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Starting Fast at Wednesdays at Wakefield

DCMTB/City Bikes took home three victories this past week at the kickoff of the annual Wednesdays at Wakefield race series at Wakefield Park in Annandale, Virginia. The series, promoted by the Potomac Velo Club, is a summertime tradition in DC and looked forward to by many local racers.

Mike Pearce started the evening off on a high note by taking 1st place in the Singlespeed race. Last year Pearce won the singlespeed race 3 out of 4 weeks to win the series by 42 points. Also competing in the singlespeed race were Dave Vannier, who took home 15th place, and Jake Danoff, who had an unfortunate DNF.

The successes continued into the 2nd wave of racing with 2 more victories. Lynne Oliver stormed to victory in the Women’s Expert race, winning by a margin of over 4-minutes to her closest competitor, and DCMTB/City Bikes newcomer Alistair MacDonald took 1st place in Clydesdale. DCMTB/City Bikes clydesdale mainstay Joel Gwadz wasn’t able to make the race this time around, but we’re looking forward to a showdown for DCMTB supremacy between the two in upcoming rounds.

In the sport classes, Jennifer Wills took 3rd in Women’s Sport, and JJ Foley took 11th in Men’s Sport. In the Men’s Expert Class Tom Vaughn took 10th place, and Joe Foley took 19th place.

2008 Roster & Races

The DCMTB/City Bikes Team has grown for the 2008 year. The many members who were team in 2007 have put in the effort and have moved up to the Elite level. 2008 for DCMTB/City Bikes, looks to be filled with new goals, The Mid-Atlantic Cup, the 24 hour U.S. Relay Campionships, Along with local favorites. DCMTB/City Bikes is celebrating 10 years and here is a look at the last year or so in pictures Enjoy!

2008 DCMTB\City Bikes Priority Calendar *

Mountain
Leesburg Bakers Dozen April 19th
Greenbrier Challenge April 27th
12 Hours of Lodi Farm May 3-4
24 Hours of Big Bear June 7-8
12 Hours Cranky Monkey June 28
Cranky Monkey Wakefield July 27
Cranky Monkey Fountain Head Aug 10
Cranky Monkey Quantico Aug 24
SM100 Aug 31

CycloCross
Ed Sanders CX Sept. 28th
DC-CX Oct. 26th
 
Road
RFK Crit May 25th
Giro di Coppi July 19th

* For Priority Races there will be at least 50% of the Elite Team at these races.

2008 Roster

Elite

Team

Club

*New Member This Year

Congratulations Marc!

BIKEREG.COM MABRACROSS DECLARES ITS CHAMPIONS

Wittwer, Shogren and Gwadz win Elite Crowns

Press Contact Information: BikeReg.com MABRAcross Cyclocross Series
Ken Getchell, Media Director: kenmacpr@yahoo.com; 610-397-1950

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

December 19, 2007, 2007; Conshohocken, PA, USA: The BikeReg.com MABRAcross series celebrated its most successful season ever in 2007, with average attendance at each event growing by over 20% for the fourth consecutive year. Excitement is already building for 2008 as at least two new races, DCCX and Rockburn Cross, are expected to join the series next year.

Of course, cyclocross is all about riders, and the most successful riders were the new Elite Champions: Greg Wittwer, Betsy Shogren and Marc Gwadz. Shogren and Gwadz won three races apiece to dominate the Elite Women and the new Elite Masters classes, respectively. Meanwhile, Greg Wittwer took the opposite approach and used consistency to squeak out the season title from Wes Schempf in the last race.

It was a season of transition for the MABRA men as, for the first time, world-class professional talent started lining up next to the regional stars. Former Italian National Team member and newly-crowned Verge MAC Champion Davide Frattini (Colavita/Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light) opened the season with a win at the season-opening Charm City Cyclocross. Wes Schempf (C3-Sollay.com), the 2006 Verge MAC Champion and BikeReg.com MABRAcross runner-up out-dueled mountain bike superstar Jeremiah Bishop (Trek/VW) for victory at the Ed Sander Memorial, while Bishop scored the victory at the Tacchino Cicliocross in November. But local talent Wittwer (FORT Factory Team) snookered all the outsiders by quietly scoring points in nearly every race. His third place finish on Thanksgiving weekend clinched the BikeReg.com MABRAcross jersey with just three points to spare.

