Weekend Preview

Across the great Northwest this weekend, there are all kinds of good stuff happening.

How ‘bout this line-up:

In Idaho, you can catch a 2 day race festival at the Sun Valley Crosstoberfest weekend. In Britsh Columbia, one can race the BC Provincial Championships on Saturday in downtown Vancouver and then take the ferry over to Vancouver Island and saddle up for Cowboy Cross on Vancouver Island on Sunday

Not to be out-done, the crazies in Portland have the Halloween Bash on Saturday and a full day’s worth of high-level racing at the Flying M Ranch on Sunday.The Seattle Cyclocross Series will be visiting a brand new venue in Snohomish. A new course will challenge the athletes from the beginners to the Elites. Kalispell hosts the Montana State Championships on Sunday. Eastern Washington will host another Inland Empire double-header this weekend. Racing will be in Spokane on Saturday and Coeur d'Alene on Sunday.

For info on all these races, check the calendar to the right and click on the name for all the race details.

Wherever you live, there’s great racing this weekend. Weather will be all over the board depending on your locale, so prepare accordingly and get out there…

Montana Cross announcement

Greetings Cyclocross Fans,

This coming Sunday, October 29, Flathead Cycling is hosting the Montana State Cyclocross Championship race at Herron Park in Kalispell, Montana.

If you're a long-time Montana 'crosser, I don't need to tell you that this is one of the best courses in Montana. If you're new to cyclocross, you don't want to miss this opportunity to race here. The course has a nice mix of pavement, grass, dirt roads w/ a nice little run-up, and a few hurdles thrown in to keep it exciting. I'd really like to encourage all you 'closet crossers' in Missoula to make the short drive to Kalispell. After all, it is the state championships!

Start Times:

-Registration 9:30-10:30. Entry fee $20 w/uscf license. 1-day license +$10

-Masters 40+, Men 'B' and Women 'A' will start @ 11:00. They will race 6 laps.

-Any Juniors and Women 'B' will start one lap after, and race 5 laps.

-Men's 'A' will start @ 12:00, and race 8 laps.*

-* If less than 6 'A's at close of registration, all racers will start @ 11, w/ staggered start times.

see website for flyer/course map.

Directions to Herron Park: Hwy. 93 north to Kalispell, continue north around courthouse (Main St.), turn left on 4th St. West (2nd light past courthouse), continue west app. 12 blocks to S.Meridian, turn left and follow signs to Lone Pine State Park, continue past Foy's Lake and past the turnoff for Lone Pine - Herron Park will be on your right.

If you are driving north from Missoula, I would recommend bypassing the road construction, and take Hwy.200 west @ Ravalli, to Hwy.212 north to Charlo. It will only add about 15 min. drive time.

info: Steve Muller 261-9250

also check the website at montanacycling.org

the early bird gets the...

good spot on the starting grid...

from the inbox regarding the USGP Lakewood (ie. Fort Steilacoom) stop:

November 18th 2006 the US Gran Prix of Cyclocross returns to Ft. Steilacoom Park in Lakewood.

The Rad Racing Cup of Cyclocross Presented by Seasoned Skewers brings round #5 of the USGP to town.
The best cross racers in the country will be right in our backyard.

In addition to the USGP categories there will be a full menu of support races through the day with great prizes to be had.

Come out and race, head over to the “Seasoned Skewers Grill” to get some of the best event food you have ever had, and then catch the big show.

There will be an expo on site featuring vendors and teams. Free kids racing with prizes for all.

More info on the race can be found at: radracingnw.org

USGP info is here: usgpcyclocross.com

Registration is here: bikereg.com

Important Info:

Elite Men, U23 Men, and Elite Women are required to pre-register per USGP rules.
There will be no race-day registration.

If you don’t want to register on the internet print out a standard USAC release and mail to:

Rad Cup of CCX
PO Box 11642
Olympia, Wash
98508

Seeding Criteria:

Elite Men/U23 Men
Current UCI Standings
Order of registration

Elite Women
Current UCI Standings
Order of registration

Junior Men
Random draw per UCI regulations

Master Men 35+ Cat 1-3(USGP)
Current USGP Standings
Top 8 riders in the Seattle Cyclocross Series
Order of Registration.

