Last week I was in Bologna, Italy to sign a contract with an Italian Team .

The team will provide me with financial and logistic possibilities to continue evolving myself as a cyclo cross rider. I will continue organizing my race calendar as usual, but this season I will ride about 4 races in Italy. CCV (pronounced - ZZ 'Wu) will give me full support in my preparations up to the Worlds in Treviso. The team is based on a high Anti Doping moral and solid Italian family values. We agree that the way we are working to promote cycling - will have a future.

In compliance with the Italian Federation and the Italian Anti Doping Authorities, I ran a series of medical tests prior to signing the contract. In Italy it is mandatory to give 3 anual blood and urine samples - and every 2 years a full cardio-scanning. The Italian rules are more extensive in their Anti Doping scope, than the Danish rules, where doctors in sport are viewed as pathologic. The tests were taken under the authority of Dr. Giancarlo Caroli, an estimated Italian phycisian, who has published appx. 200 Itailan and International medical articles on Anestetics, Intensive Care, Sports Medicine...
By signing the contract, I ensured that the Danish Anti Doping Authorities also will have unlimited acces to the documents held by Mr. Giancarlo. Transparancy is the only future for cycling, just as it was - and still - is the prerequisite of democracy...

This season will begin in USA, where I will race about 14 races, including Excel Sports Cross Vegas and 2 races in the USGP Cyclo Cross Series. I enjoyed racing at the Colorado events last year. To me US racing holds the spirit that makes racing at the top level enjoyable.
Later in november it will get more wet, cold and gravely serious in the cross trenches of Europe.

CCVs bike sponsor, Protek is producing hand made frames by measurement. The small quantity production plant is located in Italy - from where Protek anually produces min. 700 Carbon and Aluminum frames. I will ride their combo frame from the beginning of the season. Later in October, I will ride their new Full Carbon cross frame. I have tried their prototype ... it is very light, suitably agile and rigid. The frames will be spec'ed with SRAM components. All will take a proper beating during the 35 races I will do in the coming season.

I will keep my base in Aarhus, Denmark. I am active in promoting cycling for CK Aarhus - one of the 5 biggest cycling clubs in Denmark. Especially, now when the TdF tower is falling down - it is important to facitlitate the clean home bound Danish cycling community. We need to turn the media focus to the parts of cycling where the moral flag is held high.

Link to CCV CYCLO CROSS TEAM - ccvcorssteam.com

The Doping Scare that followed Riis' conditional open heartedness left me with a feeling that especially the Danish press needed to differentiate between the doping problems of the Top International Level of Cycling and the clean and moral approaches of the internal Danish cycling community - hence this article...

How to display your Anti Doping views...? ....May I suggest doperssuck.com

It has been a couple of weeks since I started racing again. For the first time in 3 years I have had more than 2 weeks time off from the bike after the end of the Cyclo Cross season in February. Having a longer break, proved to be more difficult, than I thought. Mostly, it was tough on the head... Not doing anything physically put me in an almost depressed state. I must be hooked on sheer pain, adrenalin and lactate acid. Riding my bike gives me what I crave.
I started structured training one and a half month ago. I did not need to train much before I felt ready for racing again. In spite of passionate Belgian beer and Italian read wine consumption + other methods of gaining weight, it was not that much of a struggle to get back into shape. I quickly lost the 4 kilos.

Bjarne Riis and other Scandals
So he finally said the truth. Of course it was not the whole truth, but still he said the crucial
"I did it"-part. It is fair to say, I am happy that he and other cheaters admitted !!!
The downside to it, however, is that once again, the doping scare is upon us. The problem in Denmark is that the press focuses on the international top-tour-de-France racing level as being the only competitive and true level of racing. All others are considered hobby riders. So when cheaters at that cheating racing level are revealed or admit, potential sponsors draw back on their interest for anything cycling related. I have had a number of NO!'s since. No distinction will be made. Hence, competitive and true racers like me are double deprived. Access to the good will of new sponsors was difficult before, now it seems not to be an option at all.
It is contra productive that the cheaters continue to have legitimate access to the media in terms of telling us how to fight against doping. Moreover, the teams private anti doping initiatives stand the risk of being viewed upon as researching in ways to lure the contemporary control system. Instead, why not tell the whole story to the anti doping authorities, so improvements of the testing system can be made.

