12/1/2007 and 12/2/2007
2007 SoCal State Championships

The SoCal State Championships were held in lovely Bakersfield, CA on Saturday. The weather was cold (40's) and the course was tough featuring 4-5 dismount sections (long 100m stair section, long steep uphill climb (ridable), barriers, big curb step down and 18" log). Lots of painful running!! Lined up with a lean, but mean Elite field of 20 guys including the regular Top Dogs and Discovery's Tony Cruz. I got a great start and found myself in a breakaway of 4 including the top 3 in the SoCal series. They were running better than me and would gap me but I was bridging up to them on the flats. This Yo-Yo-ing continued for almost 3 laps until they dropped me for good with their running prowess. I then found myself in no man's land with a few BearClaw guys catching me. A chase group comprised of Tony Cruz and a few others that normally beat me were settling it at about 45 seconds back. I faded mid race and the two BearClaw teammates caught and past me, but I was able to hold the gap to the chasers and finish 6th overall. I was quite pleased with the result.

A SoCal Prestige Series race was held on Sunday on the same course run backwards with a new super steep run-up section added in. In practice I was able to hop the 18-inch curb step-up and noted that all of the other practicing Elites were dismounting. I saw this as my opportunity to gain time early in the race and perhaps again get into the lead group. I once again got a good start and was in a group of 5 for the first lap. I hopped the step-up and found myself leading through the start finish area. I knew that I was doomed and would get dropped, but was happy to be riding with the fast boys. Once again my poor running got the best of me and I was dropped on the steep run up and found myself again in no man's land in 5th place with a Bearclaw guy and Tony Cruz making chase. It wasn't until mid race that the Bearclaw guy caught and passed me. Tony also caught me and we went back and forth for a full lap. He motivated me and I was able to drop him when I rode the step up and gradually increased my lead over him as I almost bridged to the 5th place guy by the end. Finished 6th.

Team Platinum Performance put in a great showing all weekend. Once again the ever-dominant father & son team of Bobby Jr and Sr dominated their fields. Bobby Sr won the 45+ field (and the State Jersey!) and Bobby Jr won the Cat 3 field (and the State Jersey!) and got 2nd in the singlespeed class. Steve B finished strong just outside the Top 10 in the Cat 4 class. Bobby Jr again dominated and won the Cat 3 class on Sunday and Steve B realized a breakthrough ride in the 4's finishing on the podium in 3rd.

Gary

November 26, 2007
SoCal Cross Prestige Series

Cat 3 / 4
Platinum Performance’s Bobby Langin Jr. jumped out to an early lead and set a blistering pace stringing out the field quickly. By the end of lap one only Bobby Jr. and one other competitor (who was here visiting from Ohio) were left. The two exchanged the lead position over much of the race until the final lap where going down the start/finish straight Bobby Jr. attacked in an attempt to gap his nemesis. However, the guy from Ohio had something left for the aggressive rider pulling him back after a few corners. As they rounded the final turn into the finish straight, the Ohioan pushed the pedals hard while Bobby Jr. did his best to be in position for the slingshot. It didn’t pan out for the youngster as he crossed the finish in second place—but certainly a respectable effort.

Single Speed
After the Cat 3/4 race was completed, the single speed entrants headed to the start for their turn at anaerobic hell. Bobby Junior, still stewing over his second place in the previous race, lined up with something to prove. Not having a good starting position at the line, and being a bit tired from the last race, made for a difficult start but he soon navigated around many of the competitors and got up into the lead group. As the laps wore on, a group of two broke off the front (Joshua Wiggins and Everett Hauser) leaving Bobby Jr. and Paul Hernandez to fend for themselves. At the finish it was Joshua Wiggins in for the win with Hauser in second leaving a sprint for 3rd place but with less-than-fresh legs, Platinum Performance’s Bobby Jr. ended up finishing a solid fourth place.

45+ Masters
Platinum Performance’s Bobby Langin Sr. had all but wrapped up the series needing only a 4th place or better to ensure the So Cal-Cross Prestige Series Championship. As the whistle blew for the start, Bobby Sr. hit it hard to avoid contact in the somewhat gnarly first turn. Last year’s champ, Charlie Morris got on Bobby’s wheel and the two quickly got away from the field. After lap one, Langin started developing a short gap on Charlie but was never able to put enough time on him to truly relax. Bobby Sr. eventually won with Morris in second thus sewing up the championship for Team Platinum Performance.

Elite 1, 2, 3
Once again Platinum Performance was represented in the Elite field but without our premier cross contender Gary Douville, we sent out Bobby Sr. to wear the fabled black, red, and grey. Starting at the back of the field yet hoping for a respectable finish, Bobby attempted to get through the speedy mid pack and hang on to the leaders…unfortunately the speedy mid-pack was...well, speedy. At the half-way point, PP’s Bobby Sr. was rounding the course in 10th place but soon after disaster struck as he went down (for the second time in the event) hard slamming his knee into a curb. He attempted to salvage the event and continued doing laps but with 3 to go he pulled off wining about a host of bruises & cuts and might have said something about having too many birthdays. Somebody call the whambulance and throw that guy a Kleenex! The shame…

Next weekend the series goes to Bakersfield for the SCNCA Championships (12/1) and round 8 of the SCPS (12/2).

Bobby

October 4, 2007
SoCal Cross Prestige Series

Lake Casitas in Ventura was the 5th stop on the SoCal Cross Prestige Series on Sunday. The course was a 1.8 mile loop with tight, twisty turns. This was a fast lap that incorporated grass, pavement and dirt. Each division raced for their set times between 35-60 Min's. The Platinum Performance Team had eight riders racing in this event. The morning started off with Steve Bertrand pulling out a 12th place finish in the Men's 4. Steve Silva placed 9th in the Master Men's 45+ group, with Bobby Langin Sr pulling away early and dominating the field. He rode in for a 1st place finish. Next up were the Master 35+ 3/4. Todd Booth pulled off a 1st in his first Cyclocross race on his" trusty" mtn bike. Bobby Langin Jr pulled off a 5th in the Men's 3/4 race. Gary Douville place 14th despite mechanical issues in the Mens 1/2/3. Jamie Goldstein and Steve Smith both fell victim to mechanicals in the Master men's 1/2/3 race. These results should push the teams points past the 6th place standing. Very impressive in a field of 60 teams. I recommend everyone to try this sport. They do offer demo Cross bikes at the race. Or a mtn bike will do the trick. Very fun, great anaerobic training tool

Todd

October22, 2007
2007 Nor Cal State Championships

Northern California held the first "one day" State Championship mtn bike race. The small town of Weaverville was nestled in the Trinity Alps with hundreds of miles of single track carved into the landscape. Northern exposure meant harsher climate. A steady cold rain persisted up till race day. Riders woke Saturday morning to see a light dusting of snow on the hill tops. The 23 mile course (18 miles for the beginners) was saturated with slippery mud. For the most part the course was rideable. The rider's technical skills were challenged with navigating over slippery wooden bridges and narrow single track running along steep drops offs. "Sick" Vick the race director with Team Bigfoot sets up the races in "old school" fashion. Mass starts, no leg numbers, pull tags, and a family felt atmosphere is what you find at the Team Bigfoot events.

