Loading ...Ride Like It’s Your Last – A Column by Lee Waldman
September 3rd, 2010 Filed Under rider diary
Lee strives to live, and ride, to the fullest © Annette Hayden
Masters racer Lee Waldman is fumbling his way through technique tune-ups and working on keeping his chin up as the cyclocross season looms. Along the way, he’s found new inspiration. If you missed Lee’s previous column, where he compares middle school life to ’cross races and learns some lessons along the way, go back and check it out. Also, Lee touches on something we’ll explore in greater depth in Issue 10 (coming soon!) – sports psychology and cyclocross.
by Lee Waldman
It’s less than four weeks until my first cyclocross of the new season. If you’re anything like I am, the summer’s been spent in an idyllic world of easy wins. Hey, we can dream, can’t we? Your legs never hurt – much – and you race using nothing but nose breathing. Each and every transition is smooth as butter, and it never takes more than three steps to remount. The pedals are exactly where you expect them to be each time, easily found without a second glance.
If it were only that easy. I’ve had some pretty ugly training sessions in the last few weeks, sessions where it seems I can’t get out of my own way: my remounts are rough enough to bottom out the tires, my feet slip off of the pedals when I dismount, shouldering the bike looks more like trying to lift a 50-pound sack of flour than a 16-pound carbon bike. In other words, there are days when I truly suck. Makes mental preparation a real challenge. …continue reading: Ride Like It’s Your Last – A Column by Lee Waldman
Longer Course, TT Info & Prelim Calendar for 2010 Cyclocross Nationals
September 2nd, 2010 Filed Under cyclocross news
The 2010 championship course has been extended to minimize lapped traffic.
The organizers of Cyclocross Nationals in Bend, Oregon, have released a course map for the championship races, as well as preliminary info about the preceding time trial races to determine start orders for age-based events. For the second consecutive year, the championship course is located on the grounds of the Deschutes Brewery, adjacent to the Old Mill District, but it has been lengthened to help prevent lapped riders from becoming an issue. Returning will be the staircase run-up, set of barriers and off-camber sections, but the addition of a fly-over will allow pedestrians to easily access the vendor area, beer garden and team car parking lots – without needing to cross the course.
The time trials will take place approximately 24 hours before each age-based championship race to determine seeding. …continue reading: Longer Course, TT Info & Prelim Calendar for 2010 Cyclocross Nationals
Two Days of ’Cross in PA Mark Start of 2010-2011 Season
September 2nd, 2010 Filed Under press releases
2011 MAC Series
For the first time in history, the UCI cyclocross season will begin in the United States. The Nittany Lion Cross kicks-off both the UCI and Champion System MAC season on September 11th, at the Valley Preferred Cycling Center in Trexlertown, Pennsylvania. Domestic and amateur competitors will have two opportunities to race on the weekend as the PACX season starts the following day with the Concrete Crater Cross, named for the world famous concrete velodrome at the heart of the Valley Preferred Cycling Center. In fact, the velodrome will be in action during Saturday’s Nittany Lion Cross for the MABRA Track Championships, giving spectators (and participants) the unique opportunity to walk back and forth between two completely different cycling disciplines. …continue reading: Two Days of ’Cross in PA Mark Start of 2010-2011 Season
Pre-Season Freak-Out and Naked Banana Bread – A Column by Psychlo Mom
September 2nd, 2010 Filed Under rider diary
An easy way to meet high caloric intake requirements. Photo via flickr by Neil Conway
In this week’s adventure, Psychlo Mom confronts the sheer volume of foodstuffs two young ‘crossers can put away. Her answer? Good humor and “Naked Banana Bread.” Did you miss Psychlo Mom’s debut article on “The Calm Before the Storm and a Recipe for Kick-Some-Ass Oatmeal Cookies?” Go check it out.
