NorCal Cycling News – Cycling and Racing in Northern California

The Mission Workshop is evolving beyond just messenger style bags, which are pretty cool, into a stylish soft goods company that will be able to give Rapha a run for their money.  Rai, the SF shop manager, gave me a quick overview of their bags and their new jacket/sweater system.  My wife told me that I couldn’t buy it even if it was half off but for all you kidless, single, San Francisco cyclists this is the look you should be sporting in 2012. Ditch Rapha, buy local!

It’s like one big bike party this weekend!

Friday Night Fights @ Hellyer Velodrome - The last big shin dig at Hellyer.  Hernando likes to go out big so this will be a blast.  And there will be beer.

Sacramento Grand Prix (Saturday Night Fever) - My favorite crit promoter Project Sport was brought in by Sac Town to create what might be the coolest race of the year.  And there will be beer.

CCCX Cyclocross - Cyclocross is officially underway on Saturday as the CCCX team get the party started with the first race of the season.  Don’t miss the poetical lay out, all center justified for a e.e. cummings like effect, of the NCNCA CX blog, which despite non rhyming stanzas, is doing a great job of laying out all the NorCal cross players. And… there is always beer but the CX’rs tend to drink it unlike the road guys, so better come equipped

 

*****For Immediate Release******

California Giant /Specialized Gears UP for the 2011-12 Cyclocross Racing Season

Coming off an excellent road season, California Giant Cycling is heading into the upcoming cyclocross season with well-earned momentum and excitement.   The company is once again partnering with Specialized Cycling to present a very strong team with contenders in every racing division. Meredith Miller and Teal Stetson-Lee will represent the Women’s Elite team with each coming off a solid 2010 season and looking forward to the challenge this season will surely bring. The Men’s Elite team is comprised of Cody Kaiser, Justin Robinson, and Nick Weighall.  These three each bring strengths to round out the team and are excited for the 2012 season working with the specialized Trio.

As part of the joint effort between Specialized and California Giant, 2011 Pro XCT Overall Winners Lea Davison and Max Plaxton, and 2011 US National XC Champion/defending CX National Champ Todd Wells will be racing alongside their California Giant team mates in select races. All three of them are on excellent form and looking to mix it up at the front of the pack.

The team has an ambitious race calendar kicking off with Cross Vegas at Interbike in mid September, leading into the USGP series as well as various additional USA events, a handful of select World Cups and eventually USA National Championships. On Wednesday, September 14^th, the entire Specialized/Cal Giant team will descend on Las Vegas to sign autographs, ride with fans, and duke it out on the grassy, physically demanding Cross Vegas race course. Todd, Max, and Lea will also be leading group rides at the Dirt Demo on Tuesday the 13^th.

This will mark the 10th year that California Giant Berry Farms has supported a Cyclocross team that started in the amateur level, but has been competing at the pro level now for the 3rd year.   Justin Robinson has been a mainstay on the team earning multiple national championships and serving as a mentor for younger riders.

As a grower-shipper of fresh berries, California Giant contributes to the health of American consumers by providing an abundant, healthy and delicious product. The company is committed to supporting organizations and alliances like cycling that send positive messages about the importance of combining diet and exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle to consumers.

For more information on California Giant Cycling and this year’s team, please visit calgiantcycling.com.  You can follow us on twitter at and ‘like’ us on Facebook at /California Giant Cycling.

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This weekend is the beginning of the end for the roadies.  We turn the corner from Crit Season to Cal Cup this weekend with roughly six weeks of racing left in the NorCal Cycling News seasonal racing calendar.  There are a few races after Cal Cup in September and early October but the complaints of burn out, over training, and general desire to stop racing have already been escaping the lips of the more delicate NorCal road racers. As a result, those races remain of unknown stature, though the Sacramento Grand Prix, Henleyville RR, and Folsom Cyclebration could make for a good fall classic season.  While some road races (i’m talking to you Steve Reaney) will just roll into cyclocross most racers have stopped thinking about results and started planning their winter training in order to prep for Snelling.  And yet, we still have all of Cal Cup and a handful of Fall Stragglers that will earn points for the various seasonal competitions underway.