Team Platinum Performance had eight riders make the 9hr journey to the other end of the state. Three State Champions emerged from the mud bath. Terry Dahl (expert 65+) finished his winning season on top of the podium. John Biron (sport 45-49) continued to dominate his class with the state title. To his success this season was the California State Series and the Rim Nordic Series. Luke Werkhoven (sport Clydesdale -34) came out victorious after being out all season with an ACL injuring. Krage Olrich (expert 40-44), Ryan Booth (expert single speed) and Peter Gilberd (expert 35-39) raced to 4th position. Andy osburn (expert 40-44) pulled out a 5th. Todd Booth (expert 35-39) DNF only 3 miles into the race with a mechanical. Congrats to team Platinum Performance with 9 State Series Champions, 3 State Champions, 30+ individual victories and a 3rd consecutive co-ed team title.

Andy

Krage

Ryan

Peter

The Team

Todd

More Nor Cal State Championships

Waking up early Saturday morning to pounding sheets of rain I knew it was going to be a long day at the LaGrange Fall Classic and this years one day California State Championship Cross Country Mountain bike race. We watched the Super D finish the evening before on Friday and it didn’t look too muddy, during the afternoon clearing, I convinced myself that the 23-mile loop would be in semi-rideable condition. There wasn’t too much pre-riding to be had so I didn’t feel like I missed much showing up a day after the rest of the team.

By 7 am the clouds were breaking and starting to warm the snow capped mountains of the Trinity Alps. I went on a morning errand run to get some waterproof Band-Aids to cover my newly suture-less shin from the week priors’ single speed training ride misfortune. It was brisk but an absolutely beautiful 37 degrees; with my last minute planning and departure I had forgot my team Platinum raincoat and my stocking cap. I drove up to register at the High School and was happy to see they were registering indoors, a rarity in this sport.

Back to the room at the 49er Motel to eat some more breakfast and start getting dressed. Andy Osborne provided the Pam cooking spray to get Bicycle Bobs’ bright green Specialized Epic that Roger had let me demo from the shop floor its final mud resistance treatment. By this time it was up to 42 degrees. I decided to warm up in the motel room and get stretched out instead of getting out into the cold/wet on the bike.

By 10 o’clock most people were at the parking lot Start/Finish getting instructions for the mass start. National Champion Bob Blatner came charging up the hill in his Porsche Cayenne with his number plate precariously dangling off his bike still on the hitch rack. Some derailleur breakage had forced last minute repairs and parts swap, brake trouble would strike 15 minutes later during his starting time. Sic Vic, the race coordinator from Team Bigfoot; gave his final instructions and pep talk about the views of Shasta from the top of the course and “avoidable mud puddles.” We followed him up to the improvised start line to avoid the “worst clay we would probably encounter” behind the baseball field. A few single speeders were still getting their last articles of clothing situated and a pony tailed mountain unicyclist brought up the back of the group of 100 or so riders as we climbed to the intermediate start point, I chatted with Terry Dahl about the potential competitor in his group, he joked that if Bob started a half hour back he might have a chance to beat him.

There were a wide variety of clothing choices from plastic rain slickers over fleece jackets in the experts, to long-sleeved 100% cotton tee shirts in the beginners, and a one-piece short sleeve skin suit worn by the 2007 California/Nevada State Series Champion in the sport ranks.

Sic Vic gave the countdown to the pro/experts and the whole group shot off up the fire road at full tilt. I watched as Andy, Todd, Terry, Peter, and a single speeding Ryan shrunk into the distance as they pulled the front of the pack up the fireroad and disappeared around the first corner. A minute went by and we were off in the sports class. There were no leg marks for this race because they would have quickly mudded over by the time the single track came. Not knowing who was in my class I first looked around for the big guys and only saw Brad Jellison of the Chicken Ranch crew who looked like he might be near Clydesdale weight but not in my age group. Not wanting to crush myself off the start trying to keep up with the rest of the fast riding sport class I figured who better to set my pace by than the Cal/Nev State Champ singlet in my mass start group. We both sped up to pass a few last people before the single track started up Garden Gulch trail. I could see a few Humbolt State University jerseys pop in and our of view up the trail on occasion as more riders were slowed by a creeping realization that there wasn’t a perfect tire choice for these conditions passing was tricky on the slimy trail bed when we reached Howie Ridge. A few miles later on Jackass Ridge trail the young Champ mis-shifted after being stuck behind a walking rider on a short steep section and had to step off his bike, I squealed on my brakes, he must have felt like I was riding him for a while or thought my momentum could carry me up the pitch because he directed me between himself and the walker and I jumped off and ran up between the two never to see them again.

Variegated fallen tree leaves with vibrant autumnal colors mixed with pine needles to make the edges of the trail the place with the most traction after sliding out from the middle mud of the trail, I settled into the group ahead of me and we winded around the single track. Suddenly I saw a familiar face walking toward me the wrong way down the trail, Captain and team director Todd Booth had a dejected look on his face. I silently prayed, hoping the one time Todd had trusted his bike to someone other than home mechanic Don Mach; that the local Weaverville second generation four decade experienced bike shop veteran owner Dave hadn’t caused a catastrophic mechanical, costing Todd the state title. Dave held court had entertained Andy and I with his pre-race rear brake tune, drive train rebuild, and self depreciatingly described back woods hillbilly redneck bike shop tutorial. Todd muttered about a sidewall tear/blowout in his rear tire as I spun past, he later chalked it up to bad Kharma.

As Sic Vic promised at the start, the Rudy Project eyewear was getting more caked with mud and useless to see through by the minute and had to be abandoned to the jersey pocket. We descended some slippery switchbacks down Rainbow Hansen trail and an abandon bike sat along the trail. As I pulled my front tire up onto a long footbridge, the bike’s injured owner was being cared for by one of the course marshals. As we climbed toward the crossing of East Weaver Road more people were walking down to help the injured rider. I grinded up Musser Hill Spur slowly and could hear the paramedic sirens coming up from downtown.

A sketchy short steep down hill section followed by a u-turn and a long treacherous hike-a-bike slip-n-slide section back up the same hill around Musser Home site was a daunting start to the seemingly never-ending altitude gain of Musser Hill and for me the hardest part of the race. My legs felt buried in thick wet concrete as the extra pounds of mud continued to cake on the bike. I stopped and raised my seat only to have it slowly sink little by little over the next 10 minutes. Taking a much-needed short stretch break, I tightened the seat post quick-release skewer with my Allen wrench and raised it back up. Remounting, I bunny hopped and slammed the bike, over and over, trying with limited success to shed as much extra mud weight as possible; should have used more Pam.