by Psychlo Mom
Yikes, I’m freakin’ out. Rita Berson, who is housing Valentin Scherz again this season, told me these Elite riders eat about 6,000 calories a day. 6,000! Mm-hmm, Okee-dokie. So, here’s my reality…I think my family eats that many calories cumulatively. That includes my cat. Let’s be honest – I don’t know what that much food looks like in a day, or where you store it all. I’m talking just plain old where do you actually put that much food in your kitchen? When I first heard that number, I nodded like, yeah, of course. Then I got home and realized that I haven’t a clue what 6,000 calories x 2 riders/day might actually look like. My next thought was, was Rita messing with me? Was that a joke and I missed it entirely or was she actually serious? I guess I’m about to find out. …continue reading: Pre-Season Freak-Out and Naked Banana Bread – A Column by Psychlo Mom
Nor’easter Cross Offers Top-Notch Race, Music Fest and More
September 2nd, 2010 Filed Under cyclocross news, interviews
New Englanders have the opportunity to kick off this cyclocross season in grand style with Nor’easter ’Cross at Loon Mountain, New Hampshire. The UCI-sanctioned race itself sounds like a winner, but that’s a small part of what’s on offer. Try this on for size: 13 badass bands, free camping with admission, pro bouldering competitions, climbing clinics and even a free fun trail run. The EMS Outdoor Festival, a celebration of Sport, Music and Conservation, runs September 24th through 26th, with the cyclocross race smack dab in the middle both temporally, on Saturday, the 25th, and physically, as the course wends its way right through the middle of the festival’s base camp and main stage.
We at Cyclocross Magazine are huge fans of integrating races into larger events. Not only does it mean more fans at that single event, but once new folks get a gander at the glory that is ’cross, it also inevitably draws more interest and participation towards the sport. Plus – no offense – it gives us all the chance to hang out with people other than just bike racers once in a while and, in this case, to get our groove on.
I talked to course designer and cyclocross stalwart Adam Myerson, who also runs the Cycle-Smart International race in Northampton, MA., and event promoter Pete Ward to get the inside scoop of what to expect from the event.
UPDATE: The Elite women’s prize list will get a hefty bump, with the top 15 women receiving payout equal to the top 15 men. The goal is to increase women’s participation and to help support the top talent.
…continue reading: Nor’easter Cross Offers Top-Notch Race, Music Fest and More
Stybar Wins Prologue, 4th in Stage 1 of Tour of Slovakia
September 1st, 2010 Filed Under cyclocross news
Štybar looks on tap to do his rainbow stripes proud next season © Bart Hazen
Zdeněk Štybar is showing great form as the cyclocross season nears. Yesterday the reigning cyclocross world champion won the 1.3km prologue, with the rest of his Telenet-Fidea teammates all crammed into the top 11. Tom Meeusen was three seconds back in the hilly effort, good enough for second place. Robert Gavenda was fifth, Petr Dlask sixth, Rob Peeters 10th and Bart Wellens 11th.
…continue reading: Stybar Wins Prologue, 4th in Stage 1 of Tour of Slovakia
Kings CX Weekend Caters to Kids with Pur Series
September 1st, 2010 Filed Under press releases
KINGS CX TO HOST ROUND 2 OF PUR RIDE WITH KIDS SERIES
Sponsored by Pur Water Filters
The Kings CX Weekend on September 18th and 19th is the kick-off weekend for the influential Zipp OVCX Cyclocross Tour. This year, the race in Deerfield Township in suburban Cincinnati will also be part of a new grassroots ride series called the “PUR (pronounced “pure”) Ride With Kids Series,” sponsored by PUR Water Filters. Designed as the gentlest possible introduction to competitive cycling for children and their parents, the PUR Ride with Kids is not an actual race, but an opportunity for adults to ride with their kids on a safe, closed race course. According to Corey Green, the lead promoter of the Kings CX Weekend, “This is a series sponsored by PUR Water Filters to encourage kids to ride with their parents or an adult on a real race course and get an idea for what real racing involves.” …continue reading: Kings CX Weekend Caters to Kids with Pur Series
FixieCross: Equal Parts Ridiculous and Zen
September 1st, 2010 Filed Under cyclocross news, editorial
Descending fixed - not for the faint of heart © Jenny Oh Hatfield
by Sasha Magee
As I hit the steep rocky drop-off for the fourth time today, I (for the first time) successfully resist the urge to try to set up my pedals to clear the granite bits embedded in the narrow trail. Instead, I prepare for pedal strike as my back wheel skips from rock to rock. I can’t set my pedals up because I’m doing something kind of dumb – I’m riding a mountain bike race* on a fixed-gear cyclocross bike.
