Specialized Recall

Just in case any of our readers currently own the Specialized 2D helmet or bought one recently for the holidays, please read the below.

Bicycle Helmets Recalled by Specialized Due to Failing Helmet Standard

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. (To access color photos of the following recalled products, see CPSC’s Web site.)

Name of Product: Specialized Bicycle Helmets
Units: About 3,000
Manufacturer: Specialized Bicycles, of Morgan Hill, Calif.
Hazard: The helmets fail testing required under CPSC's safety standard for bicycle helmets. This can pose a head injury hazard to riders in a fall.
Incidents/Injuries: None reported
Description: This recall involves the Specialized helmets, model 2D. Model “2D” is printed on the sides of the helmet in the rear. The helmets were sold for men and women in matte black, white, silver, blue, pink, and team colors.
Sold by: Specialized through its authorized retailers and online stores between July 2007 and October 2007 for about $200.
Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should stop using the recalled helmet immediately and return it to an Authorized Specialized Retailer to receive a free replacement or a full refund.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Specialized toll-free at (877) 808-8154 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. MT Monday through Friday, or visit the company’s Web site at www.specialized.com.

BOOM! Here Comes the BOOM!

Boom! Here comes the Boom!
Ready or not, How you like me now?

After viewing the YouTube video [the link sent to us by Sean Weide] of how former and defending US Cyclocross National Champion, Ryan Trebon, got "taken out" of Cross Nationals this past Sunday, I only wished POD's song "Here Comes the Boom" were embedded with it. Sorry Ryan!



For those needing a recap:

"Defending national champion Ryan Trebon was gone, having been knocked out of the race with five-and-a-half laps to go when he collided with a rider who broke through the barrier tape on a portion of the course where it doubled back on itself.

"He hit me head-on and I landed on the ice on my back, shoulder and arm," Trebon said. "It hurt like hell.""

Video: teamskincycling

Pacific Finds a Champion

Pacific Cycle today announced the signing of a multi-tiered sponsorship and licensing agreement with Champion Systems.


From Maura Lansford (SOAR Communications):

NEW YORK and Madison, Wis. - Dec. 19, 2007- Pacific Cycle, the leading supplier of bikes in the U.S. under brands including Schwinn®, Mongoose® and GT Bicycles®, and Champion System, a manufacturer of customized performance apparel, today announced the signing of a multi-tiered sponsorship and licensing agreement.

Under the terms of the agreement, Champion System will become an official licensee for Schwinn, GT Bicycles and Mongoose cycling apparel and the exclusive technical apparel provider for the GT and Mongoose Pro Mountain and BMX Teams excluding BMX and mountain bike race pants. As part of this strategic alliance, GT Bicycles is also joining Champion System as a sponsor of the Jelly Belly Pro Cycling team.

"Champion System will provide our retailers and pro athletes with the high-quality, fully customized technical apparel they need to be competitive" said Steve Reeds, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Pacific Cycle's IBD division. "Whether you're a shop looking to make jerseys for a club-level team or a company making a special jersey for a World Champion rider, Champion System is a great solution for custom apparel."

Until Proven Guilty

T-o-03’s post regarding Iban Mayo could not have been timelier as Velonews reported today that according to L'Equipe, the lab at Châtenay-Malabry has found his "B" sample positive.

Are you surprised?

His series of "B" samples have been bandied about and tested by more labs around the world that you would have thought that Mayo’s urine was something clinically relevant; you know like a vaccine for cancer?

At first glance, you’re probably thinking, “Great, we’ve caught another one. Science has made great strides in testing, so cheaters beware!”

But that’s not the whole story here. As in life, most issues are not completely black or white.

So what can we say for sure about cycling and the doping culture?

• Unequivocally and in unison we, the cycling community, can all say “doping and dopers suck.”
• Doping was pervasive and ubiquitous throughout the elite men’s European peloton and with as many riders, who have either openly confessed or been found to have doped, there are still a great many who have doped but have never come close to being caught.
• Scientific testing has made leaps and bounds to catch the offenders, but it still lags behind [not by much any longer] in its capabilities to catch them.

Gray Matters
I’ll not get into a discussion of the ethics of doping or whether “so and so” is guilty or not, but rather focus in on the science, or rather what many perceive as the infallibility of scientific testing in declaring a rider’s guilt and or innocence.

What gets me most irate is how people have judged riders like [Tyler] Hamilton, [Floyd] Landis, and Mayo in absolutes. A lab turned up a positive so he must be guilty. Perhaps we have been left jaded and cynical from all the years of consistent rider denials [and finally admissions], that we have no other recourse but to deal in absolutes. But by no means is the science infallible.

As a person who has a scientific background and who currently works in research, science’s fallibilities have been a hard concept to grasp.

There are reasons why people of science hinge their results [and other’s] on protocols, regulations, and reproducibility. These are the backbone of science for which we can lean on for certainty in the face of rigorous testing and doubt.

But in each of the above mentioned riders’ cases, one or more of these “backbones” were broken [violated]. So how can anyone say with complete certainty that Mayo, Hamilton, or Landis is completely guilty? With a bit of certainty, perhaps? Maybe not at all?

In Mayo’s case, Paul Giamatti’s character in Cinderella Man said it best, “…If they take this long with the decision, they’re gonna screw someone!”

After the first lab found Iban Mayo’s "B" sample “inconclusive” or “non-positive” did you honestly believe he was going to be ruled innocent? What about when a second lab produced the same “inconclusive” or “non-positive” result?

Perhaps the best deterrent to doping should be the threat to send a rider's samples through the French labs, as they seem to catch 100% of prospective dopers 100% of the time!

As they say in the world of fashion [where Paris is its capital], perhaps gray is the new black...

Reviews - Spoke Punchers

On the 6th day of Christmas the Crankset gave to me:
Spoke Punchers bike hats
ELEMENTAL Action,
A guest review of The Warmfront,
The 3rd Edition of the Cyclepassion - Bicycle Calendar,
Stocking stuffers from Three Story Press, and
Shimano and Campagnolo compatible "enhancement" brake HUDZ

I'm a big fan of the eZine Urban Velo [and not just because some of my contributions were featured in Issue #3, which can also be found in print along with every edition of the eZine ], as the urban velo lifestyle was certainly a part of who I was when I lived in Chicago. Fortunately for the Pittsburgh based eZine, when they decided to start merchandising they had Spoke Punchers right in their backyard to help them create their bike hats.


"Artist & Chief Dinosaur," Casey, has been creating custom bike hats since 2006, and all of Spoke Punchers' "goodies are hand-dyed and printed with love in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania."

Casey "can custom design (almost) anything you want," and your choices for dyes and ribbons will ensure that your uniqueness stays, well, unique. Check out some examples of her handiwork.

When I started to look for someone to create "official" Triple Crankset bike hats [yes, you heard that right!] the list was fairly short and sweet. By happenstance, I ran across Casey's handiwork again on the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation website, and needless to say, I knew for sure who would help usher in a "new" Triple Crankset logo [yes, you heard that correctly as well] for the new year.


Our first batch of bike hats, with the partial new logo on the side and a Casey original on the under brim, are due soon. Some are already spoken for, so if you'd like a Triple Crankset bike hat, contact me at lennyb@triplecrankset.com.

Thanks for all your efforts Casey!

