CYCLOCROSS NATIONALS

I have some very close acquaintances who play a major role in hosting the USA Cycling National Championships in Bend, Oregon.  They have provided me with very complete and up to the minute information, some items fresh off the press printers, regarding this years Cross Nationals.  Please have a look at the links below to keep current with what to expect at this years National Championships.

Cyclocross Nationals Course Map

Schedule of Events

Eligibility & Call Up Procedures

Cyclocross Nationals Race Schedule

Where to Stay for Cyclocross 

Cyclocross Nationals Lodging Map

Special Deals for Cross Racers and Spectators

Vendor Expo & Team Parking Application

Frequently Asked Questions

More From USA Cycling

The Complete source for current information for the 2010 Cross Nationals is VisitBend.com

For a personal contact or help resource please see

                                     Kevney Dugan
                           Sports Development Manager

                                                Visit Bend

                                            P:541.382.8048

                                            F:541.382.8568

RACE PHOTOS - MUST SEE VIDEO

Check out this video I tracked down from the past round of the UCI Cyclocross World Cup.  Zdenek Stybar(Telenet-Fidea) is certainly on fire with his racing form, and so far in 2010 he is the #1 rider in the world for Cyclocross.  Watch Stybar clear the sand section cleanly.  He seemed to be the only rider able to pass the obstacle without a dismount.  Katie Compton(Planet Bike) proved Women's Cross racing in the USA is on the very highest level there is on the planet.  Check out the final Women's podium, two of the top three riders- Compton and Katrina Nash(Luna Pro Team) reside in the States and compete domestically in cycle races for a large part of the year.  This video is excellent quality and shows some up close and personal actions from the World Cup course in Aigle, Switzerland on the grounds of the UCI's headquarters.

And here the final two laps of the UCI World Cup #1 Men's Elite event.

Blake Von Knopka and John Suzuki are the featured artists in this week's version of the NCNCA CYCLOCROSS PHOTO PAGE.

Both Blake Von Knopka and John Suzuki are very passionate about their respective camera work.  Creativity breeds success, and viewing these race photos from the past weekend's Cross competitions shows the success each of the individual photographers achieve with their own imagination and inspiration for select shots and sequences of race action.

Please view my selected images from their combined work at the

NCNCA CYCLOCROSS PHOTO PAGE.

Lion Of Fairfax - BASP Series

Huge Weekend Of Racing As Bay Area Super Prestige Series And Lion of Fairfax Produce Epic Racing For Nor-Cal Cyclocross Fanatics!

Devon Haskell(Bike Station Aptos) & Kerry Barnholt(Scott/Ritchey) traded victories on the weekend in the Elite Women's division.  Barnholt ruled the Lion of Fairfax race, and seemed more then on her way to a double victory at BASP #1 until fate interrupted her parade.  Check out this photo below of Haskell and Barnholt from John Suzuki.  The ladies are on their last lap, Barnholt riding after two flat tires, and Haskell after one flat tire and two bloody knees!  These two competitors are warriors on the bike!   They put on quite the battle as they suddenly came together with one lap to go after Barnholt's second flat tire erased her large lead and put the two champions even on course.  Haskell was able to get the lead for good on the final run up and managed to just hold off Barnholt during the sprint for the line in what was the closest and most dramatic race of the day!

Merritt College produced quite the show for Northern California Cyclocross racing.  The BASP Staff worked extra hard to unveil their new venue and I congratulate Tom and Alec Simpson and their entire group of helpers, announcers, officials, volunteers, and staff, for putting together another spectacular day of Cyclocross racing for the Nor-Cal contingent of Cross enthusiasts.

Bay Area racing Cyclocross style.

Oakland, San Francisco, Downtown, Uptown, The Ghetto, The Highlands, it all comes together when racing hits the City and Cyclocross takes over the Bay Area.

A slight rain rolled through just in time to make the conditions optimal for the races after 11:00 a.m. and take out the large dust clouds that played havoc on the early competitions.

