The big news from late 2010: top-20 finishes by two Owens Healthcare riders at Cyclocross Nationals in Bend, Oregon. Brandon Dillard scored the best Nationals finish of his young cycling career with an outstanding 13th in Men 17-18, and veteran Paul Lennon was an excellent 19th in Men 45-59. (Paul was also 6th at the NCNCA District CX Championships.)
Also doing well at 'Cross Natz was friend of the team Chris Jones (Rapha-Focus), who finished 15th in the Elite Men's race.
Other race results from this fall include Paul Lennon and Jordan Anderson with 2nd place finishes in their respective divisions at the Folsom MTB Stage Race, and many podium placings in the Ride On Race Series for Paul, Bill Reuss and Todd Dodds (Todd won the Caldwell Park race). Cool videos of the Ride On Races can be viewed at:
With help from super-domestique Jonz Norine, Brandon Dillard was the Wednesday Night Worlds Champion for 2010. Wily and powerful veteran Mike Simpson, fresh from a training camp in Scotland, and fueled by Black Face Ale, finished a close 2nd. Thanks to Redding Velo for restoring this annual tradition.
The team of Jonz Norine, John ("Spaghetti Legs") Friesen, Paul Lennon, and Jordan Anderson finished a respectable 11th in the Whiskeytown Relays (yes, they did a running race!).
Several team members completed the Redding to Mt. Shasta Owens Epico (100 miles, 12,000 feet of climbing, 7.5 hours, multiple flats, some fine wine, and even a few hallucinations).
Paul "won" the (semi-noncompetitive) Giro Epico, while Jonz ("the Big Wussy") bailed with the feeble excuse of a broken seatpost. Friends of the team Carson Blume and Dave Albrecht were among the select few to complete this arduous event. Thanks to Garth Schmeck for organizing it - enjoy his coverage at:
On a perfect fall day, Mike Simpson and Mark Blaser joined over 300 cyclists for the Iconic Dam Ride, celebrating the completion of the paved bike path from Shasta Dam to the Sundial Bridge. The network of trails around Redding is becoming AWESOME! Many, many thanks to all those who have contributed to making this system a reality, especially Brian Sindt and the McConnell Foundation, Bill Kuntz and Francis Berg at the BLM, Brent Owen and the Redding Foundation, Tim and Cody Carlson, Chuck Hornbeck, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, and federal stimulus funding.