More Podium Pictures CCCX Manzanita Park

Brent The Elder

CCCX V

Although this isn't the first rainy race of the season, it was the first rainy race that wen off without a hitch. The CCCX crew headed by Rod and Keith are so dialed at putting on races now that all other series are going to have to up their game in many ways. Even though the wind was blowing and the rain was coming down, the turnout was good and the racing was epic. Throughout the day it would become clear who were the strong and who were the lucky. If you were both, you had an excellent day.

It will be a day or so before all the placings are available but I can speak of some that I witnessed. In the 35 A group Alex Work rode to 3rd place in a field that contained several past national champions. Alex has really found his spot in this group and is always up at the front.
Stella Carey rode to 5th place in the women's A event and immediately after that race went on to the single speed A event where she got a smashing 3rd place. Sometimes one race isn't enough.

I'm not sure where Katie Jay Melina finished in the women's A race but one look at this photo and you get what riding in these conditions is all about.
The start of the men's A race was dominated by our team up front . Only one rider, Aaron Bradford was able to beat our best. Josh snead and Scott Chapin rode to 2nd and 3rd with Dave Wyandt coming in not far behind. Ben Dodge had a good race as well at or near the top ten.
This photo will be the unofficial team podium shot as the actual podium for the mens event was scratched-too much rain, not enough spectators. At the end of the day, this is what you get ! In other races the placings are coming soon, as well as other photos.

Festival of flat tires

Pilarcitos season opening race could not have had a better buildup; New course, lots of riders and rain ! The actual race was not the outcome that anyone expected or wanted, for the most part. As many as 1/3 of participants suffered flatted or even destroyed tires......figure about 200 tires at $ 100 each for the tubulars-$ 20,000 in ruined or damaged racing tires. This course had so many sharp rocks on it that it was as if the race was strewn with broken glass. Folks on our team affected by flats: Stella Carey, Mark Howland, Tim Watson, Josh Snead, Aaron Odell, Scott Chapin, Katie Jay Melina, Benoit Dubuisson, Dave Wyandt, Kevin Crossley, Brett Lambert , Aaron Kereluk, Dean Poshard. Happy story of the day ? That would be the man in the middle of the photo above: Alex Work before laying to waste the best Nor-Cal 35 A field in a show of speed and bike handling that nobody could match-and, he didn't have a flat.
Another good result was Sarah Jordan's return to Pilarcitos with a fine 4th place always riding near the front.Stella Carey had an unfortunately timed flat to finish out of the medals, but not far.
Jumping is one way to warm up before a race. Katie Jay was jumping on the line for the women's A race....unfortunately, her last lap would be walking with a flat tire like many other competitors.
Another happy story was in the 55 + race where Brent Harris got his first podium ever in 5th.
Little did the men's A field know what destruction lied ahead in the next hour. Much of our top riders would be out of the race in the first few laps. Scott Chapin was the exception as he endured two bike changes to finish in 2nd place. Dave Wyandt rode with a front flat, had two bike changes and still rode to 8th place. Aaron Kereluk had a bike change and finished 23rd. Ben Dodge overcame a couple of hard falls to finish 25th.
Sarah shares the podium for the first time this year at BASP.
Scott on the second step after a terrific ride.

Lion of Fairfax

Josh Snead pretty much owns this race, not only winning it today but very year except one since the race was first held. This isn't a major spot on the cyclocross circuit but Ned Overend and Don Myrah showed up, as did most of our A squad. Josh, Scott and Aaron Odell went 1,2,3 in that order. Dave crashed out but Ben Dodge kept the tires on the course with a 12th place.

Here's Alex Work in his new guise, the killer of the 35 A class. There might not be anyone in Nor-Cal who can beat him right now. He rode away from everyone winning with a comfortable margin.
Here's Josh in a familiar pose, winning in Fairfax yet again.
Alex missed his podium so here's the unofficial medal shot. My guess is that he'll be getting a lot more medals before the season in over. In other races, new member Jon Mason rode to an 8th place in the open B catagory. Also, although there is no photograph to show it, I scored a rare win in the 55+ catagory. Sometimes the universe gives you a gift !

