Browning, Butler wrap up Mt. Tabor series overall victories

John Browning's incredible run at Mt. tabor concluded Wednesday night with overall wins in both the Masters and Senior Men fields. The Cyclepath Racing rider took the top podium spot in each of his five Masters races and never finished off the podium in the Senior races, which are run later in the same evening.

Browning cashed in on double points for his third-place finish in the July 15 Senior Men's race to take the overall prize in the six-week series. With series leader Austin Arguello (Hammer/CMG Racing Team) racing in Kentucky and second-placed rider Steven Beardsley coming in eighth after a last-lap crash shook up the finish, Browning clinched the series title by finishing behind Jimmy Udall and Tyler Green (River City Bicycles). Beardsley also raced earlier in the night in the fixed gear category, where he made a starting-line breakaway and stayed away from the pack until Walton Brush (River City Bicycles) and the rest came rushing by a few yards from the finish line.

While circumstances allowed Browning the opportunity to put on the Senior Men's series crown, his Masters Men win was never in doubt. After missing the first week, Browning won five consecutive races, often breaking away with others and then shedding his escape companions one by one before the finish.

In the Senior Women's race, Sue Butler also capitalized on the July 15 double series points to leap from third overall to first. The Monavie-Cannondale rider flew away from the group and rode across the line alone to earn maximum points. Recently upgraded cat 3 Lisa Reeve finished second in the finale, but the third-placed ride by Hammer Velo's Sam Yeo was enough to reserve a second-place overall finish behind Butler. Kaytee Petross (Portland Velo) who started the final race seated third overall, placed eighth July 15 and hung onto her series placing.

(Overall series scores are based on the best-five-of-six finishes).

OVERALL RESULTS
Mt. Tabor Wednesday Night Series

Fixed Gear
1. Brush, Walton (River City Bicycles) 470.0
2. Hofland, Erik (Artisan Family Racing) 282.0
3. Guernsey, Ben 192.0
Cat 5 Men
1. Seward, Ryan (CAPA Cycling Team) 420.0
2. Case, Steven 204.0
3. Grant, Michael 181.0
Cat 4 Women
1. Fletcher, Sara (Bridgetown Velo) 328.0
2. Reeve, Lisa 320.0
3. Vaughn, Anna (Hammer Velo) 310.0
Cat 4 Men
1. Bedford, Stephen (Word-RCB) 390.0
2. Weber, Johannes (Ironclad Performance Wear) 226.0
3. Zack, George (Beaverton Bicycle Club) 200.0
Cat 3 Men
1. Liverman, Ryan (Veloce/Felt) 470.0
2. Hansen, Jake (Word-RCB) 260.0
3. Brush, Walton (River City Bicycles)244.0
Masters Women
1. Bothe, Elaine (Sorella Forte) 480.0
2. Leitheiser, Ann (Cyclepath Racing) 270.0
3. Kennedy, Ann (Team Guiness) 266.0
Masters Men
1. Browning, John (Cyclepath Racing) 600.0
2. Haverty, Chris (Bridgetown Velo) 344.0
3. Mitchem, John (Guinness Cycling Team) 268.0
Senior Women
1. Butler, Sue (Monavie-Cannondale.com) 400.0
2. Yeo, Sam (Hammer Velo) 318.0
3. Petross, Kaytee (Portland Velo) 256.0
Senior Men
1. Browning, John (Cyclepath Racing) 298.0
2. Beardsley, Steven (Gentle Lovers)284.0
3. Arguello, Austin (Hammer/CMG Racing Team) 260.0

Hammer repeats one-two Tabor finish; Petross takes Senior Women's race

The Hammer/CMG Racing Team repeated its one-two finish of a week ago at Mt. Tabor. But this time teammates Austin Arguello and Jacob Rathe switched positions, with Arguello taking the final uphill sprint just ahead of his teammate.

The team of elite juniors wasted little time setting the tempo in the race scheduled for 15 laps. Repeatedly sending riders up the road, the five-rider team's plan was to make the usual suspects on Gentle Lovers, HPChiro, Rapha Racing and Cyclepath work to chase down the rabbits.