3rd in MTB-race
I did my 3rd race this Sunday. Made it to a 3rd place. I rode well on the technical course under the beaming sun. It hurt. Getting back into racing hurts. You can ride so well in training, but racing always hurts more. In the first two races I held back some telling myself, that it was only training. In the the 3rd race I felt ready and gave it a try from the gun. On the second lap of five hurting cought up with me... After crossing through the winter, I guess, I just need to reinvent my MTB-racing focus.

See the forum in the menu to the left...

During these weeks I having time off from racing. The body needs to calibrate itself, so that the next season will not become too big of a load. Mentally it is a relief not having to be "ready" every weekend...
During this time I can enjoy spending time with friends and family. The many days of traveling have left me in social vacuum, that needs filling.

I have started to look at the schedule for the next cross season. Nothing is certain at this moment, but my calendar will be announced around July/August.

Regarding Road and Mountainbike I will update my calendar in a few weeks.

World Champs CycloCross Hooglede-Gits, Belgium January 28th 2007
65 starters from 22 nations
9 laps, 3000m course mostly on grass, some sections in mud, sand, gravel and tarmac. 3 sections with stairs
35000 spectators

Pictures by Kjeld Liisberg and Christine Varderos

Gritted as number 35 everthing was supposed to be perfect...

1500 meters after the start my chain fell off and got stuck between the big ring and the crank arm. I drove off to the side not to get torpeo'ed from behind and pulled the chain out. I looked over my shoulder only to find out, that I was the last rider. I had 200 meters up to the nearest rider representing Zimbabwe and the prime of Belgian Reality TV.
Well, yeah - only one way to go.... foreward

After 1000 meters I made contact with the last riders. On the second lap I rode up to a group caounting a swede, a kiwi, a japanese and the Luxembourg Champion. I stayed here for two laps. I was hard to overtake the other riders in the technical mud- and sand sections, because the zig zagging riding would lead to collision. Eventually the group got drawn out and I managed to advance. Halfway into the race I had overtaken a mere 12 riders.

Having spend the first half of the race trying to regain what I had lost, I was now able to use my power more sensible and save a bit for the 3 climbs of the course, the sand pit and the two nasty mud sections. I managed to hold higher speed through the hard stuff and moved from group to group. I had enough tactical surplus to be in the front of the groups, when we hit the technical bits. That made a difference !

On the last two laps I managed to overtake 10 riders. I ended up on a 32. place not far from the German Champ, Rene Birkenfelt, the Slovak Champ Milan Bareni and the strong french rider, Steve Chainel. The circumstances considred certainly satisfiying..!
The World Champs is special in the sense that there are about twice as many spectators as in the big races. The procedures for signing up etc. are different...but apart from that its like any other of the important races.
There were a few Danish supportors, who had come the long way, my family, my clupmates and veteran supporter from Denmark, Per Breinholdt who has now attended 19 World Champs. Also, on the supporters list I must mention some Belgians, Brits and Americans that were cheering wildly for me. Thanks !!!

I still believe, I could have managed a top 20, if I had not been unlucky ... proving that, I must wait another year

The cyclocross calandar for 2007-2008 has just been published and I have started planning next season. I believe I can continue improving like I did this year and do even better in next season.

Until then, I have another coulple of cross races in Belgium, a good long break from riding - and mountainbike and road races over the summer...

The Cyclocross Worlds - Danish newspaper coverage
The Danish Press had some quite substantial coverage of events, the best in 6 years...

Before the Worlds
Århus Stiftstidene - Jyllands Posten # 1 - # 2
After the Worlds
Århus Stiftstidene - Politiken

It has been below freezing the last couple of days, but right now it is thawing. Mentally I am dancing rain dance, as usual. The course schuld be soft anyway. The more technical and heavy, the better for me.
This week I have been relaxing with between 1 and 2 hours light road training every day. Wednesday I did some jogging awaiting muddy running sections on sunday.
There will be about 70 riders from 22 countries at the race. I hope to be able to pull top 20, but a lot can happen ... wait for any back paddeling explanations after the race...!
There might be up about 30.000 spectators at the race. Rumors have it that a handful Danes and Danish supportors will turn up waving the flag.

I would like to thank everybody who has supported me to come this far. A special thanks to CK Aarhus, my club sponsors and personal sponsors, who have made this posible.
This year racing in Boulder, USA and getting inspiration from the local cycling community to continue was a turning point. Hereafter I gradually improved my results to a level above what I concieved posible for this season.