While Wittwer won with quiet consistency, his FORT Factory teammate Betsy Shogren dominated the Elite Womens series standings to win her second BikeReg.com
MABRAcross championship. The three-time Verge MAC champion had previously dabbled in MABRA races. But the rapidly growing profile of the series, and its proximity to her home in West Virginia, made the championship an enticing target. The BikeReg.com MABRAcross championship capped-off an excellent year for Shogren, who also scored a perfect score en-route to victory in the pro/elite division of the heavily-attended West Virginia Mountain Bike Series and set a new course record while winning the Wilderness 101 ultra endurance mountain bike race.

Like Shogren, Marc Gwadz (DCMTB/City Bikes/Metro Gutter) scored three victories to win the new Elite Masters crown. Like many series in the East, the huge number of Masters participants was threatening to overwhelm courses and organizers. But unlike other series, MABRA elected to have their Elite Masters race for a full 60 minutes in conjunction with the Elite Men. Gwadz was a busy man this Autumn as, in addition to winning the series, he was also the promoter of the first year DCCX race on the grounds of the Armed Services Retirement Home. The DCCX was the first sanctioned cyclocross race ever held within the limits of Washington DC and Gwadz aspires to have his event join the BikeReg.com MABRAcross Series in 2008.

Other riders to win BikeReg.com MABRAcross Championship Jerseys were:

Randy Root, of ABRT/Latitude in the Cat. 1/2/3 Masters 45+ division
Nunzio Dibiasi of Yellow Breeches Racing in the Masters 55+ division
Eric Linder of Hunt Valley Bicycles/Marathon Roofing in the Mens Cat. 3/4 division
Sam OKeefe of C3-Sollay.com in the MABRA Junior (U18) division

OKeefe also led a contingent of no fewer than seven BikeReg.com MABRAcross regulars who stood on the podium at this past weekends U.S. National Cyclocross Championships. Joining OKeefe (4th in the 13-14 age division) as National Championship podium finishers were:

Rob Lea, 2nd 65-69 age division
Wes Schempf, 3rd 30-35 age division
Mark Kutney 2nd 50-54 age division
Fred Wittwer, 1st 55-59 age division
Alicia Styer, 3rd 10-12 age division
Gunnar Shogren, 3rd 45-49 age division

Full standings for all classes in the 2007 BikeReg.com MABRAcross Series can be found in the cyclocross section of www.mabra.org. The Mid Atlantic Bicycle Racing Association would like to thank BikeReg.com for the continued support and streamlined registration for the ever-growing rider base in the MABRA region.

