Friday, September 18, 2009

Quartet of OBRA riders will anchor ZteaM national masters team for 2010 Schedule

ZteaM has announced its nine rider masters national team roster for 2010, and it's anchored by a quartet of OBRA regulars.

The team will be headed by UCI world time trial champion David Zimbelman Hood River. He'll be joined by OBRA Cat 2 rider Karsten Hagen of Bend and Matt Slater, a Cat 2 from Portland. Mick Walsh, a Cat 1 from Seattle, is also a regular rider on the OBRA masters circuit.

The team of age 40+ riders will compete in a series of races in New Mexico, Oregon, and California, including select stage races such as the Tour of the Gila, The Mt. Hood Cycling Classic, and The BMC Cascade Cycling Classic.

The master’s team will also serve as cycling mentors for ZteaM’s club members including hosted club rides and mentoring for younger cyclists. An announcement on ZteaM Elite will follow in two weeks.

ZteaM 2010 MASTERS NATIONAL TEAM ROSTER

David Zimbelman CAT 1 (56)— Hood River, Oregon
-2009 World Time Trial Champion 55+
-2009 Oregon TT Champion 55-59 (4th overall)
-2009 Oregon Washington TT Champion
-2009 Cherry Blossom Classic (1st overall) 40+/50+
-2009 Cascade Classic (1st overall) 45+
-4 time USA Cyling National Road and TT
-2 Time FICA National Champion
*Karsten Hagen CAT 2 (41)— Bend, Oregon
-2009 Oregon Masters TTT Champion
-2009 Eugene Celebration overall winner 40+
-2009 Cherry City Criterium 1st place 40+/50+
-2009 Piece of Cake Road Race 1st place Masters
*Matt Slater CAT 2 (46)--Portland Oregon
-2009 Oregon Masters TTT Champion
-2009 Hood River Crit series 1st
*Mick Walsh CAT 1 (48) Seattle,Washington
-2009 Washington State Hill Climb Champion
-2009 Oregon TT Champion 45+
-2009 Oregon Masters TTT Champion
*Janne Hamalainen CAT 1 (48)— Tulsa Oklahoma
-----*Tulsa Wheelman rider
-2009 Masters US Road Champion 2009 45+
*Will Gault CAT 1 (40)— Tulsa Oklahoma
-----*Tulsa Wheelman rider
-2009 Oklahoma Elite Road Champion
-2009 Oklahoma Time Trial Champion
-2009 Oklahoma Criterium Champion
*Cale Reeder CAT 2 (45)—California
-2009 BAR 45+ California Points Leader, CA
*Peter Brown CAT 2 (48)—Tucson, Arizona
-2009 Arizona State 45+ Road Champion
-2009 Arizona BAR points leader
*Hunter Ziesing CAT 2 (49)—San Francisco, CA

Big cyclocross weekend on tap for Northwest


FILE PHOTO: Jeremy Powers (left) and Ryan Trebon, two of the nation's top 'crossers, will renew their friendly rivalry this weekend in Washington.

The next few days will be a cyclocross bonanza for Pacific Northwest racers and fans. The Hood River Double Cross offers a full schedule of OBRA races both Saturday and Sunday. In Washington, the North American UCI season begins with Starcrossed Saturday night at the Marymoor Velodome in Redmond and the Rad Racing GP Sunday in Tacoma.

HOOD RIVER DOUBLE CROSS

Fall is a beautiful time in and around Hood River, with the abundant orchards turning out their best colors. It's also Harvest time. So it's no surprise that the Hood River races drew more than 300 riders last year. Forecasts for blue skies mean this year's incarnation will likely be another popular event. Saturday's races will run at the Hood River Valley High School. Sunday's races will take place at the Hood River County Fairgrounds. Racing starts both days at 9 a.m. and winds up around 4 p.m.

You can find more information HERE.

STARCROSSED AND RAD RACING GP

World Championship medalist Jonathan Page, current national champion Ryan Trebon and past national champion Jeremy Powers are signed up to race under the lights in Redmond, Wash., Saturday night at Starcrossed, the opening round of the North American Cyclocross trophy. Six-time national champion Alison Dunlap is coming out of retirement for the race and will be contending against British champion Helen Wyman. OBRA's own Sue Butler, who won the race last year, will also be mixing it up.

On Sunday, racers will travel down I-5 to Lakewood, Wash., to test out their legs on the 80 meter “Knapp” run-up at the Rad Racing GP, the second race of the NACT.

You can follow the North American Cyclocross Trophy on Twitter @NACT.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Hegyvary gets big payday at Texas Tough Criterium


FILE PHOTO: Adrian Hegyvary of Seattle's Hagens Berman team makes his way in a breakaway during the Hood River Criterium of the Mt. Hood Cycling Classic.

