USGP preview

Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross Series Champions to be crowned in the Pacific Northwest this weekend

(LAKEWOOD, WA) -- NOVEMBER 16, 2006 – The Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross will make its last two stops of the series with the Rad Cup Presented by Seasoned Skewers, Lakewood, Washington on Saturday November 18 and the Scion Stumptown Cup, Portland, Oregon on Sunday November 19. With rain all week and more rain in the forecast on the weekend, the ability to succeed in the wet stuff will be the key to taking the series overall championship and an automatic USA Cycling world championship berth.

“This year’s US Gran Prix has been the best series to date. In addition to the world-class racing, we’ve enjoyed terrific host cities and venues as well as the great fans who continue to prove that the sport of cyclocross is growing in the United States,” said Bruce Fina, marketing director of the Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross. “We look forward to a great final weekend in the Pacific Northwest and crowning our 2006 USGP champions.”

The final USGP weekend kicks off with the Rad Cup Presented by Seasoned Skewers in Fort Steilacoom Park in Lakewood, Washington -- a mainstay of Seattle's cyclocross scene for 15 years. The course consists of 30% pavement and 50% dirt with a long start/finish paved section where wind can be a factor. There is a high content of sand in the soil and the course soaks up water very well so, despite the rain, mud may not be a factor in this race.

“The recent rains have not damaged the race course; it’s in great shape,” said Jim Brown, promoter Rad Cup Presented by Seasoned Skewers. “We have made some changes to the course make it more challenging and spectator friendly. We have top notch race day food from our sponsor Seasoned Skewers, a beer tent right on the course, music at the top of the Kona “Knapp Time” run-up and even Roller Derby Podium girls. It’s going to be a fun day with great racing action.”

Host club Cascade Bicycle Club will host a kid’s race and a “Skillz and Thillz Zone” mountain bike course for all kids in attendance. Chris Horner and the Kona Team are schedule to lead out the kid’s race at 12:15 p.m. Also, notable is the homecoming of USGP Men’s series leader Ryan Trebon (Kona). Trebon is a 1999 graduate of nearby Steilacoom High School.

The sixth and final race of the 2006 USGP series will be the Scion Stumptown Cup, Portland, Oregon on Sunday November 19. And just as Brown is confidant in the Lakewood course holding up in the rain, Brad Ross, promoter of Sunday’s race in Portland is equally as confidant….that it’s going to get messy.

“With all of the rain that we've gotten in Portland over the last two weeks, I can promise you this will be that muddiest USGP of the year,” said Ross, promoter, Scion Stumptown Cup. “Although, several long pavement sections and a concrete stair run-up will give riders a chance to shake off the clumps.”

The Scion Cup will be held at Hillsboro Stadium where the course is fairly flat and features a mix of grass, pavement and dirt (or mud). In the evening following the race, organizers are throwing a party to awards for the Cross Crusade Series and USGP champs.

As has been the case throughout the series, the USGP is partnering with Clif Bar to present the Clif Bar Start Global Cooling Program -- a series-specific sustainability and green-up program that will enable the USGP to leave its race venues in as good, if not better, condition than when arrived. All riders and spectators will have the opportunity to purchase a “Cool Tag” at registration that will enable them to offset the climate impact of traveling to the race with the ultimate goal of making the series "climate neutral".

STANDINGS

Heading into the final weekend, it’s Ryan Trebon (Kona) in the lead on the Men’s side. Trebon has been dominant in the series taking three or the four wins thus far. Despite his current number one ranking, Trebon must have a strong showing this weekend to keep the leader’s jersey and take the USGP crown. Tim Johnson (Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld.com), with three second place finishes in the series, only trails Trebon by 30 points. Trebon’s Kona teammate Barry Wicks is also within striking distance only 40 points back.

On the women’s side it’s an even closer race. Series leader Georgia Gould (Luna) holds a miniscule four point advantage over reining USGP champ Lyne Bessette (Cyclocrossworld.com). Gould’s teammate Katerina Nash sits in third and will be a factor in the outcome of the weekend’s races as team tactics will come into play. Katie Compton (Spike) may have a difficult time contending for the series crown after missing the first two USGP races but should be a huge factor in the strategy and outcome of this weekend’s races and the series.

The official sponsors of the 2006 US Gran Prix of Cyclocross series include Crank Brothers, VeloNews, Clif Bar, SRAM, Ridley, Selle Italia, Challenge Tires, Yakima, Cyclocrossworld.com, Mavic, Verge Sport, BikeReg.com, adidas and AbbiOrca.com Photography.

For more information on the 2006 Crank Brothers US Gran Prix of Cyclocross please visit www.usgpcyclocross.com.

About the U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross
Teaming with prominent promoters in strong cycling markets and working in conjunction with USA Cycling and the UCI, US Gran Prix of Cyclocross attracts the best riders in North America to the series. For more information, visit www.usgpcyclocross.com.

###
Contacts:
Bruce Fina
U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross
Mobile: +43-676-444-2003

Ed Donovan
for U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross
610-220-1441

Montana Cross Results for MBRA #7

Only 1 race to go in the Montana Cyclocross Series, it is this weekend, check the calendar to the right for all the details.

Here are the results from the penultimate race. Cross Doctor, Geoff Proctor (MONTANA VELO), throws down and gets ready for the end of the season peak.

