2008 Southern California State Series (XC/SD)

Race #1 - Bonnelli Park, CA

March 9, 2008

Brains boiling, fast paces, and jagged rocks… This explained the first race of the Southern California State Race Series of Mountain Biking (MTB) presented by Team Big Bear (www.teambigbear.com).

It was an impressive weekend of MTB racing in Southern California as there was perfect 80+ degree weather, a great park, and a record setting number of competitors between the cross-country (XC) and Super-D (SD) events bringing in a total of 465 racers. This does not mention all the loyal family, friends, and others that came out to share in the events. However, the best part was really that Southern Californians experienced the warmest temps felt in months for the first weekend of the So. CA Series. The hot temperature shocked a lot of bodies as racers were dehydrating but the course was fast and fun. There was definitely some carnage along course as a few racers saw the paramedics due to dehydration or crashes. I guess the long off season has created some over zealous competitors looking for the win, one of the racers seen on course tore open his right forearm and cheek but with blood, literally pouring from him, he was delighted to slowly finish his lap. And, After all the racing I heard my favorite comment on the day as a male racer explained to a friend how he could feel that his brain was boiling in his helmet each time he hit the backside of the course where the exposed rocks and sand were like hot coals cooking his insides.

The races started with the Pro Men’s XC and it was great to see two new pro riders excelling in their first races of the season. It was Manuel Prado of Team Sho-Air who took first place with an overall course time of 1:52:45. This was nearly three minutes ahead of third place and a spectacular finish in his first professional race. Prado’s win was great but it was good to see his friend, another first time pro rider, Jason First (Team Velo-Sport/Sho-Air) follow closely in second. The Pro field set out fast on this course and never slowed the pace, which made it impressive to see the speeds these riders maintained on the tough 27 miles of fast hard packed dirt and loose rock that Bonelli Park offered. In third on the day it was Dana Weber from the Trek/VW team and Sean Donovan and Charles Jenkins (Team Cytomax/KHS, IE Bikes) with fourth and fifth places who also put in a magnificent effort.

In the Pro Women’s XC it was Carolyn Popovic of the Bear Valley Bikes Team who led the field to take the win. Popovic had an awesome off-season racing Cyclocross in the Southern California Prestige Series that seemed to really help with her fitness. In second it was Popovic’s teammate Christie Pleiss (Team CICLE/Bear Valley Bikes) and fellow cyclocross racer who followed Popovic closely until a few of her power climbs led her away from the pack. In third it was Heather Ranoa (Team Cycopath) followed closely by the rest of the field for the finish.

After all the XC racing was getting wrapped up and results were being tallied the SD competitors were out on course getting their kicks with their seven to eight minutes of time trialing madness. In the Pro Men it was Eric Biermen of the Steven K Designs Team who smoked the competition more than a minute ahead of the pack. Biermen spent this winter training hard and has recently done well in some winter XC races and destroying the competition in another local winter series. Next, it was Bear Valley Bikes owner Derek Hermon who chased Bierman for second. In the Pro Women’s SD it was the third place XC finisher who took to the hill again to collect her winnings as Heather Ranoa took the win.

This entire racing and the 465 competitors add up to something and that is the Team Points Competition. Each season teams take pride in competing for the overall title and it looks like after the first weekend that last years winners Sho-Air lead the Men’s group team competition. Bear Valley Bikes leads the Women’s and Jr’s Groups, while team Platinum leads the Coed in the Team Points Race but Team VeloSport/Sho-Air closely follows them. This will be a battle of each teams top eight overall finishes, no matter what age group or class, at each race so pay close attention because there seems to be a lot of hungry teams competing for the 2008 Overall Team Championship.

It was a great first race of the season and competitors/teams are excited for race #2 and Norba National #1 in Fontana, CA on March 28-29, 2008. Now go get your friends tell them about the fun and come race.