As the group approached the closing laps pretty much intact, any teams hoping for victory tried to set up lead outs for the final charge up the volcano. But nothing they mustered proved superior to Hammer's plan. The 100 points for the win should launch Arguello into the series lead with just one race remaining. He started the day just 40 points behind Gentle Lovers' Steven Beardsley, who earned 36 points for his fifth-place finish.

The Senior Women's race brewed itself into a tight overall battle with one week remaining after Portland Velo's Kaytee Petross pulled off her first win of the series, while overall leader Sam Yeo finished in eighth and earned just 24 points. But Yeo's effort proved just enough to hold onto her lead with a 242-point total. Petross, who started the day 78 points down on the overall leader, gained the maximum 100 points for her winning day, and climbed into second with 240 points.

RESULTS
Mt. Tabor Wednesday Night Series
Portland, July 8

Fixed Gear
1. Fabrizias, Erik
2. Brush, Walton
3. Hofland, Erik
Cat 4 Women
1. Lifsey, Margi (Bridgetown Velo)
2. Clark, Anna (Ironclad Performance Wear)
3. Armstrong, Alana (Sorella Forte)
Masters Women
1. Bothe, Elaine (Sorella Forte)
2. Ellis, Sallyanne (Hammer Velo)
3. Leitheiser, Ann (Cyclepath Racing)
Senior Women
1. Petross, Kaytee (Portland Velo)
2. Sanborn, Melissa (Vanderkitten Racing)
3. Reeve, Lisa
4. Brubaker, Tina (Veloforma)
5. Tyrrell, Leia (CAPA Cycling Team)
Cat 5 Men
1. Seward, Ryan (CAPA Cycling Team)
2. Buruett, Denny
3. Reinhart, Eric
Cat 3 Men
1. Liverman, Ryan (Veloce/Felt)
2. Brush, Walton
3. Dunn, Jeremy
Cat 4 Men
1. Hemming, David (Rapha Racing)
2. Salcome, Jake (RideMore)
3. Gilmore, Leland (River City Bicycles)
Masters Men
1. Browning, John (Cyclepath Racing)
2. Haverty, Chris (Bridgetown Velo)
3. Schwaeber, Steve (Veloce/Felt)
Senior Men
1. Arguello, Austin (Hammer/CMG Racing Team)
2. Rathe, Jacob (Hammer/CMG Racing Team)
3. Hepner, Evan
4. Keogh, Quinn (HPChiro/Hammer Nutrition)
5. Beardsley, Steven (Gentle Lovers)

Hammer's Rathe, Arguello grab top Tabor spots; Vanderkitten's Sanborn takes women's race

Vanderkitten's Melissa Sanborn christened her inaugural attempt at the Mt. Tabor Series with a win Wednesday night in the Senior Women's field. Sanborn finished ahead of Hammer Velo's Sam Yeo and Bridgetown Velo's Anne Davis Usher. Veloce/felt's Kelly McKean was fourth, followed by Gentle Lovers' Dawn Riddle in fifth.

Sanborn's gobbling up of the 100 points for first place should help tame the shake-up in the overall race. Coming into the race, Yeo's consistent efforts placed her just 52 points behind Sue Butler (Monavie-Cannondale), who won the opening week and again on week three but missed the latest race because she's competing on her mountain bike at the BC Bike Race in Canada. Also missing from the latest race was third-placed overall rider Alice Pennington (Veloforma). Her absence form the race should help Davis Usher, who won the week two race and sat sixth overall, 100 points behind Butler.

The Senior Men's race took on a familiar pattern when, just as in the Salem-Fairview Circuit Race a few days before, the full compliment of junior riders on the Hammer/CMG Racing Team showed up ready to step on the throttle. And just as in Salem the team took the top two spots, placing Jacob Rathe first and Austin Arguello second. Cyclepath Racing's John Browning, who once again won the masters race earlier in the night, battled with the two USA Cycling Junior National Team riders and ended up third.

The nearly 50 riders contesting the race got off to a fast start, with plenty of primes to add to the action. Shannon Skerritt, winner of two consecutive weeks at the Portland Mountain Bike Short Track Series at PIR, made his presence known with several uphill bursts that earned him some prize-lap cash.

But just about anything else that tried to get off the front was followed closely by the red and black of Hammer/CMG or the blue and white of Cyclepath. In the end, the field approached the finish intact, setting up the battle between the veteran Browning and the fresh legs of Hammer/CMG.

