Masters Cyclocross Worlds Report from Blackmarket Racing

Mark Howland (a.k.a. Howie) sent us his race report from the World Masters Cyclocross Championships in Belgium. They brought back some great results including a podium finish for Trina Baumsteiger. Congratulations guys, and thanks for the report.
-JF

Thank you one and all for your support of our team. Without such
support, I am sure that the kind of success that we have consistently
had, would be impossible.


Just in from across the pond. Now that I have had a day and a half to
get the cement out of my ass from sitting on a plane for 11 hours, I can
actually make contact with the outside world. Our trip was just
fantastic, aside from just a few blips. The briefest of race reports as
follows:
Jan 15th: Wiekevorst, Bel.: front row call-up, nailed the start; rode in
the front group of 4 for several laps before making one too many bobbles
on the totally frozen gopher mounds littering the course. Lost contact
with the front, and was passed by one more before the finish. 5th place
on the day.
Edwin and Bruce started the 45+ race and did pretty well. Edwin rode in
the top 10 for much of the race, but slipped to12th by the end; Bruce,
riding well until a crash on the icy stuff, bent his rear der. hanger.
Upon trying to bend it back straight, it broke off, ending his day
prematurely. Trina was the only woman racing, and they made her race
with the junior men.
"Winning" that race, they still did a podium appearance for her, where
she was presented with the junior men, with flowers and ceremonial
jersey for her efforts. Little did we know that this would be Trina's
theme for the entire trip.

Jan 21st: Masters Worlds: Trina started the day off with a stunning ride
to finish in the silver medal position behind a former world champion.
She nailed the start (#2) onto the beach-head, and although she
masterfully ruled the technical single track, she would be outgunned by
the sheer horsepower of the leading woman. The two of them tore a swath
through most of the younger woman's field that started a full minute in
front of them.

My race started with a once-in-a-lifetime front-row call-up. I nailed
the start and even led half way down the start straight before two
riders slipped underneath me into the first turn onto the beach. Still,
third onto the beach was perfect position to launch my assault on the
race, or so I thought. The #2 guy augured right in front of me, and I
endo'd right over him. I was promptly run over by the next 20 or so
guys, and I couldn't even pick up my bike until they had passed. This
went from a best-ever day, to total shit in about 30 seconds! I came off
the beach #38. After making my best effort not to burst into tears in
front of all these Belgians, I rode my ass off in the total chaos that
is the back of the group for the remainder of the race, not even knowing
where I was. I came up on two riders as we entered the finishing
straight, but they started sprinting it out, and I couldn't get around
them. Unknown to me, they were 14th & 15th places, and I had made up 22
spots during the race. I don't know which was worse: being on the front
a losing it, or seeing just how far I had come from the back- and
thereby recognizing that my goal of a top ten finish would've been well
within my grasp without the crash.

Edwin and Bruce had very tough races. Bruce was called to the front row
as well, and from there made little-to-no mistakes to finish solidly in
41st place, without a single mishap or bobble. Edwin had a back row
starting position, and spent the whole day fighting the traffic from the
first round through the sand, to the last. "I've never been so anaerobic
in the first lap of a race in my whole life," was about all he could say
after his first taste of euro cross at the championship level. All other
things being equal though, the 45+ group has a tough row to hoe. They
get to ride through not only their own traffic in tight, fast single
track, but through the traffic of the back-markers of our race that
start a minute in front of them. The passing is difficult at best, and
attempts to pass "off-line," are usually met with a crash or bobble-
negating the effort altogether. Edwin ended his day in a respectable
33rd position.

Jan 22nd, Wilrijk, Fort 6: Hoping for some kind of revenge for the day
before, the thought quickly evaporated as I was called to the last row
of a smaller, but talented field. I had to ride like a madman for half
the race just to make it to a respectable position of 8th. A crash
mid-race had me losing several spots, and put me back on the chase.
After riding back to 8th, it looked like I would catch #7 in the last
lap, but a lapped rider forced me off in the technical wooded section of
the race with just a half a lap to go. This put my chasers right on my
heels, and on coming into the finishing straight, one of them slipped by
me as I was wary of the place I had crashed heavily just several laps
earlier. Still, 9th on the day is still a solid result.

Edwin and Bruce were having about as much trouble as I was with a back
row call-up. Bruce flatted and was out of his race before he could even
really settle into his groove. Edwin fought traffic and the courses
steep, twisty, technical sections to secure a solid 16th place (but just
out of the money!
DAMN- Oh yeah, we get paid 15 deep at these local races... SWEET!)