Cat 1/2/3 Men
1 Geoffrey Proctor -- Montana Velo
2 Phil Grove -- Broadmark
3 Frank Gonzalez -- Great Divide Cycling Club
4 Tim Noonan -- Flathead Cycling
5 Shaun Radley -- U of Montana Cycling Team
6 Tomas Dumbrovsky -- GAS/Heritage Homes

Cat 4 Men
1 Rick Finely -- Great Divide Cycling Club
2 John Tirrell -- Echelon
3 Jeremy Williams -- Montana State U Cycling
4 Patrick Williams -- Unattached

Master Men
1 William Martin -- Unattached
2 John Weyhrich -- Team Stampede/Five Valley Velo
3 Scot Smith -- Yellowstone Valley CC
4 Peter Barquin -- Cole Sport
5 John Coulthard -- Highlands Cycling Club
6 David Schoening -- Alan Factory Team

almost tapped out

What’s left on tap for this cyclocross season in the great Pacific Northwest?

At best count, there are only 12 races left in the 2006 season. Here is the breakdown:

USGP – the two biggest races of the season are this Saturday in Lakewood, WA and Sunday in Hillsboro, OR (USGP finals!)

Washington – 3 races remain in the Seattle Cyclocross Series and then there is Belly Cross which will be held in Bellingham the Saturday after Thanksgiving

Oregon – Outlaw Cross will finish their 5 race series this Saturday at Tom Pearce Park and Kruger’s Crossing will be held the first weekend in December on Sauvie Island

Idaho – the last race in the Idaho Cross series, Eagle Island Race #4, takes place this Saturday

Montana – 3 races remaining, the last race in the MBRA Cross series is this Sunday and then there is a two-race nationals prep series in Helena on November 25th and December 2nd

After the northwest season has concluded, maddog202020 will be covering top NW athletes as they compete at Nationals in Rhode Island and as they then head off to Europe for the annual Holiday Cross Camp in Belgium and finally Worlds which also takes place in Belgium this year.

season perspective

Well, the season has turned a corner of sorts. The number of races in the Northwest in each of the remaining weekends is quickly dwindling. Some series have already wrapped it up for the season (why Cross Crusade, WHY???) and others only have a few races remaining.

With the weather turning particularly nasty (read: great ‘cross weather) in the last week or two, it beckons the question: Why does ‘cross season end so early in the northwest (and the entire US for that matter) when compared to Europe where they race strong through December and January and wrap up their season in late January/early February? Things may change if the USCF conforms to UCI guidelines and hosts our national championships more in-line with the countries of Europe. Given the rapid growth and popularity of ‘cross on this side of the pond, most series could either start later in the fall and/or add additional races to extend their series into late December or early January. There are some successful series that are held after our US nationals but they are mainly held in more temperate climates (i.e. North Carolina, Florida and California.) Nationals are being held a week later this year than compared to past years, December 15-17, in Providence, RI, yet that is still several weeks early compared to Europe which contests their national championships during the first weekend of January.

Here’s hoping to a longer ‘cross season. Is it possible to have too much of a good thing? We think not.

Comment or criticisms? Hit us with your thoughts at maddog202020@gmail.com.

Vancouver Island Jungle Cross race report

Race #4 in the Island Cup Cross Series 2006 - Fletcher’s Farm
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Fletcher’s Farm: Jungle Cross

Conditions: Raining or threatening to rain. 6 degrees. Mud. Fields. Wet; perfect for cross racing!

The day after the National Champs.

So we don’t need to get into too much details about it. We just want to say that we thought that the whole event went over very well. We were very happy with the turn out of racers. We were pumped on how many cyclists and non-cyclists came out to watch. Even the head administrator of Nanaimo was out!! We were excited to see so many great races. We will be firing out a little survey to the racers to get their feedback and constructive criticism over the next week after we get some sleep! Even the social last night at the Howard Johnson was really well attended and everyone enjoyed the food and chatted up the day’s action.

All that was well and good but we had another race to put on. WHY did we do this to ourselves we asked as we dragged our butts out of bed this morning! It is because this is cross and cross is not for whimps!! We do it for the love of the sport.

The last race in our first ever series. The last race in the province of BC for the year. So we headed out to Fletchers Farms in Errington (near Parksville) to set up the course at the crack of 8:00am.

Upon arrival Hugh Fletcher showed us the course he had chosen and mowed through two of his fields. Zig-Zags and in the lower one….well it was getting “soft”. We did a walk through of the Poplar Farm next to Fletchers’ property and saw a bit of mud and one suprize. The creek that was totally dry on previous occasions of course scouting was now just over rubber boot height. This course was going to rule!

With the arrival of the Adidas RV and an extra box of prizes for us we knew that we had to add one more element. So after everyone was in position we asked them to drop their bikes and the LeMans start was set into place. One lap of the driveway and back onto the last part of the course and onto your bikes. The reward: Adidas Swag. That was motivation for some of the fastest action of the day!

93 Riders making this the biggest Cross on the Rock race ever and the second biggest cross race on Vancouver Island after the National Champs. Lots of prizes as well as the series prizes (with this race double points) on the line = exciting racing.

Race #2: Master Men (5 Laps)
In the competitive Masters category Andrew Brown (Dalvay/Taylors) of Courtenay took the Adidas LeMans Prime with a final burst of speed. The first Lap Lighthouse Breweries Prime was taken by series leader, Robin Dutton (Arrowsmith Bikes) with a first split of 9:50. Dutton continued to lead until the third lap when he was forced to stop and fix a slipping saddle. This allowed Robert Orange (Ride with Rendall) of Chelsea, Quebec to lay down a super fast lap and take over the lead. Coming in second was Brown and rounding off the podium was Steve Murray from Squamish. Dutton held onto 5th place to claim the series.

