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The new site will feature continuing coverage of Oregon's racing scene with new features such as the Fitness Forum, which will field reader questions with answers from the coaching crew at Upper Echelon Fitness. We're also adding the latest product reviews and tech columns, plus more on-site photo galleries and a few more surprises.

Thanks for all your support and encouragement for the site this past season. It's been a great year, and we hope to see you soon at http://oregon.cyclingaction.com

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Kruger's promises dog day afternoon of 'cross

PHOTO: The farm on Sauvie's island provides and ideal setting.

The once-doomed Kruger's Crossing Cyclocross Classic is back on for Sunday, Nov. 22, but this time it's gone to the dogs. As if hosting the SSCXWC09 last Sunday wasn't prestigious enough, Portland will lay out the welcome mat for yet another world-class event: the inaugural Doggie Dog Cyclocross World Championships.

Ok, before any UCI lawyers start firing off single-spaced letters, it's really just a free, fun race for dogs and dog owners of all breeds, ages and sizes, presented by Cycle Dog and Meat and hosted at the Kruger's Crossing on Sauvie's Island.

The human racing will foll.ow the same catergories and schedule as thee Cross Crusade races, and should send riders along rutted farm roads, through berry fields, pastures, a barn, a bonfire and a beer garden.

Doggie Dog Cyclocross World Championships

12:30-1:00 p.m.

Race Specifics:
- Dog course will be about 1/2 mile long and feature barriers, mud, puddles, and a bunch of other things dogs might appreciate.
- No bikes in this race. Just dogs running with their owners (on-leash or off-leash).
- We'll have 4 race categories: Open Co-Ed, Clydesdale 60 lbs+, Masters 10yrs+, Carry-On & Lap Dogs (owners need to carry their dog throughout the whole course)
- The races are free, but owners need to sign a waiver and pick up a special dog bib number at registration.

Prizes/Awards:
- Cool awards for top finishers in each category
- Grand prize for the most original dog attire (lycra dog team kits strongly recommended!)
- Yummy dog treats for all participants!

Dog Corral/Lounge:
We will have a fenced-off corral where canine racers of the friendly kind can socialize before and after their race. Dog owners are responsible for the good behavior and well-being of their dogs.

Where?
Kruger's Farm on Sauvie Island
Google Map: http://tinyurl.com/ycjtkt6

More info at www.portlandracing.com/cx

Four new Cross Crusade photo galleries uploaded

Galleries from Cross Crusade #4 in Hillsboro on Oct. 25, and races #5 and #6 in Astoria on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, have been upoladed. You can find links to the galleries below.

Cross Crusade #4 on Oct. 25 in Hillsboro is HERE.
(Guest photographer Phil Kindshuh's gallery is HERE).

Cross Crusade #5 on Oct. 31 in Astoria in HERE.

Cross Crusade #6 on Nov. 1 in Astoria is HERE.

Hopworks to host 'cross champs pre-reg party

PORTLAND -- Hopworks Urban Brewery is hosting an OBRA Cyclocross Championships pre-registration party Wednesday evening from 6 to 8.

Riders can get the first peek at the course layout for this Saturday's races, look at pictures, watch some video and check out a giant mapped layout to help plan race strategy -- or at least find the indoor Hopworks beer garden and live band. You can also score a free Championships T-Shirt from Bicycleattorney.com.

Pre-reg is $20 for first race and $5 for the second. Juniors races always $5. New registrants will also be able to pick up their numbers. Register with cash or visa at Hopworks. You can also sign up online and pay with a visa.

Other event highlights:

*Custom made first-place awards for all categories and the coolest custom made kiddie medals ever!
*Bike-N-Hike Nuetral Support
*Willamette Valley Cross Series prizes provided by Bike n Hike Bike-N-Hike
*Bike Expo, additional vendors wanted!
*Indoor warm-up areas and lots of bathrooms.

Hopworks Urban Brewery is at 2944 S.E. Powell Blvd. in Portland.

Check out Buylocalcycling.com for more info.

Transfers, promotions and rider rumors for 2010

CORRECTION: Omer Kem has not signed a contract for the 2010 season and is still talking with teams.

PHOTO: Jacob Rathe, shown here winning the Banana Belt finale, will ride for the Jelly Belly U23 team next year.

The road racing wheels have barely stopped turning and plans for the 2010 season have already started swinging into action.

OBRA rider Jacob Rathe, a member of the 2009 USA Cycling Junior National Team who found himself atop several European podiums, signed with the Jelly Belly U23 squad. Jelly Belly is the longest running active pro cycling team in the United States. The 19-year-old rider from southwest Portland will likely race a full program of European U23 races with the national team and a handful of NRC races in the States as a cat 1 with Jelly belly.