Cat 3 Men
Top 8 riders in the Seattle Cyclocross Series
Order of registration

Cat 4 men
Top 8 riders in the Seattle Cyclocross Series
Order of registration

Master Men 35+ Cat 4
Top 8 riders in the Seattle Cyclocross Series
Order of registration

These are UCI/USGP and the biggest categories in the Seattle Series with a definite need for staging because of field sizes.
If other categories start to get big, seeding will be by order of registration.

Good motivation to pre-register at bikereg.com.

Teams: Teams seeking expo space need to contact me to reserve.

More info to come. Check the Rad Racing Site for updates.

Jim Brown
Promoter- Rad Racing Cup of Cyclocross
360-556-4258

NW represents at Wissahickon

Another fine showing by northwest 'crossers at yesterday’s UCI race at Wissahickon. It was the second of two days of UCI racing in The Verge MAC Cyclocross Series back east.

Elite Men
1 Ryan Trebon -- KONA
2 Tim Johnson -- Cannondale/cyclocrossworld.com
3 Barry Wicks -- KONA

Elite Women
1 Katie Compton -- Spike Professional/Primus Mootry
2 Lyne Bessette -- Cyclocrossworld.com
3 Georgia Gould -- Luna Women's MTB Team

Kabush, Tonkin, Sundt, Cameron and McGrath were also in the mix. Race report and full results here.

Registration for Nationals

Registration opened this morning for Cyclocross Nationals to be held December 15-17 in Providence, RI. Wanna see how you stack up against the best in the nation? Sign up here.

Viking Cross at WWU

Viking Cross will be coming at you on Sunday, November 5th. More info to follow. Here's a little taste to get you in the mood.

BC Provincial Champs this Saturday

Mud, Sweat & Tears!

2006 BC Provincial Cyclo-Cross Championship
Courtesy Philip Meyer
Saturday October 28th 2006
Presented by Wedgewood Cycling Team

Having organised a very successful Provincial Road Race Championship back in June with the Formwerks Westside Cycling Classic, The Wedgewood Cycling Team now turns its attention to the mud.

A shared cash purse of $1000 for Men's A and Women's A, cash & merchandise prizing for the other categories and draw prizes which will include a night at Canada's leading luxury boutique hotel - The Wedgewood Hotel - and a Mavic Aksium Wheelset are likely to draw a large field for all categories to this very spectator-friendly course.

The route is a 2.6 km loop in one of Vancouver's prettiest parks, Jericho Park on the waterfront in Kitsilano. It includes pavement, bark mulch, a hard packed gravel trail, two short steep climbs and a double set of barriers.

"It's a real Belgian style event that will attract some of the best riders from the Pacific Northwest, and the location always ensures we have a large turnout of spectators" says Race organiser Dave Cressman. "Expect to see some great battles out there. Cyclo-Cross is extremely competitive in British Columbia at all levels and being the Championship adds that added extra incentive" Cressman continued.

Full details of the event can be found at www.teamwedgewood.com. Part of the proceeds will be donated to the BC Cancer Foundation, which is an independent charitable organization that raises and stewards resources to support breakthrough research and compassionate care through the BC Cancer Agency.

Event Organizer: Dave Cressman
Tel: 604-730-1998
Fax: 604-737-6983

Rundle Mountain Kananaskiker 'Cross

Rundle Mountain Kananaskiker 'Cross - Canmore, Alberta
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Report and Results courtesy of Andy Holmwood

Cyclo-cross racing returned Saturday to the Canmore Nordic Centre, with the Rundle Mountain Cycling Club's Kananaskiker race. The race was the fifth event in the Pedalhead Road Works - Alberta Cyclo-Cross Cup. The course was limited to the ski trails beyond the Centre's stadium area, as significant re-construction of the facility is still occurring in the area of the day lodge and stadium. The course featured a couple of pavement sections, some scary downhills, and much hard-packed dirt trail.

