Greetings La Grange Members,
Your October newsletter includes a bit of news, recaps on the LG Piuma Hillclimb and Annual Club Picnic, dates for October club rides and a nice article from a club member on their World Cup experience in Montreal.
Ride safely,
Renée Fox, La Voix Editor
P.S. Have something else cycling-related you think would be interesting or beneficial to our members? Submit here to be considered for an upcoming newsletter.
Letter from the President
Hello La Grange,
Did you watch the World Cycling Championship road race? Wow!!
To me, it was not only exciting but also inspirational. To see Brandon McNulty, a member of the US squad win was great, but how he won was amazing.
Of course, Brandon won because of years of training, but teamwork had a huge part in the victory. The 8-member team each had roles to do and had been competing with each other from another SoCal based team since they were teenagers. This includes Sean Quinn, who, as you know, often rode with La Grange.
While not a race, this reminds me of La Grange and how great our club and community are. Our membership is made up of cyclists who have been riding together for many years. And via the WhatsApp boards, I love seeing how you all cheer each other on for great rides, fondos, and life. Our junior team is in the act too.
Let’s keep supporting each other and especially the juniors as we work toward our goals.
Thanks,
Larry
Club News
LG October Social
Hey LG'rs, it's been a while.
Come on out for a few laughs, see old friends, and make new friends at our LG October Social!
We will meet outside under the stars at the back bar of The Cloverfield Restaurant in the SM Airport Complex.
There is plenty of parking behind the restaurant. Feel free to bring friends, family or anyone you might think is interested in coming out for a fun evening.
When: Wednesday, October 21st
⏰ 6:30PM until ?
Where: 🍽 The Cloverfield
📍 3300 Airport Ave,
Santa Monica, CA 90405, USA
Who: YOU and whomever else you would like to have join in the fun!
See you on the 21st!
-Deb Carabet
Save the date for October’s monthly club rides:
October LG Women’s Ride- Route TBD October 17
October LG50- Route TBD, but this one falls on Halloween so come dressed in costume! October 31
Club Events Recap
La Grange Piuma Hillclimb and Annual Picnic
Photos above by various contributors
The 27th Piuma Hillclimb was as hard as promised. If you haven’t ridden it, Piuma is a twisty, windy 5.4 miles of uphill nastiness as per Marco! Max gradient approaches 8% in some areas with elevation gain just over 1700 feet. After summiting Piuma, you descend to an off-camber left turn onto Scheuren Road for another 1.8 miles and 544 feet of climbing to the finish line at Saddle Peak where times are taken with a GoPro camera at the finish. This year, the LG van awaited suffering riders with cold drinks and snacks and Renowned photographer Joe Pugliese (photos below) was there to take more fantastic photos to add to the collection from the 2015 and 2016 hillclimb. A huge thank you to Joe and his son who was there with him, Marco Fantone for organizing and leading the race and to volunteers Larry Goodman, Frank Whitelock, Jaycee Cary, Nigel Stewart, Jan Datomi, Katie, Daniel and Daniel Jr Marsh, David Newcombe, Renée Fox, Linda Selzer, Bill Birrell and Bennett Ross!
2026 Annual La Grange Club Picnic
Photos by various contributors
The 2026 La Grange Annual Picnic was held, as it is each year, directly after the Piuma Hillclimb. Catered this year by Wood Ranch BBQ, members, their families and dogs spent a fun afternoon feasting at the beautiful Rustic Canyon Park. Thanks to Deb Carabet for organizing a great picnic!
Member Features
MONTRÉAL 2026 — COMING HOME FOR THE WORLDS
A personal week at the UCI Road World Championships
By Claude Gagnon
For me, the 2026 UCI World Championships in Montréal were about much more than bike racing. I was born and raised there in the 60s, with a dad who was a huge sports enthusiast, including cycling. In 1974, Montréal hosted the Worlds and Eddy Merckx won the road race. I was a teenager then, and Merckx was already a legend.
Fast forward 52 years and the Worlds were back in my hometown. I have lived away from Montréal since 2006, so returning for an entire week of World Championship racing made it even more special. I was lucky enough to watch almost everything: the time trials, Juniors, U23s, Elite Women and, of course, the Elite Men road race.
Before watching the pros, Kristy and I had to test the course ourselves. On Saturday, with the roads closed, we rode the World Championship TT course. Riding through the city where I grew up, including sections of freeway with no cars and no stops, was fantastic. I completed the course in about 90 minutes. Remco Evenepoel did it in 46:15. So there is still a little room for improvement! Watching Remco the next day on roads we had just ridden gave me a completely different appreciation for the speed of these riders. Marlen Reusser was equally impressive in the women's TT.
As the week went on, Montréal became a cycling city. Pros were everywhere. I rode down to the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, the Formula 1 track, and instead of race cars there were national teams casually spinning around the circuit. Mexico, Spain, Ireland and others were out riding together. You could be having coffee, riding along the river or walking around town and suddenly see riders in national team kits. For a cycling fan, it doesn't get much better.
