The Belgian crossed the finish line six seconds ahead of Troy Wells and Ryan Trebon, who finished second and third.

Berden, 37, has competed on the professional cyclocross circuit since the mid-1990s. His resume is littered with first-, second-, and third-place finishes. During the 1995-96 season, Berden was Belgium’s U23 Cyclocross champion. In recent years, he’s mostly competed in races on U.S. soil.

Berden’s last victory came at the Boulder Super Cup in October.

In the pro women’s race, Caroline Mani raced to victory ahead of Mical Dyck (+6 seconds) and Nicole Duke (+30 seconds).

The Frenchwoman lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado — at least for this summer — as she trains and races in the U.S. She also competes in mountain biking and some road cycling.

Organizers of the U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross confirmed on Friday that the series would discontinue, effective immediately.

In a call with VeloNews, series owners Joan Hanscom and Bruce Fina said that they had transferred rights to each of the series’ eight race days to local organizers after a sponsorship search fell short for the 2013-14 season.

“It’s really just the fact that everybody wants a bigger product every year, more expansion and media exposure, but we’ve lost some sponsors this year and as a result we find ourselves with a sponsorship gap,” Hanscom told VeloNews. “If it has to go away, we feel that we’re putting them in the hands of good, quality people.”

Hanscom and Fina, the promoters behind bringing the 2013 elite world championships to Louisville, Kentucky, were the management behind the nationwide cyclocross series, which would have celebrated its 10th anniversary this fall. Since 2004, the series welcomed many of the world’s elite riders, including former world champions Bart Wellens and Erwin Vervecken, as well as the top U.S. riders like series champions Tim Johnson, Jeremy Powers, Ryan Trebon, and Georgia Gould.

“We just barely scraped by [in 2012] with Trek jumping in and saving the day,” said Fina. “While Trek was wanting to continue this year, there were other sponsors whose marketing plans changed and were changing gears. … We don’t want to put everyone through the same heartache again, ourselves included.”

The eight-race series spanned four weekends from September to mid-December. Fina confirmed that the four race weekends — the Sun Prairie Gran Prix in Wisconsin, Deschutes Brewery Cup in Oregon, Derby City Cup in Louisville, and Fort Collins Cup in Colorado — would remain on the calendar, with management transferred to local organizers.

Fina said he wanted to stem any concern over the 2013-14 U.S. racing schedule.

“Most important thing to the benefit of American cyclocross and the riders especially … I know there are some riders that will get panicky … is that they’ll still have those race weekends,” he said. “[The organizers] have learned from the best people in America how to run a race. We don’t want widespread panic because we’re losing eight races. Those races will take place.”

When asked how local organizers could hope to carry on their races when the series was unable to find a sustainable solution, Fina and Hanscom cited the overhead inherent in moving staff and supplies around the country and the larger media product that comes with a season-long series.

“The difference will be that these guys will have a one-week or 10-day product. They’re out there getting sponsorship for a week-long media product where we were getting sponsorship for a four-month product,” said Fina.

The series struggled with sponsorship in the last two years, with title backer Exergy Development Group failing to fulfill its commitment to the 2011 and 2012 seasons. Trek, Clif Bar, and WD-40 Bike were among the sponsors to step in and save the series in late August 2012. With money on short supply, Fina was largely absent from the races in 2012, putting more responsibility on Hanscom, who was subsisting on sponsor-provided food.

“That’s not an easy way to live. I literally ate sponsor oatmeal because I had it,” said Hanscom. “I can’t keep living that way. That sounds selfish. … The only external pressure I feel is that I hate to disappoint people.”

Multiple-time series champion Gould was disappointed to hear the news on Friday at the Sea Otter Classic, but was unclear on the ramifications of the series’ cancellation.

“We all want to go to races, at least I want to go to the races where all the fast people are going, because I want to race against the fastest people and get the best racing,” she told VeloNews. I’m bummed because I think the USGP series was the most professional series of off-road racing in the U.S. — ’cross or mountain bike. … Those guys did such a good job and it was always the highlight of my season to race in their races. They value women’s racing and they’ve been a leader in the equal prize money thing.”

Logan VonBokel contributed to this report.

Women’s race series kicks off at Redlands

Specialized-lululemon leads the overall standings in the Women’s Prestige Cycling Series after a strong performance at the Redlands Bicycle Classic, the first race of the three-event series.

Tayler Wiles, 22, finished second overall in the opening event of the 10th edition of the series. She is second in the individual series standings and sits atop the best young rider classification. Specialized’s Ally Stacher added to the team’s points total in Redlands, which propelled Specialized to the top spot.

NOW-Novartis for MS is second overall, while Tibco-To the Top is third. NOW’s Alison Powers won the overall Redlands title and leads both the individual and sprint competitions in the series.

“I’m proud to lead the Women’s Prestige Cycling Series,” Powers said in a press release. “Promoting women’s racing is very important to our sport. With the cancellation of the Exergy Tour, this series is the only chance for the women to have their own spotlight.”

Connecticut police officer to honor Sandy Hook victims

A Hartford, Connecticut, police officer plans to honor the victims of the Sandy Hook school shooting with a 26-hour bike ride in June.

Sergeant James Elliott, director for the U.S. Military Cycling Team, will ride his bike in memory of the 20 children and six staff members killed in the incident last December in Newtown, Connecticut. He estimates the ride will take him over more than 400 miles of road.

Sergeant Elliott will start at the Hartford Police Department at 6 a.m. ET on June 14, and he’ll end in the city the next day at 8 a.m. On May 19, he’ll host a benefit to raise money for the Sandy Hook Memorial Fund.

Providence festival adds gran fondo

The Providence Cyclocross Festival has added a mass-start road cycling event to its line-up for 2013.

Race organizers on Wednesday announced a deal with Kermesse Sport to host a mass-participation ride, called Gran Fondo New England, to be held October 6 this year. It will include distances of 50 kilometers, 100km, and 100 miles.

“It’s a natural outgrowth,” race organizer Richard Fries said in a press release. “It is the Providence Cyclocross Festival, but it’s about celebrating cycling in all its forms, be it racing, recreational riding, or advocacy. As we expand our reach into the community, why not expand out on the road as well?”

Kermesse Sport owner Brian Ignatin said the event has been a long time coming.

“Providence has all of the amenities of the world’s largest cities, yet is in an area with beautiful countryside immediately outside the city limits,” Ignatin said. “And with its proximity to major metropolitan areas like Boston and New York, it’s a great addition to any cyclist’s late-season calendar.”

For more information about the race, visit the event’s website.

Page signs long-term deal with Fuji Bikes

U.S. cyclocross champion Jonathan Page will compete on Fuji Bikes for the rest of his career, thanks to a recent deal he signed with the manufacturer.

The four-time national champion had initially signed with Fuji before the 2013 U.S. cyclocross championships. After inking a new contract, Fuji will now sponsor the 36-year-old Page for the next three years.

“Jonathan is not only one of the best ’cross racers in the world; he’s a terrific person, who spends hours signing autographs and chatting with fans after a race,” Fuji sponsorship manager Milay Galvez said in a press release. “He has already brought great value to our sponsorship by giving us excellent product feedback, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to continue this relationship.”

Page will ride Fuji’s Altamira CX frame. Later this season, he will use the 2014 Altamira CX Signature Edition, which was designed for Page and features stars and stripes graphics.

“I’ll be on the fastest bikes in the world for the rest of my professional career. Feeling lucky and thankful,” Page wrote on Facebook and Twitter.

Mancebo leads 5-Hour Energy in Spain

The 5-Hour Energy-Kenda team showed well at the Vuelta a Castilla y León in Spain last weekend.

Francisco “Paco” Mancebo rode to second place overall, behind Rubén Plaza (Movistar), in the three-day race that ended April 14. Finishing third was Carlos Barbero (Euskaltel-Euskadi). Mancebo previously won the race twice (2000, 2003) while racing for European-based teams.

