'Cross Nationals

Just posted on 'cx magazine...2012 Cyclocross Nationals will be held in January in Madison, Wisconsin!  So much for the 2011 national championships.  Maybe someone should hold an "unofficial" 2011 US National Championship race in its place!

SVSU Red Zone

SVSU RED ZONE RESULTS HERE!

Weather prediction for today wasn't good - showers all day with highs in the low 60's.  However the day started sunny in the high 50's and only got better.  This worked out well for most of my family that came out to see the race today!

Big props to Steve Weckle and Paul Rytlewski giving the 'cross race promotion gig a shot.  The venues in Midland and SVSU are excellent and will hopefully be the sites of more races next year.  Unfortunately the attendance today was pretty poor, but with Mad Anthony gaining popularity on Saturday it would be tough to fight for the remaining scraps willing to race twice on the weekend.  Regardless, the race today was a blast and those that showed had a great day for racing.



The first race of the day for me was the team race.  Riding under the title of Vandalay Industries, we cobbled together a group of four to race the other two teams that showed up.  Mike and I decided to race the Tricross SS bikes for this one, since it isn't exactly taken too seriously.  Paul and Steve are thinking of offering a beer shortcut for next year, which could get fun.  Our win was rewarded with half gallons of BARTS beer from Bay City and containers of Heed as well.

Team Vandalay Industries

For the second race of the day, only six racers started, losing one within the first five feet.  Adam York made the trip but his pedal had different ideas, as it snapped on the start.  Corey Stange, Mike Seaman, Ray Auger (Canada) and I were left to fight things out.  The first lap was relatively tame until Corey decided to open things up hard up the hill.  He got a small gap and raced alone to the win from there.  I managed to hang on for 2nd, with Ray and Mike taking 3rd and 4th on the day.



Put these the Midland and SVSU races on your calendars for next year.  You simply can't beat the free food, free beer, great prizes, and awesome venues.

2nd for #2.  Won another 1/2 gal of BARTS beer, Heed, a Bontrager jersey courtesy of the Stable, and a sweet team race award - the SVSU Cardinal

SVSU 'Cross TOMORROW!

Don't forget about the SVSU race tomorrow behind the football stadium off of Davis Rd.!  Paul posted a map of the course HERE.

Forecast for tomorrow is in the high 50's for the morning / low 60's in the early afternoon and RAIN!

Course is FAST and will be very technical in parts with the coming precipitation.  It should be a blast!

Co-Pilot to Linden

Today's race in Linden was at a fresh new venue, which is always a fun experience.  Unfortunately the land over which the course was routed is smaller than Woodland Park in Ithaca, causing the course to resemble something closer to the Ithaca Jailhouse (mtb) trail than any 'cross race I've done in the state.  That being said, the course was fun despite the bone-jarring bumps throughout the wooded section.

My day was probably about average overall.  Not sure where I finished as Kona was pretty tired and ready to go home when I was done racing.  Not first but not last, and not lapped.

If you're not heading to Louisville for the USGP next weekend you need to get up to the Red Zone Cyclocross race at SVSU on Sunday!  Paul Rytlewski and Steve Weckle are planning another fun event.  If you missed the Big Bad Wolf race in Midland you won't want to miss this one!  Online registration closes on Friday and is available HERE.

BBWCX

Here are a few from today in Midland.  Overall a great day to ride bikes around a park.  Course ended up being quite a bit faster than we had intended but was overall a lot of fun.  Emphasis was placed at bike handling skills at speed.  Congrats to Tom Burke and Anne Grofvert for wins in the A-race today!

Kristie managed to get some awesome photos today...

Start of the elite race

The beach section was pretty compact and proved to be tough on the legs all day

Burke entering the sand

Simon and I rode around all day together

Last 400 m of the final lap...Simon left a small gap to his left which I took

Burying it...

The left turn immediately after this was fast

Team Drake / Argyle Army took top honors in the team race.  Andy Klumb, Anne Grofvert, and Andy Brown tore apart laps 2, 3, and 1, respectively.

The Heed and BARTS were the spoils from the team effort, and thanks to the BICYCLE HQ for a gift certificate that netted (with a bit extra) the Gore WS gloves.  Since the shop owner, John, was at the race he offered to head over to open the shop on a Sunday so I could go pick something out!