Final round of the World Cup
49 Starters from 13 countries
8 laps
Picture by Christine Vardaros

The weather had been bad the day before. The weather got worse om the day. 40 minutes before the start when I was ready to start warming up, rain changed into hail...
Everything was perfect. At the startline it was just raining. 49 riders were ready to recieve the wrath of the skies.

I did not get the best start, but thinking the race would be really hard I wanted to invest my energy the best I could. Halfway into the first lap a group of riders crashed into the barriers right after a steep descent. My brakes were hardly working and I just avoided hitting 5 riders that were piled up with their bikes (see videoclip).
The course suited me fine, so during the second lap I advanced up to a group with Davy Commeyne (ITA, Palmans) and Marco Bianco (Ita). Here I was about no. 25. I stayed in the group the following 4 laps, while riders dropped from the group.
The weather got worse, it hammered down until it turned into hail. I could not feel my hands...
I tried to enhance the pace on the 6th lap, but made a mistake in a tough muddy section that sloped slightly downhill. The bike bounced around in the deep ruts and it almost came to a standstill. Commeyne and Bianco went past. Trying to keep up with them I caught another 2 riders, by never made contact again.
On the last lap I lost time again in a muddy section and I was overtaken by Canadian Champ, Greg Reain. Now the shelves in the shop were really empty.
Getting 21. place I made my best World Cup result so far - and at the same time the best Danish World Cup result in 5 years.

The course at Worlds in Hooglede are simular to the course in Hoogerheide. I hope the weather stays the same...

Result and pics

Picture by Christine Vardaros

Again, I had a good start. I liked the course - heavy, technical. I was 24 after 3rd lap and could not believe, that I had been riding the day before in Roubaix and driven 7hrs by car to get to Nommay. The tire pressure was set to "fully motivated", meaning 1,6 Bar. Weighing 78 kilos, that means riding a lot on the rims, and riding sideways on gravel and paved sactions. Most of the race had a soft surface, so that was spot on !

Going into the last two laps I was bushed - inspite of sunshine and 11*C... I managed 27th place - my best result in a World Cup so far. Certainly promising for a soft course in Hooglede-Gits...

Result

January 13. Grand Prix Metropole Lille, Roubaix, FRA UCI cat. 1
The race took place on and around the actual Roubaix Velodrome

I had a great start. I took the whole shoot on the Velodrome (see film clip) and was second on the first laps of the race first. The exitement depleted the oxygen reserves, hence on the 3rd lap of 10 I was down to a 14th place. I was thinking about the important World Cup race in Nommay on the next day and did not want to drive myself "into the hedges". Going into the last half lap on the Velodrome for the finish I had 50m to the next 2 riders. I grapped the chance utilizing the knowledge of riding on the Track on my home velodrome in Aarhus and got the 14th place. I beat Ben Berden (BEL) who just returned from a 2 year ban for use of EPO. Berden was 3rd in the World when he was caught cheating.

Taking the whole shoot in Roubaix
All cameras on Berden (2 secs of me) - click Video !!!

Pics and result
# 1 / # 2 / # 3 / # 4

The top-50 taget I set for world ranking has been reached. Even with a 3rd place in the Danish Champs would have done it for me ...

Rankings by Jan. 9th
1 NYS Sven BEL 2900
2 WELLENS Bart BEL 2252
3 VERVECKEN Erwin BEL 1825
4 DE KNEGT Gerben NED 1689
5 MOUREY Francis FRA 1638
6 VANTHOURENHOUT Sven BEL 1603
7 VANTORNOUT Klaas BEL 1550
8 HEULE Christian SUI 1275
9 AERNOUTS Bart BEL 1179
10 GADRET John FRA 1145
...
40 PARBO Joachim DEN 273
...
119 NIELSEN Tommy DEN 60
132 POULSEN Christian DEN 50

See the whole UCI ranking list

Today the Danish Federation announced, that I am selected for the World Championships in Hooglede-Gits together with Junior Champ, Morten Gregersen.

I will be the first male elite rider in 6 years selected to represent the red/white colors at the Worlds. Not since Henrik Djernis in 2001 (former 1 X Cross World Champ + 3 X MTB World Champ) has any elite male rider been selected.

Is Danish Cross again to move to higher recognition within Danish Cycling...? I certainly hope so !
I hope, I can contribute to move the most obvious Danish winter sport (we have no snow, only mud) in a foreward direction. The truth is out there - in the mud !!!