This was the first time 5-Hour Energy competed in Europe this season.

“I feel good that we went for it and that the 5-hour Energy Team leaves with a second place in the general classification,” Mancebo said in a team release.

The squad will next compete in the Joe Martin Stage Race from April 25-28 in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Jonathan Page, the reigning U.S. national cyclocross champion and a veteran of European and American cycling, has told VeloNews that a controversial rule from the UCI, the sport’s global governing body, which recently had been enforced by USA Cycling, is one that could have significantly negative effects on his livelihood, his family, and his career.

UCI rule 1.2.019 states that all riders holding a UCI license are barred from competing in unsanctioned races — that is, most events falling outside the umbrella of the UCI and USA Cycling.

Like a number of riders who compete year-round in unsanctioned races across the country, Page said he counts on such races for a part of his income and for training and preparation. Race promoters often offer high-profile riders like Page a start fee just for toeing the line, as well as money to cover travel and accommodation, all of which are critical to Page who in recent years has not had a major sponsor.

On Thursday, the UCI said that it had decided to postpone enforcing the rule for 2013, but that it would “discuss and do what is necessary to prepare for the rule’s full enforcement in 2014.” USA Cycling quickly announced that it would follow suit.

Page, 36, is one of the most decorated cyclocross racers in American history. In January, he won his fourth elite national cyclocross title in Verona, Wisconsin. In early March, he returned from Europe with his family to their off-season home near Park City, Utah, after a full season racing at the sport’s highest level.

On Thursday, VeloNews caught up with Page to discuss his reaction to today’s statements from the UCI and USAC, and to talk about his plans for the end of his career.

VeloNews: What’s your opinion of USA Cycling’s enforcement of the UCI rule barring riders from unsanctioned races?
Jonathan Page: I just have a hard time thinking it’s anything but a money situation with USAC and a monopoly-type of deal. I hate to see anything take away from cycling. It’s already such a small community. For me personally, I would like to promote any type of activity in cycling. It’s been good to me for so long. I think in general it’s just kind of a crappy thing to do.

VN: Today the UCI and USAC announced that they were postponing strict enforcement of the rule for 2013, but would work to do what they needed to in order to enforce it fully in 2014. What do you think of their apparent about-face?
JP: I think it’s a wise idea. Making no friends, maybe they realized it would work better on their behalf and make it easier on the riders themselves. Keep the numbers up that are participating. They need to think of the whole picture before making rules that might hurt other people in the process.

VN: Do you remember a time when this rule was applied in the past, before all the recent talk of enforcement? A lot of riders had been doing unsanctioned races for a long time with no issues, until now.
JP: No, I can’t remember issues before this. I never really paid attention to it, to be honest. And in my situation, it could be very negative actually, because I’m not on a UCI ProTeam or Continental team or what have you, so whenever I can get any racing in, especially in the off-season, it would obviously be an easier thing to do.

I can do training races around here [in Utah] and different events to fill in the gaps. It makes it easier for me and my family because I don’t have to travel all over the place. It takes a lot of money to travel. It would only hurt my situation. I think it’s all just a waste of time, really.

VN: The UCI and USAC say that one of the main reasons they bar riders from competing in unsanctioned events is insurance — that is, unsanctioned events don’t have as robust insurance policies as they do.
JP: Well, that’s what’s ironic about this thing for me personally. Back in 2007, I was doing my warm-up laps before a World Cup race in Aigle, Switzerland, on the very grounds of the UCI headquarters. I was on my bike five minutes and went down and ripped my shoulder apart. I had to go directly to the hospital.

Turned out I’d ripped both major tendons from my bones on the shoulder, and I had to have surgery. Because I thought I had insurance somehow, some way through the UCI and USAC, I thought, “well, it’s worth a trip, so maybe I could get some help.” But when I asked — and I asked people high up in the UCI because they were all right there — they had no answer for me, and basically said, “no, we can’t really help you.”

VN: Did you file a claim?
JP: We tried to file but they wouldn’t accept it. We got shut down on both ends. They just kind of dismissed it, and I didn’t even know on what grounds. It was about $5,000 out of pocket for us, but that was actually cheap because I had the surgery in Belgium. If it was here in the States we’d be out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. It would be ridiculous. Thankfully, the surgery worked out fine, though I still feel it here and there, and it’s never going to be as strong as it used to be.

VN: Will you be racing during the off-season in 2013?
JP: Yeah, that’s the plan. This weekend I’m doing a race up in Canada called the P2A, or Paris to Ancaster. Apparently it’s a fancy race they got up there. It’s on a railroad bed or something, so you can do a ’cross bike or a mountain bike. I’m going to do a ’cross bike, because that’s what I have at the moment. The guy who runs the race is a cyclocross fan, so that’s why I’m doing it.

VN: So he’s paying you a start fee and covering your travel expenses?
JP: Yep.

VN: That would be an example of an unsanctioned race that you typically wouldn’t be able to do, at least in the eyes of the UCI and USAC? [The Paris to Ancaster race, or P2R, is sanctioned by the Canadian Cycling Association, the Ontario Cycling Association, and UCI. —Ed.]
JP: Typically, and what a bummer, because that’s another part of my income. And it’s also an important part of my training and preparation for other events. And I’m trying to get to more of them. My career only lasts so long, so the more I can earn money to race my bike, the more I’m going to try to do it.

VN: Especially while you’re wearing the stars-and-stripes jersey.
JP: It’s a helper, for sure.

VN: It’s helped attract news sponsors.
JP: [Laughs] You know, I won the national championships, but I’m still the guy who has really no major sponsor. At this point it’s funny. It’s coming together nicely recently, but it’s just funny. My wife and I have this woman who does our taxes, and she emailed us the other day asking, “Is this it, or am I missing something?” [Laughs] So that answers how much money we’ve made. We’ve been calling this past year the Poor Year. It worked out in the end, but there you go.

VN: So who’s supporting you going forward?
JP: Fuji Bikes will be sponsoring me for the next three years, for the rest of my career, basically. Shimano will be on board for shoes, components, and probably wheels. I’ll be wearing Lazer helmets and Spy Optic glasses, and I have a new clothing manufacture in Sommerville Sports. Then there’s Clif Bar, and Greg Nelson is a friend and a lawyer who also sponsors me, as well as the Fulcrum Group. I’m trying to sign everybody for the last three years of my career.

VN: You’ve talked about racing a full season in the U.S. Will that happen?
JP: It’ll probably be two more years in Europe, then I’d like to try to do the last year in America. That’s the plan right now anyway. That way my family will be in one place for the whole year round. Traveling and logistics are getting more difficult, with my kids getting older and school. Not to say they’re aren’t very adaptable, which they have been.

Reversing course from late last week, the UCI, cycling’s global governing body, said that it would not strictly enforce the rule in 2013.

“The UCI listened to the feedback from the various groups involved and who feel affected by a strict and immediate enforcement of rule 1.2.019 and its associated sanctions,” the UCI wrote on its website. “The UCI has decided to postpone strict enforcement of rule 1.2.019 in 2013 with the expectation that all stakeholders (national federations, race directors, teams, and riders) will discuss and do what is necessary to prepare for the rule’s full enforcement in 2014.”

USA Cycling said that it would follow suit.

“Notwithstanding the fact that rule 1.2.019 has been enforced in Europe for many years, it is clear strict enforcement in the U.S. and other countries will have unintended and undesirable consequences,” said Steve Johnson, USAC president and CEO, in a statement.

“USA Cycling listened to the views expressed by the cycling community in America, and these issues were fully represented in discussions with the UCI,” Johnson said. “We would like to thank the UCI for its willingness to suspend enforcement of the rule globally to allow time for productive dialogue with all stakeholders to find a workable solution for the future.”

