NorCal Cycling News

Merco Crit … the real show

True enough, i’ve had a few bucketloads of fun out on the Merco RR course over the years … but, it’s not the show, it’s not the high-stakes gamblefest and crowd pleasing hammerthrows offered by the downtown criterium.

This year’s edition of the Merco Downtown Grand Prix looks to have a more than middlin’ chance of precipitation dropping on the course throughout the day, which really only affects about 90% of the turns ~ so, everybody should be fine out there.  Historically, this is a race that starts out at speeds burning holes in chamois in both the men and women’s events.  On the one hand, riders like to push the throttle early to spread the field out and keep it safer through the early dives ‘tween the backside chicane. And on the other hand … there’s more than many riders jumping out to try and take the inevitable first lap prime for a few hundred bucks.

But this year, the weekend isn’t NRC … and the crit fields are p1/2 for the men, p1/2/3 for the women, instead of the usual p/1 and p1/2.  So, with that spread of ability included in this 2010 version … the initial speeds are likely to be even higher as the pro teams look to shed off as many hangers-on as possible in the opening few minutes.

The men’s race looks to be early glimpses at some of the big battles likely to be played out between sprinter teams in the NRC this year.  Major favorite will be the Bahati Foundation, as they have black lightning Rahsaan Bahati always rising to the occasion for a quick strike in front of big crowds.

But they also have underrated fastman and sneaky breakaway artist Hilton Clarke registered for the event … and this is a rider who has won some big gawdamn events in his career, so check him out.  United Healthcare has perennial hardman Rory Sutherland out to kick more shit Aussie-style, but they also have new acquisition Eric Barlevav … who has had a few speedy wins in the past, himself.  But, something tells me Barlevav might not have that top-end quite yet … as there’s always a lot of pressure to build endurance and ability to get over hills when joining on to a powerhouse pro squad.  We’ll see.

The Bissell boyz look like they have their Gila Stage Race team signed up … with none of their sprinters reg’d yet ~ which to me seems a bit of a limpdick manuever considering all the press they put out about their newfound fast-fiendery.  I mean, they go and sign up Wamsley, have Pipp in the holster, and cock the Holloway six-shooter at everything in sight … so, you’d think they’d at least send one of them to the Merco slugfest.  But, Holloway may be prepping for Track Worlds … so, give him a pass, I guess.  But still ~ I reckon at least one of the WamPipp boys should be there bumping shoulders in the early season joustings [instead of out in Singapore].

It will be interesting to see how the NorCal amateur stongmen fare against the tactics that might play out amongst the pros.  With Bahati always a threat, and both Bissell and United having breakaway monsters at the ready … there could be a chance to see CalGiant and the Yahoo!ligans putting a rider, or two in a large break that scores time on the field.  We’ll see … and most intriguing of all ~ NO RADIOS!!!

With the lack of radios in this criterium, we could see all kinds of mayhem out there.  It’s really going to be quite fascinating to see if the speeds will remain so high, so long after the start … that only the fittest and smartest of riders may eeek their way off the front, with no pack alive at the end to give chase.

As it frickin’ should be.
- - -

Women of Merco … bare the teeth

The women’s race will likely be the fastest 5 laps of most of the pack’s lives.  With the PeanutButterChicks spreading a powerful squad on the course, HTC fielding a fab-5 including uber-stars Ina Tuetenberg, Emilia Fahlin & Kim Anderson, AND a select few strong’uns from the TIBCO shredding machine … the opening laps will be an immense burn-off of amateur women unable to withstand the speed, agility, and elements brought to bare.

That’s good training.  And any woman who can still be pedaling and have an ounce of fight left in her after those first 5-laps will have won one helluva battle.  Courage,  you cat 3s and regional 2s in the field. Courage and luck to you all ~ believe in yourself, keep it upright, and keep that throttle on until there’s nothing remaining in the tank.  Good on’ya.
-

Again, with the removal of radios … racing has become much more exciting and I can’t wait to see how this criterium will play out.  With HTC having the powerhouse sprinting combination of Teutenberg and Fahlin, and a patented leadout phenom in the form of Anderson … I find it difficult to believe that any of the other teams will want the race to come down to a field sprint. However, it will also be incredibly difficult for that ‘perfect break’ to form where all squads are pleased and represented, wanting to work it to the line.

