Moots rider last year at the Boulder Reservoir

Hope your training went well in August because cyclocross season is officially here. 303Cycling recently caught up with Glen Light to learn about the season's first race, Steamboat Velo Cross, to be held the second weekend of September.

[303Cycling] Tell us about the venue and why cyclocross in Ski Town U.S.A?
[Glen] The property is called Wildhorse Meadows. It is a mult-phase resort community development in its initial stages of build out. The main lodge, Trailhead, has a gondola that drops skiers and guests off right near the ski resort gondola. The course does a horse-shoe around this building, and it's possible to see most of the race from the decks of many of the rooms. It would be an awesome event for the family - the kids could see you racing from the pool! There is a smooth as glass road through the property, and a lot of great cyclocross topography (cambers, berms, hills, etc.) The only challenge for us has been the bumpy nature of the surface from sporadic grass growth and erosion. The bulk of our labor has been spent addressing this.

Cyclocross in Ski Town U.S.A.? Well, Steamboat is an incredibly active community, and cycling is extremely popular with both the Alpine and Nordic skiing crowd. Many of the local mtb series racers are former national and even world caliber skiers, and we would certainly like to capture that interest both as racers and spectators coming to see them race. It really boils down to a few of us in town who have such a passion for the sport we spend 6 hours on the road 10-20 times during the fall to go down to the front range and race. I think between me, Jon Cariveau, Corey Piscopo, and Matty Pronovost, we probably have over 55 years of cross racing between us, and that experience has gone into developing the course. Jon Cariveau and I, who both started racing cross in the early 90's, have talked about having a race in Steamboat for years. When Corey Piscopo made the Steamboat Stage Race happen, and subsequently Steamboat Velo, it created a real opportunity with sponsorship and resources that wasn't there before.

Learn more about the Boulder women's team Twenty12 & Peanut Butter Co

The Heat is On - Episode 1 from Jim Fryer/BrakeThrough Media on Vimeo.

We have had multiple people contact us about the following story and we just got around to posting it. Congratulations Gene! I was on the same team with Gene for a few years and during my end tenure with the team Gene became very dedicated to the TT event and obviously the attention to the event has paid off! Gene placed 4th in the master's nationals in Louisville, KY.

Photo Credit: Boulder Velo Racing

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• 303Cycling Pictures

We decided to head down to the Primal Classic Criterium today and there is one word to describe the day HOT. Our car thermometer read 98 when we pulled into the parking lot and 101 when we left. We were there for three races (Mens 35+ 3s/4s, Mens Pro-1-2 and Womens 1-2-3).

We were impressed by both the crowd and the number of preems present at the Primal Classic. The break aways were also impressive with two riders leaping off the front in the first couple laps of the Men's Pro-1-2. More than the peloton drawing the leaders back in, more and more riders ventured out to bridge the gap. It made for an exciting race.

Photo credit: dennis Coughlin

Boulder native rider, Nico Toutenhoofd wins this nation's famous, 38th annual Mt. Washington Auto Road Bicycle Hillclimb in the White Mountains of New Hampshire today! Nico is no stranger to hill climbs in Colorado having taken his fair share of podium finishes in many climbs through the years. Here is a great write up in WMUR New Hampshire. For those who are unfamiliar with this race, it's course can make Lookout Mountain in Golden seem flat and Flagstaff in Boulder an appetizer, with it's on average 12% grade nearing 22% at the finish.

Velonews did a great write up as well

In this 7.6-mile all-uphill grind to the summit of the highest peak in the Northeast, Toutenhoofd rode the first two miles hidden behind more than two dozen other cyclists, then moved steadily to the front, dropping a struggling group of younger riders who were less familiar with the ultra-steep course. After occasional glances back to make sure his lead was secure, he pumped his fist as he broke the tape at the 6288-foot summit in 57 minutes 26 seconds.

His closest rival was another veteran, former U.S. National Mountain Bike Champion Tinker Juarez, of Whittier, Calif. Juarez, 49, who was encountering the Auto Road for the first time, showed that he still has the strength that took him to the Olympics in 1996. Trying to keep Toutenhoofd in sight, he pedaled side by side with Timothy Ahearn, 35, of Woodstock, Conn., then pulled away after the five-mile point to take second in 58:08 – a new record for men aged 45-49 in this race -- with Ahearn a delighted third in 58:22.

“I really wanted to win,” said Toutenhoofd, who placed second here on his first attempt, in 2008 and then was fourth last year. “Of course how well you place depends on who else shows up, but this year I was better rested. Also, this time I rode with a power-meter.” The new Mt. Washington champion explained that the meter on his bike makes it easier for him to keep his physical effort steady. “My goal was to get from the bottom to the top as fast as possible and ignore everyone else.”

This weekend kicks off the second annual Breck Epic 6 Day Race in beautiful Breckenridge Colorado. Haven't heard much fanfare for this event this year but I believe many had a wonderful time doing it last year. Stay tuned for updates throughout the week on this event.

