I want to fill you in on some team developments as the road and mountain bike season winds down, and we transition to that crazy and well, special for AC, season of cyclocross.
The AC junior athletes have received amazing support over the years from Chad, Kalara and the Above Category Cycling team—we are all very grateful for that. Thanks to our athletes’ successes on the bike (multiple top-5 and top-10 placings at road, mountain AND ‘cross Nationals for example), as well as the strengthening AC brand and franchise, we are starting to get support from others in the cycling community too.
In order to leverage that support to the maximum benefit of the athletes and the sponsors, we are in the process of establishing a non-profit entity to help fund ACJR activities. More on that as it develops.
In the meantime though, the first tangible effect of that support is that we have been able to retain Josh Snead as Directeur Sportif. For those of you that don’t know him, Josh is a very experienced cyclist, mechanic, pro ‘cross racer and former assistant coach of the Redwood HS mtb team. He has the respect of the boys (I think it is mutual!) and a great demeanor. His objectives for the rest of 2010 are to organize a couple training rides per week and provide:
• Safety and race strategy advice
• Mentoring and training plan support
• Keeping it fun & motivational
• Skills work
• Mechanical/bike care advice and training.
After ‘cross season (once he’s not racing), Josh will also provide some of the race logistics (planning, driving, race-day support). For those athletes who are coached by Craig Upton, Craig is aware of Josh’s role, and is going to work with Josh to coordinate the boys’ training plans as much as possible.
Josh will be reaching out to the boys directly to kick things off next week. If you have an questions or feedback, please don’t hesitate to let Josh or me know!
In terms of racing, the road season is winding down, with the final Cal Cup race on Monday (Giro do SF) and the Mt. Tam Hill Climb on September 18th. The first team ‘cross race will most likely be BASP #1 (location still TBA) on Sunday October 3rd. More on the ‘cross season and a season opener social event soon.
Thanks and good riding,
Blair
Friday, September 3, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
AC Juniors Rock Road & Dirt
It was another big weekend for the AC junior team athletes with a win and high placings in both road and mountain events-- all over California!
Rocking the Road
Alex, the current AC roadie powerhouse, and Isaiah traveled deep into VeloPromo territory to contest the Warnerville Road race. This event, like many other VP races, was help on rough back roads in unknown places. Warnerville is a 17-mile loop that Alex and Isaiah's Cat 4 group traversed 3 times. Each lap included a 1-mile dirt/gravel stretch-- conditions that the AC guys are quite comfortable handling a road bike on, given their CX experience.
The 30-odd Cat 4 bunch rode a moderate tempo for the first two laps over the rolling course. On lap 3 however, things really heated up. A small break got free just before the dirt. Alex and Isaiah worked together to stay clear of the ensuing chase group. Isaiah worked hard to keep Alex in the clear. Alex "rode harder than I ever have." It worked because he finished fourth while Isaiah battled within the chase group for a very solid 7th. "I collapsed after the race," said Alex. "I slept the whole way home and went to bed after that!" Readers should note Isaiah and Alex competed in the Elite (19-34 year old) Category 4 Men, not juniors. With this result, Alex secured the points he needed for his Cat 3 upgrade, and with that comes qualification for Road Nationals.
Rocking the Dirt
Meanwhile, about 400 miles to the south, Bob, Spence and new AC recruit Eliel were racing the Pro XCT Kenda Cup West Series cross country in "Fontucky." Although the day dawned clear, with beautiful views of snow on the Angels Crest, the wind was something to reckon with. Blowing a steady 20mph from the northeast, with gusts well over 30, the gale wreaked havoc with the course markings, banners, spectators and most of all the racers. We are still finding sand in various... nooks and crannies!
The Fontana course is set on a small but rugged mountain-- or what's left of it, since it is an abandoned granite quarry. The course was extremely technical with a surprising amount of climbing for its ~5 miles. Lots of rock, decomposed granite, and even man-made "features" like concrete culverts. The rather stunning backdrop on several drop-away turns was the endless expanse of tract homes in the San Bernardino Valley. Cat 1 contested 3 laps; Cat 2, 2 laps.
Spence raced Cat 1 15-16, which started in a field combined with 17-18. The pace was very fast from the gun. The group remained mixed over the first half of the lap 1, at which point the climb and tech sections strung out the riders. The competition was intense, with a high number of mechanicals largely due to the rough course. Spence managed a strong 6th place (1:08:23, 4 minutes off the winner), with familiar names from the NorCal HS MTB varsity ranks above him on the podium.
In the Junior Cat 2 event Bob (17-18) and Eliel (15-16) faced a similar challenge. Bob got the hole-shot from the gun, with Eliel right behind him. It was a fantastic sight seeing the two AC riders negotiate the alternating hard-pack and sandy chicanes and rollers that made up the first half-mile of the race. Bob kept the gas on, and blipped Whole Athlete/Novato High rider Bobby Zideck for the win (0:46:20). Eliel had his own work cut out for him, battling two SoCal riders for an excellent 4th place (0:46:54), barely a minute behind winner and fellow NorCal HS MTB racer Taylor Smith (Whole Athlete/Redwood).
Here are pictures from Fontana.
Great riding, everyone!
Blair
Rocking the Road
Alex, the current AC roadie powerhouse, and Isaiah traveled deep into VeloPromo territory to contest the Warnerville Road race. This event, like many other VP races, was help on rough back roads in unknown places. Warnerville is a 17-mile loop that Alex and Isaiah's Cat 4 group traversed 3 times. Each lap included a 1-mile dirt/gravel stretch-- conditions that the AC guys are quite comfortable handling a road bike on, given their CX experience.
The 30-odd Cat 4 bunch rode a moderate tempo for the first two laps over the rolling course. On lap 3 however, things really heated up. A small break got free just before the dirt. Alex and Isaiah worked together to stay clear of the ensuing chase group. Isaiah worked hard to keep Alex in the clear. Alex "rode harder than I ever have." It worked because he finished fourth while Isaiah battled within the chase group for a very solid 7th. "I collapsed after the race," said Alex. "I slept the whole way home and went to bed after that!" Readers should note Isaiah and Alex competed in the Elite (19-34 year old) Category 4 Men, not juniors. With this result, Alex secured the points he needed for his Cat 3 upgrade, and with that comes qualification for Road Nationals.