Flat tires dominated the day at BASP #1!  The ground on course featured hidden-jagged rocks and sharp stones that shredded tires and ripped apart tubes for the majority of the racers.  There were hundreds and hundreds of flat tires during the day- maybe a world record for flat tires at a Cross race- one racer had 6 flat tires and two broken wheels from the carnage.  Some riders scrambled to find Mtn Bikes to tackle the rocky terrain.  Steve Reaney(Cal. Giant Inc./Specialized) had multiple flats in the Masters race, so he went with the Mtn Bike for the Elite event, and proceeded to ride to victory on fat tires and shocks!

Ned Overend(Cal. Giant Inc./Specialized) made a appearance at the Lion of Fairfax event and showed his Cyclocross game is top notch, just like his MTB and Road Race skills & ability. 

Josh Snead(Bay101/HRS/Rock Lobster) was king of the jungle at the Lion of Fairfax race.  Snead used his superior bunny hopping skills and razor sharp fitness to propel himself to the win over a very strong group of Elite riders at White Hill Middle School.

Big Swinging Cycles has a challenging course for their Lion of Fairfax race at White Hill Middle School.

Peninsula Velo's Thomas Feix had a strong weekend of racing!

BASP PHOTOS

Chris Patterson, JAMFoto

                                         Dale Tapley, Davis Bike Club
                              Jon Suzuki, Missing Link Bike Cooperative
                               Ted Ketai, Sheila Moon Athletic Apparel
                                       Dennis McGovern, Sycip Cycles
                                                        Miss Mary
                                    Joe Ercoli, Anvil Image Photography

LION OF FAIRFAX PHOTOS

Nick Gaetano

                                                  Blake von Knopka
                              George Denison McNamara, Denison Design

No "Official Results" were available online at time of this post.

BAY AREA RACES TAKE CENTER STAGE

The Bay Area is on for Cyclocross this weekend!  The Lion of Fairfax one day classic event starts the racing on Saturday.  Then the "Big Show" of Nor-Cal Cross racing explodes into life as the B.A.S.P. Series Race #1 fires off Sunday at Merrit College.



Tom & Alec Simpson, the masterminds to the Bay Area Super Prestige Series, will be revealing their new venue to Northern California Cross racers at the beautiful campus of Merritt College, certainly it will not disappoint.  Any first year venue has the potential to be rough and need it's kinks worked out by the racers, but by the end of the day Cyclocross will be forever linked to the Merritt College history books.

The BASP Series will have all their bells and whistles in play.  This makes for a exciting day of fast paced Cyclocross racing.  Strap on your helmet and get ready to ride!  However be extra ready to follow the rules set in place to keep things somewhat non chaotic.  Tom Simpson asked me to remind everyone to NOT practice the course while other races are in progress.  Also, be ready to support the college with a small parking fee.  Chip timing will be used, so allow a little bit of extra time at registration to get dialed in for electronic-supersonic timing.  Plus there will be two neutral pits, the Ritchey Neutral Wheel Pit & the Sram Neutral Support Team. 

Race #2 of the BASP Series will feature their new Fly Over Bridge, which is guaranteed to be a crowd favorite.  I tracked down some spy photos of the beautiful steel and aluminium contraption that will no doubt elevate Cross racing for the BASP Series, both figuratively and literally.  This addition to the BASP will not be in play until race #2.

The Bay Area Super Prestige Series is the king of Cross for Nor-Cal!  It holds all the cards in producing the largest race fields in California, while still trying to maintain a fun environment under a quality production theme.  Congratulations to Tom & Alec Simpson on the great success their event has achieved since it's inception in 2002.

The Lion of Fairfax Classic will kick start the weekend at White Hill Middle School on Saturday.  This event is part of the Biketoberfest Marin 2010 and is also a fundraiser for White Hill Middle School in Fairfax.  Biketoberfest 2010 is a huge Beer & Food festival centered around the Bicycle, what a great combination!  There is also a bike expo and live music, which is certain to keep the party rolling along all day, and into the night.  The Cyclocross race is looped onto a technical circuit and racing will be full on when the gun sounds. 