Weston Schempf and Betsy Shogren take top honors at DCCX

From DC-CX

Weston Schempf of C3-Sollay.com and Betsy Shogren of FORT Factory Team pulled away from their top competitors early to ride to commanding victories in the inaugural DCCX Cyclocross Race presented by DCMTB/City Bikes in Washington, D.C.
The event, held on the grounds of the Armed Forces Retirement Home, was the first-ever cyclocross race held in the nation’s capital, and — with a crystalline fall day as an added draw — the race had a full field of 225 riders, including a packed CAT 4/beginners race with more than 80 riders.
The race was promoted by the DC Mountain Bike Team with the assistance of team sponsors City Bikes, Metro Gutter and Home Services, Temperance Hall and Whole Foods Market - P Street. Specific race sponsors included Sticky Fingers Bakery, Sonoma Restaurant and Wine Bar, DrinkMore Water, Louis Garneau, WTB, Serfas, Surly and Salsa.
The course, which was muddied up by three days of rain in the days before the race, included a wide mix of rooted, swooping curves, open road, two sets of tricky barriers and a Paris-Roubaix style brick section. Roadies called it a mountain bikers’ course because of the rough, rooted sections; mountain bikers wondered why their competitors hung on their wheel during the brutal windy, road section. Everyone was heard praising the course design.
“Props to whoever put it together,” Schempf said. “There was a lot of good rhythm to it.”
Schempf, from Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania, led the field of 17 top riders by the time the field hit the first uphill barrier section and said after that he knew the race was his to lose. No one else had a chance: Schempf had his car, with his bikes in it, towed the night before. He had to scramble in just the few hours before the race to recover his bikes (and car) and make his way to the venue.
“I was a little angry,” Schempf said. “I decided to take it out on the course.”
Blair Saunders of Henry’s Bikes led a group of four riders who chased Schempf for much of the race. Saunders tried in vain to get some help to lead the effort to work the way back up to Schempf, whose lead exceeded one minute at halfway into the hour-long race. Saunders finally attacked his group and got clear for second place.
The most dramatic finish in the race came from Bethesda’s own Nick Bax, a member of the junior national road team. Bax started at the back of the field and was shaky around some of the tight, technical turns. But as the race went on he picked better lines — and picked off riders ahead of him. With less than a half a lap to go, Bax put on a charge, and was able to nip Patrick Engleman at the line to take fifth place and a podium position.
“He might have won this race if it lasted another 30 minutes,” announcer Shawn “Bega” Blumenfeld told the crowd, which at that point was enjoying the free beer offered by Sonoma.
In the women’s race Shogren, from Morgantown, West Virginia, took off with Jessica Hill from the start, and then built a lead after Hill had technical problems. She smoothly built up a big lead, wide enough that she could switch to her single-speed pit bike after a few laps.
For Shogren, the DCCX event was about more than just racing: She hadn’t visited Washington before and spent Saturday touring the historic monuments with husband and third-place finisher Gunnar Shogren on their bikes.
The earlier races had bigger fields and lots of drama. Russell Langley, a professional with Battley Harley Davidson, throttled the B field and then pledged Blumenfeld — and the crowd — that he would race with the A riders next week.
In the Masters race, course designer Marc Gwadz moved out to an early lead but was slowly roped in by Randall Root and Bernie Shiao. Gwadz held on with the Root and Shiao and then made a dramatic sprint in what he thought was the last lap. It wasn’t, and Shiao and Root, who are both 45+ riders, then moved out to win the race in that order.
In the packed C Race Ryan Bannon used his mountain biking skill to move out to an early lead. Steve Wall and Matt Parse put on the chase and took the lead. Parse of Route 1 Velo held out for the victory, and Wall faded to fifth - one place behind Bannon - after a flat tire.
Race director Matt Donahue lives near the Armed Forces Retirement Home, and approached the government-sponsored retirement home about using the grounds for the race. Race proceeds will be donated to benefit the veterans at the AFRH. One official donated his daily salary to the veterans.
Results are here: http://www.dcmtb.com/blog/archives/221
Photos are here: http://picasaweb.google.com/ou98dtbiggs/DCCX
Photos and blog here: http://www.gwadzilla.blogspot.com/

DCCX Results‏

Updated 10/29/07

Men’s 1-2-3 (A)
Time Bib # Last Name First Name Team
1 56:53 1 SCHEMPF Weston C3-Sollay.com
2 57:27 2 SAUNDERS Blair Henry’s
3 57:41 5 SHOGREN Gunnar Fort Factory Team
4 57:46 6 WEAVER Dave
5 57:48 9 BAX Nick Hot Tubes Development Team
6 57:56 4 WOOD David Bike Doctor
7 58:47 7 ELLICOTT Evan team n-tieractive/Bike Doctor-Waldorf
8 1:00:19 10 BREWER John Squadra Coppi/IM SAAB
9 1:01:13 14 MEALEY Sean Hunt Valley Bicycles/Marathon Roofing
10 1:01:44 13 RUSSELL Eric Clif Bar
11 1:03:34 8 NIETERS Jared Haymarket Bicycles/World Gym
12 1:04:35 17 PRENTICE Jed n-tieractive/Bike Doctor Waldorf
13 3 FADER Evan Battley Harley-Davidson/Hudson Trail
14 11 DUKE David Page Valley Cycling
15 12 FUNG Adam Clean Currents p/b Don Beyer Volvo
16 15 MCGILL Chris FORT Factory Team
17 16 WAGNER 0 

