News & Notes
During the past 8 weeks of racing Don Myrah(Ibis/Buy cell.com) has ran off one of the more dominating streaks ever in Nor-Cal Cyclocross racing, by winning the 35+ Masters "A" division races non stop and going undefeated over this time period. This was no regular romp of one rider simply dominating a non competitive division. No, Myrah's legendary 2 month span of control was put forth on the most competitive division of all Nor-Cal Cross. This is a Master's division where each week there could be multiple riders in the field who have claimed medals at the USA National Championships. However, this past Sunday at CCCX #4, the 4 time Elite National Champion Myrah finally tasted defeat as the best Master's team in the nation hit him with their A+ line up. Cal Giant Inc. has arguably the very best Masters team in the United States of America. Past National champions Todd Hoefer & James Coates headline the program. There is also multiple time USA championship medalist and World's medalist Henry Kramer, as well as Gannon Myall, Anastasio Flores, and Eric Bustos. Yet it took all of these studs and the ace card in Cal Giant Inc. director Anthony Gallino's deck of Masters team members Justin Robinson, who this year is eligible for the 35+ USA crown, to put an abrupt stop to Don Myrah's tear through the Nor-Cal 35+ Masters division. Robinson was a surprise entry at the CCCX race in the 35+ "A" division, and the entire Cal Giant Inc. team turned the tables on Myrah to stop his win streak which lasted nearly 2 months. To his credit Myrah still finished 2nd on the day. However, Cal Giant Inc. controlled the racing and placed 5 of their racers in the top 7, but most importantly got the win from Justin Robinson. The action started out with Todd Hoefer pulling off his fastest start ever and attacking Myrah right from the gun, ripping off an almost psychotic fast paced first lap. Then James Coates hit Myrah in the gut trying to soften him up for the heavy weight assault still to come from Robinson. In the end it was Robinson's technical skills of bunny hopping the boards, combined with Robinson's pure brute strength that was displayed each time up the brutal run up, that finally put the knock out punch on Myrah's winning streak. Cal Giant Inc. director Anthony Gallino has assembled the finest group of Masters racers in America, and it took his full line up to end one of the most outstanding winning streaks in recent history of Nor-Cal Cyclocross racing. Please read on...Justin Robinson was forced to use all his skill and fitness to put a end to Don Myrah's winning streak in the Masters 35+ "A" division....
Myrah's lack of "air time" over the boards forced him to play catch up to the super skilled Robinson each lap, and in the end Cal Giant Inc. derailed his win streak....
Gina Hall has made a strong comeback to Cross racing in 2009. Sporting the Cal Giant Inc. team kit, Hall just missed the CCCX race win- losing only to Karen Brems(Webcor). Brems has been the most consistent Elite Women this season in Northern California Cyclocross racing...
The Toro Park course featured many high speed turns, a demanding run up, some tricky technical sections, and was rated highly by many riders....
Kathleen Bortolussi(HRS/Rock Lobster) was the MASTER WOMEN 35+ race winner on the day....
Stella Carey drilled it on the front to start the Elite Women's race at Toro Park.....
Haley Beann(Vanderkitten) had a good thing going in the Elite Women's race until a mechanical rear wheel issue set her back....
Courtney Shipman(Team Bike Station Aptos) was the B WOMEN race winner and leads the CCCX Series in that division as well...
Michele Monroe(Joselyns/Burnham Coaching) has had a standout 2009 Cross season. Monroe and Shipman have put on quite the battle in the Women's B division over the past few CCCX races....
Aaron Bradford(Onsite Ultrasound) has had a huge impact on the Elite Men's racing this season. Bradford was 2nd last week at the Surf City race, then backed that up with a win at CCCX Toro Park....
Full CCCX #4 results can be found here- http://www.cccx.org/2009/race4/index.shtml
Scott Mosher's photos from that race can be found here- http://www.scottmosher.exposuremanager.com/g/fallcccx4
Rick Rasmusen's photos from that race can be found here- http://bikeguy.smugmug.com/2009CCCX-CX-Races/CX-Race-on-Nov-8-2009
posted by Dusty Downs at 6:25 PM
13 Comments:
you do realize that "airtime" is the antithesis to the whole spirit of "cyclocross". right?
It's kinda sad that it took several riders to "break down" Myrah.
Ya racing in the 45's is just as much a pain in the berry.
as far as the spirit of cyclocross goes albert, if you could bunny hop you would do it
you either got the skill or you dont
and actually the very first cyclocross race ever around 100 years ago, the route had a series of downed trees where the winning rider, some dude named Jean-Luc hopped over the downed trees without dismounting his bike, and went on to the race win
it was Jean-Luc's air time that helped him with the first official cross race ever
so really cyclocross was about skills on the bike from the very begining
you either got certain skills and you enjoy using them, or you do not have the skills and you can either practice to learn more moves on the bike
or you can cry like a baby and come up with excuses as to why hopping over a board is not true cyclocross, when really cyclocross is about using different skills and techniques to be the fastest over a set course
remember that the very first cyclocross race ever had a series of obstacles where the winner hopped over them, so the true spirit of cyclocross is anything goes and the rider with the best strength and skill will most likely win
JR
oh.