Race #2: Women (5 Laps)
Using her triathlon skills, Dawn Berg, (Oak Bay Bikes) from Victoria led out the LeMans to take home a pair of Adidas SuperNova Shoes. A thirsty Lisa Ludwig (Oak Bay Bikes) rocked the first lap to win the Lighthouse Breweries 12 pack. Then 4th place Nationals Finisher, Tara Ross (Cheerwine) from Dundas made her move on the 3rd of 5 laps laying down the fastest women’s lap of 8:23 to take over the lead. Enjoying the lead SO much she decided to hold it until the end. Pulling 2nd place was Kelly Jones (Sugoi) of Vancouver and holding onto 3rd was Ludwig.

For the series it came to a tie between Lisa Ludwig and Trish Sinclair (Scott) both having the same points. Based on today’s placing Ludwig took the first ever Vancouver Island Cross series for the girls. Without the LeMans Start it may have been different as Trish had her ankle taped from an injury yesterday and found it very difficult to run.

Race #3: Expert Men (7 Laps)
Ouch! Well as usual I can’t report on too much that went on in this race. Personally the week of nationals preparations as well as yesterday’s race finally took their toll. When Wendy Simms (Kona) went by me 2 minutes into the race and yelled. “It’s On” I tried to stay with her but just kept moving backwards. My legs, arms and lungs were at the end of their energy and I was spent. I was quite happy to turn a 10:22 6th lap in order to both warm down and allow the leaders to go by me so I did not have to go out again….I love cross but I was toast! I appreciated all the spectators letting me know that a) I was the 2nd place women and b) that my wife was kicking my ass…..for that “thanks”.

WAY up front Michael Garrigan (HB Cycling Club) wailed on both the LeMans run for the Adidas shoes as well as the first lap prime for the Lighthouse Breweries 12 pack. Then he just started turning over some fast laps but Kris Sneddon (Kona) was aiming for him. Just compare these laps for Garrigan:
1: 7:39 7:39
2: 7:26 15:04
3: 7:31 22:34
4: 7:30 30:04
5: 7:28 37:31
6: 7:33 45:03
7: 7:46 52:48

Compared to Sneddon:
1: 7:50 7:50
2: 7:31 15:21
3: 7:21 22:42
4: 7:35 30:16
5: 7:28 37:43
6: 7:29 45:12
7: 7:36 52:47

In the end Sneddon outspinted Garrigan on the final straight to take the win. Nick Friesen (Pedalhead) from Red Dear took third 1:19 back. Simms finished in 12th 4:40 back of the 4th place finisher in the men’s elite nationals…..!!!

The series was won by Troy Woodburn (Giga Bike) of Victoria.

Summing up
Today was truly a race for racers. Low key. Great Course. Mud. BBQ. Music. Food. Great Prizes. Lots of racers. Lots of people helping out with the race and the clean up and just having a great time hanging out with like minded friend.

Information:
Full results and the prize list for this event will be posted here.

USGP Lakewood Race Preview

US Gran Prix of Cyclocross, Race #5 - Lakewood
November 18th, 2006
Fort Steilacoom, Lakewood, Washington

This is a great article from the official race website:

History of the Race

The Rad Racing Cup of Cyclo-cross was the brainchild of Rad Racing's Jim Brown. The race was developed to bring a professional level cylco-cross race to the Pacific Northwest, and to help raise money for Rad Racing NW Junior Cycling.

The dual purpose of the event was to draw the best riders from around the nation to compete in a world class UCI sanctioned cyclo-cross event and give West Coast racers a local race at which they could have a fair chance at qualifying for National Team selection.

In 2003 the event drew former World Champion Erwin Vervecken from Belgium, thus taking cyclo-cross to a level of competition never before seen on the West Coast of the United States. In 2004 International cyclo-cross star and Italian National Champion Danielle Pontoni competed in the Rad Racing Cup of Cyclo-cross further elevating the importance of this race in US Cyclo-cross. In each year of existence, the Rad Racing Cup Cyclo-cross has attracted the top US racers to the event making it a vital component of the US cyclo-cross calendar.

In 2004 the event was awarded UCI Category 1 status making it the highest UCI ranked cyclo-cross event in the US. In addition to the elevated status with the UCI, USA Cycling and The US Gran Prix selected our event as one of six US National Series (USGP). This new concept from USA Cycling drew the best riders from all over the country to the races as they competed for positions on the World Championships Team which was selected from the US National Series results.

In 2005 the event was once again a UCI Cat-1 race, and stop #2 in the USGP of Cyclo-cross. The tough course at FT Steilacoom did not disappoint and the Elite men's race was one of the most exciting in recent memory with Mark McCormack taking the win.

The event has also helped to bring national and international attention to the host club "Rad Racing NW". Rad has benefited in many ways by hosting this race, first and foremost it has been a generator of cash revenue for the program. Secondly there has been significant national and international press on the event which has driven web traffic to the Rad Racing website increasing its reputation as one of the top junior programs in the country. Thirdly the event has brought the best of the best together, Rad team members have had the chance to compete against the best junior riders in the country right in their back yard, they have also had the chance to see and meet some of the best professional riders in the world.

