Lars van der Haar, one of the top professional cyclocross riders in the world, won the elite race on Saturday at a cyclocross event at Vancouver Lake Park.
“We were really honored. We were treated to something we normally don’t see,” said David Saltzberg, promoter of the fifth-annual Het Meer CX cyclocross race.
Van der Haar finished the 2014-15 season ranked third in the UCI Cyclocross World Cup points standings. The 24-year-old from the Netherlands also competes in road races for Team Giant-Alpecin. He was visiting the Portland area prior to CrossVegas, the first UCI World Cup race of the season which takes place on Wednesday in Las Vegas.
Finishing second in the elite race at Vancouver Lake was Ryan Trebon, a former United States national cyclocross champion from Bend, Ore. Molly Cameron of Portland placed third and was the first-place woman.
Also participating was former Japanese cyclocross champion Hama Yoshitaka, though he did not finish Saturday’s race.
A total of 481 riders took part in the racing, which featured a variety of classifications including a race for beginners.
Saltzberg, who organizes a series of local cyclocross races sanctioned by the Oregon Bicycle Racing Association, estimated that more than 150 spectators were on hand for the racing at Vancouver Lake Park.
Zach Wiens of Vancouver won the men’s Category C race. Emma Royce of Ridgefield placed second in the race for junior women.
This weekend, the series moves to Alderbrook Park, 24414 N.E. Westerholm Rd., in Brush Prairie. Zaaldercross 4 will begin at 8:40 a.m. with a race for beginner men. The one-hour race for advanced riders will be the last of the day, starting at 3:05 p.m.
To learn more, visit cyclocross.gp.
North County Wine Run draws hundreds
Jeffrey Alberghini of Beaverton won Saturday’s North County Wine Run half marathon. Alberghini, 35, finished the 13.1-mile course in Ridgefield with a time of 1 hour, 28 minutes and 22 seconds. He was 20 seconds ahead of runner-up Erik Doran, 35, of Seattle.
Ralph Vellek, 46, of Vancouver finished third overall with a time of 1:34:54, and Mark Kibby, 47, of Battle Ground was fourth in 1:37:19.
Emily Dimick of Molalla, Ore., placed fifth overall and was the women’s champion with a time of 1:37:36. The next four women were from Clark County: Amy Campbell of Vancouver (1:39:09), Laura Min of La Center (1:41:51), Sarah Click of Vancouver (1:49:28) and Tracy Smith of Vancouver (1:55:04).
Held for the fifth year, 148 runners and walkers completed the half marathon course.
An additional 105 completed the accompanying 5-kilometer run and walk. Tyson Stuart, 28, of Vancouver won that race with a time of 20 minutes and 12 seconds. The first woman to finish the 5K was Kathy Pearman of St. Louis with a time of 21:27.
Beep baseball event Saturday
The Seattle South King Sluggers and the Spokane Lion Pride will play a Beep Baseball doubleheader on Saturday at Hudson’s Bay High School, 1601 E. McLoughlin Blvd. The games are free for spectators. The first game is scheduled for 9 a.m.
Beep baseball is a sport for blind and visually-impaired athletes. The sport uses balls that beep and bases that buzz.
Both teams are members of the national Beep baseball Association, www.nbba.org.
Run benefits kid’s scholarships
The second Super Fun Hero Run, a self-timed 5-kilometer run or walk along the Waterfront Renaissance Trail, will be held at 10 a.m. on Oct. 3. The event, which encourages participants to wear costumes, raises funs for children’s scholarship funds for Vancouver Parks and Recreation, the Water Resources Education Center and Columbia Springs.
Those who register by Sept. 21 are guaranteed a T-shirt and prize bag. Cost is $20 for adults, $15 for ages 4-17.
Register in person at Firstenburg Community Center or Marshall Community Center or by calling 360-487-8311. Participants may sign up on the day of the race beginning at 8:30 a.m. at the Water Resources Education Center, 4000 S.E. Columbia Way.
COMMUNITY SPORTS NEWS is published each Tuesday. Submit items by e-mail to paul.danzer@columbian.com or call 360-735-4484.
