2015 San Dimas Stage Race, Stage Two: Inevitable
Yes indeed there is a reason (a good reason) I am starting this post with a photo of an OTR rider. It was, perhaps, inevitable that while running a little behind schedule I should get a pinch flat while riding over to the day's road race venue. The Co2 cartridge I had with me was on its last legs, just enough to allow me to limp over to Puddingstone Drive with about 10psi in my rear tire. Thankfully, the OTR tent was in sight, and they let me borrow their pump, suspicious as I may have looked. As it turned out one of the team I can count among the few (ten, or so) readers here, and that helped my cause. Anyway, thanks again OTR, and congrats on your Cat 4 win today (Earl Reyes).
James Qua (OTR Racing), not Earl Reyes who I did not seem to capture on film today (or maybe I did and just don't recognize him)
Over the years I have discovered there are a few inevitabilities I can expect to encounter at one point or another during any given race. I point these out now, merely for the benefit of the racers, an opportunity to learn from mistakes and change their evil ways, ways that change a good photo into a below average one. The first of these inevitabilities is the dropped head which, of course, results in a nice view of the top of a helmet, but little else:
the helmet of Benny Parks winning the Masters 50+ race
The more complex a race, the more likely it is that there will be the inevitable delay. Racers hate this because they just want to get on with the torture session, but I like this because it creates an opportunity for some nice candid photo ops:
candid being relative, I guess, since I am sure the ladies of Sas Mazda Macogep and DNA Cycling were aware of a telephoto eye pointing their direction
The blocked view is especially troublesome inevitability for rank amateurs such as myself who have become adequately adept at pointing, shooting and hoping for the best. Help us out by keeping out of the way of the important people:
why yes I did want that photo of the Yellow Jersey wearer climbing Heckler Hill
Racers, does it always have to be about you? I mean really, there is other stuff going on, in case you didn't notice. It seems inevitable that some racer will think he is more important than someone on the sidelines:
the Spy Giant Ride cheerleader and head bell ringer was clearly the more interesting character in this instance, but no, the Yellow Jersey wearer just couldn't share the spotlight this once.
Last of all is the head turn. Look I know you are waaay off the back, but why deprive spectators the opportunity to see that for themselves. The inevitable head turn, a cheap attempt to avoid shame, does no good because I've got your number:
Truth be known, what you just read and what appears to be is not accurate in this case - Michael Johnson (and Patrick Bos behind him), were out front of the Masters 35+ / 40+ field and had turned his head to check the gap. Different reason, same problem.
Some results:
Cat 5 Men, Stage 2:
1st Spencer Rathkamp (H&S Bicycles), 2nd David Jantz (SDBC), 3rd Nick Cohanneyer (SDBC)
Cat 5 Men GC (after 2 stages):
1st Spencer Rathkamp, 2nd Mark Tripp, 3rd Troy Templin (H&S Bicycles)
Cat 4 Women, Stage 2:
