The Pikes Peak Velo cyclocross race went well yesteray. Although it was cloudy all day, the rain held off until the final 2 races.
In between helping out with the race, I was able to shoot over a 1,000 photos. I’m still going through them. Check back later to see the photos and for a more detailed race report. In the meantime, there are several photos on my Twitpic stream.
Update 9/14/09: First set of Pikes Peak Velo cyclocross photos is uploaded. I’ll be adding many more.
– UltraRob
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The Pikes Peak Velo Supercross cyclocross race is this Saturday in Bear Creek Park in Colorado Springs. Races will going on throughout most of the day. See the race flyer for start times for each of the age groups/categories.
The planned course is pretty much the same as what we used last year. Of course it’s possible there could be some late changes base on weather or other factors. You can take a look at the course map
Cyclocross is a fun way, intense way to stay fit. If you’ve never raced cross, you should give it a try.
If you aren’t into racing, it’s also great for spectating. Cyclocross races are held on short courses so you get to see the racers come by several times. The way the PPV Supercross is laid out you can also see several parts of the course at once on the north side.
I plan to be at the race most of the day. I won’t be racing this one but I’ll be helping set up the course, greeting people as they drive in, roaming around checking the course and whatever else needs to be done. I’ll also be shooting photos whenever I get the chance.
– UltraRob
Related Links
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The days are getting shorter. Although the days are still warm, the nights are getting crisper. This is a sure sign that cyclocross season is just around the corner.
For those that aren’t familiar with it, cyclocross is a from of bike racing that takes place during the fall and winter. The race courses can be a mix of dirt and pavement. It’s also common for there to be plenty of mud. Traditionally there have been barriers where riders dismount and run. Over the last couple years, the barriers have started going away.
The bikes look similar to road bikes but have more clearance for the tires. This allows for wider tires and also keeps the mud from jamming up as bad.
Cyclocross in Colorado is kicking off here in Colorado Springs on September 12th at Bear Creek Park. This is 1 of 2 cyclocross races that Pikes Peak Velo is putting on this year. The race flyer has the details.
Below is the 2009 Colorado cyclocross schedule. Check the American Cycling Association site for changes.
| Pikes Peak SuperCross #1 | Sept. 12 | Colorado Springs |
| VeloCross | Sept 13 | Boulder |
| Green Mountain Sports Cross | Sept 19 | Golden |
| Brecktobercross | Sept 20 | Breckenridge |
| Boulder CX Series #1 | Sept 26 | Boulder |
| Cross at the River | Sept 27 | Buena Vista |
| Frisco Cyclocross | Oct 3 | Frisco |
| Frisco Cyclocross | Oct 4 | Frisco |
| Colorado Veldrijden Crusade (Carbon Cross Epic Ride) |
Oct 10 | Littleton |
| Boulder CX Series #2 | Oct 11 | Boulder |
| Valmont Bike Park Ground Breaking Cross | Oct 17 | Boulder |
| RRV Cross Series | Oct 18 | Lakewood |
| Castle Cross | Oct 24 | Castle Rock |
| Boulder CX Series #3 | Oct 25 | Boulder |
| Blue Sky Velo Cup | Oct 31 | Longmont |
| Boulder Cup | Nov 1 | Boulder |
| Rocky Mounts CX | Nov 7 | |
| Alpha Cross #1 | Nov 8 | |
| Colorado Veldrijden Crusade | Nov 14 | |
| Boulder CX Series #4 | Nov 15 | |
| Pikes Peak SuperCross #2 | Nov 21 | Colorado Springs |
| Green Mountain Sports Cross | Nov 22 | |
| Alpha Cross #2 | Nov 28 | |
| RRV Cross Series | Nov 29 | |
| Colorado Veldrijden Crusade Colorado CX Championships | Dec 5 |
Related Links
– UltraRob
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I finished uploading my photos from the November Pikes Peak Velo cyclocross race last week. I updated the original photo post with the link and put it on twitter. I realized some of you might not see those updates so I’m writing this post.
