Roger Aspholm - Founder and owner
of FinKraft endurance sports coaching
Born: 1968 in Finland
Married to Kimberly with daughter Finley, Moved to the US in 1992
Occupation: Endurance sports coach
Licensed and certified USA cycling coach
Athletic background:
Roger started as a cross country skier at age 7, he eventually made it onto a national level as a junior. Like the Kenyans, running everywhere, Roger was either cross-country skiing or riding his bike to get around as a kid (seems like he still does).
Running, track and field and cycling was sports Roger raced at a high level in during the summer months while growing up.
In 1989 before moving to the US Roger served in the Finish Navy. At that time he was part of the military running and rowing team.
Soccer was a big part of his life and when he moved to the US, he played on a college soccer team.
Running became his primary sport in his early 20's . Roger ran 10 marathons, several in the 2.40's.
Eventually he realized that cycling was were I had the most talent and started to race Mountain Bikes and Duathlons before eventually moving onto Road and Cyclocross racing.
Roger is currently a category 1 (highest rank amateur level) on the road and in cyclocross.
Among Roger's achievements as a cyclist are 2002 Norba Masters national champion in mountain bikes, 2006 US Grand Prix cyclocross elite
masters champion, 2003, 2nd masters nationals road, 2006, 3rd masters national road. Since moving to the US, Roger has about 200
wins in various races, including over a dozen NJ state championships.
Coaching Experience:
Roger has personally had numerous coaches and trainer that trained and coached him in all different kind of sports on a very high level. With his 30 + years experience as an elite athlete, he can offer a very sport specific and detailed oriented coaching experience to you, no matter at what level you are. Knowing what works and what does not, Roger believes that if he can make you understand how your own body responds to the different training and racing stress and understand a training program, he can make you a better athlete. Roger is currently coaching a dozen athletes in cycling, multi sports and running. The unique feature of Roger's coaching philosophy it to spend a lot of time actually riding or running next to you ,doing the sport with you and communicating on a personal level.
Roger says "by going on a training ride with you, tells him everything about you as an athlete", something he would never see looking at your power files!
Kyle Wolfe – Assistant Cycling and Endurance Coach
Born 1971 in Goshen, NY USA
Athletic background:
Kyle quickly realized his passion for endurance sports after setting the school record for the
mile run in only the
fourth grade. When he discovered the thrill and excitement of cycling, Kyle knew he had found his calling.
Kyle competed in his first bike race at age 15 and his first triathlon at 16. Growing up in a football family where his father was the school’s coach, Kyle applied the performance and aggression taught on the gridiron to the road itself.
Kyle has raced at the elite level across this country and in Europe, and continues to race his bicycle at the Elite and Masters level for road and cyclocross where he has enjoyed a lot of success and fun over the past years, in the present and definitely into the future.
Coaching Experience:
After a lifetime of coaching exposure and input, Kyle combines that with his decades of competitive experience to work with athletes to help them achieve their goals and dreams. Two years of managing and directing a national level u-25 cycling team has also helped Kyle refine his skills and abilities.
Kyle is also a licensed USA Cycling official, an UCI registered Directeur Sportif and of course a certified USA Cycling coach.
The peloton in a bike race is a living breathing thing. Learning to anticipate its feelings and learn from its motion will always lead to success. “Pick a good wheel, and don’t look back.”
Alessandro Matteucci - Assistant Cycling Coach
Born in Rome, Italy in 1966
USA Cycling Lev 2 Coach
Occupation: cycling representative and cycling coach
Athletic background:
Cycling competitions have occupied an important part of Alessandro’s life having road raced at elite level from age 12 to 18 with the last two years in the AS Grottaferrata Team, one of the best in central Italy at that time. In those years his coach was Antonio Fradusco, a very successful racer in the ’60, and one of the best Italian coaches for juniors in the last 25 years. He has coached among others Italian National Team riders, an Italian Champion and a former Masters World Champion. After having stopped racing Alessandro took a long break to dedicate his free time to running, skiing and motorcycling.
At the end of 2007 the bicycle fever was back so he started competing at local level. Even after more than 20 years of inactivity he found himself still being very competitive in cycling. Alex won several races right away and moved quickly back up thru the categories. After 3 years back in the sport with some structured training and racing Alex is now looking forward to obtain some good results in the 2010 season of classic road and stage races here in the North East. His primary goal is though to help his clients achieve their goals in cycling.
Coaching Experience:
When Alessandro moved to USA he started road-racing motorcycles and in a short time he became an instructor with a few major local motorcycles clubs. It was during those years that he realized to have an edge as instructor, as someone able to explain techniques and then create specific programs and drills to guarantee a perfect assimilation by each and every rider. Two years ago Alessandro started collaborating with his former coach, Antonio Fradusco. He is now the technical director of Guazzolini Corratti Borgonuovo “Juniores” Team in Italy and Alessandro has been helping him in fine-tuning and implementing his racers training program through the interpretation of their power files. Here in NY, Alessandro is specializing in different techniques to improve race-day performance, and one of them is motorpacing. Last season one of his clients was a well known pro who has “chased” Alessandro’s scooter to successfully achieve his goals.
Arland Macasieb - Associate Triathlon Coach
Born 1975 in Belleville, New Jersey
Athletic background:
Arland was involved in sports from a young age. He played little league baseball and basketball. His teams, won the local town championships. In high school, he played tennis competitively and also ran on the junior varsity and varsity teams for both indoor track and cross country, of which he was the team captain in his senior year
While studying sports science in Rutgers University, Arland was a member of the cycling team and master swim team, He co founded the RU Road Runners Club and served as Sports Director of the Rutgers association of Philippine Students.
While at Montclair State University, Arland completed a Master's Thesis examining the effect of variable crank length on steady state cycling. In 2007, he graduated with an M. A. in Exercise Science to pursue a career in multisports coaching and racing as a professional tri athlete.
Coaching Experience:
Arland now has over 12 seasons of racing and training experience at both national and international levels, and has had the opportunity to work very closely with some of triathlon's top coaches, drawing upon over 20 years experience of world class coaching which has produced numerous World Champions and Olympic medallists. Having both a Bachelor's and Masters degree in Exercise Science, Arland has been able to creatively apply the principles of exercise physiology and bio mechanics to teach and coach athletes of all levels.With the dual complement of time proven training philosophies and modern technical knowledge. Arland is uniquely placed to make a difference to the multisports athlete seeking to attain the next level in sports excellence.
Andreas Runggatscher – Director of Sales & Marketing
I currently live in Monroe, NY and commute to the city and back every day. I am the Executive Director of the Rotary Club of New York an organization that does non profit work in the community and consists of business leaders from various fields who made it their goal to help those in need.
Athletic background:
Born in Bolzano, Italy (in the heart of the Dolomites) I grew up enjoying the wonderful surroundings of my hometown. In the summer I spent much of my time biking, swimming and hiking in the mountains. None of the biking was serious.
As a matter of fact I had a three speed heavy steel bike and I used the bike more for transportation than exercise. Nowadays I realize that I did in fact cover many miles at times to get from one place to another and little or nothing was riding in the “flats”.
In the winter I alpine and cross country skied with great passion and got medals in some small races that I entered (really small).
He is most proud to have won the NY State Time Trial Championships in 2007 and to have placed successfully in many races including the Empire State Games and the Green Mountain Stage Race. He is currently a Cat. 2 racer.
