From: kjm@sactoh0.sac.ca.us (Kevin J. Metcalfe)
Subject: RACE REPORT: Nor Cal District Crit Championship
Reply-To: kjm@sactoh0.SAC.CA.US (Kevin J. Metcalfe)
Organization: Sacramento Public Access Unix, Sacramento, Ca.
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 92 17:49:43 GMT

     On Monday September 7th the District 5 (Nor-Cal) criterium championships
were held in San Francisco.  Monday's race, the Giro di San Francisco was also
the last stage of a six race points omnium called the Cal Cup. (Formerly the
Labor Day Omnium)   The more notable riders in attendance were, Scott McKinley
and his brother John (Spago), Eric Zaltas and Frank Soscia (Shaklee), George
Mount (Wheelsmith).  Dave Albrecht the defending crit champion was leading the
series from his Schwin-Neolife teammate Terry Tupper and Trevor Thorpe
(Bridgestone).

     The course is rectangular and has taken a beating since it was last used
two years ago.  There were several "holes" in the pavement and along with a
ditch or two so there were a lot of mechanicals.

     In the women's race, KOME/Los Gatos dominated the field.  Kim Applegate
(KOME) the defending champion, went on a long solo attack with around 20 laps
to go.  She stayed out there for quite some time but was eventually brought
back in by the field which was at times led by Sheri Rogers (Look) a former
national crit champion.  In the end Maureen Kaila (sp) (KOME) took off 
and soloed the last few laps to win by about 10 seconds.  Kim Applegate won
the field sprint and Jody Cox (KOME) was third.

     The mens field had around 100 riders and took off pretty fast.  There
were point sprints every 10 laps (out of 80) for a Lemond mountain bike frame.
Every 10 laps Scott McKinley would whip the pace up to warp speed so John
could could win the sprint and then they would let the rest of us play for
another 9 laps until the next sprint.  I was involved in a couple of attacks,
but they were doomed along with every other attack but one.  Nobody stayed off
the front alone or in a group for more than about 5 laps.  I felt pretty good
during the first part of the race and was pretty active for a while and then
went back to relax a little.  Later when there were about 25 laps to go I
wanted to move up some I couldn't.  It seemed that I was too tired.  This
seemed logical as I haven't raced much at all this summer.  Then I noticed
that my back wheel was "wonked" so I opened the brakes and forgot about it.
With about 15 laps to go I had resigned myself to riding it out near the back
and the race was coming apart.  There were a total of 9 riders off the front
of the peleton in various groups.  At 12 to go I got my rear wheel changed and
they put my back in with 10 to go.  At this point the field was all together
again.  The funny thing was,  I felt like the king of the world after the
wheel change.  I didn't realize how bad my back wheel was until after the
race.  I could hardly ride it back to my car!  I spent almost 20 laps trying
to move up earlier and now I just whipped right to the front in about 2 laps.
I must tell you that I am not, never was, and never will be a real field
sprinter so I was looking for something useful to do up there.  I had no
teammate with any chance in the sprint so I just covered a couple of attacks
until Dan Spott, Frank Soscia and another guy went up the road.   With about
3 laps to go they were dangling off the front and Scott McKinley offered Mark
Caldwell (who rides for Spago also, but kind of like the B team) a cut in the
split if he would tow the field and bring back the break.  Mark went to the
front and picked it up while the other 98 guys fought for Scott M.'s wheel.
With about 1.5 laps to go Dan Spott attacked the break and he held off a
rocketing John McKinley by a couple of inches.   The other two guys held on
for top 10 with Scott M. in about 4th.  I had good position (top 5) with 2
laps to go but as I get older I seem to be able to think of more and more good
reasons to chicken out when it gets hairy and I ended up in 23rd.  I had the
legs for top 10, but not the balls (read that as burning desire to do well).

     All in all it was a fun day.  After the race we walked up the stairs over
Coit Tower and down into the italian district and had some tasty burgers at a
place called Mo's. 

-- 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|  Kevin Metcalfe      Work:   Metcalfeke%allin1.dnet@c3p0.sm-alc.af.mil |
|                      Home:   kjm@sactoh0.sac.ca.us                     |
|  Something witty goes here.                                            |
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles