SO CAL PRESTIGE CYCLOCROSS SERIES

THE CYCLOCROSS RACING IN THE SO CAL PRESTIGE SERIES HAS BEEN GOOD. I LIKE ALL THEIR COURSES SO FAR AND THE RACING HAS BEEN ACTION PACKED. I TOOK 2ND PLACE AT RACE #3 AND HAD A FLAT WHILE LEADING THE URBAN SERIES IN LOS ANGELES. I HOPE TO GET IT RIGHT ONE DAY SOON DOWN SOUTH, IF NOT I HAVE TO KEEP ON TRYING! THESE PICS WERE FROM THIS COOL 5 RIDER BREAK I WAS IN FOR THE WIN. THE GROUP PHOTO WITH ME IN THE FIFTH SPOT ON THE ROAD IS GOING INTO THE LAST LAP AND I GOT RIGHT TO THE FRONT ON THE FINAL CORNER BUT COULDNT GET THE SPRINT RIGHT AND ENDED UP 2ND ON THE LINE.

NORCAL SUPER D CHAMPIONSHIP

THIS RACE WAS SERIUOSLY SWEET! 3.3 MILES LONG, 1600 VERTICAL FEET DROPPED, AND A SECTION THAT I CLOCKED 54.56 MILES PER HOUR! IT WAS A FAST DH THAT HAD SOME TECHNICAL STUFF IN THE MIDDLE AND A GOOD TEST FOR ME. I CRASHED IN PRACTICE AND I CRASHED IN MY EXPERT RUN AND MY FRONT BREAK CAME OFF IN MY HARDTAIL RUN, BUT I WAS ABLE TO WIN BOTH OF MY DIVISIONS! THESE 2 NORCAL CHAMPIONSHIPS GO WITH MY 2 NORCAL SINGLE-TRACK DH CHAMPIONSHIP WINS AND RUNS MY WIN TOTAL TO 8 FOR THE CCCX DH SERIES. IF I DIDNT CRASH I WOULD HAVE HAD A MUCH FASTER TIME, BUT THAT RACING! HERE IS SOME PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT.......

I LIKE CYCLOCROSS RACING

CYCLOCROSS IS HARD RACING, FUN RACING, AND THE TYPE OF RACING THAT MAKES ANYONE A BETTER CYCLIST! THERE ARE RACES WHERE I FEEL GOOD AND TASTE SUCCESS, AND OTHER RACES WHERE I SUFFER AND FEEL REALLY BAD! BUT IT IS THE CHASE OF A GOOD RIDE THAT KEEPS ME GOING! I HAVE HAD SOME GOOD RACES, AND BAD RACES, BUT I ALWAYS WANT MORE RACES JUST TO TRY AND GET A GOOD RESULT! IT DOESNT ALWAYS WORK OUT FOR ME, BUT WHEN IT DOES, IT IS WELL WORTH THE SUFFERING.

It Is Nice To Win......

I have been lucky and posted wins in the Expert 35-44 division and the Hardtail division at the first 3 races of the CCCX DH series. 6 wins is nice! The courses have been a true cycling test and I have been lucky to pass those tests! These DH wins combined with a few wins I have posted at the Fresno Cyclocross series and the Fresno Time Trial series, my win total is up to 271 since I started cycling in 1989. OF COURSE I HAVE TASTED DEFEAT! I was feeling good at the Cross race in Los Angeles 3 weeks ago, and then I had a front flat tire as I was leading the race with 3 laps to go. Then the next L.A. Cross race, the Super Prestige #3, I lost the win at the line! Then the next day I took a crash on a off camber loose corner, while I was in a 2 man break going for the overall win. Every time I win it is so sweet and when I taste defeat it can be so bitter! But to get any win you have to lose....... so I cant forget that! As of the start of November I have 24 wins this season! I just want to be able to do my best and see where I can find a win with 2 months to go in the year. My next chance is this weekend in the CCCX DH race #4. Then a few Cyclocross races, and then the final race of the CCCX DH series. I just hope I can race my best!

DH RACING IS A THRILL

The DH action of the CCCX Downhill series has been seriously thrilling. I decided to do some more DH races after doing X-C and Road Racing the last few years, and it has been really a challenge! I like setting up the courses and I like doing the races, and DH racing is so radical! Most of my career win total has been from DH racing or Slalom racing, but I decided to try for more endurance sports the last few years. It has been really fun to get back into the DH swing of things and still do Road events and Cyclocross. It all ties together, racing any type of event helps other events, so it has been nice to work on the DH side of things as well as endurance events. Here is a view of some of the courses I have made, I have to say that TORO Park is a incredible place to race bikes and everyone is lucky to have a chance to race there!

How cool is this to have some views of my race courses with this kind of detail???

ROAD SEASON ENDS WITH NICE ROAD RASH!