The big news of the day was the end of Alberta Champion/United Cycle rider Tim Heemskerk's long string of wins, dating back to last season. Any disappointment Heemskerk had, however, was tempered by the fact that he was beaten by a rider he coaches, Ryan Hopping of ERTC/redbike. Heemskerk and Hopping pulled away from the field early in the race, with Hopping leaving Heemskerk behind on the last lap.

The Women's race saw Mical Dyck (Terrascape) cruise to another win in front of Jasper's Loni Klettl (Freeskool). Cyclo-cross racing continues to grow in Alberta, with over 90 riders competing in Saturday's race. The Alberta Cup series continues next week with the Terrascape Knobby Gobbler in Calgary.

Open
1. Ryan Hopping (ERTC/redbike) 59:56
2. Tim Heemskerk (United Cycle) 1:00:06
3. Brian Robinson (Cyclemeisters/Bow Cycle) 1:02:11
4. Peter Toth (ERTC/redbike) 1:03:15
5. Andre Sutton (Hardcore Cycling Club) 1:03:28
6. Per Strom (bicisport) 1:03:39
7. Sean Barr (Pedalhead Road Works) 1:03:53
8. Alex Reain (Fresh Air Experience Racing) 1:04:31
9. Shawn Bunnin (Cycledelia) 1:05:03
10. Dallas Morris (Deadgoat) 1:05:03

Women
1. Mical Dyck (Terrascape) 37:29
2. Loni Klettl (Freeskool) 38:54
3. Nancy Burden (Juventus) 41:14
4. Martha Handford (Independent Fabrications) 42:07
5. Alana Heise (Terrascape) 42:56
6. Adrienne Tibbitts (Gruppo Supportivo Campione) 42:58
7. Lisa Licis (Hardcore CC) 43:16
8. Carolyn Soules (Crankmasters) 44:57
9. Joanne Breau (bicisport) at 1 lap
10. Carrie Williamson (Terrascape) at 1 lap

Expert
1. Chris McNeil (Canary Cycles) 52:23
2. Clayton Paradis (Pedalhead Racing Club) 52:30
3. Chris Stipdonk (United Cycle) 52:43
4. Mike Blennerhassett (Hardcore CC) 53:45
5. Gary Brown (Rundle Mountain CC) 53:50
6. Tracy Shearer (Juventus) 54:27
7. Sandy Hilton (Pedalhead Road Works) 54:42
8. Reid Cummings (Cyclemeisters/Bow Cycle) 54:46
9. Bruce Penner (United Cycle) 54:46
10. Mike McKee (Deadgoat) both 54:46

Blizzard Cross Race Results & Report

First of all, go to google maps to find Fort St. John, British Columbia (your geography lesson for today). Once you have found it, then go ahead and read the report.

Blizzard Bike Club - Fort St. John, BC
Courtesy Pat Ferris
Oct 22, 2006

Robin Baillie won Sunday's Blizzard Cyclo-Cross event doing 7 laps of the 2.8 km North Peace circuit, with a time of 50:19 minutes. Pat Ferris was second, also with 7 laps at 58:33 and Grande Prairie's Blaine Richter third at 6 laps, 53:17. Kevin Cooper was 4th at 54:38, Bob Andrews edged out Gord 'The Hammer' Harris for 5th at 56:09 for 6 laps, Sam Keats did 6 laps in 59:07 for 7th, Dean Lowry did 6 laps in 59:56, Barb Polehoykie did 6 laps in 1:00:09 and Adam Currie did 5 laps at 58:19.

The weather and circuit conditions were very dry and fast as compared with last Sunday and Thursday's snow and mud. The course featured grass, gravel paths, part of a running track and two run-ups with obstacles. Robin Baillie (H&R Block) led from the start with Pat Ferris chasing. Blaine Richter and Kevin Cooper battled it out for third, changing leads numerous times before Richter pulled away to seal the final podium spot. Bob Andrews and Gord Harris also battled it out for 5th with Andrews pulling away in the final laps.

Coming up: Sunday Cyclo-cross at 2 pm North Peace.