1st Tracy Chandler (Machines for Freedom), 2nd Courtney Wiseman (Incycle Racing p/b Full Circle Cycling), 3rd Kora Colassuonno (SWAT)
Cat 4 Women GC:
1st Natalie Tapias (CRCA / City MD Racing), 2nd Courtney Wiseman, 3rd Patricia Murray (SCBC / Emerald Textiles)
Cat 3 Women, Stage 2:
1st Lauren Mulwitz (Sisterhood of Cycling), 2nd Katie Clouse (Cole Sport), 3rd Kate Wymbs
Cat 3 Women GC:
1st Lauren Mulwitz, 2nd Vanessa Snapp (Incycle Racing p/b Full Circle), 3rd Amy Schultz (Spy Giant Ride p/b GQ-6)
Juniors 15-16, Stage 2:
1st Richard Holec (Nutrend Specialized), 2nd Cole Davis (Limitless Cycling), 3rd Eben Horacek (Fox Development Jr. Cycling Team
Juniors 15-16 GC:
1st Richard Holec, 2nd Cole Davis, 3rd Ruben Saatjian (Echelon Santa Barbara)
Juniors 17-18, Stage 2:
1st Christian Husband (SC Velo / Monster Media), 2nd Kyle Thornton (BYRDS), 3rd Max Freeman (Prestige Imports Porche/Audi)
Juniors 17-18 GC:
1st Christian Husband, 2nd Miles Daly (Team Swift), 3rd Leo Yip (Limitless Cycling)
Masters 50+, Stage 2:
1st Benny Parks (Jessup Auto Plaza), 2nd Chris Hahn (Velo Pasadena), 3rd Blake Reed (ArtsCyclery)
Masters 50+ GC:
1st Jeff Konsmo (Hot Wheels Factory Team), 2nd Robert Pasco (Airgas / Safeway Cycling), 3rd Chris Walker (Velo Pasadena)
Masters 55+, Stage 2:
1st Randall Tinney (Spy Giant Ride p/b GQ-6), 2nd Greg Fenton (Sun Coast Velo / UC Cyclery / JW Flooring), 3rd Kalman Szkalak (Sun Coast Velo)
Masters 55+ GC:
1st Greg Fenton, 2nd Richard Mull (Velo Club LaGrange), 3rd Yehuda Packman Packer (CORE)
Men Cat 4, Stage 2:
1st Earl Reyes (OTR Racing), 2nd Austin Stephens (University of Colorado), 3rd Lucas Rowton (Swami's Cycling)
Cat 4 GC:
1st Austin Stephens, 2nd Lucas Rowton, 3rd James Walker (unattached)
Masters 40+, Stage 2:
1st Charon Smith (Surf City Cyclery), 2nd Mike Easter (Monster Media Racing), 3rd Mark Noble ) Velo Pasadena
Masters 40+ GC:
1st Rudy Napolitano (Velo Pasadena), 2nd Philip Tinstman (Spy Giant Ride), 3rd Mark Noble
Women Pro/1/2/3, Stage 2:
1st Lex Albrecht (Team Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Stratagies), 2nd Brianna Walle (Team Optum), 3rd Leah Kirchmann (Team Optum)
Women Pro/1/2/3 GC:
1st Amber Neben (Visit Dallas Cycling), 2nd Brianna Walle, 3rd Allie Dragoo (Twenty16 p/b Sho-Air)
Spencer Rathkamp (H&S Bicycles), Cat 5 Road Race victory, and new Cat 5 GC leader
The Stage 2 Flickr album, with one hundred eighty-seven photos (or something like that) is now finished. It includes all categories from the day, but are less than a third of the total I took.
The photos are not a complete catalog, but are representative of all the others taken during the day, so if you don't see what, or who, you were looking for in the album, let me know with a race number and I will see what I can find. If you see a photo you like, feel free to download it (credit where credit due, of course). You can also contact me via email and I will gladly send a full size jpeg file of the image.
Want more? Go ahead and order your own copy of the CLR Effect racing annual. There are two editions available right now (2013 and 2014), and you can preview them by clicking the 2014 Seasons in the Sun Book Preview button near the top of the right hand column, or under the title banner at the top of the page.