Women’s A
Time Bib # Last Name First Name
1 49:37 40 SHOGREN Betsy
2 51:08 41 HILL Jessica
3 51:11 47 HARLOW Elizabeth
4 52:03 45 SPANOGLE Terri
5 54:23 43 VON TEITENBERG Heidi
6 N/T 44 KEMMERER Arley

Masters Men 1-2-3-4
45+ Bib # Last Name First Name Team
1 45 203 SHIAO Bernie Kelly Benefit Strategies/LSV Amateur Cycling
2 45 201 ROOT Randall ABRT/Latitude
3 200 GWADZ Marc DCMTB/City Bikes
4 207 BIRNER Michael All American Bicycle Center
5 202 PITTMAN Todd
6 206 HOUGHTON Jonathan
7 45 241 GREENE Albert Yellow Breeches Racing
8 246 WAGNER James W.
9 211 HOLMAN Barry Team Fuji
10 213 BLODGETT David AABC
11 45 239 DOWNING Shawn Chesapeake Wheelmen/King Pawn
12 45 240 KENSINGER Karl NCVC/Inova Health System
13 205 CLARKE Christopher DCMTB/City Bikes
14 208 LEAVER Erik NCVC/Inova Health System
15 242 CONNOLLY Karl Kelly Benefit Strategies/LSV Amateur Cycling
16 45 219 ANDERSON Jeff HPC/List
17 232 NUSBAUM John Haymarket Bicycles
18 45 209 HUEBNER Ron Potomac Velo Club
19 45 222 KAY David Clean Currents p/b Don Beyer Volvo
20 210 BERNARD Darren Haymarket Bicycles
21 214 SOVEK Chip Potomac Velo Club
22 212 MICHEL Matt NCVC / Inova Health System
23 230 ENGBLOM Thor NCVC/Inova Health System
24 249 DOWNS Jay Fort Factory Team
25 247 FRAZER Marc Kelly Benefit Strategies/LSV Amatuer Racing
26 226 DRAJEM Mark DCMTB
27 45 234 NEAL Sapp BMC/RacePace Columbia
28 224 GWADZ Joel DCMTB/City Bikes
29 45 216 THOMPSON Tony 3-D Fitness Whole Wheel Velo Club
30 228 VAUGHN Tom DCMTB
31 45 225 SNYDER Thomas
32 231 DEPENNING Paul Haymarket Bicycles
33 250 WIEGMANN Dietrich DCMTB/City Bikes
34 251 LEA Rob T.E.A.M. Fuji
35 245 LEITNER Steve
36 220 KOTUN Joseph Lanterne Rouge
37 215 WANCO Mark World Cup Ski and Cycle cycling team
38 227 HEYWOOD John 1412 Velo Club
39 237 BUKI Charles
40 253 SCHAEFFER Will
41 229 KINNEY Michael Potomac Velo club
42 235 MATHIAS Michael Prince William Elite Racing
43 243 ROMEFELT Alan Kelly Benefit Strategies- LSV Amateur
44 252 Scott Chris SMT
45 254 ARNETT Eric

Mabra -Jr- U18
Time Place Bib # Last Name First Name Team
48:28:00 1 361 MACKAY Thomas Family Bike Shop
55:42:00 2 360 CLARKE Langston DCMTB/City Bikes
DNS DNS 362 WALLACE Vaughn Trek of Pittsburgh

