DCMTB Gives Back to the Community
Pictured left to right: Marc Gwadz, AFRH Chief Operating Officer Tim Cox, Matt Donahue, Chris Clarke.
In recognition of their service to our country, and in gratitude for their generosity in letting us host the City Bikes DCCX race on their campus, DCMTB made a donation of $1000 along with a park bench to the residents of the Armed Forces Retirement Home.
DCMTB Rockburn CX 08′
The DCMTB crew came out to Rockburn cross with high spirits after having hosted City Bikes’ DCCX cyclocross race the weekend before. Notable performances included Marc Gwadz finishing strong in 15th in the Elite Masters race, as well as Chris Clarke with a solid 23rd. Two good efforts were made by guys bouncing back from sickness: Raul Rojas finished 17th in the Masters 3/4 while Matt Donahue finished 19th in the CAT 3/4 race. Other team members: Dave, JJ, Wiggy, Pooch, and Mike S, represented the team with fine performances. Darren and Michael experienced some mechanical issues. Darren threw in the towel before the final lap due to his mech. issues while Michael earned the trooper award for continuing on after he got a new wheel he picked up gave him crappy shifting through the end of the race.
More pics here: http://picasaweb.google.com/lovedabikes/RockburnCX08#
Schempf, Buerkle Win DCCX
Weston Schempf of C3-Sollay.com claimed his second consecutive victory in the City Bikes DCCX Cyclocross Race in
Schempf rode away from the rest of the men’s field early in last year’s race, but had a much more difficult path to victory in the second-annual event. The hard work of teammate Mike Gallagher and untimely crashes by two other members of the five-man lead group allowed him to pull away for the victory. Gallagher held off U.S. Olympian Bobby Lea for his second, second-place finish of the day.
Whole Foods’ women’s elite race Patty Buerkle of Vanderkitten took a flier from the leading group of women’s riders and got into a two-woman breakaway with Kristin Gavin of Human Zoom/Pabst Blue Ribbon. Buerkle broke away later in the race to win it all. Sobe - Cannondale’s Betsy Shogren, who won the event last year, ended up third.
The race, the only cyclocross race held in the nation’s capital, had more than 400 registered riders, and hundreds more spectators who came out to enjoy the grounds of the AFRH, the frites prepared by biking legend Scott Scudamore and lots of free-flowing refreshments.
The Belgian Embassy chipped in too, sponsoring the Li’l Belgians kids’ race, which had more than four-dozen competitors ranging from age three to 10. Anxious parents were treated to a tasty Cote d’Or chocolate after their kids’ raced.
The race was held on a classic, European-style cyclocross course, with lots of transitions from road to a grass. The course was softened but not thoroughly muddied by a pounding rain the day before. It had a tricky barrier and some slick roots to keep things interesting; even a few of the top riders sported bloodied shins or lips by the end of their races.
The DC Mountain Bike Team sponsored DCCX with the assistance of sponsors City Bikes, Whole Foods Market - P Street, Sticky Fingers Bakery, Sonoma Restaurant and Wine Bar, DrinkMore Water, Looking Glass Lounge, CX Magazine and the wonderful Belgian restaurant Granville Moore’s, which supplied its horseradish sauce for the frites.
Whole Foods upped the payout for the elite women this year, and the field of 22 starters was nearly four times as big as last year’s and the largest women’s elite field in MABRA’s history. Mid-Atlantic cross “just seems to get more and more competive,” said Gavin, who drove in from Philadelphia for the race.
The elite men’s race, with 35 starters, had a field twice as big as last year’s. It showed. Schempf, who lives in nearby Bethesda, moved out front with a group of five riders early in the elite race, including teammate Gallagher. They put distance on any chasers, but with ample open road sections, no one could break free of the pack.
With a few laps to go, two members of the group crashed coming on to a small bridge, and Schempf jumped free. Gallagher, who had his bike slide out from under him as he vied for the lead in the elite master’s race a few hours earlier, avoided that crash and stuck close to Schempf for second.
“It’s a deceptive course,” Schempf said. “It was nice to know I didn’t have to do all the work alone.”
Blair Saunders of Henry’s Bikes, who led a futile effort to catch Schempf in DCCX last year, instead rode away from a stacked field in the elite masters race this time around. Saunders eased off the gas as mountain-bike legend Gunnar Shogren of Sobe - Cannondale and Mark Kutney of Van Dessel Cycles fought it out for the first-lap prime. He put an attack on them just a few minutes later.