My road race season ended this past sat. At the nice race of Carrera de San Rafael. It was a fun race on a good course in a cool location right down town. I just received my upgrade from Casey Kerrigan so this was my last race in the cat 4 group. I was motivated because my good friends Larry Longo and Dave Towle where there doing announcing. Then some big guy who was riding too upright, from teamZ blows a tire in the high speed finishing corner right in front of me. I was the next guy in line, right on his wheel, and there was no where to go but over the top of him grinding on the pavement! I was bitter because I didnt want to crash in this last road event for me this season, and here I was flying thru the air and sliding on the pavement! I wasnt broken any where, thanks to GOD! and everything seemed ok except my front wheel amd my race clothes which were now shredded and full of the hay from the hay bales I just slid into. A nice guy who also crashed gave me his front wheel and I joined back into the group. But ooops, I did not check into the pits, so after I finished 4th in the sprint I was DQ'D for not checking into the pits after a crash! That was a good lesson learned. I was happy for my team mate Chris C. Because he broke away and the group just sat there and didnt chase and he held on for a nice win! I was bitter because that guy took me out and so I wasnt in the best mood during the rest of the race after I changed wheels. I ended up with some nice road rash and a good lesson learned about heading to the pits! I could have been so much worse after crashing at such a high speed and was very happy to simply be able to walk and ride away!

The week before I won my 262 race taking the Giro de SF race in downtown San Fran. That is a cool course and it is bumpy with lots of turns. I just avoided a crash with 2 laps to go right in front of me and then took the win by inches. Then in the next race, I thought I had it lined up for a double win on that day, but mis-judged the sprint and ended 2nd in that race. 1st and 2nd wasnt bad, but I wanted 1st and 1st! But compared to the next week where I was crashed out buy a guy, the race in SF was a good time!

Road season is done and this weekend Sept 17 is the Norcal Singletrack DH championship race at Toro park. This is part of the CCCX DH series and the course is seriously fun! I just want to have 2 good runs and not make any mistakes.

Then the next week is cyclocross racing time with the first race of the CCCX cross series at Manzanita park in Prunedale. That is a good course and it is going to be a hard race. That race is Sept 24. Then the next weekend is cross race #2 for the CCCX series in Ft Ord, Oct 1. Then the next weekend is DH race #3 for the CCCX DH series at Toro Park, Oct 8. So there is lots of racing action ahead!

CCCX DH SERIES

The CCCX DH Series went off this past Sunday Aug. 20th and it was a cool course I thought! I had some serious fun on it and even if my seat broke on my Expert run it was still a fun time. I was bummed my seat post broke on the first turn and I had to race the entire course with no seat, but I still was able to post a win! Then in my Hardatil run I was able to snag another win there! Two races and two wins.......That's how I like it! But I wanted to show my true capabilities with out a broken off seat. Most folks liked the course that really had some cool sections in it! Here is a photo of the race route and of me on my Hardtail run. Race #2 will be on different trails, but should be just as fun to race on! These wins were extra special for me as they were #260 and #261. It is nice to get into the 260's, and now time to work my way into the 270's somehow, someway. For results look to www.cccx.org

WTB AT THE FRONT

Here is a photo that was taken just before i won a prime, then Chris C. did a flyer and I covered the chasers and he took a nice solo win. Then he paid me back doing some great riding for me at Tampani Crit which led me to win #259.

ITS BEEN ROAD RACIN>>>>>>>>>

Its been all road race action lately.........The District Road race was really good action, besides my flat tire with 5 minutes left in the race while in a breakaway for 1 hour and 30 minutes. If it was not for C02 device I could have never fixed the flat and jumped into the chase group as it went by and still get 4th. Then the Tampani Crit was good stuff too! Steve Woo was riding good! But a last lap crash directly in front of me the turned me into a gymnast doing a great back flip. Luckily my bike wasn't too bad after the crash and I was able to win the 35+ race 1 hour later! This was cool because my WTB team mate Chris C. won the first race and then me the 2nd race, so we both walked home with a little gas money and WTB road team claimed both wins. Then my favorite race Patterson Pass this past Sat. HOT! Well the Tampani win was my 259th win............... Next one gets me into the 260's.......

District Road Race Coming

Ft Ord will be hosting the District road race coming Aug 5th. the race was cancelled until I made some phone calls and found out the race was not in the way of a scheduled burn, so now the race is back on! I saved the race for everyone to give it a go! I had a feeling that the scheduled burn was not going to happen and with some detective work I was right! So i should win my event becuase i saved the race for everyone, as it was going to be cancelled until I stepped in to help out. Looks to be a challenging course and some fun racing!

Albany Criterium

7-23-06 The Albany Crit went down! And so did a lot of Cat 4 riders! It was A CRASH FEST into the 1st corner and it made me wonder............


just glad I didn't get caught in the "rider down" action. I raced twice, Master 3/4 and Cat 4. Couldn't get it right in the sprint and ended up 4th and 5th in the final dash in the 2 races.

Cyclo-Cross growing near.....

Cyclo-Cross is coming.........

cccxrace

cccxrace

Central Coast Mtn Bike Series

The Central Coast MTB Series is fun racing.

Watsonville Criterium

The Watsonville Crit is today 7-22-06 and it was a hot one! I made some good attacks but nothing stuck. Went for 4 primes and was 2nd in 4 primes, so close but yet so far. The final I was 5th.