I will have my loyal supporters, Serge and Christophe Vansteenkiste of Belgium as my Pit Crew for the Worlds. They know my racing, my bikes and the secrets of the trade of pitting.

Before the Worlds I will race in Roubaix, Nommay and Hoogerheide ... see calendar

In down town Varde, Denmark, Joachim Parbo reclaimed his national champions title. The race with its 500 spectators and a competitive field was unlike anything seen in Denmark for several years, perhaps promising a brighter future for Danish Cyclo Cross...

The Race
Anders Klinkby took the sprint for the first corner going into the course, followed by Christian Poulsen and Joachim Parbo. The course had series of narrow switch back turns holding the riders close together. Only in a few parts of the course could attacks be launched. On the second lap, Klinkby fell back and Tommy Nielsen came up and took the lead, setting the pace for Poulsen and Parbo. On the fourth lap Poulsen fell back too, as Nielsen attacked. Nielsen and Parbo took turns taking the lead a coulple of laps. With 3 laps to go Parbo attacked Nielsen on the open sections. A gap of about 30 seconds was built and it held until the end.



Result Elite Men - Danish Championships 2007, Varde.
1 Joachim Parbo - CK Aarhus - www.joachimparbo.dk 00:58:34,80
2 Tommy Moberg Nielsen - Værløse-Farum Cykelklub 00:58:45,36
3 Christian Poulsen - Kolding Bicykle Club 00:59:33,07
4 Allan Carlsen - Dansk MTB Klub 01:00:07,98
5 Anders Klinkby - Vejen BC 01:00:37,65
6 Kim Petersen - Cykling Odense 01:01:34,10
7 Jakob Bering - Randers Cykleklub af 1910 01:03:05,56
8 Tommy Jacobsen - Vejen BC 01:03:13,26
9 Jannik Hyldtoft Hansen - Tønder ACR 01:03:42,77
10 Rasmus Daugaard Kristensen - Horsens Amatør Cykleklub 01:03:59,96


Pictures - see PIC NR 109 and onwards ...
www.cyclingphotos.dk
www.cyclingworld.dk

33. place in Xmas World Cup

14.000 spectators
11 laps on fast course with 3 sections in loose sand
58 starters from 16 nations

I had a good start. The first two laps i fought to get further ahead, so that I would not be cought bahind riders fuddling about in the soft sand.

On the 4th lap my pace got down a bit, only to regain on the 6th lap. Caught up with a group of 9, counting the Olympic Mountainbike Champion, Julien Absalon (Bianchi Argos, FRA). I got in front of the group and went as far as 28th place, until I dropped a bit...

Second last lap I was around 30th place. Dispite light eye delutions I tried to keep the chain tightend... Alas, I skidded in one of the sandy sections and immediately lost 2 places. 1000m before the finish line, Julien Absalon passed me. Fair enough... he rides a golden bike...!

Result - www.cyclingnews.com

The 33. place should at least move me 5 places foreward on the world ranking list. The Worlds is still in sight... top 50 by January 7th and I am in !!!

My next races will be...
Petange, LUX jan 1st
Dübendorf, SUI, jan 2nd
Danish Champs jan 7th in Varde

12 laps on soft gras.
42 racers from 6 nations.

Had a great start and was in 5th place going in to the course. Then Nijs came from behind with his Rabonbank team mates. Going into the second lap a train of 15 riders passed me. My puls was in the red zone, so there was nothing I could do about that.

On the 7th lap I rode up to a 7 man group with Tom Vanoppen (BEl, Palmans). On the second last lap I took the lead. 3 Riders dropped. Going into the last lap Vanoppen took the lead and increased the pace. I stayed there for a few minutes, but had to let go after a short muddy running section. I ended up on 20th place with about 30 sec. up to 15th place. Keeping in mind that the course was not especially my thing, I can be satisfied with the result.

Results - Cyclingnews.com

Report from the race Molly Cameron

Merry Xmas to you all....

Most sponsors of sports focus on the media coverage they recieve. Value added to a brand name is most easily measured in newspaper article milimeters or TV seconds.

It is more difficult, however to measure the added value from pure training and racing activities, taht is not portrayed in news papers, TV or cycling magazines.

Logos put on the cycling kits of bike racers is its own specific media, that offers mobility to the brand names and close relationship between band names and the riders themselves suffering to excel on the cycling battle grounds.

