News

Zabriskie Wins US Pro Individual Time Trial Championships
8/30/08 - For the third year in a row, Dave Zabriskie (Team Garmin-Chipotle H3O) proved his talents by winning the US Pro individual time trial. This marks his fourth title as US National Time Trial Champion with his first win in 2004. Tom Zirbel (Bissell) finished 5 seconds back for 2nd andTeam Garmin-Chipotle H3O dominated the event by finishing with four riders in the top 5. Christian Vande Velde (Team Garmin-Chipotle H3O) rounded out the podium in third just 10 seconds back.

Cycling Mania Takes Over Universal Sports in September
8/30/08 - Watch LIVE coverage of Tour of Germany, Tour of Missouri, UCI Road World Championships and more on Universal Sports TV and UniversalSports.com. Universal Sports will be broadcasting coverage of the Tour of Germany, Tour of Missouri, UCI Univest Cycling Grand Prix, Doylestown Criterium and the coveted UCI Road World Championships all throughout the month of September. Fans can log on to UniversalSports.com or tune into Universal Sports TV for this action packed series of events. Kicking off with the Tour of Germany on August 29, fans can watch 2008 Beijing Gold medalist Samuel Sanchez of Spain go head-to-head with two-time defending champion Jens Voigt and 2007 Tour of Missouri winner George Hincapie. Hincapie, along with his Team Columbia squad, will look to re-capture his title at the Tour of Missouri starting shortly after Germany. More heart-pounding action can be found with coverage of the UCI Univest Cycling Grand Prix and the Doyelstown Criterium during the first weekend of September. A number of cyclists who raced in the Beijing Olympics are expected to participate in these events, providing a unique opportunity for fans to see these athletes immediately after the Games. The next big target on the horizon is the UCI Road World Championships in Varese, Italy at the end of the month. Fans can find live and on-demand coverage of these world class championship events on UniversalSports.com or Universal Sports 24/7 TV channel. For complete and updated broadcast TV and webcast schedules please check UniversalSports.com.

Swami's: The Gurus of Cycling
By Mark Johnson
8/29/08 - The introduction to road racing that most entry-level bike racers get is unsparingly short at best, and bloodily tough at worst. If you are lucky, you'll drop 30 dollars to sign up for your first criterium, desperately hang on for three laps, then get unceremoniously guillotined off the back of the peloton. 10 bucks a lap and you're done. Then again if you are unlucky, you'll hang in there to the last lap. Then you'll stack it when someone 30 riders back panics in the sprint, and turns your 20-rider-wide phalanx of riders into a cartwheeling, skin, Lycra and carbon-fiber smoothie. Swami's Cycling Club, based in North San Diego County, exists to help ease this rough transition into the risky yet exhilarating, gratifying and wholly addictive world of bike racing. Maybe you've seen them riding in formation along the coast - Swami's riders in their fetching blue outfits, featuring a green Taj Mahal set against a starry midnight sky and their incomparably cool motto: "Swami's: Gurus of Cycling." more >

Here Kitty, Kitty
8/28/08 - According to the ABC 7 News a cyclist encountered a mountain lion while descending Glendora Mountain Road (GMR) earlier this week near mile marker 9.3. He said the mountain lion chased him, but he escaped. We have had our own encounters with wildlife on GMR including a crazy rabid coyote that chased us and have seen many bobcats and three baby bobcats that were so cute I had to stop to take a closer look, forgetting that mama cat may be nearby. As cyclists, we have to remember that we are in these wild animals natural habitat when riding in the mountains and foothills and to keep an eye out and give them their space if encountered. Here are some tips on what to do if you come across a mountain lion. My initial thoughts would be that you should turn around and run like hell, but it turns out that is not a good thing to do either.

Jorge Alvarado (Kahala La Grange) out sprinted Nick Brandt-Sorenson
at the Summer End Grand Prix in Ontario.
photo © SoCalCycling.com

Cannondale Announces Their 2009 Road Line
8/28/08 - Cannondale kicks off their 2009 road line with 5 new frame platforms for the Elite & Performance rider. Always pushing the envelope to make everything lighter and faster Cannondale incorporates High-Modulus carbon fiber in its SuperSix, Slice and selected Synapse models. Leading the charge in the “Elite” category is the already incredibly light SuperSix that for 2009 utilize 95% Hi-Mod carbon shaving even more weight and adding stiffness in all the right places. The Bedford made SuperSix utilized seamless construction (eliminating the “steps” in the seat tube) of the monocoque front triangle mated to the one-piece asymmetrical chainstays and BB30. Cannondale will offer 11 SuperSix Hi-Mod models starting with a Campagnolo record 11 speed at $6900.00, SRAM Red at $6900.00, Shimano Dura-Ace at $6400.00, and a Shimano Ultegra SL groups at $4200.00. You can also get a SRM version of the Campy Record and Dura-Ace models as well as a compact version of the Red, Dura-Ace and Ultegra SL models. more >

SuperSix Hi-MOD 1 shown below at $6400.00

American Mountain Classic-Race Wrap Up
8/27/08 - The American Mountain Classic presented by Team Sho-Air came to a close on August 24 in Brian Head, UT. By all accounts the four-day stage race was a huge success in its inaugural debut. Riders were greeted with absolutely beautiful crystal clear blue skies, mountain breezes and sunny temps hovering in the mid 70’s all week long. Add to the fact that the four day event provided riders with some of the most epic single track and terrain along with unbelievable vistas; the racing and riding action was off the charts for Pro and amateur riders alike! more >

Brentwood Grand Prix Video
Courtesy Zenboy Films

What Do You Think?
8/25/08 - Now that the Olympics are over, which cycling event do you think was the most exciting to watch? As much as I love road and mountain biking, my vote goes to the BMX racing - speed, big air, danger, crashes, mad skills ... all in 35 seconds.

