Beth Mason facing conditions she did not find in Iraq. Photo by Eloy Anzola.

A year ago we published an interview with licensed physical therapist, certified bike fitter, and Cat 1 road and cyclocross racer Beth Mason. If you haven’t read it, take a couple minutes and do that now. Although Beth currently lives in West Point, New York, she has strong ties to the Mid-Atlantic racing community. During the cyclocross season Beth will make it out to several MABRA and MAC races and periodically sets up shop in Northern Virginia for several days of bike fittings. 

In addition to being a top-notch physical therapist and bike fitter, Beth also holds another job: U.S. Army officer. Maj. Beth Mason has spent most of 2010 serving a tour in Iraq. Now safely back in the states, she is restarting her fitting business with a four day stint in the Mid-Atlantic. 

As of today, she still has a couple slots available for an in-depth session that, according to Beth’s website, includes the following: 

“A detailed history, flexibility assessment, and static and dynamic positioning. Dynamic positioning will include the integration of the state-of-the-art Retul motion capture system for bike fitting—you have to see it to believe it! At the end of the fitting session the client will be provided with documents detailing their position, and their optimal bike position. Special emphasis is always placed on the foot/pedal interface, with respect to cleat adjustment, and wedging and shimming when necessary.” 

If you suffer from aches and pains on the bike or want to make sure you’re riding efficiently, do yourself a favor and contact Beth for scheduling or questions. She can be reached at bethbikes1@gmail.com or 410-562-4776. 

I caught up with Beth recently to ask her about her tour of Iraq and what it was like to ride a cyclocross bike in the desert. 

Thanks for reading. 

Many readers know you as a bike fitter and Cat1 racer. They may not know that you are also an officer in the U.S. Army and recently returned home from a tour in Iraq. Welcome home and we are glad you made it back safely. I know that before you left one of your goals was to keep as much bike fitness as possible. This seemed like an ambitious challenge that I’d like to have you walk us through.  

What cycling gear did you have shipped to Iraq? 

I had my Blue CXC cyclocross bike with Ksyrium wheels and Hutchinson Bulldog tubeless tires, a Cyclops Fluid trainer, a trainer tire, a floor pump and an inadequate stockpile of inner tubes. I quickly went through all of my tubes and had to call in favors from across the globe. I was sent sealant, tubes, tire irons, CO2 cartridges … I felt the love! 

Describe your accommodations and if storing bikes, trainers, etc. was an issue. 

I had my own Containerized Housing Unit (CHU), which was about the size of a tractor trailer box. Initially I stored my equipment and bike inside and really had no issues. Eventually, however, I was able to move my things to a “bike CHU” that I shared with the senior enlisted soldier who had a mountain bike and some equipment. 

Tell us about your ride schedule and what kind of terrain you faced. 

Initially after building up my bike, and stabilizing my tires with a tubeless system, I was riding consistently twice daily: once during our two hour lunch break, and then immediately after work. At that point, I was riding about 200 miles per week. This was challenging, because the base we were operating on was extremely small, and I was only able to ride out about 3 miles, and then would have to turn around. It was always the same out and back route with small variability, and the terrain was cement-like dirt and trap rock. There was a road (dirt with some black top) to travel on, but if you chose to travel the road, you chose to eat the dirt spat out by the passing vehicles. The alternative option was the trap rock fire road – better for the long term emphysema options, worse on the tubes if you were running them. 

Any challenges as far as kitting up for rides? Were you able to wear a jersey and cycling shoes or were you on your rig in BDUs and boots? 

I was relegated to wearing the Army Physical Fitness Uniform, which includes a gray t-shirt and black shorts, white socks (no logos, thank you very much), and a yellow reflective belt. I was able to wear my cycling shoes.

BDUs are obsolete, I believe we phased out around 2008. ACUs (Army Combat Uniform) are what we wear now (not on our bikes, thank God). 

I’m guessing a lot of race bikes don’t make it in theater. What was the reaction of your fellow soldiers?

I don’t think anyone really had any idea that my bike was anything better than a Huffy, or that I was anything more than a recreational rider. 

Any funny ride or bike-related stories you can share?

Crashing is always funny, right?

If you can do handstand pushups, this is a piece of cake. Photo by Sterling Natalia McKittrick.

There was the time I was at the 3 mile turn-around point, which happens to be at a Ugandan compound, complete with Ugandan guards. I smiled, and did my high speed 180, but my tire pressure was low and I washed out. The next thing I knew, I was impaled on a number of very sharp rocks and was bleeding from my left hip and my left elbow. The Ugandan guard was running toward me, obviously concerned…ironically yelling “sorry!”. Of course I was just pissed off, and I got up as quickly as I could, ensured my chain was on, and ran a few steps before mounting the bike and riding away, blood running down my leg and arm. 

You were introduced to CrossFit while in Iraq. Can you tell us what that is all about?

CrossFit is an exercise regimen that delivers fitness that is, by design, broad, general, and inclusive. It was a way for me to work on something new and different, which I needed while I was overseas. 

It seems like CrossFit involves a lot of upper-body work that is going to have most cyclists running in the other direction. Do you think this will benefit your cycling? If so, how?

After being home for awhile, and riding a bit … I’d have to say no. But I’m working to get that back. I might need to scale back on the pull ups and the handstand pushups. 

You’ve been back in the states a couple weeks. How’s the bike fitness compared to when you shipped out? 

This is pretty anti-climactic … horrible. The extra upper body muscle, plus a few extra pounds of body fat, factor in some stress…I can arm wrestle ya! 

From time to time you take your bike fitting business on the road. You are scheduled to be in the D.C. area June 26 through June 30. If folks wanted to make an appointment during that time do you still have slots available? If so, what is the best way to get in touch with you? 

I do still have some availability. I can be reached at bethbikes1@gmail.com or 410-562-4776 for scheduling or questions.

Click on image to learn more about Sylvan Cycles

 It’s so crazy it just might work. Sylvan Cycles specializes in using sustainable materials to build bicycles that “rival or surpass conventional frame materials for performance.” We met up with Sylvan co-founder John Fabel at the 2010 Shimano North American Handmade Bicycle Show in Richmond, Virginia, to talk wood bikes and how they would hold up on a ‘cross course. 

Sylvan’s featured bike at the show was their adventure model, a sharp looking ride crafted to excel in adventure and randonneur events. This does not mean, however, that the model would hold you back at your local ‘cross throw down. And talk about turning some heads. And I’ll bet for few extra bucks, the boys at Sylvan will get out their wood burning kit and etch your name on the top tube. 

Sylvan Cycles cares about building quality bikes and also about getting people to out and riding no matter what they throw their leg over. Hence their by line, “using bicycles to go places.” Learn more about the company by visiting it online at www.sylvancycles.com. 

Here’s the interview. Thanks for watching.

Sampson builds components suited for 'cross.

The North American Handmade Bicycle Show took place February 26-28 in Richmond, Virginia. Started in 2005 with around 30 booths and 700 visitors, NAHBS has grown into an event featuring over 150 exhibitors and 7000 attendees. The craftsmanship of the bikes, components, accessories and clothing on display at the show is top notch. I’m sure by now most people have seen photos of the shiny bits that commanded everyone’s attention. I have some, too, and will get them posted soon.

Our mission at this show was to find some interesting cross-specific stories for CXHairs. Along with photos, I conducted a fair number of video interviews. The first is with Eric Sampson, president of Sampson Bicycles & Components, based in Denver, Colorado. Sampson designs and builds components that rival the big boys. His shifters and drivetrain components feature precision operation, competitive weights and a damn nice price-point.

I asked Eric how Sampson’s Stratics group holds up to the rigors of cyclocross. Here’s what he had to say.

Thanks for watching. Later this week we will feature interviews from Mike Zanconato, and Sylvan Bicycles‘ John Fabel.

Dombrowski on his way to winning Schooley Mill 'Cross

Those that raced cyclocross this past season in the Mid-Atlantic already know Joe Dombrowski. The eighteen year old Haymarket Bicycle/HomeVisit rider could be found in the front group of most MABRA races he entered this year. He usually finished on the podium and captured some impressive victories along the way.

