Cyclocross

While Oregon is a hotbed for American cyclocross, the temperatures in Bend, Oregon, during the USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championships will be far from “hot.”

The USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships are not a part of the USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Racing Calendar, and last weekend’s four events were the final calendar races for the season. Jeremy Powers and Maureen Bruno-Roy are the overall winners of the 2009/2010 Cyclo-cross National Racing Calendar. The final standings are below.

Dan Timmerman (Richard Sachs-RGM Watches-Radix) and Mary McConneloug (Kenda-Seven-Notubes) win day one of the 2009 NBX GP.

Series leader Zdenek Stybar (Telenet-Fidea) beats world champion Niels Albert (BKCP-Powerplus) and Sven Nys (Landbouwkrediet-Colnago).

The final round of the 2009 US Gran Prix of Cyclocross hits Oregon this weekend at the Stanley Portland Cup and the elite men and women’s fields will be competitive as ever. The competition returns to the Portland International Raceway on a course that includes sections of motocross track.

2009 Jingle Cross Rock Results

The Carousel Volkswagen Jingle Cross Rock is held in Iowa City, Iowa and includes three UCI C2 events for men and women.

Ali Goulet trades the baggy outerwear of professional snowboarding to the leader’s skinsuit of the masters 35+ USGP series.

Kristi Berg and Toby Swanson wrap up the 2009 SCX series with wins.

Sven Nys beats Kevin Pauwels and world champion Niels Albert.

Mary McConneloug (Kenda-Seven-NoTubes) and Jeremy Powers (Cannondale-cyclocrossworld.com) scored wins in the eleventh round of the Verge series

Stybar and Vos win in the Koksijde, Belgium, World Cup

2009 NACT Cyclocross Series standings

Our readers pipe up about rescuing track races, the proper pressure for ’cross clinchers and Contador's decision to stick with Astana.

Round four of the 2009 Superprestige series was in Hamme-Zogge, Belgium.

The fourth round of the 2009 Superprestige cyclocross series is November 22 in Hamme-Zogge, Belgium.

Tim Johnson (Cannondale-cyclocrossworld.com) leads a team sweep and Amy Dombroski (SRAM-Primus Mootry) takes the women's race.

Johnson and Dombroski double up on Long Island

Johnson, Elliott lead NACT series heading into final weekend.

Whitmore's Landscaping Super Cross Cup in Southampton, New York is the series finale for the North American Cyclocross Trophy. Past winners at the venue include Erwin Vervecken, Tim Johnson and Ryan Trebon.

USA Cycling hosts the national cyclocross championships for amateurs and professionals alike in Bend, Oregon.

The ’cross-crazy town of Portland hosts the closing weekend of the U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross.

Hoogerheide is the final round of the UCI Cyclocross World Cup.

The Roubaix World Cup is the eighth round of the 2009-2010 ’cross series.

Held the day after Christmas, Heusden-Zolder in Belgium is the seventh round of the UCI Cyclocross World Cup.

Kalmthout, Belgium, is the sixth round of the UCI Cyclocross World Cup.

Igorre, Spain is the fifth round of the UCI Cyclocross World Cup.

UCI Commissaire Harry Lam, injured at a Massachusetts cyclocross race, is recovering at his parents' home in Virginia.

The third round of the 2009 Superprestige cyclocross series is in Gavere, Belgium.

Planet Bike's Katie Compton wins by nearly a minute in Gavere as world champ Niels Albert takes his second Superprestige.

2009 USGP Mercer Cup Day 1 & 2 results

Ryan Trebon says he has the legs to beat the odds at this weekend's New Jersey USGP races.

Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com swept the men’s podium and Katie Compton (Planet Bike) swept the weekend by winning Sunday’s Boulder Cup, the second round of the fourth North American Cyclocross Trophy weekend.

Niels Albert and Katie Compton win round three of the cyclocross World Cup.

Kona-FSA’s Barry Wicks and Serena Bishop (Sunnyside Sports) win OBRA's cyclocross championships on Saturday.

Mary McConneloug Jeremy Powers take top honors at the Cycle-Smart International in Northampton, Massachusetts, on Saturday.

Eighteen inches or more of fresh snow has forced organizers to move this Sunday's Boulder Cup race from a grassy city park in South Boulder to the sandy Boulder Reservoir. The new venue will be familiar to many — it's the same as used last year for the Saturday race of the North American Cyclocross Trophy series weekend in Boulder. This year, the Saturday race is being held at the Xilinx venue in nearby Longmont.

Press Release

Press Release

This cyclocross season, filmmaker Andy Frothingham is following two professional racers through their seasons, checking in with them at events around the country and at their homes in Colorado between races. The second episode is presented here today.

