Sunday, Nov. 23, brings the NCNCA District Championships to Manzanita Park in Prunedale. This will also serve as race #5 of the CCCX Series, and this event is being sanctioned by USA Cycling, so be sure and bring your USA Cycling license – one day licenses will be available at registration.
Manzanita Park is a classic Cyclocross venue and the CCCX Series has hosted races there for 11 years. The course is very spectator friendly, while challenging the riders with constant action at hand. The course consists of long sections of pavement- some uphill- some flat, hard pack fire roads, some sandy sections, small portions of twisting single track, long downhill grades, grass field riding, dirt switch backs, and one small run up. This is a course that is fun to race on, but produces deserving champions of the divisions. There will also be three dismount sections on route, two man made and one natural obstacle.
Manzanita Park has past played host to the District Championships in 2000 where the top three Elite Women’s riders were Christine Vardaros, Shelly Whisenhant, & Sarah Kerlin. The top three Elite Men were Ben Jacques-Maynes, Andy Jacques-Maynes, & Justin Robinson. Looking at this list of six riders, a few have gone on to claim National Championships thus showing the pedigree it takes to medal at the Districts at Manzanita Park.
The most competitive races on the day will be the Elite Men’s & Elite Women’s races. The Men’s race will definitely see Cal Giant Inc. go head to head with the Rock Lobster team. The Lobster crew has had the most dominating season of all the Nor-Cal teams, and if they let this District title slip away it will be a major blemish in their stellar season. The Elite Women’s race could also come down to a Rock Lobster-Cal Giant Inc. battle. In both Elite division’s there will be other riders and teams that will try to sneak into the top 5 on the day, but this could be seriously difficult as bragging rights are at stake and the major teams in Nor-Cal, the Lobster/Strawberry boys & girls, will not want to let the biggest one day title slip away.
The Masters racing will also produce the strongest fields and the tightest racing on the day. With multiple National Champions taking to the start line, only the badest of the bad will lay claim to the one day District king for 2008. If this were Europe, it would be a pay to see event! This weekends race will have some of the best Elite & Masters racers in America. And they will go at it on one of the best courses for a Cyclocross race the Nor-Cal region region boasts. It will definitely be a race weekend to remember.
The CCCX Series will be awarding the best Strawberries grown in California provided from Cal Giant Inc. to all podium finishers. Also, Amino Vital has also supplied some of their outstanding product for the awards. The NCNCA has provided District Championship medals for all Elite & Open divisions. While the rest of the divisions will be receiving CCCX Custom medals. Cash will be paid out to the Elite Men’s and Elite Women’s divisions, as well as Master 35+ A, and Master 45+ A divisions.
There will be the free CCCX Kids race at 12:00 noon.
The adult & junior racing action itself will surely be first class as a District Championship is the most coveted single one day race of the year. To win the District Championship is the highest one day honor in Northern California, and the list of winners when the racing is finished will be the best of the best in Nor-Cal.
