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Pro Bike Profile - Alison Dunlap’s Orbea Igorre
December 30th, 2009 Filed Under Pro Bike Profile
Alison Dunlap's Orbea Igorre. © Cyclocross Magazine
Alison Dunlap (Team Luna Chix) returned to cyclocross racing after retiring in 2005 and quickly reestablished herself as one of the top female ‘crossers in America. Podiums and top-fives in some of the biggest US races culminated with a run at a seventh national cross title. The two-time Olympian settled for fourth in Bend but made it clear that, even with a few years’ rest, she can still ride with the best. The bike that Dunlap and the rest of the formidable Luna Team have been torturing fields on this year is the Orbea Igorre. …continue reading: Pro Bike Profile - Alison Dunlap’s Orbea Igorre
EuroCrossCamp VII Diary Series: Protected Riders
December 30th, 2009 Filed Under euro-file
The layers of protection. Euro Cross Camp Day 4 - Azencross in Loenhout. © Nathan Phillips
“Protected riders” is usually a term reserved for road racing and rarely ever mentioned in the same sentence as cyclocross. Today in Loenhout, however, I witnessed a prime example of how the members of the Camp here in Belgium truly are “protected riders.”
Daylight hours are very short here in Belgium, so most days begin and end under dark skies and dim streetlights. At 6:45 a.m., the Juniors depart for Loenhout. At 7:45 a.m., I’m to report to the team house to leave in a large white Sprinter van …continue reading: EuroCrossCamp VII Diary Series: Protected Riders
Van Den Brand, Nys Bounce Back in Loenhout - Updated: Rider Reactions, Photo Gallery, Video
December 29th, 2009 Filed Under race results
A tangle with Albert and another crash couldn't keep Nys from winning Azencross yet again. © Bart Hazen
by Dan Seaton with reporting by Mindi Wisman
Loenhout, Belgium - On a cold and dreary day—though one made warmer by a crowd still feeling the holiday spirit—two riders bounced back from disappointing weekends to take victories on the famous whoop-dees of Azencross. In the women’s race, Daphny Van Den Brand attacked out of a group that also included her countrywomen Marianne Vos and Sanne Van Paassen to take a dominant 25 second win. In the men’s race, Sven Nys recovered from two falls to ride away from Niels Albert and Zdeněk Štybar in the final lap, pulling within five points of Albert in the overall GVA Series standings. …continue reading: Van Den Brand, Nys Bounce Back in Loenhout - Updated: Rider Reactions, Photo Gallery, Video
Fantasy Cyclocross Update - Week 15
December 29th, 2009 Filed Under fantasy
Christmas week began in Europe over the past week, and from here on it, all of the cycling world (at least those smart enough to avoid that Lance Armstrong guy) turns its collective attention to cyclocross in the lead up to the World Championships in Tabor. We had our first major mid week race on Wednesday in Middelkerke with the Noordzeecross. From there, the European cyclocross peloton headed to Zolder, Belgium for the seventh round of the UCI Cyclocross World cup. Sunday’s Superprestige stop in Diegem wrapped a frenetic week in World cyclocross.
…continue reading: Fantasy Cyclocross Update - Week 15
Meeusen and Van der Poel Lead Huge U23 and Junior Fields at Azencross - Updated: Quotes, Photo Galleries
December 29th, 2009 Filed Under race results
Jeffery Bahnson heads to the finish at Azencross 2009. © Dan Seaton
Loenhout, Belgium - Tuesday dawned chilly and grey in Belgium, but the rain, forecast to turn the course here in Loenhout to sloppy mud later in the day, held off for the morning as Juniors and Under-23 riders tested their legs on the technical Azencross track before Sven Nys and Daphny van den Brand would slog through much muddier conditions in the afternoon.
