Planet CX

I wanted to do this race. I really wanted to do this race. But it wasn’t on the schedule and I spent the better part of the day convincing myself that I wasn’t going to race. Though we have had a pretty full schedule of races since Labor Day, Alpenrose always represents the real kickoff of the Portland cross season. It attracts stupid big fields and is a circus. About 1:30 in the afternoon, I gave in to my base desires and got my crap ready and hopped in the car. Nothing like arriving at 2:30 for a 3:15 race, eh?

Benefits: Primo parking. No lines for registration. No obsessing over which lines to take since I didn’t get a pre-ride.

I spent virtually all my time before the race getting my son set up at the team tent, registering, and chatting. I think I rode around for 5-10 minutes to limber up. There were a few call ups for last season’s results and based on some early season races. Then it’s determined randomly by last digit of your race number. Mine was ’8′ which put me last — but hey, I won a six pack of beer before starting the race! I lined up about 15 feet behind 121 other racers. The start is wide pavement with two 90 degree right handers and then two 90 degree left handers. I planned on getting a flying start and going wide through the first two corners to get by as many people as possible.

The 94 B men went off first and about two minutes later they blew the whistle for the single speeders. As the field began to move, I clipped in and started rolling. As soon as the back of the field got in the pedals, I was flying up around the outside. Wham. Everyone was stopped. There was a single car parked with tape running around it on the left side that was pinching the field. So much for the flying start.

I did manage to pass a chunk of people on the first curves so I wasn’t last going into the south pasture. The congestion was wild as I picked my way through people. I powered the south side climb and put more people behind me. During the previous race, light rain started and turned the course slippery as snot and conditions turned challenging. As I negotiated the course, there was carnage everywhere and I stayed upright — getting off the bike every time I saw people slipping out.

By the end of the first lap, things started to string out but it always seemed like there was a group of three or five guys in front of me. And I always set out to get through them as fast as possible. I think my first three laps represented some of the strongest racing I’ve done in a long time. I raced hard and smart, keeping up the intensity. Somewhere on that third lap, my left brake lever started coming loose. While it never affected my braking, it was a nuisance (aside: I have new levers I installed last night. I was going to install them before the race but decided to stand by the advice never to mess with your setup the day before a race. Guess that kind of backfired).

I’ve been trying to make the second to last lap a priority to kick up the intensity but I just didn’t manage it this time. I worked hard after the bell but two guys managed to come by (both of whom I had passed that lap) just before the end. They negotiated a technical section better than I did and I wasn’t about to try to sprint them on the wet velodrome apron.

The only sphincter puckering moment came when I was going down the steep descent on the north side. It curved left at the top then went 90 degrees at the bottom to go back up the hill. The best line was to set up outside on top and then bend it inside. Well, some dude I had just passed went totally inside on me and we momentarily locked bars. I let off the brakes and gently disengaged his bars and we both stayed up. I was screwed at the bottom and about stalled out, but I passed him going up the hill.

So I finished 46th out of 122 starters. Since I was riding through the back end of the B field for the last few laps, I figure I must have passed about 100 guys.

I can live with that.

by Keith Hower On a weekend where the entire Northeast experienced cold and rainy conditions, J.R. Petsko and the rest of the Appalachian Bike Racing Association (ABRA) were blessed with wonderful cyclocross conditions. The second annual Kickoff Cross attracted some of the best ’cross riders in the Pittsburgh Region to a soggy, wet, and technical [...]

Cross is hard..one mistake, one wheel in the derailleur and you go from winning to mid pack.

Saturday was a small field at the Canby Cross-Word Cyclocross Challenge but it was a great course…fast with some techy stuff. I got a decent start and for some reason after lap 1, I thought 2 guys were off the front. I got into a group with 3 guys and we exchanged pulls. I tried to attack a few times but nothing would stick. With about 4 laps to go one of the guys took a corner too hot and went off course. Me and the other guy took advantage of the situation and worked together to open up a gap. The gap was never very big, so we had to work the rest of the race together. With 2 laps to go I started attacking, but could not get a way…. here is where things get interesting. Oregon has the 80% rule..check out Tilford’s view on it. I share the same view.

(b) The Chief Referee may, after consulting with the organizer, impose the 80% rule. Under this rule, riders whose time gap to the race leader is at least 80% of the race leader’s time for the first lap will be pulled by the officials unless it is the final lap. The number of 80% is merely an approximation based on a typical course; the intent is that all riders should be pulled before they are lapped.

Anyway..be and the other rider hit the pavement with what we thought was going to be 1 lap to go, but as we rounded the final corner to the finish line they were waving the checkered flag and I sprinted and won the race. It was good to get the win, but it would have been more fun to have another lap to battle it out. The leader of the 1/2s was no where in sight, so we should have been allowed to do another lap..but not in OR racing.

The 80% rule sucks for the Master 1 racers because we race with the Pro/1/2 guys who start a minute ahead of us, so we are always in danger of the 80% rule.

OK.. Day 2 of racing in the infamous Cross Crusade. I’ve heard the rumors and the hype at how much of an event they are with 1,500+ rider and fans everywhere. The rumors are true. The race venue was insane with over 1,700 racers and tons of fans. There were food vendors and team tents everywhere. It was like a USGP. The parking lot at 9:00am was full.

