The Paramount SCNCA Masters Crit Championships promised to be an exciting event that drew hundreds of Southern California’s top Masters Crit racers. Peter Boberg started off with the 55+ racers which was a disciplined bunch that kept a cool and even pace around the well appointed and wide crit course. Two riders broke away early on and were brought back and it ended in a bunch sprint with Peter Boberg finishing in the pack at 20th place. Local racer, Carlos Soto finished in 3rd.
Derek Johnson lined up for the 40+ that had a full contingent of Amgen/Giant Masters racers along with other fairly represented teams. The race went down as a series of strategically timed attacks by team after team with breakaways getting away for laps at the time, only to be brought back by a team that had no representation in the break away. Amgen did a great job, lead by Thurlow Rogers setting tempo and blocking as appropriate. It was difficult to determine what breakaway would succeed and Derek Johnson had multiple successes bridging up to different packs only to see his energy wasted as the group came together at the last turn. Just before the last turn, he was in 4th wheel, but his lead out group gave up and was swallowed by a 2nd group of sprinters and settled for 22nd.
Derek Johnson and Peter Boberg lined up for the Cat 3 racers, with packs of young kids ready to strut their stuff after being shut out of the Master’s races. Multiple teams were represented again, the pace and bike handling skills were starkly different, even though the overall speed turned out to be slower at the end of the day. There were multiple attacks and with 10 minutes to go, a breakaway of 16 guys succeeded to get away. Derek Johnson and Peter Boberg were stuck in the peloton and with full representation in the breakaway, nobody wanted to work, Derek Johnson foolishly pulled the group around the course for two laps, pulling the group close to the breakaway, but finally called for unrepresented teams to do their part. Swamis stepped forward and brought the group back together for a final sprint. Exhausted and tired, Derek and Peter finished in the pack.
OTHER ROAD RESULTS:
SCNCA TT Championships, Lake Los Angeles Ca, May 23rd
Results:
Gary Douville – 1st Master 30-34
Barry Wolfe Grand Prix, Woodland Hills Ca, May 24th
Results:
Chris Walker – 29th Cat 1/2
Brandon Droese – 23rd Cat 3
Steve Weixel – 28th Cat 3
Peter Bolberg – 34th Master 30+
