How many of you remember this guy?

Geri Bossen

2008-06-13

Was that the year of Mikkel Bossen's famous slide across the finish in the money?

I would sure love to have a digital copy of that finish.

Geri

From: elongride@hotmail.com
To: obra@list.obra.org
Date: Fri, 13 Jun 2008 20:20:01 -0700
Subject: Re: [OBRA Chat] How many of you remember this guy?

I recognize a few of those names, I was one. Not my best day. Gerlach was on top of it, though, and as I recall Doug-O and Shanks lapped the field with Gerlach and Horner. It WAS about 102 degrees that day, and I'm pretty sure I heat stroked, so it's a fuzzy memory and may be less than accurate.

Bummer about Chad, though. He was a great rider with a lot against him. Not a story you want to hear too much of. Fortunately, the age of reality TV allows A&E to profit on it! I hope they're using at least SOME of the advertising dollars to pay Chad's rehab.

May we all avert such a downfall . . .

-Erik

Date: Fri, 13 Jun 2008 11:44:10 -0700
From: srh148@yahoo.com
To: obra@list.obra.org
Subject: [OBRA Chat] How many of you remember this guy?

In 2002 there was a crit in Medford with a huge cash prize list. Some pretty good pros attended. The winner was Chad Gerlach. I found this article about him today in Velo News. I also cut and pasted the results from that crit.....you might recognize some of these guys in the top 25, [that is how deep the cash prize list went]. Things turned out pretty good for some of them, Horner, Littlehales, Ollerenshaw, Aaron Olson.........I believe Eddy Gragus was a former US RR Champion.

To bad how things turned out for Chad.......

Gerlach's struggle with drugs featured on A&E

By Neal Rogers
Posted Jun. 12, 2008

Former American pro road racer Chad Gerlach, once a promising U.S. Postal Service rider who became homeless and addicted to drugs, will be featured on episode of A&E’s “Intervention” next week.

Gerlach rode professionally for Montgomery-Bell in 1995, U.S. Postal Service in 1996, Navigators Insurance in 1997, Oilme-Klein in 1998 and Sierra Nevada in 2002. Gerlach never raced a grand tour, but won a sprint stage at the 1996 Kent Tour of China and two stages of the 1998 Tour de Langkawi.

Chronic back pain contributed to Gerlach’s addiction to painkillers, which eventually led to abuse of narcotics and a life on the streets.

Gerlach, who turns 35 this year, is quoted on the High Sierra Cycle Center's web site, a cycling biomechanical specialist, as saying, “At the age of 20, I was thinking of quitting cycling. My lower back and hips were killing me and it was too painful to ride.”

“Intervention” is a series that profiles those people whose dependence on drugs and alcohol or other compulsive behavior has brought them to a point of personal crisis and estranged them from their friends and loved ones. Each Intervention episode ends with a surprise intervention that is staged by the family and friends of the alcohol of drug addict.

A&E’s episode listing describes Gerlach’s troubled path: “After a troubled childhood that sent him to juvenile hall for felony arson, Chad's father introduced him to cycling at age 15. Chad went pro and cycled on the same team as Lance Armstrong. But after getting kicked off the team for ‘personality conflicts,’ Chad was crushed and turned to drugs. Now homeless, Chad spends his days panhandling, smoking crack and drinking. His family's many efforts to get him off the streets have failed. Their last hope is an intervention.”

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The show will air Monday, June 16, at 9 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

Rogue Valley Mayor's Cup
Medford, Oregon
July 6, 2002

PRO 1/2
1. Chad Gerlach Sierra Nevada
2. Chris Horner Prime Alliance
3. John Walrod Prime Alliance
4. Eddy Gragus Sierra Nevada
5. Damieon Shanks Hutch's
6. Doug Ollerenshaw Trek/VW Bike Gallery
7. Todd Littlehales Navigators
8. Ed Roberts Sunnyside
9. John Browning Corben/Huntair
10. Zac Houghton Presto Velo
11. John Leonard Trek/VW Bike Gallery
12. Steve Holland Corben/Huntair
13. Rocky Serna Nike Logie Velo
14. David Auker River City
15. Glen Gann Sim's
16. Mikkel Bossen Team Oregon
17. Andrew Martin Ashmead UVC
18. Nick Skenick Hutch's
19. Jim Anderson Team Oregon
20. Marty Cahill Corben/Huntair
21. Josh Conner Sim's
22. Augie Schilling Presto Velo
23. Eric Long Team Compass
24. Pietro Buttitta Nike Logie Velo
25. Aaron Olson
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_________________________________________________________________
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Erik

2008-06-13

I recognize a few of those names, I was one. Not my best day. Gerlach was on top of it, though, and as I recall Doug-O and Shanks lapped the field with Gerlach and Horner. It WAS about 102 degrees that day, and I'm pretty sure I heat stroked, so it's a fuzzy memory and may be less than accurate.