Which Cycling Event was the Most Exciting to Watch in the Olympics?
	BMX Racing
	Road Racing
	Time Trial
	Track Racing
	Mountain Biking
pollcode.com free polls

Amber Neben's Olympic Diaries
8/25/08 - Olympian Amber Neben has written some great diaries of her experience at the Beijing Olympics that range from meeting the President and basketball stars Lisa Leslie and Kobe Bryant to what it's like training in Beijing. more >

USA'S McConneloug and Gould Earn Top-Ten Finishes in Olympic MTB Race
8/24/08 - The United States Cycling Team closed out its 2008 Olympic Games campaign on Saturday with mixed results as it claimed a pair of top-ten finishes in the women’s cross country mountain bike race but failed to earn a placing in the men’s event. Mary McConneloug (Chilmark, Mass.) placed seventh to lead all Americans on the day while compatriot Georgia Gould (Fort Collins, CO) finished eighth. McConneloug finished 5 minutes, 23 seconds off the pace of gold medalist Sabine Spitz (GER), while Gould was 5:40 back. Maja Wolszczowska (POL) claimed the silver medal ahead of bronze medalist Irina Kalentieva (RUS). The collective performance of McConneloug and Gould was only the second time a pair of U.S. women placed in the top ten of an Olympic mountain bike race, joining Susan DeMattei and Juliana Furtado, who finished third and 10th respectively in the 1996 Atlanta Games. In the men’s race, both U.S. competitors – Adam Craig (Bend, OR) and Todd Wells (Durango, CO) – were pulled from the race after being lapped by the lead riders. Julien Absalon (FRA) successfully defended his Olympic title, while Jean-Cristophe Peraud (FRA) claimed the silver and Nino Schurter (SUI) took bronze. Video >

Troupe Racing's Race Report - Rim Nordic # 4
8/22/08 - It's hard to believe that we're at the close of the summer racing season. It seems like just a few weeks ago we were planning, training, and anxiously waiting for our new team jerseys from Hincapie. It has been a great "first year" for the Troupe. We've learned a lot and made some improvements along the way. This season has been full of great racing, riding, and surprises. This weekend marked the end of the Rim Nordic XC race series - the best race series in Southern California. The crew at ‘Rim’ always puts on a great race thats perfectly organized and runs like clockwork, and this weekend was no exception. Bikes were tuned, temperature was perfect, and the course was fast for the final race of the series. more >

Troupe Rider Damon Mann takes 3rd in the Rim Nordic Series Single Speed Class for 2008.

Americans Win Three Medals in Olympic Debut of BMX Racing
8/22/08 - The United States collected three more medals in the sport of cycling on Friday when Americans Mike Day (Santa Clarita, Calif.), Donny Robinson (Napa, Calif.) and Jill Kintner (Seattle, Wash.) were among the first athletes to grace the podium in the newest Olympic sport of Bicycle Motocross (BMX). Day and Robinson won the silver and bronze medals respectively in the men’s contest, while Kintner added a bronze in the women’s race. Their contributions brought the U.S. medal count in cycling events to five – the most by a U.S. Olympic Team since the 1984 Los Angeles Games. “Incredible is how I’d describe it,” said Day after his accomplishment. “Silver medal, after 3.5 years of training, I can’t complain. We had all the resources to make this happen and we’re excited to be here. Two men and a woman on the podium, I’m pumped.” The American’s performance meant the U.S. squad will bring home half of the BMX medals that were up for grabs on Friday. France also won multiple medals as Ann-Caroline Chausson and Laetitia Le Corguille claimed gold and silver respectively ahead of Kintner. After winning one medal in Seoul (1988), two in Atlanta (1992) and three in each of the last three Games in Atlanta (1996), Sydney (2000) and Athens (2004), the medal count thus far for American cyclists in Beijing is the most since Team USA captured nine in Los Angeles and the second-most in history. “First woman for America, in the first event ever, first medal, it’s such a piece of history, said Kintner. “I’m so glad I can represent and be a part of it. Mikey and Donny and me, it’s huge for American BMX. This’ll bring a big boost to our program. It puts us on the map again.” Video >

Rock Racing Designing Three Special Kits for the UK to be Sold at Harrods
8/21/08 - Rock Racing's top cyclists will extend their stay in London for a special fan meet & greet and autograph signing at Harrods following the Tour of Britain, a seven-stage cycling race featuring the best professional riders in the world.  After battling 15 international teams, the popular U.S. Rock Racing squad and their dynamic Team Owner Michael Ball, will be on hand to launch an exclusive line of Rock Racing apparel and sports gear available only at Harrods. The star-studded elite team, including top sprinter "Fast Freddie" Rodriguez; former Tour de France yellow jersey-wearer Victor Hugo Peña; Olympic gold medalist Tyler Hamilton; previous World Time Trial Champion Santiago Botero; Tour de France white jersey-winner Oscar Sevilla and National Criterium Champion Rahsaan Bahati will take part in the special afternoon event being held Monday, September 15th from 3-5PM, at the Harrods Cycles UK department, located on the 5th floor. To commemorate the team’s first ever race in the UK, Rock Racing is creating both a “London Rocks” Team Kit as well as a unique Rock Racing Tour of Britain Team Kit that the riders will wear during the seven-stage race.  In addition, a limited edition Harrods Team Kit has been designed specifically for the London store in their signature green and gold colors, and a brand new line of Rock Racing “London Rocks” sports apparel for men, women and children will also be available.  

