Cyclocross: SoCal Prestige Series #6 -  El Dorado
From hole shot to finish line Brent Prenzlow leads - Lana Atchley makes the most of opportunity for victory.

Southern California Prestige Series of Cyclocross presented by Shimano
SCPS #6: Long Beach Cyclocross Festival - El Dorado Park

By David Sheek

Stop number six of the Southern California Prestige Series of Cyclocross presented by Shimano made its debut in the City of Long Beach and El Dorado Park, the city's mega regional park and a new home to the sport of cyclocross. The course was a mix of fast pavement, quick mulch gardens, and bumpy gopher punctured grass. It included a fun hillside step up taking riders down and through a lot of turns, a deep sand pit and a labyrinth of turns taking riders around the course and back to the pavement straight-away.

The course design was well-received by many of the racers with the great design collaboration of Velo Allegro, Lightning Velo, and SoCalCross' designers' Jonathan Livesay and Jeff Herring, who brought their experience continuing their magic to build a top caliber-UCI level course once again for the Prestige Series.

The day also brought in many racers still new to 'cross including the large numbers of women and juniors as well as some notables in the elite men's field including Long Beach Cycling Ambassador, Tony Cruz. Pro MTB tour Champion, Sid Taberlay and SoCalCross' elite, Brent Prenzlow, Brandon Gritters, and John Bailey to name a few.

The elite men set their fastest pace yet this season. It was a high-speed start on the road that took riders into the trees of the slick pine needle covered forest. And, from the beginning it was Brent Prenzlow (Celo Pacific/B&L) with the hole shot and lead. Prenzlow set the pace on the day and did not slow down. Gary Douville (Team Platinum) rode out with Prenzlow on the first lap but said the pace was too uncomfortable after a lap and a half so he dropped back to the first chase group.

From here it was Prenzlow all alone riding away for the win while the chase group held together tight for the real racing to happen. It was Sid Taberlay (Sho-Air), Brandon and Kyle Gritters (Rock N’ Road), Chance Noble (Cal Giant Strawberry), John Bailey (Bailey Bikes) and Motocross Superstar Ben Bostrom (Sho-Air).

Eventually, the group began to fall apart, Noble almost hit a tree and fell back to the second chase and Bailey, while having strong rides recently and looking to be in great form, unfortunately, rolled two tubular tires leaving him with a long run to the pits. In the chase it was the Gritters brothers and Taberlay looking most eager to close the gap to Prenzlow.

There were good efforts but by the end Taberlay opened his own gap on the brothers to ride in for second while the brothers finished third and fourth. Just behind it was Bostrom who took advantage of Douville who put out the big early efforts to round out the top six.

Elite Women
The elite women’s field continues to be dominated by Team SoCalCyclocross/CICLE’s Kendall Ryan. She had an awesome start and great battle with Lana Atchley (Sho-Air) until a male rider on course made an insolent move pushing the leader, Ryan, off course and through the tape almost crashing.

It was just the gap that Atchley needed to take the win as Ryan dropped back to fourth place and had to fight her way back up to finish second.

Beatriz Rodgriguez (SoCal Velo) is returning to her roots and racing cross this "off-season” put in some great efforts battling with Dorothy Wong (SoCalCyclocross/CICLE) and her work was just enough to allow herself third with Wong in fourth. In Fifth it was Alexis Ryan (SoCalCyclocross/CICLE) who barely beat Fortner Banna (Van Dessel). Banna had a great start in second with Ryan but it seemed that her early efforts were a bit too much today and she had to settle in behind Alexis.

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