In the U23 race, Belgian Tom Meeusen (Telenet Fidea Cycling Team) continued his impressive season, his last as a U23, and opened up a huge gap over first-year U23 and reigning Junior World Champ Tijmen Eising (Sunweb Projob). American Zach McDonald (Stevens/Classic Cycles) was the top American in 34th with US U23 National Champ Danny Summerhill (Felt-Holowesko Partners/Garmin) failing to finish after …continue reading: Meeusen and Van der Poel Lead Huge U23 and Junior Fields at Azencross - Updated: Quotes, Photo Galleries
The Euro Experience: A Conversation with Matt Spinks
December 29th, 2009 Filed Under euro-file
By Jamie Mack
When the attendees of the latest Euro Cross Camp and the first list of riders nominated to the US Worlds team were announced there were, as should be expected, a lot of familiar names. From Compton to Van Gilder there were a lot of noted riders who would be representing US ‘cross in Europe. Looking through even the Junior ranks, there were some names familiar to the cyclocross community. Even at the still young racing ages of 17, racers like Yannick Eckmann and Chris Wallace had already made names for themselves as serious ‘cross contenders. But looking further, there were a few less familiar names, like Junior Matt Spinks. …continue reading: The Euro Experience: A Conversation with Matt Spinks
Gut Wrenching Mechanical Mondays: Tagging Your Gear (So You Get it Back!)
December 28th, 2009 Filed Under how-to
Silver Sharpie helps me hang onto my gear © Dave Drumm
Between the weather and course variability, heading to a cyclocross race usually involves schlepping and keeping track of a lot of clothing and gear in general. This week’s Gut-Wrenching Mechanical Mondays feature falls under the low-tech banner, but it’s one that could pay off with better gear management and perhaps a faster pit exchange.
This is the sixth installment in our weekly series of from-the-crew-pits tips. Some will be straight-forward, others more involved, but they’ll all help you to keep your cyclocross bike humming smoothly along. Catch up on week five’s giving-thanks insights.
by Dave Drumm
Cyclocross is a sport that requires a wide variety of equipment. Each week we load our cars to the breaking point with trainers, wheels, tools, buckets, pumps and clothes. We carry enough stuff to outfit a small army. Our race days are filled with distractions and keeping track of all that stuff can become an issue, especially for an amateur racer that doesn’t have the luxury of a handler who takes care of all the little details. …continue reading: Gut Wrenching Mechanical Mondays: Tagging Your Gear (So You Get it Back!)
EuroCrossCamp VII Diary Series: Rest Day and Q&A with Josh Berry
December 28th, 2009 Filed Under euro-file
Team meeting before Loenhout © Nathan Phillips
Montana State Junior Nathan Phillips has embedded himself in EuroCrossCamp to document the inner workings of the camp that has had a pivotal role in developing American cyclocross talent. Nathan’s second entry, explores the chaos of a cyclocross-race-laden week in Belgium and gives a taste of life in the pits. Missed day two? Read about Euro ‘cross chaos and Diegem.
The day begins with a calm breakfast as riders and present staff chat about the day before. People filter in and out of the kitchen finding what they wish to eat from the house’s large stock of goods and foods. The Camp’s Soigneur, Chris De Vos, aka “Fox,” tells a few tales of past road riders who have stayed at the house over the years. “If only these walls could talk,” he laughs along with Elite racer Troy Wells, Geoff Proctor and U23 Zach McDonald. …continue reading: EuroCrossCamp VII Diary Series: Rest Day and Q&A with Josh Berry
Kansas City Cross: Holiday Week In The Heartland 2009
December 28th, 2009 Filed Under cyclocross news
Hydration comfort after being lapped in KC. by Larry Rosa
by Mark Thomas
The Kansas City Metro has a lively cyclocross scene. For the 2009/2010 season, racing began in September and continues until January.
We’re a bit behind our brothers and sisters in Belgium, so instead of a “Christmas Week” full of events, we wait until New Year’s Eve to start packing a few races together. …continue reading: Kansas City Cross: Holiday Week In The Heartland 2009
EuroCrossCamp VII Diary Series: Time for Little but Racing
December 27th, 2009 Filed Under euro-file
Today's menu: Mud. © Nathan Phillips
Montana State Junior Nathan Phillips has embedded himself in EuroCrossCamp to document the inner workings of the camp that has had a pivotal role in developing American cyclocross talent. Nathan’s second entry, explores the chaos of a cyclocross-race-laden week in Belgium and gives a taste of life in the pits. Missed day one? Read about traveling with the team to the Zolder World Cup.
