Cyclocross

Maureen Bruno Roy came and conquered not only the season-ending Capital Cross Classic, but also the 2007 Verge MAC SRAM season championship. Davide Frattini couldn’t make the finale in Reston, Virginia, but claimed the Verge MAC SRAM season championship by a single point based on his previous conquests. A big part of the story of this year’s Capital Cross Classic, presented by the Bike Lane, was what didn’t happen. Rain, snow, sleet and freezing rain were all part of the forecast, but Sunday’s weather turned out nicer than the previous day, marked by wind and bitter cold. One thing that

Belgian Sven Nys (Rabobank) won the fifth round of the UCI World Cup of Cyclocross in Igorre, Spain, on Sunday. Nys took the top spot ahead of compatriot Bart Wellens (Fidea), a repeat of the finishing order in last year’s World Cup in Igorre. Nys’s victory further solidifies his hold on the overall standings in the nine race series.

The first half of the final weekend of the 2007 Verge MAC Series brought the first taste of the winter weather to the Mid Atlantic racing scene after an unusually warm autumn. The Carlisle Cross Classic took place on Saturday at Pennsylvania's Carlisle Fairgrounds, a location more famous for its massive antique auto shows than for human powered speed. "Speed" was the name of the game on the course designed by Mike Hebe on the wide open spaces of the fairgrounds. It sent riders up and over every side of the only hill, but its dominant characteristic was the extremely long, paved approach

Demonstrating why they were crowned the overall winners of this year’s Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross, Kona-YourKey.com rider Ryan Trebon and Luna’s Georgia Gould each soloed to victory on Sunday in wet and windy Portland, Oregon. Trebon’s competition for series supremacy was Tim Johnson (Cannondale-Leer-Cyclocrossworld.com), who won Saturday but finished a distant second on Sunday. Gould, who had the series wrapped up after winning Saturday, outlasted perennial rivals Katie Compton (Spike Shooter) and Lyne Bessette (cyclocrossworld.com), who both abandoned the cold,

Upsets were the theme of the day in Portland, Oregon, at the fifth round of the Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross. On a muddy day that saw brief snowfall turn to cold rain, pre-race favorites Ryan Trebon and Katie Compton, the reigning elite U.S. men’s and women’s national champions, were beaten by their top domestic rivals, Tim Johnson and Georgia Gould. Racing was held at the Portland International Raceway, site of the 2003 and 2004 national cyclocross championships. The course, which was relatively flat, would have been a fast and uneventful track if not for the rains that

“A 60 percent chance of snow before 10 a.m., then rain and snow likely. Cloudy, with a high near 36. South wind between 8 and 18 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph.” Welcome to December cyclocross in Portland, Oregon, host city to the2007 Crank Brothers U.S.Gran Prix of Cyclocross finals. The forecast for this weekend’s events,a pair of races that will determine the series winners, is wet, cold andmuddy. It’s going to be a sloppy weekend. Saturday appears to be the harsherday of the two, with colder temperatures bringing the possibility of snow.Sunday is predicted to be nearly 10 degrees

Under crystal blue skies with dry but chilly weather, the Bay State Cyclocrosswelcomed New England cyclocrossers to Sterling, Massachusetts, and a doseof wintry weather that many have been awaiting all season. MenOn the first lap, a trio of Massachusetts-based riders pulled awayand spent the next 55 minutes cheerfully hammering on each other, likea lovably dysfunctional family during the holidays. Jeremy Powers (Cyclocrossworld.com),Jesse Anthony (Jamis) and Tim Johnson (Leer-Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld)appeared equally matched. From the swoopy turns - each with varying combinations of

Despite a shaky start, two crashes and constant pressure from a top field, Sven Nys still took the win in the fourth round of the UCI World Cup of cyclocross on Saturday in Koksijde, Belgium. Holland's Daphny van den Brand took the win in the women's race, finishing seven seconds ahead of American Katie Compton (Spike-Shooter). In the men's race, the current World Cup leader and reigning champion, Nys scored his third successive win at Koksijde, riding away from the competition on the last of 10 laps of a tough, sandy and hilly 2.775km course. Nys, who often dominates ‘cross

The USGP of Cyclocross presented by Crank Brothers will set a stage this weekend for the nation's elite racers to try their luck in the Northeast's hotbed of cyclocross. The pivotal location just outside Trenton, New Jersey, has already lured local 'cross stars from up and down the Eastern seaboard and the ones arriving from far-flung points across the country will only add to the tense, hyper competitive atmosphere. Following respective wins on home turf and overseas, series leaders Tim Johnson (Cannondale–Leer–Cyclocrossworld.com) and Katie Compton (Spike Shooter) seem poised