The omnipotent nature of branding thorugh cycling sponsorships cannot be stressed enough.

The item includes pictures of news paper articles from 2004-2006 and TV clips...

See References

Finally home again. Does not happen that often this season. I really wanted to relax, but then there was a cross race on 10K away from my house. SO I ko#ind of had to do the race.

The course was really great, nice heavy mud, and some proper recovery sections. Cross is growing in Denmark, finally.

Christian Poulsen, Kolding BC was determined to do well in the race. I followed him halfway into the race. Then I made a small mistake and lost contact with him... I quickly decided not to hurt trying to get back to him. So I ended on the 2nd place with 30 sec, down.

The event was filmed by www.cyclingphoto.dk - watch the film here
Pictures from the race: www.mbaek.dk

I looked foreward to this race. I never did get a chance to do the World Cup, so I was exited about the fact of finally racing in Wetzikon. After 25 minutes of racing, things got turned around a bit.

It had snowed in the hills above the valley - things were looking muddy and beautiful. The first couyple of laps were fast and I was hoping to move up from a 15th position later in the race, when the other riders got tired. In the 4th lap, my rear derailleur decided to take a turn around the cassette ending my race right there. I got pretty mad - quite dissapointing... Should not complain too much, though. This was my second DNF in 18 races this season...

Heavy, muddy course on grass.
49 starters from 12 nations.

Normally the course in Milan is super fast, however heavy rain fall had changed the circumstances. Now the course was like a belgium cross race.

Shortly after the start there were ques at the tecnical sections. As usual it costs time when you are gritted in the second last row. During the following laps I was fighting to pass overly eager italian and spanish riders, who seemed to stop on top of all the little build in grass hills.

On the forth lap I had finally passed the south european pest and by that time I only had 20 sec. to the next group of 5. To laps later I regained strength and tried to join the group, when I was nudged into the mud by a Polish rider. That crach sufferd me more then 40 sec. damage. I did keep my 32. place till the end, though. Still 32. place was fine for me. With a little more luck, I will be way into top 30.

Watch YouTube video

9 laps on a heavy, wet course.
40 racers from 7 nations.

I had a great start. I was in 4th position after 1st lap. Then during the following laps I made some mistakes in the tecnichal parts, so I was down as nr. 14 on the 4th lap. Halfway in the race I was fighting hard to keep up with a group of 4. At that time it rained sideways, making racing even tougher. In the last two laps I got my power back and I could ride away from the group.

I guess the last weekends World Cup and Superprestige races were still in my legs. I had 1m:30s to the 5th place, Peter Van Santvliet, whom I beat in Gieten last sunday. I took the 11th place only 20 sekunder from getting UCI points. Way too close ...

Results

36 starters
9 laps on sandy course in the northern part of Holland. Lots of sharp turns in soft sand followed by short steep climbs.

I was in doubt about my chances in this race. In my crash the day before in Kokijde I had a big blow to my right thigh. At first it didn't seem like anything, but a few hours after the race it started to swell. At 7:30 in the morning on race day I had 1 hour on the bike to loosen things up, but up until the start in Gieten the pain was still there, so I was in doubt if I could even complete the race.

At the startline we held a minute silence for the Spanish rider, who died on the VeloTrack in Gent. That minute was what I needed to clear my thoughts ... I focused, almost meditated. At the gun I forgot about the leg ... and raced ...

Result
cyclingnews
Photos
By Jan Gerrit Klok and Sampy.nl
See more Photos
Ottie.nl

On the second lap my wheels really started turning. Among others I overtook Mariusz Gil (Pol), who had beaten me the day before. 2 laps later I was in a group with Jean Pierre Leijten (Hol) and Peter van Santvliet (Fidea, Bel). Santvliet got tired and Leijten and I caught up with x-EPO-convicted Maxime Lefevre (Fra). He held on, while Leijten and I tried to loose him. On the second last lap I attacked. Unfortunately, I was the person who got tired the most from the attack. Lefevre got 19th, Leijten 20th and I took 21st. Still I was satisfied with the result - they hadn't raced the day before - I had.

Sandy course in the dunes at Koksijde, the Riverra of Belgium.,
50 riders from 14 nations. 15dg celcius and a lot of wind.

A great day at the beach. Warm weather, lots of sand and people dressed in short, tight trousers... and then there was a race on....