US Riders Advance in Exciting Olympic BMX Race
8/20/08 - BMX made its Olympic debut Wednesday as American athletes illustrated their might by advancing all three men’s competitors to Thursday’s semifinal heats. Kyle Bennett (Conroe, TX), Mike Day (Santa Clarita) and Donny Robinson (Napa) all qualified for the round of 16. By doing so, the United States is the only country that advanced three competitors to the semifinals. Competing in the same eight-man bracket, Day and Robinson placed first and third respectively after three quarterfinal heats to claim a spot in the semifinals. Day’s win was triggered by a dominating performance that saw him win all three heats, clearly marking him as one of the favorites heading into Thursday. After a rough start, Robinson recovered from a crash-induced sixth-place finish in heat one to place second and third in the next two heats. In the second bracket, Bennett looked solid in his first two heats, placing second and fourth, but came dangerously close to elimination after crashing in his third heat. While exiting turn one, Bennett went down after failing to avoid a pair of riders that crashed in front of him. The result was a dislocated left shoulder, which was immediately treated by team doctors on course. And even though he eventually re-mounted his bike and rolled across the finish line, he was credited with a DNF – did not finish – and given the maximum of eight points. Still, his point total was low enough to advance him to the semifinals and is expected to compete on Thursday. In women’s racing, American Jill Kintner (Seattle, WA) rode a 37.913 to claim the seventh seed. TV Schedule >

Rock Racing captured the team pursuit Sunday at the USA Cycling
Junior Track National Championships at the ADT Event Center Velodrome.
photo © Mitchell Clinton / www.clintonphoto.com

BMX Racing on the Olympics Tonight
8/19/08 - BMX Racing will be featured on the Olympics tonight. I had the opportunity to work with BMX legend John "The Jackal" Purse a few years ago and it really is amazing what these guys and girls can do on a little BMX bike on the extreme courses and gates that they have now. TV Schedule >

Reed Eliminated from Medal Contention, Hammer Crashes Out
8/19/08 - Day four of Olympic track cycling at the Laoshan Velodrome ended on a sour note for the U.S. squad after Sarah Hammer (Temecula) crashed out of the women’s points race and Jennie Reed (Kirkland, Wa) was eliminated from medal contention with a quarterfinal loss in the women’s match sprint. After an early exit from the 3,000-meter individual pursuit two nights earlier, Hammer was looking to rebound in Monday night’s points race when she found herself caught behind a crash early on in the 100-lap race. Racing in a tight pack, Hammer wasn’t able to avoid the two fallen riders in front of her, crashed into them, and tumbled to the apron. The injury, which was later confirmed as a fractured left clavicle, forced her to withdraw from the race. more >

Bahati’s National Criterium Title Leads Rock Racing’s Prolific Day
8/18/08 - Rahsaan Bahati’s victory Sunday at the Saab USA Cycling Professional Criterium Championship proved to be the crowning moment of the most prolific day – and week – in Rock Racing’s two-year history. Bahati out-sprinted Alex Candelario (Kelly Benefit Strategies presented by Medifast) and third-place finisher Mark Hekman (Toshiba-Santo Pro Cycling) at the end of the 62-mile (100 km) race to join Rock Racing teammate Justin Williams as a winner of the coveted stars-and-stripes national championship jersey. Earlier this month, Williams captured the USA Cycling Under-23 National Criterium Championship in Anaheim. It is believed to be the first time two African-Americans have earned national cycling titles in the same discipline in the same season. “This has got to be some type of history,” Bahati said after notching his ninth win and receiving a congratulatory call from Rock Racing Team Owner Michael Ball. “There is definitely some significance to it. Perhaps we won’t see it now, but in the future it will carry some weight.” In addition to Bahati’s win in Downers Grove, Ill., Freddy Cruz, Danny Finneran, Danny Heeley and Iggy Silva captured the team pursuit for Rock Racing Sunday at the USA Cycling Junior Track National Championships, while Williams won the Brentwood Grand Prix and Oscar Sevilla finished in the top 10 overall at the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah.

Rock Racing's Rahsaan Bahati posts up for the win as Alex Candelario (left) holds on for second ahead of Mark Hekman (Toshiba-Santo Pro Cycling).
photo © Vero Image

Follow Live Updates of the Brentwood Grand Prix Today on
8/17/08 - SoCalCycling.com will be providing live updates and photos from the Brentwood Grand Prix this Sunday, August 17th, during the Pro Women's and Pro Men's event starting around 1:30 pm. The women will be sprinting for a pair of Manolo Blahnik shoes valued at $ 1,000. So Sex and the City! You can follow SoCalCycling.com's Twitter updates on the web at http://twitter.com/SoCalCycling or sign up for a Twitter account and have text updates sent directly to your cell phone or via Twitterrific or Twirl. Catch ya on Twitter!