Big Bad Wolf 'cx update

Course is set and it'll be a lot of fun.

A note on the construction on E. Ashmen.  When you come to the park approach FROM THE EAST!!!!  Figure this into your directions otherwise you'll have to take a 2.5 mile detour if you approach from the west (therefore approaching from the east anyway).  There are still detour signs if you come from the east but you're "allowed" to go to the park.  Check the map for the park HERE and plan accordingly!  Ashmen road is closed(ish...) between Waldo and just before the park entrance.

If you're coming from the south, I would take the Bay City Rd. exit and head east to Flajole Rd.   Head North on Flajole and take W. Wilder / E. Ashmen to the west.  Continue through the detour signs across US 10 to the park.

If you're coming from the north, take the Wheeler/Waldo Rd. exit and head East on Wheeler.  Turn south on Rockwell and West on Ashmen.  Proceed through the detour signs across US 10 to the park.

Updates from Midland!

Two new posts from the promoters!


TEAM RACE DETAILS:
Hey guys don’t be afraid of the” BIG BAD WOLF” OCT 10. Ha!
This race course is 2 miles. Each lap takes about 9-10 minutes. You’ll be done in 30-45 minutes, or an hour if your doing the advanced race.

Team race details: 4 person co-ed teams. At least one woman on the team(Or someone has to be dressed like a woman.)
The team race is where each person does only 1 lap. the teamates must "tag" the next rider before the next teammate can take off. SO if you have people, but not enough bikes, it's ok, because you can share one bike.

Theoreticaly, you and your pal/partner can both race, with only one bike.
you would ride seperate individual races, ie, one of you might ride the beginner race, and one of you the intermediate race. Then you could be on a team race. Two people - one bike! make it work.!


CONSTRUCTION ON ASHMAN ROAD:
We are excitedly planning the last details of the BIG BAD WOLF CX Races.

The burgers are on order, beer will be on tap, Barriers have been created and painted. This saturday, we will be doing some pre=liminary course prep. Then sunday morning we will set up the course, get registration in working order ! Also, Gary will be setting up his PA system and bring some tunes for our listening pleasure.

FYI,
There is construction on Ashman rd in Midland. Since our race is on sunday, There wont be construction hapenning on our race day. However, there will still be detour signs on Ashman rd. I expect there will be a way to get through on Ashman rd. SO dont take the detour signs. If I am wrong, I will change this post!

Kiss Cross Caledonia

Mike and I made the trip out to Caledonia this morning, but unfortunately there are two identical addresses within about 15 miles of each other.  So when we arrived at the first venue, it consisted of a dead end in a subdivision by Green Lake.  Thanks to a quick phone call we got things straightened out and made it to the park just in time to see 79 B's/Masters racers take to the course.

One great think about heading to Rick's races is that you never know what exactly you're going to get.  Last year at Holland the spiral of death made its first appearance - and a smaller, less muddy version surfaced again today.  The super prestige-like courses are a fun turn from the norm.

Today only nineteen starters took the line in the A's.  Tom Burke, fresh off his great rides at the USGP's in Madison started in the back so he could practice moving through traffic!  I took it out pretty hard since the course was so technical and I wanted to stay out of trouble.  It only took Tom one lap to pass us in the lead group - and when he went by it was like a freight train steaming past.  Tom rode alone off the front and won with a big gap.

So I was left in the second group, which only consisted of Earl H and myself to ride the remaining six laps of the race.  Earl was on a mountain bike, and there were a few spots that favored the wider tires on the course.  We traded spots back and forth, pushing pretty hard through the rest of the race.  On the last lap we were coming into lapped traffic going into the spiral, so I took advantage of the crowd and jumped in front.  Earl was right on my wheel though, and after a dizzying ride through the circles I lifted the pace again as to not go into the technical singletrack section in second place.  My plan was working just fine until he attacked on the final hill, off in an area my skinny tires couldn't hope to handle.  He hit the pavement into the finishing straight first, and I had honestly figured my chances were gone.  However apparently the attack on the climb burned his las match, so he was unable to follow when I sprinted to the line, taking 2nd behind Burke.

Mike moved up from the masters class to finish 11th in the A's, which turned out to be a perfect placing for a sixer of Founders.

Next up is the Big Bad Wolf 'Cross in Midland - DON'T MISS IT!