Get In Mah Belly

GT Bicycles and Ritchey Design Sponsor Jelly Belly Pro Cycling Team

From Maura Lansford (SOAR Communications):

LAKE FOREST and SAN CARLOS, Calif. - Dec. 18, 2007 - GT Bicycles and Ritchey Design Inc. today announced the signing of sponsorship agreements with the Jelly Belly Pro Cycling Team, a continental road cycling team.

As a direct result of a strategic partnership with Jelly Belly Pro Cycling Team's apparel sponsor Champion System, GT Bicycles signed a deal to become the exclusive bicycle frame supplier for two years starting January 1, 2008. Ritchey Design will be the exclusive provider of handlebars, stems and seatposts to the Jelly Belly Pro Cycling Team for the 2008 racing season.

"Our riders depend on their equipment, so they can focus on the extreme demands of training and racing," said Jelly Belly Pro Cycling Team Director, Danny van Haute. "My team has 100% confidence in the race-proven products GT Bicycles and Ritchey are providing. We're excited to welcome these two strong partners to our distinguished roster of sponsors."

The Jelly Belly Pro Cycling Team will be riding GT Bicycles' GTR Team racing frame, a lightweight and stiff carbon fiber monocoque road frame, which is manufactured through GT Bicycles' proprietary composite manufacturing process called Force Optimized Construction. GTR Team bikes are available to consumers through independent bicycle dealers (IBD).

"GT Bicycles has a long-standing commitment to racing," said Steve Reeds, executive vice president and general manager of Pacific Cycle IBD division. "We are proud to align GT Bicycles with the Jelly Belly Pro Cycling team."


Founded by product innovator Tom Ritchey in 1974 and well-known for attention to detail and high-quality components, Ritchey Design will supply all "cockpit" components including their WCS Carbon One-Bolt seatposts, WCS Alloy handlebars, WCS Carbon 4AXIS stems and Pro Oversized 30-degree stems and alloy adjustable stems for time trial bikes.

"We believe bike racing is the best place to prove our component designs," said Steve Parke, Ritchey Design's general manager and vice president of marketing. "Jelly Belly Pro Cycling's team roster has some of the best racers in the U.S. and we are looking forward to helping them have a successful year."

In the last two years, Jelly Belly Pro Cycling Team riders have accumulated 47 wins and close to 100 podium finishes in both domestic and foreign events as they've raced in front of nearly 9 million spectators. In 2007, the team took the individual and overall victory at the Tour of Hong Kong to Shanghai, first place general classification rider at the Redlands Bicycle Classic, the Georgia Cup, the Tri Peaks Challenge, and the Missouri State Road Championships, as well as first place Team Classification at stage 7 of the Amgen Tour of California, a stage win at the Sea Otter Classic and Sport Beans® King of the Hill jersey at the Nature Valley Grand Prix. With the addition of pro veterans Bernard Van Ulden and Olympic hopefuls Brad Huff and Todd Wells, the team is poised for another successful season in 2008.

In Full Effect

Vanderkitten Names Roster for 2008
Berkeley, Calif. – December 17, 2007 – In the latest of a series of steps associated with preparation for the upcoming season, Vanderkitten Racing has disclosed their talented team of Elite Women cyclists for 2008.

"It is an honor to be the Director and a part of a first year team of this caliber. Our 2008 race season will show that the work being done by the management, coaches and team riders was with one purpose in mind and that is to be one of the best teams for the year ", said Scott Gross, Director Sportif.

The information builds upon the return of its sole-rider from 2007, Liz Hatch. This coming season, she will be accompanied by a talented squad of Vanderkitten’s:

• Jane Despas (Palo Alto, CA)
• Leah Guloien (Vancouver, BC)
• Liz Hatch (Delray Beach, FL)
• Moriah MacGregor (Vancouver, BC)
• Melissa Sanborn (Portland, OR)
• Jenny Trew (Vancouver, BC)
• Leigh Ann Valletti (Decatur, GA)
• Flavia Oliveira (Lafayette, CA)
• Heather Sborz (Tucson, AZ)

Additional riders to be announced, team to be supported by Regional riders.

“Vanderkitten Racing could not be more thrilled with the roster we have compiled,” said Mark Zefeldt, Managing Director. “The roster has a good mix of youth and experience on this team – specifically in Despas and Valletti, two riders with proven returns. We’re confident that this team will perform well, and it will only help further our preparation for many years to come."

Equipment and Supporting Sponsors to be announced shortly.

The mission of The Vanderkitten Foundation's Elite Women's Cycling Team is to promote health, well being and equality for women in professional cycling. The VK cycling team is committed to the development of young riders and increasing participation and visibility of women in the sport of cycling.

For more information please visit Vanderkitten Racing or email mark@vanderkitten.com

Reviews - Elemental Action

On the 5th day of Christmas the Crankset gave to me:
ELEMENTAL Action,
A guest review of The Warmfront,
The 3rd Edition of the Cyclepassion - Bicycle Calendar,
Stocking stuffers from Three Story Press, and
Shimano and Campagnolo compatible "enhancement" brake HUDZ

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

The proverb above, attributed to Lao Tzu, has been used in a variety of context. Its meaning, however, is simple: given the education or necessary tools, an individual can become a self steward.

Elemental Action
Extrapolated out to environmental issues, the words of Lao Tzu speak to the mission statement of Elemental Action. The environmental consulting and marketing firm was created by professional cyclist, Amber Rais, to "provide the best quality service to empower environmentally and socially responsible action, inspire creative problem-solving for positive change, and cultivate a shared sense of accountability and stewardship."


As a professional cyclist, Amber realized through the course of her work that "there were many aspects of my job that are necessary, but that do not align with my principles of minimizing my
ecological footprint."

So she set out with the goal "to help as many athletes and teams as possible integrate principles of social and environmental responsibility into their team practices, by doing the research and legwork for them."

From the EA website:
If you're a cyclist, you probably love turning the pedals through rolling hills, along a rugged coastline, or over a majestic mountain pass, enjoying the scenic views, fresh air and euphoric feeling of your effort. Sports allow us a unique way to experience and to appreciate the beauty of the outdoors. Elemental Action exists to empower you and your team with resources to act on that appreciation and to become better stewards of our treasured landscapes.

RESOURCES FOR ACTION
EA provides reliable tools for positive action. We help you define a strategy for environmentally sustainable initiatives based on your goals, and we complete the research and legwork to bring that plan to fruition, saving you time and energy.

RECOGNITION YOU DESERVE
EA promotes your team’s environmental leadership in a win/win fashion. We amplify your team's media exposure with positive PR, and through your example, inspire others to act for positive change. Your team benefits from great PR, and you're doing a great thing for
the environment.

For more information about EA and the services the firm provides, or to set up a consultation, visit the Elemental Action website.

Monday Morning Advocate

Equal Pay
Recently Fred Dreier, Associate editor of Velonews, sat down with Georgia Gould to speak about her petitioning the UCI for equal pay for women. Below are some excerpts and the wording of the actual petition.

Excerts from Velonews Interview:
Georgia Gould: I'm talking about equal minimum for the top-five finishers. That's a good place to start. It's equal minimum - if the promoters want to make the men's prize money above the minimum, well that's great. I realize that the men's field is deeper, and they should certainly get paid deeper for having a deeper field. But I don't think that women should be penalized. This isn't about taking money away from men; it's about bringing more money to women.

VN: How did the idea come about for writing this?