But Browning had good reason to plead fatigue if he wanted after also winning the Masters Men's race earlier in the night. The Cyclepath strongman got away with ZteaM's David Zimbelman, Finnegans Toys/Discovery Chiropractic's Ivan Meadors and a Veloce/Felt's Michael Benno. Meadors was first to pop off the group, then Benno. Zimbelman held on but lost the finish to Browning. Benno finished third, ahead of Cyclepath's John Bravard and the rest of the field. Browning's effort also moves him into the series overall lead. He started just 10 points down on Bridgetown Velo's Chris Haverty, who did not compete Wednesday night.

Just two weeks remain in the 2009 Mt. Tabor Wednesday Night Series, but all the overall races are still up for grabs.

(The complete Cycling Action photo gallery for this race is now posted online HERE).

RESULTS
Mt. Tabor Wednesday Night Series
Portland, July 1

Cat 4 Women
1. Reeve, Lisa
2. Tyrrell, Leia (CAPA Cycling Team)
3. Vaughn, Anna (Hammer Velo)
Masters Women
1. Wenzel, Kendra (Wenzel Coaching)
2. Morin, Rhonda (Sorella Forte)
3. Kennedy, Ann (Team Guinness)
Senior Women
1. Sanborn, Melissa (Vanderkitten Racing)
2. Yeo, Sam (Hammer Velo)
3. Davis, Usher Anne (Bridgetown Velo)
4. McKean, Kelly (Veloce/Felt)
5. Riddle, Dawn (Gentle Lovers)
Cat 5 Men
1. Grant, Michael
2. Siemens, Jordan
3. Russell, Calon
Cat 4 Men
1. Bedford, Stephen (Word-RCB)
2. Rankin, Shane Portland Velo
3. Tuttle, Chris
Cat 3 Men
1. Liverman, Ryan (Veloce/Felt)
2. Brush, Walton
3. Hansen, (Jake Word-RCB)
Masters Men
1. Browning, John (Cyclepath Racing)
2. Zimbelman, David (ZteaM)
3. Benno, Mike (Veloce/Felt)
Senior Men
1. Rathe, Jacob (Hammer/CMG Racing Team)
2. Arguello, Austin (Hammer/CMG Racing Team)
3. Browning, John (Cyclepath Racing)
4. Green, Tyler (River City Bicycles)
5. Groblewski, Pete (Gentle Lovers)

Butler and Leonard win Mt. Tabor Wednesday Night Series' third week

Sue Butler (Monavie-Cannondale.com) won her second Tabor Series race at week three Wednesday, while Rapha Racing's John Leonard took his first win of the seven-race series.

Alice Pennington and her Veloforma teammates spent a good time on the front of the Senior Women's race, driving the pace with Butler. The tempo quickly whittled the front to a select group of riders, and any break attempts on the fast-but-difficult course were short-lived as the pace discouraged the efforts.

Butler gained an advantage in the finish of the final lap and held off Hammer Velo's Sam Yeo in second and Pennington, who crossed third.

The senior men's race was animated early with repeated break attempts. HPChiropractic and gentle Lovers tried first, then Cyclepath Racing, Portland Bicycle Studio, CMG/Hammer and Veloce/Felt gave it shot. Team Oregon and River City tried their luck, but nothing seemed to stick.

Cyclepath's John Browning, who earlier won the Masters race in front of Chris Haverty (Bridgetown Velo) and Veloce-Felt's Dan Quirk, was active in the many break attempts along with teammate Aaron Sander, but Leonard's late-race move in the closing laps was the only one to find ultimate success.

Leonard took the win with plenty of room to spare and left the race for second place to a showdown between junior Austin Arguello (CMG/Hammer) and Browning, the experienced Cyclepath racer. Arguello won the battle to the line, taking Browning by inches.

(The complete Cycling Action photo gallery for this race is now posted HERE).

