Wilsonville, OR - One week after the muddy series opener, it seemed that summer had returned for one last hurrah.Villebois, a new race venue for the widely popular Cross Crusade series, provided 1,213 (!) racers with a uniquely challenging course that pushed the boundaries in terms of difficulty. Hard packed dirt and some rough "construction site" conditions turned this day into a battle of "who can hunker down and suffer the most". Sharp rocks left many by the sidelines, decommissioned by flat tires.
The Collins Cycling Team is slowly creeping up the ranks, with an excellent showing by four team racers who made the trip.
Andrew Bennett, racing on his fancy new cyclocross bike, set the stage, winning the junior race, and riding laps quickly enough to be competitive in the "B" category. Keep your eyes peeled (yes, this has been said many times before) because this kid is still growing (and getting faster).
Luke DeMoe, wearing the tallest blue socks at the venue, was literally tearing it up out on the course, leaving his competitors in his wake during the singlespeed race. Racing with one gear is certainly challenging, but Luke isn't one to make it THAT easy, so he added a few extra variables to his Specialized Tricross bike setup. For one, he had only a front brake, and to top that off, rode with a fixed gear - meaning no freewheel. If the rear wheel is rotating, so are his cranks. To be able to pull that off on one of the most technical cyclocross courses is a feat in itself, but even more impressive... Luke got 6th place the singlespeed race! Superstar. (edit - the results keep getting updated, first with Luke winning, then 4th, now 6th.)
Justin Thayer learned that bad luck sometimes travels in threes, as he suffered yet another frustrating flat tire. He didn't let that stop him as he made it to the pits, took a bike exchange, and finished on his spare singlespeed bike. If tradition holds true, the remainder of his season should be filled with good fortune, starting at next week's Rainier event.
Chris Brandt was so distracted by selling some used parts and getting a warmup in that he lost track of time, nearly missing the start of the Men's "A" race. When he was being called up to the front line, he was at his car pulling on his jersey. Total amateur move. A spectator walked by and said "hey Chris, they just called you up!" Fortunately he was able to sneak into the second row and in a decent start position. It was a rough battle on an extremely abusive, bumpy course that required some big gears and plenty of momentum to survive. Chris kept the hammer down, fired up by a wasp sting between the eyes mid-race, as he pedalled his Specialized Tricross bike to an excellent 8th place finish. It's a real feat to break into the top 10 at the highly competitive Cross Crusade, and it takes a lot of hard work. Hopefully the good results will continue!
Next weekend is a very fast, european style course in Rainier, OR. Will it be a Belgium-esque mud bog like last year, or fast and dry? We'll certainly find out soon...
Full results here.
No comments:
Post a Comment