BC Cross Cup #5 Report & Results

Vanier Park Cyclocross – Vancouver
Presented by Krebs Cycle Club
October 22, 2006
Report and Results Courtesy of Matt Klymson

The annual Vanier Park 'Cross Classic was hosted once again by Krebs Cycle Club this past Saturday Oct. 21st at our unique urban setting in the heart of downtown Vancouver. Race # 5 in the Giant Bicycles BC 'Cross Cup series yielded a huge turnout of racers who entertained spectators with some excellent close quarters racing on a new fast course layout designed by race director Sven Sturm. Dry course conditions under the warm and sunny skies led to a punishing pace at the front of all races, interspersed with some brutal natural run-ups plus artificial barriers that rewarded both technical skills and explosive acceleration.

Many thanks to our event sponsors - ING Direct, Ambleside Cycles / Scott Bikes, Schwalbe Tires, Race Face, Running Room, Uprising Breads, Tim Horton's, SISU, Vancouver Parks, Cycling BC, Deakin Equipment, Gu, CBI Health, City of Vancouver.

Thanks also to other local clubs Team Wedgewood (Dave Cressman) and Escape Velocity (Gordon Ross / Jason Thomson) for helping with equipment loans. Look for other great BC events from these clubs.

Note: * Lapped / pulled, DNF, and DQ'd riders marked as "Not Placed"
Womens' A
1. Kelly Jones
2. Sarah Stewart
3. Christy Love
4. Stefanie Roorda
5. Catherine Pendrel
6. Sandra Walter
7. Leah Guloien
8. Jenny Trew
9. Melanie Vaughan
10. Naomi Cooper
11. Courney Albert

Mens' A
1. Andrew Kyle
2. Kris Sneddon
3. Kevin Noiles
4. Andreas Hestler
5. Dan MacDonald
6. Craig Richey
7. Stefan Widmer
8. Kevin Calhoun
9. Drew Mackenzie
10. Tristan Galbraith
11. Thomas Skinner
12. Jonathan Gormick
13. Jason Fluckiger
14. Basse Clement
15. Menno Jongsma
16. Patrick Love
17. Chris Cole
18. Sven Sturm
19.Dwayne Kress
20. Tyler Trace
21. Scott MacGregor
22. Troy Woodburn
23. Rick Rodland

Krebs is a Vancouver-based cycling club specializing in training and competition for XC mountain biking and other riding disciplines through a variety of road and off-road activities. See www.krebscycleclub.com for more information.

Next weekend is the BC Provincial Championships held at Jericho Park and hosted by Team Wedgewood.

BC Cross Cup #4 Results

BC Cross Cup #4
Team Coastal Cyclocross Race
Delta BC, October 14th
Results Courtesy of Dave Dunnison

Better LATE than never!!!

Men's A
1 Dan MacDonald (Bike Barn)
2 Craig Ritchey (Crichey.com)
3 Mat Hewitt (Oak Bay)
4 Kevin Calhoun (Rocky Mountain)
5 Sven Sturm (Trek Red Truck Ale)
6 Kevin Noiles (Masi / Adobe)
7 Tom Skinner (Sugoi / Giant)
8 Tristin Galbriath (CVC Racing)
9 Basse Clement (Masi Adobe)
10 Jason Fluckiger (Bayside)
11 Dwayne Kress (SORCA)
12 Graeme Bant (Rocky Mtn/Different Bikes)
13 Rob Gosselin
14 Scott Malone (Steed Cycles)
15 Patrick Love (Wedgewood)
16 Steven Murray (Sorca)
17 Nels Guloien (Sugoi/Giant)
18 Rick Rodland (Flora Glo/Norco)
19 Joe Wessel (Fresh Air Experience)
20 Quinn Anderson (Mighty Riders)
Lapped
Dale Ewanchook (NED & G)
AB Scott McGregor (Steed Cycles)
AB Matt Green
AB Andreas Hestler (Rocky Mountain)
AB Andrew Kyle (Sugoi / Giant)