Rocking the Dirt
Meanwhile, about 400 miles to the south, Bob, Spence and new AC recruit Eliel were racing the Pro XCT Kenda Cup West Series cross country in "Fontucky." Although the day dawned clear, with beautiful views of snow on the Angels Crest, the wind was something to reckon with. Blowing a steady 20mph from the northeast, with gusts well over 30, the gale wreaked havoc with the course markings, banners, spectators and most of all the racers. We are still finding sand in various... nooks and crannies!
The Fontana course is set on a small but rugged mountain-- or what's left of it, since it is an abandoned granite quarry. The course was extremely technical with a surprising amount of climbing for its ~5 miles. Lots of rock, decomposed granite, and even man-made "features" like concrete culverts. The rather stunning backdrop on several drop-away turns was the endless expanse of tract homes in the San Bernardino Valley. Cat 1 contested 3 laps; Cat 2, 2 laps.
Spence raced Cat 1 15-16, which started in a field combined with 17-18. The pace was very fast from the gun. The group remained mixed over the first half of the lap 1, at which point the climb and tech sections strung out the riders. The competition was intense, with a high number of mechanicals largely due to the rough course. Spence managed a strong 6th place (1:08:23, 4 minutes off the winner), with familiar names from the NorCal HS MTB varsity ranks above him on the podium.
In the Junior Cat 2 event Bob (17-18) and Eliel (15-16) faced a similar challenge. Bob got the hole-shot from the gun, with Eliel right behind him. It was a fantastic sight seeing the two AC riders negotiate the alternating hard-pack and sandy chicanes and rollers that made up the first half-mile of the race. Bob kept the gas on, and blipped Whole Athlete/Novato High rider Bobby Zideck for the win (0:46:20). Eliel had his own work cut out for him, battling two SoCal riders for an excellent 4th place (0:46:54), barely a minute behind winner and fellow NorCal HS MTB racer Taylor Smith (Whole Athlete/Redwood).
Here are pictures from Fontana.
Great riding, everyone!
Blair
Monday, March 22, 2010
Sobrero Has Krabbe-Like Experience at Bariani
Cat 4 masters racer has a very close call at last Saturday's Bariani Road Race. Here's the first-person recap:
First, 100 participants showed for Elite 4 race. Many teams of riders – not too many individuals. Get this, the race was 98% single lane only with strict centerline enforcement – making a tight 5-6 bikes across a single lane with dicey shoulders of pea gravel and such. 5 laps at about 10 miles a lap. Very intense as no where to pass easily and a bit of talk and arguments in the peloton, add to that it was very hard to drop a big amount of the group since there was not that much climbing – about 400ft per lap. Speeds where very high with an average of 25 miles an hour for 50 miles.
I stayed in the first 25 places through the whole race thinking strategy and surprisingly in the end had much energy to hammer down the straight away to the finish. As I hammered down the straight away I reached 36 miles an hour and was moving through to top 10 spots and feeling like I could have been top 5 – that’s where it all ended with the number 6-7 guys crashing and taking out about 20 bikers behind them including me at 36 miles an hour. Needless to say – broken shoulders and a lot of shredded skin amongst the grounded riders. Luckily I have bruised ribs, two nasty strawberries on each hip, sore shoulder, back, neck – well ..just about everything. Total bummer. Bent my shifters back in place, played with the chain and brakes to be able to roll – and soft peddled to the finish – likely bottom 10. Things can change quickly – although I was lucky – I can still ride a bike today. :)
I wont do that ride ever again unless they open the whole road – not worth it.
First, 100 participants showed for Elite 4 race. Many teams of riders – not too many individuals. Get this, the race was 98% single lane only with strict centerline enforcement – making a tight 5-6 bikes across a single lane with dicey shoulders of pea gravel and such. 5 laps at about 10 miles a lap. Very intense as no where to pass easily and a bit of talk and arguments in the peloton, add to that it was very hard to drop a big amount of the group since there was not that much climbing – about 400ft per lap. Speeds where very high with an average of 25 miles an hour for 50 miles.
I stayed in the first 25 places through the whole race thinking strategy and surprisingly in the end had much energy to hammer down the straight away to the finish. As I hammered down the straight away I reached 36 miles an hour and was moving through to top 10 spots and feeling like I could have been top 5 – that’s where it all ended with the number 6-7 guys crashing and taking out about 20 bikers behind them including me at 36 miles an hour. Needless to say – broken shoulders and a lot of shredded skin amongst the grounded riders. Luckily I have bruised ribs, two nasty strawberries on each hip, sore shoulder, back, neck – well ..just about everything. Total bummer. Bent my shifters back in place, played with the chain and brakes to be able to roll – and soft peddled to the finish – likely bottom 10. Things can change quickly – although I was lucky – I can still ride a bike today. :)
I wont do that ride ever again unless they open the whole road – not worth it.
Keane Keeps Cool
Jack Keane, sole representative of the AC squad brave enough to face the muck in Cool, CA, pulled off a strong victory in the recent Cool Mountain Bike Race. Though the weather was clear (but cold) the Olmstead Loop course had been drenched in previous days. Course conditions were foul. Though his age-group field was small, Jack had the second-fastest time of the entire Men's Cat 2 field. Way to go, Jack!
Monday, March 8, 2010
NorCal Race #1 - Ft. Ord - five racers, five podiums
Yesterday was the first of five NorCal Mountain Bike races of the year, down at Fort Ord near Monterey. This is a five-race series that other Marin teams, such as Drake and San Rafael High, have typically dominated in years past.
You can read more about the race series at www.norcalmtb.org, but this is the largest High School Mountain Bike league in the US. On Sunday, there were 530 riders registered to race from all over Northern California! The NorCal MTB League is the sanctioning body for high school “club sport” mountain bike racing in Northern California, and currently encompasses about 35 schools and about 1000 athletes.
Originally started in Northern California, the league is now in its 10th season, and has expanded to SoCal and other states too – rapidly becoming THE national mountain bike racing organization. In 2009, the league saw the first ever California HS championship (SoCal & NorCal).