As clichéd as it is in cyclocross, the winter day began and ended with rain. At ten in the morning, the team Saab fills up with Geoff Proctor, David Kessler, two other guests and me as we steer onto the Belgian motorway towards Diegem, a suburb of Brussels complete with a church and small castle. Proctor and Kessler discuss how many layers Kessler is wearing and the passing sites, familiar to Kessler from the time he spent in Belgium last summer at the USAC Junior 15-16 road camp. …continue reading: EuroCrossCamp VII Diary Series: Time for Little but Racing
Scheldecross and Kalmthout World Cup 2009, A Column by Christine Vardaros
December 27th, 2009 Filed Under rider diary
Christine Vardaros working through the snow in Kalmthout. © Dirk Verhelst
It’s been absolutely unreal to see how much snow has fallen in Belgium the last few days. People always talk about the crap winters here, but in reality it’s rarely ever cold enough to warrant snow. Thanks to about two feet of it, the whole country has been temporarily shut down and is still, many days after the major storms hit, running in slow motion. The roads are still ice, causing 300-mile traffic jams and the stores are shopper-thin. Even so, the races always go on! With the courses lined with thick snow blanketing a solid layer of ice, the racers would have been better off with ice skates as the hundreds of crashes proved! …continue reading: Scheldecross and Kalmthout World Cup 2009, A Column by Christine Vardaros
Albert Wins, Nys Walks in Diegem - Full Report & Results - UPDATED - Photos
December 27th, 2009 Filed Under race results
Niels Albert waves to the crowd from the podium. © Bart Hazen
Diegem, Belgium - In the shadow of Brussels International Airport—in fact, just a few hundreds of meters from the end of the runway—the Nissan Superprestige Series met again today for one of its more unique races. Starting just after sunset, the race ran under the lights and featured a mix of narrow city streets, a winding trail through the woods, and a dose of slick, sloppy mud fueled by both rain showers early in the day and melting snow from winter’s brief visit to Belgium last weekend.
And the mud would play a decisive role in the outcome today, clogging former series’ leader Sven Nys’ drivetrain and destroying his derailleur just as he headed into the final lap. Benefitting from Nys’ woes were World Champion Niels Albert, who took a solo victory over Zdeněk Štybar and, further back, Kevin Pauwels. …continue reading: Albert Wins, Nys Walks in Diegem - Full Report & Results - UPDATED - Photos
Meeusen and Teunissen Race to U23 and Junior Wins at Diegem SuperPrestige - UPDATED - Photos
December 27th, 2009 Filed Under race results
Tom Meeusen took another U23 win in Diegem. © Bart Hazen
Mike Teunissen and Tom Meeusen took wins in the junior and U23 races at the 2009 Superprestige in Diegem. Meeusen won after a hard-fought battle with Polish racer Kacper Szczepaniak, while Teunissen won the junior race despite a dropped chain on the last lap.
EuroCrossCamp attendees attended the race, with Collegiate National Champion Zach McDonald …continue reading: Meeusen and Teunissen Race to U23 and Junior Wins at Diegem SuperPrestige - UPDATED - Photos
Cyclocross Crossover: Racing on Mountain Bikes
December 27th, 2009 Filed Under how-to
Katie Compton Winning Mountain Bike Races to get Ready for Cyclocross
by David Alden-St.Pierre
I know you because I was you: a mountain biker at heart, but interested in all forms of cycling. I had read about cyclocross in the mags and online, but after checking out one race—and seeing exhausted, muddy riders battling the elements, each other, and the barriers—I knew had to try it for myself. I’ve been hooked ever since. …continue reading: Cyclocross Crossover: Racing on Mountain Bikes
Vos Takes Solo Win in Zolder - Updated: Rider Reactions, Photo Gallery
December 27th, 2009 Filed Under cyclocross news, race results
Marianne Vos solo's to victory in the Zolder, Belgium World Cup. ©Bart Hazen
by Dan Seaton
Zolder, Belgium - Under crystal blue December skies, as the remainder of last weekend’s snow melted away leaving the course on the track in Zolder a fast mix of wet pavement, mud, and ice, Marianne Vos rode to a dominant solo victory over Katie Compton and Daphny Van Den Brand. …continue reading: Vos Takes Solo Win in Zolder - Updated: Rider Reactions, Photo Gallery
