I couldn't tell ya, we have nothing to do with SBO. Maybe it is such an awesome race that they needed to advertise it for us.

hollywood wrote:Registration is open on BikeReg.com.

Then why is it listed on SBO's national events calendar?

Registration is open on BikeReg.com.

ZebraMan wrote:I've raced there many times and never seen a crash in the S turns.
Turn one is the challenge, where all the crashes I've ever seen there have occurred. It's at the end of the fast finishing straight where people tend to pass on the inside too late to set up for the turn, and it's a narrow exit with a rocky raised median.
The race is NEVER won/lost on turn one, so TAKE IT EASY, guys!

I'll echo that, except to say it actually easy to lose the race on turn one if you are *behind* someone that dove the corner, squeezed the guys on the outside line and caused a mishap. Or clips a pedal and botches the thing - I hate it when that happens, and it has happened to me. Same for any crit though, you're rolling the dice and they're more loaded against you being able to keep full gas down on the last lap the farther back you are. More than 20th deep and you'll have to lift to steer around something or someone most likely for at least a couple seconds.

Turn one honestly feels almost exactly like the Albany crit turn one, not that big a deal as long as everyone's civil. And I have only seen one S-curve mishap out of maybe 20 races I've done or watched at Santa Rosa. They're very slight curves. Mostly it gently squeezes the pack and makes people think instead of making people crash, which makes for a good course feature IMHO

I'm wondering why there are 3 races for cat 5 in this event, combining them with other fields? I thought we were trying to avoid that from now on?

I've raced there many times and never seen a crash in the S turns.
Turn one is the challenge, where all the crashes I've ever seen there have occurred. It's at the end of the fast finishing straight where people tend to pass on the inside too late to set up for the turn, and it's a narrow exit with a rocky raised median.
The race is NEVER won/lost on turn one, so TAKE IT EASY, guys!

Thanks. Many crashes with the S curves or lanes getting narrow?

Is that also the same course that was run for the 2Wheel Crit in '08?

it's very slightly inclined in one direction, so the S/F straight has a slight downhill. Then a 90 degree right and it goes from 3-ish lanes to 2. Straight and flat then a 90-degree right. Then it's got a slight S-curve to the left and a very slight uphill, then a 90-degree right. Another very slight S-curve to the left, along with cones on the left to allow car access to some driveways, then a 90-degree right.

It basically feels like a flat 4-corner crit, with the S-curves stringing the pack out a bit more than a real square would, and the downhill making the sprint seem shorter than it is. Sometimes there's a good wind going too.

FWIW, for some reason I like this course - I've raced it maybe 3 times and the categories I've raced and watched had a wide variety of outcomes (breakaways, solos, typical sprints, organized sprints) so the course must have something to it. All very interesting.

HTH

Rich,
Is it a flat four corner crit?

After a three year layoff, we are bringing the Apple Pie crit back. It will be run on the same course as years past in Santa Rosa, the same course as the Tuesday night crits. The race flyer should be out soon, and sign ups will be on BikeReg.