The race in Koksijde is hated by many riders for the sandy sections. In a lot of places only one track is created - ballance is key here. Already on the first lap the peloton is drawn into one line - and the riders in the back easily loose 1 minute...

I was the 3rd last rider after the first lap, so from here there was only one way ... foreward !!! I advanced 15 places in the following 2 laps and found the rythm in a group of 5. Here I seeked cover for 4 laps, until I attaced to lead the group. Now I could go at my own pace through the sand awoiding having the other riders stopping in front of me.

There is a lot to save staying on the bike through the sand instead of running - BUT one mistake and time is lost. And so it was ... I tasted the sand ... and lost time. Mariusz Gil (Pol) passed me and I lost my 30th place.

The place as 31st in the World Cup is my best so far. Last season I was 32 in Hooglede-Gits.

This result moves me foreward to nr. 64 in the world.

More pictures at www.sampy.nl

Boulder Centre of Sports Medicine
Podium Footwear

I've been handicapped all my life without knowing it...

While I was in Boulder, I was suggested to go to the Boulder Centre of Sports Medicine to have a 3D scan of my riding position - and have my bike fitted accordingly. BCSM hat done scans and bike fits for some of the very best athletes in the world. Definetly worth trying while in town.

BCSM could tell me much more than any person had ever told me about my style of riding. It seemed my right leg is 5mm shorter than the left affecting my riding position - and entire muscle composition. Basicly, I had been riding with my right leg. My right thigh was 1,5cm larger, than the left. The muscles built around my pelvis twist my hips far more off than the 5mm my right leg is missing in length.

The remedy was a change in cleat position, 1,5cm lowering of the saddle and a 5mm costom made inlay in the right shoe. Quite dramatic changes all i once. I have never been especially particular about the smalls things, so we changed it right away only putting down the saddle 8mm to start with. This was the day before i raced in Xilinx Cup.

BCSM told me to visit Podium Footwear, a orthopedics specialist in Westminster, CO to have a special inlay made. At Podium Footwear I was told, that due to my feet having a special bone structure, I was prone to twist my ancles. This was a problem I had especially when I was playing basketball. Having an inlay, which support my feet in the right way, would help me transfer my energy into the pedals better. Also it would prevent knee injuries...

Now, a few weekes later I have gotten more used to the new postion. I have a significantly rounder pedalstoke, utilizing the power of both legs. My results have even improved, so it seems I am getting more energy into the pedals.

Boulder Centre of Sports Medicine
Podium Footwear

By Clay Evans
Contact Clay Evans at (303) 473-1352
evansc@dailycamera.com
Friday, November 3, 2006

Spectator spectacular

Boulder Cup offers high-intensity cyclocross for the masses

The fast-paced, high-heartrate sport of cyclocross has been popular in Europe since the 1940s, when road racers came up with the idea as a way to train during the muddy, snowy offseason.

Today, cyclocross is a much-beloved spectator sport on the Continent. Small towns in the Belgian or Dutch countryside will virtually shut down for races that draw thousands of paying spectators. The sport has been slower to develop in the United States, but in recent years it has started to catch fire.

Joachim Parbo, 32, the Danish national cyclocross champion, recently arrived in the U.S. for his first American races, and he likes what he sees so far: Lots of intense, but friendly, competition.

"It's been just great to be among so many devoted cyclocross racers," Parbo says after placing second in an Oct. 29 race at Boulder Reservoir, his first American race. "Sometimes in Europe, people get so stone-faced, trying to break each other before the (starting) gun. Here it's sort of more relaxed."

Parbo and hundreds of other racers in everything from youth to elite categories are expected to show up at this Sunday's U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross Series Boulder Cup at Harlow Platt Park in south Boulder. Organizer Chris Grealish is hoping to turn Boulder on to the joys of watching cyclocross — for free.

"We haven't had a national series race in Colorado for six years," says Grealish, founder and owner of Boulder Denver Couriers. "I'm hoping a couple of thousand people will come over and see the show we put on."

In some ways, sunny Colorado is an atypical venue for cyclocross, which developed in gloomier climates where mud is a prominent obstacle.

"It's really designed for places like Portland and New England, where the weather sucks most of the time, where you can't do a four-hour road ride in the winter," Grealish says. "But it's becoming popular here despite our 300 sunny days a year."

