In The Crosshairs

Kelley Acres Cyclocross took place October 4, 2009, in Middletown, Maryland. The event marked the second day of a double race weekend for the MABRA Cyclocross Series. Racers were greeted with an entertaining course that rewarded climbing ability and nerves of steel. A long climb, fast swoopy descent and Euro-style flyover made for a great day of racing and spectating.

The Kelley Acres Women's Elite Podium. Photo by Marni Harker.

The women’s elite field featured one of the best races of the day. Three women established a group early and stayed together for most of the race before Jennifer Maxwell (ATAC Sportswear p/b The Bike Rack) powered away for the win. Close on her heels were Julie Kuliecza (Alan North America Cycling) and Lenore Pipes (unattached). We caught up with this trio to get their thoughts on the race and the course. Continue reading »

With the beginning of the season right around the corner I have decided it was time for ‘In The Crosshairs’ to do its first ever clip show. So pretend we have just accidentally locked ourselves in the cellar and are spending the time reminiscing about last season until somebody realizes we are missing. We are going to start the flashback sequence with some advice for the newbies. A standard interview question asked on this site concerns missteps of the new cyclocross racer. Here’s a look back at the knowledge handed down from podium finishers.

What is something you saw a newbie do that made you think “I really need to have a friendly word with that guy.” This could have been in a race or in the parking lot or waiting in line to register, etc.

URBAN CROSS.

STEVE FIFE: I see people roll to the start line cold all the time, and think it would really be helpful for them to know the benefit of a good warm up.

Technique. Tire Pressure. Layering. All are important in CX.

JULIE KULIECZA: I think I am still a newbie so if someone sees me doing something dumb please tell me. Pumping tires up to more than 50 psi. I did say something and they thanked me.

LINDSAY BAYER: I AM that newbie. People are always kindly pointing things out like, “Your number is on backwards,” or “You’re on the wrong type of bicycle” or “You should lay off the brakes in those turns.”

NOAH BELL: A guy ran through a ridable sand pit every lap and on the last lap a guy rode past him and he lost a podium spot.

CJ CONGROVE: I am a noob. I didn’t wear my kit to the podium. Maybe someone needs to have a word with me. Continue reading »

1. Did you do the race last year? How did it go?

JULIE KULIECZA (2nd Place Women Cat 1/2/3): Yes. I won the women’s B race, but was all over the place.  It was my first year racing cross and I was not training at all, so you can imagine how I was doing on the technical stuff.

GUNNAR SHOGREN (1st Place Master Men Cat 1/2/3, 4th Place Men Cat 1/2/3): I race a lot. Last year, too. This race?  Nope.

3. Describe your winning (or losing) move.

GUNNAR SHOGREN: Master’s Race-Get the hole-shot, put out enough effort to stay in front of the rest but not kill myself so I could do decent in the Elite race. Randy [Root] kept me pretty honest.

Elite Race-Greg [Wittwer] got the hole-shot and didn’t look back. Even if I heard he was “worried” about me. I really didn’t have any extra energy in that race. Would have been nice to though…

STEVE FIFE: The winning move came on the last lap. I was leading Andrew Troy and Jonathan Nisbet into the last lap. I wanted to be first through all of the sections because I felt that it was going to be hard to make a move from behind on such a technical course, and I didn’t want to get caught out if one of them went down. Turns out, I went down as I led into the long stair run up. My foot slipped as I planted it on the first step, and Troy was able to get a gap, while Nisbet was trailing after dropping his chain. Troy opened a gap of about 10 seconds, as I tried to close it down. He washed out on the steep turn onto pavement before the sand pit, and I thought I might be able to close it down. Troy quickly remounted, and finished ahead of me by six seconds as I ran out of room to close the gap. He rode very strong in the last part of the lap, so he totally deserved the win. My only wish was that it could have come down to a three-way battle to the line. I live for those moments in a cross race.

JAY MORALI: I had a crazy day…I really rode terribly when it came to technique…I ran into numerous barriers, dropped my chain once because of it, took bad lines and crashed once…However, I felt really strong and worked hard to get back into contention…it just goes to show you can do well with good fitness but you must master the technique to win!