The burden of the podium was again firmly placed on Trina's shoulders,
as the boys in the team seemed to fight at every turn for the scraps.
And again, Trina would have to race with the junior men, although the
difference between them and chiseled, seasoned, fit pros in their
primes, was hard to distinguish. Trina put in a hard race, and was again
rewarded for her efforts with yeah, that's right, another podium
appearance. Seemed Trina had really charmed all the UCI officials from
her very first appearance in Wiekevorst, and they wanted another excuse
to plant a few more kisses on her cheek!

By the end of our last day of racing they had put all of us who
finished, on the podium. Turns out Americans who train all year just to
make the journey across the pond in the middle of winter, are few and
far between, and are thus, good for the "international image" of their
races. Since spectators pay to watch us, our novelty is something they
like to sell. They had a 5 place podium; the top three riders are
presented along with the top rider in the race from the town itself, and
then an American, for flavor. We had next to us, the mayor of the town-
who was very interested in us- and another city council member. All of
us clad in ceremonial jerseys similar to those used at the Tour de
France, that have the races sponsors on the front, and zip up the back.
Very slick, very official.

All in all, a very successful trip for the team. Wrap of the wrap:
Wiekevorst: Trina 1st, Howie 5th, Edwin 12th, Bruce DNF (mechanical).
Worlds in Mol: Trina 2nd, Howie 16th, Edwin 33rd, Bruce 41st. Wilrijk
Fort 6: Trina 1st, Howie 9th, Edwin 16th, Bruce DNF (mechanical). Janel
(J-LO) and Carol
(Cheffy) provided countless hours of support for the team. We have had
as a team now, the most successful season in the team's 10 year history.

Thanks for reading,
Howie


-- Mark Howland
Team Director
Blackmarket Racing
Santa Cruz, CA

Chance Noble's World's Report

Chance Noble sent us his report from the World Championships. Congratulations for a great season, Chance, we look forward to watching your bright future develop before our eyes.
-JF

After two weeks of rest from my first European racing trip, I was back in Belgium for round two and the Worlds Championships in the Netherlands. As I did in the camp, I stayed in Izegem for the races before Worlds. We had the option of competing in two races before Worlds. I chose to race once so I could have more time to recover from the plane flight and time change. The one race I did was a World Cup in Hoogerheide. The skies were clear and the temperature was a toasty 8 degrees Celsius. The course was fast with a few muddy sections followed by a relatively long road climb. I forgot my helmet even after my preparation was questioned the night before by Jesse Anthony. I managed to earn the nicknames, Sketchster and what I took as a sarcastic "Lance Noble." As usual, I was positioned at the back of the field on the starting line accompanied by Ethan Gilmour who was also last row of 57 starters. Bjorn Selander was given a more generous starting position and Alex Howes and Danny Summerhill did not choose to participate in the pre-Worlds races. I was the last rider into the dirt, but managed to jump from group to group thought the race. I finished 2:22 down and managed to pick up 38th place out of 57 starters. The course?s speed and road sections allowed for massive groups to form. In the U-23 and Elite race, a group of about 25 riders formed and stayed intact for the majority of the race.
I then had six days until my race in Zeddam. I put in a typical training week which was especially enjoyable because of the good weather. The team made the trip to Zeddam a few days before the Championships began to get familiar with the course. The venue has been known to have epic mud and also super fast conditions. Unlike some of the "permamud" venues in Belgium, it seemed like the course in Zeddam could have been radically different just by having the temperatures a little warmer. Just as I had hoped, it was extremely fast and technical. It was well below freezing every day so ice was a significant factor especially on the off camber decent. The decent could be taken at high speeds except for the steep switchback. The race organizers had saw-dust placed on select portions of the course which added some grip. Another key point of the course was a flight of forty stairs. The stairs were very wide and shallow which made them awkward for people with shorter legs. I was able to take them two at a time fairly easily which was an advantage especially in the later stages of the race. Zeddam is usually home to about two-thousand people but on this weekend there was between fifteen and twenty-thousand people in the small town. We stayed in a small, hotel which was conveniently five minutes by bike from the course.
The juniors and U-23?s raced on Saturday and the conditions stayed exactly the same. I warmed up as usual: a few laps on the course, "fired the bull" (Red Bull), some ritualistic, pre-race wheelies and I was ready to go. It was -8 degrees Celsius but it didn?t feel very cold because it was so dry. I had graduated from last row and obtained a seventh row start out of eight which helped me a lot especially because there was a crash within ten seconds of the start. I was third last into the dirt and gapped off the back of the pack. Only the two juniors that went down were behind me. I lost about a minute on the leaders on the first lap but managed to pass through some of the chaos. Thoughout the race, I saw a ridiculous amount of crashes. Most of which regarding a Japanese rider who I believe caused the crash at the start. I somehow kept it right side up the whole race. After the first lap, I was able to turn some decent lap times fairly consistently. It was strange to see how badly some people crack at Worlds. There was a Belgian slowly walking his bike with mechanical problems. He was still in a decent position and close to the pits. Come to think of it, he was the guy who backhanded me at Hooglede. I can?t say I felt terribly sorry for him. I also had some strange problems with my bike such as pulling straight out of my pedals and having my chain go under the third eye. This has never happened to me before during a race. Thankfully, when it did I had just passed the pit. I was able to illegally run backwards and change bikes without getting disqualified. This happened on the last lap and I lost about twenty seconds and six places. I still managed to finish twenty-ninth, 2:05 down. Bjorn had a insane race getting seventh and only 20 seconds off the win. Danny finished in the top twenty, Alex was a few spots behind me and Ethan was in there too. I was more than satisfied with my result and glad to end the season on a high note. The next day, as I was watching the exiting Elite race, I ate copious amounts of waffles, and discovered candy coated waffles and fried Oreos. These didn?t appeal to me at all along with French fries drowned in mayonnaise. Most of the team flew home from Amsterdam the day following the elite race. In the airport, I somehow found myself wearing mismatched socks, an orange flannel shirt and carrying ONE boot. Troy took the liberty of adding "Peanut" to my list of nicknames.
In Conclusion, my first season racing in Europe has been a great learning experience with results steadily improving. The Super Prestige, GVA?s and World Cups I did taught me how to work my way up through fields of 60. Without that preparation, I wouldn?t have been able to cope as well with the large field at Worlds. The European racing was a success for the team in general. As for the future, I hope to race the mountain-bike Worlds in New Zealand and return to Europe for portions of the coming cyclo-cross season with the aim of racing worlds as a first year U-23. Again, special thanks to everyone that contributed to my trip.
I'd like to personally thank Jerry Jayne and the folks at Amgen, Alan Coates, Dorothy Wong, Jesse Gascon of Shimano, Gary Hanson of Scary Fast Racing, Ed Whinchester, Beverly Lucas of Felt and of course, my family.

