SCPS 12: Dirt Club Cross was blessed in the morning with a short downpour just before the Junior’s race.  Suddenly the rain stopped and voila!  The rain stopped – the clouds opened up the sky to blue skies and sunshine!  It was a great race day – all were happy to be racing – course was fun – great layout including epic run up Kenda Stairway to Heaven, lots of tight turns, fun off-camber – short power sections and some flat fast road sections.

Elite winners – Brent Prenzlow in an exciting finish took the sprint from Gary Douville with Jason Siegle in third completing the trio.  Trina Baumsteiger rode to victory over Amanda Schaper and Christina Probert Turner in the elite women’s race.  Complete race report to come – stay tuned!

Sorry ya’ll.  The tank is a little empty as we “re-fuel” for the upcoming weekend’s District Championships… whew!

In summary, Convert Cross was soooooo much fun!  As we all prepared for the rain forecast, the winds took control and blew the storm clouds southward leaving us SoCalCrossers which what we know best.  Sunshine and blue skies : )

Although it was chilly – the most difficult decision was to wear our arm warmers or not.  The overnight rain started the morning with sloppy-slippery conditions and as the wind blew and sun shined, the course conditions changed to tacky dirt and the bumpy dry grass we were accustomed to was smooth and fast!  To maintain the integrity of the grass, race director Larry Leonard and his crew from SuccessfulLiving and Trek Bikes of Ventura went to work revising the course to create new, challenging and fun course.  It worked.

Complete race results are posted.

[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/16838521[/vimeo]

Cyclocross in Southern California is alive!  With only 5 weeks to go in the Prestige Series season (2010), a record number of new racers came to Long Beach to ‘try cross’ – and Round 10 hosted by Long Beach’s own cycling club Velo Allegro treated racers to an all around course complete with fallen tree, sand pit, stairs, barriers and built in asphalt whoops!

The City of Long Beach supports cycling in a big way as they strive to become America’s number one ranked city for cycling.  Mobility Director Charlie Gandy even particpated in his first ‘cross race.  Beginners’ were offered a free clinic at the start of the day and demo-rental bikes were available at a nominal fee from SoCalCross.

LINK TO SOME COOL PICS FROM SLO!

Then Sunday Nov 14th SLO Cross brought its flavor to the Series to Cambria!  The course was nicely laid out in the Union High baseball fields and nearby dirt road.  The course included a triple barrier and double barrier forced run up.  It was a well-laid-out course with flat acceleration sections, and a tricky hukilau section in the gravel to slow riders down and then head into a drag strip sprint into another hairpin allowing smooth skils and pure power even out the competition.  Exciting races unfolded in the 35+ 1/2/3 and the elite 1/2/3 men’s races.  Close battles to the end.  In the 35+ Sam Ames (ActionSports) beat out local favorite Ben Lerner (TEAM SoCalCross).  In the 1/2/3 men’s race Gary Douville (Platinum) and John Behrens (Bailey Bikes) stayed together for the entire race with Gary taking John in a ‘photo finish’ by a tire.  In the elite women’s race.  Trina Baumsteiger (Rambuski Law) used her solid CX skills and fitness to pull away from her competitors including Dot Wong (TEAM SoCalCross) and Jenna Jammer Kowalski (NOW MS) riding in for a solid 3rd place.

Race organizer – Dave Morrow’s report:

It was the best of times, it was not really, even hardly, the worst of times.  It was a time of sun and light breezes, it was a time of sketchy eucalyptus leaves.  It was clean air for racing, and it was lung busting still.  It was Cambria cyclocross in all its glory.
Coast Union High School hosted a challenging course that included lots of bike handling challenges, power accelerations on sports fields, and quick transitions between dirt, cement, and grass.  The race venue had a chill vibe with good views of 80% of the racing area from the start finish.  Aaron Linn, who had a very talented racing career in the US before leaving for Europe, now owns a restaurant in Cambria.  Linns restaurant provided a wide variety of delicious breakfast and lunch treats throughout the day, all for a free love offering.  The music was chill, the sun was warm, and the kids race was the most fun as a small horde of riders (or horde of small riders) overtook the Tall Bike Posse leader early and busted out some fast times.  Everyone who attended this inaugural race said they hope we make a weekend of it next year, with both Saturday and Sunday events.  Cambria is such a great place for the family, who can argue with that logic?

Well, we did it. I have never guessed it would happen the way it did, but we pulled off two UCI weeknds in Southern California.  A few years ago a small breed of crossers spent the Fall racing and then hanging out and having a beer and pizza talking about the fun course and see ya at the next one.  A SoCalCross tribe was born.  Lovin’ it back then, we traveled to other regions to get the chance to find more crossers to race against and to experience what other cross cultures were like.  Wow how fast everyone was and how much fun they were having!  We as the Prestige Series wanted to bring that energy to Southern California.  That became the mission for the past few seasons to help the sport and the spirit of cross to grow in Southern California and now it has!

This event would never have happened without the ENTIRE cyclocross community pitching in to make it so.  Thanks to you ALL!  Thanks to the City of Los Angeles and its Recreation and Parks for supporting bicycling and allowing this event to happen in this most special place… Griffith Park!  Results are posted thanks to Chris B and SoCalCross Timing or whatever creative name comes from ya’ll!  Check out Dave Sheek’s complete elite race report from Outside All Day.com.  Post your favorite CXLA pics on the Flickr Group page.  Best photos will be chosen with top 3 season pics getting on the Season finale podium – Santa Cross 12/19!

Don’t miss this weekend’s races as there are only 8 left in the 2010 season. Saturday 11/13 is Round 10: Long Beach Cyclocross @El Dorado Park then Sunday 11/14 is Round 11: SLO Cross #2 – Cambria.  SoCalCross Prestige Series points adding up as we hit our home stretch before CX National Championships!

Cross Fever January 2011 will include 3 races:  1/9 Mt SAC Cyclocross (Walnut/Pomona), 1/16 Bakersfield CX, 1/23, Dam Cross (Los Angeles).

Hope you enjoy this memory from the weekend by TEAM SoCalCrosser Mark Colton:  [vimeo]http://vimeo.com/16633712[/vimeo]