Historically, the Marin schools have been the powerhouses in the league, but until recently, Tam High had yet to realize its rightful position as a powerhouse too. Given that several “founding fathers” of mountain biking are Tam grads (Joe Breeze, Steve Potts, etc., we’re hoping that 2010 may be the year to show the rest of Northern California where mountain biking started!
Yesterday, with a reconstituted Tam High racing team that included five strong new riders, for the first time in many years (we don't know how many), Tam High came away with four podium finishes, including two first place winners! Jack Keane, another AC racer also podiumed, riding as an independent in this race.
Spence Peterson has won many bike events in the past and has been a National Champion, so he upgraded from Freshman to Junior Varsity for this race series. Bob raced in Sophomores, with Alex Howard, Skyler Taylor, and Jack Keane taking on the other Freshmen.
The boys have many other races to their credit in road racing, cyclocross and mountain biking, so they were revved up and ready to race for Tam! The Tam team also included a number of other racers as well who raced in Freshman, Sophomore and Junior Varsity – just not enough girls to get them into Division 1 – that is the goal for the 2010-2011 season!
The races all had very large fields of 50-75 racers with boys from all over Northern California, with our boys racing on a race course they'd never ridden before. But it didn't stop them - they all wound up on the podium!
Alex hammering up through the feed zone
Skyler overtaking a slower rider on one of the climbs
Skyler powering along just behind Alex
Jack heading up the feed zone
Bob battling with Eliel (Branson) for first place
Spence ("no one else in the picture") with a 2 minute lead
Below are the race results:
Spence Peterson – 1st Place Junior Varsity, Division 2 (faster than 1st Place Division 1 finisher)
Bob Siegel – 1st Place, Sophomore, Division 2 (faster than 1st-place Division 1 finisher)
Alex Howard – 3rd Place, Freshmen, Division 2
Skyler Taylor – 4th Place, Freshmen, Division 2
Jack Keane – 5th Place, Freshmen, Division 2
Junior Varsity Podium - Spence Peterson - 1st Place (racers shown to scale)
Sophomore Podium - Bob Siegel - 1st Place
Freshman Podium - Jack Keane 5th (off screen), Alex Howard 4th, Skyler Taylor 3rd
Freshman Podium - with Jack in the picture!
The other Tam riders (boys and one girl) all exceeded their own personal best results, and we expect much more out of them as the season progresses. Credit also goes to Simon Andalib and Anna Davenport, the Tam High team's coaches.
This success is going to turn Tam into a much more recognized school in the High School Mountain Bike racing league!
Full Results for all Tamalpais High Racers are on the NorCalMtb site here, and Tam High race results summarized below:
Varsity Boys, Division 2
Patrick Charlton - 33rd (1:40:01)
Junior Varsity Boys, Division 2
Spence Peterson - 1st Place (1:12:25)
Brent Peters - 21st (1:28:03)
Travis Powell - 30th (1:30:30)
Sophomore Boys, Division 2
Bob Siegel - 1st Place (53:21)
Andrew Henn - 21st (1:05:42)
Frosh Girls, Division 2
Laine Kendall - 8th (1:18:38)
Frosh Boys, Division 2
Alex Howard - 3rd (53:11)
Skyler Taylor - 4th (55:32)
Dillon Charlton - 13th (59:32)
Barry O'Brien - 38th (1:15:35)
Ian Courtney - 41st (1:17:02)
Thanks to our Sponsors!
Tam Bikes, the Mill Valley bike store, is the team sponsor for the Tam High Mountain Bike team, and should be recognized for their support and contributions to the team's success. Bob sends out a special thanks to Quoc and the guys for the loan of his race-winning Niner bike!
Also big thanks go out to Chad and the guys at Above Category for the loan of the fantastic set of carbon Edge tubular MTB wheels/tires that were on Spence's race-winning bike!
Pictures are up here
More pictures are here courtesy of Nicole Taylor.
You can read more about the race series at www.norcalmtb.org, but this is the largest High School Mountain Bike league in the US. On Sunday, there were 530 riders registered to race from all over Northern California! The NorCal MTB League is the sanctioning body for high school “club sport” mountain bike racing in Northern California, and currently encompasses about 35 schools and about 1000 athletes.
Originally started in Northern California, the league is now in its 10th season, and has expanded to SoCal and other states too – rapidly becoming THE national mountain bike racing organization. In 2009, the league saw the first ever California HS championship (SoCal & NorCal).
Historically, the Marin schools have been the powerhouses in the league, but until recently, Tam High had yet to realize its rightful position as a powerhouse too. Given that several “founding fathers” of mountain biking are Tam grads (Joe Breeze, Steve Potts, etc., we’re hoping that 2010 may be the year to show the rest of Northern California where mountain biking started!
Yesterday, with a reconstituted Tam High racing team that included five strong new riders, for the first time in many years (we don't know how many), Tam High came away with four podium finishes, including two first place winners! Jack Keane, another AC racer also podiumed, riding as an independent in this race.
Spence Peterson has won many bike events in the past and has been a National Champion, so he upgraded from Freshman to Junior Varsity for this race series. Bob raced in Sophomores, with Alex Howard, Skyler Taylor, and Jack Keane taking on the other Freshmen.
The boys have many other races to their credit in road racing, cyclocross and mountain biking, so they were revved up and ready to race for Tam! The Tam team also included a number of other racers as well who raced in Freshman, Sophomore and Junior Varsity – just not enough girls to get them into Division 1 – that is the goal for the 2010-2011 season!
The races all had very large fields of 50-75 racers with boys from all over Northern California, with our boys racing on a race course they'd never ridden before. But it didn't stop them - they all wound up on the podium!
Alex hammering up through the feed zone
Skyler overtaking a slower rider on one of the climbs
Skyler powering along just behind Alex
Jack heading up the feed zone
Bob battling with Eliel (Branson) for first place
Spence ("no one else in the picture") with a 2 minute leadBelow are the race results:
Spence Peterson – 1st Place Junior Varsity, Division 2 (faster than 1st Place Division 1 finisher)
Bob Siegel – 1st Place, Sophomore, Division 2 (faster than 1st-place Division 1 finisher)
Alex Howard – 3rd Place, Freshmen, Division 2
Skyler Taylor – 4th Place, Freshmen, Division 2
Jack Keane – 5th Place, Freshmen, Division 2
Junior Varsity Podium - Spence Peterson - 1st Place (racers shown to scale)
Sophomore Podium - Bob Siegel - 1st Place
Freshman Podium - Jack Keane 5th (off screen), Alex Howard 4th, Skyler Taylor 3rd
Freshman Podium - with Jack in the picture!The other Tam riders (boys and one girl) all exceeded their own personal best results, and we expect much more out of them as the season progresses. Credit also goes to Simon Andalib and Anna Davenport, the Tam High team's coaches.