Bummer about Chad, though. He was a great rider with a lot against him. Not a story you want to hear too much of. Fortunately, the age of reality TV allows A&E to profit on it! I hope they're using at least SOME of the advertising dollars to pay Chad's rehab.

May we all avert such a downfall . . .

-Erik

Date: Fri, 13 Jun 2008 11:44:10 -0700
From: srh148@yahoo.com
To: obra@list.obra.org
Subject: [OBRA Chat] How many of you remember this guy?

In 2002 there was a crit in Medford with a huge cash prize list. Some pretty good pros attended. The winner was Chad Gerlach. I found this article about him today in Velo News. I also cut and pasted the results from that crit.....you might recognize some of these guys in the top 25, [that is how deep the cash prize list went]. Things turned out pretty good for some of them, Horner, Littlehales, Ollerenshaw, Aaron Olson.........I believe Eddy Gragus was a former US RR Champion.

To bad how things turned out for Chad.......

Gerlach's struggle with drugs featured on A&E

By Neal Rogers
Posted Jun. 12, 2008

Former American pro road racer Chad Gerlach, once a promising U.S. Postal Service rider who became homeless and addicted to drugs, will be featured on episode of A&E’s “Intervention” next week.
Gerlach rode professionally for Montgomery-Bell in 1995, U.S. Postal Service in 1996, Navigators Insurance in 1997, Oilme-Klein in 1998 and Sierra Nevada in 2002. Gerlach never raced a grand tour, but won a sprint stage at the 1996 Kent Tour of China and two stages of the 1998 Tour de Langkawi.
Chronic back pain contributed to Gerlach’s addiction to painkillers, which eventually led to abuse of narcotics and a life on the streets.
Gerlach, who turns 35 this year, is quoted on the High Sierra Cycle Center's web site, a cycling biomechanical specialist, as saying, “At the age of 20, I was thinking of quitting cycling. My lower back and hips were killing me and it was too painful to ride.”
“Intervention” is a series that profiles those people whose dependence on drugs and alcohol or other compulsive behavior has brought them to a point of personal crisis and estranged them from their friends and loved ones. Each Intervention episode ends with a surprise intervention that is staged by the family and friends of the alcohol of drug addict.
A&E’s episode listing describes Gerlach’s troubled path: “After a troubled childhood that sent him to juvenile hall for felony arson, Chad's father introduced him to cycling at age 15. Chad went pro and cycled on the same team as Lance Armstrong. But after getting kicked off the team for ‘personality conflicts,’ Chad was crushed and turned to drugs. Now homeless, Chad spends his days panhandling, smoking crack and drinking. His family's many efforts to get him off the streets have failed. Their last hope is an intervention.”

Advertisement

The show will air Monday, June 16, at 9 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.



Rogue Valley Mayor's Cup
Medford, Oregon
July 6, 2002

PRO 1/2
1. Chad Gerlach Sierra Nevada
2. Chris Horner Prime Alliance
3. John Walrod Prime Alliance
4. Eddy Gragus Sierra Nevada
5. Damieon Shanks Hutch's
6. Doug Ollerenshaw Trek/VW Bike Gallery
7. Todd Littlehales Navigators
8. Ed Roberts Sunnyside
9. John Browning Corben/Huntair
10. Zac Houghton Presto Velo
11. John Leonard Trek/VW Bike Gallery
12. Steve Holland Corben/Huntair
13. Rocky Serna Nike Logie Velo
14. David Auker River City
15. Glen Gann Sim's
16. Mikkel Bossen Team Oregon
17. Andrew Martin Ashmead UVC
18. Nick Skenick Hutch's
19. Jim Anderson Team Oregon
20. Marty Cahill Corben/Huntair
21. Josh Conner Sim's
22. Augie Schilling Presto Velo
23. Eric Long Team Compass
24. Pietro Buttitta Nike Logie Velo
25. Aaron Olson
_________________________________________________________________
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https://www.invite2messenger.net/im/?source=TXT_EML_WLH_LearnHow