I was looking forward to really testing myself today against a 70+ field. The gun goes off and I get a decent start and 100 yards later I hear someone’s front wheel go into my rear derailleur and my shifting goes to shit…my chances at any sort of result are over. I limp my way to the pits and grab my B bike..which I find out is not dialed in at all and I have to stop twice to adjust the shifting. At this point I just cruise along and enjoy the event and the great course. The rain starts to fall and the course becomes super slick and riders going down everywhere. I too take a hard fall but get up and soldier on. At the end of the day I am 34th..but will fight another day. Skylar got to race the kids race and they even had barriers for them.

If you get the chance, get to a Cross Crusade. It’s the closest to racing in Belgium as I’ve seen and I’ve raced all over the country. Families, kids, dogs are all out enjoying the race and eating frites with mayo and ringing cowbells. If I can introduce a handful of couch potato football watchers to a cyclocross race, I think the world would be a better place. It’s way more fun to watch then a stupid football game.

Learn How To Ride The Sand!
A Special Cross Clinic with Belgian Ben Berden
Wed. Oct 5th/5:30pm/Boulder Reservoir

Greetings Cyclocross Riders!

We are happy to announce a special clinic with one of the world's top cyclocross racers! Belgian's Ben Berden (Ops Ale - Clement) is in town to prepare for this weekend's USGP race in Ft. Collins and will be sharing his tips and tricks for riding through sand pits this Wednesday evening at the Boulder Reservoir. Ben is one of the top sand-riders in the world with 15 years of racing experience. He is also a 3-time winner at Koksijde, Belgium, one of the most difficult sand courses in the world and site of this season's World Championships. His techniques will also be useful for riding mud and snow, conditions we are sure to encounter later this cross season. Of course, we will also be working on mounting and dismounting and other cross skills with BCS CX Team Ambassadors Pete Webber, Kristin Weber and Brandon Dwight.

Details:
When: Wednesday, Oct 5th at 5:30, sharp! Ready to ride
Where: Boulder Reservoir main parking lot. Map Here: http://ow.ly/6LWeh
How Much? It's free!
Other: If you drive, you will likely need to park outside of the gate and ride to the meeting spot. If you ride to the clinic, please bring a light because it will be dark when you ride home. THERE WILL BE NO REGULAR CLINIC AT BCS-NORTH THIS WEEK - you will have to join us at the Res!

by Barron Gira We recently caught up with Jason Knauff, series director of the Chicago Cross Cup (CCC) since 2009, at a ’cross practice he was leading in a Chicago park. Cyclocross Magazine: Tell us a bit about yourself and how you started in cyclocross? Jason Knauff: I’m originally from Baltimore and lived in Boston [...]

Pitting can be tricky business: there’s always the chance that your racer will have a grievous mechanical issue, there are hand-offs, you may have a bike hurtling at you at ridiculous speeds, you’ll get muddy, wet or cold, or all three, and when the course is muddy, you’re going to be in high demand. Just [...]

by Christine Vardaros For the first time in many years, the racers and spectators at Bosduin’s Kalmthout event were treated to something completely foreign – warm sunny weather.  This was an incredible change from last year’s conditions, which put riders on an ice track covered by a generous layer of snow. The warmth was actually [...]

After another day of racing and cheering in Gloucester, Mass., we finally crawled in our front door at 1:00 am this morning. Yes, it was a very long day. A good day. But a long one. While I learned a lot this weekend, I learned a very crucial and important lesson on the drive home: there is a limit to how much caffeine a post-race belly can tolerate. One can of Illy espresso and a grande soy misto can be too much for an empty stomach – particularly one that has already consumed a double shot cherry chocolate gel and an earlier can of Illy espresso. Yes, this is too much for a stomach that doesn’t normal receive coffee… Any attempts at drinking fizzy water to settle this stomach should be avoided – this only adds fuel to the fire.

Okay now that this public service message is out of the way – on to the good stuff. Sunday was another good day of racing and learning on the bike. After a great night with our hosts (thanks Mike and Cathy!) we were up early and off to the New England Worlds Site for another day of racing and cheering. After some pre-riding, cheering and catching up with folks, Marc was on the line and ready to race. Sunday was a much better day for Marc – he was having a fantastic race until he crashed… This caused him to lose a lot of time but he still continued to put in a big effort. I was very happy to see him riding so well and right in there in the mix with the top of the race field. Many thanks to Alex and Heidi for the pit work.

My race was up next. I got into my usual pre-race routine and everything came together really well. And then when I rolled down to the start at 2:15 for the scheduled 2:30 start time, I wondered why no one was around. Hmm, strange. I quickly learned that our race had been pushed back to 3:00 due to some necessary course changes. Initially rather frazzled, this push back worked in my favour because my bike needed some last minute tweaking. I got out on the course for a lap to see the new changes and to settle myself down a bit. Big goal for today was a good start. Well, I had a better start – I didn’t lose as much ground as I typically do. I know I still have more in me with the start. After a good start, things seemed to go backwards rather quickly – I struggled to hold my ground in the twisty bits at the top – giving up many spots and watching the group I wanted ride away.

Head down and keep digging. My power and strength were spot on and I could make up serious ground and space on the straight aways but struggled on Sunday with the twisty bits at the top and bottom and with the runs. My sand riding was top-notch (practice does pay off). I need to really give it my all in the runs (I tend to hold back a bit for fear of not being able to recover… but this is not right). The last time up the sea wall run-up I ran like I had never run before – and it made a big difference. I’ve written a race report over on the race reports page – you can click over to read all the nitty gritty details.

