Beyond the Vineyards There is Boggs.
We spent a lot of time this year racing in the flats near the Delta, the Bay, and Monterey. For the Championships we would travel to the mountains, not to the Gold Country, but north above the hot springs of Calistoga to Boggs and the promise of classic mountain biking. We had trained all year with the help of many coaches and parents and the support from all our team members and were ready to meet the challenge. When we started in November it was chilly and soon it was wet. Now after a brief and dry winter spring was slipping quickly past us and the soil was already loose. I had to go and see the course to see what we were up against and took two of our boys with me for their measure the day before the race.
The Boggs campground was already filling up and Matt Fritzinger and the League folk were busy setting up the course. It was well marked but they were still tweaking it to make it safe and fun. It was good that we went. It was also good that our motel had air conditioning and a decent restaurant for dinner and breakfast. It was good that I could turn off that rattling air conditioner at 2 am for a little peace.
I couldn’t sleep anymore on the Middelton motel mattress so I got up and started to take stuff out to the truck. As I clamped the Bontrager into the fork-blocks in the bed I was reminded of how Lake County smelled in the early morning summers. The Mayacamas Mountains though inland still felt the cool marine layer at night. Resinous fragrances, warmed by the dawn, of Spanish oat, oaks, and bays, were rich as the parting zephyrs drew away the night’s dew. And once this was gone the air would be still and the heat would come just at breakfast to stay into the night when the Pacific breeze returned. That was how I remember July and August near Clear Lake. Yet this was May and in May our drives to races in the Boggs Demonstration Forest had been a delight of green fields festooned with spring flowers with cool mornings and a bit of heat to catch the unwary. Not this May. It was going to be flat-out hot.
Rusty plumes of dust aglow broadly billowed behind the conga line of cars crunching the pocked dirt roads in the low morning sun. Baby head rocks popped and skittered, pinched by tires, off the road and down into the ravine. The grime from the clouds clung to the glistening rigs of racers who craned their necks at each turn to catch a glimpse of the course, their comrades, and their competitors. A final soft left hand loop descent gave us a high prospect of tents and motorhomes. We saw the Blue Norcal Tents and scan the panoply until Miguel, and Chris Bennett who traveled with us, espyed the Big Green Tent like an island of calm in a raucous sea. And guess who was the anchor. Dr. Link had his traveling Wrench Show in full regalia under the Blue Kenda tent. Keith Bennett had Big Green, a second tent, and all the tables set up. Jeremiah had a French Presson in action and the caffe froth was thick in the vessel. The clan of the Big Green Tent was gathering.
Coach Annie rolled up and hung her new feather-light snow-white race baby in the racks. Little Rowan scurried about with a hammer and a squirt gun. Keith brought his parents, Lois and David Bennett, to see the race. Sandi Potter and Phil Martien strolled up with Lindsay. I saw Lyman Erskine roll his KHS up and Hazelyn was already putting out food. Patrick Schlesinger and his mother Esther were a cheery presence. Ken and Sarah Sirchuck arrived with Evan and supplies for the Feed Zone. Misa Hiyashi and Soph racer Miho Groves were next and her Dragon went right on Lincoln’s stand for a review. Andy McAfee appeared with his folks John and Cynthia loaded with camp cookery. Chip and Linda Gribble came without David who was expected later. Chip would work as a scorekeeper as he does at all the races. Coco, Dawn, Robert, and JoJo Ramirez were next who also brought Ben who played 3rd base and pitched for CoCo’s JV Gauchos. With Ken and Coco here our Feed Zone was solid.
Pam Bennett pulled up with John, both of whom looked remarkably fresh after returning from the previous day’s Santa Ynez race in Los Olivos near Santa Barbara. They brought along special friends Ariel, who comes to all our races, and Trudy to join the Championship event. John’s 18 and under Jr. Sport victory at this national race Saturday secured him an automatic berth on the USA Cycling Team going to the World Championships at Val di Sol in the Italian Alps in mid-June. He seemed pleased but other than that didn’t look or act differently. He would race today at the NorCal League Championships for a second day in a row. He carried it all pretty well.
