Nor-Cal is very fortunate to have one of the best teams in all of America competing week and and week out on our regional circuit. The California Giant Berry Farms/Specialized team is to Nor-Cal Cyclocross what the equivalent of the New York Yankees is to Major League Baseball. Over the years Anthony Gallino's Cal. Giant team has always featured the heavy hitters in Cross from our area. Racers who dominate our local events, have the biggest results over the years and go on to grace the podium steps at Nationals or UCI Masters & Elite races. Last year the California Giant team boasted the Men & Women MVP's of Cross from Nor-Cal in Elle Anderson & Henry Kramer. Elle Anderson was the #1 ranked domestic female in the country! The speedy Anderson won some of the biggest races in America and also snatched podium places in Europe.
While Mr. Kramer won the USA Masters National Championship and the UCI Masters World Championship. Kramer also nearly went undefeated during the entire season in
Nor-Cal racing in an age group younger then his registered age.
The team for 2014 looks as strong as ever with a core group of racers who will take to course searching for victory at each event they participate at,
and a team boasting 4 past National Champions.
2014 current lineup-
Henry Kramer- Current World and National Champion, Alan Coats- Past National Champion, Todd Hoefer- Past National Champion, Justin Robinson- Past National Champion, Gannon Myall-Team Director, Rob “Buckwheat” Meighan, Ana Flores, Eric Bustos, John Mundelius, Brian Finnerty, Norm Kreiss.
Henry Kramer owned last season's regional racing and went on to
National Champion & World Champion victories...
Kramer nearly went undefeated in Nor-Cal races this past season...
The King of Nor-Cal Cross! Justin Robinson has been one of the all-time greats over the years. When the going gets tough- Justin Robinson gets going....
Brian Finnerty was the revelation of Nor-Cal Cross this past season. A Masters aged racer who was throwing down race times that rivaled the very fastest Elite Men's times. I look for Finnerty to challenge himself in 2014 and go big in the Elite Men's regional races....
Alan Coats, a past National Champion, who will be rebounding from a season off due to injury. Surely the hard charging Coats will find form and create havoc for the top racers in the region as he is one of the smoothest and most technically savvy racers in all Nor-Cal...
Gannon Myall has unlimited ability and when on his "A" game he can go to another level that few can equal. Myall is the teams director as well as one of the top dogs of this high caliber squad....
The silent assassin- Todd Hoefer is a past National Champion who has been one of the greatest racers ever from Nor-Cal over the years. A class act racer who has risen to the very top step of the podium in some of the biggest races in America.
Hoefer let's his results & riding speak for itself,
and is one of 4 National Champions on the Cal. Giant Berry Farms Team...
Norm Kreiss has proven to be one of the most outstanding racers in America for his age group over the past years. Kreiss would be the reigning National Champion as we start this season if it was not for the freak of nature Kramer who just barely edged Kreiss during a thrilling sprint for the line in the frigid battle for USA's best last year at Nationals....
Photo below- It came down to 2 racers from Nor-Cal at the USA National Championships this past year for the win. Two riders from the same team and as you can tell from the photos no deals were made on the road as to who would claim Gold. It was a epic tussle of legendary proportions and in the end both racers- Kreiss & Kramer proved to be legends of the sport....
Robert Meighan is another Nor-Cal Cross legend who has been at his sport for as long as some can remember. Meighan has tasted big success this year on the National Endurance circuit. Reflection of this in his Cross races is gauranteed and Meighan will no doubt come into the racing with speed, strength and solid base to get things done correct...
Alan Coats shows why he can win big and win often when he is on form. Nor-Cal Cyclocross prepares racers for all you will face at Nationals or World Championship events. Our regions courses favor the brave and if you can not handle your bike in the key moments on course you will always be in chase mode after those who do demonstrate skills and technical ability....
Hoefer shows perfect form in the sand that riders can face in many of the Nor-Cal races. Running and the Cross move of dismounting and jumping back on the bike are key components of Cyclocross. If you race & lag in any form of this technique the Cal. Giant riders will make your day at the races a nightmare. If you want to see picture perfect style and form in Cross check out the Cal. Giant crew in action, their technique is picture perfect....
Eric Bustos shown here leading the field at the start in one of the regional races of Nor-Cal. Bustos is a stellar competitor who is smooth as silk in all aspects of Cross racing.....
Justin Robinson has shown this victory pose often over the years in Nor-Cal racing. Robinson is a rider who earned his pedigree racing at Surf City races as a young buck. He has then gone on to win USA National honors and been a mainstay on the podium at Nationals over the years. Robinson is a racer who excels in the hardest conditions and the biggest races. Robinson is also the most winning racer at the CCCX Series over the past 17 years earning over 50 victories against some of the finest racers of the region...
Ana Flores is another one of the big time talents of the California Giant Berry Farms team. Flores has produced big rides in key events regionally and you can never count out this talented racer in any circumstance. Flores is a fast starter who's speed from the gun can lead to a long wake of racers lined out with nothing to do but chase and chase. Flores is also one of the best Cyclocross bike handlers of our region...
John Mundelius is pure power and flow when in action on the Cross bike. Mundelius is a Nor-Cal Cyclocross District Champion who has topped the very best Masters racers from our region on multiple occasions. One of the reasons the Cal. Giant Berry Farms teams is so successful, is they have numerous horses in the fight who can take to the track and throw down fast laps over and over. These riders push the pace and push each other to the point of exhaustion.
Which in turn leads to success for the unit as a whole. Nor-Cal Cross riders are forced to bring the power to the races or Cal. Giant riders like Mundelius will be gone off the front....
"You want a piece of me?" You can see in the riders eyes that if you want to be up with best you had better be ready for war. Hard conditions seem to favor Cal. Giant racers such as Norm Kreiss- shown below. Mud, rain, wind and sleet.... this is fun for the Cal. Giant team and these riders will never skip a race because it is raining or cold outside. They come to play no matter what the conditions are and they play extra hard always....
Bike racing in rain and mud means Cyclocross. Here you can see Eric Bustos smiling and laughing his way to another fine result in extremely harsh conditions. The Cal. Giant Berry Farms team competes on some of the finest equipment available. For 2014 they will be seen racing on S-Works Crux Cross bikes equipped with SRAM and Zipp Wheels.
Henry Kramer is a legend in Europe. Kramer is shown below competing in one of his tune-up races in Belgium before Worlds. Kramer is a rider who brings fear to Euro racers when he makes his pilgrimage to compete overseas. They awe at his strength and speed for his age. Rumor has it when Kramer shows up to compete in Europe he spends much of the time before and after events signing autographs for the local Women & Junior race fans. This in turn infuriates his competitors as they have to witness all swooning over the American star...
Deep sand only leads the way for the California Giant Berry Farm team to attack. They can ride or run the sand pits at high speed, even the deep sand shown here in Ft. Ord. Ana Flores demonstrates perfect form for riding the beach like conditions. 2014 looks set to be another year of Cal. Giant success... Who can rise to the challenge and disrupt this domination?
Let the racing begin!
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