with River City Bicycles Cross Crusade PORTLAND, Ore. – The 2005 River City Bicycles Cross Crusade – the largest participatory cyclocross racing series in the world – kicks off its six–race schedule this Sunday, October 2, at Hillsboro Stadium, announced Cross Crusade Race Director Brad Ross. The Hillsboro Stadium Cross Crusade will feature more than 500 riders from Oregon and Washington in 16 classes of competition, from elite men and women to masters and junior categories. The series, sanctioned by the Oregon Bicycle Racing Association, will pay out more than $20,000 in prize money plus merchandise. This is the 14th annual River City Bicycles Cross Crusade, firmly establishing the Northwest as the country's most popular region for cyclocross bike racing – a specialized, cycling competition 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. While the Cross Crusade begins at Hillsboro Stadium this Sunday, the series' marquee event is the Cannondale Stümptown Cyclocross Classic at Alpenrose Dairy in Southwest Portland on October 8. In addition to being round two of the Crusade, the event doubles as the first race in the UCI internationally sanctioned Crank Bros. U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross (www.usgpcyclocross.com). The Stümptown Cyclocross Classic will draw the best American riders from across the country, as well as a number of European stars. They will be competing for more than $8,000 in prize money. Last year's Stümptown Classic was won by former World Champion Danielle Pontoni of Italy. "Cyclocross is the most accessible form of bicycle racing," explained Ross, who has directed the Cross Crusade for the past decade. "While road and mountain bike racing can be intimidating, cross is just plain fun, accessible competition for all ages and abilities. And we make it as much fun as possible, with all types of prizes and classes, even one for unicycles. Moreover, we treat everyone the same, from elite Class A riders to the Beginners. We think of cyclocross as an excuse for adults to play in the mud with their bikes." That's not to say cyclocross is all play; it's serious competition, Ross said. 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. Races vary from 30 to 60 minutes depending on the class. Oregon is home to several of America's top cyclocross racers, including defending Category A Men Cross Crusade champion Barry Wicks and 2004 U.S. National runner–up Ryan Trebon, both of Corvallis. The women's Cross Crusade field will be headed by Portland's Rhonda Mazza, third in the 2004 U.S. Nationals; and Gina Hall, of Ashland. Treborn, Wicks and Mazza all represented the U.S. in last year's World Cyclocross Championships in Germany. The complete River City Cross Crusade schedule is as follows: Race 1 – October 2, Hillsboro Stadium; Race 2 – October 8, Alpenrose Dairy (U.S. GP of Cyclocross); 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. Last year's overall River City Cross Crusade class winners – most of whom will be back to defend their titles – include Class A Men, Barry Wicks; Class B Men, Doug Evans; Class C Men, Kurt Haas; Beginner Men, Tim Goss; Single Speed, Molly Cameron; Junior, Carson Miller; Masters 30+ Category A, John Mitchem; Masters 30+ Category B, Todd Rosier; Masters 50+, David Zimbleman; Category A Women, Suzanne King; Category B Women, Megan Schubel; Masters Women 35+, Julia Bestland; and Unicycle, Joe Marek. In addition to the series title sponsor River City Bicycles of Portland, the Cross Crusade is also supported by Cannondale, Sellwood Cycle Repair, Russ Auto Group, Health Net, and a host of others. 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. |