Biggest lesson from Sunday: technical skills are greatly improved but still need more work. Fitness really is coming on but is not where I want it yet. Managed to keep my head on during the race but it fell off promptly upon crossing the finish line. Things take time and I’ve still got time.

We took off pretty quickly after the race in hopes of getting home at a decent time. It was a long drive with Marc doing all of it – I was useless driving in the rain and the dark….

This weekend lived up to everything Gloucester is rumoured and billed to be. If you’re thinking of traveling to one race weekend – make it this one. You won’t be disappointed. The courses are top-notch. It is well organized. The competition is some of the best in North America. The fans are intense and raucous. The location is spectacular. Just do it – go to Gloucester.

Huge thanks to a massive cast of folks: Marc, Alex, Heidi, Mike, Cathy, Peter, Conor, Evan, Fergie, Mel, Nick (aka Nate), Laura, Gabby, Helen, Stefan (aka Steven), Steve, Josee, Petar, David, Tom and so many other people who cheered and encouraged. Great to hear “Go Canada” “Come on Ottawa” “Good Job Vicki” – this makes it all so worth it.

Huge thanks to Richard Sachs for the sweet hat. I’ll wear it with pride! ATMO

Thanks Gloucester – I missed you and it was great to be back.

Date: Saturday, October 8th Location: Moscow, Idaho Venue: Sky Ranch Hosted by: Louie and JT Fountain. Here are two brothers who know their cyclocross: JT is a “pro” singlespeeder riding for Raleigh, and his brother Louie races single speed for Cyclocrossracing.com. Last year at Single Speed Nationals, JT finished second and Louie seventh. Facebook Event [...]

Boulder, Colorado – The Boulder Cycle Sport Cyclocross Team is back for the 2011 season with the enthusiastic support of both new and returning sponsors. The team is composed of more than 50 riders, from juniors through elite, and is again led by the BCS Cyclocross Ambassadors, a core group of veteran riders dedicated to [...]

Race’s numbers 5 and 6 will be back at the Farmhouse in Unicoi, TN. We should be seeing some beautiful Fall color by then. Don’t miss it.More photo’s from the Farmhouse: David Lehn Photos

Hey folks, I’m accumulating a lot of stuff. So, if your missing something let me know. Not going to hang on to it forever.

Lost: Sony Cybershot camera on Sunday, October 2nd. Contact roadclub@gmail.com if you have it.

If you look to the left of my blog ( christinevardaros.blogspot.com ) you will see my cooking demonstration that was recently on tv. it is also with my friend and fellow vegan Tonya Kay. I didnt expect they would make my mini cooking demonstration a "stand-alone" show so it is a little informal - oops. Anyway, i make these when i run out of PROBARs. If you dont know what a PROBAR is, you can see them on the counter while i put together my homemade version.

by Brecht Toelen

Last year this course was lined with ice covered in a blanket of snow. But this year the event was held under not just warm sunny skies but held in a full-on heatwave - yes, a Belgian heatwave in October. Completely unheard of.  Usually the heat doesnt bother me too much - i can still function fine. But when it messes with my breathing that is when i go from my peanut version of a superhero to roadkill. Unfortunately this time around i was roadkill.
Within a minute's time, my mouth and throat was unbearably dry and my throat started to close as if it were responding to an allergy of sorts.  It felt like someone shoved a bucket of dusty dirt in my mouth and down my throat. 
From many years of experience, i knew i had two options under these conditions. I can either push above my very real limit and be run off to the hospital if i made it that far, or i could ride just below that limit and have a mediocre result but live to tell about it. I opted for the latter.
It was something i struggled with the whole race though as my legs wanted to ride full out - as did my will. 

by Luc Van der Meiren

You'd think i'd feel a bit sorry for myself but i felt nothing really. What i did feel was a bit stupid that i had let down so many supporters around the course. That broke my heart. I had so many cheers that it was almost a constant string of  "kom on christine" or "allez peanut" throughout the whole race!
With nothing to do about it, i just forged ahead and hoped for a miracle. While that never materialized the way i hoped for, i was able to at least pass a few riders before the end - finishing in 17th.
Just after i crossed the line, my part 2 of the day began...as a journalist covering the race for CYCLOCROSS Magazine. So immediately i rode up to Belgium's superstar Sanne Cant and did an interview - dusty throat and face and all. And i did it in Dutch nonetheless which surprised me considering i was a bit lightheaded from lack of oxygen the last 45 minutes. Luckily she was easy to understand - and remember for when i was back in the press room twenty minutes later.
Directly after my race i did the trainer for ten minutes, a bucket bath for three, changed into my tiniest clothing and sprinted to the press room to catch the start of the mens race on tv. After watching most of the race, i sprinted back out just before their finish so i could catch them for post-race interviews.

Official Christine Vardaros Supporter jackets courtesy of Marc and Tai Van Est

The first guy i tried to interview didnt work out so well. it was Frenchman Francis Mourey. Either he didnt feel like speaking a couple of words in english or he knows absolutely none. And after spending a season on a French team, i did learn some french but the moment i left the team all my words were somehow lost. Strange how that happens. Oh well. After collecting a few interviews - only one in dutch, the rest in english (i was getting tired), i headed back to the press room to finish the job.

how i looked when i saw the jackets- photos courtesy of Danny Zelck

On a side note, i must say that the highlight of the day happened in the pre-ride when i spotted a couple of my supporters sporting a special "Supporter Christine Vardaros" jacket. wow, that blew me away. I always thought that would be the COOLEST to have supporters like that - a real genuine Belgian thing.  For the first time i felt like i made it, like i belonged both in the races and in Belgium - no matter my result (thankfully considering lately they have not been so steady). Thanks Marc and Tai!
The next event is this Sunday at Superprestige Ruddervoorde. The weather is supposed to cool down a bit so i look forward to it, although i am not quite ready for ice and snow.
Thanks for reading!

