After this week I might need to change the name of this weekly blog post from, "This Week in Road Cycling," to, "This Week in Cyclocross with the Occasional Road Race." We'll see though, that new name seems a little long and confusing.
Anyway...
Local Racing:
Races in October:
-AZ Cyclocross Race #4: Phoenix, AZ- Oct. 25; http://azcross.com/content/races/october_25th2c_2008.aspx
Races in November:
-AZ Cyclocross Race #5: Payson, AZ- Nov. 16; http://www.azcross.com/content/races/november_16th2c_2008.aspx
-AZ Cyclocross Race #6: Phoenix, AZ- Nov. 23; http://www.azcross.com/content/races/november_23rd2c_2008.aspx
Pro Racing:
Road:
Jayco Herald Sun Tour: CSC handed the leaders jersey around amongst themselves for the rest of the week, with Stuart O'Grady finishing off with the win.
Giro di Lombardia: Out in Italy on Saturday, the professional European road racing season came to an official end with the season ending classic the Giro di Lombardia. Also known as the, "Race of the Falling Leaves," Lombardia is a race that is full of history. A look at the hilly profile shows that the race is in the same vein of most classic races like Liege or Amstel Gold. One interesting part of the course is the climb to the Madonna del Ghisallo. The Madonna del Ghisallo is known as the patroness of cycling, and the chapel at the top of the hill is one of the most iconic places in road cycling.
Anyway, the race is the last chance of the year for the strongest riders to make their mark and clean up any unfinished business. The race was controlled by Lampre, the team of last years winner Damiano Cunego. Cunego hasn't really had a great year, with his main goal of the Tour being ruined with some crappy form, as well as a head first dive in stage 18. Needless to say, he was looking for a good ride in order to salvage his season.
Luckily for him the team's hard work payed off and Cunego was able to counterattack a solid move from Chris Horner (Astana), and soloed to the win. This was the third time Cunego has won Lombardia, and with that the season has ended.
No more road news for awhile -- sort of.
Cyclocross:
Kermiscross: 22 year old Niels Albert took an easy win over a strong field in this midweek 'cross race. American Jonathan Page was second.
Kleicross: One day before the first World Cup race of the year, and Sven Nys decided that the season wasn't going to be hard enough. Instead of completely dominating the race and striking fear into the hearts of his rivals, he decided to crash (video) and cut his face on his bike. I'm confident that this was all a strategy to more strongly intimidate his opponents for the coming year. Seriously, it has got to be pretty intimidating to line up at a race with a guy who has replaced one of his eyebrows with stitches.
Cyclo-Cross World Cup #1: I mentioned last week that the Superprestige series is one of two most important race series in the European Cyclocross calendar. Well, the World Cup is the other important series. These races always bring the best riders and result in the hardest racing. This week came down to a sprint finish between Niels Albert and Sven Nys. Nys took the win.
That's all, thanks for reading.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
This Week in Road Cycling: Oct 13 to Oct 19
So the ASU cyclocross was yesterday, and I think it's safe to say it was a hit. I want to thank everyone for coming out and lending a hand. It wouldn't have gone so well without your support. Thanks!
Local Racing:
Week in Review:
-AZ 'Cross Race #3: I don't remember exactly what the results were, but we had a pretty solid group of ASU racers in the men's CAT 4 race (Niko, Wilson, Tim, and Keegan). Congratulations to Niko for completely dominating the men's 4 race and taking a solid win. Congratulations also go to Keegan for completing his first 'cross race. I'll update with more complete results after they have been posted.
Races in October:
-AZ Cyclocross Race #4: Phoenix, AZ- Oct. 25; http://azcross.com/content/races/october_25th2c_2008.aspx
Pro Racing:
Road: There has been a sizable rash of road racing, so I'll try to be thorough without being too long.
-Vuelta a Chicuahua Internacional: This race was pretty much dominated by people who speak Spanish. Seriously, every stage was won by someone from Spain, Mexico, Colombia or Ecuador. I guess that makes sense though, because 12 of the 17 teams in the race were from Spanish speaking countries. Anyway, the race was won by Francisco Mancebo, and on stage 6 someone was murdered by champagne.
-Giro dell'Emilia: This race kicked off the week for the hilly "Fall Classics" They're not really as popular as the Spring Classics, but the Italians like them. Danilo Di Luca (LPR Brakes) took the win with a strong attack on the final climb 2k from the finish.
-Paris Tours: Sort of an anomaly among the rest of the fall races, the pancake flat Paris Tours is known as the sprinter's classic. Being a sprinter's race, you'd expect last years winner Alessandro Petacchi to be atop the list of potential winners. Too bad he wasn't invited. Francaise des Jeux's Phillipe Gilbert ended up winning the "sprinter's classic" with a late escape 6k from the line.
-GP Beghelli: Petacchi's consolation prize.
-Jayco Herald Sun Tour: Two stages into the 7 day Australian stage race, and it has been the CSC-Saxo Bank show, with Matt Goss winning both stages so far.
