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Our local weatherpersons forecasted big rain for today, but the Jet Stream blew it all south to Southern California again. Instead, we have wind from the north gusting up to 60 MPH. Since I’m going south for the evening commute, maybe it’s a good time to beat some Strava records. Too bad I brought my heavy, fendered singlespeed clunker today.

One of the big news story today is John Hofmeister’s prediction for $5 gasoline in 2012. I don’t know if it will hit $5 in the United States next year, but it’s not too hard to see gas will be a story again in 2011 like it was in 2008 when American prices broached $4. Nobody’s really talked about it, but our gas prices have been at record highs for the winter season, when gas prices normally drop significantly. Combine that with low inventories and dropping production worldwide, and we’re gonna get hit hard when the summer ‘driving season’ and mandatory reformulated gas begins next June.

My cycling friends say they’re glad they bike, but the price of gas affects much more than personal transportation costs. When gas prices go up, the economy slows, food prices go up, transit fares rise, transit service is cut, and people lose jobs. We’ll see another double to triple digit increase in bicycling next year, but a lot of that increase will be tempered by a another big wave of layoffs.

A bipartisan congressional commission recommended a 15 cent increase in the Federal gas tax so those high prices will benefit the public at large instead of multinational oil corporations. Incoming House transportation committee chair John Mica (R-FL) — who received $60,000 in contributions this year from the oil lobby — has pledged to shoot down any proposed increases in the national gas tax.

Related posts:

1. 21.6% inflation
2. Cycling: Keep toes and fingers warm
3. Bike shops selling more bikes and service

The finale to the U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross in Portland looked like a Luna Chix team time trial. Photo: Wil Matthews

PORTLAND, Ore (VN) — The Luna Chix put on a ’cross clinic on Sunday at the finale of the U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross series in Oregon.

Teammates Katerina Nash, Amy Dombroski and series leader Georgia Gould were off the front on the very first lap of the Stanley Portland Cup, and by lap two Nash was all alone and headed for a second consecutive victory after pipping Gould in Saturday’s contest.

“It was great — I won the race, I can’t complain,” said Nash. “I just decided to go for it and make it as hard as possible. It wasn’t as sloppy today, so it was really only about pedaling today.”

The circuit was tacky, having dried out even more under the onslaught of a windy weekend in the Pacific Northwest, and Nash made the most of it, powering through the ups and downs of the Portland International Raceway, in and out of the saddle. The Czech national champion went to the front almost immediately in the opening lap and strung the field out. The elastic snapped behind Dombroski and the blue-clad Luna women were off and running 12 minutes into the 40-minute race.

“Richard Fries came up to me before the start and said, ‘Focus on the second lap,’” said Dombroski. “I tried to stay on Katerina’s wheel as long as I could. I didn’t stay there too long, but you’ve got to start somewhere and every race try to stay there longer and longer, and I was able to make that selection.”

Behind them, series runner-up Meredith Miller (Cal Giant-Specialized), Wendy Simms (Ridley-FSA) and Sue Butler (Hudz-Subaru) battled for the top five. The three riders battled, five seconds between them each, for most of the race until Miller used her roadie power to distance the others by nearly 10 seconds in an exposed field beyond the finishing straight.

Going through the barriers en route to two laps to go, Gould had fallen to 13 seconds behind her teammate, with Dombroski a further 17 seconds back.

Gould had conceded another three seconds next time through the barriers, while Dombroski had slipped to 50 seconds back.

On the bell lap it was still Nash long gone, Gould sitting second and Dombroski holding Miller at bay for third. And that’s the way things stayed. Nash took the win, Gould finished second some 19 seconds later, locking up the USGP title, and Dombroski filled out the podium at 1:13. Miller took fourth at 1:39 and Wendy Simms collected fifth at 2:15.

Dombroski, who will be looking for a new team at season’s end, was pleased with her performance — especially after a subpar showing on Saturday, when she finished 16th, more than four minutes off Nash’s winning pace. She said that before the race she put Saturday in a box and forgot about it.

“Yesterday nothing went right,” she said, “so I was definitely happy to have a better one.”

Complete results

Quick results

• 1. Katerina Nash, Luna Pro Team, 40:32
• 2. Georgia Gould, Luna Pro Team, at 0:19
• 3. Amy Dombroski, Luna Pro Team, at 1:12
• 4. Meredith Miller, California Giant-Specialized, at 1:39
• 5. Wendy Simms, Ridley-FSA, at 2:16

Editor’s Note:

— Online editor at large Patrick O’Grady contributed to this report.

Kevin Pauwels took a gap out of the final sandpit and held off Zdenek Stybar for the win in Hasselt. Photo: Brian Holcombe

HASSELT, Belgium (VN) — Soft-spoken Kevin Pauwels spoke loudly with his legs on Saturday, burying an elite lead group in the Belgian sand to win the GP van Hasselt by seconds over world champion Zdenek Stybar.