"There will be three U23s on the team," Rathe said. "There are a lot of U23 races in Europe we can do. I wouldn't be able to do those with a professional license. The jump to U23 racing is huge. And it only makes it bigger if you're not able to do the lower-level races in Europe, which are plenty challenging."

The team is set up to give young riders the best possible environment to learn and develop.

"The idea behind this team is that it gives you free reign to do as much national team stuff as you want," Rathe said. "So it's aimed toward development. And we'll be able to do NRC stuff with the team when I'm home."

Rathe's 2009 CMG Racing/Hammer teammates Wes Stein and Austin Arguello will be riding for Bobs-bicycles.com, a northwest regional powerhouse squad based out of Boise. Marcel de Lisser will be riding with Team Oregon, which plans a boosted national 2010 program for its elite riders.

Kennett Peterson, who rode for team Oregon in 2009, will move over to the powerful regional squad Hagens-Berman out of Seattle. Meanwhile, Adrian Hegyvary, who won the 2009 PDX Twilight criterium while riding in the Hagens-Berman kit, has signed with the OUCH/Maxxis pro team for 2010 after a 2009 season peppered with national and regional wins. He'll be joined by fellow Washington rider Morgan Schmitt, who is moving from Bissell to OUCH, which will be sponsored by United Healthcare for the 2010 season.

On the women's side of things, Therapeutic Associates rider Lisa Turnbull will move to the Riverstone Women's Racing Team for the 2010 season.

The Veloforma women's professional cycling team will add a trio of OBRA riders to its elite squad. Bend's Teri Sheasby, a speedy climber who ascended with some of the best riders in the country at both the Mt. Hood and Cascade Classic stage races, will wear the Veloforma kit for 2010. Veloforma will also have Lindsay Fox, a triathlete who quickly learned the road racing ropes and moved to the front of the women's peleton for team Oregon in 2009. Lisa Reeve, who rode in (and won) her first-ever bicycle race at the beginning of this summer and ended the season as a Cat 2 after stacking up a pile of wins, will also race for Veloforma in 2010.

That's all I've got so far. If you've got any information about rider changes, big team news or other hot off-season tips, please e-mail them to editorial@cyclingaction.com.

Cameron, Van Meter notch wins at Cross Crusade

HILLSBORO, Ore. -- Portland Bicycle Studio's Molly Cameron made it two in row Sunday by taking the Men's A race at Cross Crusade #4, while Emily Van Meter (Hudz-Subaru) notched her first win of the season in the Women's A race.

The skies finally opened up and dumped enough precipitation to bring out the mud for the first time this Cross Crusade season, and the rain had riders slipping and sliding over the pancake-flat course at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Hillsboro.

With series leader Wendy Williams (Hudz-Subaru), winner of the first three races, in Kentucky for the USGP Derby City Cup, teammate Van Meter surged to the front to pick up Williams’ ongoing battle with Alice Pennington (Veloforma).

“When the cat’s away, the mice will play,” Van Meter said of her opportunistic win.

Van Meter and Pennington opened a huge gap on the rest of the field almost immediately. The pair rode together for most of the first lap until Pennington went down on an off-camber, slightly uphill section.

“My buddy told me that she had crashed,” Van Meter said. “So I just put my head down and tried to get as big a gap as I could. Then I just tried to ride it smart and smooth and keep it upright. It was slick, really slick.”

Pennington, who’s finished second three times in the series and third once, chased hard to try and bring back Van Meter, but the Veloforma rider couldn’t close the gap.

“I would pull back a little bit,” Pennington said of her chase. “I think the closest I got was five seconds. But I just never had it to catch her. I think she knew I was chasing hard, so she never let up.”

Van Meter cruised across the finish line solo for the win, with Pennington just a handful of seconds behind. Sunnyside Sports’ Serena Bishop crossed the line next for third. River City Bicycles’ Brigett Stoik finished fourth, just ahead of Tina Brubaker (Vanilla Workshop).

In the Senior Men’s A race, Cameron joined series leader Sean Babcock (Team S&M) and Michael Gallagher (C3 Athletes) at the front of the race, where they wasted little time opening a gap on the rest of the field. The trio shared the work, steadily building their lead until first Gallagher fell off the lead pace, followed by Babcock. Alone at the front, Cameron continued to apply the pressure and started building a solid lead when Babcock went down in the deep mud.

“It was definitely a different style of racing today,” Babcock said. “It was flat, and it was pretty slippery.”

