Berden rides away

CYCLOCROSS LOS ANGELES UCI SERIES 2ND ROUND DEC 3RD AND 4TH

DAY 1
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA — CXLA welcomed the second round of UCI racing of California Gold Crown Events presented by Shimano. UCI Pro Men’s 2-Day race weekend started in close proximity to Chinatown and Little Mexico’s Historic Olvera Street with Dodgers Stadium perched on the hill above. The event was held at the Los Angeles Historic Park where early Los Angeles industrial center housed the turn of the century train station, early industry and where local Indian tribes had dwellings for thousands of years.

The first lap held a big group together and it was Cody Kaiser (California Giant-Specialized) who took the hole shot but early into the lap Allen Krughoff (Boulder Cycle Sport) took the lead. The second lap more riders started working to the front and accelerations of the group eventually started kicking the racers down to a ten-man group.

Ben Berden (Opes Ale-Stoemper), Allen Krughoff (Boulder Cycle Sport), and Tim Johnson (Cannnondale-Cyclocrossworld.com) finally split the main group forcing the pace as they took turns leading and testing each other on and off. This jockeying allowed Chris Jones (Rapha-Focus), Chris Sheppard (Rocky Mountain) to close the small break.
Ben was holding tough with the group as each lap riders took turns pushing each other with on-and-off pace looking to crack each other’s strategies. With two laps to go, Johnson put in a big attack back straight away, leaving Berden, Krughoff and Shepperd to chase. With one lap left, Berden held on best he could but a gap of 10 seconds could not be over come with Tim Johnson winning the first day and Berden taking second.
It was a valiant effort by Berden with such a tough two weeks before. Ben suffered a debilitating migraine and stay at the hospital for two days of testing; then stomach flu before his flight, having to sleep and barely eat his first two days in California. Ben had three days of light training and recovery. It was a great effort with so much to over-come.

DAY 2
The morning started crispy cold with a chilly breeze and the dog’s water bowl having a thick layer of ice on top. It was a sign of something special was going to happen today on Day 2 of CXLA UCI racing in sunny Southern California. Ben felt great after his trying week of recovering from two illnesses and racing the day before.
We arrived with Mariachi bands playing and Chinese dragons dancing with the sun shining, hinting at the warm day to come. On the starting line Ben’s tense body position looked like a bow string ready to launch an arrow. Ben Berden (Ops Ale-Stoemper) took the hole shot from a big group of 13 out of the 37 racers that stayed together through lap; but by the end of the second lap, it quickly whittled down to a select few. Steve Fischer (Revel Consulting-Rad Racing) was on the front leading Tim Johnson (Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com), Berden and others.

Fischer eventually dropped back to the second group as Berden, Johnson, Chris Jones (Rapha-Focus) and Chris Sheppard (Rocky Mountain-Shimano) settling in together for the haul much like day one. However on lap three, all similarities to yesterdays race changed with the “Beast of Berden” dropping the proverbial hammer, started to make his move. It was an ambitious effort early in the race of eight laps (two mile lap). By the start finish stretch he had already opened a small gap on the group of about 10 seconds.
With still four laps to go, Berden had increased his lead to 35 seconds, which is a lifetime in cross. Shepperd, Jones and Johnson looking stressed by the pace, stayed close together and never responded. They seemed to be going backwards while Ben looked faster each lap. With one lap to go, Johnson and Jones made their moves but never got back to Berden. Ben said he dropped his pace on the last two laps and cruised the last lap riding in calm and relaxed. It was an amazing effort and everyone at the event was blown away on how Ben crushed the top-level competition. Huge change over the second place finish the day before.
It was a great weekend of UCI racing in sunny Socal with downtown Los Angeles skyscrapers as the backdrop. Congratulations Ben and good luck in Bend, Oregon this weekend with even more competition en-route.

Written by Ivan Harms - FULL SPEED AHEAD.

Image by John Maynard

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