The mud bogs of last weekend’s Superprestige in Hamme-Zogge were but a filthy, fading memory as the world’s best came to Hasselt, which served up a rolling, sinuous handler’s course overflowing with hairpin turns, deep sand and three flyovers — one of which 2009 winner Stybar was using as a launch pad, table-topping for the entertainment of the massive crowd.

On such a tight, fast circuit it was tough for anyone to get away, and early on there was a big crowd up front, including Pauwels, with Telenet-Fidea teammates Stybar, Rob Peeters, Tom Meussen and Bart Wellens; Sven Nys (Landboukrediet); Niels Albert and Radomir Simunek (BKCP-Powerplus); and Bart Aernouts (Rabobank-Giant).

Nys tried time and again to get away, but Stybar marked him relentlessly. Then Aernouts made a big move with four laps to go that trimmed the lead bunch to six — himself, Pauwels, Stybar, Nys, Albert and Wellens.

It was looking like anyone’s race, though Nys seemed the strongest of the six. With two laps to go he was on the front and setting a tremendous pace that split the lead group in two, with the Belgian champion, Pauwels and Stybar in the front.

“It’s really nervous and you must stay on the front three,” said Nys. “There is always a gap and you have to close it and use a lot of energy. You’re dead and you see they’re all coming back.”

Indeed, Aernouts, Albert and Wellens clawed their way back to the leaders, and it was a six-man group racing into the bell lap, though Albert was clearly suffering, hanging just off the back of the group.

Stybar led Nys, Pauwels, Albert and Wellens on the third lap. Two laps later Nys would split the group in half with a long, powerful acceleration. Photo: Brian Holcombe

Stybar took the front and gave it the gas, again trimming the lead group to three. Wellens and Aernouts fought their way back up, but Albert was well and truly gone.

And then Pauwels made his move, leading up and over the final flyover and punching it through the final stretch of sand to hit the pavement with a few bike lengths over Stybar, with Nys just behind. The world champion put his head down and drilled it, trying to bring his teammate back, but it wasn’t going to happen. Pauwels crossed the line alone, with the world champ hanging on for second ahead of Nys.

“Today I had a really good day, so it was easy to stay in front. Some other days it’s hard, but today I was really super,” said Pauwels. “I knew that I had to be very fast into the corner before the last pit very fast and I knew I had to stay in front to go into the last descent on front.”

Stybar said he knew that the first man out of the sand on the final lap would be the first to cross the finish.

“Today it was so technical a race that if you have just one mistake you could lose the entire race. It’s quite dangerous,” said Stybar. “Kevin was really strong and I was not so fast in the sand because I came in with no speed.”

As for Nys, he was disappointed to miss out on the win after showing such strong form.

“It’s too bad that I couldn’t win this race because my feeling was really good,” he said. “I did the perfect race until the last half.”

American Jonathan Page (Planet Bike), who has had an up-and-down season in Europe thus far, got off to a slow start but came back to finish 19th.

Online editor at large Patrick O’Grady contributed to this report.

Complete results

Quick results

• 1. Kevin Pauwels, Telenet-Fidea, 1:01:22
• 2. Zdenek Stybar, Telenet-Fidea
• 3. Sven Nys, Landbouwkrediet
• 4. Bart Wellens, Telenet-Fidea
• 5. Bart Aernouts, Rabobank-Giant

In today’s “Alternative Travel Project” video, actors Stana Katic and Seamus Dever ride their bikes and talk up how wonderful it feels to ride their bicycles.

The two stars from the TV show “Castle” pledged to go without a car in Los Angeles for seven days and filmed their experiences for an Alternative Travel Project.

“You’re energized,” says Stana, explaining the exhilaration of active transportation. “You’re doing things. You’re physical mobile. You feel great when you make it in to work.

And here she is smiling like a fool as she takes the lane on that wonderful bike.

Seamus says cool things too. “It’s a great way to sort of re-explore Los Angeles, to find a new route and a new way of doing things. That’s the fun part for me: the adventure.”

About his Alternate Travel Project, Seamus says he hopes people will see this video and think “Oh, this is possible; I can do this everyday.” Way to go, Seamus and Stana!

Learn more at the Alternative Travel Project.

Related posts:

1. TV stars and public transit
2. Seamus Dever rides a bicycle
3. Alternative Travel Project Wrapup

Katie Compton bounces back from a second-place finish on Saturday to win on Sunday in Fort Collins. Photo: Wil Matthews

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (VN)_ Katie Compton (Planet Bike) turned the tables on Katerina Nash (Luna) on Sunday, riding away in her usual fashion to win day 2 of the New Belgium Cup in Colorado.

Nash’s teammate, U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross leader Georgia Gould, looked strong early on, passing Compton cleanly on the technical descents that sent riders sliding on Saturday. Compton saw Gould’s fast lines and adjusted on the second lap.

“Actually that was good, because I knew that was faster,” she said of Gould riding the inside line on the slick corner exiting the flyover. “So, the next lap and every lap after that I took the inside, quicker line.”

Compton was under pressure in the opening laps, but a hard effort on a 300-foot, two-track climb dispatched Nash and Gould faded after tripping over a barrier.

