Cycling Illustrated

Just About That Time of Year By Jason Harrod

May 7, 2013 by Sprint Finish Leave a Comment

Just About That Time of Year
By
Jason Harrod

Just About That Time of Year

Jason Harrod

The sun is shining, the weather warm and dry, and I can smell that aerosol perfumery that is sunscreen. Life is good in Norcal. As I sit her penning this fine mess of an article it has dawned on me that it’s just about that time of year to dust of the ‘cross bike, scrabble together an early season training program of sorts and get my body on track back to racing shape – if that’s what one can call it.

Luckily, I have kept the training program the manager from my old Team Wheelsmith days put together for me. Man, that cat was magic. He was the strongest rider, the strongest rider who spent fewer hours on the bike than anyone I knew or know, for that matter. I reiterate – a magician. The program is so simple that even though I have the old beer coaster he wrote it on in my possession, I really don’t need to look at it to remember the plant to a T. But, and there is always a but, I just finished writing it up and printed out three copies; one for my day planner, one for the refrigerator and one for the door to the bike cave, just so I have to think as little as possible. Now, I could divulge my program in full transparency but that seems a little over the top. What I will do is suggest the parameters in as vague a way as possible: there are 2 easy/off days, 2 speed work/interval days, 1 tempo day, 1 long smile and spin day, and 1 complete day of rest. Pretty simple, no? I agree. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Cyclo-cross, Jason Harrod, News Tagged With: Jason Harrod

Katie Compton in “The Conversation”

March 21, 2013 by Sprint Finish Leave a Comment

Katie Compton in The Conversation

USA CYCLING

Despite a rare condition that she occasionally alludes to, Katie Compton forged her reputation as a swift, powerful racer ideally suited for races requiring a sustained, maximum effort for a period lasting two hours or less. Compton suffers debilitating leg cramps caused by an enzyme depletion that can cancel race plans for weeks at a time. However, for a racer who has collected six consecutive national cyclo-cross titles, two national mountain bike titles in short track, a silver medal at the 2007 Cyclo-Cross World Championships, and bronze at the 2009 World Championships, Compton manages her shortcoming just fine, so it seems.

Prior to amassing individual titles and podium finishes, Compton raced internationally on the track as the sighted member of a tandem team. She traveled to the 2004 Paralympics in Athens, Greece, where she collected four medals and set a world record in the three kilometers pursuit along with her tandem partner, Karissa Whitsell.

These days Compton’s husband, manager, and mechanic, Mark Legg, sees to it that nothing blocks Compton’s medal aspirations in terms of the equipment. Together, Compton and Legg work to craft the swiftest possible racing machine, with Compton focusing on the physical and tactical and Legg, the mechanical.

[youtube]http://youtu.be/pkxsMxRM8UU[/youtube]

Filed Under: Cycling Women, Cyclo-cross, News Tagged With: Katie Compton

Secret Squirrel Singletrack

February 14, 2013 by Sprint Finish Leave a Comment

Secret Squirrel Singletrack

By Jason Harrod

Have you even been treated to one of those special rides? You know, that one ride where you hesitate to take any one else on for fear of ruining the secret. The one where the trailhead might be just a touch obscured and you find yourself nervously checking over your shoulder before you punch through brush or branch and onto that sweet piece of awesomeness that you are sure only you, and the person who showed it to you, know about. I have. And I am not telling, telling where it is. But I will tell you about the ride.

This sweet section of West Marin singletrack is really not all that secret – it only feels that way. Why? Well, getting there is a good journey. And despite the fact that it really is not all that far ‘out there’, it is located in a, well, weird spot. But getting there is part of the fun. I love destination singletrack. It pleases me to rip dirt to rip dirt, if you catch my drift, and there is plenty of dirt on the way to this sweet piece of trail.

I was lucky enough to have a good friend and fairly frequent riding companion show me this trail. For him, there was no secrecy, no magic, just two dudes riding some wicked singletrack. I am not that gracious. Sure, I have shared it with the core group of cats I ride with, of course, but there is no way I will just show it to anyone. What I will do is describe the ride and let you try to figure it out.