Libby Sheldon (Tokyo Joe’s) and Kyle Hammaker (Cadence) won their respective events on Sunday at the Race Pace Cross in Sykesville, Maryland, round six of the BikeReg.com MABRAcross Series. In the elite women’s contest Sheldon went away from the gun and was never challenged. Jessica Hill (Trail’s End) was clearly on her way to second place before falling victim to a mechanical, leaving Cathy Large (Yellow Breeches) free to time-trial in for the runner-up spot. The elitemen’s race was entertaining from start to finish. Hammaker, Todd Hesel (HVB), Dave Weaver (unattached) and Jeff Buckle

What happens when you combine a world-championship event, six kegs of PBR, a limitless supply of Oregon microbrews, 110 men and 30 women, a heckling contest, a tequila shortcut and a golden Speedo? You get the Single Speed Cyclocross World Championships (SSCXWC) November 11-12 near Portland, Oregon. What else? This year, Adam Craig (Giant) let the powerful spirit of Portland cyclocross overwhelm him in the finishing straight of the SSCXWC, held at Estacada Timber Park. In possession of an apparently race-winning lead, Craig stopped to take a beer hand-up a couple hundred meters before the

Georgia Gould (Luna) and Davide Frattini (Colavita-Sutter Home-Cooking Light) reprised their victories at Saturday’s Beacon Cyclocross by winning the second round of a New Jersey double-header, Sunday’s HPCX in Jamesburg. As on Saturday, Gould tackled both the men’s Category 2-4 and elite women’s races. But while she roared through the men’s field to beat the men on Saturday, on Sunday she was never a factor, finishing 10th and fueling speculation that she was tired. But the former Verge MAC champion proved that wasn’t the case a few hours later when she stomped to victory in the SRAM Elite

There were some big men on campus Sunday at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. Among the 26 elite male riders in attendance for the UCI C2 Squawker Cross were national champion and Durango resident Todd Wells (GT Bicycles), mountain-bike star Geoff Kabush (Maxxis-Litespeed), 2005 U23 cyclocross champion Troy Wells (Clif Bar) and Danish national champion Joachim Parbo (CCV-Protek). The warm, welcoming weather attracted a modest number of spectators, who watched Wells and Kabush battle it out to the end. The two former Olympians broke away quickly, with Durango’s Joey Thompson (Rocky

American Katie Compton and Dutchman Lars Boom took top honors in Sunday's muddy UCI cyclocross World Cup in Pijnacker, the Netherlands. For both, it was their first victory in a World Cup event. Compton (Spike Shooter), the reigning U.S. women's cyclocross champion, took the lead from the gun, surrendering it only briefly in a sandy section that was faster to run than to ride. “The course was very hard, really muddy and sandy, so your skills and power had to be on; lose focus for a second and you crash into a barrier or dump it in the mud,” Compton told VeloNews. Compton regained

Luna’s Georgia Gould and Davide Frattini (Colavita) were the big winners in the Verge Mid-Atlantic Cyclo-cross series event in Bridgeton, New Jersey on Saturday. A former Verge MAC champion, Gould returned to the series in spectacular fashion, starting her day by “warming up” in the men’s category 2/3/4 race. Starting near the back of the field of 55 riders, Gould steadily improved her position until she caught the leading pack of Jeremy Dunn (Cambridge), Patrick Bradley (Beacon), Kevin Kralik (Guys Cycles), John Brewer (Squadra Coppin/IM SAAB) and Verge MAC points leader Eric Linder (Hunt

If Jonathan Baker could press the reset button, he would have started his European cyclocross odyssey by hitting a few more easy races back in the United States. As it was Baker opted for a tough final tune-up schedule before making the move to Belgium in early October (see "Livingthe 'cross dream"). Since then the 33-year-old software engineer, who sold his house and took a four-month leave of absence from his job, has been mixing it up with the world’s best, taking his lumps and learning along the way. Back home Baker is a top-level amateur racer who can hang with most of the U.S.

Chris Sheppard (Santa Cruz-CMG) and Emily VanMeter (River City Bicycles) won their respective races during the fifth stop of the 2007 Cross Crusade November 4 at Barton Park outside Estacada, Oregon. The men’s race saw a neck-and-neck finish between Shannon Skerritt (Vanilla Bicycles) and Carl Decker (Giant), with Skerritt taking the runner-up spot by a few inches. In the women’s event, it was a sweep by the River City Bicycles team with Emily VanMeter taking the win ahead of teammates Bridgette Stoick and Dani Dance. The next Cross Crusade race, slated for November 11 at Estacada Park,

Trek-VW teammates Jeremiah Bishop and Sue Haywood won the Tacchino Cyclocross on Sunday at Ida Lee Park in Leesburg, Virginia. Lining up beside Haywood were some of the East Coast’s fastest women, including three-time Verge MAC champion Betsy Shogren (Fort Factory Team), defending BikeReg.com MABRAcross champion Lisa Vible, Team Kenda Tire’s Jennifer Maxwell, Vanderkitten’s Mandy Lozano and Libbey Sheldon of Tokyo Joe’s. Roaring out of the prologue loop, Shogren and Maxwell had the advantage as they powered up the finishing-hill straight to begin the first of their laps. By the time they

Mother Nature's about-face to Saturday's hurricane rains motivated 'cross fans to come out and witness commanding wins by Lyne Bessette (Cyclocrossworld.com) and Jesse Anthony (Jamis) on Sunday at the Cycle-Smart International, round four in the Verge New England Championship Cyclocross Series. Anthony, Chris Jones (Nerac), Mark McCormack (Clif Bar), and Adam Myerson (Nerac) surged ahead in an early break set up by Troy Wells (Clif Bar).

