Standish, Anderson; Sjol, Luongo victorious at Lake Casitas. SoCalCross 2023/24 season races 3 & 4 complete in Ventura County
VENTURA COUNTY, California, December 10, 2023 – Race #3 and #4 in the 2023/24 SoCalCross season are in the books, following the “Crossitas” weekend of cyclocross racing at Lake Casitas Recreation Area near Ojai, CA. In the Elite categories 4 different riders took victories across the 2 race days.
The high winds initially forecasted for race weekend never materialized, leaving riders with clear, calm warm days and cold nights. That weather yielded a course with dry, loose dirt corners and off-cambers to challenge the riders. “Lake Casitas is a fan favorite”, says Series Director, Dorothy Wong. “It’s so convenient to be able to camp at the venue and roll right to the starting line.”
On Saturday, Kellie Standish emerged as the winner of the Elite Women’s race. Meanwhile, the Elite Men’s category came down to one of the final corners – Brendan Luongo led most of the race, but Joshua Anderson put in the fastest lap of the race on his final lap to make the last-minute pass and ultimately prevail.
On Sunday, temperatures climbed from a chilly 30’s overnight all the way up to almost 80 in the afternoon, putting the Elite riders in the warmth of the day. Diana Sjol rode away from the rest of the women to take victory in the Elite Women’s race. In the Elite Men’s race, Brendan Luongo dominated from start to finish and won with a commanding lead.
Full results for all categories:
SoCalCross plans 3 additional race weekends with 6 more race days this season. Each race day includes options for juniors, youth, senior, masters, and elite riders:
- Santa Cross (Woodland Hills) December 16-17, 2023
- CXLA (Los Angeles) January 6-7, 2024
- CACX (Woodland Hills) January 13-14, 2024
SoCalCross, founded in 2005, hosts cyclocross racing throughout Southern California. All racers and spectators can stay up to date via the SoCalCross’ Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for season updates.