Welcome to SoCalCross

The Southern California Prestige Series of Cyclocross formed in 2005 by an association of  cycling clubs motivated to become the premier cyclocross series in Southern California and the nation! The SoCalCross Prestige Series hosts races weekly across Southern California kicking off with the Happy Hour Tour series of promotional clinics and events running from September to January each year.  SoCalCross also hosts gravel events in the Spring and Summer signature LA Roubaix kicks off our Spring/Summer gravel ride season!

Member Login

Lost your password?

Registration is Not Open Yet

The new site is still under development. A new interactive section is coming soon.

Author Archive



Latest SoCalCross News!

SLO Cross #2 - Cambria... sunshine and good times!
Posted Sunday November 20 2011 by in Cyclocross, Results
0 comments

The SLO-Nexus cycling club hosted the final race in the northern region of the Southern California PRESTIGE SERIES of Cyclocross presented by Spy Optic   The day was superb with cool crisp yet sunny conditions.  The race in Cambria was also known as SLO Cross #2.  Race #1 was held at El Chorro Regional Park in SLO.  It also hosted a West Coast Collegiate CX race not seen since Irvine a few years ago.  Hope to see more WCCC CX races in the future!

Also regarded as the Central Coast region, San Luis Obispo grew into the Prestige Series as USA Cycling’s local Association (SCNCA) region covers San Diego to San Luis Obispo to Nevada.  Next Sunday’s Prestige Series race in Glendale will also be the SCNCA District CX Championships hosted by PAA Pasadena Athletic Association, Montrose Bike Shop and The TEAM SoCalCross.  A great opportunity to get all in the region together for bragging rights to wear the Bear!

This weekend was supposed to be another double header but with the loss of Convert Cross this weekend it became for many a choice between racing, relaxing, heading up to SFO for Single Speed Worlds  and.or all of the above for some.  Coast Union High School in Cambria made for a good choice for a cross race with large baseball fields allowing for tricky turns and power grass straights then the route took riders off the field for dirt track that tested riders skills bunny hops, steep climbs, tight turns and a steep run up back to the grass meandering riders back to the start for another loop.  The baseball diamond making racers and spectators ‘cross-eyed’ as it looked like racers were literally riding in circles.   Good times and great vibes from the morning until sunset including a catered BBQ lunch.  All were treated to a great day of racing in Cambria!

The highlights of the day was certainly the Men’s B race with young Junior, Sean McElroy (Team Block) breaking up the men’s field on the first lap and never looking back for a solid win and his second race of the day in which he won the Junior race commandingly.

The elite Women’s race was led out by Trina Baumsteiger (Rambuski Law) setting the pace and stringing out the field from the start.  Coming back from a gnarly crash the weekend before – powerful rider Ellen Sherrill (Bike Aptos) took a spill at the barriers allowing for riders to get past.  Dot Wong (The TEAM SoCalCross) and Mary Ellen Ash (Bike 101 HRS Rock Lobster) stayed together for the entire race with Wong powering away on the last lap to take 2nd and Ash 3rd.

In the elite Men’s race, the group strung out but a solid front group of 6 stayed together for most of the race.  The short course kept the top elite men out there for 12 laps=12xover the barriers, 12xup the run up and a great opportunity to practice CX skills.  Finally the race broke apart with Brent Prenzlow (Celo Pacific-Focus), Jason Siegle (SDG/Felt p.b. iRT Wheels), John Behrens and John Bailey (Bailey Bikes) staying together. On the last lap Brent put his power down and drove ahead to gap Siegle and Behrens who finished 2nd and 3rd on the day.  John Bailey held on for 4th and it was an exciting sprint finish for the last podium spot between Chris Jackson (Rambuski Law) and Gary Douville (SDG/Felt p.b. iRT Wheels) with Chris Jackson taking the photo finish sprint.

COMPLETE RESULTS HERE

AWESOME PHOTOS BY SHELDON SMITH

Latest SoCalCross News

SCPS #11: Velocity Cross Race Report & Results
Posted Monday November 14 2011 by in Cyclocross, Outside All Day, Results
0 comments

Results from Velocity Cross in Chino

Photos by: Lights & Shadows Photography

Race Report by: Dave Sheek – OutsideAllDay.com

Southern California Prestige Series of Cyclocross presented by SPY Optic… SCPS #11: Velocity Cross… a Shimano CACX Rankings Race for Championship Showdown in Bakersfield 1.21-22.2012!

November is California Cyclocross Championships (CACX) rankings month presented by Shimano.  Each region, Southern and Northern California, will bring rankings points for starting positions to the Nor Cal-So Cal Showdown and end of season finale in January 21 and 22, 2012 in Bakersfield. Southern California has bragging rights after last year’s event and committed So Cal Crossers lined up this weekend in Chino to earn their SoCal rankings at Velocity Cross.  Nor Cal’s Stafford Lake CX race last week earned rankings and each region’s District Championship race along with last year’s winners will bring the best from each region North and South to the $10,000 showdown in Bakersifeld, CA 1/21-22/2012.

