NorCal Cycling News – Cycling and Racing in Northern California

I’m sure Ken Hernandez is going to have full results up on the interwebs any minute now for the Wente Road Race … but since I may have a few minutes drop on the MAN ~ I’ll post winners of the men’s and womens P1/2 races.

The Fellas

Marc Pro – Strava took 4 out of the top 5 in Saturday’s wind swept Wente road race.  It was an impressive display from the marauding highlanders, with  JSM just ahead of teammates Justin Rossi (2nd), Spencer Collom (4th), and Frank Spiteri (5th).  Cal Giant hardman Jesse Moore was 3rd, being off the front with a rotating set of dreamers throughout most of the day.

I’ve a good few dozen pictures of the men’s race and will try and scrub out some narrative of the action as I caught glimpses of it.

But the bottom line is – the MPStrava boys came to Wente with a few scores to settle … and went straight to the mattresses to do ‘em.  They didn’t waste a ton of energy like they did at Copperopolis the week before, and didn’t have near the bad luck they had then either.

But more importantly, with the biggest team in the field, they were still able to stack the front end of the podium in an aggressive, tactical race.  Good show.

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Fremont Bank … ladies style

Metromint’s Molly Van Houweling put them to the test with 2 tremendous solo efforts during the day, but Fremont’s left-right combo was too much for the women’s field at Wente.

Susannah Breen crushed the final ascent to stamp down her authority as the climbing queen of Norcal, with her teammate Beth Newell doing the work of a day laborer to set her up all race long – and even having enough in the tank to take a solid 3rd herself at the finish.  Webcor’s Rebecca Werner continues to show her smarts and a stacked power meter to match, jumping away from Newell on the final climb for 2nd.

Devon Gorry from Bike Aptos was 4th, and Annie Fulton of Metromint was a fine 5th – again letting our region know this is a rider to watch develop in 2011.

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i’ll have a couple hundred pics up as soon as I can – likely on the facebooks.  There’ll be a link here, and more gossip about how i think the racing went.

p~0

hernando

An excellent communique from the Hellyer Race Programs Chair, Beth Newell:

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Hellyer has had a busy spring of racing, with many Get Ready for Summer Races (thanks Rick Adams!), Sprint Tournaments (thanks Joakim Vinberg!), Tuesday Night Derny for the Masses (thanks Maurice Monge & Dave McCook!) & Enduro Omniums (thanks Michael Hernandez & Jonathan Racine!), amongst trainings sessions for youth & adults alike.  Thanks to all the volunteers for putting on these great events & for all the participants for coming out and supporting your local track!

Summer is here and May begins a very busy month of racing at Hellyer Park Velodrome.  Below are some highlights:

Racing:

Saturday, April 30:  Not May, but almost May…. Master’s Omnium    – thanks promoter Warren Geissert. http://ncnca.org/ncncaevent/hellyer-park-masters-omnium

Monday – Introduction to Racing:  Big thanks to Steve Jones for putting on this great Monday night series every Monday from May – August.  Give Steve a hug next time you see him!  Steve does an excellent job introducing us to racing safely at the track, explaining all those little things you never understood.  Attend one, attend all – you can never get enough practice.  This session also substitutes for Saturday beginner sessions, for those who cannot make it down on Saturdays.  Information is here: http://ridethetrack.com/info_mon.html

Tuesday NCVA races begin this Tuesday, May 3rd.  Big big thanks to Larry Nolan, Ted Burns, Jay Parkhill & Mateo Ortega for promoting in the month of May.  (Be sure to give them a hug, as well.)  Please check out the website linked below for details for Tuesday night.  Categories for Tuesday night will be: Category 4/5, Category 1/2, and Women 4.  Details on the weekly race schedule can be found on the track website: http://ridethetrack.com/info_tues.html Please remember to bring your USAC license.

Wednesday NCVA races begin next Wednesday, May 10th.  Big thank you to Joakim Vinberg, Greg Tsutaoko & Dylan Reynolds for promoting in the month of May.  Information on Wednesday’s can be found below – be sure to check the website.  Categories for Wednesday night will be: Category 3, Women 2/3, and a Rotating Category (alternating every 3 weeks between: “Master’s Omnium”; “Sprinter’s Omnium”; and “Madison Omnium”).  Wednesdays are canceled when there is a Friday night that week, so be sure to look at the calendar)  Check the website for details on Wednesday’s racing. http://ridethetrack.com/info_wed.html Please remember to bring your USAC license.

