CrossVegas 2015

Check out the video I put together from CrossVegas 2015.

If you’re a fan of cyclocross, or just like spectating awesome cycling events, nothing beats going to world-class level CX race. And nothing is at a higher level than a World Cup. OK, maybe a World Championship but a World Cup is pretty up there. CrossVegas this year was World Cup #1. The first time a World Cup is being held in the US. And that meant all the top riders were there. Honestly, I think the fields were only missing Mathieu van der Poel and Marianne Vos.

I spent 3 days in Vegas and it was jam-packed with stuff: Meetings for work, time at the Interbike trade show, racing the USA Cycling event, racing the Wheelers & Dealers event, and spectating the Women’s and Men’s World Cup races.

Here are my take-aways from the trip.

1. Traveling for races is an additional element that needs to mastered. You’re not at home so you have to bring everything you might need, like clothing and gear for a wide range of temperatures, tools, spare parts etc. You’re not in your own bed. You have to find where to get a healthy pre-race meal. You have to get familiar with driving and navigating the area. These factors all affect your racing.

2. Having a routine and sticking to it pays dividends. Having a routine for how you warm-up, how you pre-ride, what you eat. If you master these routines so that it becomes second nature, then it won’t matter if you are away from home or not. As you can see in my video above, I didn’t do any of that.

3. Pacing can be a very valuable skill in cyclocross racing. I’m not a top racer so it’s not like I’m battling at the front. Plus, at CrossVegas, I was starting in the 100’s in fields of about 150-160. So my goal should have been to get the best possible time for me, and this is key, over the entire race. The first race, the USA Cycling Cat 1-3 event, I was focused on getting to the first feature, a stair run-up, in top position. I tried to pin it off the line but all I ended up doing was making the 2nd and 3rd lap super painful. The second race I still went hard but I kept it at a level I was able to sustain the whole race. I finished 1 minute faster the second time even though I was tired from the previous race.

4. If you’re a spectator, nothing beats watching a cyclocross race. Try going to a Cross-Country MTB race or a road race. Fun for participants, can be a little boring for spectators. At CrossVegas, I watched the start, then ran over to the barriers, then walked over to the sandpit, then back up to the lip of the bowl to watch the race. I was able to take in a lot of action just from walking around.

5. And finally, my last take-away from Vegas: Don’t forget that there’s a reason why they call it “gambling.” Oh, and there’s a reason why they call also call this place “Lost Wages.” Hahaha!

Here are some of my favorite images from Cross Vegas.

Thanks for reading! Our local SoCalCross series kicks off this Sunday. Cross is here!

CrossVegas Number pickup. Vegas Day 1.

It’s not “cross is coming” anymore. Cross is here!

I’m honored to race the USA Cycling Cat 1-3 CX race for Don’s Bikes and the Wheelers & Dealers race for IRT – Inertia Racing Technology Wheels.

To have the first CX race of the season be on an actual World Cup course and in fields of 150+ racers will be intimidating to say the least. But it should also be a blast!

The drive out to Vegas was weird. Cool, wet, and rainy leaving SoCal and when I got to Vegas, rainbows.

Yermo, CA. Those of you who know me probably know what I was doing out there. #peestop

I made it. The Strip. And traffic. Such a weird city to have a bike event. Just sayin’

On arrival to the strip, I went straight to the meet and greet with several professional racers as well as number pickup at the Monte Carlo.

It was a cool time to mix and mingle with some of the who’s who of cyclocross.

I have the honor of racing on the same course, at the same time, as the one and only Gary Fisher. Growing up, I really wanted a Hoo Koo E Koo. This guy has a front row start at Wheeler and Dealers so it’ll be safe to say the only time I’ll see him is if he laps me. This guy was a legit racer back in the day. Look it up kids.

Greatest CX racer of all time.

So I asked Jeremy if his mindset was any different now that this was a World Cup. His answer, “Well, they’re all big races. I’ll race this one pretty much like how I race all big races.” But you know what, it’s been a while since he’s been off the podium at Vegas. To do it at the World Cup level? That would be sick. Hopefully I didn’t just jinx him. I probably just did. Go JPows.