JULIE KULIECZA: Coming in second to Betsy Shogren ain’t so bad, but my losing move had to have been taking the technical turns much slower.

LINDSAY BAYER: I was hanging onto the leader when we went up a short, steep hill. She ran it and I rode it, but I was distracted, lost momentum, and fell over. That cost me about five seconds. But the winning move would probably be catching up and passing to win.

CJ CONGROVE: I burned myself out pretty good on the first lap trying to get the prime, unfortunately I was second across the line at the first lap.  Dropped back to about 7th or 8th on the second lap.  Then I had a pretty spectacular upside-down crash in the sandpit but didn’t lose too much time, lotta sand in my mouth though which wasn’t awesome.  It was actually the sandpit that got me into 5th place on the last lap though, the guy in front of me dismounted and ran it and I rode through it and got a bit of a gap on him going into the final stretch and was able to hold it to the line.

KENNETH MORRIS: Getting up from a crash in third to finish fourth.

NOAH BELL: I never gave up and didn’t let the guy behind me catch up.

JAKE THOMPSON: The thing that got me onto the podium this week was that I could go up the big hills and other people couldn’t.

4. Pre-race ritual, warm-up, food, etc.?

NOAH BELL: Eat breakfast, ride the course a few times, eat lunch after race.

STEVE FIFE: I always like to arrive at a cross course before the first races of the day to pre-ride and scope out all of the obstacles and barriers. Then, I relax, eat a Clif Bar, and stay hydrated. Warm up includes 20-30 minutes on the trainer, with a few 30 second sprints to get the legs turning over. 2 GUs before the start, and then line up and go.

JAY MORALI: Peanut Butter sandwich…ride the course!!!

JULIE KULIECZA: 1 hour before 3 laps on open course, get on trainer 25 min easy, 5 min t, 3 min rest, 3 min LT, 3 min rest, 1 min VO2 max, and 2-3 sprints, Try not to ride the course right before your race!! You could get a flat and have to scramble for wheels/ pit bike right before you go off.  I saw it happen on Sunday.

Pre race food/ritual: trying not to barf up the gels I eat before the race… they are so effing gross…

LINDSAY BAYER: I do a half-assed warm up around the race venue, eat a Hammer Gel, and perform a ritual animal sacrifice in my car. Works every time.

JAKE THOMPSON: I generally don’t shower the day before the race, I don’t know why, I just don’t.  I also don’t wear deodorant the day of the race.  For food I eat large amounts of food, preferably pasta, the night before and don’t eat much the day of the race.

GUNNAR SHOGREN: Eat breakfast about 2-2.5 hours before hand. Whatever; fried egg sandwich, oatmeal, Nutty Nuggets Raisins & Yogurt, or a donut. Try and get a lap around the course in street clothes. Get all suited up and spend at least 15 minutes on the trainer half- hour before the race, have half a banana 15 minutes before start time, waddle to the line somewhat on time.

KENNETH MORRIS: One lap warm-up at half speed.  A good early breakfast.

CJ CONGROVE: Eat a bagel, poop, do a warm up lap.

5. What is something you saw a newbie do that made you think “I really need to have a friendly word with that guy.” This could have been in a race or in the parking lot or waiting in line to register, etc.

STEVE FIFE: I see people roll to the start line cold all the time, and think it would really be helpful for them to know the benefit of a good warm up.

JULIE KULIECZA: I think I am still a newbie so if someone sees me doing something dumb please tell me.  Pumping tires up to more than 50.  I did say something and they thanked me.

LINDSAY BAYER: I AM that newbie. People are always kindly pointing things out like, “Your number is on backwards,” or “You’re on the wrong type of bicycle” or “You should lay off the brakes in those turns.”

NOAH BELL: A guy ran through the sand pit every lap and on the last lap a guy passed him and he lost a podium spot.

KENNETH MORRIS: I am the newbie!

CJ CONGROVE: I am a noob. I didn’t wear my kit to the podium. Maybe someone needs to have a word with me.