Babcock, who came into the day with a solid series lead, began to whittle away Cameron’s advantage as the race drew to a close, but the Team S&M rider ran out of time.

“Molly accelerated on the flat sections and just slowly opened things up,” Babcock said. “And then I crashed (in the mud section) and she really got a gap on us; pretty smart racing.”

Cameron hung onto the lead and cruised in for a comfortable win. Babcock dropped Gallagher from the chase and finished second. Gallagher held on for third, ahead of Capitol Subaru Cycling’s Brett Luelling and Gentle Lovers’ Mark Blackwelder.

“I’m really stoked,” Cameron said after the win. “I’m really happy to be winning races. I’ve been working so hard. It’s fun. It’s been fun battles. I was stoked when it was the three of us off the front because it’s fun to have a good battle. (Babcock’s) riding really strong, and I’m riding really strong. So we’ll see.”

RACE NOTES
Kona rider Erik Tonkin finished sixth Sunday in Oregon after winning the most-aggressive rider at Saturday’s USGP in Kentucky, where he fought from the back row to the front of the race, rolled a tire and then did it all over again to finish 18th. The Herculean effort had some of his Oregon opponents worried.

“I saw that result and I knew Erik was going to show up on Sunday and clobber us,” Cameron said. “But when I attacked and he wasn’t around, I figured he was feeling (Saturday’s effort). But it’s crazy that he pulled that off. He does that all the time.”

More than 1,250 racers participated in the fourth installment of the eight-race series, a slight dip from the record 1,453 who showed up for the series opener. Next week’s Cross Crusade goes coastal with a Saturday and Sunday Halloween weekend doubleheader in Astoria.

Check out even more photos on VeloNews.com HERE.

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
Cross Crusade #4
Hillsboro
Sunday, Oct. 25

Senior Men A
1. Molly Cameron (Portland Bicycle Studio)
2. Sean babcock (Team S&M)
3. Michael Gallagher (C3 Athletes)
4. Brett Luelling (Capitol Subaru Cycling)
5. Mark Blackwelder (Gentle Lovers)
Senior Women A
1. Emily Van Meter (Hudz-Subaru)
2. Alice Pennington (Veloforma)
3. Serena Bishop (Sunnyside Sports)
4. Brigett Stoik (River City Bicycles)
5. Tina Brubaker (Vanilla Workshop)
Singlespeed
1. Erik Frabrizius (Veloshop)
2. Seth Patla (River City Bicycles)
3. Nick Gibson (Yakima)
4. James Crowe (Revolver Cycles)
5. Spencer Bushnell (Therapeutic Associates Inc.)

A bit of video from Sherwood Cross Crusade #3

The hole shot of the Men's A race.



Series leader Sean Babcock (Team S&M) got a front flat while leading the race. Molly Cameron (Portland Bicycle Studio) and Erik Tonkin (Kona) weren't too far behind.



(Submitted by OBRA member Emiliano Jordan)

Portland's UCI pro team seeking new title sponsor

PORTLAND –Team Rubicon-ORBEA, presently known as Land Rover- ORBEA; Benefiting the Lance Armstrong Foundation, a first year UCI continental team, is in search of a title sponsor.

“For 2010 the team’s goals are to grow the young development team’s roster to 13 road riders and add three development track riders with a focus on the 2012 Olympics in London,” said Norrene Godfrey, the team’s co-owner and co-founder. “We are looking to grow the team slightly to help a few more young riders reach their dreams while leading five-to-six charity rides throughout the U.S. in 2010. and sending even more cancer survivors to the LIVESTRONG Challenge events in Seattle, California, Philadelphia and Austin.”

Rubicon’s two-year partnership with Land Rover will end Dec. 31, 2009, and in order to continue on with the team goals for 2010, Team Rubicon-ORBEA needs to come up with a title sponsor by the UCI deadline Nov. 5.

“Securing a title sponsor by the Nov. 5 deadline will be tough to meet, but not completely impossible,” Godfrey said. “If there’s anything we’ve learned from working with the Lance Armstrong Foundation over the last nine years, it is that you never tell a cancer survivor they can’t. You build your support network and you ask for help when you need it. We are asking the global cycling community for help.”

Team Rubicon-ORBEA was born when Godfrey, a competitive cyclist, lost her mother to cancer in the fall of 2001, after being diagnosed with lung cancer and given only six months to live. Although her mother gave up on life after hearing the “c” word, Norrene was determined to not give up on her mother. Norrene contacted a friend at Nike, who reached out to Lance Armstrong directly. Lance sent Norrene’s mother one of his race jerseys with the inscription, “Fight Mom - Lance Armstrong.”

