The 2012 SCNCA Junior Road Race Championship...

At the beginning of June the Southern California/Nevada Cycling Association (our regional division within the organizational structure of USA Cycling) held its District Road Race Championships along a 25 mile circuit in the Bakersfield area. It proved to be an outstanding weekend for SC Velo with team members taking wins in the Men's Category 4 race (Freddy Prado), and the Women's Cat 1-3 race (Amber Gafney). Those victories took place on Sunday, 3 June. The day before, the 2nd of June, the Juniors had their go. In the 15/16 age group, SC Velo racer, Seth Veenbaas took the win with a strong move leading up to the finish. An account of the race, by Seth, circulated on the teams Yahoo group, where it caught my attention. It is a terrific recounting of the race from the eyes of the victor and I thought it deserved a wider audience than just within the team. So, with that said, the following photos and race report are courtesy of Seth Veenbaas,

the 2012 SCNCA 15/16 Road Race Champion:

Jr. 15/16 podium

SC Velo Wins the SCNCA 15/16’s

Road Race Championship-

June 2, 2012

By: Seth Veenbaas

Our state championship race started the evening before while scouting out the racecourse in the squelching heat.  The steep, curvy roads were the host of several rattlesnakes basking in the light of the low sun.  Luckily on race day, the morning was cool with no snakes to be seen.  After being prepped by Dom on our team race strategy, we set off on the whistle for the 25 mile lap.  The race pace was slow and sketchy on the flats, but as soon as we hit the climb the pace jumped.  The climbers played their games at the front while rider after rider dropped off the back of the bunch; including two Specialized riders dealing with a flat.  Once we crested the first long climb, only about 10 athletes remained and we bombed the sharp descending turns and continued over the kickers to the turn around.  The State Crit. Champ, Andres Morales, had broken away before the turn around but no one had been too concerned, except for the defending Road Race Champion, Diego Binatena.  Diego had lost all his teammates on the first climb and seemed uneasy riding without support.  He called for others to take hard pulls in order to catch the lone break but few responded to his requests, so he did it himself. 

After catching the break about 2k away from the descent back down to the flats, Eric Oien, Christian Husband, and Efren Flores all tested the strength of the field with attacks.  Of course, the field didn’t let them break away so close to the finish so everyone settled in for the remainder of the climb and easy descent.  Back on the flat with about 6k to go I was happy to see my teammate Joe Tarrant pedaling next to me, and he happily offered to help me for the remainder of the race.  Just then SC Velo’s Matthew Chuml flew by the field.  He had buried himself to catch up after being dropped on the first climb but he didn’t rest after catching the field.  His break away was a huge help as Efren Flores worked hard in the wind to chase him down. He caught him at 1k to the finish line, at bottom of the steep kicker to the finish.

I held 3^rd wheel at the bottom of the hill and was surprised to feel my pedal strokes grow easier.  I glanced back to see ‘Quiet Riot’, Matthew, pushing me up the hill!  After a lengthy push and word of encouragement he sent me off and I became intensely focused.  I knew from my previous experience on this course a couple months earlier, at Vlees Huis, that sprinting too early would be a death sentence, so I anxiously waited on Diego’s wheel.  At the 300m mark I knew it was the perfect time to attack, because we were still out of sight from the finish line just around the turn.  I passed Diego and swung over hugging the double yellow line.  The feeling of being passed at the line at Devil’s Punch Bowl by Christian Husband hunted me. The fear of being passed so close to the line drove me to dig as deep as I could.  I was relieved when I glanced under my arms to see that at 50m to go no one had started to sprint around me.  I knew that we had secured our victory.  I crossed the line with an exhausted but exuberant face. 

Thank you to Dom Galenti, and Chris DeMarchi for the training and race advice you gave to our team.  Thank you Matthew, Joe, and Marcelo, it is a blessing to have such devoted team mates that are always willing to do what they can to help each other, even at their own sacrifice.  God has blessed me tremendously in this sport by the people and strength he has given me. 

final hill before the line