Four Doubles in Baltimore

Six races had results this weekend, in five states, and riders finished masters fields 684 times across them. Baltimore ran its masters programme twice, and four of Charm City’s eight fields went to the same rider on both days. Outside Baltimore, the three biggest masters fields of the weekend were all in Colorado.

Mike Festa turned the 40+ around. Beaten by two seconds on Saturday, the 44-year-old from Devon, Pennsylvania won Sunday’s race for Philadelphia Ciclismo in 43:36, eleven seconds ahead of Steven Shive, 46, of Greenwich, Connecticut. Justin Jeffers, 48, of Baltimore was third at 23 seconds and Brent Sturlaugson, 43, also of Baltimore, fourth. Saturday’s winner Luke Principe, 44, of Rochester was fifth, a minute down. All thirteen finishers were on the lead lap.

Blais, Hamilton and Thompson won again. Jean-Francois Blais, 57, of Knowlton, Quebec took the 50+ for the second day for Competitive Edge Racing in 43:43, 42 seconds clear of Dan Larino, 54, of Neshanic Station, New Jersey, with Brian Marchionini, 53, of Silver Spring third and Frankie Ross, 58, of Murrysville, Pennsylvania fourth. Larino also rode the open singlespeed race and was fifth in it. Harry Hamilton, 67, of White House Station, New Jersey won the 60+ again for PROthirteen in 47:26, 29 seconds ahead of Robert Watts, 64, of Washington, New Jersey, with Tom Weaver, 60, of Macedonia, Ohio third; only four of the sixteen finishers were on the lead lap. Jordan Thompson, 40, of Arlington won the Cat 3/4/5 40+ again for DistrictTaco Racing in 47:44, 32 seconds up on Cameron Beattie, 40, of Baltimore, with Ethan Frost, 50, of Elkton third for the second day. Forty-nine finished it, still the biggest masters race in Baltimore.

The 70+ got a new winner. Jim Bronson, 71, of Gaithersburg, who was not in Saturday’s race, won it for Sportif Coaching Group/AVC/Patapsco Bicycles in 41:28, 4:16 ahead of Saturday’s winner Ron Kubala, 72, of Sagamore Hills, Ohio. Michael Maclaga, 73, of Chatham, New Jersey was third and Craig North, 71, of Ann Arbor fourth.

The women’s fields thinned out on Sunday. Ruth Machamer, 54, of West Chester, Pennsylvania won the 50+ for a second day, and was the only rider in it on the lead lap. Evie Edwards, 51, of Asheville, second on Saturday, won the 40+ by 1:50 from Kristina Grossmann, 41, of Long Island City. Sharon Squassoni, 64, of Bethesda was the only finisher in the 60+. Elizabeth Sheldon, 61, of Washington, Saturday’s 60+ winner, rode only the open Women Cat 2 on Sunday, and was again sixth in a field that was otherwise all junior.

Colorado had the biggest masters fields outside Baltimore. At Schoolyard Cross in Lafayette on Saturday the Men 55+ drew thirty-four finishers, and Matt Davies, 56, of Boulder won it for Donovan Racing in 42:56, 39 seconds ahead of Tim Faia, 58, of Breckenridge. A week earlier at Valmont the same two had been second and third behind Chuck Coyle. The Men 45+ Category 3 had thirty-two finishers and went to Ryan Hughes, 48, of Lyons by 24 seconds; the Men 45+ had thirty, won by Steven Stefko, 51, of Fort Collins by 48 seconds. In the 65+, twenty-two finishers, Craig Hofer, 65, of Littleton beat Brian Dunn, 65, of Denver, last week’s Valmont winner, by eighteen seconds. Quaine Day, 45, of Lafayette won the Men 45+ Category 4 by six seconds from Dustin Kilness, 45, and Jessica Case, 48, of Niwot the Women 45+ A. Sunny Gilbert, 48, of Niwot was fourth in the Women OPEN, thirty seconds behind the winner.

Adam Myerson won the open Cat 1/2/3 at BossCross. At Westford, Massachusetts on Saturday the 55-year-old from Boston took it for Cycle-Smart/ShiftGear in 54:04, on the same time as William Rhatigan, 29. John Sakalowsky, 56, of West Newton was fourth, thirty seconds down. R. Michael Mckittrick, 55, of Florence won the Cat 1/2/3/4 50+ by one second from David Dornaus, 53, of Wayland — a week after winning the 50+ at Kilowatt — and was second in the 40+ as well, ten seconds behind Donny Green, 43, of Providence. John Golden, 60, of Sunapee, New Hampshire won the 60+ from twenty-five, 24 seconds ahead of Paul Vogel, 62, of Hampton, who had won it at Kilowatt; David Rustico, 71, of Plantsville, Connecticut was third. Matthew Harmon, 40, of Framingham won the Cat 4/5 40+ from twenty-eight, and Dana Prey, 47, of East Burke, Vermont the women’s 40+ by twenty seconds.

Wisconsin’s pair rewarded the riders who came back. Erin Feldhausen, 45, of Madison won the Women Masters 35+ at both Field of Riches on Saturday and Badger Prairie on Sunday, and was second and then third in the Women Cat 1/2 Elite. Shane Semb, 53, of Verona won Badger Prairie’s Cat 4/5 Masters 50+ from twenty-six and its open Men Cat 5 Elite from twenty-one. Kelly Lambeth, 46, of Milwaukee won Field of Riches’ Women Cat 4/5 Elite and was second in the Cat 3/4 Elite the same day. Michael Kemp, 51, of Williams Bay won its Cat 4/5 Masters 50+ from twenty-three and John Orlikowski, 46, of Cross Plains the Cat 3/4 Masters 40+ from twenty-one. At Badger Prairie Paul Juckem, 51, of Madison won the Cat 1/2/3 Masters 50+ from Mark Harms, 52, and Corey Stelljes, 47, of Madison was second in the open Cat 1/2/3 Elite.

Oregon’s singlespeed went to a Cat 1/2 rider. At Willamette Superchamps in Eugene on Sunday, Felipe Nystrom won the Singlespeed Open from twenty-two and was third in the Cat 1/2 Open, with Carl Decker fourth. Paul Bourcier won the Masters 50+ from thirteen, nineteen seconds ahead of Ben Marean, with Erik Tonkin third. Scott Trautman won the 60+, Michael Longmire the 70+, Meg Hamilton the women’s 50+, and Sue Hanna the women’s 70+ from Flo Leibowitz.

The weekend in one line. Baltimore had the repeat winners and Colorado had the numbers. Every race here except Schoolyard is in the masters rankings.