CCCX Final Report

VICKERS, CAREY, HOWLAND, ABELE, SAMPLES JR., SWANSON, DeLAURENTIS,
CHANEY, BAUMSTEIGER, EBBEROTH, SOPKO, KARTER, LOADER, LOKMAGOZIAN,
WIN CCCX DIVISION TITLES FOR 2006

The Cyclo-Cross season for Northern California came to a close this past weekend, the last races taking place were the final of the Fresno Cross series on Saturday and the Team Santa Cruz race held at the Watsonville fairgrounds on Sunday. Team's Rock Lobster/Traugott Guitars, Kelly Bike Co. and Lapierre/Ritchey ended the season with Elite wins. Simon Vickers, Aaron Kereluk, and Stella Carey took high honors in Watsonville. While Keith DeFiebre and Pam Geisal of Fresno claimed the Fresno series overall titles. Looking back at the competitions and events for 2006, it really has been a incredible year for Cyclo-Cross in Northern California. There were many highlights that make this area one of the top 4 regions for Cross events in all of America. A few items to mention would be the great events held by Velo Bella/Surf City and Pillarcitos Cyclesports, in hosting the final events of the US Grand Prix of Cyclo-Cross. These events received world wide attention and showed just how strong the Northern California race scene is. Hats off have to go to the racers who traveled across the country and braved the elements to compete at the US Nationals in Rhode Island. Bringing home the Gold were Justin Robinson(Cal Giant Inc.), Melodie Metzger(Velo Bella), John Elgart(Webcor/Alto Velo), and Betty Jordan. Others to bring home medals from this difficult event were Henry Krammer(Cal Giant Inc.), Mark Noble(Amgen), Colleen Wanty, and Josie Beggs(Starbucks/Cal Giant Inc.). Barbara Howe(Velo Bella) maybe took the highest honors of all North Cal racers with her automatic bid to the USA Worlds team with her fine rides in the US Grand Prix series and European race success. The District championship event saw Justin Robinson lay claim to top gun in this talent filled region. While Josie Beggs showed her athletic pedigree in claiming the top spot in the Elite female event. Rich Maile(Art By Opsal) proved himself to be incredibly strong taking the Master 35+ District crown in his hometown race. Also Ben Jacques-Maynes(Kodak/Sierra Nevada) finished the year undefeated in the races he took part in. Really it was all the racers and fans and promoters who combined to make this one of the feature seasons for Cross racing in the long history of Northern California competitions. Just ask legend Clark Natwick who now has a race named after himself, and he will tell you really how far the racers and events have come over the past 30 years. Also there must be mention of John Funke and Dave Carr who kept their energy going strong bringing us updates and current information that keep Northern California on the cutting edge of the demanding and rewarding sport of Cyclo-Cross.