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Update: View many more PPV cyclocross photos split out by class.
Today was the 2nd Pikes Peak Velo’s SuperCross race. It wasn’t cyclocross weather though. The course was dry and dusty with warm temperatures.
I helped with course setup and then roamed around the course. I was able to get a lot of photos. By a lot, I mean about 1,700. It’ll take me a few days to go through them and post the good ones. In the meantime here are a few for you to enjoy. Click on the photos to enlarge them.
You can also look at my photos from the September cyclocross race. Those were taken with my old point and shoot camera so they aren’t as good as the ones I took today with my digital SLR.
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The Pikes Peak Velo SuperCross race is tomorrow. First race is the juniors at 9 AM. Pro women are at 2:15 PM and Pro Men are at 3:10 PM.
There will plenty of racing action throughout the whole day. See the SuperCross race flyer for times for the other races. Cyclocross is perfect for spectators so even if you’re not racing, come out and watch.
The course will be the same as in September. I thought we might have a bit longer loop on the hillside but that isn’t the plan. There can also be slight changes on race day though.
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I’ve finally posted my photos of the September Pikes Peak Velo cyclocross race. Unfortunately I had to use my old Olympus Stylus 410 since my Olympus 750 got broken.
This weekend is our 2nd cyclocross race this fall at Bear Creek Park. We’ll basically be using the same course as in September. There was a section we had to take out because the park manager was afraid it would get torn up because of the mud. That section may get used this time.
I’ll be out at the course early Saturday morning setting up barriers and tape. During the first couple races, I’ll be course marshaling. If things are running smoothly after that, hopefully I’ll get to play with my Nikon D80
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The parking and course have been changed for this Saturday’s cyclocross race at Bear Creek Park in Colorado Springs. I had posted a couple weeks ago that we wouldn’t have as much work with directing traffic this year for cyclocross as we have in the past.
Unfortunately the Penrose Center decided today to not let us use their property so we’ll be parking where we have in the past. You can still use the directions from the race flyer to get to the race. You’ll just make the 1st right into the park once you turn onto Rio Grande Street.
It also means we can’t use the new course we were planning to use. Last week the county had gotten all the grass mowed down. I rode a few laps of the complete course last Sunday and it was going to be very tough. Instead we’ll be using a course similar to last year with a few improvements.
I won’t be doing this race but may do the one on November 22nd if I can get in some good training. I’ll be either course marshaling or directing traffic from around 10:30 to 2:30.
Come out and race and I’ll cheer you on. If racing isn’t your thing, cyclocross is great for spectators. The laps are short and you get to see riders several times. You also have a good chance of seeing some crashes.
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Update: Race parking will be the same as last year at least for the September 13th cyclocross race.
It’s hard to believe but cyclocross season is almost here. Our first cyclocross race at Bear Creek is on September 13th. The 2nd race is on November 22nd.
Some good news for this year is we’ll be using the Penrose Event Center’s parking. The last couple years we’ve spent a lot of time directing traffic to the Bear Creek parking lots. Although a little of the course will be the same as last year, a lot of it will be new as you can see if you click the course image.
If you’ve never given cyclocross a try, you really should. If you live in the Colorado Springs area, people are meeting informally at Bear Creek on Wednesday evenings from 6 to 8 PM to practice. Some barriers will be set up and there will be a 20 minute practice race at 7 PM. This isn’t organized by any group and you participate at your own risk.
In addition to the informal practice sessions, Bicycle Village is putting on a cyclocross clinic on September 6th. It will be from 10 AM to 2 PM and costs $40. Registration required by 6 PM on September 4th.
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As I posted on Friday, Katie Compton, a local cyclist, was racing the 2008 Cyclocross World’s today. She had been having muscle problems and had been seen limping.
According to a report on VeloNews, Katie started today and was going to see how she felt. She ended up pulling out after the 1st lap. It had to be a big disappointment after all the training she has put in. Unfortunately no one gets to choose when they have bad days.
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