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RECAP: The 2022 Piuma Hillclimb
EPIC RIDE SUMMER: Tom Hill’s European Racing Trifecta
Introducing your 2022 La Grange Board Members
EPIC RIDE SUMMER: Katie Rollins and her Cannon-ball Ride
DON”T MISS IT: The 2022 La Grange Club Photo
EPIC RIDE SUMMER: Jaycee and La Grange in Mammoth
GOOD NEWS: New Studies Suggest Cycling Reduces COVID Risk
BAD NEWS: Fall means bike theft season in Los Angeles
Do you know about your Member Benefits?
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS — Agnew Brusavich Law and Cannon Engineering
RACING NEWS
No (official) Racing in September
There was no local, official road racing in September. Are you gearing up for MTB, Gravel, or Cross racing this fall/winter? We’d love to feature you! Send us pictures and words of your exploits @ jaycee.cary@lagrange.org.
Piuma HC: Never Easy but Worth It!
Done and dusted…The 2022 Piuma Hill Climb is in the books. We had a great turnout and the racers were kept safe and organized thanks to our army of volunteers. The Masters guys really brought it, delivering the best club times of the day.
Special thanks to everyone who helped out: Bill Birrell, Larry Goodman, Frank Whitelock, Colin Ansel Rasor, Tom Munden, Tahmineh Romero, Tommy Thorton, Ellen Shinogle, Jan Datomi, Marco Fantone, our LG Cup Czar, and Dano Chapman for the Photos! We appreciate you all!
Notable Facts:
Fastest Woman: Martina Blumenthal (44:37)
Fastest Man: Peter D0 (36:34)
photos: Dan Chapman, Patty Gutierrez, Dan Mitnick, Lisa Goldfarb, and Jaycee Cary
Tom Hill’s European Racing Trifecta
By Tom Hill
(TL;DR - Nope, Read the whole thing. It’s worth it! - Ed.)
On September 7th, I boarded a direct flight on Swiss Air from LAX to Zurich, Switzerland with my bike for a three-week adventure of riding and racing in Italy and Switzerland. This trip was different than all previous because my best friend and traveling companion, Clyde, would not make the journey with me. Clyde is my 11-pound Chihuahua who has traveled with me around the world. I rescued him at four months old and now he is nine. We have only been apart for three nights in nine years so this was a huge change for both of us.
My first stop was Bormio, Italy for a week of high-altitude training. I had been there many times before and knew in advance which rides I would do each day upon my arrival. The challenging and very scenic Stelvio and Gavia Passes were part of my training.
My next stop was Trento, Italy for the Gran Fondo World Championships on September 18th. I competed in the 60 to 64-year-old age division with 120 riders from around the world. The UCI holds 21 qualifying races around the world each year. Two of those races are held within the U.S. I chose the closest one in Logan, Utah in early July. To qualify you must finish within the top twenty percent of your age division.
The Logan Qualifier was 75 miles with only about 2,000 feet of climbing. Not a climbing event so the sprinters could hang in until the end. The town of Logan is at 4,534 feet elevation so you could feel it, living at sea level. There were 46 riders in my age division. We started 5 minutes behind the younger riders who we caught with about 20 miles to the finish. We were now a big pack of about 80 riders. As we saw the 10K sign to the finish, the road became narrower and riders were anxiously trying to move up in the pack. With 5K to go the rider directly in front of me crashed and hit the pavement hard. To avoid going down, I veered off into an agricultural field.
Thankfully I stayed upright and got back on the road. At this time I was 300 meters behind the pack and they were moving fast. I caught the back of the pack with 2K to the finish. There was a long gradual hill that helped me. I worked my way through the pack and sprinted for a 5th-place finish, made the podium, and qualified! Surely not how I had planned the race to go, but the results turned out well.