Ride Safe & have Fun!

Here is a classic video of a awesome race loop in Europe.  Check out the super steep & sandy DH sections that have the best riders in the world doing their very best to hold a straight line.  Also check out the awesome run-ups, that appear back to back on the race route.  The camera work is very cool and the race itself is thrilling to watch.  Nys, Stybar, Albet, Vantornout, Pauwels, and Vervecken all with a chance of victory going inot the final lap.  This race World Class!

VIDEO FEATURE

Nor-Cal racer Katie DeClerc(Giro/Easton/Swobo), who is quite possibly related to UCI World Cyclocross Champion Mario DeClerc, is seen in this clip riding to a huge win.  In this video you can hear the UCI announcers from Belgium go over her UCI victory.

Please have a look at this fine video.

Sven Nys is with out a doubt one of the best technical handlers of the Cyclocross machine.  Nys always seems to find ways to ride sections of course that other World Cup racers can not handle.  Nys really shines in the sand, and watching him rip across the beach-like portions of course is good video.  In this video Nys gaps the lead pack in the final portions of the lap, through the sand, on his way to victory in the Neerpelt 2010.

The "Pure Sweet Hell" trailer is great video! Most of the content is from Nor-Cal racing with some cool vintage shots of Nor-Cal riders.  Please have a look at this classic clip of Cross racing in the hard conditions that Northern California can produce.

It might seem like summer now, but foul weather is sure to arrive, and that is when the race fields should be huge, riders should challenge themselves to compete in the worst conditions possible, and the traditional Cyclocross experience comes to life!

SACRAMENTO CROSS PHOTO SPECIAL

Jeff Namba is the featured photographer in this weeks version of the NCNCA CYCLOCROSS PHOTO PAGE.   Namba has an extreme passion for working the Cyclocross events and capturing racers partaking in their craft.  You can see his dedication to the sport in his work!

"The Money Shot" - Jeff Namba shot this classic photo of Curt Ferguson standing on the sidelines, certainly as a proud father, watching his son Jeremy use his bike handling skills to ride over the barriers and gain a gap on the chasing Elite Men leaders. (please click on photos to enlarge)

Man on a mission..... Ferguson(Cal Giant Inc./Specialized) applies pressure to the chasers as he soars over the boards, gaining time on the riders who are unable to match his moves in Sacramento.

Reno's David Eastwood- pictured below- appears to be on solid form to open the season  as he high stepped his way to the 45+ "A" win in the series opener of Sac. Town Cross.

Please view the NCNCA CYCLOCROSS PHOTO PAGE to see more of Jeff Namba's Cross photos.

SAC. TOWN & CCCX CYCLOCROSS

Sacramento & Central Coast events deliver outstanding courses and excellent racing for Northern California Cyclocross competitors.

Jeremy Ferguson(Cal Giant/Specialized)- pictured above- continues his hot streak and owns the Men's Elite race in Sacramento, while Sarah Maile(Ventana MTB)- pictured below- rides to Women's Elite win. 

Joining the on form Ferguson, it was Cody Kaiser(Cal Giant Inc./Specialized) and Chris McGovern who made up the rest of the top 3 in the Men's Elite race.  And it was Joan Gregg with Marja-Lissa Magnuson who both had strong rides to share top 3 honors with Maile  in the Women's Elite race in Sacramento.

One racer who was on her game at the Sacramento Series opener was Linda Elgart(Webcor/Alto Velo)- pictured above.  Elgart is one of the true Nor-Cal cycling dignitaries, who has claimed multiple cycling victories over a storied cycling career.  Last season Elgart was the Masters NCNCA District Cyclocross Champion in her age group.  Elgart was one of the founders of the original Sac. Town Cross series.  Racers in this region must certainly thank Elgart for all of her efforts to promote cycling and show how cycle racing can lead to a very healthy and successful lifestyle.  Elgart was racing in the Women's Masters division on Sunday, but had the power and strength to finish 2nd place overall among the Women racers which I personally feel deserves mention! 

