2001 Casino (Nevada)
Cyclocross Series - Results

Casino CX flyer: click here

Race Results & Reports:
CX#1, 10/27/01, Hidden Valley- Results and Race Report (Michael Hernandez)
CX #2, 11/10/01 - Results
CX #3, 11/24/01 - Results
CX #4, 12/8/01 - Results
CX #5 12/15/01 - Results

Casino Cyclo-Cross
 October 27, 2001
 Hidden Valley Regional Park
 Reno, NV

 Beginners (7 miles, 9 starters)
 1. Dave Hamel   Galena High MTB 34:02
 2. Anthony Aguilar  Galena High MTB 35:49
 3. Chase Houston    Galena High MTB 36:01
 4. Kelly Gunter Sparks      37:46
 5. Lane Martin  Reno        37:56
 6. Michael Cohen*   Reno Hilton/RW  39:11
 7. Nick Echevarria  Galena High MTB 43:02
 8. Cherry Reusch    Reno Hilton/RW  35:07 @-1 lap
 9. Daniel Czech Galena High MTB 34:59 @ -3 laps

 Beginners 12 and under (2 laps)
 1. Joseph Little    Reno Hilton/RW  20:00

 Advance (16 miles, 10 starters)
 1. Jesse Scatton    Bicycle Warehouse   1.02:11
 2. Mike Hernandez   Bicycle Warehouse   1.02:13
 3. Juozas Martynaitis   Bicycle Warehouse   1.04:34
 4. Scott Phillips   The Back Country    1.04:37
 5. Jason Chalker    Reno    1.05:55
 6. Raj Crow Bicycle Warehouse   1.05:57
 7. Brent Hart   Reno Hilton/RW  1.06:57
 8. Ryan Ley Reno    1.07:58

 Advance 35 and over (16 miles, 11 starters)
 1. Dave Eastwood    Bicycle Warehouse   1.02:01
 2. Scott Fifield    Reno    1.02:09
 3. Brian Wilson Mammoth Sporting Goods  1.02:28
 4. Scott Young  Reno    1.08:34
 5. John Elgart* Webcor/AV   1.08:49
 6. Mike Ferrentino  Nevada City 1.02:06 @-1 lap
 7. Brad Cockman Reno Hilton/GSR/RW  1.02:51 @-1 lap
 8. Steve Peterson   Reno Hilton/RW  1.03:05 @-1 lap
 9. John Kennedy Bicycle Warehouse   1.07:49 @-1 lap
 10. Lyle Freeman*   Gardnerville    1.09:27 @-1 lap
 11. Eric Ingram Reno Hilton/RW  1.03:31 @-2 laps

 Women (10 miles, 5 starters)
 1. Linda Elgart*    Webcor/AV   48:36
 2. Paige Galeato    GSR/RW  49:06
 3. Rachel Hart  Reno Hilton/RW  50:35
 4. Sandra Branby    Reno Hilton/RW  52:32
 5. Jenny Frayer*    Bicycle Warehouse   53:26

 Juniors (10 miles, 2 starters)
 1. Juozas Martynaitis   Bicycle Warehouse   46:14
 2. Mike Freeman Douglas High MTB    46:32 @-1 lap

 Intermediates (10 miles, 3 starters)
 1. Joe Herrick  Bicycle Warehouse   48:33
 2. Pete Rissler Reno Hilton/RW  48:44
 3. Jim Mitchell Reno Hilton/RW  47:41 @ -2 laps

 * riders 45 and over

Race Report:
The 2001 Bicycle Warehouse
Casino Cyclocross Series
October 27th, Race #1
Report by M. Hernandez

Jim Crompton and Dave Eastwood were the designers of this year’s Casino Cross opener at Hidden Valley Ranch, deep in the desert wilds of Nevada. In an efficient hour, this dynamic duo set up an extremely challenging cross course and even had time for me to bother them with some photos. I’m sure I speak for all of the Reno riders, both competitive and recreational, who voice a boisterous “Thanks!” to Mr. Crompton for his tireless work in officiating, designing, scoring, and otherwise being the lifeblood of Nevada cycling.