Kelly, Brandon and Captain Michael Barragan were warmly received and the sparkling turquoise Yeti took it’s place on the rack. Then came Gina Moreland, Jack, Tom and veteran racer David Miller and he immediately ran his racer through the paces on the bike stand. Annie Lacy, who would ride sweep for the Girls as she had many times this season, arrived with Sam Ivry and Curt Selak. Shortly after, David Gribble arrived and with that all our dedicated riders who were at the Sr. Prom the night before were with the team for the Boggs Championships.
In this, our last race of the season, our traveling show was flawless and easy under the Big Green Tent. Our racers, their friends, family and coaches were together again in something they had learned to do very well. The tables were heaped with our favorite dishes, fresh fruits and drinks. Ice and water were ample anticipating the long heat of the day. The tent bubbled with good cheer and anticipation and before you know Lindsay and Miho, our top Girl racers, were in full kit, Clif Shots taped to bars, camelbacks and water bottles full, and clipped in to warm up with Coach Annie Rivoire. And we were off for a day at the races. And what a day it was.
When the Girls left the starting line it was already hot. Lindsay got off even and well and Miho had her first good start in a while, stepping cleanly forward in the first five girls. Lindsay diced it up with girls from Berkeley and San Rafael, leading them in the first lap and raced hard to take a 13th. Lindsay improved her time by 3.5 minutes over last year and had a faster second lap than the first. Miho dropped back in the first lap and worked hard with Aviva from the Albany club to do a blistering second lap and finished 13th. Lindsay and Miho finished all 6 of their races this year and received 25 bonus points. And that kept Lindsay in a strong 14th of 26 in JV Girls and Miho was raised to 13th of 42 Frosh Soph Girls. Yoline missed this race due to family obligations but still improved her postion from 25th last year to 21st this year. More than that these girls really raced hard this year and will race JV Girls together next year. Great job, ladies!
Good starts are not a given at Boggs as the starting pitch is littered with baseball sized boulders and the “root of death” smake dab in the middle of the first acceleration and climb. Soph racers Lyman and Patrick got off well, though, in the surge. Both held their own with strong times. Lyman struggled in the dust and heat at the back of the pack and that took the pins out from under him. He came off the course at 36th with his head up, though, that is how Erskine is. Patrick had his best race of the year only crashng once and turning in some even laps to finish 33rd. Lyman and Patrick finished 39th and 40th respectively and will race JV Boys next season.
The Frosh Boys race held a lot of interest as a victory by Chris Bennett over Jimmy Winne would give Chris the Division 1 Frosh Championship. The start was uneventful as Chris lead out. At the end of the first lap Chris lead and looked relaxed and Jimmy was only 15 seconds behind but when I saw his face he was working at his limits. Chris came around after his second lap still looking within himself and took the victory but Jimmy was nearly 3 minutes back with an effort that would have beaten the division 2 racers by 3 more minutes. What we only found out after the dust settled is that Chris’s first lap was the fasted lap of the day for all categories. No wonder Jimmy looked tapped out so early. An awesome perfromance by Chris and this gave him the Frosh Championship by 2 points. Chris will race JV Boys next season.
Chris and Miguel had tested this course the day before and Miguel was eager to tackle a course that had lots of technical challenges. He was also looking forward to continuing a comback from a displaced kneecap. He battled with Calvary and Salinas riders, picking off his competition in the last few hundred yards to finish at 7th. His cross country running and racing really showed here. He has regrouped well after his injury and pulled himself back into the top 10 to finish 8th overall, 1 point out of 7th. Miguel qualified for JV Boys next season.
Robert Ramirez was prepared to race in his first championships. Due to irritation of his knees we kept him out of practice for the last two weeks to preserve any chance to race. His start was good but as he didn’t come around when expected it was clear that he was battling. At the end of the first lap Robert decided to withdraw as he had to walk in many places due to pain and there was no point in going on. Of note was the clarity of Robert’s decision; disappointment without regret, head high, and a sense of purpose. Robert finishes 31 of 42 for the season. Evan Sirchuk has very quietly completed all of his races. While working near the back of the pack he has come to terms with his skills and how to apply them to the course. He put together two very similar laps on a tough course and that is always an indication that hard work has come together. Evan finished 30th at Boggs, his best of the year, and 29th of 42 overall. Both Evan and Robert will race in the Sophomore division next year.