As VeloNews has reported over the past several months, a tide of fierce backlash from riders, race promoters, and fans had grown since USAC announced that it would work to apply the long-overlooked rule from the sport’s global governing body. Rule 1.2.019, which essentially states that licensed riders cannot compete in events that are not sponsored by either the UCI or USA Cycling, is not new. USA Cycling, however, has only strictly enforced it the past three years. USA Cycling had used the UCI’s new-found interest in the rule to influence, for example, the independent, Colorado-based American Cycling Association to re-join USAC in 2011.

And as VeloNews reported in December, USAC told a number of parties in 2012 that participation by professional riders in Oregon Bicycle Racing Association events and unsanctioned mountain bike races such as the Breck Epic would be met with a penalty going forward.

All along, USA Cycling claimed that it had been caught in UCI crossfire and was simply enforcing a rule as it is required to do. VeloNews published a full report on the rule last week, including a letter from UCI president Pat McQuaid to Johnson and other federation presidents, which outlined the UCI’s enforcement of the rule and its application to professional and amateur riders.

“The objective of this regulation is to protect the hard work and resources you pour into the development of your events at national level,” McQuaid wrote. “It allows for a federative structure, something which is inherent in organized sport and which is essential to being a part of the Olympic movement.”

Examples of unlicensed races in which UCI-licensed riders have participated include the Teva Mountain Games, a multi-sport event in Vail, Colo., that combines bike racing, kayaking, rock climbing, and trail running. Tom Danielson (Garmin-Sharp) and Georgia Gould (Luna Chix) both competed in the event last year, which resulted in USA Cycling informing them that they were in violation of rule 1.2.019.

In recent days, athletes including Olympian Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Trek) and Ryan Trebon (Cannondale), as well as the Sho-Air-Cannondale team of Jeremiah Bishop and Pua Mata have spoken out against the rule.

A long-overlooked rule from the sport’s global governing body bars UCI license holders, professional and amateur, from participating in most events falling outside the umbrella of the UCI and USA Cycling. USAC has used the UCI’s new-found interest in the rule to influence the Colorado-based American Cycling Association to re-join USAC in 2011 and, as VeloNews reported in December, notified a number of parties in 2012 that participation by professional riders in Oregon Bicycle Racing Association events and unsanctioned mountain bike races like the Breck Epic would be met with a penalty going forward.

While riders, promoters, and OBRA officials have cried foul against USA Cycling, the organization’s No. 2 man shot back on Friday, claiming USAC was caught in UCI crossfire and was simply enforcing a rule as it is required to do.

USA Cycling issued a statement on Friday seeking to clarify its position regarding the controversial UCI rule. In its statement today, USAC prefaced an updated clarification letter from the UCI, saying:

There has been a tremendous amount of discussion and misinformation recently in articles and forums regarding UCI rule 1.2.019, which prohibits all UCI licensed riders from competing in events that are not sanctioned by a national federation. USA Cycling received the following letter from the International Cycling Union (UCI) on March 26 to all national federations clarifying its expectations in the enforcement of rule 1.2.019. It also explains what the few possible exceptions to its rule are.

The UCI confirmed that Rule 1.2.019 and the related sanctions in 1.2.020 and 1.2.021 must apply to every UCI-recognized national federation in the world. Therefore, as a member of the International Federation, USA Cycling will comply with the direction from the UCI.
The letter below was communicated to USA Cycling members today.

The UCI’s letter reads:

Dear President,

It has recently come to our attention that some National Federations are experiencing difficulties in the interpretation and application of the rules relating to “forbidden races,” namely Articles 1.2.019, 1.2.020, and 1.2.021 of the UCI Regulations.

With this in mind, we would like to provide the following clarification which we hope you will find useful. Article 1.2.019 of the UCI Regulations states:

“No licence holder may participate in an event that has not been included on a national, continental or world calendar or that has not been recognized by a national federation, a continental confederation, or the UCI.

A national federation may grant special exceptions for races or particular events run in its own country.”

The objective of this regulation is to protect the hard work and resources you pour into the development of your events at national level. It allows for a federative structure, something which is inherent in organized sport and which is essential to being a part of the Olympic movement.

Of course the regulation also allows the UCI, in line with its mission as an international federation, to guarantee uniform regulation.

Article 1.2.019 applies to all license holders, without exception. It does not solely concern professional riders or just the members of UCI teams, contrary to certain statements in the press and on some blogs.

The second paragraph of Article 1.2.019 affords each national federation the facility to grant a special exception for specific races or events taking place in its territory.

Special races or events are understood to be cycle events which are not registered on the national calendar of the country’s federation or on the UCI international calendar. This generally concerns events that are occasional and which do not recur, most often organized by persons or entities who do not belong to the world of organized sport. For example, an event may be organized by an association that does not have a link to the National Federation, such as a race specifically for members of the armed forces, fire fighters or students or perhaps as part of a national multisport event.

With the exception of these special cases, the National Federation is not permitted to grant an exemption to a cycle event which is held, deliberately or not, outside the federative movement. For example, in no case should an exception be granted to a cycling event that is organized by a person or entity who regularly organizes cycling events.

The objective of Article 1.2.019 is that exemptions should only be granted in exceptional cases.

License holders who participate in a “forbidden race” make themselves liable not only to sanctions by their National Federation, as scheduled by Article 1.2.021 of the UCI regulations, but also run the risk of not having sufficient insurance cover in the event of an accident.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. Please accept our kindest regards,

Pat McQuaid
President

New interest in the rule

The UCI rule is not new, but USA Cycling has just begun enforcing it rigorously in the past three years. In that time, it has been met with criticism from many riders, race promoters, and fans.

VeloNews reported in December that a number of professional riders, including Tom Danielson and Georgia Gould, had received e-mails from USA Cycling informing them that they had broken the UCI rule by competing in an event not sanctioned by either the UCI or USAC, namely Vail’s Teva Mountain Games, a multi-sport event that includes bike racing, kayaking, rock climbing, and trail running. That event, like a number of others across the country, operates independently of the UCI and USAC.

The UCI rule affects all UCI license-holders, a number USA Cycling chief operating officer Sean Petty said was 3,000 individuals in 2012, and its ramifications could be significant and damaging for racing, according to some riders and promoters. Barring UCI-licensed riders from participating in the so-called unsanctioned races limits their freedom to participate in local races, race for fun in lower-category events, and even earn prize money to supplement their income.

As such, some observers have argued that the athletes affected by the rule are professional cyclists and therefore it is wrong to interfere with their right to pursue a trade, business, or profession. Others have criticized USAC for allegedly taking aim at so-called breakaway leagues, such as the Oregon Bicycle Racing Association (OBRA) and its popular Cross Crusade cyclocross series in Portland.

But on Friday, Petty told VeloNews that’s simply not the case.

“This letter from the UCI only reinforces what they would expect to happen on a regular basis, and that is enforcement of their rules, including this one,” Petty said. “Anyone who’s taken out a UCI license certainly has agreed to abide by the UCI rules and regulations. This is what we have to do going forward.”

Going forward, according to Petty, UCI-licensed riders caught riding in unaffiliated events will face a fine of 50 to 100 Swiss francs and a one-month suspension.

Brad Ross, owner and race director of Cross Crusade, told VeloNews on Wednesday that he was “mystified” by USAC’s motivation for wanting to enforce the UCI rule.

“They’re discouraging where they should be encouraging racing at all levels,” Ross said. “They’re discouraging their top riders from going out and being the rock stars we want them to be. Why would you take somebody like Todd Wells, who’s an Olympian, and discourage him from going out and showing off to his fans?”

UCI representatives did not return e-mails requesting comment this week.

Bend, Oregon-based professional Ryan Trebon (Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com), who holds a UCI license, said he sees USAC’s enforcement of the UCI rule as a power play.

