Pescadero Coastal Classic
15th Annual Pescadero Coastal Classic
23 June 2012
Sunny skies and comfortable temperatures were on hand for the 2012 edition of the Pesky Road Race.
Master 45+ 1-2-3
Kevin Klein (HDR Racing p/b Lombardi Sports) took his second win this season for the 2012 NCNCA Bikereg.com Premier Series and with it assumes the series lead. “It was a great race, good weather, good conditions.” commented Klein, “It was dry, cool, breezy, and we had a really solid field.” Klein reported a fifteen to 20-minute delay during the neutralization just as his race was setting up for the final climb. “To be stopped in the middle of [ones] rhythm is extremely difficult. Getting re-started, the legs feel like cement blocks but we got them going by the time we got about halfway up the climb.”
Battling Hans Gouwens (IronDataThirstyBearCycling.com) and Dirk Himley (Echelon/Charity of Choice) going up Pescadero Creek Road, Klein put in his winning moves. “I started to lift the pace and Hans [Gouwens] started to become detached at about 2K to go. At a ‘K’ to go I lifted the pace even more and I shed Dirk [Himley] and came in solo.” Himley finished in second place and Gouwens in third. David Passmore (Berkeley Bicycle Club) was the fourth place finisher as fifth went to Maurice Klein (IronDataThirstyBearCycling.com).
Regarding his Premier Series battle with Cale Reeder (Echelon/Charity of Choice), the confident Klein continued, “It’s advantage me with the rest of the series. I am looking to put in a good battle. It’ll be competitive.”
Master 35+ 1-2-3
Chris Phipps (IronDataThirstyBearCycling.com) continued his winning streak in the Premier Series with his fourth in a row. “[The race] worked out perfectly team-wise,” said Phipps, “There was a five-man break initially that we had a guy in. Then, on the climb of the first lap we had three out eleven. On the last lap we had three out of nine, I think. I was able to sit in and save myself as my teammates were able to [cover] anyone who attacked.”
Phipps admitted his team’s strategy going in to the race was to set him up for the win on the hill. “If we could get me to the bottom of the final climb with the selection that was left,” continued Phipps, “I’d have a pretty good chance to win it.” Joshua Dapice (Kriki Sports) earned the second step of the podium whilst Nick Theobald (SAFEWAY/GA PRC Group/Bicycles Plus) crossed for third place. Jeromy Cottell (Peninsula Velo Racing) was the fourth place finisher as Matthew Carinio (ArtsCyclery.com/Wild Horse Wines) took fifth.
“I’m happy about [taking the lead in the Premier Series].” said Phipps, “I wish Andres [Gil] was here to race me today. A lot of races suit him down the stretch so it will be hard to hold on to [the lead].”
Women Pro-1-2-3
Amy Thornquist (Steven’s Bikes p/b Pactimo) followed up her third place finish at Nevada City with the win at Pesky; all this with less than ten bicycle-only races to her credit as the triathlete grows her credentials. “[The win] feels great,” acknowledged Thornquist, “I’m just fortunate I have such great team mates. I honestly can’t take it on all myself. Marley Smith and Heather Van Sickle were wonderful; it was great having them out there.”
With a focus on the Premier Series, Steven’s Bikes as a team have done well. “We had four team mates in and we were all to work together,” said Thornquist, “We watched Molly (Van Houweling) and Team Red, we kept counterattacking on the hills. It played out [perfectly]. I knew that hills were a struggle for [Van Houweling] so I made sure that we worked together on the flats. Then once the hills came I pushed it trying to wear here down a bit. On the downhills [I] stuck with her then on that last hill I knew I had a lot left.”
Van Houweling did secure second place and, with it, increases her lead in the Premier Series individual standings. Thornquist’s team mates Smith and Van Sickle were third and fourth, respectively. Tanja Meyer Tamguney (Red Racing) finished in fifth place. With Heather Lipana also finishing in a points-earning position, Steven’s Bikes presented by Pactimo continue to extend their lead over Metromint Cycling in the team standings.
Men Pro-1-2
Kirk Carlsen (Full Circle Cycling p/b Pure Gear) won the men’s top category race as the first six places went to racers not involved in the standings for the Premier Series. James Oram (Bontrager Livestrong-Development Team) took second place with Roman Kilun (Kenda/5 Hour Energy) finishing in third. Michael Jasinski (Wonderful Pistachio Pro Cycling) took the fourth position whilst Nathaniel English (Yahoo Cycling Team) was in fifth. As with many other categories, Carlsen’s race was also neutralized at the feed zone. “I felt strong before we stopped,” said Carlsen, “Luckily I felt good starting again.”
Carlsen, Oram, and Kilun were off the front going up the final climb. “I knew that Roman [Kilun] was a little bit tired because he had a mechanical and he came back to us,” commented Carlsen, “so I wasn’t really looking at him. I was a little bit worried about the Bontrager rider [Oram]. I went to the front on the climb to try to soften him up. I looked back and I had a gap already so I went again and that was that.”
The first to earn points for the Premier Series were series leader Chuck Hutcheson (Marc Pro-Strava), in seventh, and team mate Keith Hillier in eighth. Along with Art Rand grabbing points for his team, Marc Pro-Strava move into second place in the team standings, as racers for now third-place California Giant Berry Farms/Specialized compete for the National Road Championships in Augusta, Georgia.
