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Garrett Lemire Memorial GP in Ojay
Monday, April 14, 2008
04/13/08 Garrett Lemire Memorial GP in OjayFritz Bottger of VITAMIX/SIXTUFIT.COM raced in the Cat 2 race in which he finished a very respectable 10th place, which should move him ever so closer to an upgrade.
posted by Author at 1:38 PM
Anthill Crit
Friday, April 11, 2008
04/06/08 Anthill CritWaylon Smith won the field sprint for 5th place in the Pro 1,2 Crit.
posted by Author at 11:14 AM
Redlands Crit
04/06/08 Redlands Crit
Raul Frias placed 13th in the Pro 1,2 Crit, while still maintaining his 3rd place in overall standings of the SoCal Cup.
Raul Frias placed 13th in the Pro 1,2 Crit, while still maintaining his 3rd place in overall standings of the SoCal Cup.
posted by Author at 11:11 AM
San Dimas Stage Race
03/28/08 San Dimas SR - Stage 1 TT
Raul Frias finished 37th in the Cat. 35+ uphill TT, which placed him 37th overall.
03/29/08 San Dimas SR - Stage 2 RR
Raul Frias finished 2nd in the field sprint for 8th place, while impoving to 29th overall.
03/30/08 San Dimas SR - Stage 3 Crit
Raul Frias came close to winning his second Crit but was unfairly pushed toward the barriers by the eventual winner and had to settle for 2nd place. He moved up to 24th in the final GC in the 35+ category.
Raul Frias finished 37th in the Cat. 35+ uphill TT, which placed him 37th overall.
03/29/08 San Dimas SR - Stage 2 RR
Raul Frias finished 2nd in the field sprint for 8th place, while impoving to 29th overall.
03/30/08 San Dimas SR - Stage 3 Crit
Raul Frias came close to winning his second Crit but was unfairly pushed toward the barriers by the eventual winner and had to settle for 2nd place. He moved up to 24th in the final GC in the 35+ category.
posted by Author at 11:00 AM
Ontario GP #2
03/23/08 Ontario GP #2
Raul Frias finished 4th in the Pro 1,2 race which moved him up to 3rd overall in the SCNCA standings! He was supported by Josh Goodwin, Waylon Smith, Fritz Bottger and Michael Dansk Varbaek.
Raul Frias finished 4th in the Pro 1,2 race which moved him up to 3rd overall in the SCNCA standings! He was supported by Josh Goodwin, Waylon Smith, Fritz Bottger and Michael Dansk Varbaek.
posted by Author at 10:54 AM
Del Mar Crit #2
03/22/08 Del Mar Crit #2
Raul Frias finished 14th in the Pro 1,2 race.
First Win of the season!
Raul Frias won the 35+ race while in a 3-Man breakaway! Well done!
Raul Frias finished 14th in the Pro 1,2 race.
First Win of the season!
Raul Frias won the 35+ race while in a 3-Man breakaway! Well done!
posted by Author at 10:49 AM
L.A. Circuit Race
Monday, March 17, 2008
03/16/2008 Los Angeles Circuit RaceUnder very windy conditions, Fritz Bottger, Raul Frias and Armin Rahm went to the line with many International Champions present. Newly crowned Mexican TT champion "Chepe" Garcia and his strong Toyota United teammates as well as the entire Rock Racing squad including Tyler Hamilton were in the race. There were too many champs to mention them all. It was a very fast but controlled race because Rock Racing wanted to keep the field together to set up the final sprint for Kayle Leo Grande and Toyota United for Hilton Clark or Ivan Dominguez. In the end United got the better end and finished first and second, while Raul Frias from VITAMIX/SIXTUFIT.COM finished in a very strong and respectable 6th place in the Pro 1,2 race, while Fritz Bottger finished a great 22nd place.
Raul Frias should now be in the top ten of the CAT 1,2 SCNCA standings. Keep is up Raul!.
posted by Author at 7:55 PM
Tour of Murrietta Omnium
Sunday, March 9, 2008
03/08/2008 Tour of Murrieta Crit.On the first day Raul Frias placed 10th in the Pro 1,2 Crit.
A more detailed report is coming soon.
03/09/2008 Tour of Murrieta Circuit Race
Raul Frias was able to get a great 11th place in the Pro 1,2 Circuit Race in the two day Omnium, which secured him 8th overall in the Tour of Murrieta Omnium. The fact that many UCI Continental team riders participated make his success even more valuable.
Raul is currently 12th in the SoCal Cup point standings.
posted by Author at 11:31 AM
CBR #3 Dash 4 Cash
03/02/2008 CRB #3 Dash 4 Cash Crit
Waylon Smith, Raul Frias and Fritz Bottger lined up for VITAMIX/SIXTUFIT.COM team. Unfortunately most of our other teammates are still sick or getting over it, but we hope to have a full lineup at the upcoming races. Now for the race, early in the 100km race, a break of three riders went clear and they closed in on the field until they had them in sight, but they had no intentions of lapping, as they would not have been able to collect the money that was on the line each lap. So if the field slowed down the break slowed down and if they speed up the break speed up. Late in the race a bigger group went clear of the field but they were unable to catch the break and never made any money while the break sprinted for the top three honors and the chase group had to settle for the other placings. Fritz Bottger was part of that chase and placed 13th in the end. Raul and Waylon finished the race, which turned out to be a great training race for all of them.
Waylon Smith, Raul Frias and Fritz Bottger lined up for VITAMIX/SIXTUFIT.COM team. Unfortunately most of our other teammates are still sick or getting over it, but we hope to have a full lineup at the upcoming races. Now for the race, early in the 100km race, a break of three riders went clear and they closed in on the field until they had them in sight, but they had no intentions of lapping, as they would not have been able to collect the money that was on the line each lap. So if the field slowed down the break slowed down and if they speed up the break speed up. Late in the race a bigger group went clear of the field but they were unable to catch the break and never made any money while the break sprinted for the top three honors and the chase group had to settle for the other placings. Fritz Bottger was part of that chase and placed 13th in the end. Raul and Waylon finished the race, which turned out to be a great training race for all of them.
posted by Author at 10:57 AM
Merco Credit Union Cycling Classic
03/01/2008 Merco Credit Union Cycling Classic Crit
Many Continental Teams lined up with a full squad to take on the technical course in Merced. Raul Frias traveled by himself to the Merced Criterium to take on the strong field. A breakway of about 10 riders formed but Chris Horner wasn't pleased with the other breakaway companions effort and decided to keep attacking until there were only three left. Chris and two others moved on to lap the field, while the others were caught by the field. In the finale Raul Frias managed a great 21st place in the star studded field without having teammates to support him.
