Live at the Greek – Craig and Butler Win Southern California Prestige Series #9

Adam Craig on top of the SCPS podium in Griffith Park. © M. Rock

Los Angeles, CA – Griffith Park, just steps from the famous Greek Theater, is the spot for the second round of UCI racing this season in Southern California and the first cyclocross race to ever happen in the park, bringing some interested spectators. While it was exciting to see cyclocross go to Griffith Park, the competition was even more impressive. The course had a lot of twisting and technical turns with a lot of climbing since the park rests on the side of a hill.  Riders like Adam Craig (Giant Bicycles) seemed to overcome and use the course as an advantage while others never seemed to find a rhythm.

Elite Women

The riders stayed together through the first lap but soon after they separated for the rest of the race. With the difficulty of the course most riders saw it better fit to just ride their own race. Sue Butler (Hudz-Subaru) took the lead as she set the pace out onto the winding course. Her teammate Kathy Sherwin (Hudz-Subaru) followed with Devon Haskel (Bike Station Aptos) third wheel. These three really set the tempo while other riders were getting banged around or having a hard time trying to find a groove on the course, as Coryn Rivera (Peanut Butter & Co. twenty-12) explained it.

On the third lap, with the Hudz-Subaru women in the lead, Haskel washed out allowing the two to open a gap that stuck. The race went back and forth up front as the two exchanged the lead a few times, but with one to go Butler made her move on the road through the start/finish. It was an attack that worked as Butler opened enough ground to hold off her teammate and to take the win. Sherwin rolled in second followed by Haskel in third. Barb Howe (Ibis and The Danger Twins) was close all day and finished fourth. Kari Studley (Redline) took fifth followed by a hard-charging and hand-cramping Rivera, who was the fastest Southern California rider of the day.

Elite Men

The Kona rider Ryan Trebon, crushed the climbing straight from the start, getting through the first corner to lead the race. It was Sid Taberlay (Sho-Air) in second followed by Chris Jones (Rapha-Focus) and Adam Craig (Giant Bicycles).  A lot of people expected to see Chris Horner (Team RadioShack) up front, but a crash in the first corner slowed him for the first part of the day.

The pack was strong, but like the women’s field the riders spread out quickly. The first two laps were all Trebon and Taberlay, but then Taberlay dropped back, allowing Trebon to go alone. This put Jones in second, but a slipped corner on the third lap gave Craig just what he needed to move up. It did not take long for Craig to find the leader as his skills proved to be the key to success in LA. On the fourth lap Craig was able to pass Trebon and his smoothness through the course allowed him to continue to open three to five seconds on Trebon each lap. Eventually, Craig rolled in to take the win, while Trebon took second with Jones close behind in third. Taberlay came around Zach McDonald (Rapha-Focus) to take fourth and McDonald took fifth and was the top U23 rider of the day.

Allen Krughoff (Boulder Cyclesport) and Horner put in two of the most impressive rides of the day. Krughoff started last row and halfway through had moved up considerably to finish an impressive sixth just behind McDonald. Horner after the first crash was riding up from last position, and after a few more slipped corners, finished ninth just in front of Troy Wells (Clif Bar).

It was an exciting day of racing as the impressive handling skills of riders and crashes kept the crowds cheering. The racing was so intense that two riders even had a little off the bike squabble and the crowd was yelling at a rider or two who found his way to cheat around the barrier section. Day two will bring some new changes to the course, but much more of the LA/Cross craziness and fun in Griffith Park.

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Elite Men

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