Newly crowned U23 National Crit Champ, Justin Williams (Rock Racing), just
edged out Ivan Dominguez (Toyota-United) for the win at the Brentwood Grand Prix.
photo © SoCalCycling.com

Phinney Seventh in Individual Pursuit in Beijing, Hammer Doesn't Advance
8/17/08 - In the second day of Olympic track cycling competition at the Laoshan Velodrome on Saturday, Americans failed to advance to the medal rounds of both the men's and women's individual pursuit as both Sarah Hammer (Temecula, Calif.) and Taylor Phinney (Boulder, Colo.) were eliminated from contention in their respective first-round matchups. Seeded seventh after his performance in Friday's qualifying session, Phinney lost his first round match which pitted him against New Zealand's Hayden Roulston. Phinney recorded a time of 4 minutes, 26.644 seconds over 4,000 meters, while Roulston advanced to the gold-medal final with a time of 4:19.232. Without advancing past the first round, Phinney was credited with a seventh-place finish overall. With his top-eight performance, the 18-year-old Phinney achieved the objective he set for himself in what should be his first of many appearances in the Olympic Games. more >

Rock Racing's Oscar Sevilla (left), Fred Rodriguez (center) and Michael Creed
stayed close to the front during the Stage 3 criterium Friday at the
Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah. photo © Vero Image

More Titles Awarded at Junior Track Nationals
8/17/08 - Eight more national titles were awarded on Saturday after an action-packed penultimate day at the USA Cycling Junior Track National Championships. After qualifying in first with a time of 11.432 over 200 meters, Lanell Rockmore breezed through his semi-final rounds and faced Epes Harris in the finals. Rockmore one the first two rounds to take the gold medal. In the race for bronze, Daniel Walker beat out Tynan Farley. Rounding out the podium in fifth was Trent Boyd. Full Coverage >

Coryn Rivera (center) continues to win at the Junior Track Nationals.
photo © Mitchell Clinton / www.clintonphoto.com

Cannondale Six 13 Review
By Christy Nicholson

8/15/08 - Cannondale’s mission is to create innovative, quality products that inspire cyclists around the world.  Each year their bikes just keep getting better using state of the art technology and innovation, which is great news for those looking to buy a top of the line bike.   

For 2008, our SoCalCycling.com Elite Team is fortunate to be equipped with a custom painted Cannondale Six 13 frame, which is an aluminum and carbon hybrid. In all my years riding, I have ridden steel, titanium, and fifteen years on aluminum, but never carbon. So, I was very excited to try the Six 13. The last two years, I rode a Cannondale Caad 8 and Caad 9, which I really loved but kept hearing from Six 13 owners how I would love the Six 13 even more. They were right! 

Cannondale took its already lightweight aluminum frame and replaced a large section of the top tube and the down tube with carbon fiber.  The aluminum rear remains the same as the Caad 9, which makes the the bike quick and responsive with the front carbon section providing vibration dampening qualities. more >

Our SoCalCycling.com Elite Team rides a custom painted Cannondale Six 13
with carbon showing through the top tube and down tube.
photo © SoCalCycling.com

Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team Continues Search for Title Sponsor in 2009
8/15/08 - As a follow up to the team’s announcement released May 2, 2008, when the team stated they were in search of a new Title sponsor for 2009, Team Owner, Sean Tucker, held a conference call earlier today with his riders, staff and management. He announced to the team that although there were ongoing discussions with two potential Title sponsors, the team would not be able to have a contract signed within the UCI team license registration deadline for Pro Continental status in order to keep this specific group of riders together for the 2009 season. In effect, this means that the team as it has been known for three years in name, and the current composition of riders, staff and management will cease to exist as of December 31, 2008. “Although, most of our riders are under contract until December 31, 2008 and we are not obligated to release them prior to this date, we have decided that even though we think we will have a new sponsor signed by the end of November for Continental Team status in 2009, we do not want to put the riders in a position of not being able to obtain employment in the event our sponsorship contract is not ultimately signed leaving the riders in a bad spot,” said Tucker. more >

American Mountain Classic draws Top US and International Pro Talent
8/14/08 - The American Mountain Classic is shaping up to be a who’s who in the US cross-country and endurance-racing scene. The event format and course layouts should make for an even playing field as the stars converge on the resort town of Brian Head, Utah August 21-24th to stake their claim at a combined $20,000 pro pursue. In only it’s first year, “America’s Richest Mountain Bike Stage Race” is drawing some of the sports top cross country talent, including Trek/VW rider and current U.S. National Marathon and Short Track National Champion Jeremiah Bishop, along with team mates Lea Davison, Jenny and Brian Smith. Also slated to compete is Subaru/Gary Fisher’s dynamic duo of Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski and Heather Irmiger, along with Kona’s Ryan Trebon, winner of the Deer Valley National XC in June. Along with the Pro payout, the American Mountain Classic is offering amateur riders a chance to ride some of the most pristine trails in America, as well as a shot at winning some fantastic prizes including custom champion and race finisher jerseys.