Women's A
1 Kelly Jones (Sugoi)
2 Lisa Ludwig (Oak Bay)
3 Trish Sinclair
4 Sandra Walter (XO Felt)
5 Sarah Stewart (Wedgwood)
6 Leah Guloien (Sugoi)
7 Jenny Trew
8 Melanie Vaughan
9 Jamie Mc Gowan (Oak Bay)
10 Heather Lamson
11 Lisa Howard
12 Jenelle Cassidy (Giant)
13 Courtney Albert

Cross Crusade-Horning's Hideout Results

Another weekend, another great day of cyclocross. This time the Crusade made their first visit to Horning's Hideout, a great venue located about 30 miles west of Portland. Framed by a picture perfect postcard day, the course featured a bevy of technical sections including sketchy downhills, off-camber turns and loose dirt. The cream rose to the top as it does each week, with Carl Decker (GIANT), Rhonda Mazza (TEAM S&M/VANILLA) and Eric Martin (SPORTSMAN'S TEAM ONE RACING) taking the victories in the top categories.

Men A

1 Decker Carl -- Giant (9 Laps)
2 Skerritt Shannon -- Vanilla Bicycles
3 Sallashea Michael -- River City Bicycles
4 Hulick Kevin -- Vanilla Bicycles
5 Plews Evan -- Capitol Subaru
6 Swanson Chad -- Team S&M
7 Nichols Brett -- River City Bicycles
8 Pilz David -- Gentle Lovers
9 Holden Kris -- VerticalEarth
10 Blackwelder Mark -- Veloshop

Women A

1 Mazza Rhonda -- Team S&M/Vanilla (6 Laps)
2 Williams Wendy -- River City Bicycles
3 Pennington Alice -- Desalvo Custom Cycles Racing
4 Butler Sue -- River City Bicycles
5 Stoick Bridgette -- River City Bicycles
6 Dance Dani -- River City Bicycles
7 Kelsey Kristen -- bicycleattorney.com
8 Humblet Catherine -- none
9 Fournier Sami -- Sunnyside Sports
10 Gitlen Laurel -- Gentle Lovers

Master Men A

1 Martin Eric -- Sportsman's Team One Racing (8 Laps)
2 McCaffrey John -- bicycleattorney.com
3 Bravard John -- Half Fast Velo
4 Mitchem John -- Casa Bruno
5 Baker Martin -- bicycleattorney.com
6 Butler Tim -- River City Bicycles
7 Bannink Jeffrey -- Bike Gallery
8 Benderly Ken -- bicycleattorney.com
9 Leitheiser Ian -- Half Fast Velo
10 Talbert Greg -- Art by Opsal

As always, you can view all the results for all categories at the obra website, conveniently found here.

The Crusade keeps on marching. Next weekend is the return of the revered fall tradition, the Halloween weekend blowout at Flying M Ranch. Click the link on the calendar to the right for all the scary details.

Seattle-Donida Farms Results

Under beautiful sunny skies and warm temperatures, Dan Neyens (HAGENS BERMAN) returned to Seattle after a trip to the east coast and resumed his spot at the top as he knocked off last week's winner, Kevin Bradford-Parish (REDLINE) by the narrowest of margins. This could be a duel that we see play out each week for the remainder of the series. Kristi Berg (GROUP HEALTH) distanced herself from the women's field to easily win going away. In the Master Men 1/2 race, Kenny Williams (1ST RATE MORTGAGE) demonstrated the power he is known for in the Men Pro/1/2 road race scene by pulling away from the competition to win comfortably.

