Set to Invade Hillsboro Stadium PORTLAND, Ore. - More than 700 mud-speckled cyclocross crusaders will descend on Hillsboro Stadium this Sunday, October 15, for the round two of the River City Bicycles Cross Crusade, the largest participatory cyclocross bike racing series in the world. And that's no idle boast. Two weeks ago at Alpenrose Dairy the Cross Crusade season opener attracted a record field of 798 riders - the largest one-day cyclocross race ever held in the U.S. Racing at Hillsboro Stadium starts at 9 a.m. with Beginners and Masters 50+ and continues all day, with the Category A Men and Masters Category A 35+ race at 2 p.m. The long-running success of the River City Bicycles Cross Crusade - this is its 15th year - has firmly established the Northwest as the country's most popular region for cyclocross. Each round of the Cross Crusade offers 16 classes of competition, from elite men and women to masters and junior categories. Races vary from 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the class. The series, sanctioned by the Oregon Bicycle Racing Association, will pay out more than $20,000 in prize money plus merchandise. Cyclocross bike racing is a specialized form of cycling competition, one that requires riders to race on a closed-loop circuit, over grass, pavement, gravel, and mud, with barriers and steep run-ups mixed in for additional challenges. The pace is frenetic, with little time to rest and less opportunity for "slipstreaming," as in road races. The remaining River City Cross Crusade schedule is as follows: Race 2 - October 15, Hillsboro Stadium; Race 3 - October 22, Horning's Hideout; Race 4 - October 29, Halloween Cross Festival, Flying M Ranch; Race 5 - November 5, Barton Park; Race 6 - November 12, OBRA Cyclocross Championships, Estacada Timber Park; and USGP Finale - November 19, Hillsboro Stadium. The Cross Crusade is organized and promoted by Club Vivo, 4409 SW Dosch Road, Portland, OR 97201, 503-806-6943. For complete information on the River City Cross Crusade, visit www.crosscrusade.com. Learn more about the Cross Crusade and all types of bicycle racing in Oregon at www.obra.org, site of the Oregon Bicycle Racing Association. |