The Race

The race venue is located at beautiful Fort Steilacoom Park in Lakewood, Washington and has been a mainstay course of Seattle's cyclo-cross scene for 15 years. The course consists of 30% pavement and 50% dirt with a long start/finish paved section where wind can be a factor in the race. There is a high content of sand in the soil and the course soaks up water very well, mud will not be a factor in this fast hard race. Top lap times in 2005 hovered around 7 minutes for Elite men.

The start/finish is straight tarmac, from the gun riders will travel 150 meters before the first soft right hand turn, the course winds around the barns and expo area and Pit #1 and then opens up to a fast paved section along the lake before tackling the courses toughest feature and crowd favorite.

The "Kona - Knapp Run-up" is 80 meters of thigh busting, steep run-up that is a huge hit with the fans. At the top of the run-up the climbing continues rolling up to the top of the park. This section is where Erwin Vervecken made his move to win the 2003 race and Adam Craig to win the 2004 race.

A high speed technical descent follows and winds around "the ruins" which features one hard hairpin corner to head back down to the central venue past Pit #2 and back to the start/finish.

The race drew 300 competitors and over 1500 spectators in 2004. In 2005 the number of racers increased to over 400 with riders from 18 states and 3 Canadian Provinces.

Expected National Riders:
Ryan Trebon, Barry Wicks, Mark McCormack, Adam Craig, Dale Knapp, Jesse Anthony, Geoff Kabush, Erik Tonkin, Jonny Sundt, Brent Bookwalter, Ann Knapp, and Wendy Simms.
Local Heroes: Dale and Ann Knapp

Presenting Sponsor: Seasoned Skewers - www.seasonedskewers.com
Supporting Sponsors: Kona, Crank Brothers, Adidas, Mavic, Shimano, Rudy Project, Ritchey, Voler, Fi'zi:k, Clif Bar, FSA, Thule, Schwalbe, Pryme, TUFO, USA Cycling Development Foundation.


Rad Racing NW Junior Development

100% of the profits from the Rad Racing Cup of Cyclo-cross go directly to the Rad Racing NW Junior Development Cycling Team. Rad Racing NW was named 2003 USA Cycling Junior "Club Of The Year" and was also designated in 2002, 2003, and 2004 as a USA Cycling "Center For Excellence". Rad Racing is a 501(c)3 Non profit organization which is staffed 100% by volunteers.

Rad Racing Northwest began in 1998 with a small group of local racers with a desire to create a bike racing team where the focus is on kids, and only kids. They saw that the future of the sport depends on creating opportunities for kids to enter into bike racing and support them through the demands and expense of training, racing, equipment, and travel.

Bike racing is a sport demanding dedication to training and a healthy lifestyle. Blending the demands of a kid's everyday life with the dedication needed for bike racing can be a challenge in itself. The founders of the club created an atmosphere of family, support, and education for new and experienced racers we still hold today.

The current generation of kids has too many opportunities to be inactive: TV, video games, and computers, just to name a few. Many schools put physical education as the last priority by cutting the programs to help their budgets. Private organizations must step up and provide the opportunities for kids to learn to be physically active and to teach them the value of making it a part of their lifestyle throughout their life. Rad Racing Northwest is dedicated to forming a lasting love of athletics and instilling social and moral values to all of our kids.

Our mission is to teach young people life lessons through the sport of cycling, and to develop top level regional, national, and international junior cyclists. We provide a platform to help young people achieve their own personal goals in life and in competition. A healthy, drug free, structured environment with solid adult mentorship focused on teaching life lessons and skills through sport, is the largest piece of Rad Racing Northwest's mission.

Integrity, Goal Setting, Sportsmanship, Citizenship, Honesty, Leadership, Responsibility, and Wellness are among the skills we emphasize.

Check out all there is to know about Rad Racing NW at their website.

Cross Crusade Senior Men FINAL Series Standings

Overall Senior Men A final series standings have been calculated and congrats go to Carl Decker (GIANT) for his fine performance in the 2006 Cross Crusade series.

1 Carl Decker -- 130 points
2 Shannon Skerritt -- 112
3 Kevin Hulick -- 71
4 Erik Tonkin -- 66
5 Zach Winter -- 64
6 Ian Brown -- 59
7 Adam McGrath -- 57
8 Molly Cameron -- 56
9 Matthew Slaven -- 55
10 Chris Brandt -- 53
11 Mark Blackwelder -- 51
12 Jeffrey McNamee -- 51
13 Evan Plews -- 46
14 Brett Nichols -- 40
15 Michael Sallashea -- 39
16 Damian Schmitt -- 35
17 Carson Miller -- 25
18 Jonathan Smith -- 24
19 David Pilz -- 21
20 Chad Swanson -- 19

Canadian Cyclocross Nationals Videos

Each video is approximately 4+ minutes in length. Start with video #1 at the top and work your way down to see all the coverage of Saturday’s National Cyclocross Championships held at Beban Park on Vancouver Island.

Part I


Part II


Part III


Part IV

Cross Crusade – Estacada

Cross Crusade – Estacada
Sunday, November 12th
Timber Park, Estacada, OR
Oregon State Cyclocross Championships & Cross Crusade Finale

Carl Decker (GIANT) and Rhonda Mazza (TEAM S&M/VANILLA) are the state champions in the Senior Men A and Senior Women A categories respectively for the beautiful state of Oregon. In the Master Men A division, epic hardman John McCaffrey (BICYCLEATTORNEY.COM) took home the state title.

