In The Crosshairs

Every race in the MABRAcross Super 8 is breaking all kinds of attendance records this year. But DCCX is just getting ridiculous. The 2011 edition saw more than 800 pre-registered riders and over 900 on race day. Once again, the men and women of DCMTB served up a beautiful summer weather, in late autumn, and the party at the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Washington D.C. lasted all day long. Changes to the course added some excitement and definitely made riding more of a challenge.

So here’s some video. It features the stairs, the “big air” section and the new off-camber U-turns. And for the record, I did not come anywhere close to getting in the way of Ryan Dudek (He has a history of crashing when I’m around and have a camera). If he can’t take his eyes off me and ends up bobbling I can’t be blamed. Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful, Ryan. Okay, that will soon make sense. Go watch.

DCCX, Washington DC’s cyclocross party, happens this Sunday on the grounds of the Armed Forces Retirement Home. If you haven’t registered, you need to do so ASAP. Online registration closes tonight, Thursday, at 9:00 p.m., and many fields are selling or sold out. In fact go register now. As always, we will wait here until you get back.

For the most part, the men and women of DCMTB and Family Bike Shop follow the same course as last year. But there are a couple new twists and turns that you need to see. There is also a new prologue and start. My helmet-cam skills are a bit rusty so the angle is a little lower than I would like. To make up for that I have included in the preview video two concurrent views. One of the newly designed course and one from last year’s race. This should give you a pretty good idea of what’s going on.

The significant change to the course is a double-u turn section on the hill that last year had a barrier at the bottom. The barrier is gone but the technical difficulty has gone up considerably. How great is it when your race has a sponsor, Terra Lawn and Landscape, that can carve out a nice clean new feature on your course? So jealous. Also, the start is on the other side of the course. Farther from the parking lot. So give yourself a couple extra minutes to get to staging and make sure you don’t line up at last year’s starting grid or you will miss your race.

It’s going to be a great day of racing Sunday. Can’t wait to see everybody out there.

Thanks for watching.

[Ed. Note: Periodically we have guest columnists here at In The Crosshairs. One of our favorites is Jay Morali, who last penned an article for us about this time last year. Jay returns with a column about the internal battle most of us find ourselves in each week on the cyclocross course. Simply put (and I'm paraphrasing Adam Myerson, here) the battle boils down to this: is the physical pain of trying to hang on to that wheel in front of you less or greater than the mental pain you will feel later if you let it go?]

“If you ain’t first, you’re last!”

-Ricky Bobby

Too often in life we subscribe to Will Ferrel’s lovable character’s motto from the movie Talledega Nights and we focus solely on the “winner” or “champion” and forget about the rest of the competitors. Look at the great Laurent Fignon, who just passed away. He will be remembered more for the one memorable race he lost instead of the many he won. And it’s not just on the professional level. Just last year I came home from a race after turning myself inside and out to come in second place. I get out of my car and my neighbor, who has no idea what a tubular tire is, asked me how the race went. I proudly told him I crossed the finish line a few seconds behind the winner to claim the second spot on the podium and his response was, “Great, first loser”.

If you race cross long enough and move through the various categories you will find yourself at some point in many different positions in the race. One year you might be fighting it out each week for a podium spot and the next just trying not to come in last. I am currently facing the latter. Last year, I was getting front row call-ups, winning holeshots and picking my own lines. Now, I am five rows back and “rubbin’ paint” as we fight to get past the prologue! (my second NASCAR reference. What do you expect from a Mississippi boy?) But as we all know, unless you are lucky enough to be leading a race, it doesn’t really matter where you are because one thing is always certain in cross: there is always someone in front of you to catch and pass. This is where most of us spend 100 percent of our race.

Schempf battling in the sand at Charm City.

The purpose of this article is to look into the minds of a couple of the prominent racers across the Mid Atlantic and get a sense of what they are feeling during the “chase.” Do these guys hurt like we do out there? Do they have negative thoughts and consider packing it in? I think you will enjoy their insights and may even learn something from their experiences.