Highlights from the Men’s Race: Interview with two day winner, Helen Wyman: Interview with Jeremy Powers and Tim Johnson, first and second place, respectively:

by Pat Malach Portland, Oregon –  Sean Babcock (Kona) and Sue Butler (River City Bicycles/Ridley) took the first wins of the Cross Crusade series Sunday at Alpenrose Dairy in Southwest Portland. A light rain about half way through the elite men’s and women’s race turned a previously dry and tacky course  into a slip ‘n’ [...]

While yesterday’s race may have seen Tim Johnson flat and an unexpected victory from Christian Heule, today’s race had a few more surprises in store. Early on in the race, Johnson attacked, sending the chase group, including Heule, Powers, Driscoll and Berden into a frenzy. For the first 40 minutes, Johnson only increased his gap [...]

For the second day in a row in Glocuester, Massachusetts, racers awoke to the pitter patter of pouring rain. Still, that didn’t seem to curb their enthusiasm — or the enthusiasm of spectators in the beer garden. The women’s race was won by Helen Wyman, followed by Nicole Duke and Gabby Day. This makes nine [...]

We've got live, crowd-sourced coverage of the Gran Prix of Gloucester cyclocross race right here on Cyclocross Magazine. Thanks to the folks at the Shimano New England Pro Cyclocross Series, Cyclocross Magazine, and passionate spectators, enjoy the live updates from the historic Gloucester race, also known as the "the New England Nationals" right here. new [...]

When Paul (the guy you help build the course) puts in a mouth guard at the start line, it’s not a good sign.

So as a warning to all, wear your eye protection. A pine tree just about took me out for the season.

Jungle cross in Minnesota with all these pine trees is dangerous. Finished 7^th, getting poked in the eye on the second lap really messed up my depth perception.

Black light shows the scratch across my left eye in the center. No wonder it’s all blurry.

There is nothing quite like racing in Gloucester. This is where I was well and truely bitten by the cyclocross bug years ago and it was a real treat to be part of the action again. Saturday was my first time racing here in Gloucester in three years.

So the day and the race… Marc was up first at noon so we got to the venue with plenty of time for him to pre-ride and catch up with long-time cyclocross friends. When we pre-rode the course was rather soggy and greasy. I had the course sorted out and felt good about things. Marc’s race went off and I found a good spot to watch and cheer (even took some photos!). Marc has some rotten luck with being ridden into a stake and then being crashed – not the way you want to start your first lap. But he kept on digging and did his thing – I’m very proud of him for this.

My race went off at 2:30 so onto the trainer at at 1:30 and time to get warmed up and ready to go. Solid warm-up and off to the staging area to gt penned in and called up. I was called up 17th so the third row – not bad considering the stacked field we had today. In total 46 women lined up to race – pretty darn good. I won’t rehash the entire race but give you some fo the wouldas, couldas, shouldas, and dids:
- did have a good start
- should of kept being aggressive and ended up going backwards once we hit the hill
- did lose many spots
- could of been more aggressive in the corners and stuck my elbows out
- did make some smart decision like getting off early in the twisty bits to run
- should have been more agressive on my run
- did accelerate well out of corners
- should have and could have pushed it harder that first lap
- should have done another pre-race lap – conditions had changed with the ground firming and drying up and I couldn’t remember the course
- did get stronger and smarter as the race went on
- did listen to Marc when he yelled at me to sprint, shift down and to take different lines
- did make a series of small mistakes that cost me: getting off a step too early on the stairs, going wide when I should have gone tight, looking down instead of ahead
- would have been nice if I hadn’t crashed on the run-up – don’t knwo what happened but as I was dismounting I suddenly found myself crashed landing with both my knees on a massive rock
- did stay positive
- did not loose focuse or check-out
- did keep focusing on the fixing the small things
- did continue to accelerate and sprint out of corners

So, the outcome was not great. (In fact I don’t know where I finished.) But the riding was okay. I got smarter and better as the race went on. I got faster as the race went on. I made a series of small mistakes that accumulated into bigger mistakes. My number one error that cost me was not pre-riding after Marc’s race so I could see how the course had changed – my first lap was a real disaster.

At no point in this race did the negative self-talk show up. I just kept on digging and focusing on the next section. This is a big win for me. Even though I really wasn’t wanted to be I kept on plugging away. It is hard to be racing in a spot you don’t want to be in – but for everyone but the leader this is the case…

All in all, it was a good day at Gloucester. I rode techically better than I would have a year ago. I kept my head on. In fact I would have liked another lap! I was cooked at the end and really put myself in the red zone.

Many thanks to Marc for all his help – cleaning the bikes, tuning them up, cheering me on, giving me pointers through-out the race, and for being so positive afterwards. Big shout out to Alex and Heidi for the pit work for both my race and Marc’s. Many many thanks to Mike and Cathy Rowell for opening their home to us this weekend – so awesome to stay with friends and to not be in a hotel. Thanks to Mike, Cathy, Steve, Josee, Conor, Evan and all the others who cheered me on – this helps so much during a race. Awesome to talk to Tom and David today – haven’t seen them in forever.

