Sea Otter Classic Race Report

Short Track
The Short Track race on Saturday was a fast, 20 minute plus 3 lap, race on a short dusty, and bumpy loop, with one small punchy climb per lap. Right off of the start there was a crash, in which Sandra unfortunately went down. She managed to pick herself up and continue in the race, but paid for the time down, as well as picked up a few bumps and bruises in the process. Jean Ann got a great start, riding in the top ten, and faded to finish 16th, while Sandra finished 26th out of 31 starters.
Women's ST Start from http://www.cyclingdirt.org/

XC – Cat 1
For Bianca’s first major race of the year, and in the senior age group, she opted to race the Cat 1 event, earlier in the morning. Her winter training has clearly paid off, as she won the race, and posted a lap time that was competitive with the pro women’s lap times posted later that day. It looks like Bianca is ready for the transition to senior elite/pro for the Canada Cups!

1. Bianca Adolf (CAN) Local Ride Racing 1:31:17

XC – Pro
Race day was the hottest day of the week, with temperatures in the mid thirties, and organizers opted to shorten the pro race from two 19-mile loops to one, on account of the heat. About fifty women started, and Sandra was our top finisher on the team, with a top 20 result in a competitive international field.
Photo from Cycling Dirt http://www.cyclingdirt.org/

1. Georgia Gould (USA) Luna Pro Team 1:22:45
2. Lene Byberg (Nor) Specialized Factory Ra 01:07.0
3. Catharine Pendrel (Can) Luna Pro Team 01:14.0
4. Kelli Emmett (USA) 03:58.0
5. Willow Koerber (USA) Subaru Gary Fisher 04:09.0
6. Pua Sawicki (USA) 04:15.0
7. Katerina Nash (USA) Luna Pro Team 05:22.0
8. Heather Irmiger (USA) Subaru Gary Fisher 06:17.0
9. Jenna Rinehart (USA) Specialized 07:02.0
10. Lorenza Morfin (Mex) 07:37.0
11. Emily Batty (Can) Trek Store 08:08.0
12. Amanda Sin (Can) 3 Rox Racing 08:46.0
13. Catherine Vipond (Can) Norco Factory 09:11.0
14. Allison Mann (USA) Shoair Specialized Nem 09:15.0
15. Kathy Sherwin (USA) Kenda Tomac Hayes 10:19.0
16. Sue Butler (USA) Monavie-Cannondale 10:22.0
17. Lindsey Bishop (USA) Mafia Racing 10:41.0
18. Judy Freeman (USA) Tough Girl-Scott 11:37.0
19. Sandra Walter (Can) 12:41.0
20. Alice Pennington Velaforma/Zym 13:06.0
21. Natasha Hernday (USA) Amgen 13:18.0
22. Melanie Mcquaid (Can) Mcquaid/Sho-Air 13:18.0
23. Amanda Carey (USA) Kenda Tomac Hayes 13:23.0
24. Mical Dyck (Can) Trektorontostore/Ten 13:47.0
25. Aleksandra Rokita (Pol) Spin Rr Donnelly 14:20.0
26. Erin Huck (USA) Tokyo Joes 14:36.0
27. Rebecca Rusch (USA) 15:16.0
28. Sarah Kaufmann (USA) 15:26.0
29. Krista Park (USA) Incycle/Magura/Notube 16:29.0
30. Maureen Kunz (USA) Lost Coast Brewery 17:10.0
31. Sonya Looney (USA) Topeak Ergon 17:19.0
32. Heather Holmes (USA) Kenda Tomac Hayes 19:23.0
33. Jean Ann Mckirdy (Can) Local Ride Racing 19:32.0
34. Athena Kraus (USA) Ellsworth Bicycles/St 20:03.0
35. Anina Aaron (USA) Kenda Kmc Hayes 21:30.0
36. Shannon Holden (USA) 24:19.0
37. Caitlyn Tuel (USA) Tough Girl/Scott 25:07.0
38. Philicia Marion (USA) Kenda Kmc Hayes 25:47.0
39. Erika Krumpelman (USA) 26:00.0
40. Emma Worldpeace Coast Brewery 26:25.0
41. Jamie Stamps (USA) Another Bike Shop 26:41.0
42. Abigail Strigel (USA) Mafia Racing 30:50.0
43. Jennifer Hanks (USA) Revolution Peak Faste 31:32.0
44. Joy Duerksen (USA) Pass Physical Therapy 43:07.0
45. Danae York 43:14.0
DNF Zephanie Blasi (USA) Kenda Tomac Hayes
DNF Chloe Forsman (USA) Luna Pro Team
DNF Sarah Piccolo (USA) Norcal Specialized
DNF Wendy Simms (USA) Kona
DNS Heather Ranoa (USA)
DNS Sara Bresnick-Zocc (USA)

We Love Our New Bikes!!!