The Velocity Cycling Club worked hard with series promoters to bring another fantastic course to the series at Prado Regional Park in Chino, CA less than 40 miles from Downtown LA for the second year in a row. It was predominantly a grass course, with some loose dirt sections through the baseball infields, and road start/finish stretch. The course had a fun mixture of off camber turns, uphill sections including the Spy Stairs, and Shimano Barrier sections. The biggest challenge were the numerous sloggy grass sections aways from Saturday’s rain that did not allow for much rest and proved best for the strongest riders each race.

Elite Women:
Tri-athlete Heather Jackson (K-Swiss) got a little cross bug after a weekend of racing in San Diego two weeks ago and came out to Chino this week motivated and riding strong. Jackson weaved her way to the front to set the pace which split the field immediately and it looked like Christina Probert-Turner (The TEAM SoCalCross-Turner) was the only rider able to challenge as the two got a gap half-way through the first lap.

The chase, just seconds behind, was led by Junior Hannah Finchcamp (The TEAM SoCalCross) returning after a could weeks rest from winning the X-Terra World Championships, but as they came to Spy hill the second wheel, Julie LaFranchise (Cynergy) went down. Amanda Schaper (Ritte Racing) and others moved quickly around to join Finchamp again in the chase. Then on the last part of the first lap there were more crashes as the group snaked through the trees, taking the front of the chase group including Schaper and Anna Fortner out of the race.  Jenna Jammer Kowalski (Cynergy) snuck through the carnage and to lead the chase.

The second lap made the race and things began to calm down. Jackson kept charging hard on the front and put in the fastest women’s lap of the day, riding away from all others to eventually solo in for the win. Turner stayed away from the chase group as well to take 2nd. And after some back and forth action the emergent junior Finchcamp rode away from Jammer for 3rd. 4th was Jammer and 5th went to birthday girl and super promoter Dorothy Wong (The Team SoCal Cross).

Elite Men:
Brent Prenzlow (Celo Pcific/Focus) lead down the starting stretch of pavement, but was passed by Brandon Gritters (Rock N Road) as racers entered the grass. Then a couple minutes into the lap Gritters messed up a turn and Prenzlow lead the rest of lap one. The front group was pretty large coming through lap one as riders where waiting for a big attack.

After a few laps it started to shake down. John Behrens (Bailey Bikes) got to the front, Kyle Gritters (Rock N Road), B. Gritters, Gary Douville (SDG/Felt p.b. Irt), and Prenzlow were off to make up the front group. Douville began to let up a bit and Prenzlow had to go around to stay in the front. This lead four established themselves for the next few laps.

After Behrens pulled for a couple laps, K. Gritters took over working for brother B. Gritters. John Bailey (Bailey Bikes) was chasing solo with Jason Siegle (SDG/Felt p.b.Irt) just behind him. The leaders stayed together and with three laps to go Bailey was fading back and Seigle moved up to within fifteen seconds of the front group. With two laps to go K. Gritters lead until his chain dropped. Behrens took over the front, followed by B.Gritters and Prenzlow. Siegle was very close behind alone, but couldn’t get on.

On the final lap, Behrens who was riding impressively strong lead, Prenzlow was watching closely. 1/2 lap to go and B. Gritters passed on the right before the Spy steps and Prenzlow then countered to pass on the left. They quickly remounted and on the off camber Prenzlow went low with more speed and passed Gritters. Prenzlow come out of an off camber 180 degree corner and sprinted, he took the next 2 corners max, and attacked again to get a gap. He applied one more little sprint past the pits and nailed the S-turn through the trees. It was just enough to hold a six second lead to the finish straight. B. Gritters held off Behrens for 2nd. Siegle was alone in 4th, and Kyle recovered to take 5th.

It was some exciting action again in Chino as many groups in the series continue to see different winners each week. A sign that shows the competition is growing and the training riders are putting in this year. With riders now halfway through their season, now is the time to get focused.  The Southern California (SCNCA) District Championships take place Sunday November 27 in Glendale – Turkey Trot Cross! Next week the series heads back to the central coast, Cambria, for the last of the central coast events this year and the first West Coast Collegiate Cycling race since Irvine in 2008.

Photos by Kenneth Hill – Lights & Shadows Photography

Also a nice report from Blogger, Claremont Cyclist

LIVE! Long Beach Cyclo-Fest

El Dorado Park
Posted Sunday November 6 2011 by in Uncategorized
0 comments

Race results posted here

Download results here (pdf)

Fun times in Long Beach… in the rain!   The morning began at 8am with our benefit run for Miller’s Children’s Hospital in Long Beach.  Just as the run began, so did the rain.  Steady light showers came down for about 2-4 hours just enough to soak and muddy up the grassy park.  Enjoy some pics.  Outside All Day race report below.  Thanks all for coming out to play cyclocross in the rain : )

Photo by:  Bob the Specialized Man

Photo by: bikesforboobs.org

Photo by:  METALMTN Cycling

Photo by: Cadence Collection

Photos by: Lights & Shadows Photography

Southern California Prestige Series of Cyclocross presented by SPY Optic
SCPS #10: LIVE! Long Beach CYCLO-FEST

This week was the 10th event of the Southern California Prestige Series of Cyclocross:  LIVE! Long Beach, CYCLO-FEST, an idea of promoter Dorothy Wong, advocating a healthy lifestyle and promoting the benefits of the bicycle within each community the Series visits. This is the fourth time El Dorado Park has hosted a cross race, but never has it been like it was this past Sunday. The usually sunny Southern California weekends turned into dark cloudy and cold (40’s) as SoCalCross saw its first forms of Fall this first week of November in addition to falling back with the time change, the stormy weather blew through the City of Long Beach presenting some real cross conditions.

