OBRA Championship Jerseys

The Holy Grail

Every year Oregon Bicycle Racing Association features key racing events where the winner gets double points in the BAR, and also the right to don a special "OBRA Champion" jersey.
A racer can win a jersey in the discipline of their choice and in the division they qualify for.

This year, three Word-RCB racers won a total of six OBRA Jerseys.

Gillian Bergmann

Seventeen year old Gillian Bergmann set out to win the Oregon Cup Individual Time Trial Seriess in her Junior Womens' age division, and did.
Months before, she stepped up her riding miles, and worked hard in the weight room to prepare.

A bi-product of her diligence and hard work is she also attended and won the OBRA Junior Track Champs at Alpenrose, the TT Champs in Peoria, and the classic OBRA Hillclimb Championship held at Government Camp.

More than just championship on the bike, Gillian brought great honor to our organization by becoming an iconic mentor in the elementary school cycling culture at Blazer Boys and Girls Club.

Jaden demonstrating cleen and jerk.

One of her more casual yet major accomplishments for Cyclisme Racing Programs happened when she introduced a younger Wilson HS classmate to the team. His name is Jaden Salama, and in the space of a year, his athleticisim transformed.

Working in very much the same weight room, plyometrics and road miles regime as Gillian, Jaden got faster.
Pursuing the Oregon Cup Individual Time Trial Series in the same division as Alex White, Jaden found a friend and a fast champion to pursue. Finishing in second place behind Alex most of the series, and in in the Oregon Cup Individual Time Trial Final GC, Jaden was always gracious and supportive of Alex and The Team.

Joshua is a good student.

Jaden was also a key mentor supporting the kids at Blazer Boys and Girls Club, especially in the weight lifting instruction of young Joshua Morris. Practicing a variety of lifts centered around the cleen and jerk, Jaden bacame stronger.
It paid off too. His improvement was especially evident when Jaden made a huge crowd pleasing attack at the Oregon Junior Track Champs. Taking only one of the older 17 year olds with him, he was just nipped at the line, still winning the 15yr old championship.
Developed as a well rounded cyclist, Jaden also climbed from Government Camp to Timberline in 40.37 to win the 15 year old division OBRA Hillclimb Championship.

Dan "Double D" Dhounau is a 50 year old Harley Davidson motorcycle mechanic who came to the team when we discovered him doing laps at Alpenrose in 2010. Double D is a quiet mild mannered individual who has a great sense of humor, and always stands ready to be of service to the team.
It was his discovery and repair of an overly tight hub cone that allowed Jake Hansen to explode into the 2011 Nationals Points Race (lapping the field)  after a confusing lack luster performance in the Omnium. Jake had been racing with brakes on until "Double D" rescued him..

Double D and Hilde on rollers.

This kind of integrity and discipline have made Double D a beloved team leader.

Dan has worked on something new every year and his prowess has progressed. He won his first OBRA Bronze Medal on the Track in the Master's 500 last year.
This year, in the early season, he lifted weights to build strength, and rode rollers to improve legspeed. With improved legspeed and power, as well as an improved aero position, Dan won OBRA Track Gold in the Cat 4, 4k Pursuit.

White on White.

Alex White.

Champion Racer Profile

Photo and profile

by Tim White 

Alexander “The Great” White

What does it take to make an overnight sensation?

In case of new Oregon Time Trial Cup Champion Alex White it’s taken years of dedication and training. Even before his first time trial race in 2010 Alex had fantastic endurance. He was doing century rides on his own bike at age 9 and earned the moniker of the “Century Kid” on the 100 mile version of the Vine Ride for being the youngest participant under his own power on the ride. It was on these rides his focus first showed through.

Alex has always had the kind of tough that it takes to endure on the longer time trials. In 2010 he took part in his first triathlon, and before the end of that first summer he was only 1 second behind first place to a competitor 3 years older. That was all it took for him to decide to go after the sprint distance races. Then 2 years later Alex took on the Olympic distance triathlon. He captured the Tri NW under 15 age group championship two years running before setting his sights on the time trial cup series.

Alex brought the same focus & dedication used to win the Olympic distance triathlons to his pursuit of the TT Cup. When other people were celebrating the 4th of July, Alex insisted on training at Wildcat Mountain so he would be ready for the next race. Alex has the aerodynamic form, mental focus and endurance to grind away the competitioIn addition to being a champion racer, Alex was a 4.0 GPA student at the Creative Science School and will be soaring as a LaSalle Prep Falcon starting fall 2014. Not only adept on two wheels, Alex is a skilled unicyclist, a skill he learned with Circus Cascadia, a Portland based non-profit he has spent the summer volunteering with to bring clowning and laughter to Portland youth.