So excited

Sandra loves her new bike :)

The view through the BB shell


A extra big thank you to the guys who helped us get things together. Thank you!!!

Steve built us custom wheels

Mike doing a little on the job learning

Sea Otter Classic

After a hectic week, hunting down bikes with a shipping company, last minute packing, and a little lost sleep the team is all in Monterey and ready for the Sea Otter Classic.

We have three beautiful Xprezo Blue bikes, ready to race. The team is loving the steel hardtail frames. Sandra and Jean Ann will take two of them for their first race tomorrow afternoon, in the Pro Women's Short Track race. On Sunday Bianca races the Cat1 U23 race in the morning, followed by Sandra and Jean Ann in the Pro Women's XC race in the afternoon.

The team opted to leave out the Super D, and focus on dialing in the new rides and pre-riding for the XC events.

Stay tuned for results and photos.

Coquitlam Now Story

Here is a link to a story in the Coquitlam Now about the team and Sandra and Jean Ann racing the spring European World Cups.

Jean Ann and Sandra Selected for European World Cups

Breaking news from the Local Ride Elite Women’s MTB Team: Jean Ann and Sandra were recently selected to compete in two World Cup races in Europe with the Canadian National Team! The two will jet off to Europe immediately following the Sea Otter Classic, which takes place April 17-19. The duo is excited to hit up the World Cup circuit’s most competitive races, in Offenburg, Germany, April 26, and Houffalize, Belgium, May 3. “Racing in the European World Cups is a great way for us to gain exposure and experience at the top level,” said McKirdy. “This is the kind of break we need to continue to improve and reach our goals of representing Canada at the Olympics in 2012.” Sandra will then stay on in Europe to race the high calibre Racer Cup Series #3 in Switzerland, May 9.

Local Ride Racing Team Launch Party - Thank you!



Thank you to everyone who celebrated the start of the season with Local Ride Racing (LRR) at the Shark Club Bar and Grill in Vancouver on April 3. The event was a huge success, thanks to the great turn-out, an awesome live acoustic set by Fully Loaded (www.loadedfully.com), and lots of action for the Tacx VR World Championship trainer races. Thanks to Khoa from Cycles Lambert, who ran the Tacx, and Taraxca Jewellery, Creative Outlines Metal Art, Kicking Horse Coffee, Marriott Whistler, Cedar Beach Resort, Jelly Belly, Pitt Meadows Wellness Centre, Local Ride Bike Shop, and London Drugs for donating fabulous silent auction items. See you all there again next year!

Bianca's First Race of the Season - Island Cup Cumberland XC

The first race of the season is always the most unpredictable. After months and months of training through out the winter I was finally going to get to see if all those miles were worth it, and they were.

The first challenge I faced when I showed up at the Island Series race in Cumberland was deciding which category I should race. Heading to the race my plan was to sign up for whichever category had more girls in it. Looking at the starting lists, both the intermediate and expert categories were pretty even, so I had to pick. I ended up choosing to race expert, I figured this would give me the best idea of what I'd be facing this coming season.

Looking around at all the other women sitting beside me on the starting line I noticed that I was definitely the youngest and started to wonder if I had signed up for the right on. Once the race had begin my doubts disappeared, I was in the lead! Even though I couldn't manage to hold it till the end of the race, I was very happy with my second place finish, especially after finding out that the woman who had beaten me was Wendy Simms! A well known competitor on the racing scene.

This raced proved to be the perfect warm up for my next race, "Sea Otter Classic"!

:) Bianca

Note: Since Wendy Simms chose to race in the expert men's category, Bianca was actually the first placed expert woman. Good job Bianca, on opening up the season with a great race and great result!