Fascinating.

TIBCO has their superstar, Brooke Miller, on the starting list … and there are many, many of us fans of the sport who would love to see Brooke, Ina T, and Shelley Evans burning tread to the line in a no holds barred field sprint.  That would be an epic final few hundred meters to see, indeed.

But, there are possibilities of breaks succeeding in this race … Katheryn Mattis of Webcor is registered and already evidencing strong endurance speed in this early 2010 season.  She and Kelly Benjamin have been known to put a field through the gauntlet in the past … and I see no reason these women won’t be out there swinging big again.  And VERY intriguing is the registration of the queen of the wind, Olivia Dillon, with the PeanutButterChicks.  Seeing Coryn Rivera and Kat Carroll able to join with Dillon on the attacks … there could be a very, very interesting series of marked bridging attempts by the HTC and TIBCO squads - with many eyes on the newly evolved Shelley Evans and what she’ll choose to do.

The question is, who will be put on the defensive?

True enough, it will be a bluffing game in those middle minutes of the race.  The opening speeds will be too high for anything to get away other than what is shat out the backside of the pack.  But once reality sets in, and the tactics begin to bring out teeth … SOMEbody is going to be left fighting for scraps.  This could be a day when TIBCO has to put one of their younger guns out in the warzone to fend for herself.  With badass Starnes coming back from NewZealand in some hopeful form … we could see her be the one out in move after move, covering everything but the kitchen sink with her sweat and agony, to make sure TIBCO is represented.  But the NewYork Brawler, MegGuarnier, may also be out there swinging haymakers … and either one of those women deserve a chance to come to the line in a small group finish for their squad.

But, this could also be the year we see Brooke Miller transform into the massive bridging machine that she has the potential to become.  For years, we’ve seen Ina Teutenberg display the cagey patience of a sniper, letting breakaways form again and again before she times the perfectly diabolical attack from the field, shooting across the gap and latching on to the winning move.   And this year, I think Brooke is going to be learning that she has that same instinct and ability, as well.

Can’t wait to see how it all shakes down.
- - -

Tour of Qatar 2010

“It was a like a war zone and it was every man for himself.” - Steven Cozza, Stage 3 [CN]

Both the men & women’s versions of this year’s Tour of Qatar have claimed collarbones, pelvic girdles, and even a middle finger, or two. It’s a race that offers enough money, publicity, and UCI points that teams storm the thing like Lawrence of Arabia on crack.

But this deadpan flat race with demon hot crosswinds spews out a casualty list faster than camels spit at tourists … and there’s nothing to do about it but say ~ ’such is the way of the bike.’

“Boonen’s computer registered a maximum speed of 72.8km/h and he described the sprint as one of the fastest finishes of his career” [CN]

Sweet mother of pearl … that is well over 45mph for us ameri-pedalers.  45 frickin’ miles per hour on the flats, without too much tailwind other than the blow of fear-driven testosterone.  And there were boys falling in the final 500meters … that’s just sickening to think about.

Now ~ I’m not one to disparage other sports, or try and call-out one as being supremo to the others … and, there is absolutely no way i’d want to have some 300lb behemoth ram his helmet into my guts at full gallop.  Buuuut … neither do i believe that many out there will want to get in their car, pop it into 4th gear, set the cruise control at 40+, open up the car door and … fall out in their underwear.

But that’s what these riders risk … every day they race, every day they ride.

egads ~ what are we thinking?
.

Amber Rais was an early casualty of Qatar this year, hitting a bot-dot pre-race much like Kurt Arvelson did on the men’s side.  Damn shame, as Rais has a huge following of fans and we all want to see her healthy and performing in her own brave, elegant way.

