By John McKee
Saturday April 27th, 2013 and time for the San Luis Rey Road Race. This event has moved around the calendar over the years and there is a new out and back course that isn't quite as fun as the old circuit course but still this is a good event. Like many road races the climbers are favored here but not always. The 55/60+ racers were to go off at 7:35 am and the Super Masters or guys over 65+ would go off at 7:40 am. This race would be the SCNCA championship for the Super Masters. The cat 5s would go off at 7:45 am and I only mention this because they become part of the story in the Super Masters (SM) race.
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| John Howard, John Rubcic and Hylton Murphy post race |
It was a little foggy and overcast when I got there but the weather was suppose to improve quickly. Mid 70s. Nice day for racing. The 55/60s would do 3 laps while the Super Masters would do 2. The 55/60+ were off on time at 7:35 am. A good turnout. 27 55s and 15 60s. Some of the guys that would do the 60 race are racing 65+.
The SM race was off right after that. We the SMs all agreed to go down the hill the first time in neutral to try and keep anyone from over extending themselves and crashing out. It turned out to be a good idea. Even at neutral speed we had one rider come out of his pedal at the S turn. Myself and Hylton Murphy were right behind him though if he had gone down he would have slide off the road and out of our way.
Once down the hill we made a left turn and the race was on. Hylton attacked right away and he always does it but for some reason I was surprised. What a dope. Lol. I had no aspirations for this race and was just sitting in. John Howard started a short chase but I quickly figured out there weren't many guys left to chase with John Rubcic and Don Kimper on the same team. I helped, Mike Jenkins and Bill Langstaff took turns with John Howard but Hylton was pulling away. Hylton was feeling better than he did at the SCNCA criterium championship and was showing it. We all made the 1st turnaround and Hylton was ahead by several hundred meters. Once we made the right turn back for home and were going uphill it was really up to John Howard to bring Hylton back. There was going to be a selection going up the hill and I wasn't going to one of the chosen riders. I got popped about half way up and John Rubcic was right on John Howard while Don Kimper and Butch Richardson latched onto this chase group.
Going up the hill the cat 5s came by me and I didn't care. Let them go. They came by the chase group and the motor ref told the chase group to slow down and go neutral but the cat 5s just kind of sat there so to speak. JH wasn't happy with this as Hylton was still ahead. Now the details are a plenty and there are different versions but the motor ref didn't like what JH was doing and this would play out later.
Once the cat 5s actually got by they then did the same thing to Hylton. They actually did get away and did not play another part in the race though there were cat 5 riders all over the course. John Howard was doing all the chasing. I teamed up with Bill Langstaff and we decided to ride it in together. It would make for a more pleasant ride.
At the turnaround the 2nd and last time Hylton was starting to tire. JH was still pouring it on. John always got stronger as a race would go on. JH and his clan caught Hylton about half up the hill for the ride to the line. Nice try, Hylton. Didn't work but you never know. Don Kimper gave a dig and JH jumped on him but this was a obvious team fake thing. Rubcic was going to be tied to JH's wheel no matter what. JR use to do this to Kenny Fuller and drive him crazy but he is just doing team tactics this day and using his strength which is his awesome race finish. His sprint. Top end speed! Mr. Rubcic has that and then some.
John Rubcic came around John Howard at the end of the race for 1st place and John Howard would seem to place 2nd in 65+. Butch Richardson was next across the line for the win in 70-74. Don Kimper was next for what seemed like 3rd in 65-69. Hylton rolled in and then myself and Bill Langstaff.
The chief referee decided based on input from his motor ref to relegate John Howard to 6th place. That moved Don Kimper and Hylton Murphy up on the podium.
Besides Butch wining the 70-74 category, Robert Paganini won 75-79, John Sanmartini won 80-84 and Link Lindquist won 85+. Link was the only person in his race but he wasn't last across the line. Link rode very well. Way to go Link at 86!
Now the speedsters. The 55 and 60+ categories. They were to do 3 laps.
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| 65-69 official podium- Kimper 2, Rubcic 1 & Murphy 3 |
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| 75-79 podium- 2 Sowers, 1 Paganini & Camarena 3 |
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| 70-74 podium- Fitzgerald 2, Richardson 1 |
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| The really ageless one-Link Linquist 1 in 85+ |
Mark Hoffenberg took it hard out of the gates. No neutral here. Mike Birditt and Mark Ainsle chased and caught on to Mark. Mike trains here all the time so he took the lead going down. At the bottom of the hill where you make a left off of Lilac Larry Shannon, Mike McConnell and Bill Ralph attacked. They got a gap and the 2 major teams were in the break group so Rockform/Rock n Road and UC Cyclery did no work at chasing and were doing there best to slow things down. Mike Birditt and Brad House tried to chase but with out any success. After the turnaround Mike hit it hard around the feed store. He got a gap on the peleton and had Steve Hensler and Jeff Moreton in tow. Mike took it too Lilac and there still was a gap but they weren't making much in the way of closing the gap on the 3 leaders. Jeff and Steve were working enough to stay away from the pack but not enough to catch the leaders. Mike M. got dropped around the 2nd turnaround and waited for the small chase group. Once Mike McConnell got in the group Steve could work all out.