While most of us have hung up the ‘cross bikes for the season, Joe is spending his second consecutive Christmas in Belgium racing bikes against the best cyclocross competition that the world has to offer. As an invitee to Geoff Proctor’s Euro Cross Camp, Dombrowski is living in the Team USA House—along with a group of U-23 and junior racers, as well as a handful of elite riders—and competing in up to nine races in 14 days.

We caught up with Joe to see how his second season is progressing, learn a little more about racing in Belgium and get some insights into life at the Team USA house.

How was your travel to Belgium? I saw where Jeff Bahnson’s bikes didn’t make it on the same flight as him. Any similar issues for you?

The travel was rough. Belgium was getting snow that they haven’t seen in years. I spent 14 hours in the London airport, which made for a total travel time of 37 hours without sleep. Jeff and several others were missing bikes, wheels, and various other pieces of luggage.

Take us through a typical day in which you are not racing. When do you wake up, train, eat, etc. How do you spend the downtime?

The Euro Cross Camp wheel stash.

Geoff comes by each room and wakes us up in waves. Juniors first, U-23s next, and Elites last. He wants us to be on the same schedule on non-race days as we are on race days. I usually get up at 8:30.

Training starts after breakfast. It doesn’t get light here until 9:00, and we usually are on the bikes around 11:00. After training, I just try to keep the legs up and get a nap in if possible. Els [Delaere (House Directress and Head Chef)] cooks a delicious hot dinner each night.

With another year of racing under your belt, is there anything about Euro Cross Camp that is easier than it was in 2008?

I came into this year’s camp with a better perspective on the level of racing. It’s a bit of a shock when you first start doing big races here; this is definitely not a forgiving place.

Guys at the camp are racing juniors and U-23, right? Do you all travel to the race together? What’s the pre-race routine like?

The camp is mostly juniors and U-23s, but we do have three Elites as well though. Each group travels to the race together, and comes back together. If it is a late race, usually we are on the rollers in the morning keeping the legs loose. If the race is earlier in the day, we will grab breakfast and jump in the van and go to the race.

Usually we can get back from our race in time to watch the Elites race on TV.

From a venue and race atmosphere perspective, how do the events differ from the U.S. scene?

The venues are often in a more public setting. Rather than being out in some field, the Euro races are usually in or near town. The atmosphere is very festive, similar to what you would see in an American football game. Fans show up early and watch riders warming up in their tents while chowing down on race food and beer.

It gets rowdy come race time. Fans are drunk, the superstars are flying around the course, stuff happens.

How has your racing gone? Do you feel like you have good fitness?

I’ve done three races so far. I haven’t had quite the results that I wanted. Some of these have been due to poorly timed mechanicals, but my last race in Diegem was just a poor ride.

I think the fitness is in there. I just need to focus and try to pull out some good results this week. I still have a majority of races left.

You are racing U-23, right? Do those races go at the same time as the elites? What has that been like? How do you feel like you stack up with the other U23s? That has got to be a fast bunch.

Yes. Only the smaller races combine the Elite and U-23 fields. It really isn’t too different; I mean you would think “I’m racing Albert, Nys, and Stybar, this is going to be rough.” But really, I think the U-23 fields on their own over here are just about as fast.

At Middlekerke for example, a U-23, Tom Meussen, rode with Sven Nys at the front almost the whole race, and that’s the same guy you have to race in the bigger U-23 only races.

Ready for a training ride.

I would say pretty confidently that the top five from a big U-23 race here would take the top five at a USGP elite race. I would be happy riding in the 20’s or lower 30’s in some of the big races. That would be a good result for me.

What’s your start position been like? Are you staging at the back of the pack? Are all start positions predetermined or is there a scrum? What’s that experience like after the gun goes off? Chaos or pretty controlled?

I have consistently been called up on the last couple rows. Call-ups are based on World Cup points for the WC’s, and UCI points for everything else. I didn’t get any UCI points domestically this year, and I am really kicking myself for it now.

After everyone with UCI points is called, they start calling names fast. At some point, usually after the first sixty or so, it turns into a free-for-all. You have to be at the front of that push if you want a decent start position.

Over here, the race starts long before the gun goes off. You have to be one of the first to jump the call-up, and use your body and bike to block others trying to weasel there way in front of you at the start.  It is often faster to run an early tricky corner and just push through the inside line. On the first extended run, you have to be prepared to defend your spot. Yesterday, at Diegem, there was a long run a minute into the race, guys were grabbing my back wheel and elbowing with their free arm. It’s a battle from the gun.

What have the courses been like? Looks like a lot of mud, muck and cold from the pictures.

The courses have more dramatic transitions than U.S. courses. Rather than just rolling, the courses here have very high-speed sections, with very technical sections in between. The run-ups often require use of your spare hand, and your butt is on the back tire on some of the descents.

Are you using the same gearing, wheels, tires that you did during the domestic season? If not, what changes did you make.

The Dugast Rhinos drying out after a race.

The only change is that I am running Dugast Rhinos for a better bite in the muddy conditions. I was typically running Dugast Typhoons and Challenge Grifos in the U.S.

We hear wonderful tales of bread, cheese and Nutella. What’s the training table for you guys really like?

All the food in the house is bike-racer friendly. Els definitely would not buy Nutella. However, there is a bakery, a house-sized vending machine, and a grocery store just a block away…

Have you been treated any differently, either positively or negatively, by fans or fellow competitors because you are American? Is there any misconception or prejudice about what kind of racer you may be? Or do you think enough Americans are on the scene now that you guys are an accepted group?

We have gotten royally flicked by the UCI commissaries at the call-up, but that’s about it. Proctor usually sticks to them like glue to make sure they don’t “forget” we have UCI points.

Any funny or memorable moments involving you or other campers you can share?

At Noordzecross in Middlekerke, Jerome Townsend was rolling in fifth into the first corner. He was elbowing some Belgian dude who was yelling at him. He looked over and it was Sven Nys.

Troy Wells running around in a Santa suit.

Did you guys do anything special for Christmas?

At the Team USA house.

Els cooked a Christmas dinner with a dessert. That’s about it though.  I have sort of “missed” Christmas the last two years now.

What’s the most useful Flemish phrase you’ve learned?

The only ones I know are the ones the crazy Euros yell at you when you don’t pull through, or chop them in a corner. Sometimes they recognize you’re an American and yell at you in English. They’re very vocal racers.

Anything else you want to add?

Early season form at Ed Sander Memorial

Thanks to Mom and Dad and everyone else who supports me so that I can continue racing.

Team USA House photos by Joe Dombrowski.

Valentin Scherz

Valentin Scherz, winner of the Capital ‘Cross Classic and the MAC Elite Championship series, is an 18 year old fast man from Switzerland that spent the past couple months going toe-to-toe with many of the top U.S. riders. Scherz (Pro Cycles-Scott-Newwork) took some time for a short interview on how his Capital ‘Cross Classic race went down, racing in Europe compared to the U.S. and his plans for future visits to the U.S.

Thanks for reading.

How did the Capital ‘Cross Classic course conditions and race compare to a typical European race?

Scherz: The conditions here are more or less the same as in Europe. In my country, Switzerland, the courses are known to be very technical, hilly and difficult, as yesterday or in Southampton. In the rest of the Europe—Belgium, Holland, Italy, France—the fashion is now fast courses, more like the most of the races here. So the riders are more riding together and there is more suspense. Until two weeks ago, the weather conditions were warmer here than in Europe in October. But now, the weather is the same.

Scherz was on his own from the gun, Sunday

The level of the riders is my big deal now! I think I progressed a lot this year. But I don’t exactly know where my level will be in Europe. I think that in the UCI C2 or C1, the level here is the same as in Switzerland. And in the regional races, like yesterday, it’s the same as in the regional races in my region too. So the competition level is good enough here for me.