Questions about Tues & Wed formats? Go here for Frequently Asked Questions: http://www.ridethetrack.com/pdfs2011/TuesWed_FAQs.pdf

Fridays: Michael Hernandez & Jonathan Racine are back at it again.  First “Hernando & Racine Productions” ROCKTAPE Friday night is May 6th – hosted by LTO Velo.  Money, prizes, and mockery galore.  Race- or come to watch!  Information here: http://ridethetrack.com/info_fri.html

Weekend Races — Get Ready for Summer: May 8th and May 28th! Rick Adams will have you racing more events than you ever thought possible in three hours. Get down to these great events and qualify for the TVC!  http://ridethetrack.com/pdfs2011/grfsummer2011.pdf

Clinics:

Women’s Track Clinic - Thank you Elizabeth Hernandez-Jones, super promoter & Annabell Holland, super coach!  Details here: http://ridethetrack.com/women_clinic.html

Fast Track Coaching Clinic – The British are coming – information here on this clinic at our track: http://ncnca.org/ncncaevent/fast-track-coaching-clinics

Training, Training, Training:

And, as usual – check out the regular training sessions at our track:  See the calendar for details – http://www.ridethetrack.com/calendar/index.php

-Tuesday morning training (thanks Mark Rodamaker)
-Tuesday afternoon junior session (thanks Andrew Lainier and Dave McCook)
-Thursday afternoon training (thanks Dave McCook)
-Sunday morning session (Thanks Annabell Holland)
-Sunday junior session (Thanks John Cheetham & the many other volunteers)

Lastly–Consider promoting an event. We are still seeking promoters to round out the Tuesday & Wednesday night race schedule.  Promoting is fun, rewarding, and not as hard as you might think.  If you are interested in giving it a try and shadowing someone – please be in touch.  Also, is there an event you’d like to see on the calendar, but don’t?  Keirin tournament, More Friday Nights, Madison Tournament, More weekend races?  Considering promoting!  Our events at Hellyer are made by volunteers willing to plan events.  The NCVA will help you with preparing for an event, so if you have an idea – send me an email.  A busy track is a happy track!

Look forward to seeing everyone at the track this summer.  Any additional questions – please send me an email.  Thanks for your time.

Thanks-

-Beth

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Hell-yeah, It’s Hellyer!

thanks to chica sexy’s fergus tanaka for this tantalizing bit of foreplay. Hellyer’s Get Ready for Summer Series …. the track is where it’s at.

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New Time Trial in Rio Vista May 7^th.

If you haven’t heard about this TT – spread the word.  It’s a solid course, early enough in the morning so you can make the Pittsburg Crit that evening … and it’s for good causes.  Check out the event http://www.socalreg.com/schedule.asp?race=Montezuma+TT

There’s only space for 150 riders at this TT … so register now!

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Copperopolis … feats of strengths and determination

To say that there was repaving on the Copperopolis course is like saying that Joan Rivers had more cosmetic surgery … it ain’t gonna ever be enough.

There was a phenomenal number of flats out there on Saturday – from cattle guard pinches to pothole descending explosions, people were piling into the backs of trucks faster than at a Home Depot on a Saturday morning.  I started with the men’s p1/2 race, thinking that they’d at least start the first lap a little chill in the face of 100+ miles of bone jarring, sphincter bruising crappo roads and face punching climbs.

Fat chance.

 

The MPStrava boys (http://marcpro-strava.com/) pseudo drilled it out of the parking lot and we were near enough to single file in the first mile to make me regret ever seeing a bicycle.  It was just hard enough to be uncomfortable, and make you angry that the guy in front wouldn’t just have attacked and gone off by himself, rather than drag us all into this purgatory of un-warm up.

Then of course, as soon as we hit the climb, the pace eased off and we tempo’d it up.  Over the top, my legs were already feeling pinched and beef-jerkied, and I knew my day was near to being over before it started.  My seatpost had cracked, and I’d replaced it Friday night without much thought of positioning or ass-comfort.  The seatpost replacement was one of the profile fast forward thingies … or, as BJM termed it – the ugliest ass-hatchet he’d ever seen.

Anyway, after the climb – things were slow until after the dam and the chicane through the farmhouses, and then it went apeshit with CalGaint, Strava, Nate English and BJM crushing nuts to end the race for all the pretenders.   Since my legs were two sacks of useless, I was able to sit back and watch the action as BJM put on a clinic of how to select efforts and attacks to follow and make.  Nate English and BJM were the strongest, but if there were ever a race that showed the difference between a decade’s tactical experience and a strongman still learning the ropes … it was this Saturday’s Copperopolis.  From the basics of when to attack, to how to conserve energy when the heat is on … it was evident from that first lap who was going to win the race.  BJM is simply in a class by himself.

