Saturday January
19, 2008
Bonelli Park, San Dimas CA
Urban Cyclocross
Series Finals
& UCI Cyclocross UCI
MEN Saturday January
19, 2008
Bonelli Park, San Dimas CA
The Urban Cyclocross Series
continued with the Encore Cycling Cyclocross at
Camp James in Irvine. It was another star
studded field and the racing was World Class.
Mike Bell, Superbowl of Motocross Champion and
motorcycle hall of famer, brought his son out to
race. It was an honor to see them both compete
in their respective categories. The Elite Men
1,2,3 field was once again graced by the
presence of Discovery Channel’s Tony Cruise.
This time Tony showed his experience and
patience moving his way up through the field
to a victory. Initially attacked by Lyle Warner
(Team Bearclaw), John Tzinberg (Kahala/LaGrange),
and Brandon Gritters (Rock
N Road), only Gritters
was able to match Cruz’s speed towards the
second part of the race. Gritters teammate Chris
Demarchi appropriately refused to help chase
Cruz and Gritters and Cruz was able to shake
Gritters off to roll away to the solo win. The
Singlespeed categories once again were bigger
than ever. Singlespeed A was a hotly contested
race between Singlespeed newcomer Mike McMahon,
Coley King, and Cid Castillo. In the end,
McMahon secured the win in a sprint but Noah
Holcomb maintained his series lead by one point
by managing a fourth place finish. The Women
fields also saw several newcomers including Team
Ergon/Ellsworth rider Monique Sawicki who upset
the series leaders Lana Atchley (SC Velo) and
Rachell O’Connell (UCI/WPT Cheerwine) in her
first race of the series.
MEN'S CAT 3,4
1 Anton Petrov UCLA Cycling
2 Ted Willard Liquid Fitness/1031market.com
3 Ian Murray Triathletix
4 Griffith Vertican
NEWS Nov 19, 2007 NEWS
“Another first
rate event” was the word from
the riders at the Urban
Cyclocross SeriesTM ,
Turkey ‘Cross at
Entradero Park , Torrance
Ca hosted by Liquid Fitness
Cycling. Besides the excitement
of flying
bean bag turkeys being
tossed for extra series points
there was an early buzz when the
crowd learned legendary Ned
Overend, the godfather of cross
country mountain biking, was on
the start sheet for the Elite
Men 1,2,3 race. The question of
the day was how would "Deadly
Nedly", best known his UCI World
Mountain Biking Championship
Gold in 1990 and Bronze in 1991
and six NORBA National Mountain
Biking Championship titles 1986,
‘87, ‘89, ‘90, ‘91, ’92, handle
the infamous
Entradero Park hill and
the new turn with three log
barriers. Ned, racing for
Specialized, put the hurt on the
younger riders for most of the
race but in the end it was Team
Bearclaw’s Fritz Bottger taking
1st, Jason Lowetz in
2nd and Ned Overend
in 3rd.
Another surprise
took place in the Masters 45+
race. The addition of the ‘cross
friendly triple logs enabled the
cross riders to edge out the top
mountain biker Eddie Arnet.
Masters 45+ series leader Eddie
fell behind Jim Pappe and
Michael Longmire (who came all
the way from
Montana) to end up in 3rd.
But Eddie still holds on to his
series lead over Dave Hnatiuk.
A huge turnout of
Shimano Youth racers 12 & under
topped the day’s attendance at
over 150 riders and Back On
Track’s Random Cash handed out
by junior Duncan Reid to the
Elite Men category once again
entertained the crown
particularly when Lyle Warner
edged out Brandon Gritters for
one of the cash grabs!
Elite Men’s 1,2,3 Fritz Bottger 1st
Jason Lowetz 2nd Ned
Overend 3rd
NEWS October 28, 2007 NEWS
"Great course at Ken
Malloy. Although we missed the long dirt straight
away, this was a much better course." Bruce Temesy
"Your course last weekend was very nice and family
friendly." Dorothy Wong
"Great race yesterday! I had lots of fun."
Amy Hutner
"Thanks for putting on the
race today. I had a great time and I think the
course was fun. The fresh rains really made the
terrain fun." John Bailey
"Just wanted to thank you for
putting on such a quality race. I had forgotten what
a great job you do. (2000 was the last time I
raced.) Even though I finished last in the 55 race,
(a vine like branch got wound up in my rear
changer), I still had great fun ! See you in two
weeks and thanks again," Jim Stephens
"First off I want to say
what a fun race this was! The course is tough and
definitely a challenge. See you all on the 28th!