GG: It's something that I've been talking about with other women and men about for a while. So at the New Jersey [at the November 16-17 USGP rounds] I won the races and [Luna teammate] Katerina [Nash] won the SRAM Most Aggressive Rider award, which is an awesome prize, and if you win it you get $250. Well that was more than I got for winning the race. I got like $220 or $230 bucks, and I was like ‘Really? That doesn't sound right." I had wanted to do a written petition and have it ready by the [December 1-2] Portland races, because I think having it in paper gives it more credence. But I didn't get it done, and it turns out that having it online, it has reached a lot more people.

The actual petition:

To: Union Cycliste Internationale (U.C.I.)
We, the undersigned, find it regrettable that there is still a considerable disparity between the UCI minimum prize money for men and women. We understand that because competition in the men's field is deeper, more places receive prize money. We do not understand why the women who are receiving prize money receive less than their male counterparts. Therefore we propose that the UCI show leadership and mandate equal prize money for the top five men and women. Article 3 of the UCI Constitution states: "The UCI will carry out its activities in compliance with the principles of: a) equality between all the members and all the athletes, license-holders and officials, without racial, political, religious, or other discrimination." We ask the UCI to honor its commitment to equality.

The Undersigned

I encourage all who read this to sign the petition. Frankly, its a worthy issue whose time has come, and in Georgia Gould its found an equally worthy champion.

CLICK HERE to sign the petition for equal minimum pay.

Photo: Leonard Basobas

US Cyclocross Nationals - Day 4

The Cross Nationals wrapped up this past Sunday. Defending women's champion, Katie Compton again looked unbeatable, while defending men's champion, Ryan Trebon, met with an unfortunate circumstance, "head on." Tim Johnson added to his household's national jersey collection (wife Lyne Bessette collecting the Canadian version in the same discipline last year) and former Wolverine Sports Club rider Kacey Manderfield reclaimed her title.

By Wendy Booher and Sean Weide

Kansas City, Kan. (Dec. 16, 2007) - Tim Johnson will be the first to admit his performance was hardly flawless Sunday.

But the Cannondale-Leer-CyclocrossWorld.com rider rode fast - and skillfully - enough to emerge from a muddy, ice and snow-coated course at Kansas City's Wyandotte County Course as the national champion.

It was the second national title for the Middleton, Mass., resident. His first came in 2000 - when the national championships were last in Kansas City.

"If you could stay upright and not get into trouble, that was considered flawless, even though your speed was up and down," Johnson said.

Jonathan Page (Sunweb-Pro Job), who has spent the entire cyclocross season racing in Europe, finished second. Todd Wells (GT Bicycles), the 2005 national champion, was third.

Johnson was one of seven winners crowned on the final day of competition at the USA Cycling National Cyclocross Championships. Joining him on the top step of the podium was Women's Elite Champion Katie Compton (Spike Shooter), Collegiate Men's Champion Jamey Driscoll of the University of Vermont, and Collegiate Women's Champion Kacey Manderfield of Lees-McRae College. In the three age group categories re-run today, Lewis Rollins (Contender Bicycle) of Salt Lake City was crowned Masters 60-64 champion, Lee Willmore (Celo Pacific) of Seal Beach, Calif. earned the Masters 65-69 title, and Walt Axthelm (Durango Wheel Club) of Durango, Colo. earned the Masters 70+ title.

Defending Champion Knocked Out Of Race
At the midway point of the Men's Elite race, it was clear the winner was going to emerge from a group of three: Page - the silver medalist at the 2007 World Cyclocross Championships - Wells and Johnson.

Defending national champion Ryan Trebon was gone, having been knocked out of the race with five-and-a-half laps to go when he collided with a rider who broke through the barrier tape on a portion of the course where it doubled back on itself.

"He hit me head-on and I landed on the ice on my back, shoulder and arm," Trebon said. "It hurt like hell."

Even local favorite and Masters 45-59 champion Steve Tilford of Topeka, Kan., was out of contention, the victim of a pair of double flat tires.

Johnson said he switched bikes twice, though it might have only been once had he not had a slight mechanic mishap early on in the hour-long race.

"The first couple laps I went into one of the dips and my bars slipped down so they were pointing towards the ground and my hands kept slipping off the shifters," he said.

But Johnson looked to be in full control when he attacked Page on the second-to-last trip up the hill to the finish line. The gap he opened up was only a slight one, though, and it remained a handful of seconds until Page crashed near the pits, dropping his chain. He quickly grabbed another bike and was on his way. But the momentary bobble cost him valuable time and Page would never get any closer to Johnson again.

"I was in control except for one little bobble, and that was the bike race," Page said. "I just ran out of real estate. That's 'cross, I guess."

Johnson said the victory puts a cap on a season that started with what he called a "weak" showing at the inaugural Cross Vegas race at Interbike in September.

"(But) it got better and better and I was able to win a couple races like Granogue and Portland," he said. "But going into this race, it's a lot of pressure to have everybody say, 'This is your kind of race. This is your kind of course.' I tried not to let it affect me and weigh me down."

Can Anyone Beat Compton at Nationals?
Compton finished off her North American cyclocross season by clinching her fourth consecutive national title. Since earning her first title in 2004, rivals have gotten fitter and faster, but Compton has upped her game to sustain her stunning dominance.

The Elite Women's race got off to a blistering start with Georgia Gould (LUNA) diving into the mud to snatch the holeshot. Gould's excellent start faded as Compton came took over the lead.

"I didn't get a great start - I didn't get my foot clipped in quickly enough so I think I was sitting fourth or fifth going up the hill," Compton said. "As soon as we hit the snow, I wanted to get to the front straightaway because I wanted to get a clear line.

"I just went to the front and rode. I could hear people cheering behind me so I kind of knew where the other riders were. Then I was hearing slight gaps, so I just kept on the gas."

Compton opened a 15-second gap between her and Gould by the end of the first lap with Maureen Bruno Roy (Independent Fabrication-Wheelworks) and Rachel Lloyd (Proman-Paradigm) in tow. In what would prove to be her best race of the season, Lloyd passed Bruno Roy and closed down a slight gap to reach Gould.

"Somehow, everyone came around me on the dirt and that is usually what I do to everyone else," Lloyd said. "So I was getting bumped around by people and Katie got away, so then I had to settle in there, get around people and start chasing. I think that was my main mistake."

Lloyd managed to get by Gould on lap two and then matched pace with Compton by the middle of the race. But by then, Compton had stretched her lead to 40 seconds and was out of reach.

Lloyd came out of retirement from a pro mountain bike career for the 2006 cyclocross season and raced some local races before sinking her teeth back into elite racing for 2007. Her goal for nationals was to do no worse than the previous two nationals she raced, where she came in second both times.

Gould arrived in third place; Kerry Barnholt (Tokyo Joe's-Van Dessel) slipped past Bruno Roy to take fourth place.

Redemption Rides for Driscoll and Manderfield
Driscoll and Manderfield each came back from runner-up finishes in Saturday's Under 23 races to claim victories in the collegiate races. For Driscoll, his slim loss to Bjorn Selander (Ridley) Saturday fueled his pursuit of the national title.

Joey Thompson (Fort Lewis) set off on a champion ride, trailed by Stefan Swecker (Lindsey Wilson College), Driscoll, and Taylor Lane (University of New Mexico). Thompson hauled that train around the course for two laps until Driscoll started moving forward. A crash by Thompson yielded the lead to Driscoll before things really started to fall apart. Double flats sent Thompson sprinting for the pits and allowed Driscoll to escape.