The 2006 CCCX Cross series ended on a fast and fun course that had racers enjoying their time in the saddle and there time in the sun shine! It was a perfect day for racing, if you like sunshine and blue sky. Recent rains made the ground slick in some sections and perfect traction in others. This combined with a nicely laid out course sent the CCCX racers home for the season with some great final racing action. With double points being handed out for the last race, much depended on the final performance of each racer. Prizes were awarded in the end and series champions were presented custom jerseys to signify their dominance of the competitions for 2006. Race #5 was held under severe storms and brutal cross weather, but all other CCCX races were held under summer like conditions. In the end it was Simon Vickers(Rock Lobster/Traugott Guitars) and Stella Carey(Kely Bike Co.) who earned highest honors in the six race series.

Men's A Division: This division featured one of the most consistent racers of 2006, and his win in the CCCX series capped off a great all around year of racing. Simon Vickers constant form throughout the long Cross campaign showed he truly is one of the fastest racers in Northern California. He was always in the top 3 in each race he competed during the CCCX events, and this propelled him to a fine win in the six race series. Race winners were Ben Jacques-Maynes(Kodak/Sierra Nevada) 3 for 3, Andy Jacques-Maynes(Cal Giant Inc.), Jonathon Baker(Primus Mootry), and Barry Wicks(Kona). This list of race winners was the strongest of any series for 2006 in all of Northern California and shows how the CCCX series has a great following from top class racers as well as novice enthusiasts. But it was Simon Vickers who was most steady and his determination and dedication always managed to get him to the front of the group and led to his series win. Vickers finished out the season strong ending up in the middle of a Jacques-Maynes sandwich taking second in the final between Ben and Andy. Aaron Kereluk (Rock Lobster/Traugott Guitars) was a fine 4th in the series. Kereluk has placed top 5 in the CCCX A men's division the past 3 years the series has been held. Sneaking into the final top 5 for the year was Pat Rocchi (Norcal Velo), who benefited from no shows in the final by David Wyandt(Father) and Brent Hondorp(Sycip) who were DNS in the final of the series. 54 racers received points in this division.

1st- Simon Vickers
2nd- Andy Jacques-Maynes
3rd- Ben Jacques-Maynes
4th- Aaron Kereluk
5th- Pat Rocchi

Elite Women's Division: Stella Carey was the disserving winner of this fast racing group. The kind and cool Carey received a money pay out at every CCCX event for her fine riding. She placed top 2 in the each of the first 5 races with a win at race #2 highlighting her series performances. Carey was 3rd in the final and claimed her custom CCCX winners jersey after competing in all 6 races of the series. Some times Carey would chose a single speed for her races, other times it was a Kelly Bike with gears, and either way she was fast and smooth when it came to Cross racing. Carey has been 2nd in the series final standings twice before, but in the 9 year history of the CCCX series this was her first series win. Another rider to have a stellar CCCX season was Ann Fitzsimmons(Velo Bella). Fitzsimmons had a break out season and posted 2 wins during the series and proved herself to be one of the fastest ladies in Northern California when it comes to Cross racing. Lauren Constantini(Sycip Racing) found her form late in the year and had a incredible win in the double points final event. Team Sycip has a strong rider in Constantini and good things seem to be on her horizon in the cross arena. Other riders to show well in the series were Josie Beggs and Shelley Olds(Rock Lobster/Traugott Guitars) who both had fine rides during the year. Beggs went on to have a fine National championship weekend and Olds seemed to get faster and faster as the year progressed. Sarah Kerlin(Velo Bella) was also a race winner during the series, posting a fine win at race #1 held at Monterey Peninsula College. National figure Barbara Howe(Velo Bella) was in no way intimidated by horrendous conditions and calmly dominated race #5, in her only Elite Women's appearance for the CCCX series. 12 riders received points in this division.

1st- Stella Carey
2nd- Ann Fitzsimmons
3rd- Lauren Constantini
4th- Josie Beggs
5th- Shelley Olds

