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The Euro’s are coming, the Euro’s are coming. Have we really made that much of an impact or is this just a fluke as everyone is thinking about the 2013 World Champs in Louisville? It is officially here though folks, ’cross season’s big kick-off tomorrow. So with that being said, where are the pros going this weekend and what are they up to if not racing? Jeremy Powers, Adam Myerson, Tom Van Den Bosche, Ian Field, Bryan Fawley, Luke and Jesse Keough, Justin Lindine and Weston Schempf are all lining up for the men at the 6th Annual Nittany Cross. And for the women we have Helen Wyman, Rebecca Wellons, Laura Van Gilder, Vicki Thomas and Gabby Day. Tim Johnson is out training with ’cross buddy and fellow New Englander Jesse Anthony; will we see Jesse hit the dirt much this year? Zdenek Stybar gets serious about ’cross, at least on Twitter. Ryan Trebon starts the competition early at the GP Molly Cameron. Telenet-Fidea looks towards the future with Bart Wellens and an all-new women’s team with Nikki Harris, Sophie de Boer, Nicole de Bie and Pavla Havlikova.

The Euro Invasion has hit the East Coast, and UK-based cyclocrosser Gabby Day has been staying with me in the days leading up to Nittany. This 26-year-old racer has never been to the US, and while maybe the Philadelphia airport wasn’t the best introduction to the country, I’ve been trying to show her some of the nicer parts. Granted, it’s been raining every day, which is going to mean a very muddy start to her US cyclocross season, but she’s taking in stride. With her first US race only a few days away, I wanted to ask her a few questions about her first impressions of the US and how it feels being a woman in the sport.

Clear blue sunny skies set the stage for what was to be the warmest and dustiest Langley Cyclocross Classic on record. Just over 100 participants took to the farm fields and forests of Aldor Acres for this early season ‘kick in the pants’ ’cross race. The course featured a long flat gravel section, barriers, a long run-up with a knee high log at the base of it (which only the top few were able to ride it), a single track descending section followed by some twisty turns through the trees in almost sand-like ground.

Former Tour de France and World Champion Greg LeMond to Hit the Dirt in Hood River Greg LeMond has just announced that he will be …

I have two of the greatest sponsors in the world. Not only are they both 100% invested in my racing and incredibly enthusiastic about it, they provide services like keeping my bikes in great working condition, making sure that I’m eating enough and if I ask nicely, even doing my laundry.

The season starts in less than a week — is your bike ready? Mechanical Mondays writer and mechanic Jeremy Chinn walks us through improving the shifting on one specific bike, but you can also look at his advice in a much broader spectrum of bike maintenance, upkeep and constant improvement.

In a shocking turn of events, 2010 series champion Lewis Rattray has had the 2011 Dirty Deeds Urban Cyclocross series wrestled from his hands, being defeated in the third and final race by Red Shift Racing’s Andrew Blair.

Here at Eurobike, among the fancy carbon mountain bikes, quirky commuter rigs, sexy road bikes, latest cycling fashions and the most diverse group of bike-nerds in the world, is the newest collection of cyclocross rigs and components. Just about every bicycle manufacturer, large an small, has some sort of cyclocross offering here at the 2011 Eurobike bicycle trade show in Friedrichshafen, Germany.

by Kat Statman Wow, Twitter and Facebook have been blowing up quite a bit recently with all of this ’cross talk, but we’re not quite …

A simple stroll through the Eurobike trade show in Friedrichshafen, Germany is impossible. It’s the largest bicycle trade show in the world, and such a distinction means it’s a sensory overload of all things bicycle. Two-wheeled (and three- and four- and one-wheeled) eye candy of all shapes, sizes colors and versions assault the visitor’s senses on several levels.

I’m getting dropped. It’s a Saturday morning in the middle of August, and I’m on a training ride with my teammate Christian in Portland’s Forest Park. We are headed up a stupidly steep fire lane and all I can think is: I’m getting dropped. I should be at home sleeping in, or at least eating breakfast and reading a book. But instead I’m out here, heart rate through the roof, sweat dripping on to my Garmin so I can’t even read it, looking for an extra gear I know isn’t there. What am I doing?

Are you ready for Singlespeed Cyclocross Worlds? A year ago, San Francisco locals battled it out in Seattle for the rights to host the prestigious and raucous affair in the city by the bay. Rising victoriously amidst the barrier-hopping, costume-wearing and beer-guzzling, the date and venue has now been set for this year’s event. Needing no introduction, the famed Golden Gate Park will welcome racers as they compete for the title of Singlespeed Cyclocross World Champion (SSCXWC) during the weekend of November 18-20, 2011. With title sponsor Sheila Moon Athletic Apparel and well-known local race promoter Murphy Mack — responsible for West Coast GoldSprints and the multi-terrain SF Enduro — throwing their weight and considerable expertise into the occasion, the pair promises to make the three day event a weekend unmatched by the race’s previous host cities. Details are still being finalized.

Malissa is a hard working mother of two/bike racer. Spencer is an up and coming Cyclocross racer. Both of them race and train together. When Spencer races, Malissa can be seen running along on the sidelines, cheering loudly. When it’s his Mom’s turn to race, Spencer and his brother Nick can be seen cheering loudly. They make bike racing a family event.

Here at Cyclocross Magazine, we’re excited to launch our first of many how-to videos. In this series, we’ll be asking elite riders to show us how they perfected skills like remounts, dismounts, cornering, barriers, sand and quite a few other tricks.