In the end, it would be BJM, English, and CalGiant’s Jesse Moore & Ozzie Olmos at the front of the race for 80 miles of rotating pain.  On the 4^th lap, BJM and English put the squash on the Berries and only Moore was able to survive the press.  Olmos made a brave solo effort to keep off the dwindled chasers, but would be snapped up late on the last lap.  Down to three, it was BJM and English drawing knives on each other … with BJM the last to draw blood.

English is showing a huge amount of form this year – especially in the time trials, turning in big results at Sea Otter and Redlands.  He should have a strong performance at Gila this week … positioning isn’t quite as critical at that event, as it’s more based on pure climbing engine and fitness.  However, being with the leaders at Gila is also heavily contingent upon getting race support for food and hydration.  I’m not sure if English is going to have the support needed … but if he does, he could crack a top-8 out there in one of the hardest stage races in the nation.

Of course, the bully of the mountains thus far has been Francisco Mancebo.  Meh, he’s not one of my favorite riders as I still have doubts over his involvement in the Spanish ‘Puerto’ ring.  But, it is what it is.  Personally, I’m hoping that Bissell puts in an assassin’s ride and takes down the climbing giant.

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Speaking of taking the giant down

Rebecca Werner is one helluva rider.  In the women’s race at Copperopolis, it was the Fremont Bank heavy hitters making the selections up each climb.  The first and second laps saw riders regrouping to a lead group forced by Susannah Breen and Beth Newell’s climbing pace.  Metromint’s Annie Fulton, Jane Despas of Yahoo, and Webcor’s Rebecca Werner would crest the climbs with Breen and Newell.  Behind, it would be a Molly Van Houweling train of TT-pace bringing riders back up to the leaders.

Lap 2 would see MVH making almost all the pace across the high-plateau at Copperopolis.  I was following the race behind, and couldn’t help but pull out a few hairs in frustration at MVH’s willingness to make pace, and yet not attack and go on a break in her territory of mastery.  On flat, rolling terrain – there are few who can match MVH’s strength and determination.  But the woman seems genetically predisposed to sit at the front of a field instead of attacking it.

A little less than a mile before the backside climb, Breen would flat and take out any attacking option of the Fremont Bank riders on the hill.  Newell kept watch in the group as Breen got the wheel change and powered back to the pack at the base of the climb.  Once over the climb, Newell would then launch a solo effort off the front for the final lap, forcing the other teams to give chase through the big climb.  Pressing pace all the way up the climb, and over the dam – the lead group would finally be reduced to Rebecca Werner, Breen, and Newell.  Behind, Annie Fulton would just miss the final acceleration and be left in no-man’s land between the lead trio and the chasing Despas.  Behind Despas would be MVH and Kim Fong.

The Fremont women made a massive tactical error in communication, as Newell came off on a small popper and didn’t let Breen know.  Over the roller, with but a few miles remaining in the race, Breen then began rotating with Werner – all but delivering the Webcor rider to the line.  Werner masterfully controlled Breen on the final climb, setting a hard tempo that made Breen question whether she should put in an all-effort final attack on the powerful sprinter.

Coming to the line together, the result all but a foregone conclusion, the powerful Australian kicked away from Breen for a superb win.  Newell would solo in behind for 3^rd, with Fulton kicking away from Despas to take 4^th.   Werner is a smart, saavy rider.  She wasted no energy during the day and rode every pedalstroke for the win – making those with less of a sprint drop her if they didn’t want to get whooped by her.  And they didn’t.

The Fremont riders did make the race – doing all the attacking and riding the race as it should be … hard. They just made a serious error by giving up the 2 on 1 advantage over Werner.

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Cat 3s and Masters

The 35+  and 45+ races were won by the Safeway team – in diametrically opposite ways.  The 35s was dominated by Dan Martin, riding away from first his breakmate Brian Choi, and then a hard charging field.  It was an insanely strong performance put in by Martin.  In the 45s, sprinter Gregg Betonte survived the climbs and swept through the field to take a win that he’ll cherish for quite awhile.  It’s a big coup for Betonte, taking a win on terrain as familiar to him as a bad hair day.

The Cat 3s field was won by Fusion Sport’s, Michael Mulvihill in a ridiculously long and impressive breakaway.  Originally with 2 other riders, he was the only survivor of the move and held off the field for a win that signals another big talent moving into the Norcal p1/2s.  Winning the field sprint behind was Will Meyers of Fremont Bank … now with enough upgrade points to join his squad in the 1/2s as well.  Good strong young riders moving up in the ranks.

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Sorry that’s all I’ve got for now.  I should have written about the Chico Stage Race … and how Roman Kilun crushed nutz in the time trial and lead the charge at 35mph through the road race gravel.  But, time flies and some such excuses.