Dave Eastwood began the day with a free Cyclocross clinic, attended by 15, or so riders of varying levels of skill and experience. The morning air was cool, but not uncomfortable for our newest cross community members, and Dave didn’t disappoint. As anyone who has spent more than 5 minutes with ‘Easty’ knows, he is passionate about teaching proper fundamentals to his athletes, and this clinic was no exception.  With the aid of some cheap and easy break-away barriers, soon the newbie group was hacking away at fresh technique.

A brief, but indulgent, description of the course will follow (skip this part if you just want to read about who won): A paved start for about 60 meters developed into a rough and rocky fire road straightaway that eventually dove into a tight corner which was sandy, but manageable. A wicked fast descent with off-camber and loose turns rocketed you into a hole shot through two man-sized boulders right before the first barrier section. SCAREY! This was a triple barrier bonanza, right at the end of the descent…bunny-hop anyone? The few who could take the hops with confidence were rewarded with insta-gaps on those poor pedestrians who feigned air. It was so cool. Next was a slightly technical, but low-gradient, climb through a horse arena and a 3-tierred dirt parking lot.  Riders then had to power over an absolutely heinous runnup and then hop another barrier section. Soon after that, riders slammed down a very fast descent, winding narrowly through both road and dirt.  Then a quick skip through some desert brush ended with a nasty triple barrier section that couldn’t be bunny hopped (because they were about 3 feet high!…I swear I saw kids play hide and go seek behind those f#*kers!).  The barriers fed the riders into the final stretch, an all-paved climb up to the start/finish, and I think most of the day’s riders would agree with me when I say, “it hurt.”

The first race of the day was the called the ‘Beginner’ category, but it looked like there were some very fit individuals doing this category.  The newly formed Galena High School Mountain Bike Team sent a contingent of riders, and they dominated the scoreboard, taking the top-three podium spots. Also riding well was the only under-12 cyclist, Joe Little. This little engine has an enthusiasm for the sport that is wonderful to see. Best of luck, Joe! Next off were the Men A Racers, the elite fast-truckers fighting for some bragging rights and a bit of prize money put up by the promoter. The pace was ridiculously fast from the start, with both Dave Eastwood and 17 year old phenom, Joe Martynaitis firing on all cyclinders. I am in continual amazement at the grit and determination of those who take up this sport. Easty owns a bike shop and works about a zillion hours a week, and Joe is a goddamn high school student! Crap, all I do is ride my bike all the time, and these guys were puttin’ a bit too much of the ‘wood’ down for my likens.
  Anyway, after a few laps of Joe M. attacking like the crazy-glue, he flatted on a bad section (whew!) and was out of contention on this difficult, but fast course. Eastwood would duke it out with me (Bicycle Warehouse), Fifield (Reno), and Scatton (Warehouse). Eastwood would eventually pull away on the last climb (putting his recent 3 week climbing tour of Tuscany to good use). At this point, a small reverie into that magical moment of race decision (again, skip this part if you’ve any sense at all):

Anybody remember ‘American Flyers?’ I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for that scene when the big, bad-ass brother admits to his squirrely little bro about mentally giving up during some huge race…even caught it on video! Well, you don’t need to have seen the movie to know what is being referred to here; namely, that there is a moment during a bicycle race (or even a series of moments) when you must decide if you are going to commit to the amount of suffering needed to achieve your goal.  The goal may be winning, or finishing, or just plain making it to the next frickin’ donut shop…but there is a decision that must be made, a commitment to which you must entirely dedicate yourself. It means very real and tangible pain to not only your body, but you as a person. You are testing yourself…Will I make it? This is not a metaphorical suffering I’m talking about, it is a quest to achieve and one that will have an outcome. Either you will succeed or fail.  It is brutally beautiful, and strangely tragic. To continually test one’s self, one’s boundaries, one’s commitment…beautifully tragic. And so…