Yes, so you can guess that this has been a really good weekend. The racing was fun and challenging, we get to hang out with cool people, and best of all – it’s Gloucester.

Stoked to do it all over again today. I really want to have a smarter and more skilled ride than I did on Saturday. Often I’m not excited for the second day but today I’m ready to go. See you out there.

Oh, and last but not least – Happy Birthday to my dad! Have a great day dad – thanks for the amazing support and cheering from afar.

President Wah took the first West Coast win for the PDX crew today in Canby.

Crossniacs teammates CJ Faulkner and Chris Fisher finished a convincing 1-2, respectively, in Day 1 of the Hudson Double Cross Shootout. The pair joined forces right from the start to distance themselves from the rest of the 26 rider field. Contenders Adam Froemming, MBRC/Flanders, and Jesse Rients, Kuhl/Bicycle Fit Guru, both suffered 1st lap mechanicals, eliminating their chances of victory. New comer, and QBP employee, Andrew Pierre, finished 3rd place on a single-speed sporting mustache bars.

…more @ mcf.net

Video clips and a helmet cam lap of Gloucester Day 1.

A wet Gran Prix of Gloucester made for exciting racing, with constant lead changes, attacks and regroups. At the end, two mean on rival teams emerged, from Cannondale p/b CyclocrossWorld and Rapha Focus, leading into the last lap. But it wasn't the New England Tim Johnson and Jeremy Powers throw-down many spectators had hoped for, [...]

Helen Wyman (Kona) rode a patient race, watching Nicole Duke (Cannondale p/b CyclocrossWorld) play the aggressor early on in the 2011 Gran Prix of Gloucester. Andrea Smith (Ladies First Racing) and Wyman took turns chasing Duke, and once the connection was made, it was just a matter of time before Wyman took off and add [...]

Brian Joder of BicyclingEvents.com chats to Tim Westmore about this year's series, sponsors, format and the "smiling dirty faces" of Sacramento.

More pics just in from the races at Farmhouse in Unicoi, by David Lehn.

Go here to see’um: http://davidlehn.smugmug.com/Index/Mud-Sweat-Gears/19280386_ct2g6m

by Kat Statman Every year, cyclocross and women get a little closer to equality and Rabobank has helped making that transition again. So I hear that disc brakes are the next thing in cross, but where are they? Niels Albert has taken the plunge as the first Euro to really think that disc braking performance [...]

Since mid-September, UK-based racer Gabby Day has been on the East Coast in the US racing in the MidAtlantic and New England races, from Nittany to Nor'Easter. This Wednesday, she finished second at the Midnight Ride of Cyclocross in Lancaster, Massachusetts, and updated us on how her trip to America has gone so far. (Our [...]

Because I'm a marketing nerd, I've been tracking cyclocross related keywords and documenting where Plus One Lap ranks in Google search results.

Search term	Google result
lightweight cyclocross	1
cyclocross faq	1
best cyclocross pedals	1
cyclocross blog	2
how to buy cyclocross bike	2
best cyclocross brakes	3
handmade cyclocross	3
best cyclocross wheels	6
colnago cyclocross	6
convert road bike cyclocross	7
cyclocross barriers	9
cyclocross pedals	12
convert mountain bike cyclocross	21
cheap cyclocross	31
cyclocross bike	54
cyclocross bikes	56
cyclocross	not in top 64
cyclocross brakes	not in top 64

What I find a little curious, is that "cyclocross brakes" I don't rank in the top 64 results, but "best cyclocross brakes" I'm third. Anyway, that's all for now. BTW --- the title refers to me tooting my own horn.


9/30/2011 edit: in the last week, usurped Mud and Cowbells for the #1 "cyclocross blog":

photo by Danny Zelck

Yesterday an interview of me was published in Het Nieuwsblad. That was super exciting! It was placed on the same page as the feature article on Niels Albert.

For those of you who dont read Dutch, it basically says that i've been vegan for many years and that when i saw all the positive benefits of being a vegetarian i took the next step to veganism. Then the benefits of a vegan diet such as quick recovery and almost never sick were listed, and that everyone can benefit from eating less meat.  In addition, it mentions that i am a journalist and a spokesperson for animal rights. Lastly, they quoted me saying that it was a dream to live in belgium because it is the center of cross and the public is really great!

On another note, i was just invited this mornning to race Kalmthout this  Sunday - yippee! And look for my articles  on the races (both race coverage and personal report) on CYCLOCROSS Magazine.

Oh, and almost forgot to mention that i spontaneously hacked at my hair today. It is now at least 5" shorter - in most places...I must admit that was a few inches shorter than intended.

http://www.cycleture.com/

A month into it already and the Oregon cyclocross season steps up another notch this weekend with a first year race in Canby on Saturday and the first Cross Crusade race at Alpenrose Velodrome on Sunday.

Alpenrose is guaranteed to be a complete cluster fuck. And you know what? It just doesn’t matter.

For me the Cross Crusade has always been a goal and a highlight to my season. It is serious racing, hard racing and, fun racing. Alpenrose continues to set world records for attendance. Which means there are close to 2000 riders battling for the win out there. Close to and, over 100 riders in most categories. You have a mistake, a flat or a mishap and, pretty much race over. The course has also traditionally been very twisty and single tracky… moving up through a 100 riders on that course will take a bit more time than an hour. I’m just hoping to ride a clean race and not embarrass myself too much.

