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Cherry Pie Criterium brings out 680 talented cyclists
Cyclists whoosh by during the 33rd annual Cherry Pie Criterium on Sunday. The event attracted riders from all over California and beyond with 16 different categories of races for men, women and kids around a one-mile loop on the streets of Napa Valley Corporate Park. Jorgen Gulliksen/Register photos | Buy photos
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CommentThe 33rd annual Cherry Pie Criterium, presented by the Napa-based Eagle Cycling Club and Eagle Racing Team at Napa Valley Corporate Park on Sunday, featured 680 racers and an estimated 200 to 300 spectators.
Cherry pies went all top finishers as prizes. With several last-minute contributions from sponsors such as Cycles Gladiator winery and Cytomax, the total cash and product prize list over all categories exceeded $6,000.
Cherry pies went all top finishers as prizes. With several last-minute contributions from sponsors such as Cycles Gladiator winery and Cytomax, the total cash and product prize list over all categories exceeded $6,000.
“The event turned out great thanks to the help of our volunteers and sponsors,” race director Kevin Joell said.
In the last of the event’s 16 races, the Pro-1-2 class, a breakaway of eight riders — including Napa’s Lucas Euser and Todd Hennings — developed a one-minute lead over the main pack about 10 minutes into the 60-minute race. All of the leading riders were from different teams but worked together to keep from being reeled in by the main pack.
In the last of the event’s 16 races, the Pro-1-2 class, a breakaway of eight riders — including Napa’s Lucas Euser and Todd Hennings — developed a one-minute lead over the main pack about 10 minutes into the 60-minute race. All of the leading riders were from different teams but worked together to keep from being reeled in by the main pack.
Los Gatos’ Jackson Stewart won the 97-rider race, followed in the top five by Euser (Team Slipstream/Chipotle presented by H30), Hennings (Pacific State Bank Cycling Team), Fresno’s Eric Easterling (Sierra Pacific Racing) and San Carlos’ Brian Buchholz (Kelly Benefits Strategies/Medifast Pro Cycling Team).
“Getting in that break is exactly what I wanted to do,” said Euser. “I was happy to finish close behind my friend Jackson Stewart; he’s a very strong sprinter. My finish today exceeded my expectations. It was a great way to start the season, in my hometown in front of a home crowd of my family and friends.”
“Getting in that break is exactly what I wanted to do,” said Euser. “I was happy to finish close behind my friend Jackson Stewart; he’s a very strong sprinter. My finish today exceeded my expectations. It was a great way to start the season, in my hometown in front of a home crowd of my family and friends.”
Euser said he is hopeful his team will make it to this year’s Tour de France; it is currently scheduled for the Giro d’Italia in Italy in May.
Stewart, whose team is sponsored by a Swiss bicycle company, said familiarity brought the lead riders together.
“The breakaway was all strong guys, everyone was doing their share of the work,” he said. “Several of us knew each other and that helped us work together to stay out front. We began to jockey for position with five laps to go. Lucas made a break with two to go, but the rest of us stayed with him. Our BMC Team came out to the Cherry Pie to test the waters and prepare for the Tour of California. It went well for us. It was a good field and a good race.”
The Pro-1-2 race also included past Cherry Pie winners Fred Rodriguez — who raced in last year’s Tour de France — and Patrick Briggs, as well as 2007 Category 1 national champion Daniel Holloway.
There were multiple current and past national champions in attendance in several categories.
Fremont’s Larry Nolan, who won the 84-rider Masters 45-and-older Category 1-4 division, has claimed 34 age-group national championships since he took up bicycle racing at age 30. The Team Specialized Racing Masters rider won the “Most Aggressive Racer” award in his category on Sunday and was presented with a bottle of Cycles Gladiator wine.
Second in Nolan’s race was Moraga’s Mark Caldwell (Morgan Stanley/Specialized/24-Hour Fitness), while Fair Oaks’ Peter Allen (Specialized/Sierra Nevada), Truckee’s Gregg Betonte (Specialized/Sierra Nevada), San Francisco’s Clark Rasmussen and Santa Rosa’s Briant Smith (Fightin’ Bobas) rounded out the top six.
