and raced to 10th overall at Tulsa Tough and 9th in criterium nationals. Thrilled to have made the move to DNA this year, she recently left her full-time job at the federal reserve to focus more on racing, and if you need any sort of data around cycling, the towering 6-footer is your source.

Brenna Wrye Simpson: Portland, OR

Brenna, aka BRUNO, is the current Oregon Criterium and Road Champion, with top results in the biggest crits in the US. She is incredibly motivated by the cohesive, intelligent, aggressive women's program at DNA, loves fighting for one mission together, and loves her complicated life of both bike racer and seasoned bike industry long-timer.