Thank you," Paul Avila
Urban
Cyclocross – Event # 2
October 28th,
2007
The
Urban CyclocrossTM
Series continued with the Black Cat CrossTM
at Ken Malloy Park. The cat grab once again
entertained both spectators and riders.
Bonus series points were picked up in the
Masters 45+ by Greg Castaneda (Lightning Velo)
and in the Singlespeed A by Noah Holcomb (Cannondale
Factory) for grabbing the ornamental cat and tossing it
at the announcer. The weather cooperated as clear skies and clean
air were the norm despite the recent wildfires.
The Elite Men 1,2,3 race was treated to an appearance
by Tony Cruz (Discovery Channel Team). Initially
missing the lead break of riders, the cruiser
was able to get rolling to eventually catch the
group that included Jason Lowetz (Team Bearclaw),
Brandon Gritters (Rock N Road), Gary Hanson
(Giant), and John Baily. After the catch, Cruz
tore the group apart with only Lowetz able to
hang on to Cruz but only for a short time as he
too could not keep Cruz’s pace. Hanson and
Gritters traded pace for several minutes until
an unfortunate bad remount caused Gritters to
snap his seat post taking both him and Hanson off
their bikes. A hilarious move was made
by Hanson as he chased his bike that had kept going
without him!
Once Hanson caught up to his bike, he was able to
settle in to a solid third place behind Lowetz
and Cruz. Gritters was lucky to be next to the
mechanical pit and lost no time as he retrieved
his spare bike to hold on to fourth place. A tremendous thank you to
SoCalPOBA
and South Bay Wheelmen for their help! A bit of rain 24 hours before race day made for
another excellent course and the Random Cash for the
Elite Men’s and Elite Women’s was again a hit
with the spectators and riders. Watch for more
cash to be handed out at random to the
riders at the upcoming Urban CyclocrossTM
Turkey 'Cross at Entradero Park in
Torrance, November 18th hosted by
Liquid Fitness Cycling.
For more information
visit
www.backontrackproductions.com
"Thanks for putting on the
race today. I had a great time and I think the
course was fun. The fresh rains really made the
terrain fun." John Bailey
"Just wanted to thank you for
putting on such a quality race. I had forgotten what
a great job you do. (2000 was the last time I
raced.) Even though I finished last in the 55 race,
(a vine like branch got wound up in my rear
changer), I still had great fun ! See you in two
weeks and thanks again," Jim Stephens
"First off I want to say
what a fun race this was! The course is tough and
definitely a challenge. See you all on the 28th!
Thank you," Paul Avila
"Thanks for a fun race
yesterday." Amy Hutner
Urban
Cyclocross – Event # 1
October
14th, 2007
Riders at this year's first Urban Cyclocross
SeriesTM
were treated to an exceptional course at the
Palos Verdes Peninsula High XC running course
due to the rain and thanks to hundreds of
student runners the day before. Men’s Elite
1,2,3 category started out with a lead group of
eight riders breaking away from the rest. Team
Bearclaw’s duo of Fritz Bottger and Jason Lowitz
rolled away only slowing down when Fritz stopped
to pick up the greenbacks scattered on the
ground and pocketed them. Yes, that was real
cash handed to the riders at random on the
course just for racing! Team BearClaw went on to
sweep the top three places in the Elite Men’s
category.
Prestigiously nestled among million dollar
homes, with an ocean view, Urban CyclocrossTM
#1 was an awesome race with perfect weather
conditions, No heat, no wind and no dust. Just
cool and sunny weather. The course was lengthen,
several new sections were added including
Capital Hill where cash was handed to (and
thrown at) the Elite Men and Women riders. This
was a huge success. Singlespeed categories were
also bigger than ever with a $100 value JANDD
messenger bag awarded to the fastest rider on
the first lap, Cid Castillo. Closing the day was
the Shimano Youth series which brought out a
peloton of young riders from SBW.
Watch for lots of cash to again be handed
out at upcoming
Urban CyclocrossTM
#2,
the Black Cat 'Cross/Ken Malloy Park October 28th.
This newly configured course will have more grass, more
turns, more hotdogs, more pavement, and no rocks. The Black Cat 'Cross is
hosted by SoCalPOBA
and
South Bay Wheelmen.
NEWS May 18, 2007 NEWS
Back by
popular demand
All new
race course
Live
entertainment
By the
water
New masters
category
A SoCal
Cup event
An
MCL event
Benefiting
local San Pedro charities; The Beacon House and
cleansanpedro.org
June 23rd, 2007
Celebrate
an Italian athletic sport, sample the best
Italian and seafood San Pedro has to offer,
enjoy carnival rides or view the latest in
“green” technologies. You’ll have plenty to
choose from if you head over to San Pedro at the
waterfront. View fast and exciting Pro/Amateur
bicycle racing in the streets at Harbor Blvd. In
Ports ‘O Call, celebrate La Festa di San Pietro,
La Piazza Cultural Center and the Fisherman’s
Fiesta. Enjoy the carnival rides, seafood and
activities celebrating the Italian Fishing
Culture. Or on the San Pedro Waterfront
Promenade, view the latest in “green”
technologies for your home or business at the
Clean Future Fair.
