Get Your Ride On

From: Vol. 1, Issue 9, May 18-24, 2006

By Ron Ige
San Clemente Times

The San Clemente Challenge will test cyclists of all levels

One of the can’t-miss events of the season for dedicated road cyclists in Southern California is coming up this weekend. The San Clemente Challenge provides a combination of recreational rides and races, with all the action kicking off right here in town. As an added bonus, proceeds from this event go to the Friends of San Clemente Beaches, Parks and Recreation Foundation, which will help with the construction of San Clemente’s new aquatic center. The Challenge will consist of two events over the course of May 20-21: a recreational ride on Saturday and a circuit race on Sunday.

Participants in the recreational ride have the option of taking on either a 41- or 73-mile course. Both rides will incorporate a scenic 32-mile loop inside of Camp Pendleton. Roads inside the base that are restricted access 364 days of the year will be open to the Challenge recreational ride. Riders won’t have to battle traffic here, as the roads will be closed to motor vehicles on this section.

San Clemente resident and past national cycling title holder Mike Morrill is looking forward to the Challenge. “There are some great cycling roads inside of [Camp] Pendleton that we usually never have access to. Being able to ride them during the Challenge is a special opportunity.”

Jim Woodman, president of Breakaway USA, the organizers of Saturday’s event, agrees. “Here we are in congested Southern California, and you have the opportunity to ride in a cycling sanctuary,” he says. The course is picturesque, but not for the faint of heart, lung and leg strength. The short course has a total elevation gain of 1,850 feet and the long course features 3,290 feet of climbing.

“Other [charity] rides nowadays cost a lot of money and some even have a minimum fund-raising requirement that must be raised before someone can even participate,” adds Woodman. “We want the pressure of that to be secondary. Our main goal for this event is to provide the entrant with a fun time and a great value for their dollar.” For the $90 entry fee, entrants will also get a commemorative jersey, access to fully stocked aid stations along the route and plenty of other extras.

The second event of the San Clemente Challenge is Sunday’s circuit race at Vista Del Mar Middle School. Amateur and professional road racers will compete on a 2.3-mile course for a set time period depending upon the category. Last year’s race drew more than 600 competitors. This year licensed racers will be vying for a piece of the $8,000 prize list. The first race starts at 7:30 a.m.

“I have a good number of customers doing both the race and the recreational ride,” said Steve Morgan, manager of local bike shop Cycle Werks. “With the success of Lance Armstrong, it seems as if road riding is more popular than ever. It gets people outdoors doing something healthy. Just like with all the surf events here, we need more cycling events like the San Clemente Challenge,” says Morgan. “It will get more people involved in the sport and only do good things for this town.”

Get On Board

To sign up for the San Clemente Challenge, log on to www.gobreakaway.com before May 18, call the event hotline at 858.703.4666 or go to the Rio Center at 2021 Calle Frontera on May 19, 5 p.m.-9 p.m. Sign up for the circuit race at www.pedalforapool.com until May 19 to avoid late fees. Race entry fees start at $20. For those procrastinators out there, you can sign up for either Challenge event the morning of at the starting location.