Recently 303Cycling caught up with Jon Tarkington, Exective Director of the ACA, and asked him a few questions about the upcoming cyclocross season and the changes to Best Cyclocross Racer (BCR) and Best Cyclocross Team (BCT). Colorado Cross Cup Rules

[303Cycling] Why the changes to BCR / BCT and the name change to Colorado Cross Cup?
[Jon Tarkington] The ACA board has been looking for ways to encourage quality race promotion for some time. The season-long point competitions are a great way to achieve this by having promoters apply for a designation and get approval from the ACA. However, it's difficult to get the point across that the designation is worth it when it's the same look and feel of previous years' programs. So this year they decided it was time to rebrand the cyclocross points competition as the Colorado Cross Cup, focus on quality event promotion and attempt to move the season into January. Also, while acronyms are great, they are confusing to those outside of the sport and somewhat difficult to market to potential sponsors.

[303Cycling] I saw that with the new Colorado Cross Cup that no races in September will be part of the series. How will call ups be handled for the races in September?
[Jon Tarkington] Promoters can use whatever method they wish for call-ups during the pre-season. I'm sure many will use the previous year's BCR standings, some may use order of registration or perhaps the previous day's or weekend's race results. I'm guessing some may just go old-school and put a line on the course and let everyone line up behind it at will.

Results

List of All Entrants

Photos and Videos

• 303Photo (Over 1100+ pictures sorted by bib Number)
• Peter Wayne
• SingleTrack.com
• Rob O'Dea

303Cycling busted out the down coats and winter hats to head up to Leadville for the chilly start of the 2010 Race Across the Sky. With 1,568 signed up for the challenge, the charge up 6th Avenue was a sight to see. The film crew helicopters overhead and Levi Leiphemier and Jermey Horgan-Kobelski (JHK) leading the racers out, it made it all the more exciting.

While weather was not going to be a factor this year, the talk in the crowd was all about the altitude. Crews for racers from the Springs to Connecticut were concerned about how long before the mountain conditions would affect their riders. At least one member of the 303Cycling crew felt the 5,000 ft difference on the way to coffee and our next stop "The Powerline"!

This section of the race is equally famous for it's decent an hour into the race as it is for it's ascent hours later and the final significant climb. It was not only amazing to see the likes of JHK, who lead the decent, Todd Wells, Leipheimer, Dave Weins, and Jeremiah Bishop, but to see the crowd that lined the course. There were cheers and cowbells for these racers for at least the last mile and a half of this section. It was a great place for photos with nearly every racer excited and/or relieved about making it down!

Unfortunately one racer went down before The Powerline and as noted in the past, some parts of this course can be remote. We heard later in the crowd that four racers sacrificed their possibility of finishing in the 12 hour cut off to wait for the helicopter that finally lifted out the injured racer.

The next spot we caught the race was at Pipeline. This section follows the steepest climb of the course and is completely on the road. We didn't want to miss seeing a Tour de France podium finisher, even on an MTB, in his element. Leipheimer and JHK were working together to increase their lead over Wells and were on target to beat Lance Armstrong's 2009 course record.

From Velonews.com

Lance Armstrong withdraws from 2010 Leadville

By Ben Delaney • Updated: Aug 10th 2010 12:22 AM EDT

Defending champion Lance Armstrong will not start the Leadville Traill 100 this year. Armstrong decided Monday to pull out of the high-altitude mountain bike race. His manager Mark Higgins told VeloNews that Armstrong was still feeling the effects of the Tour de France, during which he crashed a few times.

“He is still suffering from a nagging injury to his hip from the Tour de France,” Higgins said. “His girls will also be in Aspen with him this weekend so he will be staying at home.”

Armstrong won last year’s event in a record time of 6:28:50. Six-time race winner Dave Wiens finished second. A stacked field is still expected for the Leadville 100 this year.

As for Armstrong, Higgins says the Texan has no other races on the calendar as of now for 2010, but he will participate in two Livestrong events – a Philadelphia ride on August 22 and the Austin Challenge in October. And on September 26, Armstrong will do the fundraiser ride for Aspen’s Wapiyapi, a non-profit that offers free, weeklong camps to children with cancer and their families.

Photo Credit: 303Cycling

Today was the Mike Nields Memorial Bannock criterium which was also the Colorado State Junior Criterium Championships. This is a classic eight corner criterium held in downtown Denver. 303Cycling was out there for a few of the afternoon races and got some great pictures.


Great crowds were out spectating along with large field sizes.


If you have any photos or video that you would like to share please contact us and we will post a link.

Results

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• 303Cycling Photography
• SportifImages

Photo Credit: Katherine Stump Fuller

Colorado's first, women-only mountain bike race kicked off last weekend under a warm sun at Bear Creek Lake Park in Lakewood. The event was conceived and planned by Colorado's own Yeti Beti women's mountain bike racing team and assisted on Sunday by most of the team's sponsors, loud music and cold beer.

When planning began in October for the come-one, come-all event, the team expected only 50 people total, having noticed fields of only about ten beginner women at other mountain bike races across the state. After the trail dust settled, 163 women had raced the Beti Bike Bash, 77 of which were beginners.

"As a team this may be our greatest success, far more rewarding than any team result," said Amy Thomas, a Cat 1 member of the Yeti Beti racing team and a main organizer of the Beti Bike Bash.

Colorado Trail Race!

Local rider Jeff Kerkove and Eszter Horanyi are near podium as they are probably less than 12 hours from the finish.

More eye candy from the race at Highonwheels.com

Awesome event that left many folks in awe of what can be done on a bike.

Results of X Country

Crankworx Colorado Slopestyle 2010 from Bike Magazine on Vimeo.

Photos

• Mountain Moon Photography