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Part - 1

I really didn't expect a big turn out this year due to less riders and teams via our economic hardships nationwide. However, the turn out was quite good, much better then I expected since several races were canceled in favor of the TOC.

The good news is, one of the stages of the TOC started in Merced, and this momentum seems to have carried over to the Merco classic because the fans and crowds were better then ever! This event seems to grow every year in popularity. I was born in this town, and won the first race ever staged in this town, so its great to see this event continue to grow and prosper.

There were even more vendors then last year, and they added a live band to the barbecue and grilling areas. Festive is the word, very festive! While overcast, it didn't rain and that's not the best for taking photos but I managed by jacking the ISO on my camera back and forth all day as needed.

There are plenty of race reports out there, so my photos tell a thousand words for me. I just shake the camera like rolling the dice and see what fall outs! Some good ones, some not so great, but worth saving if I thought they were still interesting.

I saw Kim Anderson for the last time, she's retiring this year, well actually I might see her again at the next race I attend. I'll be at another event this year in tandem with the president of a certain notable bicycle club. Hope to have fun there as well.

I wished Kim won this race as a farewell tribute since she has been here 4 years in a row, but that was not to be. Super sprint ace Ina Teutenberg took the sprint by what seemed a foot or so over Brooke Miller, but it still was a very close exciting sprint finish. I was wedged in like Sardines on the wrong side of the road, so my photo finish was not too good. Last year, I faired much better on the south side of the street, so I should have stuck with that.

The introductions brought up last year's champ Emilia Fahlin and Ina Teutenberg of Team Columbia Highroad, Brook Millar and Kat Carroll of Tibco. Nicky Wangsgard also joined the group from Colavita. I observed the race mostly through the viewfinder of my camera, and since the camera used the sensor for exposure, I see things like slices in time.

However the action was great from the beginning, with Ina Teutenberg going on the attack, and the stage was set for some great action. The laps seem to go by pretty fast, about 36 of them. Many riders were off the front during the race, and there were several break groups as well. Check those reports for specifics, but I am glad all went well, and no one crashed on the famous S-corner, AFAIK.

One rider came back around after the race to chat with fans. I think it was Jerika Hutchinson, and I was impressed with her. I can't explain what I saw, or maybe some things are best left unsaid, but clearly she proved women can really suffer during a race. I read somewhere she likes climbing too coming from the Shasta area, and that figures. Climbers seem to be able to suffer the most overall I think. She was junior TT champion, and perhaps a great rider to come. I know fans were in awe when they saw her, she raced her heart out.

I also saw the memorial banner photo of Kristy Gough, which pay tributes to another rider who was on her way to the top winning Merco and Snelling. I shared whatever photos I had with her Mom after she died, and that seemed to help some. Perhaps they will display that banner again next year in her memory.

The old hometown classic didn't disappoint, see you again possibly next year!

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Merced Native Charlotte Hart!

While I was chatting with Jennifer West, she gave me a copy of the local paper with a nice article in it about Merced's local Vanderkitten star Charlotte Hart. I'll recap some notes from that article in my own words, and add a few thoughts of my own.

History teacher Charlotte Hart had often dreamed of winning the Merco Grand Prix, and why not. You need dreams for motivation and vision to get you there. She dreamed of this happening in front of friends, family and hometown fans in a blazing sprint finish. It’s a dream that existed since she started racing 4 years ago, and almost came true when she took 2nd place in the women's cat-3 2007 race. Winning Merco would be the icing on the cake, and very meaningful with her husband and Mom watching.

Charlotte has a good support system in place, and cuts a good balance between teaching and cycling. After 10 hours of work, she heads out for several more hours of training on the bike. She states the kids laugh when she returns to class with the infamous case of road rash after hitting a rock or some similar mishap. She speaks of the mental toughness of overcoming injuries and the willpower to excel in this sport in a fairly short time. However being a marathon runner, she took to cycling after a foot injury and like many cyclists, find it less stressful and perhaps good rehab.

Hart pursued riding in a local bike club and was prompted to race by other members. She found she was good at bike racing and quickly ascended through the ranks. She was ranked 3rd in the state for cat-3 as a sprinter and found sprinting to be her specialty. In 2008, she rode for Tibco before switching to Vanderkitten in 2009. Hart finished 15th in the 2008 Grand Prix after a year hampered by injuries.

At 30 years of age, Hart still has plenty of years to excel in the sport as a sprinter. Kevin McCarthy who runs a bike shop noted that a lot of pros find bike racing at a late age, and there have been lots of great riders who started late in this game. However, after a few crashes, including one serious concussion, which almost wrecked her season, she is back with a new team and another chance to excel this year.

Charlotte Hart was hoping for a top ten finish at Merco this year, and a chance to test her legs in the sprint against some of the best sprinters in the world. However Vanderkitten were missing some team players this year including another warrior Liz Hatch. Personally, I admire the Vanderkitten team, and I wish Charlotte Hart the best of luck in the coming year.

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Results below as far as after the first three podium positions are pretty close behind. All of them finished I believe within 15 seconds down, so who brings up the rear of the list doesn't mean anything bad. All these women were not far back, but the podium is the road to success. Doesn't matter if you are 2nd or 3rd, just getting on the podium increases you game and notoriety every time you podium, and my records and palmares are always based on those 3 positions. Some people say only 1st place matters and nobody cares about 2nd and 3rd. That's complete bull, don't believe it! Getting on the podium is critical to success in this game, and more you do it, the more top teams take notice. Of course super domos are always worth their weight in gold, but really, winning is always what counts in the real world. Best of luck in the upcoming races!

Results

1. Ina yoko Teutenberg - High Road-Colombia
2. Brooke Miller - Tibco
3. Lauren Tamayo - Tibco
4. Kelly Benjamin - Colavita
5. Beatriz Rodriguez - Kahala
6. Megan Guarnier - Proman
7. Karia Kingsley - SugarCRM
8. Liza Rachetto - SugarCRM
9. Olivia Dillon - Touchstone Climbing
10. Kat Carroll - Tibco
11. Betsy Bloom - Kahala
12. Stacey Marple - Colavita
13. Mary Elisabeth Maroon - Vanderkitten
14. Kim Anderson - High Road-Colombia
15. Vanessa Drugo - Hopkins Honda
16. Kristen Lasasso - Kahala
17. Melodie Metzger - Vanderkitten
18. Yukie Nakamura - Kenda
19. Nicole Wangsgard - Colavita
20. Staria Teddergreen - SugarCRM
21. Rebecca Rising - Central Valley Cycling
22. Kate Ligler - Dolce Vita Cycling
23. Elis Bradshaw- Metromint Cycling
24. Patricia Black - Morgan Stanley-Team Spine-Specialized
25. Morgan Kapp - Kahala
26. Amanda Seigle- Metromint Cycling
27. Janeen Thorpe - Chico Corsa-Sierra Nevada
28. Lindsay Meyers - SugarCRM
29. Emilia Fahlin - High Road-Colombia
30. Alison Starnes - Dolce Vita Cycling
31. Sarah Bamberger - Touchstone Climbing
32. Jessica Phillips - Unattached
33. Kimberly Fong - SugarCRM
34. Lauren Hecht - Webcor
35. Jerika Hutchinson - Tibco
36. Jennifer Van Muckey - SugarCRM
37. Charlotte Hart - Vanderkitten (Merced Native)!
38. Amber Rais - Tibco
39. Kristina Seley - Proman
40. Ashley Dymond - Proman
41. Tracie Nelson - Dolce Vita Cycling