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Kruger's promises dog day afternoon of 'cross

PHOTO: The farm on Sauvie's island provides and ideal setting.

The once-doomed Kruger's Crossing Cyclocross Classic is back on for Sunday, Nov. 22, but this time it's gone to the dogs. As if hosting the SSCXWC09 last Sunday wasn't prestigious enough, Portland will lay out the welcome mat for yet another world-class event: the inaugural Doggie Dog Cyclocross World Championships.

Ok, before any UCI lawyers start firing off single-spaced letters, it's really just a free, fun race for dogs and dog owners of all breeds, ages and sizes, presented by Cycle Dog and Meat and hosted at the Kruger's Crossing on Sauvie's Island.

The human racing will foll.ow the same catergories and schedule as thee Cross Crusade races, and should send riders along rutted farm roads, through berry fields, pastures, a barn, a bonfire and a beer garden.

Doggie Dog Cyclocross World Championships

12:30-1:00 p.m.

Race Specifics:
- Dog course will be about 1/2 mile long and feature barriers, mud, puddles, and a bunch of other things dogs might appreciate.
- No bikes in this race. Just dogs running with their owners (on-leash or off-leash).
- We'll have 4 race categories: Open Co-Ed, Clydesdale 60 lbs+, Masters 10yrs+, Carry-On & Lap Dogs (owners need to carry their dog throughout the whole course)
- The races are free, but owners need to sign a waiver and pick up a special dog bib number at registration.

Prizes/Awards:
- Cool awards for top finishers in each category
- Grand prize for the most original dog attire (lycra dog team kits strongly recommended!)
- Yummy dog treats for all participants!

Dog Corral/Lounge:
We will have a fenced-off corral where canine racers of the friendly kind can socialize before and after their race. Dog owners are responsible for the good behavior and well-being of their dogs.

Where?
Kruger's Farm on Sauvie Island
Google Map: http://tinyurl.com/ycjtkt6

More info at www.portlandracing.com/cx

Portland goes over the top for SSCXWC send off

PHOTO: The Thunderdome at PIR set a new standard.

PORTLAND – What kind of recipe calls for a grass field covered with niche bicycles, a Black Sabbath cover band, a heart-pounding drum corps, a geodesic Thunderdome, a pair of fire dancers, a bus full of strippers, a brewery’s worth of beer and a lone bagpiper?

I don’t know either, but those elements and more blended beautifully Sunday at PIR when the world’s craziest bicycle race bid farewell to the city where it was born.

The SSCXWC unleashed itself on Portland’s cyclocross scene for one last time following a full day of Cross Crusade racing. Canada's Drew MacKenzie won the men's race for the second year in a row, while Seattle's Kari Studley rode away with the women's top prize at an event described by the keenly insightful eyes of PDXCROSS as the "Singlespeed Crazy Cross World Slapstickships."

Seattle won the battle to host next year's party, beating out San Francisco after two days of debates, riding and mud wrestling.

But the big winner, as usual, was Portland’s cycling scene as the event drew a sizable crowd of race fans and onlookers just curious to find out if the buzz about the race is true. It is!

With daylight running short, the 250 participants launched themselves for better or worse into a le Mans style start with a 50 meter run to the bikes, then a 180 turnaround to ride back through the slow, grass course, all the while dodging confused spectators who didn’t realize the racers were going to return in that direction. Mixed in with the costumed racers, Barry Wicks dressed in proper prep school attire while Bend’s Ryan Trebon flew his Kona-FSA stars and stripes jersey of the national cyclocross champion next to a rider dressed like a member of the '80s band Devo.

Then things got confusing and weird.

Riders made their way along a course well-trodden from a full day of Cross Crusade contests before they eventually faced the Thunderdome and its raucous crowds. With fans hanging from and on the scaffold-like structure, riders weaved into and then around and through the people hanging from hammocks suspended inside. Marshmallows flew while cheers, jeers, thumping heavy metal music and general mayhem added to the surrealistic feel.

Racers had been warned to bring dollar bills along for the ride, and they met an unexpected choice at the far end of the course where they could take a significant short cut through a stripper-filled bus if they tipped the dancers. Trebon commented on his Twitter page that the highlight of his race included “putting my muddy glove and $5 down the stipper’s pants at the webcyclery short cut.”