This success is going to turn Tam into a much more recognized school in the High School Mountain Bike racing league!
Full Results for all Tamalpais High Racers are on the NorCalMtb site here, and Tam High race results summarized below:
Varsity Boys, Division 2
Patrick Charlton - 33rd (1:40:01)
Junior Varsity Boys, Division 2
Spence Peterson - 1st Place (1:12:25)
Brent Peters - 21st (1:28:03)
Travis Powell - 30th (1:30:30)
Sophomore Boys, Division 2
Bob Siegel - 1st Place (53:21)
Andrew Henn - 21st (1:05:42)
Frosh Girls, Division 2
Laine Kendall - 8th (1:18:38)
Frosh Boys, Division 2
Alex Howard - 3rd (53:11)
Skyler Taylor - 4th (55:32)
Dillon Charlton - 13th (59:32)
Barry O'Brien - 38th (1:15:35)
Ian Courtney - 41st (1:17:02)
Thanks to our Sponsors!
Tam Bikes, the Mill Valley bike store, is the team sponsor for the Tam High Mountain Bike team, and should be recognized for their support and contributions to the team's success. Bob sends out a special thanks to Quoc and the guys for the loan of his race-winning Niner bike!
Also big thanks go out to Chad and the guys at Above Category for the loan of the fantastic set of carbon Edge tubular MTB wheels/tires that were on Spence's race-winning bike!
Pictures are up here
More pictures are here courtesy of Nicole Taylor.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Merced Criterium - Central California Part II
After an exciting day at the Snelling Road race, a few of us (Bob, Spence and Alex) headed down to downtown Merced early Sunday morning (around sunrise), in order for the Juniors to race Elite 4 at the Merced Criterium. After the very rainy Friday, and the fairly wet roads at Snelling, at Merced the weather and conditions turned out MUCH better than I was expecting. Cold (high 40's) but clear and sunny conditions for the 50 minute race.
The race went really well – the Juniors were among a field of 50-60 adult riders, and they maintained good positions mid-pack for the first few laps (of the 25 lap race).
Alex really rode very smartly and held back for the first 2/3 of the race, then moved up to the front around lap 20 in order to get into position. On the final lap head moved into the number two place, and positioned himself ideally for the finish straight & sprint.
On the finish straight, Alex went head-to-head with Hank from Roaring Mouse (21 year-old) and almost made it ahead, but ran out of gearing spinning his Jr gears, so he came away with a solid 2nd place, and probably with close to enough points to upgrade to Cat 3.
Spence had a good race, finishing in the Top 20, and Bob managed through 20 laps before flatting in the last 5 laps, where his race ended.
All in all, another good demonstration of how the Juniors are progressing in tactics, as well as their power.
Photos of the race are here.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Snelling Road Race - Big TEAM Effort!
The first big road race of the year in Snelling (East of Turlock), was highlighted by perhaps the best team performance of the ACJR's. With four racers (Alex, Spence, Skyler and Jack) racing in the Junior 15-16 race, the team was able to employ real race tactics with great success. The end result: a stellar 2nd place for Alex, who is well on his way to an Cat 3 upgrade.
The story starts the night before, where the boys discussed how they were going to handle breaks. Jack and Skyler planned to catch all the breaks so that Alex could stay fresh for a strong finish. Spence was also going to try and see if could contend for a placing.
The way it actually happened was almost to plan - the race started out with 17 racers, so the AC team had a solid group to defend their position. After a fast start, the pack stayed together for the first lap, then the attacks started coming on the short climbs. Skyler and Jack pulled the pack up to on every major attack. This continued until the attacks began subsiding, but in the second lap, another strong attack went out, with Alex and Spence chasing it down.
Once the group saw that the AC boys were going to chase down any attack, they gradually gave up trying to attack and by the third and final attack, the field stayed together (except for a few stragglers). On the final turn, Alex and two of the stronger racers were at the front, with Alex staying on their wheel as they entered the uphill finish straight. It came down to a three-way sprint, with Alex getting a solid 2nd place. Spence took 8th place with Skyler and Jack finishing with the pack, but having done their tremendous work in making sure that Alex was well positioned for his finish.
All around, a great day for the AC Juniors. Bob raced in a very fast Junior 17-18 group, but finished after two laps - a bee sting was the final straw for him today.
The AC Masters were well represented in the Elite 4 race, with 5 racers (Blair, Peter, Jeff, Bill and Rich). Peter had the strongest finish, with Bill behind him. Blair was racing strongly, but suffered from two flats which ended his race. Jeff and Rich both experienced "early season" racing, and made it through four of the five laps before throwing in the towel.
The weather, which had been threatening rain all week, turned out to be just fine - mid 50's and cloudy, then burning off for Bob's noon-time race. The course was wet with some areas of standing water 8-12" deep, which meant every 20 minutes your shoes got a good soaking.
This is a great start to the season, and we can all look forward to seeing how the boys' tactics play out in the coming weeks.
Photos of the race are here.
Tomorrow's race is the Merced Criterium - Alex, Spence and Bob are racing.
The story starts the night before, where the boys discussed how they were going to handle breaks. Jack and Skyler planned to catch all the breaks so that Alex could stay fresh for a strong finish. Spence was also going to try and see if could contend for a placing.
The way it actually happened was almost to plan - the race started out with 17 racers, so the AC team had a solid group to defend their position. After a fast start, the pack stayed together for the first lap, then the attacks started coming on the short climbs. Skyler and Jack pulled the pack up to on every major attack. This continued until the attacks began subsiding, but in the second lap, another strong attack went out, with Alex and Spence chasing it down.