Master Men's A 35+ Division: Mark Howland(Black Market Racing) was clearly the most consistent racer in this group that features the most competitive fields of any group in Northern California racing. To place well in this star studded group one must be strong, fit and have incredible cross skills. Howland fits this description to a tee, and added a CCCX Cross series win to his 2004 and 2005 Master 35+ Mtn bike CCCX series wins. This was Howland's first ever CCCX Cross series win. Only Howland and Keith DeFiebre(Lapierre/Ritchey) have won both expert titles in Mtn and Cross for the CCCX series Masters division, with Defiebre taking his titles in 2003 Mtn and 2004 Cross respectively. The mighty Thor like Howland was top 3 in every race of the series for 2006 except race #1, and he was the winner of the epic "Battle of the Mud" at Ft Ord race #5. Second place in the series was terrific riding Tim Thompson(Euro Cycling Imports). Thompson put together a solid Cross campaign, and with his Euro Cycling Import products he seemed to have that extra advantage that propelled him to many fine performances during the season. Thompson was the winner at race #2 and had many other fine finishes during the 2005 races. Henry Kramer(Cal Giant Inc.) posted outstanding wins in races #3 and #4 and the double points final #6, to bump Keith DeFiebre out of the top 3 for the series. Kramer possibly would have won the series outright with those 3 separate race wins, but did not compete in this group at races #1 & #2. Kramer claimed a silver medal at the National Championships showing why he is one of the fastest Masters racers in the world. This also proves that anyone who makes the top placing in this competitive group is considered to be one of the best individual racers in the country. DeFiebre had to settle for 4th in the final series standings. DeFiebre, the 2004 CCCX Cross series champion, made a gallant effort just to finish the series. He had a severe collar bone break in the beginning of the Cross season. Yet still managed to rehab the injury faster then doctor's diagnosis and finish the year out riding well. Cesar Chavez(Buy-Cell) claimed the 5th spot in the series. Chavez had a great ride in the mud war of race #5 and took his highest finish of the series there with a 2nd on the day. Chris D'Aluisio(Morgan Stanley/Specialized) also had a race win during the year taking 1st at race #1 in Monterey. Another Master racer who showed fine form in 2005 was Gannon Myall(Cal Giant Inc.) who took two 2nd place finishes during the series. As well as Larry Hibbard(Family Cycling Center) who took three fine 3rd place finishes during the year. 51 racers received points in this division.

1st- Mark Howland
2nd- Tim Thompson
3rd- Henry Kramer
4th- Keith DeFiebre
5th- Cesar Chavez

Master Men's 45+ Division: Mark Abele(Boure) was the dominate force in this division for 2006. Abele was the only CCCX series rider to claim 6 straight wins and finish the season out undefeated. Abele, riding out of Concord, appears to be a gentle and mild mannered individual. But so was Superman before he hit the telephone booth and changed into his tights and jersey! The Boure sponsored rider showed no mercy on his adversaries and claimed 6 solid victories during the CCCX series. The amazing Abele's biggest win was the mud war of race #5 where he won by over 5 minutes. This fine show of Cross skills earned Abele MVP honors for the CCCX races, as his division win was the most complete of all contested. Doug Hatfield(Family Cycling Center) ended the series in 2nd position in the rankings. Hatfield established himself as one of the best 45+ riders and finished the series out with two second place rides to solidify his position in the standings. Third in the rankings was Steve Stewart(LGBRC/Easton/Specialized). Stewart improved as the series progressed and he was one of the top riders of his strong team LGBRC/Easton/Specialized. Stewart's best finishes were three 3rd place rides during the year. Riding out of San Luis Obispo, Edwin Rambuski(Black Market Racing) finished the year out in 4th place in series points. Rambuski was very consistent during the entire year and this steadiness lead to his series rank. 5th overall for the series was Jim Gentes(Family Cycling Center). Gentes missed the final two events of the year and still claimed a top five spot in the rankings. Gentes opened up the year with 4 straight second place finishes to the awesome riding Abele, and decided that was enough and threw in the towel. Gentes did however take Abele down in a Bay Area Super Prestige event for some consolation to Abele's non stop winning ways. Other riders who had a solid CCCX season were Thomas Sullivan(Amsterdam Bicycles), Frank Cuaresma(Cal Giant Inc.), and the Bicycle Trip Boys Mark Michel, Kem Akol, and Larry Broberg. 26 racers received points in this division.

1st- Mark Abele
2nd- Doug Hatfield
3rd- Steve Stewart
4th- Edwin Rambuski
5ht- Jim Gentes