That doesn’t necessarily explain why he came through the Thunderdome on lap two without his bicycle but with his leashed dog enthusiastically leading the way. At the end of the day, MacKenzie outlasted Portland’s Joshua Berry to repeat as the men’s champion.

“It was pretty chaotic at the start, and I just kind of slowly worked my way up,” MacKenzie said. “I realized there were about five or so of us. At the end it was back and forth between me and Josh near the stripper zone and the shot short cut.”

Berry was leading as they approached the far corner of the course with the bus, but he missed out on the winners’ mandatory tattoo and rainbow striped Speedo by lingering too long with the entertainment as MacKenzie went past.

“I was told he was a lapper,” Berry said. “So I didn’t think anything of it when he went past.”

And so it ended with MacKenzie (pictured at left) scheduling an appointment for his second champion's tattoo and Berry holding on for second. In the women’s race, Studley sealed the deal for Seattle’s right to host the race next year by taking the top prize.


This golfer has no idea of the debauchery that is about to occur next door.


People have been known to lose their heads over this event.


But is it a singlespeed?


Ryan Trebon reminds a member of the '80s band Devo to hold his line.


Some seats were better than others.


Obstacles and distractions came from all directions.


Ballerinas and mud don't usually go together.


This guy has multiple monkeys on his back.


Confusion ensued once the race started.


Josh Berry lost the lead after lingering at the "short cut."

RESULTS
SSCXWC09
Sunday, Nov. 8
Portland

Women
1. Studley, Kari (Bothell, Wa) Velo Bella
2. Faris, Megan (Portland) River City Bicycles
3. Gilbert, Sunny (Corvallis)Pacific Power Blue Sky
4. Hartlaub, liza (Berkeley, Ca.) Shelia Moon
5. Guynup, Joele (Victoria, B.C.) Island Racing Club

Men
1. MacKenzie, Drew (Victoria, B.C.) Island Racing Club
2. Berry, Joshua (Portland) Team BODE
3. Brown, Ian (Portland) Tonic/River City Bicycles
4. Scholz, Henry (San Francisco)Team Roaring Mouse
5. Breeden, Byron (Portland)Team Cthulhu

Complete results are HERE.

Trebon, Van Meter take muddy Cross Crusade #7

PHOTO: The mud was plentiful Sunday for Cross Crusade #7.

PORTLAND – The same storm that soaked the OBRA Cyclocross Championships Saturday in Salem hung around to turn Cross Crusade #7 at Portland International Raceway into another slip-and-slide battle against gravity. But the penultimate event of the eight-race series was just a warm-up for the real show: the SSCXWC09 Thunderdome spectacle to follow.

Morning rains eased as the day wore on but dumped enough to saturate the grass for the early categories tearing through the course. And just when the mud started getting tacky, the skies opened again to freshly tune the fast, slippery course with some really technically difficult muddy sections.

National champion Ryan Trebon (Kona/FSA) made it back to the Crusades to claim his second win of the series ahead of teammate and last weekend’s double winner Barry Wicks. In the women’s race, Hudz-Subaru’s Emily Van Meter took her second series win ahead of teammate and series leader Wendy Williams.

As he did for the series opener at Alpenrose Dairy, Trebon warmed up for the men’s A race by cruising away to a solo win in the Crusade singlespeed event. But by the time the A race started about an hour later, Trebon had more company at the front.

Wicks, who won the OBRA championships in torrential rain and gusting winds the day before in Salem, joined Trebon in the lead with Portland’s Molly Cameron in tow. The trio started building an advantage when Cameron decided to press the issue.

“I had the brilliant idea to up the pace on a flat section, and when they counter attacked it put me into real trouble,” Cameron said. “Then I was just sucking wind the rest of the race. Felt pretty run down, wish I had a little more fight in me.”

Cameron, who’s in a tight race for the overall with Team S&M’s Sean Babcock, slowly drifted back to fifth as Shannon Skerritt (Vanilla Workshop) eventually picked up the chase in third after some shuffling.

Meanwhile, Wicks and Trebon drilled it at the front of the race and built a sizeable lead before Trebon left his teammate and rolled easily across the line for the win. Wicks held on for second, finishing ahead of Skerritt and Babcock. Cameron held on for fifth.