"Joey got the holeshot and, combined with good riding skills, he was able to get a sizeable gap," Driscoll said. "I was held back by the few people that I was behind and because it's so rutty, there was just this one line. So there were very few sections to pass as opposed to other cyclocross courses. I had to bide my time and wait until sections I could pass and get around to close the gap on Joey."

Driscoll, a sophomore at the University of Vermont, held the lead until the end to earn his second national collegiate cyclocross title in as many years while Thompson took second for the second straight year in his final collegiate cyclocross race.

Manderfield, a Michigan native at Lees-McRae College, has plenty of experience riding on snow andCollegiate Women ice. But it was yesterday's race against Amy Dombroski (Velo Bella-Kona) that was her best lesson.

"I wanted to do something like what Amy did yesterday and I figured if I could get in front to begin with that I would just avoid any bad crashes in the pack," Manderfield said. "I started out nicely up the hill in the lead and managed to smash into the ground. I got back on - probably third or fourth wheel - and just had to make those places up."

But then yet another Velo Bella-Kona rider threatened Manderfield's hopeful victory. Stephanie White (University of New Hampshire) took over the lead for part of a lap until a mechanical sent her to the pits for a bike switch. White never rejoined and Manderfield succeeded in breaking free of Amanda Miller (Colorado State University) and Devon Haskell (University of Chicago) to win by a minute and 40 seconds.
Masters Get A Second Go Of It

Three age groups of Masters level racers got a second chance to race Sunday after USA Cycling officials heard from competitors who were unhappy that they were unable to complete more than one lap of their race on Saturday. The competitors had to be pulled from that race because they were about to be lapped.

Emerging from the two-lap race was Masters 65+ winner Willmore, who unseated defending champion Rob Lea. Willmore said he was happy to get the chance to tour the course again - especially given that Saturday's race was run in blowing snow and frigid temperatures.

"We saw dirt out there today, instead of ice and snow, so it was nice," Willmore said.

Rollins, the Masters 60-64 champion, said he crashed "about 10 times." He drew a hearty laugh from the crowd when he told race announcer Richard Fries, "Old guys don't want to win, they just want to keep going."

Single Speed Champ Beats Star-Studded Field
The Singlespeed race - the only non-championship event of the day - featured a star-studded field that included Travis Brown, the first-ever winner of the World Single Speed Championship (in 1999), and local favorite Cameron Chambers of Lenexa, Kan., the reigning NORBA 24-Hour Solo national champion.

But at the end of the 45-minute race, it was Marko LaLonde of Madison, Wisc., who rode away from them all - turning some of the fastest lap times the course had seen the entire event up to that point. LaLonde finished 28 seconds ahead of Brown.

"The main thing was staying upright because it was so rutted," LaLonde said. "You had to stay really light on the handlebars and let the ruts take you. If you tried to fight it, you were going down."

LaLonde said he spent much of the last half of the race looking back, knowing that one mistake would open the door for someone else.

"I realized if I made a mistake, Travis (Brown) was going to catch me because he was pushing pretty hard. Toward the end, I was starting to play it safe and at least keep upright."

From the Notebook
The USA Cycling National Cyclocross Championships will return to Kansas City next year. Dec. 11-14, 2008, as part of a two-year contract that KLM Marketing Solutions was awarded by USA Cycling.

***

Bonner Springs, Kan., Mayor Clausie Smith and Kansas City, Kan., Mayor Joe Reardon served as official starters for the Women's and Men's Elite races, respectively. Each thanked the large crowd for turning out for the event, which featured sub-freezing temperatures every day and three inches of snow on Saturday.

***

The Lees-McRae College cycling team consists of 57 riders out of a student body of about 650. The team's travel budget hovers around the $84,000 range and seven athletic scholarships are available to cyclists.

***

For a complete schedule, race results, the daily blog, more action photos* or to purchase official race apparel, visit: www.kccrossnationals.com.

Photos: Kurt Jambretz/www.actionimages.cc

Snow Day

With the Midwest blanketed in snow, I thought it opportune, with Vanderkitten cap firmly ensconced on my noggin, to take a snow day. Back to blogging soon.

US Cyclocross Nationals - Day 3

The 2007 US Cyclocross Nationals has experienced the full gambit of Midwestern weather, ice storms the days prior to the start, a slight warm up, and now a snow storm. But then again, there's a reason why Midwesterners say "just wait 5 minutes and the weather is bound to change again."

For the competitors, I don't believe they'd want or expect to ride in anything less than what old man winter could conjure up.


By Wendy Booher and Sean Weide

Kansas City, Kan. (Dec. 15, 2007) - Race-goers to the USA Cycling National Cyclocross Championships finally got a chance to pull on the extreme weather gear that had been languishing at the bottom of their luggage. It was cold and snowy from the ground up and frozen and unpredictable on the surface.

Following each start, eager, sadistic fans flocked to the course's pressure points to wait for the inevitable bobbles, spills and crashes, and Saturday's races did not disappoint.

Dombroski Defends U23 Title
Amid furiously ringing bells and rabid cheers, Amy Dombroski (Velo Bella-Kona) of Boulder, Colo., became the first to test the course and she found it just fine for defending her Under 23 women's title.

"Last year we didn't have conditions like this," Dombroski said. "I guess the hardest part was warming up on the course and being like, 'Oh my gosh, I actually have to ride this and race this?!' So I think the thing that was harder about this year was the pre-race preparation."

Dombroski took the holeshot and rode away from there to leave Kate Scheider (Fts-North Atlantic Velo) and Kacey Manderfield (Verducci-Breakaway) to duke it out for second place. Scheider led the first lap until Manderfield passed her at the top of the second set of stairs at the far end of the course. Dombroski rode easily to victory, one minute and 13 seconds ahead of Manderfield.

Practice Really Does Make Perfect
Bjorn Selander (Ridley) switched up his training program this past week to include a ride on ice near his Hudson, Wisc. home. He figured the extra practice on ice might come in handy.

Hundreds of miles away in Burlington, Vt., we don't know if Jamey Driscoll (Fiordifrutta) was doing the same. But in Saturday's Under 23 men's race, Selander and Driscoll gave fans a race to remember with a cliffhanger of a sprint finish.

"At mid-race, I was taking really bad lines," Selander said. "I crashed on the stairs, hit my nose and thought I broke it. I got it in my head that 'he's off' but it's the national championships!"

Selander held a narrow lead from the start, just ahead of Driscoll and the other race favorite, Danny Summerhill (Clif Bar). Summerhill faded to the back while Driscoll overtook Selander with two laps to go. Driscoll seemed to be cementing the win until a bad line choice in a vicious off-camber second put him within striking distance of Selander. Opportunity knocked and Selander responded at the far end of the course, where the two stair sections gave him his chance.

"I made sure if I got ahead of him on the stairs, then I could stay in front," Selander said.

Driscoll was first to the finishing stretch pavement, but Selander dug deep to find a rocket that launched him ahead of Driscoll to collect the win.

A GOOD Break For Andy Jacques-Maynes
After suffering a Memorial Day race crash that left him with 15 broken bones, Andy Jacques-Maynes (Cal Giant Berry Farms) spent the remainder of the road season recovering on his couch at home in Capitola, Calif. Then, after his first race back, he broke his collarbone while running across the venue after the race. Saturday in the Masters Men 30-34 race, Jacques-Maynes got another break, but this time it was a good one.