Anyways, with my form right now, I am just hoping to stay out of peoples way. Don Reeb is on fire, winning a bunch of early season races, Ryan Trebon is racing, Babcock will be there is he can get out of work, Tuckerman will be aggressive if he maintains the early season form he has. Mcgrath should be here, my team mate Brett Luelling will be solid and you can never discount Tonkin, Shannon, Damian Schmitt and a dozen other fast Oregon riders.

If I finish the race on the lead lap, I will declare that a success.

“…because all the really good looking girls, would still go out with the guys from Mohawk because they got all the money!”

It just doesn’t matter if we win or we lose.

Oh, you should come to the Cross Kick-Off party tonight at Portland Bicycle Studio.

There is soooo much pressure and excitement built up for the 1st Cross Crusade and I can’t wait until it is all said and done!

Then I can exhale!

I flew out to Wisconsin last week to race the USGP of Cyclocross opening weekend. And I got trounced. A few more weeks of racing into shape I think. A few more weeks of utter hurt. Been a long time since I’ve ridden so poorly in the mud. sad face.

Ryan was dominant on Saturday and solid on Sunday behind the Belgian Wellens and a late charging Jonathan Page. I appreciated his comment (about 1:45 in) about “…working hard to keep yourself relevant”.

Watch more video of USGP Planet Bike Cup 2011 on cyclingdirt.org

Bary Wicks comments on the early season head games we play with ourselves: “…people get so amped for the start of cyclocross season… its hard to come into it not at the top of your game…”

Watch more video of USGP Planet Bike Cup 2011 on cyclingdirt.org

Obviously, I was not really stoked about my race Sunday. What are typically my favorite conditions turned into a complete suck fest on the bike for me. No power, no speed and no technique. It was like I had never ridden in mud before!

I am struggling a little bit with not racing at a high level right now. Trying not to let it get to me. I know that my fitness will turn around in a few more weeks but, damn it is hard to watch the racing ride away from me and not even be able to put in a good chase.

What the hell have I been up to:

Watch more video of USGP Planet Bike Cup 2011 on cyclingdirt.org

This season, we’ll be following a few racers who have some interesting stories to share. From a freshly-minted elite racer to a newly declared master, we have a wide variety of racers we’ll be hearing from. We’ll catch up with them intermittently as the season wanes on, and hopefully we’ll be able to chart their [...]

Seeing another headline about American cyclocross and dollars in the Belgian newspaper Nieuwsblad.be, and one is likely to assume it’s another controversial piece about the finances and the likelihood of the 2013 Cyclocross World Championships happening in Louisville, Kentucky. But this one is not. The newspaper article instead focused on the amazing number of dollars [...]

Throughout Northern California there are many, many cyclists whose personalities add to those idiosyncrasies of the cyclocross community— competitive, relaxed, laid back, perhaps even on the fringe of normal society. Last year, a meandering athlete “found” cyclocross and added her “bent” to the sport. Now, she sets sights on immersing herself in the scene and improving her game.

Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product. Name of Product: Bicycles with Advanced [...]

We’re heading out on Friday for the drive down to Gloucester, Mass. I’m really looking forward to this weekend of racing. It has been three years since I’ve raced at Gloucester – and back then I raced in the women’s 3/4 category. I remember watching the elite women race and wishing I could race with them – and now I am!

Gloucester is one of those race venues and weekends that really just encapsulates what cyclocross is about: top-notch venue, good crowds, lots and lots of racers, even more fans – there is a real sense of community and coming together at Gloucester. It is hard to explain but it really does capture all the really good aspects of our sport.

Not only is it fun to race at Gloucester but it is also fun to watch and cheer on the others racing. This weekend I’ll be cheering on Marc in the Masters race then getting sorted for my race. After that I’ll be able to watch the elite guys hit the course and I’ll be cheering super loudly for Conor and Evan as they duke it out. And if Ted King is racing – you can be sure I’ll be cheering for him!

This is our fourth weekend of travel in a row. For a bike racer or a cyclocross racer this really isn’t that big of a deal – but it I do have to say the travel is getting a bit tiresome. Soon enough I’ll be in Belgium where the longest drive I’ll have to do is 2 or maybe 3 hours – much friendlier than the eight hours on Friday and eight hours on Sunday.

Luckily this weekend we’re staying with friends – this takes a lot of the travel issues out of the picture. We’re super lucky to have friends who like bikes just as much as we do and are willing to let us invade their home for the weekend.

Alright, with this, I’m going to sign off and get some sleep. I’ve got some writing work to do in the morning, a ride to get in and then we’re piling into our van (we swapped cars with our neighbour) and hitting the open road. See you in Gloucester – I’ll be the one in purple!

Okay, Monday I did some long threshold intervals and yesterday I did a bunch of one minute intervals. That seems suspiciously like real training since, you know, there are intervals involved. On the other hand, I went for an easy ride today and had a lot of fun enjoying the incredible weather. Mid 70′s and sunny. The only thing to complain about would be some wind — and I’m not complaining. It was a nice day to tool around and act like a tourist on routes I ride all the time. I enjoy these kinds of rides because I can look around and actually *see* what I’m seeing.

