2008 Capitol Cross Classic - Reston, VA

A true cyclist is not a fair weather cyclist, and a fair weather cyclist is certainly not a cyclocrosser. Nowhere was this more evident than at this Sunday's Capitol Cross Classic; a thin sheet of snow and ice covered the ground as air temperatures hovered at or below an icy 30 degrees for most of the day while the winds blasted from 20 to 40 mph over the frigid waters of Lake Fairfax.

And it was to this quaint suburban summer retreat that the MAC cyclocross series came to on this barren and desolate winter day for its series finale, the Capitol Cross, presented by The Bike Lane and the Potomac Velo Club. Inhospitable as the weather may have been, the Capitol Cross is the de-facto end of the season party for the MAC/MABRA 'cross scene, so the atmosphere was warmed up by the good social vibes and celebration of all things velo (velo with knobbies and cantilever brakes, of course). Also warming things up were the heated bathrooms and the heated "HQ" building, where riders could sign in without frostbitten fingers.

Not heated, however, was the course. In fact, the open section along the Lake Fairfax dam concentrated the worst aspects of the day's weather to all those who had to race along it, leaning precariously into the brutally strong and icy winds. But once across this forbidding no-mans land, the course turned into a true cyclocross paradise. The run-up from the lake was longer than ever, and harder with the installment of new railway ties. After a grueling slog through the ensuing gravel (read: rocks) section, a key feature of the course reared it's infamous ugly head - the technical downhill and the very slick off-camber, where many a bike and rider met the ground.

Being my last race of the season, I was looking to go down with all guns firing in the C Men's race, even as I was just getting over being sick. Two years ago I came to this race as a spectator, witnessing my first ever cyclocross race. Last year I came here to race at the tail end of my first 'cross season, finishing 44th. This year, after a season of three top 30 finishes and two top 20s, I came looking to keep this season in the top 30. Despite falling on the off-camber, I made up time and positions on the run-ups and the climbs, and finished the day in 26th, taking that position in a sprint to the line. Otherwise, I had a great time out on the course, making my passes on the run-ups and climbs. At the end of it all, it was nice to finish and find the warmth of my car and the warmth of my fellow 'crossers afterwards on this very arctic day.

Afterwards, I turned my attention to supporting my Bike Rack DC team mate, Matthew Bartlett, in the B Men's race. Bartlett won the C Men's race at the DCCX, and has been riding strongly in the Cat 3/4 races since. Bartlett had a strong day out on this very challenging course, finishing the day in 25th after steadily moving up all during the race. Also in the race was my friend Mike Giancoli of Hup United. He missed the C Men's race earlier in the day, and made it up with a brave ride in this field of some very fast and strong riders.

Overall, a great race and a tough day and an awesome way to end an awesome season for myself and my team. 'Nuff said, here's lots of pictures. Thanks for reading this and checking out the blog, and stay tuned to The Complete Jewish Cyclist for more of your kosher cycling fix.

C Men's Race

The cold and frigid start of the C Mens race at 9:00 AM. I'm in the blue and black Bike Rack kit, just behind Steve Riskus of AABC.

Charging the fast downhill section out of the forest behind Lake Fairfax. This descent became dicier with each pass.

The infamous off-camber was the crux of the race, especially for the C Mens race when the ground was slick and hard, offering little purchase. I went down here.

Getting back on while being passed by Elliot Caldwell, whom I would have to race against later on in a sprint to the finish line.

The run up was a real challenge, as it was made longer this year than in previous years, but turning off of the frigid exposed section of the Lake Fairfax dam was actually a nice relief.

The run up was crucial, as I was able to make up a few places here, but it did take a massive effort.

Descending out of the forest and off of the dam, this was a part of the course to gain plenty of speed and keep the pace high, as a brave spectator looks on in the freezing cold.

3/4 Mens & B Masters

Action from the Mens 3/4 & Masters race. I'm not sure who this guy is, but I see him all of the time. He's a super cool guy who also happens to be a bad-ass 'crosser.

The Unholy Rouleur himself, Jim from Squadra Coppi, leads a group up one of the technical climbs out on the course.

Joseph Ventosa of Proteus is both an very nice guy and a hearty racer. He does something like two or three races, and can be found hammering on both a geared bike and a single speed.