Men 1/2
1 Daniel Neyens -- Hagens-Berman LLC 1:00:20 (9 Laps-avg lap 6:42)
2 Kevin Bradford-Parish -- Redline 1:00:20
3 Morgan Schmitt -- Hagens-Berman LLC 1:02:00
4 Ronnie Schmeer -- Art By Opsal 1:02:01
5 Sean Worsech -- Rad Racing NW 1:02:02
6 Ian Mackie -- BRI 1:02:15
7 Mark Hanson -- BRI 1:02:19
8 Ryan Iddings -- Redline 1:03:27
9 Luke Brechwald -- Sonic U-23 1:03:30
10 Mathew Hill -- Redline 1:03:34

Women 1/2
1 Kristi Berg -- Group Health 47:00 (6 Laps-avg lap 7:50)
2 Jodi Hess -- Avanti Ti Cycles 43:59 5 Laps
3 Jadine Riley -- Group Health 44:00
4 Ingrid Spies -- Recycled Cycles 44:01

Master Men 1/2
1 Kenny Williams -- 1st Rate Mortgage 1:04:53 (9 Laps-avg lap 7:12)
2 Doug Reid -- Veloce Cycles 1:05:17
3 Alex Andel -- None 1:05:21
4 Jeff Cummings -- Ragnarok 1:05:27
5 Randy Iddings -- Redline 1:05:37
6 Tony Ogden -- Hagens-Berman Cycling 1:06:37
7 Tom Phillips -- Ragnarok 1:07:09
8 Andy Dahlstrom -- Ragnarok 1:09:32
9 Justin Harman -- Ti Cycles 59:41 8 Laps
10 Randy Daniels -- Jet City 59:59

Check out all the results of the day's racing action here. Next week the series heads to Snohomish to visit a brand new venue.

Inland NW Series Walla Walla Style

Michael Gaertner and Allison Beall are quickly making it known that they are they ones to beat in the Inland Empire. They took back-to-back wins this weekend as the Inland Northwest Cyclocross Series headed south for a Saturday/Sunday double-header in Walla Walla.

Inland NW Cyclocross Series
Saturday, October 21
Walla Walla, WA

Men A
1 Mike Gaertner -- Vertical Earth
2 Kris Holden -- Vertical Earth
3 Soren Klingsporn -- Broadmark
4 Mark Knokey -- Axley-USA
5 Duncan McGovern -- Whitman College
6 Thomas Butler -- Wheatland Wheelers/Lecole 41
7 Ted Chauvin -- Broadmark
8 Jeffrey Eifert -- Arlberg Sports
9 Dan Rud -- Mtn. View Cyclery

Women A
1 Allison Beall -- Emde Sports/Fitness Fanatics
2 Jenni Gaertner -- Vertical Earth
3 Shannon Holden -- Velo Bella

Inland NW Cyclocross Series
Sunday, October 22
Walla Walla, WA

Men A
1 Mike Gaertner -- Vertical Earth
2 Shawn Howard -- W.A.R.
3 Mark Knokey -- Axley-USA
4 Soren Klingsporn -- Broadmark
5 Thomas Butler -- Wheatland Wheelers/Lecole 41
6 Doug Krumpelman -- Vertical Earth
7 Dan Rud -- Mtn. View Cyclery
8 Ian Delaney -- Whitman College
9 Ted Chauvin -- Broadmark
DNF Duncan McGovern -- Whitman College

Women A
1 Allison Beall -- Emde Sports/Fitness Fanatics
2 Jenni Gaertner -- Vertical Earth
3 Erika Krumplemann -- Vertical Earth


Check out all the results here.

Washington State Championships interview

Interview with Marla Emde about the State Championships being in Spokane this year, Interview conducted October 19th, 2006:

Brought to you by SeattleCyclocross.com and Dirty Moose Productions, Interview by Dan Norton.

SCX.com: What are the courses like for the Saturday and Sunday race at the district championships this year? (editor's note: State Championships are being held Sunday, November 5, 2006 in Spokane)

Marla Emde: Saturday's course is in Riverside State Park by the Seven Mile Bridge. The course has quite a bit of dirt, some dried grassy areas, one asphalt section and a short run up. The course is pretty wide open but has a couple of single track spots of 100 yards each. It's a fun course. Sunday's District course is at Valley Mission Park (a new venue for us recently) with mostly grass, some dirt area in an arena around horse stables, good tough run up's, and a couple short areas of pavement. It's a great spectator course, next to the I-90 freeway and less than a mile away from the host hotel.

SCX.com: Do you have a host hotel for racers? What are the rates and how close to the site is the hotel?