October 15, 2009 (Louisville, KY) - The series that stoked the exponential growth of cyclocross in the United States and in the Ohio Valley - the U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross - returns to Louisville, KY for it's third consecutive season on October 24th and 25th downtown at Champions' Park.

Press Release

Press Release

Press Release

Professional bike racing in the U.S. is different from just about every European country. When they say "pro" there, it means everyone in the race makes money doing it. Not so in the U.S. For some, becoming a professional means little more than cherry picking a few smaller races and paying USA Cycling $150 for an elite license. It was easy to see the differing ability levels at CrossVegas, as almost half of the field ended up lapped.

Heading into its sixth season, the U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross kicks off Saturday in Madison, Wisconsin, with The Planet Bike Cup, a new event to the series. The timing of the addition makes it possible for riders such as Katie Compton and Jonathan Page, both sponsored by Planet Bike, to participate in the USGP — an opportunity both have had to forgo in the past due to their World Cup racing schedules.

Rabobank rider Bram de Groot is a good sport. The Belgian came to Las Vegas to race CrossVegas, though he hasn’t raced cyclocross in years. To open up his legs for the race, Giant’s Andrew Juskaitis took him for a mountain bike ride on Interbike’s Outdoor Demo Caldera loop — almost two hours of dry, loose trail embedded with rocks as sharp as razor blades. De Groot had never ridden a mountain bike in his life. It was 6 p.m. when he climbed on the big bike, with ace mountain bikers Adam Craig and Carl Decker for riding partners.

Giant Bicycles brought a prototype TCX Advanced SL carbon bike to Interbike for Adam Craig to race in Wednesday night’s CrossVegas event, and VeloNews took an exclusive first look mere hours after team manager Frank Trotter finished building it.

After a challenging summer fraught with sponsorship problems, Katie Compton has her program back on the rails, just in time for cyclocross season. For starters, she signed with Planet Bike as her primary sponsor. Then, a few weeks before opening weekend, a choice blend of product sponsorships fell into place, including Stevens Carbon Team frames; Zipp wheels, bars, and cranks; and SRAM Red drivetrain parts. Planet Bike gave the duo freedom to forage for supplementary sponsors, and they came up golden. “It’s a dream sponsorship for us,” said husband Mark Legg-Compton.

Rabobank ProTour team member Bram de Groot will compete at this week's CrossVegas cyclocross race in Las Vegas, the event organizers announced. The race organizers say the Dutch rider’s appearance will mark the first ever by a Rabobank rider in a U.S cyclocross event. de Groot also will attend the Interbike Outdoor Demo on Tuesday to visit with Giant bicycle dealers. Giant sponsors Rabobank. The 35-year-old de Groot has been a member of the Rabobank team since turning pro in 1999.

Press Release

Editor’s note: This is the second installment of the Mud and Cowbells Road Diary. Part one found the author in Durango for the Singlespeed World Championships, where he witnessed the winners drinking the night before, then getting tattooed after the race.

This cyclocross season, filmmaker Andy Frothingham will be following two professional racers through their seasons, checking in with them at events around the country and at their homes in Colorado between races. The first episode is presented here today. The featured riders are Amy Dombroski of the Richard Sachs team and Jonathan Baker of the Hudz-Subaru Cycling Team.

National level cyclocross begins this weekend with the Full Speed Ahead Star Crossed on Saturday, and the Rad Racing Gran Prix on Sunday. This is also the first of five weekends of the North American Cyclocross Trophy (NACT). Star Crossed is under the lights of the Marymoor velodrome in Seattle, Washington. Racers will put their early-season cyclocross ability to the test. Star Crossed is known for its boisterous atmosphere, thanks to the 360-degree viewing, beer garden, deep prize list and DJs.

Press Release

The North American Cyclocross Trophy (NACT) series was created as a way to bring some of the best cyclocross races into the spotlight. After a successful inaugural season in 2008, the series is back with an additional weekend of races. In 2008, the eight-race series was decided at the final venue in Southampton, New York. Ryan Trebon took a close win over Jeremy Powers for the men and Georgia Gould bested Amy Dombroski for the women’s overall title.

Press Release

Press Release

Cyclocross star Katie Compton has a new 'cross team and bike sponsor for the 2009-2010 season, and a new competitive focus for the season. But first, Compton has a little something else to focus on: the mountain bike world championships in Canberra, Australia, in two weeks. Compton will ride for the Planet Bike team for this season, joining old friend and fellow cyclocross world medalist Jonathan Page on the squad sponsored by the Wisconsin bike accessories maker.

Daphne van den Brand, Kupfernagel and Compton battle at the 2008 Koksijde World Cup. | Photo: Frank Bodenmüller/CBGPhoto.com

Organizers of the Cincinnati UCI3 Cyclocross Festival have released details of an unprecedented $10,000 women’s prize purse for the three-day UCI event on October 9-11.  The $10,000 in prize money for the weekend will be just a portion of the nearly $27,000 in published prize money for the weekend of races.   