There was no traction to be had on many of the steeper fire road pitches as many like myself were forced to dismount and trudge up the steeper slippery slopes. Finally some decomposed granite that was hard packed and well drained relieved the pain of the climb as vistas of the snowcapped peaks above the course came into view in front of us as I traded positions a few times with a fully rigid steel 29er single speed.

Finally beautiful sections of flume trail relieved what seemed like hours of climbing, signifying that most of the 2200 feet elevation gain was finished. The first creek crossing I thought I could clean, but I went over the bars and landed in the sub 40-degree snow melted water. Figuring now since my hands and feet were soaked with near freezing cold water I might as well take some time to wash off the mud coated bike as best as possible. Walking up the far side of the bank I felt the urge to vomit, but fought the temptation to give into the sweet relief, thinking of the difficult to rinse out aftertaste. Most of the LaGrange Ditch was some of the best riding of the whole race. A narrow ribbon of well-drained gravely single track teetered above the carved ditch used for mining in the 1850’s.

The flats and downhill felt slow once off the flume ditch, with my bike sinking into the soft surface and feeling ready to slide out from under me around every corner coming down the new single track section of the Day Ranch trail. The trail had definitely dried out descending Jackass ridge, riding in reverse what we had first climbed out of earlier. It was a nice downhill fast finish back into the high school parking lot as my pull tag was removed at 3:03, most of the Platinum Crew was already finished, cleaned up, and changed into fresh clothes and rehashing the harsh conditions and misfortunes along with the epic sections in a huddle near the finish line. I rolled up and Ryan asked how I did. I said, “I finished.” Just happy to still be upright and have the locker room showers warmed up ready to bring my extremities back up to my core temperature.

On the drive out of the mountains to Redding it became apparent why the Trinity Alps are a destination, as Mt. Shasta and Mt. Lassen tried to peek out from behind their cloud veils and sprinkles of Aspen trees highlighted the hillsides. The 1200-mile journey and 23 miles of racing along a rain hammered muddy course seemed to be an unlikely combination for a good time but the camaraderie of teammates and the open road was certainly a fall classic for me.

A big thank you to Platinum Performance, Elite Performance Rehabilitation, Roger @ Bicycle Bobs, Dr. Steve Birch, my team mates, and all the other sponsors who made it possible to come back from knee surgery in January and ride the State Finals Race in October

Luke

9/22-9/23/07
2007 Everest Challenge RR

Not sure where to start. Well, I won my first road race of the year and waited until the last and most epic race of the year to go for it. This is a must-do race for any adventure junkie. Long, variable weather, hard, hard, hard, and beautiful.

Teammates Jason Hannon, Steve Smith, Steve Wiexel, Mark Fennell, Mark Luke came out and rode strong and finished this epic 185 mile, 29k-ft adventure. The weather held out for the most part and although it was cold at times we were spared the much anticipated rain and snow.

1st in Cat 3/4th overall

Awesome race!

Gary

September 10, 2007
2007 So-Cal Championships at Big Bear

Big Bear was the site of the last So-Cal State Series race for the 07' season. The series incorporated seven races and took the riders best five finishes to crown the winner. After a long season which begun back in April, many riders were ready for the off season to roll in. Team Big Bear marked out an exciting course that had a little of everything. For the expert/pro race which was 21 miles in length, the riders traveled over an equal balance of fire roads, single track, long climbs and tough descents. The beginner and sport racers course was about 16 miles in length. The day was beautiful with sunny sky's in the mid 70's.

The Platinum Performance Team was out in force defending their Co-ed team title for the past three years. Platinum walked away with it's third Co-ed California Team title in three years. Consistent riding leading to first place finishes were awarded to Todd Booth (expert), Terry Dahl (expert), Ian Mcfarlane (sport), Byron Beck (beginner) and Melanie Davis (beginner). Pulling out the second place finishes were Bobby Langin Jr (expert), Harrison Davis (beginner) and Reny Takeda (10 under). John Biron (beginner) rounded the top three.

Nine Platinum riders were awarded the State Series Champion title for 07'.

Todd

August 31, 2007
Rim Nordic Finals

With temperatures in the high 60's, overcast skies, and intermittent sprinkles, the conditions for the Rim Nordic Finals were about as good as it gets for a late summer race in the mountains. Now if my legs and lungs, weary from a long hard season, would cooperate I could add the Rim Nordic Overall Title to the State Series Overall I had clinched earlier. I started the day tied with AFP-Velo's Jeff Volpe for the Sport 45-49 series lead. A formidable rider with a pair of seconds in the state series, Jeff had dominated all three legs of the Rim Nordic Stage Race three weeks earlier.

Not feeling my best after fighting a cold all week, my goal was to keep Jeff in sight on the first lap and if I felt up to it attack him on second. Amgen's Arnie Fernandez led out of the gate followed by Jeff and Myself. We stayed that way through the first short climb and descent but at the base of the long climb Jeff squeezed by Arnie and several slower riders from the previous group who we had just caught. So much for the plan, with very few places to pass on this long single track climb, Jeff was gone.

I could only pass five or six riders on the climb and by the time I got to the fire road I had not seen Jeff for almost ten minutes. I red-lined the fire road climb and the rolling single track section and was able to reel Jeff in just before the start of the sandy, switch back descent. Unfortunately my front tire washed out in the first sandy turn and I went down. In five laps, over three races, I had yet to keep the rubber side down on this part of the course. Not a bad crash and only one rider passed me, but Jeff was out of sight again. I finished the remaining switch backs with out incident and got to work trying ride back to Jeff. I caught sight of him just as I started-up the long single track climb with only two riders between us. I passed them the first chance I got and stuck to Jeff's wheel for the remainder of the climb. When we got to the fire road I immediately attacked, trying to put as much distance between us a possible before the dreaded switch backs.

My hard effort was rewarded as Jeff was no where in sight when I started the descent. The sixth time was a charm as I was finally able to clean the switch backs. However, out of nowhere, another rider from my class, first time racer! Dan Lehnberg, was right on my wheel as we hit the rolling mix of single track and fire road back to the finish. I was able to hold off Dan for a 26 sec win. More importantly I'd beaten Jeff and the overall title was mine.

What a great feeling to have all my hard work of the last year rewarded with both the Rim Nordic and State Series Titles. I know it's only Sport Class, but it still feels great. Next year in the Expert Class should be a humbling experience since I'll be lining up most races against Johnny O'Meara, Dermott Carroll, and Ron Takada; all three were on the Nationals Podium this year. Heck I might only be the fifth best in my class on my team. At least I'll get to learn from some of the best.