Men A
1 Decker Carl -- Giant (8 Laps)
2 Skerritt Shannon -- Vanilla Bicycles
3 McGrath Adam -- Team Maxxis
4 Tonkin Erik -- Kona
5 Hulick Kevin -- Vanilla Bicycles
6 Brandt Chris -- Collin's Cycle Shop
7 Blackwelder Mark -- Veloshop
8 McNamee Jeffrey -- bicycleattorney.com
9 Brown Ian -- River City Bicycles
10 Slaven Matthew -- Kona
11 Winter Zach -- Guinness Cycling Team
12 Schmitt Damian -- Hagen Bermann LLP
13 Miller Cary -- Team S&M
14 Nichols Brett -- River City Bicycles
15 Plews Evan -- Capitol Subaru
16 Swanson Chad -- Team S&M
17 Volcano Timmy -- Rebound Physical Therapy
18 Smith Jonathan -- Team S&M
19 Ellin Brian -- Veloshop
20 Carlile Scott -- Sunnyside Sports

Women A
1 Mazza Rhonda -- Team S&M/Vanilla (5 Laps)
2 Williams Wendy -- River City Bicycles
3 Butler Sue -- River City Bicycles
4 Stoick Bridgette -- River City Bicycles
5 Dance Dani -- River City Bicycles
6 Pennington Alice -- Desalvo Custom Cycles Racing
7 Brubaker Tina -- Vanilla Bicycles
8 Fournier Sami -- Sunnyside Sports
9 Kelsey Kristen -- bicycleattorney.com
10 Kunz Kori -- Poplollies
11 Faris Megan -- River City Bicycles
12 Alvares Marila -- Sorella Forte
13 Vega Veronica -- Sunnyside Sports
14 Sanborn Melissa -- Wenzel Coaching
15 Alexander Nicole -- none


Master Men A
1 McCaffrey John -- bicycleattorney.com (8 Laps)
2 Bravard John -- Half Fast Velo
3 Bannink Jeffrey -- Bike Gallery
4 Quirk Dan -- Veloce/Felt
5 Baker Martin -- bicycleattorney.com
6 Hendricks Tre -- Disco Velo
7 Mitchem John -- Casa Bruno
8 Anderson Brody -- River City Bicycles
9 Leitheiser Ian -- Half Fast Velo (7 Laps)
10 Talbert Greg -- Art by Opsal
11 Butler Tim -- River City Bicycles
12 Benderly Ken -- bicycleattorney.com
13 Diviney David -- Half Fast Velo
14 Wilson John -- EWEB Windpower
15 Evans Doug -- bicycleattorney.com
16 Alling Chris -- Fred Meyer/Lakeside Cycling Team
17 Voldengen Erik -- Beaverton Bicycle Club
18 Engstrom David -- Cycle Analysis
19 Hoyer Brooke -- Tireless Velo
20 Goritski Bill -- Tireless Velo

As always, for all results for every single category from beginners to single speed to unicycle, just click here.

Cross Crusade Barton Park Video

Enjoy all that rocky goodness…

Vancouver Island Jungle Cross results

Cross on the Rocks #4 - JungleCross
November 12, 2006 - Parksville, BC
Vancouver Island

The day after the Canadian National Championships were held on Vancouver Island, the competitors that still had a bit left in their legs showed up for the 4th and final race in the Vancouver Island Cross on the Rocks series. This week’s version, entitled “Jungle Cross” did not disappoint with Tara Ross (CHEERWINE) and Kris Sneddon (KONA) taking the victories.

Elite Women
1 Tara Ross -- Cheerwine 45:23
2 Kelly Jones -- Sugoi Factory Team 45:30
3 Lisa Ludwig -- Oak Bay Bikes 45:42
4 Dawn Berg -- Oak Bay Bikes 46:29
5 Sandra Walter -- XO/felt 48:40
6 Patricia Sinclair -- Scott 48:53
7 Karen Watson -- McMaster Cycling Club 50:17
8 Jaymie McGowan -- Oak Bay Bikes 51:12
9 Jenny Trew -- Team Giant 51:28
10 Brandy Svenson -- Arrowsmith 52:41

Elite Men
1 Kris Sneddon -- Kona 52:47
2 Michael Garrigan -- HB Cycling Club 52:48
3 Nick Friesen -- Pedalhead 54:20
4 Kevin Noiles -- Masi-Adobe 54:59
5 David Couglin -- Aquila Racing 55:28
6 Nathan Chow -- Cyclissimo/Kona 56:05
7 Garrett McLeod -- Wolfville Annapolis Valley CC 56:28
8 Craig Hawkes -- The Cyclery 56:58
9 Andre Sutton -- Hardcore 57:07
10 Troy Woodburn -- GigaBike 57:28
11 Chris McNeil -- Canary Cycle 57:37
12 Wendy Simms -- Kona 57:41
13 Rob Gosselin -- Atomic 58:26 5
14 Stephen Proulx -- The Cyclery 58:46
15 Menno Jongsma -- Frontrunners 58:47

Inland NW CX Series FINALE weekend

Inland NW CX Series Race #8
Riverstone Development, Coeur d'Alene, ID
Saturday, November 11th

Kevin Bradford-Parish (KBP) (REDLINE) swept another weekend of racing in the Inland Empire, capturing first place at Saturday’s race in CDA and again at Sunday’s race in Spokane. Shannon Holden (VELO BELLA) and Jenni Gaertner (VERTICAL EARTH) split the honors on the women’s side.