I already told you it’s in West Marin. The route from my abode to the north takes me over hill and dale south by south west. I travel dirt through TL/Sleepy Hollow Divide, gravelly and steep little fire roads. Then into the sleepy town of Fairfax. From here I will get more vague, but suffice it to say the next piece of dirt has a sign that may be one of the coolest signs ever and reads “Bicycles Must Stay on Singletrack”. Cool, no? And from there we drop and then climb to another ridge where some seriously famous dudes ran some seriously famous rac. Then climb some more, just like in the picture above. And you are done. Time to start rock-hopping down the rock strewn fire road to the branch and make a right. The trail is there, on the left, off the main fire road and obscured by fern and bramble. It snakes around root and rock and quickly cuts back across the main road and back into the flora. This is where it gets real; real rocky, the stationary kind, and snakes and rolls and drops and flows for a good 2 miles. Two miles of some of the most challenging and thrilling singletrack I have ever ridden. Arms sore from pumping the bumps. Legs cut and scratched from the bush. Eyes watery with delight. Teeth full of bugs from smiling the entire way. Spider webs clinging to the body and kit because this is a road less traveled … and I would like to keep it that way.

Filed Under: Cyclo-cross, Jason Harrod, News Tagged With: Jason Harrod, Singletrack

CX Worlds By Yannick Eckmann

February 7, 2013 by Sprint Finish Leave a Comment

Photo Credit: Hannelore Eckmann

CX Worlds

By Yannick Eckmann

My alarm woke me at 7:50 AM and I went down to get my first meal into me before the race. After I had a nice, solid breakfast, I went back up to my room to relax and to put my legs up to rest them. My next meal was at 9:30; some rice with cheese and salt, my main pre-race food. After I ate, I relaxed a bit more and then headed to the world championship course.

The roads were covered with snow and the course was frozen. I was really excited with the course and how the conditions whre. I pre-rode a couple of times and then headed to the German team tent to warm up. At first, I had Fango tires on for the pre-ride, but as the temperature got warmer and warmer I knew that the ground of the course would melt pretty fast with the temperature and the people riding on it. I told my dad to switch the tires to a Limus mud tire. After my warm up I headed to the start line with 15 minutes until the start so I could ride back and forth on the starting straight. [Read more...]

Filed Under: California Giant Berry Farms, Cyclo-cross, News Tagged With: Cx Worlds, Yannick Exkman

Images-Historic Day Today in Louisville, Kentucky…………Images Lee McDaniel.

February 2, 2013 by dmunson Leave a Comment

History was made today in Louisville, Kentucky at the 2013 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships when four world champions were crowned for the first time outside of Europe in the event’s 63-year history. The noisy and happy crowd, estimated to be close to 10,000 strong, didn’t let snow, freezing conditions or flooding deter their love of the sport, they cheered loudly all the racers.

Marianne Vos, of the Netherlands won her her first consecutive title in the Elite Women’s race. American Katie Compton was second and Lucie Chainel-Lefevre of France was third.

In the Elite Men’s race, veteran Sven Nys of Belgium took the second world title of his illustrious career. His teammate Klaas Vantornout was second and Lars van der Haar, of the Netherlands, was third.

In the Junior and Under 23 Men’s races, the Netherlands was the victor, with Mathieu van der Poel – son of legend Adri van der Poel – winning the Junior race ahead of teammate Martijn Budding. Mike Teunissen made his move in the final lap to win the Men Under-23 title ahead of Belgian duo Wietse Bosmans and Wout van Aert.