Many Continental Teams lined up with a full squad to take on the technical course in Merced. Raul Frias traveled by himself to the Merced Criterium to take on the strong field. A breakway of about 10 riders formed but Chris Horner wasn't pleased with the other breakaway companions effort and decided to keep attacking until there were only three left. Chris and two others moved on to lap the field, while the others were caught by the field. In the finale Raul Frias managed a great 21st place in the star studded field without having teammates to support him.
posted by Author at 10:35 AM
Ontarion GP #1
2/24/08 Ontario GP #1
At the Ontario Grand Prix Raul Frias, Waylon Smith, and Michael Dansk Varbaek lined up with 102 other riders. Dark clouds promising scattered showers, were sitting low, the race, however, stayed dry from start to finish. From the gun, attacks went from both the left and the right. After 15 min, a breakaway group finally got away, and since both Rock Racing, and Five Star had riders upfront, the group gained 1 minute on the field. Waylon, and Raul went to the front of the field, and chased together with other riders, which did not have a team mate in the break. Since it was very windy, riders who were in the break, started to wear out, and one by one they started to come back to the field. With 30 min left, only a few riders were left in the break, and Rock Racing found themselves having no rider upfront anymore, and started chasing hard. With 20 min left, the breakaway got caught, and Rock Racing started to set themselves up for a field sprint. Raul managed to stay towards the front, despite an intense infight for getting on a Rock Racing wheel. Rasaan Bahati from Rock Racing won the race, with Raul Frias of VITAMIX/SIXTUFIT.COM team taking 10th place.
At the Ontario Grand Prix Raul Frias, Waylon Smith, and Michael Dansk Varbaek lined up with 102 other riders. Dark clouds promising scattered showers, were sitting low, the race, however, stayed dry from start to finish. From the gun, attacks went from both the left and the right. After 15 min, a breakaway group finally got away, and since both Rock Racing, and Five Star had riders upfront, the group gained 1 minute on the field. Waylon, and Raul went to the front of the field, and chased together with other riders, which did not have a team mate in the break. Since it was very windy, riders who were in the break, started to wear out, and one by one they started to come back to the field. With 30 min left, only a few riders were left in the break, and Rock Racing found themselves having no rider upfront anymore, and started chasing hard. With 20 min left, the breakaway got caught, and Rock Racing started to set themselves up for a field sprint. Raul managed to stay towards the front, despite an intense infight for getting on a Rock Racing wheel. Rasaan Bahati from Rock Racing won the race, with Raul Frias of VITAMIX/SIXTUFIT.COM team taking 10th place.
posted by Author at 10:26 AM
CBR #2 Anger Management Crit Long Beach
Sunday, February 17, 2008
02/17/2008 CBR #2 Anger Management Crit Long BeachRolling to the line of the 100km Pro 1,2 race from VITAMIX/SIXTUFIT.COM were Fritz Bottger, Raul Frias, Josh Goodwin, Armin Rahm and Waylon Smith. Attacks started from the beginning of the race and it was Josh Goodwin who managed to be the only rider from our team to be in the very large sized breakaway of about 15 riders. It was a very windy race and the breakaway was not allowed to get more than 1/3 of a lap. The field was chasing very hard for almost one hour before they were able to bring the break back. Many counterattacks followed and several smaller breakaways established. In the end it was Fritz who was working hard to bring the breakaways back so Raul can go for the sprint. Raul Frias eventually finished 11th place after having worked hard throughout the race to get into the right moves.
30+ Race: Armin Rahm gave Raul Frias a leadout in the 30+ race in which he finished 6th place.
posted by Author at 7:46 PM
Introducing the 2008 VITAMIX/SIXTUFIT.COM team
This is just a quick announcement that we will soon introduce the team of 2008.
We will also update our race reports as soon as they become available.
We will also update our race reports as soon as they become available.
posted by Author at 7:32 PM
Roger Millikan Memorial Crit in Brea
02/10/08 Roger Millikan Memorial Crit in Brea
Raul Frias and Waylon Smith took the start at the St. Valentie's Crit in the Pro 1,2 category. Waylon Smith finished the race and Raul Frias took a very impressive 8th place behind the Winner Rashaan Bahati from Rock Racing.
30+Race: Raul Frias finished 3rd place in a very strong field.
Raul Frias and Waylon Smith took the start at the St. Valentie's Crit in the Pro 1,2 category. Waylon Smith finished the race and Raul Frias took a very impressive 8th place behind the Winner Rashaan Bahati from Rock Racing.
30+Race: Raul Frias finished 3rd place in a very strong field.
posted by Author at 7:24 PM
Martin Luther King Day Crit
01/19/08 Martin Luther King Day Crit
Raul Frias of Vitamix/Sixtufit.com finished 9th place in the first race of the season.
Raul Frias of Vitamix/Sixtufit.com finished 9th place in the first race of the season.
posted by Author at 7:20 PM
THE PAA PRO CYCLING TEAM IS THANKING ALL IT'S SPONSORS FOR THEIR SUPPORT IN 2007
Masters World Championship
Thursday, August 30, 2007
08/26/07 Class 2 1968-1972Armin Rahm finished 15th in the 35-39 age category.
