Loading ...Wendy Simms’ Maternity Leave: Banging Bars in Elite Races
September 6th, 2010 Filed Under interviews
Wendy's getting her resistance training! © Wendy Simms
Wendy Simms skipped the 2009 season, but she had a great reason. She and her husband Normon had their first child, Tycho, who is now nine months old. But racing is in Simms’ blood, and she could only stay away for so long. The 38 year-old four-time Elite Canadian national cyclocross champion is coming back to the fray for 2010, and she’ll be spending the remainder of her maternity leave in an unorthodox way. Sure, she’ll be focused on raising her son, but she’ll also be sprinting for hole shots and going anaerobic on a regular basis against some of North America’s – and the world’s – best ’crossers.
Simms has already lined up for two epic, multi-day MTB events to jump start her fitness, and will be making the start for a full portion of cyclocross events before she has to go back to her “real” job as a biologist in December. We caught up with her as she gets ready to launch her season at StarCrossed.
Tell me what this season has looked like for competition thus far. I saw that you raced both Trans Rockies and the multi-day BC MTB races. How’d you do? I imagine those two events pretty much take care of any base training you might need for the ’cross season!
After Tycho was born, I was trying to set some goal races for the mountain bike season without putting too much pressure on myself. I wanted to use the summer to get back in shape for ’cross. The multi-day stage races are the best way to get some fun miles in, so I raced both BC Bike Race and Trans Rockies with my husband Norm. …continue reading: Wendy Simms’ Maternity Leave: Banging Bars in Elite Races
Devon Haskell Video Interview at Glencoe Gran Prix
September 5th, 2010 Filed Under interviews, video
Devon Haskell takes the inside line for Tibco. Photo via Flickr by Velo Steve
Former Collegiate Cyclocross national champion Devon Haskell returned to the Glencoe Gran Prix in Glencoe, Illinois, to compete in the criterium that she had won the year before. This was her final road event before diving straight into the cyclocross season. Cyclocross Magazine contributor Amy Dykema was there, video camera in hand, to catch up with the athlete after her first season of racing as a pro with the Tibco women’s team and to find out about her experience racing some of the world’s biggest road races in Europe. Although the repeat win was not to be – Haskell finished 16th in the high-powered affair – the future is so bright for the 29 year-old, she’s gotta wear shades. Look for her to be tearing up the ’cross courses for her Bike Station Aptos cyclocross team soon.
Video after the jump.
…continue reading: Devon Haskell Video Interview at Glencoe Gran Prix
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
Jonathan Page Looks Ahead to 2010
August 28th, 2010 Filed Under cyclocross news, interviews
Page, shown here in Gloucester, is ready to make a run at 2010/11 season. © Paul Weiss
by Dan Seaton
Jonathan Page, coming off two bumpy seasons, full of ups and downs, is headed into the 2010-11 cyclocross season looking as relaxed and confident as he has been in years. This year Page has lent his expertise and name to a line of ’cross bikes produced by sponsor Blue, is working with a coach for the first time in his career, and showed excellent form during a month of racing in the US this summer, including a podium finish at the Exeter Criterium in his home state of New Hampshire.
For Page, all things seem to be converging on St. Wendel, the small town in southwest Germany that will host the 2011 Cyclocross World Championships and may host the birth of his third child as well. Cyclocross Magazine caught up with the Belgium-based rider, who talked about Trans-Atlantic travel, parenthood, and his prospects in a full season of racing in Europe.
Cyclocross Magazine: Before we get to ’cross, let’s talk a little about how things are going right now. You had some very good results in New England earlier this summer. Are you happy with your form right now? …continue reading: Jonathan Page Looks Ahead to 2010
Mourey, Euro Stars Align for StarCrossed; Exclusive Interview with Promoter
August 26th, 2010 Filed Under cyclocross news, interviews
European Stars will once again battle at StarCrossed © Joe Sales
What began in 2002 as an exploratory “What if?” conversation between Terry Buchanan, who ran the Broadmark (now Hagens-Berman) road team, and Jonny Sundt, one of his riders at the time, has turned into one of the West Coast’s top cyclocross attractions. September 18th will mark the third year that StarCrossed will be the kickoff race for the North American Cyclocross Trophy Series (NACT).
The nighttime ’cross race got rolling in the fall of ’02 and has grown steadily since then to become a highlight of the early season. Several European-based pros have made the trip to Seattle for StarCrossed over the years, and every men’s US national cyclocross champ since 2000 has participated in the event. Buchanan says the fact that neither Tim Johnson (Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com) nor Ryan Trebon (Kona-FSA) have ever won the race points to the quality and depth of the fields.
