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Napa Valley Velo 2003 Sonoma Valley Cyclocross
Infineon Raceway, Sonoma CA, November 15, 2003
Moeschler & Lloyd play while cats are away
By Dave Carr
The NASCAR track at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, CA welcomed a race of a different type in the Sonoma Valley Cyclocross on November 15.
While many of the region's top riders were back east winning all the UCI races, there was still a great selection of local talent doing battle at Infineon, plus a few visitors from Seattle. Riders were treated to a brand-new course that most described as tough, fair and fun.
Starting on a paved parking lot above the raceway paddock, the course snaked up a slope soft, sticky clay, then up a steep four flights of stairs to the Earnhardt Terrace above Turn 2 of the NASCAR track. From there, riders headed out into a long out-and-back on pavement, with headwinds that increased throughout the day. Coming off the plateau a series of chicanes brought riders back down to the clay slope for a muddy barrier run-up just before the finish. While the soft, tough muddy sections and the stairs favored power riders, the windy flats gave the edge to the rouleurs, resulting in tough, tactical races.
Thanks to a series of rain showers in the 24 hours prior to the event, the C and Junior racers were faced with some seriously sticky mud. Junior JT Bailey of the Napa Eagle club had it worst: riding an old-school bike, a converted road frame with zero mud clearance, JT had to stop every lap and clear out the forks so the front wheel would turn! At the other end of the field, though, junior Mike Hosey of Soulcraft erased the 30 second start gap to the C's and went through the entire field to win.
After the C race, the rain was gone for good and the course became progressively firmer and faster throughout the day, with the snakey mud still requiring power but making cornering traction a dream. The biggest field of the day, and almost the fastest, was the Master 35+ and 45+ run together at noon. Despite the tough conditions a tight pack formed at the front with no fewer than three former national champions. A close-fought battle ensued, with a different leader nearly every lap as they rocketed through the start/finish and back up the mud-slope. In a sprint finish, Kenny Williams (Redline-Ritchey) from Seattle took the checkered flag (this was a raceway after all) just ahead of Mike Mathews (Buy-cell.com), Alan Coats (Soulcraft) and Larry Hibbard (Family Cycling).
In the women's race, Rachel Lloyd (Redline/Ritchey) let pretty much start to finish, displaying nice form as she smoothly circled the course ahead of Sarah Kerlin (Velo Bella/ABS) and Josie Beggs (Redline/Ritchey) from Seattle.
In the men's event, the pack of 30 split into groups that battled the wind and mud together, "a lot like a road race!" according to one observer. By the second lap the "lead break" had gone away, never to return. At the finish, Jason Moeschler (Tour of Nevada City Bikes) took the win ahead of MTB pro Mark Weir (WTB-Jericho) and Mark Telega (Missing Link/Bianchi). John Funke slipped off the lead group with a dropped chain, finishing ahead of Aaron Kereluk and Cameron Falconer. Mark Christian of host team Napa Valley Velo had a breakout performance, catapulting from pack finishes in Surf City and Pilarcitos to 7th place here.
Thanks to all for coming out.
Results
A Men 1 Jason Moeschler (Tour of Nevada City Bikes) 2 Mark Weir (WTB Jericho) 3 Mike Telega (Missing Link / Bianchi) 4 John Funke (SyCip Racing) 5 Aaron Kereluk (SyCip Racing) 6 Cameron Falconer (Hunter Cycles) 7 Mark Christian (Napa Valley Velo) 8 Justin Robinson (Family Cycling Center) 9 Tim Gernitis (Sonoma Valley X) 10 Brian Vernor (Hunter Cycles) 11 Simon Vickers (Bike Trip) 12 James Coats (SoulCraft) 13 Michael Matthews (Buy-Cell .com) 14 Dave Carr (Napa Valley Velo) 15 Henry Kramer (PowerBar) 16 David Pauls (Unattached) 17 Joe Walsh (BuyCell.com) 18 Nurullah Mansur (Clif Bar) 19 Jeff Hantman (Clif Bar) 20 Jason Pyrzynski (Unattached) 21 Tommy Magrath (Redline) 22 Jay Buznaventura (Third rail Cycling Club) A Women 1 Rachel Lloyd (Redline Richey) 2 Sarah Kerlin (Another Bike Shop / Velo Bella) 3 Josie Beggs (Redline Richey) 4 Stella Carey (Kelly Bike Company) 5 Allison Baumhefner (Redwood Riders) 6 Hillary Daniels (Hunter Cycles) 7 Erin Kassoy (Palo Alto Bicycles Women's Team) 8 Ann Cigan (Velo Bella / Bianchi) 9 