2011 MASTERS NATZ 55+ ROAD RACES- BEND, OR. 9/3 & 9/4

By John McKee

The road races at Masters Nationals were started on Saturday, Sept. 3. The 65-69 men started at 8 am and 10 minutes later everyone 70+ would race and be scored separately in their respective categories. The men 60-64 would start at 10 am and the men 55-59 would start Sunday, Sept. 4 at 8 am.
It was a little cool on Saturday but not bad at all. I had ridden and driven the road course several times and everyone knew the hardest part was the power climb on Archie Briggs near the end of the racing loop. Short but fairly steep stretch. 300 to 400 meters of up to 10/12 %. After you get off the steepest portion it is still uphill for a ways and has 2 more rollers that pound you. It seemed like more of the course was downhill than uphill but that's probably because I am such a good climber. LOL. There is a portion of the course out and back from the start/finish line to the 14.5 mile loop which gains 1,253 feet. All of the 55+ groups did 2 laps which amounted to 57 kilometers. In the 65-69 race I was popped after climbing Archie Briggs the first time but chased back on after getting to the downhill portion. I hung until Archie Briggs the 2nd round and got popped going up. 8 guys stayed together to the end and John Elgart won the field sprint. which was no surprise since he won the criterium in front of me 2 days prior.
In 70-74 Daniel Wulbert won the road race with a great performance. Daniel did well in all 3 events and won the overall in 70-74. In 75-79 Robert Paganini won the field sprint in eye popping speed. Pags really turned some heads with his top end speed. In 80+ Link Lindquist placed 3rd in 80+ in another good ride by Link, the oldest rider at the competition. 84 years young. After the games Link and his gal, Kathy went to Provence, France to lead a tour and ride up Mt. Ventoux.
The men 60-64 went off after the older categories finished and had a very big field of at least 50 starters. David LeDuc of North Carolina bested Kenny Fuller at the end of the road race. Kenny had dropped him on Archie Briggs but David fought back to the small lead group and got the jump on everyone to win. Kenny was 2nd in the race. Kenny won the 60-64 all around.
On Sunday the men 55-59 started at 8 am with almost 60 riders. Paul Rodiguez of UCC was the 5th and Wayne Stetina of Breakaway from Cancer was 3rd. They were the only riders from Socal to medal. Very strong field. I have a lot of podium pictures and will include as many as I have. I don't have the 55-59 podium. That's all for now folks! Train hard and race safe!

80+ podium- On left Link Lindquist 3rd place

75-79 podium- Robert Paganini at the top- 2011 National Champion

70-74 road podium- Daniel Wulbert at the top- 2011 National Champion

60-64 road podium- Kenny Fuller 2nd from the left- 2nd place

65-69 road podium- John Elgart at the top- No Socal riders here but I wanted to remind myself where I want to be next year.

Daniel Wulbert- 70-74 Overall champion

Kenny Fuller- 60-64 Overall champion

LONG SEASON ENDS WITH CBR STATE CRIT CHAMPIONSHIP - 9/11/11

By John McKee

It's time for the final race of the season for the hard core racers. The same guys you see week in and week out. Sunday comes and there's Mike Birditt, Dale Luedtke, Kal Szkalak, John McKee, Monty Pettus, Bob Wright, etc. The date is 9/11/11. A somber date and anniversary.
California Bicycle Racing was holding their own Cal State Criterium Championship with a champ jersey at stake and BAR points to be finalized. The BAR points were locked up by Dale Luedtke in 55+ and Bob Wright in 60+. Dale was also 2nd in Socal points and Bob was 3rd in their respective categories. The start time was the usual 7:35 am though next year it will change to 9:35 am. Premium time. Not sure why we rate that but pretty sure our number of entries was higher than groups starting in front of us. Over 30 guys showed up to race. Just plain pure racing. 2 categories racing at the same time but separated for BAR points but racing for the same purse(one finish list).
The description of the race could be one of many this year. A number of break attempts with Swami's always in the action joined by Santa Clarita Velo and Velo Allegro. I had nothing to lose so chased down and on a number of early efforts. The major effort came about 40% into the race. The group included Fred Hoblit, Mike Birditt, Ricky Shorts, Rick Swanson and Deogracia Asuncion. Rick was a little tired from being at the UCLA night football game and wasn't totally into it so he soon dropped back to watch after Dale.
You would think we had a perfect mix of riders here to stay away for sure but Craig Jones and Pat Huber of Velo Avanti were chipping away at the break group. Howard Miller of Paramount made one effort and other than that I can't say there was much of a chase. The break group wasn't fluid and there were attempts to break from the break group. Swami's was going to have a good chance to win either way. They were in the driver's seat. Mike out of the break group or Dale out of the main pack or even Mike again if the break group got caught. It didn't look like they would be caught but with a few laps to go you could see the gap closing. Pretty sure there was infighting ahead.
With one lap to go Rick Swanson took matters into his own hands and with Dale Luedtke on his wheel he went to the whip. If the break group stays away, he leads out Dale for the bunch sprint. If the break group gets caught he leads out Dale for the win. Rick dropped Dale off a little early after turn 3 but Dale was locked on. The pace really reved up when we hit the hump which is about half way between turn 3 and 4. Pretty hard actually. About that time the pack met the break group and riders were going in all kinds of different directions to find a hole to ride through though Mike Birditt and Deogracia Asuncion from the break group saved some for their sprint.
Dale Luedtke won the sprint for first place in 55+. Monty Pettus got himself in very good position and finished 1st in 60+ and 4th overall. 2nd and 3rd in 55+ and overall went to Mike Birditt and Don Denegal. I finished 2nd in 60+ and 9th overall. Cully White was the last 60+ podium finisher. Carlos Soto raced with us and very glad to see him out there racing. Carlos has one of the best sprints around and finished 4th in 55+. Hope you race with us more next year, Carlos. Bob Wright finished off his season with a 4th place finish which secured the BAR points in 60+. Complete results below.
All in all it was a good clean fun race. Average speed was a hardy 25 mph for the 44 minutes. Only .9 lower than a younger and bigger 50+ field. It was a good year of racing with mostly highlights. Love to see us build on this year and show more "boots on the ground" next year. We are going to have a large number of races that count toward Socal points. If anyone has any ideas on making our racing better, lets hear it.
We had an after race get together that I invited everyone to though not many came. Those that did, thanks. It was fun. I did have a plastic tie wrap in my veggie burger but other that it all good. The group included- Pags and his wife,Terumi, Cully White, Rino B. Monty Pettus and myself. We ate at a nearby Chili's. That's all for now folks! Train hard and race safe!