That simple gesture of kindness encouraged Norrene’s mother to wage her own personal war on cancer; giving her the strength to fight and push through countless hours of chemotherapy treatments. Even though Norrene’s mother lost her battle, she lived longer than anyone ever expected; allowing her the chance to enjoy one last summer and watch Norrene get married.

In order to repay Lance for his kindness and “pay it forward,” Godfrey dreamed of a cycling team that would ride in support of the Lance Armstrong Foundation and its fight against cancer. In 2008, Team Rubicon-ORBEA partnered with carmaker Land Rover to create Land Rover-Orbea; Benefiting the Lance Armstrong Foundation. The team is built up of primarily young development riders between the ages of 19-25 from the United States, New Zealand and Canada. When traveling to NRC races throughout the U.S., the young professional riders spent countless hours visiting children’s hospitals, handing out LIVESTRONG wristbands and helping some extremely sick children have a moment of fun during long regiments of chemotherapy and other daily treatments.

However, the squad’s goodwill does not stop with hospital visits. The Land Rover- ORBEA team raises funds and awareness for the Lance Armstrong Foundation by leading charity rides in Philadelphia, Utah and Portland, among other ctities, sending seven cancer survivors to the Seattle, Philadelphia and Austin LIVESTRONG Challenges. The team has also raised more than $71,000 in donations for the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

“(Owners and co-founders) Norrene and David Godfrey are the two most ‘neverdie’ people Orbea has met,” said Justin Slarks, Director of Marketing ORBEA-USA. “The two of them are the glue that has held this team together since its creation and are the two who have put all of their personal time and energies into one of the best vehicles for stewardship out there.

“Team Rubicon/Orbea is the one constant in our sponsorship program” Slarks added. “And we hope to continue as the team’s bicycle sponsor for years to come.”

The team earned great acclaim in 2009 for its criterium stage win at Tour of
Gila by Roman van Uden, who sprinted to victory in star-packed field that included Lance Armstrong, Levi Leipheimer and Chris Horner. Mike Northey followed up that win by taking the U23 New Zealand Criterium Championships, and Dean Tracy won the U.S. National Team Sprint Championships in Carson, California.

The young Land Rover-ORBEA team also won the best young rider jersey at Nature Valley Grand Prix and the climber’s jersey along with the team overall GC at Tour of Delta.

“For a first year professional development team, the results were great,” Norrene Godfrey said. “But what’s truly amazing about this team is what they do off the bike, when not racing, that has them winning the hearts of so many.”

Race organizers like Nature Valley Grand Prix director David LaPorte also seemed pleased to have teams whose message transcends the sports itself.

“It was a pleasure to have Land Rover-ORBEA at our events this year”, LaPorte said. “Our goal is to grow the fan base of cycling fans, and they did a great job of interacting with the people in our host communities and at our events. They are excellent ambassadors for the sport and for their sponsors. This is a great opportunity for any company who’s interested in engagement marketing.”

Information about the team can be found at www.landrover-ORBEA.com, including a short video, a complete team resume and more.

Butler and Trebon both sixth at Cross Vegas

RESULTS
Cross Vegas
Las Vegas, Sept. 23

Elite Women
1. Katie Compton
2. Katerina Nash
3. Georgia Gould
4. Kelli Emmett
5. Mary McConneloug
6. Sue Butler (Portland)
7. Helen Wyman
8. Alison Powers
9. Amy Dombroski
10. Laura Van Gilder

Elite Men
1. Jamey Driscoll
2. Chris Jones
3. Jonathan Page
4. Jeremy Powers
5. Erwin Vervecken
6. Ryan Trebon (Bend)
7. Todd Wells
8. Christian Heule
9. Ben Berden
10. Barry Wicks

Cameron, Terrell win final Monday night PIR races

RESULTS
River City Bicycles Monday Night Race Series
Portland International Raceway
Aug. 31

Novice Women
1. Lewis, Leigh 15
2. Fanning, Linda 12
3. Thompson, Lynn 10
4. McCasker, Cindy (Portland Velo) 8
5. Parker, Rachael (Olson's Hammer) 7
Novice Men
1. Nor, Adam 15
2. Murphy, Douglas 12
3. Sundberg, Joseph 10
4. Hein, Mark 8
5. Geschke, Grant 7
Masters Men 4/5
1. Aldersebaes, Dave (Ironclad Performance Wear) 20
2. Berndardt, Eric 19
3. Kowalsky, Greg (Team Oregon) 12
4. Anderson, Eric (Pacific Power Blue Sky) 8
5. Cecotti, Shawn 7
Masters Men 1/2/3
1. Cameron, Molly (Portland Bicycle Studio) 16
2. Creem, Joshua (Portland Bicycle Studio) 16
3. Holcomb, Joseph (Specialized River City Bicycles) 15
4. Alling, Chris (Fred Meyer/Lakeside Cycling Team) 9
5. Mallison, Dickie (Mellow Johnny's Bike Shop) 8
Senior Women
1. Tyrrell Leia (CAPA Cycling Team) 22
2. Bussell,Cara 19
3. Livingston, Denise (Three Rivers Racing) 10
4. Reeve, Lisa (Veloforma) 12
5. Moss, Jan (Team Group Health) 7