Kat Carroll also went down in one of the mad crosswind sections, much like Steven Cozza … both sustained injuries, but hopefully both will be back and racing their bikes like the banshee riders they both are.  These are two of the most courageous riders I’ve seen race their bikes in a long time.

… damn hard sport.  damn hard.

- - -

Cody ‘der’ Kaiser … man for the future

Internet cycling awesomeness - PodiumInSight -put out a nifty article about Kaiser a couple weeks back, and it was pure pleasure to read about how a family can fall in love with cycling.

“Riding a bike was a lot more fun than playing a 6-hour round of golf, so with that said I am now in the bike business and not in the golf business, I don’t play golf anymore. We just ride a bunch, it was all because of Cody.” [PI]

That’s from Cody’s dad, Bruce Kaiser ~ talking about how he started up a shop just south of Sacto in the Elk Grove area, Kinetic Cycles.  I have been impressed with this family for a long time, as they have always promoted bike riding and racing in a healthy, community conscious way.  Their connections with Ride for a Reason are long and strong, and the way this group conducts themselves on and off the bike inspires good vibes in all who come in contact with them.

From Cross to Road?

Cody has an obvious talent and enjoyment of racing in the dirt.  But, whether he knows it or not ~ he also has all the makings of a phenomenal road stage racer.  Racing the dirt is a barbarian’s endeavor at heart … filled with insane aggression and risk that brings out the yowling beasts in all of us.

hellyeah.

But road racing is a thinking rider’s sport … and the best stage racers are those who can coldly calculate ~ only unleashing fury when it is called for, with discipline and absolute commitment.  And cyclocross is the perfect breeding ground for such riders, in my opinion.  As CalGiantBerries team director, Anthony Gallino remarked in the PI article,

“He’s so mellow, sometimes if he’s too mellow that hurts him, he needs a little chip on his shoulder, when he’s pissed off is when he rides the best.”

It’s that ‘mellow-ness’, his innate intelligence, and the freakish amount of sustainable power that this young man puts out that signals his high potential to be a road stage racer.  The stage racer needs patience, intelligence, ability … and an iron will to suffer.

This young man has it.

- - -

Ban the Radios … Enforce Intelligence

VeloSnews grabbed USAC’s Sean Petty to yak about the recent ban on radio use in cycling.

“The UCI did a lengthy study, and got input from teams and riders around the world. Basically the question was, ‘have there been fewer accidents with the advent of the radio?’ The answer was, no.”

I’m a fan of the opinions of Michael Barry and believe he lays out a number of strong arguments why riders should be unplugged.  I highly recommend his words for reading … in all things cycling.

Safety is, or should be,  the first barometer checked for decisions in bike racing & promoting.  The argument that traffic hazards or dangerous conditions on the roads demands the use of radios is eloquently rebutted by Barry,

“Prior to radio use there was solidarity amongst the riders where they looked out for their common interests when their jobs or health were at risk. With a voice telling us what to do, we have lost our voice as we seem to constantly buckle when under pressure.”[VN]

I believe strongly that banning radios will not only increase the safety of riders, but also increase the enjoyment and … panache of racing.

When riders are free to ride - they are free to decide, learn, and succeed or fail as their talents and training dictate.

There is beauty in seeing the choices made by individuals in circumstances so unique and demanding, especially in a sport so essentially team-oriented.

I am glad to see the return of cycling to those who race it … not those who own it.

But as USAC’s Petty says … “we’ll see.”

- - -

Sans February Tour d’ Cali … NorCal Spring a lil’ less lustrous

I have to admit ~ I miss seeing all the US pro teams storming the early season here in NorCal.  With the Tour of Cali moving to May in search of tanning beds and tubetops, and the NRC now vastly reduced in number of events and none of them in our region ~ the spring NorCal classics, which used to field dozens of men and women from Ameri-pro teams, have been reduced to locals-only slugfests.

I guess it’s not all bad … as it gives new teams a chance to gel and squash, and offers young riders opportunity to pick up some memorable results that might lead to things bigger and better in their hoped-for careers.  But one thing the NorCal has a bad reputation for is … not giving the rest of the nation much idea or evidence of the glory and characters that speckle and sprout from our home region events.