60+ race podium- McKee, Pettus, & White

60+ BAR points winner Bob Wright- Dale Luedtke won the 55+ but didn't do a podium

55+ race podium- Birditt, Luedtke & Denegal

55+ finish list

60+ finish list

55-59 NATZ CRITERIUM- BEND, OR. SEPT. 2, 2011

By John McKee

The criterium for the the ages 55-59 and lower were held on Sept. 2, 2011 in Downtown Bend, Or. It was a simple 4 corner basic course. Between turn 3 and 4 there was a little dip so there would be some speed going into the last turn. There was a long distance from the last corner to the finish line and the wind was into the racers faces coming home. The race was to start mid morning. There was a lot of interest from racers all across the country. In 2010 there were 26 starters and that nearly doubled for the Bend race with 49 starters. Cat 5 riders are allowed in this age group and though there weren't many it was a problem. With the rapid growth of this category cat 5 racers should not be allowed.

55-59 racers to the line in Downtown Bend for the criterium - 40 km

Many racers had come up from Southern California by car and plane. Swami's and UCC/JW Flooring had large squads. Definitely the 2 largest in the field. Having a lot of "boots on the ground" as the Republican prez candidates would say doesn't insure success. Most of the medalists from 2010 were here including the winner Charles Townsend. There were some notable riders that also aged up including Breakaway from Cancer's Malcolm Hill. Malcolm was a close 2nd in 2010 in the 50-54 category and has been training very hard. If Malcolm doesn't get in 3 races at a criterium, he doesn't feel he has gotten much of a workout. I am not talking about just sitting in either. Full boat all end racing. Malcolm did 3 races the Sunday prior to this event. I wonder if that wasn't too much or maybe that helped peak his fitness. Let's see.
The race was off and it didn't take long to see that Malcolm Hill was going to race aggressively. He attacked twice but was brought back. Others also made moves but were neutralized.

Early 55-59 action on the backside of the course near the dog park

Pressure is on. Home stretch- You can see Fred Hoblit, Craig Jones and Rick Swanson on the far side

There was a crash early on and it affected a number of Socal riders. Don't know who it was that went down but first he bounced off the barrier, went down and the bike separated from him and hit Dale Luedtke in the hip. Steve Borer went between the downed rider and the flying bike. The bike ended up hitting Alex Collins in the chest. Didn't knock him over but threw him off his stride and he was off the back. Officials will only give you a free lap if you go down.
The 3rd time in most anything can be charmed or a strike out. Malcolm charged off again for a 3rd time. This time he as joined by William Watkins riding for Team Army. William is a good size guy. Didn't look nearly as fit as Malcolm who doesn't have an ounce of fat on him. Looked like maybe a mismatch if they could stay away or would it be. Looks sometimes can be deceiving.
The pack didn't react to the 2  riders. Let them go. At natz most riders are riding by themselves. No teammates. Didn't look like Swami's or UCC was worried because Hill and Watkins started to build a lead.

You can see the 2 breakaway riders in the top 3 photos- In this photo Malcolm Hill is leading William Watkins

You could see Dale sitting in the very back of the peleton. Dale likes to save energy but he usually doesn't sit in the very back. Mike Birditt wasn't at the front like he always likes to race. More mid pack. Some of the bike handling was atrocious making many of the Socal riders nervous. As mentioned Dale had already been hit by a flying bike. Kal Szkalak was buried in the bunch. Paul Rodiguez was more prominent in the front.
It didn't take long for Hill and Watkins to get a 12 to 15 second lead. There was a lot of firepower in the pack behind them but it would only fire off sporadically. Kim Bleth and Rick Swanson of Swami's made pulls at the front and Paul Rodiguez and John Waganear of UCC did as well. No Dale, Mike or Kal. UCC had a strong rider that wasn't even suited up. Time trial and road specialist but could have used his strength in the race.