John Biron

Sunday, July22nd
2007 USA CYCLING NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Mount Snow, VT

Mount Snow, Vermont was the host of the National Mountain Bike Championships. This four day event crowned national champions in cross country, short track, dual slalom, down hill, Super D and trials in all categories from beginner to the pro class. This was the first year that the National Championships were held on the east coast. The venue at mount snow was beautiful with more greenery than Hawaii. With greenery comes rain and this week was to provide lots of it. Arriving on Tuesday the course was dry with a few mud spots in the trees. Our first pre-ride was fast rolling and one hundred percent rideable. However Tuesday night the rains started and by Wednesday the course changed from fast rolling course to considerably muddy. Tire selection and air pressure plans were changing. What made this technical course already difficult were the many roots, rocks, and tight tree lined single track that Vermont is known for. The rain dumped again Wednesday night and by Thursday the cross country course had taken on a completely different shape. With more riders pre-riding the course and the added water, the mud was becoming thick and soupy. The single track climbs were becoming less makeable which would give the cycle cross riders an advantage through these sections. The rain was steady all Thursday and through the night. By Friday morning the course was a sloppy mess.

Friday morning the semi-pro racers were the first to race the soggy course. The challenge was staying upright and having no mechanical problems. However, with seventy percent of the course covered with soupy mud, falls and mechanicals were inevitable as many riders were taken down by the elements and walked in with failed equipment. With the fastest semi-pro riders pushing 40 minute lap times on the 6 mile course it showed the difficulty of the course and extreme conditions. Due to the adverse conditions, the race officials shorted the course for all classes by one lap. The semi-pros and experts were originally scheduled for four laps (24 miles) but were reduced to three laps as four laps would have put most of the classes over the 3 hour mark.

Saturday the course was a complete mess. Three days worth of rain and Fridays races (semi-pro, sport, and pro women) whipping up the course gave it a completely different look. The long downhill sections made even the most technical riders nervous. Now the roots and rocks were submerged and sometimes undetectable under the mud. Staying upright was a real challenge. The uphill single track sections were unridable which meant long “bike and hike” sections.

The course started with a steep fire road climb which funneled you straight into technical downhill Vermont single track. After a brief traverse was the second climb and shortly followed by the third. The course didn’t provide many sections for the riders to recover or drink. The steep climbs tacked the heart rate and the dangerous descents kept everyone on their toes. Overall the east coast riders stepped up and showed their skills in the technical and muddy conditions. I was impressed with Vermont, the venue, and for the camaraderie and hospitality shown to us by all.

The Platinum Performance Team had three riders racing for the cross country National Championship, Terry Dahl (Expert 65+), Ron Takeda (Expert 45-49), and Todd Booth (Expert 35-39). Terry had the best shot of walking away with the starts and strips jersey but Charles Berstein from Connecticut refused to give it to him. Terry shared the lead with Charles however, in the end descending skills split the two apart. Terry finished with a well earned second. In my race (Expert 35-39) the field was full of east coast talent. Chuck Ross from Grass Valley, Ca was the only west coast rider I recognized. Chuck is considered one of the fastest riders in the nation but with the course so treacherous, it was anyone’s race.

I was in perfect position after the first climb entering the single track in second position. Michael Yozell from Pennsylvania took the lead from the start and slowly pulled away. Chuck defended second position, Gerald Pflug of Pennsylvania held third, and I maintained fourth. We all rode our separate race and ended up on the podium in that order. I was happy with a fourth place finish with a respectable time of 2:13. Ron Takeda had to take on west coast national stand-outs Johnny Omara and Dermot Carroll along with a tough roster from the east coast including but not limited to Gunner Shogren of West Virginia, Kevin Hines of Maine, and Bob Koerber of North Carolina, Ron had his hands full.

Ron was in fifth place until the second climb turned into “hike and bike” were four riders ran past him. Ron couldn’t match the brutal running and watched his competition disappear into the forest. “The run section sucked” said Ron. For the remainder of the race Ron found his steady groove and fought his way back for a fifth place podium finish.

Critical bottle feeds were supported by my wife Rosa and cheering from my son Skyler. Every new lap was greeted with a fresh bottle hand-off and encouraging shouts from my family including my parents who drove from Maryland to watch the race.

On the way home Ron was pulled aside in the airport security screening due to an unidentified object in his computer bag. After a complete search of his computer bag they found his medal, congratulated him, and sent him on his way. What an adventure!

Todd

July 15, 2007
Rim Nordic

The sixth race in the series was apparently a good one to take off, since only 8 Platinum riders made it up to Rim Nordic. For those who made the trip, it was a very fun race...if you consider falling down three times, and generally getting beat up by the mix of steep climbs, and loose technical single track fun!

Actually, Rim Nordic is a fantastic course, what a real mountain bike race course should be. This riding is much more interesting than Big Bear, the single track a lot more fun, and overall, more challenging. The 8.5 mile loop was probably 70% single track and 30% fire road. Steep, grinding single track climbs, but with plenty of recovery on a rolling ridge before shooting down a very loose single track with several challenging switchbacks.

Beginners did one lap, Sports did two laps, and Experts did three, which meant for a longer than average race. The race was important for several riders as Shigy Suzuki, Bud Donatoni, and John Biron each locked up their titles for the State Series. Bud and John with first place finishes and Shigy with a 4th (But that's all he needed and most importantly he kept the tires down throughout the race as he informed me 5 minutes before I took the start line for my race! I was not as lucky!)

2 months off now before the final race at Big Bear. Time to take a little rest and then get back into some base training to gear up for the end of the season!!!

Bob Nisbit

July 14, 2007
Downieville Classic

The Downieville Classic is a legendary event up in these parts that has been in existence for the past 12 years. This is my Super Bowl of mountain bike racing. Yes, I get carried away with this event, making multiple trips to practice and tinker with the best possible equipment setups. Last year I blew out my shoulder at Nationals just two weeks prior to the classic and couldn't race. So this weekend was two years in the making ...

Those not familiar with Downieville, the XC race (held on Saturday) is a 29 mile point-to-point. The race starts at elevation 4,194. Out of the gate you climb 3,000 ft over the first 8 miles. Total ascending is 4,413. Once at the top and across the false flats, you start a grueling 5,500' descent. The top is so rough and technical that a majority of riders start to cramp, crash, or flat. This is exactly what happened with many big name XC riders from our area. John Ardell lost his 5 minute gap on me as I tossed him an extra tube at the top of the descent. He's a strong local rider (and friend) I'm always focused on beating and now I dropping in ahead - big advantage.

Working to keep on Krieg Olrich's wheel most of the climb, I was now aggressively descending to close the gap he created. Krieg was super strong until he fell victim to the mountain by cracking his frame in half. Less than five minutes later, Olivie Bock, another extremely strong rider and good descender at D-ville was off to the side and anxiously fixing a pinch flat. Countless other riders were dealing with the same issues. Making my way down the mountain was a balance of aggressive descending to catch the stronger climbers, while riding on egg shells to avoid the ever so many pinch flats.

