Derby City Wrap-up

As expected, the crowds at USGP this past weekend, including riders and fans alike, were huge and the competition was fierce. With several fields approaching and even exceeding one hundred riders every minute of racing was a full on battle. Unlike the previous week in Cincinnati, the real fight in Louisville was against other riders and not so much against the course conditions. The circuit was challenging and well constructed to include multiple sand pits, sharp elevation changes, winding rhythm sections and some challenging but rideable off-camber turns. All of these elements were tied together by a number of long grass straights and sweeping turns that demanded powerful legs, not just great handling skills. Full results and lap times are posted here.

Dustin rode strong, consistent laps earning a spot in the top 50 among more than 110 Cat2/3 riders in spite of the fact that many of them had much more awesome hair.

After all was said and done Cory posted the best results of the weekend finishing just outside of the top ten both days.

Sierra claimed she didn't feel that great all weekend but still managed two respectable mid-pack finishes among the best female CX'ers this side of the pro ranks.

Scott couldn't have picked a harder week to cat-up but got some amazing race experience against some real talent.

USGP Derby City Cup

Team Indiebike p/b Angie's List will be sending a total of seven riders to compete in this weekends USGP Derby City Cup in Louisville, KY. This is the second week in a row where riders will be participating in events that are in the national spotlight. At Last weeks UCI1 ranked Cincy3 event, Cory Swihart took home top team honors finishing 8th two out of three days on some of the most technically challenging courses that any rider will face all season. Cory managed to get out in front of the field of 70+ riders which included most of the top Cat2/3 racers from across the region and even across the country.

This weekend's Derby City Cup is the third national event is a series of of four, and is by far one of the most prestegious races on the national calendar. Some of the waves will include as many as 130 riders which means it will be a battle to get near the front. Assuming you miss the LA style traffic jam getting out of the first turn riders will then have a very challenging course ahead to prove their dominance. The course at Bandman Park and Cyclocross Venue will host the 2013 Elite Cyclocross World Championships for the first time ever outside of Europe. So as you might expect this course will not be short on technical aspects and challenging terrain. Riders will be required to navigate a monster sandpit, power over some sharp inclines, run up and ride down the Green Monster, and hope to hold on around the off-camber turns.

The post race report should contain plenty of excitement. Stay tuned to find out how it all goes down.

Zipp Cyclocross Clinic 11/14/2011

The best CX riders from the top pro teams in the country will be in our back yard to teach the tricks of the trade. You won't want to miss this.

Featured Rider

Scott Baumer is one of the newest additions to Team Indiebike, and we are glad about that. Scott had a strong road season riding unattached but has officially pulled on the Team Indiebike p/b Angie's List jersey for cyclocross season where he has made a habit of showing up on the podium at the Indiana CX Cup and OVCX series races. Quickly proving his speed and technical ability in the Cat4 field, Scott is ready to make the jump to Cat3. This past weekend at Yorktown he finished 2nd in the Cat4 race and was approved on the spot to jump into the Cat3 wave starting 15 minutes later. After already exhausting himself once, he rode a competitive race and proved that he most definitely deserved the upgrade. We wish Scott the best as he tries to carry this momentum into the two biggest regional races of the year, UCI Cincy3 this weekend followed by USGP Derby City Cup the following. Keep up the good work!

Are you serious about your sports... you know we are

Cyclocross is catching on like wildfire and it seems like everyone is talking about how much fun it is. Joe looks like he's having a blast.

Fatal Attraction

If you wear a pair of these on your next ride keep your eyes out for dominant male Baboons who may mistake you for a fully engorged potential mate. We have all been chased down the road by the occasional stray farm dog, but trying to outrun a baboon in heat is a whole different ball game.

The Wait is Over... kind of

Well at least it's over for one person. Yesterday at 4:30 pm EST, Scott became the proud owner of the very first 2012 Cannondale SuperSix Evo delivered at Bicycle Garage Indy. It is 54cm and weighs less than 15lbs. Gender is undetermined and Scott has not yet decided on a name. Clearly having his priorities straight, Scott got out early from a later afternoon work meeting in time to pick the new bike up from the nursery, I mean bike shop. Fortunately he also had enough time to at least pull off all the reflectors before letting it be seen in public.

I had the privilege of being along side for the inaugural ride last night at the CIBA Thursday World Championships. Scott said that his legs weren't feeling great after some running he did this week, but there is something about having a new bike or piece of gear that gives you that extra boost. We all know that feeling. When you feel fast you ride fast. He certainly didn't ride like his legs were sore. That's for sure.

Several more SuperSix EVO's are earmarked for Team Indiebike p/b Angie's List riders and should start to roll in over the coming weeks and months. Once again we want to give a big thanks to Cannondale and BGI for their partnership. The mix of Cannondale SuperSix, CAAD10, SuperX and CAADX bikes have proven to be amazing machines to race and ride. It is great to see more and more of our riders riding Cannondale. There is a certain and pride and sense of unity that it creates among the team in addition to the confidence knowing that we are riding some of the best bikes available.