Race Report courtesy of Scott Patton/Fixed Gear Fever
The First Race of the SeasonOn April 27th the CVA hosted it's most successful beginners clinic to date! With over 40 participants and 10 instructors taking to the track, the track was packed with fun. Whether they wanted a taste of riding on the high banked oval or wanted to prepare for the afternoon racing, everybody had fun!. Over 15 clinic participants stayed around into the afternoon and gave track racing a try!The afternoon session was packed with excitement. With over sixty riders racing across 5 categories, the crowd was treated to non-stop racing.
In the Pro-1-2 category, the field was packed with local talent as well as Colby Pearce from Boulder, CO. The racing was fast from the gun. The early season factor spread things out a little bit, but as expected local ace, Mark Guerin (Cody Racing) wasn't about to let Colby win a short race. Lighting up one of his blistering sprints he managed to edge out Eastside Wheelmen's Andy Sparks in the 5 lap scratch. In the Miss-n-Out, Colby had the endurance advantage. Fresh off the Mexico World cup, the Ofoto-Lombardi Sports rider was ready to wear down the field and take his first CVA victory of the year. As the field thinned, Colby launched a hard attack that gave him plenty of space to cruise to the victory.Later in the points race, Marcus Black (Cody Racing) was eager to stretch his legs at his home track. Early in the race Marcus motored through a points sprint and kept on going. Only one rider could hold his wheel, Colby Peace. These two riders quickly took a lap. Marcus found his teammate, Mark Guerin and tried to get some points back from Colby. Colby wasn't about to have that and took another lap on the field. When the dust settled, Colby finished up three lap, Marcus up two. A great lesson in points racing!
In the Women's Open category, Iron Woman - Renee Eastman (Vitamin Cottage/Morgul Bismark) was out to earn a sweep. While racing the men's and the women's categories she handily won all three of the events. She showed great class coaching the other riders as she raced against a field of rider fresh out of the beginners clinic. As soon as she finished a women's race it was back to the rail to take on the men. Known for her non-stop attacking, Renee showed plenty of aggression in both fields!
The category 3-4 field was it's usual mix of track specialists and upper category roadies. This kept the pace high. The "Road Cones" were out in force! With their new "oranger" jerseys, the Vitamin Cottage/Morgul Bismark pair of Jeff Paul and Bruce Hitchcock never let the pace drop. The must have been talking to teamate Renee Eastman. Will Robinson of the Pro Peleton Squadra was their main competition. He showed a good mix of speed and endurance picking up the 5 lap and the 5 mile victories!
The 40+ field was out to show the youngsters how it is done. Once again, Vitamin Cottage/Morgul Bismark was out to set it's mark on the pre-season. Hammer Racing wasn't about to let that go easy. Master National Sprint Champion Rich Voss won his first race of the season by unleashing a powerful sprint. The next two events went to the Cone Zone with Victor Williams winning both races handily. The category 5 competition was awesome! First and foremost they all stayed upright! Jeremy Hackney showed incredible fitness, sweeping his category and moving on to the Cat 3-4 field in all future races!. The field was filled with riders from that morning's beginners clinic. They all raced hard and stayed upright!
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April 27th - The first race of the season! |
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Pro 1-2 5 Lap Miss-n-Out Points Race |
Cat 3-4 5 Lap Scratch Point-a-Lap 5 Mile |
Category 5 5 Lap Scratch Point-a-Lap 5 Mile Scratch
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Masters 40+ 5 Lap Scratch 10 Lap Scratch 30 Lap Points |
Women's
Open 5 Lap Scratch Snowball 15 Lap Scratch
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