With many of their usual competitors in Colorado for the second weekend of the U.S. Grand Prix of cyclo-cross, Lyne Bessette (cyclocrossworld.com) and Chris Jones (Nerac) took big wins in Connecticut’s Chainbiter UCI Cyclo-cross race, hit by wet weather as Hurricane Noel moved up the Atlantic coast on Saturday. Bessette back in formNoel threatened to turn the Chainbiter into a messy affair. Less than 50 miles away, the winds whipped across southern Connecticut. The skies were ominous though relatively calm during the earlier events, but as the women’s race began the rain and winds picked up.

Can anyone beat Katie Compton? Will the cyclocrossworld.com keep their Kona-beating streak alive? And what about Todd Wells — how is he going these days? These are a few of the questions to be answered this weekend as the heavy hitters of American ’cross line up for a pair of UCI races in Boulder, Colorado. Saturday’s Redline Cup and Sunday’s Boulder Cup are put on by Chris Grealish and Denver/Boulder Couriers, the same outfit that hosted last year’s Boulder stop of the U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross. “We’re going on like we’re our own USGP,” DBC owner Grealish said. “And we think we can do

Weston Schempf (C3-Sollay.com) and Betsy Shogren (FORT Factory Team) pulled away early to take commanding victories in Sunday’s inaugural DCCX Cyclocross Race presented by DCMTB-City Bikes in Washington, D.C. The event, held on the grounds of the Armed Forces Retirement Home and promoted by the DC Mountain Bike Team, featured a course muddied up by three days of rain, with rooted, swooping curves, open road, two sets of tricky barriers and a Paris-Roubaix-style brick section. “Props to whoever put it together,'' Schempf said. “There was a lot of good rhythm to it.''

The U.S. Grand Prix of Cyclocross came to Kentucky for the first time in its history on Saturday. VeloNews editor Ben Delaney took advantage of the opportunity to take a close look at the race rigs of some the country's best 'crossers. PartIIPartIII

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One of North America’s all-time greatest cyclists popped up unexpectedly on this year’s U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross start list. Canadian Alison Sydor, a three-time mountain bike world champion and road world bronze medalist, decided earlier this fall to throw a leg over a ’cross bike for the first time in her career. Initially, as with everyone, the woman who has won 17 mountain bike World Cups was a little clumsy. But after a few weeks of local racing in British Columbia, Sydor took second at the Canadian national cyclocross championships behind Wendy Simms and ahead of Lyne Bessette.

Following a week of back-and-forth banter in the Belgian dailies, Sven Nys used his legs to win the war of words. The cyclocross superstar attacked out of a five-rider breakaway on the penultimate lap of World Cup No. 2 in Tabor, Czech Republic, and easily held his advantage to the line. Countryman Klaas Vantornout (Fidea) was second, at 0:13, with Dutchman Lars Boom (Rabobank) completing the podium on a cool gray Saturday in this small city an hour south of Prague. “They tried to make me nervous,” said Nys referring to accusations made by rival Fidea team manager Han van Kasteren, who

Czech cyclocross star Zdenek Stybar will attempt to thrill a home crowd - and prove that his win last weekend wasn’t a fluke - when he lines up in the front row at World Cup No. 2 in Tabor on Saturday. The hour-long men’s race starts at 2 p.m. local time. There are no junior, under-23 or women’s races. The 21-year-old Fidea rider was the surprise winner of round one last Sunday in Kalmthout, Belgium, breaking away solo on the second of 11 laps and never looking back. At the line Stybar had a comfortable 33-second cushion over second-placed Sven Nys (Rabobank), allowing plenty of time to grab

Cyclocross fans are familiar with most of the initials. UCI, signifying a big race; USGP, the nation’s premier series. But KY? The U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross begins its six-race romp this weekend in Louisville, Kentucky. The weekend represents the first UCI ’cross race ever held in the state. The city is behind the event, hosting two days of racing in Champion’s Park just east of downtown along the Ohio River. “Louisville has developed into a great cycling town, and along with a great corporate partner in Papa John’s, we are proud to be able to host the premier cyclocross series in the

The day before the U.S. Gran Prix opener in Louisville, Kentucky, a few marquee riders were out riding the course. Here are a few of the faces and names you'll likely see at the front of this weekend's races: UCI points leader and three-time national champion Katie Compton, Georgia Gould, Danish national champion Joachim Parbo, Tim Johnson, Lyne Bessette, Danny Summerhill and Jesse Anthony.