For 2010 StarCrossed will continue its international trend, and will boast four national champion jerseys among the racers: Francis Mourey (France, Française Des Jeux), Katie Compton (USA, Planet Bike), Geoff Kabush (Canada, Maxxis-Rocky Mountain) and Katerina Nash (Czech Republic, Luna). …continue reading: Mourey, Euro Stars Align for StarCrossed; Exclusive Interview with Promoter
Dan Timmerman Retires – An Exclusive Interview
June 14th, 2010 Filed Under cyclocross news, interviews
Dan Timmerman on the start line of Nationals in Bend © Larry Rosa
We at Cyclocross Magazine were initially surprised that Dan Timmerman’s name was missing from the newly-announced 2010 roster of the Richard Sachs cyclocross team, but we figured that Timmerman, who has enjoyed a great deal of success at the top end of the sport the last several seasons and is a regular on the podium in the super-competitive New England region and beyond, had decided to ride for another squad. We were completely caught off guard when we learned that he had decided to hang up his cyclocross shoes and step back from bike racing all together. A recent Facebook status update confirmed it: “Dan Timmerman is no longer in a relationship with bike racing.”
Timmerman was never your typical bike racer although, as he told Cyclocross Magazine, he did his best to fit into the clean-cut roadie scene for a while. His talent can’t be denied, nor can his quest for a personal connection to the world – and to himself. Cyclocross Magazine caught up with Timmerman for this exclusive interview as he bids “adieu for now” to the bike racing world.
…continue reading: Dan Timmerman Retires – An Exclusive Interview
Promoter Profile: Pirate Race Productions
June 4th, 2010 Filed Under interviews
Pirate Race Productions, a relative newcomer to race promotion, is starting to shake things up in the cyclocross community. Cyclocross Magazine recently spoke with Andrew Stackhouse, Managing Director of Pirate Race Productions, to discuss the making of a cyclocross promoter, how to provide value to race sponsors, and the growth of ‘cross in “emerging” markets.
CXM: Thanks for talking with us Andrew. How in the world did you become a race promoter?
Andrew: Well, I got into cycling in my mid-20s while rehabbing my knee from a skiing accident. I was working in management consulting and our offices shared the same venture capital as Derby Cycles, so I got a great deal on my first real bike, a Raleigh M-80. About a year later, I tried my first mountain bike race and, despite going over the bars and into an icy marsh, I was hooked. Several years later my wife and I relocated to Austin, Texas …continue reading: Promoter Profile: Pirate Race Productions
Rider Interview: JPow Discusses His Tour of California, Upcoming ’Cross Goals
May 26th, 2010 Filed Under cyclocross news, interviews
Jeremy Powers, shown here in control at Baystate Cyclocross, had an impressive Tour of California © Paul Weiss
Jeremy Powers, who races for Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com during the “real” season, just finished up an impressive eight days of racing with his Jelly Belly road squad. As we at Cyclocross Magazine documented in our Tour of California CX GC very unofficial rankings, Powers was joined by a slew of prominent cyclocrossers in the biggest road event in America – including former world champ Lars Boom, Chris Jones, Davide Frattini, the Jacques-Maynes brothers and 2008 Junior Worlds silver medalist Peter Sagan.
We tracked down Powers (aka JPow) the day after California wrapped up, as he was between flights in Chicago. He shed some light on his ToC experiences, and offers a look ahead at the rest of his road season and his 2010/2011 cyclocross plans. …continue reading: Rider Interview: JPow Discusses His Tour of California, Upcoming ’Cross Goals
Houffalize MTB World Cup – from a Crosser’s Eye
May 13th, 2010 Filed Under editorial, interviews
The Houffalize cross country course © Jonas Bruffaerts
Christine Vardaros continues to deliver cyclocross reports straight from Europe. Here she tracks the cyclocrossers’ impressive performances in the recent Houffalize MTB World Cup and gets exclusive interviews and updates along the way. If you missed her last article about her stage race win in Cyprus, check it out here.
“What the hell am I doing here, on the start line, standing next to Mary McConneloug … in front of the blinding lights from TV cameras and photo flashes,” I thought to myself as I stood in the second row surrounded by lycra-clad women at Houffalize Mountain Bike World Cup last Sunday. To make matters worse, I was standing there without a bike, feeling totally naked.
I was there to collect Mary’s jacket, not flashbacks from cyclocross season. But there I was – standing there with pre-race jitters. …continue reading: Houffalize MTB World Cup – from a Crosser’s Eye
Catching Up with Carl Decker – An Interview
May 11th, 2010 Filed Under interviews
Carl Decker and Adam Craig pilot "Wheels of Teal" through the national rally car circuit © Jim Culp/ProRallyPix.com
There was a familiar face toeing the line of a recent, local Oregon road race – Carl Decker (Giant) had made the trip to mix it up in Eugene-Roubaix. I took advantage of the opportunity to catch up with Decker and find out how his mountain bike season has been progressing and what his upcoming cyclocross plans might look like. We also discussed his impressive run of Super D wins (including recently putting some Euro World Cuppers in their place!) and his goal to get back to more road racing. Combine his MTB skills with road-worthy engine – he won Elite Nationals a few years back – and it’s no secret why he can hold his own against the best ‘crossers in the country. What may be more surprising is that he and his teammate Adam Craig are also making a serious run to the top of the leader board in the national Rally Car racing series in their “spare time.”