This weekend is the Cross Crusade opener at Alpenrose Dairy. While there have been a bunch of races through September, Alpenrose always signifies the beginning of cross season to me. It’s been a few years since I’ve raced it but I always enjoy the course. In my second year of racing, I snagged a 4th place in the C race on a day I had a sore throat coming on. A few years later I was first loser in the 35+ B race. I can’t say that I had a chance to win that race but I was spitting distance to the winner, my friend Terry K. The year after that, 2007, I finished in the top half of the 35+ A race which kicked off a season which represented my best racing efforts to date.  And that was my last Alpenrose.

I’m not planning on racing this year either though it is tugging at my heartstrings. It’s a big race with big fields. And it’s a great marker of how you stack up against everyone else. It’s a carnival where all your racing friends show up. It’s a terrible race to miss.

The New England Holy Week of Cyclocross has begun! The kickoff event, Midnight Ride Cyclocross hosted by the Minuteman Road Club at the Lancaster Fairgrounds in Lancaster, Massachusetts brought out almost 400 racers for a fantastic event complete with some of the biggest names in the sport. Racing kicked off in the twilight at 5pm [...]

Pro racer Adam McGrath has gone from international racer to local farmer in the past year, though he hasn’t hung up his bikes just yet. He’ll be chronicling his new set of experiences in his new column for Cyclocross Magazine, “For Mud, Beer, Bikes and Barns.” We wanted to start off with a Q&A so [...]

The cyclocross season is now well underway in Northern California. Following the CCCX season opener two weeks ago and this past week’s Folsom’s Cyclebration, two more events took place this past weekend. The CCCX series continued at Fort Ord and, at the College Cyclery Compound, the Sacramento Cyclocross Series opened its season. Temperatures held to a comfortable range at West Sacramento but the wind blew throughout the day and was particularly strong toward the end of the event. Good fortune held, however, and a repeat of last year’s dust bowl failed to occur.

Don't forget about the 2nd race in the Michigan independent cyclocross series...  On Sunday, October 9 'cross racing will return to SVSU!  The Midland Brewing Company is a sponsor so you can bet there will be proper post-ride refreshments available.

Word is you can win a bike by racing...

The course is set for marking and it should be a great time.  Register HERE!

by Danny Zelck

And what a long day it was!
First was the Neerpelt UCI race - the international season opener for those of us based in the Benelux (Belgium/Netherlands/Luxembourg) region.  Going into the race, i really had no idea what to expect but helping my morale was the course. If all else fails, i was going to enjoy myself! it was a very heavy course with much of the first half through the woods on pine needle trails. The second half was nonstop short steep hills - some of which were barely rideable and others that were runups - mainly all on sandy terrain.
My start was about average - nothing special. Others were not so lucky - like Hollander Reza Hormes Ravenstijn. She was caught behind a woman in an upside down position, bike perfectly upside down above her. For the first handful of minutes i felt like a rockstar but then i started to fade - maybe is was all the adrenaline from the start wearing off? For those moments of sleepiness, i was passed by a handful of folks - nothing i could do but try to keep up a minimum speed to stay somewhat in contact.

by Luc van der Meiren

Thankfully, my full senses came back in the second to last lap! It was like a turbo shot and i was back to normal speed. I managed to pass a couple of riders but the last one got away. I nipped at her heels for the full final lap, unable to find a spot to safely pass. She is one of the more agressive riders who has no problem elbowing you off the course so after a few tries that ended up almost disastrously i was relegated to finish just behind her in 13th position.
It may not be a victory but i had a good feeling from it - and i learned a lot, mostly what NOT to do in a race. If i had a penny for every lesson learned though...

Trying to get past - by Lucien Duquesnes

After the race, we did yet another 200km of driving to the little town of Aalter on the other side of Belgium for the team presentation. I showed up naturally with wet hair after my post-race shower - yet another lesson learned. When having photos taken that will be on trading cards for a full season, take a bit more care about what you look like. haha.
I was kinda dreading it because you never know what sort of questions you'll get while standing on the stage with a microphone to you lips. But they were mainly ok - nothing i couldnt handle.

by Dirk Bruylant

The MC guy named Chris is actually the tv personality for the Superprestige races on channel VT4. I must admit that i did feel a little uncomfortable during one of the questions when he said "Now that Superprestige is allowing women to race at some of their events, does this make you happy?" Happy? No, it makes me laugh. They were forced by the UCI to take a womens race at their Category 1 events. They had no choice. Anyway, i went on and on and on for many minutes with my speech on the inequality of women in cyclocross - especially superprestige. After a while i remembered that he represents the Superprestige and i added a "sorry about that". Was i sorry? not really. But i did feel bad that he probably had no idea what is really going on behind the scenes. 

Overall it was a great day - during the race i got to see soooooo many friendly faces it was unbelievable. And the cheers i got were tremendous. I will never forget that last lap when i was trying to get around Nancy Bober, a belgian rider. The cheers for me were so overwhelming i almost felt bad for Nancy - but not bad enough not to try still to get around her! I have to add that it was very kind for all the spectators of our race to stick around that late as we raced after the men for the first time!

And in the evening, i was very happy to see yet another handful of friendly faces show up to see our team presentation. That really meant a lot to me!

Normally this sunday is my next race in Kalmthout but it is not yet certain if i am invited. No invitation yet and it is already Thursday. Fingers crossed that last minute email comes through.