WOMEN

The women’s race started out with a trio of riders gaining a little traction on the rest of the field midway through the second lap. River City Bicycles’ Megan Faris and Brigette Brown jumped off the front with Van Meter, while Cross Crusade #6 winner Alice Pennington, (Veloforma), Alalia Berry (Gentle Lovers) and Seattle’s Kari Studley (Velo Bella) chased not far behind. Series leader Wendy Williams (Hudz-Subaru) lagged in ninth.

Van Meter, who won Cross crusade #4 in Hillsboro, shed her two lead companions on the lap and focused settled in to hold her advantage all the way to the line

Her teammate Williams, meanwhile, was riding back through the field and was soon chasing in second, building an advantage she held to the finish. Faris fought off all challengers except Williams and held onto third overall, while Pennington rode a smooth and steady race for fourth.

RACE NOTES
The 2009 Cross Crusade winds up next weekend with the final race in Barton Park near Estacada. Scoring for the series is based on the top six finishes over the eight-race series. Portland’s cyclocross scene stays alive with more local racing before the USGP comes to town Dec. 5 and 6 for the Stanley Portland Cup, the final weekend of that series. It’s all building toward the USA Cycling National Championships a week later in Bend Dec. 10-13.

Check VeloNews.com HERE for more photos.

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
Cross Crusade #7
Portland International Raceway
Sunday, Nov. 8

Senior Men A
1. Ryan Trebon (Kona/FSA)
2. Barry Wicks (Kona/FSA)
3. Shannon Skerritt (Vanilla Workshop)
4. Sean Babcock (Team S&M)
5. Molly Cameron (Portland Bicycle Studio)

Senior Women A
1. Emily Van Meter (Hudz-Subaru)
2. Wendy Williams (Hudz-Subaru)
3. Megan Faris (River City Bicycles)
4. Alice Pennington (Veloforma)
5. Rhonda Mazza (Team S&M)

Wicks and Bishop take top spots at OBRA champs

PHOTO: 2009 OBRA Cyclocross tropies polished and waiting.

SALEM – Nature’s color palette turned stark grey as a legitimate Pacific Northwest soaker rolled into the Willamette Valley just in time to drench the Oregon Bicycle Racing Association’s cyclocross championships Saturday in Salem.

Kona’s Barry Wicks won the men’s A championship, a nice warm-up for Sunday’s Cross Crusade and SSCXWW at Portland International Raceway. Serena Bishop (Sunnyside Sports) rode away with the women’s A championship.

The pancake-flat venue at the Oregon State Fairgrounds made use of the maze of buildings and barns to give riders momentary relief from the downpour that waited outside. A sand trap, a live band and a quick rip across a motocross course were all mercifully under cover.

Wicks racked up his third victory in as many attempts after winning both Cross Crusade races Halloween weekend in Astoria, but this time the cast of characters riding at the front with the former Corvallis resident grew to as many as eight before Wicks left little doubt who the day belonged to.

“It was so windy and stormy, there was one section where it was really hard going so nobody wanted to work hard there,” Wicks said. “So it kind of stayed together. I wanted to have hard day of riding so I didn’t really hold back much. I just went for it.”

Joshua Berry (BODE) tried to stick with Wicks when he went. The Idaho rider quickly slipped off the Kona pro’s pace, falling back into a chase group with Taylor Kneuven, 2008 OBRA champ Kevin Hulick (Vanilla) and Ben Thompson (Desalvo Cycles).

Wicks built a comfortable lead and settled into a manageable pace on the front, while Hulick took control of the chase, finishing second on the day. Kneuven crossed the line in third ahead of Berry and Thompson in fourth and fifth.

WOMEN’S A RACE

With many of Oregon’s top women ‘crossers saving their energy for Sunday’s races in Portland, a select group of riders quickly settled into a battle for the OBRA championship podium spots Saturday in Salem.

Gentle Lovers’ Alalia Berry started off the first lap with Serena Bishop (Sunnyside Sports), Sunny Gilbert (Pacific Power/Blue Sky), Anna Vaughan (Hammer Velo) and Veronica Vega (Sunnyside Sports) nipping at her heels.