The 2007 Verge MAC Series headed to the rural suburbs of Philadelphia on Sunday for the Wissahickon Cyclocross, a UCI C2 cyclocross at the Ludwigs Corner Horse Show Fairgrounds. On a day when New Englanders were talking about the previous night’s victory by the Red Sox, another regional team, CyclocrossWorld.com, pitched a no-hitter by finishing one-two for the second consecutive day. Not to be outdone, Colorado’s Kerry Barnholt (Tokyo Joe’s-Van Dessel) imitated her home state’s baseball team, the Colorado Rockies, by sweeping the weekend women’s series. The fairgrounds are nearly perfect

With the beer-induced haze of cyclocross World Cup No. 1 finally burning off, we figured it was time to empty the digi-cam in preparation for round two Saturday in Tabor, Czech Republic. Scroll down and check out some of the sights and scenes from the season opener held Sunday in Kalmthout, Belgium. In the men’s race Fidea’s rising star Zdenek Stybar took a commanding win, besting home-country hero Sven Nys (Rabobank) by 33 seconds. On the women’s side, it was Dutchwoman Daphny Van Den Brand topping American Katie Compton by just three seconds. There’s no women’s race at Tabor, but Nys

Neither Lyne Bessette (cyclocrossworld.com) nor Greg Reain (Ride withRendal/Colnago/Time) were able to defend their titles at the Canadian Cyclocross Nationals Sunday in Kamloops, British Columbia, despite riding from the front in their respective races. Instead, Mike Garrigan (Jetpower/Epic Ride) took his first ever national title, while Wendy Simms (Kona-Yourkey.com) returned to the top step of the podium for the first time since back-to-back victories in '03 - '04. With very little elevation change to work with, the organizers went for a tight and twisty circuit. The circuit was

The unseasonably hot weather that has afflicted the East Coast cyclocross season continued at the first Verge MAC event of 2007, Delaware’s UCI C1 Granogue ‘Cross. But it did not keep Tim Johnson and Kerry Barnholt from winning their first-ever Granogue titles by huge margins, and taking home the unique pink-flamingo trophies and a lot of cash.

Save for a botched national-anthem selection during the podium ceremony, Sunday was a perfect day for rising cyclocross star Zdenek Stybar. The first-year pro from the Czech Republic launched a bold attack early in the second of 11 laps at the World Cup opener in Kalmthout, Belgium, and held his lead all the way to the finish. It was the second major victory for the 21-year-old Fidea rider, who also won the under-23 race at the 2006 world championships. Belgian Sven Nys (Rabobank) was a distant second, 33 seconds back of Stybar, with Frenchman Francis Mourey (Française de Jeux) winning a

A day after the ProTour season finished up at Italy’s Giro di Lombardia, the 2007-08 cyclocross World Cup gets underway Sunday in Kalmthout, Belgium. Junior and under-23 races take up the morning schedule, with the elite women rolling out at 1:30 p.m. and the men following at 3. Among the Americans taking the startline in the day’s final race will be reigning world championship silver medalist Jonathan Page. The New Englander will be making his big time debut in the predominantly yellow jersey of his new Sunweb-Pro Job team. After several years struggling to make ends meet, Page’s

You have to appreciate the matter-of-fact frankness of Sven Nys. With the 2007-2008 cyclocross World Cup set to commence Sunday in Kalmthout, the Belgian has set a simple but lofty season-long goal. “It is nothing special, I just want to be the best rider of season,” said the Rabobank rider during an exclusive interview with VeloNews at his modest two-story home in Baal. “That is my goal every year. I don’t have one important race. For me every race is important. That’s how people know me – I am good from the first race to the last and I try to win every time.” Of course even the

Nys opens Superprestige series with winSven Nys (Rabobank) won the Superprestige opener on Sunday in Ruddervoorde, Belgium. Fidea teammates Zdenek Stybar and Bart Wellens were second and third at four and eight seconds back, respectively. Americans Jonathan Page (Sunweb) and Ryan Trebon (Kona-YourKey) crossed in 18th and 19th spots at 1:36 back. Nys leads the series with 15 points. Stybar sits second with 14 while Wellens is third with 13. Superprestige Ruudervoorde1. Sven Nys (B), Rabobank, 1:00:432. Zdenek Stybar (Cze), Fidea, at 0:043. Bart Wellens (B), Fidea, at 0:084. Niels Albert

Fireworks, bagpipes and cyclocross are three things best enjoyed outdoors, in the opinion of most. But when the New England winter sets in even the hardiest crossnuts would appreciate a little bit of climate-control to take the edge off the season. That’s the thinking from a New Hampshire promoter who’s planning a race inside a 94,000-square-foot sports dome for some time after the new year. It would be perhaps the first indoor cyclocross race held in the U.S., providing further evidence of the growth of the discipline. It also might contribute to shifting the New England cyclocross season