DALLAS, Texas -- A name that should be familiar to Oregon race fans hit a big payoff Thursday night in Texas.

Adrian Hegyvary of Seattle's Hagens Berman squad made his way into the winning breakaway at the Texas Tough Gran Prix Criterium, the second-to-last stop in the USA CRITS Series, and scored his big payout by winning the $2,500 Gambler's prime with two laps to go. Hegyvary added to his prize by taking fourth overall and going home with $5,400 for his night's work.

"Here's the synopsis," he wrote on HIS BLOG. "Went off solo about 5 laps into the rainy 75min race, stayed off the front in every break (about five), won three big primes (including the gambler's prime), then finished fourth. For my efforts I'm bringing home $5,400, the biggest take of the race. Texas... not so bad.

Hegyvary's also had a busy season in Oregon. He won two stages of April's Cherry Blossom Classic, was one of the most aggressive riders during June's Mt. Hood Cycling Classic and took the Portland Twilight Criterium in August.

He made it into a five-rider break late in the race with Team Type 1's Michael Creed, National Criterium Champ John Murphy (OUCH-Maxxis), Mountain Khakis's Adam Myereson and eventual winner Keith Blackgrove of Hotel San Jose, according to a live report by Lyne Lamoureux of Podium Insight.

The USA CRITS Series will wrap up Thursday, Sept. 24, in Las Vegas during Interbike.

Cycling Tweet of the Week

Team Type 1 breakaway specialist Michael Creed posts some of the more cryptic-yet-entertaining updates you'll find in cycling Twitterdom ...

"I taped a bullet to the letter. And I wrote below it, 'The next one will be coming at you a lot faster, so take a good look at this one.'"

Michael Creed (@michael_creed) Sept. 17, 12:35 p.m.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Catching up with Omer Kem


PHOTO: Omer Kem drives the pace up to Cooper Spur during the 2009 Mt. Hood Cycling Classic in June. Teammate Paul Mach won the stage, and eventually the overall, in no small part because of Kem and his Bissell teammates' efforts.

In a recent report, Lyne Lamoureux of Podium Insight catches up with Salem's Omer Kem, who rides for the Bissell Pro Cycling Team and just finished up with the Tour of Missouri.

Kem talks about his professional racing future as he nears the dreaded age of 28 and is faced with the USA Cycling Age Rule. He also reflects on his physical and mental recovery from the devastating crash in the Tour of California earlier this year where he broke his pelvis. Kem talks about upcoming races in Australia and New Zealand, and he discusses his domestique role at Bissell. From the article ...
"That’s always been my role and you have to balance that with a lack of personal results with the fact that we won the tour," said Kem about Mt Hood.
Read the entire Podium Insight article HERE.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

OBRA women grab top two spots on Mt. Baker

GLACIER, Wash. -- A pair of OBRA racers were the two fastest women at Washington's Mt. Baker Hillclimb Sunday.

Jenny Slawta (Landshark) covered the 24.5 mile course in 1:31:00 for first. Alice Pennington (Veloforma) rode the scenic mountain course just 33 seconds slower at 1:31:33 for second.

Slawta's effort was 18th fastest overall time among the more than 500 starters. Pennington was 22nd overall. Washington rider Russell Stevenson set the fastest time of the day at 1:25:16.

The Mt. Baker hillclinb is a 24.5 mile challenge for recreational, competitive and first-time cyclists that features more than 4,300 feet of climbing. RIDE 542 follows the Mt. Baker Highway (SR542) from the town of Glacier (955 ft. elevation) to its end at Artist Point (5140 ft. elevation).

The highway, which winds up and along the Nooksack River, through giant old growth cedar groves and under several glaciers, is closed for the event. Gradual grades dominate the course until the last 2.5 miles, when the road turns skyward. The majority of the course is through undeveloped wilderness area managed by the U.S. Forest Service and Washington Department of Transportation. Artist Point is the western most access to the North Cascades National Park.

RESULTS
Mt. Baker Hillclimb
Glacier, Washington
Sept. 13, 2009

Women
1. Slawta, Jennifer 1:31:00
2. Pennington, Alice 1:31:33
3. Brynjolfson, Kristine 1:34:53
4. 159 Grace, Lise 1:35:13
5. 246 Roschen, Lauren 1:36:51

Men
1. Stevenson, Russell 1:25:16
2. MacDonald, Nathan 1:25:40
3. Rathkamp, Ben 1:26:44
4. Maris, Shannon 1:26:50
5. Vukets, Dave 1:26:52

Complete results are HERE.

(courtesy photo)

Monday, September 14, 2009

Starcrossed: It's a Thriller!

Check out this commercial by Evan Schmitt for the upcoming Starcrossed, the opening round of the North American Cyclocross Trophy. The race at Marymoor Velodrome in Redmond, Washington, is Sept. 19. The Rad Racing GP, round two of the NACT, is the very next day near Tacoma.