KBP’s off-the-front racing was not good enough to garner the overall title though. That went to Mike Gaertner (VERTICAL EARTH) who took first in the overall series over his teammate Kris Holden. Jenni Gaertner (VERTICAL EARTH) won the women’s overall title barely defeating Shannon Holden (VELO BELLA). Are you noticing a theme here?

Men A
1 Kevin Bradford-Parish -- Redline
2 Mike Gaertner -- Vertical Earth
3 Kris Holden -- Vertical Earth
4 Shawn Howard -- W.A.R.
5 Mark Knokey -- Axley-USA
6 Thomas Butler -- Wheatland Wheelers/Lecole 41
7 Jason Jablonski -- Arlberg Sports
8 Ben Rhodes -- WSU Cycling
9 Chris Kelsey -- North Division Bicycles
10 Doug Krumpelman -- Vertical Earth
11 Bruce Johnson -- North Division Bicycles
12 Ted Chauvin -- Hagens-Berman LLP
13 Dan Rud -- Mtn. View Cyclery
14 Uli Salas Vega -- Emde Sports/Fitness Fanatics
15 Paul Thompson -- Pazzo Velo
16 Jeffrey Eifert -- Arlberg Sports


Women A
1 Shannon Holden -- Velo Bella
2 Allison Beall -- Emde Sports/Fitness Fanatics
3 Erika Krumplemann -- Velo Bella
4 Jenni Gaertner -- Vertical Earth
5 Becky Suttlemyre -- Vertical Earth
6 Shannon Burgess -- Vertical Earth

Inland NW CX Series Race #9
Highbridge Park, Spokane, WA ** SERIES FINALS **
Sunday, November 12th

Men A
1 Kevin Bradford-Parish -- Redline
2 Mike Gaertner -- Vertical Earth
3 Kris Holden -- Vertical Earth
4 Shawn Howard -- W.A.R.
5 Soren Klingsporn -- Hagens-Berman LLP
6 Chris Kelsey -- North Division Bicycles
7 Doug Krumpelman -- Vertical Earth
8 Duncan McGovern -- Whitman College
9 Jake McBurns -- none
10 Mark Knokey -- Axley-USA
11 Thomas Butler -- Wheatland Wheelers/Lecole 41
12 Dan Rud -- Mtn View Cyclery
13 Ted Chauvin -- Hagens-Berman LLP
14 Uli Salas Vega -- Emde Sports/Fitness Fanatics

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


FINAL Series Standings for the Inland NW Cyclocross Series

Men A
1 Mike Gaertner -- Vertical Earth
2 Kris Holden -- Vertical Earth
3 Mark Knokey -- Axley-USA
4 Shawn Howard -- W.A.R.
5 Kevin Bradford-Parish -- Redline
6 Thomas Butler -- Wheatland Wheelers/Lecole 41
7 Duncan McGovern -- Whitman College
8 Eric Anderson -- North Division Bicycles
9 Doug Krumpelman -- Vertical Earth
10 Dan Rud -- Mtn. View Cyclery
11 Ted Chauvin -- Hagens-Berman LLP
12 Soren Klingsporn -- Hagens-Berman LLP
13 Chris Kelsey -- North Division Bicycles
14 Uli Salas Vega -- Emde Sports/Fitness Fanatics
15 James Barton -- Emde Sports/Fitness Fanatics
16 Paul Nelson -- Baddlands
17 Cameron York -- Wheelsport
18 Bruce Johnson -- North Division Bicycles
19 Jeffrey Eifert -- Arlberg Sports
20 Jake McBurns -- none

Women A
1 Jenni Gaertner -- Vertical Earth
2 Shannon Holden -- Velo Bella
3 Allison Beall -- Emde Sports/Fitness Fanatics
4 Erika Krumplemann -- Velo Bella
5 Kari Bolton -- Ti-Cycles
6 Connie Kubu -- North Division Bicycles
7 Shannon Burgess -- Vertical Earth
8 Becky Suttlemyre -- Vertical Earth
9 Jill Wright -- none
10 Hope Chamberlin -- Escapados

Check out all the series standings as well as results for individual races here.

Euro-trash

Nice to see even the top European pros have a bit of trouble with the mud…and what’s the deal with that run-up???? Video of yesterday’s world cup race in Pijnacker, Netherlands.

Montana Cross series update

photo credit: Ed Collier

Due to a number of factors, the folks in Missoula have decided to join forces and focus on bringing one, good, last race to the Montana racing community for the year. 'Cross Races #8 and #9 will be combined (sort of). We will hold a single race (MBRA 'Cross Race #9) on Sunday, November 19. The course will be at Fort Missoula. An official race flier will be sent out in the near future.

Outlaw Cross – Emigrant Lake

Outlaw Cross – Emigrant Lake
Race #4 out of the 5 race series

Here are the results for Saturday’s race at Emigrant Lake. Next week is the series finale at Tom Pearce Park. Be there or be outlawed!

