NorCal Cycling News

Parnes and the JazzyHurricane win big

Cat’s Hill is such a cool race.  This year Beth and I weren’t able to get to Los Gatos for the classic … we had a grudge-match sprint competition planned out across the streets of Oakland.  I’m happy to say that my dirty tricks bag still had some inventory remaining and I was able to take the woman down, 5-4.

Yeah.

She did pay me back in spades on the track Sunday morning … she always has the show when there’s a crowd around.

Ahhh … the Sunday trackies.  What a fantastic crew.  Pete ‘The Real Deal’ Billington was there opening up cylinders for his pursuit to better the amazing 5th at Natz last year in the Kilo. He’s looking very, very strong.  Hellyer’s sprint crew was there, too … tuning their forks at 40+mph.  Maximus Milroy and il Maestro Rey jumping around the Legend Bohl’s moto at speeds that made my chamois shrink. Not to mention all the lady killers like Elizabeth Hernandez-Jones’ on a new RockLobster that is so hot she’s lethality on wheels.  Annabelle leads a good workout session, and with the years of experience offered by such workout wheels as Jeff Solt, Allen V, Carlos Johnson, and Razor Rodamaker … you just can’t help but get faster just by breathing the same air.

But, I was yapping on about Cat’s Hill … Ryan Parnes hasn’t had a big win thus far this year, and I’m not sure he could have asked for a better one to open up the whoop-ass account than with the Los Gatos classic.

This pic by the uber-talented Ronnie Lenzi gives us a bit of indication that the 2010 edition yielded up another epic bunch sprint … CalGiant’s Chris Stastny is digging deep and CLIF’s Joe Innarelli  has enough in the tank to take a glance over to appraise just how close he was to the big win.  But all eyes have to be on the big Yahoo rider -Ryan Parnes … a man who has been digging ditches all year long for his squad ~ off the front at Wente early to set up his climbing mates, launching punishing attack after attack in all the NorCal kermesses for his fellow fastmen.  Yep, it’s good to see that the big man has a feather to put in his sizable cap with this first big event that opens our region’s summer classics.

Great result … and more to come from the Adonis.

The Hurricane rises

Jasmine Hurikino show’d us some good ferocious form building at last weekend’s Wente Criterium, so it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise that she had it in her to storm onto the podium at Cat’s Hill.  But, who would have thought that she’d be able to overcome one of the faster finishers in NorCal … Lauren Hecht.

(thanks for the pic Ryan Bontrager!)

Winning Cat’s Hill is always a stepping stone for greater things … so, it’s good to see that two young riders are out there stomping on the pedals and kicking up some noticeable dust for the big teams to sniff at.  And how about a podium spot for Anne Fulton for the Los Gatos squad?  That is just great news for the continuing development of women’s racing in NorCal.

And I’d just like to toss out a big kudos for Roaring Mouse rider Beverly Chaney … taking a very satisfying 7th on the day in the p1/2 event.  This woman rides year round, cyclocross, mtb, and road … not to mention a few track events in the mix, as well.  If there’s a poster child for a woman who can do it all, smile every time, and laugh like a lumberjack … it’s Bev Chaney.

Sexy damn woman.

And by the way … if you want to see how the race result shook down at Cat’s Hill … Richard Brockie has a new experiment in same day results up in real time and with flawless accuracy.  It’s called OntheDay.net … and NorCal clubs&teams really should approach said genius if you want to up your promotional game.

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District Champs?

Today was the day for the 2010 NorCal Masters of the Critterdome to take their place on the tops of podiums.  I’ve heard that Nicholas Oliver, Mary Maroon, Vanessa Drigo, and Kim Wik as winners thus far … and can’t wait to hear tell about who else will be able to don the champy kits for a year+.

Kudos, cats.

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Gila … pronounced “Hee-lah”

What an epic race this is.  Epic with a capital E and a whole lotta pics that can come out of it to tell tales of suffering against winds, weather, and back breaking climbs.  Check out the best coverage in domestic cycling … PodiumInsight for more information about how cool this race is, and how wonderful are the characters of our sport.

Peanut Butter ladies took the overall with Mara Abbot and a criterium win with Shelley Evans … who, btw, looks to be changing her Olympic dreams from track to road events.  Oh my, oh my.  Look out NRC standings … cause the giant slayer is on the scent.

And I’m hoping that the white jersey still stayed in the hands of the big talent from CalGiant … Andrew Talansky.  Just another big result for  the best elite program in the United States … maybe ever.

And huge props to Heather Pryor for putting in a flurry of top-end finishes to make us all take notice and nod in appreciation for the work the rider has put in.

Summer awaits, friends … let’s take part!

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