Armin Rahm was warming up in the early morning hours riding thru the refreshing morning fog and then heading up the first hill of the racecourse when he realized that he had a slow leak on his front racing wheel. The EASTON Tempest II wheel set and tires were brand new so it was a surprise to him to already have a flat. He went back to the hotel and filled the tire with more air and removed the valve extension to see if that was the problem. He changed into his racing clothes and rode to the start finish area with a spare wheel set in tow. Michael and his girlfriend Diane (who wore PAA Pro colors in her age category, finishing 20th, receiving a trophy on her own)were waiting there for him in support. Unfortunately there is no neutral support car following the race, so Armin had to make a decision and either keep the wheels that he thinks make him go faster all-around or switch. He kept the front wheel and sent Michael up the first hill to possibly change there if necessary. This was just a precautionary measure. Armin likes to be last at the starting line and they rolled out at 8:25 am sharp. The first hill was within 2 km and Armin didn’t take any chances and moved up to the front right away. There he was very comfortably climbing the hill and cresting in the top ten. His front wheel was fine for the rest of the race! Two riders attacked over the top and got a gap and on the next hill it was one rider bridging across to make a three man lead group. They were hovering at about 45 seconds and many attacks came from the field to make it across. Armin covered many of these attacks but was unlucky to not make the one that actually got across. The Italians had six riders in the break of thirteen and closed down all further attempts of the field to catch them. Usually you’d say, that’s great team tactics but when the best Italian finishes only 5th then you have to say, “What were they thinking”! The pace was still high throughout the race and at the end of lap two we got close to within 35 seconds and at that time Armin was hoping that they would keep it up. On lap three they started ascending the first climb with a fierce pace and kept it all the way to the top. It was still not enough to get even closer and the break eventually opened the gap again. At that point Armin knew that they weren’t going to catch them and that they were only sprinting for 14th place. He sat in last place for the last 20km disappointed having lost his opportunity to shine as he felt he was in excellent condition. In the last 5km he decided to go for the field sprint to proof that he could have done it. Armin Rahm eventually got second in the sprint finishing 15th overall.
This was the third time out of three that Armin was second in the field sprint at the Masters World Championships and he said he’d be back again to go for the win next year.
08/23-26/07 Masters World Championship in St.Johann/Austria
08/25/07 Class 8 1958-1962
Michael Dansk Varbaek took the start at 1:00 pm on this very warm and sunny day in the beautiful Austrian Alps. He had to cover three laps to a total of 116 km on this hilly course. The first two laps he looked very comfortable and it wasn’t until the third lap when his lack of training (due to a heavy work load in the last weeks leading up to the race) caught up with him. He started having cramps and couldn’t hold the pace on the final climb and had to let go. He was determined to finish the race, which he did.
posted by Author at 5:46 AM
Ladera Ranch GP
08/19/07 Ladera Ranch GP
This was the final preparation race for Michael Dansk Varbaek and Armin Rahm before they left for the Masters World championships in St. Johann/Austria. In the 30+ race, both were very active, either being in a break or reeling it in. Unfortunately there was a break of six that stayed away and in the end it was Armin Rahm sprinting to 9th place, Michael Danks Varbaek finished 20th. It was more important for them to stay upright then having a good placing. Michael packed his bike and headed to the airport while Armin was supposed to race the Pro 1 race. Both races were back to back and while Armin finished his warm down lap they started the Pro race. Usually there is an approximate 5 min break between the races to give time to take the old number off and have the Pro number in place underneath. Well, I guess they were in a time crunch and started almost immediately. Armin knew he was a lap down and argued with the referees about the early start but still decided to get some extra racing laps in. It seemed a lot of riders dropped out due to the heat as the speed wasn’t that fast. Armin lost his motivation as they was nothing for him to race for and he dropped out after about 40min and headed home.
This was the final preparation race for Michael Dansk Varbaek and Armin Rahm before they left for the Masters World championships in St. Johann/Austria. In the 30+ race, both were very active, either being in a break or reeling it in. Unfortunately there was a break of six that stayed away and in the end it was Armin Rahm sprinting to 9th place, Michael Danks Varbaek finished 20th. It was more important for them to stay upright then having a good placing. Michael packed his bike and headed to the airport while Armin was supposed to race the Pro 1 race. Both races were back to back and while Armin finished his warm down lap they started the Pro race. Usually there is an approximate 5 min break between the races to give time to take the old number off and have the Pro number in place underneath. Well, I guess they were in a time crunch and started almost immediately. Armin knew he was a lap down and argued with the referees about the early start but still decided to get some extra racing laps in. It seemed a lot of riders dropped out due to the heat as the speed wasn’t that fast. Armin lost his motivation as they was nothing for him to race for and he dropped out after about 40min and headed home.
posted by Author at 5:19 AM
CBR Series Finale
Sunday, August 5, 2007
08/05/07 CRB Series Finale in Domingues HillThis time we only had Armin Rahm, Fritz Bottger and Waylon Smith represented in the Pro 1,2 event. It was a not too hot day with a little more wind then usual, which you think would break the field up a little quicker, but it didn’t. Lots of attacks and breaks formed but nothing getting too far off the road. It was about 30 minutes to go when a group of six riders went clear, with three Five Star Fish riders in it as well as our own Tony Cruz riding for Discovery Channel, but no one from our team. Armin almost got across with Holdane (Rock Racing) but they were both shy of 50 yards to make it. They eventually had to give up the chase and drop back into the field. At this point Fritz started to look out for Armin as he was our man for the sprint today. With two laps to go Waylon came to the front and assisted Fritz in the lead out and pulled off with a lap to go. Fritz was in the lead with Armin on the wheel, but is was way to early so Fritz wisely reduced the speed enough so he can last as long as possible without giving up the position. Finally it was the SDBC train that went by Fritz and Armin and from that point it was up to Armin to keep positioning himself. He was able to get into the train and before the final turn jumped on a Five Star Fish rider to take advantage of their lead-out. It was a drag race kind of sprint in which Armin Rahm placed 4th to be 10th overall.