Our JV Boys were represented by David Gribble in this veterans 4th championship race. As a senior racer David was called up by name and described as a guy who had no quit. This days race took him to his limits as he fought a stomach bug which made progress halting. His lap times were long but we knew he would finish. David came in at 37th at Boggs and 37th of 61 overall. Curt Selak, a senior in his third year of racing, was called up by name and described as the Cheetah for his mysterious speed. Curt was present to support his teammates but could not race. He finished tied for 22nd for the year.
While each athlete’s race is important the Varsity race at the Champs steals the show. In addition to the Senior Photo produced amidst chaos between races by Jeremiah and I, each Senior is called up by name with a short blurb, sometimes serious, sometimes tongue-in-cheek, in salute for all they have done while racing in the League. For many this is the last mountain bike race they will ever see. For some it is a rite of passage to the next level of racing. For all, though, it is a moment for remembering races past and a future reverie. Andy McAfee, Michael Barragan, Sam Ivry, and David Miller were thus honored, as were David Gribble and Curt Selak in the JV call-up. For all these racers, without a doubt, mountain bike racing and their teammates will always have a special meaning.
This championship Varsity race, though, was a contest of very special interest. While EC Racing’s John Bennett had the points lead for the 2008 Varsity Championship, the effect of his victory against the best national competition the day before in the Los Olivos heat and 500 miles of driving was unknown. While his main competitor, Nate Byrom, elected to remain in Los Olivos to contest the Short Track race for his Devo Team both Daniel Boyes and Will Curtis had a mathematical shot at the top honor. John had to finish at least 7th to hold the Title. Who knew what vitality he had in reserve. In addition, David Miller had clawed his way into the Top 10 in the second half of the season and had a brilliant Sea Otter. Yet he needed to finish very close to his rival Massimo Palumbo to stay there and achieve his goal for the season. Andy McAfee was finishing his season with a new resolve. He was clear of purpose and determined and was ready to throw down his best effort.
So there was much afoot. And it was over 100º and the course had been beaten to dust by 250 racers and 600 previous laps of hard racing. While racing had been reasonably incident free, athletes were coming off the course totally tapped out, dehydrated, and cramping was noted. The Varsity riders would be racing nearly 25 miles with these considerations. Yet these were the finest athletes the League had ever produced and no one was going to race without making good decisions and preparations.
The Varsity race started as many this campaign with an eschelon following John Bennett watchfully. It had to start, though, withou two of our finest athletes at full force. Sam Ivry, who had finished 15th in JV last year, was unable to compete at Grant’s Ranch due to a wrist that would not settle from surfing accident. He did race at Toro but was in pain. Recent examinations showed that his wrist was broken and he would not be able to put his wheel on the line this day. Sam finished 36th for the year. Michael Barragan, who has been battling a recreational leg injury for the second half of the season, did start the race to honor the championships and, at the request of the coaches, agreed to pull off the course after the first lap. A tough season for our Captain who as a Jr. finished twice at 15th last season leading all EC Racing Varsity efforts. Michael finished 34 of 41 for the 2008 season.
At the end of the first lap the top five riders had a made a small gap on the rest of the field with John in the lead as he tossed me his camelback. All looked normal; we expected David Miller shortly. Minutes passed without a sign but Andy pulled through at 18th looking clear and measured. No matter how many times one sees a confident and skilled athlete like David race any delay causes consternation. Minutes later, though, David came through at 24th looking clean and untaxed yet without that firm focus we have seen so often. His place was a mystery but he surged through the Feed Zone and dropped down the other side of the rise to speed to the singletrack 200 yards down the fireroad. We all just shook our heads but were relieved.
The leaders had picked up the pace in the second lap with John still leading Daniel Boyes with Will Curtis, Tyler Brandt, and Christopher Convis all within 8 seconds. The second tier of 6, lead in a gallant charge by Jordan Kestler, was slowly falling off. 9 minutes later the more familiar form of David, head down and charging, came through at 19th. Andy rolled through about a minute and a half back and was riding in a no-mans land in the race and could only pace by himself in the heat.
By that time in the day the League Race Director determined that the heat had reached a point that put the athletes at risk and decided to reduce the race to just three of four laps. The top Varsity riders put the hammer down and Daniel and John put a full minute-plus into their nearest racers and plenty of hurt on the rest of the field. When they came through the last downhill section Daniel Boyes had the lead by 15 seconds for the Victory at Boggs but John, cruising easily through the last few hundred yards, became the 2008 NorCal Varsity Champion.