GUNNAR SHOGREN: Didn’t have that thought that day cause I was trying to watch out for my buddy JR and jeer him on. And set up “CougarFest!” Usually I’m not that forward to folks, unless it’s some easy fix. But if someone stops by “CougarFest!,” I usually at least check the tyre pressure. [ed. Note: If you want more information on CougarFest!, you are going to have to ask Gunnar. But we are pretty sure it is not this: www.cougarfest.com/ (SFW).]

6. Are you sandbagging? If not, defend yourself. [If you didn't finish first, was the winner sandbagging???]

LINDSAY BAYER: I started riding last summer and this is my first season of racing cross. There are plenty of people telling me to move up now, but also plenty of people telling me to stay where I am for the season and then move up. I’ve put in for an upgrade so I can race in the next class, but in the meantime, I’m staying where I am in hopes of winning a prize that will top the bright pink kneewarmers I won last week.

GUNNAR SHOGREN: I just turned 46. Racing against 35 year old punks? Ain’t always winning either. Ain’t no sandbagging here.

STEVE FIFE: I’ve been racing cross since 2002, and have only ever won 1 race. I’ve placed in the top 10 several times, but feel that until I win a bunch of races, or the overall in a series, I’m not ready to make the jump to the next category.

JULIE KULIECZA: Sandbagger?  nah…. maybe a little last year, but I will give anyone the benefit of doubt if it is their first year of cross and they are doing really well.

JAY MORALI: This is my first year in cross.  I have done fairly well and will be moving up to 3/4 35+ next year.

KENNETH MORRIS: In most races I have been part of, the winner is several seconds or minutes ahead of the field.  Today was not that bad.  It was just 45 seconds or so.

CJ CONGROVE: No, this was my 4th bike race of any variety.

7. Are you racing next week? What will you do differently, what will you try to repeat?

CJ CONGROVE: Yep, Tech Cross here I come.  5th is my best finish yet, so I’m going to try to repeat more than I change.  Not crashing would probably help.  Maybe not rage so hard on the first lap.

NOAH BELL: Yes. Make my turns more shaper. Ride strong the whole time.

STEVE FIFE: No racing next week. The MABRA Cross Series concludes the next two following weekends. The only victory will be finishing out the series with some more good results.

JAY MORALI: Two weeks. Obviously work on my technique!

JULIE KULIECZA: Yes. Faster through corners, less brakes, stay focused and ride my own race.

LINDSAY BAYER: No, THANK GOD. I have my first weekend off since late September. The following weekend I’ll be racing again and will probably just try to do a better warm up and maybe not get lost in the maze of streets around the race venue.

GUNNAR SHOGREN: Actually, and this is a rare case during this season, we are NOT racing next weekend. Too far and we just don’t want to travel that much this year.

KENNETH MORRIS: In two weeks at Haymarket.  I will try to handle my bike better.

JAKE THOMPSON: I’m not racing this week (next race Squadra Coppi Tacchino). 

8. Do you have a coach?

NOAH BELL: My dad.

STEVE FIFE: No. I’ve always “coached” myself.

JULIE KULIECZA: Yes, they are awesome…

LINDSAY BAYER: Yes. I work with Alison Dunlap and she is awesome.

KENNETH MORRIS: No, but I have good friends: Eric Dempster, Erik Beatley, and Jon Hicks.

GUNNAR SHOGREN: Cycle-Dumb and Team Bi-atch. Those guys are gawds.

9. Is CX your main focus?

GUNNAR SHOGREN: No, racing bikes is my main focus.

LINDSAY BAYER: Not a chance. Cross is an interesting variation of cycling, but I don’t think I could truly love a sport where I regularly get dizzy and crash into tape. Mountain biking is my main focus – the races are longer and less intense and there are trees and deer and squirrels.

STEVE FIFE: I’ve been racing on the road since March, and have had a full season right up until the end of July. I’d love to focus primarily on Cross, but there is so much more fun to be had throughout the year. It is however, one of my favorite things to do all year. It’s over way too soon.

JAY MORALI: It is now!

JULIE KULIECZA: Starting this season it is. It will be my main focus next year as well.

KENNETH MORRIS: No. It is my off-season training tool.

CJ CONGROVE: No, but it is fun.