Some late action in the peleton- You can see Paul Rodiguez and Kal Szkalak of  UCC here

The 5 lap to go card came up and Malcolm Hill and William Watkins had lengthened their lead. They were going all out. Full boat. Take no prisoners and take no chances. From the side lines it was obvious that they weren't going to get caught. These 2 guys were the strongmen of the field. I know there were some really good riders and strong ones in the peleton but they all miscalculated the power of these 2 guys. The overall pace of the pack wasn't that inspiring coming in at a little over 40 km/hr. Slower pace than the 60-64s the day before at N/W Crossing and slower than the prior year which had a smaller group. There is always a chance the distance was a bit off but those are the figures.
The 2 leaders didn't take their pedal off the floor board until 1 and 1/2 laps to go. They had a substantial lead and weren't to be caught. They played cat and mouse for the rest of the race but at the end William Watkins was too much for Malcolm Hill. William  broke clear 150 meters or so from the line and became the champion of the 55-59 category.
The remainder of the pack were bouncing all over the place on the last lap. I hear it was really nutty from turn 3 to home. Robert Downs of Wi. won the bunch sprint for 3rd place. 4th went to a rider that was relegated and moved Mark Caldwell from 5th to 4th. Henry Schnepf was moved from 6th to 5th. Henry didn't show for the podium and his medal so I guess he didn't know. The first rider from Socal was Paul Rodiguez at 7th. Kal Szkalak was 11th and Mike Birditt was 12th. The race was a little slow and our local teams dropped the ball in not taking the 2 breakaway guys more serious earlier. That's all for now folks! Train hard and race safe!

55-59 Criterium podium- Socal rider Malcolm Hill is 2nd from the left(looking at the pic). William Watkins of Team Army and from Georgia is the champion.

60+ 2011 NATZ CRITERIUMS- N/W CROSSING/BEND, OR. SEPT. 1, 2011

 By John McKee

Welcome sign for all the racers. Photo courtesy of Link Lindquist.

The first day of the criteriums was for ages 60 and over and was Thursday, Sept. 1, 2011. Downtown Bend, Or. didn't want to be shut down for 2 days so another location was found. They put the 1st day criterium race in a high end commercial/residential/retail area. Quite new and very attractive. Beautiful high school right down the street where the TT and the road races started and finished. The course was short(1 km) and had 6 90 degree turns and 2 soft turns. The streets were fairly narrow and got narrower at times. This course wouldn't take a field larger than 40 guys. I have heard they have done other races with large fields and had riders spread almost end to end on the whole course after a while. In the older masters categories there is always going to be large differences in ability so after a small number of laps there are going to be riders off the back especially on a course like this. Monty, Phil and I rode the course on Tuesday. Monty had already seen it and  was in shock. We rode it on Tues and Wed. and started to get a feel for it. You could take the corners at speed but what speed before you couldn't pedal through. Many riders would be hitting pedals through the races.
The first race for men was at 10 am and included all men 70 and over. There would be 3 races done concurrently and scored separately. There would be men 70-74, 75-79 and 80+. Local favorites racing were Daniel Wulbert  in the 70-74 race, Robert Paganini and Dick Wagner  in the 75-79 and Link Lindquist in 80+. About 20 guys started. It didn't take long before there were riders everywhere and the officials didn't want to call anyone out because there would be an opportunity for 13 medals for this one race. 3 80s and 5 for the other 2 cats. The 70-74 guys were driving the lead group and Dan Wulbert was right there. Dan isn't known for his sprint but is known for his time trial and climbing ability. In 2002 in Bakersfield Dan was racing 60-64 and lapped the field solo in the criterium and then just for the heck of it jumped away from the field again and by the way the temp in Bakersfield in July was over 105. Dan was in a harder fight here and barely lost to Leonard Pettyjohn of Boulder, Colo. A lot of silver for Socal riders this day.
Robert Paganini also placed 2nd using his tried and true wheel sucking program but lost the wheel of the winner somewhere along the way. Bummer. In 80+ Link Lindquist finished 3rd. Didn't get a pod pic of 70-74.  If anyone has a pic, let me know and I will add.
Here are descriptions of the above races by USA Cycling "In the men’s 70-74 contest, Leonard Pettyjohn (Boulder, Colo./Vic’s Espresso-Peerless Tyre) narrowly beat Daniel Wulbert (Cardiff, Calif./Sun Coast Velo-UC Cyclery-JW Floors) and William Meyers (Oak Creek, Colo.) to earn the Stars-and-Stripes jersey. In the men’s 75-79 contest, Walter Axthelm (Durango, Colo./Durango Wheel Club) won by 49 seconds over silver-medalist Robert Paganini (Los Angeles, Calif./Pasadena Athletic Association-Remax). Albert Piemme (Sequim, Wash.) won the men’s 80-and-over criterium by two seconds over the time trial winner Paul Tetrick (Evergreen, Colo.)." The 70-74 group finished the 35 km course in 55:58 and the winner of the 75-79 feed off this group and was 49 seconds ahead of the 2nd place rider, Rober Paganini. 