OK, back to the action: The last race of the day was the combined field of Women (all categories) and Intermediate men.  This was definitely the most exciting race of the day, with both the men and the women fighting it out until the very last lap for their respective wins. The women’s race saw perennial powerhouse Linda Elgart waging an epic battle with the relatively rookie-fied Paige Galeoto. A broken seat-post binder halfway through the race forced Galeoto into a bike change, leaving Eastwood and Mike Galeoto to repair the damage. Elgart took advantage of the mishap, snatching the lead and never giving it up. I was lucky enough to grab Paige’s fallen saddle and rush up to the pit for a quick photo of the damaged bike. I really wish I could send you all the photo. In it we have Reno Wheelmen Eric Ingram holding Paiges busted saddle about a foot above the seatpost, showing the damage, and a spliced in caption reading, “Insert Paige Here.”  (Really, it is funny…oh well)  In the end, Linda Elgart took a hard earned victory with Galeoto 2nd, and a hard charging trio of women following; namely Rachel Hart, Sandy Branby, and Jenny Frayer. The Intermediate men’s race was a 2-man battle between Reno Wheelmen’s Pete Rissler (rumored to have one of the better home libraries around) and Bicycle Warehouse’s Herrick. After 40 minutes of intense riding, Rissler had a slight bobble in the finale, and Herrick grabbed a well-earned victory. It was a pleasure to watch.

[Quick editorial: thanks to Mr. Crompton for scheduling the Women’s race last. I finally got to watch my favorite woman race without having to think about getting myself ready for the next event…hell, I just walked around the course snapping photos, drinking beer, and making an absolute nuisance of myself. Again, thanks! MH]
 

SAGEBRUSH CYCLOCROSS RESULTS (preliminary)
 November 10, 2001
 Rancho San Rafael Park – Reno, NV

 WOMEN
 1.  Hollie McGovern - Colesport
 2.  Paige Galeoto – Bike Warehouse
 3.  Rachel Hart – Reno Wheelmen
 4.  Jenny Frayer – Bike Warehouse
 5.  Erika Lovejoy – Novo/Sycip
 6.  Penny Ward
 7.  Kim Kennedy – Bike Warehouse/RW
 8.  Sandra Branby – Reno Wheelmen
 9.  Linda Elgart – Alto Velo (dnf)

 BEGINNERS 12 & Under
 1.  Vince Pilcher – Verdi
 2.  Ryan Hamel – Reno
 3.  Steven Pilcher – Verdi
 4.  Joe Little – Reno Wheelmen
 5.  Deven Gossi – Reno

 BEGINNERS
 1.  Dave Hamel – Reno
 2.  John Seher – Alta Alpina
 3.  Andy Weiss – Reno
 4.  Anthony Aguilar – Galena HS
 5.  Jill Petersen – Reno Wheelmen
 6.  Twain Berg – Reno
 7.  Emily McGinty – UNR
 8.  Daniel Czech – Galena HS
 9.  Nick Echevaria – Galena HS
 10. Tyler Toulouse – Galena HS
 

 INTERMEDIATE
 1.  Joe Martynaitis
 2.  Mike Freeman
 3.  Mike Pilcher (dnf)

 INTERMEDIATE +
 1.  Eric Neely – 3BRT
 2.  Steven Lee – Bluefish
 3.  Kerry Novak – Alta Alpina
 4.  Joe Herrick – Bike Warehouse
 5.  Matt Reid – Reno
 6.  Jim Barkley – Reno
 7.  Mark Lattin – UNR
 8.  Pete Rissler – Reno Wheelmen
 9.  Chris Payne – Reno Wheelmen
 10. Darren Graves – Reno
 11. Jim Mitchell – Reno Wheelmen