Men’s 3/4 (B)
Time Bib # Last Name First Name Team
1 45:06 331 LANGLEY Russell Battley Harley Davidson
2 46:20 324 JONES Taylor American University Cycling/Inland Construction
3 46:40 328 MURPHY Kyle The Bike Lane
4 46:42 302 FIFE Steve ETS / Silver Cycles
5 47:05 300 MCDONALD Bernard C3/Sollay.com
6 47:48 306 WALENCIKOWSKI Judd team n-tieractive/Bike Doctor-Waldorf
7 47:55 316 SMITH Phil Pit Bike Maryland
8 48:03 303 ANDERSON Terry Haymarket Bicycles
9 48:06 333 HARSHMAN Chris ABRT/Latitude
10 48:20 304 SHATTUCK Trevor Hunt Valley Bicycles/Marathon Roofing
11 48:27 317 MONTE-SANO Alex
12 48:45 305 THOMPSON Scott Squadra Coppi/IM Saab
13 48:47 330 BUCKLEY Bruce THE Bike Lane
14 48:47 320 MILINKOVIC George Squadra Coppi/IM Saab
15 49:12 314 LUMM Brandon Route 1 Velo / Capitol Hill Bikes
16 49:25 322 HUNTER Cary Potomac Velo Club
17 49:38 318 ASHMAN Joseph
18 49:55 315 BIGGS Darren DCMTB/City Bikes
19 50:07 323 OKEEFE Sam C3-Solay.com
20 50:09 336 FISHER Ed ShoreVelocity
21 50:11 334 BURNS Bryan Haymarket Bicycles
22 50:12 311 COATS Joseph Squadra Coppi/IM Saab
23 50:22 319 LORIE Mark Kelly Benefits Strategies/LSV Amateur Cycling
24 51:00 326 BLACK Steven National Capital Velo Club/Inova Health
25 51:21 335 ROHR Keith Adventures for the Cure
26 51:34 329 KOTUN Joseph Lanterne Rouge
27 51:34 310 SCARDAVILLE Michael DCMTB/City Bikes
28 51:37 309 MCWETHY Loren DCMTB/City Bikes
29 51:47 332 RALEY John Artemis
30 53:58 313 LEA Syd TEAM FUJI

