Friday, January 1, 2010

Eric Balfus - Bio

Eric Balfus
Los Gatos, CA
Nick Name: Killer - Like Jerry Lee Lewis

Ted Burns - Bio

Ted Burns
Menlo Park, CA
Nick Name: Nothing has stuck yet

Ted started racing at the age of 13 in Upstate NY specializing in hilling road races and local criteriums. After graduating from McGill University in 1993, Ted raced full time for several until getting his first real job at the age of 26. Ted continued to race and cover the US and International racing scene for several internet news outlets through the late 90’s and early 2000’s. After moving to California in 2003 Ted started racing at Hellyer Velodrome and cyclocross culminating in his “Seven Year Plan” which started in 2009. Ted’s “Seven Year Plan” is engineered to make him competitive at Cyclocross Nationals by the year 2016 when his children will be old enough to yell obscenities at him from the sidelines while he races with the 45+ masters category. As Ted says… “It’s all about the children.” Elsewhere Ted plans on upgrading to a Category 2 on the track and supporting the team at local masters criteriums.

Cyclocross Results
- 2009 3rd CCCX Finale 35+ B
- 2008 6th Pilarcitos Race Series 35+ B
- 2008 2nd Surf City Classic 35+ B

Beth Newell - Bio

Beth Newell
Oakland, Ca
Nickanme: Bethie, Bethbikes
  • Never learned to bike as a child; first bike was in 2004: an old Schwinn cruiser found in a trash can, the day after the ’89 Plymouth Acclaim died. It served as the main form of transportation for the next 3 years.
  • First "race" involving a bike (a tri-for-fun) was in 2006, done on a 1970 Motobecane with flat pedals and tennis shoes.
  • Favorite track events: Miss ‘n Out and Olympic Style Omnium
  • Member of the Board of Directors for the Northern California Velodrome Association; Race & Programs Scheduling Coordinator for Hellyer Park Veldorome and Chair of the Race Committee.
  • Founder and promoter of Beginner Women’s track clinic at Hellyer Park Velodrome, which brings 20 new women track racers in each year.
  • Competed in Division III NCAA Track & Field at Wesleyan University—400m and 1600m relay. School record holder in 1600m relay.
  • Work as a policy and project analyst at a non-profit organization that is an association of community clinics.
  • Avid blogger: http://bethbikes.blogspot.com
  • 2010 highlight: bronze medal at the Elite Track National Championship in the individual pursuit. Captured 4th place in Points race, despite nasty crash mid-way through. Got back in, and went off the front to secure enough points for 4th.

Tom Fahey - Bio

Tom Fahey
Lodi, Ca & Mountain View, Ca
Nickname: Dr. Tom

Tom started his cycling career in 1987 after realizing that despite running varsity cross country at the Georgia Institute of Technology he was too big to ever really be an elite level runner. Shortly after beginning to ride a bike for competition he moved to Erlangen Germany where he began to compete in cycling races. This was somewhat traumatic for Tom as his first year he had an international license and the Germans always made him race against Olympians and European National Teams. He stuck it out and obtained a German racing license the next season and rode with the local club. He started finishing races and realized that he might get the hang of this bicycle racing. A year sidelined from cycling while in Kuwait made Tom hungry for more. He brought his European experience of racing in 300+ fields back to the Southeast where he began to really develop as a racer and also discovered the velodrome. He finally made the Category 2 ranks while pursuing an undergraduate degree in Psychology at the Georgia Institute of Technology. After undergrad school, Tom went to medical school at the Medical College of Georgia. During this time, he moved back down to the Category 3 level and started helping other guys on the North Atlanta Road Club perform in their races. In 2000, he moved to Fresno to start surgical residency and cut down on the racing a bit. In 2002, the Master's Road National Championships were held in Bakersfield and Tom got the racing bug again. At this time, he also discovered Hellyer Velodrome in San Jose which has been his home ever since. He now practices general surgery in Lodi while his long time girlfriend, Cathleen, finishes up a surgical critical care fellowship at Stanford Medical Center. In 2009, he started working with Rocket Sports Foundation in Lodi which is the local junior racing team. For 2010, his role with the junior team will expand. Goals for 2010 include racing for a good group of guys on the road and track, continuing to improve in the pursuit, and, with a little luck, defending the master's national championship in the team pursuit.