Last of all is the head turn. Look I know you are waaay off the back, but why deprive spectators the opportunity to see that for themselves. The inevitable head turn, a cheap attempt to avoid shame, does no good because I've got your number:
Some results:
Cat 5 Men, Stage 2:
1st Spencer Rathkamp (H&S Bicycles), 2nd David Jantz (SDBC), 3rd Nick Cohanneyer (SDBC)
Cat 5 Men GC (after 2 stages):
1st Spencer Rathkamp, 2nd Mark Tripp, 3rd Troy Templin (H&S Bicycles)
Cat 4 Women, Stage 2:
1st Tracy Chandler (Machines for Freedom), 2nd Courtney Wiseman (Incycle Racing p/b Full Circle Cycling), 3rd Kora Colassuonno (SWAT)
Cat 4 Women GC:
1st Natalie Tapias (CRCA / City MD Racing), 2nd Courtney Wiseman, 3rd Patricia Murray (SCBC / Emerald Textiles)
Cat 3 Women, Stage 2:
1st Lauren Mulwitz (Sisterhood of Cycling), 2nd Katie Clouse (Cole Sport), 3rd Kate Wymbs
Cat 3 Women GC:
1st Lauren Mulwitz, 2nd Vanessa Snapp (Incycle Racing p/b Full Circle), 3rd Amy Schultz (Spy Giant Ride p/b GQ-6)
Juniors 15-16, Stage 2:
1st Richard Holec (Nutrend Specialized), 2nd Cole Davis (Limitless Cycling), 3rd Eben Horacek (Fox Development Jr. Cycling Team
Juniors 15-16 GC:
1st Richard Holec, 2nd Cole Davis, 3rd Ruben Saatjian (Echelon Santa Barbara)
Juniors 17-18, Stage 2:
1st Christian Husband (SC Velo / Monster Media), 2nd Kyle Thornton (BYRDS), 3rd Max Freeman (Prestige Imports Porche/Audi)
Juniors 17-18 GC:
1st Christian Husband, 2nd Miles Daly (Team Swift), 3rd Leo Yip (Limitless Cycling)
Masters 50+, Stage 2:
1st Benny Parks (Jessup Auto Plaza), 2nd Chris Hahn (Velo Pasadena), 3rd Blake Reed (ArtsCyclery)
Masters 50+ GC:
1st Jeff Konsmo (Hot Wheels Factory Team), 2nd Robert Pasco (Airgas / Safeway Cycling), 3rd Chris Walker (Velo Pasadena)
Masters 55+, Stage 2:
1st Randall Tinney (Spy Giant Ride p/b GQ-6), 2nd Greg Fenton (Sun Coast Velo / UC Cyclery / JW Flooring), 3rd Kalman Szkalak (Sun Coast Velo)
Masters 55+ GC:
1st Greg Fenton, 2nd Richard Mull (Velo Club LaGrange), 3rd Yehuda Packman Packer (CORE)
Men Cat 4, Stage 2:
1st Earl Reyes (OTR Racing), 2nd Austin Stephens (University of Colorado), 3rd Lucas Rowton (Swami's Cycling)
Cat 4 GC:
1st Austin Stephens, 2nd Lucas Rowton, 3rd James Walker (unattached)
Masters 40+, Stage 2:
1st Charon Smith (Surf City Cyclery), 2nd Mike Easter (Monster Media Racing), 3rd Mark Noble ) Velo Pasadena
Masters 40+ GC:
1st Rudy Napolitano (Velo Pasadena), 2nd Philip Tinstman (Spy Giant Ride), 3rd Mark Noble
Women Pro/1/2/3, Stage 2:
1st Lex Albrecht (Team Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Stratagies), 2nd Brianna Walle (Team Optum), 3rd Leah Kirchmann (Team Optum)
Women Pro/1/2/3 GC:
1st Amber Neben (Visit Dallas Cycling), 2nd Brianna Walle, 3rd Allie Dragoo (Twenty16 p/b Sho-Air)
The Stage 2 Flickr album, with one hundred eighty-seven photos (or something like that) is now finished. It includes all categories from the day, but are less than a third of the total I took.
The photos are not a complete catalog, but are representative of all the others taken during the day, so if you don't see what, or who, you were looking for in the album, let me know with a race number and I will see what I can find. If you see a photo you like, feel free to download it (credit where credit due, of course). You can also contact me via email and I will gladly send a full size jpeg file of the image.
Want more? Go ahead and order your own copy of the CLR Effect racing annual. There are two editions available right now (2013 and 2014), and you can preview them by clicking the 2014 Seasons in the Sun Book Preview button near the top of the right hand column, or under the title banner at the top of the page.
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