Southern California Prestige Series of Cyclocross
SCPS #1: DTLA Historic Cyclo-Fest

Photos: Allison Mann and Carolyn Reeves

SoCalCross eased into the season with the “Tour de Arroyo II,” a showcase of the California Cycle-ways route from Pasadena to Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA). The Prestige Series Presented by SPY Optic broke ground, as well, with the “DTLA Historic CX,” a cyclo-fest at Los Angeles Historic State Park, a course uniquely positioned against a backdrop of Downtown Los Angeles and its transportation corridor.

The park was a perfect fit for the first race of the season and great course design. The SoCal High School MTB League came together earlier in the weekend, with junior Cody Phillips at the helm, to help with course preparations and installation of the Shimano CX rollers. A lot of dirt was used to build this technical section and challenged many riders. Another significant leg zapper was SPY hill, a set of long stairs with some challenging turns leading to the run up.

With perfect SoCal weather it was a great start to the season in DTLA and the record numbers of participants again this year, especially in the women’s fields, all which are great for SoCal and the sport of cyclocross. This is only due to the tireless efforts of promoter Dorothy Wong’s work throughout the year as the series has reached a new height.

Elite Women:
Allison Mann (Rock N’ Road) rode aggressive from the start. She grabbed the holeshot with the largest elite women’s field to start the season. The long straight came to a loose gravelly turn where Mann went down. Christina Probert-Turner (The Team SoCal CX) came around Mann and took the lead through lap one with some teammates and the Cynergy girls, Jenna Jammer Kowalski and Julia Lafrachise hungry to get to the front. However, the same aggressive riding that got Mann the holeshot was the same effort that got her back to Turner coming through the finish of lap one. Mann did not look back. Turner pedaled with Mann at first but by the end it was Mann with almost a minute gap on the field.

Turner came in to take second only seconds ahead of her teammate Nancy James in third. It was Kowalski and Lafrachise who rounded out the top five for a glorious day of racing in the SoCal elite women’s field.

Elite Men:
The field took their starting positions with all eyes looking towards Sid Taberlay (Kenda/H20 Overdrive) to lead from the start but it was Ted Willard (SDG/Felt p.b. IRT) who tore down the starting stretch to grab the holeshot. The field lined themselves up and settled in as Willard set the pace for three-fourths of the first lap until he let teammate Jason Siegle pull through and set the first attack of the race. This split the field and made for some hard work as Taberlay pulled the front pack back up to Siegle who continued to lead the race through lap two.

The front group was down to five riders and saw its share of change on the front. By lap three Siegle again saw his chance to split the lead group apart, putting out a big effort on the front that only Taberlay and Brandon Gritters (Rock N’ Road) could match. The three rode away and continued to battle throughout the race.

With four to go Taberlay began to take charge leading the group through the barriers, Shimano CX rollers and Spy Hill, all of which he never dismounted his bike through. Unfortunately, with a lap and one-half to go Gritters rear tire went flat and he had to roll into the pits as him and Siegle chased Taberlay who monopolized on the issue to take the win. Siegle could not get back to Taberlay on his own but he also benefited from the flat to take second while Gritters swift bike change allowed him to finish third. Fourth was Gary Douville (SDG/Felt p.b. IRT) followed by Chris Jackson (BMC).

The Prestige Series Presented by SPY Optic heads north from Los Angeles, Sept. 25, to Camarillo Pacifica Crossfest in Camarillo, Calif., and will in part support youth through M4Kcycling and Casa Pacifica. It was a great start to the 2011-12 season and will only get better as SoCalCross, concurrent with its Prestige Series efforts, will produce Gold Crown Events Presented by Shimano. These marquee events include top-level international UCI races, including the Spooky Cross Weekend in Irvine, Oct. 15 and Oct.16, which is also part of the UCI Night Race Series/Cross After Dark. Thereafter, “Cyclocross Los Angeles” (CXLA) will usher-in top-level cyclocross action and a festival at the heart of Los Angeles, Dec. 3 and Dec. 4. Shimano Gold Crown events will boast more than bike racing and will feature eco-sport-healthy-living festivals.

SCPS #1- Irvine Lake CX
Photo: MRock Photo Group (Socal FLickr Group)
Despite a cool summer in Southern California, the start of the cyclocross season known as a fall sport saw temperatures hitting 99 degrees just in time for the elite races, and it was a hot start to what looks to be another great cyclocross season in Southern California (SoCal). Even with the record temperatures for the first week of racing SoCal did not have everyone sitting indoors as more than 350 riders who showed for some heated cyclocross competition.

The 2010-11 SoCalCross Prestige Series continues to grow with over 20 races from San Diego to San Luis Obispo this season and so many exciting stories to unfold.
The Series has grown 300% over the past four seasons and in part the women of the sport the largest growing categories. In years past most of the women’s events meshed with men’s fields which either created some conflicts with riders finishing their races early or some aggressive passes from men. However, with some changes and restructuring of race categories this summer the Series has created a structure that allows the women’s fields to race together without the company of men. The response was positive from the women on course and showed some of the best women’s racing in Southern California as the ladies had the stage to put on their own show.