“I knew Katerina and Georgia were right behind me and I tried to attack on the hills,” said Compton. “We were all under pressure.”

After falling, Gould was slow to remount ahead of a critical section of tight corners.

“I got up and that’s where Katerina caught and passed me,” she said. “It took me a minute to get my stuff together.”

Once alone on the front, Compton honed in on maintaining a steady, smooth tempo and staying off the ground.

“I tried to just stay within myself and keep some gas in the tank in case Katerina caught me or I made a mistake,” she said.

The gutsy Nash, who won Saturday’s opener in a nail-biter with Compton, kept the U.S. national champion within striking distance until just near the end of the penultimate lap, when Compton suddenly added five seconds to what had been a 10-second advantage.

“I wasn’t as strong as Katie today and that’s the bottom line,” Nash said after the race.

Despite a last-lap front flat on the grinding climb to the pits early in the circuit, Gould held on to finish a distant third.

“Of course I’m disappointed I didn’t have whatever it took to win the race, but I really tried my best and that’s all you can do,” said Gould, who retained her series overall lead. “It’s still disappointing, but at least I’m not thinking I should have tried harder.”

Compton was pleased with her performance after a disappointing second-place finish on Saturday.

“I definitely hurt worse yesterday,” said Compton. “Today was cleaner. I didn’t make as many mistakes as I did yesterday.

“Today I had my A game. Yesterday was not my A game. A-minus, maybe.”

Nash said she was caught off guard when Compton made her big move.

“I wasn’t all that fast in the beginning, and when Katie went I just didn’t catch it. I could kind of keep up with her along the course but I lost that major break in the beginning,” she said.

Series leader Gould said she wished she had been faster, but did what she could.

“I was riding technically so much better than yesterday. But I just didn’t have the legs today,” she said.

Meredith Miller (Cal Giant-Specialized) attacked Amy Dombroski (Luna) on the final climb before the finish, 600 meters out, and made it fourth and fifth for their hometown fans.

“We were trading off pulls and I thought that maybe I could get her in the last couple of power sections,” said Miller, who was pleased to avoid an early crash like the one that took her out of contention Saturday. “I was surprised when I looked back when I hit the pavement section and there was a gap.”

Compton, a gifted technical rider and one of the top women’s racers in the world, was generous in her praise of the Fort Collins course.

“I think this is the best course I’ve seen in the U.S. in a long time and the best crowd,” she said.

Women 1. Katherine Compton (USA), Planet Bike, in 39:08 2. Katerina Nash (CZE), in 39:23 3. Georgia Gould (USA), Luna Pro Team, in 40:23 4. Meredith Miller (USA), in 41:52 5. Amy Dombroski (USA), Luna Pro Team, in 42:04 6. Nicole Duke (USA), Hudz-Vista Subaru, in 42:45 7. Maureen Bruno Roy (USA), in 42:54 8. Katherine Sherwin (USA), Hudz-Vista Subaru, in 42:58 9. Amanda Miller (USA), Hudz-Subaru Cycling Team, in 42:58 10. Alice Pennington (USA), S&M, in 43:05 11. Laura Van Gilder (USA), C3 Athletes Serving Athletes, in 43:28 12. Amanda Carey (USA), Kenda/Felt, in 43:30 13. Kaitlin Antonneau (USA), Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld.com, in 43:58 14. Barbara Howe (USA), Ibis And The Danger Twins, in 44:18 15. Lisa Curry (USA), Gas/Intrinsik, in 44:49 16. Pepper Harlton (CAN), Juventus Cycling Club, in 44:51 17. Lisa Strong (USA), Hudz- Subaru, in 46:01 18. Kristal Boni (USA), Blue Sky Velo, in 46:19 19. Megan Taylor (USA), Comotion Sports, in 46:23 20. Corey Coogan Cisek (USA), Team Plan C Pb Stevens, in 47:05 21. Lisa Hudson (USA), Feedback Sports, at 1 Lap 22. Becca Blay (USA), at 1 Lap 23. Nina Baum (USA), Cannondale, at 1 Lap 24. Carrie Cash Wootten (USA), Team Vera Bradley Foundation, at 1 Lap 25. Lauri Webber (USA), Secret Henry’s Team, at 1 Lap 26. Kristine Church (USA), Human Zoom/ Pabst Blue Ribbon, at 1 Lap 27. Shannon Gibson (USA), Ellsworth- Notubes, at 1 Lap 28. Katy Curtis (CAN), Cyclemeisters/Bow Cycle, at 1 Lap 29. Lora Heckman (USA), at 1 Lap 30. Kate Scheider (USA), Mafia Racing, at 1 Lap 31. Amanda Schaper (USA), Sdg Factory Team, at 2 Laps 32. Catherine Johnson (USA), Rocky Mounts/ Izze, at 2 Laps 33. Lynn Bush (USA), Tough Girl/Scott, at 2 Laps 34. Deirdre Garvey (USA), Louisville Cyclery, at 3 Laps

Editor’s Note: