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Piru TT 3/7
Sunday – Piru 20K TT 3/7
Steve Smith
Written by Platinum rider Tom Anhalt
Early Sunday morning, Bill and I traveled down to Piru and got ready
to do the CBR 20K TT. Prof. Smitty also joined us (with Ruffles in
tow as his race support) and we all toed the line in slightly cool,
damp, and windy conditions. The result – I finished 2nd (just 4 sec.
out of first – arghhh!) and Bill snagged third in the Cat 4 division,
while the Prof dominated the Cat 3 division (he apparently scared the
rest of them off 
Cat 3
Steve Smith – 1st place – 30:05
Cat 4
Tom Anhalt – 2nd place – 29:05
Bill Lupo – 3rd place – 30:08
Island View Classic Crit 3/6 part 1
lonely in the Cat 4 race at the IV Classic on Saturday. To make up
for that, both Bill and I won primes (Clif shot blocks and mini-bars
that we split up), and my prime effort launched me into a multi-lap
effort off the front about mid-race. After suffering out there solo
about 4-5km with no hint of anyone attempting to bridge up and help, I
slinked back into the group and tried to rest up for the finale.
Being tactically astute, of course Bill counterattacked as soon as I
was brought back…but, again, being a Cat 4 race, it was to no
avail.
The last couple of laps really ramped up in pace and the front of the
pack started splintering. I dug hard and was able to be in a good
position at the final turn…in fact, the race winner was on my wheel
at that point. The difference between us was he instantly hit it on
the outside of the pack while I tried to pick my way up the curb side
of the course…big mistake for me (I ended up 7th) but a big win for
local boy John E. Bill finished 17th.
Cat 1,2,3Tom Anhalt 7th
Bill Lupo 17th
Island View Classic Crit 3/6 Part 2
This wasn’t exactly anybody’s “A” race and nobody felt any real pressure, so we didn’t make any complicated plans in our pre-race meeting. Instead we decided to just keep throwing people off the front with the rest keeping control of the main group behind. All the big hitters were up at MERCO so that plan should be pretty straight forward. Our field was only 50 riders, mostly all solo guys other than multiple LaGrangians and StumpGrinders.
…and basically things went according to plan. There was almost always a move off the front and it always had at least one Platinum rider represented.
Adrian was very active as usual.
Zach and I tried our hand. (I don’t think he gets much draft from me!)
Cookie worked with CWalk in a number of moves.
Meanwhile, multiple Platinum riders always had control of the group.
Eventually Gary got clear with another rider, and soon Adrian bridged up with four more. Their lead built up to 20-25 seconds thanks to big pulls from Adrian and CWalk. In the end, the LaGrange rider uncorked a speedy sprint for the win and Gary took 2nd. Adrian dropped off and rolled in 7th after a hard day’s work, and Cookie and I rounded out the top-10.
Photos from the Island View Classic
Callville Bay Classic Stage Race
The weather forecast, clouds, and radar all looked ominous leading up to this race, and sure enough minutes before we went off it started raining. It sprinkled off and on for the first half but was clear and quite nice by the end. All things considered, it went ok for me, but I was hurting for most of it until about the last 8 miles. I positioned myself well near the end, but an accident at the finish of the previous race (Women 3/4) and the resulting emergency personell all over the road complicated things and I never really sprinted, coasted in for 18th, 29 seconds back from the solo break, with Smitty on my wheel and Derek a few minutes back. Only 30 finished in the main field out of the 53 starters; I moved up to 22nd in the GC, and Smitty moved up to 18th.
The crit was much harder than I remembered from last year… although the very stiff winds did not help me, and I’m pretty sure that they tightened up the radius of the final sweeping corner. I was really suffering until about halfway in, where I think I finally losened up and stopped sketching myself out. I was near the back for most of the race, but I could Smitty and Derek together near the middle frequently and a few moves by Derek on the front. The final lap through there was an accident in that corner, someone clipped a pedal and went down and many of us. Derek sprinted for 4th, I had to go way wide, around a light pole and over a speed bump, and coasted in for a pack finish.
The Dirt Season Has Begun!!!!
Platinum Gets Wild at the Sagebrush Safari
By Platinum rider Amanda Schaper
The 2010 mountain bike season kicked off yesterday with the Sagebrush Safari in San Diego, the first of both the Kenda Cup Qualifiers and the 8-race Team Big Bear So Cal Series. The Sagebrush course is considered by many to be the best of the So Cal Series, and I have to say I agree. The long climbs provide plenty of opportunity to put some distance on the competition, and the singletrack descents simply can’t get any better. With flowy banked turns, air-catching whoops, don’t-grab-the-brakes steep shoots, techy rocky sections, and some deep water crossings thrown in the mix, Sagebrush delivers everything you’d hope to ride on a mountain bike. It’s good being on a course that isn’t 90% fire road. After Saturday’s rain, the course was in perfect condition. There was definitely some mud out there, but for the most part we were cruising over grippy, sticky dirt, with no loose sandy stuff to speak of. The Cat 2’s and elder Cat 1’s ran about a 20 mile lap, while the young and handsome Cat 1’s (i.e., Gary and Adam) put in about 30 miles.
As for me, I not only had the most fun I’ve ever had at a cross country race, but definitely the most success as well. I’ve really stepped up my training this year and have been working hard to get fast. I’m currently a Cat 2, but I made it a goal to upgrade to Cat 1 by the end of this season. Since I’ve been suffering through so many interval-filled hours on my bikes, I put a lot of pressure on myself to do well, and naturally went into the race pretty nervous. The awesome support I had at the race (thank you John Behrens!) got my bike dialed and made sure that I did all those things you’re supposed to do to have a good race, you know, like warming up (something I neglected to do in the past). I have to admit that warming up on a trainer in the parking lot made me feel pretty legit. By the time I was lined up at the start, I was pretty confident. I had my game plan: stay in the middle of the pack on the initial 2-mile flat section, fighting the urge to jump out in front (that whole concept of drafting and conserving energy…roadies do know some things!), and then start trying to pull ahead part way up the first climb. After the start, I felt really antsy to get off the front, but knowing that I’d just end up pulling the whole group behind me, I nervously stayed put in the pack. After a few minutes, I heard somebody shrieking “SCHAAAAAPER!” as they flew by me. It was my good friend Eric Colton, who was racing his first mountain bike race and decided to race Cat 3. He started two minutes behind me, but since he’s a super fast road and cross guy, he caught the Cat 2 girls pretty quick. When he flew by, I made the game time decision to ditch the girls and jump on his wheel. To my surprise, not a single person came with me. This was definitely a smart move because although I only able to hang with Colton for a few minutes, I put a big gap on the rest of my field, and never saw any of them again until well after I finished. I won my age group, and I was the fastest Cat 2 girl overall by six minutes. I was stoked to say the least, especially when Bobby Sr. ran up to me with a big hug yelling, “That’s my girl!” That alone made all of those intervals worthwhile. So my goal of upgrading to Cat 1 by the end of the season? Well, consider that checked off the list, and the season’s just barely started. I’ll be racing with the big girls now, and it’s already shaping up to be a good year.
As for everybody else, the Platinum riders that made the trek to San Diego had a strong showing, ending up with a total of six top-3 finishes. Gary Douville (Cat 1 35-39), Bobby Langin Sr (Cat 1 50-54-but-doesn’t-look-a-day-over-32), and Amanda Schaper (Cat 2-but-not-for-long 19-29) each pulled off the big W. As a side note, Gary had no choice to ride fast because he was being chased by his dad Steve, who’s in town visiting and decided to do his first mountain bike race since the 90s, earning the gold in the Cat 3 55+ field. Seems like winning runs in the family! Jon Miller (Cat 1 55-59) came in 2nd, and Jon Biron (Cat 1 50-54) and Mike Weber (Cat 1 55-59) each landed on the 3rd spot of the podium. Mark Luke (Cat 2 50-54), Brandon Drose (Cat 1 17-18), and Adam Poytress (Cat 1 30-34) also had solid finishes in their fast fields. At the end of the race, everybody was covered in mud and swapping stories about the awesome course. What’s more, we all looked darn good in our flashy new black kits, if I do say so myself.
Platinum Results:
Gary Douville — 1st — Cat 1 35-39 — 2:11:04.4
Bobby Langin Sr — 1st — Cat 1 50-54 — 1:28:05.2
Amanda Schaper — 1st — Cat 2 19-29 — 1:48:02.9
Jon Miller — 2nd — Cat 1 55-59 — 1:30:45.5
John Biron — 3rd — Cat 1 50-54 — 1:29:39.0
Mike Weber — 3rd — Cat 1 55-59 — 1:37:13.9
Mark Luke — 6th — Cat 2 50-54 — 1:47:32.10
Brandon Drose — 8th — Cat 1 17-18 — 1:51:52.1
Adam Poytress — 11th — Cat 1 30-34 — 2:29:10.4
Let the races begin…Platinum style!!!
