for Round 3 of River City Bicycles Cross Crusade PORTLAND, Ore. – More than 500 cyclocross racers are expected to descend on Scouters Mountain in Happy Valley, Oregon this Sunday, October 23, for Round 3 of the River City Bicycles Cross Crusade – the largest participatory cyclocross series in the world. Racing starts at 9 a.m. and continues all day, with the Womens Category A and Juniors race at 1:15 p.m., and the Men Category A race at 2 p.m. Scouters Mountain is located at 11300 SE 147th Ave., Happy Valley in Clackamas County. The Crusade kicked off its six-race season three weeks ago at Hillsboro Stadium, attracting a then-record number of Cross Crusaders – 670 racers. That record, however, lasted only six days, as the Crusades Cannondale Stumptown Cyclocross Classic at Alpenrose Dairy drew an astounding turnout of 760 racers, making it the biggest cyclocross race ever held on U.S. soil. The long-running success of the River City Bicycles Cross Crusade – this is its 14th year – has firmly established the Northwest as the countrys 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. Cyclocross requires special techniques and fitness – dismounting the bike at speed, running, carrying the bike over barriers, shouldering it up hills, and maintaining speed through turns and over uneven, muddy terrain. Plus, 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 3 – October 23, Scouters Mountain; Race 4 – October 30, Halloween Cross Festival, Flying M Ranch; Race 5 – November 13, Barton Park; Race 6 – November 20, District Cyclocross Championships, Estacada Timber Park. 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. Racers can register in advance at www.athleteslounge.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. |