Jonathan Cantwell (Jittery Joes) out sprinted Italian Angelo Ciccone.
photo © Ironstring.com

Kristin Armstrong Wins Gold for USA in Time Trial, Leipheimer Bronze
8/13/08 - Kristin Armstrong has been on great form all year and continued to ride the wave by winning a gold medal in the Olympic Time Trial. She finished the 14.6 mile course in 34.51.7, which was 24.29 seconds better than Great Britain's Emma Pooley and almost a minute faster than Switzerland's Karin Thurig. USA's Christine Thorburn also had a great ride, just missing the bronze by less than three seconds ... It always seems like the USA women can be counted on to win some Olympic medals in cycling ... In the men's 47 kilometer Time Trial, Fabian Cancellara (Switzerland) continued his good form after the Tour and bronze medal ride in the Olympic Road Race by pulling out a win in 1.02.11. Gustav Erik Larsson (Sweden) won the silver medal with a time of 1:02:44, while USA's Leipheimer managed a good ride in 1.03.21 taking the bronze ... It would be interesting to see how Leipheimer would have done if he had the Tour in his legs too?

USA's Kristen Armstrong won the Gold Medal in the Time Trial, Emma Pooley
of Great Britain won the Silver and Switzerland's Karin Thuerig the bronze.

SoCal Interscholastic Cycling League Launched
8/12/08 - The Northern California High School Mountain Bike Racing League (NorCal League) will launch the Southern California Interscholastic Cycling League (SoCal League), in the 2009 academic year, with grant support from the Easton Sports Development Foundation II (ESDF II). The new league is based on the successful model of the NorCal League, now in its eighth year, which currently has reached a membership of over 400 high schoolers, 150 coaches, and 35 schools from within the region. Matt Fritzinger, executive director of both the NorCal and SoCal leagues, said, “We are tremendously grateful for the generosity of Mr. Easton and his foundation. The grant allows us to launch a new league, and that has been a dream of ours for several years. With the SoCal League, we’ll be fostering the same values of life-long physical fitness, community, and self-confidence combined with athletic competition that has been so successful in Northern California.” more >

Cal Giant's James Mattis Wins Elite Men's Road National Title
8/11/08 - The Elite National Road Race Championships were held yesterday in Irvine, Ca on a 20 mile loop with 1050’ of climbing per lap. On paper it didn’t look tough to some, but add the intense heat with no shade, wind and almost 150 of the top amateurs fighting for a prestigious Star ‘n Stripes jersey and you will have a tough day at the office. The first few times through the feed zone the riders set a blistering pace, but still made sure they got their necessary fluids so they could go the duration. By the third lap many riders had already decided they had enough and called it a day.  There was a lead group of around twenty riders, including So Cal studs Chris Walker, Nate Deibler and Karl Bordine plus a handful of Cal Giant riders including James Mattis, Andy Jacques-Maynes and Steve Reaney. The ageless Thurlow Rogers (Amgen/Giant) managed to jump across to the lead group, then broke away with Mattis and Jacques-Maynes. With one to go Thurlow grabbed his feed and looked good, but eventually got one, two punched with a series of attacks by Mattis and Jacques-Maynes. Mattis’ attack would be the one to stick and he soloed in for the National Title eight seconds ahead of his Cal Giant teammate Jacques-Maynes and Rogers. (A couple of side notes, since Cal Giant is a strong Nor Cal road team with plenty of road races to do all year, they were my prerace pick for the win. Also, Mattis is married to former National Road Champion and World Cup Winner Katheryn Curi Mattis ... talent definately runs in the family). results >

Brooke Miller Sprints to Elite Women's Road National Title
8/11/08 - The 2008 USA Cycling Junior, U23, and Elite Road National Championships continued on Friday with the women’s combined U23 and elite road race, as well as the women’s junior 17-18 event. In the elite contest, Brooke Miller (Team Tibco) outsprinted Tina Pic (Colavita/Sutter Home) and Katharine Carroll (Aaron’s) at the line after 123 kilometers on a circuit course that included four laps. Miller was a USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Champion in 2005, but this marks her first elite title. Beginning with the second lap, a variety of riders attempted attacks, but all were short-lived as the 94-woman field countered repeatedly to bring things back together. Miller said her team would have been happy with the right break. “We had three good cards to play on this course,” she explained, referring to her Team Tibco teammates. “Lauren [Franges] and Amber [Rais] would have been great on a break. We were really hoping to get the right combo of riders, but everyone was really looking at each other today. We were missing a few key riders. A lot of teams were a little thin today, so no one really wanted to burn too many matches.” more >

Brooke Miller (Tibco) narrowly beat Tina Pic (Colavita/SutterHome) for the National Road Title.
photo © Mitchell Clinton / www.clintonphoto.com

The Slipstream Sports boys displayed great teamwork finishing 1,2,3 in the U23 Road Race.
photo © Mitchell Clinton / www.clintonphoto.com

Nicole Cooke Wins the Women's Olympic Road Race in Beijing
8/10/08 - The Women's Olympic Road Race got underway with light rain that later turned to heavy rain. The course was 126 K, including 75 K of flat terrain and two final circuits with substanial climbing that would thin the field. The race was pretty relaxed for the first half with seven time Olympian Jeannie Longo setting the pace and staying out of trouble on the front. As the rain worsened, a series of attacks and crashes happened on the slick roads. (The crazy thing about this course is there are drainage ditches that several riders crashed into that were several feet deep and had a hard time getting out of. There are also a few toll booths, including one about a kilometer from the finish that the riders had to go through. Hopefully they had the correct change to get through.) Russia's Boyarskaya put in a strong attack putting around two minutes on the peloton, while Christine Thorburn (USA) put in a good effort on the front to help bring it back. On the last circuit, Tatiana Guderzo (Italy) launched a strong solo attack and was later joined by Linda Melanie Villumsen Serup (Denmark), Nicole Cooke (Great Britain), Emma Johansson (Sweden) and Christiane Soeder (Austria). The five worked well together to hold off the peloton in the fight for the medals. In the end, Nicole Cooke powered up the uphill finish to to take Olympic Gold with Johansson taking second and Gudzero third. Unfortunately, Amber Neben (USA) dropped her chain on the final climb, but went on to finish 33rd. Kristen Armstrong (USA) fell off the back on the final climb, possibly saving herself for the upcoming Time Trial finishing 25th, and Thorburn was 52nd. It was a great effort for all riders, in less than ideal conditions. Hopefully, the rain will help clear out the smog and blue skies will shine through for the rest of the Games!

