Surf city Halloween race Aptos High

 This blurry photo is of Sarah Kerlin making her comeback to racing after a long layoff. She would ride a strong race and finish 6th in the women's A race.

This is Katie Jay Melina charging through the field after a chain fell off on the start line. She would make the women's elite podium in 5th with a very  strong showing.

 Janel Lodge on her way to 3rd place in the women's masters 35+ race.

 Jane's husband Mark Howland would also make the podium in the mens 45 + A field at 5th place. Benoit Dubuisson would ride to 6th in the men's 45 B race and Jason Rahlwes would do the same in the men's 35 A race. Other placings will be up on the surf city site for the master's and B events.

 Alex Work did a great come from behind sprint to get 9th in the men's elite race showing that the hilly course didn't keep him from having something left for the last lap.

 Thie is the elite men's podium with Aaron Bradford finishing 4th in spite of a hard crash midway through the race. Scott Chapin always rode near the front and captured 3rd .

Little did Scott know that this pose would be prophetic on the day that the Giants would win the would series.

BASP II Candlestick point......again !

 With many of our team either sick or at the UCI race in Los Angeles we brought a smaller contingent to this second edition of the BASP race. Here's Benoit Dubuisson on his way to 3rd place in the 45B sold out field of 60 racers.

 Here's Alan Bennett, not so lucky this time with a flat and a lengthy visit to the pit. He would finish 40th.

 Michael Schaller was similarly delayed by crashes and finished 34th.

The old man came good in the 55+ men's race with 4th place and a box of Cliff bars.

 Benoit with a medal and a box of cliff bars for 3rd place.

 This is Zac Stanley with two laps remaining in the 35B sold out race. He would later shed the rider with him and ride in solo for the win.

 To the winner goes the plaque, a new thing for the BASP races.

 Janel Lodge, our only Master's woman racer to make it to the race rode well for 4th place in the 35+ field.

 Sarah Kerlin is back and racing after a long layoff. Looks like she is getting back up to speed again with a great ride in the women's A field for 4th place.

Brian Staby rode to 8th place in the men's 35 A race-Mark Howland finished in the top 10 in the men's 45 A race. Matt Jordan , Matt Garcia, Aaron Odell and Jason Rahlwes also raced-placings to come.

Team bike at Rapha club

Sarah Kerlin's team bike was on display at the Rapha Club in a Brian Vernor Nor-Cal cyclocross exhibit. There were lots of great photos and written bits on display, even the team horn. Although this exhibit was months ago I thought that it would be good to show here in the middle of the current season, especially as there will be a few big races in the S.F. area in the coming days.

CCCX #4

   We had two first time winners at this race: Benoit Dubuisson won the 45 B men's race and Matt Garcia won the open B men's race. Mark Howland  had a 4th place finish in the men's 45 A race.

 Alex Work seen here ferrying a wheel that rider Katie Jay Melina flatted in the women's A race. As a result of this help she was able to finish 4th.

 She's back ! Stella Carey seen here for the first time this season in the women's A race.

 Janel Lodge rode to 3rd in the women's 35 + race with Michelle Perez coming in 2nd in the 45 + race.

 Ellen Sherrill came in 2nd in the women's A race and is strengthening her overall ranking in the series.

Scott Chapin also came in 2nd in the men's A race with Alex Work coming in at 7th. More placings to come and also will be viewable on the CCCX website.

BASP 1, Candlestick point

 Unfortunately, my camera is dying but here's what I got for photos this day. The team began early and Brent Harris and I were racing the 55+ master's at 8:00 a.m.  We both managed to stay upright and get on the podium with me in 4th and Brent in 5th. Later, the 45 B and 35 B groups were off with huge sold-out fields. Benoit Dubuisson finished an impressive 8th out of 60 riders followed by Michael Schaller in 34th. Zac Stanley was sidelined by an early crash but still made the top 20 in the 35 b group. The ride of the day had to be in the women's A race as Ellen Sherrill made a move in the first lap that proved to be the winning move. She was joined on the podium by Katie Jay Melina in 5th. Natasha Perry and Mary Ellen Ash both got delayed by flat tires but both finished.

 Janel Lodge made the podium in the women's 35 + race with a strong ride. Brian Staby finished 7th in a nearly sold out 35 A group with Jason Ralhwes in the top 15. Mark Howland had a top 20 in the men's 45 A race.

Another stellar ride was Scott Chapin's 3rd place from a 4th row star in the men's A race. The only two riders in front of him were pros, the Jaques Mayne brothers. Scott is getting closer every race to these guys. Aaron Odell continues with an 11th place followed by newcomer Andrew Juiliano and Ben Dodge in the top 15.

2012 team issue cyclocross bike

I wish to thank all of our parts sponsors for helping out our elite squad with some really excellent hardware. Here's the list:
Easton Bell sports : Fork, wheelset, bar,stem and seatpost
Chris King components : Bottom Bracket and headset
Paul Component engineering: Brakeset, cable hangers where needed , crankset and hubset on the single speeds
Giro: You can't see it in the photo but we all wear 'em- Helmets !