Men's B Division: David Samples Jr.(Cal Giant Inc.) was the winner of this division that had solid turn outs from numerous racers throughout Northern Calif. Samples Jr. started the year out extremely hot by winning his first 3 starts. The mud war of race #5 saw Samples Jr. receive numerous attacks from his fellow competitors. As was the case in the double points final of race #6. Yet Samples Jr. showed outstanding fighting spirit and a strong will that led him to a fine series championship. Samples Jr. has a great following from his family and friends and it was nice to see such a fine young man win his division of the CCCX series. Brian Rogers(Sycip Racing) was best of the rest, and his fine Cross abilities led him to second place in the rankings for the year. Rogers, riding out of San Francisco, was the winner of race #2 and backed that up with nice 2nd place rides in races # 3 and #4. Andrew Hammond(Specialized), from Morgan Hill, showed extreme consistency during the season. The lanky Hammond used his athletic skills to claim the 3rd spot in the series standings. Hammond seemed to get better as the year went on, and showed his Specialized sponsors that he is a fine commodity for Cross racing! Lapierre/Ritchey sponsored Tim Granshaw seemed to have been the fastest racer in this tuff division at the end of the year. Granshaw found his form his form after race #4 and he posted strong wins in the final two events. Granshaw broke away from everyone in the mud race #5 and then did the same in the double points final to claim a fine 4th place in the series standings. The Lapierre/Ritchey squad found their legs toward the end of the season, and it was Granshaw leading the charge for the new team founded by Johannes Schmidt of Ritchey. Logan Loader(Alan) was 5th in the final series standings. Ryan Schlichting(SF Sport & Spine) also deserves a honorable mention for his tidy riding during the year. Schlichting, out of Oakland, had many fine rides during the six race series and proved best of his fine team of riders. 72 racers received points in this division.

1st- David Samples Jr.
2nd- Brian Rogers
3rd- Andrew Hammond
4th- Tim Granshaw
5th- Logan Loader

Master Men's B 35+ Division: Murray Swanson(Peninsula Velo) was the winner of this division. Swanson flew around each course he competed on and finished out the year winning 5 races in 5 starts. Swanson did not partake in race #5 which was held in true Cross weather. So Swanson could be considered a fine weather rider, and he proved this by never really being challenged in all of his fine wins held in tame conditions compared to race #5 mud warfare. Brett Lambert(Scotts Valley Cycle Sport) and Jeffrey Bramlett of Palo Alto tied for 2nd place in the series on points. With Lambert being awarded a sole second place based on his higher placing in the double points final between the two. Lambert was the winner of the infamous race #5 which was held in super stormy conditions. While the fine riding and intelligently skilled Cross racer Bramlett was 2nd in that same event race #5. Bramlett had consistent finishes during the entire season which led to his fine overall series finish. Chris Baker of Soquel was 4th in series points. Baker took part in each of the six events and always showed fine form, never being far away from the top 3 in each event. Rounding out the top 5 in this competitive division was Chris Rodriguez(Pegasus Bicycles/Allegiant Air). Rodriguez showed his Cross racing dedication by not missing one event during the 2005 CCCX campaign. The Pegasus Bicycle Works sponsored rider placed high in each event and showed that consistency will reward when it comes to a final point tally. Mitch Bramlett of Scotts Valley, Deric Dangzalan(Another Bike Shop), and Shane Huntoon(Livermore Cyclery), all had outstanding rides during the year and deserve mention for their Cross skills. 40 racers received points in this division.

1st- Murray Swanson
2nd- Brett Lambert
3rd- Jeffrey Bramlett
4th- Chris Baker
5th- Chris Rodriguez

Master Men's B 45+ Division: This competitive division was won with a fine final ride in the double points final by the daring Scott "Dino" DeLaurentis(LGBRC/Easton/Specialized). The daring and dangerously talented DeLaurentis had many ups and downs during the 6 race series. "Dino" was the race winner of event #2, but had low energy outputs in races # 4 and #5. Yet when it mattered most DeLaurentis put it all together and dominated the double points final to claim the overall title for the year. The LGBRC sponsored rider also won his division of the CCCX Mtn Bike series for 2005 making it a clean sweep for the year in series titles. Team mate William Hall(LGBRC/Easton/Specialized) took 2nd position in the rankings making it a dominating performance for the LGBRC team in this division. Hall, riding out of Monterey, used consistent finishes in each event to amass his point total. Peter Sherill(Mt. Nittany Wheelworks) claimed 3rd place in this strong riding division. Sherrill who resides in Salinas, showed well for his city and team, and never seemed to be in difficulty during the six race series. Bruce Lodge(Black Market Racing) seemed to get better as the series wore on and finished 4th in the rankings. Lodge, the Sonora sensation, had a chance in the end for a series title, but his charge to the top ran out of steam in the final event. Rob Malheiro(SCCC/Le Village Imports) riding out of Sunnyvale, missed 2 races in the series but still rode well enough to claim the 5th position in the rankings. Matt Dunston(Scotts Valley Cycle Sport) rode well during all the events and just missed the top five in the end. 21 racers received points in this division.