I’ve been riding my ’cross bike fixed a fair amount this summer, but only for casual road rides and training. In fact, it’s only been in the last couple months that I’ve gotten up the nerve to ride fixed offroad at all. In that time, though, I’ve gotten comfortable with the concept, which means getting used to only occasional traction in back and a whole lot of pedal strike.
I’m not going to claim that riding fixed ’cross means anything as metaphysical as becoming “one with the trail,” or that I can say anything about it that includes the word “zen.” …continue reading: FixieCross: Equal Parts Ridiculous and Zen
MAC Announces Equal Payout for Top Women
August 31st, 2010 Filed Under cyclocross news, press releases
Laura Van Gilder has extra incentive to defend her MAC crown. © Anthony Skorochod
Plus Financial Incentives for Amateur Women
The Champion System MAC Cyclocross Series has announced a radical increase of the Women’s prizes at every event of this year’s 11-race series. Effective immediately, starting with the UCI Nittany Lion Cross in Trexlertown, Pennsylvania, on September 11, every race in the Champion System MAC Series will pay equal prize money to the top three Elite women as to the top three Elite men. Series director Mike Hebe also announced cash incentives for amateur women racing in the Category 3/4 division. “As a series, I feel that we definitely respect the effort that the Elite Women put forth,” said Hebe. “Any way that we can help to offset a disparity in prize money is a good thing. We’re thrilled to be able to make this work not just for one or two days at any given venue, but throughout the season for all 11 races of our series,” he added.
“This is an experiment for 2010 that we hope can springboard equal pay and bigger women’s fields into the future.” …continue reading: MAC Announces Equal Payout for Top Women
Lake Shoes Announces CrossVegas Cyclocross Sponsorship
August 31st, 2010 Filed Under press releases
Lake Cycling announced their role as “Supporting Sponsor” of the CrossVegas cyclocross event, one of the premier UCI events on the domestic calendar providing spectators and competitors alike with an exhilarating experience.
Lake has a long history of supporting US cyclocross events and athletes. Chris Dimmick of Lake stated, “We believe this event truly represents the finest of what the US cyclocross scene has to offer – show-stopping theatrics and a great international field of today’s best athletes. We’re thrilled to be involved and show our support.” …continue reading: Lake Shoes Announces CrossVegas Cyclocross Sponsorship
Southern Australians Head North for Wollongon Cross
August 31st, 2010 Filed Under cyclocross news
That looks like trouble... © Professor Blakey
While we may just be ramping up our season in the northern hemisphere, Down Under the action is already full gas. This past weekend two of the skinniest racers from the past two rounds of Dirty Deeds Cyclocross Series in Melbourne ventured north to see how their Australian brethren to the north run ’cross races.
by Nick Cee
Professor Blakey and I convinced a slightly-willing friend to drive us to our way-too-early Saturday morning flight north to Sydney. We spent settling in and enjoying the wonderful warm Sydney sunshine by the beach. The next day we were picked up by a very helpful e-friend. Kits packed, bikes were loaded and the trip down to Wollongong (~2hrs south of Sydney) was underway.
It should be pointed out that for the past three to four months, it’s been very little but mud tires and controlled power out of corners down in Melbourne. Right from the word go, I suspected that I wasn’t going to need my WTB Crosswolfs up north. It was hovering around the high teens/low twenties (Celsius) and it had been a week or more since it rained.