Cyclocross:
- GP de la Region Wallonne: The weather in Belgium doesn't suck yet, but the 'cross season went into full swing this weekend. Sven Nys used the help of his teammate Rob Peeters to distance the field, and take the top two steps on the podium. American Jonothan Page DNF'd.
-Superprestige #1: The superprestige series is one of the two most important race series in European cyclocross (the other series being the world cup). Superprestige races usually field the best riders and the most competitive races. Sven Nys usually wins them anyway, this time in a 3-up sprint between him, Klaas Vantornout and Niels Albert.
-GP of Gloucester: Back in the US, the two strongest riders on the domestic circuit were spending the weekend beating up on each other. Unfortunately for Tim Johnson, Ryan Trebon was victorious on both days.
That's it for this week. Again, thanks for all your help on Sunday.
-Anthony
*All images courtesty of Cyclingnews.com
Local Racing:
Week in Review:
-AZ 'Cross Race #3: I don't remember exactly what the results were, but we had a pretty solid group of ASU racers in the men's CAT 4 race (Niko, Wilson, Tim, and Keegan). Congratulations to Niko for completely dominating the men's 4 race and taking a solid win. Congratulations also go to Keegan for completing his first 'cross race. I'll update with more complete results after they have been posted.
Races in October:
-AZ Cyclocross Race #4: Phoenix, AZ- Oct. 25; http://azcross.com/content/races/october_25th2c_2008.aspx
Pro Racing:
Road: There has been a sizable rash of road racing, so I'll try to be thorough without being too long.
-Vuelta a Chicuahua Internacional: This race was pretty much dominated by people who speak Spanish. Seriously, every stage was won by someone from Spain, Mexico, Colombia or Ecuador. I guess that makes sense though, because 12 of the 17 teams in the race were from Spanish speaking countries. Anyway, the race was won by Francisco Mancebo, and on stage 6 someone was murdered by champagne.
-Giro dell'Emilia: This race kicked off the week for the hilly "Fall Classics" They're not really as popular as the Spring Classics, but the Italians like them. Danilo Di Luca (LPR Brakes) took the win with a strong attack on the final climb 2k from the finish.
-Paris Tours: Sort of an anomaly among the rest of the fall races, the pancake flat Paris Tours is known as the sprinter's classic. Being a sprinter's race, you'd expect last years winner Alessandro Petacchi to be atop the list of potential winners. Too bad he wasn't invited. Francaise des Jeux's Phillipe Gilbert ended up winning the "sprinter's classic" with a late escape 6k from the line.
-GP Beghelli: Petacchi's consolation prize.
-Jayco Herald Sun Tour: Two stages into the 7 day Australian stage race, and it has been the CSC-Saxo Bank show, with Matt Goss winning both stages so far.
Cyclocross:
- GP de la Region Wallonne: The weather in Belgium doesn't suck yet, but the 'cross season went into full swing this weekend. Sven Nys used the help of his teammate Rob Peeters to distance the field, and take the top two steps on the podium. American Jonothan Page DNF'd.
-Superprestige #1: The superprestige series is one of the two most important race series in European cyclocross (the other series being the world cup). Superprestige races usually field the best riders and the most competitive races. Sven Nys usually wins them anyway, this time in a 3-up sprint between him, Klaas Vantornout and Niels Albert.
-GP of Gloucester: Back in the US, the two strongest riders on the domestic circuit were spending the weekend beating up on each other. Unfortunately for Tim Johnson, Ryan Trebon was victorious on both days.
That's it for this week. Again, thanks for all your help on Sunday.
-Anthony
*All images courtesty of Cyclingnews.com
Sunday, October 5, 2008
This Week in Road Cycling: Oct 6 to Oct 12
Welcome, I want to start by thanking everybody in advance for all of your help at our cyclocross race next Sunday. We couldn't do it without all of your help. Thanks!
If you have yet to sign up for one of the 3 shifts just email me at anthony.molieri@asu.edu, and let me know if you want to help with set-up (5am-8am), registration (8am-11am) or take down (11:30am-1pm).
Speaking of cyclocross...
Local Racing:
Week in Review:
-AZ Cyclocross Race #2: CAT 4; Nikolai Skievaski 2nd, Anthony Molieri 8th, Tim Racette 9th, Wilson Lee 11th
-Tour de Scottsdale: results are here; http://www.dcbadventures.com/recent/results/2008-10-05_overall.HTM
Races in October:
-AZ Cyclocross Race #3 (Presented by ASU!!!): Mesa, AZ- Oct. 12; http://azcross.com/content/races/october_12th2c_2008.aspx
-AZ Cyclocross Race #4: Cave Creek, AZ- Oct. 25; http://azcross.com/content/races/october_25th2c_2008.aspx
Pro Racing:
Circuit Franco Belge: There were no important bike races last week, so I'm just searching for races that were even slightly interesting. Franco Belge was a 4 day stage race in Belgium that was won by Spaniard Juan Antonio Flecha (Rabobank). Of interest, American Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Chipotle) spent a day in the leader's jersey before crashing and losing time.