The course was a mixture of about 70% grass, 20% paved, and 10% sand/dirt. The grass, while absorbing most of the rain did have a bit of mud and a lot of heavy pedaling sections. The paved became an area of strategy for racers to recover and the deep left curving Shimano sand pit was the one of the biggest challenges as riders continuously struggled trying to ride the pit. The biggest challenge of all really just came down to muddy turns and the SPY staircase.

Elite Women:
Jenna Jammer Kowalski (Cynergy Cycles) was hot off the start, grabbing the hole shot and pushing the pace through the first half of lap one. The rest of the women lined up after the first turn to chase down Jammer. Series leader Allison Mann (Rock N’ Road) was a few wheels back and Christina Probert-Turner (The Team SoCal Cross) made the first move in the chase coming out of the sand and making her move to past Jammer to take the lead. The rest of the field responded to new pace Turner was pushing as she blew things apart on the second lap taking only a few select riders with her up front.

After Turner it was Mann who continued to work her way up and set the fastest lap of the day, on lap three, as she took control of the race. The entire race remained close as Mann would open some space Turner would close it down. The rest of the women worked hard in the battle for third as these two gained 5-10 seconds on the field each lap. Eventually, Mann took the win holding off Turner as the two put together some amazing racing.

Amanda Schaper (Ritte Raceing) made her move around Jammer early was close with the leaders for a couple laps but settled in for third just ahead of Jammer in fourth. Fifth was Nicole Brandt (LA Velocity) who had a great start and was consistent all race to hold off the experience of Series leader, Dorothy Wong (The Team SoCal Cross).

Elite Men:
It was another exciting, tactical and fast paced aggressive race for SoCalCross’ elite men with challenging course conditions. Brent Prenzlow (Celo Pacific/Focus) took the hole shot followed by Brandon Gritters (Rock N’ Road) Garry Douville (SDG/Felt p.b. Irt), Kyle Gritters (Rock N’ Road) and Chris Jackson (Rambuski Law). The rest of the field filled in but the front instantly pushed the pace.

The first few laps from front to back were aggressive, blocking, bumping and fighting for positions. Douville attacked at the end of lap one before the log jump so that he could get a clean bunny-hop over it, but B. Gritters blocked and K. Gritters took the outside line attacking into the log section. Through the first two laps this seemed to be the case. There was a lot fighting and blocking for position especially as the Gritters’ brothers strategically tried early tactics.

A few laps in and Douville led the chase to bring K. Gritters back in to the group. Jackson has seemed to have a string of bike issues lately and again he had to pit a couple times which unfortunately pushed him back in the field. The sand section ended up being where gaps were opening and Douville lost ground mid race.

B. Gritters and Prenzlow attacked as Douville had to chase with K. Gritters on his wheel. John Behrens and teammate John Bailey were behind and looked like they could close down the last 10 seconds gap to Douville. Gritters and Prenzlow couldn’t agree to work together which allowed Douville again the chance to pull back on to the front group.

With two laps to go the group of four was back together but B. Gritters again cleans the sandpit and attacks. Prenzlow dismounts which slowed the chase and again Douville was chasing with K. Gritters on his wheel. This time B. Gritters and Prenzlow who quickly surged back up created a big gap that could not be closed.

K. Gritters flats right at the bike pit and Douville attacked ahead to hold off Behrens who was maintaining a close 5-10 sec gap. In the end Brandon Gritters took the win to continue to secure his SoCal Series lead. Prenzlow was a close second, third was Douville, with Behrens just behind in fourth and Kyle Gritters to round out the top five.

Next week the Series will head inland from the beach for Velocity Cross in Chino, California.  November is California Cyclocross (CACX) Championships month.  One race in each region will bring rankings = starting positions to the Nor Cal-So Cal Showdown and end of season finale January 2012 in Bakersfield 1/21-22/2012.  Saturday 1/21 being the Prestige Series finale and Sunday 1/22 the Nor Cal, So Cal Showdown.  The two rankings races are:

  • NOR CAL’S STAFFORD CX 11/6 in Novato… Marin County.
  • SO CAL’S VELOCITY CROSS 11/13 at Prado Dam Regional Park… Chino.

Each region’s District Championship and last year’s showdown will also stage riders to the front for each category race.  Southern California has bragging rights so far!

For more information go to: www.socalcross.org

1... « 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 » ... 73
Bottom logo

© 2010 SoCalCross | Southern California Prestige Series of CycloCross. All rights reserved.