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2006 Low-Key Hillclimbs
Week 4 Results: Highway 9
04 Nov 2006

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Cheryl Hennessy leads Todd Benjamin to the summit.
photo by Sheri Greenspan

The Action

We have photos and a video posted!!
Read the Tow report!

Once again, the weather fates smiled upon the Low-Key Hillclimbs, as sunny skies left only the damp roads as a reminder of the past week's rains. At a Low-Key punctual 9:57 am, the White Chariot's horn rang through the land of Saratoga, and the game was on.

The lead group maintained a steady pace up the lower, gradual slopes of Highway 9, a sizeable group until, approaching Redwood Gulch, new series leader Petro Hizalev decided to stretch his legs with an out-of-the-saddle acceleration that had those following looking at each other in disbelief. This broke the previously lead pack into three groups, Petro, Dave Galvin, and Clark Foy in front, followed by a group of approximately 5, then a group of around 7 further back.

From here, the remaining 3 miles became a matter of how much each rider had left in their legs from the earlier pace, the ever-present mileage markers leaving little doubt about what remained.

Among the encouragingly strong turnout of 7 women, Cheryl Hennessy (team: Velo Bella) was fastest on the day, followed by Stephanie Gruszunski and Kelly Kasik.

A highlight of the week was Highway 9's unicyclist show-down between OLH's Steve Nash, and Diablo's Nathan Hoover. Steve proved the faster, yet among unicyclists, frankly, just making it to the top (and back down afterwards) these climbs is sufficiently impressive that it transcends any issue of speed.

Next week, of course, Highway 9's less popular sibling, Bohlman, with its On Orbit cousin. You have been warned...

Thanks to coordinator Pete Heller, with help from Carola Berger, Greg Dougald, John Franklin, Sheri Greenspan, and Leo Menestrina for making today's climb possible!

Results

Men

median time = 38:14

pl  #   rider                  team                  category          time    score
1   93  Petro Hizalev          Webcor/Alto Velo      3                 30:54   123.76
2   137 Dave Galvin            BMC Racing            2                 31:26   121.66
3   39  Clark Foy              San Jose Bike Club    40+               31:48   120.26
4   1   Dan Connelly           TNT                   3                 31:55   119.82
5   131 Raffi Jrizian          Form Fitness          3                 32:25   117.97
6   19  Menso de Jong          Santa Cruz Syndicate  Junior            32:25   117.97
7   127 Bryan Buck             AV: Old Guys Finish   4                 32:33   117.49
8   48  David Kelly            Webcor/Alto Velo      4                 32:33   117.49
9   17  Brian Edwards          Hell Riders           25-29             32:48   116.59
10  20  James Porter           Western Wheelers      Out Of Shape Dads 33:05   115.59
11  97  Greg McQuaid           Western Wheelers      35+               33:13   115.13
12  37  Bill Lloyd             Le Matin              1                 33:29   114.21
13  45  Rupert Brauch          WAV-ARA               3                 33:32   114.04
14  54  Justin Lucke           Organic Athlete       Vegan             33:44   113.36
15  122 Michael Gonia          Western Wheelers      40+               33:50   113.03
16  81  Ramon Alarcon          San Jose Bike Club    4                 34:11   111.87
17  118 Mike Holt              ST Bikes              3                 34:21   111.33
18  124 Jeff Farnsworth        Western Wheelers      40+               34:38   110.42
19  16  Peter Mehlitz                                45+               34:39   110.37
20  4   Fred E. Stamm          Pen Velo/Kondra       50+               35:38   107.32
21  123 Earle Baker                                                    36:10   105.74
22  120 Chris May              Los Gatos             Junior            36:11   105.69
23  35  Ron Brunner            Commuter              Commuter          36:30   104.77
24  121 Paul C. Janzen         Team Torgo                              36:40   104.30
25  40  Geo Kitta              Pen Velo/Kondra       50+               37:07   103.03
26  125 Chris Arriola          San Jose Bike Club    35+               37:33   101.84
27  29  Dean Larson            Team Dino             40+               37:45   101.30
28  116 Shance Ordell          Western Wheelers      35+               37:46   101.26
29  67  Martin Hyland          Western Wheelers      50+               37:52   100.99
30  114 Phil Theodore          Tribe                                   38:00   100.64
31  78  Alex Kramer            Western Wheelers      5                 38:03   100.50
32  2   Kevin Winterfield      Low-Key                                 38:26   99.50
33  128 Randal Buck            Old Guys              First Time        38:28   99.42
34  129 John Christensen       San Jose Bike Club    4                 38:48   98.56
35  70  Bob Parker             AV: Old Guys Finish   50+               38:53   98.35
36  115 John Murphy            CalTrain              35+               39:39   96.45
37  86  Alex Matthews          No Team               Cotter Pin        39:45   96.21
38  90  H. William Mirbach     Pen Velo/Kondra       55+               39:54   95.84
39  117 David Baker            Webcor/Alto Velo      Slowest Of All    40:01   95.56
40  11  Peter Merril           Adobe                 50+               40:30   94.42
41  34  Stephen Fong           San Jose Bike Club    5                 41:36   91.93
42  138 Javier Szwarcberg      Western Wheelers      Whatever          41:51   91.38
43  135 Larry Munoz            Western Wheelers      Viejo             42:12   90.62
44  110 Edward Miller          SLACer                65+               42:44   89.49
45  126 Samual Wilson          Webcor/Alto Velo      Old               42:57   89.04
46  94  Todd Benjamin                                                  43:40   87.58
47  105 Paul Sudano                                  58+               43:47   87.34
48  15  Rich Brunner           Cruzie                39ish             45:39   83.77
49  119 J.L. de Jong           Meno's Dad            Beginner          46:46   81.77
50  133 Michael Svihura        Western Wheelers      40+               47:11   81.05
51  10  Dick Robinson          TNT                   59+               48:52   78.26
52  77  Jorge Chang            Blubber Busters       Infinity          49:31   77.23
53  66  Eric Roodhouse         SVTC                                    49:53   76.66
54  132 Joseph Maurer          RUSA                  50+               52:15   73.19
55  25  Tim Porcival           Pen Velo/Kondra       5                 52:43   72.54
56  79  Steve Nash                                   Unicycle          52:44   72.52
57  89  JT Conklin             Identity Engines      35+               52:55   72.27
58  38  Neil Bliss             Platypus Racing       Heavyweight       55:27   68.97
59  60  Nathan Hoover          Team Cyclops          Unicycle          57:07   66.95
60  41  Kwan Low               The Cutters           5                 58:08   65.78
61  49  Adam Tow               Blubber Busters       Infinity          68:28   55.85
62  113 Greg Heller            Monte Vista           Junior            69:39   54.91