1st- Scott "Dino" DeLaurentis
2nd- William Hall
3rd- Peter Sherill
4th- Bruce Lodge
5th- Bob Malheiro

Women's B Division: This category was owned by Black Market Racing as that strong team placed its riders in the top two positions when points were totaled. Leading the charge was Katrina Baumsteiger riding out of Templeton. She rode incredibly strong all year and took 5 wins in 5 starts. Baumsteiger missed the epic race #5 where mud and water filled the course. But in sunshine she was unstoppable and will most likely be racing in the A division next year. A solid second place in the series standings was sensational Janel Lodge who road her blue machine to three 2nd place finishes, and finished no lower then 3rd place in five race attempts. That makes 5 race medals, plus a series medal for Lodge, who must have some trophy display of CCCX hardware. Third place in the rankings was Shauna Potocky(Family Cycling Center), who appeared to get more fit as the series progressed. Potocky's best rides were a great finish at race #4 held at Manzanita Park in Prunedale, or her 2nd place ride in the mud of race # 5 at Ft Ord. Alexis Alexander(Power Bar) of Redwood City, missed three races but still had some great finishes and ended up 4th place in series points. Alexander showed great skill and ability claiming the win in race #5 fighting the field and the elements that day. Rounding out the top five for the series was Velo Bella's Alyse Weyman who does most of her training and Cross skill work in and around Soquel and Santa Cruz. 17 racers received points in this division.

1st- Katrina Baumsteiger
2nd- Janel Lodge
3rd- Shauna Potocky
4th- Alexis Alexander
5th- Alyse Weyman

Women's 35+ Division: Like a roaring mouse, Beverly Chaney(Roaring Mouse Cycles), laid tracks toward a undefeated season during the 2005 CCCX series. Chaney opened up the Cross season with 4 straight race wins, making herself known as a incredibly gifted rider. It took Melanie Dominguez(Bicycle Trip) and some brutal weather to somehow slow the speedy roaring mouse racer and derail her search for the perfect season. Dominguez topped Chaney at race #5, but that was the only blemish in the incredibly successful season Chaney produced. Riding out of Carmel, Chaney also grabbed a national title in Mtn. Biking for good measure. Chaney started out in the spring showing a certain greenness and insecurity to her skills. But with so many wins under her belt by the end of the year, she was now the one to shoot for when it came to show time in cross racing 35+ Women's group. Dominguez tasted 2nd place three times during the year but relished her win in mud and rain at race #5. The darling Dominguez finished 2nd in series rankings behind class winner Chaney. Third place in the division was Concord's own Amy Abele(Velo Bella). Abele seemed to be always riding well during the six races and she used her Cross techniques to establish herself as one of the fast ladies in this tuff group of racers. Pacific Grove's Henrietta Stern(Hot Flash Chicks) was a fine fourth place in the year end standings. Stern really made huge strides during the Cross season, breaking out a new Bianchi Cross bike in the middle of the series for fine measure just to improve her all around skills. In the end she looked like a young pro riding with a vigor and determination that was a thrill to witness. Melinda Jones(Team Santa Cruz-SCCCC) had four solid rides during the six races and took fifth place in the final standings. Jones opened up the year with two 2nd place rides, showing off her strength and pedaling ability. 19 racers received points in this division.

1st- Beverly Chaney
2nd- Melanie Dominguez
3rd- Amy Abele
4th- Henrietta Stern
5th- Melinda Jones

Men's C Division: Bay Bikes racer "Jamin" Jimmy Sopko pedaled, and dismounted, and ran, and mounted, and again pedaled, his way to a fine series win. Sopko was a true beginner to Cross racing when he lined up for his first series race. He had flat pedals and no cycle racing background of any kind in his resume. After a few crashes and some hard charging he was the winner at his first try in the cycle game. When the dust settled for the year he had won four races and a fine series title for his Monterey bike shop. Travis Tonn(San Jose Bike Club) claimed a fine second place in the series standings. Tonn was never out of the top 3 in his race attempts, and ended the year posting 2nd place finishes in the final two races. Troy Mayfield(Spokesman) seemed to always be riding near the front and claimed third in the final rankings. Alex Anderson(Team Santa Cruz) was another rider who seemed to blossom as the season went on. Anderson increased his out put in power and performance as each race came, and in the end he was one of the faster riders out there in his group. Charles Meehan(Ride SFO) made 5 of the 6 races and ended 5th in the final point tally. 44 racers received points in this division.

1st- Jimmy Sopko
2nd- Travis Tonn
3rd- Troy Mayfield
4th- Alex Anderson
5th- Charles Meehan

Junior Men 13 & Under Division: Bicycle Trip was the power broker when it came to placing in this division. Bicycle Trip claimed 8 of the top 10 places in the rankings. Riding shot gun in this up and comers division was Noah Karter. Karter batted 100% in his 5 starts never heading home with anything but a gold medal. Karter looks to have a fine future in cycle racing and he should develop into one outstanding bicycle riding machine. Another junior to show incredible drive and determination was Raymond Mendoza of Santa Cruz. this Bicycle Trip sponsored rider was never out of the top 3 in his 6 starts on the year showing true cross consistency. Mendoza finished second place in the series standings. Third place in the standings was Oliver Nickell riding out of Santa Cruz as well. Nickell missed two of the six races, yet his other rides were so good he still took third overall for this division. Darik Thunstrom of Boulder Creek was another Bicycle Trip rider who showed great drive in each of his race attempts. Thunstrom claimed fourth overall in the division. Taking the fifth position in the standings was Raymond's brother Thomas, who also rides for the Bicycle Trip team. The fabulous Mendoza brothers may end up being as dominate as the Jacques-Maynes have been in about 10 years. 16 racers received points in this division.