[Show as slideshow]

Filed Under: Cyclo-cross, News, UCI, UCI- Cyclo-Cross World Championships

CX Worlds Race Report: Under 23 Men

February 2, 2013 by Brandon Leave a Comment

CX Worlds Race Report: Under 23 Men

FEB 2, 2013, LOUISVILLE, KY. By Phil Beckman/PB Creative — You could be forgiven if aliens dropped you into Eva Bandman Park and you mistook it for somewhere in northern Europe. Quintessential cyclocross sights and sounds. Best guess would be Holland, the biggest clue being orange-and-blue-clad riders standing on top of the podium in every race completed so far at these 2013 UCI Cyclo-Cross World Championships.

Netherlands is now three-for-three, as Mike Teunissen rode an intelligent race to claim a confident Under 23 Men’s victory and add to his country’s pile of gold. Wietse Bosmans (Belgium) had a lot to say about that and up until the last lap looked to be in the catbird seat. These two worked well together to establish a comfortable gap by the halfway mark, with another Belgian, Wout Van Aert, desperately trying to remain in contact.

Bosmans was clearly the more technically talented, consistently hopping the barriers and chugging up a steep, slick, off-camber hill that had Teunissen dismounting in both cases. But when Teunissen opened the throttle on the last lap, suddenly Bosmans had a look of desperation in his mud encrusted eyes. Shut up, legs.

The Dutchman pried open a 14-second margin on the last go-round, Bosmans staggered in for silver, and Van Aert was able to remain clear for bronze eight seconds later. He had a 13-second cushion on fourth-place Tijmen Eising (Belgium).

Top American in this one was Washington native Zach McDonald, who spent much of the race within the top ten but ultimately finished in 11^th place.

Considering the setting, conditions and results, these World Championships seem eerily similar to the previous 63. It’s still amazing that it’s happening in mid-America for the first time. Not such an alien concept after all.

Under 23 Men

Mike Teunissen (Netherlands)
Wietse Bosmans (Belgium)
Wout Van Aert (Belgium)

Filed Under: Cyclo-cross, News, UCI- Cyclo-Cross World Championships Tagged With: CX Worlds Race Report: Under 23 Men

CX Worlds Race Report: Junior Men 17-18

February 2, 2013 by Sprint Finish Leave a Comment

CX Worlds Race Report: Junior Men 17-18

FEB 2, 2013, LOUISVILLE, KY. By Phil Beckman/PB Creative — Momma used to tell us, “nobody’s perfect.” But she’d never met the Mathieu Van Der Poel. This young Dutchman came across the pond for these 2013 UCI Cyclo-Cross World Championships in Louisville with an unfathomable 25 victories in 25 events this past season. Here he pinned on the #1 as defending champion from a year ago.

And to no one’s surprise, he once again flummoxed the Junior Men on a freshly snow-covered, skatey, mostly frozen Eva Bandman Park course to win by nearly a minute.

Van Der Poel led from wire to wire, with only his Dutch teammate Martijn Budding offering a challenge early on. Within two of six laps Van Der Poel had pried open a 14-second gap, and was the only front-runner to bunnyhop the barriers. They would spend the rest of the race with only an impressive throng of spectators to keep them company.

American Logan Owen came from behind to make a compelling charge for the final podium spot, but came up just two seconds short of the Adam Toupalik of the Czech Republic.

Junior Men 17-18

Mathieu Van Der Poel (Netherlands)
Martijn Budding (Netherlands)
Adam Toupalik (Czech Republic).

Filed Under: Cyclo-cross, News, UCI- Cyclo-Cross World Championships

Let’s Hear It For the Home Team

February 1, 2013 by Sprint Finish Leave a Comment

Let’s Hear It For the Home Team

FEB 1, 2013, LOUISVILLE, KY. By Phil Beckman/PB Creative — In the event that Evan Bandman Park doesn’t slide into the Ohio River in the next 24 hours, it’s going to be a huge day tomorrow at the 2013 UCI Cyclo-Cross World Championships in Louisville.

All four elite classes are now scheduled to hit the frozen tundra on Saturday, Feb. 2, due to dire predictions from the weather geeks that the facility may be flooded on Sunday.

