FAST FREDDY MARKHAM’S CATS HILL RACING HISTORY
I have very fond memories of my early years
with the LGBRC and of course Cat’s Hill.
It’s certainly seen it’s fair share
of accomplished competitors and it’s always
been pretty entertaining. I joined the
LGBRC in late 1973 because I wanted to ride with
Bob Tetzlaff. I was 15 years old and was fortunate
to be able to ride under his guidance for those
first years. The first races I participated in
were Los Gatos club events. Some of the fundamentals
he taught back then I still use today.
In 1974 the LGBRC put on it’s annual races
which then were the Hollister Road Race on Saturday
and the Corrolitos Road Race on Sunday. My first
win came in Corrolitos, as a Junior, that year
which was then a 50 mile race Before 1975 almost
all bicycle races were held on the open roads
and as the field size increased so did traffic
problems and by 1975 open road races were essentially
banned. That is what mostly that made criteriums so
popular to put on. So in early 1975 the club started
searching Los Gatos for a suitable location for
a crit. When it comes right down to it, it’s
not easy finding a suitable crit location in Los
Gatos, at least downtown. I started looking around
the Bachman Park area and doing so started to
think about going down Cat’s Hill or Nicholson
then left onto Massol and then left up Bachman.
Thankfully Bob immediately saw the attraction
of going up Nicholson and around the Park. And
with that we had a course. It’s always been
a tricky course in that the whole circuit has
some serious cracks and seams running up and down
the pavement. Ready to rip the tire off of your
rim. I was initially a little bummed with the
course because I knew being a sprinter type, it
wasn’t really my type of course. However,
time would tell that I was actually very competitive
there. Maybe because of the home town advantage
thing!
Late September 1975 was the first year Cats
Hill was held and the SR 1-2 race was won by Paul
Wilson in a photo finish from Craig Elliot. I
had high hopes to win the Junior race but finished
third behind winner Chris Springer who was the
Intermediate National Champion in both road and
the track and Chris Hill. I have little recollection
of the race itself, but I remember being disappointed
with third.
In the 1976 Cat’s Hill race I was now a
first year SR 1 (SR 1 later became Cat. 1). 1976
was a good year for me as I made the USA National
A track team and went to the Montreal Olympics.
On the day of Cat’s Hill I flew in from Trexlertown,
PA where I had just concluded a season long series
which ended the night before. I was able
to make the Saturday Cat’s Hill race, but
I had no legs that day and dropped out unceremoniously at
about the halfway point. I don’t remember
much from that race either, but I do remember
being extremely uncomfortable. And yes, flying
whacks your legs.
The 1977 Cat’s Hill raced was moved to May
instead of September. I was a little more prepared
for this race than in 1976. 1977 is the year I
dropped my chain on Nicholson (Cat’s
Hill) and was able to keep going. This is what
happened. My race strategy at Cat’s Hill
was to try and make the climb as easy as possible.
I would do this by being one of the first few
racers as we turned to go up the hill. By the
time we hit the top of Belmont I would be mid
field and would then pass most everybody by the
bottom of the hill in time to do it again. So
on this particular lap I turned onto Cat’s
Hill started up and then bang. 1n 1977 we still
had down tube shifters ( there are people who
probably don’t even know what those are)
and I probably made a bad shift and the chain
fell to the inside of the chain rings. The second
it popped out of gear I turned hard left hoping
nobody was there and made a u turn and started
down the hill passing racers still coming up.
That was thrilling! I hit the bottom and it took
me several seconds to get the chain back on. By
the time I started up the hill again the tail
rider was just going over the top. I chased like
mad and caught the tail enders at the bottom of
the hill and then rejoined the leaders a lap later.
A lap later I won the mid race prime which was
a trip to Hawaii. This left me a little whacked
for a few laps and I was just riding it out hoping
for a field sprint, which it was starting to look
like it might be. Unfortunately for me Marc Brandt,
a Junior racer no less pulled a fast one and got
away with a dozen laps to go. I don’t think
anybody thought he would make it stick, but he
did and took the win solo a few seconds up on
the field. I learned another important lesson
that day about Cat’s Hill. It’s hard
to make a pass after you turn from Bachman unto
Tait. In my case I got beat to the line by Mark
Van Pringle by inches. A complete non sprinter
held me off. Live and learn and I did.