That was an impressive ride. How did you feel about your performance? Did the day play out the way you expected?

Scherz: Thanks. I was feeling pretty good yesterday during the race. My technique and my ability to ride in the slippery turns were good, which is really important for me. I tried yesterday to ride every lap better than the previous one. In fact, the day played out better than what I was expecting. I was expecting a hard race. I spent the two previous days visiting Washington, walked a lot, stood up for long stretches, etc. I did one week of rest without training two weeks ago and I did only slow rides last week.

On Sunday, it was difficult for me to get ready before the race, to go out of the car to warm up, check the course etc. The conditions were the worst it could be: not cold enough to have frozen ground, but enough to get your feet freezing in the really cold mud. So I was not feeling 100% on the start line. But everything always changes just after the start-shot: you become a warrior and give all that you have. And then you see how fit you really are! My feelings on the bike were great, and the legs were good.

The course was so fun in the mud, especially the downhills. It makes me think of the movie “Pure sweet hell,” which I have discovered here. In the beginning, I think it’s Barry Wicks who says about cylcocross, “because it’s hard, because it sucks the most … it’s why people do it.” It was so difficult, so crazy yesterday that I had a great time and I pushed myself one hundred percent.

This is the only place Scherz dismounted

So my plan was to take a rest time two weeks ago, and to build new fitness from that time for the end of the season. I should feel not so well, but I still feel in good fitness. The only unknown is what my fitness level will be versus the best riders after that break. It’s difficult for me to know now. But I’ll know next weekend for my first race in Switzerland. To conclude, I felt better than what I was expecting, but it’s still difficult to know where my level is because the best riders weren’t there yesterday.

Anything else you would like to add?

Scherz: Yes, here what’ I would like to say to the U.S. cyclocross people. I really want to thank each of you: promoters, riders, CX-fans, volunteers, etc… for your welcome, nice encouragement, cheers, words etc.. Each of you made my trip as fun as it could have been. You are all great, nice, welcoming people and I’m honored to have won your beautiful MAC series, because it’s definitely a good series, mixing good courses, nice atmospheres, good competitors and fun! Special thank’s for the Berson, Kelly, Gary, Wheels Work Revolution, and Ken Getchell who made this trip possible.

When will we next see you in the U.S.?

Scherz: I really hope that I’ll be able to ride again races in your area and see you again. Maybe if I get a contract for next year. I would like to bring friends of mine to do full Swiss podiums in the U.S.! Who knows?! In any case, I’m going to come here when I will be a masters racer, because you masters races are so cool! So many racers, nice contests. You have nothing to envy from Europe. Enjoy the cross.

BFF DC Producer Chris Carraway. Muddied up and ready to go.

In any event, the festival has more than that to offer. The full schedule of films and events is here. I spoke with BFF DC producer Chris Carraway to get the details. Chris races for NCVC and also authors the blog, Ride It Like You Stole It, where you can find even more BFF information and trailers.

What is the Bicycle Film Festival? How did it start? What is its mission?

Carraway: In 2001, Brendt Barbur, Founder and Director, was compelled to start the Bicycle Film Festival after being hit by a bus while riding his bike in New York City. Instead of being deterred by this experience, it inspired him to create a festival that celebrates the bicycle through music, art, and film. Now in its ninth year the festival is held in 39 cities worldwide. 250,000 people are expected to attend this year.

The Bicycle Film Festival celebrates the bicycle in all forms and styles. If you can name it—Tall Bike Jousting, Track Bikes, BMX, Alleycats, Critical Mass, Bike Polo, Road Cycling, Mountain Biking Recumbents—we’ve probably either ridden or screened it. What better way to celebrate these lifestyles than through art, film, music and performance?

This is the first year the BFF has come to DC and we’re all collectively saying “about time!” The screenings are Saturday at the Navy Memorial Theater which is located at 701 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington DC.

What is your affiliation with the BFF? How did you get involved?

Carraway: I’m the producer for the Washington DC Bicycle Film Festival. My friend who rode across the country with me was just named producer for Denver, and I decided to get involved and shot them an email asking if they needed any help for DC.

What film are you looking forward to seeing the most? What’s it about?

Carraway: This year is all about Brian Vernor, at least for me. In the past he’s done “Pure Sweet Hell”, the famous cyclocross film, and he has two films this year. We’re showing a sneak peak of “The Cyclocross Meeting”, which is about the emerging cyclocross scene in both the United States and Japan, and also includes footage of when Barry Wicks went over to Japan to race. Vernor’s second film, “Where Are You Go” captures the epic 7,000 mile journey from Cairo to Capetown along side the Tour d’Afrique.

I was also one of the many that couldn’t make it to the sold out showing of “Road to Roubaix” in Arlington and am also excited for it to come back to DC as well.

Where can people go to find out more information?

Carraway: The full schedule, info on buying advance tickets, and more info can be found here. You can also check out my own blog (roadthrash.blogspot.com) for probably way too much information on all that’s going on this week too.

Will people need to bring their own chair?

Carraway: The Navy Memorial Theater has very nice auditorium seating for 250 people. You won’t need to bring a chair, but I would recommend buying tickets online early. The BFF has a reputation of selling out, and ticket sales in DC have been nothing short of amazing!

What will you have for breakfast opening day of the BFF?

Carraway: Usually before the screening I like to eat oatmeal (vegan, of course) about 3 hours before doors open. Then I’ll have a banana or maybe some Hammer Gel for that last minute bump before screenings start. Watching films can be exhausting. As we all know recovery is very important, so afterwards I’ll probably drink some chocolate Almond milk.

Anything else I need to know about this event?

Carraway: Of course! Did I mention we’ll have free bicycle valet parking at the screenings on Saturday courtesy of WABA? What about the parties? You can’t have a festival without a party, or two.

Friday night we’re having an awesome kick-off party at Asylum (2471 18th St NW) starting at 9pm. We’ll have everything from drink specials, to DJs spinning classic punk records, to goldsprints. Don’t know what goldsprints are? Get on the rollers (with a fork mount), go all out for 250 to 500m against your friend, and have people yell at you in a bar. It’s like doing the run up at DCCX over and over again, maybe more or maybe less beer though. Winners get free passes to screenings!

Saturday night we’ll be riding from the fest to the Gibson (2009 14th Street NW) for our after party with even more drink specials and bikes. No amount of rest will prepare you for Capital Cross this late in the game anyways, so might as well start your “off season” a week early with a late night on Saturday.

We also have some really amazing local sponsors including Bicycle Stations, a new shop which recently opened that’s also hosting the Adventures for the Cure screening. In addition the National Capital Velo Club and Hefler Performance Coaching have also given the DC BFF amazing support. But this fest would not be able to happen if it weren’t for the amazing volunteers that have offered to help. When you come to the fest, please thank them for their help!

Pat Blair at Urban Cross

Adam Driscoll and Patrick Blair (Adventures for the Cure) usually get interviewed on this site because they are fast guys finishing at the top of their fields each week of the ‘cross season.Blair is always battling for the top step in the 3/4 race and sometimes jumps in to the elite race for a little more pain. Driscoll, in his first year in the elites, is a mainstay on the podium, nipping at the heels of the top three finishers every race.

Driscoll at Rockburn

Driscoll will be the first to tell you he is still learning the CX game. He hasn’t been racing that many years and was handing it to the cat fours only two years ago. The first time I remember seeing Adam was in 2007 at the Ed Sander Memorial race. He was leading the C race when he had a mechanical with about a quarter lap to go. Second place was charging hard but Driscoll didn’t panic. He picked up his bike and got his sprint on. I think he ran that finishing stretch, shouldering the bike, faster than most could ride it. He held off second and took the win. He then fixed the bike, lined-up, and podiumed in the B race.

With that flavor of toughness and persistence it is not a surprise that Driscoll would conceive a plan to ride his fixed-gear across the country. Along with Blair and Jesse Stump, the trio set out in 2006 to ride their bikes across the continent, raise awareness for diabetes and support a host of other worthy causes. So why the fixed-gear angle? As Adam—who is a Type-1 diabetic—puts it, “everybody knows somebody that has ridden their bike across the country, but not many know of somebody doing it on a fixed-gear bike.”