ZteaM's Zimbelman wins Masters World Championship Time Trial in Austria

PHOTO: OBRA rider David Zimbelman on his world championship ride in Austria. Photo courtesy of ZteaM.

OBRA rider David Zimbelman has added a fresh rainbow jersey to his collection of cycling trophies. The 55-year-old White Salmon, Wash., resident won the Masters 55-59 World Championship Time Trial earlier this month in Austria.

The ZteaM rider also finished third two days later in the World Masters Road Race Championships after breaking away solo in the 55-59 category race. He was eventually swallowed up by the field but hung on for bronze.

Zimbelman's impressive palmares include multiple national road championships, multiple national time trial championships, multiple team time trial national championships, and a national stage race championship. The former professional road racer has won numerous state championships (more than 35) and notched wins at this year's Cascade Classic, Gila, Mount Hood, Elkhorn, Eugene Celebration, Walla Walla, and Steamboat Springs.

Turnbull, English cap season with victories at Eugene Celebration Stage Race

EUGENE -- Lisa Turnbull won the Senior Women's overall with a dominating performance that saw her take two stage wins and never finish off the podium in each of the four stages. The Therapeutic Associates Cycling/GENR8 rider won the McBeth prologue and the stage two Maxon Road Race. She finished second in the stage three Coburg Time Trial and third in the stage four Celebration Criterium.

Midtown Direct's Rob English used his time trialing skills to take control and win the Men's Pro/1/2 category. English set the pace with the best time in the prologue but dropped to third overall after a 15th-place finish in the Maxon Road Race. He climbed back into the overall lead with another win in the time trial, and then he secured the overall win Sunday evening, finishing with the field during the final criterium.

OVERALL RESULTS
Eugene Celebration Stage Race
Aug. 28-30

Women Cat 4
1. Vaughn, Anna (Hammer Velo) 2:27:04.00
2. Atwill, Amanda (Bend Bike n' Sport) +:43
3. Simmons, Mindy (Hammer Velo) +:52
4. Fletcher, Sara (Bridgetown Velo) +1:52
5. Reinhart, Katherine (University of Oregon) +2:06
Women Cat 1/2/3
1. Turnbull, Lisa (Therapeutic Associates/GENR8) 3:44:49.00
2. Akeroyd, Jen (Team Group Health) +1:21
3. Brynjolfson, Kristine (Westwood/Cannondale) +1:33
4. Madison, MacKenzie +1:52
5. Wilcoxson, Jade (Flywheel Bicycle Solutions) +2:34
Masters Men 40+
1. Hagen, Karsten (ZteaM) 3:28:53.00
2. Quirk, Dan (Veloce/Felt) +1:46
3. Holland, Steven (Finnegans Toys/Discover Chiropractic) +2:17
4. Vijmoet, Dan (Hutch's) +3:09
5. Frerichs, Ron (Hutch's) +3:35
Cat 4/5
1. Johnson, Kevin (Adventure's Edge) 3:36:35.00
2. Lewis, Winter (Green Ridge/In Focus) +:12
3. Wait-Molyneux, Colby (North River Racing) +:40
4. Bagshaw, Sean (Flywheel Bicycle Solutions) +:46
5. Hartz, Whitfield (Oregon Trail Racing) +1:31
Cat 3
1. Krause, Mark (Land Shark) 5:01:19
2. Shepherd, Davis (Hutch's) +:21
3. Gray, Spencer (Etna Brewing Co./DeSalvo)+:32
4. Chiou, George (Nike Cycling) +:59
5. Reitz, Dave (Etna Brewing Co./DeSalvo) +1:26
Pro/1/2
1. English, Rob (Midtown Direct) 4:43:35.00
2. Elasser, Philip (Fanatik Bike Co.) +:54
3. Applequist, Kai (Bob's Bicycles) +1:04
4. Mittermann, Galen (Midtown Direct) +1:14
5. Bourcier, Paul (Hutch's/OIC) +1:55'

Complete OBRA results are HERE.