First-time cyclocross racer Steven Gordon (Haymarket Bicycles) and Betsy Shogren (Fort Factory) won their respective races at the fourth annual Breast Cancer Awareness Cyclocross Challenge on Sunday in Hagerstown, Maryland. Stephen Cummings (Meridith Group) took second in the men’s A race with Michael Gallagher (U.S. Armed Forces) third on the dusty, serpentine course at the Hagerstown Fairgrounds Park. In the women’s A race, Lisa Vible (C3 Sollay.com) took the runner-up spot with Libby Sheldon (Tokyo Joe’s) third. Other winners included: Men’s Category 4: Steven Wahl (AVC). Men’s B: Ethan

Vervecken, big women's payout highlight Super Cross CupThe Whitmore’s Landscaping Super Cross Cup October 6-7 in Southampton, New York, will sport a couple of touches American cyclo-crossers don’t see every day — world champion Erwin Vervecken, and a women’s field that’s racing for more money than the rainbow jersey and the rest of the guys. The latest 'cross videofrom VeloNews.com:Excel Sports CrossVegasMen's race and interviewsWomen's race and interviews Vervecken, who last raced in America in 2003, in the Pacific Northwest, acknowledges the growth of U.S. ‘cross since

The Ridley Factory Team has annnounced its final roster and sponsor lineup for the 2007-08 cyclo-cross season. The team, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, will be composed of elite riders who will contest the major U.S. cyclo-cross events — including the U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross series, Vegas Cross and the U.S. national cyclo-cross championships —and elite team leaders who will head grassroots development programs nationwide. Several members also plan to race in Europe in preparation for the 2008 UCI cyclo-cross world championships in Treviso, Italy. “Our mission continues to be

Hot on the heels of his headline-grabbing second-place performance at the UCI World Cyclo-cross Championships, American Jonathan Page (Morgan Blue) was back in the spotlight Saturday, February 3 at the GVA Series race in Lille, Belgium. In a well-publicized bit of defiance Page refused to take the start of the race after his team mechanic and close friend Frankie Van Haesebroucke was assaulted and hospitalized by the race organization’s security guards. According to Page, Van Haesebroucke was collared from behind by two security guards after a misunderstanding with a course marshal in the

Cleaning up the front page of VeloNews.com, we noticed a wealth of stories on what turned into a memorable weekend for American riders at the 2007 World Cyclo-cross Championships in Hooglede-Gits, Belgium. Rather than let this stuff fall of the front page within a day and disappear, we thought we'd at least provide a single reference point for readers to review reports from two days of racing that gave Americans Jonathan Page, Katie Compton and Danny Summerhill silver medals in their respective events. Congratulations to all of you.Race ReportsVervecken wins; Page takes silver!Compton

It took him five years of struggle and sacrifice, but over the course of a single hour in slippery conditions at Hooglede-Gits, Belgium, American Jonathan Page confirmed his status as the greatest cyclo-cross racer the U.S. has ever produced. Page led the Elite Men’s race for much of the 2007 UCI World Cyclo-cross Championships, with only a small bobble on the last quarter lap opening the door for Belgian Erwin Vervecken to dash away for the win. Page rode home in second, the first time an American man has stood on the podium at the Elite ‘Cross Worlds. For a rider who has opted to live

An already remarkable world championship weekend ended on a spectacular high note for Americans as Jonathan Page rode a nearly flawless elite men's race on his way to a silver medal, adding to those already earned by junior Danny Summerhill and American woman Katie Compton. While Page's remarkable performance was a big part of the news Sunday, there was a lot going on behind the head-to-head battle between the American and eventual winner Erwin Vervecken. Photographer Graham Watson was there to capture it on film.

Even though she is a three-time U.S. national champion, it’s worth remembering that the 2006-07 ‘cross season is Katie Compton’s first full season in the sport. It’s especially worth remembering because on Sunday Compton did what no other American woman ever has, she earned a medal at a UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships. Compton’s stellar silver in Hooglede-Gits, Belgium marked a historical high point for U.S. women’s ‘cross on the same weekend Danny Summerhill achieved the same mark in the junior men’s race and Jonathan Page took second in the elite men’s race. All told, it’s been a

Danny Summerhill’s explosive second place at Saturday’s 2007 UCI Cyclo-cross Junior World Championships in Hooglede-Gits, Belgium, may be best remembered not for the 17-year-old’s raw talent in the four-up sprint but rather for his composure with two laps to go. Sitting in the lead group of four on the penultimate lap, Summerhill washed out his front wheel on one of the course’s three slippery drop-offs. Coming completely off his bike, Summerhill hit his head and twisted his stem. But rather than panic, the two-time U.S. junior national champion showed poise, straightening his bars,

Everybody gets to see the winners as they cross the line, with arms raised — but what about the rest of the field? They're out there suffering too, right? Happily, Graham Watson captured today's cyclo-cross action from front to back, thoroughbreds to draft horses, and we present his collection from the under-23 race below.

Rob Jones did double duty for us on Saturday, serving as both scribe and shooter. Here's his visual take on the action in the under-23 race.