Junior Cyclocross Series revs up in Eugene

EUGENE -- Race #1 of the Pacific Power Junior Cyclocross Series is in the books with more than 20 young Oregon riders well on their way to a chance of winning one of four 'cross bikes at the end of the eight-race stretch.

The series is intended to encourage junior participation in cyclocross and build the kind of grassroots program that has produced so many great national- and international-level riders on the road and mountain bike.

The series started Sunday at Eugene's Psycho Cross #1 and continues Oct. 3 at the Willamette Valley Cross in Salem.

There will be two grand prizes for the Girls, and two for the Boys. The grand prizes will be awarded on a lottery system, with one lottery ticket per race entered. The series winner will get 15 additional lottery tickets, 14 more for second, and so on. The grand prize lottery will be on the Nov. 29 race In Eugene. Riders do not need to be present to win but must participate in at least 4 races to qualify. Scoring is based on the best five of seven races.

Entry is just $5 per race and there will be a free 10 minute cyclocross clinic before the 10am starts.

SCHEDULE
Race 1: 9/13 Sunday, Psycho Cross(Eugene)
Race 2: 10/3 Saturday, Willamette Valley Cross(Salem)
Race 3: 10/17 Saturday, Psycho Cross(Eugene)
Race 4: 10/24 Saturday, Willamette Valley Cross(Salem)
Race 5: 11/7 Saturday, Willamette Valley Cross(Salem)
Race 6: 11/21 Saturday, Psycho Cross(Eugene)
Race 7: 11/29 Sunday, Psycho Cross(Eugene)

RESULTS
Pacific Power Junior Cyclocross Series
Race #1 at Psycho Cross
Eugene, Oregon
Sept. 13


Junior Boys 17-18

1. Preble, Kolben
2. Fawcett, Brian
3. Alling, Austin
Junior Boys 15-16
1. Dulap, Colin
2. Schauer, Trevor
3. Fawcett, Keith
4. Simon, Jarron
Junior Boys 13-14
1. Rosenburg, Sam
2. Brady, Julian
3. Oliver, Adam
4. Stevens, Michel
5. Dudenhoefer, Simon
6. Rider, Joseph
Junior Boys 10-12
1. Dudenhoefer, Philip
2. Fisher, Mitch
3. York, Orion
Junior Girls 17-18
1. Hahn, Carina
2. Reid, Sierra
Junior Girls 15-16
1. Ford, Isabel
Junior Girls 13-14
1. Reid, Marisa
2. Martel, Dana
3. Fisher, Natalie
Junior Girls 10-12
1. Wilson, Haley
2. Rosenburg, Emma

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Sheppard gets win at 1st Sufferin' on the Summit


FILE PHOTO: Chris Sheppard wins the Cascade Chainbreaker in Bend last May.

HILLSBORO -- For the second day in a row Bend racers found success at the top of Bald Peak south of Hillsboro.

Chris Sheppard, winner Canada's B.C. Bike Race and The Intermontane Challenge earlier this summer, took the Pro Men's race at Sufferin' on the Summit the day after fellow Bend resident Ryan Trebon won the Pain on the Peak cyclocross race covering much of the same course.

Sheppard (Santa Cruz/Jamis) covered seven laps of the course in 1:29:55, finishing more than five minutes ahead of second placed Sean Babcock, who also suffered on the summit during the previous day's cyclocross race.

Vanilla Bicycles' Shannon Skerritt finished third, covering seven laps in 1:40:00. Evan Plews, who finished fifth at the previous day's cross race, finished three minutes later for fourth. team S&M's Jon Myers was fifth at 1:32:13.

RESULTS
Sufferin' on the Summit
Hillsboro, Oregon
Sept. 13, 2009


Pro Men
1. Sheppard, Chris (Santa Cruz/Jamis) 7 1:29:55
2. Babcock, Sean (Team S&M) 7 1:35:12
3. Skerritt, Shannon (Vanilla) 7 1:40:00
4. Plews, Evan (Capitol Subaru) 7 1:43:02
5. Myers, Jon (Team S&M) 1:32:13
Singlespeed
1. Rosenfeld, Jake 6 1:35:41
2. Visser, Chris 5 1:36:50
3. Grabowski, Donovan (Half Fast Velo) 4 1:23:13

Complete OBRA results are HERE.

'Cross Goes Hollywood



Professional videographer and Portland Velo member Burk Webb was on hand at Saturday's Pain on the Peak with a gliding camera rigged to a cable. He was filming many of the riders as they swooped down into and through the woods. The video should be appearing on the Portland Velo site.

Four seconds of flight ...

Trebon tackles the barriers at Pain on the Peak.