Race Results
2009
1st Master's National Track Championship 30+ Team Pursuit
1st California State Master's Track Championship 3 km Pursuit
1st California State Master's Track Championship Points Race
1st California State Master's Track Championship 30+ Team Pursuit

2008
1st Master's National Track Championship 40+ Team Pursuit
1st California State Master's Track Championship 40+ Team Pursuit

Matt Beebe - Bio

Matt Beebe
Menlo Park, CA
Nick Name: BB
Matt started riding a bike when he was unfairly cut from his high school baseball team. It was totally unfair (let him know if you want to know the story) but he picked up cycling as a result. Matt specializes in Time Trials but dabbles in cyclocross and road racing to keep it fun.

2009 Pro/1/2
4th Benecia TT
10th Elite District TT

Other
E3 2005 Watsonville - 1st
E3 2006 Madera Stage Race - 2nd
E3 2006 Willamette Valley High Pass Road Race - 3rd

Brian Peterson - Bio

Brian Peterson
Redwood City, CA
Nickname: El Presidente
Brian has always been riding a bike. Most of his life was spent on a BMX bike riding trails, ramps, skate parks, street, and flatland. Around the year 2000 he got a road bike for his commute to work and the addiction began. He worked his way up through the ranks on the road. A few years ago he tried the track and that was it, he found his true cycling love. Brian has served as president of one of the country's largest cycling clubs and is currently the president of the Northern California Velodrome Association (NCVA), the Hellyer Velodrome governing body. When he's not riding his bike he works full time as a mechanical engineer performing non-linear finite element analysis on the extreme deformation and failure of materials and structures.

Palmares
2009
1st Place Masters Track Nationals Team Pursuit
1st Place California Elite State Championship Team Pursuit
1st Place California Elite State Championship Madison
1st Place American Velodrome Challenge Masters Keirin

Other
1st Place Masters Track Nationals Points Race, 2007
1st Place Masters Track Nationals Madison, 2007
3rd Place Alpenrose Velodrome Challenge Scratch, 2009
2nd Place Alpenrose Challenge Points Race, 2008
5th Place Elite Track Nationals Team Sprint, 2008
5th Elite Track Nationals Team Pursuit, 2007

Steve Pelaez - Bio

Steve Pelaez
San Francisco, Ca
Nick Name: Peleazenator, Pacman, Hot Pants

Steve got into biking because his parents didn't want to buy him a nice car in high school. Steve decided to spend his minimum wage savings on a racing Raleigh bike and neon green Nike spandex racing kit with matching neon shoes. Soon after his debut, the ladies nicknamed him Hot Pants. He still doesn't know if they were flattering him or making fun of the colorful racing kit. Steve prefers to think it was the latter. After winning his first few races, Steve was certain he didn't need to train. He simply showed up to races after living it up the night before. He got shelled of course, countless times. It was a rude awakening, but a valuable lesson that taught him that cycling is all about hard work, determination, and persistence. A lesson he applies to everyday living.

As a member of the Philippine National Team, Steve raced the world cups to qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where the team finished 3rd best in Asia. Also, he set the Philippine national records in the team sprint and the kilo and helped his team win the Gold medal in the points race. His proudest achievement on the bike was using his racing as a platform to raise money for the Philippine Children's Fund of America, a charity that helps impoverished homeless children in the Philippines.

Today, Steve no longer wears any neon clothing. Instead he now sports bright yellow and spotted black Rocktape, the best performance enhancing product in the market today.

2009 Results
1st Santa Cruz Crit
1st Giro San Francisco
1st International Omnium
1st Multiple Friday night racing
1st King of the Mt. - Wente Road Race.

Career Highlights:
2 Time Elite Track Nationals bronze medalist
National Master's Madison Champion
Philippine National Record Holder
SEA Games Gold Medal team points race.
Multiple State Champion - track and road