Poor College Kids Road Race Los Olivos 2/30/10
Platinum had eight riders in the 40-man field and our competitors included some top US professionals in addition to the usual SoCal road racers. We had the largest team and so we went on the attack immediately from the gun, with Ben Haldeman quickly gaining a couple-minute lead. The rest of the team marked every single attempt to bridge up to Ben, and generally disrupted any cohesive chase. On the return leg of the first lap, newly-minted Cat 2 Chester Gillmore marked an attack by long-time strongman Chris Walker and soon the two of them bridged up to Ben, making the lead break two Platinum riders out of three. Soon after, Matt Dubberley successfully separated himself from the field and was joined by several other riders attempting to get up to Ben. Unfortunately, Chester crashed at the beginning of the second lap which left a fatigued Ben alone with the fresher Walker. After 60 miles in the lead, Ben finally succumbed and had to let Walker go. He was soon joined by Matt and two others, and they came into the finish with a good lead over the field, rolling in for a solid 4th and 5th place. Meanwhile, Gary Douville went with a strong move from the remaining pack and sprinted to 9th place against some very fast professionals. The rest of the team (Takeda, Cook, Gerrits, and Fennell) rolled in with the surviving field, having put in a solid day’s work.
Brandon Droese and Steve weixel
First off I have to give it up to the UCSB kids for stepping up to the plate and putting on such a great event right in our own back yards. The course has been used off and on over the years (previously known as good ol days) and with the new pavement on the back side this course kicked but. Hopefully the UCSB racing organization will continue to provide great bike racing in California for many years to come.
It was an out and back course in Santa Ynez right in the heart of wine country; home to such famous brands as Brander and Firestone. There is a little hill, but nothing too bad. We had numbers on our side and fielded an 8 man squad of seasoned (albeit somewhat out of practiced) Cat 1’s. I think Ron and I were the only cat 2’s on our team.
So how did it go down? Well I’m glad you asked. Like any good well organized team we met about 30 minutes before the race to go over the ‘plan’. The idea was pretty simple: we had enough guys to try to go with everything and with the center line rule in effect we wanted to try to stay towards the front. The roll out was slow. Very slow… Slow enough to allow the Hammer to roll off the front at a cool 16 mph. Before the hill he was out of site. After that there were several attacks which the team covered very nicely.
On the back side Walker rolled off and I was in good position and it was my turn so I rolled with him. The back side of the course saw a tail wind that did not provide much draft… especially behind Walker. With a team mate up the road I was sitting on, which C-walk was not too happy about (and oh man did he let me know it), but I felt as though I was tactically in the right. We caught The Hammer on the hill going into the end of the first lap and opened up a Gap of around 3 minutes. Once we caught The Hammer I started pulling and also started to get very excited that I was off the front with a sizable gap in my first ever p12 road race with team advantage. Ben (The Hammer for those not in the know) was pretty tired from a hard 30 miles already but seemed to be finding incredible bursts of speed. Apparently that went on for the rest of the race where he would almost throw in the towel but then find some energy down deep. I was taking it easy when I was pulling through on the downhill stretch because I knew that Chris was not going to make it easy on the hill. Other then that I was pretty excited to be in a break with riders who typically win from break aways… Then came the turn around and the end of my race. I don’t want to get into to what happened or how it went down but I hit the pavement, broke my seat and tweaked the handlebars and shifters…
As quickly as it started it ended. The moto ref came rolling up and said “You have over three minutes on the main field if you want to get on rolling”. I looked at my bike and decided nahhh… this race was over for me.
Shortly after Mdub came rolling up in a chase group that eventually shattered to only 4 riders who ran into the Hammer. But Cwalk had dropped Ben on the hill and rolled into a solo victory. Good win for Coastal Tree Care who are local to Solvang.
Right behind him nipping at his heels was the chase group that had absorbed Ben right after the climb. Mdub rolled in for a 4th place with Ben right behind him at place 5. Three more riders who had been shelled from the chase rolled in next and Gary Won the field sprint (I think) for a 9th place finishing… So that was that: The first road race of the season with 3 top tens in the race.
Eighty masters riders from all over California started this race, and Platinum Performance fielded a strong eight-man team, including Chris Brown, Bill Lupo, Kim Bleth, Mark Fennell, Mark Luke, Tom Anhalt, Peter Boberg, and Ron Takeda. Among our competitors was a current World Champion from the velodrome, the current national criterium champion, and a former Olympian. All the Platinum riders rode near the front of the pack, contributing cohesively to our goals and animating the race. We made many attempts to establish a successful breakaway, including a multi-lap escape by Tom Anhalt, but the fast field wasn’t allowing us any leash. Despite our best efforts, the race came down to a field sprint against the aforementioned speedsters. Ron and Chris fought for position and stayed up front, and successfully sprinted to top-10 places. Ron got 5th and Chris got 8th, capping off a great team performance. Average speed of the race was 27 mph.
Gary Douville attacks the Nationals!
Gary was all smiles!!!
Gary in the mix!
Respectable finish with two flats!!!
Photos taken by Dorothy Wong
‘Cross Nationals, 50-54 Masters
December 12, 2009
Bend, Oregon
I thought it would be dry, dusty and hot...