San
Pedro’s only athletic cycling event (founded in
1993), the
San Pedro Grand PrixTM
has
fast paced action for all. “The bicycle is the
greenest and most sustainable personal
transportation device and we need to support its
use at all levels including competition.” “We
are very excited to be working with the
Beacon House andCleansanpedro.org as we showcase
competitive cycling and promote tourism in San
Pedro”, said Brad House of the Bike Palace,
sponsor and promoter of the race and member of
the Los Angeles Bicycle Advisory Committee. At
8:00 AM participate in the San Pedro Grand Prix
beginners racing category. At 3:30 PM watch as
professional and top amateur cyclists compete in
the streets for a $1,500.00 cash prize list.
After the Pro race, watch the free youth races
for kids 12 & under where they can race their
bicycles free on the Grand Prix finishing
stretch on Harbor Boulevard. You just never know
where the next Lance Armstrong may come from!
Then at the end of the day, participate in our
opportunity drawing for a Nirve Classic Cruiser
Bike and other fabulous prizes.
NEWS Mar 17, 2007 NEWS
The 13th
Annual Los Angeles Circuit Race is
Sunday, March
25th in Westchester.
Back On Track Productions is proud to
have Cynergy Cycles as host bike shop
and volunteer group in addition to Major
Motion, 8th Wonder Cycling
and Ironfly. We encourage you to carpool
or ride your bike to this event. The Los
Angeles Circuit Race offers Lance
Armstrong Junior Olympic categories,
tandem and mixed tandem races and is
host to the Master’s Cycle League
series opener.
The Master’s Cycle
League continues in 2007 with its unique
format. Points and prizes are awarded to
teams. The new 35+ format adopted by
popular vote at the end of 2006, is
already attracting this highly charged
and experienced age group. MCL's prize
list is currently at $5,000 in
merchandise and cash combined. If you
would like to sign up a team (even one
rider can rack up points) or contribute
to the league (sponsors are always
welcome) contact
Back On
Track Productions at
310-328-3823 or
info@backontrackproductions.com
New
improvements to the Palos Verdes course added
even more excitement to highly charged Urban
CyclocrossTurkey 'Cross
on Nov. 19th. Competition was fierce in
several categories as only a few points separate
the top riders.
NEWS Nov. 14, 2006
NEWS
Urban Cyclocross continues
this Sunday, Nov. 19th
in Palos Verdes with the
Turkey Cross.
Grab strategically placed
turkeys for extra UCX series points
and shake up your standings! This SCNCA
inspected course in Palos Verdes has
undergone hours of upgrades. Look
for a new and wider finishing
stretch and a widened downhill
section to allow passing. Check
www.backontrackproductions.com
for a course map.
Urban Cyclocross is
open to everyone so
even if this is your first
'cross race of the season,
now is your chance to join
the fun at this coastal
course with cool weather
nestled among million dollar
homes. Bring a friend and
introduce them to cyclocross!
Our daily prize list
continues to grow and first
timers have won
some fantastic merchandise.
A big welcome to Dirt Chicks
Clothing Company (look for
the pink and black beanies)
and
SHIMANO
pedals will again be awarded
in select categories.
The SHIMANO
Youth Series, a
free cycling event for
riders 12 and under,
will again be hosted at
Palos Verdes and has
proven to be quite a hit
with the youngsters and
their parents!
The Urban Cyclocross is part of
the SCNCA SoCal CX Cup and
points are earned for that
series.
P. S.Specialized
MEN's Category 3 & 4
winners don't forget to redeem your
merchandise vouchers.
Additional Specialized equipment
price lists will be available on
race day.
NEWS Oct. 29, 2006
NEWS
Newcomer Vanessa Humic
wins 1st Place in the Women 3-4
Urban
CyclocrossTMBlack Cat ‘Cross
October 29th, 2006
The Urban Cyclocross
Series continued with the Black
Cat ‘Cross at Entradero Park in
Torrance on October 29th. 132 entries
enjoyed beach like weather at the hilly
location that borders Redondo Beach.