Marla: Yes, the Host Hotel is the Quality Inn - 8923 E. Mission Ave. Spokane Valley, WA 1.800.777.7355 The Room Rate is $72.00 for 2 queen beds and use group number 2989 when making reservations. The hotel is less than a mile (West) from the race course. www.spokanequalityinn.com. for more details. There are several restaurants just across the street and the Spokane Valley Mall is only a couple miles east on I-90.

SCX.com: Does Spokane have any good deals on food or better yet a good brewpub?

Marla: Downtown Spokane has a great food/pub selection such as: The Steam Plant Grill, the Sawtooth Grill, Maaskellers, Europa Pizzeria, Catacombs, Mizuna, etc... if you want the mainstream selection, the Spokane Valley Mall has Azteca, TGIF, Red Robin, Tony Roma's, Hooters...Dan will want to go there! :)

SCX.com: What are the entry fees?

Marla: $20.00 for adults and $10.00 for juniors 18 and under.

SCX.com: How has the Spokane series been going?

Marla: Our series has had good participation this season though we'd like to see it increase just as the West side of the state has seen participation grow. We have venues in CDA, Walla Walla (Oct 21,22) and the Spokane area. We have great courses and great weather and we get riders from Idaho and Western Montana.

SCX.com: How is the level of participation?

Marla: It varies of course... Kevin Bradford-Parish (Redline) is from Spokane so he's been leading the field around but we have the favorites of the last several years still coming out to duke it out and have some fun.

SCX.com: What should the weather be like?

Marla: We are hoping for rain but doubt we'll get it (since we are in Eastern WA). It has been dry and we typically have pretty nice weather though it can be colder and in the low 40's quite easily. We don't have any snow yet.

SCX.com: Any tire reccomendations?

Marla: Your choice... good all around tires that roll well for grassy conditions on Sunday.

SCX.com: Is there a website for information?

Marla: Yes. You can go to emdesports.com and go to 'upcoming events' and click to the '2006 WA State Cyclocross Championships'. You'll get to the page of information and directions to the venues.

SCX.com: Will registration be day of race or online?

Marla: Day of race only so please, please come out early enough. We will feature chip timing from Millisecond Sports as well free neutral bike washing by Extreme Power Wash of Spokane. I think you'll enjoy our races. Thanks for taking the time and we look forward to hosting the WA State District Championships this season.

another sunny dry and warm weekend

The weekend is over. Saturday and Sunday saw great racing action all across the northwest. The mud and rain of last weekend were replaced with more sunshine and warm temps. We will have all the race reports and results of this past weekend's racing as soon as they are available.

NW dominates back east (again)

Granogue Cross
UCI C1- 2006 MAC Series Race #1
Presented byDelaware Cross Coalition of Delaware and Race at Granogue
Saturday, October 21, 2006

1 54:34 TREBON Ryan -- Kona
2 54:57 POWERS Jeremy -- Jelly Belly
3 54:57 WICKS Barry -- Kona
4 54:59 JOHNSON Tim -- Cannondale/cyclocrossworld.com
5 56:30 WELLS Todd -- Team GT
6 56:33 FRATTINI Davide -- Colavita Olive Oil/Sutter Home
7 56:33 TILFORD Steve -- Verge/Shimano
8 56:38 JACQUESMAYNES Ben -- cyclocrossworld.com/SRAM
9 56:45 KABUSH Geoff -- Maxxis
10 56:45 HAMBLEN Jon -- RGM WATCHES - RICHARD SACHS

Cross Crusade Preview of Horning's Hideout

Cross Crusade Moves to Horning’s Hideout
700+ Riders Expected Again
October 20, 2006

The River City Bicycles Cross Crusade expects to continue its record-setting attendance this Sunday, October 22, when 750+ cyclocross bike racers invade Horning’s Hideout in North Plains for round three of the Cross Crusade, the largest participatory cyclocross bike racing series in the world.

Two weeks ago at Alpenrose Diary the Cross Crusade season opener attracted a record field of 798 riders – the largest one-day cyclocross race ever held on U.S. soil. Last weekend’s event at Hillsboro Stadium wasn’t far behind, with 753 cyclists, despite cold, rainy, and muddy conditions – “perfect” cyclocross weather.