My experience from riding Downieville was starting to pay off as I began reeling-in riders throughout the decent. Getting across the finish line with no flats, mechanicals, or crashes was goal of itself. At 2:14:00 I earned a Top 10, finishing 6th in Expert. Peter Gilberd also had a strong race and finished in the upper half of the large field.

At the Downieville Classic, however, getting through Saturday's race is only half the battle. Sunday's Downieville Downhill is often cited as the more famed and prestigious event of the weekend. Don't get fooled by the name though. This is not your typical DH race. In fact, its not really a DH in today's sense at all. Maybe a SuperDuper D, but more like an extreme XC time trial. Most finishers are coming in over an hour down the 17 mile course. With 5,316' of descending, yes there is a TON of downhill, but also just under 1,000' of lung busting climbs.

This is where my penitence and practice really paid off. After waiting 2 years to get my first shot in this event, nerves were trying to get the best of me, but course knowledge, confidence in my rig, and good old fashion adrenaline kept me in check. Maybe too much adrenaline out of the gate as I laid it down three minutes into the race. Luckily this wasn't a big mistake as I was back on my bike and down the course with little time lost. As I settled in, I began to feel stronger and stronger, on the flats pushing big gears that I hadn't been able to maintain through practice runs. Gaining speeds I haven't reached before, adrenaline helped get me locked in the zone. I was hammering. Passing riders that started 1 minute intervals in front of me. After passing the sixth rider I realized I was having that special run. I was six minutes up on that guy! Sparing the rest of the nuts and bolts ... I had a super-strong finish and went on to win by a 3 minute margin. For me, this is the race I've wanted to win for years and got it on my first shot!

P.S. - After the podium award ceremony the guy running the beer tent pulled me aside and made it clear that I get free beer next year and any year there after!!! They treat you right if you win in D-ville!!!

Ryan Booth

Well team, I thought it would be good for So Cal to be represented at a Nor Cal race, so I entered the Downieville Classic cross country race. I was heading up for a family vacation in Northern Cal and jumped in this race.

I think we would all agree, at least the ones who road Big Bear, that that race was very difficult, dust, heat, long climbs, rocks on steep downhillls. Well think of that race and multiply all of those things listed, times 3.

There was an 8 mile climb right out of the start. A Jeep road climbing to about 7000 ft. I went through both my bottles and some camelback as well. The climb went well, I felt strong all the way till the top. The crowd on the top was amazing, probably about 100 or so. I crested to enter onto a fast downhill forest road, kind of loose gravel, and then, THE DOWNHILL section. Unbelievable! It kept going and going and going. My Marathon performed flawlessly with the exception of my handlebars coming loose as I started the technical section. I stopped to tighten and lost a couple of minutes in the process, but got back on and caught all that I saw pass me while repairing.

There were more water crossings and rock drops and fast rolling sections than I have ever seen on one trail. I think I ate more dust than I have ever eaten in my life. A dustmask would have been a welcome addition.

I got into a rhythm with another rider and he and I traded off for about 10 miles riding and racing some of the best singletrack to date. There were not very many places to pass, so there was a lot of “on your left” calls until the person would simply get irritated enough to move over.

All in all this was by far my toughest race and yet probably the funnest to date. I ended up entering in what I thought was the 50 + beginner class, but they ended up putting all the 45+ all the way up to ? years together, and somehow I still managed to get a 4th place with a time of 3 hours 3 minutes. Almost broke the 3 hour mark.

If anyone is interested in this race next year, I would do it again.

Cheers,

Byron Beck

July 2, 2007
Big Bear Shootout #1

The day was blazing hot with dust everywhere and the race started straight up a long Hill. I blasted out of the shoot trying to keep up with the likes of Bartlett "the butcher" and Omara, which turned out to be the wrong idea. 15 minutes into the race my lungs where burning and my legs were spinning as fast as the hands of a clock. John Parsons launched up the hill with into the lead and Bartlett could not answer. But the rabbit would later have a flat and fall out of contention. The heat even would later effect Omara, who was reportedly seen stopped on the trail staring down at his bike in a daze. But as pro's usually do, he recovered well and flew past the field...again...for the victory in the 45-49 exp category.

Bob Nisbet also passed me on the hill . He has been riding exceptionally well this year likely due to promises from his new girlfriend. Whatever she is doing...it's working well. Finally the downhill sections came and I was able to catch up to him. He and I would trade positions during the race countless times. He a bit stronger on the climbs and me a bit faster on the downs. We eventually caught Todd, Roger, and Matt. A little Santa Barbara dirt peleton on the final climb of the first lap. Wow! How unusual! If we could all hang on to the next flat section we would be quite a force. But it was not to be. Todd popped of the back end cursing, coughing, and sputtering. We dropped him like a bad habit and then Roger cracked too. Bob and Matt got a lead on me, but I managed to slowly reel them in on the flats.

Well, then it was the Bob and Andy show for the rest of the race. We continued to trade places and then entered the last big uphill together. I knew it would happen and there he went. Bob stood up and hammered up the last hill leaving me with a mouth full of dust and spaghetti for legs. All i could do was hope for "fall line" to be friendly to me. I barely kept him in sight on the flat and downhill fire road section. He was NOT letting me catch his back wheel. Finally we turned into "pirates" single track and he maneuvered around a sport rider trying to block me out. Haha! No need since the ever so slight incline was killing me and Bob was pulling away anyway. By the top of upper "fall line" Bob was out of sight off the front. So I put the hammer down and started flying down the hill. This was my only chance left. Then CRASH!...straight over the handle bars. But not too badly hurt I jumped up and continued. Now down lower "fall line" and CRASH! "I will never catch him now..."

Demoralized I more slowly rolled down to the bottom of "fall line" and he was in sight?! Adrenaline surged and I chased through the lower single track curves only to catch Bob's wheel as we entered the final series of sweeping right turns. 10 feet from the line Bob slides out and crashes. I rolled over his front wheel tipping to one side. As I regained my balance and gave two week pedal strokes to cross the line i could see Bob running with his bike just behind. What a gift! Thank you Bob. Wonderful to have such kind teammates on the Platinum roster. We had made it to the podium 4Th and 5Th.

The day's events were marred by the bad fortune of one truly exceptional man Jim Garwood. He crashed with a tremendous "face plant" over the handle bars resulting in facial fractures, concussion, and a dramatic rescue operation getting him stabilized in the field. He was assisted by 20 or so racers who saw and or stopped immediately after the crash, many who are medical professionals off the bike. We will really never know how close Jim came to losing his life on the mountain that day. The response from the racers was heroic. This was one of those stories that reaffirm the presence of goodness and honor at the human core. In the words of Todd Booth, "that is why we are in THIS sport." The people involved are what make the difference.

Andy Osburn

June 3, 2007
2007 Elings Park XC

Elings Park in Santa Barbara was the host of the 4th round of the So-Cal State Series. With months of racing behind many of the riders, fatigue is setting in. While other riders are starting to find their peak performances. The weather was a contrast to the event held last year. Riders were happy to see cool temperatures with sunny peaking out in the late afternoon. Last year, Santa Barbara had an unusual hot weekend in June with the temperatures in the nineties.