Men’s 4(C)
Bib # Last Name First Name Team
1 103 PARSE Matt Route 1 Velo / Capitol Hill Bikes
2 114 WILCOX David broadway bicycle school
3 101 KING Christopher Route 1 Velo / Capitol Hill Bikes
4 167 BANNON Ryan The Bike Lane
5 100 WAHL Stephen AVC/ Team Hagerstown-Washington Co
6 125 ENGLEMAN Patrick Keswick Cycle
7 170 BLACK Steven National Capital Velo Club/Inova Health
8 141 GILLESPIE Bob All American
9 173 FEBBRARO Frank The Bike Lane
10 105 BICKLING Todd Team N~tieractive/Bike Doctor-Waldorf
11 175 MINAR Petr SEAVS Racing
12 159 PEARCE Michael DCMTB/City Bikes
13 104 TWYMAN Corey Hub Racing
14 115 RISKUS Stephen
15 113 BATTAN David Squadra Coppi/IM SAAB
16 110 SCHIEKEN William
17 133 MORRIS Gary Lanterne Rouge
18 162 BASSETT Benjamin
19 132 BAVIER John
20 107 GUE Todd dhbd /bicycle place velo
21 177 WOLFE Thori
22 122 STAPLETON Kevin Racing Union
23 179 LEUNG Ka Chun Squadra Coppi/IM Saab
24 111 BARRY Ronald All American Bicycle Club
25 112 GOLDBERG Richard Hunt Valley Bicycles
26 165 REDENIUS Nick
27 171 ADAIR Chris ABRT
28 151 MARESCA Kevin
29 143 TRESSLER Lyal
30 178 NEWILL Ryan Squadra Coppi/IM Saab
31 145 PARSE Dave Route 1 Velo/Capitol Hill Bikes
32 144 CLARK Kevin The Bicycle Escape
33 117 GOULD Christopher Racing Union
34 120 MCNEELY James Squadra Coppi / IM Saab
35 109 DOUGLAS Ryan Route 1 Velo/Capitol Hill Bikes
36 134 GHAIS Aaron ALL-AMERICAN BICYCLE CLUB
37 130 WHEATON Jonathan DCMTB
38 129 DANOFF Jake DCMTB
39 127 DUDEK Ryan The Bike Rack
40 128 NADAS Joshua Proteus
41 108 SAUNDERS Will HPC List
42 140 PARRAMORE Dave Cadence Cycling
43 135 CARLISLE James
44 153 SCHMIERER Brian
45 146 CICCORETTI Eric
46 123 PEARLMAN Jason The Bike Rack
47 149 CERNICH Scott Route 1 Velo/Capitol Hill Bikes
48 174 PORTER Read
49 154 GLODEK John NCVC/INOVA Health Systems
50 181 PEEL Jeff
51 102 JONES Davey C3-Sollay.com
52 168 BRANCHEAU Matthew Kelly Benefit Strategies/LSV Amateur Cycling
53 139 BARNES Charles Lanterne Rouge
54 118 ANKRAH Rodges Route 1 Velo /Capitol Hill Bicycles
55 119 SCHIAVO Mike Lanterne Rouge
56 157 COLBY Robert NCVC/Inova Health Systems
57 124 BLANCHARD Tim The Children in the Shoe
58 158 DAVIS Bill Potomac Velo Club
59 169 COLTER Haig
60 172 CLEMENTS Christopher n/a
61 160 VALDEZ Samuel
62 152 LETWIN Noah Team BBC
63 166 SAUNDERS James Route 1 Velo/Capitol Hill Bikes
64 163 EMERY Shannon Team Rear Guard
65 136 HOLMES Dale Proteus
66 121 CONATSER Blake
67 138 LERCH Wayne The Bike Rack
68 116 VENTOSA Joseph PROTEUS

Women’s 3-4(C)
Place Bib # Last Name First Name Team
1 82 ARTUSIO Lynda
2 88 LEA Tracy T.E.A.M Fuji
3 83 KNOPF Ilana DCMTB
4 94 JOHNSON Cynthia Artemis
5 87 LETWIN Rebecca Team BBC
6 146 WOLFSON jennifer HUB RACING
7 86 PETERSAN Doron NCVC/INOVA
8 97 ROSS Heather The Bike Rack
9 91 WENDELL Kimberlee Velo Bella
10 93 SHUE Nicole Velo Bella-Kona
11 84 PEACOCK Marisa Velo Bella-Kona
12 95 Newbury Beatrice DCMTB
13 96 HUEBNER Christina Potomac Velo Club
14 90 FINNEY Christie The Children in the Shoe
15 92 ASHBROOK-BARNES Karen
16 98 MACK Constance
17 85 HILLESHEIM Lindsey Squadra Coppi/IM Saab
18 89 ANDERSON Laura Alan Factory
19 99 KLEIFORTH Barbara

Juniors (U16)
Place Bib # Last Name First Name Team
1 68 MAUCH Justin NCVC/Inova Health System
2 65 BARR Jackson NCVC/Inova Health System
3 71 WILSON Avery NCVC/Inova Health System
4 67 HUEBNER Emily Potomac Velo Club
5 70 THOMPSON Jake Squadra Coppi/IM Saab
6 69 ROGERS Zeke Clean Currents p/b Don Beyer Volvo
7 66 BATTAN Nicholas squadra coppi

Cyclocross Comes to the Nation’s Capital October 28th at DCCX



DCCX - A Day of Cyclocross Racing in the Nation’s Capital Presented by DCMTB/City Bikes


Press Contact:
Matt Donahue, Race Director
mattydonahue@hotmail.com

Cyclocross racing is coming to Washington, DC this fall. The first USA Cycling sanctioned cyclocross race in the city will take place October 28th, 2007 on the Grounds of the Armed Forces Retirement Home. Bike racers from across the mid-atlantic will line up for a full day of racing in 9 categories that range from beginners and juniors racing for prizes and cowbells to elite and professionals racing for a cash purse. The race is being promoted by the City Bikes DC Mountain Bike Team with the assistance of the team’s sponsors: Metro Gutter and Home Services, Whole Foods Market - P Street, and Temperance Hall.