Our promoters don’t get publicized in Cyclingnews or Velonews very often … though we sometimes do have local newspapers covering the races as best their ballsport-oriented sports reporters are able.

But to get into CN or VN … you need to do the work of submitting - and it’s pretty damn draining just putting on an event, let alone slogging through all the publicity work afterwards.

It’s a shame - but, it is what it is.

And so, with Cherry Pie this weekend ~ we got to see the new Yahooligans running rampant over the NorCal 12-cent dreamers, something fierce. But we also got to see the continuing rise of one of the young barnstormers of our region … Chris Stastny.  The Staz is riding for the GiantStrawberries this year, and I say kudos for Gallino picking up another young talent to showcase to the nation.

CalGiant has been supporting men&women racers, events, and organizations of cycling in the US for over a decade.  And they have become THE premier men’s amateur cycling team contesting NRC and pro-am events.  Kudos to this program ~ and here’s hoping for another year of putting in the work.

It is appreciated by the fans and afficianados.
.

Cherry Pie also gave us a good look at how the TIBCO train will be rocking this year. Alison Starnes and Meg Guarnier crushed a leadout like they were doing the Spectrum ride … and Brooke Miller gave it the coup de grace with an eye-popping sprint to smashingly nab another win in NorCal.

But forcing notice were the riding of U-23 talents Lauren Hecht and Lindsey Myers.  These two young beasts continue to make their way up in the ranks of development and will undoubtedly be pushing pedals in high profile events soon.

Right on.

But the season has just begun ~ and now we move on to the Fresno madness … Pine-notso-Flat, Dinuba, and maybe even the Cantua Creek cowpoocrossings.

Wish Horner were here again …

- - -

Return of the Randoms …

There are so many stories to tell about cycling in our region - the NorCal.  And good on’ya for any and all interested in reading, spreading, or even writing about the folks and exploits that make it all happen.  Here’s a little lunchtime burp-up of thoughts from the fatter side of the saddle ~

- - -

Shelley Evans (was Olds) … RidetheWorldCups.com

Shelley Evans is going to the World Championships for velodrome racing.

Let me just tap that into your noggins again - a homegrown talent from NorCal is going to the World Championships … and, she’s got one helluva good chance at winning her some medals while there.

Hellyeah.

These events are part fundraiser, mostly tune-ups for Shelley to get in the hellacious speeds and sufferings necessary for her to perform at her best against … the best.

These are always a good time, so if you’ve ever been interested in checking out velodrome racing - come on down to NorCal’s breeding grounds for champions.  Hellyer Velodrome produces big riders, and it’s your local track.

When: Sat Feb 20th, track opens @ 12:30, racing starts @ 2pm.
What: Points Races, Scratch Races, Keirin Races & since the UCI deemed the Madison un-worthy ~ it’s going to be the only worthy addition to the Olympics, the Miss-n-Out.

Prizes? $100 cash (3 deep) each event for the A’s.

Plus, a very special new event called “Drop Shelley”:

$100 to the rider who can drop Shelley over either a flying 1K, or flying 3K.  Full aero gear is allowed (Shelley will not use any). Only 1 attempt will be allowed per RTWC, so if you think you have what it takes, please RSVP rob at otbphoto dot com

Rules for “Drop Shelley”
- Flying Start
- Aero gear is allowed
- Distance is stated before the race (either 1K or 3K)
- “Dropped” is > 2 bike lengths @ the finish
- Shelley defends the $100 by not being dropped
- Shelley wins the $100 by coming around on the line (winning the race)

http://www.ridetheworldcups.com

- - -

NorCal Men in Tights - the new teams, the old teams … the rumbling manherds

Yayhoo!s on bikes

There’s a new squad formed up in Norcal, but filled with a lot of familiar faces.  It’s a team organized around the interwebs business, Yahoo!, and the fellas will apparently be interfacing a bit with the organization’s own cycling enthusiasts. Not a bad idea - as any way we can get desk jockies on bikes is always a good thing, in my opinion.