Giro del Lazio: Alessandro Ballan debuted his new world champion's kit and bike. I'm not really sure why it has so much gold on it though.
Finally, Alberto Contador might have to contend with more than just Lance Armstrong on Astana next year. Turns out Kazakh Alexander Vinokourov has decided he wants to give it one more go. For those of you who don't know, Vino' tested positive in last years Tour for a homologous blood transfusion (He apparently used his father's blood). This caused the entire Astana team to be kicked out last year, and is also why the new Astana wasn't invited. Needless to say, the cycling community was pissed. Though, once Vino got back to Kazakhstan, things started to get a little ridiculous and he gave what is the funniest proclamation of innocence ever.
"I heard that I made a transfusion with my father's blood. That's absurd, I can tell you that with his blood, I would have tested positive for vodka."
Ha ha those crazy Kazakhs. Anyway, Vinokourov was only given a one year suspension by his federation (Vinokourov happens to by good buddies with the president of the federation, who is also the country's defense minister). It's even sillier, when you notice that Astana is a Kazakh sponsored team, built in 2006 solely for Vino, and owned by some of his personal friends. It's unlikely that he'll be back this year though because the UCI would probably do their best to keep him banned and make sure he serves the mandatory 2 years.
Personally, I see this as just one of the steps required for the return of Jan Ullrich. Although, he seems to be enjoying retirement.
I miss you Jan...
If you have yet to sign up for one of the 3 shifts just email me at anthony.molieri@asu.edu, and let me know if you want to help with set-up (5am-8am), registration (8am-11am) or take down (11:30am-1pm).
Speaking of cyclocross...
Local Racing:
Week in Review:
-AZ Cyclocross Race #2: CAT 4; Nikolai Skievaski 2nd, Anthony Molieri 8th, Tim Racette 9th, Wilson Lee 11th
-Tour de Scottsdale: results are here; http://www.dcbadventures.com/recent/results/2008-10-05_overall.HTM
Races in October:
-AZ Cyclocross Race #3 (Presented by ASU!!!): Mesa, AZ- Oct. 12; http://azcross.com/content/races/october_12th2c_2008.aspx
-AZ Cyclocross Race #4: Cave Creek, AZ- Oct. 25; http://azcross.com/content/races/october_25th2c_2008.aspx
Pro Racing:
Circuit Franco Belge: There were no important bike races last week, so I'm just searching for races that were even slightly interesting. Franco Belge was a 4 day stage race in Belgium that was won by Spaniard Juan Antonio Flecha (Rabobank). Of interest, American Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Chipotle) spent a day in the leader's jersey before crashing and losing time.
Giro del Lazio: Alessandro Ballan debuted his new world champion's kit and bike. I'm not really sure why it has so much gold on it though.
Finally, Alberto Contador might have to contend with more than just Lance Armstrong on Astana next year. Turns out Kazakh Alexander Vinokourov has decided he wants to give it one more go. For those of you who don't know, Vino' tested positive in last years Tour for a homologous blood transfusion (He apparently used his father's blood). This caused the entire Astana team to be kicked out last year, and is also why the new Astana wasn't invited. Needless to say, the cycling community was pissed. Though, once Vino got back to Kazakhstan, things started to get a little ridiculous and he gave what is the funniest proclamation of innocence ever.
"I heard that I made a transfusion with my father's blood. That's absurd, I can tell you that with his blood, I would have tested positive for vodka."
Ha ha those crazy Kazakhs. Anyway, Vinokourov was only given a one year suspension by his federation (Vinokourov happens to by good buddies with the president of the federation, who is also the country's defense minister). It's even sillier, when you notice that Astana is a Kazakh sponsored team, built in 2006 solely for Vino, and owned by some of his personal friends. It's unlikely that he'll be back this year though because the UCI would probably do their best to keep him banned and make sure he serves the mandatory 2 years.
Personally, I see this as just one of the steps required for the return of Jan Ullrich. Although, he seems to be enjoying retirement.
I miss you Jan...
Friday, October 3, 2008
October Meeting Recap
Hey Team,
Thanks for coming out to the meeting on Wednesday! For those of you who missed out on the fun here's what went down:
Thanks for coming out to the meeting on Wednesday! For those of you who missed out on the fun here's what went down:
- Jenn Granillo--Chipotle Marketing Consultant--brought Chipotle Burritos for attendees and taught us about their conscious strive to serve natural, high-quality products as an alternative to your typical fast food at the same price point...making Chipotle awesome. Be sure to make it out to their pre-opening party for their new Mill Ave location.
- There were tons of races and events in September. We took a look at some of the results, pictures, and highlights.