“The DCMTB/City Bikes team has always wanted to hold a race within the District since we are based out of Washington.” says race promoter Matt Donahue “The AFRH offered us a chance to do this, and the location is great for cyclocross.” Living close to the Armed Forces Retirement Home gave Donahue many chances to look at the grounds and the thought that kept jumping to mind was “wouldn’t it be great to set up a cyclocross course in there?” Earlier this year he was able to schedule a meeting with the AFRH staff to explain cyclocross racing and what it was all about. “They were receptive to the idea,” says Donahue “and now we have ourselves a race. A lot of area teams hold some excellent cross races outside of the city. We thought it would be great to hold one in the city and we found a great venue.” Race proceeds will be donated to benefit the veterans at the AFRH.

According to Course Designer Marc Gwadz the course is “a mix of grass, gravel road and pavement.” The picturesque course circling 2 fishing ponds will encourage exciting racing by rewarding “carrying high speed around the 2 mile circuit with a set of barriers, a run-up, and a brick sidewalk” says Gwadz.

Volunteers are needed to help register racers and keep things running smoothly. Any interested volunteers should contact DCCX volunteer coordinator Loren McWethy at loren.mcwethy@gmail.com.

Cyclocross is a style of bike racing that developed in Europe early 1900s. Bicycle racers seeking to stay in shape and improve their bike handling skills started riding on forest roads in the winter and soon these rides developed into race. The sport first grew in popularity in Europe and is now booming both there and in the United States.

Typically raced in the fall and winter, it’s a sport that now stands on it’s own, not just an off-season training discipline. Cyclocross races are short, fast, and intense. Professionals race for one hour and lower classes race for 40 to 50 minutes around a wide grassy track between one and two miles long. Cyclocross courses typically feature tricky off camber corners and use both natural (hills, sandpits) and artificial (barriers - 16″ planks set across the course) obstacles to force racers to dismount, run, jump, and then remount their bicycles. Despite terrain that typically reminds the layman more of mountain biking, riders race on bikes that are closer to road racing bikes with drop handlebars and narrow tires.

The relatively short and compact courses used in cyclocross races make them great spectator events.

There will be no on-site Registration for DCCX, so racers will need to register online at http://www.bikereg.com by 9pm on Friday October 26th. Please note that a valid government issued photo ID will be required for entry to the Armed Forces Retirement Home Grounds. All racers, volunteers, and spectators should enter the Retirement Home Grounds at “Eagle” gate, which is located at Rock Creek Church Rd, NW & Upshur St, NW.

Racers, volunteers, and spectators should take note that this event is taking place the same day as the Marine Corps Marathon and as a result some roads will be closed throughout the day. Please be advised to plan your route carefully.

Additional information about DCCX and the DCMTB/City Bikes Mountain Bike Team can be found at http://www.dcmtb.com

Online Registration is Available at http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=5327

may 2007 recap…

another month is drawing to a close and with it more races are in the books, but we’re just at the beginning of the season and there’s a lot more racing still out there calling.

the 24 hour expert team went down to georgia this month and took second overall with 30 laps in 24 hours.  this edition of the team included mike klasmeier from the temecula team, jonathan wheaton, kent baake, and steven viers, a new member of the city bikes team, but a long time racer in the DC area.

the team placed 2nd in both the overall and expert standings with another expert team taking the class and overall win with a jaw-dropping 33 laps.  rumor has it that they’ll be coming to big bear and moab to challenge for the series, so it looks like we’ve got a good fight on our hands.