Many of the racers melted in the hot sun. The course is set up similar to a "BMX style" feel. The 4.35 mile course has tons of flowing single track turns with fun "loose" downhill sections. A couple of fire-road and road climbs are thrown in for the "climbers" delight. The festival was lively with music, vendor booths, a beer garden, a catered bar-b-que, and bouncer's for the kids. There was also a fun kids race, where each participant received a medal and a "pure" silver one dollar coin. The kids loved it. A great event put on by Team Big bear, Ed Brown and gang, and the Eling's Park crew.

The Platinum Performance Mountain Bike Team had a "home field" advantage. Most of the team have utilized these trails for years. With thirty-three Platinum riders scheduled to race, our medal count should be good...... By the end of the day the team collected eighteen top five finishes with nine on top of the podium!

The "Stud of the Day" went to young 8yr old Reny Takeda for pulling off a 2ND in the 10 under class. The future of the sport rode the entire race, clearing both the switchback climbs and technical downhill sections. I won't have believed it unless I saw it.... The "He's Back" award goes to Andy Osburn. He pulled out a 2nd in the tough expert 40-44 class, behind the "dominator" Rich Bartlett. A year after breaking his hip in on the same course last year and surviving a bound with cancer the year before, Andy Osburn is the "True Survivor"! The "Consistent" awards go out to Terry Dalh (expert 65+), Ian Mcfarlane (sport 16 under), John Biron (Sport 45-49), Todd Booth (expert 35-39), and Sina Wallace (beginner Wm 30-39) who have topped the podium throughout the series.

The beginners took on a two laps (1304' climbing), the sports rode three laps (1956' climbing), the experts covered four laps (2608' climbing), and the semi-pros/pros took on five laps (3260' climbing).

The Platinum Performance riders who topped the podium were Todd Booth (expert 35-39), Terry Dalh (expert 65+), John Biron (sport 40-44), Byron Beck (beginner 50-54), Bud Donatoni (sport 40-44), Ian Mcfarlane (sport 16 under), Sina Wallace (beginner Wm 30-39), Shawna Martin (beginner Wm 14 under), and Bobby Langin Jr (expert 19-24). Runner-up finishers were Andy Osburn (expert 40-44), Harrison Davis (beginner 16 under), Melanie Davis (beginner 14 under), Jaye Donen (beginner Wm 30-39), and Reny Takeda (beginner 10 under). Bob Nisbet (expert 40-44) and Ron Takeda (expert 45-49) rode strong for respectful third place finishes. Thanks again to "media master" John Goodman for updating the Platinum website faster than the "Bluewolf's" site with results, pictures, and video!

Todd

May 21, 2007
Castaic Lake

Lake Castaic, Ca was the 3rd stop on the So-Cal State Series. This race is known as the hot, dusty, back breaking course with relentless steep climbs. This 6.5 mile course was tough with loose climbs, plus a long climb on a 6" layer of shredded sticks. The 1pm heat sapped the energy out of many of the riders who didn't keep up on their hydration. The Beginner/Sport riders raced a two lap course. The Experts took on a three lap course. The Semi-pro/Pro classes suffered a four lap beating.

The Platinum Performance Mountain Bike team had twenty-five riders racing various categories. When the dust was settled, the team had nine 1st place finishes. Plus, twenty top ten finishes!!!!!! In the expert classes, Todd Booth and Terry Dahl cleaned up taking top honors. In the sport classes, John Biron, Bud Donatoni, and Ian Mcfarland racked up 1st places. Nice racing by Ian Mcfarland, after coming off a foot fracture! In the beginner classes, Harrison Davis, Melanie Davis, Jaye Donen and Shigy Suzuki were standing tall on top of the podium. Bobby Langin Jr pulled off a 2nd place finish in the expert 19-24 class. 3rd place finishes were had by expert racers Roger Moore, Ron Takeda and Doug Ulbach. Steve Silva rounded the top five with a 5th place finish in the expert 45-49 class.

The Platinum Performance Mountain Bike team is also leading the Co-Ed Team points for the series.

Todd

May 7, 2007
2007 NORBA Fontana

Fontana, Ca was the third stop on the National Mountain Bike series. With many riders just coming off racing the Firestone race last weekend and a full April month of racing, many riders were tired and wanting a break. Fontana was another demanding course with multiple steep climbs and tricky downhills. The downhills were very sandy with .5' deep ruts. The goal of most riders was to stay upright. Not the chase for most.

I saw many scraped knees following the race. The weather was beautiful, sunny in the 70's. The Semi-pros took on a 4 lap race of 28 miles. The Experts raced 3 laps, 21 miles. I had a smooth race. Meaning "No crashes"!

I knew I was in for a long day after seeing Chuck Ross from Grass Valley at the starting line. Chuck is currently ranked 1st in the nation in points with USA Cycling. My plan was to keep him sight. The plan went better than expected for the first lap. We rode together pulling away from the 3rd place rider. Coming through the feed zone on the 2ND lap, Chuck put a small gap on me. The rest of the race I chased him with a 100 to 200yd gap. He rode tough, he didn't fade in the end. Even after my attempt to surge up to him multiple times. Chuck pulled a 35 second win over me. Our next friendly rival will take place at Vermont for the National Championships in July. Nice racing with you Chuck!

Team Platinum's Terry Dalh (expert 65+) pulled out a tough redemption win over some tough riders. Third place finisher in Terry's class was Frederic Schmid from Texas who was a former Masters World Champion. Terry pulled it together after the let down at Firestone. Heat and mechanicals haunted him there.

Todd

April 16, 2007
2007 Sea Otter Classic

The San Ynez Valley was the 2nd stop on the Cal State Series and the NORBA National Series. The venue was surrounded by beautiful green fields and rolling hillsides. The weather was beautiful, sunny in the mid 80's. The course was in great shape due to the efforts of Mike Hecker (promoter) and the trail workers, who have spent the last couple of months creating new sections on the course. The only flaw to the perfect weekend was the course lengths. Due to the scheduling and heat, there was a change in the distance for each category. Confusion was had up until the start of the race. Many of the racers had pushed for the longer distances that were originally planned.

With many variables, one being, getting the Pros underway at a descent time 2pm+, the race organizers did the best they could to keep race times in a reasonable fashion. The Beginners took on a 13 mile (1 lap course), the Sport riders rode a 17 mile (1.5 lap) course, the Semi-pros and Experts raced a 23 mile (1.75 lap) course and the Pros raced a 27.5 miles (2 lap) course. There was some confusion in the Semi-pro race with the course markers.