Many cyclocross riders are road racers or mountain bikers just looking for a way to extend their racing into the fall and winter months. But more and more riders are electing to focus on cyclocross.

"I got into it because I wanted to keep racing when the road season ended," says Boulder's Jon Baker, 32. "But my finishes are better in cyclocross. ... I'm a decent road rider, with some good results. But I think I'm going to wind up specializing in cyclocross more, because it suits me."

Baker says success in cyclocross is as much a matter of technique as of fitness: "It's about being able to pick the best line around the course to go faster without crashing."

Katie Compton, 27, of Colorado Springs, who won the women's elite race at the reservoir on Oct. 29 and will ride Sunday, has largely abandoned the road racing of her youth for cyclocross and track racing. The short-course, high-octane nature of cyclocross makes the sport perfect for spectators, she says.

"Getting a big race like (the Boulder Cup) is great," she says. "People can see so much more than watching a road race or mountain bike race, where you see riders every 10 minutes. (In cyclocross) you see everything unfold. You have an up close and personal view of everything."

Cyclocross tends to require more intensity than road riding, 31-year-old Parbo says: "On a mountain bike you go 90 percent. In cyclocross, you do about 110 percent, until you see squares and stars."

And what it lacks in "mud, snow and misery," as Compton puts it, Boulder partially makes up for with that old bugaboo, altitude. Parbo arrived in Colorado not long before the Oct. 29 race and found that riding at a mile high is a little different than pedaling at sea level.

"I definitely got worked the first couple days being here. ... On (Oct. 29) I could feel a limit to what I can to (that) I don't normally have," he says. "I sort of blew up earlier than what I normally do, and cyclocross is all about when you blow up."

The Boulder Cup will have the distinction of offering the largest overall purse — $8,000 — of any one-day cyclocross race staged in America, Grealish says.

"This is ... a culmination of every bit of energy and ideas and effort I can put forth to show people in Boulder of what real, incredible racing is all about," he says.

Daily Camera
By Clay Evans
Contact Clay Evans at (303) 473-1352 or evansc@dailycamera.com

This weekends races:
http://www.xilinxcup.com/
http://www.dbcevents.com/

See also race 29oct report from Velo News


_____________

(Pic by Henrik Groth Petersen: Working the sand with Jon Baker and Todd Wells)

After the start I quickly formed a group with Todd Wells (GT) and Jon Baker (Harshman Wealth-Primus Mootry). Wells was really in the mood attacking left and right. I tried to wear the others on the tecnical sandy stuff, but eventually Wells took off after hauling throug a tricky left turn in gravel.

Baker had mostly kept behind until then and he wasn't ready to help much in the front. But he took a chance getting away after I had pulled hard for two laps. I caught up with him just before the finishline and it came down to a sprint, where I pulled the ace.

USA racing is really something. More riders and a much more embracing atmosphere. Belgium might have more spectators, but this felt like a cyclists home...

Result, Boulder Cyclocross
01 WELLS Todd USA 001:03:24
02 PARBO Joachim DEN
03 BAKER Jonathan USA
04 TONKIN Eric USA
05 SHRIVER Matt USA

Pictures from the race

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24.10.2006
New gear and kit + US races
Now I got all my new stuff for season - both my kit and my bike - see cross photos
It's all great. Now I can only wait for the mud...

Also 3 American races in the Boulder area are added to my calendar. This is something I am looking very foreward to. US racing is as exotic to europeans as european racing is to americans !!!

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22.10.2006
41. pl World Cup #2 - Kalmthout, BEL
14 nations present
59 riders

Great racing day in Belgium. For the first time this season I had all my new gear rolling: The Danish National Champ Ridleys, the 4ZAs and the timetrial suit. All ace, but one quickly forgets when it hurts.
I know the course from earlier - fast, dry, fast, intense... The start quickly narrows in. In the 3rd turn everybody from 30. place and down goes running... In the courses sandpit the same happened. So this is where the race started for me, about 1 minute after the leading rider. I rode up to a good going group and stayed in the back on the open parts. After 2 laps I attacked. 2 riders followed - Jean-Baptiste Bereau (Fra) and Alessandro Fontana (Ita). We changed turns trying to run each other tired. During the race we caught some riders who had died trying to hold the pace further ahead. Unfortunately we never caught up with the next group. With 3 laps to go I attacked the two others. On the last lap they gave up and I took 41. place. This was what I had hoped for in the first World Cup in Aigle.