Claire House (NorCal Velo) 10 Sheila Moon (Napa Valley Velo) C Men 1 Robert Man (Unattached) 2 Jonathan Evans (Redwood Empire Velo) 3 Peter Libby (Missing Link) 4 Albert Reinhardt (Unattached) 5 David Dixon (Redwood Empire Velo) 6 Steve Tamanaha (Unattached) 7 David Dick (Unattached) 8 Erick Theilen (Huangoche) 9 Mike Lucaccini (Missing Link) 10 Erio Brown (Huangoche) 11 Jeffrey Bramlett (Unattached) 12 Don Daniel (Unattached) 13 David Pedersen (Unattached) 14 Geoffrey James (Unattached) 15 Steven Woo (Los Gatos Bicycle Racing Club) 16 Karl Knutson (Unattached) 17 Robert Ford (REI Austin) 18 John Wonderlick (Custom Chrome) 19 Donald Rhoades (Custom Chrome) 20 James DeFever (Custom Chrome) Junior Men 14-18 1 Michael Hosey (Soulcraft) 2 Max Spirin (Tieni Duro) 3 Collin Samaan (SGW) 4 Blake Anton (Davis Bike Club) 5 Dylan Markell 6 Shawn Rosenthal (Tieni Duro) 7 J.T. Bailey (Eagle) B Men 1 Dan O'Sullivan (Eden Bicycles) 2 Roman Kilun (Santa Cruz Spokesman) 3 Eric Muensterman (Huangoche) 4 Ari Benderly (Steelman Cycles) 5 Jesse Mayberry (Redline Richey) 6 Eric Russell (Clif Bar) 7 Andrew Lyndon (Rocknasium Cycling Team) 8 Reed Maxwell (Missing Link / Bianchi) 9 Gregory Keller (Big Swingin Cycles) 10 Tony Garcia (Redwood Empire Velo) 11 Duncan Callaway (Unattached) 12 David Samples (Cal - Giant) 13 Keith Packard (Johnson Bicycles) 14 Brian Bruckner (Big Swingin' Cycles) 15 Joe Ernst (Solano Avenue Cyclery Racing Team) 16 Bo Barry (Soulcraft) 17 Mark Fitzsimmons (Fox Racing Shox) 18 JOE ORNELAS (Rivendale Bike) 19 Bud Napolio (California Road Club / Travelocity) 20 Patrick McAnulty 21 James Camino (WTB Jericho) 22 Johannes Schmidt 23 Brian Rogers (SyCip Racing) 24 Joe Mulligan (Peninsula Velo / Kondra Systems) 25 Eric Wemhoff (Cal Cycling) 26 Jhoric DeGuzman (SyCip Racing) 27 Alden Taraka (Santa Cruz Spokesman) 28 Preston Booker (Huangoche) 29 Tim Brennan (Taylor Bicycles) 30 David Erlich Master Men 35+ 1 Kenny Williams (Redline Richey) 2 Michael Matthews (Buy-Cell .com) 3 James Coats (Soulcraft) 4 Henry Kramer (PowerBar) 5 Dave Eastwood (Team Rossignol) 6 Mark Howland (Blackmarket Racing) 7 Nick Llewellyn (Santa Cruz Spokesman) 8 Steve Oz (Missing Link / Bianchi) 9 Sam Giles (Clifbar) 10 Patrick Myall (DFL) 11 Gannon Myall (Family Cycling Center) 12 Thomas Feix (Peninsula Velo / Kondra Systems) 13 Joe Staron (SGW) 14 Scott Lynch (Berkeley Bicycle Club) 15 Hans Kellner (Sycip) 16 Patt Schott (Blackmarket Racing) 17 Rod Hernandez (Cal - Giant) 18 Ron Gutierrez (SyCip Racing) 19 Mike Bohn (Unattached) 20 Michael Morgan (SyCip Racing) 21 Eric Bustus (Los Gatos Bicycle Racing Club) 22 Russ Wright (Missing Link / Bianchi) 23 Evan Adams (Big Swingin Cycles) 24 Frederick Huxham 25 William Carslay (Missing Link / Bianchi) 26 Norman Field (Team Santa Cruz) 27 Spencer Kenner (Davis Bike Club) 28 Austin McInerny (Missing Link / Bianchi) 29 Mark Mastoras (Unattached) 30 Thomas Hoeffel (Steelman Cycles) 31 Matt Wocasek (Team Santa Cruz) 32 Rich Sangalli (Bianchi USA) 33 Wayne Verdon (ClifBar) 34 Chip Baker (SyCip Racing) 35 Rod Markell (Hunter Cycles) 36 Shawn Miller (Davis Bike Club) 37 Cory Nash (SyCip Racing) 38 Ruben Villarreal (Velo Pro) 39 Jim Long (Berkeley Bicycle Club) 40 Richard McElman (Team City) 41 Richard Parks (Davis Bike Club) 42 Paul Maciel (Johnson Bicycles) 43 Dennis McGovern (SyCip Racing) Master Men 45+ 1 Larry Hibbard (Family Cycling Center) 2 Norm Krelss (Clifbar) 3 Mark Abele (Rivendale Bike) 4 Anton McGready (Clifbar) 5 Chris Allen (Clifbar) 6 David Covington (California Road Club / Travelocity) 7 Jon Suzuki (Missing Link / Bianchi) 8 John Royson (DFL) 9 Kem Akol (Bike Trip) 10 Gary Erichson (Clifbar) 11 Robert Kurosawa (Clifbar) 12 Joe Fabris (Sunnyvale-Cupertino Cycling Club) 13 Chuck Scarpelli (Gianni) 14 Brian Birch (Berkeley Bicycle Club) 15 Nicho Ybarra (Missing Link / Bianchi) 16 John Slavonic (Tour of Nevada City Bikes) 17 Michael McDonald (Jaeger Wheelmen) B Women 1 Martina Patella (3BRT) 2 Celeste McCartney (Missing Link) 3 Sarah Bamberger (SyCip Racing) 4 Juli Hamilton (Redline Richey) 5 Dee King Raub (DRAGON Racing) 6 Karen Kefauver (Velo Bella / Bianchi) 7 Jennifer Jupenga (Unattached) 8 Alyse Wayman (Solano Avenue Cyclery) 9 Maria Perez (UC Santa Cruz) C Women 1 Sylvester Ann (Velo Girls) 2 Jessica Conner (WTB Jericho) 3 Gail Decamp (Velo Bella / Bianchi) 4 Gina Lucas (Bay Area Velo Girls) 5 Jill Nickels (Unattached) 6 Mary Hoover (Velo Girls) 7 Erin Huges (Cal Cycling)