So how did the trip go? Luck has it that you can find out for yourself. “Adventures For The Cure: The Doc” will be screened tonight, December 3, at Bicycle Stations (2204 14th st NW). Show starts at 7pm with a screening of a short documentary on the 2009 Lost River Classic. Don’t show up late, word has it the shop can seat around thirty folks.

Although not officially part of the Bicycle Film Festival, the AFC movie is a nice kick-off for a weekend of all things celluloid and bike. For more information on the festival, check back here tomorrow and also go here: bicyclefilmfestival.com.

If you can’t make it to the screening, the AFC documentary is available for purchase at www.adventuresforthecuremovie.com.

Recently, I chatted with Adam and Pat about the movie and life on the road with your single-speed bicycle. Here’s what they had to say.

In fifty words or less (and, yes, I’m counting) tell us what the movie is about.

Patrick Blair: Three guys riding across the country on fixed-gear bikes! The mission is to make a difference while having fun biking across country and fixed gears makes it more of a challenge. Submission: sing karaoke in every state they visit! [40 words]

Adam Driscoll: An award winning documentary which covers a group of three cyclists in summer of 2006 as they bike 6,500 miles across the country on fixed gear bikes to raise money and awareness for American Diabetes Association and Kupenda for the Children. It also shows us attempting to do karaoke each state we bike through and you experience how bad of a singer I am. [63 words. Good thing we aren't doing this interview on Twitter.]

What was it like the first time you got back on a bike that coasted?

Blair: Pleasantly surprising. To pedal for a bit and then realize that you don’t ‘have to’ pedal when you go down a hill or when you are riding over a bump in the road is kinda nice.

Driscoll: Well I normally train on a fixed gear bike so I cant really remember what it was like. I love my Surly Steamroller!

What is the most memorable moment of the trip? It doesn’t have to be the most meaningful, just the thing that sticks out in your mind as drop-dead funny, amazing, scary, etc. And “All the wonderful people we met” is not an acceptable answer.

Blair: The Rockies are absolutely breathtakingly beautiful! If you have not been to the west coast you gotta get out there and check them out.

Driscoll: Scariest moment would definitely be when my insulin pump broke and I did not have any syringes to give myself insulin. Most memorable moment was the ride up Mt Vesuvius, VA. It was this huge steep hill in VA that all three of us raced up.

What’s one thing you learned about Adam/Pat during your adventure that may surprise people?

Blair: Adam loves biking. [laughs] Maybe you already know that! But when you bike every day for three months straight and it is over 100 degrees half the time and you still LOVE biking then you really truly LOVE biking. In the end Jesse and I could not wait to be done. I hated biking at that point. Adam… I think he would have biked all the way back to the west coast if he could have.

Driscoll: Pat starting to fall in love with his future wife (Lauren) as we were biking across. One time near end of trip Jesse and I were biking and all of sudden one day Pat started biking much faster and we figured out it was because Lauren was coming to visit that day and he wanted to get to the finish city earlier to see her. Jesse and I did not want to bike fast. We made a big joke that he had heart bubbles all around him when he was chatting with her on the computer at the end of the day and when she would visit.

Is there going to be a sequel?

Blair: You will have to ask the producer/director/editor/videographer PHillyK. We wanted him to make a film of our Race Across America adventures both this year and last year. Those would make for great movies! There is a lot of drama that happens in a seven day bike race across the country.

Driscoll: That would be cool if there was a sequel but that is up to the producer PHillyK. He is super artsy and I believe once you do it once you don’t like to do same thing twice so not sure.

What was your standard breakfast during the trip?

Blair: Maybe not my ‘standard breakfast’ but my most sought after breakfast was blueberry pancakes with peanut butter and syrup. In the beginning of the trip someone made us blueberry pancakes for breakfast and it was so awesome that I blogged about it. Later when we stayed with people, they had read the blog and made us pancakes because they knew I was obsessed with them. I don’t eat many pancakes now, but when biking 100mi per day every day for three months you need the extra calories!

Driscoll: That depended on where we were! If we were staying with a nice family they usually knew what we liked because of our blog and would make us huge blueberry pancake breakfasts! Other times when we were sleeping on picnic tables in Kansas it was just a powerbar and water.

The CXHairs Team Bike At Schooley Mill

The Howard County Double Cross weekend took place November 21 and 22. Schooley Mill Cross, a new race, featured long power sections and some muddy climbs. Rockburn Cross featured the same exciting single-track sections, punchy climbs and technical turns as it has the past three years.

For these interviews, I tracked down podium finishers that have yet to grace the cyber-pages of In The Crosshairs for their racing prowess. This way we get a couple more voices in the mix, with different takes on some of the same old questions. I also included sixth place finishers at Rockburn because those folks won pie. And if you win pie, you deserve to be recognized.

I think the highlight of these interviews is the great discussion on race starts and the hole shot. Pay attention to what these folks are saying and see if their successful strategy matches up with what you are doing.

Thanks for reading.

What is your pre-race routine?

Rusty Williford (Fulcrum Coaching/WWVC Racing, Rockburn Cat 3/4, 4th place): Same thing every week: Get to the course by 8:30, recon the course until 9, kit-up and hit the trainer by 10, off-the trainer by 10:35 and head to the course for either 1 hot lap or a few starts.

Andreas Gutzeit (HPC List, Schooley Mill Masters 3/4, 4th place): I do about two laps of the course, mainly looking for good lines. Then I do 30 minute warm-up. Jeff Anderson describes cross racing as a reverse crit. Very helpful for a novice roadie. So now I have taken to practice the start on the course a couple of times and it really served me well at Schooley Mill. I was fourth into the dirt and ended up fourth 40 minutes later.

Brach hits the climbs at Rockburn (Nystrom not pictured)

Chris Nystrom (C3-Athletes Serving Athletes, Elite Masters, Schooley Mill 8th, Rockburn 6th): Arrive early enough to preview the course before the start of the race two slots before my race. Really getting to know and understand the track is key. Pin up the number and get dressed during the race (two prior) and ride the course with a bit more speed before the next race. Ride the trainer and b.s. with teammates during the race just before mine. Red Bull 45 minutes before my start. Get to the line, relax and visualize the start. Remember to have fun.

John Cutler (CycleLife DC, 1st place Schooley Mill Men’s 3/4, 19th place Rockburn Elite Masters): Coffee and a Starbucks egg sandwich (kind of disgusting, yes, but fast). Drive. Listen to NPR or that weird show about parenting. A moment of sheer terror trying to find a gas station with a restroom. Arrive in the middle of one of the races. 20 minutes to get number and get ready to pre-ride. Ride a couple laps. Pretend that I’m actually remembering the corners and lines. Hop on the trainer for 40 minutes. I used to never bring a trainer, but I’ve come around. You can listen to music and zone out. Then Race.

When a race throws a kink in my plans—like a really long walk to registration, one port-potty, a line at registration, a line for the hose, etc.—it really throws me for a loop. I said this last year, but I’ll say it again. NEXT YEAR I’m going all out with the tent, the easy chairs, that little mat for taking of your shoes, the cooler, etc. For two days of racing your post race routine is really important as well. Instead of jumping back into the car while slamming recovery shakes, it can pay to relax, socialize, put your feet up, and commune with fellow racers.

Jeff Trinh (Georgetown University, 1st place at Schooley Mill Men’s Cat 4, 6th place at Rockburn Men’s Cat 4): Coffee and oatmeal for breakfast. When I get to the race site I get dressed and pre-ride the course, making sure to drink plenty of water in between laps. One of the advantages of doing the 9am race is that you have plenty of time to pre-ride, so I like take my time and make mental notes about which lines I’ll pick.