30+ Update: There have been a total of 10 events in this series and Armin didn’t start racing the 30+ series until the 6th event in which he placed 5th. In the following events he placed again 5th and 3rd, which all of a sudden moved him to 7th in the overall. Unfortunately he didn’t do the other events otherwise he might have been able to go for the overall honors. Anyway, at this point he just wanted to save his placing or maybe even improve a little more. He rode a very aggressive race and ended up in a breakaway of eight riders, while his teammates Fritz Bottger and Jason Lowetz controlled the field. In a very tactical finale it was Pro rider Adam Livingston attacking first and no one going with him, Armin Rahm jumped next but couldn’t close in quick enough and had to settle for 2nd place. He finished the series moving up one more spot to 6th place. Fritz and Jason finished in the field.
posted by Author at 7:35 PM
Deluge Sport Drink Crit
Monday, July 30, 2007
07/29/07 Deluge Sport Drink Crit in Long BeachToday is was only Fritz, Armin and Raul in the usual Sixtufit.com presented by Merrill Lynch colors black/red/yellow taking the line. Once again it was a hot day in Southern California to compete in the 90 min race on this fast "Autobahn" course. No break got further away then 10 seconds and it came down to a field sprint. This time it was Raul leading out Armin on the last five laps. With half a lap to go there was an opening on the inside, which was also the wind-protected side. Raul accelerated moving closer to the front but hesitated a moment by moving to the left seeking shelter behind a couple other riders. At that moment Armin had to go to the left side and was stuck behind that group of four riders loosing all his momentum. Raul Frias was still able to get through on the inside of the final turn and started sprinting to 6th place, while Armin Rahm was stuck in traffic and had to settle for 8th place. Fritz Bottger finished in the field after trying to be in several brakes. It was still a good weekend for all of us.
posted by Author at 6:54 PM
Ontario GP #4
07/22/07 Ontario GP #4
We had Fritz, Raul, Armin, Michael and Waylon race for PAA Pro today. The tempo was constantly fast therefore no break went in the first 45 min. We always had someone go with the attacks and when fianally a group of 14 riders escaped it was Raul that was represented by us. The group stayed away and Raul Frias finished 13th, while his teammates rolled through the finish somewhere in the field.
We had Fritz, Raul, Armin, Michael and Waylon race for PAA Pro today. The tempo was constantly fast therefore no break went in the first 45 min. We always had someone go with the attacks and when fianally a group of 14 riders escaped it was Raul that was represented by us. The group stayed away and Raul Frias finished 13th, while his teammates rolled through the finish somewhere in the field.
posted by Author at 6:39 PM
La Mirada GP and Dash 4 Cash Crit.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
07/07/07 La Mirada GPFritz, Michael, Simon, Raul and Armin rolled out to race for 90 minutes on a two mile, four corner circuit over rolling terrain with a quarter mile power climb coming out of turn 1 and a short little incline toward the finish line. The first attacks came right from the gun and it promised to be a tough one as every year. Simon was unfortunate going down on the second lap and he had to withdraw from the race. Michael and Armin were dropped sometime after the half waypoint; Raul and Fritz lasted toward the end of the race before paying tribute to the quarter mile hill. Armin Rahm finished the race.
Simon Nung went on to race in the 35+ category in which he placed 2nd, Michael Danks raced in support of Simon to finish 17th.
07/08/07 Long Beach Dash 4 Cash Crit
The same usual suspects of our team rolled out to a 90 min. Dash 4 Cash Criterium at which the winner of each lap is rewarded $20.00. The pace was high as so many riders tried to get at least their entry fee paid back by winning on any lap. Our riders were very active trying to collect as much as possible for the team pot, but unfortunate there wasn’t as much to show as expected. It left us going for the honors of placing well at the end. Armin gave the usual lead out to Raul and Simon. Raul Frias finished 3rd, Armin Rahm 7th and Simon Nung 10th and Michael Dansk Varbaek 14th.
Armin Rahm finished 3rd in the earlier 30+ race.
posted by Author at 10:41 PM
Manhattan Beach GP
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
07/01/07 Manhattan Beach GPArmin Rahm, Tommy Nelson, and Raul Frias represented the Sixtufit.com Team at Sunday's 46th Annual Manhattan Beach Grand Prix in the Pro 1 category. It is the biggest and most prestigious single day races on the West Coast. It was a hot Sunday afternoon as 175 cyclists lined up for the start of the 90-minute race. Within the first fifteen minutes of the race, three riders made the first attack that stuck for a while. Rock Racing, 5-Star Fish, and Successful living represented the break, while Toyota United took control of the front of the peloton,. For the next thirty minutes of the race, Rock Racing and 5-Star Fish dropped back while Successful Living stayed at the front, taking the first prime of the Pro 1 race. Team Sixtufit.com waited for Toyota United and Rock Racing to chase down the break in order to get ready to win the various primes offered throughout the day's race. After the primes were gone, Toyota United went to the front to take control of the race to try and get ready for the final laps. As every year the final three laps are very chaotic and a lot of shoving and pushing is taking place. One second you are in the front the next you are swarmed and thirty places back. The Sixtufit.com riders tried to stay right behind the Toyota United team for the final lap, but things did not go as planned; Raul Frias was pushed and head-butted by Toyota United team rider Henk Vogels in the last 800 meters, pushing Raul Frias back a few spots and ultimately in 21st place as the race ended. Armin Rahm finished several meters behind Raul in 29th place, as he wasn’t able to get back to the front when the field was charging 6 riders wide toward the final hairpin turn. Tommy was just a little further behind.
Simon Nung, Fritz Bottger and Waylon Smith were present for the Cat 2 race at the 2007 Manhattan Beach Grand Prix. Breaks very rarely survive in this race so the strategy was to conserve our energy for the finish and not worry too much about breaks. Simon was in an early 10 man break that survived 2 or three laps, the longest of all the breaks, Waylon found himself in an early 2 man break where he picked up a prime. On the final lap Simon was sitting 4th wheel down the back stretch while Fritz was leading Waylon on the outer edge of the pack. Simon was able to hold his position going into the final turn and finished the race in 5th while Fritz and Waylon got swallowed by the pack going into the final 180 degree turn and finishing mid pack.
Armin Rahm finished second place in the 35+ races in the last five years and hopefully this would be his year to shine. But like the other years, Armin just wanted to warm up in the 35+ category and fully concentrate on the Pro 1 event. Therefore he sat in most of the race just to move up in the last five laps to test his legs. In previous years he came out of the turn first and had to spend most of his energy going into the last turn and that was something he didn’t want to do again this year. Armin rolled through in 11th place and was satisfied with that result as he has his eyes set on the Master World championships in eight weeks time.
posted by Author at 2:24 PM
San Pedro GP and Paramount Crit.