A true renaissance cyclist, Alex has earned his place as the Great White on WORD RCB-by Cyclisme.

All power to the people!

Weekend of Championship!

Double D and Jaden prepare to  become State Champions.

Mike Murray says, "move left."

Summer heat and a dockett full of events made the 2014 Senior and Junior Track Championships tough.

But with training, fitness, and good humor, Word RCB brought home a bucket of gold, bronze, and silver.

Lunch and snacks and cool drinks under the big tent kept everyone topped off and ready.

Double D was awesome as he did the mechanics for everyone. Pete Kirby made sure everyone had over 100psi.

Mike and Candi Murray of Oregon Bicycle Racing Association promoted and Officiated the racing.

Robin and Gillian raced the 500m and the 3k

Racing in Senior Women's Events as well as the Junior Omnium, Gillian Bergman donned Silver and Gold respectively. Her Team-mate Robin Jacobson raced the Cat 5s for Silver. Using a super easy gear to warm up, then shifting to a new high legspeed racing gear, she set a new personal record for herself in the 3k.

Pete Smith, Double D, Tim B, and Fergus in Pursuit.

In the Junior Boys Omnium Scratch Race, Willy Campbell pushed the field up track as Jaden soon attacked over the top. Willy won Silver in his division for the effort
Jaden Salama, Tim Bergmann, Fergus K, and Double DD raced the 1k, and the 4k.
Pete Smith joined Tim, Fergus and Double D to race the 4k TEAM Pursuit, as well.

To vie is not to rival!

Approaching the twilight of a season in which the pace of the race calender has been casual, if not leisurely when compared to the intensity of Squadra Cyclisme years past, the display of athletes and athleticism in last Tuesday Night's Masters/Juniors was  as classy as anything inThe Lore.

Moreover, the Team Morale was high, as everyone was happy to see one another, and ready to put the hammer down on the competition. With so many big name racers out of town or elsewhere on Portland's busy Tuesday Night, Cyclisme speed took the event in just about every category.

Word RCB was the life of the show with the only pop up tent (presented by River City) on the infield, and a bigger turn out than Portland Velo and Half Fast - who normally rule the event.This time they were very kind hosts, who got in step with our noisy example by calling out times for all to hear. Then finally there was our race winning prowess. With all of the Juniors cheering, and our many coaches coaching, we made the neighbors think it was an international event.

The format was two events. 500m and 1k.
Listed below are the racers and the times of the "Word RCB, by Cyclisme".

500m
Cindy Campbell   56.13
Willy Campbell    51.78
Robin Jacobson   51.49
Alex White          49.48
Gillian Bergmann  47.62
Dan Dhounau      44.27
Tim Bergmann     43.20
Fergus Kinnel      42.86
Jaden Salama       41.60


1 Kilo
Cindy Campbell   154.52
Willy Campbell    153.68
Robin Jacobson   144.11
Alex White          140.30
Gillian Bergmann 139.83
Tim Bergmann    130.23 then 130.62
Fergus Kinnel      127.55
Jaden Salama      127.52
Dan Dhounau      127.27

Lantern Rouge at Blue Ribbon

Captain Kinnell led new guy Nick.

Cyclisme signed up
and competed in three divisions of the Blue Ribbon Omnium, Sunday.

Cyclisme's participation marked Word-RCB's debut to 2014 OBRA track racing.

Saturday night track practices have been competitive, but actual OBRA racing was much, much more competitive.

Pack driven lawlessness seemed to be the order of the day. Chaotic high wall antics were often either too slow, or too fast, but tactically confounding.  Great skills were exhibited by all our Cyclisme racers as they held on to the tail of the tiger that was track racing at Alpenrose, Sunday.

Contemplating the competition.

Vast schooling was administered in the engagement. Plummeting into the speed of the Alpenrose cycling scene as of mid June 2014, four hearty souls free fell with poise and periodic promptness.


Gillian was able to go head to head with cat 1/2 women, including her old pal Hanna McDade.

Cindy Campbell pin's on Willy's number while Gillian Bergmann looks on.

Willy Campbell (13yrs old) was put at the mercy of Keegan and Kent's old whipping boy Killian Bailey. Eighteen years old now, Killian had such a turn of speed, his form seemed better suited for national caliber competition. Sleek BBC Juniors chased him with no hope of success.