Not everybody is Sven Nys, but everybody races 'cross, and anybody who races 'cross is commendable and exciting to watch.

Around the Race Venue

The heated bathrooms just yards from the start line came as a luxury on this brutally raw day.

The strong gusty winds had the course tape flapping wildly all over the place, even tearing it down in many sections.

It was a long windy drag to the finish line, where the banner flailed in the strong breezes.

The race venue provided an nice gathering area, providing exhibitors from The Bike Lane, REI, and a food vendor serving warm food and drinks (sadly, none of it kosher). Many of the tents actually blew over in the winds.

Steve Riskus (AABC) on the left, and James McNeely (Squadra Coppi) on the right trading war stories from out on the course.

Tom Jones and Chris Mattingly of Proteus.

Hmmm...now which of these free sponsored BMC 'cross bikes is mine...

...none. Mine is my trusty, tried and true Cannondale Optimo Cyclocross (not free nor sponsored, but masterfully serviced by the master mechanics at The Bike Rack).

B Men's Race

Riders warming up and staying warm for the B Men's race...

...and look who's doing the Bs! Michael Giancoli of HUP United came for the C Men's race, but showed up late so decided to mix it up in the upper classes. Mike's a kick-ass C racer, so it's rad that he made an on-the-spot decision to do the notoriously fast Killer B's race.

James Mcneely having a pre-race chat with Giancoli ("dude, my hat and sweater are so much warmer than your helmet and skinsuit right now").

My Bike Rack DC team mate and winner of the C Men's race at the DCCX lines up for the start of the B Men's race.

Giancoli at the start as well, with yet another cool variation of the HUP United team kit.

Bartlett in the opening lap, working the switchback midfield.

Giancoli comes through the same section a few moments later.

Bartlett powers up the climb, beginning his surge up through the field.

Giancoli climbs the hill as well as riders begin to fall behind him as well.

Off the damn and through the forest, Bartlett settles into his rhythm.

Giancoli also finds a line through the increasingly slippery corners.

Bartlett working the run up, where he displayed fine form as the race progressed.

He also showed fine form on the slick off-camber, staying on his machine through this dicey section.

Giancoli on the off-camber, guiding his Rock Lobster through a good line.

Nearing the end of the race, Bartlett gives it full gas towards a fine 25th place finish in this grueling race on a brutal day.

Giancoli powers up the climb, also near the end of a good race. He came to race the C's, and ended up racing the B's, and with a series of excellent finishes this season, this was an heroic way for him to finish up the 'cross season. HUP HUP HUP!

Photographic Self-Indulgance

We love cycling for many reasons, and one of them is purely visual. Cycling is a very aesthetic sport, and to a greater degree, lifestlye. Whether the images be of bikes, riders, or landscapes such as the serpantine road up L'Alpe D'Huez or the brutal cobbles of the Foret du Arenburg, cycling's visual library is both vast and ever enticing. And in particular, cyclocross holds its own special place in the library of cycling imagry; raw weather, muddy courses, faces twisted in painful contortion, and empassioned fans. Of course this imagery is played out on a grand and epic scale on the legendary 'cross battlefields of Belgium, but for us MABRA/MAC cyclocrossers, we'll take what we can get, and we are very appreciative of what we have.

Here is some random photos from my 2008 cyclocross season to enjoy while I'm busy assembling a photo essay for the 2008 Capitol Cross. Thanks to Ryan Dudek who took most of these photos while cheering me on (C'MON JASON!!!). Thanks also to everybody who's snapped photos of me as well. If you see one of your pictures here, please let me know so that I can give you credit, or take them down if that is your wish.

2008 Ed Sander Memorial Cyclocross - Buckystown, MD

2008 DCCX - Washington, DC

2008 Rockburn Cross - Elkridge, MD

2008 Tacchino Ciclocross - Leesburg, VA

Capitol 'Cross Classic - Quick Report

Brrr....

I finished off my 2008 cycling season yesterday morning at the Capitol 'Cross Classic in Reston, VA. It was a brutally tough day to ride a bike, much less race a bike. The temperatures sat at or below 30 degrees for most of the day and the winds blasted from between 20 to 40 mph. Still, this is cyclocross, and the tougher, the better (and kudos for anybody brave enough to come out an watch this race. Standing around in the icy cold and frigid winds was as challenging as was racing in it.)