The goals and roster of the team look to pit them square against the 800 lb gorilla of men’s cycling in NorCal - ‘dem CalGiantStrawberries.

“Based in Northern California, the team [Yahoo!] plans to race the majority of its season on the West Coast as well as a portion of the National Racing Calendar (NRC). Dependent upon its success in the US circuit in 2010, the team plans to move on to Continental Status in 2011.”

Well, good for them.

The team scalped a few quality riders from the NorCal ranks … and it will be interesting to see how they match up and race against the other boys.  Riders like Evan Huffman, Ryan Parnes, Phil Mooney, Vince Owens, Adam Switters and Tyler Dibble are all strong, proven riders of NorCal that deserve to get some time cracking at the NRC ranks - and I hope that the experienced riders like Copeland, Briggs & Bosch will do the work of putting them in the position to do so.

Should be good fireworks.

Of course, it does grate my nuggets a bit that Kevin Klein is managing the squad … sure, he’s always been skilled at scrounging up pretty things to pedal around on … but I’ve never been impressed with how he races his bike and consider him one of the legendary wheelsucks in NorCal.  Meh ~ hope he proves me wrong this year. I guess.

Still - there’s a handful of quality young talent getting a chance to be seen on the NRC stage … so, cheers to that.  Wheelsuck.

- - -.

Webcor/Alto Velo - still going, still in them ugly kits

The AV team has been a juggernaut of NorCal cycling forever … seeming to field half the entries in some events.  But in the past couple years, the P1/2 squad has really taken off and they may have some new recruits in 2010 that will make the squad even more exciting to watch.

The green boys are always willing to launch attacks and put themselves to the front of a bike race ~ but, they also have a maddening tendancy to miss winning breaks, and more times than acceptable ride with more balls than brains.

Let’s hope 2010 sees them going cogitative in their barbarism.

- - -

Wells Fargo Racing - giving it gas

The Wells Fargo squad has put in a lot of effort to support and develop young up-and-comers in the NorCal peloton ~ and I see this group as having some intriguing shots at podiums when the inevitable infighting occurs within and amongst the bigger squads of the region.

The Fargo boys have one of the more inspiring stories in young Colin Samaan.  He is the rider who had a near-fatal car collision a few years back … and has worked hard to bring himself back to the cycling world.  He’s still only 20 years old, but as team captain Mark Deterline says,

“He is learning and maturing, but one of the things that makes him so compelling is that he is a good guy – likeable, confident yet humble, dedicated to team & teammates.”

The Fargos also have a good story in one of their new recruits, Phillip Snodgrass, who moved to Santa Rosa from Oklahoma solely to race in NorCal and in the hope of eventually turning pro.

That’s good stuff.

- - -

Team Clif Bars - chew, don’t swallow

Another mainstay of NorCal cycling is the Clif road team … always a hodgepodge of Bay Area wacknuts who race their bikes around town mostly to be seen in their coolio kits.

I got no problem with that.

JD Bergmann is always good for a solid sprint finish and even broke the mold last year by throwing himself out solo in a number of crits around the region.  I know, cause I was screaming his name over the announcer’s mic at a slew of them.

But, they’ve also got young Joe Ianarelli winning an early season sprint finish for the squad at the Cal Aggie Crit … and that could be a good sign of things to come for the CLIF boys.

Still ~ they’ve got a long way to go to match the talent and depth of the honcho squads in NorCal … and it will be pretty damn interesting to see how this year’s racing shakes out.

- - -

Williams Cycling - fielding a squad, too???

Yup … it had to happen sooner or later ~ but, Williams Cycling has branched out to putting up some advertising dollars into a platoon of young pedalers.  This is a damn good development, and I can’t wait to see how the boys will perform this year.

They’ve got hardman Andres Gil with them as mentor/example of how to suffer like a monkey … but, overall I just want to see these kids having fun and racing their butts off.

Good on ‘ya, Williams Cycling.  Thanks for supporting grassroots cycling … events & racers.

- - -

More to see, more to read, more to talk shit about.

… see you ’round the races.