Press Release

Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay resort is sponsoring a prize for riders who score the best overall at the criterium and cyclocross races being held next month during the Interbike trade show. The week in 'Vegas includes the CrossVegas cyclocross race on Wednesday night, September 23, and the USA Crits Finals, held at the Mandalay Resort on The Strip in Vegas on the Thursday night, September 24.

Interbike Partners with GSD to Promote Providence ‘Cross Festival World’s Premier Bicycle Trade Show Brings Consumer Edition to New England PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Aug. 21, 2009) – For cyclists the approach of autumn has brought two things: cyclo-cross and Interbike. New England has always boasted it had the finest cyclo-cross in America, but the world?s largest trade show required a trip to Las Vegas.

Press Release

PRESS RELEASE

STANLEY GEAR Expands Sponsorship of The US Gran Prix of Cyclocross for 2009 Organizers of the US Gran Prix of Cyclocross, (USGP) have announced that Stanley food and beverage gear has expanded its support of the country’s premiere cyclocross series by becoming the Title Sponsor of the Stanley Portland Cup in Portland, OR December 5th and 6th and extending its support to the other series events as well.

Three-time cyclocross world champion Erwin Vervecken of Belgium will race the CrossVegas in Las Vegas next month, race organizers announced Friday. Vervecken won the world title in 2001, 2006 and 2007 and, at 37 won the Roubaix World Cup last winter. He has announced that he will retire at the end of this season. Vervecken's teammate Ben Berden also will race in the September 23 event.

Zipp Speed Weaponry of Speedway Indiana announced today that it will continue in its role as title sponsor of the Zipp OVCX Cyclocross through the 2009 season.  The Zipp OVCX Series encompasses the tri-state region of Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky; an area that series officials have noted is larger than Italy.  The announcement marks the third consecutive year that Zipp has sponsored the fastest growing series in America’s fastest growing cycling discipline.  “We feel it’s important to sponsor this race series when it’s in our own back yard,” says Zipp Marketing Manager Andy Paskins,

Five-time U.S. cyclocross champion Katie Compton was hospitalized for an asthma attack on Sunday after racing Alabama’s Bump n’ Grind cross-country race, the third round of USA Cycling’s Pro Cross-country Tour (ProXCT). Compton, who was riding at the front of the race alongside Luna riders Catherine Pendrel and Georgia Gould, was forced to abandon on the third of four laps after suffering breathing problems. Paramedics hooked Compton to an oxygen flow and took her to a nearby hospital.

Saturday’s Blue Sky Velo Cup in Longmont, Colorado and Sunday’s Boulder Cup are part of the North American Cyclocross Trophy series.

Alison Dunlap, the last American cross-country rider to bring home a world championship, bid farewell to pro racing in 2005. After more than a decade racing on the road, ’cross and mountain bike, the Colorado Springs resident said she was burned out, largely due to the constant travel and punishing workouts, and that she was ready to step into the next phase of her life — coaching and mentoring aspiring female cyclists.

While usually stuck at his keyboard, VeloNews.com senior editor Charles Pelkey did manage to get out and snap a few pictures while in Hoogerheide, the Netherlands, covering the world cyclocross championships over the weekend of January 31 and February 1, 2009.

The weather in Hoogerheide, Holland, has improved over the last few days … and that may have as much to do with the outcome of this weekend’s world cyclocross championships than the relative fitness of individual riders. “We’re by the ocean,” said British Cycling Federation manager Simon Burney. “Every time I come here the course is different and it’s largely due to the weather. Skies have cleared, the snow is gone and temperatures hovering around the freezing point have turned what a week ago was a nearly unrideable mud bog into another fast worlds course.

Just two days before the race, Jonathan Page has been named to the men's team for this Sunday's UCI World Cyclocross Championships, USA Cycling announced Thursday. Page had been left off the team because his eligibility was questioned after he accidentally missed a post-race doping control after a race in November. However Page was cleared of any wrongdoing in that incident last week.

Americans brought home three medals from the 2009 UCI World Masters Cyclocross Championships last weekend, claiming one world title and two silver medals. Katherine Sarvary (Lunenberg, Massachusetts) earned the gold medal in the women’s pre-1960 class, while compatriot Lillian Pfluke claimed silver in the same category. For Sarvary, it was her second consecutive world title after also winning gold in 2008.

2009-2010 UCI World Cup Cyclocross rankings, updated Jan. 18

Former U.S. national cyclocross champion Jonathan Page has been cleared of charges stemming from a missed in-competition doping test, but it may be a week before he knows whether that will result in his inclusion on the U.S. team for the upcoming world championships.