Weather or not, it’s a mammoth day for U.S. cyclocross enthusiasts and American cycling in general — the first time this prestigious event has taken place on home soil (or anywhere outside of Europe, for that matter.) With that in mind, let’s wave our flag like crazed Belgians for these homegrown heroes:

Elite Men:

Jeremy Powers, Ryan Trebon, Tim Johnson, Jonathan Page, Jamie Driscoll, Danny Summerhill

Elite Women:

Katie Compton, Amy Dombroski, Kaitlin Antonneau, Georgia Gould, Meredith Miller, Jade Wilcoxson

Under 23 Men:

Zach McDonald, William Dillman, Tobin Ortenblad, Skyler Trujillo

Junior Men:

Logan Owen, Curtis White, Maxx Chance, David Lombardo, Stephen Bassett

Filed Under: Cyclo-cross, News, UCI- Cyclo-Cross World Championships Tagged With: UCI- Cyclo-Cross World Championships

Latest News: 2013 UCI Cyclo-Cross World Championships

February 1, 2013 by Sprint Finish Leave a Comment

Latest News: 2013 UCI Cyclo-Cross World Championships

FEB 1, 2013, LOUISVILLE, KY. By Phil Beckman/PB Creative — This may be the only bicycle race ever to encourage sandbagging. After all the excitement and anticipation leading up to the 2013 UCI Cyclo-Cross World Championships, the event has has been b**ch-slapped by Mother Nature. Sure, “real” cyclocross racers and fans revel in “genuine” CX conditions like mud, snow, wind, rain and the occasional lightning strike. But there’s now a fear that the course at Evan Bandman Park may require scuba gear instead of toe spikes.

The facility is situated at the confluence of the Ohio River and Beargrass Creek, which are now rising faster than a team mechanic’s blood pressure. Last April heavy springtime rains led to a similar situation, resulting in much of the course area being submerged. With that in mind, as well as a prediction by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of flood crest on Sunday morning, the Elite Men’s and Women’s races have been moved to Saturday. As this is being written, extraordinary measures — i.e., sandbagging, etc., — are being taken to even make Saturday’s races possible.

And this is following several days of UCI Masters Cyclo-Cross World Championship racing in which competitors have already had to deal with a hideously icy, snowy, rutty, frozen track. Good times.

You have to be careful what you ask for. Ever since it was announced that Louisville would be the site of this World Championships, the word “epic” has been tossed around with impunity. So what’s a stronger word than that? We may need it.

After all, it’s the first time in its 64-year-history that the event has been held outside of the CX motherland of Europe. When it was first announced, traditionalists’ jaws dropped while Yankees cheered. If ever there was hard evidence of just how quickly cyclocross has been growing on this side of the pond, this was it.

For once the Euros would not have home-field advantage. Yeah, let’s see how you adapt to jetlag, foreign food, boxed bikes, unfamiliar terrain and being heckled in a language you might not fully grasp. And yes, that was a dude in a Lady Gaga costume trying to hand you bacon at the top of the run-up. Deal with it.

To their credit, the visitors have not staged a labor strike. In fact, most came out in support of the sport’s expansion. Now that many are here, they seem to have embraced the change of scenery with open arms.

And arms raised on the podium. Quite a few took the opportunity to acclimate to U.S. soil at the previous weekend’s Cincinnati Kings International Cyclocross in Ohio. There, current World Champion Niels Albert (BKCP Powerplus) grabbed the Elite Men’s victory ahead of teammate Wietse Bosmans, both from Belgium. In the Elite Women’s race, Czech Katarina Nash prevailed over Luna Chix teammate Georgia Gould — an American — with Switzerland’s Jasmin Achermann (Rapha-Focus) in third.

What of the Americans this weekend? Will home court give the perennial underdogs a fighting chance? Jeremy Powers came from behind to grab third in Cincinnati, just ahead of Jonathan Page. These two are the top picks for the red-white-and-blue on the Men’s side.