Defending national champion Grant Berry (Rocky Mtn Chocolate Factory) lit a fiery pace from the start and left Jacques-Maynes behind, along with Weston Schempf (C3-Sollay.com), Molly Cameron (Vanilla), and Donald Reeb (CMG-Giant) in his wake. Riding in second, Jacques-Maynes ceded his place to Reeb and Schempf after getting tangled up in course tape toward the end of the first lap.

"The whole race was about how many mistakes you made," Jacques-Maynes said. "If you made one mistake, it was a good lap; if you made five mistakes, it was a bad lap."

Jacques-Maynes caught back on to Schempf and then bridged to Reeb. His big move came late in the race, when he took aim at Berry and shot past to win by three seconds.

"This race has been a goal since I crashed," he said. "I was sitting on the couch, looking for something to get me moving and this race was it."

Crash Halts McCormack's Chances
With less than half-a-lap to go in the Masters Men 35-39 race, Brandon Dwight (Boulder Cycle Sport) was doing his best to fend off a challenge by Mark McCormack (Clif Bar).

McCormack was glued to Dwight's wheel, poised to make the kind of late-race charge that won him dozens of races during his professional road career.

But with the finish line nearly in sight, suddenly McCormack was gone.

"We got to the last two stair run-ups and he was right behind me," Dwight said. "But then I didn't hear anything. I turned back and he (McCormack) was nowhere in sight,"

What the Boulder, Colo., resident did not see was in the congestion of passing several lapped riders behind him, a narrow gap on the rutty trail quickly closed for McCormack, sending him crashing down hard to the snow-covered ground.

"We caught a couple guys in the very last little down-up off-camber and I had nowhere to go and crashed," McCormack said. "The line that we were using disappeared. He (Dwight) got through the lapped guys really well and I didn't get by them in time. Once you fall that close to the line, you'll never catch up."

Racing his age group at nationals for the first time, McCormack traded the lead with Dwight and eventual third-place finisher Richard Feldman (Durance Cycleworks-Lehma). But with two laps to go, Dwight closed the gap to McCormack knowing he would have to make his move as soon as possible.

"I knew that if it came down to a sprint finish, there was no way I was going to be able to beat him," Dwight said. "I was fortunate to be in the right spot at the right time."

The race was supposed to feature the largest field of the four-day event, with 171 riders registered. But with the bitterly cold conditions and steady snowfall, only 93 riders opted to take to the starting grid.

Back Row Start Doesn't Stop Coats
The last time Alan "James" Coats (Morgan Stanley/Specialized) raced cyclocross in Kansas City, the temperature was in the single digits, the wind chill was 30 degrees below zero and the course was a sheet of ice. It was the 2000 USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championships.

Coats swore at the time he'd never come back. But there he was on Saturday, ready to give it another go in the Masters Men 40-44 race, in conditions that were only somewhat nicer.

"My teammates and my co-workers at Specialized Bicycles - where I work - convinced me to come out," he said.

But even when he lined up for the start, Coats said he was second-guessing his decision. With the starting order determined by order of registration, the Morgan Stanley-Specialized rider found himself looking at the backs of a lot of racers from his vantage point in the 12th row.

"I've been a past national champion, but it was back in 2003 and in a different age group, so the official wouldn't give me a break," he said. "But with the amount of road section at the start, I moved my way up as far as I could, then backed off and started charging forward."

In the end, Coats won by 30 seconds over Gannon Myall (California Giant Berry Farms) of Lafayette, Calif.

From the sounds of it, Coats won't be swearing off a return trip to Kansas City for nationals next year.

"The course was awesome and this venue was just amazing," he said.

The Old Boss - Same As The New boss
Ned Overend (Specialized) returned this year to defend the national title that seemed to come so easily last year in Providence, R.I. He opened up the race with a slim lead until things started to fall apart in the middle of the first lap.

"I had a good start and a good line-up," Overend said. "I had a pretty good lead, maybe 15 seconds. Then I crashed hard into the fence and released the lock on my shoe. So I had to stop and re-tighten it."

Mark Kutney (Van Dessel) zipped by Overend and clung desperately to the lead for a lap until Overend slipped by at the race midpoint.

Overend seemed to settle into the lead by the third lap but the course's fickleness kept him on his guard.

"You think you're going along good and you're gaining confidence and then your front wheel just goes away," he said.

Despite his best efforts to make contact with Overend, Kutney slid off the pace to finish 46 seconds behind Overend.

Wittwer Gets Help From Son
It's hard enough racing your bicycle through blowing snow. But nearly as difficult for Masters 55-59 winner Fred Wittwer of Charlottesville, Va., was trying to figure out whether he was in first place. Three other age-group categories were on the course during his race, creating a string of competitors that stretched over more than half of the course.

"It was really tough because we caught the end of the Masters 50-54 group pretty early on so it was just bedlam," Wittwer said. "After the second lap, my son figured it out and he was giving me time splits. So it worked out all right."

Wittwer successfully defended the title he won a year ago. And in doing so, he surprised even himself.

"I didn't think I had good technical skills, but today I felt great about my race," he said. "On the last lap, I didn't have any brakes. My rims iced up so when I hit the brakes, I just kept going."

MEDIA ALERT! In order to offer the best race conditions possible, USA Cycling will re-run the Masters Men 60-64, 65-69 and 70+ national championship races Sunday at 11 a.m. The three categories will compete in a 30-minute race that originally fell in an "open course" practice time slot.

Racing begins Sunday at 8 a.m. with the Singlespeed Mixed category.

***

For a complete schedule, race results, the daily blog, more action photos* or to purchase official race apparel, visit: www.kccrossnationals.com.

Photos: Kurt Jambretz/www.actionimages.cc

US Cyclocross Nationals - Day 2

The stars and stripes were definitely the accessory of the day on Friday, as 16 US National Championship jerseys were handed out.

From Wendy Booher - (Kansas City, Kan.):

The Right to Wear the Stars and Stripes
Racers of all ages - from all cycling disciplines - showed up in droves to defend, seize, and recover national cyclocross titles Friday at the USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championships.

Competitors laid out all their skills on a harsh, challenging course that rewarded fit technicians and pain mongers alike who had to endure slippery ice and mud to take home the stars-and-stripes jersey of national champion.

Coryn Rivera (Redline), who won the Junior Women 15-16 category, was one of seven racers who successfully defended their national titles, along with Elizabeth White (NEBC - CycleLoft), who took the Junior Women 13-14 title, Julie Lockhart (NEBC - CycleLoft), winner of Masters Women 60+, Steve Tilford (KCCX/Verge/Eriksen Cycles), Masters Men 45-49 champion, and Catherine Walberg (Team Kenda Tire), Masters Women 45-49 champion.

Last year's champions Logan Owen (unattached) of Bremerton, Wash., and Luke Keough (CL Noonan) of Sandwich, Mass., each moved up an age category, and, showing that age is only a number, Owen rode away with the Junior Men 13-14 title while Keough collected the Junior Men 17-18 crown.

Rivera, Keough, and Tilford each edged out their rivals to snatch the coveted holeshot. But it was defending national BMX champion, 11-year-old Austin Vincent (unattached) of Weatogue, Conn., who called upon his dirt bike skills to take the holeshot by a proverbial mile.

