Brian Lariviere of Team Bulldog asked me to help spread the word about this race.

http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=14470

It's the second race at the Sussex County Fairgrounds in November. For many years, this was the cx destination in North Jersey. Basically, the fairgrounds are left abandoned in the fall and the club gets to use just about everything inside the fences however they see fit. Wide open courses, lots of up and down, good stuff.

This is the Sunday after thanksgiving, so the highways can be a snarl if you're driving back from someplace far.

Here's more information:

Apologies if you're receiving this more than once, but you don't want to miss
it!

Come out and join Team Bulldog and Skylands Cycling for our 10th
straight season
of Cyclocross Racing at the beautiful Sussex County Fairgrounds. The event has
grown to be highly competitive, yet still low key and lots of fun. Be
a part of
history as we mark the completion of a decade of 'cross!

Never 'cross raced before? Head up the 'County (kind of like down the shore,
but the other direction) to find out first hand what all the buzzy buzz is
about. Mountain bikers and road cyclists alike can find success at 'cross.

Two dates:

Sunday, November 20, 2011 and Sunday, November 27, 2011

http://www.bikereg.com/events/Register.asp?EventID=14351
http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=14470

Parking is easy and plentiful. Bathrooms are heated and clean!

Payout for Men A and Women A will be based on the number of entries, with a
minimum of 3 deep for the ladies and 5 deep for the fellas.

This race is part of the New Jersey Cross Cup Series. A USA Cycling License is
required, and one day licenses are available for an additional $10 on site or
when you register here.

Course: 3ish km, 200ish meter asphalt start, double pit at halfway point, 65%
grass, 10% asphalt, 10% dirt, 15% gravel/hardpack. One set of double barriers,
one run up. Or maybe two sets of barriers, and two run ups. Or no run ups.
Come up to Augusta and check it out! 70% flat. The course has been modified
again for 2011 and we're sure you'll enjoy the changes. All percentages are
approximate and may change without notice.

A spectator friendly venue is what you will see. Bring the cowbells and dollar
bills along with all of your friends. Trombones are welcome, but we're not so
sure about the vuvuzela. On second thought, why not? Bring out all your
annoying noisemakers!

Warming Up on the course while racing is in progress is not permitted. The
course is open for pre-riding before 9:00 a.m. and between races on race day.

Mountain bikes without bar ends are always welcome.

Bring the little guys for the free kids race at noon!

Pre registration is strongly encouraged. $10.00 late fee for race day
registration. Pre register on Bikereg.com. Registration opens 9:00 a.m. Second
race entry is $15.00. USA Cycling license required. One day license $10.00.

Wafels and Dinges will be making a visit up in the 'County and selling tasty
treats and warm beverages! http://www.wafelsanddinges.com/

Please respect the fairgrounds and allow us to continue to hold races
up there.
Don't bring your muddy cleats, gear, clothes, etc. into the bathrooms.

For more information visit our websites (www.teambulldog.com or
www.skylandscycling.com ) or contact Brian at brian@teambulldog.com or Blake at
blake@skylandscycling.com

Apologies for the late notice but my family will not be accompanying me tomorrow to Augusta Sussex so I have room to drive couple of folks out there for the later afternoon races. I'm leaving Park Slope at 12:00 for the 2:45 Cat IV 40+ race. The straight IV race comes right after, at 3:25. I could probably hang out for that and then head back.

E-mail me at neilxross@yahoo.com or call at 917-579-6580 if you want to get a ride out and back.

Ouch.

I didn't decide to race until 10:15 this morning. 12:30 race! I got myself together and grabbed a handful of "I'm going to be late anxiety."

Got there with a bursting bladder and 30 min til race time.

Register get number pee. Get to car and. Where is my number? I backtrack and get it. Lose it again. Finally I make it to the car with my number. I have a dilemma in that I don't know what side to pin it on. Based on experience here e choose left. I chose wrong.

Get bike to pit. Get back to the Starr and plant myself at the back. "One minute! " phew.
So, I'm racing without knowing the course.

I stay at the back and move up a bit on some sections I remember from long ago. I am not warmed up. I am not fast. I am stuck with slow guys, but I'm not climbing well or powering on the straights. WTF??? A 8" high single barrier and most people are bunny hopping! I dismount. Where did that come from.???,


After a few laps I start rowipen up and move up. Once I am in front, I am able to take advantage of the turns and put time in people. I kept clawing my way up and ended up 7th. It helps to not slow down. I just wish I was going faster...

I took ninth in the b race. I previewed the course with eric and it seemed like it would suit me well. there were quite a few sections of pavement and up hills as well a simple twisty turns around trees. I got a good start and was sitting somewhere around that place when I slid out and crashed on the gravel turn. I got up and immediately charged back into the top 10, then I was tired and slip back to 11th or 12th. With about 3 laps to go I recovered and made a move to put myself into ninth place. I was feeling really good and thought I could catch the group in front of me but they maintained there 15 seconds advantage. I finished about a minute and a half behind the winners . They were in a group of 3 and work together the whole race to pull away. it was a fun course that I would recommend to others. now I've been sitting in traffic for an hour and have some dick head in a lexus changing lanes every 3 seconds in front of me.