It should come as no surprise to find out that the course for this weekend’s UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in Hooglede, Belgium, is going to be muddy. Just how muddy is the big question. Located between the towns of Hooglede and Gits in southwestern Flanders, the 2007 world’s course is not new. It was the site of a World Cup mud-fest in 2006, with this year’s elite men’s favorite, Sven Nys, winning ahead of Erwin Vervecken. The soupy mud made for long laps — more than 10 minutes for the elite men. And while this year’s lap may be a bit shorter distance-wise, the mud will be heavier and

Elite menHe’s Belgian, he’s the current king of ’cross, and he’s the massive favorite to win Sunday’s elite men’s title at the 2007 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in Hooglede-Gits, Belgium. All that being said, Sven Nys is a long way from pulling on the rainbow jersey Sunday afternoon. Apart from the course-related challenges, for which Nys is perhaps better suited than any other rider, a cadre of hungry Belgian countrymen and a few interlopers will be doing their utmost to keep him off the top step of the podium. Nys has chalked up an impressive season in 2006-07, winning two-dozen

Erwin Vervecken radiates calm as he goes about the business of final preparation for the defense of his world cyclo-cross title. A tall genial man with an overwhelming sense of ease both on and off the bike, Vervecken wore the rainbow stripes for the second time in his career in 2006-07. While his year in the jersey in 2001-02 saw the Belgian win a fair number of big events, including the Belgian GVA Series, this season has been more modest, with Vervecken having the privilege of spraying the winner’s champagne only twice, despite frequent appearances in the top three. Vervecken has taken

It’s less than a week until the 2007 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in nearby Hooglede-Gits and Belgian Bart Wellens (Fidea) is bubbling over with nervous energy. Just back from a Tuesday-morning training ride with the rest of the Fidea squad, the 28-year-old from Vorselaar is more than happy to talk about the upcoming championship. While he admits he’s a long shot to win world’s he likely has a better chance than anyone else to upset his countryman Sven Nys (Rabobank). But that does not seem to weigh on Wellens’s mind one iota. For Wellens, a two-time elite and two-time espoir world

The weather in The Netherlands may have been foul, but Belgian Sven Nys (Rabobank) was in a sunny mood following his win at the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup on Sunday in Hoogerheide. With only a week until the world championships in his home country, Nys scored a decisive win under appalling conditions, a steady cold, driving rain that relented only when it turned into hail. The rain and dropping temperatures created a dynamic race with riders suffering and thriving in turn throughout the entire 60 minutes. While Nys went on to win comfortably, his early race left many in the partisan crowd

While professional road teams are blowing the dust off their bikes and drowsily congregating for early-season training camps, the international cyclo-cross circuit is reaching its boiling point. With less than two weeks until the UCI world championships in Hooglede-Gits, Belgium, the pecking order in European ‘cross is in its final days of firming up, and North America’s top riders have taken different approaches to preparing for the final push. Over the past several years the "Christmas ‘Cross" series from late December through early January has become something of a "must" race for all

World No. 1 Sven Nys (Rabobank) won the 10th and penultimate round of the UCI’s World Cup of cyclo-cross in Nommay, France, on Sunday. Nys solidified his grip on the overall standings of the World Cup and the world points classifications with the win. Nys finished ahead of recently crowned Belgian champion Bart Wellens and Dutchman Gerben De Knegt. The race was dominated from the start by Rabobank teammates Nys, De Knegt and Dutchman Richard Groenendaal. The trio got an early gap, forcing Wellens to form a quick alliance with Frenchman John Gadret and Czech rider Petr Dlask. The chasers

USA Cycling on Thursday announced the five-rider roster of Americans slated to ride in the elite men’s category at the 2007 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships, on January 28 in Hooglede-Gits, Belgium. Three of those riders met automatic qualification criteria, while the remaining trio earned discretionary picks. Ryan Trebon (Kona), Tim Johnson (Cyclocrossworld.com) and Barry Wicks (Kona) met the requirements for automatic qualification having earned a top-50 spot on the UCI’s international cyclo-cross rankings. Trebon also captured the national title at last month’s national championship

European countries held their national championship events for elite men’s cyclo-cross on Sunday. In the most closely watched contest of the weekend, Bart Wellens (Fidea) earned his third national championship, winning the prestigious Belgian title ahead of teammate Klaas Vantornout and Rabobank’s Sven Nys. Wellens win denied Nys the chance to earn a rare cyclo-cross hat trick, winning the Belgian, world and World Cup titles in a single season. Nys, who crashed early in the race on Sunday, has a solid lead in the World Cup series and is considered one of the favorites for the world