Elizabeth Harlow (C3-Athletes Serving Athletes, Women’s 1,2,3 Schooley Mill 4th and Rockburn 6th): Ride the course a couple of times before the Master Men’s Elite race. Paying attention to anything that may give me trouble. Ride around easy while the men race and then ride the course again close to race pace after the men finish.

Jon Hicks (Winchester Wheelemen, Rockburn Cat 4 5th place): The first lap to get a feel for the flow and the second much slower, looking for objects to avoid. A gel and FRS 30 minutes before the start.

Andrew Welch (Squadra Coppi, Mens 3/4, 3rd at Schooley Mill, 1st at Rockburn): I don’t like to have a lot of down time before my race, so I usually show up just in time to get a couple laps in before the previous race goes out … nothing too fast, just some course recon and easy warm-up. Then I get my number, change kit, and finish warming up … on the road. I have a trainer in my car, but it hasn’t come out all season. 

How important do you think the start is to your race? Do you try to get the hole-shot or do you play it more conservatively?

Rusty Williford: Extremely important, my goal is to not get caught behind any first-lap carnage. I have a bad habit of getting the hole-shot, then dragging the field around until I blow-up, so I have been trying to be a bit more conservative, slotting in 2nd or 3rd wheel.

Andreas Gutzeit: It’s all important. The reverse crit analogy is so true at least when it comes to the first selection. If you can get into the first group from the start then you typically can hang with the guys. I find bridging up extremely hard because once you don’t see folks anymore you can’t really gauge how hard you are going. And in bike racing can you really trust your legs or your lungs. So much of this is mental.

Chris Nystrom: The start is important but it’s only a small portion of the race. The further back in the grid I am the more aggressive I need to be in the first minute of the race. If you are focused on moving up you can usually find space to move up in the beginning. It might mean getting out in the wind and putting out more effort but it’s usually possible. Hole-shots are overrated unless the course is super technical or muddy. I try to get into the top 10 and on to a wheel of someone that I think will not let gaps open to the leaders. From there it’s just about seeing whether I am going to try to move up or just try to hang on.

John Cutler: I’ve learned the hard way that you have to keep first place within striking distance. All it takes is one scrum around a rideable corner and you’re 20 seconds back. At Schooley Mill I got the hole-shot, but it wasn’t something I planned on prior to the race. I managed to click in on the first try and was able to really dig on that uphill start. I went into the first turn alone and really tried to gun it. With each race I’ve become more motivated to stay near the front. You’ll not regret it later and everyone is suffering, not just you. At Rockburn I started in the back. Last place. But I could have still gone harder at the start.

Jeff Trinh: The hole-shot is pretty important but it isn’t everything. As long as I’m top ten through the first corner I’m happy. Anything worse than that means I’ve got some work to do.

Elizabeth Harlow: The start is VERY important. Tthe seconds that you lose in the start can cost you the race, it is best not to lose contact early on. Somewhat conservative. I don’t like going into the first corner too hot and out of control.

Jon Hicks: I think the start is very important. Getting caught behind the first bottleneck can leave you with a lot of time to make up. The important thing to me is getting a good hole-shot and position going into the first lap. It’s still tough for me to gauge how hard to go in order to get position without blowing myself up on the first lap. I’m getting better but have been guilty of going out WAY too hard and regretting it 10 minutes into the race.

Andrew Welch: The start is a decisive moment in every race. Whoever gets through the first few turns near the front will avoid the major bottlenecks and have the best shot for a podium finish. My goal is to be in the top five or so when we hit the grass, but I don’t really worry about the hole-shot.

The conditions were a little wet and greasy. What gearing do you have on your bike? What kind of wheels and tires did you use and what was your tire pressure?

Andreas Gutzeit: Rode clincher 404s. Old road gear. The deep dish rims may have helped a little in the mud at Schooley Mill. Michelin Mud 2’s. Not sure about those. I do find myself slipping quite a bit and am wondering if there is something better out there. Gearing? Not sure, whatever I can turn around.

Chris Nystrom: 42T single ring and a 12/27 cassette. For Schooley Mill it was Bontrager XXX Lite Tubulars with 32mm FMB SSC Sprint tires. There wasn’t much in the way of technical turns or off-cambers so I was comfortable with the file treads and wanted the lighter wheels for the climbing. At Rockburn there were more slick turns and off-camber sections so I ran Bontrager Race X Lite tubulars with Michelin Mud2 treads on 32mm FMB casings. They hooked up really well on the greasy grass. Both days I ran somewhere in the low to mid 20′s for pressure. I start with about 30psi when I arrive at the venue and then let air out as I’m warming up until the pressure feels right.

John Cutler: I only have one set of tubulars (Grifos), so I use them in every race. On Saturday I decided to go really low: 18psi for the front, 22psi in the rear. The course had no bumps, roots, or ledges and the tires performed flawlessly. Amazing. I felt like I was train on a railroad track. On the second day I went up a couple PSI higher and had trouble on the greasy turns. I’ve yet to really figure out tire pressure and tire selection. I haven’t had time to do mid-week practices, so each week is a crapshoot. It is hard to replicate those greasy conditions in your typical park.

Jeff Trinh: I use a 46/36t crankset with an 11-26t cassette. I don’t really ever shift down to the 36t so I do end up cross-chaining a bit up the climbs. For wheels, I’m using Bontrager Race Lites setup with Hutchinson Bulldogs and Stan’s NoTubes Tubeless Cyclocross kit. I rode them at 32 psi.

Elizabeth Harlow: 12×27. Ksyrium wheels and Challenge Grifo Tubulars. 25 psi.

Jon Hicks: Rockburn wasn’t too bad. 46×36 rings with a 12×27 cassette.  Zipp 404 tubulars, Challenge Grifo tires at 34-37psi.

Andrew Welch: I have pretty standard gearing, and I’ll use my little ring for the sticky stuff. I’ve been using Michelin Muds with ~30 psi for all conditions.

The field gets strung out early at Schooley Mill

Rusty Williford: I only have Michelin Muds, so it’s just a matter of hitting the tire pressure sweet spot. I start off at 35 psi front and back, and as I recon the course, I let out air until its feels just right. I estimate I was at about 30 psi in the rear, 27 psi in the front.

How did Schooley Mill compare to Rockburn? Did one course meet your strengths more than the other?

Rusty Williford: Schooley Mill felt like a pure power course with no spots to rest, whereas Rockburn was a nice mix of punchy hills and lots of turns. The more turns, the better, so I got slaughtered at Schooley Mill, but felt in the race from the gun at Rockburn.

Andreas Gutzeit: Schooley Mill was much more for me. Power sections. Not a tree in sight. Turns manageable. Not too slippery. I can go hard and long, but throw a slippery off-camber in there and I got my hands full. Rockburn was the reverse for me.

Chris Nystrom: Rockburn suited my strengths more with the turns, off-cambers, and punchy climbs. Plus, it’s like my home course as I ride there all the time. Schooley Mill was all about power. I enjoyed both courses and think it’s great that every track is different.

John Cutler: Schooley Mill was my kind of course. The long uphills and less greasy turns really suited my strengths and weaknesses. You could stay on the gas for more extended periods of time without having to slow down and re-accelerate. It reminded me of DCCX—another race where Paul Rades and I did well. I’m like a little diesel engine … my ideal cross course would be a 45 minute climb on a steep fire road. There was only one really sharp corner that you needed to poke around.

I really need to work on my cornering for next season if I hope to do better on the more technical courses. I read somewhere that cornering 25-percent slower does a lot more damage than putting down 25-percent less power on the straights. You don’t think you’re losing all that much time because you’re off the gas, but those slow corners can set you a couple seconds back with each turn. Riding with the Elite Masters field on Sunday was humbling. Those guys have skills. Rockburn was all about whipping around those corners and explosive power.

Jeff Trinh: The Schooley Mill course was significantly less technical than the Rockburn’s. I’d consider myself more of a roadie so I liked that. It made it easier to mete out the pain whereas Rockburn’s course had me a little less confident in the corners and hurting a whole lot more.