Full Cross In The Capitol Results Here..

Jeff Namba's action photos from the Sacramento Series here...

Devon Haskell(Bike Station Aptos)- pictured below- appears to be on another level from the rest of the Nor-Cal Elite Women! For CCCX #4 she rides away solo for a stellar victory on the ultra demanding Toro Park upper course.

The 16% incline pavement section near the start of the race lap at Toro Park made for memorable spectating for race fans, and the lasting impression of suffering for the racers!  Scott Chapin(Bay 101/HRS/Rock Lobster) threw down multiple attacks on this uphill stretch to separate himself from Justin Robinson(Cal Giant Inc./Specialized) on the last lap and claim the Men's Elite win at CCCX #4.

Full Central Coast Series Race #4 Results Here...

Steve Anderson's CCCX #4 Toro Park Photos here...

Bay 101/HRS/Rock Lobster Cross Team took 4 of the 5 podium spots in the Men's Elite race at Toro Park.  Chapin, Odell, Snead, and Wyandt almost pitched a shut out on the rest of the Men's Elite Field.  Big names were all over the Men's Elite race at CCCX #4 - Toro Park - Studs like Aaron Bradford(AaronBradford.com), Eric Wholberg(Sterling Cross), Chance Nobel(Cal Giant Inc./Specialized), Ben Jacques-Maynes(Bissell Pro Cycling), Mark Noble(Franco Factory Team), and Don Myrah(Ibis/BuyCell.com), all lined up to test the super demanding Toro Park race route.

Cal Giant Inc./Specialized Cross Team did the exact same in the Masters 35+ "A" division at Toro Park.  The Cal Giant Inc./Specialized racers controlled the racing, and claimed 4 of the 5 podium spots in the Masters 35+ "A" group.  Don Myrah- pictured below- was the one rider who crashed the Cal Giant party at Toro Park in the Masters 35+ "A" group and joined the "Berry Boys" on the podium.

RACES THIS WEEKEND

Sacramento Cyclocross opens it series at Harry Renfree Field on Saturday & the Central Coast Series ventures to a classic Toro Park course on Sunday!

Nor-Cal local & Masters National Cross Champion Alan Coats(Cal Giant/Specialized)- pictured below- owned the Masters racing this past weekend in San Dimas.  Coats had a Sunday to remember down South riding to victories in the Masters 35+ and 45+ divisions!

Below is a super photo, as it shows two of the best Masters racers in America- Coats & Myrah(Ibis-Buy Cell.com) going elbow to elbow in full flight and not giving a inch at the very front of the race.

The Sacramento Series race #1 event will be hosted at Harry Renfree Field and Brian Joder and his staff are very eager to get Cross rolling in Sac. Town.  The course looks to be very interesting.  It appears as if there is number of long straights mixed in with some fun turns, and it should be a great time at the races!  Full information about the event can be found here.  This race #1 of Cross in the Capitol is being hosted by the great group at Mad Cat Bicycles.  Racing starts at 9:30 with the C Men's division and Junior Men B group.  The final race of the day is always a classic as the Single Speeders of Sac Town take center stage and close down the day with their one gear Cyclocross challenge.

The Central Coast Cyclocross Series will go off at Toro Park, on what will be a very epic Cross course.  The route has been extended from years past to feature some incredible single track and double track trail sections.  Grass riding will be added as well as some extra pavement, in what is sure to be one of the most memorable races of the season.  Toro Park and their Rangers and Staff must be praised for recognising that some of the best racers in America will be competing in the Park, and they have allowed for extra trails to be used to make the course a true Cyclocross classic.

