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Portlanders Shine and Shatter Records in Rain-Shortened AVC

By Dave Campbell

When the Alpenrose Velodrome Challenge (AVC) began in 1999, it became one of the richest, competitive, most anticipated and prestigious track races in the country. Riders, including many Olympic medalists, world champions, and countless national champions, have gathered annually to race at the unique and steeply banked 268-meter track nestled in Portland’s southwest hills. The major change witnessed over the past thirteen years has been the increased performance level of the locals. Once just happy to make the finals, Rose City riders now count themselves among the very best. From two high-level local coaching programs to the elite Project London 2012 (Olympics), a team with two Portlanders among its five world-class sprinters, most of the nation’s elite fixed-gear riders now have a Portland connection. And despite a program cut short by unseasonable rain on Sunday, the hometown favorites shone brightly and a number of records tumbled in the process.

Time trial racing kicked off the event on Friday, July 15, and Washington rider Dan Harm (Broadmark Capitol) won his fifth consecutive AVC 4 km individual pursuit title, posting a 4:58.07. Californian Elizabeth Newell won the Women’s 3km pursuit in 4:00.72, just in front of Gilian Carlton of Victoria, B.C. (Oak Bay Bicycles). San Jose’s Dave Mamimski claimed the Masters 2 km with a 2:39:59. Local Jim Thiele (Team Rose City) tore through the Masters 500 meters, winning in an impressive 39.59. On the women’s side, track record holder Monique Sullivan of Calgary, Alberta, was only one tenth of a second shy of her 2010 record, posting a solid 37.43. The Masters kilometer went to Portlander Peter Drake (Fred Meyer/Lakeside Bicycles) in 1:18.32. Additionally, local racer Jake Hansen (Word-RCB) claimed the top spot in the Points Race qualifier, punching his ticket into a big and talented field for Saturday’s finals.

There haven’t been many kilometer records at Alpenrose over the years. Randy Shoquist’s mark stood from pre-1980 until Chris Carlson toppled it at the 1997 EDS Cup. 2000 Olympic sprint gold medalist Marty Nothstein then shattered that mark in 2001, posting a 1:08.76. It stood until 2009 when Portland’s Per Bjesse clocked a 1:08.29 but the field assembled for the 2011 edition could take a serious stab at that mark. Kevin Mansker of Portland, who first rode at Alpenrose four years ago, prior to a stint in the military, was the revelation of the 2009 AVC. Now firmly established as a world-class rider, he is a stalwart of the Project London 2012 (PL2012) team. Following a blistering 1:08:46 ride by T.J. Mathieson of Carson, Calif., Mansker, racing only his third ever kilo, uncorked a roaring 1:07.79 to send the crowd into a frenzy. Clearly “not just a sprinter,” this was the beginning of what the gathered fixed-gear faithful believed could be the first of many records the PL2012 crew would topple.

Photo courtesy of John Ragsdale

Project London 2012's Dean Tracy and Kevin Mansker salute the Alpenrose crowd after setting a new team sprint record.

Saturday began with both the Masters and Women sprint tournaments. Pennsylvania rider, Dana Feiss, qualified first in 12.73 seconds, but suffered a surprisingly early defeat to Texan Kristin Walker and had to fight through the repechage rounds in order to meet the number two qualifier, Sullivan, in the final. Perhaps due to Walker’s fatigue resulting from her extra rides, the final wasn’t close and Sullivan triumphed convincingly. Portland coaches, Brian Abers and Kirk Whitman, faced each other in the Masters race. While Abers qualified fastest, Whitman skipped his wheel, pulled his foot off the pedal, slid down the banking, only to bounce right up and then pull a foot again on the backstretch during his qualifier round, before smoothly pedaling in one-legged to qualify second and marched unfazed to a much anticipated final. In a really good old-school-type ride that was barely moving at walking pace for the first lap and a half, Abers tried to track stand four times. Whitman went with a little over a lap to go, and although Abers got the lane, Whitman blasted around him to claim his second consecutive AVC title. The crowd enjoyed the chess match, the true sportsmanship, and watching two nice guys who really like racing each other.

The male sprinters only got to contest the Kierin and it was, frankly, no contest. Mansker rode it from the front, pulling away easily, punctuating his victory with a two-armed victory salute, lengths clear of teammate Micheal Blatchford of Cypress, Calif.

Coming off his third AVC victory in the Miss and Out, in front of Beardsley and Harm, Jame Carney was the clear favorite, as he looked to capture his third consecutive title in the Points race as well. Late qualifier Hansen and local hero Zac Kovalcik (The Goon Squad) were off the front early, much to the delight of the crowd. The duo piled up points while Kit Karzen of Los Angeles also prominent in the race, scoring through his impressive sprint. Mike Garrett, an M.I.T. student in Plasma Physics, and Harm, also rode strongly, but without having many points to show for it. Carney, with few points, was at the back of field with only a couple of sprints remaining in the race. Suddenly, he came to life, scoring points to pull within two of race leader Kovalcik, going into the final double points sprint. Highly contested, Carney was a rider short from adding to his total and the exhausted Kovalcik, while way back in the field, kept his lead to win the race 24-22 over the three-time Olympian. A deserving Hansen came in third with 21. In Women’s mass start racing, $3 and $2 prizes to the lap leaders kept the 5-mile Scratch race pace high. Local Erin “Never afraid to attack” Glover (Bike Central) claimed the most money, riding aggressively and staying off the front most of the race. Nevada teammates Colleen Hayduk and Erica Allar timed their lead out to perfection, finishing first and second in a track record event time of 11 minutes 30 seconds.

The most exciting races were both the men and women Team Sprints. Local Jenn Featheringill (Bike Central) and Feiss held the previous 40.50 seconds record and were thrilled to shave two hundredths off. However, the team of Sullivan and Walker rocketed around the track to a stunning 39.48 that got them the record and the crowd to their feet. Mansker, Dean Tracy (PL2012) and Andy Williams set a 53.33 track record in 2010, but Mathieson, Californian Jack Lindquist and Daniel Walker bettered it, registering a 53.09 with one team remaining. That last team, however, trains for this very event every day and is focused on winning Olympic gold come 2012. In a race where hundredths decide winners, Mansker, Tracy, and Blatchford put on a clinic in power, focus, and coordination, shattering the competition and record, throwing down a 51.16.

The rain stole the show on Sunday and no racing could take place, leaving the crowd to wonder what else could have happened had it not taken away PL2012’s chances for more records in the Flying Lap and 200 meter qualifiers, not to mention what could have been a very spectacular Sprint competition. But there’s always 2012.