NorCal Cycling News – Cycling and Racing in Northern California

 

The new USA Cycling website is definitely less ugly.  If the huge gold medals on the home page are any indicator, I would say that USA Cycling is trying to secretly gear up for London 2012 Olympic Games.  Seeing as how the only cycling medals the USA has a hope of getting is Sarah Hammer, the Women’s TT,  and an outside shot at the women’s road race, maybe they are trying to signal a big year of investment in women’s cycling?  I won’t hold my breath, but the new site did make it possible for me to dig up some of the weekend results

CCCX

Moreno Dulce (Rouse Bicycles) took a win in the small but strong women’s field that included heavyweights such as Mary Maroon, Jane Despas, and Lauraleen Fenech.  After waking up early and taking on the Mt. Diablo Hill Climb Rand Miller almost tasted glory once again this year but was spoiled by Ethan Atkins (Metromint) proved the spoiler and won his second race in two weeks after taking the top spot at the 2 Wheel Cycling and Early Bird Criterium (ugh – FIX THAT NAME!)

Tour De Nez

I’m not sure what it says about the cycling press when the only good story i find on an NRC Crit is in a Reno newspaper but… The men’s field got SoCal’d by Daniel Ramsey, who broke away and held it for a win, and then Rahsaan Bahati took the field sprint.  I hate SoCal Crit Monkeys, I think we need to start a NorCal Crit Monkey breeding program… Reaney can be the donor…

Anyway… At least NorCal women rock.  Amber (Rais) Pierce took the win over a heavy women’s field in a solo break off the front.  Pierce is slogging it out in Europe with the  Diadora-Pasta Zara-Manhattan squad but returned to her family home in Reno and was able to jump in the race this weekend while visiting relatives.  Aside from my relief that a SoCal rider didn’t school us in the women’s race, it’s great to see Pierce get a big result in front of her home crowd.

Hanan Alves-Hyde (Peanute Butter Co 2012)  busted out her East Bay trackie sprint to teach Peninsula favorites Jane Despas (Yahoo) and Annie Fulton (Metromint) a lesson in how to hustle across the finish line.  Hanan comes on strong late in the year and this might be the beginning of a run for her if she can keep up and beat the likes of Fulton and Despas.    My prediction of a James Mattis (Cal-Giant) victory was spoiled by one of the Fremont Bank young guns, a certain William Myers, who I can honestly say I do not know anything about.  The reason is… he’s a recently upgraded Cat 3.  Sure he had some big Cat 3 wins but he beat a pretty good men’s field, the least of which was former national champion and Webcor pro James Mattis.  Myers will be one to watch.

 

 

 

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.

Hernando has filed this report via Facebook straight from the field.  Check out his facebook profile, , for additional details.  I must say he filed this update on the goings on at Cascade all via facebook. It makes for an EPIC facebook post.  Anyway… it’s a great update on a first hand look at Cascade and how some of the NorCal fleet is faring up North.

Women’s Race
BMC Total Care team rides strong – hero of the day is  as she claws back in to the race after an apeshit opening 3k climb led by Colavita and chased down by‘s …

Loads of attacks in the first 40 miles … but nothing gets away. It’s that 40 – 60 mile stretch that sees all the real action. A big group gets away from the women’s field … with  in it!!! ‘s is in the attack, too … but is called back to assist in the chase, probably because Whitten is just too dangerous.

As the women hit the final 10k of climbing … KMacgrath crushes it to finish high up. MASSIVE ride put in by Anna Barensfield to stay up in the top 10 after being in the break. puts in a fabulous ride, as well – moving up in the GC.

But the stage win goes to  … with a solo effort over the last few kilometers, after being away in the break. Just awesome.

Clara Hughes keeps the overall … somehow sticking with the powderkeg that is , as she did her best to crack her fellow canuckian in half.

Tomorrow’s criterium may well see another Colavita win … as they have some fantastic firepower in this field. But, I think a darkhorse might have to be either Ali Shanks or Tibco’s . Seeing Miller scorch around that last TT corner yesterday just makes me think this woman is ready to uncork a wicked break and burn away in the final corners.

Masters Update
was a total rockstar … as was his entire IronData/Thirsty Bear squad.  was up front setting ass-churning tempo all day long, with a gaggle of his teammates. Moves were away all day long, but the break of the day was started by Andres Gil.

Andres was super mad at me for not giving him a call-up in the men’s p1/2 crit at the  a couple weeks ago.

Andres: “My-chael … I’m mad a’t chu.” (in super cute latin accent)
Me: “Why, Andres? Did I shit talk you again on the interwebs?”
Andres: “Chu did’un give’a me a callup at Lodi … it took me, like, te-hn laps to get to ‘da front. Te-hn laps, My-chael!”
Me: “Andres, you have to blame  … he said, ‘NO callups for Michael David Winery riders.”
Andres: “He did!?!?”
Me: *snicker*
Andres: “My-chael … I’m REALLY mad at chu.”

