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Bariani Centerline
Mon, 03/19/2012 - 11:48pm
Thanks to the Sacramento Golden Wheelmen and the Bariani Family for sponsoring this fantastic race opportunity again. Thanks to this race I've discovered a wonderful local product I've come to love.
It was disappointing this year however to learn that neighbors prevented the organizers from obtaining a road closure from Yolo county for the finishing sprint. I'm concerned that the new Matchbox Winery may not be an easy fit for this race in the future, and wonder if there is some way they can be persuaded to accomodate and perhaps even support this regionally historic event.
If not, an alternative finish should be considered that allows a reasonable full-field sprint. Perhaps a finish at the KOM would prevent the chaos from a sprint on a road too narrow for a centerline, much less an arbitrary single lane sprint?
As a loyal annual participant in the Zamora/Bariani RR, I would suggest moving the finish line to 20 meters before what is now the final corner of the race. Although it won't answer the centerline question, the move would make a long, wide, upwind sprint that would be a far safer run-in than the existing one.
Rad (and the rest of the NCNCA racing community):
On behalf of the Sacramento Golden Wheelmen, I would like to apologize for the imposition of the centerline rule throughout the entire course this year. I won't go into the details of how it came about (it is not a simple or short story) other than to say it was an issue that caught us somewhat off guard. We have run the race under the same permit terms every year, but this year was the first time we were instructed by CHP to ensure that racers did not ride on the left side of the road at any point on the course-in the past, fields have been able to use the entire road from at least the KOM to the finish line.
We have already spoken to CHP about full road closure next year and it appears that it is feasible (though it will require two more CHP officers). While nothing can be guaranteed at this point, we are hopeful that we can address the issue for next year.
Thanks to everyone for their continuing support of the race, and pass along the word that SGW is aware of the problems faced by racers this year and we are working on a solution.
Thank you,
Tripp Goldsberry
President-SGW