One of the nicest guys on the scene and one of the only Americans to be on the podium at the World Champs. Shame he’s not racing. I remember back in Austin, Tim and Ryan Trebon invited my son to get on their side of the table and help them sign autographs. Such an upstanding guy. He’ll be commentating tonight on Universal Sports.

Team dinner at Gallagher’s. Thanks Patrick.

Ready to hit the sack.

Well, that was Day 1 for me. Tomorrow I’ll be on the floor at Interbike for a bit then heading off to the race venue. I’ll be racing the USA Cycling Cat 1-3 at 4pm then the Wheelers and Dealers at 6:30. Then it’ll be a bunch of hanging out watching the fast girls and guys race for the first World Cup on US soil!

I’ll have more photos and videos posted up soon. Here’s a video of Adam Craig doing a course preview for Giant Bikes and Cyclocross Magazine. This will be the course we’ll be racing on tonight. Thanks for reading!

Austin Day 1. Tacos. Sun. And Limestone Steps.

Landed in Austin on Tuesday and we were greeted with awesome weather! Upper 60’s, sunny.

First stop from the airport was grub. We hit up South Austin Trailer Park & Eatery. Nice outdoor setup with a Torchy’s Tacos, Conscious Cravings, and Holy Cacao.

After some barbacoa, migas, and some awesomely good fried avocado tacos (vegetarian option) we were off to race registration and number pickup.

Torchy’s Tacos

Registration at Bicycle Sport Shop on Lamar.

Saw Crystal Anthony at registration. I asked her what her goal was this weekend. “It’s always nice to make the podium.”

After settling in, I made my way to Zilker Park to pre-ride the course.

Decided to take a total of 3 laps. First lap, ride nice and slow just to get the lay of the land. Second lap I was trying to go a little bit faster to hit my lines. Then the last lap a little bit faster still to see how the tire pressure would handle at speed and how things changed at race speed. A lot changes at race speed. Entrance and exit points into turns and obstacles for example.

Here are my thoughts after pre-riding the course and checking out the venue. These include observations and tips for myself.

– If there’s a nationals course that suits me, it’s this one. Pretty flat. 100 feet of elevation gain per lap. And the elevation gain is composed of limestone steps and short punchy climbs.

– Bike handling and bike driving will be key. This sounds obvious but since there’s not much climbing on this course, you have to make time on corners and riding things others can’t.

– Off-camber skills, line selection, and cornering technique will be very important.

– I really liked running slightly higher pressure in the tires. There’s no mud and there are some G-outs, braking bumps, and curbs. The slightly higher PSI’s did feel a little faster.

– The start will be crazy. A 300-yard paved road, slightly uphill.

– Just because you can ride everything while you are pre-riding, doesn’t mean you can ride it when you are red-lined, with 150 other sweaty people all around you.

– Limestone steps are not the same thing as wooden steps. Especially when you’re short like me and some of those steps seem waist high. They’re jagged, variable, and will hurt during the race.

– The laps are fairly long. I was doing 10-11 minutes at a cruise pace. Hopefully that means I won’t get lapped!

– Don’t stress about things you can’t control. This last one is especially for me. I’ve been stressing about the weather. I’ve been looking forward to 50-60 degree weather and sunshine. But the weather forecast keeps showings 30-40 degree weather and wind! Also been stressing about the fact that I don’t have a lot of USA Cycling points. This means my start position is gonna be in the back. WAY back. And I’ve been stressing about having a slight sore throat and runny nose.

– STOP STRESSING. I’ve been looking forward to this event and this trip for a long time. I’m gonna enjoy myself. I’m prepared and I’ll do my best with the situation at hand. All those things above that I can’t control, I’m just gonna have to let them go.

After pre-riding the course, I cruised back to our Air BNB house to chill for the night with some Thai Food, putting the feet up, and hanging with the family.

Thanks for reading and good night from Austin.

Short sleeves and bibs in January! I feel like I’m in So Cal.

Found some of the SoCal peeps.

The shorter of the two sets of Limestone Steps. This one comes about a third of the way into the lap. The approach seems straight forward but the steps themselves are not. Varying height on the steps, a little slick and jagged, and basically not what you want to be running on with carbon soled shoes.