At some point back to Lilac Steve Hensler tried to bridge to the lead group but with no success. Steve was in the lead amongst the chasers going up the hill the 2nd time with Jeff next up the hill and Mike/Mike doing the best they could. Once around the cones at the top for the last lap they regrouped on the way down. The last turnaround saw the leaders with a one minute gap to the chase group and the chase group had a nice margin over the peleton.
The chasers worked together going to and up the first part of Lilac. Half up the hill for the last time they see the lead duo who were taking it easy. The leaders stopped taking it easy and took off.
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| Larry Shannon bested Bill Ralph for the win in 55+ |
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| Bill Ralph rolls across the line for an excellent race |
Larry Shannon really put the pressure on at the end and it was too much for Bill Ralph. Larry 1st and Bill 2nd. The race for 3rd in 55+ had Steve and Jeff leading the way up the hill with Mike Birditt slightly behind and Mike McConnell off the back. As the road leveled out a bit Mike B. put it in his big ring and started to make up ground. The 2 guys ahead of him saw this started to move it faster but Mike was locked on. At 200 meters Mike hit and gapped Jeff who was next and then Steve. Mike McConnell then rolled in for 6th place in 55+.
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| Birditt out sprints Moreton and Hensler for 3rd place |
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| Mark Hoffenberg leads a 10 pack in for 7th place in 55+ |
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| Mark Huffman rolling to the line for the win in 60+. Szkalak and Rodiguez in this group for 2 and 3 in 60+ |
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| Nice ride by Steve Borer for 4th place in 60+ |
Mark Hoffenberg lead a group of 10 riders in for 7th place in 55+. In this group were the 60+ podium placers. They finished like this(all UC Cyclery)1st- Mark Huffman, 2nd- Kal Szkalak and 3rd- Paul Rodiguez. Steve Borer rolled in a bit later for 4th place. 5th and 6th place in 60+ were taken by Fred Haim and Steve Bernede.
This was a fun race on a beautiful day in Southern California. Good turnout and good racing. That's all for now folks! Train hard and race safe! Full results below.
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| 55+ podium- Ralph 2, Shannon 1, & Birditt 3 |
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| Szkalak 2, Huffman 1 & Rodiguez 3 |
| San Luis Rey RR (Rank 2.0)
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Masters 65-69
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Place
|
License
|
Name
|
Team
|
SoCal Points
|
|
1
|
48760
|
John Rubcic
|
UC Cyclery/JW Floors
|
0
|
|
2
|
195498
|
Donald Kimper
|
UC Cyclery/JW Floors
|
0
|
|
3
|
72995
|
Hylton Murphy
|
UC Cyclery/JW Floors
|
0
|
|
4
|
180386
|
John McKee
|
Paramount Racing
|
0
|
|
5
|
49334
|
William Langstaff
|
Team Simple Green/Bike Religion
|
0
|
|
6
|
16876
|
John Howard
|
|
0
|
|
7
|
17745
|
Michael Jenkins
|
Adams Avenue Bicycles
|
0
|
|
8
|
57891
|
Bruce Geddes
|
|
0
|
|
9
|
101582
|
William Carvin
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
Total # of riders
|
9
|
|
|
|
| San Luis Rey RR (Rank 2.0)
|
|
Masters 85+
|
|
Place
|
License
|
Name
|
Team
|
SoCal Points
|
|
1
|
235545
|
Link Lindquist
|
Team Velosport Club
|
0
|
|
|
|
Total # of riders
|
1
|
| San Luis Rey RR (Rank 2.0)
|
|
Masters 75-79
|
|
Place
|
License
|
Name
|
Team
|
SoCal Points
|
|
1
|
45763
|
Robert Paganini
|
PAA/REMAX
|
0
|
|
2
|
351238
|
Leon Sowers
|
San Diego Cyclo Vets
|
0
|
|
3
|
99513
|
Edward Camarena
|
Veloce Santiago
|
0
|
|
|
|
Total # of riders
|
3
|
|
|
| San Luis Rey RR (Rank 2.0)
|
|
Masters 80-84
|
|
Place
|
License
|
Name
|
Team
|
SoCal Points
|
|
1
|
50695
|
John Sanmartini
|
Velo Avanti Cycling Team
|
0
|
|
|
|
Total # of riders
|
1
|
|
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