Pictured here is Olin Bakke leading the Pro, 1, 2 field during the 1993 Los Portales Whittier Grand Prix. This race was held relatively late in the season, October, I believe. This was a not insignificant local race on the racing circuit as attested by the teams represented in this photo. For the life of me I can't remember the team kit of the rider immediately behind Bakke, but next in line comes a Chevrolet/LA Sheriff rider and just coming into the picture at the far left, a Saturn rider.
It was common to see Olin leading many of the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley training rides through the 1990s, such as the Rose Bowl and Montrose rides, the Sunday La Tuna ride, the Simi Ride, he even did the old Bicycle Doctor ride a handful of times on Saturday mornings. He rode for a number of teams during this period, including Xcel-Mongoose, Los Portales, LA Wings, Shaklee, and Nutra Fig. His career was studded with top ten finishes, including a second place at the 1996 National Elite Road Race Championships. In 1997 he finished in fifth place in the National Professional Points standings, and highest placed U.S. amateur. The following year, while riding for the Australia Post squad, he captured the Sprints Jersey at the Herald Sun Tour, where he also wore the Most Aggressive Jersey and Leaders' Jersey for several days. Bakke stormed into the yellow jersey following a strong opening two stages: "This is going way better than I expected...I'm really pumped just to come out to Australia and race. This would be the highlight of my career." But it wasn't to be, he was taken down in a crash during the fifth stage and lost the yellow jersey the following day. I met with an old racing buddy over this past weekend, and he reminded me of Olin's catch phrase which I can hear him uttering that fateful fifth stage - "that's bullshit."
This quote I found about him kind of sums up the way he rode, and who knows, maybe continues to ride: "Olin Bakke, now he was a hardcore, old-school badass...How many people do you know who go out on 150 mile rides with lead-shot filled water bottles strapped on their bikes." -quote by Mark Fennell at cyclebanter.com