Even a gorilla raced during the day
though he did request some tape to put
on his leg to keep his fur out of his
chain! Urban Cyclocross Series "Black
Cat" bonus points were awarded in
Masters 35+, 45+, Specialized Men’s
category 3 & 4, and Beginner Men’s
categories. The improved course had more
pavement and wider sections allowing
riders to pass at any point on the
course. Michael
Easter (Elite Men’s 1,2,3),
Coryn Rivera
(Women’s Elite),
Javier Castaneda
(Cat 4), Ben
Bertiger (Jr 10-14),
Frederick Bottger
(Single Speed), and
Debbie Helms
(Women 35+)continued to dominate their
series by winning each of their
categories. Eddie Arnet (Masters 45+)
also had a great day. He grabbed a cat,
moved into the series lead, picked up a
first place win and got a new set of
Shimano pedals! A big welcome to Dirt
Chicks Clothing Company who joins us
as sponsor for the Women’s 35+ races. LA Tri Club was our host club for
the day and did an outstanding job
assisting with the event.
More highlights of the
day included the Shimano Youth
Races. The huge turnout required multiple heats as
friends, parents, and families cheered their kids on. Mini
BMX bikes stormed the abbreviated course followed by a few
bikes that still had training wheels. “We distributed over
5,000 flyers through the Torrance school district and it
paid off!” said director Brad House. Some kids even jumped
in for a second race! After the event the braver kids took
to the Entradero course showing they are ready to join the
three new juniors,
Andrew Hazeltine,
Casey Thayer and
Bobby Unverzagt
who raced cyclocross for the first time on
Sunday.
NEWS Oct. 24, 2006
NEWS
The Urban Cyclocross
series continues this Sunday,
Oct. 29th with the Black Cat
'Cross at Entradero Park in Torrance.
Join over 265 riders who have already
participated in this year's series and compete
for daily prizes, bragging rights, those
infamous yellow leaders socks, and SCNCA SoCal
CX Cup points.
The recently
increased daily prize list includes;
Men's Elite category 1,2,3 increased to
$650!!! ($400 cash & $250 merchandise), Masters
55+ merchandise prizes, and SHIMANO pedals (a
$200 value) for other select categories.
The
Black Cat ‘Cross, is a hilarious
extra points opportunity for riders to grab
strategically placed cats on the course and
toss them at the promoter as they cross the
finish line!
The
cornerstone of BMX roots in the City of
Torrance, Entradero Park offers a hard pack
sandstone formation well suited for a dust
free and fast paced Cyclocross event!
Numerous course improvements have been
undertaken and the course has been
inspected by SCNCA.
The Black
Cat 'Cross will also host the SHIMANO
Youth Series, a free cycling event
for riders 12 and under.
For more information visit
www.backontrackproductions.com
The
Urban CyclocrossTM Series continued on
October 15th with the
prestigious Gator Cross at Ken Malloy Park in
Harbor City. Over 200 riders crisscrossed the park
throughout the day! “It was another record breaker,”
said director Brad House, as double digit fields were
the norm for most categories! The Specialized Men’s cat
3 & 4 field topped 40 riders! “It had a lot of variety,
was challenging and fun. I liked the fact that it was
flat enough that it allowed areas to recover. Keep up
the good work,” stated Frank from Velo
Allegro. Numerous spectators were entertained by the several
close sprints and in the Men’s 1,2,3 category father/son
duo Mark and Chance Noble swept first and second place.
Chance’s win wowed us all as he wheelied his ‘cross bike
solo over the finish line! Urban CyclocrossTMSeries leaders donned yellow
socks making many of them easy targets for new
challengers. But most leaders held them off! The
arrival of Accelerade as a sponsor further increased our
prize list and provided some excitement in the
Specialized Men’s 3/4 category hot lap preem won by
Tomas Petricko of Mafia Racing.
South Bay Wheelmen, best know for their annual
Manhattan Beach Grand Prix, did a fantastic job hosting
the event while still being able to race.
Photo: Chance
Noble bunny hops the barrier
The 14th annual Urban Cyclocross SeriesTM
starts on Sunday, September 24th in Palos
Verdes.
Big thank you to the
SCNCA, Juniors 18 & under will race for free. The return of
Shimano's sponsorship will also bring a Shimano Youth Series
inviting riders 12 & under from local school districts and
youth clubs.
What a great opportunity for youth who may not otherwise
have a chance to try racing.
$10,000+ in total prize value currently for the
series!!!!
The popular SOUTH BAY/LONG BEACH AREA
CYCLOCROSS PRACTICES concluded Sept. 19th. Participants from twelve
clubs are looking forward to
Sunday, Sept. 24th, Urban Cyclocross Race #1.
NEWS Sept.
18th - LA Tri Club dinner and expo with Bob Roll!