 ADVANCED –34
 1.  Mike Hernandez – Bike Warehouse
 2.  Jesse Scatton – Bike Warehouse
 3.  Raj Crow – Bike Warehouse
 4.  Brent Hart – Reno Wheelmen
 5.  Ryan Ley – Reno
 6.  Shawn O’Meara – Reno
 7.  Mel Maalouf – Alta Alpina
 8.  Keith Wegener – Cycle Paths
 9.  Scott Phillips – Back Country
 10. Tom Skiles – GS Reno
 11. Justin Morgan – Cliff Bar
 12. Scott Vaughn – Lake Tahoe Wellness Center
 13. Joe Martynaitis – GS Reno (dnf)
 14. Mike Dempsey – Bike Warehouse (dnf)

 ADVANCED 35+
 1.  Jason Moeschler – Tour of Nevada City
 2.  Scott Fifield – Reno
 3.  Rich Maile – Team City
 4.  John Elgart – Alto Velo
 5.  Paul Gossi – GS Reno
 6.  Peter Rosser – GS Reno
 7.  Doug Grattan – Gardnerville
 8.  Terry Daley – Portola
 9.  Dave Eastwood – GS Reno
 10. David Hinz – Epic Cycles
 11. Joe Hitzel – Reno Wheelmen
 12. Steve Petersen – Reno – Wheelmen
 13. Lyle Freeman –
 14. Mike McDonald – Jaeger Wheelmen
 15. Lowell Jones – Bishop
 16. Tom Regan – Alta Alpina
 17. Matt Mansur – UNR
 18. Mike Ferrenfino – NV City
 19. Brad Cockman – Reno Wheelmen
 20. Mike Pilcher - Verdi

As always check the hotline 787-BIKE and www.renowheelmen.org for the
 latest info.

Casino Cyclo-Cross
 November 24, 2001
 Rancho San Rafael Regional Park
 Reno, NV

 Pace name   club    time
 Beginners (5 miles, 4 starters)
 1. David Ridder Reno    27:35
 2. Dave Hamel   Galena High MTB 31:08
 3. Bill Nagel   Reno Hilton/RW  33:15 @ -1 lap
 4. Bruce Brown  Reno    34:01 @ -2 laps

 Beginners 12 and under (2 miles)
 1. Ryan Hamel   Huffaker School 21:21
 2. Emily Magel  Reno Hilton/RW  25:57

 Advance (12 miles, 3 starters)
 1. Tom Skiles   Bicycle Warehouse   1.08:43
 2. Raj Crow Bicycle Warehouse   1.11:55
 3. Mel Maalouf  Alta Alpina 1.14:02

 Advance 35 and over (12 miles, 7 starters)
 1. Scott Fifield    Reno    1.06:34
 2. Shawn O'Meara    GSR 1.12:22
 3. Terry Daley  Portola 1.13:27
 4. Lyle Freeman*    Gardnerville    1.10:40 @ -2 laps
 5. Matt Mansur  UNR Cycling 1.15:17 @ -2 laps
 6. Eric Ingram  Reno Hilton/RW  1.08:33 @ -3 laps

 Juniors (4 miles, 1 starters)
 1. Mike Freeman Douglas High MTB    46:32 @-1 lap

 Intermediates (5 miles, 8 starters)
 1. Matt Reid    Motherlode Bicycles 37:18
 2. Pete Rissler Reno Hilton/RW  43:44
 3. Kevin Lyons  Bicycle Warehouse   44:54
 4. Joe Herrick  Bicycle Warehouse   47:59
 5. Mark Lattin  UNR Cycling 42:25 @ -1 lap
 6. Jim Mitchell Reno Hilton/RW  43:19 @ -1 lap