Olympic Medalists for the Women's Road Race - (L to R) Silver - Emma Johansson
(Sweden), Gold - Nicole Cooke (Great Britain), Bronze - Tatiana Guderzo (Italy)

A Chinese rider falls victim to the rain filled drainage ditch
after crashing in the Women's Olympic Road Race.

Follow Live Updates of the Elite Men's National Road Race on
8/9/08 - SoCalCycling.com will be providing live updates and photos from the Elite Mens National Road Race this Sunday in Irvine. You can follow SoCalCycling.com's Twitter updates on the web at http://twitter.com/SoCalCycling or sign up for a Twitter account and have text updates sent directly to your cell phone. If you haven't checked out Twitter yet, it is a really cool, fun and free service that lets you stay connected with friends and family, companies or follow publications you are interested in. For example, I was getting live updates from Garmin/Chipotle's Jonathan Vaughters while he was in the caravan during the Tour de France. How cool is that!?! We hope you follow SoCalCycling.com on Twitter, as it lets you know when we have made news updates, plus we will also be doing more live updates at key events in the near future. So, check out Twitter for more info on how to sign up (here is a good tutorial, if needed). Also, if you have a Mac or an iPhone a cool app to get is Twitterrific and there is free version. Catch ya on Twitter!

The 15-16 Junior Women get their game faces on for the National Road Race.
Coryn Rivera (right) won her 18th National Title.
photo © Mitchell Clinton / www.clintonphoto.com

Spain's Sammy Sanchez Wins Olympic Road Race, Leipheimer 11th
8/9/08 - The 2008 U.S. Olympic Team opened competition on Saturday with the men’s road race in which Levi Leipheimer (Santa Rosa, Calif.) placed 11th to record the team’s best finish. After enduring temperatures in the mid 90’s with 85% humidity throughout the six-and-a-half hour race, Leipheimer finished 20 seconds off the pace of a six-man lead group. Regarded as the nation to beat entering the race, Spain delivered a victory by virtue of Samuel Sanchez who outsprinted Davide Rebellin of Italy and Switzerland’s Fabian Cancellara after 245 kilometers of racing. Sanchez’ win provided Spain with its first-ever Olympic gold medal in the men’s road race. The United States’ Christian Vande Velde (Boulder, Colo.) finished 30 seconds back to place 17th and George Hincapie (Greenville, S.C.) placed 40th, 2 minutes, 36 seconds in arrears. David Zabriskie (Salt Lake City, Utah) and Jason McCartney (Coralville, Iowa) filled support roles for the team throughout the early part of the race and did not finish. more >

Spain's Sammy Sanchez put in a good ride and won Olympic Gold.

Rock Racing’s Williams Wins Gold, Finneran Bronze At Nationals Criterium
8/8/08 - Rock Racing’s Justin Wiliams won a thrilling photo finish Thursday to capture the USA Cycling Under-23 National Criterium Championship in Anaheim, Calif. Williams edged out Jake Keough (Kelly Benefit Strategies pb Medifast) while 2007 USCF national elite men’s criterium champion Daniel Holloway (Felt-VMG/Garmin-Chipotle) was a close third. “They started to sprint, and I was cramping, but I could feel myself gaining on them, so I just waited, waited and waited,” Williams said. “In the final 50 meters, I decided to start to come around. Holloway had the right side open at the line, so I just dove in there as fast as I could before he closed it, and I had a really good bike throw at the end.” The 19-year-old’s victory in the 37-mile (60 km) race on a 1.05-mile (1.7 km) course near Angel Stadium of Anaheim caps a season in which the Los Angeles native said he has learned a lot from Rock Racing teammate Rahsaan Bahati. “I’m grateful (my team) has put me in a lot of the big races and a lot of the big criterium series,” Williams said. “So, I’ve just been trying to learn and today I got my shot. I was the go-to guy and I just used it to my advantage.” The victory was Williams’ first national title on the road after winning the keirin and team sprint races at last year’s USA Cycling Junior Track National Championships and the keirin, match sprint and team sprint races in 2006. Williams credited teammates Austin Carroll, Brock Curry and Adam Switters for helping him earn Rock Racing’s 31st win of the season. Last year, Williams was unable to compete in the criterium after crashing in the road race and nearly breaking his femur. “At the end (today), Austin was keeping me out of trouble and riding toward the front, so I decided to just follow him,” Williams said. In the junior men’s 17-18 criterium, Rock Racing’s Danny Finneran took the bronze medal in the 31-mile (50 km) race that was won by Weston Luzadder (Nova Cycle Sport Inc.). Gavin Mannion (Hot Tubes Development Team) was second.