Franzoi, Rossi win Italian crownsEnrico Franzoi (Lampre-Fondital) won the Italian cyclo-cross championships on Saturday in Lucques. Marco Aurelio Fontana (Selle Italia-Guerciotti) took the runner-up spot just one second back with Marco Bianco (L'Arcobaleno Carraio) third at three seconds. Vania Rossi (Italiana Carburanti) won the women’s title ahead of Milena Calvani (Simec) and Francesca Cucciniello (Selle Italia-Guerciotti). Dlask takes Czech titlePetr Dlask (Fidea) won the Czech Republic cyclo-cross championship on Saturday in the town of Ceska Lipa. Zdenek Stybar took second at

Well, Euro’ `Cross Camp IV is in the books and now the riders are headedin a host of different directions. Some of our riders will be going offto their respective road and MTB seasons, while others will be travelinghome to the U.S. for final world's prep. Still others plan to remain in Belgiumthrough to world's. Nonetheless, for a great 12-day period, we were all together striving,seeking and, in some cases, finding. Finding what? That answer dependson each rider and his goals, but, as director, my objective is to continueto put U.S. riders on the world cyclo-cross map.In many

According to his doctor, Jonathan Page (Morgan Blue) should just be getting back into racing, his surgically repaired shoulder finally ready for real efforts. Instead, following his own recovery schedule, the three-time U.S. cyclo-cross champion scored an impressive second place at Friday’s Nordzeecross, a UCI Cat 2 race in Middelekerke, Belgium. Page finished 12 seconds behind race winner Bart Wellens (Fidea) a day after withdrawing from the brutal Azencross stop of the GVA Series because of two near-crashes. "I hope it’s just the start of more to come," said Page from his home in

Marc Gullickson was on hand at the 2006 California Giant Berry Farms USA Cycling cyclo-cross national championships, last weekend in Providence, Rhode Island. Gullickson, who claimed the 1999 national title and retired at the end of 2004, now works with USA Cycling to help determine which riders should represent the United States at the cyclo-cross world championships. Along with elite winners Ryan Trebon (Kona) and Katie Compton (Spike-Primus Mootry), Gullickson had a thing or two to say about who deserves to go to the world’s in Hooglede-Gits, Belgium, on January 27-28. We caught up with

Okay, so it's not exactly a race report, but this YouYube video depicting the Richard Sachs gang's trip to the recent USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships is just too good to ignore. A tip of the VeloNews.com stocking cap goes out to cast and crew.

Katie Compton once again asserted herself as the top dog in the world of domestic cyclo-cross racing by easily grabbing the elite women’s title at the 2006 California Giant Berry Farms USA Cycling national cyclo-cross championships. As she has done all season, Compton didn’t necessarily attack the women’s field — she simply turned on the afterburners and said bye bye. After the race, Compton likened her performance to a joyride, focusing most of her comments on how fun the course was.

The 2006 California Giant Berry USA Cycling national cyclo-cross championships attraced a record number of ’crossers from around the nation to race on the grass of Roger Williams Park in downtown Providence, Rhode Island, proving yet again that in the United States, cyclo-cross is a participant sport first, and a fan-based sport second. [nid:37005]Between writing assignments, our man on the scene Fred Dreier strolled through the weekend's venue and was lucky enough to capture images of just some of the people who made the 2006 cyclo-cross championships a success.

New Englander Mark McCormak (Clif Bar) surged to an impressive second-place finish in the Strawberry Elite Cup on the final day of the 2006 California Giant Berry Farms USA Cycling national cyclo-cross championships. After the event, McCormack — a longtime veteran on the road and the 2003 USPRO champ — admitted that, while he would continue racing ’cross, his road racing days were over. VeloNews caught up with McCormack at the awards ceremony. VeloNews: Word on the street is that this is your last race as an elite today. Mark McCormack: Well, that’s the rumor. Nothing is confirmed yet,

Katie Compton took her third successive national cyclo-cross title Sunday, after riding in a solo breakaway for most of the day and the U.S. championships in Providence, Rhode Island.

Thousands of ’cross fans erupted in cheers as Ryan Trebon crossed the finish line to take his first elite ’cross stars and stripes, but none yelled louder than Brigadier General Gregory Trebon — otherwise known as “Ryan’s dad.” The elder Trebon is a retired General in the United States Air Force, and holds an impressive list of major awards and decorations for service to his country. But in Providence, Greg Trebon understood that he was proud father first and Air Force general second.

As he has done all season, Ryan Trebon wasted little time in laying waste to the elite men’s field at the 2006 cyclo-cross national championship in Providence, Rhode Island, on Saturday. Along with his Kona teammate Barry Wicks and New Englander Mark McCormack (Clif Bar), the 6-foot-5 Trebon sprinted to the head of the men’s field from the gun. But midway around the first loop through Roger Williams Park, Trebon displayed the power output of his long legs, and sped away in a gear owned by no other man in the 114-strong field had.

The bowl-shaped heart of Roger Williams park in downtown Providence, Rhode Island, turned into something of a one-ringed circus of ’cross Friday, as 692 masters, competing in 15 age-grouped races, kicked off the 2006 cyclo-cross national championships. Indeed, the master’s men 30-34, 40-45 and 45-49 age-group races bore the appearance of real circus processions, as all three boasted swollen 100-plus fields that could stretch halfway around the course if uninterrupted.