"I had the explosion out of the gate and it's all sprinting (like in BMX) - that helped me," Vincent said. "I've had the holeshot on every race except for two races, when I had trouble at the start."

Crashes were aplenty Friday, with Vincent saying he went down five times on the deeply rutted course carved out by the previous day's races that had frozen overnight. The conditions got the best of the Junior Women - most of whom lacked the weight to overcome the rigid tracks - as they led off the first of six races at 9 a.m.

"It was a cheese grater out there," Rivera said. "You had to use your body to try and keep up and keep your bike upright. I tried not to stay in the ruts; I tried to cross them perpendicular and make sure I don't get stuck in them. I just kind of glided over and used my body to help stay upright."

The Future Of 'Cross
Only 15 years old, Rivera already holds 16 national titles in road, track, and cyclocross and shows no signs of giving up her pursuit of global dominance. While American women have posted consistent top results on the world's stage, American men have struggled against the tide of talent flowing from Europe's northern nations. Keough, 16, heralds the second wave of top 'cross talent by taking cues from fellow local racers Tim Johnson, Jesse Anthony, and Jeremy Powers. No stranger to tough conditions, he shed his rivals early and by the end of the first lap, had already notched a 12-second lead over second-placed rider, Eric Emsky of Rad Racing. Keough swung wide into the right turn on the course's treacherous off-camber section and took the low route, while Emsky risked the slick, muddy high road.

"I raced out in Portland two weeks ago and I thought that was the worst mud you could find," Keough said. "This stuff just put it to shame - it just sucked you in, it was slippery and sticky all at the same time."

Noticeably absent from the lead group was Gavin Mannion (Hot Tubes), who had threatened Keough's dominance of the Verge New England Championship Cyclocross Series and the US Gran Prix of Cyclocross. Mannion suffered a mechanical that dropped him to last place. But he reached deep and managed a sixth-place finish - just one spot off the podium.

Desire Has A Name
Competing on home turf bears extra pressure for racers who face the possibility of letting down fans and family with anything less than a victory. So it was no surprise that Walberg, 45, broke down in tears following her victory in the Masters 45-49 category.

Overwhelmed by achieving the feat she so desperately wanted, the win hardly came easily. Walberg needed to chase after a hard-charging Kris Walker (Kriegcycling.com) until the final lap. In doing so, she erased a 20-second deficit.

"I think the first couple laps I was cracked a bit," Walberg said. "I sort of thought, 'Ah heck, I guess I'm riding in second,' but then I thought, 'You know, you've got to let this course win for you,' because this is a nice course for me. It's super technical, it's all about lines, it's about staying smooth. Then I thought, 'Don't give up so easily, what are you crazy?! It's the national championships so I got a lot more power and what really helped were all the people I knew around."

Encouragement from the crowd fueled Walberg's pursuit of a second national title. Eight seconds separated first from second at the end, with the remainder of the podium placers strung out over five minutes

Mo Bruno Roy, Take Two
Two years ago Maureen Bruno Roy (Independent Fabrication-Wheelworks) claimed the national title in the Masters Women 30-34 on a course that had been pounded by a Nor'easter snowstorm the day before. The muddy, icy, and technically demanding mix proved to be the perfect match for her superlative bike handling skills.

So, after surveying the course Friday, Bruno Roy must have thought, "I'll take that." And it didn't take long before she distanced herself from the field.

"I'm not paid and I don't race another sport professionally, so the Masters category is really where I belong in terms of my commitment to training and racing," Bruno Roy said.

By the end of the first lap, Bruno Roy had already pedaled away from second wheel, Sally Annis (NEBC-CycleLoft), who became the target for third-place finisher Josie Jacques-Maynes (California Giant Berry Farms). Riding nearly flawlessly, Bruno Roy lengthened her lead by more than a minute to collect her second national title.

Jacques-Maynes went on to Annis to finish second, while Annis delivered team NEBC-CycleLoft its fourth podium finish of the day.

Tilford Crushes Masters 45-49 Competition
Tilford has coughed and wheezed his way through this cyclocross season, battling illnesses that have kept him from achieving top form.

But you wouldn't have known it by watching the Topeka, Kan., resident speed his way around the mud-choked course that he actually helped design. The KCCX/Verge/ Kccx/Verge/Eriksen Cycles racer captured his fifth cyclocross by nearly two minutes over Kevin Hines (unattached).

"I woke up pretty nervous today," Tilford said. "It's different from when I was winning mountain bike worlds. After I won that a few times, I kind of got more of a relief than actual happiness, so I kind of quit going at that point. Cyclocross is just plain fun."

Although the 47-year-old didn't repeat his now-legendary plunge into a small pond on the Wyandotte County course (from which he recovered to win the race), Tilford's ride Friday afternoon was not without a few close calls.

"I got a lot of (barrier) ribbon wrapped around my bars today because I was trying to stay up on the grass," Tilford said. "All of a sudden, you hit the ribbon and then there's a stake. On Sunday, it's going to be like a Belgium race. We'll be sliding all over the place."

And what are his expectations for that men's elite race?

"Realistically, four or five guys would have to have pretty off days for me to win the race," he said. "A good result for me in that race would be between fifth and 12th place. You look at the speeds and the maturity of the sport in the last three years and the way it's going now guys are really keying in on it."

From The Notebook
Despite taking onboard a course barrier stake and some tape on the first lap, Shannon Gibson clung desperately to leader Cris Rothfuss in the Masters Women 40-44 category.

Incredibly staying upright through the greasy mud, Gibson plucked the tape from her wheels and ejected it - and the stake - with a javelin-like throw to the side.

Gibson, a former ballet dancer, matter-of-factly compared the incident to a recital.

"If your costume falls off in the middle of a performance, you just keep dancing," she said.

* * *

Georgia Gould, resplendent in the colors of the LUNA team, was of a few elite racers spotted at the race venue Friday.

When asked if she'd had a chance to ride the course, Gould remarked that she didn't hate her husband enough to make him clean her bike more than necessary this weekend.

* * *

The winter storm that is expected to dump up to six inches of snow on the course by Saturday afternoon is expected to reach its greatest intensity Saturday morning.

"Visibility will be reduced to a quarter of a mile and with the wind gusting to 20 miles an hour, the wind chill will be five to 10 degrees," said KCTV-5 Chief Meteorologist Katie Horner during the CBS station's 5 p.m. newscast.

All races for Saturday are a go, said Race Director Bill Marshall of KLM Marketing Solutions. However, racers are reminded to allow plenty of travel time to the Wyandotte County course because of the adverse driving conditions that are expected.

* * *
For a complete schedule, race results, the daily blog, more action photos* or to purchase official race apparel, visit: www.kccrossnationals.com.

Photo: Men's 44-49 Race by Kurt Jambretz/www.actionimages.cc

Reviews - The Warmfront

On the 4th day of Christmas the Crankset gave to me:
A guest review of The Warmfront,
The 3rd Edition of the Cyclepassion - Bicycle Calendar,
Stocking stuffers from Three Story Press, and
Shimano and Campagnolo compatible "enhancement" brake HUDZ

The Warmfront
Its truly been some time since Matt Sodnicar approached me to do a review of his brainchild, The Warmfront. And once I received it in the mail, I knew exactly who I wanted to test it out, my friend and co-worker, Molly White.