“They weren’t motivated to chase,” Saunders deadpanned. From that point, only Gallagher could fight his way onto his wheel, but “he took the corner too hot, and that was the race,” said Saunders, who won by 10 seconds. “I wish every course could be like this, with this many road sections.”
The Cat 3/4 race was also decided by a crash. The race leader hit a slick root on the back of the course, went flying, and took down Adam Driscoll of Adventures for the Cure, who was cruising along just behind him. His brother Alex, in the third spot, just steered clear of the carnage, but wasn’t so lucky a few minutes later when a lapped rider swerved into his path. Ian Mathias of Hunt Valley Bicycles won the race, Alex was second and Adam third.
In the women’s 3/4 race, which had a Mabra-record 34 pre-registered riders, mountain-biking ace Lynne Oliver of DCMTB crushed the competition in her first-ever cyclocross race.
Results are here.
Photos: Joe Foley on Flickr
Video is here.
Photos and blog here: http://www.gwadzilla.blogspot.com/
Best Costume
Break out your best costume for Sunday’s DCCX race. The rider judged to have the best getup will get a box of premium Belgian chocolates, donated by the Belgian Embassy.
We’re also going to give a box of candy to the first rider spotted bunny hopping the barriers and as a prime to the leader of the women’s B race after the first lap.
Good luck to all the contestants!
DCCX
DCCX, the only cyclocross race held in the nation’s capital, will be held on
October 26 on the grounds of the Armed Forces Retirement Home in NW Washington, DC. Registration is now open on BikeReg.com.
http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=7143
For the second-annual event, race promoters DCMTB/City Bikes are building on
last year’s exciting, successful race and will offer improvements to an already awesome race experience — and provide even more extra-curricular fun for
racers, kids and spectators. DCCX joined the MABRA cross series this year.
Three ways the fun continues from last year:
- The race is held on a classic, European-style cyclocross course. It’s fast
with lots of transitions from grass to pavement to gravel and back. There are some tricky barriers and roots. Amateur archeologists from DCMTB uncovered a stone, Paris-Roubaix-style path before last year’s race, and that has become DCCX’s signature feature. The layout is great for first time cyclocross racers and a fast, challenging event for veterans. - The Armed Forces Retirement Home is the site of four National Historic
Landmarks, including the Lincoln Cottage. Lincoln withdrew to the
Soldiers’ Home each summer to escape the heat in the White House. It’s difficult to get on the grounds the other 364 days of the year; with a registration you can drive right in and check out the grounds, and schedule a tour of the Lincoln Cottage. - Beer. Yes, indeed: Racers will once again be able to enjoy a beer after
their race courtesy of Sonoma Restaurant and Wine Bar in Washington, DC.
Three ways the race will be so much better this year:
- We’ve upped our payout for elite racers. Whole Foods-P St. has expanded its sponsorship of the event so that the winner of the women’s 1/2 race will for the first time get the same payout as the winner of the men’s 1/2 race. City Bikes remains as the title sponsor of the men’s elite race, with both races paying $700 total, seven deep. Other category winners will get cool loot.
- Li’l Belgians will be sponsored by the Belgians. This year, as part of the MABRA series, DCCX is adding a race for kids, and we’ve pulled in as sponsors the Belgian Embassy, which will be offering all participating kids a special (and tasty) prize.
- Frites! Just adding to the Belgian ambience, we will be serving free — yes, free — frites (that’s Belgian for French fries) to riders and spectators. Oh, and there will be delicious, vegan cookies from Sticky Fingers bakery and Drink More Water for those opposed to beer and frites.
What you need to do:
- Register early at BikeReg.com. Last year’s race drew 240 participants, including a sold-out 80 for the Cat 4/beginner category. Given the great buzz that followed last year’s event, this year’s race is likely to be even more popular, and so register now to get into the race of your choice - and get a better call-up. (As of Oct. 2 there were already 51 Cat 4 racers registered.) http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=7143
- Bring an ID on race day. You may be asked to present an ID upon entering the base; please be prepared. Also, there will be day-of registration, but it is guaranteed to be a royal pain in the neck. No money can change hands on the grounds of the Armed Forces base, and so you will need to drive back out to an undisclosed location to make your payment before you race.