Wes Schempf, a fellow C3-Athletes Serving Athletes teammate, is considered one of the best in the area. He is a former overall MABRAcross and MAC Elite title winner. Wes has had a few memorable experiences racing against pro mountain biker Jeremiah Bishop. Wes explains what it is like for him to fight it out with the former U.S. Champion in MTB short track and marathon in a cyclocross race.

“As you mentioned, Bishop and I have had some experiences,” Wes told me. He explained that his battles with Jeremiah fall into a routine script. “I know that mental preparation is almost as important as physical preparation,” Schempf said. “For some reason, Bishop has a mental voodoo blocker on me. I just can’t seem to get around the fact that he consistently beats me. This has led to a negative feedback loop where if I know he’s racing then I start to think that I’m racing for second.” Continue reading »

The 2010 DCCX course, which took place October 24 at the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Washington, D.C., offered several new twists and turns. The addition of another set of uphill barriers was a cruel trick, indeed. But overall, DCMTB took a good cyclocross blueprint and made it even better.

Here is a bit more than a lap of the course. Keep your eyes open for Single Speed Outlaw rider Todd Bauer catching a little air followed quickly by a Gwadzilla sighting. Good course, good times. Not much more to say than that.

Music for this video is from Richmond band Light The Fuse And Run. You can check out their Exotic Fever Records platter at exoticfever.com. This is the music you want to warm up to. Trust me. It will get you there. Thanks for watching.

Steevo shows some PRO technique on the run-up.

DCCX, the undisputed queen of the MABRAcross series, went off Sunday, October 24, at the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Washington, D.C. The event attracted over 700 racers and many more spectators. A new course designed by race organizers DCMTB and The Family Bike Shop set the stage for a day of hard racing under ideal conditions. The weatherman helped out the party atmosphere with 70 degree weather and sunny skies.

The elite men’s race was won by wunderkind Joe Dombrowski (Haymarket Bicycles-SEAVS), who looked like his main priority on the day was to open up his legs for the tandem race scheduled for later in the afternoon. Chasing Dombrowski for the entire 60 minutes and taking second place was C3-Athletes Serving Athletes strongman Wes Schempf. Olympian Bobby Lea (Van Dessel) slotted in for third.

Haymarket rider Stephen Cummings followed Lea in for a solid fourth place. Steevo, who has graced the pages of VeloNews for his cyclocross prowess, was kind enough to spend a couple minutes with us after the race.

Thanks for watching.

DCCX takes place Sunday at the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Washington, D.C. With over 600 racers already registered, this event is going to be huge.

Despite the ever growing popularity of DCCX, the organizers are never satisfied with last year and are always looking to give participants and spectators the best experience possible.

DCMTB, the club responsible for bringing us DCCX, is not one to blindly follow conventional wisdom. They like to mix it up a bit on course design, venue layout and fun extra activities like tandem races, a Saturday women-only CX clinic and a rookie class.

Women interested in the Saturday clinic, led by 2009 DCCX champ Arley Kemmerer (C3-Athletes Serving Athletes), need to do nothing more than show up at the AFRH on October 23rd at 2 p.m. Let the guard at the Upshur St. NW and Rock Creek Church Rd. gate know why you are there and he will point you in the right direction.

We met up with DCCX promoters Marc Gwadz and Matt Donahue to run through the course and get an idea of the new twists and turns. Many will be happy to learn that the long, exposed out and back on the far side of the course is gone. However, a new uphill barrier will join the existing uphill obstacle (steps replace last year’s barrier) to make the course no less painful.

For this course preview everything was done on location, which is a CXHairs first. We rode and filmed the course and immediately downloaded the file. The mobile crosshairs studio was set up on a hay bale leaning against a telephone pole around where the frites will be served on Sunday. Matt and Marc got on the mics and recorded the commentary in the field, which means you get some authentic DC background noise, like the medevac helicopters landing at Washington Hospital Center, mixed in with the commentary.

For more information and updates on DCCX, check out the DCMTB blog.

Thanks for watching and we will see you Sunday.

