e-Mountain Bike Racing At The Sea Otter Classic

The Sea Otter Classic is back in person for 2021. It’s an amazing event that’s happened every spring for 30 years. It kicks off all of North American bicycle racing. Or at least it did before the pandemic. It was postponed last year, as it would have happened in April, but instead was pushed to the fall and happened virtually.

This year, the event was scheduled for the fall, and it is actually happening. It’s held outdoors at Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, California. The festival itself is on the infield of the track, most of the racing happens outside the track. There are road and gravel events that travel off-site, and the mountain biking cross-country and dual slalom course are in one area just outside the track. The mountain bike and electric mountain bike course go up, across and down a hill, with a steep, technical climb, rock garden and other fun and technical features.

For the e-bike race, riders had to do multiple laps as fast as they can for an hour plus crossing the finish line. The person with the most laps and shortest time wins their category. There were classes for men 15-18, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, and 60+, as well as a Men’s Open class. Women had Open, 40-49, and 50+. There were fewer women registered, hence the fewer number of classes.

The rock garden separated the wheat from the chaff, with some riders taking the long way around it, and others launching over sections or simply riding through.

Here are some of the results. Check out our expanded coverage of the whole Sea Otter Classic event in an upcoming issue.

 

Men’s Open

1. Christian Husband       6 laps     1:09:12.13
2. Jake Ingram                   6 laps     1:10:25.13
3. Rick Hoak                       6 laps     1:10:36.20

Women Open

1. Kelly Lalima                    6 laps      1:10:36.64
2. Ash Puzey                        6 laps      1:19:52.73
3. Emily Oppliger               5 laps      1:04:13.26

Men 15-18

1. Luke Knipscheer            6 laps     1:19:49.40
2. Anthony Ridriguez        5 laps     1:01:45.88
3. Andrew Fierros              5 laps     1:06:24.37

Men 30-39

1. Matthew Collins            6 laps     1:13:24.58
2. Erik Dalmacio                6 laps     1:15:09.50
3. Garth Young                   6 laps     1:20:41.29

Men 40-49

1. Chris Kernaghan           6 laps     1:12:02.10
2. Peter Anderson             6 laps     1:14:46.84
3. Jason Smith                   6 laps     1:15:01.98

Men 50-59

1. Ilya Cantor                     6 laps     1:12:51.39
2. Jamie Carey                   6 laps     1:12:56.42
3. Chris Beratis                  6 laps     1:14:56.47

Men 60+

1. Gordon Reese                6 laps     1:22:15.21
2. Jim Gentes                     5 laps     1:07:48.45
3. RJ Bean                          5 laps     1:07:49.16

Women 50+

1. Kristin Swenson           5 laps     1:10:11.72