Robert Paganini 2nd and Dick Wagner 5th(far right)- There were only 5 racers in 75-79

Link Lindquist on the left(as we are looking at the picture). 84 years young and going strong. Photo courtesy of Link Linquist. 80+ podium.

Link Lindquist called to the line as the defending champion in 80+.  Link was also wearing #1 as the oldest rider at the 2011 championship. Photo courtesy of Link Lindquist.

 The next race of the day was the 65-69 category. I aged up to this group this year as did John Elgart. Lucky me being the same age as John Elgart. Also in the race was defending champion Richard Shields from Fremont, Ca. Scott Hennessy coming off a resounding win in the TT by a minute and a half was in the field.
Also in the field was Gary DeVoss of the San Diego Cyclo Vets. Gary had just gotten back from a world championship event. Gary did a number of races in Europe. Mike Duck the 2011 SCNCA 65+ champion was in the race and sporting the new Paramount colors of blue and yellow. In all there would be 28 racers starting vs 17 in 2010. I can tell you right now that the field in 2011 did the race 4 and 1/2 minutes faster than the year before on a more technical course which in my book should make for a slower race(not everyone agrees with that). There were 5 cat 5 riders which would make most any seasoned racer jumpy. For the most part they would fall away early but there was one rider from Texas with a visor on his helmet that scared the hell out of me when he would move forward during lulls in the race. Getting ahead of myself already. Stop!
The 65-69 group was called close to the start line about 11:15 am. There was 35 km to race over a very technical and narrow course. The announcer who always does the national events called the defending champion Richard Shields to the line. After that we all got a chance to move forward. I got behind Dale Harless who placed 4th in 2010. The group took off at the gun and John Elgart went to the whip. Dale Harless had trouble clipping in so I started between 10 and 12 as we were lined out. I saw Elgart going to the front and was immediately worried. When John aged up to 60+ he rode away from everyone in Penn. and no one could catch him. There was no way on this course that I could get near him any time soon. Was my fate sealed already! I sure hoped not. The pace was hard for the 1st 5 laps. I moved up a few each lap. No big gaps opened up early which is what I was worried about. Scott Hennessy kept Elgart in check early on. After 5 laps the pace eased off. I took stock of my fitness, my breathing and what I needed to do to do well in this race. Do what you always did and like Mike Birditt always did. Stay close to the front and monitor all the action. Also take a page from Pags and Dale Luedtke as well. Don't do any more work then you have too.

Stayed in the drops the entire race. An advantage with all the corners.

It also didn't take long to figure out who the strongmen were. Hennessy, Elgart and Shields. They showed themselves early and drove the race. None of them jumped off the front or were marked so closely that it didn't seem so. Richard Shields did roll off the front once and got about 100 meters away. I was behind Elgart and wondered why he let him go. Figured he was going to let him get out there away and bridge across or maybe he wanted someone else to chase. In any event I wasn't going to let Shields get to far away and got out of the saddle after the last corner and charged toward the solo rider. Everyone else came with me. It felt like a Socal race when I make a move.

Late in the race Lance Brigman went to the front and drove the race- In photo- Hennessy, Shields, and myself. Elgart is too my left.