- Remember that Oct. 26 is also the day of the Marine Corps Marathon. There may be traffic issues. I-395 is open to traffic from the south (except the HOV lane). Road closures can be found at:
http://www.marinemarathon.com/Assets/Street+Closings+Release+07.pdf - AFRH address: Rock Creek Church Rd, NW & Upshur St, NW, Washington, DC 20011
Other Notes:
DCCX is also sponsored by Cyclocross Magazine.
Course layout can be seen at:
http://tinyurl.com/4r6nve
Use the satellite view. Distance 2 miles. In last year’s dry conditions the top B and masters riders did 5 laps in their 45-minute race. The winning elite men averaged seven minutes a lap.
Photos from last year’s race: http://picasaweb.google.com/ou98dtbiggs/DCCX
The write up of last year’s race is here: http://www.dcmtb.com/blog/archives/222
Starting order will be based on the most recent MABRA 2008 CX Series standings, order of registration, and promoter discretion. The most recent MABRA-Cross standings will be used to call up the first 2 rows (16 spots), then racers will line up row by row, as determined by order of registration/bib number. There are no call-ups for the 9am/Cat 4 Men race. Racers will line up by row based on order of registration.
City Bikes/DCMTB Cyclocross Clinics - Wednesdays in September at Ft. Reno
DCMTB/City Bikes will be conducting a series of free Cyclocross clinics on Wednesdays in September at Ft. Reno in Washington DC from 6pm until dark. The clinics will feature basic cyclocross instruction from DCMTB team members and other experienced local racers. September 3rd will be a special women’s only DC-ChiX clinic with instruction by Melanie Swartz; September 10, 17, and 24 will be open to all. Space is limited, so email gwadzilla8@yahoo.com Just show up!
Check for updates, weather cancellations, and additional details on the DCCX page on dcmtb.com and the Gwadzilla blog.
Dates: 9/3 (Women Only), 9/10, 9/17, 9/24
Time: 6pm
Location: Ft. Reno Park, Northwest Washington, DC
Cost: Free; bring your USAC license is you have one, if not we’ll cover the cost of your 1-day license
Schedule:
6:00 pm - 6:10 - registration
6:15 - 6:45 pm - skills instruction
6:45 - 7:30 pm (light permitting) - unstructured skills work and ride on practice loop.
Race 3# of Cranky Monkey series and over-all results
The weather was warm and conditions dry and dusty at Quantico for the last of the three race Cranky Monkey series. Matt Donahue, Tris Newbury, Lynne Oliver, Mike Scardaville, Tom Vaughn, Eric Welp and Jon Wheaton were present to represent the black and red.
Lynne put the finishing touch on her domination of the Expert Female class taking 1st place again for a perfect score of 150 in the series! Way to go, Lynne! Jonathan placed 4th at Quantico and 4th in the series in the Single-Speed class. On a rigid fork, no less! Tom took 4th place for the series in the tough Expert 35+ class, despite a 7th place finish at Quantico. Also, congrats to our friend Steve Viers for a second place finish in Single-Speed, taking first place in the series!
Thanks to Jim Harman and all at EX2 Adventures for such a well run race series. Thanks to our sponsors: City Bikes, Merkle, Whole Foods P Street, Continuum Energy Solutions, Serfas, SRAM, The Looking Glass Lounge and WTB.
Cranky Monkey #2 - Fountainhead
By: Jonathan Wheaton
I decided after the first lap of Cranky Monkey #2 at Fountainhead Park in Virginia that the trail there isn’t such a great singlespeed race course. Especially riding fully rigid and having your teeth rattle about in your head. The whole thing is just roots, direction changes and short, steep hills, with very little chance to stay in the saddle and pedal, and taken all together it worked to minimize the advantages of riding a singlespeed. Having said that, it was still a lot of fun to race today.
