Southern Cross Report

Next time you find yourself in a library, take out an illustrated children's dictionary. Under the entry for "off-camber" you will find a picture of the Altona hill. It has always been nasty, but this year it seemed the technical ante was upped even higher. Maybe even as high as 11. Throw in some loose straw and more bumps than a Winnipeg back lane and it was more than many of us could handle. All the crashes no doubt kept the spectators happy.

As for the rest of the course, it was variously described as twisty, squiggly and, by the race director himself, noodly. Little Luc described it as Bur Oak without the trees. It was also a very long course. Some weren't so excited about that. On the bright side, however, it meant fewer confrontations with the hilly beast.

In the end, Johnny S and the ABES put on another memorable event.

The FGBC did alright in the hardware dept. Charlene won the women's B race again. She was going so fast we didn't get any pictures of her. And the Cricket kept us on the podium in the men's A race with another third place finish. He wound up second in the overall Grand Prix competition. And Charlene handily won her category. The big winner of the day, however, was Artur. He needed to fetch a wheel barrow to haul his collection of prizes back to the car. With all the draw prizes being given away, it seemed like everyone walked away with something. I won three golf balls.

It was a good weekend. But a hard one. Does anybody else feel like they've been run over by a truck?

Token photos:

St Malo Report

The 2010 Manitoba Grand Prix of Cyclocross is halfway done. St Malo got things started off right. That was a great course. Very fast except for two harrowingly difficult sections: the sand pit and the steepest run-up in the world. It's a keeper.

In the B race, Cam took the hole shot but crashed on the first tight corner. He fought back to finish third. Milo won it again. Artur was second. If memory serves, Bill finished fourth ahead of a larger pack which included the Impaler.



I did not make it to the run-up with the camera. But the sand provided plenty of entertainment.







In the A race, the Cricket got us back on the podium thanks, in part, to the good vibes he received from Francophone version of Daniel Boone.



Olli, Don, and the Cricket got away early and stayed away. Olli eventually pulled away and then Don pulled away from the Cricket. The most impressive performance of the day was that of Paul Benson. His chain broke about halfway through the first lap. He scooted around back to the finish line. Someone was kind enough to give him a spare bike. He had to change shoes too. But he clawed his way back to finish fifth, I think. One more lap and he'd have caught me for fourth.

The fun continues today. The course in Altona is good. It will also be fast. Except, of course, for the hill. There will be sand too. But less of it.

Here we go . . .

The soundtrack is playing as I type. "The smell of death's around you . . . ." Somehow that seems fitting.

Kermiscross and the Giro del Piemonte

In Blegium they do it right. Mid-week cyclocross action.

Miriam took the 2010 Kermiscross title ahead of Josh and Matt. Jonny N still has a big lead in the overall race with Gary and Jonah rounding out the top three spots.

They do it right in Italy too. A mid week tune-up before the final monument of the season this weekend in Lombardy. Jonah won the Giro del Piemonte. I was second and Prince Dan was third. The Vicarious Cobra had a good day too and gave himself some breathing room at the top of the standings. Meanwhile Ali's free-fall plunge from the top of the standings continues. He's slipped down to third overall with King Andy moving ahead of him into second place. And all of a sudden Jonah is threatening Ali's chances of finishing on the podium at all. He's just five points off the pace heading into the final race of the season.

Full results and standings: CX Pool and Fall Classics Pool.

Thursday Anticipation

De Cross Gaat Door. It means Cross Continues. Which is a fitting theme for this week, as we resume the season after a break for Thanksgiving.

Tatyana Storm is apparently Belgium's answer to Taylor Swift. That a twangy video like this even exists (it's really just an extended ad for the Superprestige series) provides further confirmation that cyclocross is the NASCAR of cycling. So it is fitting that this week we find ourselves heading south, first to St Malo and then even further south to Altona gor Southern Cross. Follow the links if you want details such as race times, prizing, etc.