- Kits, shirts, bottles, hats, etc. will be up on the website by Monday (Oct. 6) for members to order! Deadline for bottles/caps/shirts will be Oct. 13th, and Kits on Oct. 20th. Tri-suit fit kits are on there way and should be here in a couple of days.
- ASUCTC is presenting the 3rd AZ Cyclcross Series Race of the season in Mesa on Oct. 12th. We'll need support race day. Look out for more information from Anthony as the date draws nearer.
- VP, Matt Kipper is captain of Bike Aid Station #4 at Ironman AZ in November. The club will be out there all day showing support for our racers and handing out water and Gatorade in our best Disco-Cowboy outfits. Make sure to sign up for your spot ASAP.
- Chief of Tribe Multisport, Kevin Weitzel, shared his story of how he went from being a professional road/track cyclist--competing in the 1988 Olympics--to owning the Valley's best multisport shop. He also went into the details of club member discounts at Tribe. Make sure to come out to Tribe on Tuesday for the weekly 5k run!
As always, check out the calendar for upcoming events and races. Major thanks to Kevin and Jenn for coming out to our meeting and supporting our club! Hope that covered everything, let me know if you have questions.
Thanks,
n i k o
Monday, September 29, 2008
This Week in Road Cycling: Sept 29 to Oct 5
Howdy kids, it's been a fun week in the world of road bikin'. This past week was the world championships! Follow along as we take a look at the weeks festivities.
But first.
Local Racing:
Week in Review:
-AZ Hill Climb Championships: Mt. Graham, AZ- Sept 28; I bet it was really hilly, but to my knowledge no ASUCTC members went.
-AZ Cyclocross Race #1: Payson, AZ- Sept 28; Results haven't been posted yet, so I'll update those at a later time. I was a little under the weather, so maybe Niko could write a supplement recapping the fun.
Races in October:
-AZ Cyclocross Race #2: Gilbert, AZ- Oct 4; http://azcross.com/content/races/october_4th2c_2008.aspx
-Tour De Scottsdale: Scottsdale, AZ- Oct. 5; http://www.dcbadventures.com/recent/eventDetails.php?id=46
-AZ Cyclocross Race #3: Mesa, AZ- Oct. 12; http://azcross.com/content/races/october_12th2c_2008.aspx
**This race is going to be run by the club, so look out for an email with more information in the coming weeks.
-AZ Cyclocross Race #4: Cave Creek, AZ- Oct. 25; http://azcross.com/content/races/october_25th2c_2008.aspx
*Cyclocross Practice: Thursday 5:30pm @ Kiwanis Park
Pro Racing:
World Championships:
Sept 23: U-23 Men's Time Trial: Adriano Malori of Italy took the win. Patrick Gretsch of Germany was second, and Cameron Meyer (Australia) was third.
Sept 24: Women's Time Trial: American Amber Neben took the win. Chrisitiane Soeder (Austria) took silver on the new P4, and Judith Arndt (Germany) got the bronze.
Sept 25: Fabian Cancellara (Switzerland) decided that he was too tired to race Worlds, so the race was pretty wide open. Bert Grabsch (Germany) ended up taking a solid win with a gap of 42 seconds to second place, Svein Tuft (Canada). By the way, Tuft ended up getting a flat in the last six kilometers and ended up riding in on his road bike. American Dave Zabriskie rounded out the podium.
Sept 26: U23 Men's Road Race: Young Colombian Fabio Duarte won the gold medal in a suicide attack in the final kilometer. Simone Ponzi (Italy) and John Degenkolb (Germany) rounded out the podium.
Sept 27: Women's Road Race: Nicole Cooke (Great Britain) out sprinted Marianne Vos (Netherlands) and Judith Arndt (Germany). An attack in the last 15 k made the race essentially between these three, with only two other riders finishing within a minute of the trio.
Sept 28: Men's Road Race: With the news that defending world champion Paolo Bettini would be retiring, the road race was expected to be a show a force by the Squadra Azzurra who were going to deliver the win to their retiring champion. That's wort of how it worked out. The race was an amazing show of force for the Italians, but it wasn't Bettini who won -- it was Ballan. On the last lap, a break that included three Italians managed to make it up the road. Missing from the break were the three pre-race favorites; Bettini, Valverde and Freire. These three spent so much time marking each other, that a break of six riders (Alessandro Ballan (Italy), Joaquin Rodriguez (Spain), Thomas Lövkvist (Sweden), Fabian Wegmann (Germany), Matti Breschel (Denmark) and Greg Van Avermaet (Belgium)) managed to sneak up the road. The presence of the Italians and Rodriguez meant that the two powerhouse teams (Italy and Spain) weren't going to take up the chase. That last lap became a lap of honor for Bettini, who spent time riding shaking hands and waving to fans. Meanwhile up the road, the three Italians took turns attacking the break. In the last 3k Ballan launched an insane attack and managed to stay away till the end. Damiano Cunego (Italy) and Matti Breschel (Denmark) rounded out the podium The main group rolled in 5 minutes down with Bettini and Erik Zabel (bff and fellow retiree) holding hands. I look forward to seeing Ballan attack on Muur the in the rainbow jersey next year.