Team work was implemented in the Cat 4/5 men when Fergus and Nick slung the Cyclisme bazzooka into combat. Both men scored a second place point each in the second race, a Tempo style (point a lap for 2nd and two points for first) Points race. Super Cyclisme speed strung out the pack a few times when Nick and Fergus found their way to the front and went for it.

Cindy Campbell did an awesome job of presenting race support with great nutrition set up in the shadows of some elm trees over Corner 1.

Pure and simple, Cyclisme Lore was honored by the bearing and poise our Team exhibited in their 2014 Track debut.

Marathon Martine makes for America!

Stevo takes off!

Steve Martine attended grammar school all the way through college right here in Portland, Oregon, but after he married a hot blooded woman named Lena, warmer climes would forever more be his home.


A student and master of the camera, Steve is a photographer by trade. He has taken photos at the behest of such notable names as Diana Ross, and Vice President Biden, and for such reputable institutions as the New York Times and National Geographic.

Reunited with the team that loves him.

Steve raced with Tim Bergmann  and myself on the PSU Cycling Team. Steve was a sprinter then. Today he is a man of big endurance and brick-wall strength.


Back in the 80's we all worked together on the school paper, The Vanguard. In those days he was a college news photog who used an antique system called "film."

Today he flys all over he world to take pictures with digital cameras that cost as much as a house, with an entourage of people like a small army. His career has him always on the go. From Bangladesh, India to London, England, from the beaches of the Bahamas, to the Mountains of Montana, Steve's camera is his ticket to ride.

He returns to the North West this time, to ride a bike, only. His focus is infused with a steely resolve that no one can shake. He suffers no distraction. He is getting ready to ride four thousand miles. Steve is here just to kiss his mama before he embarks on the Trans America Bike Race.

Fired up and focused.

Florida flat land sickness  had him wanting to acclimate to climbing during his few days in town. He starts early in the morning while visits to family and friends attempt to fill his vacation calendar. In Florida, a bridge over a bayou is called a climb. He needed to get something in his legs that foretold the intensity of Rocky Mountain slopes.

5000 feet of climbing Sunday with Bergmann and the boys of Cyclisme were just what the doctor ordered. Up at 5am, Stevo grabbed a solo warm up of 2000 feet of climbing up to Council Crest via the team's special traditional ultra steep goat path, called Paris-Roubaix for it's wild rough-road ride and adventure to temple busting asphyxiation.

Inside the ranks of Cyclisme racing programs Steve's reputation precedes him. When Steve arrived at COAVA Coffee Shop, Steve was met with awe and admiration. He and Tim Bergmann hadn't seen each other in three years.

After a few miles in the saddle, it was like old times.

Stevo left today along a little known back woods path to Astoria and will begin riding back East day after tomorrow. To follow his ride, go to http://www.crazyphotoguy.com

Pie Our Squared

The Brownsville Seven

Cindy, Robin, Sharon, and Gillian.

Unity
arrived 
with 
a 
smiling 
face 
when 
two 
teams 
raced 
into 
the 
wind 
against 
a clock 
held in 
Brownsville, 
Oregon, 
Saturday 
May 17th, 2014.

Arriving early, 
a contingent from Portland met up with a pair from Scio, forming two teams for the technology free "Eddy Division." 

Eddy Merckx is the Belgian demi-god for whom the Eddy Division recalls old school toughness. Riding on regular road bikes with no aero bars, aero helmets, or special wheels, Cyclisme practiced the team tradition of the paceline one more time, for OBRA.
A team of women and a team of men warmed up and rode out of Pioneer Park to put their wheels on the official's start. Concerns of disparity in the strength brought on in earlier practices dissolved as everyone proved to be equally matched and ready to work.

Ridden on 23.8 miles of fairly flat terrain the women finished in 1:23:14, and the men in 1:02:38.  Approximately 19 mph and  23 mph respectively. Muscled with grit and good form, and only one brief departure from the course, it was all in good fun.

Fergus, Logan, and Tim.

Rolling with a leeward paceline most of the time, they adjusted for wind conditions and the relative strength of their individuals. Strength pulled longer while others hid low, in the lee of their team mate, hoping to recover that next little bit to put forth, out in front - in to the wind. Green and black Cyclisme jerseys flew across the Wiilamette Valley like sails on a cyclone.

Exercising the team tactics they'd practiced in the weeks and months before, 
they won 
Pie and Glory.