Page (Fuji/SPY/ENGVT) has been a longtime Euro circuit warrior and is arguably the most successful American ever on the international CX scene. He’s the only elite American male to collect a medal at a World Championship (silver in 2007). Plus he’s fresh off capturing his fourth U.S. National Championship in Madison, Wisconsin. So there’s that.

Although Powers (Rapha-Focus) confessed to having “bad legs” at Madison, he’s been hot most of the year. A highlight was a seventh place at the Tabor, Czech Republic, round of the World Cup Series — the best ever finish for an elite American male. Many riders are comparing the Louisville course to Tabor. Hmmmm.

On the Elite Women’s side, the clear American hope is 34-year-old Katie Compton (Trek Cyclocross Collective). She recently won the overall World Cup title, the first American to do so. She now wants desperately to capture the one honor that has eluded her: the Rainbow Jersey. To do it on home turf would be sweeter than Splenda.

But she’ll have to get past Dutch phenom Marianne Vos (Stichting-Rabobank), the five-time and defending World Champion. That’s a tall order. Voss is considered one of the best female cyclists ever, and she’s only 24.

But in bike racing, anything can happen. Especially in rough-and-tumble, snapped derailleur, bite-your-ear-off cyclocross racing. And that’s not taking into account the conditions already being encountered at this year’s event. If it takes place at all (oh, let’s not go there). World-class sandbaggers welcome.

MEDALISTS FROM 2012 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, Koksijde, Belgium:

Elite Men: 1. Niels Albert (Belgium); 2. Rob Peeters (Belgium); 3. Kevin Pauwels (Belgium).

Elite Women: 1. Marianne Voss (Netherlands); 2. Daphny Van Den Brand (Netherlands); 3. Sanne Cant (Belgium).

FINAL STANDINGS, 2012-13 WORLD CUP SERIES

Elite Men: 1. Niels Albert (Belgium); 2. Kevin Pauwels (Belgium); 3. Sven Nys (Belgium).

Elite Women: 1. Katie Compton (USA); 2. Sanne van Paassen (Netherlands); 3. Nikki Harris (Great Britain).

2013 UCI CYCLO-CROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE:

All races to take place Saturday, February 2 (times are Eastern):

9:45 AM – 17-18 Junior Elite World Championships

11:00 AM – Female Elite World Championships

12:30 PM – U23 Elite World Championships

2:30 PM – Male Elite World Championships

START LIST:

Preliminary starters for the 2013 UCI Elite Cyclocross World Championships, as of Jan. 23, 2012.

ELITE MEN

BELGIUM
ALBERT Niels
PAUWELS Kevin
NYS Sven
VANTORNOUT Klaas
AERNOUTS Bart
PEETERS Rob
WELLENS Bart
X VANTHOURENHOUT Dieter
X DENUWELAERE Jan
X AERNOUTS Jim

FRANCE
MOUREY Francis
PERROT Guillaume
LEJEUNE Romain

CZECH REPUBLIC
SIMUNEK Radomir
BINA Martin

SWITZERLAND
ZAHNER Simon
TARAMARCAZ Julien
WILDHABER Marcel
FLÜCKIGER Lukas
GRAND Arnaud

GERMANY
WALSLEBEN Philipp
MEISEN Marcel

NETHERLANDS
VAN DER HAAR Lars
VAN AMERONGEN Thijs
VAN DEN BRAND Twan
X WUBBEN Niels

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
POWERS Jeremy
TREBON Ryan
JOHNSON Timothy
PAGE Jonathan
DRISCOLL James
SUMMERHILL Daniel

SPAIN
MURGOITIO REKALDE Egoitz
HERNANDEZ GUTIERREZ Aitor
RUIZ DE LARRINAGA IBANEZ Javier

ITALY
FRANZOI Enrico
FONTANA Marco Aurelio

LUXEMBOURG
HELMIG Christian

JAPAN
TAKENOUCHI Yu
KOSAKA Hikaru

SLOVAKIA
METLICKA Vaclav

GREAT BRITAIN
FIELD Ian