Local media catch whiff of Oregon's competitive cycling scene

Euro star Chris Horner gets his fair share of media attention from Oregon's journalists, but the exploits of Oregon junior racers Ian Boswell and Jacob Rathe have grabbed the attention of the local media, who've recently caught on to just how hot Oregon's local competitive cycling scene really is.

Oregonian reporter David Stabler and photographer Torsten Kjellstrand spent some time with Rathe, his family and his coach to put together a nice feature article about the 18-year-old Lincoln High School graduate, who will compete with Boswell at the junior world championships in Moscow next week.

And local Fox outlet KPTV Channel 12 turned its teen spotlight on Rathe. If you haven't seen the coverage, check it out now and let these media outlets know you support more cycling coverage. Sponsors sure appreciate it.

LINKS:
Rathe prepares to lead U.S. juniors team to Moscow, The Oregonian, July 31.
KPTV High School Spotlight on Jacob Rathe, KPTV Channel 12 video

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)

Beardsley keeps June win streak going, adds 3rd consecutive PIR win

Steven Beardsley (Gentle Lovers) kept his June win streak going by taking his third consecutive win at the PIR Tuesday night series. Beardsley (pictured here at Cirque du Cycling) added the result to his recent wins at Cirque du Cycling, Mt. Tabor, PIR and on the track at Alpenrose.

The Gentle Lovers rider finished ahead of PIR strongman Christian Tresser (Cyclepath Racing). Rapha Racing's Todd Littlehales was third, and his teammate Chris Hamilton, who was third at the Cirque du Cycling criterium, finished fourth.

In the category 3/4 race, Capitoal Velo's Brent Poole won the event ahead of Stephen McDade (Beaverton Bicycle Club) and Gary Allen of Liberty Cycle.

Capa Cycling's Spencer Follen won the Category 4/5 race, finishing ahead of Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman (Life Cycles Bike Shop) and Capa Cycling's Ryan Seward.

RESULTS
PIR Tuesday Night Series
Portland International Raceway, June 16

Cat. 4/5 - 29 finishers
1. Follen, Spencer (Capa Cycling)15
2. Dahlstrom-Eckman, Azul (Life Cycle Bike Shop) 14
3. Seward Ryan, (Capa Cycling) 10
4. Dieringer, Chris 9
5. Aylward, Michael (Portland Velo) 8

Cat. 3/4 - 40 finishers
1. Poole, Brent (Capital Velo) 15
2. McDade, Stephen (Beaverton Bicycle Club) 14
3. Allen, Gary (Liberty Cycle) 13
4. Walp, Matt 11
5. Mikami, Jamie (Rubicon) 7

Cat. Pro/1/2/3 - 51 finishers
1. Beardsley, Steven (Gentle Lovers) 23
2. Tresser, Christian (Cyclepath Racing) 17
3. Littlehales, Todd (Rapha Racing) 13
4. Hamilton, Chris (Rapha Racing) 9
5. Riffle, Jason (HPChiro/Hammer Nutrition) 9

Tresser, Tyrrell top Monday night races

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


Perennial podium placer and May series winner Christian Tresser (Cyclepath Racing) jumped back onto the top spot Monday night at PIR, the first time he's won the evening race outright since May 12. Active in all the breaks attempts throughout the evening, the Cyclepath sprint specialist accumulated enough points to finish ahead of Nike's Steven Wright and Fred Meyer/Lakside's Jason Mauer.

In the Women's race, Capa Racing's Leia Tyrrell joined Sorella Forte's Alana Armstrong and BRIHOP's Camille Hook in a successful breakaway that built a sizable lead on the bunch. Tyrrell and Armstrong dropped Hook for the finale, where the Capa Racing rider easily took the two-up sprint from Armstrong. Hook held on with enough points for third.




RESULTS
PIR Monday Night Series,
June 15

Novice Women - 15 finishers
1. Rich, Cate 15
2. Heathman, Lisa 12
3. Medellin, Allison 10
4. Marcoe, Suzanne 8
5. Kennedy, Ann (Guinness Cycling team) 7
Novice Men - 23 finishers
1. Spillman, Erik 15
2. Stolberg, Eric (Grundelbruisers) 12
3. Sundberg, Kevin (Showers Pass) 10
4. Billingsley, Kevin (ZteaM) 8
5. Johnson, Steve 7
Masters 4/5 - 34 finishers
1. Smith, Chad (Team Oakland) 18
2. Crocker, Robert (Team Cyclogy) 15
3. Conley, Shaun 10
4. Suzuki, Aijiro (Ten Guys Named Alex) 8
5. Desmond, Richard (Team Oregon) 7
Women - 10 finishers
1. Tyrrell, Leia (Capa Racing) 21
2. Armstrong, Alana (Sorella Forte) 16
3. Hook, Camille (BRIHOP) 13
4. VanValkenburg, Heather (Land Rover-ORBEA) 9
5 266 Tisdale, Sarah (Sorella Forte) 8
Masters 1/2/3 - 58 finishers
1. Tresser, Christian (Cyclepath Racing) 17
2. Wright, Steven (Nike) 15
3. Mauer, Jason (Fred Meyer/Lakeside Cycling Team) 10
4. Hueser, Brandt 8
5. Creem, Joshua (Portland Bicycle Studio) 7