Chris Brandt

2008-06-13

I remember that. I was still a cat 3, but upgraded shortly after that race. I should have done so at the event, since they paid as deep as there were racers! Even the 3's got paid well. I remember Horner lapped the field twice, the second time bringing up Gerlach, and then maybe Gerlach did another solo to even it back up? One way or the other, it was complicated. There was also some great finish line crash footage.

Tough turn of events for the guy. Too bad. It brings to mind a similar article previously published on Velonews last year about cyclists "crossing over to the darkside":

http://www.velonews.com/article/12396

STEVEN R HOLLAND

2008-06-13

In 2002 there was a crit in Medford with a huge cash prize list. Some pretty good pros attended. The winner was Chad Gerlach. I found this article about him today in Velo News. I also cut and pasted the results from that crit.....you might recognize some of these guys in the top 25, [that is how deep the cash prize list went].  Things turned out pretty good for some of them, Horner, Littlehales, Ollerenshaw, Aaron Olson.........I believe Eddy Gragus was a former US RR Champion.
 
To bad how things turned out for Chad....... 

Gerlach's struggle with drugs featured on A&E

By Neal Rogers
Posted Jun. 12, 2008

Former American pro road racer Chad Gerlach, once a promising U.S. Postal Service rider who became homeless and addicted to drugs, will be featured on episode of A&E’s “Intervention” next week.
Gerlach rode professionally for Montgomery-Bell in 1995, U.S. Postal Service in 1996, Navigators Insurance in 1997, Oilme-Klein in 1998 and Sierra Nevada in 2002. Gerlach never raced a grand tour, but won a sprint stage at the 1996 Kent Tour of China and two stages of the 1998 Tour de Langkawi.
Chronic back pain contributed to Gerlach’s addiction to painkillers, which eventually led to abuse of narcotics and a life on the streets.
Gerlach, who turns 35 this year, is quoted on the High Sierra Cycle Center's web site, a cycling biomechanical specialist, as saying, “At the age of 20, I was thinking of quitting cycling. My lower back and hips were killing me and it was too painful to ride.”
“Intervention” is a series that profiles those people whose dependence on drugs and alcohol or other compulsive behavior has brought them to a point of personal crisis and estranged them from their friends and loved ones. Each Intervention episode ends with a surprise intervention that is staged by the family and friends of the alcohol of drug addict.
A&E’s episode listing describes Gerlach’s troubled path: “After a troubled childhood that sent him to juvenile hall for felony arson, Chad's father introduced him to cycling at age 15. Chad went pro and cycled on the same team as Lance Armstrong. But after getting kicked off the team for ‘personality conflicts,’ Chad was crushed and turned to drugs. Now homeless, Chad spends his days panhandling, smoking crack and drinking. His family's many efforts to get him off the streets have failed. Their last hope is an intervention.”

Advertisement

The show will air Monday, June 16, at 9 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
 
 
 
Rogue Valley Mayor's Cup
Medford, Oregon
July 6, 2002

PRO 1/2
1. Chad Gerlach Sierra Nevada
2. Chris Horner Prime Alliance
3. John Walrod Prime Alliance
4. Eddy Gragus Sierra Nevada
5. Damieon Shanks Hutch's
6. Doug Ollerenshaw Trek/VW Bike Gallery
7. Todd Littlehales Navigators
8. Ed Roberts Sunnyside
9. John Browning Corben/Huntair
10. Zac Houghton Presto Velo
11. John Leonard Trek/VW Bike Gallery
12. Steve Holland Corben/Huntair
13. Rocky Serna Nike Logie Velo
14. David Auker River City
15. Glen Gann Sim's
16. Mikkel Bossen Team Oregon
17. Andrew Martin Ashmead UVC
18. Nick Skenick Hutch's
19. Jim Anderson Team Oregon
20. Marty Cahill Corben/Huntair
21. Josh Conner Sim's
22. Augie Schilling Presto Velo
23. Eric Long Team Compass
24. Pietro Buttitta Nike Logie Velo
25. Aaron Olson

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