Phillip Bannister ( Putney/West Hill) kept an early lead to take the win. © Brian Nelson
Austin, TX – With ruts in the frozen ground and frost in the air, the unseasonably cold Zilker Park hosted the second day of racing in the 2015 Cyclocross National Championship Races.
John Elgart (Alto Velo) took the holeshot for the 65-69 category race as the California native led the field around the first turns of the course. In the next heat, Loren Hettinger (Schwab Cycles) was the leader in the next heat of the 70-74 men, and Ronald Riley of California gathered the holeshot for the 80+ men. Riley laughed at the end of the race when called his start his moment of the race as he fell back in the race as it played out.
In the 65-69 race, David Linden (Team Dayton Bicycling) used his thick Midwestern blood to fend off the cold and take the lead before the end of the first lap. Four others would join him at the front for what would be the most epic battle of the early morning. In the 70-74 race, Dean Ferrandini of Newhall California took over at the head of his age group, and would never relinquish his position, taking a great win. After the race, he told Cyclocross Magazine of his lifetime preparations for the event, which included working as a stuntman and trying his hand at downhilling.
Walt Axthelm defended his title in the Masters Men 80+ Cycloross National Championship. © Cyclocross Magazine
Meanwhile, in the 80+ race, cyclocross legend Walter Axthelm not only took over, but created an impressive gap over the other riders in his field, while Frederic Schmid (Bicycles Outback Racing) fought for second. Axthelm was able to stay away for the rest of the race, while Schmid took second and Riley got third.
“I don’t like to back off through the year” Axthelm told Cyclocross Magazine after the race. “It’s about keeping going, although I build up to events.” He continued on about his training, which included riding with a group of 50-year-old riders throughout the year and being able to keep up.
The limestone stairs proved to be a challenge for racers of all ages. © Cyclocross Magazine
In the 65-69 category race, Phillip Bannister (Putney/West Hill) took charge of the group of five, then separated himself from the others. He was able to maintain his lead and grow his gap for the remainder of the race to take the win.
“I’m not a good role model for the younger riders out there [for training for Nationals,” Bannister admitted, saying that he tried enjoying himself more on his bike more than did any formal training. He enjoyed the course, mentioning that it was not a course where risk taking would give much of an advantage, and smart speed-scrubbing at the right time gave racers the advantage.
Full results below the photo gallery:
2015 Masters 65-69, 70-74, 75-79 and 80+ Cyclocross National Championship Photo Gallery:
2015 National Championships, Masters Men 80+
| Place | Last | First | Club | Town | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AXTHELM | Walter | Durango Wheel Club | Durango CO | 49:05 | |
| 2 | SCHMID | Frederic | Bicycles Outback Racing | Waco TX | 50:36 | 1:31 |
| 3 | RILEY | Ronald | Aptos CA | 43:27 | s.t. |
2015 National Championships, Masters 70-74
| Rank | Last | First | Team | License | City ST | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FERRANDINI | Dean | 11502 | Newhall CA | 48:05:00 | ||
| 2 | HETTINGER | Loren | Schwab Cycles Racing Team | 49896 | Littleton CO | 48:27:00 | 22 |
| 3 | SHERE | Jerry | Sport Systems Mountaintop Cycli | 73855 | Albuquerque NM | 40:24:00 | s.t. |
| 4 | BRIGGS | James | Allegheny Cycling Association | 274597 | North Huntingdon PA | 51:49:00 | 3:44 |
2015 National Championships, Masters 65-69
| Rank | Last | First | Team | City | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BANNISTER | Phillip | Putney/West Hill | Putney VT | 39:41 | |
| 2 | RUGER | John | Boulder CO | 40:27 | 46 | |
| 3 | OGREN | Robert | The Fix Studio | Bloomington MN | 40:38 | 57 |
| 4 | ELGART | John | Alto Velo Racing Club | Sacramento CA | 41:35 | 1:54 |
| 5 | ROLLINS | Lewis | FFKR - CONTENDER RACING | Salt Lake City UT | 42:14 | 2:33 |
| 6 | BURST | Ken | Team Mugshots | Birmingham AL | 42:22 | 2:41 |
| 7 | SMITH | Hunter | Boulder Cycle Sport/ YogaGlo | Boulder CO | 42:25 | 2:44 |
| 8 | WEIGEL | Albert | Village-Verdigris Cycling | Wheeling IL | 42:40 | 2:59 |
| 9 | BENGEL | Tom | GPCX on the DL | St Paul MN | 42:45 | 3:04 |
| 10 | FANNING | Whitney | Geri Atrix | Waco TX | 43:48 | 4:07 |
| 11 | SCHWEIKER | Steve | Ethos Racing | Overland Park KS | 44:31 | 4:50 |
| 12 | ADAMSON | John | Twisted Spokes Racing Team | Cardondale CO | 44:32 | 4:51 |
| 13 | COUPLAND | Julian | Village-Verdigris Cycling | Chicago IL | 44:42 | 5:01 |
| 14 | MOREMAN | Bill | Team Bicycles inc | Arlington TX | 47:19 | 7:38 |
| 15 | MAYSE | Larry | Milton GA | 48:07 | 8:26 | |
| 16 | CULLINS | Bill | Permian Basin Bicycle Assoc | San Angelo TX | 49:26 | 9:45 |
| 17 | WELLINGS | Norman | Oskaloosa IA | @1Lap | ||
| 18 | LINDEN | David | Team Dayton Bicycling | Yellow Springs OH | @1Lap | |
| 19 | CARLSON | James | Potomac Velo Club | Springfield VA | @1Lap | |
| 20 | FORTNEY | Harry | Central Iowa Cycling Club | Kelley IA | @1Lap | |
| DNF | PIZZINI | Leone | First State Velo Sport | Avondale PA |
