Aptos’ Steve Clifton wins division in Central Coast Circuit Race finale

Aptos resident Steve Clifton won the men’s masters 45-plus Cat 5 race in the Central Coast Circuit Race series finale in Monterey on Sunday.

Clifton [Team Santa Cruz/Santa Cruz County Cycling Club] was followed by San Jose’s Jeff Andruss in second place and Morgan Hill’s Darren Ellenburg in third.

The sole other winner from Santa Cruz County was Michelle Heaton, who was the only entrant in the women’s masters 35-plus Cat 1/2/3/4 division. Heaton [HC3 Coaching] also won the overall series title with 192 points.

Kimberly Sperling [Red Racing], also of Santa Cruz, did not compete in the finale, but won the women’s Cat 1/2/3 series title with 144 points — 53 points ahead of the series runner-up.

For final overall series standings, go here.

Cal Giant’s Rand Miller wins Watsonville Criterium

Cyclists spin through the streets of Watsonville during the first race of the Watsonville Criterium on Saturday at the corner of Rogers and Cerrito Streets. Bill Lovejoy/Sentinel

Watsonville teen is the top local finisher in pro field

San Francisco resident Rand Miller, a pro cyclist with the Cal Giant Berry Farms/Specialized team, wasn’t about to let the win go two years in a row. After finishing second to Steve Reaney in 2011, Miller pedaled to victory in the men’s pro Cat 1/2 division of the 34th annual Watsonville Criterium on Saturday.

Miller was followed by Oakland’s John Wilk [Webcor/Alto Velo], and San Francisco’s Rainier Schaefer [Team Mike's Bikes] in third place. The top Santa Cruz County finisher was teen Matt Schaupp, of Watsonville, who finished fourth. Schaupp, 17, rides for the Ritte Elite U23 Development Team.

Other Santa Cruz County riders to make the top five of their divisions were as follows: Santa Cruz’s Morgan Raines [unattached] was second in the men’s masters Cat 4 35-and-over age division and Santa Cruz’s Kimberly Sperling [RED Racing] was third in the women’s Cat 1/2/3/4 division.

Results in this report are from USACycling.com.

– Christina Gullickson, on Twitter @CGullTweets

Santa Cruz’s Tobin Ortenblad finishes runner-up in Nevada City Bicycling Classic

SC’s Kimberly Sperling places fourth in Pacific Service Credit Union Criterium

Santa Cruz’s Tobin Ortenblad took second in the junior 17-18 age division of the Nevada City Bicycling Classic Criterium on Sunday.

Ortenblad [Ritte Elite U23 Development Team] crossed the finish line in 48 minutes, 13 seconds. Mill Valley’s Skyler Taylor won in 46:40.

Santa Cruz’s Devon Gorry [NOW and Novartis for MS] placed fifth [52:48] in the women’s Cat 1/2/3 race behind winner Katarina Nash of Trukee [52:17].

A day earlier, Ortenblad placed 18th in the Pacific Service Credit Union Criterium men’s Cat Pro/1/2 division, which was won by Rand Miller of San Francisco.

Santa Cruz’s Kimberly Sperling [Red Racing] placed fourth in the PacService women’s Cat Pro/1/2 division. She was the only racer from Santa Cruz County to finish in the top five of any division.  El Cerrito’s Marissa Axell [Touchstone Climbing] won.

Results in this report are from USACycling.com.

– Christina Gullickson, on Twitter @CGullTweets

Capitola’s Dan Perry, Santa Cruz’s Kimberly Sperling win Central Coast Circuit Races

Capitola resident Dan Perry and Santa Cruz resident Kimberly Sperling won their respective divisions in the Central Coast Circuit Races’ fourth event of the season at Fort Ord near Monterey on Saturday.

Perry [Team Bicycle Trip/Semantec] won the men’s Cat 4 race. He was followed by Fresno’s Zach Eurich [VOS Racing] in second place and San Luis Obispo’s Gary Willey [SLO Nexus Cycling Club] in third.

Sperling [Red Racing] won the women’s Cat 1/2/3 race ahead of runner-up Joan Meiners of Logan, Utah, and third-place finisher Ginger Snell of Seaside.

The fifth and second-to-last circuit race on the Central Coast slate is scheduled for July 8, also at Fort Ord.

Results in this report are from USACycling.com.

For photos of the event, check out the CCCX site.

– Christina Gullickson, on Twitter @CGullTweets