Once the group saw that the AC boys were going to chase down any attack, they gradually gave up trying to attack and by the third and final attack, the field stayed together (except for a few stragglers). On the final turn, Alex and two of the stronger racers were at the front, with Alex staying on their wheel as they entered the uphill finish straight. It came down to a three-way sprint, with Alex getting a solid 2nd place. Spence took 8th place with Skyler and Jack finishing with the pack, but having done their tremendous work in making sure that Alex was well positioned for his finish.
All around, a great day for the AC Juniors. Bob raced in a very fast Junior 17-18 group, but finished after two laps - a bee sting was the final straw for him today.
The AC Masters were well represented in the Elite 4 race, with 5 racers (Blair, Peter, Jeff, Bill and Rich). Peter had the strongest finish, with Bill behind him. Blair was racing strongly, but suffered from two flats which ended his race. Jeff and Rich both experienced "early season" racing, and made it through four of the five laps before throwing in the towel.
The weather, which had been threatening rain all week, turned out to be just fine - mid 50's and cloudy, then burning off for Bob's noon-time race. The course was wet with some areas of standing water 8-12" deep, which meant every 20 minutes your shoes got a good soaking.
This is a great start to the season, and we can all look forward to seeing how the boys' tactics play out in the coming weeks.
Photos of the race are here.
Tomorrow's race is the Merced Criterium - Alex, Spence and Bob are racing.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Ronde van Brisbeen results
As part of their ongoing "quest for points" the boys headed out on a wet and rainy Sunday down to Sierra Point in Brisbane to race in the Ronde van Brisbeen, the Dutch-inspired criterium around the familiar Sierra Point cyclocross venue.
Though racing in the Elite 4 group, the field was winnowed down by the rain, and the boys did well, working together for much of the race, coming away with two Top 10 finishes! Once again, Alex Howard showed that he's got the power to ride with the big boys, and it is starting to look like he's fast accumulating points for an upgrade to Cat 3.
Elite 4 Results:
Alex Howard - 5th Place
Bob Siegel - 10th Place
Spence Peterson - DNF (mechanical)
And thanks to Ken Howard for handling the driving duties! Special guest in the team wagon was Scott Zwizanski, pro rider for Kelly Benefit Strategies who brought home a 17th in the Pro/1/2 race.
USA Cycling Junior Points Ranking:
Alex Howard - 2nd place!
Spence Peterson - 15th
Skyler Taylor - 30th
USA Cycling Elite 4 Points Ranking:
Alex Howard - 7th place
Next races:
Saturday, Feb. 27 - Snelling Road Race (ACJR and Masters)
Sunday, Feb. 28 - Merced Criterium (ACJR)
Though racing in the Elite 4 group, the field was winnowed down by the rain, and the boys did well, working together for much of the race, coming away with two Top 10 finishes! Once again, Alex Howard showed that he's got the power to ride with the big boys, and it is starting to look like he's fast accumulating points for an upgrade to Cat 3.
Elite 4 Results:
Alex Howard - 5th Place
Bob Siegel - 10th Place
Spence Peterson - DNF (mechanical)
And thanks to Ken Howard for handling the driving duties! Special guest in the team wagon was Scott Zwizanski, pro rider for Kelly Benefit Strategies who brought home a 17th in the Pro/1/2 race.
USA Cycling Junior Points Ranking:
Alex Howard - 2nd place!
Spence Peterson - 15th
Skyler Taylor - 30th
USA Cycling Elite 4 Points Ranking:
Alex Howard - 7th place
Next races:
Saturday, Feb. 27 - Snelling Road Race (ACJR and Masters)
Sunday, Feb. 28 - Merced Criterium (ACJR)
Monday, February 8, 2010
Cherry Pie served up by AC
On Sunday Alex brought home the pie! He won the hotly contested Jr 15-16 race at the Napa Cherry Pie Criterium, after having predicting that at our team meeting with coach Craig last week! Wow! Great riding by all the AC squad.
The results:
Jr 15-16
Alex 1st
Spence 4th
Skyler 7th
Jack 17th
Jr 17-18
Bob 16th
Elite 4
Scott 4th (also won 2 primes!)
Alex 5th
Bob 35th
Good riding,
Blair
The results:
Jr 15-16
Alex 1st
Spence 4th
Skyler 7th
Jack 17th
Jr 17-18
Bob 16th
Elite 4
Scott 4th (also won 2 primes!)
Alex 5th
Bob 35th
Good riding,
Blair
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
2010 Season is Here!
Hey AC Junior & Master athletes and supporters,
I think it is safe to say the new season is just about here. CX racing is over-- and what an awesome season for AC it was, with intense racing, many personal bests, multiple local series winners and some excellent results at Nats in Bend!
Seems like everyone is deep into their training programs, and the first Junior Points Series race is right around the corner (Cherry Pie Crit on Sunday Feb 7-- register now if you haven't already--and Snelling RR in late Feb).
The NorCal HS MTB League kicks off soon, too. The AC athletes should be great additions to their respective high school teams. The Tam team is looking for sponsors-- $500 gets your company logo on the team jersey!
Speaking of events, Rich & I are going to keep the calendar here (look to the right --> ) updated. This blog and the calendar are the go-to place for team info, planning and race recaps. We're going to keep email broadcast content to a minimum.
Don't forget to renew your USAC licenses now, before your first race. Now is also a good time to submit upgrade petitions. Let me know if you need any help with that.
It is also time to think about and communicate goals for 2010. JPS, NorCal MTB, SeaOtter and Road and Mountain Nats are on a lot of athletes' radar; we need to discuss and plan how to support achieving those goals as a Team.
--> AC team ride on Saturday: 4hr+ road ride to Nicasio, Olema, Pt Reyes Station. ~50 miles, mostly rollers, maybe throw in the Limantour climb. Depart Peets MV at 8:30 sharp. Light rain ok, heavy rain cancels. Check this blog at 7:30am Sat for Go/No-Go message if the weather is iffy.
--> Tam High MTB team ride on Sunday: meet 10am at Tam High. Going to be a TT up the RxR Grade. AC guys ought to be able to manage that!
Stay tuned and good riding,
Blair
I think it is safe to say the new season is just about here. CX racing is over-- and what an awesome season for AC it was, with intense racing, many personal bests, multiple local series winners and some excellent results at Nats in Bend!