Crit Season Wrap Up

Crit Season wraps ups with the Strawberry Crown Crit. With Dave Towle showing up to add some legitimacy to the event the Cal-Giant hosted event looks like it might be an exciting way to spend a few hours in the fine burg of Watsonville.  This should be an exciting race with the event taking place in the Jacque Mayne’s back yard, and yet hosted by the Cal-Giant powerhouse team led by Steve Reaney and James Mattis.  Add in the random area pro’s and ex pro’s like Roman Kilun and Erick Wohlberg, and the perpetual bridesmaids of Webcor and the Strawberry Crown Crit could be a fitting finale to the season.  For the true NorCal crit monkey’s the Pleasonton Fast and Furious Festival looks like a promising event that will have both crowds and a big purse for both men and women’s fields.

Cal Cup

The only people that win Cal Cup are those that protest they don’t care if they win it.  I love the event since it takes place in what is ordinarily a dead spot in most racing calendars.  There is barely any money, and it is mostly fought for prestige, but the roster of past winners is impressive.  If there were mid-week races to accompany this series it might rival the mid west omniums like Superweek or  Tour of America’s Dairyland given it’s broad range of courses and events.

Women

If the Webcor team shows up the Maroon/Werner duo will be hard to contain.  Vanderkitten probably doesn’t have the climbing strength to keep up with these two but can probably do some damage in the crits.  The odd pro’s like Starnes and Rachetto will snap up some individual races but my pick for the overall is Susanah Breen.  Breen will be able to manhandle most of the hilly road course and place well enough in the crits to put her point total in the front.  Assuming she get’s some help from Newell, she should be able to distance herself from other perpetual contenders like Jane Despas and Annie Fulton.

Men

If he was going tot show up I’d be inclined to tilt my money towards Nate English.  After several strong finishes with the pro’s up in Oregon his fitness has to be pretty high at this point.  Of course, like all Cal Cup contentions, it will have to do with what his schedule is like.  English has had a long season and since rumor is he will be racing for Kenda p/b Geargrinder soon, about freaking time somebody picked him up, he might be ready to call it a season… or to show NorCal who is boss.  Depending on how the Crown Crit goes, Cal-Giant could decide they want to put one of their boys in the money.  Evan Huffman has been sneaking into the top spot and national level stage races and with support of riders like Reaney, Mattis, Swedberg, Hunt, the list goes on…. he would be a rider to watch.

My only hope out of all of this is that we don’t get SoCal’d at any of these races.  Don’t let the monkeys win people.

Hashtags

- #ncnca

- #nccn

- #calcup

- Strawberry Crown Crit #strawcrowncrit or

- Warnerville TT -#warnertt

- Paterson Pass RR – #pprr

- Fast and Furious Crit – #furiouscrit

 

As I was about to embark on another vacation, to Canada this time, where i get to do two of my favorite things, Canadian jokes and Tim Hortons, I did a quick check on the calendar and saw that this weekend is chock full of action after last weeks of races.

Non-Sequitur Warning

So it looks like Hernando and Beth are heading off to the Mt. Diablo Hillclimb.  This of course made me think of being way to heavy to ever do something like that on a whim. Then I briefly thought…wait, maybe I can loose weight, and do Mt Tam, and then i remembered it was vacation time and ate a chocolate chip cookie.  However…. like a sign from god I was sent a vision while watching ‘House’.  The Swedish Diet!  What has to be the best commercial ever sucked me in and made me a believer… i can make weight and be a climber again!  I know I can!

CCCX Road Race   #cccx

It’s low key but the course is punishing regardless of who shows up. Webcor’s Billy Crane has been knocking at the door on this one so if he shows up I’m giving him the nod.

Mt Diablo Hill Climb #mtdiablohc

Prediction: Beth Newell and Susanna Breen lose to a random triathlete who crashes after trying to raise her arms in victory.  I know – I shouldn’t mock them, hot-triathlete-people, since the that falls into the but we have to get out shots in when we can.

Tour De Nez  #tourdenez

Prediction: Webcor and Vanderkitten attack the crap out of the women’s race and then get gapped and almost lapped by Katerina Nash, who continues to look fabulous as riders retch on the sidelines.  Feeling stung by all the Steve Reaney is a local crit god talk, Bissell shows up in force (all three of them) and smokes the field.

Foothill Circuit Race  #foothillrace

Prediction: No question… Mary Ellen Ash if she doesn’t go to Tour De Nez. In the men’s race I can’t see James Mattis giving much quarter to the locals unless he helps out an up and comer like Adam Carr.  That said there are a few old dogs registered who have some juice in their legs still and you never know when one of the Specialized Juniors with knock one out.

Tweet for me people.  I’m going to be in a Canada… it’s like going backwards in time.