Running with a Snuggly Shield
I can’t deny that I was a bit skeptical, when putting on what looked like a bib for oversized infants. And yeah, I got teased by my sister. But, she already raises an eyebrow at my need to squeeze in a run whenever there is a spare 30 minutes, so that wasn’t a huge deterrent. In my defense, I claimed that I was attempting my first run in a few weeks (benched due to a strained Achilles), and it was in very northern Michigan over Thanksgiving weekend. Big Brrrrr. So an added layer against the elements was pretty logical as far as I could see. I added the polar fleeced Warmfront under one long sleeved tech-shirt, and one thin running jacket. The cuddly factor was high before stepping out – and I was pleased to think that the high collar would protect my neck. But I was also conscious that I hate to get too sweaty after I get into the run (this is when I start shucking off layers or gloves – then making it a pain to carry for the remaining mileage.) I needn’t have worried.

The fleece bib provided the perfect balance – keeping me properly insulated, without overheating. The neck warmth was a big plus, but I was even more delighted that the Warmfront was long enough to drop to the perfect point that I could tuck just a bit into my running tights – without it being bulky. Thus, my belly button stayed super snug, which was fantastic for my run along Lake Huron. Of course, I seemed to be running into the wind the entire time, but that is probably due to my 3 weeks on the sidelines more than anything else. My gloves did come off, but not the Warmfront. A keeper for outdoor athletes just crazy enough to embrace the winter chill. In fact, this Christmas, I might just get one for my sister – it may be the trick to get her out there again!

Molly White is a native of Michigan. She is an adventure racer, triathlete, runner, and road and mountain biker. Molly's favorite race to date was the Mackinac Island Turtle Run - 10K, which she participated in this fall. She has also completed the Chicago Marathon. Molly is a remarkable woman and personality who fits all of her athletic passions in between her day job, and time with her boys.

A Cure for Cycling's Coldfront
For those who don't know me, I have the propensity to overextend myself especially with athletic endeavors. When I finally decided to take The Warmfront out for a spin, I was only about a few days removed from having shed the protective shackle known as my sling. I had "diligently" worn it for 9 weeks to aid the healing of my collarbone. Needless to say, I was "champing at the bit" once the doctor said I could begin "to do as much as my shoulder would allow."

With full knowledge of the possibility of re-fracturing the bone if I fell [the fracture requiring a full 6 months to completely heal], I decided to go and try out The Warmfront anyway. The weather on that weekend was finally reminiscent of winters past [cold and blustery], as the Midwest had experienced unseasonably warm weather up until then. To get the full effect of The Warmfront, I chose to fore go additional layers, opting instead for jersey and arm warmers alone.

The experience of using The Warmfront was exactly as Molly had described. But obviously, moving forward at a higher rate of speed than in running I could still feel the coolness of the wind. However, it wasn't as prominent in comparison to not wearing The Warmfront. The most telling sign that what I describe as a "fleece dickie" had worked is when I stripped off my bike gear to jump into a hot shower. The all too familiar reddish hue of my skin due to "wind burn" was evident in most places on my body except for that rectangular area on my torso.

I would recommended it if you are in need of an additional layer during the winter time or during those early morning summer/fall rides where you're somewhere in between about carrying a light jacket or vest because you know the weather will turn warmer in about two hours. It folds up easily, is light, and extremely packable in one of your jersey pockets.

To purchase one or to find out more, go to The Warmfront website and tell Matt you read about it on the Triple Crankset.

Reviews - Cyclepassion

On the 3rd day of Christmas, the Crankset gave to me:
The 3rd Edition of the Cyclepassion - Bicycle Calendar,
Stocking stuffers from Three Story Press, and
Shimano and Campagnolo compatible "enhancement" brake HUDZ

Cyclepassion - Bicycle Calendar
In its 3rd Edition, the calendar with the tag line "a sensual bike calendar project from cyclist for cyclists" has taken a new twist for 2008 by incorporating some of the beautiful faces [and yes bodies] of the sport. The previous two editions exclusively used professional models and brought us images such as:



But gracing the cover of the 2008 edition of the calendar is multiple World Champion mountain biker, Norway's Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjå. And inside you'll find T-Mobile's, err High Road's Emilia Fahlin, and mountain biker Niki Gudex, among others.


Perhaps the most interesting thing about the calendar [of course, aside from the actual photos] is how it originated. The idea for the project actually came from a female, Anke Wilken.

From RoadCycling UK (2006):
"But I guess it makes sense when you hear where the creator, Anke is coming from...The original motivation for this project is self-defense. Anke Wilken is the wife of a frenetic, obsessed cyclist who spends any and all of his free time on a bike. Being surrounded by nothing but bikes, bikers, bike magazines and bike parts, Anke felt she would sooner or later become a bike widow – fast losing ground to her husband’s love affair with the wheeling sport. Being confronted with the topic, her husband had argued, that beauty solely lies in the engineering and technical aspects of a bike."

To order your copy [or for your own "obsessed cyclist"] go to the Cyclepassion website. If you can't wait patiently enough for the calendar to be delivered, you can always check out the YouTube "making of" series of videos.

Photos: Ivo Kljuce (top); Daniel Geiger (middle, bottom)

US Cyclocross Nationals - Day 1

Day 1 of the US Cyclocross Nationals is in the books and as expected Thursday turned out to be a muddy affair. Racing continues today starting at 9am.

From Wendy Booher - (Kansas City, Kan.):

Boni Fends Off Rivals' Attacks
The B women's category kicked off this year's USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championships at Wyandotte Country Park less than two days after a headline-making ice storm moved through the region. Thirty-one women lined up at 9 a.m. to literally break in the championship course, which was covered with a veneer of ice left over from the storm.

Kristal Boni of Broomfield, Colo., (Twin Peaks Racing) took the holeshot and never relinquished her lead, fending off attacks by rivals Deb Whitmore (Asheville BRC), Shawnee Brenner (unattached), Corey Coogan (Ridley), and Lauri Webber (Henry's).

"I took off and had a lead with a girl right behind me - she seemed to be a little bit stronger in the corners, so I just tried to keep digging out of the corners," Boni said. "She got me a couple times in corners and I just kept pushing through. Then I could see Shawnee and a few other girls start to close in on us, so I really just tried to keep the gas on and keep going."

By the race's midpoint, Boni managed to open up a five-second gap over Whitmore, who led the group of Brenner, Webber, and Coogan. A last-lap effort by Brenner put her in second, ahead of Webber, who finished third. Whitmore was fourth and Coogan fifth to round out the podium.

"Kristal and I race together at home and we've been battling it out for the last two years, kind of finishing one after the other pretty much every race," Brenner said. "We know each other's strengths and weaknesses and I knew if she kept it upright, she had me today."

Boni and Brenner will go at it again on Friday at 2 p.m. in the women's 30-34 championship.

Knapp Prevails Despite Poor Starting Spot
Fourteen-year-old Jeff Bahnson (C2S - Henry's) lit a pace hot enough to worry - or at least confuse - some of the more experienced racers in the field of the first men's race of the event. Bahnson hauled the field around for two laps until fatigue started to take prisoners. Ryan Knapp of Columbus, Ind., (BikeReg.com), whose starting position at the back put him at a disadvantage for a podium finish, succeeded in steadily moving up until he was in reach of the lead.

"I wasn't even sure if I was coming out here so I registered about two weeks ago and ended up in the second-to-the-last starting row," Knapp said. "The long road section gave us a chance to kind of spread it out and move up before it got into the single-track. There was that young 14-year-old kid and he was leading for a good while. Luckily, a couple people had some bobbles, which kind of brought it back together, and I was able to keep it upright for the last two or three laps."