“I don’t understand why they give a shit,” Trebon told VeloNews. “I can understand why they’d care if people are racing, because they’re losing money and because people don’t see USA Cycling as necessary. If promoters say, ‘Well, we don’t need USA Cycling to put on these races,’ it’s a way to try to play their hand to say, ‘Yes, they need us to be at the race. They need us to be an organization to be behind bike racing.’ But I think it’s a bad way of going about it.”

In its defense, USAC has said that in addition to helping grow the sport on the national and international levels, it brings anti-doping controls to races and more robust insurance.

As VeloNews reported in December, USA Cycling president and CEO Steve Johnson said, “The problem that you run into is conflict of liability. We issue a permit in a situation where you have multiple events running under multiple permits on the same day. Then you have the potential for confusion as to whose insurance covers what. Our insurance is much more robust than the OBRA insurance, so we would probably be the default party. We are trying to avoid that.”

But for Ross, USAC’s insurance argument is “bogus.”

“You can’t put a bike race on without having insurance, and we all have the same insurance,” Ross said. “To say that a race is ‘unsanctioned’ is really a misnomer. Every race is sanctioned in this day and age of litigation in the United States. You can’t put a bike race on without having insurance.”

Ross added that it is easy to get insurance for a bike race “that’s just as good as USAC’s insurance,” as ORBA has done.

“With regard to anti-doping, I guess they have a point,” Ross said. “For instance, at the Cross Crusade and basically any race that takes place here in Oregon, we don’t really have an affiliation with [the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency] or any anti-doping organization. But whether it’s a valid argument, I don’t know.”

Still, Petty holds that USAC’s insurance is, in fact, more robust compared with any other cycling event in the U.S.

“All of our research of what we’ve seen on OBRA’s insurance and that of others is it’s not comparable,” he said. “We just believe in a higher level of coverage for the race directors, the riders, the sponsors, everyone involved, and the volunteers in the race. I understand what people are saying [about their insurance being comparable], but we’ve already done the comparison and it’s not comparable.

“Now, if it’s what people are comfortable with, that’s up to the race director. But we expect a higher level of insurance coverage than a lot of people provide. In our case, it’s very comprehensive and covers everyone in and around the race.”

Beyond matters of insurance, the rule-enforcement issue presents problems for everyone involved, according to Trebon. The UCI-licensed riders lose out because they are prevented from racing; the promoters lose because they don’t get the big-name professionals showing up at their races; and amateur riders and fans don’t get to see the country’s best talent come to local events.

In terms of public perception, the biggest loser could be USAC. The so-called unsanctioned races, said Trebon and Ross, are not going to stop, and there is a growing tide of backlash.

“Promoters are not going to risk their bottomline and pay a premium to USAC just to appease the handful of professionals who attend the unsanctioned races,” Trebon said. “So why else would USAC care? Like with the cyclocross races in Bend, they’re saying they’re not allowing dual-sanctioned races anymore. But does it hurt them at all, besides monetarily?

“I think this comes down to pride, too. … Nobody likes to be told what they do sucks. And it’s not that they suck. It’s that they need to work on their model. The tack they’re taking is just not the right one.”

A source close to USA Cycling who preferred to keep his identity anonymous because of the sensitivity of the matter told VeloNews that he believed USAC’s enforcement of the UCI rule has completely backfired.

“I don’t think they had any idea how pissed off people were going to be,” the source said. “And not just promoters. Everybody’s pissed. It actually affects promoters much less than USAC thought it would.

“USAC looks at high participation numbers and thinks, ‘Oh, how can we get our hands on that?’ Part of the success of so-called non-sanctioned races is that they are not affiliated with USAC, so they can kind of do what they want to do. But the people they’re pissing off are their own, the people they are supposed to be making happy.”

Asked if USAC had any motivation to benefit monetarily from events outside its current reach, Petty denied any such claims.

“Would we like for the Cross Crusade to be part of USA Cycling-permitted events? Sure,” he said. “You always want any event or series to be part of USA Cycling. But none of these actions or this rule or anything that’s happened here is related to targeting any series or organization.”

Shining example OBRA thrives on independence from USAC

For eight weeks in October and November, the Cross Crusade attracts 1,400 participants weekly. It is the largest cyclocross series in the world, according to Ross.

OBRA and its Cross Crusade series are widely considered successes because they are well organized and affordable. An annual license with OBRA costs just $10, and each race in the Cross Crusade is $25 ($175 for the entire series). Every year OBRA runs 335 races, Ross said, all of which are covered through OBRA’s insurance policy.

Trebon said he likes OBRA not only because its races are well organized but also because racing smaller races means less stress. Each season he does just four or five so-called unsanctioned races, and with his packed schedule he’s lucky if he can make it to one Cross Crusade.

“I don’t go there to win the prize money. I don’t go there for the training. I go there because it’s fun,” Trebon said. “It’s a chance to be around your friends. … I’m planning on doing whatever races I can get to in Oregon [this year]. That’s where I live, that’s my community of cyclists, and that’s my community of racing. That’s what I want to be a part of.

“[USAC] would be better off listening to what promoters like and don’t like about what they do and improve their product,” Trebon added, “where people want to be associated with them, not force people to be associated with them.”

For Ross, the rule-enforcement issue ultimately perplexes him.

“I’ve tried to draw a parallel to other sports. Here in Portland, we’ve got a famous runner. His name’s Galen Rupp. He’s a young guy out of the University of Oregon, and he won a silver medal at the Olympics last year. USA Track & Field really wants to show off Galen Rupp. And they encourage him to go out and race in what USAC would call ‘non-sanctioned races,’ like your local 10K runs for citizens and charities.

“Rupp will occasionally show up at these races and it’s awesome. USA Track & Field totally encourages him because he’s showing off one of their success stories. Whereas USA Cycling is doing the exact opposite. It seems to me they’re actually trying to hide away their success stories. They got these rock star athletes like Todd Wells and Adam Craig and these guys who’ve come up through the USA Cycling system, and instead of showing them off they’re hiding them away.

“I wish that USAC would get back to what they do,” Ross said, “which is concentrating on national championship events and high-profile events. And if they do a good job of that, then they will bring more race promoters into the fold instead of being heavy-handed like they’re being.”

For Petty, he reiterated that the issue is ultimately not a USAC matter, as a lot of people have painted, but part of the UCI’s rules and regulations.

“Our membership has grown every year for the past eight years. We’ve got about 74,000 members now. We’ve got 600,000 racer days. There’s no desire on our part to put OBRA out of business or anything like that. There’s no merit to that.

“This is simply what is now the enforcement and awareness of the UCI rule. It’s simply that.”

OBRA claims unlawful enforcement

Later Friday, OBRA executive director Kenji Sugahara distributed an e-mail to his membership and others that claimed the UCI rule violated the Ted Stevens Act, which governs amateur sports governance. Sugahara wrote, in part:

Under 36 USC § 220524 — General duties of national governing bodies — “For the sport that it governs, a national governing body shall — (5) allow an amateur athlete to compete in any international amateur athletic competition conducted by any amateur sports organization or person, unless the national governing body establishes that its denial is based on evidence that the organization or person conducting the competition does not meet the requirements stated in section 220525 of this title;”

Here is the link to the Section 220525 (which lists out the requirements).

The UCI letter and subsequent USA Cycling language are likely unenforceable given that there has been no evidentiary inquiry as to any races per 220525. Given the plain language of the statute the burden lies on the UCI/USA Cycling to establish the evidence for a denial.

‘Fast Freddie’ to race Redlands

Former American professional Fred Rodriguez is returning to the race scene after his Exergy men’s team closed up shop late last year.

At least for a few days.

