SALINAS, CA—Cyclocross racers headed to District Championships at Toro Park on Sunday for one of the final races of the NorCal cross season. Andy Jacques-Maynes (Buy-Cell.com-Ibis) and Rachael Lloyd (Cal Giant- Specialized) donned winner’s jerseys at the end of the day, marking the end to their dominant seasons on the Northern California Cross circuit.
Neither full time job nor first time father hood hampered Jacques-Maynes cross form as he collected five wins on the year and only missed the podium in one NorCal contest.
Lloyd enjoyed a successful return to cyclocross this season winning her first three local races before jumping into the UCI scene. At CXLA, Lloyd placed second and third in each C2 UCI race before heading to the frozen tundra of the Deschutes Brewery Cup and finishing fourth at the West Coast’s only C1 inscribed event.
Series Abound, Everybody Wins!
While the two District Champions capped off their seasons with a exclamation points, racers across Northern California benefited from a plethora of races and venues in 2013. In the Bay Area the BASP, Santa Rosa Cup, Surf City CX Series and CCCX once again put together a stellar calendar of events, while Murphy Mack brought his eclectic brand of promotion to cross. The man who offers the “Tainthammer” 110 mile suffer fest started the inaugural Nor Cal CX Series and brought five races and four new venues to Bay Area CX racers.
In the eastern regions of the state, The Sacramento CX Series, Sagebrush CX Series and Homegrown series kept the racing spread across NorCal.
The Rock Stars
As the scene grows in Northern California, the high caliber talent continues to flourish. When not traveling to the East Coast, Iowa or Europe the budding stars of our scene made appearances at local races. Both Cody Kaiser (Cal Giant-Specialized) and Tobin Ortenblad (Cal Giant-Specialized) spent the season chasing UCI points across the US and the intensity of the Euro race scene across the pond. Ortenblad put on an impressive display at both Candlestick Point and Manzanita Park outsprinting Andy Jacques Maynes for the wins, the only non Jacques-Maynes to achieve such a feat this season.
Carolina Gomez Villafañe (Rambuski Law-Family Cycling Center) also emerged as a young talent this year as the 21 year old not only made a jump from the B’s to the A’s this season, but started snatching wins from the heavy hitters of NorCal cross. Besides wins at Surf City, CCCX and NorCal Series races, Gomez Villafañe also collected some UCI points on the year. Eight international ranking points less than a year after upgrading to the Elites earns the Rambuski Law rider the distinction of most improved rider of 2013.
One NorCal rider totally absent from the local scene this year was Elle Anderson (Cal Giant Specialized). We excuse her lack of attendance at local races in lieu of her five UCI wins on the East/Mid Coasts and her recent third place finish at the C1 inscribed Superprestige Diegem in Belgium. Anderson’s success at the highest levels of domestic cross propelled her to fourth overall for US women and 21st in the world.
With high caliber talent representing the region abroad and a growing race series at home, NorCal cross continues to grow year after year. Rumors of a NorCal UCI race next season would only bolster the excellence of the scene in 2014.
For those still fiending for more cross, the North-South Challenge goes down next weekend in Bakersfield and then the CCCX Finale returns to Fort Ord. on January 19.
Full Series Results
Surf City CX Series
Elite Men
Scott Chapin (Bicycle Blue Book-Rock Lobster)
Kevin Crossley (Bicycle Blue Book-Rock Lobster)
Alex Work (Bicycle Blue Book-Rock Lobster)
Andy Jacques Maynes (Buy-Cell.com-Ibis)
Sean Estes (Muscle Milk-Specialized)
Elite Women
Karen Brems (Rambuski Law)
Janie Dalton (Missing Link-3rd Rail)
Courtney Dimpel (Caletti Cycles)
Kelly Chang (SyCip)
Carolina Gomez Villafañe (Team Rambuski Law-Family Cycling Center)
NorCal CX Serie
Elite Women
Karen Brems (Rambuski Law)
Ellen Sherrill (Bicycle Blue Book-Rock Lobster)
Kelly Chang (SyCip)
Mary-Ellen Ash (Bicycle Blue Book-Rock Lobster)
Chava Kronenberg (SuperPro)
Elite Men’s
Jim Hewett (OSMO Nutrition-Summit Bikes)
Devon Vigus (Sharp Bicycle / Vigusracing.com)
Don Myrah (Buy-Cell.com-Ibis)
Kyle Murphy (MASH SF)
Mitchell Trux (City Cycle)
Sacramento CX Series
Elite Men
Chris McGovern (Cycleutioncoaching.com)
Curtis Smith (Team Bicycles Plus-Sierra Nevada)
Jude Mayne (Buy-Cell.com-Ibis)
Samuel Guzman (Victory Velo Racing)
Clint Williams (River City Velo p/b The Bicycle Business)
Elite Women
Emily Kachorek (#GHETOMOTO)
Hollie McGovern (Real Wheels/Cycleution)
Janie Dalton (Missing Link)
Sarah Maile (Ventana Mountain Bikes)
Audrey Biehle (TBB.CX-#GHETOMOTO)
Santa Rosa Cup
Elite Men
Brian Finnerty (Cal Giant-Specialized)
Elite Women
Kristin Drumm (CX Nation-Red Peloton)
Home Grown CX Series
Elite Men
Jason Nearn (SB Racing)
Elite Women
Felicia Gomez (Pinnacle Racing)
Sagebrush CX Series
Elite Men
1. Nick Schaffner (Marc Pro- Strava)
2. Noah Silverman (Reno Bike Project)
3. Jude Mayne (Hub Coffee)
Elite Women
Paige Galeotto (Reno Wheelmen)
Erica Greif (Reno Wheelmen)
Mollie McGovern (Real Wheels/Cycleution)