Pipes, Maxwell and Kuliecza at the 2009 Urban Cross

The BikeReg.com MABRAcross Series for 2010 is turning it up to 11. Eleven races, that is. With three new venues joining the ranks, the Mid-Atlantic Bicycle Racing Association’s cyclocross series, MABRAcross, will have ‘crossers toeing the line on almost every weekend from September through November.

New to the MABRAcross series are the Winchester Apple Harvest Cross, Hyattsville CX and All Hallows Cross in Hughesville, Md.

Along with the new venues, MABRAcross continues to feature some of the most exciting cyclocross events the East Coast has to offer. Kicking off the series is the eighth annual Ed Sander Memorial Cyclocross, MABRAcross’ longest continuously running race. That race is followed by a Western Maryland weekend featuring the Breast Cancer Awareness Cyclocross Challenge and the Winchester Apple Harvest Cross race. The show then heads back to the DC metro region for Hyattsville CX.

After a two week hiatus, MABRAcross comes out swinging with DCCX. Featuring the largest fields in the series, the only cyclocross race in the nation’s capital is not to be missed. Starting off November, the long running Tacchino Ciclocross is back to put some funk in your trunk, along with a heaping helping of hurt. Riders can expect a “typical Squadra Coppi course”—fast, a little bit technical in a few places, and a stiff test of fitness and resolve. The show then moves south to Charlottesville, Va., for Urban Cross. This technically and physically challenging course features the “Stairs to Nowhere” and the scenic ruins of the Frank Ix & Sons silk mill.

The Howard County Double Cross represents “go time” in the MABRAcross series. Points leaders look to secure their position and challengers look to move up the rankings. The HoCo2xCx weekend starts out fast and furious at Schooley Mill Cross and finishes up with dirt trails and technical goodness at Rockburn Cross.

The MABRAcross finale once again takes place in Taneytown, Md. The Turkey Chase is a make or break race. Not only is it the MABRAcross Championship, but it also the state cyclocross championship event for Delaware, Maryland and D.C.

2010 MABRAcross Series Schedule

9-26     Ed Sander Memorial Cyclocross (NCVC)

10-2     Breast Cancer Awareness Cyclocross Challenge (Antietam Velo Club)

10-3     Winchester Apple Harvest Cross (Winchester Wheelmen)

10-10   Hyattsville CX (Route1Velo)

10-24   DCCX (DCMTB)

10-30   All Hallows Cross (Patuxent Velo)

11-7     Tacchino Ciclocross (Squadra Coppi)

11-14   UrbanCross at Ix

11-20   HoCo2xCx: Schooley Mill Cross (Team BBC and Kelly Benefit Strategies/LSV)

11-21   HoCo2xCx: Rockburn Cross (Adventures For The Cure)

11-28   Turkey Chase/MABRAcross Championships (T.E.A.M. Fuji)

To get the latest info on MABRAcross be sure to follow the Twitter feed: MABRAcross. The series is also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MABRAcross.

DCCX took place October 18 at the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Washington D.C. It may have taken a bit longer than planned to get these interviews posted, but they are by no means out of date. Lots of great stuff here by some of the fastest men and women in the Mid-Atlantic. 

Dombrowski tagging on to the lead group

Thanks for reading. 

How long have you been racing ‘cross? Did you come from a road or MTB background? 

Joe Dombrowski (Haymarket Bicycles/Home Visit, 2nd Place Men’s Elite):This is my second season racing cyclocross. I come from a mountain bike background, but will probably split most of my time between road and ‘cross in the future. 

Dave Fuentes (Battley Harley Davidson/Sonoma, 1st Place Masters Elite): I have about 17yrs of road racing under my belt. I started racing cross last year. I got my first taste at Kelly Acres in the Cat 4 race. They upgraded me to Category 1, which matched my road category, immediately after that race. This has been my first full season of cross. 

Jay Morali (C3-Athletes Serving Athletes, 1st Place Men’s Masters 3/4): This is my 2nd season. I have a minimal road background. 

Lenore Pipes (Unattached, 3rd Place Elite Women):I started racing road and cross last year. Road is my main focus but I love cyclocross. 

