NorCal Cycling News – Cycling and Racing in Northern California

This weekend is the Lodi Crit and I’m hoping to see you all there. I’m going to be announcing for the event, and I miss screaming sess-ually explicit shenanigans about you spandex cladders.

Registration for Lodi: https://www.sportsbaseonline.com/events/index.xhtml?categoryId=37422&conversationId=115991

The Lodi Crit is a super-cool downtown event with lots of prizes ($7k), primes, and shady-spots to chill and watch some hot-ass bike racing. Though the temps will be a bit more reasonable for this year’s edition, this is a course that is always filled with slobbering dreadnaughts who slay themselves into pavement puddles of goo. I’ve seen people absolutely destroy themselves with effort on this course … it’s so beautiful.

Safe, well-designed, and fun – the Lodi Crit finishes are usually about half-n-half, with a few breaks stealing the day in some categories, and always at least a couple brass-knuckled field sprints to rile the spirits. For those sick of the recent spills … cough cough [burlingame], cough cough [davis] … this is the race to reinvigorate your love of nascar on bikes. The Lodi crit is fast and attacker friendly, with just enough sassy turn-action to keep it safe and everybody on-plot. I really dig this crit.

With the superpimp San Rafael Crit the night before, there should be lots of strong crit-junkies hungry for some more cash. Word is, PB&Co’s Coryn Rivera is showing up at SanRafael to defend her incredible streak of Project Sport wins … that’s badass. She’s going to have to take on a few NorCal beauties who are coming on to some sweet form. Mary Ellen Ash has been crushing the field sprints lately, and she’s a serious contender for both crits this weekend. Webcor’s Mary Maroon and Bec Werner are knocking again … so the door very well could be swinging open for one of them. Hopefully Primal Wear’s Emily Kachorek will be there … and with Beth Newell of Fremont Bank teaming up with her super-fit leader, Susannah Breen … I’m not sure PB&Co will have a big enough team to keep all those break-minded riders in check. Should be a massive show.

In the men’s field – there’s always a chance Rahsaan Bahati will show up and find some form … but, the big favorites have to be Logan Loader, Steve Reaney, and Roman Kilun. Kilun is getting ready to assault the Cascade Classic … which will be an absolute slaughterfest this year. So, Kilun’s fitness is going to be a big factor in any race he shows at. And Loader is swinging pretty damn deep into a 2nd peak of his season, after crushing the early part of 2011. His win at the Davis Crit recently shows he can handle the heat and the speeds. But Steve Reaney is very, very hard to beat at San Rafael … and is 10-times tough enough to grind everyone into submission at the Lodi-hardman’s crit.

This weekend is pure gold for us crit diggers.

Register now – and see you there.
hernando