Beardsley's streak continues with Cirque du Cycling win

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

Portland Mayor Sam Adams starts the Cat. 3 race.

PORTLAND -- Portland's Gentle Lovers took things over the top in their effort to keep Steven Beardsley's week-long winning streak alive at the Cirque du Cycling Criterium in Northeast Portland Saturday, launching their speedster over the line with room to spare and then taking the runner-up spot as well.

The Laughing Planet Cafe's Cirque du Cycling was part festival, part street race and a benefit for Self Enhancement, Inc. A full day of parades, rides and a street fair celebrating bicycles and other human-powered technology preceded the evening racing, which kicked off at 5 p.m. with the 45-minute Category 3 race that was started by Portland Mayor Sam Adams. The 60-minute Pro/1/2 race started at 6 p.m.

The festival-like atmosphere complimented a creative course that slung riders through eight corners in less than a mile as they passed down crowded NE Mississippi Avenue in both directions. Looking a bit like a musical note, the course featured one-block-square loops at either end with a two-way straightaway connecting them in the middle. Combined with a seemingly never-ending stream of primes, the race was a festival of cornering, and sprinting, and cornering and sprinting, and so on, and so on until the grand finale.

The difficult course was quick to jettison riders out the back of the field but made it difficult for breaks to stay away, especially with Gentle Lovers' superior numbers putting in a lot of work on the front keeping things together for their sprinter Beardsley.

"We knew that HP Chiro had a plan to try and isolate me," Beardsley said after the race. "(Teammates) Mark Blackwelder and Kevin Hulick took some huge digs. Everyone was coming up and showing their faces when they needed to. The team was key."

While the pace paired the field down to a select group at the end, nothing seemed to stay away for even one lap of the .8-mile course. As the group approached the finishing curves together, the bunch sprint was inevitable. Working off his final lead out from teammate Pete Groblewski, Beardsley pegged it early and opened up a huge gap that allowed him plenty of time to salute the excited crowd well before he crossed the line. Groblewski crossed the line next with time to celebrate as well. Rapha Racing's Chris Hamilton finished third.

The win caps Beardsley's amazing form as of late. He won the past two PIR Tuesday night races June 2 and 9; the first Mt. Tabor Wednesday Series race the next night on June 10; Fast Twitch Fridays on the Alpenrose Velodrome Friday, June 12; and then he followed it up one day later with the criterium win.

"It's been a good two weeks," he said. "Hopefully I can keep it rolling."

Beardsley credited his fine-tuned race form to a lot of training over the past two months and work with his coach Kenny "Cash Register" Williams, the legendary Washington criterium specialist and successful all-around racer.

Capa Racing's Joe Dengle of Corvallis took the Cat. 3 race, also with a finishing-straight burst that sent him across the line with a gap of several bike lengths. Mark Crawford (Ironclad Performance Wear) finished second ahead of Jimmy Udall (Courage).

CHECK BACK LATER FOR MORE PHOTOS.

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
Cirque du Cycling Criterium
Portland, Ore., June 13

Category Pro/1/2
1. Steven Beardsley (Gentle Lovers)
2. Pete Groblewski, (Gentle Lovers)
3. Chris Hamilton (Rapha Racing)
4. Cliff Heberlin (Guinness Cycling Team)
5. Christian Tresser (Cyclepath Racing)
6. Douglas Reid (Veloce/Felt)
7. Aaron Coker (HP Chiropractic/Hammer Nutrition)
8. Joel Wilson (Paul's Bicycle Way of Life)
9. David Gates (Bridgetown Velo)
10. Steve Schwaeber (Veloce/Felt)

Category 3
1. Joe Dengle (Capa Racing)
2. Mark Crawford (Ironclad Performance Wear)
3. Jimmy Udall (Courage)
4. Joshua Creem (Portland Bicycle Studio)
5. Thomas Ghilarducci (bicycleattorney.com)
6. Scott Hill (Mob Squad)
7. Tom Simon (Specialized River City Bicycles)
8. David Sherman (Bridgetown Velo)
9. Matthew Heck (Cucina Fresca)
10. Andrew Willis (Ironclad Performance Wear)


You can find the complete OBRA results HERE.