the month kicked off with two local favorites, the 12 hours of lodi farm, in fredericksburg, va and the kick-off of the michaux series.  at lodi our men’s expert took the win on the last lap of the race and at michaux, matt donahue took 2nd in the 25-mile senior category.
the mid-atlantic super series got underway this month.  this series based in southern pennsylvania, northeastern maryland, delaware, and new jersey draws racers from a wide area, and several city bikes racers ventures north for the first rounds of the race: “on the rocks at french creek” and “the escape from granogue”.  anna and lorena represented at french creek, and joe, mike scardaville, joel, and anna all raced at granogue, posting good results.

whats on tap for june?  well the super series continues, the reborn virginia series concludes at the massenutten hoo-ha, granny heads home to west virginia for the 24 hours of big bear and at the end of the month, that dc midweek favorite - wednesdays at wakefield - kicks off.

next team meeting is monday the 4th of june, 7:30pm at temperance hall on georgia avenue in dc.   the new jerseys are in, so make sure you come by to pick yours up.

see you out at the races and on the trails…

And Were Off..

There’s been a little bit of racing going on in the last couple of months, but now things are starting to really get into gear.

Lorena Candrian has been making trips across the country for the pro cross country races at the Sea Otter Classic (Monteray, CA) and the first round of the National Mountain Bike Series (Fountain Hills, NM). We’re all looking forward to following Lorena’s first season as a pro.

This past weekend Mike Klasmeier, Joe Foley, and Matt Donahue flew out to Southern California where they met up with former City Bikes captain Brian Kemler (now living on the west coast) to race the 24 Hours of Vail Lake, the first event of the Granny Gear 24-Hour national point series. The team raced hard for almost 25 hours and in spite of a broken bike and an injury took first in men’s expert and 5th place overall.

This weekend also saw the local mountain bike race calendar kick off in earnest, with DCMTB/City Bikes racers tackling the brand new Leesburg Baker’s Dozen (a 13-hour race) and the O-Hill Meltdown in Charlottesville. At the Baker’s Dozen Darren Biggs took 5th as part of a 2-man team in the 2-man open class, and Kent Baake took 3rd in the 2-person open class. In Charlottesville, Chris Clarke saw a great race spoiled by a final lap double flat.

This weekend we’ve got one of the biggest events to hit the DC mountain bike scene in years. The Greenbrier Challenge is back again for 2007, and this time it’s got UCI C2 status and a pro field from around the country. But it’s not just the pros that are coming out to race on sunday, the pre-registrations for all classes look really strong and DCMTB/City Bikes will be out in force vying for the Maryland State Championships that will be on the line.

Next weekend we’ve got the a local favorite: the 12 hours of Lodi farm. The midnight to noon race time might be idosyncratic, but the race is always a blast.

The 2007 DCMTB/City Bikes Mountain Bike Team

dcmtb/city bikes mountain bike team

pictured (in roughly left to right order): Tom, Joe, Matt, Dave, Jonathan, Mike, Joel, Mike, Marc, Mike, Lorena, Tris, and Anna

not pictured: DT, Kent, Chris, Eric, Hilary, Dietrich, Max, Jake, and Dan

Meeting: Monday 3/5; 7:30pm at Temperance Hall

It’s almost the first Monday of the month so it’s meeting time…  see you all Monday (3/5) at 7:30 at temperance hall.

http://www.temperancehalldc.com/

We’re almost got the art for the jersey finalized, so there’s a chance to change your order.  We’ve got some stuff to talk about this time like the new “club” membership level and a couple of new sponsors (on top of the new ones from the last meeting).

I’ll bring the last couple of leftover jersey’s from last year so that any new members planning to race next weekend will have a jersey.  if you are planning to head up to camp Hilbert next weekend and need a jersey, let me know and tell me what size you need and we’ll try to get you one (or at least a loaner).

- joe

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