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
Mt. Tabor Wednesday Night Series
June 24, Portland

Senior Women
1. Butler, Sue (Monavie-Cannondale.com)
2. Yeo, Sam (Hammer Velo)
3. Pennington, Alice (Veloforma)
Masters Women
1. Foulston, Eileen (Portland Velo)
2. Leitheiser, Ann (Cyclepath Racing)
3. Kennedy, Ann (Team Guinness Cycling)
Women Cat. 4
1. Reeve, lisa
2. Vaughn, Anna (Hammer Velo)
3. Simmons, Mindy (Hammer Velo)
Senior Men
1. Leonard, John (Rapha Racing)
2. Arguello, Austin (Hammer/CMG Racing Team)
3. Browning, John (Cyclepath Racing)
Masters Men
1. Browning, John (Cyclepath Racing)
2. Haverty, Chris (Bridgetown Velo)
3. Quirk, Dan (Veloce/Felt)
Men Cat. 3
1. Hansen, Jake (Word-RCB)
2. Liverman, Ryan (Veloce/Felt)
3. Dunn Jeremy
Men Cat. 4
1. Zack, George (Beaverton Bicycle Club)
2. Weber, Johannes (Ironclad Performance Wear)
3. Bedford, Stephen (Word-RCB)
Men Cat. 5
1. Seward, Ryan (Capa Cycling Team)
2. Case, Steven
3. Wolf, Jeff Team (Vegan/Organic Athlete)
Fixed Gear
1. Fabriziu, Erik
2. Guernsey, Ben
3. Murphy, kyle

Complete OBRA results HERE.

Beardsley wins again at Mt. Tabor Wednesday Night Series

PORTLAND -- Gentle Lovers rider Steven Beardsley apparently can do no wrong in June, adding another Mt. Tabor win to his Week One victory at the seven-race Wednesday Night Series. That makes two consecutive wins for Beardsley at Tabor, three consecutive wins at the PIR Tuesday Night Series, the top spot at the June 13 Cirque du Cycling Criterium in Northeast Portland and another handful of wins at Alpenrose Veldodrome.

Beardsley (pictured here at the June 10 Tabor race) finished ahead of Cyclepath Racing's John Browning, who won the Master Men's event on the same night. Dangerboy Racing's Mike Kath crossed the line next in third. Todd Fawcett was fourth, ahead of Cyclepath Racing's Aaron Sander.

In the Senior Women's race, Bridgetown Velo's Anne Davis Usher took the win in front of Tina Brubaker (Veloforma) and Gentle Lovers' Erin Playman. Veloce/Felt's Beth Burns and Kelly McKean took fourth and fifth, respectively.

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
Mt. Tabor Wednesday Night Series
Portland, June 17

Senior Women - 12 finishers
1. Davis Usher, Anne (Bridgetown Velo)
2. Brubaker, Tina (Veloforma)
3. Playman, Erin (Gentle Lovers)
4. Burns, Beth (Veloce/Felt)
5. McKean, Kelly (Veloce/Felt)
Masters Women - 7 finishers
1. Rueter, Kim (Sorella Forte)
2. Ellis, Sallyanne (Hammer Velo)
3. Kelly-Fouslton, Eileen (Portland Velo)
Women Cat. 4 - 20 finishers
1. Tyrrell, Leia (CAPA Cycling Team)
2. Reeve, Lisa
3. Vaughn, Anna (Hammer Velo)
Fixed Gear - 10 finishers
1. Brush, Walsh, (River City Bicycles)
2. Hofland, Erik (Artisan Family Racing)
3. Fabrizius, Erik (Veloshop)
Men Cat. 5 - 51 finishers
1. Follen, Spencer
2. Smith, Tim (Tireless Velo)
3. Whitekettle, Richard (Knobby Drifters)
Men Cat. 4 - 55 finishers
1. Zack, George (Beaverton Bicycle Club)
2. Bibler, Neal Team (Team S&M)
3. Culpepper, Clint (Team Beer)
Men Cat. 3 - 45 finishers
1. Thomas, Chris
2. Schulz, Eirik (Specialized River City Bicycles)
3. Schultz, Brian Grundelbruisers/Stewie Bicycles)
Masters Men - 29 finishers
1. Browning, John (Cyclepath Racing)
2. Mitchem, John (Guinness Cycling Team)
3. Butler, Tim (River City Bicycles)
Senior Men - 33 finishers
1. Beardsley, Steven (Gentle Lovers)
2. Browning, John (Cyclepath Racing)
3. Kath, Mike (Dangerboy Racing)
4. Fawcett, Todd
5. Sander, Aaron (Cyclepath Racing)