Meanwhile David put out one of the top 3rd lap times in the race to pull into 17th but it just wasn’t enough. It turns out that David had flatted in the first lap just over the Feed Zone Hill and had to go into the red zone to make up time. He made up 6 places in lap 2 and picked up another place and nearly two minutes on the 16th place racer in the last lap. He needed at least 3 and a half more minutes for 13th to make the top 10 but had to be content to finish 17th. With a tremendous effort in his last race David finished 11th overall for the season.
Andy McAfee held his own all day and put in very even laps, a function of training and will when you are racing by yourself at over 100º in the middle of dusty nowhere with the greatest rate of climbing all year. In his final lap he held off charges from the 4 riders around him to secure a solid 20th place at the Boggs Champs, his top finish of the season. Andy finished 25th overall of 41 with a complete season including the torential pre-season Granite Bay with David, Yoline, Lyman, Lindsay, Miho, and Miguel.
Retiring to Big Green after the contests is always something to look forward to. Phil has mastered the art of one burner cooking and there were ribs, sausages, and chicken sizzling and wolfed down. Gina proffered what was possibly the best and most perfectly timed sliced watermelon ever and Dawns cookies were a delight. It was wonderful to have everyone together and close in that El Cerrito Stone Soup we have all come to know and love.
It was a fine end to a long and varied season by perhaps one of the best groups of athletes we have ever assembled and developed. In addition to the Varsity and Frosh Championships earned by John and Chris Bennett all season and secured at Boggs, David Miller achieved the high placings he sought in Varsity, our Girls were rock solid and there were many brilliant peformances and personal achieevments. The Club reached a career high 5th place finish at Toro and was narrowly edged into 8th overall and our racers are in a great position to do well next year.
I just wanted to take a moment to thank all of the parents and friends who came to the our Championship Race at the Boggs Demonstration Forest. Your presence really makes a huge difference. It is nice for El Cerrito Racing to see so much interest and support and that we enjoy each other so well.
Special thanks to Hazelyn Uy (Lyman’s mom) for organizing the food and beverages all Season. Huge thanks to Lincoln for anchoring our spot and Keith Bennett who set up the tent and the tables so we were not on the ground. These parts of our infrastructure really get us focused. The real anchor, though, was our Head Coach Jeremiah, who provided the early morning coffee that got us going. As always a special thanks to the moms who bring their special and unique dishes to our camp. There is something very charming about this, so far away from home. Thanks to all of you for what you do to secure our comfort and festivity.
Special thanks to Lincoln Linsmith who so ably centers our bike effort. Nothing works without this and with his support we are assured of continuing our record of complete finisheswithout mechanicals. Thanks to Jeremiah and Anne Rivoire for getting the kids out and warming them up and general preparation. Thanks to Coco Ramirez and Ken Sirchuk for executing the Feedzone and flawless handoffs. Thanks to Annie Lacy for riding sweep for the girls. Thanks to Chip Gribble for his help with Timing and Finishing line duties. And thanks to Jeremiah Holland, Tom Boardman, Gordon Reese, Mira Radosevich, Lauren Saputo, Annie Lacy, Annie Revoire, Neil Flock, Aussie Chris and Electrician Mark for sharing their skills and caring with our athletes all season. In a very tangible way you are all out there on every starting line and throughout the course of the 1000 miles we share on asphalt, dirt, and mud all season.
And of course, special thanks to all of our sponsors and community supporters; Solano Avenue Cyclery who give us their special time, Centerline Construction, Barragan Construction, The Family Wheel, Gioia Pizza, USB Systems, Ace Hardware McBryde, The Rad, MTBR Review, the Bicycle Trails Council of the East Bay, Velocity Lock and Key, Well Grounded Tea and Coffee and those very special people who make such a huge difference when we are hungry at top speed or just taking a minute to enjoy the view or the vibe, the folks at Clif Bar.
And last but not least my personal thanks to all the parents who so ably help me to be a parent, Director, and Coach by their examples. It takes a lot to make this all happen, not the least of which is perspective. The nice thing is that we do it so well. We are very lucky to have this.
Michael Mejia
Director
El Cerrito Racing