Cyclocross:
Cross Vegas - Sept. 24: Lance Armstrong got 22nd. I'm not to sure anything else really matters. I guess further up on the course there was some sort of fight between two guys for the win. I think one was really tall, and another one was dressed in a Captain America outfit. I can't be sure but this picture seems to indicate that the tall guy, I think his name is Ryan Trebon won. Adam Craig got third, and still has a mustache.
Jonathon Page's Planet Bike Cup - Sept 27 & 28: In Belgium, the Belgians like to name bike races after their heroes. These heroes don't even need to necessarily be dead either. For example, the GP Sven Nys -- won 7 of 9 times by Sven Nys. I mention this, to give a little context to why there would be a race series in Wisconsin, named after a guy who isn't dead yet. Page is the top American cyclocrosser, and in true form he dominated his own race series winning both races.
And I'm spent,
Anthony
*All photos courtesy of Cyclingnews
But first.
Local Racing:
Week in Review:
-AZ Hill Climb Championships: Mt. Graham, AZ- Sept 28; I bet it was really hilly, but to my knowledge no ASUCTC members went.
-AZ Cyclocross Race #1: Payson, AZ- Sept 28; Results haven't been posted yet, so I'll update those at a later time. I was a little under the weather, so maybe Niko could write a supplement recapping the fun.
Races in October:
-AZ Cyclocross Race #2: Gilbert, AZ- Oct 4; http://azcross.com/content/races/october_4th2c_2008.aspx
-Tour De Scottsdale: Scottsdale, AZ- Oct. 5; http://www.dcbadventures.com/recent/eventDetails.php?id=46
-AZ Cyclocross Race #3: Mesa, AZ- Oct. 12; http://azcross.com/content/races/october_12th2c_2008.aspx
**This race is going to be run by the club, so look out for an email with more information in the coming weeks.
-AZ Cyclocross Race #4: Cave Creek, AZ- Oct. 25; http://azcross.com/content/races/october_25th2c_2008.aspx
*Cyclocross Practice: Thursday 5:30pm @ Kiwanis Park
Pro Racing:
World Championships:
Sept 23: U-23 Men's Time Trial: Adriano Malori of Italy took the win. Patrick Gretsch of Germany was second, and Cameron Meyer (Australia) was third.
Sept 24: Women's Time Trial: American Amber Neben took the win. Chrisitiane Soeder (Austria) took silver on the new P4, and Judith Arndt (Germany) got the bronze.
Sept 25: Fabian Cancellara (Switzerland) decided that he was too tired to race Worlds, so the race was pretty wide open. Bert Grabsch (Germany) ended up taking a solid win with a gap of 42 seconds to second place, Svein Tuft (Canada). By the way, Tuft ended up getting a flat in the last six kilometers and ended up riding in on his road bike. American Dave Zabriskie rounded out the podium.
Sept 26: U23 Men's Road Race: Young Colombian Fabio Duarte won the gold medal in a suicide attack in the final kilometer. Simone Ponzi (Italy) and John Degenkolb (Germany) rounded out the podium.
Sept 27: Women's Road Race: Nicole Cooke (Great Britain) out sprinted Marianne Vos (Netherlands) and Judith Arndt (Germany). An attack in the last 15 k made the race essentially between these three, with only two other riders finishing within a minute of the trio.
Sept 28: Men's Road Race: With the news that defending world champion Paolo Bettini would be retiring, the road race was expected to be a show a force by the Squadra Azzurra who were going to deliver the win to their retiring champion. That's wort of how it worked out. The race was an amazing show of force for the Italians, but it wasn't Bettini who won -- it was Ballan. On the last lap, a break that included three Italians managed to make it up the road. Missing from the break were the three pre-race favorites; Bettini, Valverde and Freire. These three spent so much time marking each other, that a break of six riders (Alessandro Ballan (Italy), Joaquin Rodriguez (Spain), Thomas Lövkvist (Sweden), Fabian Wegmann (Germany), Matti Breschel (Denmark) and Greg Van Avermaet (Belgium)) managed to sneak up the road. The presence of the Italians and Rodriguez meant that the two powerhouse teams (Italy and Spain) weren't going to take up the chase. That last lap became a lap of honor for Bettini, who spent time riding shaking hands and waving to fans. Meanwhile up the road, the three Italians took turns attacking the break. In the last 3k Ballan launched an insane attack and managed to stay away till the end. Damiano Cunego (Italy) and Matti Breschel (Denmark) rounded out the podium The main group rolled in 5 minutes down with Bettini and Erik Zabel (bff and fellow retiree) holding hands. I look forward to seeing Ballan attack on Muur the in the rainbow jersey next year.
