Comes Highly Recommended
17 November 2015
This past weekend’s 3-day Santa Rosa Cup CX closed out on Sunday at the Spring Lake Park venue. Reviews are glowing from all days, on social media, and from many of the racers themselves. After her win at the Friday Night race, the Rock Lobster rider Caroline Dezendorf lauded the Santa Rosa Cup as her favourite series, saying “I think they do a really good job and I love supporting Bike Monkey.” Saturday’s Master Men 45+ winner Robert “Buckwheat” Meighan praised the work done by Carlos Perez while Gavin Haley extolled the courses and organization. “I thought it was really well done,” said Haley. “Out of the races I’ve done [in NorCal], these have been the best put-together courses. Everything was really smooth and on time. I would definitely recommend it. It was really good to kink out some fitness problems and was also a really fun 3 days.”
The event had tremendous competition with the likes of Dezendorf, Kristin Drumm (CX Nation), Gareth Feldstein (Real Wheels), Walton Brush (MashSF), Haley, Chelsea Weidinger (MashSF), Sage Alderbaran (CX Nation), Paul Haley (Rad Racing), and Joe Fabris (Plus 3) racing on all three of the days. Meighan was joined by many of his Cal Giant teammates in Eric Bustos, Brian Finnerty, and James Coates. Rachel Lloyd (Cal Giant/Specialized) ran out for Master Men on the Sunday, flatted, and then raced against the top category women. Teams well represented across the weekend included Aracata’s Adventure’s Edge, Ornot, Fresh Air-Hunter, Dfl, and Vive La Tarte. The Tarte Ryan Rinn raced gears instead of entering his usual single-speed races. Dfl’s Patrick Myall’s ride up the big Spring Lake hill proved the triumphant move in Sunday’s Men A 45+.
Bike Monkey’s 2015 Santa Rosa Cup CX was a Successful 3-Day Event
The Cup Rolls On
15 November 2015
At the Santa Rosa Cup CX, Caroline Dezendorf (Rock Lobster) continues to dominate her races and racked up another win yesterday in Women A. The second day of the three-day series also saw Walton Brush (MashSF) fend off all challengers in the race for Men A. In Master Men A 45+, Robert Meighan (Cal Giant/Specialized) relied on tactics to take the win, after holding back in the bottom half of the eight-racer field for a good portion of the race. All three racers added to their wins at Friday’s Night Race and stand in a strong position to take the Cup in their respective categories.
Dezendorf Dominant at the 2015 Santa Rosa Cup CX
Brush and Dezendorf, Right-Angles and Smoke
14 November 2015
The 2015 Santa Rosa Cup CX got off to a great start yesterday with its Friday Night Race. The Sonoma County Fairgrounds venue is a mostly grass course crammed into a small area of less than 10 acres. The start-finish straight-away is paved. The terrain was mostly flat with plenty of turns separated by long straights. A couple of off-camber embankments and a pair of plank barriers offered up their difficulties. It was a good course to establish a rhythm.
By far the barrier of import was a right-angled flyover the height of a freight container. With ramps on both angles, it spilled out into an array of kegs forcing riders to control their speed on the down ramp and choose between going to the right or left. The whole section was corralled by two large, inflatable tubes, each in an arc, arranged to allow only one outlet. It was a small maze of sorts with smoke to foil the vision and lasers to add to the spectator’s entertainment.
Although the kegs were set up as a wall near the bottom of the ramp, riders soon understood dismounting and jumping over the barrels could earn them seconds and a position or two. With a short, fast course, and the finish line so close after the flyover, getting through this barrier first, on the last lap, was tantamount to a win.
A Quite Unique Barrier for ‘Cross at the Santa Rosa Cup
Santa Rosa Cup CX to Head Another Busy Weekend
9 November 2015
This coming weekend’s cyclocross racing, in the NorCal Nevada region, will take place far and wide. The Sagebrush Cyclocross Series holds its event at Davis Creek Park, New Washoe City on Saturday, 14 November. Both the Surf City Cyclo-X and Sacramento Cyclocross Series hold races on the Sunday.
Another big event is the 3-day Santa Rosa Cup CX. In part to find a formula for providing an attractive event for cyclocross racers, and following the lead of other 3-day events such as Jingle ‘Cross, the race for the Cup begins on Friday, 13 November. Juniors kick the weekend into gear with a 5pm start at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. Racing continues into the night with the last start for All A Men at 8:15pm.
Saturday sees the same County Fairgrounds venue but with a course change. The finale on Sunday moves to Spring Lake Regional Park, a return for the venue last used for cyclocross in 2011. Racing on the Saturday and Sunday begins at 8:30am. Series crowns go to entrants of all 3 days with the tie-breaker going to the highest placing on the last day. The recent rains will dampen the dust and bring in new conditions for terrain and traction. This will be more so as the locales are certain to receive a good share of the rain.
Ron Riley at Spring Lake Regional Park
Three Days for The Cup
1 October 2015
This season’s Bike Monkey Santa Rosa Cup CX is a three-day event and begins with a night race on Friday, 13 November. Racing starts at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds with reverse courses for Friday and Saturday. A mere 5 miles away, entrants can then close out their battles to earn “The Cup” with the return of Spring Lake Regional Park, on the Sunday.
Overall winners of the series receive cash payouts that are equal for both genders. More race entries equate to higher prize monies. Registration also governs how well the organizers can meet their gender-equity goal. Competing in the same category for all three races is a requirement to qualify for an overall prize. “Our goal is to get as many people there for all three races,” said CX Nation’s Brian Staby.
Edwin Rambuski (Team Rambuski Law) on a Run-Up at the SRCup
Amuse Bouche for the NorCalNevada Calendar
11 May 2015
At this point in the year, organizers and promoters continue to apply the glaze onto their 2015-16 racing calendars. Until more formal announcements and final calendars are laid out on the table, here is a selection of titbits to whet the appetite.
Chapin and Dezendorf Win at the Cup
19 October 2014
Carolina Dezendorf (Marin Bikes) and Scott Chapin (Rock Lobster) grabbed Elite category wins at the second event for the Santa Rosa Cup CX. The result is two from two for Dezendorf whereas Chapin joins Michael Hosey as event winners in the series produced by Bike Monkey and CX Nation.
The course at Place-to-Play Park was flat and long with embankments for off-camber changes in elevation. There were few opportunities to recover and the race pace was fast. Corners with soft terrain and one particular short climb were places along the course that could change a race’s outcome. The latter had a 12cm concrete lip at the top; it required skill at bike handling as well as good timing to overcome. Racer’s could lose ground by failing to get their bike cleanly onto the concrete pathway and hinder the progress of others.
First and Second Decided Early
In the race for Elite Women, Dezendorf and Kristin Drumm (CX Nation) took the early lead. Kelly Chang (Rock Lobster) was a short distance back in third with Sarah Bamberger taking up the challenge from fourth. By the second lap, Dezendorf and Drumm were consolidating their positions in first and second, respectively.
Drumm Races to a Deserved Second
Fit and Filthy 