CCCX III CSUMB

 This was a new course for all but the team rode it like they knew it for the most part. In spite of some mechanicals and flat tires the results were excellent with Natasha Perry and Janel Lodge going 1st and 3rd in the women's 35 + race. Ellen Sherrill fought hard for the win and finished 2nd followed by Katie Jay Melina in 4th in the women's elite race.

 Michelle Perez was so far out in front in the women's 45 + race she didn't know how many laps she had left to finish. Fortunately she did them all and took the win.

 In the men's elite race Scott Chapin led from the gun and took a convincing win. Team mates Andrew Juliano and Alex Work held off all but one of the field coming in 3rd and 4th. This was Andrew's 3rd ever cyclocross race.

 Here's Scott in front, in control and staying smooth.

 Michelle Perez working hard for that win.

 Ellen racing with tired legs from CrossVegas still able to be at the front.

 Katie Jay showing why she is an Elite.

Late in the race Andrew moves past another rider to get his first CCCX podium. Other placings coming soon.

In their tires......

It has been said that an army marches on its stomach. A cyclocross team rolls on its tires and here's a box filled with the fastest rubber we could afford. I think I have ordered about twenty tubulars so far and there's little doubt that there will be a need for more before the season is over.

Post team party recovery ride

 Tom Cuthbertson's circle of stones near the university.

 Eucalyptus grove overlook, Wilder ranch.

Chinquapin road , upper campus.

Photos from CCCX II

 Howie gets on the podium with a 4th place in the 45 A group.

 Jason Rahwles continued his podium count with a 4th place in the men's 35 A group. Benoit Dubuisson also got 4th in the men's 45 B group followed by Michael Schaller in 10th. I got 5th in the 55 plus followed by Brent Harriss in 6th.

Scott Chapin broke up the Cal Giant podium sweep with a solid 3rd place. Andrew Juliano followed in 8th, Aaron Bradford in 10th followed by Alex Work and Ben Dodge. Aaron Odell had a douple wheel change that relegated him pretty far back in the field. . ( More placings soon. )  Natasha Perry won the 35 + women's race followed by Janel Lodge in 3rd. Ellen Sherrill got 4th in the women's A racefollowed by Katie Jay Melina in 6th.  Newcomer Kate Furtner got 4th in the women's B race despite a double flat.

Maiden voyage on the new sled

Ellen and Katie Jay on the Friday ride that wasn't supposed to happen. I guess it did have to happen as Ellen's new bike had to get ridden for the first time. Tomorrow it will get raced for the first time.......Katie Jay will take to the course for the first time this season. It should be a real beat down.

Time to get ready.............

This season Easton set our elite team up with some outstanding wheels.Scott is setting up his EC90 wheels with white Grifo file treads for the early dry conditions.

CCCX 1 Fort Ord

 The Bicycle Bluebook women were nearly all on the podium today starting with Natasha Perry winning the 35 + race. Janel Lodge followed in 3rd.

 Ellen Sherrill was our only Womens A rider to show up to this early season race but she represented well with a 3rd place.

 This fuzzy photo shows Michelle Perez atop the podium with a win in the 45+ group. Kathleen Bortolussi kept her  company up on the boards.

 Scott Chapin rode a solid race and came in 2nd behind Cal Giant rider Andy Jaques-Mayne, a former national team member. Scott is showing serious form and should be a threat . Alex Work finished in 6th and newcomer (in the photo below) Andrew Juliano , Ben Dodge  and Jeff Patton rounded out the field. Sean Coffey scored a top-10 finish (7th) in the single speed A group and newcomer Zac Stanley got 4th in the men's 35 B group. Jason Rahlwes got a 4th place in the men's 35 A group. Mark Howland got a top 10 in the men's 45 A group . Benoit Dubuisson got 8th in the men's 45 B group followed by Allan Bennett in 12th.

Scott was happy to give an English-as-second-language interview at the end of his race.

Not quite ready for prime time

Here's Ellen Sherrill's 2012 team bike in process. I don't have shifters yet so it will have to sit out the race tomorrow. The Easton wheels are really going to make this thing a rocket sled.

The last Friday pre-season ride

We were treated to a visit by team veteran Dave Wyandt. New rider Andrew Juliano got a skinny tire dirt intro on the pit single speed , Scott Chapin rocked his steel bike and Kathleen Bortolussi got a bee sting on the downhill. I got a pinch flat about the same time but with all that it was still a great ride. Next weekend the races start at CCCX and I think we'll be ready. Team sponsors Pro-Gold, Giro, Easton, Paul Component engineering have provided us with generous support. Our title sponsor Bicycle Bluebook has really set us up with resources to have a full program for our elite team. Returning sponsors HRS,Traugott Guitars ,CX Nation and Pasta,etc. Have come through for us in a big way. Hopefully we will match the success of the last few years and possibly even improve on our record.