 Half way through the race about half the field had fallen off and the officials called them off the course because we were lapping them. Dangerous situation on this narrow course so pulling lapped riders that looked over matched was the right move.
The second half of the race I stayed on Shields or Elgart. As the laps counted down a cat 5 rider came to the front that seemed quite strong. Lance Brigman is his name and from about 13 laps to go to about 5 he stayed on the front pulling everyone at a pretty fast and steady pace. Wasn't that hard but kept everyone in line. I was now on Elgart's wheel and I wasn't giving it up. James Youngblood of Maryland tried a number of times and you can try but I wan't budging. It just made the race dangerous for the person that tried to move in. I wasn't trying to hurt anybody but wasn't going to give up the wheel. David Burnett of Ct. was also trying to take Elgart's wheel. I had had my fill of Mr. Burnett at Churchhill Downs 3 years ago. I was in a 6 person break in the criterium with Kenny Fuller, Elgart and Louder. Burnett was there with another less experienced rider. Kenny doesn't like riders taking a free ride and attacks them. I had just taken a pull and went to the back of the line and Kenny attacks. Elgart and Louder responded right away. I looked in horror as the 2 new guys didn't move and shouted at them to no avail. I started to go between them and they collapsed on me and the 3 guys were gone. So I remember David Burnett very well. He actually is a very nice guy to talk to off the course. He is rumored to have one of the best private aquariums around. Must have some money.  In any event he wasn't getting Elgart's wheel and messing things up for me. John Elgart wasn't so harsh and let David and Youngblood in front of him so I wasn't going to sit so far back and moved up myself. I stayed in the 2 to 6 slot all day. I was in the 2 slot on Elgart earlier and had to pull through for a half lap but that was all the work I did except chasing Shields down.
The race was counting down. 5 to go. Brinkman was starting to tire. I was afraid that we would all get swarmed over and I saw the visor guy come forward. A sure sign to move up myself. Not sure who drove the race late. I am sure Scott Hennessy was part of it. He should have pushed harder and dropped more guys. We were about 16 strong by then but strung out. A good thing for sure. Scott won the TT by a 1 and 1/2 so he was stronger then anyone. John Elgart didn't do the individual TT so can't compare. He did do the tandem and he and his partner had the lowest time of the day no matter what age.
Within the last 5 laps Elgart moved up and I got back on his wheel. The bell came and the placings were out there for the 1st 5 guys to come across the line. Hennessy was driving the front with Shields, Elgart and myself following. Scott Hennessy ran out of gas or decided to move back or Richard Shields wanted to lead badly. Hennessy had to move back because Elgart and myself weren't inviting him in front of us. The pace picked up and we made a hard left and then a right. I kept pedaling but on the right turn I hit my Speedplay(Elgart and Shields were also using Speedplay Zeros) pedal down and my bike did a shake and the front of the saddle went down. The Bontrager seat cap is the worst design. I hate it. Love the Trek bike though but have to use their seat cap. I almost went down but got control quickly and got out of the saddle. JE was a little ahead but I closed the gap. The downhill right turn into a narrow street was next and I had a good feel for it. I took this one well and easily stayed on Elgart. We had a short uphill, a soft right and a soft left and then a fairly soft final turn with 120 meters to the line. I have relived this last part of the race over and over and over in my mind. Can't redo history but I can tell you that my finish has really motivated me for this winter and next season.
We took the soft right and then the left. I didn't feel anybody behind me and there was a gap. After the soft left next to a roundabout was where I should have made my move like Dale races but I didn't. We came to the last corner and Elgart jumped hard. Used that track training/racing to accelerate away. I had already clicked up one gear and should have clicked up 2. I got out of the saddle with max effort and made up some ground but with a short downhill and then a small uphill I wasn't going to go by Elgart. John Elgard won the championship in the 65-69 category. I came across the line  behind him and slightly ahead of Shields. There was a little gap to 4th and 5th place. James Youngblood of Maryland was 4th and Whitney "Visor" Fanning were the last medalists to finish. Here is a description from USA Cycling "The thrilling men 65-69 contest resulted in a bunch sprint won by John Elgart (Sacramento, Calif./Alto Velo Racing Club-Webcor) narrowly beating John McKee (Westminster, Calif./OCW-Paramount Racing) and Richard Shields (Fremont, Calif./Team Hammer Nutrition)".
The time for the 35 km race was 35:52 or 39 km an hour. That computes out to 24.36 mph. The 70-74 group were only 2 minutes slower than this so they were moving too. The 65-69 was clean and hard but overly so. I had more in my engine. I know Lance Brigman said afterward that he was trying to wear down the sprinters when he went to the front. You needed to be more like Coffee Crew(OC training ride)to wear me down. The USA Cycling new online ranking system also has a predictor and they had the top 3 right. They picked me to win but Elgart didn't do many criteriums during the year but his track work kept him sharp. Of all the racers I have seen he is the most well rounded rider I have known of for his age. Great rider so I am not totally disappointed I lost to him but as Arnold said "I will be back". Stronger and faster then ever. I write this down so I pin myself down. Next year if I lag mentally I have to tell myself I said I was going to be stronger and faster. Get your butt moving. Natz is a great experience. If you have the ability, you are short changing yourself by not coming.
The last men's race on this course was right after the 65-69 race at 12:30 pm. 35 km as well. The men 60-64. This was going to be a humdinger and a very fast race. Kenny Fuller was the defending champion. David LeDuc from North Carolina was aging up in 2011 and for his age is one of the strongest men around. David didn't do the TT the day before like Kenny so he would have fresh legs. The race had a number of Socal riders besides Kenny. John Rubcic, Monty Pettus and Phil Richards were entered. Strap on your seatbelts because this was going to be a barn burner.

David LeDuc sitting in with John Rubcic near him

David LeDuc pushing the pace late in the race

Kenny Fuller with John Rubcic on his wheel at the last corner. Kenny needs to ride in his drops when the pressure is on. Get lower. Less drag. 