 * riders 45 and over

Casino Cyclo-Cross
 December 8, 2001
 Callahan Regional Park - Reno, NV

 Pace name   club    time
 Beginners (6 starters)
 1. Dave Hamel   Galena High MTB 26:20
 2. Dave Schwartz    Reno    26:35
 3. Rob Selby    Reno    27:52
 4. Richard Spaulding    Reno    32:02
 5. Bill Nagel   Reno Hilton/RW  33:26
 6. Erik Maresjo MotherLode Bikes    34:55

 Beginners 12 and under (2 laps)
 1. Ryan Hamel   Huffaker School 31:07

 Advance (4 starters)
 1. Tom Skiles   Bicycle Warehouse   1.06:00
 2. Scott Phillips   The Back Country    1.08:10
 3. Keith Wegener    Cyclepaths.com  1.09:32
 4. Mel Maalouf  Alta Alpina 1.09:34 @ -1 lap

 Advance 35 and over (8 starters)
 1. Scott Fifield    Reno    1.04:00
 2. Bubba Melcher    Pacific Coast   1.07:45
 3. Steve Peterson   Reno Hilton/RW  1.09:15
 4. Mike McMurry Reno    1.07:30 @-1 lap
 5. Jim Barkley  Reno    1.06:30 @-2 laps
 6. Lyle Freeman*    Gardnerville    1.08:10 @-2 laps
 7. Matt Mansur  UNR Cycling 1.04:30 @ -3 laps

 Women (4 starters)
 1. Holli McGovern   Tour of Nevada City 40:57
 2. Paige Galeato    GSR/RW  43:15
 3. Rachel Hart  Reno Hilton/RW  44:42
 4. Jill Peterson    Reno Hilton/RW  48:50

 Juniors (2 starters)
 1. Dave Hamel   Galena High MTB 42:08
 2. Mike Freeman Gardnerville    40:43 @-1 lap

 Intermediates (3 starters)
 1. Joe Herrick  Bicycle Warehouse   40:15
 2. Pete Rissler Reno Hilton/RW  42:50
 3. Jim Mitchell Reno Hilton/RW  42:32 @ -2 laps

 * riders 45 and over

Casino Cyclo-Cross
 December 15, 2001
 Hidden Valley Regional Park
 Reno, NV

 Pace name   club    time
 Beginners (5 starters, 4 miles)
 1. Bill Nagel   Reno Hilton/RW  27:52
 2. Anthony Aguilar  Galena High MTB 28:07
 3. Chase Houston    Galena High MTB 29:10
 4. Daniel Czech Galena High MTB 35:05
 5. Nick Echevarria  Galena High MTB 39:43

 Beginners 12 and under (2 laps)
 1. Ryan Hamel   Huffaker School 25:10

 Advance (6 starters, 13 miles)
 1. Scott Phillips   The Back Country    1.02:46
 2. Tom Skiles   Bicycle Warehouse   1.03:25
 3. Raj Crow Bicycle Warehouse   1.06:41
 4. Mel Maalouf  Alta Alpina 1.10:59

 Advance 35 and over (6 starters, 13 miles)
 1. Scott Fifield    Reno    1.01:46
 2. Bubba Melcher    Pacific Coast   1.06:09
 3. David Hinz   Epic Cycles 1.07:45
 4. Mike McMurry Reno    1.09:21
 5. Matt Mansur  UNR Cycling 1.04:30 @ -1 lap

 Women (4 starters, 7 miles)
 1. Holli McGovern   Tour of Nevada City 50:20
 2. Paige Galeato    Bicycle Warehouse   53:00
 3. Sandra Branby    Reno Hilton/RW  54:12
 4. Jenny Frayer*    Bicycle Warehouse   47:23@ -1 lap

 Juniors (2 starters, 7 miles)
 1. Juozas Martynaitis   Bicycle Warehouse   47:22
 2. Dave Hamel   Galena High MTB 57:30

 Intermediates (3 starters, 7 miles)
 1. Joe Herrick  Bicycle Warehouse   49:00
 2. Pete Rissler Reno Hilton/RW  52:34

 * riders 45 and over