SCPS 8: Storm the Beach

“Beaches, Beers, and Bombing Grounds”

SCPS 8: Storm the Beach

Photo: Kenneth Hill, Light and Shadow Photography

Oceanside, CA- The sands of Camp Pendleton’s training beaches set way for the annual Storm the Beach race put on by Celo Pacific, San Diego’s premier cycling club. As usual the course required all to bring their running legs, 300 extra watts, and a bike that likes the salt and sand. While it can be one of the most painful races in Southern California, it is also fun to try to power through the long sandy sections that require as much skill as muscle. The early morning races saw some great action and a lot of racers saw their way into double races on the day, but most retired early to enjoy the kegs of foamy love sitting atop the bluff overlooking the course in the cool ocean breeze.

Elite Women:
Coryn Rivera (Peanut Butter & Co. 2012) returned for another week, after her first win at Spooky Cross, to take on the beach. From the start of the race it looked like Amanda Schaper (SDG Factory) was going to lead the women off to the first fast straight but a mistake in the first tight sand section sent her running back to the hard packed dirt and jumping in the middle of the pack. It was Megan Elliot (Black Mtn Cycles) who muscled a smooth line around the outside lane of the sand and came out on top with Rivera in second, Allison Mann (Rock N’ Road) third and Schaper fourth. The women were all pretty tight together once they hit the long straight on the backside of the course but once the first running section hit Rivera, Mann, and Elliot again gapped off the group. The battle was on up front but the long runs and thirst for beer sent Schaper to end her race early. The three ladies battled up front as Schaper left Christina Probert (Team SoCal Cross) and Annette Padilla (Celo Pacific) to fend for themselves in the gale force winds that broke the group apart quickly.

Rivera took control of the race leading out the second lap but the ladies did not let her just ride away. They all seemed to want to work together but Rivera eventually rode off the front for the win with just a bit of a gap on Mann whose MTB skills seemed to be the best in the sandy beach conditions. Mann rolled in second with Elliot third, Probert fourth, and Padilla to round out the top five.

Elite Men:
Holy Horner! Or, something similar the field was murmuring as the men sprinted out of the first sand pit and onto the hard pack only to watch Chris Horner (Team RadioShack) begin to open the “wattage cottage, as race announcer Larry Longo explained to the crowd. The guy has some serious power built up from all his years of racing and he exploded to the front of the group less than half way through the first lap. The pace split the group into three instantly and bridging up was not an option to get on the front group with Horner on the pedals. By the end of lap one Horner lead the group back out and again by the middle of the second lap on the long straight gravel road Horner delivered another dose splitting the front group apart. From here it was Horner with Sid Taberlay (Sho-Air) and Brent Prenzlow (Celo Pacific/B&L) on his wheel. But, Horner would not let up and by the time they hit the strip of beach coming back towards the start/finish it was just Horner and Taberlay working together until the end. It went back and forth, “It was a battle between us for the whole hour of racing”, explained Chris Horner. “In the final sand section a mishap from Sid Taberlay opened a gap between us. I managed to hold that gap to the finish line. Not bad at all. After my win in Irvine last week I’m two-for-two for my cyclocross season.”

With Horner grabbing the win and Taberlay in second, Prenzlow had to really work for third, holding off the hard charging Bailey Bike riders John Behrens and John Bailey who came in to finish off the top five spots.

It was a great day of racing and some fantastic competitors from Johnny O’mara (Sho-Air) tearing it up in the master’s fields to the exciting battles of world-class competitors in the elite men’s race. But, the season in SoCal is not over and next weeks racing will be even more exciting as the SoCal Prestige Series host its second UCI double weekend of racing this year. With Horner excited to repeat, Taberlay hungry to take the win, and a lot more national talent such as Ryan Trebon, Molly Cameron, and more flying in for the week. This up coming event should be some of the best racing Los Angels has seen since the Tour of California.

For more information go to: www.socalcross.org