Friday, June 29, 2007
06/23/04 San Pedro GPThe race took place on a new course that was 1.1 mi. long with about 100 feet of climbing per lap and a 500+ meter straightaway to the finish line. We had Fritz, Armin, Simon and Raul compete against complete squads from Rock Racing, Five Star Fish, La Grange, Successful Living and all fast locals. It was fast from the beginning with the usual breaks forming and being reeled back in. After about 30 min of relentless attacks a small break got away and only the quickest were able to jump across at the right moment to make the final break of 13 riders. All important sprinters and local heroes made it into the break including Simon Nung, therefore there was no real chase from the field anymore. Some riders attempted to get across but the course profile and the wind prevented them to succeed. The break eventually lapped the field with about 15 min to go. One lap to go Rock Racing put their riders to the front to lead out their sprinters. At that moment Simon had lost his spot on the train and Raul tried to help him get back up to the front before the final hairpin turn. Simon followed the wheels of three different Elite National Criterium Champion such as Kayle Leo Grande (1st), Rashaan Bahati (2nd) both from Rock Racing and Tony Cruz (3rd) Dicovery Channel. Right behind followed Karl Bordine (5 Star Fish) and Simon Nung (PAA Pro) for 4th and 5th place. Fritz Bottger was able to place second from the field securing 15th place for the team. Well done!
06/24/07 Paramount Criterium
Armin, Fritz, Raul, Simon and Waylon came out to the very familiar course in Rancho Dominguez. It’s the same old course we do many times a year; they just changed the finish line to a new location. A full field of 125 riders went out to race for 90 min on this “Autobahn” course; no breaking in turns necessary ever, unless you have someone inexperienced in your way not knowing that they can take the turn full speed. It was very uneventful in regards to anything getting away further than 15 sec and at the end everyone was getting ready for the massacre to get to the line first. Fortunately the massacre ended without blood drawn. On the backside, Armin started to come around on the outside having Simon and Raul on his wheel. He took them both to the final turn to let them loose. Simon didn’t have any energy left for the sprint as he had wasted it chasing the break ghost for 90 min. Simon ended up 28th place, while Raul Frias sprinted to 8th place.
On a personal note from Armin: Promoters who give 75% of the price money (of $2,000.00) to the top three riders and barely pay enough for 8th place to get their entry fee back is kind of sad. Of course there must be a difference but when you see so many risking everything; for what? I’m not racing for the money but others do, so reward them a little too for their equal effort.
posted by Author at 10:32 PM
Michael Dansk racing in Denmark
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Michael Dansk went back home to Denmark to see his family and to compete in several events abroad. His Principia bike was lost on the way and it took him several days to get a replacement bike which ended up being a 48cm frame, which made him look like riding a kids bike. He didn’t go that far not to race and took the starting line of the Ritter Classic.Here is my report from Ritter Classic, Sunday June 17th:
1010 riders started at noon in dry weather conditions to take on the 118 km. The first 80 km being with controlled speed behind the pace car. It was an incredible sight to see 1000 riders go through the landscape, like a human moving snake. After 1 hour the rain started coming down very heavily. In certain places you had to not pedal through these massive formations of water on the road, unless you wanted your shoes, and socks to be completely soaked. By this time I was wet all over already. About 1 1/2 hour into the race, I got a flat on the back tire. There is no service in the race, so I pulled off to the side of the road, and franticly tried to get the back tire off. By the time I finally got it off, every single rider and the car caravan had passed by me. I put a fresh tube in and used my mini pump the best I could. For the next 15 kilometers I rode like a man possessed and slowly caught riders one by one. I passed hundreds of people, who had been dropped in the wind. It was pretty windy, so used a lot of effort to get back to the front. Just as I get up to the front the race is turned loose and its a free fall for all. Lars Michelsen from CSC (twice 5th in Paris-Roubaix) goes to the front and puts the hammer down. My adrenaline is flowing, so I stick to his wheel. With 20 km left, we are 21 riders left in the front group. Team Mermaid, a strong Danish team, have several riders in the front group, among others a pro rider from the Danish National team, Michael Morkov. Attacks are flying right, and left. I go with two attacks in a row, but hesitate too long when the next attack goes. 5 riders get just up ahead in a breakaway, and we are rotating behind, taking pulls, and getting very close to the 5 riders upfront. Having just taken a long pull, I am unable to go with Michael Morkov, when he attacks from our group and manages to surge up to the 5 riders in front. After a while, despite being able to see the riders in front, it becomes clear to me that we will not catch them. I attack solo, but have spent too much energy earlier to catch the front group and I stayed away almost to the finish. I get caught by the chasing group with 1 1/2 km to go. By this time I have nothing left and take 5th in the sprint to finish 11th, which after the circumstances, I am happy with. Michael Morkov wins the sprint and the race ahead of Lars Michelsen from CSC. The forecast promises rain for the next 3 days, but the weather should clear for next Sundays Masters Nationals Road Race in 40+, where I will compete against 102 other hopefuls...
posted by Author at 4:53 AM
Bicycle John’s GP
Monday, June 18, 2007
06/17/07 Bicycle John’s GP in Glendale: Simon Nung finished 2nd place.
Fritz, Raul, Simon and Armin took the starting line on a new course of the Glendale GP. The course was 1 mi. in length and had an extremely long (500 yrd.) finishing straight into the head wind. As usual, all threatening breaks were covered with at least one of our riders in it. The bigger teams not having a rider present were forced to reel it in. With two laps to go Armin moved to the front with Raul on his wheel. Then Simon got on Raul’s wheel and on the finishing straight with one lap to go Fritz joined us. He lead the PAA Pro train for half a lap until the 5 Star Fish team train came around and Armin jumped on their third riders wheel still having his teammates in tow. It was two 5 Star riders coming out of turn four first and they started to sprint into the strong head wind towards the line. One 5 Star expired and Armin bided his time to take advantage of the last rider in front of him before he took over for Raul and Simon. There was still about 150 yrd. to the line when Armin pulled off and Raul went for it. Simon and some other riders came around Raul and only one rider nipped Simon at the line by a tire width. Simon Nung finished a great 2nd place and Raul Frias 6th while Armin Rahm rolled thru in 32nd.
posted by Author at 8:02 AM
SoCal State RR Championship
06/10/07 SoCal State RR Championship in Bakersfield
The SoCal State Road Championship was moved from Vandenberg AFB to Bakersfield this year. With temperatures around 100 F, and starting at noon, it was going to be a hot one. We had Tommy, Simon, Raul, and Michael on the starting line. 80 miles/8 laps 10 miles each with approx. 900 ft of climbing each lap. Several teams had 5 or more riders, so as soon as the race started, one of the strong teams send a guy up the road as the rabbit for other teams to chase. Nothing noticeably formed so Michael tried his luck attacking solo. He got a good gap and was out there for 1/2 lap in 'no mans land', but made it over the climb before getting caught by the chasing pack. On each lap guys would get dropped on the climb. Eventually a 9-man break got off the front. With one of the big teams having a guy in the break they shut down the pack, and the break quickly advanced to 1’45”. All of a sudden the guy the team had up the road is standing on the side of the road with a flat tire. Tommy and Simon did a lot of work in the long chase and they managed to bring the break within sight. Unfortunately they paid the price next time up the climb and had to let go of what was left over of the field before abandoning the race. In the end Raul and Michael hung tough to finish 18th and 22nd on this very demanding course.