This week, we look at Travis McMaster of the AZCROSS.COM Presented by Artisan Prosthetics Powered by Raleigh Bicycles Series. This non-UCI series runs October through December 2011 in the Greater Phoenix area of Arizona.

The bikes; different than our ’cross bikes; have weird frames; fat, overstuffed tires and flat bars (where do my hands go?) but in reality, I’ve learned a ton from riding and racing my mountain bike this summer. Lessons that, I’m certain, will come in handy as I make the transition from rock gardens and stream crossings to 40 cm. barriers.

by Kat Statman It’s only two weeks away folks, and the UCI season opener is upon us in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley. If you’re reading this, …

The Challenge Limus cyclocross tubular tires are making their way across the country, just in time for cyclocross season. We have received a review pair …

When it comes to Northeast cyclocross racing and specifically Northeast-based cyclocross professionals, most think of the usual suspects: Adam Myerson of Cycle-Smart, Jeremy Powers of Rapha-Focus, Tim Johnson of Cyclocrossworld.com/Cannondale, the retired Dan Timmerman (formerly of Richard Sachs), Jamey Driscoll of Cyclocrossworld.com/Cannondale and the list goes on. However, if you attend almost any Northeast UCI level cyclocross race, you will find perennial strong man Justin Lindine mixing it up at the front of the race with the big names in the sport and often finishing on the top of the podium. Recently, Justin took the time to sit down and answer some of my questions regarding his recent move from full time road racer to full-time elite Mountain XC racer, his racing plans for the future and of course, cyclocross.

The past four days have been all about cyclocross for me. And I have to tell you, it has been amazing. Between seeing how “real cyclists” exist in their normal world to being at the Cycle-Smart Cyclocross Clinic, I have learned so much and met some really incredible people, again reaffirming why I love this sport so darn much. Now that I’m finally at the beach on my family vacation, I get to sit and reflect on the past few days and decide where I go from here. Cyclocross season is only a couple of weekends away, and I’m feeling pretty ready for it.

OK people, it’s August, races are coming up quick, and ’cross prep is happening around the country. Now that you’ve dialed in the bike parts, shaved some weight off of your frame (bike or otherwise), gotten the tubies set to roll, what’s left? Well, its time to work on the shoes, two of the key contact points with your bike, and remove the opportunity for dirt, sticks, mud, rocks or other debris to get caught up between the shoe sole and your cleat. Face it, you just can’t go as fast or crush your competitors without being clipped in fully.

My pitch to Cyclocross Magazine’s Online Editor Molly for this column went something like this: “Cyclocross racer from New Hampshire moves to Texas. Wacky hijinks ensue.”

Hi, I’m Mark. I just moved from New Jersey to Texas one month ago. I race cyclocross.

It’s the shoulder season – right between the late road and MTB events and the kickoff of cyclocross. It’s the perfect time to head out …

Almost as much as beer, coffee is a part of cyclocross, and cycling in general. Coffee snobbery is fairly common at races, though the Dunkin’ Donuts run remains a time-honored tradition for some teams. This week on the Cowbell Forum, we had a member ask for coffee suggestions, and the forum went crazy. The great coffee debate, labeled “Coffee Anyone” had answers ranging from tiny fair trade roasters to more traditional blends.

It seems like there is always a lot going on in the world of professional bike racing and bike racing in general. We are always prepping for a new season or in the midst of another season. There is almost never a break: ’cross season rolls into road season which rolls into mountain bike season which rolls right back into ’cross season. But it’s that time of year again where we are rolling back into ’cross season, which means more and more ’cross pro rumors and rumblings. Sven Nys has ended his mountain bike season early to prep for ’cross. Tim Johnson and Joshn Huseby are sticking it to the Open Duo Men in Breckenridge. Jeremy Powers heads to Colorado for a little pre-race recon. Ryan Trebon takes on the hardest one day event ever, Rapha Gentleman’s Race. Todd Wells climbs to the sky and beyond. In Memory: Marc Druyts, a Cyclocross Legend. This week’s Working Man’s Edition: Matter vs. Schouten; Lindine heads to the sky.

With the increased popularity of cyclocross, more companies are coming out with wheelsets tailored to the unique needs of our favorite sport. For tubulars, the recent trend has been to widen the rim to give the tire more support, especially in cornering, and provide a bigger and better gluing surface.

We’ve heard, in past Women’s Wednesday interviews, from women who’ve said that finding sponsor money is harder, the payouts aren’t nearly as lucrative and being taken seriously in the sport is more of a challenge. Today, we asked all types of women cyclists the questions, “what is the hardest part of being a woman cyclist? And what’s the best part?” Answered ranged from serious to humorous, and I was amazed at how many women had a lot to say about the cycling scene.

You may have seen the beginning of Lee’s interview with Rob Curtis in his column this past Saturday, but that was only the beginning. Today, Lee continues his interview with Rob Curtis, the wheel-builder behind PSIMET Wheels.

Want to know what to look for on Cyclocross Magazine this week? Worried you might have missed something last week? Fear not, because we’ve got it all mapped out for you. Every Monday, we have a preview of what’s in store for the week, and we’ll let you know about some of the great articles that you might have missed last week. If there’s any story you’d like us to cover, any burning question you want answered, or any cool racer you’d like to hear from, let us know! Leave messages in the comments, find me on the Cowbell Forums or email molly [at] cxmagazine.com.

Gluing tubulars is tricky business. And writing about it is just as difficult, if not more so. After all, everyone has his or her own gluing style, and everyone will tell you that his or her style is the best one. One of our brave mechanics, Jason Gardner of Jinji Cycles, decided to share his expertise with us.