Lakatosh and Massie win Tandem Track Sprint Nationals

Trexlertown, Pa. (August 6, 2010) — Another USA Cycling national championship was awarded on Friday at the Valley Preferred Cycling Center in Trexlertown, Pennsylvania. T-town favorites Andy Lakatosh (Trexlertown, Penn.) and Giddeon Massie (Cypress, Calif.) teamed up to win Tandem Track Sprint golds and the coveted Stars-and-Stripes jerseys.

Andy Lakatosh and Giddeon Massie on their way to winning the national championship.

The win was refreshing for Lakatosh, who has been contending in sprint competition all season at Valley Preferred Cycling Center.

"Tandem is one of my favorites," said Lakatosh. "Riding with my training partner, Giddeon, makes this a special win. It was just awesome. It's a unique event that only happens once a year. It's great to have it in T-town."

Massie added a lot of buzz to the storyline when he entered a 2K Scratch Race just before the tandem final was slated to be run. The gallery could only wonder if he'd have something left in the tank for the final.

"We're here to race, and tandem isn't the only race," said Massie, when asked about his decision to ride the scratch race. "I knew that the training is there to back me up. I have plenty of confidence in Andy and in myself. I'm happy to come out here and win it in front of the hometown crowd."

Kurt Begemann (Reading, Mass.) and Jeffrey Palter (Lexington, Mass.) won silver, while Andy Kuklis (Emmaus, Penn.) and Ray Ignosh (Zionsville, Penn.) took bronze. Nik Reinert (Mertztown, Penn.) and Jamie Alvord (King of Prussia, Penn.) placed fourth, and Lanell Rockmore (Bethlehem, Penn.) and James Carney came home fifth.

The USA Cycling Tandem Track Sprint National Championships is the second nationals event Valley Preferred Cycling Center hosted this season. The venue also hosted the Juniors Track Nationals event last month.

Tandemonium!

The podium in Trexlertown. Left to right: Silver - Jeff Palter, Kurt Begemann; Gold - Giddeon Massie, Andy Lakatosh; Bronze - Andrew Kuklis, Ray Ignosh

The encore event, and one of the most-exciting races at T-town each year, was Tandemonium!, presented by Dan's Camera City. This 12-lap scratch race pitting all the tandems on the track is definitely a sight to see. It's often simply regarded as "twice the speed, twice the power, twice the action and twice the thrill."

It probably comes as no surprise that the new national champions, Lakatosh and Massie, won this one too. However, they didn't walk away with it. In fact, late into the race, an unlikely duo took a flyer on the field and appeared headed for victory.

The tandem of Reinert and Alvord had the fans on the edge of their seat as they built a sizable gap on their competition. In the end, their impressive bid for the win would fall just short to the hard-charging field led by the tandem of Lakatosh and Massie.

Valley Preferred Cycling Center Executive Director Marty Nothstein had previously stated that Tandemonium! "gets the crowd to give more 'ooohs' and 'awwws' than probably any other event of the year." This season was no different. A field full of tandems and a close battle to the finish raised the decibel level to a season-high tonight.

USA Cycling Tandem Track Sprint National Championship
Trexlertown, Pennsylvania
August 6, 2010

1. Andy Lakatosh (Trexlertown, Penn.) and Giddeon Massie (Cypress, Calif.)
2. Kurt Begemann (Reading, Mass.) and Jeffrey Palter (Lexington, Mass.)
3. Andy Kuklis (Emmaus, Penn.) and Ray Ignosh (Zionsville, Penn.)
4. Nik Reinert (Mertztown, Penn.) and Jamie Alvord (King of Prussia, Penn.)
5. Lanell Rockmore (Bethlehem, Penn.) and James Carney

All photos courtesy of Anthony Skorochod.

About Valley Preferred Cycling Center
Valley Preferred Cycling Center is the nation's foremost velodrome and the only one in North America to offer a full season of professional, Olympic-caliber competition through its World Series of Bicycling events every Friday night from June 18 through Aug. 27. In addition, the 24-7 Fitness Clubs Pro-Am Series on Tuesday night showcases the rising talent of riders from throughout the United States and other nations and often features the Friday night pros who frequently use the Pro-Am races for training. The velodrome opened in 1975 and is celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2010. Bob Rodale donated the facility to Lehigh County shortly after its construction and it is operated by the non-profit Velodrome Fund. As a county park, the track and the Bob Rodale Cycling and Fitness Park across the street are open to cyclists when not in use for training or racing. For more information, visit us at www.thevelodrome.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

About USA Cycling
Recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and the Union Cycliste Internationale, USA Cycling is the official governing body for all disciplines of competitive cycling in the United States, including road, track, mountain bike, BMX and cyclo-cross. As a membership-based organization, USA Cycling comprises 66,500+ licensees; 2,200 clubs and teams; and 34 local associations. The national governing body sanctions 2,650 competitive and non-competitive events throughout the U.S. each year and is responsible for the identification, development, and support of American cyclists. To learn more about USA Cycling, visit www.usacycling.org.

Contact: Tim Glase, Valley Preferred Cycling Center, 704.281.0161, onramp@progressavenue.net