Bay 101 got talent !

Voila ! Benoit Dubuisson makes the podium in 4th place. Jeff Traugott was in 5th but a mistake by the race official left him out of this shot. Our 45 + B team is really doing well so far this season.
Brett Lambert has once again made it to the medals where we all expect to see him . He managed 5th place on a difficult day. Mark Howland won for the second time in a row at CCCX , making a statement that he wants to be on the top step of the podium at the end of the series. Stella Carey overcame the heat and hills to finish 3rd in the womens elite race fighting a close battle with 2nd place and current national masters champion Karen Brems.
Kathleen Bortolussi showed some great form getting second in the womens 35+ field coming in ahead of team mate Janel Lodge in 3rd. Our entrants in this field are always in the medals.

Our elite mens team showed up in full and rode a great show of power and successful tactics to claim all but one spot on the podium. The field was the best yet at a local race and many a class rider got left behind by our best riders. Winning was Scott Chapin who is currently on super form from a very diciplined summer of training. Third was Aaron Odell, always aggressive in the race. Fourth was Josh Snead who worked as a set-up man early and mid race to help keep the pace high. Fifth was Dave wyandt who overcame a twisted chain which he fixed during the race to get the last spot on the podium. Only Justin Robinson was able to keep the flush from happening.
Kevin Crossley nearly got a win in the single speed A group , leading the race until the last lap. He hung on for second.

CCCX III Fort Ord

Kathleen Bortolussi negotiating the barriers did a good job on three hours sleep to get 3rd place behind team mate Janel Lodge in the women's 35 plus. Michelle Perez finished on the podium as well in 5th place.
Mark Howland outrode the field again and won the mens 45 A group.Tim Watson followed in 12th, Tom Fox in 14th and Frank Kalcic in 19th in a large competetive field.
Jeff Traugott made the podium with a clean race and a fine 4th place.Benoit Dubuisson continues to improve at 7th with Bruce Lodge coming in 9th. Allan Bennett also had an improved race coming in 8th. Stella Carey finished 2nd in the womens elite catagory and is building up quite a lead in the overall. She didn't bother with the podium -she would rather spend another hour on the course on her single speed where she rode to 8th. In the 55 plus men I managed to get on the bottom step of the podium yet again with a 5th place. Finally, at the end of the day the elite mens group went off and Dave Wyandt looked good to finish high up until a flat ended his race. Aaron Kereluk in his first race of the season pulled off an excellent 8th place while Jeff Patton continues to have a good season finishing 15th. Both Dave Wyandt and Jason Rawhles raced in the 35 A group but both DNF'd. Will Hall had a spectacular crash in the 35 B group that ended his race early. This was a tricky course with many opportunities for a rider to get thrown off the bike. Not many racers left the CCCX III without some sort of painful memory of the event!

Photos CCCX 2 Manzanita Park

by Brent The Elder

The thrilla in Manzanilla

It was champagne on the podium for Scott,Dave and Aaron in the CCCX Manzanita park race.

Here's some of the earlier racing with Janel Lodge leading the team charge that would wind up 2,3,4 in the womens 35+ race with Kathleen Bortolussi and Michelle Perez in that order.
This is how you make a bike go fast and win an elite race-keep your head down and pedal hard. Nobody was pedaling harder than Stella Carey as she led the womens A race from the start to the finish. Not satisfied with just one race, Stella jumped on her single speed and rode to 9th in the single speed A event.
Here's the start of the mens A field showing the large turnout and pretty much the whole of our elite team. The rider in the white and red kit holding the saddle of his bike is Joachim Parbo, the CX champion of Denmark. Scott Chapin would go head to head with Joachim and basically outride the Danish champ in what was one of the most exciting races in a few years. Dave Wyandt stayed close for the first few laps and held onto third with Aaron Odell in 4th. Kevin Crossley sprinted to an excellent 6th place with the top ten being rounded out by Ben Dodge in 9th. Alex Work had a super start but the heat took its toll as he faded to 12th with Dean Poshard close in 14th.
In the mens masters ,Mark Howland finished a strong 3rd with Brett Lambert not far back in 8th. the ever improving Frank Kalcic was up in 12th. Alan Bennett finished 17th in a large 35 B group. In the open B catagory, our lone entrant Davis Millett finished 18th. In the 45 B group our three riders , Bruce Lodge, Benoit Dubuisson and Jeff Traugott stayed on the lead lap going 7th, 12th and 14th. In the 55+ group , I was a lucky 4th place and Brent Harris got his best 2010 finish in 6th.