Harlow at Rockburn

Elizabeth Harlow: Schooley Mill was like a road race and Rockburn had more mountain bike characteristics. Schooley Mill was a great course for me, it was a power course with climbing and not too technical.

Jon Hicks: Big difference in courses for me and the results showed it. Rockburn suited me much better primarily because of the conditions. The soft ground and mud on much of the course and especially on the back side climb at Schooley Mill destroyed me on every lap while the shorter climbs at Rockburn didn’t affect me as much. I tend to be stronger on the more technical courses.

Andrew Welch: Schooley Mill was more of a power course with some long straight sections. Rockburn was more technical and required a lot of accelerations. I think all the short climbs and accelerations played to my strengths.

What was the decisive moment in your races?

Rusty Williford: There were two of them…the first was Andrew Welch’s attack out of the woods with about two to go … he was gone, and it was a battle for the remaining spots after that. The second was my crash with about one to go on the S-turn by the tennis courts on the back of the course. I took a very aggressive line to make a run at Paul Rades in second and crashed, then tumbled down the hill. After that, it was a frenetic one lap TT to hang on to a podium spot.

Andreas Gutzeit: The start at Schooley Mill. The sand at Rockburn, which I managed to ride in warm-up and then unceremoniously fell over during the first race lap.

Chris Nystrom: At Schooley Mill I had a good start going but got held up at the stairs. I managed to get back up to the lead group and hung on just long enough for the gaps to open behind. After that I was just surviving until Bernie Shiao arrived. We rode well together and solidified our positions. Then he took it to me in the sprint. I thought I was going to pass out after that.

At Rockburn I got a good seat on the Bernie Shiao hole-shot express. He had it strung out as soon as we hit the grass and that made the start easier as there was less jockeying for position. Eventually I settled into a good group just behind the leaders with Bernie and Mike Birner, two really solid guys to ride with. A few other guys came and went but we stuck together and rolled it very smoothly around the course. I managed to attack those guys on the last lap and hold it to the line to take the pie placing.

John Cutler: Taking the hole-shot and attacking on the first lap showed I meant business. But in the end it was Paul getting tangled in the tape on the last lap. I was riding certain sections faster, but it would have probably come down to a sprint. At DCCX I failed to take advantage of Paul’s bobble, and he went Rambo on me and caught up and left me in the dust. I wasn’t going to let that happen again.

Jeff Trinh: The first lap in any race is usually a good indicator of how I’m going to do.

Elizabeth Harlow: At Schooley Mill Julie Kuliecza and I went back and forth for third place. As we came onto the pavement for the final sprint I couldn’t shift up into my big ring. I missed the opportunity to try to sprint for third. That’s cyclocross, you never know what will happen.

Jon Hicks: We’re talking Rockburn and my decisive moment was midway through the second lap when I realized my front derailleur was broken and I was stuck in my big ring. I was in fifth place at the time with Cory Smith and Mark Stahl coming hard. I knew it would take a lot of energy to push that gear up the muddy hills and especially the short, steep one near the parking area. I made the decision to stay in the gear instead of stopping to manually drop it down. If that wasn’t enough, coming past the finish on the bell lap, I see Jeff Trinh chasing hard and coming fast. I knew it was going to be even more difficult to hold him off. By the time we reached that last steep climb, Jeff had closed the gap and was on my wheel. I made it up and over and saw Jeff have to put a foot down right at the top. That was the gap I needed to finish it off.

Andrew Welch: I think the decisive moment for me at Rockburn was on the last lap. Paul was closing the gap on the back side, and I had to dig deep to hold my lead on the last climb and down the gravel road. I knew it would be hard for him to catch me through the last technical section.

How do you describe cyclocross to the friend, co-worker or family member that has no idea what the sport is about?

Rusty Williford: Steeplechase on a bike. To steal a line from an old-time video “it combines all the worst elements of cycling and running” and it’s awesome!

Andreas Gutzeit: Dirty insanity. It’s like skydiving: Why would anybody jump out of a perfectly safe airplane? Why would you get off a perfectly good road and then jump off your perfectly good bike into a knee deep mud pit?

Chris Nystrom: Describing cyclocross is beyond my ability. I just encourage them to come out and watch a race in person. That usually hooks them.

John Cutler: Lots of driving. Good food. Fun people. Going so hard that you feel like puking. A different puzzle each weekend where smarts and skills can outweigh strength. I have to enlist more friends so we can split the driving and logistics.

Jeff Trinh: I tell my friends that it’s like a steeplechase event with bicycles. I also tell them that it’s awesome and that they should get ‘cross bikes. They usually say something like “Who are you? Don’t talk to me.” or “Shut up,” but that’s because they don’t have bikes. Yet.

Elizabeth Harlow: Human steeple chase. Sometimes you have to carry your horse.

Jon Hicks: I try to explain it and they still don’t have a clue. Most of the time I just find a computer, go to YouTube and show them a video.

Andrew Welch: I try, but I mostly just get strange looks from everyone.

Give a shout out.

Rusty Williford: To my wife Maria, who sacrifices every weekend to take the kids while I go out and play in the mud. She’s my motivation.

Andreas Gutzeit: To the entire cx scene. Many nice, friendly competitors that make entry into the sport easy and a lot of fun. The courses are so much more spectator friendly. Now if we could do all this in the summer, my kids would actually come and watch some races.

Chris Nystrom: My team director and coach Kris Auer for his passion and knowledge of cyclocross. My teammates for being like family. Matt Brancheau for being the mastermind of HoCo2x Cx. Beer for being beer.

John Cutler: Sharon my girlfriend. She visited from New York and cheered me on.

Elizabeth Harlow: I heart C3.

Jon Hicks: To my wife, Tammy, for putting up with my cross obsession. (Yes, I’m obsessed. I admit it.) Kent Howard for being, most likely, the #1 cross fan in the entire Mid-Atlantic and responsible for introducing me to my obsession. Blue Ridge Bicycles in Winchester, VA who are responsible for fueling my obsession with great bikes, parts and service. All the guys that show up at every race to give me such great competition which keeps my obsession alive.

Andrew Welch: Thanks to the promoters for two great days of racing.

Jared Nieters. An Elite Racer With A Blog.

The conventional wisdom is that it takes a couple seasons for an established series to spawn a successful spin-off.  The Jeffersons, Flo, Laverne and Shirley, After-MASH, each needed character growth on the parent show before going off on its own.

The Interview-A-Tron doesn’t care about conventional wisdom. Its borg like dominance and terminator-esque persistence allows it to spin-off after only one episode.

So here’s the scoop. Jared Nieters (Haymarket Bicycles/HomeVisit) has rebranded the Robot Diary as The Interview-a-Tron. Please visit early and often as he has collected some quality footage for your viewing pleasure. As a tribute to our short but memorable time hosting the Interview-a-Tron, I leave you with  a very special episode as Joe Dombrowski discusses ‘Cross, Belgium and bananas.

Thanks for watching.

The Interview-a-Tron’s new home is: jarednieters.blogspot.com

Men's 3/4 leaders. Photo: Joe Metro.

Here is the final Tacchino ‘Cross installment. These podium interviews are just what you need to get ready for this weekend’s races. Pre-ride strategy, race tactics, barrier technique, pre-race food. It’s all here. 

Thanks for reading. 

Under ideal conditions (you arrive on time, it’s not pouring down rain), how much time do you spend on the course before racing? Do you walk the course? Do any hot laps? What are you looking for during this time? 

Steevo Cummings (Indiana Regional Medical Center, 2nd Place Men’s Elite): 20-25 minutes is ideal. I ride around the outside of the course and watch the racers when I arrive. I got to pre-ride the course after the Elite Masters with Gerry Pflug. He showed me the lines he was taking, where bottlenecks were forming, where to recover, etc. That was like doing 3 or 4 laps on my own. Some of the stuff I would have not found on my own. 