Rock Racing's Justin Williams (left) snuck up the inside to narrowly edge Jake Keough in
the USA Cycling Under-23 National Criterium Championship in Anaheim.
photo © Vero Image

So Cal Riders Score National Criterium Championship Wins
8/8/08 - So Cal's heavy crit schedule has provided some good training and paid off for some of our young juniors and U23 riders in the form of several National Criterium Championship Titles. The National Criterium Championships were held under the big A at the Angel Stadium parking lot in Anaheim. Justin Williams (Rock Racing) won the U23 National Criterium Championship in a photo finish ahead of Jake Keough (Kelly Benefits) who celebrated a little too early, while Beatriz Rodriguez (SC Velo/InCycle) won the Women's U23 title. Up and comer Kendall Ryan (Major Motion) won the 15-16 Junior Women's race in a solo move. Youngsters Katrina Howard (Central Valley Cycling) and Eduardo Lopez (Major Motion) also won their respective races in the 10-12 categories. results >

Kendall Ryan (Major Motion) won the 15-16 Junior Women's race
at the National Criterium Championships at Angel Stadium.
photo © Mitchell Clinton / www.clintonphoto.com

The U23 Women vie for the National Criterium Championship Title.
photo © Surf-Shot.com

Quote of the Day
8/8/08 - Response From Michael Ball, Rock Racing Team Owner, to inquiries about Floyd Landis - “At this juncture, I have not made any decisions regarding the 2009 Rock Racing roster. If – or when – Floyd Landis returns to racing, I hope people recognize that he has served his time and should be given the opportunity to showcase the talent that made him one of the world’s top bike racers. He has a right to continue to make a living in his chosen profession.”

Alison Powers (Colavita / Sutter Home) won the elite women's title, while Peter
Stetina (Garmin/Chipotle) won the elite men's title in the Nationals TT Championships.
photos © Mitchell Clinton / www.clintonphoto.com

National Time Trial Championships Crown New Champs
8/7/08 - The 2008 USA Cycling Junior, U23 & Elite National Championships began Wednesday in Orange County. The course was held through Santiago Canyon, which is anything but flat and has some nice rolling hills. Alison Powers won the elite women's title and Wayne Stetina's nephew, Peter Stetina, claimed the win in the U23 field. Jonathan Chodroff took home the elite men's title. So Cal's, Coryn Rivera, won her 17th National title by winning the Junior Women’s 15-16 Time Trial. A girl can never have too many stars 'n stripes jerseys. results >

The National Championship Time Trial got underway going through Santiago Canyon.
photo © Surf-Shot.com

Bicycle Racing Comes To San Vicente Blvd. in Brentwood on August 17th
8/6/08 - A $10,000 cash purse — the largest in the race’s history — marks this year’s Brentwood Grand Prix for cycling (www.brentwoodgrandprix.com), presented by 1031Market.Com and hosted by Velo Club La Grange, and set for Sunday, August 17, over a 2.3-mile circuit on San Vicente Boulevard in Brentwood. The Grand Prix promises to be not only the largest and richest cycling event in the Club’s 39-year history, but the biggest and richest cycling event ever raced in West Los Angeles. The event is expected to attract more than 400 amateur and professional bicycle racers from across the Western United States. Thousands of race fans and cycling enthusiasts are anticipated to attend the racing challenge and day-long exposition area showcasing the latest in cycling technology, nutritional products, food vendors, and includes a free bicycle valet and package check. In addition the Los Angeles Police and Fire Departments will bring their apparatus for the public to explore. Admission and parking are free with additional parking available at the Veterans Administration for a nominal fee. more >

American Cyclists Wear Masks in Beijing and are Criticized
8/6/08 - Members of the US Track Cycling Team arrived in Beijing wearing masks to protect themselves from the polluted air and were criticized by US Olympic officials for sporting their masks.  Team's members Mike Friedman, Sarah Hammer, Bobby Lea and Jennie Reed were prepared for the worst when they arrived in Beijing, knowing that the air quality in Beijing is very unhealthy. US officials were not happy that the athletes were wearing the masks in the airport and felt it may be an embarrassment to the host country.  The athletes have since issued an apology. More power to these athletes for doing what they feel they need to do to stay healthy and put in their best Olympic performance. These riders compete and train frequently at the ADT Event Center in the Los Angeles area, so believe they know a thing or two about bad air quality. By the coverage I've seen, LA’s air doesn’t seem so bad afterall.  Good luck athletes, we'll be cheering for you!

A Glimpse of the USA Cycling National Championship Road Course
8/5/08 - Here are a few photos taken along the National Road Race course taking place this weekend in Irvine. The climbs are gradual with 1050' of climbing per lap. Over time, they will take the snap out of the riders legs, especially for the Elite and U23 men that will do 120 miles. Come out and cheer the riders on this week during the Criterium, Road Race and Time Trial. Event Schedules >

2008 Olympic Games Competition and TV Schedule
8/5/08 - The Opening Ceremonies of the 2008 Olympic Games are just a few days away with the festivities set to begin at 8:08 p.m. local time on 8/8/08. The following day, cycling action kicks into gear as the men’s road race will showcase several of Beijing’s historic landmarks throughout the 245-kilometer race. With track cycling, BMX and mountain biking set to follow the men’s and women’s road race and time trial events, one discipline of cycling or another will be featured almost daily. TV Schedule >

