Falcon denies Bahati a four-peat at Chevron Manhattan Beach Grand Prix
Yosvany Falcon celebrates his first Chevron Manhattan Beach Grand Prix victory. Photo
Thousands of spectators congregated at Live Oak Park Sunday anxiously awaiting the Men’s Pro 1 race where local cyclist Rahsaan Bahati attempted to win his fourth consecutive Chevron Manhattan Beach Grand Prix. But when the leading racers whizzed by at the end of the second lap, Bahati was not among them.
When a group of 10 riders pulled away from the peloton in only the second lap of the 1.4-mile course and increased the gap to nearly two minutes with 12 laps to go, Bahati found himself in a predicament out of which he couldn’t pedal, and watched his chance at an unprecedented fourth straight win slip away. Nevertheless, the Carson resident’s name was recognized on the podium.
After riding for Rock Racing in the last three Chevron Manhattan Beach Grand Prix events, Bahati formed the Bahati Foundation Pro Cycling Team. It was Bahati’s teammate Yosvany Falcon, the 2008 USA Crits overall winner, who sprinted away from Bernie Sulzberger of Fly V Australia and independent racer Diego Yepez to capture the winning share of the $15,000 purse.
Falcon joined the list of winners that includes pro riders Jonas Carney, Christian Vande Velde, Tyler Farrar, Greg Henderson and Southern California’s legendary Bob Tetzlaff who won the inaugural race in 1962.
Pam Schuster enjoys her time at the top of the podium after winning the Women’s Cat 1-3 race. Photo
Shaped like a slightly bent “paperclip,” the course is considered to be challenging and technical featuring two long straightaways, two sweeping 180° turns, and 50′ of climbing per lap.
With a headwind on the downward leg, breakaways are difficult and teamwork plays a vital role going into the final turn. With just 300 meters to the finish line, cyclists not in the top 10 coming out of the last turn are considered out of the race.
Pam Schuster, 49, of San Diego, capitalized on her Southern California Velo team’s tactics, winning the Women’s Pro 1-3 race by edging teammate Pamela Calderon by a bike length for the victory. Anna Drakulich (Herbalife LaGrange) finished third.
In the Cat 2 race, Jordan Itaya (Team Ranchos) placed first. Riding for the Griffith Park Dope Pedallers, Hime Herbert won the Cat 3 competition and Jack Lindquist (Ritte Van Vlaanderen) took top honors in the Cat 4 division.
Antony Galvan and Aron Gadhia of the Amgen-UBS Elite Masters team went 1-2 in the Masters 35+ category and Craig Miller (Schroeder Iron Elite Masters) won the Masters 45+ competition
In the Masters 55+ race, UC Cyclery/JW Flooring took the top four spots led by Mitchell Weinstock and Leo Pettus (Paramount Racing) finished first in the Masters 60+ division.
More than 1,000 cyclists battled for the total all-cash purse of $21,500 at the 49th Manhattan Beach Grand Prix, which celebrated the 20th consecutive year with Chevron as its title sponsor.
The Manhattan Beach Grand Prix was founded in 1962 by local racing legend Ted Ernst, shortly after Ernst formed the South Bay Wheelmen cycling club. The event is now the second-oldest cycling race in America drawing participants from six continents.
Along with the Lions Club of Manhattan Beach, the South Bay Wheelmen organize and provide dozens of volunteers for the race in addition to contestants.
Finishers from the South Bay Wheelmen include Wilson Blas (10th in Cat 3 and 21st in Masters 35+), David Wehrly (17th, Cat 3), Nathan Pfaff (52nd, Cat 3), Jon Spallino (21st, Cat 4), Dennis Cabrera (36th, Cat 4), Deogracias Asuncion (17th, Masters 45+), Andrew King, (41st, Masters 45+), Alain Levi (30th, Masters 55+), Tom Herman (31st, Masters 55+) and Stephen Whitsitt (14th, Masters 60+). ER