Verge New England Championship Cyclo-Cross Series Announces 2011-2012 Schedule

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact:

Jeff Bramhall, Media Coordinator, Verge New England Championship Cyclo-cross Series

617-669-5056

<mailto:jeffrey.bramhall@gmail.com>jeffrey.bramhall@gmail.com


A message from Verge New England Championship Cyclo-Cross Series President, Adam Myerson:

Following a meeting of all the New England UCI race organizers last evening, I'm proud to announce the 2011-12 Verge New England Cyclo-Cross Series schedule.

For 2011-12, the Verge Series will not include Elite or U23 Men and Women, but will continue for all the current USAC categories:



Cat 3 Men
Cat 3/4 Women
Masters 35+ (1-3)
Masters 45+
Masters 55+
Juniors 15-18
Juniors 10-14



Further, the Verge Series will aim to strengthen itself as a union of organizers committed to each other's success, and will include all 15 events in New England that also host categories for UCI elite men and women:

1. Sat 09/17/2011 Green Mountain Cyclocross Weekend 1 Williston, VT
2. Sun 09/18/2011 Green Mountain Cyclocross Weekend 2 Williston, VT
3. Sat 09/24/2011 The Nor'easter CX @ Loon Mountain Lincoln, NH
4. Sat 10/01/2011 Grand Prix of Gloucester 1 Gloucester, MA
5. Sun 10/02/2011 Grand Prix of Gloucester 2 Gloucester, MA
6. Sat 10/08/2011 Providence Festival of Cyclocross 1 Providence, RI
7. Sun 10/09/2011 Providence Festival of Cyclocross 2 Providence, RI
8. Sat 10/22/2011 Downeast Cyclocross 1 New Gloucester, ME
9. Sun 10/23/2011 Downeast Cyclocross 2 New Gloucester, ME
10. Sat 11/05/2011 Cycle-Smart International 1 Northampton, MA
11. Sun 11/06/2011 Cycle-Smart International 2 Northampton, MA
12. Sat 11/26/2011 Bay State Cyclocross 1 Sterling, MA
13. Sun 11/27/2011 Bay State Cyclocross 2 Sterling, MA
14. Sat 12/03/2011 NBX Grand Prix of Cyclocross 1 Warwick, RI
15. Sun 12/04/2011 NBX Grand Prix of Cyclocross 2 Warwick, RI

A new, 8-race, UCI-sanctioned, New England Professional Cyclo-Cross Series consisting of some of these events has been presented to the UCI. If approved, more information on that series will be provided at a later date.

There was some major league drama about the UCI enforcing new rules and potentially shafting American series.

http://www.cyclingdirt.org/coverage/237779-The-World-According-To-Adam/video/374580-North-American-Cyclocross-Series-Face-Uncertain-Future-WTF

for some background.

Horseshoe Scramble Day 1

A brief report. Lined up in the 3rd row with 67 other folks at 9am. Got a good hole shot, top 15. 1/2 way through first lap someone crashed in front of me and I lost a few places, probably back to 20th. Kept the pressure on for the next lap and eventually found myself moving back up. Got passed by a 15 year old in the 3rd lap and made him my target. Hung with him for the rest of the race and we picked off a couple more places and lost maybe one or two. I tried to pip him at the line but he got a jump on me. Ended up 17th.He went on to take 4th in the junior race that started 15 minutes later.

For those racing out there tomorrow (not me). From what I understand they are pretty much just running course in reverse so this stuff should hold true. It was about 26 degrees at the start which meant that all the tire ruts from the weekly practice race series were frozen and grabbed tires. Situation will likely be the same tomorrow. The course has some decent farmroad sections where you can really put the pressure on. Some climbing and some downhill but most are flat. There is also some fun humpy grass sections and then the most technical stuff being in the woods with off camber loose dirt turns and mud pits. Overall I found it a very fun course and one where you can do well with either good bike handling skills or some power. I think the key is to not be tempted to rest on the easy stuff. It was surprising how many guys just soft pedaled the farm roads trying to catch a rest.

Anyway, good luck to all tomorrow and see you at the party.

Jim

nice work, jim

i like the sound of that course - someplace where you can make time by either motoring of handling well. what i mean is, i like to have the choice (cause i can't do the latter)

sadly, i only road two courses this year: one was Nittany, which sounds a bit like Horseshoe, and the other was Whirlybird, which basically seemed like it was trying to make me crash . . . which i did

This past weekend, I think I heard some news that disappointed me greatly. Is it true, no more Master's B category in the MAC series? This seemed to be a popular category and most appropriate for many riders. I don't know why, when the sport is getting bigger and bigger they are just eliminating categories. I finally found a race category where I can actually race (i.e. epic battles for middle of the pack finishes) and now what?

What is the run-down of the racing categories this coming cross season?

Another random cross question: Does the MAC series typically always start after Labor Day weekend? It appears that's been the case for the last few years. Michelle & I are looking to go to Madison to visit some friends and that's the best weekend to do it. Hoping it doesn't conflict with a series race.

Thanks

^ That would suck. I would hate to skip my sisters wedding for a cross race.