Berry and Bishop, two riders consistently fighting for podium spots at Cross Crusade, dropped the rest after several laps, with Gilbert chasing third in front of a well-strung out field.

Bishop outlasted Berry over the remaining laps and took the championship. Berry held onto second while Gilbert powered through the mud for third. Vega and Vaughan battled throughout the race and eventually settled on fourth and fifth, respectively.

RESULTS
OBRA Cyclocross Championships
Saturday, Nov. 7
Salem, Oregon

SENIOR MEN A
1. Barry Wicks (Kona)
2. Kevin Hulick (Vanilla Workshop)
3. Taylor Kneuven ()
4. Joshua Berry (BODE)
5. Ben Thompson (Desalvo Cycles)
SENIOR WOMEN A
1. Serena Bishop (Sunnyside Sports)
2. Alalia Berry (Gentle Lovers)
3. Sunny Gilbert (Pacific Power/Blue Sky)
4. Anna Vaughan (Hammer Velo)
5. Veronica Vega (Sunnyside Sports)

OBRA Cylocross Championship results

RESULTS
OBRA Cyclocross Championships
Saturday, Nov. 7
Salem

Junior Women 10-12
1. Haley Wilson
2. Emma Rosenberg
3. Sierra Kelly (Jelly Pirates)
Junior Women 13-14
1. Dana Martel (Pacific Power Blue Sky)
2. Marissa Reid (ZteaM)
3. Samantha Schauer (Specialized/River City)
Junior Women 15-16
1. Tyynismma Taylor
2. Flora Field
Junior Women 17-18
1. Tilly Field
2. Sierra Reid (ZteaM)
3. Liz Cartwright (BBC)
Junior Men 10-12
1. Grant McElroy
2. Erin Carpenter
3. Rubin Field
Junior Men 13-14
1. Naigwan Pelman (Word-RCB)
2. Micthell Stevens (Sunnyside Sports)
3. Day Shaun Lee (Word-RCB)
Junior Men 15-16
1. Timothy Jaynes
2. Keith Suttlemyre
3. Trevor Schauer
Junior Men 17-18
1. Andrew Bennett (Team Redline)
2. Colben Preble (Hammer Velo)
3. Kendal Johnson
Beginner Women
1. Amy Champion
2. Becky Rice (Team Lazy Tarantulas)
3. Christy Bigelow (Hammer Velo)
Master Women 45+
1. Karen Kenlan (Bend Bike n Sport)
2. Julie Jennings
3. Catherine Christensen
Senior Women B
1. Lindsay Kandra (Team S&M)
2. Margi Lifesy (Team S&M)
3. Stephanie Chase (Veloforma)
Master Women A
1. Beth Burns (Veloce/Felt)
2. Sarah Tisdale (Sorella Forte)
3. Joanne Stevens (Sunnyside Sports)
Senior Women A
1. Serena Bishop (Sunnyside Sports)
2. Alalia Berry (Gentle Lovers)
3. Sunny Gilbert (Pacfic Power/Blue Sky)
4. Anna Vaughan (Hammer Velo)
5. Veronica Vega (Sunnyside Sports)
Singlespeed
1. Seth Patla (River City Bicycles)
2. Luke Demoe (HTFU)
3. Jeff Curtes (Vanillla)
Unicycle
1. Sam Rosenberg
2. Ben Schoenberg
3. Mike Albright
Clydesdales
1. Aaron Coker (HP Chiro)
2. Matthew Lasala (Bend Bike n Sport)
3. Kyle Bush (BBC)
Beginner Men
1. Eric Martin
2. Jason Schilling
3. Jonathan Miller
Senior Men C
1. Ricardo Medina (Hammer Velo)
2. Gary Szalay
3. Roger Meier
Master Men C
1. Brian List (Pacific Power/Blue Sky)
2. Matt Martel (Pacific Power/Blue Sky)
3. Jonathan Pearson (Therapeutic Associates Inc.)
Master Men 50+
1. Rich Cramer (Bicycle attorney.com)
2. Steve Yenne
3. John Wilson (Pacific Power/Blue Sky)
Masters Men B
1. Jason Tauakolian (Slocum/Rebound)
2. Jeff Edes (Team S&M)
3. Wade Miller (Sunnyside Sports)
Senior Men B
1. Jake Hansen (Word-RCB)
2. Jeff Ballantine (Portland Velo)
3. Chip Sloan (Grundelbruisers)
Masters Men A
1. Eirik Schulz (Specialized River City)
2. Scott Bradway (Team S&M)
3. Doug Reid (Veloce/Felt)
Senior Men A
1. Barry Wicks (Kona)
2. Kevin Hulick (Vanilla Workshop)
3. Taylor Kneuven ()
4. Joshua Berry (BODE)
5. Ben Thompson (Desalvo Cycles)