The SoCal State Road Championship was moved from Vandenberg AFB to Bakersfield this year. With temperatures around 100 F, and starting at noon, it was going to be a hot one. We had Tommy, Simon, Raul, and Michael on the starting line. 80 miles/8 laps 10 miles each with approx. 900 ft of climbing each lap. Several teams had 5 or more riders, so as soon as the race started, one of the strong teams send a guy up the road as the rabbit for other teams to chase. Nothing noticeably formed so Michael tried his luck attacking solo. He got a good gap and was out there for 1/2 lap in 'no mans land', but made it over the climb before getting caught by the chasing pack. On each lap guys would get dropped on the climb. Eventually a 9-man break got off the front. With one of the big teams having a guy in the break they shut down the pack, and the break quickly advanced to 1’45”. All of a sudden the guy the team had up the road is standing on the side of the road with a flat tire. Tommy and Simon did a lot of work in the long chase and they managed to bring the break within sight. Unfortunately they paid the price next time up the climb and had to let go of what was left over of the field before abandoning the race. In the end Raul and Michael hung tough to finish 18th and 22nd on this very demanding course.
posted by Author at 5:53 AM
CBR SoCal State Crit Championship
06/03/07 CBR SoCal State Crit Championship
The usual suspects Armin, Fritz, Michael, Raul and Tommy represented our team. Participation in this CBR State Crit. Championship Race was great and promised a very active race. As usually we had to cover 100km but that didn’t hold anyone back to attack right from the start. With our five riders we were able to cover all important breaks most noticeably Tommy being present in breakaways that were off the front for a while. Halfway trough the race the decisive break of eight formed with Tommy representing our colors. At the end Tommy was able to finish 7th place, while back in the field Armin was leading out Raul to 12th place.
Armin Rahm did the earlier 30+ race in which he placed 5th.
The usual suspects Armin, Fritz, Michael, Raul and Tommy represented our team. Participation in this CBR State Crit. Championship Race was great and promised a very active race. As usually we had to cover 100km but that didn’t hold anyone back to attack right from the start. With our five riders we were able to cover all important breaks most noticeably Tommy being present in breakaways that were off the front for a while. Halfway trough the race the decisive break of eight formed with Tommy representing our colors. At the end Tommy was able to finish 7th place, while back in the field Armin was leading out Raul to 12th place.
Armin Rahm did the earlier 30+ race in which he placed 5th.
posted by Author at 5:18 AM
Memorial Day Weekend
Monday, May 28, 2007
05/28/07 Memorial Day Crit in Long BeachWe had 6 riders at the 100 kilometer Long Beach Memorial Day Crit (Armin, Fritz, Michael, Raul, Simon and Tommy). The weather was perfect but there was a bit of an ocean breeze that had some effect on the dynamics of the race. The first 2 laps were slow and easy, then the pace started to pick up and a couple of riders got off the front. People started bridging up and a break of about 20 riders formed which included two of our riders, Raul and Fritz. Team Rock and Republic had about 4 or 5 riders in the break and they did the majority of the work and in about 20-30 minutes the break had lapped the field. At this time Tommy was in another break off the front working with a few other riders to lap the field also. However, Rock and Republic got the train together up front and pulled the break back in. For the next hour there were a lot of attacks and attempts to get off the front again but nothing stuck for very long. With about 20 laps left, the pack slowed and the attacks stopped as the tired field rested for the final sprint. Our team started to form a train on the outside with about 3 laps to go. The plan was to lead out Raul and Fritz because they were the two that were up a lap. With 2 turns to go Armin, our last leadout man, expired and Raul and Fritz were left to their own devices. Raul came through in the top spot with 6th place and Fritz took 8th. We also collected a few primes. In our post race meeting we went over what we needed to do for a better leadout so hopefully we are squared away and dialed in for next week so we can grab that win.
Earlier in the day Armin Rahm placed 5th at the 30+ 1,2,3 race.
05/27/07 Barry Wolfe Warner Center GP
Today is was Armin, Michael, Raul, Tommy and Brad that represented our colors. There were many full teams here, most noticeably the UCI Rock Racing Team, which promised for aggressive racing. Our sprinters and Tommy were responsible covering breaks in the first half of the race and Michael to cover later in the race while Armin and Raul save themselves for the sprint. No break got away and a field sprint was eminent. The last ten laps were physically very aggressive fighting for position and that’s when Raul and Armin got separated a couple time but were able to join forces in the last half lap to try and overtake Rock Racing before the final turn. They “closed the door” on us before turn 4 and Raul Frias finished 6th, while Armin Rahm was 8th. Tommy did and incredible job trying to establish a break by riding several times off the front to no avail.
05/26/07 Dana Point GP
The start took Armin, Michael, Raul, Simon and Tommy. The course was a fast figure eight that was technical with a little roller and alleyway. The pace was blistering fast from the beginning stringing out the peloton single file throughout the race. The race was neutralized after 50min due to a severe crash in turn 7 and restarted after about 10min. At that time we still had four riders present in the race while the field had shrunk down to about half that had started. Going into the final 30 minutes meant that is would get even faster or more furious. First, Michael paid toll to the pace and Armin followed about two laps later, while Raul and Tommy still looked comfortably. Unfortunately Tommy had a chain mechanical and had to withdraw but Raul was able to finish 18th in the end in a race that saw only 37 finishers.
