NorCal Cycling News – Cycling and Racing in Northern California

 

At this stage of the game you really have to go check out Hellyer on a Friday Night.  I went down for the Tuesday training races and ran into Ben Jacque Maynes (Bissell) and Logan Loader (Ride-Clean.)  Hellyer is where these guys go during the week to hang out.  When i asked them where it fit into their racing plans they both gave similar answers which i will paraphrase… “To have fun!”

The sky on last Friday Night was gorgeous and produced one of the most epic shots, I have seen from any track, anywhere.  This week Friday Night is doubling up as NorCal Elite Championships for several of the races.  The keirin, which is one of the few cycling events i refuse to participate in because it is too scary when the really fast guys go, is the race to watch.  The keirin at Hellyer is always my favorite event, after the Kiddie Kilo of course, so it is sure to be a good night for spectators.  The men to watch in the keirin will be Pete Billington and Sam Millroy who have dominated local sprint events the last two years.  Both riders have been able to throw down with the ‘bigger’ boys trying out for the Olympics and been able to sneak in a few surprises here and there.  The SF Messenger crew Alex Farioletti and Fergus Tanaka might have a few surprises up their sleeves after Tanaka nabbed a few track wins at the Cycle Messenger World Championships in Poland a few weeks ago.

The points and scratch races are championship events, and the women’s race should see Team Bell Laps track pro, Beth Newell, out front of Hanan Alves-Hyde.  Unless of course some of our local pro’s in town for the weekend show up for a fly by race at the track.   The men’s race is more open but if Logan Loader shows up my money is on him.  The Jacques Maynes and Holloway will be off and away contesting the US Pro Crit so the men’s fields should be hard, fast (#twss), and a great event to watch while drinking a beer.  Anyhow… it’s a night for the big fast boys to scare us all while we drink beer and ooh and ahh, see you there.  Event details below….

 

Friday, August 19, 2011

Registration: Championship Events: $20/first event; $5/additional events
Non-Championship Category 3,4 riders: $15 (includes both events)
Race Day Registration Only.

Track opens at 5:30PM. Registration Opens 6:00PM.  Registration closes at 6:40 for Keirin events.  Racing begins 7:00PM.
7:00PM -

*24 rider maximum in keirin heats.  IMPORTANT: Category 3 racers will be allowed if Keirin fields don’t reach field maximum (24). Category 3 racers will be ‘wait-listed’ and added to keirin field in order of sign-up.
**36 rider maximum