Seems like everyone is deep into their training programs, and the first Junior Points Series race is right around the corner (Cherry Pie Crit on Sunday Feb 7-- register now if you haven't already--and Snelling RR in late Feb).
The NorCal HS MTB League kicks off soon, too. The AC athletes should be great additions to their respective high school teams. The Tam team is looking for sponsors-- $500 gets your company logo on the team jersey!
Speaking of events, Rich & I are going to keep the calendar here (look to the right --> ) updated. This blog and the calendar are the go-to place for team info, planning and race recaps. We're going to keep email broadcast content to a minimum.
Don't forget to renew your USAC licenses now, before your first race. Now is also a good time to submit upgrade petitions. Let me know if you need any help with that.
It is also time to think about and communicate goals for 2010. JPS, NorCal MTB, SeaOtter and Road and Mountain Nats are on a lot of athletes' radar; we need to discuss and plan how to support achieving those goals as a Team.
--> AC team ride on Saturday: 4hr+ road ride to Nicasio, Olema, Pt Reyes Station. ~50 miles, mostly rollers, maybe throw in the Limantour climb. Depart Peets MV at 8:30 sharp. Light rain ok, heavy rain cancels. Check this blog at 7:30am Sat for Go/No-Go message if the weather is iffy.
--> Tam High MTB team ride on Sunday: meet 10am at Tam High. Going to be a TT up the RxR Grade. AC guys ought to be able to manage that!
Stay tuned and good riding,
Blair
Monday, November 30, 2009
ACJR-- The Boulder Chapter
Hey AC athletes & supporters,
Just like the AC Elite Team has Chris Johnson as its sole east coast representative, the AC Junior squad has Michael Dessau, who is battling it out and doing well in the Boulder-area 'cross circuit. Michael is what anyone would call a pretty well-rounded and -accomplished bike racer. Among his recent palmares:
Say hello to Michael and we look forward to racing with him at the CX Nats in Bend next week!
Good Riding,
Blair
Just like the AC Elite Team has Chris Johnson as its sole east coast representative, the AC Junior squad has Michael Dessau, who is battling it out and doing well in the Boulder-area 'cross circuit. Michael is what anyone would call a pretty well-rounded and -accomplished bike racer. Among his recent palmares:
- 2009 US National 13-14 Road Champion
- 2009 US National 13-14 TT Champion
- 2009 US National 500M TT Champion (velodrome)
- 4 top-5 finishes in CX this season
- And a bunch of others...
Say hello to Michael and we look forward to racing with him at the CX Nats in Bend next week!
Good Riding,
Blair
Sunday, November 29, 2009
BASP #4 - Golden Gate Park Cyclocross - Spence Wins It!
Warm weather in November (almost December)? Once again, it was an unseasonably warm and sunny day for Cyclocross, but the boys (and men) persevered through the heat and dust, to put down some pretty remarkable results:
Blair Peterson did another “double header” – racing in Men’s A’s first, then coming back for more fun with the Men’s B Singlespeed race.
Blair's first race - the Men's A's (a very tough crowd)
Blair on his second race of the day - Singlespeed B Men
He did well in both, and may be close to keeping his 6th place hold on the series. Not sure how he finds the energy, as I could barely drag myself to the race in the first place!
While they were getting ready to race, the Juniors did a PROPER warmup, following Craig Upton's guidelines - the boys all reported feeling a lot better at the beginning of the race.
Alex and Jack, on the trainers, warming up for their race
Then the Main Event – Men’s B race.
Spence and Alex charge up the front straight at the start of Men's B race
This one was packed with excitement over the full 45 minutes – starting with a strong hole shot with Isaiah and Spence getting to the corner with the first 2 or 3 other guys, then Bob, Alex, Skyler and Jack threading their way through the course (and other racers).
Over the 6 laps they raced, Spence, Isaiah and a Taleo racer all battled it out for 1st place, trading the lead, and overtaking each other at key points in the race. With lots of technical challenges, including roots, a ride-down + run-up, and plenty of tricky places to pass, the battle waged on for lap after lap.
Spence has overtaken Isaiah and is hammering up the front straight
Finally, in the last lap, Spence blasted by both Isaiah and the Taleo guy, and never looked back – he put down his First Place over a field of 82 racers – and with a strong finish to stamp it all his.
Bob heading up the front straight ready for his next pass
Bob produced his strongest result to date – a 7th place, after having pushed hard past a number of other fast riders. He showed great determination and looked as strong as in any race this year.
Just behind Bob was Scott Harrington, who overcame a couple of incidents in the race to claw his way back into the top 10 at 9th place.
Scott Harrington looked super strong today - solid Top 10 finish
Skyler Taylor started strong, and really held onto his position throughout the race, despite a potentially nasty crash on the ride-down. He kept his cool, and pushed his way into a 20th place finish.
Skyler is heads down, and digging hard to keep them behind him
Alex Howard showed his drive and concentration after he flatted with a HUGE staple through his tire.
The staple that probably cost Alex a Top 10 finish
After getting a new wheel, he powered through the field, chewing up and spitting out riders 3 and 4 at a time. He passed his way from near the back of the field to a finish in 26th place - certainly one of the strongest rides of the day!
Alex reeling in more riders on his move back up through the field
Jack Keane did a great job of cutting through the middle of the field, and continued to show great promise with a 46th place finish – solid mid-pack finish!
Blair hammered the course on his single-speed, trying to keep up with the higher-geared racers, and rode home with a strong finish – he has a solid lock on a Top 10 series finish at this point!
The Payoff - Spence Peterson - First Place - Men's B
The afternoon was dominated by the announcer constantly referring to the battle between Spence and Isaiah, and then the mention of the other AC riders, one after the other – we clearly had the biggest team out there, and everywhere you looked was black and white AC kit.
Team AC - Alex, Blair, Scott, Jack, Bob, Spence and Skyler
Special thanks also to Jack French for his photography – can’t wait to see the next round of pictures. Thanks also go out to Above Category and Chad Nordwall for the great Edge wheels and Focus race bikes - a resounding success according to the boys. And also to Meg, Julia, Nicole and Hillary for the great food to keep everyone up and at it.