One of the great moments came in the U23 Men's road race. I was about 100 meters from the finish when Ashlin Barry came in to become World Champion after an incredible 30 km solo breakaway. Barry was born in Toronto and represents the United States, so his American/Canadian connection made the victory a little more special for Canada. As someone born in Canada who now lives in the U.S., I could relate to that connection between the two countries. That same day, Spain's Alejandra Neira won the Junior Women's road race.
The Elite Women's road race had another personal connection. It started in Brossard, on Montréal's South Shore, about one mile from my mom's place. I grew up in Brossard, left many years ago, and here I was watching some of the best cyclists in the world start a World Championship practically in my mom's neighborhood. The race eventually reached the demanding Mont-Royal circuit, where Demi Vollering produced a fantastic ride to become World Champion.
Then came Sunday. The Elite Men's road race was simply one of the best races I have watched in the last few years: aggressive, unpredictable and never really settled. With about 33 km to go, Brandon McNulty attacked and went solo. On the final lap his advantage kept coming down and it looked like they might catch him. But they didn't. Watching an American come into the finish alone and become World Champion in my hometown was an incredible way to end the week.
And then there were the Belgian fans. We all think we're serious cycling fans until you meet the Belgians. Flags, jerseys, noise, beer and an incredible knowledge of the sport. They don't just follow cycling; they live it. Seeing them in Montréal also brought the story full circle: 52 years earlier another Belgian, Eddy Merckx, had won the rainbow jersey on Montréal roads.
I've been away from Montréal since 2006, but it will always be home. Cycling has become a much bigger part of my life as I've gotten older, so having these two worlds come together for one week was very special. I rode the TT course with Kristy, watched Remco and Reusser race against the clock, saw Ashlin Barry finish his 30 km solo ride, watched the women's race start near my mom's home, saw Demi Vollering win, and finished the week watching Brandon McNulty's 33 km solo ride to the rainbow jersey.
The weather was beautiful, the city looked fantastic and cycling fans from around the world were everywhere. Fifty-two years after Eddy Merckx won the World Championship in the city where I grew up, I was back there riding the course myself and watching a new generation become World Champions. For one week, my hometown belonged to cycling. Montréal did cycling proud, and I was very proud to be a Montrealer.
New Members:
La Grange, please give a warm welcome to our 4 new members who joined LA Grange in September: A. Cooper, J. Dehaven, Z. Fang, and E. Behnke.
Members:
Please take a moment to ensure your contact information is up to date. Visit https://www.lagrange.org/member-dashboard#myaccount to confirm that your phone number is current, and double check that your emergency contact name and phone number are accurate. This helps La Grange improve vendor access to membership verification and ensures that, in case of an emergency during a ride, a board member can quickly notify your emergency contact. If you have any questions or concerns, reach out to us at membership@lagrange.org.
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Support Our Sponsors
Lee Ziff Real Estate
My success in real estate has always been built on one simple principle: providing exceptional service to every client and earning their continued business and referrals. Since entering real estate in 1997, I have built a career defined by performance, reputation, and relationships. In my third full year, sales exceeded $20 million, and in 2002 I was named Broker of the Year at Coldwell Banker’s flagship Beverly Hills office. My sales surpassed $50 million in 2007, and in 2013 I was ranked #4 among more than 80,000 Keller Williams agents nationwide. Today, my referral-based business spans a wide range of properties and price points, from luxury estates to condos. I am also an active real estate investor and Ownership Partner of Keller Williams Pacific Estates in Long Beach. Before real estate, I managed tennis facilities in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills. A UC Berkeley graduate, I remain active in business, athletics, and my La Grange Community.
-Lee
Pedal Mafia
Real people, real fast. When you reach out, a human answers, and that includes evenings and weekends, not just 9-to-5. No generic ticket queues, no waiting days for a reply like you do with the bigger cycling brands.
Local to LA, not a faceless warehouse. We're right here, so you can actually find us. Come by in person, get fitted, or join one of the gatherings and meetups we host. A brand shipping out of some distant HQ can't do that.
Part of the community, not just advertising to it. Pedal Mafia shows up. We host our own events, roll out on local group rides, and support riders directly instead of shouting at the community from a distance.
Premium kit without the premium markup. Our performance fabrics and construction are built to hold up to serious mileage, and we price them so they feel fair.
A relationship, not a transaction. Because we're local and hands-on, you get to know us and we get to know you. Riders and teams become part of an ongoing relationship with real people, not a one-off purchase.
THANK YOU to all of our sponsors!
ACTS Law, Personal Injury Lawyers
APEX Law, Real Estate and Business Litigation
Caffe Luxxe, Artisanal Coffee Roasters Gentle Jaw, A passive stretching device for acute and chronic tmj and jaw pain John Fox Fine Painting, Exquisite finishes and bespoke murals Helen’s Cycles, Local Community Bike Shop
Lee Ziff, Real Estate Pedal Mafia, Killer Cycling Apparel Rudy Project, Italian-Made Helmets and Eyewear The Feed, #1 Source for Performance Nutrition TriFit LA, Fitness and Performance Center
4iiii Powermeters, Harness the Power Santa Monica Brew Works, Santa Monica’s First and Only Brewery
