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West LA College Grand Prix - NE
Los Angeles, USA, August 7, 2005
Fast Freddy wins on his flying visit home
By David Keire
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After riding the Tour de France and some relaxation time, Freddy Rodriguez had flown back to the USA just 36 hours after being told his wife was going to deliver their child, and arrived two hours before the birth. He decided he may as well do a local race before catching a place back to Europe, so he came to the West LA College GP. Many fans observed his good grace as he signed plenty of autographs. During the race, the break Rodriguez was in lapped the field on a 1.3 mile circuit with a tough climb. The break was motoring, and although Fast Freddy was cramping the last time up the climb he won the sprint easily. It was great racing for all, and the host team (Kahala LaGrange) was thrilled to have the former USPRO Champion there.
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U-23 Mexican National Champ Marco Antonio Rios (riding for the home team), fresh from a sixth overall at Superweek, was the driving force that established the break, and was first over the top of the climb for the first five or six laps. There was also Dan Ramsey (Seasilver), Chepe Garcia (Southbay) and Rigo Meza (Dare). The break's lead was very tenuous for many laps when Cameron Brenneman (Kahala LaGrange) made it across with Seasilver rider Jason Bausch and another rider. Cameron was recently selected in the USA team to race the mountain bike Worlds this year. The break of six was starting to go away when Freddy launched in the middle of the climb and seemed to go across so easily. Once he was there the selection was made.
Dave Clinger and Harm Jansen (both Helen's RPM) tried to make it across late but Harm was recovering from illness and wasn't in the best condition. Clinger tried too late to make across but did manage to salvage eighth after chasing solo for a long time due to a flat early in the race, which most likely cost him a higher placing at the finish.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Mitch Friedman/www.mitchophoto.com
- David Lee (aka Il LA Diablo) was on hand to give Riley a hug
- Early on the race Fast Freddie was cruising
- Going up the climb
- Freddy Rodriguez looking cool and collected, despite some cramps later on in the race
- David Clinger was riding for a new team, Helen's RPM
- Rodriguez's class showed as he motored to the win
- It was a quick gallop for Freddie Rodriguez as he took the win in LA
- Victory is still sweet especially after the birth of your child
- Freddie and Claude the man who began this race
Results
Men Pro/1/2 1 Freddie Rodriguez (Davitamon-Lotto) 2 Rigoberto Meza (Team DARE) 3 Daniel Ramsey (Team Seasilver) 4 Marco Rios (LaGrange) 5 Jason Bausch (Team Seasilver) 6 Jose Manuel Garcia (Southbay Wheelman) 7 Cameron Brenneman (Velo Club La Grange Westwood) 8 David Clinger (Webcor Builders Cycling Team) 9 Tommy Nankervis (Laguna Cyclery) 10 Geoffrey Rapoport (McGuire/Langdale) 11 Joshua Goodwin (Team Monex) 12 Josh Horowitz (Kahala LaGrange) 13 Ryan Yee (Team Seasilver) 14 Jeremiah Wiscovitch (Team Seasilver) 15 Charles Hill (Amgen Cycling Club) 16 Rudolph Napolitano (Big Orange Racing) 17 Luis Naranjo (Kahala LaGrange) 18 Adam Livingston (Team Seasilver) 19 Neal Slomsky (Veloworx Racing) 20 Michael Telega (RHVilla.com) 21 Thurlow Rogers (Sonance/Specialized) 22 Tomas Roba (Met-Rx/Alliance) 23 Emmanuel Suarez (UB Racing) 24 Brian Starr (Team Tailwinds) 25 Gary Hanson (Amgen Cycling Club) 26 Jamie Paolinetti (Helens) 27 Henricus Jansen (Unattached) 28 Ryan Barrett (Healthy Choice/Goble Knee Clinic) 29 Karl Bordine (Team Helens) Women Pro/1/2 1 Riley McAlpine (Team Riley/Fleet Feet Sports) 2 Lea Adams (Amgen Cycling Club) 3 Stacey Peters (Helens/Trek/VW) 4 Jennifer Wilson (Amgen Cycling Club) 5 Laura Erker (Unattached) 6 Dara Rogers (Helens/Trek/VW) 7 Julia Whiteside (Paramount Racing) 8 Lana Atchley (Paramount Racing) 9 Rachel O'Connell (Peleton Sports) 10 Carla Figueroa (Paramount Racing) 11 Pamela Schuster (Unattached) 12 Carol Lynn Neal (Paramount Racing) 13 Amy Hutner (Amgen Cycling Club) 14 Jule Hanson-Hines (Paramount Racing) 15 Nicole Brandt (Velo Club La Grange) 16 Dorothy Wong (Bicycles Johns Serious Cycling) 17 Alexandra Tabata (Team Velocity) 18 Melinda Johnson (Paramount Racing) Men Cat 3 1 Benjamin Bradshaw (scnca) 2 Frederick Bottger (Pasadena Athletic Assoc/Merrill Lynch) 3 Greg Christian (Spring City Cycling Club) 4 Christopher Jones (Big Orange Racing) 5 Phillip St John (Big Orange Racing) 6 Benjamin Volotzky (Bicycle Johns Serious Cycling) 7 Eric Ryba (Sun Coast Velo) 8 Ozzie Hutchins (Unattached) 9 Thomas (Tommy) Robles (Velo Allegro) 10 Timothy Strelecki (Team Edge Cyclesports) 11 Michael Hotten (South Bay Wheelmen) 12 Jonathan Rocque (Unattached) 13 Tony Tran (Canyon Velo) 14 Steven Smith (Team Tailwinds) 15 Karl Holst (Camarillo Ravens) 16 Max Hernandez (United Cycling Club) 17 Greg Wootton (Velo Club La Grange Westwood) 18 Alan Bub (Velo Club La Grange Westwood) 19 Spencer Spagnola (Karl Straus/SDBC) 20 Thomas FitzGibbon (Velo Club La Grange Westwood) 21 Simon Hill (Velo Club La Grange Westwood) 22 Shane Lawlor (Met-Rx/Alliance) Women Cat 3/4 1 Coryn Rivera (Paramount Racing) 2 Caroline Dahllof (Helens/Trek/VW) 3 Michelle Rhea (San Diego Bicycle Club) 4 Linda Stiles (Unattached) 5 Laura Hines (Southern California Velo) 6 Moira Gandy (Velosport Racing) 7 Jenifer Padilla (Unattached) 8 Bonnie Bourque (Karl Straus/SDBC) 9 Simone Harvey (Helens/Trek/VW) 10 Wendy Marin (Unattached) 11 Stacy Griffis (Unattached) 12 Priscilla Calderon (Southern California Velo) 13 Lee Spillman (OSC Velo) 14 Jill Pyrco (Kahala LaGrange) 15 Angela Liewen Romeo (San Diego Cyclo Vets) 16 Karin Fu (Amgen Cycling Club) 17 Ryanne Spady (Southern California Velo) 18 Carola Esquino (Unattached)