Two races in two days is already exciting enough. But perhaps even more exciting is news that they will be tied together by a social gathering at the Krahn Barn on Saturday evening. Head to Altona after the St Malo race. Help Johnny and the ABES finish setting up the course. For supper, you could do much worse than the Indian Buffet at the South Forty. Good Indian food in Altona may sound like an oxymoron. It's not. And then head to Neubergthal for good times at the Krahn Barn. We are told that you can stay the night there too, if you don't have other accomodations. Send Johnny an email if you need to know more. If you don't have his email address, send one to us and we will redirect you.

TNR Report

Juan Eppstein has had better nights. The ride was bookended by his misfortunes. That did not stop the rest of us from having a good time. Some might even say that Juan's misfortunes enhanced our good times.

Juan began the night with the revelation that his beloved Rockhopper, a veteran of 12 Winnipeg winters, is all but rusted out.





Some day soon, Juan will walk it out to the pasture. And he will come back to the klubhaus all alone. Lamentations will be uttered. But life will continue to churn along, one turn of the crank after another. We are not there just yet, though. Juan bypassed portions of the monkey trails. But the Rockhopper did survive the ride through Sturgeon Creek to Vimy Arena.





Hummelt Hockey provided an opportunity to forget about the impending sorrow. But Juan's trip back to the klubhaus did not come to fruition. Either his combination lock somehow reset itself or Juan forgot the combination. Either way, it was not to be unlocked.



He sent us on our way and made an emergency call to Mrs. Eppstein. It took her two attempts due to Juan's inability to provide accurate directions, but eventually she was able to find the arena. Two hits of the hammer was sufficient to open the lock. And Juan was able to join us at the klubhaus to listen to some classic 80s tunes and talk about how awesome the Manitoba Grand Prix of Cyclocross is going to be.

That is two consecutive weeks of misfortune for Juan Eppstein. Apparently that's what happens when you don't follow through on your obligation to host the fall dogfest.

Six Degrees of FGBC

You play with him in the vicarious races. But the FGBC rank and file would no doubt fail to recognize Chris O if they saw him in Velo News. But that's where he turned up this morning in a story on the weekend's ACC CX opener in Virginia. He's the one in glorious Duke blue. Well done Chris! Next time for the win?

Full story here.

TNR

Another week that begins with a Tuesday Night Ride. Perfect.

How about the annual fall Sturgeon Creek ride?

My place at 9:30 pm.

Vicarious Abundance

An appropriate theme for Thanksgiving. Going back to last Wednesday, we have had 10 races in 5 days--4 in the Fall Classics Pool and 6 in the Cyclocross Pool. With races in Cincinnati, Providence, Italy, France, and Belgium we've been an industrious bunch.

With only two races to go in the inaugural Fall Classics Pool, the Vicarious Cobra, Chris D, has snatched the lead from Ali. That is actually a bit creepy, as it coincides with the Real Cobra winning a real race. Ricco won the Coppa Sabatini. In any case, Ali now sits in second place and King Andy is just another 20 points back. It is still very close though. Just 135 points separate the top three spots. There are two races to go: the Giro del Piemonte and the Giro di Lombardi. The latter, being a monument, will be doling out extra points. It's still very much up for grabs.

Full results and standings here.

Over in the 2010-11 FGBC Cyclocross Pool, Jonny N, Gary, and Jonah continue to cruise along. They've occupied the top three spots for a while now. And while there is plenty of jostling around for position below them, they've established a sizable gap on the rest of the field. But the first World Cup race of the season is coming up next weekend. With bigger points on hand and some of the top racers left behind, that often changes things up a bit.

Full results and standings here.

C'est si bon!

Because there was still coffee in my cup when I finished reading the Saturday paper this morning, I took a little extra time to flip through the "Unforgettable Manitoba" tourism piece that Travel Manitoba so generously sent along with the regular assortment of news and advertising. When I got to page 17, there it was in all its glory: the sweetest jersey in the world. Modeled by Tenacious V at last year's Southern Cross race in Altona, it served as the key accent in a promo shot for the St Malo race coming up next Saturday. Beautiful. With that kind of advertising, the field is bound to be enormous. A little taste of darkness like that will surely be impossible for folks to resist.