Women

median time = 55:09

pl  #   rider                  team                  category          time    score
1   7   Cheryl Hennessy        Velo Bella            35+               43:36   126.49
2   68  Stephanie Gruszunski   Velo Girls                              46:53   117.63
3   95  Kelly Kasik                                                    50:15   109.75
4   130 Sue Young              GDI                   Beginner          55:09   100.00
5   111 Pat Parseghian         Western Wheelers      50+               60:02   91.87
6   27  Christine Holmes       Librarian             40+               61:33   89.60
7   134 Rae Chang              Blubber Busters       Slow              68:27   80.57

Team Rankings

pl  team                     score scoring
1   Western Wheelers        343.75 (James Porter, Greg McQuaid, Michael Gonia)
2   Webcor/Alto Velo        336.81 (Petro Hizalev, David Kelly, David Baker)
3   San Jose Bike Club      333.97 (Clark Foy, Ramon Alarcon, Chris Arriola)
4   Pen Velo/Kondra         306.19 (Fred E. Stamm, Geo Kitta, H. William Mirbach)
5   AV: Old Guys Finish     215.84 (Bryan Buck, Bob Parker)
6   Blubber Busters         213.65 (Rae Chang, Jorge Chang, Adam Tow)
7   TNT                     198.07 (Dan Connelly, Dick Robinson)
8   Velo Bella              126.49 (Cheryl Hennessy)
9   BMC Racing              121.66 (Dave Galvin)
10  Form Fitness            117.97 (Raffi Jrizian)
10  Santa Cruz Syndicate    117.97 (Menso de Jong)
12  Velo Girls              117.63 (Stephanie Gruszunski)
13  Hell Riders             116.59 (Brian Edwards)
14  Le Matin                114.21 (Bill Lloyd)
15  WAV-ARA                 114.04 (Rupert Brauch)
16  Organic Athlete         113.36 (Justin Lucke)
17  ST Bikes                111.33 (Mike Holt)
18  Los Gatos               105.69 (Chris May)
19  Commuter                104.77 (Ron Brunner)
20  Team Torgo              104.30 (Paul C. Janzen)
21  Team Dino               101.30 (Dean Larson)
22  Tribe                   100.64 (Phil Theodore)
23  GDI                     100.00 (Sue Young)
24  Low-Key                  99.50 (Kevin Winterfield)
25  Old Guys                 99.42 (Randal Buck)
26  CalTrain                 96.45 (John Murphy)
27  No Team                  96.21 (Alex Matthews)
28  Adobe                    94.42 (Peter Merril)
29  Librarian                89.60 (Christine Holmes)
30  SLACer                   89.49 (Edward Miller)
31  Cruzie                   83.77 (Rich Brunner)
32  Meno's Dad               81.77 (J.L. de Jong)
33  SVTC                     76.66 (Eric Roodhouse)
34  RUSA                     73.19 (Joseph Maurer)
35  Identity Engines         72.27 (JT Conklin)
36  Platypus Racing          68.97 (Neil Bliss)
37  Team Cyclops             66.95 (Nathan Hoover)
38  The Cutters              65.78 (Kwan Low)
39  Monte Vista              54.91 (Greg Heller)

Dan Connelly