Napa’s Dean LaBerge captured the Master 35-and-older category at the Cherry Pie for the fourth straight year, topping an 80-rider field.
“At three laps to go, I got with a teammate and we worked together for the win,” he said of his Team Specialized Racing teammate, Scott McKinley, who finished second.
Rounding out the top six in their race were San Carlos’ Roger Bennett (Morgan Stanley/Specialized/24-Hour Fitness), Sacramento’s John Fairbanks (Specialized/Sierra Nevada), Berkeley’s Kellin Cooper (Morgan Stanley/Specialized/24-Hour Fitness) and Benicia’s Scott Derdenger (Echelon Velo/EMC 2/Felt).
Laberge’s sons, James and Chris, raced in the Junior categories. “It makes the cherry pie I won taste even sweeter,” their father said.
On the women’s side, the Pro-1-2-3 class winner was Brooke Miller. The Team Tibco.com rider, who had also won the women’s field at the 2007 Cherry Pie, spent two months in Europe last year racing for the U.S. National Team.
“It was a really fun race and a great way to start the season,” said Miller, who credited her win to the help of teammates Alice Rosenthal and Liza Rachetto. “It was a very fast and aggressive race with a strong field.”
Fresno’s Felicia Gomez (Aaron’s Corporate Furnishings) was second, followed by Oakland’s Virginia Perkins (PROMAN Racing), Los Gatos’ Megan Guarnier ( PROMAN Racing), Melisa Sanborn and Mountain View’s Katheryn Curi (Webcor Builders Cycling Team).
Joell said that Guarnier is training for the 2008 Olympic trials and that Curi was the 2005 U.S. national road race champion.
The 37-rider women’s 4 class went to Oakland’s Kristy Gough (3rd Pillar), followed by Mill Valley’s Alison Starnes (Dolce Vita Cycling) and Burlingame’s Carole Sykes (Easton/SugarCRM/Specialized).
The top three in the Women’s 35-and-over race, respectively, were Campbell’s Jennifer Van Mackey (Easton/SugarCRM/Specialized), Aadren Monroe and Danville’s Jennie Phillips (Wells Fargo Racing Team).
Kentfield’s Joshua Litwack (Whole Athlete) won the 89-rider Elite 3 men’s category, followed by Brentwood’s Maurice Daroy (InfoVista Cycling Team), Jeffrey Galland, Fairfax’s Tyler Brandt (Team Swift), Rocklin’s David Hunt Rocklin (Pacific State Bank) and Stockton’s John Fritz (Pacific State Bank Cycling) in the top six.
The 95-rider Elite 4 men’s category went to Berkeley’s Nathaniel English (ZteaM Cycling), followed in the top three by Chester’s Colby Elliot (Chico Corsa Cycling) and Alameda’s Kieran Cox (Team Oakland/Kaiser Permanente).
In the 49-rider Elite 5 class, Danville’s John Hansen (Wells Fargo Racing Team) prevailed ahead of Dixon’s Aaron Obelleiro (Precision Bicycles/Team Precision), Napa’s Brian Cassayre (Eagle Racing Team), Chico’s Ryan Olson (Chico Corsa Cycling) and Sunnyvale’s Scott Uyeda.
The Masters 55-and-over Category 1-4 divison saw San Ramon’s JD Gilford (Morgan Stanley/Specialized/24-Hour Fitness) win over San Ramon’s Richard Shields (Hammer Nutrition), Lafayette’s Morgan Caldwell (Morgan Stanley/Specialized/24-Hour Fitness) and Napa’s Stuart Humpert (Eagle Cycling Club).
The Junior 10-12 Boys had a 29-rider field led by Petaluma’s Stanley Goto (Team Swift), Walnut Creek’s Dylan Drummond (Tieni Duro) and Miller Kirch.
Brian Larson led the Junior 17-18 Men’s category, followed atop the 62-rider field by Yuba City’s Taylor Kuphaldt (Davis Bike Club Junior Race Team) and Clovis’ Brandon Trafton (Cal Giant Cycling).
