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Southampton Cyclocross

Maureen Bruno Roy (MM Racing) hopes to hop sponsorship barriers. by Michael Franken.

Mo Bruno Roy has joined Katie Compton as another U.S. Elite Women cyclocrosser seeking a major sponsor for the upcoming season. Is the down economy going to have a major impact on top-level U.S. racing this season? We hope not.

After failing to secure financial sponsorship in 2008, the duo of Maureen Bruno Roy and Matt Roy realized they were their own “title sponsor” and decided to create their own team MM Racing and utilized a combination of working full time and credit cards in order to continue racing. Although MM Racing has been making progress lining up equipment sponsors such as Seven Cycles, SRAM, Wheelworks, Mavic and several small product sponsorships, the team continues to seek any financial support for 2009 to offset the costs of training, racing and travel.

Maureen says, “After placing 5th overall in the cyclocross USGP, I would love to be able to see how far I can go in the sport and once again compete in the World Championships.  However, we are still paying off the credit card from the 2008 cyclocross season and the reality is that we may have to cut back rather than continue pursuing racing in 2009.  Financial support would be a tremendous help.”

About MM Racing:

The MM Racing roster features the duo of Maureen Bruno Roy, two-time podium finisher in the Elite Cyclocross National Championships, 5th place overall in the US Gran Prix Cyclocross Series, winner of the Verge New England and Verge Mid-Atlantic Cyclocross Series, and 2006 US Cyclocross World Championships Team member and Matt Roy, pro mechanic and ultracyclist (Saratoga 12-hour and Connecticut River Double Century winner and UMCA Cross-state record holder for Maine North to South). Maureen has been working as a professional massage therapist for 11 years, specializing in deep tissue, sports massage, pre-natal massage and Thai yoga massage.  She currently has a full-time private practice in Arlington, MA and is Nationally Certified. She has been working with several of the top ranked domestic and international cycling teams since 2000.

Maureen began racing cyclocross in 2004 and quickly moved up the ranks with some big wins. Highlights include the overall win in the Verge New England Series, winning the Master’s 30-34 National Championship in 2005 and again in 2008, placing 3rd in the Elite Nationals and earning a spot on the US National Team to compete in the World Championships in Zeddam, the Netherlands in 2006.

Matt is currently a full-time PhD candidate in Immunology at Harvard Medical School.  He works in the lab of Nir Hacohen at The Broad Institute in Cambridge, MA.  Matt’s research explores the innate immune system and the detection of nucleic acids.

In 2006, Matt broke his femur in a bicycle race. After immediate surgical repair, he used a walker for six weeks, crutches for three months, and endured fourteen months of physical therapy. Sixteen months later he set the UltraMarathon Cycling Association cross-state record for the state of Maine, covering 382.24 miles in 22 hours and 25 minutes from Fort Kent to Kittery.  Matt also utilized the record setting ride to raise over $4000 for the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital’s Adaptive Sports and Recreation Program. MM Racing promotes an eco-friendly lifestyle through bicycle racing and commuting, vegetarianism/veganism, organic-local foods and products, recycling, composting and supporting local business.

MM Racing
www.mmracing.org

For more info on sponsorship opportunities, see the MM Racing 2009 Sponsorship Packet:  http://mmracing.org/2009%20MMRacing%20Sponsorship%20Packet.pdf