CXM: You mentioned you’re looking to do some more road events this year. What races do you have coming up? Why are you racing more road, think it’ll help your fitness or are you just digging it?
Carl Decker: This weekend I’ll be trying to win the Chainbreaker MTB race again for my mum on Mother’s day, and doing some local road race with an unfortunate name on Saturday. …continue reading: Catching Up with Carl Decker – An Interview
Catching up with Ryan Trebon – A Quick Q&A
May 5th, 2010 Filed Under interviews
Ryan Trebon, shown here taking his first UCI win of 2009 in Granogue. © Anthony Skorochod
It’s been way too long since we’ve had a chance to check in with 2009 USGP overall series winner and former national champ Ryan Trebon. Luckily, I ran into both Trebon and his teammate, Barry Wicks, at the recent Cherry Blossom Classic stage race in The Dalles, Oregon (the two 6′ 5″ riders weren’t tough to pick out). I took advantage of the opportunity to get get the lowdown on Trebon’s end of season European ‘cross campaign and to see how 2010 is shaping up for him thus far.
CXM: What did you think of the Cherry Blossom? Why did you decide to race it, just good training close to home?
Trebon: The Cherry Blossom Classic was an awesome race. I went because Chad Sperry always puts on great race and I like to try and support the Oregon scene as much as possible. I was hoping for more …continue reading: Catching up with Ryan Trebon – A Quick Q&A
Tim Johnson Reflects on Worlds, Readies for Road
March 5th, 2010 Filed Under interviews
Timothy Johnson. © Tom Olesnevich
Tim Johnson (Cannondale – Cyclocrossworld.com) had a dream 2009/2010 ‘cross season, culminating with a National title and a 14th place at the World Championships in Tabor, Czech Republic. The transition between his ‘cross and the beginning of road season, where he’s the captain of the UnitedHealthcare Pro cycling team presented by Maxxis, was a crazy-short five days, from ‘cross Worlds to road team training camp. But Johnson, a veteran of both sports, may have found the perfect method to juggle it all and still have plenty of fun doing it. Undoubtedly his long cyclocross season has left him with more fitness – and certainly more top-end training – than most of the others in the peloton – something he’ll have the chance to prove this weekend in the team’s first race, the MERCO Cycling Classic in Merced, CA. His unorthodox winter approach may have him with good freshness as well. We checked in with Tim for more insights on his eighth time at Worlds and his upcoming road season.
by Josh Liberles …continue reading: Tim Johnson Reflects on Worlds, Readies for Road
Mariusz Gil Tackles World Cup Cyclocross, Belgian Life and Peanut’s Cookies
February 27th, 2010 Filed Under interviews
Mariusz Gil at GVA Trofee Oostmalle. © Florent Bouchat
A Foreigner on a Belgian Race Schedule
“I must try your cookies first before I give you an interview,” responded Poland National Champion Mariusz Gil when he heard that his Baboco-Revor Team manager Steven Baekelandt scheduled him an interview to take place at my home – juice and cookies on the menu.
The 2009-10 season was Gil’s first time racing a full Belgian Team schedule which instantly increased his exposure in the European cyclocross scene . Even though in the years previous Gil predominantly raced closer to his home in Poland, he was no stranger to top competition, finding success as early as his silver medal in the under-23 category at the 2003 World Championships in Pontchâteau, France. Considering he is a relatively new face in Belgium with a stacked history, I was curious to hear how his season went and what cyclocross is like in Poland.
…continue reading: Mariusz Gil Tackles World Cup Cyclocross, Belgian Life and Peanut’s Cookies
Louisville World Championship Promoter Bruce Fina Talks about 2013
February 8th, 2010 Filed Under cyclocross news, interviews
Louisville will make the leap from hosting the USGP to World Championships in 2013 photo © BikeClicks.com
Bruce Fina, who, along with Joan Hanscom, has worked to bring the Elite World Cyclocross Championships to Louisville, Kentucky, in 2013, as well as the Masters World Championships to Louisville for 2012 and 2013, recently gave an interview on the Belgian cyclocross.info website. “We’ve been working on this plan for a few years, and we have the city of Louisville behind us,” said Fina. “I have to thank Peter Van den Abeele of the UCI for putting his trust in us. I’m really looking forward to it.” …continue reading: Louisville World Championship Promoter Bruce Fina Talks about 2013
Skyler Trujillo – Ready To Take On The World
January 29th, 2010 Filed Under cyclocross news, euro-file, interviews
Skyler Trujillo concentrates on the barriers during his World's pre-ride © Bart Hazen
by Jamie Mack
Skyler Trujillo has been riding and racing his bike since the age of four, when he was introduced to the competitive side of cycling. Trujillo took a break for a couple of years, after racing six seasons before the age of 10, but renewed his interest as a teenager and started racing mountain bikes at 13. He picked up cyclocross the next season, and after deciding he didn’t have enough to do while watching the Tour de France, began road racing. …continue reading: Skyler Trujillo – Ready To Take On The World