Bend's Steve Larsen dies during running workout

(UPDATE, Wednesday, 3 p.m. - VeloNews.com is reporting that Steve Larsen did not die of a heart attack but had been suffering from serious breathing problems for the past several weeks).

The tight-knit Oregon peloton was hit with some terrible news this morning as word spread that two-time national NORBA champion Steve Larsen died Tuesday during a running workout. VeloNews.com reported that Larsen collapsed of an apparent heart attack while working out at a track in Bend, where he lived.

Larsen (pictured, in green, at the Bear Springs Trap XC race April 26) began road racing in the 1980s and was on the U.S. National Team and Motorola with Lance Armstrong in the early 1990s, racing the Giro and other legendary European events. He switched to mountain biking and won the NORBA National Cross-Country title in 1998 and 2000. Larsen also competed in triathlons, finishing 9th in Hawaii's Ironman in 2001, his first year in the discipline. As an "ex-pro," Larsen was often seen at the front of Oregon mountain bike races, which he continued to compete in just for fun.

Larsen, 39, was married and has five children with his wife Carrie.

As word of his death spread, Larsen's many friends in the Oregon peloton remembered a man who had earned a reputation as an all-around-good guy who always had a smile and was generous with his time, especially with junior and novice racers.

On a personal note: I only met Steve Larsen once, at a 'cross race in Salem in '95 or '96. I was using an old road bike with bar-end shifters and road brakes. I quickly tore off my rear derailleur on a branch and headed back to the parking lot. Larsen was there getting ready for the elite race and seemed more interested in what had happened to my old pieced-together bike than he did in getting ready for his own race. I never forgot that -- how a true champion carries himself on and off the bike. A very sad day indeed.

Tabor construction means Wednesday night series may be moved back

The same construction project that canceled the Mt. Tabor Circuit Race that was scheduled for May 16 is causing problems for the six-race June-July Velo on the Volcano Wednesday night series as well.

Although the original schedule is definitely out, promoters have tentatively rescheduled the event as a four-race series for July 29, Aug. 12, 19 and 26. Stay tuned!

Ryan takes win at crash-shortened PIR Tuesday night

(UPDATE: Complete photo galleries are now posted HERE).

Portland Bicycle Studio's Kelly Ryan claimed the PIR Pro/1/2/3 win Tuesday after a nasty crash at the back of the Cat. 3/4 field sprint prematurely ended the race. Two riders hit the tarmac hard and required medical attention. Both riders were eventually able to stand up on their own.

Results for the Pro/1/2/3 race were based on hot-spot sprint points, with Ryan's four points enough to take the win. Land Rover-Orbea's Ryan Taylor and Bridgetown Velo's Chris Haverty each finished with three points. Guiness Cycling's Cliff Heaberlin and Hammer/CMG's Marcel deLisser trailed with two points each.

In the Cat 3/4 race, the Ironclad crew seemed determined to animate the race early, frequently sending riders down the road in pairs or alone. Specialized River City Bicycles, Gentle Lovers and Portland Velo were also well represented, and Beaverton Bicycle Club had a strong contingent working for the Cherry Blossom Classic cat. 4 overall winner, 15-year-old Joe Prettyman, who made it into at least one break attempt.

In the end, River City and Gentle Lovers won the day. Walton Brush (River City) and Kevin Condron (Gentle Lovers) each tallied 15 points. Jacob Cummings finished with 10. Brian Gumpert (Showers Pass) notched eight.

RESULTS
Pro/1/2/3
1. Ryan, Kelly (Portland Bicycle Studio) 4
2. Taylor, Ryan (Land Rover/ORBEA) 3
3. Haverty, Chris (Bridgetown Velo) 3
4. Heaberlin, Cliff (Guinness Cycling Team) 2
5. deLisser, Marcel (Hammer/CMG Racing Team) 2
Cat 3/4
1. Brush, Walton (River City Bicycles) 15
2. Condron, Kevin (Gentle Lovers) 15
3. Cummings, Jacob 10
4. Gumpert, Brian (Showers Pass) 8
5. Cornilles, Gary (Specialized River City Bicycles)
Cat 4/5
1. Weber, Johannes (Ironclad Performance Wear) 15
2. McDade, stephen (Beaverton Bicycle Club) 12
3. Anderson, Eric (Pacific Power/Blue Sky) 10
4. Brown, christopher 8
5. McCasker, David 7