OBRA champs, SSCXWC highlight 'cross weekend

PHOTO: The OBRA champs course hits every corner of the fairgrounds and its buildings.

Oregon's seam-busting cyclocross scene fires on all cylinders this weekend as the OBRA 'cross champs invade the Oregon State Fairgrounds in Salem on Saturday, while the Cross Crusade and it's unruly SSCXWC offspring tear up the turf near Portland International Raceway on Sunday.

Saturday's championships in Salem, also the third and final race of the Willamette Valley Cyclocross Series, promise a festival atmosphere with classic 'cross food, an indoor beer garden that starts after the junior racing, and a live band to keep the rhythm going.

Sunday's events start early with the usual Cross Crusade schedule of categories running from 8:50 a.m. through the 3 p.m. start time for the A men and women. Sometime after the last Crusaders finish up at 4 p.m., the SSCXWC, which has probably been best described as a cross between the performance art of Burning Man and the intensity of bicycle racing, takes over the course for the world champs' final running in Portland.

The SSCXWC promises to draw top talent from the northwest, including national cyclocross champion Ryan Trebon of Bend and his Kona teammate Barry Wicks. Team Giant mountain bike pros Carl Decker and Adam Craig may also be on hand, along with riders from around North America and the rest of the globe.

It's a cyclocross extravaganza in Oregon this weekend. Don't miss out!

"The Cyclocross Meeting" trailer

Check out this trailer for the new film from Brian Vernor (Pure Sweet Hell, Where Are You Go) about the currently exploding US cyclocross scene and the emerging Japanese cyclocross scene. The movie will premiere in Bend during the national championships.

The Cyclocross Meeting follows Barry Wicks and Adam Mcgrath to top U.S. races in New Jersey and Oregon, and then to Japan, where they compete with seven time Japanese National Champion Keiichi Tsujiura and the up and coming talent Yu Takenouchi. Also featuring 35 year veteran bicycle framebuilder Nakagawa.

Four new Cross Crusade photo galleries uploaded

Galleries from Cross Crusade #4 in Hillsboro on Oct. 25, and races #5 and #6 in Astoria on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, have been upoladed. You can find links to the galleries below.

Cross Crusade #4 on Oct. 25 in Hillsboro is HERE.
(Guest photographer Phil Kindshuh's gallery is HERE).

Cross Crusade #5 on Oct. 31 in Astoria in HERE.

Cross Crusade #6 on Nov. 1 in Astoria is HERE.

Hopworks to host 'cross champs pre-reg party

PORTLAND -- Hopworks Urban Brewery is hosting an OBRA Cyclocross Championships pre-registration party Wednesday evening from 6 to 8.

Riders can get the first peek at the course layout for this Saturday's races, look at pictures, watch some video and check out a giant mapped layout to help plan race strategy -- or at least find the indoor Hopworks beer garden and live band. You can also score a free Championships T-Shirt from Bicycleattorney.com.

Pre-reg is $20 for first race and $5 for the second. Juniors races always $5. New registrants will also be able to pick up their numbers. Register with cash or visa at Hopworks. You can also sign up online and pay with a visa.

Other event highlights:

*Custom made first-place awards for all categories and the coolest custom made kiddie medals ever!
*Bike-N-Hike Nuetral Support
*Willamette Valley Cross Series prizes provided by Bike n Hike Bike-N-Hike
*Bike Expo, additional vendors wanted!
*Indoor warm-up areas and lots of bathrooms.

Hopworks Urban Brewery is at 2944 S.E. Powell Blvd. in Portland.

Check out Buylocalcycling.com for more info.