The World's course was very challenging at 55 miles and 7,000 feet of climbing. I arrived at the start line when we were told to, but many riders had shown up earlier and I had no option but to start at the back of the pack. The pace was very fast from the start. The pack was moving at 31 mph for the first 10K before we started the first climb. At that speed, I was not able to move up before the climb. I figured I would pick off riders as they got dropped from the leaders and work my way up to the front. That did not happen as they continued flying up the climb and I only passed about 10 riders. I was exhausted from the early effort prior to the climb and I could not catch the leaders. I rode my best race possible, but still did not finish in the top 10 or 20 as I had hoped. It was a great experience and I felt proud to wear the US team kit and have foreigners cheering me on and yelling "GO USA GO!!"
After crossing the finish line in 3 hours and 30 minutes, there were many UCI officials taking riders aside for random drug testing and the weighing of bikes. I spoke to the official weighing the bikes and he told me that the first 20 finishers will be disqualified because their bikes are under the weight limit of 6.8 kilos. These officials are very experienced at seeing bikes that appear to be too light. One look at my Pinarello and they knew I was riding a tank and not worth checking.
My third and final stop was Davos, Switzerland for the Haute Route 3-day stage race. Haute Route is a Swiss-based company that puts on stage races around the world. Most of the events are held in Europe and last 3, 5, or 7 days. They are extremely well run and give the amateur cyclist the feeling of being a pro with full support.
In 2019, I won the U.S. Gran Fondo Series National Championship. One of my prizes was a free entry into one of Haute Routes’ 3-day races. Due to Covid, they extended my entry to this year.
My Haute Route race consisted of 2 road races with the final 3rd stage being a mountain climb time trail for a total of 150 miles and 21,000 feet of climbing. Being a warm weather rider, Stage 1 was a real challenge, starting at 33 degrees and dropping to 25 degrees as we descended the first 10K down a mountain valley. We climbed two famous passes on the first day. First the Albula Pass (17 miles/5,300 feet) and secondly the Fluela Pass (8 miles/3,500 feet). Both of these climbs are part of the annual Tour of Switzerland ridden by the Pros.
I drove the course the day before which really helped me mentally to prepare for the climbs. They were both tough and took us above the snow line. I felt good the first climb and paced myself well. The second climb was really tough having tired legs and in such cold weather. A young Dutch rider passed me and I paced off of him most of the climb until he dropped me with 2K left to the summit finish.
Once the official results were posted online, I was really happy to see I had won Stage 1 by a small margin of 9 seconds after over 4 1/2 hours of racing. This was my first international win and it felt great to see my name and the US flag on top!
Stage 2 was another cold morning, being 34 degrees at the start. We had a neutral rollout for 25K before the timing began on the first climb. The climbs on Stage 2 were much steeper than on Stage 1. Our first climb had an average grade of 10.9 percent and had many sections of 13 to 16 percent that seemed to never end! On the final climb, my legs were dead. The rain had begun and I was getting leg cramps and hypothermia. At 4K to the summit finish, there was a food station. I had to stop and drink hot tea to warm up for the final ascent which I seemed to be moving at a snail’s pace. By now the rain was coming hard and the road was getting washed out. There were rivers flowing across the single-lane mountain road and many rocks needed to be dodged. Somehow I made it to the finish line and took shelter in the mountain chalet restaurant for a bowl of hot soup. This was the hardest race of my life and I sure was glad it was over! As expected, I lost a lot of time and finished in 6th place for the day.
Stage 3 was an individual time trial up the front side of the Fluela Pass. Riders were sent off in 20-second intervals, we had a warm-up of 2K through the town of Davos before the timing began at the base of the mountain. My start time was 9:15 a.m. and rain was expected again at 10 a.m. this morning with a temperature of 37 degrees at the summit finish. I was able to ride with the gear I had planned and kept a high cadence to avoid leg cramps. My game plan worked until the last 5K which then became a real grind.