Had 23-year-old Knapp decided to sit this one out today, the win might have gone to a local racer, Adam Lang (Team X Cycling) from Olathe, Kan., who came in 42 seconds after Knapp.

Bavineau Overcomes Mishaps for the Win
Marc BavineauIn his own words, Beverly, Mass., resident Marc Bavineau (ECV), 31, rode a race "fueled by adrenaline" to capture the win in the B men's 30-39 category. Raw power became his tool, which he used to carve out a victory.

"Over the course of the first lap I moved to the front and a couple guys in front of me bobbled," Bavineau said. "Then I got a chance to get up front. From there, I just didn't look back. I crashed twice, ripped a shifter off my bike and rode half a lap with no rear brake or shifting."

Despite those mishaps, he recovered fast enough to put a 25-second lead into second-place Gary Douville (NEBC - CycleLoft) by the end. He said his win erases the frustration of a number of runner-up finishes. At last year's national championships, Bavineau was 58th in the 30-34 age group race.

Farther back at the start of the race, Wiley Mosley (Specialized - North Atlantic Velo) stomped on his pedals a bit too eagerly and snapped his chain.

"The first 40 or 50 yards, my chain broke and I had to run," Mosley said. "I don't really know how far, but quite far."

On foot, Mosley sped for the pits, where he momentarily ran helter-skelter looking for his backup bike. With the new bike beneath him, Mosley took off to redeem a lousy start and he succeeded - somewhat - by weaving his way through traffic to finish 40th out of 117 starters. Mosley will take his chances two more times this weekend in the 30-34 men's and single-speed categories.

Morrissey Wins the Day's Muddiest Race
The course thawed to a viscous mess in some places by the noon start of the men's race. Suddenly, risks that seemed outrageous earlier in the day were within reason for the 118 competitors who lined up at the start.

The course's first turn also had become a prime viewing sight, since slippery grass made crashing inevitable in the earlier races. But Steve Songer (Team X Cycling), 46, of Overland Park, Kan. collected the holeshot and flawlessly pulled the field through the turn without incident. Songer quickly faded into the pack, though, as eventual winner Patrick Morrissey of Albuquerque, N.M., (NM Team Cross) made his way forward. By the time he reached the barriers, Morrissey was in command and on his way to winning the 45-minute race by 37 seconds.

"One of the keys is to go well up the pavement and then I think if you overcook it on the pavement, you'll pay," he said. "So I just kind of took it easy up the pavement and then I had plenty left once we got into the dirt.

"You're constantly looking at the course, constantly looking for a better line and when you're alone, you can find it," he said. "I did go down on one corner - I just didn't respect it."

Behind him, the field strung out in gaps ranging from three seconds to more than a minute. Troy Krause (Lincoln Industries-Lemond) went on to finish second, Darron Cheek (A Racers Edge) was third and Brent Evans (Color Me Safe) and Andy Lucas (X Racing) rounded out the podium in fourth and fifth, respectively.

Racing resumes on Friday at 9 a.m. with a host of age division championships, beginning with the Junior Women. The four-day event concludes Sunday with the men's and women's elite championships.

For a complete schedule, race results, the daily blog, action photos* or to purchase official race apparel, visit: www.kccrossnationals.com.

Photo: Patrick Morrissey by Kurt Jambretz/www.actionimages.cc

Tour of America - Going Down a New Route

During Interbike week, the president of Aqu Inc, Frank Arokiasamy, unveiled his Big Hairy Audacious Goal of creating a Tour de France style bicycle race for America, the appropriately titled, The Tour of America. To say that his idea was met with much skepticism, especially by those on hand at the Interbike press conference, would be an understatement.

But meeting Mr Arokaisamy on that day back in September, it was also easy to see that his resolve to actualize the Tour of America would go undaunted. Since that time, he has taken all the positives and negatives that he has been besieged with and amended his original plan.

From SOAR Communications:
LUMBERTON, N.C. - (Dec. 13, 2007) - Aqu, Inc., organizers of The Tour of America, a multi-stage coast-to-coast professional bicycle road race, today announced revised dates and tentative race route for its September 2008 event.

Based upon feedback from racers, professional racing organizing bodies, the media and enthusiastic supporters of the event, the following changes have been made to The Tour of America:

The race has been shortened to 21 stages
Will now cover approximately 2,200 miles (more than 3,500 km)
Will run from September 6-28, 2008

Additionally, The Tour of America will start in New York's Central Park and finish in Palo Alto, Calif., a city known for its cycling culture. (For the complete schedule)

Frank Arokiasamy, Aqu's president, originally announced details of the event during a press conference at Interbike, the bicycle industry's annual trade show held in Las Vegas. As originally conceived, the race would have covered 4,000 miles (more than 6,000 km) with 27 stages during 30 days of competition.

"During and after our announcement at Interbike, almost daily I received emails and phone calls with positive and negative comments about the race," Arokiasamy said. "The overwhelming response showed there was an interest and a need for a 'Tour de France-style' race here in the United States. Based on the feedback from everyone, we realized our first plans were perhaps too ambitious and that the original race schedule didn't fit within standard racing protocols. To ensure the race would attract the best international racing teams and the support of both cycling enthusiasts and sports fans alike, we've modified the race schedule and route to its current form."

The 2008 Tour of America will be the largest spectator event in the history of U.S. sports, traveling from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. The event will invite 25 of the most elite cycling teams in the world to participate and will boast a prize purse currently pegged at $10 million, the largest purse of any international cycling event (reduced from $11 million, due to the new shortened schedule).

Until this venture by Aqu, all major international cycling races were held outside the U.S. Smaller stage races are currently held across the country and draw respectable spectator crowds and provide significant economic impact to local communities. However, these races are geographically located within single states, while The Tour of America will span approximately 18 states and will travel through hundreds of towns and cities along the way. As such, The Tour of America is expected to attract literally millions of spectators along the 2,200-mile route.

Cities along the race's route include New York City, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Denver, Las Vegas, Sacramento, Napa, Santa Rosa and Palo Alto, to name a few. Of note to members for the bicycle industry, the Las Vegas event includes a time trial, to be held the evening of September 22, the first day of Interbike's OutDoor Demo.

"Our goal is to make this race happen in September 2008," Arokiasamy added, "There is a lot to accomplish between now and then. With help and cooperation of host cities, racers, bicycle racing enthusiasts and potential sponsors, we can make it happen. The United States needs its own world caliber race and one that will be around for a long time."

For information about The Tour of America race schedule, please visit www.aqusports.com.

Initial Thoughts
Perhaps the biggest issue that still jumps out to me is the direction of the route; traveling from East to West.

In the process of marketing The Tour of America to would-be sponsors it was perhaps a major sticking point. And on paper, with a start in New York closely coinciding with the date (9/11) that has recently defined our country, the issue of directionality looks to be minor. That is until you realize that the riders will be racing into a headwind for 21 days.

Can it be done? Yes. Would it be difficult? Yes. Is a three week tour already difficult without a headwind? Yuppers.

The only reasonable sentiment I could offer on the riders dealing with an extra hardship over a three week tour comes from Russell Crowe’s Maximus Decimus Meridius, “Are you not entertained? Are you not entertained? Is this not why you are here?”