Guest post from Dorothy Wong – director of the Southern California Prestige Series of Cyclocross
Women from 10 to 50 years of age – national champions to first timers – took the Punchbowl-Pontius Points Challenge this past weekend in Southern California. The races were hosted by Santa Clarita Velo and led by race director, Irene Johnson also passionate about growing women’s cycling was excited to have her events become a part of the Women’s Cycling Challenge 2010 promotional events. The WCC’s number one goal is: Women supporting each other to build our community across Southern California in order to increase more women to ride a bike!
Highlights from the Punchbowl-Pontius Weekend: (use attached photos per your discretion)
HIGHLIGHTS:
1. Punchbowl Women’s Podium – Women’s 4 and Juniors 10 to 18 many their first race!
2. Ranchos Women – Cat 4 team now inspired to host a Women’s Cycling Challenge Weekend of their own at their race in July – San Marcos. Women’s Cat 4 winner, Bethany Allen drove up to be a part of the two day competition and despite recent spinal surgery rode solo to victory!
3. Cat 1/2 Champ – Kathryn Donovan (InCycle/Empower Coaching), Race promoter – Irene Johnson, 50+ Champs – tied Pam Schuster (InCycle-Empower Coaching) a road national champion as a Pro and Diana Davis (Metal MTN) at age 50 just started racing last year and with a huge smile on her face says “I don’t know why I did it?!”
4. Cat 3/4 Women’s Race – capturing the determination of these women to race bicycles!
5. Jane Shearing-Skalak (Cat 4 master) raced for the first time since a riding accident which almost took her life. But the sweet and fiery Jane was determined AND elated to finish which she did with everyone cheering her on!
The Women’s Cycling Challenge heads to Idyllwild this coming weekend, May 1-2nd providing pre-post race tips for newer riders by SoCal’s own MTB Pros, Christina Probert-Turner and Allison Mann at the Idyllwild Spring Mountain Bike Challenge offering a FREE Novice Women’s Cross Country class on Saturday! Race director, Katie Hedrich’s passion to grow women’s cycling is offering a women’s first-timer cateogry and says, “This 7 mile course is perfect for testing your racing animal inside in a low pressure atmosphere!”
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