Wicks, Williams win single-speed ‘world championships’
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
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Tequila shortcuts, golden Speedos and more fun than six barrels of PBR
By Matt Karre
Photo: Graham Notson
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 finish line — only to see Barry Wicks (Kona) charge by before he could get clipped back in. Wicks pipped Craig at the line to claim the coveted inaugural golden World Champion Speedo.
“The ’cross scene in Portland is the best,” said Wicks. “I’ve raced all over the world and nothing compares. I always come back for Portland.”
Saturday saw what may have been the first time-trial qualifier ever held for a cyclocross race. Ryan Trebon (Kona) posted the fastest time for the men while Wendy Williams (River City Bicycles) won the women’s time trial, and though the promise of mud never materialized, the residual tackiness and challenging run-ups made for exciting racing.
Photo: Shane Young, OregonVelo.com
Perhaps even more exciting were the sideshows, including a best-heckler competition, a single-speed lounge with food and drink, a PBR beer tent, and karaoke. At one point, Carl Decker (Giant) and Craig took to the stage and performed a rendition of Britney Spears’s classic “Hit Me Baby One More Time” that will not soon be forgotten.
Sunday saw the big race, and while the top three might not be a surprise to some, the antics on the course were truly unprecedented. As usual, time-trial placings determined each racer’s position at the start line. But when race promoter Dani Dance said, “Everyone turn your bikes around!” the hierarchy was quickly reversed. Trebon, Wicks, Craig, Decker and many other top qualifiers found themselves forced to make their way through the 100-strong field from the back.
On the first lap, Decker, Trebon, Craig and Wicks found the front and created a gap followed by Matthew Slaven (Kona) and Ian Brown (River City Bicycles) at 10 seconds. The contest settled down to what seemed to be pretty run-of-the-mill cyclocross until a unique shortcut presented itself: Go through the River City Bicycles Tequila Shortcut and skip a good 20 seconds of the course. The toll? A shot of tequila. Teetotaling short-cutters drew fire from a World of Warcraft-trained expert paintball sniper. Only a few casualties were reported, and the shortcut was removed for the final few laps.
Throughout the race, the heckling competition was blowing full steam, even resulting in an impromptu and definitely unwanted game of dodgeball involving the unsuspecting racers. No one was safe.
And the crowd was massive — some industry folks say the turnout surpassed that of the Excel Sports CrossVegas, if not in number than certainly in jubilance.
“The crowds were a huge factor in getting up that run-up,” said top qualifier Ryan Weaver of Portland. “I thought I was winning! The louder it was the less it hurt.”
Photo: Graham Notson
“This is the biggest crowd I’ve ever seen for a cross race,” said Dave Guettler of River City Bicycles. “It’s bigger than the Interbike race.” Many congregated in the Bike Gallery Beer Garden, which, unfortunately, ran out of beer after six kegs and several dozen cases.
Many racers donned non-traditional kit. Craig selected track pants without shirt and a helmet from the early ‘90’s; Tina Brubaker (Vanilla Bicycles) raced in little more than underwear; and Bridgette Stoick (River City Bicycles) wore a tube top made of inner tubes.
At the end of the day in the Eclectic Home-sponsored Single Speed Lounge, the first world champions of single-speed cyclocross were crowned, Speedo-ed, bikini’d and biked.
In shameless cyclocross style, Wicks changed into his golden Speedo with world-championships stripes while on the podium; women’s champ Williams followed suit with her rainbow bikini. And both received custom frames — Wicks, a SpeedVagen from Vanilla Bicycles and Williams a frame from Ahearne Cycles.
It was not clear at press time whether the newly minted world titlists will be required to wear their respective championship garments during next season’s single-speed events.
Single Speed Cyclocross World Championships
Portland, OR. Nov. 11-12
Time trial
Women
1. Wendy Williams, River City Bicycles
2. Sue Butler, River City Bicycles
3. Megan Weaver,River City Bicycles
4. Bridgette Stoick, River City Bicycles
5. Laurel Gitlen, Gentle Lovers
Men
1. Ryan Trebon, Kona
2. Barry Wicks, Kona
3. Shannon Skerritt, Vanilla Bicycles
4. Steve Wasmund, Cutthroat Racing
5. Ryan Weaver, River City Bicycles
Cyclocross (60 mins.)
Men
1. Barry Wicks, Kona
2. Adam Craig, Giant Bicycles
3. Ryan Trebon, Kona
4. Tim Jones, Web Cyclery
5. Ryan Weaver, River City Bicycles
Women
1. Wendy Williams, River City Bicycles
2. Emily Van Meter, River City Bicycles
3. Sue Butler, River City Bicycles
4. Laurel Gitlen, Gentle Lovers
5. Melissa Sanborn, Wenzel Coaching
For full results, see www.obra.org.
