Man on a Mission

Double D gets ready to develop his legspeed and power.

Dan Dhonau seeks to win Scratch races.

Some bicycle racers identify their goals early, and some resolve to pursue them late. However, when clarity comes, it's time to get to work.

Dan moves high to attack after a very fast "neutral" lap.

In reality, juggling life and work, it's overwhelming to try and improve your performance a lot on a bike.
Even the bottom tier of amateur track cycling is very competitive. One has to be very skilled and fit to even participate.
 It's terrifying to maneuver on a 43 degree bank in a pack of sixteen guys going 30mph, much less beat them to the finish line.

Digging deep in 5th place to hold on while many get dropped.

Track Racers not only need to be fast enough to hold on, but if they want to win, they have to have the legspeed to peddle off the front. Keeping enough oxygen to think with while doing all this requires training.

Dan's Scratch Race
Dan Dtrategy was to shell five people in the first lap, while establishing himself in the drafts of the most aggressive leaders.

Double D sat on the wheel of all aggressors.

In a fluid, ego-maniacal environment that begs to be pure chaos, Dan organized it by example in one fell swoop.

Attacking into the whistle in the first lap, Dan pulled up track in corner 3, and fell into about 5th easily. (or, as  easily as possible while going fast as you can - see above - click on picture)

Beginners at the Championships!

Powell. Thielle. and Waldman.

The Durango Kid comes of age!


When one starts racing track late in the season,
the State Championship are just another race.
Racing at the State Championship you get to see the best of everyone in a all the age graded divisions.
In 2017, the  OBRA Masters' Champs was no exception.

Rob Waldman

In the most elder age categories, the main season calendar can offer slim pickins. Folks either end up racing people half their age or they end up racing small fields with dismal competition. But at the Master State Championships, the fields are high class and exciting.


Rob Waldman raced his first match sprint of his career against two national medalists. It wasn't pretty, but Rob "The Durango Kid" Waldman endured for a bronze medal. Now he is the one of the top Match Sprinters in the 65+ age division of Oregon.

Two debut at the Master's Champs.

Rob's debut was supported by his team with rollers and a tent, food, water, and coffee. The coach and his wife as well as a variety of coaches who gathered t the side of his coach as a veritable coaching staff.
Two of note were John and Cyclisme's  original assistant Coach, back in the nineties, Jerry Powell, and National Team retiree, Brad Gephard.
Also helpful, Rob's somewhat more experienced team-mate Dan "Double D" Dhonau went forth with him representing the "newer guys" in the face of an all star cast of Oregon's oldest.