Upon arriving at the venue, we were immediately impressed with the club’s use of available space. …continue reading: Southern Australians Head North for Wollongon Cross
Breaking News: Powerhouse Stevens Team to Unite Compton, Kupfernagel and Van Nieuwpoort
August 30th, 2010 Filed Under cyclocross news
Compton and Kupfernagel, here finishing 1-2 in January, 2009 Roubaix World Cup, will be teaming up this year © Joe Sales
Cyclocross Magazine has just learned of a new powerhouse team which will bring together six-time American national champ and multiple-time World Cup winner Katie Compton with three-time world champion Hanka Kupfernagel of Germany and young up-and-coming Dutchwoman Tessa van Nieuwpoort. Kupfernagel finished second at Worlds the past two seasons, while Compton took the silver in 2007 and the bronze in 2009. Kupfernagel has also won the overall World Cup title twice, in 2006/2007 and 2008/2009. As teammates, their one-two punch could prove dominant during the 2010/2011 World Cup season. …continue reading: Breaking News: Powerhouse Stevens Team to Unite Compton, Kupfernagel and Van Nieuwpoort
CrossVegas 2010 Claims “Strongest Field Ever Assembled in American Cyclocross”
August 30th, 2010 Filed Under cyclocross news
Katie Compton crushed all challengers at CrossVegas 2009. © Joe Sales
CrossVegas Announces Preliminary Field
CrossVegas organizer Brook Watts sounded like a Las Vegas odds maker as he described the field that he has managed to bring together for the September 22nd race. “The winners of the CrossVegas titles are going to come from the best field ever assembled in America. Whether you break it out by national champions attending, where we’ve got eight nations covered, or if you look at the international rankings where we’ve got three of the top 10 riders in both the Elite Men and Elite Women categories. If you look at it from another level, you’ve got the returning champions from the previous editions of CrossVegas. And then to really top it off you’ve got a dozen “wild card” contenders, and any one of those riders could draw an ace on race day!”
Talk about a great problem to have as a race organizer. For the first time in America a gathering of national champions from eight nations that includes: …continue reading: CrossVegas 2010 Claims “Strongest Field Ever Assembled in American Cyclocross”
Tennessee’s Mud, Sweat and Gears Announces the “Biggest Ever” Season 7
August 30th, 2010 Filed Under press releases
MSG is starting early this year at a beautiful new venue, Farmhouse Gallery & Gardens in Unicoi, TN. The course will be demanding, considering it’s the first race of the year, but when does a ’cross race not hurt? There will be lots of fun after the race on Saturday too, so stick around. This year, for the first time, we actually have a cash title sponsor, The Town of Unicoi, TN – the “Gateway to Cycling Adventure”
With four different venues and dates, each race has become a knob in the 35c MSG tubie! This has given us a unique opportunity to offer day sponsorships for each race. As a result, along with our title sponsor, we offer a series cash prize total just over $6,000.00. …continue reading: Tennessee’s Mud, Sweat and Gears Announces the “Biggest Ever” Season 7
Oregon Cyclocross Season Dusts Itself Off at Kruger’s – UPDATED: Photo Galleries
August 30th, 2010 Filed Under cyclocross photos, race results
Molly Cameron, pre-dust © Josh Liberles
This year’s Kruger’s Kermesse Farm Crit, held on Sauvie Island in Portland, Oregon, was not quite a cyclocross race, since there were no barriers or running sections, but it was closer to ’cross than anything else. And while the first full-on cyclocross race may still be two weeks out – at the two day, three event Cross-Over Stage Race in Eugene – today’s event was the perfect segue between high speed road competitions and riding hard on dirt, or from fat tire forays to skinny-rubber slides through corners. The 1.5-mile laps flew by in well under five minutes per round.
Aaron Olson provides the firepower to split the field © Dave Roth
The Elite men and women were on the course at the same time, with staggered starts (with the Singlespeeders and Men 35+ A racers racing concurrently as well).
Elite Men: Dust in the Wind
Although he’s only ever competed in two cyclocross races, hadn’t pre-ridden the course and didn’t know the specifics of the terrain, former Euro road pro Aaron Olson (Foundation Roots) made his race plan evident from the gun in the men’s race: Go hard as hell, leave everyone else in the dust – literally. …continue reading: Oregon Cyclocross Season Dusts Itself Off at Kruger’s – UPDATED: Photo Galleries