The ABES' Gavin was also featured prominently. He looked pretty sweet too. But not as sweet as he looked in this pair of photos from the previous year's edition of Southern Cross.

CX: The Comic

Courtesy of slonie.


Find the whole thing here.

TNR Report

At this time of year, any ride when you don't have to wear a jacket has to be considered sweet. We rode over to HSC to pick up Brother Bill. It looked like we might get a tour of the facilities. But that didn't pan out. So we headed over to Garbage Hill, before retiring early to the klubhaus.



The Secretary and Tenacious V joined us, post-hockey. Neither of them scored a goal. But Vic was proud to tell us that his new cx bike has arrived. The President ambled in a short while later too.

We discussed our two 24 hour races. Planning for the 2011 edition of the 24 Hours of Falcon Ridge is well underway. And we kicked open the process for accepting bids to host the annual winter 24 hour race. Some concern was raised about the parallel film festival. It seems some are not entirely taken with the proposed 24 Hours of Clint. Something more along the lines of Strange Brew, FUBAR, and Canadian Bacon was suggested, perhaps interspersed with classic episodes of SCTV. It does have some merit.

Of course, we also talked a lot about cyclocross and how awesome it is. The Secretary and I reported on our recent reconnaissance visit to Camp A. The idea of a two day cyclocross festival there was floated and affirmed as worthy of further consideration.

We also addressed the question of Halberto and his alleged needs. After some intense soul searching, we came to the following two conclusions: (1) we don’t have any time for such bourgeois categories as needs. This is about changing the world one bike ride at a time. Giddy-up comrades. We ride for good times. (2) In the name of friendship, however, we did agree to drop the emotionally laden nomenclature of Backstabber. Halberto shall no longer be referred to as The Backstabber. But we do like acronyms. Call him the BSer instead.

KK did not have a flat. But Juan Eppstein did. He did not, however, have anything along to rectify the situation. We bailed him out.



What about the tunes? Ozzy and Randy two weeks in a row. What more can you ask for? We agreed that Fleetwood Mac is awesome. We were significantly more divided about Bob Seeger. It is not so much the mullet that is problematic as it is the sax.

This is too exciting to leave for Thursday

One big event. Two races. Three posters. This will be the biggest weekend of the year, at least as far as cyclocross goes. And yes, both races are license optional. Stay tuned for more info on a social gathering to take place in Altona on Saturday night. Did somebody say Krahn Barn?

TNR

Hummelt hockey begins this week. Another sign that winter is on the way. But we will take advantage of the unseasonably warm fall weather and enjoy a jacketless night ride.

My place at 9:30 pm.

It Was a Good Weekend for Jonah

He found the podium in all three races of the FGBC CX Pool and moves up into third place overall.

Full results and standings here.

Menno Cross Photos

Dave Benson has been kind enough to go back and add some to his online gallery. See them all here.

How do those shoes remain so white?

More La Barriere Photos

Lots more. And good ones too. Courtesy of Dave Benson. See the rest of them here. Thanks Dave.

La Barriere Report

It rhymes with derriere. Which is what a few folks ended up landing on when the 16 mini barrier run-up did not work out for them. But a few spills is par for the course. That course is a keeper. Lots of flowing twists and turns made up for the soft ground/long grass/60 kmh headwind wind slog at the top of the hill. We should definitely return there next year. Thank-you Gary for refusing to take no for an answer.