CCCX 1 Photos

Brent the Elder

Local beatdown continues......

Photos will be added later but really, you had to be there to witness the first CCCX and how this team had folks at the front and on the podium in nearly every event. Early in the morning the masters men started out with Will Hall just off the podium at 6th in the 35 B mens ,Allan Bennett in 15th , Jeff Traugott finishing 4th in the 45 B group with Bruce Lodge in 7th, Benoit Dubuisson 10th.. Not too far behind in the 55 + group , I managed to sneak in at 5th and Brent Harris finished 7th .The lone finishing entrant in the open B catagory, David Millett rode to 21st. with newcomer to the team , Jon Mason crashing out in dramatic fashion.In the master's A group Mark Howland led from the gun and held off the whole field while Brett Lambert fighting all sorts of mechanicals and mishaps finished 15th, right behind team mate Frank Kalcic. Stella Carey rode a strong first race of the season to finish 3rd in the womens A race and later rode in the singles speed A group to 7th , nearly 2 hours of flat out pedaling total.Jay Melina got a top-10 in her first race of the season and her debut in the top catagory for this year. In the 35 + masters women it was all Bay 101 /HRS /Rock Lobster with Janel Lodge, Kathleen Bortolussi and Michelle Perez going 1-2-3 in that race. The final event of the day saw Dave Wyandt convincingly beating nor-Cal's finest in the mens A race. Ben Dodge overcame a first lap endo to finish 9th and Jeff Patton rode to a solid 15th inspite of an early hard crash. Kevin Crossley crashed out while in the front group but showed that he had the power to ride in the front 6. All in all, the team got three wins and a lot of strawberries , not a bad way to start the season.

Swiggco Roubaix

Eleven riders kick up quite a dust cloud at 20 m.p.h. on the bluffs and trails of the Friday team ride. Newcomer Eric was in the back catching a lot of dirt in the face-the picture doesn't really show how much was there.

Our distinguished elite team looks a little beat down after the ride and a few refreshments.

Ain't nothin but a 'cross party

Pauls interview with Roadbike Review

http://reviews.roadbikereview.com/blog/sdcbs-2010-builder-showcase-rock-lobster-cycles/

Team ride-aftermath

Beer, a ride done and Santana's first album.............priceless.

UCSC Road Race

Cat. 1&2 field at the UCSC road race going up the hill, the Wolf lurking in the pack.

The Wolf in full suffer mode. This is the kind of hard race that will serve as top preparation for 'cross.

Riding is what its all about.......

But then, there's beer.
And there's dirty hats.
And there's still more beer.
But nothing can top the spade-o-licious sportswear that indicates our newest sponsor, Bay 101.
This unique and special coat will be entrusted to Scott Buckethead Chapin for the duration of the season as he will be driving all over hell and back representing the sponsors- while effectively testing all of the items at his disposal. Ten souls were on the ride today and a mighty cloud of dust could be seen from space on the west coast from the passing of this group of riders. This is how we roll and it is how in utmost sincerity we will champion the spectacle of sport........err, something like that.

Once again, it's on.

Cyclocross season is not too far away and the team is getting ready with pre-season training on Friday afternoons at 5:00 from the shop. The team will have a slightly new look as we have a new title sponsor, Bay 101. HRS, Traugott guitars, Bob's Red Mill and Paul Components are all returning as sponsors. This season will see a traveling UCI program with several riders accompanied by the team mechanic, Ryan. The program will be discussed over the next few weeks. 2010/2011 will also serve to be a good prep for the masters on the team thinking about going to the worlds in Louisville , KY.