Elite Women:
It was a close battle at the beginning of the race as pro mountain biker Allison Mann (Rock N’ Road Cyclery) introduced herself to the women in her first year of cyclocross by taking the hole-shot. But, coming out of the barriers the field was lined up and Amanda Shaper of the newly formed SDG Factory team took the lead until an unfortunate crash put her out of the running. From this point it was Mann all the way. Dorothy Wong (TEAM SoCalCross) was in hot pursuit of Mann with the rest of the field but once Mann saw her time to break she attacked and continued to open her lead, lap after lap, for her first cross race and victory of the season. Ultimately, the chase group separated and the battle for second was exciting as Wong and Shaper went back and forth chasing Mann. In the end it was Shaper with second, Wong third, Jill Sisamis (Team Duke) fourth, and Rebecca Siegel (TEAM SoCalCross) to round out the top five.

Elite Men:
The pace was set by Sid Taberlay (Sho-Air/Specialized) and Brandon Gritters (Rock N’ Road Cyclery) as the two ripped off from the start to lead out the race. The field stayed together tightly through the first two laps and then began to break apart. Once, the lead group separated it was Taberlay with Gary Douville (Platinum), Dana Weber (Trek), Gritters, Brent Prenzlow (Celo Pacific/B&L), and John Behrens (Bailey Bikes). But, even this pack did not last long. After a few more laps with the heat, crashes, and water feeds riders were slowing on course. Taberlay attacked and took a lead that separated him from the group and he kept the gas on all the way until the end. While, the chase group duked it out for second place. Eventually, it was Weber who attacked on a pit entry that Prenzlow took to gap the group into three riders. By the end it was Taberlay to take the win, Weber in second, Gritters who fought his way back after some crashes and bike troubles for third, and Douville in Fourth. Prenzlow who was just off the back of the group finished fifth to round out the top five with small gaps him to top of the podium spots. It was Behrens alone in sixth. Fritz Bottger seventh and teammate Eric Christenson (SDG Factory) eighth for the final podium spots.

The hot start to the beginning of the cross season was fantastic and required a lot of sacrifice and help that Dorothy Wong was very thankful to receive from her club team and many other local riders. The racing was exciting and obviously dominated by the strongest mountain bikers in Southern California.

Stay tuned for next weekend as SoCalCross brings back UCI racing to Southern California with UCI Kross-toberfest Weekend presented by Focus Bicycles. The two-day festival will bring a wide variety of bicycle events including a velo swap meet, Route 66 Custom Bike Show, a mountain bike ride for kids hosted by Pasadena MTB Club and IMBA. A women’s road ride around Puddingstone Reservoir hosted by the Women’s Cycling Challenge, themed Meet Up Ride… Route 66 from Santa Monica and San Dimas. A Saturday Night Krosstober-fest Haus Party hosted by Mafia Racing, Attack Cycles and Ritte Racing and of course two full days of cyclocross racing action from Junior to World Class riders such as Danish National Champion Joachim Parbo (Leopard Cycles), Chris Jones and Zach McDonald (Rapha-Focus), Molly Cameron (Portland Bicycles), Adam McGrath (Feedback Sports/Van Dessel), Chris Shepard (Rocky Mtn. Cycles), Nor Cal’s Barbara Howe (Ibis Cycles) and Sarah Kerlin (HRS/Rock Lobster), So Cal’s Kendall and Alexis Ryan (Team SoCalCross), Allison Mann (Rock N Road). Temperatures are predicted to cool off but the racing will continue to heat up!

For more information about the Series and the UCI Kross-toberfest Weekend go to:
www.socalcross.org

I have been peeping new gear for 2010 from the Eurobike trade show on sites like BikeRumor. And I found the perfect road bike bar and stem combo for you sprinting freaks like my good buddy Andy Brazelton.

So one understands the humor in this let me make a long story short…
I visited Andy in Colorado (CO) last month. We were on a 4.5 hour ride, tired, and pedaling into a head wind back into Boulder, CO to finish our ride. All I could think about was how tired I was, eating real food, and having a soda. We were finally into the flat lands, close to downtown, when Andy decides to shout out, “Cavendish!” and he threw down a full blown sprint flying past me.

But, I forgot to mention the reason this sprint was so awesome. It is not Andy’s love of the greatest sprinter in the world or the fact that we were so tired that his effort could have been funny. It was the fact that we were on a busy road with two college girls sitting in the grass to our right and a group of gardener’s working, one with a leaf blower which turned off from Andy’s shouting. Everyone, probably even people in cars, turned or stopped what they were doing to look at the freak who was screaming as he sprinted down the street.

I hope this translates well because I still laugh a few times a week thinking of the fear in everyone’s faces as Andy threw down a sprint like the god of thunder.

To see more pics from Eurobike go to: Bike Rumor

-DSheek
Next time you are on a ride surprise someone with your “Cavendish!”

EC has been busy lately producing some 80′s Rock!
Rumor is he shaped the board in the pants from this video too…

His Example:
EVH Eddie Van Halen Frankenstein Replica guitar Solid-Body

EC’s Replica:

Check out what else he is capable of at the EC site, www.ecsurfboards.com, or just go their to learn the business number so you can call EC to sing your favorite 80′s Monster Ballad into his voice mail with your next order.

-DSheek
“Hot for teacher!”