For the FGBC, the B race was a bipolar affair. The Mennonite Lady won her second race of the season. It almost looked easy. She is riding strong this year. On the other hand, Cousin Adam's race was over before he even completed his first lap. He rolled a tire in one of the first corners. Done. Cousin Thomas survived a close encounter with a poorly placed tree stump to finish solidly in the middle of the pack. In the A race, the sweetest jersey in the world was kept off the podium for the first time in a long time. The Cricket is still waiting for a new shifter. Riding Mrs. Cricket's bike, he got off to a good start. But after about 6 laps, somebody must have leaned against the breaker and turned off the power. It looked like he was riding backwards when I passed him. The Cricket was not smiling. When the Cricket is not smiling, you know it's got to be real bad. But he hung on to finish 7th. We are not worried. He will be back. I had a worse start, but managed to claw back a few spots to finish 5th. Jonny G waged an intense battle with the man who used to comprise one half of Team FGBC Halberto. Now we know him simply as The Backstabber. Jonny ended up losing to the Backstabber. That hurts. There were plenty of mangled bikes at the finish line, thanks to errant twigs and blown down course tape. At least we came out unscathed on that front.

Up next: The inaugural Manitoba Grand Prix of Cyclocross. Two races in two different rural communities. Oct. 16th we head to St Malo to try out a new course that Halberto and Gianni can't stop raving about. And then the second largest cyclocross race in Manitoba--aka Southern Cross--goes down on Oct. 17. It's a big weekend. So big, in fact, that we need a week off to prepare for it.

Token photos:

Note the supportive spouse on the left with the cowbell

Sadly, KK's run of bad luck continued. Bike troubles.

Queen Val, Rainbow Warrior

She gets to wear the vicarious rainbow jersey for a year thanks to a riveting win in the Worlds Road Race last night. In doing so, she beat out a trio of Chris's whose own rainbow aspirations evaporated thanks to their preference to shoot derisive glares at one another rather than work together. Val finished the day with 460 points. I took second with 455. Chris's O and D were another five points back. They get to share the final podium spot, just like Guillaume Boivin and Taylor Phinney did in the real U23 race.

Ali was able to hold on to his lead in the overall race, despite his failure to gain even a single point. Meanwhile Jonny G has taken the art of failing to gain any points to a while new level. In nine races so far, G has managed to lay eight goose eggs. Josh and Swatter have switched places to round out the top three.

Full results and overall standings here.

Up next: Coppa Sabatini on Oct. 7.

KK's Luck is Changing

Thor smashed!


Watch out for the studly dude in the Colorado Avalanche colours at La Barriere on Sunday. It looks like it might be his time.

Speaking of La Barriere, course set-up continues at 10 am. Racing begins at 1pm.

La Barriere Set-up

A note from Gary, the CX Czar:

Work begins at 2:00 pm and continues until dusk. We appreciate whatever time people can donate. Setting up the 'stairs' will take one small crew. You'll get to play with power tools. The rest of us will stake the course.

Sunday we will need to tape, rake leaves in some areas and maybe do some staking.

If you are looking for something to do later this afternoon, then show up to La Barriere. It is worth the trip, if only for the opportunity to drive over the washed out bridge. There is no need to go all the way around. That is silly. The kids and I drove it just last week. Just ignore all the signs. It will make you feel like a kid again. Unless you were the obedient type. In which case, we can only offer our condolences.

If this were an FGBC race, we would be running the course over that bridge. Show up to help set up the course and maybe we can make that happen.

As we were heading toward the washed out bridge, we had another idea (this is how ADHD works): CX in the Ruins. What better place to race a bike than in and around a burned out monastery? A burned out Trappist monastery. Just like the brewing monasteries that dot the landscape in the birthplace of cx itself. Think about it. We can do so much better.

Vicarious Rainbows

Josh is chasing them. In fact, he is wearing them thanks to his win in the 2010 FGBC CX Pool equivalent to the 2010 Worlds ITT. But Ali made the bigger, yet not nearly as garish, statement. He has moved into the overall lead, thanks to his third place showing. He is now over 200 points ahead of Swatter, who had pretty much held the lead since the Clasica San Sebastian back at the end of July. Cousin Adam got to stand on the second step of the podium, showing off his new baby to the throng of boisterous Aussie spectators.

Full results and overall standings here.

Up next: the Worlds Road Race. On Sunday, but really more like late Saturday night for us.