NorCal Cycling News

Testarossa Velodrome Challenge - June 11-12

For track afficianados … this event is one of the highlights of the NorCal calendar.  For anyone who has ever been interested in seeing what track racing is like … this event offers an up-close and personal look at some of the biggest quads, quickest minds, and fastest feet in the US.

Track racing is like road racing tossed into a berzerker salad shooter.  It’s a concentrated blitzkrieg of speed and tactics, talent and aggression.  It’s a display of suffering in the purest form, like an alpine climb compressed into it’s most delicate and desiccating essentials … agony.

But it is more than simple physical pain, it is agony on stilts … because the mind must remain detached, observant ~ able to act in a milli-moment’s notice after processing a mountain of minutia … from riders, from conditions, from one’s own body.  Track racing demands focus, determination, and bravery.

It’s a beautiful sport.  And it’s open to men and women of all ages, all abilities.
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The TVC is a national level event at our home track put on by the legend of Hellyer, Rick Adams and multiple US sprint champ (and boogie-woogie rockstar), Kevin Worley.  They enlist the help of dozens and dozens of folks in the Hellyer community to put on this high-caliber and incredibly spectator-friendly event.  For 2010, Andreas Vogel has worked hard to add a Masters-aged Keirin World Championship aspect to the shindig.

But, janky non-UCI world titles aside … who wouldn’t want to mix it up with this kind of prize list on order.  Yowks ~ that’s a lot of change out there for the registering.

So, check out the schedule of events and come down to the Friday and Saturday events to get yourself hooked on track racing.
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Speaking of getting hooked

Rand Miller has been a typing johnnyappleseed on the blog scene this year … defying the calls that the blog be dead and breathing only through the help of stale air’d life supporters who don’t have Facebook accounts.  Some would say that the blogger world has transferred over to Facebook … and that may be true.  But, all i know is ~ Rand was a recent johnny-come-lately to sporting the mullet, when they were flair’ing stylish a few years ago … so, it’s only suiting that he be a blogger now, once that platform has gone the way of compact disc players.

But his writing is cool and sassy, so check it out and maybe consider doing some blogging of your own these days.  Just be sure to let me know so I can link you to the blog-O-reader on the left column of this … website.

However, we were talking track racing ~ and, for anyone who has ever watched Randimus throw himself around and off the front of criteriums in NorCal … you know that this boy is genetically destined to be crushing nutz on the velodrome.

Beth … herself one of the few remaining blogspotters … has had a blog-crush on Rand ever since he began posting anonymously on this website (hint, hint) and she’s been looking for ways to write about him on her blog for sometime.  Of course, as we all know, getting published on Beth’s blog REALLY means you’re world famous … so, this is the only way Rand will be able to do it ~ Rand must take on the track.

Just not when Beth is there without me.
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CONGRATS TO MARY MAROON!

Touchstone Climbing’s Mary Maroon has won the final Nature Valley Grand Prix Pro-Ride spot.  She will join Wells Fargo’s Emily Kachorek as a powerful 1-2 punch from the west coast in this extremely prestigious race in the midwest.

Kudos to Mary Maroon ~ not only expanding women’s exposure in competitive cycling … but also working behind the scenes to improve women’s comfort and safety in women’s riding.  Ask for her at Wrench Science and she’ll hook you up.

The Nature Valley Grand Prix is one of the most media accomplished races in the US.  Kelly Benefit’s Scott Zwizanski is even giving up defending his Tour d’ Beauce title from 2009 to compete in this year’s NVGP.
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And how did I know that Zwizza was heading over to NVGP?  Of course, by checking in on Lyne Lamourex’s most excellent website, PodiumInsight.  Remember to check out PI for when you want the best coverage.

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