Because of other racing obligations I missed
Cat’s Hill in 1978,79,80 and 81. In
1982 I was back racing for Specialized with their
first road racing team. However, this was the
year that the Hill bite back and I crashed hard
just as I was turning to go up Cat’s Hill.
Bent the bike and bloodied my nose. Up until then
I felt good and thought I had a good chance to
win. I would settle that score.
1983 was the race I was looking for at Cat‘s
Hill. I was desperate to win a race since I was
so far winless on the road that year. And
I was in good shape also. So the race starts,
it gets hard, the field shatters, it’s really
hot, I briefly think about dropping out. The main
lead group is now only about 15 guys. The whole
race I have been doing my thing, getting up front
before the climb and trying not to lose to many
places by the top. But as the last couple of laps
play out the pace is way high. Gerhard Schonbacher
a former multiple TDF Lantern Rouge winner (or
is it loser?) was driving the pack at a murderous
pace. Within two laps to go I maintained good
position over the top of Belmont and then made
a good move down Bachman which put me into about
third as we turned onto Tait with now just one
more lap to go. Try as I might I lost position
after position up the hill and by the time we
got to the top of Belmont for the last time, I
was the last guy.
At least last guy in the lead group. There
were still about 12 of us. I remember how much
I was hurting right about then. You don’t
know much about me but I was a match sprinter
at one time. At one point I was a pure sprinter.
Which means climbing isn’t really in my
nature and I sure as heck don’t climb like
some of these other guys seem to! But sorry, I
digress. I’m at the top of the hill in last
place and I feel like sh*t and I look over to
my right and my older brother is at the top of
the hill in Bachman Park looking at me and I knew
what he was thinking which was “what the
*@ck are you doing back there?” That was
all it took. I looked back and now we were turning
onto Bachman and starting downhill. Single file
and accelerating. I had let a gap open at the
top and as we entered the steepest section on
Bachman around Glen Ridge I started my sprint.
Then to my utter astonishment the lead racer swung
off and nobody pulled through. At that point I
was at full speed heading for Tait on the inside
which at my current speed and position, I was
not going to make the turn. The pack started sprinting
and there was a giant drag race for the final
corner. I made it first, passed the lead rider
just before the turn and was able to make a quick
turn left to give myself room to make the hard
right. As I railed the corner I knew I would win
because it’s virtually impossible to make
a pass from Tait to the finish line. What a beautiful
feeling it was to finally win my home town race
on a course that was never especially suited to
my style of riding.
I missed 1984, but was back again in good shape
for the 1985 event. What a race. I had a good
shot at winning this one were it not for Gavin
Gilchott and Dave MacLaughlin Dave Mac made a
move off the front following a prime at about
the halfway point. He managed to stay away until
the end. However with under ten laps to go the
pace picked up and we tried to catch Dave, I think
I even took a pull! Anyway, with about 3 laps
to go Gavin broke loose and caught Dave who was
now only several seconds ahead of us. I thought
we would catch them, but they managed to stay
away. I won the wild field sprint for third place
by out dragging the field into the final turn
at Tait.
In 1986 I finished fifth in what was I think
the fastest pace ever for me there. The race winner
was Mark Caldwell. The pace was pushed by Gavin
Cilchott who had just competed in the Paris Roubaix,
or something like that and he was eager to show
us how strong he was . And he was! But somehow
Mark must have got by for the win. I should know
I was there but I didn‘t see it. In effect
it was a sprint finish except we were strung out
nose to tail the whole time. Starting the last
lap I was in fifth place and at the finish line
I was still in fifth place.
I missed 1987 but was back for 1988. I was
recovering from one of the worst cycling crashes
of my career which occurred in late ‘87.
It partially herniated two lower discs and by
May of 1988 I was racing again, but my back was
still weak. I lasted about halfway before packing
it in. That was after finally hitting one of those
infamous seams in the road which flatted my front
tire and very nearly crashed myself.
It wouldn’t be until 1995 that I would be
back racing Cat’s Hill. Even though I was
38 years old at the time I still raced the Pro/Cat1
races, but now and again I would race a good Masters
event. In 1995 Cat’s Hill held it’s
first ever Master event. I had a good day winning
the King of the Hill award and then with only
a few laps to go took off solo, caught Larry Nolan
who had been off the front, got away from him
and won solo. And that is how my experience ended
at Cat’s Hill and you know, I could live
with that.
Freddy