Cyclocross:
Cross Vegas - Sept. 24: Lance Armstrong got 22nd. I'm not to sure anything else really matters. I guess further up on the course there was some sort of fight between two guys for the win. I think one was really tall, and another one was dressed in a Captain America outfit. I can't be sure but this picture seems to indicate that the tall guy, I think his name is Ryan Trebon won. Adam Craig got third, and still has a mustache.
Jonathon Page's Planet Bike Cup - Sept 27 & 28: In Belgium, the Belgians like to name bike races after their heroes. These heroes don't even need to necessarily be dead either. For example, the GP Sven Nys -- won 7 of 9 times by Sven Nys. I mention this, to give a little context to why there would be a race series in Wisconsin, named after a guy who isn't dead yet. Page is the top American cyclocrosser, and in true form he dominated his own race series winning both races.
And I'm spent,
Anthony
*All photos courtesy of Cyclingnews
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Cyclocross
ASUCTC President Nikolai Skievaski shows the proper technique when going over a barrier.
In Arizona it's easy to take 'cross for granted, in much the same way we take winter for granted. It's the brief vacation from the monotony of road racing and the heat of an 8 month summer. Before you know it, it's gone. At least, that's the way it is for people who get excited by cyclocross. For many, it's an obscure word that has very little meaning. In the subculture of cycling, it's the subculture's subculture (Maybe a little bit like indoor cycling or offroad unicycling)
According to Wikipedia, cyclocross finds its origin in Europe where, "road racers in the early 1900s would race each other to the next town over from them and that they were allowed to cut through farmer's fields, over fences or take any other shortcuts in order to make it to the next town first. This was a way for them to stay in shape during the winter months and put a twist on road racing. In addition, riding off road in more difficult conditions than smooth pavement increased the intensity at which the cyclists were riding and improved their on-the-road bike handling abilities."
A lot has changed from its origin. Now cyclocross is a full on organized winter sport with some athletes making their entire career focus strictly on racing cross. The most popular example of this is Belgian Sven Nys(video).
Equipment is a lot different as well. Nowadays there are special bikes made especially for cyclocross. The frames of these bikes are made to allow for clearance of larger tires than would be normally used on the road. Components are usually the same as on road bikes, except 'cross bikes use old style cantilever brakes. These brakes suck at stopping, but they give plenty of clearance for the larger tires and mud. Go here to read and look at pictures from cyclingnews' write up of American Jonathan Page's bike last year.
Now, the racing. Basically, a 'cross race is structured similar to a criterium would be on the road. There is a set course that racers go over, and the racers are racing for a certain amount of time not distance. The similarities end there though, because a cyclocross course is mostly done off-road. Along with the terrain, courses usually have many sharp turns that test a riders bike handling skills. There are also barriers and run-ups, which usually require a racer to dismount, and run with their bike in order to clear efficiently -- usually.
Now you know a little bit about cyclocross. The AZ season starts this Sunday, and it should be fun.
-Anthony
Sunday, September 21, 2008
This Week in Road Cycling: Sept 22 to Sept 28
Hello everyone, the road racing season is pretty much over. With that comes a little more cyclocross, and probably a little bit more verbal stupidity from me. This week has a little bit of both -- have fun.
Local Racing:
Week in Review:
-Buckeye Crit: CAT 5: Luke Wandrey, 4th place, CAT 4: Nikolai Skievaski, 5th place.
In honor of Luke's amazing result in his first race ever, our Niko has written a short description of Luke's race.
"ASUCTC's newest road racer, Luke Wandrey, competed in is first race. The field of nearly twenty looked strong and many riders dropped off the peloton as they progressed fluidly through laps of the clean course. Luke remained confidently propped in the top third. The final quarter mile was plagued with a gradual incline before three turns into the finishing stretch; these technicalities added to what would become a dramatic finish. As expected, a mature brute attacked the peloton at the base of the climb, followed by a racer close on this wheel. Who else from the masses would respond? That's right, our very own Luke! He sprung around the group, flicking out of his saddle in an effort that would drain his holdings. The front two had created an insurmountable gap and the remainder of the peloton was left to fend for the scraps. Luke sprinted to a respectable forth place finish."
And since I wasn't there, I'm going to go ahead and make up a race report from Niko's first race as a CAT 4. Be prepared, it's easily some of the lamest writing I've ever done.
Niko was tired. The dragon in turn three had succeeded in roasting half of the field. Niko felt pretty good though, aside from some singed hair on his left leg. When the bell lap finally arrived, the frightened peloton was hesitant to set a go much faster. Many where too scared they'd breakaway, and be easy pickings for the hungry dragon. That is, except for Niko. He attacked hard and drew a giant sword out of his rear jersey pocket, plunging it deep into the dragon's chest. Seeing the dragon vanquished emboldened many of the riders in the pack, and they began to sprint. Niko, tired from all of the vanquishing, as well as from carrying that heavy sword, managed to hang on for fifth.
Good job to both Luke and Niko.