Last year's calendar started the weekend after Labor day:

September 11 Nittany Lion Cyclocross (UCI); Trexlertown, PA
September 18 Charm City Cyclocross Day 1 (UCI); Baltimore, MD
September 19 Charm City Cyclocross Day 2 (UCI); Baltimore, MD
September 26 Whirlybird Cyclocross (USAC); Bryn Athyn, PA
October 16 Cyclocross at Granogue Day 1 (UCI); Wilmington, DE
October 17 Cyclocross at Granogue Day 2 (UCI); Wilmington, DE
October 30 MAC New Jersey Weekend Day 1 — Beacon Cyclocross (UCI); Bridgeton, NJ
October 31 MAC New Jersey Weekend Day 2 — HPCX (USAC); Jamesburg, NJ
November 6 Wayne Scott Memorial Xross (USAC); Fair Hill Natural Resources Area, MD
November 20 Super Cross Cup Day 1 (UCI); Southampton, NY
November 21 Super Cross Cup Day 2 (UCI); Southampton, NY

Hey all, this years MAC calendar is up:

http://www.midatlanticcross.com/index.html

Looks like Nittany is now a 2 day affair and they've added two races at the end of the season.

Time to get the tubies glued and test out your running legs!

damn. getting excited. better start setting some money aside for entry fees and tubulars - 14 races ain't gonna come cheap!

Are you racing cross? Maybe taking it on for the first time? Some good deals out there, especially if you have some components around:

http://www.cyclocrossworld.com/Redline-Conquest-Pro-Frameset-_p_13.html

Clarification please....

What are the categories at the two major race series this year? According to the press release, there is nothing for cat 4/5s in the Verge series? And I'm still unclear as to what categories the MAC series will run.

thanks in advance.

Marc,

I'm pretty sure Verge isn't doing a season series for 4s (no 5s in cross) but they will certainly have cat 4 races - that's where they make all their money!

As for Mac, they haven't posted yet. Perhaps Myles can tell us.

@Mike...oh, I see...that makes sense, no spiffy leader's jersey for the 4s. Related to that point, I want to take this opportunity to "put my money where my mouth is." Often times when the talk of upgrading racing categories comes up in casual conversation, I'm the first one to mention that as racers we shouldn't be in a rush to upgrade just because we can. There are lessons learned from racing at the head of your pack that you will never benefit from, if you try and rush your way through the categories.

Last year, I raced mostly the Master's 35+ B category, so the fact that my cross license was "cat 2" was of no consequence. But there were a few races where I was forced to race Master's A or Elite because of my category. And anyone who has seen me race cross, knows, there is no way, I am qualified to race with the elite or Master's A field.

So, I took a voluntary downgrade to cat 3 last season. And to be honest, I was still struggling to finish in the top 50% in the cat 3 fields. Ragot and I were talking and he suggested that he bust me down to a cat 4 and let me work my way up. New England and Mid Atlantic cross is just too competitive for the legit cat 2 roadie, to automatically be given a cat 2 cross license too. And yet, that's how USA Cycling does it.

I earned my cat 2 on the road, and this year I intend to earn my placings in the cross scene too.

Is there a "top 10" of must-race list for Cross 2011?

Top 10.

Not in date order, but order of awesomeness order:

0. Super Cross (this is a Kissena Sponsored Race. Be there.)
1. Granogue
1. Gloucester
2. Cycle-Smart International
3. Staten CX
4. HPCX Highland Park
5. Charm City
6. Beacon
8. Any f*cking race with barriers (or actually, no barriers even mo' hardcore awesome)

Notice the G's are tied in #1 and, duh, Super Cross awesomeness might be slightly exaggerated.

Also, the question belies understanding cross. Every single race is mega! and should be your highest priority. Race.

They call it the *Delaware Cross Coalition of Delaware* for a reason.

*order of awesomeness order* is not a typo.

Wanted to clear that up.

Re cross awesomeness:

Highly individual. Love riding off-camber, steepies all day long? Granogue is your race. Nothing please you more than slaloming through trees, riding over mythical amounts of roots and toss in a few BMX-style aerial jumps? Cycle-Smart International is a can't miss.

I suspect that as the race dates get closer, there will be more discussion of the courses themselves, so that you have an idea of what kind of awesome you are in store for.

Bertucco is dangerous because he almost gets it, but not quite. He knows I still love him, tho.

The "level of awesomeness level" is super specific and totally quantifiable for each race. It is not an opinion or highly individual.

In the United States and the East Coast, Granogue and Gloucester are at the top. Be there.

If the club shows interest, I might take the time to write how the "level of awesomeness level" is calculated.

Tenacious D has nothing to do with cross. Check out the Shout Out Louds "Fall Hard" and specially Of Montreal's "So Begins".

Mega points if anyone can tell me why "So Begins"... else you'll have to car pool with me to races.

love,

Eloy

Eloy kicks my ass at cross, and loves the sport deeply...you should always listen to him first.

any scuttlebutt on if a weekday training race type series will get off the ground this year? i did some of the weekday training stuff at rutgers last year, but i'm in the shop every weekend, so most races don't work.

I'd ask the Rutgers folks if they're doing it again. There seems to be a pretty deep CX crew there. They run the HPCX race, which is #4 on Eloy's order of awesomeness order. I think that one is getting a short shrift on the order of awesomeness order calculation because the course was dry last year. It would probably make it to #3 if it was ankle deep mud like it was in 2009, that got stickier and deeper as the day went on.

One that doesn't make the top 10, but ends up going to 11 in awesomeness is IronCross. A 50mile CX race, which is really a dirt road race, during cross season. Nothing says hardcore like long miles on dirt roads through the PA woods.

Rutgers is totally 100% doing the clinics.

These are organized in part by Molly Hurford. She ranks super high in the level of awesomeness level as she is awesome defined.

For more info on the clinics:
http://rutgerscycling.blogspot.com/2011/07/2011-rutgers-raleigh-cyclocross-clinic.html

To register for the clinics:
http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=13916

Some photos I took of Molly racing last season:
http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=89543673@N00&q=molly

hope this helps,

Eloy

Dan Reiners has a very good and deep understanding on how the "level of awesomeness level" is calculated.