My Photos are HERE, but there are MANY others to come from the other photographers.
Next Race: The FINALE – BASP #5 – Sunday, December 6th at Coyote Point – See HERE
And REMEMBER – this one will PAY OUT – there is $750 in prizes, 8 deep, in the Men’s B Series
Blair Peterson did another “double header” – racing in Men’s A’s first, then coming back for more fun with the Men’s B Singlespeed race.
Blair's first race - the Men's A's (a very tough crowd)
Blair on his second race of the day - Singlespeed B MenHe did well in both, and may be close to keeping his 6th place hold on the series. Not sure how he finds the energy, as I could barely drag myself to the race in the first place!
While they were getting ready to race, the Juniors did a PROPER warmup, following Craig Upton's guidelines - the boys all reported feeling a lot better at the beginning of the race.
Alex and Jack, on the trainers, warming up for their raceThen the Main Event – Men’s B race.
Spence and Alex charge up the front straight at the start of Men's B raceThis one was packed with excitement over the full 45 minutes – starting with a strong hole shot with Isaiah and Spence getting to the corner with the first 2 or 3 other guys, then Bob, Alex, Skyler and Jack threading their way through the course (and other racers).
Over the 6 laps they raced, Spence, Isaiah and a Taleo racer all battled it out for 1st place, trading the lead, and overtaking each other at key points in the race. With lots of technical challenges, including roots, a ride-down + run-up, and plenty of tricky places to pass, the battle waged on for lap after lap.
Spence has overtaken Isaiah and is hammering up the front straightFinally, in the last lap, Spence blasted by both Isaiah and the Taleo guy, and never looked back – he put down his First Place over a field of 82 racers – and with a strong finish to stamp it all his.
Bob heading up the front straight ready for his next passJust behind Bob was Scott Harrington, who overcame a couple of incidents in the race to claw his way back into the top 10 at 9th place.
Scott Harrington looked super strong today - solid Top 10 finishSkyler Taylor started strong, and really held onto his position throughout the race, despite a potentially nasty crash on the ride-down. He kept his cool, and pushed his way into a 20th place finish.
Skyler is heads down, and digging hard to keep them behind himAlex Howard showed his drive and concentration after he flatted with a HUGE staple through his tire.
The staple that probably cost Alex a Top 10 finishAfter getting a new wheel, he powered through the field, chewing up and spitting out riders 3 and 4 at a time. He passed his way from near the back of the field to a finish in 26th place - certainly one of the strongest rides of the day!
Alex reeling in more riders on his move back up through the field Jack Keane did a great job of cutting through the middle of the field, and continued to show great promise with a 46th place finish – solid mid-pack finish!
Blair hammered the course on his single-speed, trying to keep up with the higher-geared racers, and rode home with a strong finish – he has a solid lock on a Top 10 series finish at this point!
The Payoff - Spence Peterson - First Place - Men's BThe afternoon was dominated by the announcer constantly referring to the battle between Spence and Isaiah, and then the mention of the other AC riders, one after the other – we clearly had the biggest team out there, and everywhere you looked was black and white AC kit.
Team AC - Alex, Blair, Scott, Jack, Bob, Spence and SkylerSpecial thanks also to Jack French for his photography – can’t wait to see the next round of pictures. Thanks also go out to Above Category and Chad Nordwall for the great Edge wheels and Focus race bikes - a resounding success according to the boys. And also to Meg, Julia, Nicole and Hillary for the great food to keep everyone up and at it.
My Photos are HERE, but there are MANY others to come from the other photographers.
Next Race: The FINALE – BASP #5 – Sunday, December 6th at Coyote Point – See HERE
And REMEMBER – this one will PAY OUT – there is $750 in prizes, 8 deep, in the Men’s B Series
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Pound for Pound - AC Juniors Rule Cyclocross! BASP #3 - Sierra Point
Team AC - Alex, Skyler, Jack, Chad, Bob, Spence, and ScottSunday was another big success story for the ACJR and Master racers - three First Place finishes and strong performances by all the riders. More AC uniforms out there than almost any other team, major attention over the PA system, and two dozen family and friends out there supporting the team big time.
Sierra Point is the third in the BASP series, and more importantly, the night race - fantastic spectator event with great visibility of the entire course, all under the lights.
The afternoon started off well - Skyler Taylor and Jack Keane raced the Junior 15-18 race, with Skyler taking a strong First Place and Jack coming in a solid Fourth Place. Skyler put on a really strong performance, holding the lead the whole way, and taking the win after a long hard battle with Cody (?) from the Davis team. Jack continues to hone his 'cross skills, over a tough, bumpy and technical course, and it was just the first of two races for him!
Matthew Valencia was the picture of grit and determination - he took the Under 14 race from the start, but in the first lap managed to cut his knee on the stairs - very badly, as it turned out. But he stayed on his race the whole, way, won the race decisively, and then his parents took him first to the medic, and then to the ER to stitch up a giant hole in his knee. When asked how many stitches he got, Matt could only answer "I stopped counting" - he came back to watch and root for the rest of the team and stayed till very late. I'm sure he felt it the next day, and will be off the bike for awhile, but he definitely has the spirit of cyclocross - press on, regardless!
Matthew returned from the ER to get his podium picture Next up was the big race of the day - about 150 Men B racers, including the ACJR's - Spence, Bob, Alex, and Jack, plus Scott Harrington, fresh off his recent victory in Santa Rosa, threw down against the men, and against Isaiah Rapko, who was gunning for his third victory in the series.
After a huge start, a number of crashes on the course, and lots of moving up through the pack, the race settled down for 45 minutes of excitement - Isaiah and Spence took control from the first turn, and held the race the whole time.
From the start, the lead was all about Spence and IsaiahAlex and Bob were running strong, passing people right and left, with bike handling skills fine tuned over the past years of mountain biking. Spence and Bob were really enjoying the great Edge wheels provided by Chad at Above Category, and Alex was on the deluxe Focus Mares Expert - so equipment was not holding them back!
