Six Cubs Pedal Their Way Into SoCal Season 12 at Lake Perris

By Coach Peter

Six Loyola wheelmen took to the race course this past weekend at Lake Perris, kicking off the 6th season for the Loyola Cycling Club.

The weather was unparalleled as the sun rose on Sunday, March 8, the first day of races with the SoCal league at Lake Perris, an open spread bordered at the southend by a lake reflecting puffy clouds, blue sky, and hot air balloons, and outlined by gentle slopes and earth toned boulders to the east.

First to race, Nick Castain and Oliver Cudrigh left the starting line at 9:15 A.M. to begin the eleven mile course.  Cheered on by hundreds of mountain biking fans from all over southern California, Nick and Oliver tore over the pavement, jumped a curb, climbed a lengthy hill, and sped down the whooping single track to a long stretch of fire road that finished on the beach.  There they were met with cheers, shouts, whistles, and cowbells as they finished lap one, racing on to their second lap. By the end, Castain finished with a time of 44:52.37, fast enough to put him in 5th place out of 50 JV1 Boys North riders and earn himself a spot on the podium.  Cudrigh finished shortly thereafter with a strong time of 47:19.54, even after a tangle of bars with another rider that most certainly cost him valuable time.

Following the JV1 riders was a core group of freshmen who launched onto the course with 52 other Freshman Boys North racers at 10:30 A.M.  Led by Cameron Kuhn, who finished in 46:00.79, all four freshmen finished in under an hour. Kuhn was followed by Kaleb O’Neil with a time of 50:01.82, Spencer Isbell in 56:51.14, and Matt Embick with 58:19.71.  

Coached by Jon Tanklage, these young men and their peers have been training for months in preparation for this big moment and the season to come.  

The second race of the season will be on March 22 at Vail Lake Resort in Temecula.  All are invited to attend.