With the course being shortened, it became a little confusing. Kudos goes out to Mike Hecker (promoter), along with Team Big Bear for setting up a great course to test ones fitness. With three tough hill climbs and smooth descents the course was super fast. Head wind s also made it difficult for any rider trying a break away attempt. In the Pro race, Geoff Kabush (Team Maxis) out sprinted Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (team Subaru-Gary Fisher) for the win. Georgia Gould (Luna team) broke away from the Pro women early and kept the lead for the win. Shonny Vanlandingham (Luna team) took 2ND.

The Platinum Performance Mountain Bike team arrived in force with thirty riders racing in various categories. Strong rides were had by many riders. John Biron pulled out a great ride by winning the Sport 45-49 class. A new rider for Platinum, Bud Donatoni started his debut with a win in the sport 40-44 class. Both of these classes had over 40+ riders competing. Sina Wallace pulled out a win over Platinum teammate Jaye Donen (placed 2ND) in the Beginner Women 30-39. Todd Booth (Expert 35-39) pulled in Roger Moore (Team platinum) and Mathew Cochran in the last mile for a win. Mathew Cochran placed 2ND with Roger Moore taking 3rd. Timing is everything...."this is the 2ND win over Mathew Cochran this year in the last mile. He is very strong on the starts. If I can keep him in sight, I know I have a chance.

Roger Moore has found his climbing legs early this season. He will be the one to beat at Castaic Lake, which is a tough climbing course. Byron Beck and Shigy Suzuki both continue their consistent top performances by placing 2ND in each of their classes. Caroline Deloreto and Melanie Davis both pull out 2Nd's in each of their respected women's classes. Harrison Davis (Beginner 18 under) pulled off a 3rd place finish. The Davis family Nick, Harrison, and Melanie all placed in the top 10. Good gene pool!

Todd

April 16, 2007
2007 Sea Otter Classic

The Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, California is one of North America's largest cycling events and expos of the year. It brings out the top racers in the country to test their early season fitness. The Sea Otter has a lot to offer from road, XC, downhill, dual slalom, and BMX racing over a four day festival. Spectators and riders enjoy the huge expo area with demo booths, dirt jumping Ariel stunts, and trials riding. Plus, plenty of kid activities.

In the past, rain has haunted the event each year. This year was no different, even with California's drought conditions. Sunny weather turned ugly on Saturday with heavy downpours and cold winds.

The Cross Country races woke up Sunday to see beautiful sunny sky's for the endurance event. The cross country attendance saw record numbers. The beginners had over 1100 entrants. The course was in perfect shape. The winds were a factor for any solo break aways. The course was filled with tight turning single track. The trails ran the racers through rocky desert like environments, to tropical lushes green climates. This race had it all. The fire road climbs were long and the short climbs were back wrenching.

The Experts/Semi-Pros/Pros raced 38 miles with 6840' of climbing. The Sport racers took on a 19 mile course. And the Beginners raced on a 12.5 miles course. With hundreds of riders out on the course, w/o leg markings (based on age group) it was hard to know what position you are in. My tactic was to ride as hard as possible, pass as many as possible and not to let anyone pass me. My tactic worked after the fifteenth mile or so. The long single track caused bottlenecks and passing was tough. Jason Hannon (expert 40-44) from Solvang caught me half way through the race from two minutes back. Great riding on his part. My goal was to keep him in sight. I did so. In the process, I passed many riders which weren't unfortunately in my class. But, my goal was met by not getting passed for the second half of the race. Jason put in a strong effort an placed 3rd in the expert 40-44 class with a time of 2:53:06. I happy with my time of 2:55:59. But, a little disappointed by a 6Th place finish in the expert 35-39 class, by missing podium by 20+ seconds. This is the third 6Th place finish for myself at the Sea Otter. Always on the outside of the podium looking in. I have no regrets, but look forward to next year to try again!

The Platinum Performance Mountain Bike Team had 18 riders competing at the Sea Otter this year. On the dirt, we saw a great performance by John Biron (Sport 45-49) by placing 2nd in a large field of 100 plus riders. Ron Takeda (Expert 45-49) rode a strong race for 4th place. Todd booth (Expert 35-39) and Mike Roberts (Sport 55-59) both took 6Th place finishes. Stacey Roberts (Expert WM 19-29) placed 8Th in a tough field. On the road, Nick Davis placed 2nd in the Masters 40+ Cat 5 Road Race held on Saturday. Doug Ulbach placed 3rd in the Cat 4 Crit race held on Friday. The rest of the Platinum riders results are listed below:

Mountain bike Results:
2ND John Biron Sport 45-49
4Th Ron Takeda Expert 45-49
6Th Todd Booth Expert 35-39
6Th Mike Roberts Sport 55-59
8Th Stacey Roberts Expert WM 19-29
10Th Roger Moore Expert 35-39
11Th Steve Silva Expert 45-49
12Th Krage Olrich Expert 40-44
18Th Peter Gilberd Expert 35-39
18Th Harrison Davis Beg 16 under
20Th Nick Davis Expert 45-49
23rd Ryan Booth Expert 35-39
24Th Bob Nisbet Expert 40-44
27Th Andy Osburn Expert 40-44
30Th John Gannon Sport 30-34
32ND Steve Bertrand Sport 50-54
20TH Jamie Goldstein Semi-Pro

Road Race Results:
2ND Nick Davis Masters 40+ Cat 5 Road Race
3RD Doug Ulbach Cat 4 Crit

Todd

April 2, 2007
2007 NOVA National XC

The race was at McDowell Mountain Regional Park just east of Phoenix, Az. It was an 8:00 am start with about 200 beginners/sport participants. I had eight in my group of sport men 50+ and the course was a single track 10 mile loop with two laps. I didn't pre ride the course, and started in the back of the pack and soon realized that there was really no place to pass, till we reached the top of this gentle quarter mile of a up hill section.

As I watched the lead group of 3 or 4 men take off extending their lead I was finally able to start passing people and reeled in on the third place guy and passed him. Unfortunately I slid out twice going around corners and Tony a local rider passed me. The course was all single track and no steep hills . I only had had to worry about hitting cactus going around corners at this point.

So I kept with Tony and we traded places for the first 1 1/2 lap . He finally got ahead of me in this very rocky section that was appoxiately 600 - 800 yards long and I had to deal with passing a couple slower riders and Tony was gone. I was happy with my riding after the two mishaps at the start. This was the best single tract race course I've ever been on.(it was all single track) The temperature was in the low 70's and I will be back there again next year. After the race I found Tony and we talked about our misfortune of loosing the lead group at the start. So with the first & second rider being just 50 years old and Tony 54 and me at 57 I was happy with the 4th place finish.

Mike

March 27, 2007
2007 Bonelli Park XC

Ok, we got some wrong news concerning Bonelli Race, like its kind of a weak course, rather rolling, not to much climbing etc. etc. Well for those of us who did attend this particular venue. Those details were absolutely wrong. As Todd referenced in his report, there was 1500 ft of climbing per lap. Fast downhills, and even a water feature.Being a newbie on the team, I have taken over for Mike Roberts in the beg. 50 and above. Since Mike held up a high standard last year in this class, I was figuring I better not let him down, thanks Mike.