At 47, Steve Tilford is quickly approaching the “ageless wonder” category reserved for cycling’s best-known graying hero, his former Specialized teammate Ned Overend. It was no surprise to see Tilford wallop the men 45-49 age-group category to claim yet another national ’cross championship in Providence, Rhode Island on December 17, shortly after Overend took the jersey in the men 50-54 group. We caught up with Tilford as he was watching Overend lead the amateur race. When posed with the tough question (so who would win in a ’cross race between you and deadly Nedly?), Tilford — the pride of

A record number of mud-pluggers from throughout the United States will descend upon Providence, Rhode Island, this weekend for the 2006 USA Cycling Cyclo-cross national championships. The event, which will award 28 national titles and is sponsored by California Giant Berry Farms, runs December 15-17. On Monday, USA Cycling announced that 1940 amateur and elite athletes had registered for the 2006 nationals, a 14 percent increase from 2005. Last year, 1700 athletes competed at the nationals in Providence — an amazing 41-percent increase from 2004.

If there was any doubt that Sven Nys is on a seemingly endless roll this season, the Belgian 'cross phenom' put it to rest as he scored his fifth successive win cyclo-cross’s Superprestige series, taking Round 5 at Hamme-Zogge, Belgium, on Sunday. Nys further solidified his already formidable series lead over fellow Belgian Bart Wellens, who again finished second on Sunday. For North American ‘cross fans, the big news came in the form of a top-ten finish by Kona’s Ryan Trebon, who came across the line some four minutes back from the hard-charging Nys. Nys, who lost to Wellens in the

The calendar may say December but the weather said otherwise at Sunday’s final round of the 2006 Verge New England Championship Cyclo-Cross Series, the Caster’s Cyclocross in Warwick, Rhode Island. The ’06 Series closed out just as it began, with temps in the 50s and Lyne Bessette (Cyclocrossworld.com) and Tim Johnson (Cannondale-cyclocrossworld.com)stamping their authority all over the Elite Women’s and Men’s events. Bessette’s win, her fifth in five Series starts, cemented her position as the 2006 Verge NECCS overall champion while Mark McCormack (Clif Shot) took home the overall title

Verge titles on the line this weekendComing into the final weekend of the 2006 Verge New England Championship Cyclo-Cross Series, the race for the elite championships hangs in the balance. Both races of the Rhode Island doubleheader, Saturday’s W.E. Stedman Grand Prix in South Kingston and Sunday’s Caster’s Cyclocross in Warwick, offer very different race experiences in which series titles will be decided. The W.E. Stedman course, a fast, open, and often blustery tour around the grounds at the Curtis Corner Middle School, favors sheer strength over technique while Sunday’s Caster’s track

Picking up where they left off two weeks ago, the wife-husband duo of LyneBessette (Cyclocrossworld.com) and Tim Johnson (Cannondale-cyclocrossworld.com)won Saturday’s W.E. Stedman Grand Prix in South Kingston, Rhode Island,the sixth round of the 2006 Verge New England Championship Cyclo-CrossSeries. Less than 20 miles from the site of next week’s U.S. national Championships,the penultimate Verge NECCS race went to form, with Bessette dominatingthe Elite Women’s field and Johnson forming an early breakaway and thensoloing in for the Elite Men’s win.On a dry afternoon with temperatures

When Steve Tilford crashed his bike into an icy lake on the second lap of Sunday’s KLM Marketing UCI Cyclocross Race, his first instinct was to get back on and start racing. A warm blanket and some dry clothing would have to wait. The Trek-Volkswagen rider from Topeka, Kansas, had another epic chapter to write in his already-storied career, which includes five world mountain-bike and four national cyclo-cross titles. Tilford tossed his waterlogged bike out of the lake and after just one lap on the 2.5km course had chased down and passed Brent Prenzlow (Celo Pacific-Salsa) en route to

KLM ’cross to preview 2007-08 nationals courseThe second KLM Marketing Solutions UCI Cyclocross is slated Sunday at Wyandotte County Park in Kansas City. The race, which will double as the Missouri State Cyclocross Championships, uses the same venue that will host the 2007-08 USA Cycling cyclo-cross national championships. "KLM Marketing Solutions has been working with the Unified Government for two years to ensure that the venue has the capabilities to host nationals," said Wayne Burns, director of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County Parks and Recreation Department. Four-time

Chi’ series concludes December 3The fourth and final race of the Chicago Cyclocross Cup racing series on December 3 will double as the Illinois State Cyclocross Championship. The race will be held at Montrose Park; lead sponsor is Turin of Evanston. The course makes use of the many natural and manmade areas of the park. Riders can expect a well-rounded course using pavement, gravel track, grass and sandy areas with off-camber and running sections mixed into each lap. Race flyers and information for the 2006 Chicago Cyclocross Cup can be found at www.chicrosscup.com. Nashville series headed