Senior Men A
1 Riddle Nathan -- Wilderness Trail Bikes
2 Huber Geoff -- Raleigh
3 Churchill Scott -- DeSalvo Custom Frames
4 Maluk Stephen -- Etna Brewing/Desalvo Custom Cycles
5 Hogan Richard -- Cycle Analysis
6 Perrin Bear -- Etna Brewing/Desalvo Custom Cycles
7 Grey Spencer -- Cycle Analysis

Senior Women A
1 Green Kristi -- Etna Brewing/Desalvo Custom Cycles
2 Margulies Becca -- none

Idaho Toys for Tots Cross

Idaho Toys for Tots Cross
Sandy Point Race Series presented by Tates Rents #2
Saturday, November 11th
Lucky Peak Reservoir


Saturday was the first of two races this past weekend of the Sandy Point Race Series (presented by Tates Rents!!). The race was for a great cause as each competitor was encouraged to bring an unwrapped toy for the Toys for Tots drive. Richard Feldman (DURANCE) shows his fitness is coming into form as the season reaches its peak.

Men A
1 Richard Feldman 1:06:22
2 Brandon Akers 1:07:24
3 Alex Ebright 1:08:46
4 Shawn Mitchell 1:08:46
5 Engin Yesilyemis 1:11:08

Women A
1 Lorien Lightfield 48:08
2 Rebecca Gross 52:27

All the results for all categories can be found here.

Canadian National Championships

Canadian National Championships
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Beban Park, Vancouver Island, BC

CanadianCyclist.com - Greg Reain (Stevens Racing) flew all the way from Germany to Vancouver Island to finally grab the national cyclo-cross title which has eluded him up until now. Reain rode from the front all race to win ahead of the chasing Maxxis duo of Geoff Kabush and Mat Toulouse. In the women's race, Lyne Bessette (Cyclocrossworld.com) successfully defended her title against local favourite Wendy Simms (Kona).

Organizer Normon Thibault (Frontrunners) designed a technical and demanding circuit of 2.8 kilometres, which favoured riders who rode from the front. From the start, the riders zig-zagged their way around the upper portion of the course before dropping down a descent and onto a BMX track for a lap. The bumps and berms threw some riders off their rhythm. Exiting the BMX circuit, the course cut across to a run-up; made muddy by days of rain prior to the race. A straight piece of singletrack took the riders over to a set of stairs, and then into a horse barn for a pair of barricades. Leaving the barn was one last slog through a soft, loamy horse paddock before the final 500 metres on pavement to the line.

"It's an awesome course," commented Bessette "but there is nowhere to rest or to do a straight on fast turn of power. All those turns mean you need to be totally focused, and once someone gets a gap it is very hard to close it up again."

For every race on the day except the women's, the winning tactic was to go to the front and open up a gap, forcing your competitors to chase. The Masters titles were all won by solo rides - including Thibault's successful defence of his 30-39 age category title.

For the women, it was a little different, since Bessette couldn't drop Simms right away. Bessette hasn't been racing on the road, so admitted "I don't have as much snap in my legs. But Wendy is so much better technically than me that I had to make sure that I got in front before the technical sections, otherwise if I made a mistake she could have gotten away."

"I saw that I was doing the run-up better than she was - I got a little gap then I would back off at the top - so I went on the last lap when she had some trouble in the sand and opened it up some more on the climb."

Simms, while disappointed not to win in front of her hometown crowd of Nanaimo, agreed with Bessette's analysis. "I wanted it in front of the home crowd, but I was realistic going in - Lyne is super strong. She was definitely stronger on the run-up, and she was covering everything I did, so I decided just to sit on for a while. I hit something in the sand and a little gap opened, which took up my energy to catch before the run-up, and I had nothing left to go with her there."

Mountain biker Mical Dyck (Team Alberta) rode steadily in third all race to take the bronze medal, while Tara Ross (Cheerwine) dropped companion Kelly Jones (Sugoi) in the final lap for fourth.

In the men's race, Reain used his European racing fitness to charge away from the field at the start, avoiding the bottleneck which formed going into the first set of corners. Kabush, the 2004 champion, was quite not so lucky, hitting the first set of corners in eighth, and using up energy to work his way into second.

"I got swarmed at the start, and Greg got off the front, and that was the gap. It wasn't much, but on this course it was enough. Then, for the first three or four laps, I was waiting a bit for (teammate) Mat (Toulouse) to bridge up, but he couldn't quite get there. I think I hesitated too much in the first half of the race. I was chasing and riding well, but Greg is going very strong now. This obviously wasn't what I had hoped for."

Reain admitted that he wasn't sure how his tactics would work. "I've been struggling with the best tactics here. Mat and Geoff are really strong, so I didn't want to let it turn into a tactical race with the two of them. I decided to go from the start, and 'if it works, it works'. Plus, after all the rain and mud this week, it was definitely better to ride from the front."

Reain also pointed to his European racing schedule for his improved fitness. "I've been racing there most of the season, including the road season, and I did three stage races, which really got my fitness up. This is clearly my best result ever in 'Cross - it's a really big thing to be able to go back to Europe with the national champion's jersey."

Race Notes

- Reain commented on the controversy which has surrounded his Stevens Racing Team after reports of doping came out, and the sponsors announced that they would be pulling the plug on the team. "When I first heard about it, through the news, it bothered me a lot. But the reality is that it won't affect my racing this year, so I started to feel better and be able to concentrate on my racing."

- Kyle Douglas (3 Rox Racing) decimated the Espoir field, with a 30 second gap after the first lap, which stretched to over a minute by the finish. "I haven't raced any of these guys before, so I didn't know quite what to expect. I decided it was best to go to the front and set my own pace." Douglas confirmed that he will go to Worlds.

- A collection of past and present Canadian cycling stars came out to watch the Nationals - including Alison Sydor, Chrissy Redden and Roland Green. Both Redden and Green will become first time parents next year - Green in January and Redden late May.

Here are all the results for the National Championships.