The three-time U.S. national road race champion, who won a stage at the 2004 Giro d’Italia, will join Predator Carbon Repair at the Redlands Bicycle Classic (April 4-7) in Redlands, California. Rodriguez and his teammates will wear kits made by his clothing company, Fast Freddie Apparel.

Aside from getting back into race mode, Rodriguez will take advantage of his presence at the four-day race to promote his inaugural gran fondo, which takes place Aug. 17-18 in Berkeley, Calif. Rodriguez’ gran fondo benefits his charity, the Fast Freddie Foundation, whose mission is to “inspire and provide young people with the tools to achieve personal successes by utilizing life skills learned through cycling.”

Rodriguez raced professionally in Europe from 1999-2007 for five different teams. He competed on the domestic circuit after that before retiring at the end of last season.

San Dimas Stage Race opens two-week southern California tilt

Although the National Racing Calendar opens in one week at the Redlands Classic, a number of domestic squads will compete in this weekend’s San Dimas Stage Race.

In its 14th year, the three-stage race takes place in and around San Dimas, Calif. Friday-Sunday. Nearly 800 riders are signed up to compete in a number of categories, from juniors to masters to pros and everything in between. Among the entrants in the men’s masters 35+ division is Chris Walker (Time-Velo Pasadena), who won the 2001 men’s pro race.

More information >>

U.S. gravity tour kicks off

USA Cycling’s Professional Gravity Tour started last weekend with the Reaper Madness Downhill & Super D in Boulder City, Nev.

Logan Binggeli (KHS Factory Racing) and Jacqueline Harmony (Team Harmony Pivot) were victorious and now find themselves at the top of the men’s and women’s standings of the 10-event mountain bike series.

The tour picks up in Fontana City, Calif. March 30-31, and then has one more event in California before crisscrossing the country for races in New Jersey, New York, New Mexico, and West Virginia. The series concludes Sept. 4-8 in Mammoth Lakes, Calif.

Men’s standings
1. Logan Binggeli, KHS Factory Racing, 60 points
2. Aaron Gwin, Specialized Racing, 40 points
3. Michael Sylvestri, Arma Evil, 30 points
4. Kyle Sangers, PerformX DH Team, 25 points
5. Kevin Aiello, KHS Factory Racing, 20 points

Women’s standings
1. Jacqueline Harmony, Team Harmony Pivot, 60 points
2. Christine Dern, Bee Rad Racing, 40 points
3. Joy Martin, Vixen Racing, 30 points
4. Ana Rodriguez, Lake Town Bicycles, 25 points
5. Jackie Swider, Shredly-Team Bacon, 20 points

New rules for cyclocross upgrades

USA Cycling announced this week it has amended its upgrade process for cyclocross racing. Among the changes, all Cat. 5 riders will received an automatic upgrade after 10 races.

The points system for upgrades will also see changes beginning in 2013:

A Cat. 4 rider can voluntarily be upgraded to a Cat. 3 rider after earning 10 points. A Cat. 4 rider faces mandatory upgrade after accruing 15 points or two wins in a field of at least 30 competitors. A Cat. 3 rider can upgrade to a Cat. 2 rider after amassing 15 points. A Cat. 3 rider is mandatorily [sic] upgraded to Cat. 2 after collecting 20 points or winning two races with at least 30 competitors. A Cat. 2 rider can elect to be upgraded to Cat. 1 after totaling 20 points. A Cat. 2 rider will face mandatory upgrade after accruing 25 points or two wins in a 40-rider field.

View the updated 2013 USA Cycling rulebook >>

Jeremy Powers, on raw chicken

It’s definitely not ‘cross season anymore! Right now, most ‘cross racers are either on vacation or just getting back from one with some sand between their toes and little more Vitamin D than when they left.

Our final episode, like a fine wine, took it some time to reach its final maturity, but it’s pretty special. Behind THE Barriers was born three years ago as a way to showcase the sport, bring the races to the fans, show off the personalities, and give the viewers a backstage pass into the world of cyclocross. I like to work off this notion that if you can do it, and you don’t do it, it’s a waste of your talent. We did it.

Since I was in Japan, I got so excited thinking about the sport growing in Asia. The possibility of World Cups in the U.S., Asia, and Europe, for me, is really exciting. I think you’ll all agree, after watching this episode, that the fans are there and the sport is as exciting for newcomers as it is anywhere. It would be incredible to race a World Cup with venues all over the world before my career is over. The growth cyclocross would see from a true World Cup series, held all over the world, would be huge.

If you’ve ever had a stomach virus, you already know how I felt during my trip to Japan. I was sick for the entire plane ride over, a plane ride that was 15 hours long! I slept through most of it, but when I was awake, I sipped ginger ale and knocked back Alka-Seltzer to keep myself comfortable. It was a miserable couple of days, regardless. After the worlds in Louisville, Kentucky, someone congratulated me and said, “Dude, great job, you didn’t get sick once all season!” I looked them dead in the eye and was like, “Why did you say that?” I knew it was going to happen — it was just a matter of time.

So, while I was laid out, you guys get to day trip with Sam, Tom, Alec, Mukunda, and the whole gang touring through Tokyo — eating chicken sashimi (raw chicken!), tasting some fine Japanese whiskey, and checking out some sights. They really got the chance to take in the culture of Japan.

My experience in Japan was still amazing, but I wish I wasn’t sick for most of the trip so I could have seen and taken in more of the country. The biggest lesson I take away from my time spent in Japan was to never say never. Before the race I apologized to my mechanic and my team manager for getting sick. I didn’t truly think a result was possible.

I hadn’t eaten in days and my body was sore and beaten up. I was badly dehydrated, under-nourished and empty. It was the worst I’ve felt in some time. As a cyclist you become hyper in tune with how you feel and I knew I wasn’t feeling awesome. As I put my kit on, warmed up, and did a couple laps, I kept telling myself that it was possible to do a good race even though there weren’t a lot of good sensations. I surprised myself big time by winning in Tokyo. I couldn’t believe it. I definitely paid the price for digging so deep afterwards, though. It took me a little while to get some life back in me, but I just couldn’t believe that I won.

It’s a lesson I’ll keep in my back pocket for some time: to stay positive, and let what you think and what you tell yourself have the chance to actually happen. If the Tokyo race had been in the U.S., I wouldn’t have been racing. Since I was far away from home, I had traveled a long way to make it to the race, and so many fans were there, I wanted to perform. So, I’ll say it once more: never say never. Even though I had to sit hunched over my bike on the start line to keep my stomach settled, I kept telling myself it was possible and it happened.

As we left Japan, Alec, Sam and Mukunda all got my stomach flu, too. They got it because they were there with me through thick and thin though, like any good family. We’re all alive and still smiling.

Japan was amazing. From the culture, to the food, to the race, everything was incredible. I’m looking forward to the next time I’m able to race and be a tourist there again in the future.

From everyone at Behind THE Barriers, Thank you to the fans and sponsors who made this season possible. I’d like to especially thank everyone at VeloNews for letting us have this outlet and for their incredible coverage of cyclocross in 2012.

Thank you.

See you guys next year and thank you for reading,

Jeremy

P.S. If you wouldn’t mind taking a quick survey about the latest season of Behind THE Barriers, that would be great!

Sam Smith, on the dog days

So, ’cross season is officially over. The Behind THE Barriers season is almost over. This worlds episode will be followed up by the season finale Tokyo episode, and then we’re done until September. Right now is usually that time when everyone’s attention is shifting to road and mountain bikes and other warm weather stuff. But, this year, I think the question that’s weighing heavier on most people’s minds is “what’s Sam Smith doing for the next six months?” You see, for the past few years in February, I’ve just cruised back into the grind of the old day job, and nobody worried about me. This year, the day job is gone, and Sam Smith is a free man to do whatever.