Races in September:
-AZ Hill Climb Championships: Mt. Graham, AZ- Sept 28; http://presteza.com/MtGrahamIndex.html
-AZ Cyclocross Race #1: Payson, AZ- Sept 28; http://www.azcross.com/content/races/september_28th2c_2008.aspx
Races in October:
-AZ Cyclocross Race #2: Gilbert, AZ- Oct 4; http://azcross.com/content/races/october_4th2c_2008.aspx
-Tour De Scottsdale: Scottsdale, AZ- Oct. 5; http://www.dcbadventures.com/recent/eventDetails.php?id=46
-AZ Cyclocross Race #3: Mesa, AZ- Oct. 12; http://azcross.com/content/races/october_12th2c_2008.aspx
**This race is going to be run by the club, so look out for an email with more information in the coming weeks.
-AZ Cyclocross Race #4: Cave Creek, AZ- Oct. 25; http://azcross.com/content/races/october_25th2c_2008.aspx
*Cyclocross Practice: Thursday 5:30pm @ Kiwanis Park
Pro Racing:
Vuelta Espana: In case you forgot, Alberto Contador (Astana) was firmly in control of the race. With no big mountains left, it was just a matter of survival for Contador, and a new dynasty in pro cycling will begin. Sounds melodramatic right?
Stage 15: David Garcia Dapena* (Xacobeo Galicia) took a well deserved win out of a really big break. In a way it was payback for his small Spanish team, who felt that Contador had been mean in not handing them the win the day before. The Accountant is still golden.
*Most ridiculous looking helmet on the planet.
Stage 16: Blah, blah, blah, Tom Boonen (Quickstep), Contador.
Stage 17: Blah, blah, blah, Tom Boonen's teammate Wouter Weylandts (Quickstep), Contador.
Stage 18: Imanol Erviti Ollo (Caisse D'Epargne) won a close sprint out of a breakaway group. Guess who is still wearing the Maillot Oro?
Stage 19: David Arroyo (Caisse D'Epargne) makes it two in a row for the Spanish team who is sponsored by a French bank. This is getting kind of boring.
Stage 20 TT: The final time trial, an uphill race against the clock, gave a little bit more excitement than the last few days. Contador lost 31 seconds to his teammate Levi Leipheimer who took the win. It's really not that exciting, but imagine how much tension there would have been if Leipheimer would have ruined his teammates chance at being the youngest person to win all three grand tours.
Stage 21: Picture time! The last day of a grand tour is pretty much never taken seriously, and this Vuelta was no different. It's a day for most of the peloton to relax and take it easy. Someone has to win the stage though, and this year it was Matti Breschel (CSC-Saxo Bank).
The final podium for the Vuelta: Contador-1, Leipheimer-2, Sastre-3, Moncoutie-best climber, Van Avermaet-points.
The first week was pretty neat with all of the lead changes, but this race always seemed like a foregone conclusion. The Contador era is starting to feel pretty boring. Good thing Armstrong will be back next year to bring his trademark spontaneity back to the sport.
Tour of Poland: Poland? Who cares about Poland right? Normally I wouldn't, but Jens Voigt won and I have a rule that I always take any opportunity to mention how awesome Jens Voigt is. I don't even really know what happened in the race. All I know is that he wore a plastic bag over his head in stage six and received a giant teddy bear. Here, watch this video of Jens Voigt. It has nothing to do with Poland.
Cyclocross:
GP Neerpelt Wisselbeker Eric Vanderaerden (Belgium): Belgians like giving things really long names. The Lord (Sven Nys) of cyclocross kicked off his season with his new team (Landbouwkrediet-Tönissteiner) by winning.
FSA Star Crossed (USA): The domestic cross season got of to a much dirty start this weekend, with team Cyclocrossworld-Cannondale rider Jeremy Powers taking the win up in Washington.
Rad Racing GP (USA): Team Cyclocrossworld-Cannondale is starting off the season pretty well. US national cyclocross champ Tim Johnson took the win a day after his teammate.
The world championships are this coming weekend so the shorter posts might not be for awhile.
Until next time, take care.
Anthony
Local Racing:
Week in Review:
-Buckeye Crit: CAT 5: Luke Wandrey, 4th place, CAT 4: Nikolai Skievaski, 5th place.
In honor of Luke's amazing result in his first race ever, our Niko has written a short description of Luke's race.
"ASUCTC's newest road racer, Luke Wandrey, competed in is first race. The field of nearly twenty looked strong and many riders dropped off the peloton as they progressed fluidly through laps of the clean course. Luke remained confidently propped in the top third. The final quarter mile was plagued with a gradual incline before three turns into the finishing stretch; these technicalities added to what would become a dramatic finish. As expected, a mature brute attacked the peloton at the base of the climb, followed by a racer close on this wheel. Who else from the masses would respond? That's right, our very own Luke! He sprung around the group, flicking out of his saddle in an effort that would drain his holdings. The front two had created an insurmountable gap and the remainder of the peloton was left to fend for the scraps. Luke sprinted to a respectable forth place finish."