I know, I know … Bed Turns has been carrying the water for this website over the past weeks. His barrage of April Fool’s jokes sent riders and administrators of USACycling scrambling to find out which butts to kick or kiss. It was like somebody dropped a bag of irony on a herd of autistics.

There has been more than a few bucketfuls of happenings spilling over the past month that I should have been spewing satire about, as well. During a week where two major races were announced for women’s cycling – the Pittsburg Crit & Scotts Valley Grand Prix … each with a powerpacked prize list for women – the boy-centric Tour of California knuckledraggers leaked information that they were considering putting out a BillyJeanKing v BobbyRiggs battle of the sexes time trial down in Solvang.

Gavia at PodiumCafe squared out a strong bit of thinking on the subject – so you can read her critique of the leak and check out the good links she provides of others’ punditry … but, I’ll just say ~ AEG can suck it. The time for scraps at the table is over. Step up and invest in women’s racing. It’s just good business.

Speaking of women racing

Redlands was pretty awesome … even if I had to put up with SoCal for a week. Being in SoCal is like watching TV … the overwhelming sense of un-reality makes me want to call up Tyler Durden and break something beautiful.

Primal Wear rider, and Norcal hottie Emily Kachorek had a very, very strong Redlands. She was always in the action at the front end of things, and got a ton of exposure for the clothing company and MapMyRide website. Her Norcal hommie, Liza Rachetto was also prominent on the front end of things and was always out and about with her smashing smile and bashing pedalstroke. I have to say, the Primal team is one of my new favorites of the peloton and I very much hope that they will be able to expand their program in 2012.

Vanderkitten/Focus had a superb final day ride put in by Emily Collins on the Sunset Loop. She was caught out in the first lap explosion sparked by HTC’s Amanda Miller and Amber Neben. That first launch up the Sunset climb was in-tense. Collins chased bravely, went through groups, and ended up finishing up in the first chase. Well done. And big kudos for Vanessa Drigo on her ride in the criterium … she was consistently near the front and popped out a strong result.

The Vanderkitten team likely had about as much Socal press as any team out there … doing all the right things like visiting schools and networking with reporters. I don’t know how much clothing they’re selling lately, but VK is putting both there brand and Focus bikes in thousands of impressionable minds … every damn week.

The Webcor women were lead in GC by the Aussie sensation, Rebecca Werner. What a fighter this one is … just tough as nails and always ready to hammer. She’s an exciting rider to watch. For me, I have to toss out a huge apology to Webcor’s Mary Maroon for missing her feed on the Beaumont Road Race. I had a bottle out, but Beth was right behind her and I didn’t quite see that it was Maroon who was asking for a feed. My concentration was solely on Beth and I just flat out missed seeing Mary. What a douche! I owe her.

Speaking of Beth … her Audi/Danbury composite team had a pretty huge week of racing. Jen Purcell podium’d both at the Beaumont RR and the downtown criterium. Those are massive results. Lindsay Myers did all the right things and just BARELY missed out on a top-10 in the final day’s Sunset Loop horrorfest. She was superb for 8 laps, gliding at the front end of all the carnage … but, in that final lap she just lost contact as TIBCO’s Erinne Willock went ape-shit in the front group trying to crack the HTC stranglehold on the GC. But Myers did secure her spot on the US National Team for a European trip … where she is now, racing it up.

TIBCO had a decent week of racing – but had to settle for the kissing-sister awards of a podium in GC and team manager Lisa Hunt getting the ‘redlands good girl award.’ Willock and Carmen Small were in the lead group on the Sunset Loop … but couldn’t isolate Neben, nor shake her from the top-spot. It’s a tall order, and they did give it a solid go.

Colavita Forno D’Asolo were the major players regarding stealing headlines and crushing stage results. They won all stages after the prologue, and demonstrated a depth and talent that will be difficult to overcome in regards to team standings or year-long consistency. TCR is on spectacular form for the sprints, and Cath Cheatley is a major badass when it comes to working for her team, and taking advantage of her own opportunities. And while I think they have a few too many blondes on this squad for my personal tastes (speaking of sexism), I will say that I’m incredibly impressed with this team.

PeanutButter&Co had a bit of a struggle at Redlands, unable to crack the top end of things. But the race did confirm the return of Kirsten Armstrong … and since the US Natz time trial looks to be on a flattish course this year, look for her to be the favorite. She’s hungry and she’s dedicating everything to that one goal. The PB team is looking like they need another GC threat to make up for the loss of both Mara Abbott and Shelley Olds to the European Diadora-Pasta Zara team.

Olds is absolutely crushing it over in Europe this spring, hardly ever seeing the outside of the top-10 in any of her events. With a couple wins already under her belt, Olds is definitely one of the big names for the Olympic Road Race selection.