So anyway, Phipps crushed the final climb and I think Andres stayed up there. When Andres went away, I bridged across with hardman Paul Drywal of Phipp’s team. It was a good move to make all the Oregonians chase.

There were four of us away … and it was pretty stupid for me to be there … but, I figured I owed Andres a bit of a gap on the field for the climb, and it was good to give  a free ride in the pack so he could unleash hell on the final climb. It was pretty textbook.

I’m sure results will be up soon … and I hope Phipps can hold off the TT specialists tomorrow. It’s a perfect TT for him, all uphill out for a few miles, then a bitchslap of 55t on the way back. He’ll be rockstar. And, I’ll be happy to lend him a hand in the circuit race to make sure he sticks the win.

But,  might be a super contender with his TT prowess … and there’s always the Oregonians and Utah highlanders to contend with. Fun times!

Men’s Report

Metromint had a strong Cat 2 showing. I’m looking for results from them. There’s loads of stories from the Cat2s and Cat3s.

In the Pro’s … it was pretty epic. Mancebo is unstoppable. And I have to say … the Spaniard is growing on me. I saw him at the prologue on Tuesday … just sitting around watching the racers – like 2 hours before his start. Now, this is a guy who used to be on the biggest team in the world … never seeing his bags, never touching grease for the bike … always getting a shuttled, chauvered life from start to finish. And here he was – just chilling on the side of the road just watching the racers and enjoying the vibe.

That measures positive for me. I just really, really, REALLY hope he’s racing clean and enjoying life.

? Update

Unfortunately, altitude caught up with her today. She had all the symptoms of minor altitude sickness today and it sent her into pretty bad distress. She gave it a thousand percent … and again, was AMAZING in bringing her water from the caravan and moving her up in the pack. But, the final climb saw beth come unglued a bit and finish in the 30s. She probably kept a low 20 GC … but, she’s incredibly disappointed.

It’s hard for her to be satisfied … even though it’s her FIRST F*ING year in the NRC.

jaysus.  shit … that’s all i’ve got for now.  ~ HERNANDO

 

I started out July thinking I would try to get a post up every day but then got sick on vacation (totally sucked, have to take another vacation to make up for it.)  I kept a log, with story ideas for each day, which i may throw up for Saturday reading but the last two days have been such great racing I couldn’t wait.  When the racing heats up so does the twitter action from the various pundits out there.  Here are a few of my favorites you should check out.

@ : So far my favorite of the bunch.  This CyclingNews.com editor is funny and insightful, plus she adds a little NorCal flair to her posts since she relocated to SF.

: Velonews, or is that Velo?, editor.  He is nothing if not prolific, and answers most peoples comments or queries.  He tends to be a little John-Tesh-Like in his dramatic pronouncements, but he retweets all the good pro comments, and well… i love John Tesh.

@ : Jason Gay is a sports editor and cycling enthusiast at Wall Street Journal.  The dude single handedly saved NewsCorp with an article about Jens Voigt in the the Wall Street Journal!  His twitter feed on the tour is hilarious.

@ : What started out as a funny parody has grown a little tired, and too much of a downer, since he’s cozied up for Floyd Landis and other twitter jokesters.  Still… when The Overlord goes into first person, and gets in character he’s a trip.

@ : Lyne is not just a domestic cycling fan, she had commentary going through a lot of the tour stages too.  She’s best when she’s angry, and since it has been taking so long to get official results up at Cascade…she’s in rare form.

 

 

Bend seems like a second home to NorCal young retirees and cyclists. NorCal’s finest have converged on Bend one more time for the Cascade Cycling Stage Race.  Coverage is spotty, you can try and tune into the official twitter feed , or try , or for live updates.

Women’s Update

Pascale Schneinder, i’m just treating her like a local at this point, ripped up a huge TT for Vanderkitten.  Starnes and Guarnier also put in strong TT’s to finish in the top 20.  The road race sorted out the contenders pretty quicky with Starnes, Schneinder, and Newell putting in strong rides to finish under two minutes behind the leaders.  A big group of NorCal riders finished 4 minutes after the leaders, a group which included, Katheryn Curi Mattis who is making mini-comeback as a DS/rider for the Webcor team.   Starne’s is the best placed NorCal rider in the GC sitting in 15th, 1:20 down on the leaders.  Bec Werner and Emily Collins are sitting in 4th and 5th, respectively, in the best young rider competition, so they might be able to claw their way into a jersey if the climbers have an off day.

Men’s Update

I don’t know how I feel about Mancebo and Grajales dominating the stage racing scene in the US.  It does look a little scary with all the Trek-Livestrong and Chipolte Development riders littering the top 20 in the GC.  Nate English had a strong ride in the road race coming in the top 20 less than a minute behind the leaders.  English is sitting in 24 which he should be able to improve given his performance at Mt. Hood earlier this year.