And since I wasn't there, I'm going to go ahead and make up a race report from Niko's first race as a CAT 4. Be prepared, it's easily some of the lamest writing I've ever done.
Niko was tired. The dragon in turn three had succeeded in roasting half of the field. Niko felt pretty good though, aside from some singed hair on his left leg. When the bell lap finally arrived, the frightened peloton was hesitant to set a go much faster. Many where too scared they'd breakaway, and be easy pickings for the hungry dragon. That is, except for Niko. He attacked hard and drew a giant sword out of his rear jersey pocket, plunging it deep into the dragon's chest. Seeing the dragon vanquished emboldened many of the riders in the pack, and they began to sprint. Niko, tired from all of the vanquishing, as well as from carrying that heavy sword, managed to hang on for fifth.
Good job to both Luke and Niko.
Races in September:
-AZ Hill Climb Championships: Mt. Graham, AZ- Sept 28; http://presteza.com/MtGrahamIndex.html
-AZ Cyclocross Race #1: Payson, AZ- Sept 28; http://www.azcross.com/content/races/september_28th2c_2008.aspx
Races in October:
-AZ Cyclocross Race #2: Gilbert, AZ- Oct 4; http://azcross.com/content/races/october_4th2c_2008.aspx
-Tour De Scottsdale: Scottsdale, AZ- Oct. 5; http://www.dcbadventures.com/recent/eventDetails.php?id=46
-AZ Cyclocross Race #3: Mesa, AZ- Oct. 12; http://azcross.com/content/races/october_12th2c_2008.aspx
**This race is going to be run by the club, so look out for an email with more information in the coming weeks.
-AZ Cyclocross Race #4: Cave Creek, AZ- Oct. 25; http://azcross.com/content/races/october_25th2c_2008.aspx
*Cyclocross Practice: Thursday 5:30pm @ Kiwanis Park
Pro Racing:
Vuelta Espana: In case you forgot, Alberto Contador (Astana) was firmly in control of the race. With no big mountains left, it was just a matter of survival for Contador, and a new dynasty in pro cycling will begin. Sounds melodramatic right?
Stage 15: David Garcia Dapena* (Xacobeo Galicia) took a well deserved win out of a really big break. In a way it was payback for his small Spanish team, who felt that Contador had been mean in not handing them the win the day before. The Accountant is still golden.
*Most ridiculous looking helmet on the planet.
Stage 16: Blah, blah, blah, Tom Boonen (Quickstep), Contador.
Stage 17: Blah, blah, blah, Tom Boonen's teammate Wouter Weylandts (Quickstep), Contador.
Stage 18: Imanol Erviti Ollo (Caisse D'Epargne) won a close sprint out of a breakaway group. Guess who is still wearing the Maillot Oro?
Stage 19: David Arroyo (Caisse D'Epargne) makes it two in a row for the Spanish team who is sponsored by a French bank. This is getting kind of boring.
Stage 20 TT: The final time trial, an uphill race against the clock, gave a little bit more excitement than the last few days. Contador lost 31 seconds to his teammate Levi Leipheimer who took the win. It's really not that exciting, but imagine how much tension there would have been if Leipheimer would have ruined his teammates chance at being the youngest person to win all three grand tours.
Stage 21: Picture time! The last day of a grand tour is pretty much never taken seriously, and this Vuelta was no different. It's a day for most of the peloton to relax and take it easy. Someone has to win the stage though, and this year it was Matti Breschel (CSC-Saxo Bank).
The final podium for the Vuelta: Contador-1, Leipheimer-2, Sastre-3, Moncoutie-best climber, Van Avermaet-points.
The first week was pretty neat with all of the lead changes, but this race always seemed like a foregone conclusion. The Contador era is starting to feel pretty boring. Good thing Armstrong will be back next year to bring his trademark spontaneity back to the sport.
Tour of Poland: Poland? Who cares about Poland right? Normally I wouldn't, but Jens Voigt won and I have a rule that I always take any opportunity to mention how awesome Jens Voigt is. I don't even really know what happened in the race. All I know is that he wore a plastic bag over his head in stage six and received a giant teddy bear. Here, watch this video of Jens Voigt. It has nothing to do with Poland.
Cyclocross:
GP Neerpelt Wisselbeker Eric Vanderaerden (Belgium): Belgians like giving things really long names. The Lord (Sven Nys) of cyclocross kicked off his season with his new team (Landbouwkrediet-Tönissteiner) by winning.
FSA Star Crossed (USA): The domestic cross season got of to a much dirty start this weekend, with team Cyclocrossworld-Cannondale rider Jeremy Powers taking the win up in Washington.
Rad Racing GP (USA): Team Cyclocrossworld-Cannondale is starting off the season pretty well. US national cyclocross champ Tim Johnson took the win a day after his teammate.
The world championships are this coming weekend so the shorter posts might not be for awhile.
Until next time, take care.
Anthony
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