Alex chasing down another "old guy" in the Men's B's
Bob pushing hard - passing throughout the race 
Jack held his own in his second race of the day - in the big field of B's 
Blair mixing it up with the other Singlespeed B's
Scott continued to build his cyclocross record - really strong performance!Lap after lap, the announcer was describing the ongoing progress of the two racers whose age didn't exceed 30 years old - he was as excited as the rest of us, I think! Finally, on the last lap, Isaiah and Spence hammered down the back straight, through the U-turn and up the finish straight. Just a couple of feet separated them, but Isaiah managed to pull away and take the win with Spence right behind - one of the most exciting finishes of the entire day (maybe the season) of racing.
Isaiah (1st), Spence (2nd) after a grueling 45 minutes of dicing with Spence 
Spence and Isaiah on the hardest fought podium of the nightAlex, Scott, Bob and Jack all kept the pressure on and took a good chunk out of the top third of the finish roster. Final results were a bit muddled, so we're not sure of exact finish standings yet.
Blair did a double-header, with back-to-back races first in the Men's B singlespeed race, then in the Men's 45+ A race, and did amazingly well given the high level of competition. Some great passes and charging through the pass gave him solid finishes in both races, and he seemed as strong in the second race as during the first. Amazing endurance in these intense full-bore sprint races!
Blair continuing on his second race of the day - in Men's A's no less!
Meanwhile, Alex, Spence and Bob raced in the Singlespeed A's race All in all, it was a super solid day of racing, spectating, eating and drinking - thanks to Meg and Julia for the great sausages, desserts, and drinks (regular and with alcohol), to our great friend Jack French for his incredible photography - these are truly pro-level shots, to Chad for the loan of the top-tier wheels and bikes, which clearly made a difference, and to all the parents, friends and other AC supporters who came out to cheer the team - we probably had one of the largest and loudest groups of supporters of any team!
Photos of the race are here but the best ones are Jack French's photos on Facebook - better make him your friend soon!
Next Races:
Saturday, November 21 - Cross Palace - indoor cyclocross at the Cow Palace!
Sunday, November 22 - Discovery Park - Sacramento CX #3
Sunday, November 29 - Golden Gate Park NCNCA Finals - BASP #4
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Good day of racing with a small group today (Bob, Alex, Matt Valencia) – but some good results.
First up, Matt raced Under 13 and won the group decisively – great job Matt!
Then he got right back into line, with Bob and Alex, and Isaiah, and they all blasted out with the Men’s B group. Probably about 60 racers total, and the boys got an awesome start – 1st, 3rd, and 4th right out of the start into the first turn.
Some great action throughout, with Isaiah taking and holding the lead – looking super strong today, even when challenged by some strong B’s.
He won the race (second win in two weeks), with Alex coming in about a minute behind at 10th, and Bob just behind at 11th. Matt did a great job, beating about 20 of the B’s to come in 40th in his second race of the day!
The boys are really working well together, and looking strong in a very competitive field – great job!
Pictures are up at http://picasaweb.google.com/glocalize/200910SurfCItyCX1?feat=directlink
Next Week:
Saturday, October 17 – Men’s B’s at 3:00 PM
Lion of Fairfax is coming back – great LOCAL race, so think about coming out with the family.
Register NOW – it looks to be a fun race https://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=9254
ALSO: Don’t forget to register for Nationals (if you haven’t already, the site may be DOWN):
You can TRY to register at www.sportsbaseonline.com (search for “cyclocross nationals”) but the site crashed hard on Friday under the weight of the cyclocrossers jockeying for starting position. We’ve confirmed that Bob, Spence, and Isaiah have registered, but not sure about anyone else.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
October Cyclocross Race Schedule
Team van with new 4-bike rack upgrade - thanks to AC dads!Sunday, Oct 11th - Surf City #1 in Soquel (near Santa Cruz)
This is a really fun group and the course is interesting and challenging, but not as tough as McLaren.
For more info, see SURF CITY SCHEDULE
Here is what the course will look like: COURSE MAP
Saturday, Oct 17th - Lion of Fairfax
Great local race – up just West of Fairfax, so NO LONG driving to get there!
Even if you have a morning event, the Men’s B’s don’t race till 3 PM so this one can work with an otherwise busy Saturday. PREREGISTER NOW at LION OF FAIRFAX REGISTRATION
Sunday, Oct 25th - BASP #2 at Coyote Point (just south of San Francisco)
For more info, see BASP #2 COYOTE POINT
Saturday, Oct 31st - Surf City #2 Santa Cruz – The Halloween Race
We did this last year, and it was one of the most entertaining races all year – try to make it to this one!
It is likely I’ll drive the van to all of these, with the possible exception of Lion of Fairfax, since that would be a good one for families to attend.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Team AC in Sweden - Bjorn wins it all!
This report in from Katie Fox on Bjorn's successful overthrow of
What an eventful summer vacation we had this year. Björn brought his road bike along so he could race at the Swedish National Championships. It was a four-lap, 80 km race in warm weather.
Waiting among the "locals" - some US attitude...gloves by AC
Tight corners, open roads
Heading out in the break...
The peloton upped the pace on the last lap and five strong riders got away, joining Björn and Viktor. Björn used that opportunity to rest up. After attacks that didn't stick, Björn was able to sprint past the group with one kilometer to go, and drilled it all the way to the line, 3 seconds ahead of second place. A Swedish National Champion!
The thrill of victory!
During our vacation, we found out more about the Swedish Cykelgymasium, a school that combines academics and cycling for 16-20 year olds. Within the week, Björn was offered a spot at the school. They only accept six riders per year (three boys, three girls). The school is located in
I had a great time visiting Björn last week. I spent 5 days in
The first race was a 15-lap crit, with a sprint finish between Björn and Axel. The finish line video had to be watched to determine the winner (Björn's first sprint win).
The Sunday race was 10-laps on a 3.8 km course. Björn was tucked in the peloton for the first 5 laps, but then took off because he had too much energy. He was able to stay away for the rest of the race and only had one rider try to chase him down.
Traffic was allowed on the course, going the same direction as the racers and on the final lap Björn caught up to a tractor which slowed him down. He was behind a lead car which tried to clear things up for him and luckily he managed to keep far enough away from the second place chaser to take the win.
Podium at the Swedish Nationals
These were the last two road races of the season in
Bjorn Fox - National Champion
Björn will be coming home Dec 2 for one month. We will be heading to Portland USGP and Bend for cyclocross races.
Katie
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