Troupe Racing's Race Report - 24 Hours World Solo Championships
by Randy Profeta
8/4/08 - I'm back from the 24-Hours of Adrenalin World Solo Championships that was contested in Canmore, Alberta this past weekend. While the Australians dominated many of the categories this year, Doug Smith from Gainesville FL and I would make sure that the US was well represented in the 50-54 category. Doug finished 1st with 10 laps in a time of 23h 13m and I placed 2nd completing 10 laps in 24h 44m. This year’s World Solo course was one of the most challenging I've done. With about 15 miles per fugure-8 loop and 2,200 feet of climbing per lap, this would not be a cake walk. The first section had some nasty roots and rocks that were very ride-able when dry but became greasy and treacherous when it rained. There were bear warning signs all over the course. But as it would turn out, the real bear was the course. It was a tough ride when dry; it was downright mean and nasty when it rained and being the Canadian Rockies where weather can change in an instant, rain it would. more >

Randy Profeta (Troupe Racing) finished 2nd in the 50-54 category at the
24-Hours of Adrenalin World Solo Championships Canmore, Alberta.
photo © Mary Ann Profeta

Rock Racing’s Rodriguez Third In Elk Grove Finale
8/4/08 - Rock Racing’s Fred Rodriguez finished third Sunday in the Gullo Pro Men Criterium to place fifth overall at the Alexian Brothers Tour of Elk Grove. David Veilleux (Kelly Benefit Strategies presented by Medifast) won the overall title of the three-stage, three-day competition. Rodriguez finished 15th in Friday’s Elk Grove Village Bank & Trust Time Trial and ninth in the Citi Pro Men’s Road Race. Saturday, Rodriguez narrowly avoided a massive pile-up in the final turn of the 105-mile (150 km) road race. Memories of that crash – combined with a couple of hard falls earlier this season – had Rodriguez taking a cautious approach Sunday as the Kelly Benefit-Medifast team again led out the sprint. “It’s a criterium, so you expect it to be fast around the corners,” Rodriguez said, “but they (Kelly Benefits) are misjudging how fast you can go around the corners. Yesterday, they lost one of their guys in the crash. The problem is we also get caught in the fire.” Brad Huff (Jelly Belly Pro Cycling) won Sunday’s 90-minute race ahead of Veilleux and Rodriguez. Rock Racing’s Tyler Hamilton figured into a breakaway that was only reeled back by the chasing efforts of the Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team, which was trying to protect the lead of then-overall leader Hilton Clarke. “Having Tyler in that breakaway kept us in the game,” Rodriguez said. “I was pleasantly surprised how it was actually a controlled race today. It all came down to the last lap.”

Join SoCalCycling.com's flickr Group and Share Your Cycling Pics & Videos
8/2/08 - We thought it would be fun to have an ongoing collection of photos and video submitted by our cycling friends. Upload your favorite cycling photos and video that you have taken on rides, events, of your cycling team etc.... A Flickr stream with 6 random images will appear on SoCalCycling.com that links to our Flickr Group.

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To get started, just share your cycling photos or videos with our group from your Flickr account (it's fun, free and so easy!). We look forward to viewing them! To view new photos and videos, you can click on the flickr logo at the top of the site any time. Thanks to all who participate!
Join SoCalCycling.com's flickr Group >

Doctor Arraigned in Court for Road Rage Incident on Mandeville Canyon  
8/1/08 - Brentwood Doctor, Dr. Christopher Thompson, was arraigned in court today over the July 4th incident where he intentionally caused cyclists Ron Peterson and Christian Stoehr to crash into his car. Thompson has been charged with two counts of reckless driving causing an injury and two counts of battery with serious bodily injury. He pleaded innocent to felony charges of assault with a deadly weapon and said that the incident was an accident. Thompson's next court date is scheduled for September 12th, in which Thompson has authorized his attorney to appear on his behalf. In addition, charges that Thompson was involved with another road rage incident with cyclists on March 17th on Mandeville Canyon are also being investigated.

Fundraiser at Denver's Table 6 to Support 5280 Junior Cycling Program
8/1/08 - Slipstream Sports is providing fans with a rare opportunity to spend an evening with the riders and staff of Team Garmin-Chipotle presented by H30 and Team 5280/Felt.  The event, to be held on Tuesday, August 19th at 7:00 p.m., will commence with a rose champagne toast to pay homage to the Maglia Rose and will include a five course meal from Denver’s award-winning Table 6 accompanied by unique artisanal wines correlating with the regions of the Tour de France.  Only 50 tickets are available for the event, proceeds of which will help raise money for Team 5280/Felt, a junior cycling team for riders ages 10-18 years of age.  The evening will include an auction of Christian Vande Velde’s autographed pink jersey from the Giro d’Italia as well as items from this year’s Tour de France.   “When I originally started what is now Team Garmin-Chipotle, I made a commitment to developing the next generation of cycling champions.  Team 5280 gives young riders the unique opportunity to train alongside the pros and benefit from their experience and knowledge,” said Jonathan Vaughters, CEO of Slipstream Sports and Director Sportif of Team Garmin-Chipotle presented by H30.   Tickets for the event are available for purchase for $ 500 each and may be obtained by calling 303.444.7500 or by email.

Kyle Gritters (Health Net- Maxxis) won the sprint from his
breakaway companions at the San Marcos Circuit Race.
photo © Ironstring.com