8 AM this morning found me wolfing down a bowl of hot cereal, then racing down to the car to put a pair of cleats on a brand spanking new pair of biking shoes, to go with a new style of pedals (Crank Brothers) that I had ridden for the first time the day before. I was hoping everything held together, as I’d also installed a new bottom bracket to go with the pedals. At 8:08 AM I was on the road, and after an hour and a half drive I arrived with not much more than 20 minutes to put shoes on, hit the porta-john, get my race packet (thanks for getting that for me Mike!), get everything together, and make it to the line for the 10 am start. No warm up and cold legs is not how I would normally want to start a race, but what the hell, I could warm up during the 2 mile road start. I was on the front line for the start, and a few guys went off quick, spinning like mad. I have a pretty fast spin, but without warming up I just wasn’t feeling too spinny. After the first mile (is it really 2 miles?) I was near the rear of the class of 15 or 16 riders, but was able to make it to mid-pack in the second mile, and was positioned about where I wanted to be going into the woods. Although, after going fast on the road, a few of the guys in front of me were slowing me up on the trail. Whatever, I had determined not to blow myself up in the first few miles, choosing instead to keep a good steady pace and let the engine warm up for a bit.
My legs were feeling good for most of the race, and as the first lap wore on I passed 4 or 5 singlespeeders, until by the end of it I was somehow in 4th place. I didn’t know it at the time though — I thought I was somewhere in the top third but didn’t realize how far up I’d gone. I managed to pass Jonathan Seibold somewhere near the end of the first lap as well, before passing one more guy. During the second lap Seibold recovered from going out too hard and about a third of the way into it I looked back to see where people were and there he was, chasing me down. “Damn. Okay, I can’t let up. I have to keep on pushing hard, see if I can hold onto this position until the end.” For most of the rest of the lap I was looking back periodically. Sometimes I wouldn’t see anyone, and then there he’d be, and I’d think, “Damn, he’s closing on me.” That lap seemed like a long one, with me and my sore back trying to hold onto our gains. As I came to each hill I’d think, “This race is going to be decided on the hills. I have to gas it and give it all I’ve got.” Surprisingly, my legs always felt strong, and even on the steepest hills that were near impossible on a singlespeed I was able to jump off and run up the rest of the way. I can’t remember ever having that kind of fitness. Up the last of the hills I pushed hard and kept pressure on the pedals, and was finally able to make some distance on Seibold, but he pushed me to give it my all that whole lap. I didn’t know it, but I must have been closing in on third place, as I finished only 24 seconds behind.
So, I got to stand on the podium and collected a 4th place finish pint glass. Sweet! There was a bit of a mix up with the scoring, as originally I didn’t even show up in the singlespeed class at all. Several of the guys let me know this, and I was able to straighten it out with the scorer. Apparently they had recorded my number as 386, but the number they gave me was 286.
There weren’t a whole lot of DCMTB/City Bikes jerseys there today, I think a total of 7 altogether, but we had 5 people on the podium. Tris Newbury took 4th in women’s sport, Joel Gwadz dominated the clydesdales to take 1st, Tom Vaughn battled the expert vets to get 5th (and that’s a hard class to race in to be sure!), Lynne Oliver stepped on the gas for her third lap in the women’s expert class to soundly beat the woman she trailed for two laps, and I held a steady pace to wind up 4th in the singlespeed class. Great job everyone!
12 Hours of Cranky Monkey - A Race in Four Haikus
I
An hour gets longer
every year. Where is the thunder?
That was Joe Fo — bye.
II
What strange beast took down
Mathias? Six miles is past.
It’s time to smile.
III
Let it flow, faster.
Get past the bunny girl now
before the downhill.
IV
Who added the hills
to this lap? When will that twitch
cramp? Not now, I — ouch.
Four for Four at The 12 Hours of Cranky Monkey
Four DCMTB/City Bikes teams toed the line to race at the 2nd annual 12 Hours of Cranky Monkey this Saturday and all four walked away with top-3 finishes. The race, promoted by EX2Adventures at Quantico Marine Corps Base, took place under brutally hot conditions, from 8am to 8pm on a fun 11 miles of trail at the base.
Mike Klasmeier, Ilana Knopf and Raul Rojas took First in the 3-person Co-Ed category with the team of Michael Mathias, Lynne Oliver, and Mark Drajem close behind in 3rd place.
Taking 2nd place in 3-Man Masters (35+) was the team of Marc Gwadz, Tom Vaughn, and Chris Clarke in a fight that went right down to the last lap. In 3-Man Expert JJ Foley, Alistair MacDonald, and Joe Foley took 2nd place behind a fast team from the Bike Lane. The expert and masters teams both finished in the top ten overall with 11 laps each.
Thanks, once again, go to all of our 2008 sponsors: City Bikes, Merkle, Whole Foods P Street, Continuum Solar Energy, SRAM, Serfas, Deuter, WTB, and Looking Glass Lounge.
older posts »