I have the next two months mapped out pretty well. This week I’m going to finish off the season finale Tokyo episode. After that, I’m going to spend at least five days without Final Cut Pro or a computer in my life. It will be a bit of a staycation — bumming around Boston and maybe going to New York to visit little sis’. When that’s over, I’ll dust off the old editing machine and get back at it.

There’s a project that I’ve had in the works for over three years called Working Dogs. I spent the 2010 mountain bike season following Geoff Kabush around the world. We shot at World Cups, world championships, and on Hornby Island, British Columbia, which is where the whole mountain biking thing started for Geoff.

There was this other little part of the film that involved sled dogs in Quebec. The original plan was to shoot the dogs once winter hit that year. That winter turned into the next winter, and the next winter turned into this winter. The combination of schedule conflicts with the sled dog organization and my never-ending battles with border control, meant the shoot got pushed back two years. But I’m happy to say we finally made the trip up in January and shot dogsledding for an entire day, and now we have all the footage we need.

So, March and April will be fully dedicated to the editing of Working Dogs. Then, my plan is to do a screening tour. It’s something I’ve never done with a film, but I’ve always wanted to. I feel like such a huge part of making films is actually showing them to people in person. Putting something out and just selling downloads and DVDs is like being in a band that only puts out records and never plays shows. And we all know that the best part about being in a band is playing shows. It’s that exhilarating feeling of getting up there and sharing something you’ve worked really hard on with a room full of people. So keep your eyes peeled for Working Dogs to come to a town near you. I’ll be there. You can buy me a beer.

After all of that is said and done, I’ve got some time on my hands. ’Cross season doesn’t start until September, and according to my calculations, that means there are still several months in there where I’ll get really bored, depressed, and poor if I’m not working. I’m definitely one of those people that has a hard time not working, and I will literally get depressed if I don’t have some sort of project to do. So for all you bike industry types out there looking out for my well-being, here’s my email address. Meanwhile, I’ll be bracing myself over here because I’m sure everyone was thinking, “Oh, we really want the Behind THE Barriers guy for this video project, but somebody that talented is for sure booked solid all year round!” But now that you all know that I have some openings in my schedule, I’m sure my inbox is going to be flooded within hours of this blog going up.

So, I guess I’ll make an addition to my upcoming plans: respond to all the emails I get for prospective summer work.

Now that I wrote this all out, it looks like I’ve got a lot to do. I better get back to work! Hope you enjoy this massive worlds edition episode, and are looking forward to the season finale from Tokyo! Thanks for tuning in all year long.

Sam

BRUSSELS (VN) — The 2012-13 cyclocross season ended under cloudy skies and steadily falling snow in Oostmalle, Belgium, on Sunday, perhaps a fitting finale for a season in which racers endured one of the longest stretches of bad weather in Belgian history. December 2012 broke the nation’s monthly rainfall record and January, meanwhile, nearly tied the record for the most days with snowfall. It was a grueling season, a season of mud and of cold — and of spectacular, thrilling racing.

On Sunday, racers looked back at the highlights of what may be soon remembered as a golden year for international cyclocross.

Among those who landed on the podium on Sunday, more than one pointed to the fifth round of the bpost Bank Trofee series, in Loenhout, Belgium, as a season highlight. Both the day and series’ men’s and women’s winners, Sanne Cant (Enertherm-BKCP) and Niels Albert (BKCP-Powerplus) called the massively attended Kerstperiode race in Loenhout their best of the year.

“(Katie) Compton and (Marianne) Vos were both there,” said Cant, referring to the two most successful female riders of the season — if not all-time — both of whom struggled in Loenhout. “And I beat them. I think it was the biggest victory of my career.”

Albert, who earned 13 victories on the year, chose the race because of the presence of a different rival, two-time world champion Zdenek Stybar (Omega Pharma-Quick Step), who made a brief return to cyclocross in December and January after shifting his focus to the road in 2012.

“(Loenhout) was in the last lap a very hard race between me and Stybar,” said Albert. “It was a nice race, and it’s one that I like. Maybe that’s one of my biggest wins of the year.”

For fans, however, Loenhout may be remembered for another singular image: then-Belgian champion Sven Nys’ (Crelan-Euphony) foray into the crowds that packed the course to confront a fan who had repeatedly thrown beer at him. Nys, hit by a half-empty cup of beer on the course’s heaviest stretch of mud, made a U-turn and stepped off his bike. Laying it down at the side of the course, he ducked under the tape and calmly spoke to the offender before returning to the race. The dramatic turn sparked an earnest discussion among promoters, racers, and fans about rider safety in races that are sometimes mobbed by rowdy, beer-drinking fans, and triggered modifications to barriers along a number of popular courses to minimize the chances of a repeat.

Despite the attention it earned him, for Nys, Loenhout — the beginning of a week of illness that eventually forced him to forego the start of his namesake race in Baal — was perhaps the only forgettable stretch of a remarkable season. The 36-year-old owned men’s elite cyclocross, claiming 18 individual wins, the Superprestige overall, and his second world title. But Nys picked the race that effectively launched his remarkable run, in Oudenaarde, as the highlight of his season.

“The Koppenberg,” Nys said without hesitation, when asked about his best moment of the season. “The acceleration the last lap against the world champion at that moment, that’s the moment I liked the most this season.”

Nys and Albert rode a vicious duel at the Koppenbergcross, battling up and down the slopes of one of Belgian cycling’s most infamous hills and through a freak thunderstorm that hit during the final laps. Though the two had been equally matched for most of the race, Albert could not maintain traction on the rain-slick final climb, and Nys roared away from him on his way to his ninth career win on the Koppenberg.

Nys’ win on the first day of November was the beginning of an 18-race stretch that netted him 11 victories and only two missed podiums, once again cementing his reputation as the greatest active ’cross racer in the world. It also persuaded him not to walk away from the sport quite yet. Nys, who had planned to retire at the end of next year, announced on Sunday that he would continue for at least another season beyond that. And cyclocross fans around the world rejoiced.

Nonetheless, Nys’ success is nothing new. So, it was the man who finished third on the Koppenberg — Klaas Vantornout (Sunweb-Napoleon Games) — who might have earned the award for the biggest breakthrough of the season.

Vantornout, a perennial podium contender with few major wins on his palmares, rode to his first Belgian title with an explosive race on the sandy shores of Zilvermeer in Mol. Vantornout won with a lightning surge on the final climb of the race, earning a gap of several seconds that nobody could answer. He might have taken his streak of impressive form further, but a minor bobble on the final lap of the world championship race in Louisville, Kentucky, cost him any chance at a world title as well; instead he would settle for his second worlds silver.

Not surprisingly, Vantornout marked the Belgian championship race not just as a season highlight, but the highlight of his career.

“It was my best season ever, but my championship jersey is the top — it’s a dream come true,” he said.

But for the Americans — at least two of them who spend most of their time in Europe — it was an American moment that stole the season. Both Amy Dombroski (Telenet-Fidea) and Jonathan Page named the Louisville world championships as the best moment of the season.

Page, who won a fourth national title in Verona, Wisconsin, in January said that race was certainly a highlight, but nothing could match the support he got from the home fans at Eva Bandman Park.

“Nationals was great,” he said, “but the crowd at the world championships was even that much better. It was awesome.”

Dombroski, who recently signed a contract extension with Telenet and will remain based in Europe for at least two more years, said she would have to find new goals after years of singular focus on the 2013 worlds.

“Louisville was, by far, the highest point,” she told VeloNews. “In my life it’s the highest. Not everyone gets to race a world championships in their own country, and from the date it was announced it’s been a build to that. Starting three years ago, every day I woke up it was like, ‘This is training in the bank for Louisville,’ and all the pain and suffering and emotion and everything… has been for Louisville. It was really special.”

When Optum-Kelly Benefit Strategies decided to sponsor a cyclocross team for the 2012-13 season, Jade Wilcoxson volunteered to join it. She had not raced ’cross in five years, but she was game to try.