Dayton, Ohio —  Possibly the most important week in the short history of the Zipp OVCX Cyclocross Tour has started even better than expected.  Just days before racing in front of an expected 10,000 spectators, Zipp OVCX Tour Director Mitch Graham announced that Papa John’s Pizza has re-joined the series as presenting sponsor. The announcement [...]

Winnipeg, Manitoba — On September 17, under the lights of the Red River Co-op Speedway in St Adolphe, MB, a large crowd of cyclists and spectators gathered to take part in the inaugural DarkCross Cyclocross Race, presented by Wallace + Wallace. The event was enthusiastically embraced by the Manitoba cycling community. Organizing clubs Fort Garry [...]

Preparation for my trip to Burlington, Vermont and Nor’Easter ‘Cross came with a lot of expectations. After a weekend where I went flying off my bike like Joey hitting a barrier, I was ready to make the three hour plus drive to Burlington worthwhile. I wanted to get a Verge point which would earn me callups at series races for the rest of the year.

From the “Girl with the Cowbell Tattoo” to the philosophical Master’s racer extraordinaire, we bring you a new meeting of the minds. When Lee Waldman approached me (Molly) about doing a “conversation” column together, I immediately thought it was a great idea. After all, he lives across the country from me, we have a large [...]

by Steve Vockrodt The Kansas City cyclocross season opened up last weekend at Manion’s Cyclocross, and now the rest of autumn’s racing schedule seems easy by comparison. Manion’s Cyclocross launched the 2011 campaign at an auction house tucked away in the bucolic Nearman Hills of Kansas City, Kansas, where at its highest points, the downtown [...]

by Molly Hurford How does it feel riding a custom Richard Sachs creation? Dan Chabanov, one of Sachs’ racers this season, tried to explain: “It’s not some magical feeling … OK, it’s kind of a magical feeling.” Within the New York cycling scene, you might know Chabanov as the guy who won the Red Hook [...]

Days of rain that soaked the Washington, DC metro region relented just in time for the Tacchino Cyclocross, the MABRA Super 8 series opener, but the deluge was still evident just below the surface of Rosaryville State Park in Upper Marlborough, Maryland. The soggy ground, high humidity, and the churning wheels of some 600 racers [...]

Well, it has happened. The inevitable desire and cravings are back in full force. The thing is that last winter and this past spring/early summer I wasn’t convinced that I really missed it. Sure I like competition and pushing myself but maybe my racing days truly were done? Maybe it was time to slow down a bit?

Good grief – I couldn’t have been further off the mark. Now after five races, I’m hooked again. I didn’t realize how much I missed and needed to race. Training and riding bikes is fun. But racing is what it’s all about.

That anxiety that comes a few days before when I’m thinking about the course and playing it through in my brain. The day before when I’m packing my bag and getting my race clothes ready. Day of when I get out for the pre-ride and scope out the bumps and grooves that are going to challenge and push me for 40 minutes. The one hour before the race when I’m on the trainer listening to some music and getting myself primed and ready to go. The 10 minutes before I’m called to the line when the nervous chatter starts and the dry mouth sets in with full force. Finally on the line, wishing the darn whistle would just go so I could get moving and racing. Then the race happens and it all happens: success, misses, triumphs, blood, sweat and elation. All in the span of 40 minutes or so. The post race feelings are always a mix of happiness, relief, misgivings, and joyfulness.

I guess back when I wasn’t able to race, it was easiest to convince myself that racing really wasn’t such a “big deal”. But now that I’m back in and part of the game again – I’ve recognized that it really is something special. I love it all. The racing. The travel. The hanging out with friends. Cheering on my training pals. Experiencing your triumphs and stories. All of it is part of the package. Really really happy to be doing it again.

(Here is a link to an article about focus – I found it useful – you might as well.)

Uncle Charlie and Other Stories of North Cal. Cyclocross: An art show dedicated to the spirit of North Cal Cyclocross, its roots, and its current spectacle. Featuring works of photography, writing, sculpture, painting, collage, as well as historical documents and images.

Clinics. Seminars. One on one training with friends. Group training with the Boulder Cycle Sport Cyclocross club team. Junior coaching…we spout the gospel of cross and we LOVE it! The Boulder Cycle Sport Ambassadors team site is now live for you to learn more about our great sponsors and keep up with the latest news of our Ambassador team members Brandon Dwight, Allen Krughoff, Pete Webber, Kristin Weber and yours truly.

Boo Bicycles and Co-Motion may not be mentioned in the same breath very often, but both companies had sweet single-cog bike options on display at Interbike this year. Gates Carbon Drive belt systems are gaining in popularity, and new versions will soon grace more utilitarian-oriented steeds as well. But Boo and Co-Motion both made good [...]

by Joshua McCarrel This is the second time we have put on a race at Art Dye Park in American Fork, Utah. We did one last year, and this year we have extended it into a three race series, with another date in the works for a night race under the lights. Team Clammy Chamois [...]

By any measure, Telenet-Fidea’s Bart Wellens’ first U.S. cyclocross campaign has been a success, with three victories in five races, one second place, and one late-race attack in CrossVegas that nearly netted him the victory. Wellens leaves the States with a pile of 2011 UCI points to bring home, and leaves behind a slew of [...]

The second weekend of Southern California Prestige Series presented by Spy Optic hit Camarillo, CA with the Pacifica Crossfest. This is the newest race to the series and was hosted by Casa Pacifica, a residential facility licensed by the state of CA which serves abused, neglected, and severely emotionally disturbed children and adolescents from the [...]