I also brought my 12 year old youngest son with me as well, not a platinum team “member” but none the less, he had a great race, with a second place in beg. 12 and under. Not bad for his first long course outing, go Sidney.( picture of him on Platinum site, in yellow Platinum Fitness Jersey)

So there I was, standing in the staging area, and I’m sure, like most of you, I’m sizing up my opponents, trying to check for chinks in their armor, even before we start. We got to the front, started, and I noticed one guy in front of me sprinting like a bat out of hell, and then I remembered the two climbs right out of the shoot, I thought, note to self!, don’t kill yourself, you’ll be fine. Watching my heart rate climb as the hill kept getting “longer”, I passed that guy, and pulled off the throttle a little, when a guy I had met in line, named Tim, passed me. We then proceeded to trade off front for the next 6.5 miles. We were coming around the back side cruising the trail, passing guys right and left, realizing how much fun it is to pass guys with lower numbers on their calves, when all of the sudden, a guy goes down in front of about 8 of us. He went down hard, and it kind of shook me. As I passed the guys checking on him, I heard Tim yell at me, “hey Platinum, you missed the right hander!” startled, I turned around and caught up to him and we started the steep loose dirt climbs, going head to head. We got to the top and I realized that we had about 2 miles left, so I took off on the long downhill full throttle. When I reached the last long climb, with the incredible view of Hwy 57, I decided to stay in the middle ring, to see if I could make some distance between Tim and I. As I crested the top right hander, I looked over my shoulder to see, that I had in fact pulled away. Running the last downhill, turning left by the feed station to have a smiling face hand me some well timed water (thank you angel, who ever you were), I climbed the last little crest and turned right to hit the last two “jumps”, over the parking lot curbs, and through the finish line to hear over the P.A. system that I had unofficially nabbed first place. Ok Mike, you are a tough act to follow.

Fun race, and great competition. Go Platinum!

Cheers,

Byron Beck

March 18, 2007
2007 Keyesville Classic

The Keyseville Classic was the first stop of my 2007 mountain bike racing season. The classic course is a great combination of single track with a few fast fire road sections too keep the little guys honest.

The four lap pro/semi pro race is always a serious challenge, with times that can easily approach 3 hours if you misjudge your effort or miss that proverbial nutritional boat. In addition, the course was sandier than in past years, and the winds were howling by the time our race started at 1 PM.

The pro field this year was a lot stronger than it has been in the past, with several top southern CA pros, including Cameron Brennaman, the 2005 CA State Champ in the pro field.

The start was classic Keyseville - a quick hello from the race director, then a 1, 2, 3, Go! None of this 2 minute speech about the course, and a minutes long countdown. Naturally, I was caught flat footed, and ended up in the back of the pack after missing my pedal.

I spent the next 5 minutes working my through the field as people in front let gaps form on the headwind fire road section off the start. By the middle of the first lap I was in a group with three other semis, all of whom are great riders with serious descending skills, including Romolo and a new semi pro Steven Ray (who was a super fast expert last year, who some of you raced against).

As we rolled through the start/finish after one lap, I put my head down and tried my best to hold a wheel, totally forgetting to look for a bottle hand up. I only noticed John R. as a rolled past looking puzzled as I cruised by, never reaching for a bottle. As soon as I got on the flats, I reached down to see how much water I had left......Bad news.... It was nearly empty....

Great.....warm temps...... big wind... long race...... no water on the second lap.... bad bad.... That would be a big "oops."

On that second lap the other three riders in my group took turns attacking. After about 5 minutes of that I decided the advantage I would gain by staying with this group was not going to be worth the pain on the fourth lap, so I put my head down, and settled into a comfortable pace - watching the other three guys pedal away, and hoping they would kill each other with their attacks.

I actually felt okay without water on the 2nd lap, but by the time the 3rd lap started, I was hurting. Thankfully John and Roxanne gave me two bottles after the second lap, so I just had to suffer along, and drink as much as I could on that 3rd lap.

By the time the 4th lap started, I thought I was just done, and seriously contemplated calling it all quits. But Roxanne told me, as she handed me a bottle (as I had suggested before the start), "they are just up the road!"

And like the simple-minded guy I am, I believed her. So I put my head down, and went for it.

I must have been rehydrated by then, because as that 4th lap progressed, my heart rate started to climb. I was able to attack the climbs, and amazingly, about 1/3 of the way through, I saw one of the guys from my original 1st lap group, Romolo. I caught him at the start of the single track, and put in a big effort to gap him. It worked, and I was able to put build a gap that kept growing.

Then, not 5 minutes later, as I got close to the course high point, there was Steven Ray. I caught him just before the downhill, and then went like heck to the finish, hoping to catch the last member of my original group.

I didn't catch the last guy, but in the end he was only minute up on me. Dang... so close..... Anyway, I ended up 7th but I was the 3rd semipro. Turns out my last lap time was 4th fastest of all the pro/semi field, which is a good sign, I guess.

I had a good time out there; Keyseville is a great race. Kudos to Roxanne and John R. for the bottle hand ups.... too bad I didn't remember to actually grab a bottle after that first lap. Great job to other Plat riders, especially those who beat their times from last year, under pretty tough conditions.

JG

March 5, 2007
2007 Central Coast Cycling Series Race 3

Peter Gilberd is a big addition to the team.

With a strong breeze and a flat course, Peter and I worked together through laps 1- 3. Laps 4 and 5 Peter did most, if not all the work.

These Expert guys don’t take any breaks ….

Ryan

February 25, 2007
2007 Southridge XC at Fontana

Fontana has been the host of the Southridge XC and DH series for over ten years now. The race takes place in the park in the center of town. No major mountains, but the organizers have founder a way of getting in 3000' of climbing in the three laps. The climbs are short, steep w/ very technical descents. With very little places for rest or refueling, it makes for a tough race.

Ian Mcfarlane raced a solid race winning the 18 under sport division. Ian is only 15yrs old. He has a lot of potential. My race didn't go how I expected. The competition was tough, especially combining the 35-39 with the 40-44yr olds. Glen Stanton (40yr) took off from the start. I kept with him on the first big climb. But, that was my first mistake. That put me into recovery mode the rest of the first lap. That's no course to be in recovery mode!!!! A stocky strong rider, Richard Bartlett, former BMX pro (BMX Hall of Fame member), flew by me on the flat section. My body was screaming to stop on the second lap. My lower back was seizing big time. Robert Kmetz was riding the course perfectly and passed me on the last lap. He is a regular on this series and knows the course like I know the SB Elings course. I ended up with a 4th. I'm not too disappointed at this point. It's early in the season and my body needs time to get the cobwebs out. I strongly recommend to fellow teammates to get a few early races in before the season gets into full swing. Your body needs time to get used to the pain and demands of racing. Training will never compare.

Todd