The sun came out as I crossed the finish line. I had never been so happy to have a race be over! I finished 6th in the final stage and the Overall GC. This race was an experience I will never forget! The scenic beauty of Switzerland climbing through the Alps is breathtaking, as are the climbs. The roads are in perfect condition. Seeing the green hillsides full of huge cows and hearing their bells ring is wonderful. Someday I will return but it will be earlier in the summer before the cold weather sets in. Thanks for reading.
CLUB NEWS
Your New (and returning) LG Board Members
We are proud to present your 2022 elected La Grange Board Members:
–– Marco Fantone, Dan Funk, Lisa Goldfarb, Dan Mitnick, and Bodie Olmos ––
Each Board member is elected for a 2-year term. Current Board members include Jan Datomi (President), Jaycee Cary, Robert Yates, and Jonathan Rios. These four will be up for re-election in 2023.
We are very grateful that these five noble souls stepped forward to help Velo Club La Grange continue to be a vibrant cycling club and a valued institution within our community. Thank you!
EPIC RIDE SUMMER!!
LG Sponsor Cannon’s Annual California Tour
By Katie Rollins
(TL;DR - At Cannon, we engineer good times and scenic bike rides - Ed.)
As a soon-to-be college grad and cycling junkie, my criteria for my first job was, “must have something to do with cycling.” I decided I had to work at Cannon when I saw bikes on the front page of their website and found out about their annual “Coaster” ride. Well, after 9 years of “Coasting” and a lot of engineering – I’m reporting back on this year’s 2022 Annual Cannon Coaster.
The Cannon Coaster has happened every year since 2011. Cannon associates, friends, and family come together for a three-day ride of a portion of the California coast. Together, we’ve ridden the entire length of California from Oregon to Mexico – and now, we are doing it a second time! This year, we tackled the segment from Monterey to the San Luis Obispo. We may be engineers by profession, but many of us are avid cyclists, or “weekend warriors”.
Friday, we rode 54 miles from Seaside to Fernwood Campground. Highlights of the first day included seeing more sea lions than we could count in Monterey, riding through Pebble Beach—where no pebbles were found, and having a surprisingly delicious dinner at the campground restaurant. This was a good warm-up day, mostly flat in beginning, and a few rollers as we got into Big Sur.
Saturday, we rode 67 rolling miles through Big Sur to San Simeon. If you thought the coast was always flat, Big Sur will prove that wrong. Aside from a few climbs, the best bits of Saturday were spotting whales breaching, the crystal-clear kelp-filled ocean water, Bixby Creek Bridge, and dipping our toes in the water at Plaskett Beach. The day was topped off by watching elephant seals tussle.
Sunday came quickly and went by fast with 41 flat miles back to the Cannon office in San Luis Obispo. Aside from the zebra sightings at Hearst Ranch, and the brown butter cookies in Cayucos, it was memorable because we were joined by families of our riders, and we got to admire a few projects we’ve worked on as we went by.
While we're technically co-workers, the Coaster is a weekend we enjoy being “friends who work together”. Next year, we will ride from San Francisco to Monterey – reach out if you want to join the fun!
The Annual LG Picnic in Pictures
The LG Picnic is always a nice reprieve after the fierceness of the Piuma Hill Climb. It’s a welcome opportunity to relax with friends in a beautiful park with good food and drink. Thanks, La Grange!
Club Photo This Month!
Annual La Grange Club Photo
Saturday, October 15th, 7:30 AM.
Location: San Vicente and Ocean, Santa Monica
Kits: Red or Blue Striped 2021-22 versions preferred;
2020 Dot Jersey acceptable.
Join us for coffee @ 7:30 AM. We’ll take the photo at 8 AM and then enjoy a nice ride out to Cross Creek and back. If you have extra jerseys or vests in the current design, please bring them to share with those without. This photo lives all year long! Let’s do this!
As an added bonus, we’ll have giveaways and some special goodies for those that attend.
Hope to see everybody out there!
EPIC RIDE SUMMER!!