Oh yea, let’s do the cross nationals; it’ll be fun (note the tone of sarcasm in the statement). Being a guy who grew up here in Southern California, riding in the mud and snow is really not my “cup of tea” but one of Platinum Performance’s newest members, Jon “Coach” Miller made it sound like so much fun. That darn guy (Coach) talked me into going a couple years back in Kansas; I did indeed get on the plane to Kansas but ended up in Negative Town instead. That year I learned, however, that if one is to have a good experience, one needs to have a good attitude so in the following two years I’ve done my best to work that angle. Regardless of conditions I was bent on smiling a lot and then working as hard as possible to appropriately represent our so cal cyclists demographic.
I was happy to learn while checking in that, due to Ned Overend moving up to the 55-59 class and Henry Kramer’s retirement, that I’d be getting the first call up. Having some trouble with health this year along with 103 folks pre-registered, I was thinking this may be the highlight of my weekend. I called out to my lovely wife, “Linda, make sure to get a picture ‘cause it could go downhill quickly from there”.
Later that day (Friday) Gary Douville and I went out for a few practice laps to check conditions, find the good lines, and make sure we could hit the tough sections without incident; unfortunately about a thousand of our friends had the same idea so plans of doing any hot laps were soon quelled. Nonetheless were able to identify problem areas and get a good idea of what we needed to do on Saturday.
The next morning my class, 50-54 Masters was the first group to go (race at 8:30 AM) so I showed up at 7:45 to get in a couple laps to re-check lines. This is where things got dicey as I experienced a dang heart arrhythmia during the second lap and knew my day was over. “Linda, really make sure to get that shot of that start.” In spite of my adolescent, party-monster behavior, I’m also a devote Christian so there was not shortage of praying for a good event without heart trouble; I was blessed with just that.
The gun went off promptly at 8:30 AM leading us down a long, asphalt straight into a left turn that took the group up and into what used to be grass (now frozen dirt and snow). I figured I’d go as hard as I could until the ol’ ticker did its thing and then do my best to finish. Coming out of the first turn I was riding around 4th or 5th and then made a couple of moves putting myself into 2nd going into the “forest” section. The leader had trouble in a tight right hander sliding out on some ice—and nearly taking me with him. However, I was able to get around and then heard some trouble behind me (wheels sliding, bikes a crashin’). Not one to be very patient I decided to attack and [at least] not to let anyone suck wheel. “Holy smokes, I’m in front at a cross national!” I figured it would be fun just to see how long I could make it last and nearly made it to the end of the first lap when we entered a run/ride up section and I faltered on some ice and was forced to dismount which allowed a motorcycle hero of mine from way back; multi-time National Enduro Champion, Kevin Hines, to pass.
I did my best not to be too star-struck and keep Kevin in sight and actually made up some ground on lap 3 (“hey, my heart’s okay!”) but he saw me coming back and then threw down some great laps and got his sizable lead back. I fell down a couple times (everyone fell a couple times), but was able to get through the event without any heart trouble and finish in second about 45 seconds behind Mr. Hines and about the same in front of third place Rich Cramer. Whew, that was a sort of miracle.
The ride of the day, however, was the man who finished 4th, Thomas Price. This guy crashed on the start straight and broke his chain forcing him to run with his bike to the pit area to get his backup machine. Fortunately the pit wasn’t too far into the lap but it put him at the back of the huge field. Passing on this course was no easy task so finishing fourth was darn super-human. He made a lot of fans that day.
At the end of the day, regardless of finishing position, the event turned out to be more about the experience. It was like falling in love with cycling all over again and getting to enjoy the sights and sounds of a complete spectacle. It really is a spectacle; in fact my voice is still crackly from all the screaming for my pal Gary and the others from down south. Speaking of which, you should have seen what Gary did in the Elite class; an unbelievable performance coming from WAAAAAY back (started 92nd) to finish 36th among a field of more fast people than I’ve even seen in my life. Bravo Gary! So, “come on, let’s all do the cross nationals next year, it’ll be fun!” Thanks COACH!!!!
Platinum comes up big in Oregon!!
USA National Cyclocross Championships, Bend Oregon 2009
Bobby Langin Sr had the race of his life to finish 2nd in a huge field in the Master 50-55 division. The conditions were extreme for the California boys. Freezing temps, snow, ice and mud….everything you expect from a cyclocross race! I attached a photo of Bobby doing his thing! Platinum’s newest rider Jon Miller rode to a solid 6th place finish in the Master 55-59 class. Gary Douville had his hands full with a stacked Master 35-39 division that had more than 150 riders competing for the stars and stripes. Gary started strong, but flatted twice to put him in a respectable 36th place. Gary took on the big boys the next day in the Elite class. He performed well and placed 36th out of 135 starters. I can’t wait for the write ups! Team Platinum was well represented in Oregon.