LeDuc wins 60-64

The race started with David LeDuc smoking it and being at the front and then gone. This is how the race went. LeDuc would go off and everyone would chase including Kenny Fuller. 35 riders started the 35 km race. Riders were falling off the pace early and often. Only 10 of the 35 riders ended with a time close to the top finishers. When LeDuc would be caught others would push the pace. Not sure why. They should have been saving their energy but that's how racing is. It all was back to together with one lap to go with Kenny Fuller and John Rubcic in the lead mix. LeDuc hit it hard and really strung it out. 3 guys or so were near LeDuc. John Rubcic got gapped off and chased. John caught back on when the pace eased nearing the last corner but he had no energy left. David LeDuc lead it out and wouldn't be caught. Steve Worley was 2nd and Kenny Fuller 3rd. John Rubcic dug deep to sprint but didn't have the punch. He was way tired. John got 4th none the less. Smoking fast race at 50:17 or 41 km/hr. Fast for this course. Faster pace then the 55s would do the next day on a more straight forward course with more riders. Here is a description by USA Cycling "The men’s 60-64 was equally exciting as David LeDuc (Willow Springs, N.C./Atlantic Velo-Virginia p/b Walt's Racing) broke away early and gradually built a significant lead. The peloton worked together to narrow LeDuc’s advantage before catching him with just a few laps remaining in the 35-kilometer race. LeDuc, howver, refused to be absorbed and launched attacks to answer the each of the chase group’s efforts."
Overall a good day of racing. A few crashes but not as many as expected. Hard, fast and tough but clean racing. Beautiful weather. Blue clear skys with mild temps made it comfortable. Really nice upscale area. I couldn't afford to live here but could eat at some of the restaurants which were quite nice. Especially Thai Thai. Great food and drink.
I have below as many of the podiums as I have plus some bonus pics. Full results will be below as well. That's all for now folks! Train hard and race safe!

65-69 podium- Youngblood, McKee, Elgart, Shields, & Fanning

60-64 podium- John Rubcic on the left. Kenny Fuller 2nd from right. Guess where LeDuc is.

