SoCal Prestige Series # 10 - Gene Galindo Memorial Turkey Trot Cross
Brent Prenzlow & Coryn Rivera Continue to dominate Series in Pasadena...

By Eric Colton

It was a little bit of a surprise to everyone when we realized that the Gene Galindo Memorial Turkey Trot Cross Race, hosted by the Pasadena Athletic Association (PAA), has been going on strong for the past five years, and has proved to be a success every single time. This year as race #10 in the SoCal Prestige Series more than 300 racers rolled in to Verdugo Park in Glendale, CA to the scents of freshly cooked waffles and the sight of some squishy turf.

Thanksgiving not only brought with it enough tryptophan to kill a horse, but also some wet weather that had stubbornly persisted long enough to leave conditions foreign to many Los Angelenos. Baffled by this new phenomenon that one racer was heard referring to as "mud," the day's events continued un-phased. The snaking course maneuvered through technical wooded areas, several stream crossings, greuling straightaways, and the infamous "Tot Park Sand Trap." Just over 3 km in length the course provided plenty of punishment, and several opportunities to show if you blew off your inlaws and trained through turkey day.

The infield was and amazing sight with sponsor booths from Fluid, Kreative Shots, SoCalCross and the Clif Bar GoGreenRacer booth showing racers how to reduce their impact on the planet. Everything was powered by the strong California sun thanks to Energy Effiency Solar.

Rider rounds one of the many trees and turns at TTCX
Photo © Eric Colton

Elite Women
The women's elite race never stoped to take a breath, Coryn Rivera (Redline) crushed hard off the blocks, with her sights set on the first lap cash prime. Rivera's technical skills proved themselves once she had established a gap that was too big to close. Kendall Ryan (Team CICLE/Voler/Jamis) and Dorothy Wong (Team CICLE/Voler/Jamis) were left duking it out for 2nd and 3rd. In the end the younger prevailed, avoiding the numerous opportunities for technical mishaps and snuck away from Wong into a solid second place.

Masters Women 35+ Series Leader Sue Thompson Photo © Eric Colton

Elite Men
The men's elite race closed the day in the lucrative fashion that SoCal Prestige racers have grown to appreciate. Team Bearclaw blamed Chet Bearclaw's malfunctioning time machine for their failure to win, and Lyle Warner's Rolled tire. Jason Siegle used the likely excuse of a "20 hour car trip," Fritz Bottger ( PAA/Vitamix/Sixtufit.com) suffered from "stomach issues" and Brent Prenzlow (Celo Pacific/ALAN) denied that his weekly shaving routine had anything to do with his victory.

At the end of the first lap Sid Taberlay (Sho-air/Sonance) scorched the field with Prenzlow close in tow to garnish the first lap cash prime, but showed signs of weakness which Prenzlow capitalized on.

A strong attack on lap 3 left Taberlay struggling to catch up for the remainder of the race. Farther back in the field Fritz Bottger, Mike Easter (Action Sports), Morgan Ryan (Team CICLE/Voler/Jamis), Kyle Gritters (Rock N' Road), and Mark Noble (Bailey Bikes), fashioned an attack squadron that kept tight for the first 4 laps, until Bottger decided it was to slow and attacked. Bottger was closely followed by Noble who quickly showed he had the guts and counter attacked until Bottger could no longer hang.

By the end of the race Prenzlow had defended his 5th consecutive victory in Glendale, Taberlay scored second, with Noble, Bottger, and Gritters rounding out the top five. Also in the mix was the rising youth superstar Morgan Ryan finishing 7th and snagging some of the elite loot.

A big thanks goes out to PAA for hosting this event once again, convincing the maintenance crews to water the fields for "a little longer" (there is no rain in LA), and providing the macho wrestling belts to the elite men, women and masters.

Eric Colton can be seen wishfully dreaming he could go back in time so that he can race penny farthings in Madison Square Garden, photographing you from a distance, and avoiding the law since 1983.

Results
Elite Men 1/2/3
Place Bib # License First Name Last Name Team/Club
1 1 28646 Brent Prenzlow Celo Pacific/ALAN
2 17 118498 Sid Taberlay Sho-air/Sonance
3 13 26173 Mark Noble Bailey Bikes
4 4 211399 Frederick Bottger PAA/Vitamix/Sixtufit.com
5 24 188578 Kyle Gritters Rock N Road
6 15 78027 Michael Easter Action Sports
7 6 177959 Morgan Ryan Team CICLE/Voler/Jamis
8 9 241629 Bobby Langin Jr Team Platinum Performance
9 20 91766 Ryan O’Connor Pro con Cycling
10 18 Ben Bostrum Sho-air/Sonance
11 11 42231 Michael Lee Trek/VW
12 23 207755 Brandon Gritters Rock N Road
13 22 129069 Jason Lowetz Team Bearclaw
14 14 250477 Eric Christenson Rock N Road
15 7 193522 Jason Siegle Team CICLE/BVB/Jamis
16 16 206298 Mike Tettleton Team Bearclaw
17 21 178612 Scott Hammack Acqua al 2/SDBC
18 25 198500 Lyle Warner Team Bearclaw
19 26 95837 Griffith Vertican GV
20 19 15947 Paul Hernandez Bicycle Johns Serious Cycling
21 10 220743 Allen Lin Pasadena Athletic Assoc (PAA)
22 5 88185 Leonard Lawrence Successfulliving.com
2 233503 John Bailey Bailey Bikes
3 224203 Alex Boone Team Bearclaw
8 23731 Mike McMahon Team Velocity
12 101476 Gary Douville Team Platinum Performance

Elite Women 1/2/3
Place Bib # License First Name Last Name Team/Club
1 100 207432 Coryn Rivera Team Redline
2 104 186919 Kendall Ryan Team CICLE/Voler/Jamis
3 105 104462 Dorothy Wong Team CICLE/Voler/Jamis
4 101 259708 Lisa Crowe Team CICLE/Voler/Jamis
5 103 205156 Alexis Ryan Team CICLE/Voler/Jamis
6 107 204404 Sarah Kaufmann Roaring Mouse Cycles
7 102 214650 Heidi Kanayan Team CICLE/Voler/Jamis
8 106 201341 Megan Cordes The Great Chiweenies
9 108 30799 Carol Ruckle Team Possabilities

Women 3/4
Place Bib # License First Name Last Name Team/Club
1 338 158128 Tina Galindo Team MBS
2 331 187715 Susan Thompson Pasadena Athletic Assoc (PAA)
3 337 236955 Heather Rose Banning's Bikes/Ducati
4 332 Stephanie Gaudreau The Path
5 344 243697 Brooke Warner Team CICLE/Voler/Jamis

Masters Men 35+ 1/2/3
Place Bib # License First Name Last Name Team/Club
1 40 64908 Matias Mendigochea Kahala LaGrange
2 35 108230 Jeff Sanford Celo Pacific
3 41 90057 Keith Neu Nonstop Ciclisimo
4 44 251417 Adam Austin Team MBS
5 33 43191 Garnet Vertican Giant

Complete Results

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