In the 35+ Race it was Armin Rahm placing 10th and Michael Dansk 11th.
posted by Author at 7:22 AM
SCNCA ITT Championship, Ontario GP and West L.A. College GP
Monday, May 21, 2007
05/19/07 SCNCA Individual Time Trial ChampionshipElite: 8th place for Tommy Nelson
Tandem Mixed 70+: 1st place for Michael Dansk and Martina Sturm
05/20/07 Ontario GP
Starters for PAA Pro: Armin Rahm, Michael Dansk, Waylon Smith
Finish: 16th place for Armin Rahm, 6th place in 30+ for Waylon Smith
05/20/07 West L.A. College GP
Starters and placings for PAA Pro: Simon Nung (36th), Fritz Bottger (37th), Raul Frias (46th), Tommy Nelson, John McKeen (dnf) and Peter Meinhold (dns).
posted by Author at 7:27 PM
Valencia GP
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
05/13/07 Valencia GP: Simon Nung finishes on the podium in 3rd place.
The weather at the Valencia GP was hot, dry and windy. The course differed from previous years as it starts with a half-mile climb and a series of turns that takes riders to the bottom of the course to climb back up again. The duration of the race was 2 hrs rather than the usual 90min. The race line up for the day was Fritz, Raul, Waylon, Michael and Simon. Fritz, Waylon, Raul and Simon usually position them selves to cover breaks. Most of the attacks were launched from the top of the climb. Several attacks and counter attacks went on through out the day. Simon found himself in breaks that included some serious power. The final selection had Simon Nung, Rigo Mesa, Thurlow Rogers, Chris Walker, a La Grange rider and a rider from Team 5 Star Fish. Out of the final turn it was Chris Walker who made the first move. The La Grange rider came on the outside with a big sprint, passing us all for the win. Simon kept his legs moving and found himself in second place, until Rigo passed him just before the line. Simon was happy to make the final selection and to finish third. Simon Nung 3rd and Fritz Bottger 24th place.
Photo courtesy of socalcycling.com.
posted by Author at 8:11 AM
Barrio Logan Elite Crit. State Champs and San Luis Rey RR
Friday, May 11, 2007
05/05/07 Barrio Logan Elite Crit. State ChampionshipWe had 5 team members (Fritz, Michael, Raul, Simon and Tommy) make the trip down to San Diego this weekend for the Barrio Logan Elite State Criterium Championships. It is a rather fun but treacherous figure 8 course on a slight hill littered with pavement cracks and small potholes that took many casualties in the form of wrecks and flats through the race. The race got off to a pretty good pace from the start, and without a proper warm-up it took me several laps to make my way up to the front joining my teammates without burning out my legs too quick. Right about when I was making my way into the front portion of the peloton a 7-man break got off the front. The pack was chasing and the pace was really high (I actually have record power outputs on my SRM from this race, and I plan on getting PRs again!) but we were making no progress on the break just a few seconds ahead. Riders started popping off of the break as the pack chased until there were only 4 left in the break(including Healthnets Kyle Gritters and his brother, 5 Star fishies Brandon Gritters). The peloton still chased, La Grange did a huge amount of work to catch the break but it was never reeled in so we were going to be sprinting for 5th place. In the final laps the peloton slowed and things were bunching up so I took a short hard pull to stretch it out again but nobody was going to keep the pace high and it continued to bunch up, particularly in the head wind. There were a few falls due to congestion that I had front row seats for but managed to avoid. Michael and Raul were making their way further up front and I tried to get up there too but everytime I passed a some people and then tried to get into the draft more people would just come around the outside of me again. In the end I was 22nd, Michael was 20th and Raul was our top finish at 15th. Simon was a little ways behind me and Tommy just finished which was an accomplishment in itself considering his crash last week. It was a really fun tough race.
05/06/07 San Luis Rey RR
We had three starters (Tommy, Michael and John) of which John McKeen finished 24th place and Michael Dansk 27th respectively.
posted by Author at 8:55 AM
Chuck Pontius Crit. and Devil's Punch Bowl RR
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
4/29/07 Chuck Pontius Crit.Almost the entire PAA Pro sqaud (nine riders) took the starting line at the 14th annual Chuck Pontius Memorial Crit. In the beginning of the race several of riders on our team tried to get into a breakaway but nothing really stuck. A promising break containing Tommy and Armin was overshadowed with our own Tommy going down in turn 2, which was enough to disrupt the flow of the break and it being reeled in. Thoughout the race several more attempts were made and they were all covered by riders from our team. At the end the team was working for our designated sprinters, but a break that was brought back with 1/2 lap to go was in the way of our sprinters and they had to go around making space for other riders to overcome them. In the end Armin Rahm finished 7th, Raul Frias 19th, Michael Dansk 21st and Brad Galindo 28th place.
Team photographer Paul Chamberlain came out to take team pictures which will be posted soon.
4/28/07 Devils Punch Bowl RR
We had five riders at the starting line of this very hilly RR. From the start it went uphill for about two miles and the centerline rule was strictly enforced with time penalties. All our riders started in the back of the field and were unfortunately caught by surprise with the aggressive pace from the beginning of the race, which saw the field being shattered within the first mile. Peter Meinhold was able to make the front group and placed 13th in the end. Instead of wasting energy on this very demanding course the other four riders dnf to save themselves for the Crit. the next day.
posted by Author at 10:22 AM
Conquer the Canyon SR
04/21-22/07 Conquer the Canyon Stage Race
Tommy Nelson and Peter Meinhold took that start in the Pro 1, 2 category at the hilly Conquer of the Canyon Stage Race, in which Tommy started out with a 7th place and Peter with a 29th place in the ITT. Later that afternoon, Tommy finished 32nd and Peter 53rd but without loosing any time on GC. The next day Tommy lost a little over a minute to place 12th in the RR giving him a respectively 10th place overall. Peter dnf. in the hard and hilly RR.
Tommy Nelson and Peter Meinhold took that start in the Pro 1, 2 category at the hilly Conquer of the Canyon Stage Race, in which Tommy started out with a 7th place and Peter with a 29th place in the ITT. Later that afternoon, Tommy finished 32nd and Peter 53rd but without loosing any time on GC. The next day Tommy lost a little over a minute to place 12th in the RR giving him a respectively 10th place overall. Peter dnf. in the hard and hilly RR.
posted by Author at 10:17 AM
PAA PRO Team frames available!