McKee and Fuller after criteriums

Pags and McKee after criterium- Both with silver

Criterium on 09/01/2011
Men - Cat 1/2/3/4/5 - Master - 60-64
Place	Points	Name	City, State	Time	License	Bib	Team
1	400.00	David LeDuc (1 - Cat2)	Willow Springs, NC	0:50:17	45583		Atlantic Velo-Virginia p/b Walt's Racing
2	402.21	Steven Worley (2 - Cat2)	Boulder, CO	0:50:17	47502		Vic's Espresso / Peerless Tyre
3	404.41	Kenny Fuller	Corona Del Mar, CA	0:50:17	46765		Cycles Veloce/Team Simple Green/Bike Religion
4	406.62	John Rubcic (3 - Cat2)	Hemet, CA	0:50:17	48760		Sun Coast Velo/UC Cyclery/JW Floors
5	408.82	Wayne Watson (1 - Cat3)	Denver, CO	0:50:17	50623		Natural Grocers Cycling Team
6	411.03	David Hixson (4 - Cat2)	Knoxville, TN	0:50:17	16327		Team Gran Fondo
7	413.24	Paul Mack (5 - Cat2)	Crested Butte, CO	0:50:34	22026		Vic's Espresso / Peerless Tyre
7	413.24	Paul Mack (6 - Cat2)	Crested Butte, CO	0:50:34	22026		Vic's Espresso / Peerless Tyre
8	415.44	Peter Banko (2 - Cat3)	Seattle, WA	0:51:08	46648		Apex Racing Team
9	417.65	Hank Pfeifle	Brunswick, ME	0:51:10	57045		Portland Velo Club/Cyclemania/OA/CycleMania
10	419.85	Richard Distlerath (3 - Cat3)	Bluffton, SC	0:51:52	216139		National Capital Velo Club/UnitedHealthcare/NCVC/UnitedHealthcare
11	422.06	Steve Troseth (1 - Cat5)	Corvallis, OR		357312
12	424.26	Morgan Caldwell (4 - Cat3)	Lafayette, CA		55374		Morgan Stanley Cycling Team/Morgan Stanley Smith Barney/Specialized
13	426.47	Leo Pettus (5 - Cat3)	Yorba Linda, CA		219074		OCW/Paramount Racing
14	428.68	Larry Wolff (6 - Cat3)	Sacramento, CA		219527		Team Hammer Nutrition
15	430.88	Brad Swope (7 - Cat2)	Louisville, KY		47984		Kentucky Flyers Cycling Inc/Texas Roadhouse Cycling Team P/B Motorex
16	433.09	Ken Louder (7 - Cat3)	Salt Lake City, UT		179491		Velosport Racing/FFKR Architects/SportsBaseOnline.com
17	435.29	Fred Galata (8 - Cat3)	Omaha, NE		229278
18	437.50	Jerry Shafer (9 - Cat3)	Seattle, WA		54693		Seattle Super Squadra/Cucina Fresca Cycling Team
19	439.71	Dan Meyer (10 - Cat3)	Lake Elmo, MN		117486		Loon State Cyclists
20	441.91	Phillip Richards (1 - Cat4)	Beaumont, CA		238828		Citrus Valley Velo
21	444.12	Thomas Zoumaras (11 - Cat3)	Kirksville, MO		65996		Michelob Ultra - Big Shark Racing
22	446.32	Russell Bowers (12 - Cat3)	Flower Mound, TX		4441
23	448.53	Les Banta (2 - Cat4)	Oklahoma City, OK		200890		Oklahoma City Velo Club
24	450.74	Charles Hetrick (13 - Cat3)	Edmond, OK		62551		Oklahoma City Velo Club
25	452.94	Lee Sobchak (3 - Cat4)	Boise, ID		245624		Boise Cycling Club/George's/BODE
26	455.15	Randall Maddox (4 - Cat4)	Greenville, SC		81544		Greenville Spinners Bicycle Club/Headstrong
27	457.35	Robert Tompkins (14 - Cat3)	Anthem, AZ		305794		Racelab Cycling Team/Team WM Arizona Masters Racing
28	459.56	Mike Ambrozewicz (2 - Cat5)	Fair Oaks, CA		358707
29	461.76	sam roberts (5 - Cat4)	Tulsa, OK		275927		Tulsa Wheelmen/Tulsa Tough Racing
30	463.97	Mike Marotta (15 - Cat3)	Bakersfield, CA		72880		Action Sports/Simply Fit
31	466.18	Ed Chamberlin (16 - Cat3)	Grand Junction, CO		245225		Livetrainrace.com
32	468.38	Carl Recine (17 - Cat3)	Salt Lake City, UT		80238		Barry Lasko DDS Race Team
33	470.59	Philip Holman (8 - Cat2)	Tucson, AZ		58212		Team RPM
34	472.79	D Jack Groves (18 - Cat3)	Alameda, NM		90462		Olev Rapido
35	475.00	John Ackelson (3 - Cat5)	Arvada, CO		291473		Peak to Peak Training Systems/WestSide Cycling
Men - Cat 1/2/3/4/5 - Master - 65-69
Place	Points	Name	City, State	Time	License	Bib	Team
1	400.00	John Elgart (1 - Cat2)	Sacramento, CA	0:53:52	45071	162R	Alto Velo Racing Club/Webcor/Alto Velo
2	402.50	John McKee (1 - Cat3)	Westminster, CA	0:53:52	180386	184R	OCW/Paramount Racing/Paramount Racing
3	405.00	Richard Shields (2 - Cat3)	Fremont, CA	0:53:52	140693	165R	Team Hammer Nutrition
4	407.50	James Youngblood (3 - Cat3)	Silver Spring, MD	0:53:52	39327	195R	NVRC/National Velo Racing Club
5	410.00	Whitney Fanning (1 - Cat5)	Waco, TX	0:53:55	89401	198R
6	412.50	Scott Hennessy (2 - Cat2)	Salinas, CA	0:53:55	15827	169R	VOS Racing
7	415.00	Harry Williamson (4 - Cat3)	Healdsburg, CA	0:53:55	38449	185R	Fightin' Bobas
8	417.50	Gary Simmons (5 - Cat3)	Layton, UT	0:53:55	199407	170R	Bountiful Mazda Cycling Team
9	420.00	Randall Hancock (3 - Cat2)	Folsom, CA	0:53:55	48103	187R	Hammer Nutrition-CMG Racing Team/Hammer Nutrition/CMG Racing Team
10	422.50	S Robson (Rob) Walton (6 - Cat3)	Scottsdale, AZ	0:53:55	37148	180R	Boston Mountain Cyclist
11	425.00	lance brigman (2 - Cat5)	Longview, WA	0:53:55	353536	164R
12	427.50	Monty Maughan (1 - Cat4)	Oklahoma City, OK	0:54:02	237092	163R	Team PG13
13	430.00	Gary DeVoss (7 - Cat3)	San Diego, CA	0:54:02	51495	190R	San Diego Cyclo Vets
14	432.50	David Burnett (2 - Cat4)	Norwich, CT	0:54:54	227154	186R	Mystic Velo Club
15	435.00	Michael Williams	Metairie, LA	0:55:02	53228	193R
16	437.50	Norman Kibble (4 - Cat2)	Tucson, AZ	0:53:58	45539	191R	Team RPM
17	440.00	Michael Gilpin (3 - Cat5)	Bozeman, MT	0:55:02	113324	171R	Gallatin Valley Bicycle Club/Bozeman Masters' Velo
18	442.50	Jack Kelso (3 - Cat4)	Pleasanton, CA	0:55:02	202171	172R	Team Hammer Nutrition
19	445.00	Dale Harless (4 - Cat4)	Bellevue, WA	0:39:04	57571	173R	Cycle U
20	447.50	Robert Brust (8 - Cat3)	Hutchinson, KS	0:34:24	60610	192R	River City Racing Club
21	450.00	dan austad (4 - Cat5)	Silverdale, WA	0:24:52	268436	174R	Northwest Velo/JL Velo Racing Team
22	452.50	Jerry Powell (9 - Cat3)	Portland, OR	0:19:56	45812	182R	Multnomah Athletic Club
23	455.00	John Forbes (10 - Cat3)	Portland, OR		72771	189R	BRIHOP Cycling
24	457.50	Michael McCollum (11 - Cat3)	Largo, FL		48126	194R	Florida Velo
25	460.00	Sydney Duck (12 - Cat3)	Agoura Hills, CA		58170	196R	OCW/Paramount Racing
26	462.50	Weslye Bruce (13 - Cat3)	S Hutchinson, KS		84252	197R	River City Racing Club
27	465.00	Bill Valenta (5 - Cat5)	Beaverton, OR		206763	183R
28	467.50	Butch Richardson (6 - Cat5)	San Diego, CA		186694	176R	San Diego Cyclo Vets
29	470.00	John Haney (5 - Cat4)	Park City, UT		68337	167R
30	472.50	John Cox (14 - Cat3)	Baltimore, MD		45210	161R	Chesapeake Wheelmen
31	475.00	Barry Nazarian (15 - Cat3)	Chula Vista, CA		113281	188R	Montclair Cyclists
Men - Cat 1/2/3/4/5 - Master - 70-74
Place	Points	Name	City, State	Time	License	Bib	Team
1	450.00	Leonard Pettyjohn (1 - Cat2)	Boulder, CO	0:55:58	235722	31W	Vic's Espresso / Peerless Tyre
2	456.82	Daniel Wulbert (1 - Cat3)	Cardiff, CA	0:55:58	46904	18W	Sun Coast Velo/UC Cyclery/JW Floors
3	463.64	William Meyers (1 - Cat4)	Oak Creek, CO	0:55:58	53368	17W
4	470.45	Mike Macdonald (2 - Cat3)	Rancho Cordova, CA	0:56:48	45626	14W	Jaeger Wheelmen
5	477.27	William Fallis (3 - Cat3)	San Mateo, CA	0:56:03	45315	28W	Peninsula Velo Cycling Club/Peninsula Velo/Pomodoro
6	484.09	Dan Taylor (2 - Cat4)	Alamo, CA	0:57:09	306272	19W	Lamorinda Cycling Club/Taleo Racing
7	490.91	Thomas Neary (1 - Cat5)	New Meadows, ID	0:57:33	280339	27W
8	497.73	Earl Henry (2 - Cat2)	Pinellas Park, FL		45449	29W	Florida Velo
9	504.55	Franz Hammer (3 - Cat2)	Oro Valley, AZ		45423	16W	Team RPM
10	511.36	Edward Camarena (2 - Cat5)	Yorba Linda, CA		99513	23W	Veloce Santiago
11	518.18	Walter Schafer (3 - Cat5)	Chico, CA		356756	24W
12	525.00	Douglas Hoelscher (4 - Cat5)	Golden Valley, MN		165590	30W	Minneapolis Bicycle Racing Club/MBRC/Flanders
Men - Cat 1/2/3/4/5 - Master - 75-79
Place	Points	Name	City, State	Time	License	Bib	Team
1	450.00	Walter Axthelm (1 - Cat5)	Durango, CO	0:56:00	2153	6W	Durango Wheel Club
2	468.75	Robert Paganini (1 - Cat3)	Los Angeles, CA	0:56:49	45763	11W	Pasadena Athletic Assoc (PAA)/PAA/REMAX
3	487.50	John Oakes (2 - Cat5)	Palo Cedro, CA	0:57:18	231437	10W	Team Hammer Nutrition
4	506.25	Frederic Schmid (3 - Cat5)	Waco, TX	0:56:11	109257	8W	Bicycles Outback/Magura
5	525.00	Dick Wagner (1 - Cat4)	Yorba Linda, CA	0:57:32	51108	7W	San Diego Cyclo Vets
Men - Cat 1/2/3/4/5 - Master - 80-99
Place	Points	Name	City, State	Time	License	Bib	Team
1	450.00	Albert Piemme (1 - Cat3)	Sequim, WA	0:57:32	28111	2W
2	487.50	Paul Tetrick (2 - Cat3)	Evergreen, CO	0:57:34	113498	3W
3	525.00	Link Lindquist (1 - Cat5)	Foothill Ranch, CA	0:56:23	235545	1W	Team Velosport Cl

