Intro To Track Racers Race LA Velo

Congrats to the riders from our Intro To Track Racing class who tore up the wooden planks at LA Velodrome’s Upgrade Race today. Tim (left), Sammy (center), Hernan (right) and Dan (unpictured) came down to take the certification course and raced all day long. They all had a great time riding on such a gorgeous track.

Hern really killed on his Cinelli Mash frame with my Cane Creek wheels that he borrowed — he took second place in the Cat 5 Omnium and really made that Mash kit look awesome on the track.

Beaver came down to snap some pictures while Rob enjoyed the races from the stands.

Of course Junu (center) and I (right) raced in the Cat 4 field. The Pasadena Athletic Association/Remax team is developing a killer track team, especially with their two newest members: Tim, a great sprinter from our Intro To Track Racing class and my friend Chris Reed (left).

By the end of the day, everyone was worked… especially me!

Official results will be posted soon. See more pics at Beaver’s Flickr.

Gonna Be Awesome! - 2010 Elite Nats

The schedule for the 2010 USAC Elite Track National Championships was released this week. The competition will be held at LA Velodrome from September 29th to October 3rd. Five days of the best track racers from around the country competing for National titles? Yes, I’m excited!

Early registration is also open now. Currently, entry fees are $50 per event and they go up to $65 per event come Sept 8th. On-site registration is $85 per event so it’s probably a good idea to take advantage of the whole “early registration” thing.

Oh, better make sure you meet the qualification criteria before signing up. If you think you qualify for Elite Nats, then you’ve probably competed (and did well) in one of the track racing events listed below. Most of them haven’t happened yet so you’ve still got quite a few chances to qualify.

July 16-17: Major Taylor Velodrome - Indianapolis, IN
July 30-31: International Velodrome at Bloomer Park - Rochester Hills, MI
July 31: Encino Velodrome - Encino, CA
July 31 – Aug 1: Colorado Velodrome - Colorado Springs, CO
Aug 6-7: Marymoor Velodrome - Redmond, WA
Aug 14: Alpenrose Velodrome - Portland, OR
Aug 14: Dick Lane Velodrome - East Point, GA
Aug 14: National Sports Center - Blaine, MN
Aug 21-22: Ed Rudolph Velodrome - Northbrook, IL
Aug 27-28: Hellyer Park Velodrome - San Jose, CA
Sept 11-12: LA Velodrome/ADT Event Center - Carson, CA
Sept 17: Superdrome - Frisco, TX

This is definitely going to be a great show even if you’re not competing, you better come out and watch. For more info about the 2010 Elite Nats, go to USA Cycling.

J. Staff To Host FREE Sprint Camp At LA Velodrome

BREAKING NEWS! USA’s new sprint coach, Jamie Staff is hosting a free sprint camp for Elites and Juniors at LA Velodrome this September. Here’s the release from USA Cycling:

« USA Cycling is pleased to announce an opportunity for elite and junior track athletes to attend a FREE sprint camp with new Sprint Program Director, Jamie Staff, in preparation for the USA Cycling Elite Track National Championships.

The camp will take place at the ADT Event Center Velodrome in Carson, Calif., September 13-28 with the two main goals being to educate riders on race preparation and to identify up-and-coming talent on the track.

There is no cost to attend this camp. However, participation is limited to the first 12 riders and is open only to junior and elite-level sprinters. Each participant will be responsible for his or her own travel, accommodation, and food.

Following the camp, riders can race for national titles at the 2010 USA Cycling Elite Track National Championships, also at the ADT Event Center Velodrome, Sept. 29 – Oct. 3.

During the sprint camp, Coach Staff will work with each individual rider to help them develop race tactics and bike riding techniques and to teach them how to approach the taper period for optimal race-day performance. In addition, participants will learn from nutritionists, bicycle mechanics, and a USADA and sports psychologist.

This is the first of several sprint camps that USA Cycling will be offering in coming months, and is a great opportunity to work with former world champion and 2008 Olympic gold medalist Jamie Staff.

For more information, or to register for this camp, contact Jamie directly at jstaff@usacycling.org or 719-229 3768. »

Better hurry up and reserve your spot now!

2010 LAVRA Cup Standings …So Far

The sixth and final LAVRA Cup race is this Saturday at LA Velodrome. The whole series has been great fun to watch with cameos from big racers such as Rahsaan Bahati, Tara Whitten and Justin Williams (who will be appearing again this Saturday). However, it’s the regular LAVRA cast members who will be eligible for the Cup series awards.

The series is tallied by the sum of each racer’s best 4 (out of 6) omnium scores. Like most local track leagues, omnium points are awarded by how the racers position in each race. First place gets 7 points and there are 3 races held on each race day so the most anyone can get in one race day is 21 points. If you’re confused by all this, try coming down to a track meet and it might become clearer!

To be eligible for the LAVRA Cup, competitors have to attend at least 4 of the 6 races in the series. This means that anyone in the running for this year’s LAVRA Cup has already attended at least 3 race days.


[Photo by Pat Benson.]

The Masters 45+ and 55+ categories have already been clinched by John Walsh and Keith Ketterer respectively. The real competition is going to be in the Cat 1/2/3 field between Ketterer and Walsh (both Amgen-UBS teammates). Of course it’s still anyone’s game. With riders like Justin Williams showing up to race tomorrow, some of those omnium points might have to be shared with non-Cup competitors.

It’s definitely gonna be an exciting race day to watch. Races start in about 23 hours. Be there!

LAVRA Cup Standings
Cat 1/2/3	#1	#2	#3	#4	#5	#6	OVERALL
1. John Walsh	0	0	-	17	0		17
2. Keith Ketterer	0	0	0	8	7		15
3. Tony Canevari	0	0	0	10	-		10
4. John Allen	0	7	0	-	0		7
5. Jack Lindquist	-	0	0	2	2		4
6. Chris Lindensmith	0	2	-	0	-		2
7. John Rondash	0	-	0	1	-		1
8. Aram Goganian	-	1	0	-	0		1
Masters 45+	#1	#2	#3	#4	#5	#6	OVERALL
1. John Walsh	17	21	17	7	19		74
2. John Rondash	17	-	10	13	-		40
3. Scott Lelieur	2	13	10	11	3		37
4. Keith Ketterer	0	5	0	10	-		15
5. Mark Neumann	2	-	0	4	8		14
6. Tom Buescher	-	1	4	0	4		9
7. Reggie Jones	0	0	0	-	2		2
8. Gavin Scholle	0	1	0	-	-		1
9. Bret Sehorn	0	0	0	0	0		0
Masters 55+	#1	#2	#3	#4	#5	#6	OVERALL
1. Keith Ketterer	21	21	21	17	-		80
2. Lionel Space	8	-	15	-	21		44
3. Eguege Poyrena	8	-	7	15	-		30