Conditions will still be on the dry and sandy side at most venues until rain hits the Nor-Cal region.  Tire choice is always key in any circumstances, but loose, dry dirt requires an intelligent choice of tires and air pressure to maximize the performance of your Cyclocross machine.  Shoe choice is equally as important, however the color of the shoe does not usually increase riders performance.  Or does it....??



NCNCA Racers Abroad

Bike Station Aptos team rider Devon Haskell leads the way for the Nor-Cal racers who travelled abroad to compete this past weekend. 

Haskell ripped off two outstanding rides and finished 2nd place on both days in the Elite Women's event of the Krosstober-Fest weekend of racing in Southern California.

The California Giant/Specialized Cyclocross team put together a amazing weekend of racing on both sides of the USA.  The Elite Women racers from Cal Giant mean business!  In So-Cal it was Cal Giant rider Teal Stetson-Lee who won on both Sat. & Sun., while in Massachusetts's at the Grand Prix of Gloucester it was Meredith Miller who went solo during Sunday's event to claim this Cross classic victory.  Cal Giant's U/23 rider Jeremy Ferguson was the top Nor-Cal male racer on both days at the UCI status event in San Dimas.  Ferguson cracked the top 10 on both days and posted a tremendous ride on Sunday to finish 4th overall and climb up on the podium of the Men's Elite division.  Ferguson is on fire!

One Nor-Cal racer who has had a solid start to this Cross season is Emily Thurston(Missing Link/3rd Pillar)- photo below. Thurston had a awesome weekend down south placing 6th overall both days in the Elite Women's field.  Being so close to a podium appearance is sure to make the smooth riding Thurston more hungry and more charged up for success this year in future races.  Thurston is one to watch for 2010!

Nor-Cal Women rule in Cyclocross.  Below is the Elite Women's podium from day one of Krosstober-Fest, and three of the five riders were from the NCNCA region.  Haskell in 2nd place, Sarah Maile(Ventana MTB) in 3rd position, and Barbara Howe(IBIS and the Danger Twins) in 5th.  Howe and Maile traded spots on day 2 of racing with Howe taking 3rd overall and Maile 5th place.

Other NCNCA racers who traveled abroad and battled hard on course to produce stellar top 10 rides over the weekend were Kerry Barnholt(Scott-Ritchey) back East in Gloucester, and in So-Cal it was Courtney Dimple(Bike Station Aptos), Katrina Baumsteiger(Team Rambuski Law), and Sarah Jordan(Bay101/HRS/Rock Lobster).  On the Elite Men's side of racing it was only Josh Snead(Bay101/HRS/Rock Lobster) who was able to work his way into the super competitive top 10, down south, to join Cal. Giant's Ferguson in that group.  However on day 2 of the racing in San Dimas, Nor-Cal men did post solid results with Aaron Odell(Bay101/HRS/Rock Lobster), Scott Chapin(Bay101/HRS/Rock Lobster), and Cody Kaiser all making top 15 in the final- finishing just outside the top 10.  Odell just missed this top 10 placing crossing the line 5 seconds behind his team mate- the fast pedaling Josh Snead.

Nor-Cal racers appear to be racing into near top form as the season gets really rolling now.  Things could be very interesting this weekend in Toro Park for CCCX Series race #4 if the best riders from Nor-Cal compete locally and line up for action.  If Rock Lobster & California Giant bring their best riders to this race, as is planned, there is sure to be major fireworks going off in Toro Park, and fireworks are illegal in Monterey County parks! 

Full results & photos from Krosstober-Fest day 1 here...

Full results & photos from Krosstober-Fest day 2 here...

Full results and photos form the Grand Prix of Gloucester here...

TIM WESTMORE - CCCX #3 - FT. ORD

Tim Westmore is the featured photographer in this weeks version of the NCNCA CYCLOCROSS PHOTO PAGE.  NCNCA Cross delivers great action for photographers, and Westmore is one of the most dedicated to the cause of capturing the experience in still frame.