“I was like, ‘do I get to keep the bike?’” Wilcoxson recalled during an interview at Optum’s recent team camp in Oxnard, Calif. The team said yes, she could keep the bike. “Sweet! I’m in! I can do five or six races for a free bike.”

Wilcoxson finished the ’cross season with a second-place finish at U.S. nationals and a 15th-place showing at worlds in Louisville, Ky. Plainly, Wilcoxson learns quickly. When she showed up to Optum’s road team camp last year at this time, it was the start of her first season in the pro ranks.

“I just had so much self-doubt and wondered how I really measure up with all these riders, what’s my place on the team, how do I work well for everybody on the team,” she said.

By the end of her first season, the Oregon native had found her place. Wilcoxson finished third overall in the 2012 National Racing Calendar (NRC) rankings.

“Jade is an incredibly versatile rider,” Optum team director Rachel Heal said. “From what I saw last year, it looks like she can do pretty much anything.”

According to Heal, Wilcoxson has the climbing and time trialing abilities to chase general classification results. But she can also sprint well enough to leadout Optum sprinters such as Lauren Hall and to win bunch sprints for herself.

Wilcoxson’s results from her first season as a professional suggest that Heal has it right. She won the Joe Martin and Tour of Elk Grove stage races, finished third at the Nature Valley Grand Prix, and fourth at the Cascade Classic. Wilcoxson also won the Blue Ribbon Alpine Challenge circuit race in Aspen, Colo., and picked off criterium stage victories at Joe Martin and Elk Grove.

But Wilcoxson did not stop there. Instead, she took up her team’s offer and hit the dirt to race cyclocross. When she showed up to her first race, she did not know how to pit her bike.

“They had to do a little in-service on how to pit a bike,” said Wilcoxson. At the outset, she struggled with the technical demands of piloting the bike through ’cross racing’s obstacles. “I started crashing, and I was like, ‘oh man, maybe this is a mistake!’”

It did not take Wilcoxson long to sort out her bike handling. Once she did, her talent took over. She finished on the podium at the first day of Jingle Cross Rock and fourth at the Trek U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross Deschutes Brewery Cup. By the time nationals came around, Wilcoxson had everything dialed in and scored a second-place finish behind eventual worlds silver medalist Katie Compton (Trek Cyclocross Collective).

“The technical skills were always such a problem for me in the first few months, and then I started to figure stuff out, and just get my shit together,” she said. “Thankfully, it came together at nationals!”

Wilcoxson’s ride at nationals earned her an invitation to ride for the U.S. team at worlds.

“It was a complete surprise!” said Wilcoxson of the worlds invite. “Mark Gullickson from USA Cycling came up to me after nationals and [asked] if I wanted to go to worlds. I was really happy, because a lot of times, it’s the same people who get selected for things. It was kind of nice they stepped out of the box for me.”

Wilcoxson called racing worlds an “incredible” experience, especially because so many fans turned out to support the U.S. riders. “They were all chanting ‘USA,’ and calling my name,” she said. “It was like nothing I’ve ever experienced before.”

The trip has inspired her to prepare more specifically for ’cross this summer, and hit it hard from the start of the season. “I didn’t see that coming at all,” she said.

Though she has quickly risen to cycling’s elite level, Wilcoxson arrived late to the sport.

“I grew up playing soccer,” she said. “And directly before cycling, I was into whitewater kayaking.”

Soccer is a common sport among the elite women’s field. Its speed, leg strength, and team dynamics seem to translate well to cycling. Tayler Wiles (Specialized-lululemon) and Meredith Miller (Tibco-To the Top) are other former soccer players now in the peloton.

Wilcoxson also left behind a successful career as a physical therapist to race full-time. “I loved my job as a physical therapist, and I had a pretty good lifestyle,” she said. “So for me, the cycling thing has to be fun. To make it worthwhile, it has to be a good experience. Otherwise, I’ll go back to physical therapy.”

In the spirit of keeping it fun, Wilcoxson is reluctant to weigh herself down with specific performance goals and expectations. She does not have a list of must-win races. Instead, she hopes to ride at a consistently high level and contribute to her team’s success. “I would consider success this year [to be] the team racing well, and me playing a big part in that,” she said, modestly.

Pressed for a more specific answer, she admitted it would be “really cool” to win a national championship road race or time trial. Wilcoxson is also hoping that Optum can ride the world championship team time trial this year.

“I love team time trials, and the women in the States don’t really get to do them,” she said. As a team, Optum meets the qualifications to race worlds, but they may not have the budget to make the trip to Europe.

For Wilcoxson, the team dynamic is especially important, and she missed that aspect of the sport during ’cross season.

“We have such a strong team, and I think any one of us can win a race on any given day,” she said. “I’m looking forward to just sharing that experience with the girls. We did a four-and-a-half hour ride, and we were still smiling at the end.”

Though Wilcoxson may deprecate her ambitions, Heal believes she will only get better this season.

“I don’t think we’ve seen anywhere near all that she is capable of,” Heal said. “I expect her progression to continue this year.” Heal also values Wilcoxson’s team-oriented attitude. “Her entertaining and positive personality are a big contribution to the happy team spirit!”

For now, Wilcoxson is taking it as it comes. “I don’t in general set goals for specific races I want to do well at,” she said. “As long as I feel like I’m racing well and doing well for the team, then I’m totally happy.”

She’ll also return to ’cross racing, but it won’t just be for the free bike.

Niels Albert (BKCP-Powerplus) won the finale of the Bpost Bank Trofee in Oostmalle, Belgium, on Sunday and left the track with the overall series title in hand.

Albert rode away from the field early in the snowy affair. Klaas Vantornout and Kevin Pauwels (Sunweb-Napoleon Games), Jim Aernouts (BKCP), and a few others gave chase, but the series champion was unbeatable. Pauwels suffered a mechanical with two laps to go and was out of the race.

“I’m happy with my titles in this series and the World Cup,” said Albert. “Oostmalle was one of the first elite cyclocrosses I won. It’s pretty much my favorite course and if I have a good day, I am hard to beat, especially with the conditions like today. ”

Vantornout was second and Aernouts was third.

“On a day like this, on such Niels course, you know it,” said Vantornout. “So, I shifted my focus quickly to the fight for second place. This was a nice ending to a great season for me.”

In the women’s race, Sanne van Paassen (Rabobank-Giant Off-road) led early, but suffered a late mechanical. Sanne Cant (BKCP) came around her for the win, with Sabrina Stultiens (Rabobank) second and Helen Wyman (Kona) third.

With her win, Cant secured the overall over Wyman, 135 points to 113 points.

Dan Seaton contributed to this report.

Men

• 1. Klaas VANTORNOUT, 1:03:23
• 2. Niels ALBERT, 1:03:28
• 3. Tom MEEUSEN, 1:03:31
• 4. Bart AERNOUTS, 1:04:00
• 5. Sven NYS, 1:04:01
• 6. Bart WELLENS, 1:04:29
• 7. Rob PEETERS, 1:04:37
• 8. Jim AERNOUTS, 1:04:37
• 9. Martin BINA, 1:04:39
• 10. Philipp WALSLEBEN, 1:04:39
• 11. Marcel MEISEN, 1:05:29
• 12. Sven VANTHOURENHOUT, 1:05:44
• 13. Jan DENUWELAERE, 1:05:52
• 14. Kevin PAUWELS, 1:06:06
• 15. Julien TARAMARCAZ, 1:06:28
• 16. Gerben DE KNEGT, 1:06:51
• 17. Thijs AL, 1:07:10
• 18. Patrick VAN LEEUWEN, 1:07:12
• 19. Dieter VANTHOURENHOUT, 1:07:19
• 20. Thijs VAN AMERONGEN, 1:07:30
• 21. Kenneth VAN COMPERNOLLE, 1:07:36
• 22. Jonathan PAGE, 1:07:50
• 23. Lubomir PETRUS, 1:08:02
• 24. Ian FIELD, 1:08:35
• 25. Martin ZLAMALIK, 1:08:48
• 26. Mariusz GIL, 1:09:01
• 27. Stef BODEN, 1:09:21
• 28. Micki VAN EMPEL, 1:09:26
• 29. Davy COMMEYNE, 1:10:02
• 30. Twan VAN DEN BRAND, 1:10:23
• 31. Kevin CANT, 1:10:36
• 32. Niels WUBBEN
• 33. Bjorn RONDELEZ
• 34. Arnaud JOUFFROY

MIDDELKERKE (VN) — Belgian champion Klaas Vantornout (Sunweb-Napoleon Games) soloed to victory on Saturday at the final round of the Superprestige series in Middelkerke, riding away from a lead group and never looking back.

