Thinking of you...

Time to pour some out for my homie Brad "Papa Bear" Sheridan. I know how much you enjoy kicking back and sipping a nice glass of Chardonnay.

Backyard Cross - CX isn't over...

We are well into the month of December, the OVCX series has ended, but cyclocross racing is still going strong in the Ohio Valley region. Five races remain in the Indiana Cyclocross Cup series and some of the most exciting racing of the season is yet to come as the temperature drops and snow begins to fall. This weekend is the first of two double headers featuring Depot Cross in Ft. Wayne on Saturday and Backyard Cross in Bargersville (just south of Indianapolis) on Sunday.

Sunday's Backyard Cross is a race that you can't afford to miss. The course is set up in an undeveloped subdivision with a fantastic variety of terrain. There are open fields, wooded patches, a good chance for a log laydown that you cant bunny hop, plenty of off camber stuff along the banks of the lake, a little pavement and probably a good amount of mud mixed in throughout. This course is a hidden gem that has a chance to become the crown jewel of the series.

This year Team Indiebike p/b Angie's List is stepping it up a notch as well. The team tent will be set up and heated. Inside you will find us serving up hot dishes of Yats cajun creole food to warm your soul as you cheer on the action.

Central Indiana racers have spent the past few months making regular trips to Cincinnati and Louisville to race OVCX. Now its time for OH and KY racers to get in their cars and show some love to the other up and coming series in the region. Backyard cross will be well worth the trip.

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Milestones

We just ran the numbers and Team Indiebike.com p/b Angie's List is approaching 300 race entries in 2011. By the end of the cyclocross season we will easily exceed that mark. We will have a full stats at the end of the year. Stay tuned to find out what is in store for 2012 as the team continues to develop and increase its presence.

The "Grovel" lives up to its name

In case you are aren't already aware, the Gravel Grovel is a mass start race in southern Indiana that covers 60+ miles of mostly gravel roads that traverse some of the state's hilliest terrain. Some of the descriptions of this year's event included pharses like, "that hurt", "I was in a dark place for a while", and "most brutal race I have ever done." In spite of those ringing endorsements, more than 160 racers came out for the challenge on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

For a few the suffering paid off handsomly. Recent Team Indiebike addition, Scott Baumer, managed an exceptional 11th place finish among some pretty strong regional talent. Cory Swihart came across the line 23rd in spite of the fact that most of his recent training has been sharply focused on short, intense efforts in preparation for one hour long cyclocross races. Others, well lets just say they survived long enough to still get a hot plate of delicious etouffee from Yats after crossing the finish line.

You can see full results posted here

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.