1st- Noah Karter
2nd- Raymond Mendoza
3rd- Oliver Nickell
4th- Darik Thunstrom
5th- Thomas Mendoza

Junior Men 14-18 Division: Jeremy Blalock(Joselyn's Bicycles) opened the year up with two strong wins, yet this was not enough to claim top honors in this group. Logan Loader then ran the table and finished the year off as the clear winner in this talented division of Junior riders. Scotts Valley Cycle Sport riders made up the next placing with Jack Fogelquist and Taylor Shamshoian always providing a good show during the races. These two Cycle Sport sponsored riders appear to be the future of Cross racing in the Junior division. And their battles will surely continue year after year after year. Another fine racer from Santa Cruz is Jesse Nickell(Bicycle Trip) who made the top five in series points. Nickell missed two races out of six, but still gathered enough points to solidify himself as one of the best Juniors in the central coast. 30 racers received points in this division.

1st- Logan Loader
2nd- Jeremy Blalock
3rd- Jack Fogelquist
4th- Taylor Shamshoian
5th- Jesse Nickell

Junior Women's Division: Monterey has produced many great bicycle racers, and there is one individual who seems to be headed for stardom in cycle sport. Tania Lokmagozian really enjoys riding her bicycle and she just happens to ride it really fast. Lokmagozian still has 6 years available of junior status, and by that time she should have many race wins notched on to her bicycle frame. The determined riding Lokmagozian had great finishes during the entire series racking up 4 wins in 6 races. Hopefully she will stay motivated to compete and use her drive and desire to lead the way for other female racers in the future. Another talented junior racer is Jesse Blalock who took part in her first Cyclo-Cross races this season, and her smile as she raced showed the fun it was to her. Blalock claimed 2nd place in the series the same as her brother Jeremy placed in his division. Lainey Aldridge(Harbor High School) used her age and strength to claim wins in the final 2 events, the only CCCX races she took part in. These two wins placed Aldridge 3rd in the series standings. Meri Meighan(Velo Bella) gave all her effort and really made her father proud in taking fourth place in the series standings. The merry spirited Meighan is involved in many activities and made time to do a little cycling in her busy schedule. Riding for Cal Giant Inc. was Meghan Barr who finished fifth position on the leaders board. 5 racers received points in this division.

1st- Tania Lokmagozian
2nd- Jesse Blalock
3rd- Lainey Aldridge
4th- Meri Meighan
5th- Meghan Barr

Single Speed Division: Erik Ebberoth proved himself to be a single speed wonder during the 2005 CCCX series. Ebberoth rides out of Monterey and has signed a deal to race for Bay Bikes during the 2006 season. Bay Bikes noticed the Monterey high school student had great results and his disposition is one that any team would want to be involved with. the well mannered young lad who stands over 6 feet tall used consistent results during 5 of the 6 races to claim his series win. Ebberoth was never out of the top three when the checkered flag was waved. Tim Cannard(Buy-Cell) made a outstanding return to the race scene taking the silver medal in the final point total. Cannard rides out of Los Gatos and is the founder of the Buy-Cell team. He used high placing in 5 out of 6 races to make up his 2nd place point total. Cannard is a true ambassador to the sport of cycling and has sponsored racers and races in his fine cycling career. A.J Ataie(Pegasus Bicycles/Allegiant Air) made every race of the 6 race series, and his flashy single speed set ups that were dialed in at the famous Pegasus Bicycle Works shop in Danville took him to 3rd in series rankings. The Pegasus shop turns out many fine riders and fine race machines, and the Ataie single speed cycle was a fine example of this. Fourth in the series was former District champion Pat Schott(Black Market Racing) who won his only two single speed starts races # 5 & #6. Schott seems to be one of the finest single speed riders in Northern California. Michael Matthews(Buy-Cell) started three of the six single speed races and was a perfect 3 for 3 in wins. Mathews was too busy smoozing with Larry Ellison or he might have finished the series out with a title. But in the end it was Erik Ebberoth who was single speed king for the series. 27 racers received points in this division.


Report by

Dusty Downs

Cycle Sport International