I'm working on a longer posting with a full race report and lots of photos, but in the meantime, here's the gist of it all: I came to this race three years ago as a spectator to witness my first ever cyclocross race live. I came to race it last year and finished 44th. This year I returned better trained and more experienced in the ways of cyclocross and finished 26th. Either way, no matter how brutal the weather or competition, it was as fun as ever, and a great way to cap off an incredible cycling year.

Here's a teaser photo, and in a few days, I'll have the whole write up and photos posted.

2008 Kelly Benefit Strategies Cyclocross at Rockburn - Elkridge, MD

(Note: There are pix at the end of the race write-up, so scroll down if you want to get right to the action)

Today's race was the Kelly Benefit Strategies Cyclocross at Rockburn, held at Rockburn Park in Elkridge, MD. Last year, this was the final race on the calendar, and this year the race moved up from mid-December to the beginning of November. Not only was today's warm and sunny conditions a contrast to last year's cool, raw weather, but the field entries also grew, on trend with the overwhelming and growing popularity of Mid-Atlantic Cyclocross. I missed the race last year in order to spend time with family and celebrate Chanukkah, so this was a race I was looking forward to doing this year.

The course was nothing short of awesome. A long parcours at 3.3 kilometers, the circuit was dry and fast, with challenging climbs, rapid descents, ripping-fast singletrack, twisty bends, and varied terrain for technical fun (gravel, rocks, sand, grass - you name it, it was there). It was a course which demanded power, speed, brute physicality, and bike handling skills ranging from confident to sharp to agile. In short, the organizers laid out a smart, challenging, fluid course which was fun to race.

As for me, I came into the race with a 19th place finish in last week's DCCX. Following the same strategies of last week, I eased into the first two laps, and ramped it up in the ensuing laps. I worked my way into the group of riders I knew I would be with to the finish, came into the next to last lap in 28th position, then fought to stay in the top 30. On the bell lap, I pushed it to move higher, and in the final straight, lost out in a sprint with John Scott of BBC Velo, but ended up in 24th overall.

Then the day came crashing down.

I went to see the final results, only to find my name at the bottom without a placing. I tracked down race officials to see what happened. Over the next two hours I found myself all over the venue talking to different judges, some who had records of my lap positions, others who didn't. Stranger still, a later posting of results had me in 14th place, which enraged me even more. 23 riders beat me, and I wasn't about to jump the positions of nine of them falsely. Despite protests, this seems to be the final result according to the officials, but as of this time, I still don't know the final results.

Oh well, I finished 24th as far as anyone is concerned. Enough of that now - the day was awesome, the racing was exhilarating, and the CX scene as always was the bastion of the coolest people around. That's it for the prose, here's what you really want: Pictures!

Pre-race smile. Cyclocross racing will wipe the smile right off your face, but I still took a moment to enjoy the pleasant autumn conditions of today's race.





Here I am working one of the many tricky bends around this well-designed course.





Running the double barriers at the top of the hill.




One of the great things about cyclocross is the friendliness of the scene and the people we meet. For me, a raceday is not complete without guys like Michael Giancoli of Hup United and his dog Elwood. Mike has been riding well all season, and according to DataTracker, is my "Arch Nemesis". Giancoli scored 13th today in the Cat. 4 race. Check out his blog "The Muddy Dog", found in the blog rolls to the right.




CeraSport, a new nutritional supplement company , was on hand at Rockburn to show their new line of electrolyte drink mixes. When they offered me a sample, I simply inquired if their product was kosher...

...and oh yeah it is. The OU symbol (Orthodox Union) says it all. Rejoice, kosher cyclists (and cyclocrosser), the market for kosher energy supliments is growing all the time. Cerasport joins Hammer and Clif as one of the few companies to offer kosher energy products, and I will have a review of their products in a future posting on The Complete Jewish Cyclist.

I stuck around for the Mens Cat. 3/4 race to enjoy the action and to snap some shots for my friends in action. Here's two of them:

Ryan Dudek:

Nathan Chenenko