In the Junior 13-14 boys race, Davis’ Alexander Freund (Davis Bike Club), Orinda’s Tyler Hanson (Tieni Duro) and Pleasanton’s Marcus Smith (Team Specialized Racing) were the top three finishers, respectively.
The Junior 15-16 Men’s class was led by Walnut Creek’s Peter Taylor (Tieni Duro), Los Altos Hills’ Joel Shaffer (Team Specialized Racing) and Davis’ Zachary Wick (Davis Bike Club), respectively.
Fresno’s Katrina Howard (Central Valley Cycling) won and Los Gatos’ Nikka van den Dries (SugarCRM/Easton/Specialized) was second in the Junior 10-14 Girls class.
In the Junior 15-18 Women’s category, Alameda’s Alicia Halpern (Tieni Duro) won, followed by Danville’s Jasmin Parsons (InfoVista Cycling Team) and Lafayette’s Ruth Winder.
Stewart, whose team is sponsored by a Swiss bicycle company, said familiarity brought the lead riders together.
“The breakaway was all strong guys, everyone was doing their share of the work,” he said. “Several of us knew each other and that helped us work together to stay out front. We began to jockey for position with five laps to go. Lucas made a break with two to go, but the rest of us stayed with him. Our BMC Team came out to the Cherry Pie to test the waters and prepare for the Tour of California. It went well for us. It was a good field and a good race.”
The Pro-1-2 race also included past Cherry Pie winners Fred Rodriguez — who raced in last year’s Tour de France — and Patrick Briggs, as well as 2007 Category 1 national champion Daniel Holloway.
There were multiple current and past national champions in attendance in several categories.
Fremont’s Larry Nolan, who won the 84-rider Masters 45-and-older Category 1-4 division, has claimed 34 age-group national championships since he took up bicycle racing at age 30. The Team Specialized Racing Masters rider won the “Most Aggressive Racer” award in his category on Sunday and was presented with a bottle of Cycles Gladiator wine.
Second in Nolan’s race was Moraga’s Mark Caldwell (Morgan Stanley/Specialized/24-Hour Fitness), while Fair Oaks’ Peter Allen (Specialized/Sierra Nevada), Truckee’s Gregg Betonte (Specialized/Sierra Nevada), San Francisco’s Clark Rasmussen and Santa Rosa’s Briant Smith (Fightin’ Bobas) rounded out the top six.
Napa’s Dean LaBerge captured the Master 35-and-older category at the Cherry Pie for the fourth straight year, topping an 80-rider field.
“At three laps to go, I got with a teammate and we worked together for the win,” he said of his Team Specialized Racing teammate, Scott McKinley, who finished second.
Rounding out the top six in their race were San Carlos’ Roger Bennett (Morgan Stanley/Specialized/24-Hour Fitness), Sacramento’s John Fairbanks (Specialized/Sierra Nevada), Berkeley’s Kellin Cooper (Morgan Stanley/Specialized/24-Hour Fitness) and Benicia’s Scott Derdenger (Echelon Velo/EMC 2/Felt).
Laberge’s sons, James and Chris, raced in the Junior categories. “It makes the cherry pie I won taste even sweeter,” their father said.
On the women’s side, the Pro-1-2-3 class winner was Brooke Miller. The Team Tibco.com rider, who had also won the women’s field at the 2007 Cherry Pie, spent two months in Europe last year racing for the U.S. National Team.
“It was a really fun race and a great way to start the season,” said Miller, who credited her win to the help of teammates Alice Rosenthal and Liza Rachetto. “It was a very fast and aggressive race with a strong field.”
Fresno’s Felicia Gomez (Aaron’s Corporate Furnishings) was second, followed by Oakland’s Virginia Perkins (PROMAN Racing), Los Gatos’ Megan Guarnier ( PROMAN Racing), Melisa Sanborn and Mountain View’s Katheryn Curi (Webcor Builders Cycling Team).
