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SoCal Prestige Series #5: Convert 'Cross- NE
Lake Casitas, Ojai, California, USA, November 4, 2007
Rivera and Easter win elite races
By Dave Sheek
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The Southern California Prestige Series (SCPS) was near its midpoint with Sunday's Convert Cross presented by Successful Living Amateur Cycling Team. A new course was introduced using the scenic Lake Casitas Recreation Area in Ventura, California. This new venue featured lake views and a challenging 1.5 mile course consisting of 30% road and 70% grass/dirt – and in true cyclo-cross fashion, it sent riders through multiple dismounts and small power climbs on a technical course.
The women's elite field went out on course first and starting with a bang was the young Coryn Rivera of Team Redline Bikes, the prestige series points leader, leading the race until her first descent through the dry creek bed where her front brake locked, throwing her over the bars and allowing the women's field to pass.
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Rivera said it was weird that her brake locked because her bike was fine in the warm-up so she didn't know what happened. It had completely locked up and threw her so she had to stop to completely inspect the brake and re-center it before starting again. Once back on course, Rivera was not too far behind the pack as pushed hard to catch back up to the lead pack where Dorothy Wong and team-mate Tanya Bray of Team CICLE.org worked together in the lead positions to separate themselves from the pack. However, Rivera began weaving her way through the field passing fifth place finisher Lana Atchley and fourth place finisher Christie Pleiss (Team Redlands) on her way towards the Team CICLE riders. At the halfway point she was able to catch up to the two leaders and continued to push her way through, showing the most power she has delivered this season to take the win with Bray and Wong of Team CICLE.org finishing second and third.
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The men's racing was just as exciting with riders like Mike Easter of the Time Factory Team attacking the course aggressively all the way through. The race started with Chance Nobel of Team Cal Giant/Specialized leading, and probably with confidence after his finish last week at the USGP race were he was 17th.. It was on the second lap where Jason Lowetz and Frederick Bottger of Team Bear Claw, working together, led the group and caused a break. Lowetz lead Bottger, Easter and others on the backside of the course until he rolled his tire off the rim on a log, which racers were hopping over in this fast right turning section.
This small tangle gave Easter a break as he passed the two on his way to Nobel for the victory. The Time Factory Rider, Easter, did not stop the entire race as he gapped himself even from the young Nobel. And, while Lowetz was out of the lead group he still finished in an amazing tenth place after a dash to the pits for a tire change. Bottger of team Bear Claw also had some time to make up but did so with a vengeance as he took second for the day with his best finish for the season putting Nobel in third, John Behrens of Bailey Black Mountain Bikes in fourth and Greg Bennet (Team Successful Living) in fifth.
The next race in the series is Sunday, November 11, 2007 for stop #6.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Brian Dallas/www.rideventura.com
- A sidelined Mark Noble with a broken collar bone
- Time Factory racer Mike Easter
- Easter had a moment to smile at the start.
- Simply Fit / Action Sports racer Sam Ames
- Cal Giant Strawberry's Chance Noble
- USA National team-mates Peter Salon and Chris Barton
- Team Successful Living's Eric Bennett
- Stars and stripes were in effect.
- Mike Easter poised for the start
- Chance Noble and Mike Easter swapped the lead in the early laps.
- Convert Cross course was the perfect setting for a battle royal.
- Simply Fit's Sam Ames
- Convert race director Larry Leonard
- USA National team rider Peter Salon
- The backdrop was beautiful.
- Back and forth they went until Chance Noble's flat on lap five.
- Eric Bennett tries to make a play for the top five.
- Mike Easter takes the lead from Chance Noble for the last time.
- Chance Noble chases after a flat.
- Mike Easter solos to take the race.
- Fred Bottger from Team Bearclaw takes second.
- Chance Noble was not happy with third on the day.
Results
Elite Men
1 Mike Easter (Time Factory)