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Principia frames available!Check out the high quality Principia frames that are available to PAA Club members. The frame shown in the pic is available at a special price. Please go to the yahoo group site and look for more detailed information posted on 04/18/2007 at 10:00am on pricing and sizing availability on all models.
Go online to http://www.principiabikes.com/ for further technical details on the frames.
posted by Author at 9:50 AM
Torrance Crit. and Cylco-Vets Omnium
Monday, April 16, 2007
04/15/07 Torrance Crit: Armin Rahm finishes on the podium in 3rd place.
Armin, Michael, Simon and myself showed up to race. There course was only a half mile, 4 corners and flat. Short courses make it easier to lap the field, the best strategy is to be in the first break to lap the field and then just chase down anybody else that tries to lap the field later so that you can guarantee your finish within the hopefully small group that did lap the field. The Attacks started early in this 90 min crit. Within about 5 laps Armin was off the front with Rigo Meza, and a lap later they were joined by two more. After 25 min of covering attacks and trying to keep the pace low Armin’s 4 man group had lapped the field. Rigo had not had enough, after lapping the field once and resting for 5 minutes he jumped again, followed by Mark Noble(Former Olympian and current 35+ Cyclocross National Champion) and myself. A lot of the time it was a struggle to keep up, it is amazing how difficult it is to do a 1mph acceleration back into a draft after your turn at the front. Fortunately we made it across. So now the field is together once again, with Rigo 2 laps up and 5 others one lap up, including Armin and I. In the final Armin took 3rd and I took 5th. I have to give a big Thanks to Michael and Simon who were instrumental in the race chasing down a ton of breaks when Armin was off the front and then again when I was off the front in my break so that nobody else would lap the field. Today was a good day for PAA. Michael also took 6th in the Masters race earlier in the day.
04/14-15/07 Cyclo-Vets Omnium in San Diego:
Tommy Nelson was the only starter from our team. He didn’t do the TT, but placed 13th in the RR and 6th in the Crit. that gave him an 11th place overall. That’s great considering he didn’t have teammates to support him.
Armin, Michael, Simon and myself showed up to race. There course was only a half mile, 4 corners and flat. Short courses make it easier to lap the field, the best strategy is to be in the first break to lap the field and then just chase down anybody else that tries to lap the field later so that you can guarantee your finish within the hopefully small group that did lap the field. The Attacks started early in this 90 min crit. Within about 5 laps Armin was off the front with Rigo Meza, and a lap later they were joined by two more. After 25 min of covering attacks and trying to keep the pace low Armin’s 4 man group had lapped the field. Rigo had not had enough, after lapping the field once and resting for 5 minutes he jumped again, followed by Mark Noble(Former Olympian and current 35+ Cyclocross National Champion) and myself. A lot of the time it was a struggle to keep up, it is amazing how difficult it is to do a 1mph acceleration back into a draft after your turn at the front. Fortunately we made it across. So now the field is together once again, with Rigo 2 laps up and 5 others one lap up, including Armin and I. In the final Armin took 3rd and I took 5th. I have to give a big Thanks to Michael and Simon who were instrumental in the race chasing down a ton of breaks when Armin was off the front and then again when I was off the front in my break so that nobody else would lap the field. Today was a good day for PAA. Michael also took 6th in the Masters race earlier in the day.
04/14-15/07 Cyclo-Vets Omnium in San Diego:
Tommy Nelson was the only starter from our team. He didn’t do the TT, but placed 13th in the RR and 6th in the Crit. that gave him an 11th place overall. That’s great considering he didn’t have teammates to support him.
posted by Author at 6:55 AM
Team Presentation
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
The 2007 PAA Pro Cycling Team will be presented at the April 11th meeting of the Pasadena Athletic Association Cycling Club. Come meet the team at 7:30 PM sharp at:La Cabanita Mexican Restaurant
3447 N. Verdugo Road
Glendale, CA 91208-1520
posted by Author at 10:09 AM
Bottger takes 2 top 10 finishes
PAA Pro's Fritz Bottger took 8th in the Pro 1-2 race at LA Circuit and 7th in the Pro 1-2 race at Ontario #2. Fritz is quietly and consistently working himself into a series of strong crit finishes as he marches toward the 2007 cyclocross season where he plans on concentrating on the Elite races.
posted by Author at 9:56 AM
San Dimas Stage Race Weekend
PAA Pro had a great weekend at the 8th Annual San Dimas Stage Race. The San Dimas Stage Race begins with a short but tough uphill time trial followed by a circuit style road race and capped off with a downtown criterium. The race always attracts top fields in every category and serves as the pro warm up for Redlands. As usual, the time trial proved decisive in setting the GC standings and PAA Pro was well represented.Cat 2 Peter Meinhold took 4th in the TT and finished 8th on GC.
Cat 2 Will Sladek took 6th in the TT and finished 6th on GC.
Cat 3 John McKeen took 2nd in the TT and finished 3rd on GC. This earned John enough points to upgrade to Cat 2. Congratulations John! This is all the more impressive considering John did his first road race as a Cat 5 in January of 2006 before going on to win Cat 5 GC at the 2006 edition of San Dimas.
Michael Dansk raced 45+ to assist fellow masters racers from the PAA Cycling Club and took an exciting 2nd place in the 45+ crit.
posted by Author at 9:36 AM
Knocking out the Mothballs
Tommy Nelson takes a hard fought 2nd place in the Pro 1-2 race after being part of a breakaway that LAPPED THE FIELD! Michael Danks finished in 22nd place after leading out Tommy. Photo courtesy of Marco Fanelli.
posted by Author at 9:20 AM
Bottger sweeps single speed cyclocross
PAA Pro's Fritz Bottger swept through the 2006 single speed cyclocross season taking every series jersey available. In addition to placing consistently in the top 10 of the Men's 1/2/3 race (usually his second race of the day) he won the SoCal Cup Single Speed series jersey, the Prestige Series Single Speed series jersey, and the Urban Cyclocross Single Speed series jersey. Fritz capped the achievement by taking the 2006 California State Champion jersey for Single Speed at the 2006 Dam Cross race held at Hansen Dam.
posted by Author at 9:09 AM
