Sheila Moon riders make mark in Livermore

The Livermore series is one of the small cyclocross series scattered around the Bay Area. The races are generally small but well-run, and the courses make the most of what they have to work with.

Three of us headed out this weekend to ride the second-to-last race of this year's series. The day was pretty successful.



This year's Most Improved rider, Kathryn Aaker, scored her first career win in the women's Bs.



Our newest rider, Sam Bell, took 4th in the Cs in her second cross race ever!

My race was somewhat less successful. I managed to grab the wheel of Cycling News columnist, former national team member and Sheila Moon employee Barbara Howe, who was slumming in the men's B race.



We rode together pretty much the entire race, slowly clawing our way into the top 5. Just before the final barriers, the two of us were closely followed by two other guys. Barb swung wide to let me come through (since a top 5 in 35+ B men obviously means more to me than to her). Unfortunately, I managed to catch a course stake with my pedal and pulled it out of the ground trying to free my bike. I came through the barriers still at the front of our group, only to realize that my struggle with the course marking had pulled my chain off my cranks. I ran the last 10 yards, but watched Barb and the other guys ride past me, and ended up a disappointing 7th.