Jared Nieters (Haymarket Bicycles/HomeVisit, 3rd Place Men’s Elite): I try to arrive early, during the ‘B’ race, and do the pit work for Tyler Karnes (he does a great job taking care of the task for me during the elite race). After the ‘B’ race, I ride one lap slowly, in my street clothes, and get a good solid look at all of the corners and lines. During the next race I get my number and throw my kit on. Before the women’s race, I typically try to take a lap at a comfortable pace and then another where I hit a few of the trickier corners at speed. Some of the lines I take aren’t the ones that get beaten in during the day (I take early-apex lines more than most people in order to keep exit speeds high), and that becomes more obvious when I’m warming up at speed. I hop on the trainer during the women’s race, and make sure everything is taken care of, before catching the end of the women’s race. 

Jennifer Maxwell (ATAC Sportswear p/b Bike Rack DC, 2nd Place Women’s Elite): Usually get to the race 2 hours before a UCI race and 1 1/2 for a local. I park, get the LeMond back-up bike ready, and ride to registration. If I can get on the course, I will do a few laps to get a feel for tire pressure and lines to take. I like to sometimes ride behind an Elite women/male to get a feel for which lines to take. HOT laps are for when I am running late and know that I will not get a full hour of warm up on the trainer. So I then register, drop off the LeMond in the pit, and head to the car to warm up on the trainer. I prefer warming up on rollers but with grass and uneven parking venues I need to use the trainer for cross. 

Tyler Karnes (Pioneer Racing, 1st Place Men’s 3/4): I usually try to arrive at the venue a little over 2 hours before my race, that way I can get out of the car and get straight on course to pre ride a lap before the early race starts. I usually try to get another lap before the last race ahead of mine. This weekend, some unfortunate events in a rider breaking his ankle allowed a lot more course time than usual. I think I got 6-7 laps in before my race, and I re-rode some of the more difficult sections numerous times. I usually walk some of the course on the way to registration, noticing how riders are taking lines and if they are avoiding anything on course. I will get a couple hot laps before my race just as a final warm-up prep. 

Patrick Blair (Adventures For the Cure, 2nd Place Men’s 3/4): After racing about 13 races this season I think I finally have my pre-race prep figured out! Before the CAT4 race I try to get in at least 2 slow laps, analyzing every aspect of the course. After the CAT4 race I try to get in at least 2 more laps at a faster pace but still taking lots of mental notes on the course layout. During the races before my race I spend time stretching, checking tire pressure, eating, cheering for teammates, etc. 

Tim Brown (The Bike Rack, 3rd Place Men’s 3/4): I normally like to get in at least 3 laps before racing… an easy lap, a hard lap, and one to work on tricky sections. I usually never arrive early enough to have time to walk the course. 

Meg Schiffman (Squadra Coppi, 2nd Place Women’s 4): I feel most comfortable if I get 4-5 laps in on the course…which usually means getting there about 3-4 hours before my race. I don’t walk the course, but get a few slower laps in and then one or two just below race effort. My objective is really just to gain confidence and familiarity with the course while getting the bod warmed up. The more laps I get under my belt prior to the race, the better I feel on the start line! I do try to test out lines, look for the dryer ones, etc. during the warm-up laps as well.

This is a new course, what was your favorite part? What would you change? 

Patrick Blair: I liked the sharp off camber downhill in the first section of the course the best. Nothing I would change, it was a great course all around. 

Steevo Cummings: I really liked the long uphill drag toward the pit. I liked that the course required a lot of acceleration, but you could still hold speed through the turns. There was one root up in the woods that I would hit every lap. I had 28psi in the front and it was totally hitting my rim every time. I would take that root out cause it was super far to the pits. 

Tyler Karnes: Since this is my first full season in cross, I’ve never done Tacchino before. I have heard it had great venues in the past but I loved this one. Being a roadie, the course suited me with long power sections, and less technical sections. There were still some technical areas that kept you on your toes, but everything was pretty smooth. I liked the fast downhill sections, and the area by the pavilion with everyone yelling and cheering. I wouldn’t change anything. 

Jared Nieters: The course was outstanding, great variety. The course marshals were strict. The distance from parking to registration wasn’t ideal. 

Tim Brown: I really enjoyed the fast downhill / uphill section in the woods. The course was a lot of fun so I probably wouldn’t change much… although, it would be nice to have one more section that forced a dismount. 

Meg Schiffman: I LOVED this course. Yes, I’m a tad biased being a Coppi and all, but it really suited my riding strengths, apparently. My favorite part was the muddy drop on the back-half of the course. Super fun. I loved all the tight turns as well – most of the women brake through these, and it drives me nuts. As soon as I had them all to myself, I picked up a ton of speed/ground. 

Jennifer Maxwell: I liked the front section near the beer garden. The quick tight left hand turn to the barriers and the technical turns that lead to the fast downhill section. The uphill to the pit was a bit of a leg buster but I was able to catch my breath and enjoy the smell of sausage and beer.

Change: Elite women should have their own race-not shared with other categories or sexes. Junior rides, especially the boys aged 10-14, were a danger on the course Sunday. I am all for grassroots development but safety is what matters most. elite women fields not to mention B women fields are growing each season. There were 29 B women and close to 20 A women racing out there with 4 other categories of junior boys and girls. Elite women should have their own time spot. It is a growing sport and safely should first and foremost. 

The course featured a 180 degree turn into the barriers. Did this force you to change your approach or dismount technique? If so, how?

Jared Nieters: The barriers were oriented very similarly to those at Fair Hill (the day before), so I felt pretty comfortable with them. The turns made the speed a little lower, so I felt like they were pretty routine. 

Steevo Cummings: The barriers were not super tight out of the turn, and it was a left turn, so I could dismount after turning. I would take the turn outside in, and knew that I could ratchet pedal (in order to build momentum) 1 time before unclipping to run them, which I did on the last lap to try and get a gap on my cyclocross nemesis (Jared Nieters). 

Meg Schiffman: No major change but definitely forced me into a slower speed coming into the barriers, which helped me to control/think about my technique a bit more. Ended up being an advantage, since everyone else slowed down as well! On my last lap, the Evo gal I’d been following for much of the race cramped up on the barriers. After checking that she was okay (briefly!) I was able to pass her and ride the final part of the course solo. 

Tyler Karnes: Not really. I took the turn as wide as possible and carried as much speed as I could, and took a couple hard pedal strokes going into the barriers, dismounting right before the first barrier. 

Tim Brown: I don’t think my approach really changed too much. I just made sure I was in the “right” gear before I hit the turn. 

Jennifer Maxwell: The more technical course the better I like it. On the first lap a rider went down in front of me on the 180 degree turn and I just went around her and punched it to get a gap on the women behind me. It helped me stay focused and ride a smooth back section. 

Patrick Blair: No, there was enough space between the 180 turn and the barriers so that I did not have to start dismounting until I was past the turn and hitting the barriers head on. 

Walk us through the decisive moment in your race.

Steevo Cummings: On the third or fourth lap, I was surrounded by two C3 racers and two Haymarket racers. Both teams had an advantage, so I just went with attacks and sat on. I didnt counter attack or pull through when gaps formed. Then when it was just myself and the two Haymarket guys I knew I was racing for 2nd or 3rd. Joe did a good dig up the pavement that got his small gap up to 10 seconds or so, and I knew I had to just set a good tempo and hope he made an error, which he did not. 

Jared Nieters: About 3 laps in Andy (C3) attacked, and I covered. His teammate Wes went next, and Joe covered. Our group was getting strung out and as we approached the steep pitch in the woods I attacked. The gap opened quickly, and I had about 7 seconds on the field for a few minutes. With nearly everyone gone, Joe ended up coming across to me with Steven Cummings in tow. We rode together for a bit, and Joe attacked. Not wanting to pull Steevo along, my only option was to sit on as Joe rolled away. I was psyched to have Haymarket/Homevisit on the top step of the podium. 