If this doesn't make sense it's because of google voice.

I took ninth in the b race. I previewed the course with eric and it seemed like it would suit me well. there were quite a few sections of pavement and up hills as well a simple twisty turns around trees. I got a good start and was sitting somewhere around that place when I slid out and crashed on the gravel turn. I got up and immediately charged back into the top 10, then I was tired and slip back to 11th or 12th. With about 3 laps to go I recovered and made a move to put myself into ninth place. I was feeling really good and thought I could catch the group in front of me but they maintained there 15 seconds advantage. I finished about a minute and a half behind the winners . They were in a group of 3 and work together the whole race to pull away. it was a fun course that I would recommend to others. now I've been sitting in traffic for an hour and have some dick head in a lexus changing lanes every 3 seconds in front of me.

If this doesn't make sense it's because of google voice.

Rolled down to the race with Joshua C. We got there in time to see Mike race and shout at him a bit. Mike and Eric dropped some knowledge about lines, remount strategy, pressure etc. which was super helpful.

Josh and I started in the middle of the 2nd row. 45 starters I think. I was about 10th-12th going into the first turn. The first lap sorted everyone out pretty fast and I was all alone for the next 35 minutes or whatever it was. I kept trying to reel in the next wheel but he wouldn't let me get closer than about 10 seconds.

Managed to keep it upright, sucked on some of the tight corners, did really well on the straight bits. I dismounted for the little half-height barrier instead of hopping it which invited much heckling.

Felt a lot of heat from the guy behind me but I managed to fight him off. I was going for the full on psych warfare -- bury it out of the saddle when he could see me, then sit up and whimper when he couldn't. I guess it worked.

So 12th place finish, I'll be content with that -- it felt like the guys I was racing next to were pretty fast.

Nice, Guys.

Derek, 12th? Nice. Is that your top result of the year?

Congrats. Hope some of my yapping about the course helped.

Mike

Excellent Derek. Way to carry some speed out of the Cross Crusades....

Nicely done Derek!

Well since you asked Mike.. My top result of the year was the previous weekend at the Oregon state champs. I took 5th and was contending for the podium for a good chunk of the race!

GTFO!

Mr Chiles pulls off 5th at STATE and he's all "well, since you asked..."

http://www.ecosandbags.com/

Race report!

I won't go into any detail about my less than stellar race at Sussex this past Sunday other than to say that it was a really fun course and to thank Mike and Eric (I think) for yelling encouraging stuff at me during my first lap or so. I also appreciated Brian (the race promoter) reminding me to pump my non-bike arm when running the uphill barriers with the bike shouldered.
P.S.-Congratulations Derek!

Ok, race report for OBRA CX champs / GPMC series race #8 on 19 November.

Rolled down from Portland to Eugene with Marc (Jim's brother's teammate on Portobello Bicycle Racing) on Friday night. BTW the Portobello guys are really cool and offered race support and a cheering section at 5 races -- thanks to Jim for the introductions.

Check into hotel room, 7 hours of sleep, breakfast, drive 15 minutes to the event. Mid-upper 30 degrees, snow level at about 700 feet but nothing on the course. I put on two layers of Mad Alchemy "Madness". So far no rain. Marc's master B race was just before mine so I plonked the trainer down on the side of the course and watched Marc line up while I got warm. It started raining 30 seconds before they started the race. Watched Marc (who had just been upgraded from master C to master B the previous week!) take 5th in the master B's. Super strong guy.

Start/finish was a really bumpy grass and hard pack straightaway that turned into a sweeping right hander which turned into a 90 degree gravel and mud corner. I was a little worried. I lined up all the way on the right side in the front row. The line for the turn was all the way on the right so I was in the perfect spot. Small field of 21, probably because Portlanders are not used to having to drive more than 40 minutes for a cross race. Buried it off the line and was 2nd into the turn.

The course was great -- a couple of long dirt/grass straightaways, some sweepers, some tight turns, some stairs, some mud, 3 barriers. And about 20% of the course was a fun single track section through the woods. Some sketchy bits where you needed to pay attention, but I loved it because you really couldn't pass, so each lap I had a chance to grab a wheel, get my HR way down and then blast out of there.

Anyway I kept 2nd wheel for about a lap and then dropped to 3rd. Kept 3rd for another couple laps, dabbed in a mud pit, went back to about 8th. Two solo crashes in front of me and some time in the pain cave helped me get back towards the front. I was feeling strong and was going really hard out of the corners every lap. Crawled back up and sort of bounced around 4th-5th-6th. I was crushing it on the straight parts and then getting passed again on the barriers and the tricky corners. I really need to drill the barriers next year!

I'm not used to being close to the front of a race and it was a really different experience for me than being mid pack. The guys next to me were obviously pretty good and just by virtue of sucking a wheel I had someone more skilled than me pacing me and showing me the lines. So I think I was riding much faster just because of my position in the race.

I finished 5th. Apparently the GPMC series leader was just behind me in 6th!

Not my best score on crossresults.com but definitely the most satisfying finish. It made me feel like I can at least dream about the podium next season.

I neglected to mention that the guy who blew the trombone that signaled the start of each race also rode the course (well) on a tall bike.