The Mammoth Grand Fondo
By Jaycee Cary
(TL;DR - Always prepare for a good day ‘cuz you never know. - Ed.)
The last time I did the Mammoth Grand Fondo, I rode it for fun. This year I decided to ride 102 miles for finish time with the fast guys and I was admittedly nervous. Could I keep up with them? I have trained and I had a good taper going into the weekend. I had also performed reasonably well at Mt. Evans a month prior so I thought I could handle the altitude. However with living at sea level, you never know.
I started with Dan Funk, Jeff Anderson, and Peter Do…heavyweights! The first significant climb comes and I am gasping for air but I am in the first group. If I can just get over the top and recover…! From this point on, I felt pretty good. The route was beautiful, with rolling terrain and swooping, flowy roads. Here we found Eddy Monnier, Rudy Napolitano, Nicole Steinmetz, and Mike Friedrich in the group. During the stair-stepped climbing up to Sagehen Summit, I was stretched and just hanging on so had to settle for group 2 with the other La Grangers. Rudy and Peter went up the road.
The next 50 miles were an enjoyable blur. We stopped once at mile 72, stuffed our mouths with cookies, took nature breaks, and frantically got back on the road. I ended up getting dropped a couple of miles from the finish but that’s OK. I was proud of how I rode, doing a fair amount of pulling, riding strategically, doing an inadvertent breakaway, and still finishing in under 5 hours.
My belief is Fondos are not races, even with timed finishes. Races are races. However, this event felt like a road race and was super fun and not easy. I thoroughly recommend the Mammoth Grand Fondo for everyone, and by the way, there is plenty to do for non-riders so bring the family. Thanks for reading.
IN THE NEWS
New Studies Suggest Cycling Reduces COVID Risk
Photo credit: Sergey Mironov - Getty Images
Ok, maybe the article says “regular exercise” reduces COVID risk and severity. But cycling is exercise, right? Anyway, this article highlights what most of us already know which is that being active and healthy reduces the risk of many ailments and diseases, including COVID. Just another reason to get out there and ride!
Bad News: Fall means bike theft season in L.A.
As many of us know, our beloved bikes are always at risk of theft. I adamantly refuse to leave my bike unwatched and out of my site when out and about. However, I was surprised to learn that Fall delivers a significant increase in bike thefts in Los Angeles. Why is that, you ask? Read the article to find out.
HEY!!!!! What are my Member Benefits?
La Grange is incredibly lucky to have such awesome partners! With our partners, you can satisfy virtually every aspect of cycling: Apparel, Accessories, Bikes, Repair, and training. We also have partners to assist you when you have to live your non-bike life: Legal, Real Estate, and Engineering. Log into the La Grange website and check out your member-only benefits.
Support Our Sponsors
Agnew Brusavich
Have you or someone you know had the misfortune of a bike-vs-car event? Do not mess around. Call the experts at Agnew Brusavich. They will handle everything!
About Agnew Brusavich…
Cannon Corp.
Cannon is a full-service engineering firm that designs many of the important infrastructures we all take for granted. Check out all the cool things they do!
Who is Cannon?…
New and Returning Members
Please say hello to our new members who joined in September 2022!
New members: Kevin H., Bodie O., and Will B.
And a hearty welcome back to returning members, Rob I. and Peter D.
Welcome, Everyone! We are thrilled to have you.
LG Event Calendar for October
This calendar is where you’ll find all of our upcoming events IN ONE PLACE. You’ll find both LG On-Bike and Off-Bike events as well as non-LG events. Check it out and bookmark it! Here is the schedule for October. Bold events are LG Team Targeted Events.
October 12 – LG Board of Directors Meeting (All Members Welcome)
October 15 – LG Club Photo (club event; All Members Welcome)
October 22-23 – Phil’s Cookie Fondo (www.philsfondo.com)
October 29 – October LG50 Ride (club event; All Members Welcome)
Have an event you would like to add? Send a request to Jaycee at jaycee.cary@lagrange.org