I thought their feet got cold so they decided to run a little bit.
take it easy there captain diatribe, nobodys "crying like a baby". Although one little blurb sure seems to have ruffled your feathers.
Anyway, I think a healthy dialogue about what cross "IS", is interesting and important as not even the UCI seems to know sometimes.(not that they are the template that we should try to emulate to a T though).
Bottom line is a little "airtime" here and there is fine. When it begins to become the focus, I think we are veering off in the wrong direction....
my 2 cents....
Albert Zweifel just happened to be the best technical rider of his era.
He was known for jumping over obstacles on his bike and one of his most legendary moves was hopping up a set of stairs to gain a edge over the other riders. Also the greatest Cyclocross racer of recent times, Sven Nys is known for jumping up and over anything possible to gain a edge on his rivals.
Just a little thought for you to contemplate.
Another note on Justins impressive win was that he started at the very back of the field and ripped through everyone in the first lap to catch the leaders. That's no small task in the 35+ field.
TT
I probably should have been more clear and less glib(sorry tom cruise).My apologies for that(not sarcastic).
My point is, I see a difference between a course where the very most skilled riders can ride a "run-up", or stairs, or bunnyhop fullsize barriers that arent spaced faaaar apart and a course with little barriers spaced "faaar" apart, turning courses a little more into high speed air-show and a little less (imo)"CYCLOCROSS".
I think its silly to say "anything goes". Obviously there is a question of what the right balance is to the makeup of most cross courses (and the parameters for this "balance" dont need to be narrow of course).
For the same reason you dont have too much high speed bunnyhopping: you dont have 5k climbs @ 10%, or running through mud 70% of the lap or a flaming moat filled with weasels.
Anyway, I probably just need to get laid, so take it all with a grain....
peace.
hey Albert Zweifel dude
i can bunny hop and there were like course after course where it was no bunny hopping at all! each week i have been wanting a few sections to use some of my hopping skill. then there is a section where you can finally do some hopping and your making comments as to how or why this is not in the spirit of cyclocross. thats LAME
i actually kept telling the promoters to please add a section where you can hop some stuff. each week the promoters did not make this possible. finally the last few weeks there have been sections spaced just right to hop if you had the skill, and this leads to a guy like you who can not get laid or bunny hop over the boards making comments on how it is wrong or not in the spirit of cyclocross to simply bunny hop your bike if possible. all in all thats super weak. just take what the course gives you and do your best with whats at hand. thanks to the promoters like tom simpson and shane huntoon who put in sections where hopping up and over things on your biike can be done. and to anyone who can not bunny hop, get out there and practice, and when you start doing it right you will enjoy it instead of complain about it.
Logan
Well, for the sake of accuracy logan, there has been bunnyhop sections every weekend out of the 3 major series(cccx,pilarcitos,surf city) with the exception of the surf city soquel race.(incidentally a SUPERB course, and while Im at it, cccx 1 and 3, and the latest version at coyote point were great courses too)
Its also silly to assume that I cant bunnyhop because I pose the question how much should bunnyhopping/"airtime" play a role in the outcome of norcal cross races.
Logans grades.
*bunnyhopping: A- (I saw that crash picture dude, so a minus)
*reading comprehension: D+ (think you mist the gist)
Anyway, Ive shot my wad on this topic.. (short refractory period though).....
I think that it's great that we have a variety of courses and races to choose from. If I was trying to do them all my wife would want a divorce. All you bunny hopping debaters; at SRCX they had 4 barriers spaced fairly close together. Everyone had to run them. Being 6'3" I pride my stride but with fatigue I stacked into the barriers. Oh ya, lift the bike higher I thought.
I love all the courses I must say. If there is running sections great! If there is tricky downhill sections great! Hills great! Bunny hopping geat! I just like getting out there and racing. Too bad everyone just does not enjoy it all like me. But what I do think is funny is the ones who actually complain about stuff. I really feel sorry for the folks who complain over things like hopping over a board by some other riders. It is all fun here in Nor-Cal and you should always keep it fun!
BL
...jeez, guys...it's cross, where you use whatever skills you have for whatever you confront...btw, laurence malone used to palp the barrier jump...
...don't start sounding like a bunch a' whiny road riders...man up...group hug, get back to it...
...& don myrah ???...don myrah was kick ass, is kick ass & will always be kick ass no matter how many guys w/ giant strawberries on their pants try n' team up on him...
...just sayin'...
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