Tyler Karnes: Early on, Tom Mackay set a hard tempo for the first 2 laps and made a selection. I tried to put in efforts when it mattered.  After a few attacks by different people the race was down to three guys. I tried to attack a few times with two to go, but Patrick Blair and Tim Brown kept reeling me in. I knew my chances were pretty good in the field sprint, and I wanted to be first through the last corner. Pat did a good job of keeping me from that, so I went into the last turn second wheel. He opened up a gap quickly and I tried hard to close it. I was in my little ring which didn’t help anything, but I’m used to the junior gears, and once I hit the pavement I was able to wind it up and come around. 

Patrick Blair: Breaking away from the rest of the field with Tyler and Tim was a critical point because after that it was only a 3 man race, except for Stephen Wahl who was making huge gains on us from 4th place and who might have caught us except for a fumble on the barriers in the last lap! 

Tim Brown: On the last lap, Pat really ramped up the speed on the long uphill section coming up to the pit/final technical section. I had wanted to make my move here but there was no way I was coming around him and Tyler after putting in that effort. I came out of the final turn in third position and my fate was pretty much sealed at that point… I didn’t have anything left in my legs to out kick either of those guys.

Meg Schiffman: Well, I kinda just gave it away in the above question! Woops. I think most of the gals blew up on the first or second lap – this is when I was able to move into the top 5, and stayed there, passing a few more gals as they blew up in the third lap. Coming into the last two laps, I still felt strong and definitely had some left. I kept thinking to myself – you’re going to come in second (at this point, I didn’t realize there was another Cat 4 way ahead of us), just don’t do anything crazy! I was sitting on Laurel’s (Evo gal) wheel for most of the last two laps – this girl can ride. She never once got out of the saddle for any of the inclines – ridiculous! And she never made me pull, which was quite nice of her. When she cramped up at the barriers, I could not believe it. I wasn’t sure what had happened to her – thought maybe her peddle had clobbered her ankle or shin. At any rate, I took off and gained ground on the turns, then really turned it on for the last push through the grassy back section leading back to the podium area. As I crossed the finish line, I totally thought I had won. Not so much. But second place felt pretty amazing none-the-less! 

Jennifer Maxwell: I missed clipping into my pedal at the start so I was 5th going into the narrow section. I was calm and decided to just wait to move up when we I got to the hilly gravel section. My move came when Lenore went down in the 180 degree turn before the barriers and I was able to get around her and continue on with momentum. 

Looking back on the race, is there anything you would have done differently? 

Patrick Blair: No, I was super happy with my race and I didn’t even fall down one time! That is huge for me, I usually fall down a lot. 

Tim Brown: If I had a chance to do it all over again, I think I would have tried to attack / gap Pat and Tyler early instead of waiting for the bunch sprint. I’m not sure if I would have been able to stay away but it would have been fun to try. 

Steevo Cummings: I am really happy with my result. In theory I should have gone with Joe when he went for the win, but that could have been disastrous. 

Tyler Karnes: I probably would have put in a few more attacks on the sections that I was strongest, but a win is a win so I am happy with my result. 

Jared Nieters: The error I made was not attacking Steevo earlier. I was really comfortable and gambled on the sprint, which I mis-timed. I should have hit him earlier, maybe with just over a lap to go. I’ve been kicking myself for three days now. 

Meg Schiffman: Not really. I had zero expectations going into the race, and just wanted to finish! When KenBob told me I was top 5 after the first lap, I couldn’t believe it. At that point, my competitive spirit took over – I had no choice but to try to pass every chick ahead of me. 

Jennifer Maxwell: Clip into my pedal at the start. 

What is the best piece of advice you can give a new cyclocross racer? 

Patrick Blair: Take the time to really study the course and memorize tricky sections. 

Steevo Cummings: Find your local cyclocross practice, you will learn more in one session than I can say here. Two ok bikes are better than one fancy bike. Listen to your elders, the elite masters field is full of really accomplished people, ask them questions. Stick around and watch the Elite races, you will learn a lot by watching, and cheering. 

Tyler Karnes: Have fun, don’t let it get too serious, this isn’t your job.   

Jared Nieters: Don’t take risks in tricky sections. You won’t win a race in the off-camber turns or the barriers, but you can definitely lose the race there. 

Tim Brown: I’m new to the sport so I might not be the best person to be asking… but I’d say just have fun. That is what it’s really all about anyways. 

Meg Schiffman: Don’t give up! My first CX race was Charm City this year. I sucked. I fell a bunch of times and quit after the 2nd lap. I’ve never quit a race in my life! I regret that I did that, and made a promise to myself that I would never quit again. It takes patience and practice to feel confident in cross. It took me awhile to really get the hang of it, but now, only three races later, I ended up on the podium. So don’t give up!! 

Jennifer Maxwell: I recently told my dear friend Marni Harker that she just has to come back and give it her all week after week. Cyclocross success comes with lots of racing and luck. This advice proved helpful to Beth Mason who could win road races with her strong sprinting skills but could not understand why she was hanging on for dear life at the back of the pack in a cross race. She came back year after year determined to improve and this year she is doing well against the elite women. 

What did you eat for breakfast? Anything after that and before racing? 

Patrick Blair: I always eat oatmeal or cereal for breakfast (low sugar versions). After that I drink a bottle of Cerasport, which helps keep muscle cramps away, and a power bar. I usually drink some sort of caffeine 1hr before the race. 

Steevo Cummings: The Elite races start so late, I have to eat twice. I ate a bagel with peanut-butter and jelly for breakfast. Another one for lunch around 12. I was worried about hydration, so I really stayed on top of it. I drank 2 bottles of nuun while warming up and pre-riding. 

Tyler Karnes: I had two bagels and a yogurt. I usually don’t eat much before a race as to not upset my stomach. I had a gel right before the race, and a sausage and fries afterwards. (Hope my coach doesn’t see this!) 

Jared Nieters: For breakfast I had three slices of French toast with Vermont maple syrup, a yogurt, two Morningstar Farms Soy-sausages, and two cups of coffee. I had another yogurt and an apple and cheese sandwich at noon. 

Tim Brown: For breakfast I had a big bowl of cereal (a mix of granola, shredded wheat, and cheerios) and tall glass of OJ. And then maybe an hour or two before the race I had a banana and a Clif Bar. 

Meg Schiffman: I had oatmeal (with protein and flax) plus an Americano – I eat/drink this every day though, so nothing special. Then I ate a banana as a snack around 10 am. My pre-race meal is a whole wheat bagel with almond butter – at noon. Right before the race (it was close to 2 pm at that point) I had a half of an energy bar and Monster. Winning combo! Well, second place combo, anyway. I make sure to drink a ton leading up to the race – probably 2 full water bottles or more. 

Jennifer Maxwell: Breakfast: 3 soft boiled eggs and 2 cups of strong brewed Columbian cafe from the Maxwell House. Dinner: Bison and veal chili a la Maxwell House. 

Give a shout out. 

Patrick Blair: Jim McNeely!!! Awesome race!!! Thank you. 

Steevo Cummings: Coppi and the promoters for doing an awesome race. Riskus family for putting us up. Indiana Regional Medical Center. Brody for driving me around, having Fugazi cds in DC, and racing his first elite race! Amy (http://garbelladesign.com/). Anybody who sticks around for the last races and cheers, you guys rule (fatmarc). 

Tyler Karnes: Thanks to Greg Wittwer for giving me some great advice on Sunday and helping me out this season. To Travis Mcmaster and Dave Griebling for putting a great program together at Pioneer. GT bikes for providing us with sick rides. Jared Nieters for keeping my head in the game. 

Jared Nieters: Propers to HomeVisit—ur new sponsor (website coming soon), Haymarket Physical Therapy and Chiropractic, and Curtis Prosser for making sure the shop stays afloat while I’m off racing. 

Tim Brown: Big thanks to Coppi and all who helped put on a great race! I also can’t thank the Bike Rack enough for their support. And last but not least, TRE. 

Meg Schiffman: Go Jim McNeelums and Lindsey H and all the Coppi volunteers for putting on a phenomenal race!! Whatta team. 

Jennifer Maxwell: “The Rocket,” Marni Harker—keep up the cross racing week after week!