Check out the great photos of the racing action.

Elite Men
1 Greg Reain -- Stevens Racing 58:16
2 Geoff Kabush -- Maxxis 58:36 (0:20)
3 Mathieu Toulouse -- Maxxis 1:00:03 (1:47)
4 Kris Sneddon -- Kona Les Gets 1:00:35 (2:19)
5 Michael Garrigan -- HB Cycling Club 1:00:48 (2:32)
6 Andrew Pinfold -- Symmetrics Cycling 1:01:44 (3:28)
7 Ryan Hopping -- Redbike 1:01:46 (3:30)
8 Mathew Hewitt -- Oak Bay Bicycles 1:02:05 (3:49)
9 Andreas Hestler --Rocky Mountain-Bus 1:02:09 (3:53)
10 Kevin Noiles -- Masi/Adobe 1:02:46 (4:30)
11 David Coughlin -- Aquila Racing 1:02:47 (4:31)
12 Osmond Bakker -- The Cyclery 1:02:57 (4:41)
13 Nathan Chown -- Cyclissimo/KONA 1:03:04 (4:48)
14 Daniel MacDonald -- Bike Barn 1:03:05 (4:49)
15 Julian Hine -- The Cyclery 1:03:06 (4:50)

Elite Women
1 Lyne Bessette -- Cyclocrossworld.com 37:31
2 Wendy Simms -- Kona 37:39 (0:08)
3 Mical Dyck -- Team Alberta 39:16 (1:45)
4 Tara Ross -- Cheerwine 39:16 (1:45)
5 Kelly Jones -- Sugoi Factory Team 39:43 (2:12)
6 Lisa Ludwig -- Oak Bay Bikes 40:38 (3:07)
7 Amanda Shaw -- Biovail 41:02 (3:31)
8 Dawn Berg -- Oak Bay Bikes 41:06 (3:35)
9 Jenny Trew -- Team Giant 42:21 (4:50)
10 Leah Guloien -- Team Sugoi/Giant 42:23 (4:52)
11 Sandra Walter -- XO-Felt 42:36 (5:05)
12 Patricia Sinclair -- Scott 42:50 (5:19)
13 Sarah Stewart -- Wedgewood Cycling 42:58 (5:27)
14 Christy Love -- Sugoi Factory Team 43:04 (5:33)
15 Karen Watson -- McMaster Cycling 43:33 (6:02)

Seattle Series - Evergreen

One of the most popular stops in the Seattle series, Evergreen High School provided a wide-open style of racing yesterday with a bit of technical riding and a painful power run-up and off-camber downhill. All the recent rain turned the course into a very muddy affair. The speeds were slower than in previous years due to the wet and muddy conditions. Ann Knapp (KONA) and Morgan Schmitt (HAGENS BERMAN/RIDLEY) captured the 1/2 titles for the men and women. Doug Reid (VELOCE) took first in the Master Men 1/2 and also has the lead in the overall series for that category. By clicking on the link, you can see all the results for yesterday’s race at Evergreen.

The Seattle Cyclocross Series takes a few weeks off for the USGP weekend and Thanksgiving. The series returns the first weekend in December for the Fort Flager Cross Festival weekend with races #7 and #8 taking place that weekend of December 2nd and 3rd.

Women 1/2
1 Ann Knapp -- Kona 47:49 (6 laps - avg lap 7:58)
2 Kristi Berg -- Group Health 48:49
3 Ingrid Spies -- Recycled Cycles 51:14
4 Jadine Riley -- Group Health 51:36
5 Lea Stralka -- BYR 44:54 (5 laps )
6 Jodi Hess -- Avanti Ti Cycles 45:47

Men 1/2
1 Morgan Schmitt -- Hagens Berman/Ridley 54:37 (8 laps - avg lap 6:49)
2 Ryan Iddings -- Redline 55:26
3 Daniel Neyens -- Hagens Berman/Ridley 55:26
4 Ian Mackie -- BRI 56:18
5 Dale Knapp -- KONA 56:28
6 Loren Hanson -- BRI 56:40
7 Ronnie Schmeer -- Art By Opsal 57:09
8 Mark Hanson -- BRI 57:42
9 Dave Richter -- Redline 58:13
10 Nicholas Weighall -- Alan Factory 58:14
11 Steve Fisher -- Rad Racing NW 58:18
12 Sean Worsech -- Rad Racing NW 58:18
13 Tucker Thomas -- Rad Racing NW 58:45
14 Josh Squier -- Recycled Cycles 59:11
15 Mike Fusaro -- BRI 59:52

Master Men 1/2
1 Doug Reid -- Veloce Cycles 59:20 (8 laps - avg lap 7:25)
2 Randy Iddings -- Redline 59:27
3 Tom Phillips -- Ragnarok 59:30
4 Kenny Williams -- 1st Rate Mortgage 1:00:58
5 Alex Andel -- none 53:50 (7 laps)
6 Andy Dahlstrom -- Ragnarok 54:07
7 Justin Harman -- Ti Cycles 54:19
8 Dan Norton -- Redline 54:22
9 Doug Graver -- Ragnarok 54:33
10 Rick Hansen -- WaMu 55:41
11 Damon Pettinger -- California Giant 56:15
12 David Karman -- Hagens-Berman Cycling 56:19
13 Dave Cook -- Zoka 56:22
14 Steve Jensen -- none 56:43
15 Hahn Rossman -- Alki/Rubicon Racing 57:29