Messer leads Knapp at OVCX in Bloomington last week. © Kent Baumgardt
Touted as one of the best courses last season, Ryan Knapp (Pony Shop) and Chloe Dygert (Midwest Devo) take their Zipp OVCX Series leads into Sunday’s race #2 at Ft. Harrison State Park in Indianapolis. The race is a fundraiser for the kids at St. Mary’s Child Center (SMCC) who feed, educate and provide a loving environment for approximately 350 at-risk pre-school aged children. Pre-registration for OVCX #2 St. Mary’s CX closes at 11:45pm Thursday (9/26) on BikeReg.com. The OVCX Series is presented by Zipp, Papa John’s Pizza, RoadID, Apex Physical Therapy and BikeReg.
At OVCX #1 in Bloomington, Ryan Knapp (Pony Shop) and Chloe Dygert (Midwest Devo) came out with wins. Knapp pulled away from an early dual with Andy Messer (Upland Brewing) while Dygert clawed her way from the back in the Elite Women’s field and took advantage of mechanicals from veterans Katie Arnold (Sophisticated Living p/b Bob’s Red Mill) and Niki Dallaire (Clarksville Schwinn). With a daunting new ascent of the tiered climb at Ft. Harrison, combined with the well-balanced mix of technical and road sections, it won’t be easy to stay on top in Indy.
According to SMCC Cyclocross race organizer Dr. Frank Troiano, who loves cycling as much as helping kids, “The race was the perfect way to fuse my passions together with a healthy family-oriented event. It’s my way of giving back to the community.” To compliment the festival atmosphere, he’s partnered with Community Health Network, Stifel Nicolaus, Hammer Nutrition and others to provide plenty of swag like free scoops of Baskin Robbins ice cream and drinks from Starbucks.
In its 10th anniversary season, the Zipp OVCX Series, including the MudFund Derby City Cup and Cincy3 UCI weekends and a date of Cross After Dark, will continue its focus on maximizing the growth of regional cyclocross through great courses, competitive fields, and good times. Find the complete schedule and registration links online at OVCX.com. Like OVCX on Facebook and follow OhioValleyCX on Twitter.
