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The San Diego Bicycle Club's 23rd annual Sorrento Cyclo-cross was the 2001 USCF State Championships for California, Sunday December 9, 2001.
The Sorrento Cyclo-cross dates back to 1973, when everyone used (and destroyed) road bikes on a difficult and treacherous course. The classic vintage UCSD cross course has been modernized but not sanitized, adding more wide sections and subtracting a few of the hairier traditional narrow singletrack segments. Sorrento is a bit like Paris Roubaix is to road racing, offering unique and historically relevant challenges to the competitors who get a rare taste of early American cyclocross.
The main event was won by the timeless Steve Tilford (Moots), who also won the 1984 edition of the Sorrento Cyclo-cross. Kansas resident Tilford isn't eligible to wear the California State Champion's jersey, but he'll probably get over it considering the World Champion's jersey he was wearing. Tilly was hounded by the locals for the entire race but held on to a narrow advantage, despite a sheared off valve stem which resulted in having to ride half a mile over hilly rocky terrain on a totally flat front tire.
State Championship status goes to last year's defending Sorrento Cyclo-cross champion Brent Prenzlow (Tufo) looking totally smooth as always. Silver medallist was solid third place finisher Garnet Vertican (ODI). The Bronze went to Trent Klasna (Saturn) who was also the first finisher on a mountain bike. Full suspension, no less. With Klasna's raw horsepower he would be competitive on a tricycle, but it just goes to show that even on a rough course like Sorrento, real cross bikes are superior.
The Women's race was dominated by Dorothy Wong (Helen's) who put in an excellent ride to "wear the bear" (California's State Champion jersey traditionally features a bear stepping on the state flower and eating the state fish).
Steve Smull sent us these pictures from the traditional Sorrento race
Men 18-34 1 Steve Tilford (Moots) (Kansas) 2 Brent Prenzlow (Tufo) GOLD 3 Garnet Vertican (ODI) SILVER 4 Trent Klasna (Saturn) BRONZE 5 Emilio Cervantes (Simply Fit) 6 Michael Hernandez (GS Reno) 7 Ben Eicholtz (Excell) 8 Thad Sparrow (Unattached) 9 Michael Eaton (Team Universal) 10 Jesse Hoffman (Bike USA) 11 Raj Crow (GS Reno) 12 Pain Zafka (Cycleworks) 13 Matias Mendigochew (La Grange) 14 Joe Montynaitis (GS Reno) 15 Pete Riley (Viejas) 16 Jason Harmon (Velo Pasadena) 17 Jeff Herring (Pasadena cyclery) 18 John Devine (Unattached) 19 Derrick Neckel (Hi-Tek) 20 Paul Hernandez (Bicycle Johns) 21 Bill Clark (SDBC) DNF Andy Jacques-Maynes (Clif Bar) DNF Michael Bennett (Gold Coast Velo) DNF Todd Starrish (SDBC) DNF Eric Deardorff (Tangelo Velo) Women 1 Dorothy Wong (Helen's) GOLD 35-39 2 Laura Hines (Unattached) GOLD 18-34 3 Melissa Fletcher (Hot Jobs) SILVER 35-44 4 Jennifer Franklin SILVER 18-34 5 Jenny Nielsen (Bike USA) BRONZE 18-34 6 Julie Lowery (Celo Pacific) BRONZE 35-44 7 Jenny Frayer (GS Reno) GOLD 45+ 8 Jean Bernhard (Harbor Lights) SILVER 45+ Men 35-44 1 Emilio Cervantes (Simply Fit) GOLD 2 Dave Eastwood (GS Reno) SILVER 3 Russ Worley (Bike USA) BRONZE 4 Jeff Sanford (Simply Fit) 5 Theo Posch (Team Velocity) 6 Charles Ross (Unattached) 7 Jesse Gascon (Shimano) 8 Doug Mc Whenney (Celo Pacific) 10 Mark Scott (Team DARE) 11 Shawn Albin (Squadra) 12 Stan Bunn (Taylor Made) 13 Randy Lichty (Jane's) 14 Jeff Wilson (La Grange) 15 Mark Saver (Radsport) 16 Ron Guitard (SDBC) 17 Nick Hofslag (Halo) 18 Paul Ketchen (Halo) 19 Brian Cismowski (B & L) 20 Steve Smull (SDBC) 21 David Lawrence (Shimano) DNF Michael Thompson (Unattached) DNF Gary Hanson (Mercury cycling) DNF Shawn Lowery (Celo pacific) DNF Stefan hasselburg (BCA) DNF Steven McKovich (Steelman) DNF Scott Clemens (Unattached) Men 45-54 1 Mike Jennings (Lenzsport) GOLD 2 Rob Bernhard (SDBC) SILVER 3 Jerry Meyers (L'Equipe cheval) BRONZE 4 Jonathan Livesay (Simply Fit) 5 Fred Nicolette (SDBC) 6 Tim Root (SDBC) 7 Rickey Russell (La Grange) 8 Mack Alvarez (Unattached) 9 Bob Wilcox (B & L) 10 Joel Johnson (Unattached) 11 Bob Richarsanta (SDBC) 12 Bruce Coreless (Unattached) 13 Rich Swenson (Radsport) DNF John Johnson (Unattached) Men 55+ 1 Jim Cushing-Murray (Celo Pacific) GOLD 2 Mike Jenkins (SDBC) SILVER 3 Ron Fields (SDBC) BRONZE Junior Men 16-18 1 Joe Martinatis GOLD 2 Jason Harmon (Velo Pasadena) SILVER 3 Josh Kahle (Team DEVO) BRONZE 4 Dan Richardson (Unattached) 5 Dan Coxon (SDBC) 6 Freyer Peterson (Unattached) Junior Men 12-15 1 Jeff Kinney (Unattached) GOLD 2 Ben Mata (Unattached) SILVER 3 Ricky Baheno (Unattached) BRONZE 4 Chris Root (Unattached) 5 Iggy Silva (Bike USA) 6 Doug Connors (SDBC) Junior Women 12-15 1 Karryn Bowen (Team 101) GOLD 2 Anatalie Connors (Unattached) SILVER
Courtesy San Diego Bicycle Club
Steve Smull sent us these pictures from the traditional Sorrento race