55+ RACERS @ 2011 MASTERS NATIONALS TT- AUGUST 31

By John McKee

Wednesday August 31st, 2011 saw the first day of competition at the 2011 Masters National Championships in Bend, Or. On Tuesday Phil Richards, Monty Pettus and I rode the 25 km TT course because Phil was going to ride it the next day. We also rode the road race course and 60+ crit course at North/West Crossing that day.
The TT course was challenging and had a good amount of climbing to it. The racers 65+ and up would ride the 18 km course and the rest of the field would ride the 25 km course except the tandems. They would ride a little further. The pavement was pretty good until you started riding out a ways toward the turnaround but everyone seemed to do fine on it.
I am only going to highlight men Socal riders that placed in the top 5(podiums) that were 55 and older. There were plenty of those so let's go. No Socal rider placed in the top 5 in the 55-59 age group. Vic Miera placed 5th and is from Las Vegas and they are part of the SCNCA. In 60-64 the favorite Kenny Fuller smoked the field. I know he flew up the day before. Don't know if he got out and rode the course. If he didn't, it was a hell of a ride. His time of 36:25 would have placed him 5th in 55-59 or 4th in 50-54. The only other Socal rider that podiumed was Link Lindquist. Link was 3rd out of 3. He gets the bronze for that. Only have to finish to get that. You never know how good the last person is as a rider. In women 35-39 the last woman in the TT(Cheryl Fuller-Muller) won the criterium against my Paramount teammate Hilary Crowley.

Kenny Fuller atop the podium in the 60-64 TT

Fritz Tomasello/Dave Prechl were 2nd in elite tandem TT- Fritz is 65 in 2011 so this qualifies for my blog