Joell said that Guarnier is training for the 2008 Olympic trials and that Curi was the 2005 U.S. national road race champion.
The 37-rider women’s 4 class went to Oakland’s Kristy Gough (3rd Pillar), followed by Mill Valley’s Alison Starnes (Dolce Vita Cycling) and Burlingame’s Carole Sykes (Easton/SugarCRM/Specialized).
The top three in the Women’s 35-and-over race, respectively, were Campbell’s Jennifer Van Mackey (Easton/SugarCRM/Specialized), Aadren Monroe and Danville’s Jennie Phillips (Wells Fargo Racing Team).
Kentfield’s Joshua Litwack (Whole Athlete) won the 89-rider Elite 3 men’s category, followed by Brentwood’s Maurice Daroy (InfoVista Cycling Team), Jeffrey Galland, Fairfax’s Tyler Brandt (Team Swift), Rocklin’s David Hunt Rocklin (Pacific State Bank) and Stockton’s John Fritz (Pacific State Bank Cycling) in the top six.
The 95-rider Elite 4 men’s category went to Berkeley’s Nathaniel English (ZteaM Cycling), followed in the top three by Chester’s Colby Elliot (Chico Corsa Cycling) and Alameda’s Kieran Cox (Team Oakland/Kaiser Permanente).
In the 49-rider Elite 5 class, Danville’s John Hansen (Wells Fargo Racing Team) prevailed ahead of Dixon’s Aaron Obelleiro (Precision Bicycles/Team Precision), Napa’s Brian Cassayre (Eagle Racing Team), Chico’s Ryan Olson (Chico Corsa Cycling) and Sunnyvale’s Scott Uyeda.
The Masters 55-and-over Category 1-4 divison saw San Ramon’s JD Gilford (Morgan Stanley/Specialized/24-Hour Fitness) win over San Ramon’s Richard Shields (Hammer Nutrition), Lafayette’s Morgan Caldwell (Morgan Stanley/Specialized/24-Hour Fitness) and Napa’s Stuart Humpert (Eagle Cycling Club).
The Junior 10-12 Boys had a 29-rider field led by Petaluma’s Stanley Goto (Team Swift), Walnut Creek’s Dylan Drummond (Tieni Duro) and Miller Kirch.
Brian Larson led the Junior 17-18 Men’s category, followed atop the 62-rider field by Yuba City’s Taylor Kuphaldt (Davis Bike Club Junior Race Team) and Clovis’ Brandon Trafton (Cal Giant Cycling).
In the Junior 13-14 boys race, Davis’ Alexander Freund (Davis Bike Club), Orinda’s Tyler Hanson (Tieni Duro) and Pleasanton’s Marcus Smith (Team Specialized Racing) were the top three finishers, respectively.
The Junior 15-16 Men’s class was led by Walnut Creek’s Peter Taylor (Tieni Duro), Los Altos Hills’ Joel Shaffer (Team Specialized Racing) and Davis’ Zachary Wick (Davis Bike Club), respectively.
Fresno’s Katrina Howard (Central Valley Cycling) won and Los Gatos’ Nikka van den Dries (SugarCRM/Easton/Specialized) was second in the Junior 10-14 Girls class.
In the Junior 15-18 Women’s category, Alameda’s Alicia Halpern (Tieni Duro) won, followed by Danville’s Jasmin Parsons (InfoVista Cycling Team) and Lafayette’s Ruth Winder.
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Myke B. wrote on Feb 12, 2008 3:22 PM:
I'm not condoning the action, but I understand it. It's a heck of a lot better than gang signs or other obscenities. Cant' we all get along?
Thanks to the Register for reporting on the Cherry Pie race and posting in-depth results to boot. Cheers! "
Tim wrote on Feb 11, 2008 2:16 PM:
I recognized Lucas Eusers name...it was the name that was splattered completely across Dry creek road at last years race from Santa Rosa to Sacramento.
The County road dept. had to come out and black out all the graffiti from that race.
Maybe Mr. Euser wouldn't mind reimbursing the county for costs? "