Keith Rohr (Adventures for the Cure, 3rd Place Masters Men 3/4): This is my third year of ‘cross and what will be my first full season of racing. The past two years I only jumped in 5 or 6 ‘cross races. I’ve dabbled in some road racing, but really enjoy mountain biking and totally love the camaraderie of ‘cross racing. 

Becky Frederick (Kelly Benefits Strategies/LSV, 2nd Place Women Cat 4): I picked up cross last year once I figured out what it is.  A buddy mentioned at a mountain bike race (I was new to that last year, too) that I’d like it.  He wasn’t wrong. 

Now that we are in the thick of the ‘cross season, what does a normal training week look like for you? Do you do any off-the-bike training during cross season?

Mike Birner (Ben’s Performance Bikes/BMC, 3rd Place Elite Masters): In the week leading up I only did a light ride on Wednesday, some hills and short motorpacing session behind public transit on Thursday and a short ride with some openers on Saturday.  All of about 4 hours not including race day. 

Joe Dombrowski: Less volume and more intensity than the mountain bike season; this is more true as the season progresses. Typically, I reserve Mondays and Fridays as easier spins, with intervals on Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday is my longer, endurance pace ride for the week. I also incorporate core work, plyometrics, and cx skill sessions during the season.  

Lenore Pipes: On Tuesdays, I run up the Philly Art Museum steps like in that film Rocky … except shouldering a bike. On Thursday nights, I race at Fifth Street Cross (formerly the coolest cyclocross ever®) where I’ve won Schick Smooth Move Rider of the Night for gracefully crashing into the barriers and I was Lantern Rouge for the entire series last year which might be partly due to the fact that I still have yet to take a PBR Shortcut. 

Jay Morali: I try and get two good weekday workouts in. I try and focus on rest and recovery. 

Dave Fuentes: I am fortunate to have enough time mon-fri to do 5-6 hrs if I want. I usually peak out at about 25-30 hrs a week for road racing, but after a long road season, I can get by with about 12 hrs a week for cross races. Since the races are shorter, my training is much shorter, but very specific, depending on what I want to do for the day. 

Keith Rohr: Usually an easier Monday and Tuesday followed by a more aggressive Wednesday and Thursday then easier Friday and Saturday. My off the bike training usually includes some running with sprints as well as upper body weight training and core work.  Continue reading »

Kemmerer pulling away at DCCX

Arley Kemmerer (Hub Racing) is an elite level women’s cyclocrosser that has been racking up UCI points this season with a slew of top 20 finishes at big races. In her third season of ‘cross, Arley has established herself as a top racer in the Mid-Atlantic region. Happy, but not satisfied, with how her season has progressed so far, Kemmerer would like to improve on her already impressive top 25 national ranking and finish out the MAC series in the top three. 

When it comes to the MABRA Cyclocross Series, nobody has come close to Kemmerer. She powered away from the competition in the muddy Ed Sander Memorial race back in September and did the same at this past Sunday’s DCCX.

We caught up with Arley—who somehow balances a full race schedule with the demands of being in her third year of law school—to learn more about her season, training and the DCCX race. 

Thanks for reading.

You were a skier before bike racer. How does the skill-set from skiing transfer to cycling? 

Ski racing has definitely helped for cyclocross. A big part of ski racing is carrying your speed efficiently around turns, which requires you to choose and hold a fast line, which translates well into navigating a cyclocross course. 

How long have you been racing ‘cross? Is CX or road your main cycling focus? 

This is my 3^rd cyclocross season. I’d say I focus equally on road and cyclocross, but I definitely have better results in cross.  Continue reading »

DCCX took place October 25, 2009, on the grounds of the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Washington, D.C. A beautiful day for racing and spectating. As always, there was good competition, good food and good times.

In ‘cross luck lurks around every corner. Sometimes it’s good. Sometimes it’s bad.  At the 2:00 minute mark, the bad kind jumped out and got me. But that’s racin’. Get up and go. Dust off later.

Thanks for watching.