2 Fredrick Bottger (Team Bearclaw)
3 Chance Noble (Cal Giant)
4 John Behrens (Bailey/Black Mountain Bikes)
5 Eric Bennett (Successful Living)
6 John Bailey (Bailey/Black Mountain Bikes)
7 Jason Siegle (Jax Bicycle)
8 Leonardo Sandoval
9 Jason Lowetz (Team Bearclaw)
10 John McKeen (Team Bearclaw)
11 Carlos Mendigochea (La Grange)
12 Gary Douville (Platinum Performance)
13 Robert Weyman (La Grange)
14 Didier Jourdain (Bailey/Black Mountain Bikes)
15 Damon Roberson
16 Lyle Warner (Team Bearclaw)
17 Chris Barton (Bicycles of Ojai)
18 Larry Leonard (Successful Living)
19 Jeremy Dixon (La Grange)
20 Ted Willard (Liquid Fitness)
21 Cameron Fox (CycleWorld)
22 Peter Salon (VMG)
Elite Women
1 Coryn Rivera (Team Redline)
2 Tonya Bray (Team CICLE)
3 Dorothy Wong (Team CICLE)
4 Christie Pleiss (Team CICLE)
5 Lana Atchley
6 Megan Cordis (Rock Solid)
7 Meghan Blades
8 Heidi Kanayan (Team CICLE)
9 Lisa Crowe (Don's Bike)
10 Shannon Castle (Team CICLE)
11 Carol Ruckle (Team Possabilities)
Masters Men 35+ 1/2/3
1 Donny Carroll (Dewalt Racing)
2 John Tzinberg (La Grange)
3 Paul Welsh (Celo Pacific)
4 Garnet Vertican (Giant)
5 Keith Neu (Non Stop Ciclismo)
6 Sam Ames (Simply Fit)
7 Philip Gray (Celo Pacific)
8 Robert Kramer (Ridley Factory)
9 Joshua Wiggens (Spike Shooter)
10 Brian Starr (Michelin/Tailwinds)
11 Kevin Ryan (Acme)
DNF Steve Smith (Platinum Performance)
DNF Jamie Goldstein (Platinum)
DNF James Pappe (Action Sports/SSC)
Women 3/4
1 Lisa Crowe (Don's Bike)
2 ShannonCastle (Team CICLE)
3 Brooke Warner (Team CICLE)
4 Jennifer Easter
5 Ivana Gallegos (Team CICLE)
6 Lauren Robertson (Totally Tubular)
Masters Women 40+
1 Amy Hutner (Kahala La Grange)
2 Robin MacDonald (Team CICLE)
3 Mary Sander
4 Carol Ruckle (Team Possabilities)
5 Debbie Helms (Sundance Cycles)
Men 4
1 Matt Kinder (Motortabs)
2 Michael Bennett
3 Miguel Sutter (PAA)
4 Scott Junker
5 Tom Dever (Motortabs)
6 Frank Nelson (Camarillo)
7 Michael Lilly
8 Stephen Kozowyk
9 David Summers (Velocity)
10 Max Burjos (Miya Shoji/CRCA)
11 Jory Hoffman (Bike Barn)
12 Steve Bertrand (Platinum)
13 Ron Hunt (Newhall Bicycle)
14 Scott Searway (Fast Friday)
15 Roger Jorgensen (Bikeman.com)
16 Greg Karathanas
17 Wendel Woodford
18 Jim Barker
19 Michael Eggen
20 Erik Nicholson
21 Brian Dallas (Santa Cruz Bikes)
22 Garry Lucia (Vivometrics/Mongoose)
23 Robert Pelegrin (South Bay Wheelmen)
24 Roy Grvin
Junior Men 15-18
1 Jake Snyder
2 Ben Bertiger (Team CICLE)
3 Peter Morris (Celo Pacific)
Junior Men 10-14
1 Erik Volotzky (Team CICLE)
2 James Buessem (Team Stoller)
3 Joshua Finch
Masters Men 45+
1 Bobby Langin Sr. (Platinum)
2 Bradley Galindo (PAA)
3 Gregory Page (Lightning Velo)
4 Johnny Dalton (Velocity)
5 David Gibson (Velocity)
6 Greg Castanada (Lightning Velo)
7 Brian Starr (Michelin/Tailwinds)
8 Stu Brydges (Ridley Factory)
9 Paul Bracken (PAA)
10 Mike Gourley (Acme)
11 Arnie Fernandez (Amgen)
12 Bob Meeker (Team Bearclaw)
13 Robert De Ferrante (PAA)
14 Steve Silva (Platinum)
15 Al Morinaka (Velocity)
16 Roberto Jourdain (Celo Pacific)
17 Charles Morris (Celo Pacific)
18 Larry Vanzant (Hazards)
19 Michael Heenan (Ridley Factory)
20 Jeff Byers (Ape)
21 Dennis Finch (Acme)
Masters Men 55+
1 Jon Miller (Amgen)
2 Jonathan Livesay (Team Bearclaw)
3 John Erwin
4 Lee Willmore (Celo Pa)
Masters Men 35+ 3/4
1 Todd Booth (Platinum)
2 Benjamin Lerner (Cal Giant)
3 Peter Sproul (Chicken Ranch)
4 Mathew Breyer (B&L Bike Sport)
5 Thomas Kausky (Bike Barn)
6 James Stathas (PAA)
7 Mark Campaigne (Celo Pacific)
8 Eric Hess
9 Jeffrey Goble (Canyon Velo)
10 Mike Carlson (Hup United)
11 Tak Tsubota (Ridley Factory)
12 Paul Avila (Bicycle John's)
13 David Lawson (Guy's Racing)
DNF Al Morinaka (Velocity)
Men 3/4
1 Brant Hatton (Kenda/Backbone)
2 Jesse Scarantin (Team Bearclaw)
3 Ted Willard (Liquid Fitness)
4 Roger Wotton (Cynergy Cycles)
5 Bobby Langin Jr. (Platinum)
6 Matt Pewthers
7 Cole Menass
8 Timothy Sparks (Bicycle Johns)
9 Chris Ellefson (UCSB)
10 Thomas Kanusky (Bike Barn)
11 Hernan Ormachea (Non Stop Ciclistimo)
12 Daniel Lowetz (Team Bearclaw)
13 Chase Schoen (Amgen)
14 Gregory PageL (ightning Velo)
15 Dave Sheek (Outside All Day)
16 Paul Wilson (Camarillo Bike)
17 Matt Kinder (Motortabs)
18 Greg Castanada (Lightning Velo)
19 Max Burgos (Miya Shoji/CRCA)
20 Dennis Finch (Acme)
Singlespeed Open
1 Everett Hauser (G S Adams Avenue Bicycles)
2 Miguel Sutter (PAA)
3 Cole Menass
4 Dave Sheek (Outside All Day)
5 Scott Junker
6 Todd Whitehouse (Bicycle Johns)
7 Randi Perkins (Acme)
8 Sascha Mac (Freewheel)
9 Lee Willmore (Celo Pacific)
10 Scott Searway (Fast Friday)
11 Matt Simonet