Racing at Horning’s Hideout starts at 9 a.m. with Beginners and Masters 50+ and continues all day, with the Category A Men and Masters Category A 35+ race at 2 p.m. Horning’s Hideout is located at 21277 NW Brunswick Canyon Road in North Plains.

The long-running success of the River City Bicycles Cross Crusade – this is its 15th year – has firmly established the Northwest as the country’s most popular region for cyclocross. Each round of the Cross Crusade offers 16 classes of competition, from elite men and women to masters and junior categories. Races vary from 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the class. The series, sanctioned by the Oregon Bicycle Racing Association, will pay out more than $20,000 in prize money plus merchandise.

Cyclocross bike racing is a specialized form of cycling competition, one that requires riders to race on a closed-loop circuit, over grass, pavement, gravel, and mud, with barriers and steep run-ups mixed in for additional challenges. The pace is frenetic, with little time to rest and less opportunity for “slipstreaming,” as in road races.

The remaining River City Cross Crusade schedule is as follows:

Race 3 - October 22, Horning’s Hideout
Race 4 - October 29, Halloween Cross Festival, Flying M Ranch
Race 5 - November 5, Barton Park
Race 6 - November 12, OBRA Cyclocross Championships, Estacada Timber Park
USGP Finale – November 19, Hillsboro Stadium.

Team Redline race report from Kelly Creek

REDLINE CYCLO-CROSS TEAM ENJOYS “FIRST-MUD”
October 20, 2006

With heavy morning rains making for a slippery and challenging course, the Redline Cyclo-Cross team felt right at home in the muddy fields of Kelly Creek Farm in Bonney Lake.

The race turn-out of 432 was excellent, with 85 women participating. Redline’s CX team enjoyed great racing success kicking off with 11 year old Logan Owen scoring third place in the junior boys 15/16 race. And the podium finishes continued on in to the big race of the day with the Elite and Master 1/2 Mens races.

It didn’t take long for Redline’s Kevin Bradford~Parish to leave the field of riders and motor off on his way to a minute and a half gap over second place in the Elite Mens event. After the race, NW ‘cross legend Dale Knapp summed it up by saying “After (Kevin) crossed the line, they timed the rest of us with a calendar.”

It is as though a breath of fresh air has blown over the Northwest Cyclo-Cross scene; Kevin Bradford Parish has arrived. His National Championship-winning mountain bike background and brief ‘cross racing back East earlier this month show all the positive signs for him to become a the next great Northwest talent in ‘cross.

The REDLINE team finished as follows:

Kevin Bradford~Parish—1st place Elite Men
Ryan Iddings—5th place Elite Men
Matt Hill ---10th place Elite men
Randy Iddings was 2nd place in the Masters 1/2

Remember the name, Kevin Bradford-Parish. You’ll be hearing a lot about this 24 year old from Spokane in the next three months.

LIVE cyclocross from Belgium

Cycling.tv has live coverage of the World Cup race #2 from Kalmthout in Belgium this morning. Sven Nys (Rabobank) is sitting at the front comfortably pulling away from the rest of the field 25 minutes into the race. The first lap was crazy. 60 riders, going all out. It was playing live (6:00 am Pacific Daylight Time) and it appeared as if they were playing the video on fast forward. The pace was insane. Their bike handling skills are amazing. The course is dry, flat and fast but technical. They are averaging around 5:45 per lap. Doing 11 laps. So even with u-turns and chicanes the top pros were able to keep the speed incredibly high. Great to see live cyclocross on the internet. Cycling.tv is offering the race free at lower data rates on their normal channel and they are also showing it on the premium channel at the high quality data rates. Two other riders, Mourey (Française Des Jeux) and Mlynar (Ac Sparta Praha), just joined Nys at the front - oh! Mlynar just rolled his front tire - he's out of the race. Vervecken (Fidea) is chasing. Check out cycling.tv this fall and winter for future live cyclocross events from Europe.