Vantornout escaped Niels Albert (BKCP-Powerplus), series leader Sven Nys (Crelan-Euphony) and Tom Meeusen (Telenet-Fidea) with just over two laps to go.

Nys appeared primed to launch one of his trademark late surges for second, but instead fell out of the pursuit, leaving Albert and Meeusen to battle for the remaining spots on the podium. Second went to Albert, with Meeusen third.

Nys crossed fifth, behind Bart Aernouts (AA Drink), who slipped past the world champion at the line. But fifth was good enough for Nys to clinch the overall series title with 109 points. Albert finished second overall with 102 while Vantornout took third with 99.

Editor’s note: Dan Seaton has been literally crawling through the Belgian mud covering European cyclocross since 2008. Each week this season he’ll look ahead to the weekend’s races and answer your questions about ’cross on the other side of the Atlantic. Got a question for your favorite Euro star? Want to know the inside story about the legendary Flemish fields? Send your questions to crossland@competitorgroup.com. Emails to this address were being bounced earlier this fall, so if you tried to email and didn’t hear back, please do try again.

BRUSSELS (VN) — This week’s column is a milestone: it’s the 20th edition of Crossland, marking nearly five months of answering your Euro ’cross questions.

With the world championships behind us and only two weekends of serious racing left, even most Belgian cycling fans are thinking ahead to Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, the annual kickoff of the road season in the low countries, scheduled the day before the finale of the bpost Bank Trofee cyclocross series in Oostmalle.

And to be honest, there’s not much suspense left, despite the handful of races still to be run. Most prominent are next weekend’s season finale in Oostmalle and Saturday’s Hansgrohe Superprestige finale in Middelkerke. Sven Nys (Crelan-Euphony) holds a nearly insurmountable 10-point lead in the Superprestige; only a finish outside of the top 10 would leave him even remotely vulnerable to runner-up Niels Albert (BKCP-Powerplus). So, regardless of what happens out on the Belgian coast in Middelkerke, Nys’ 12th Superprestige title — and the €72,500 prize for the overall victory — are likely secure.

Meanwhile, Albert leads the Trofee series, which is decided on overall race time, by 5:12 over Kevin Pauwels (Sunweb-Napoleon Games). Since the maximum allowed loss due to a single race result is five minutes, Albert is nearly invincible. There is a pathway for Pauwels to steal the overall, but only if he can win the intermediate sprint, which comes with a 15-second bonus and win the race, finishing at least five minutes ahead of Albert. Not a likely scenario. Albert should be on course for his first career victory in one of the two major European series next weekend.

Now to one of your questions. It’s a big one, and an important one for the future of cyclocross.

The future of Euro cyclocross

Dear Dan,
Aurelien Duval says he’s retiring from cyclocross because he can’t find a team for next year. Jonathan Page, the American national champion and a one-time worlds medalist, has been riding this season without a main sponsor. With a big influx of young talent to the elite level, a lot of top riders like Niels Albert, Rob Peeters, and Tom Meeusen with the potential to keep going strong for another decade, and no really big new teams on the horizon, where can all these young riders go? How sustainable is elite European cyclocross?
—Horacio in Madison

Horacio,
Let’s leave Duval aside for the moment since his struggles are a bit of a special case. He served a two-year suspension after testing positive for the banned stimulant norfenfluramine in 2009, which might have played a role in teams’ lack of interest in him.

Page, who signed a bike deal with Fuji in January, continues to search for a sponsor, but hasn’t walked away from the sport. He’s a guy who, in my opinion, deserves better: a dedicated father, hard worker, and a tough-as-nails racer who is warm and generous off the bike. But Page also, since he splits his time on two continents, is a bit of a special case. Page raced one year in the Sunweb colors, but found team management unsupportive of goals that included races in the States and a mid-season trip for the national championships, which, at the time, were held in early December. I have no doubt that the national champion will not race next year without a title sponsor, but, for better or worse, he’ll chart a course outside of the established European powers.

So let’s also put him on the shelf and consider the heart of your question, which I think is a valid one.

The recent history of Belgian cyclocross has been ruled by a handful of teams. The teams, currently called Crelan-Euphony, Sunweb-Napoleon Games, Telenet-Fidea, and BKCP-Powerplus, have hosted every major contender and won nearly every podium place in Europe in recent years. On top of that, Crelan’s management has suggested that, absent a new team leader, the organization may fold once its superstar, Sven Nys, retires at the end of next season. The market for cyclocross, at least in Belgium’s northern region of Flanders, is pretty well saturated, so how can the sport grow?

Let’s start with the young guys. To be sure, there are a few clear talents among the juniors and U23s. Dutch junior Mathieu van der Poel seems destined for greatness, American Logan Owen has shown impressive skill and savvy, and Belgian Wietse Bosmans and Dutch U23 world champion Mike Teunissen have shown promise. And Lars van der Haar, racing as an elite at 21, is a bona fide star already.

But the truth is, the path from the developmental ranks to professional success is not an easy one to navigate. Many promising riders abandon cyclocross for more lucrative careers on the road or mountain bike. Some simply fail to make the transition smoothly or find other interests as adults. Those who are already on course for success are mostly already affiliated with teams that will help them make that transition. In fact, of the riders I’ve listed, Owen is the only one not signec with one of the four major Belgian players or the Dutch Rabobank squad. My sense is that the sport is welcoming the next generation pretty warmly.

What of the established riders? At 36, Sven Nys plans to retire next year. Gerben De Knegt is 37, Page is 36, Bart Wellens is 34, Francis Mourey is 32 — even Belgian champ Klaas Vantornout and Bart Aernouts are 30. And not all of them will have the near-superhuman career longevity that Nys has enjoyed. The role of experience, skill, and maturity in producing champion cyclocross riders keeps the equation balanced for older riders longer than it might be in other sports, but eventually everybody starts to feel the gravity of age, the lure of a life of normalcy, of being able to just go ahead and drink a beer with your feet up out on the terrace on a sunny October afternoon. Soon enough these guys will all make way for the new stars of the sport.

And the teams? The situation isn’t quite as bleak as it seems. It’s true, the big four teams win a lot, but Jan Denuwelaere took a big win for his Style & Concept team in Essen in December and Bart Aernouts and Thijs van Amerongen posted solid results for AA Drink-Leontien.nl this season. Meanwhile, Kwadro-Stannah, a new squad and an offshoot of BKCP-Powerplus, intended as a supportive home for non-Belgian riders, has gotten nothing but top-10 results out of Radomir Simunek since its inception in January. Even Rabobank continues to support solid young riders like van der Haar and women like Marianne Vos, even as it abandons its WorldTour road team.

Belgium, in particular, is a market where sponsoring a top cyclocrosser can earn a brand real, serious exposure. The Sunweb and BKCP logos are as familiar to ’cross fans as the massive John Hancock logo atop the scoreboard at Fenway Park to Red Sox fans. At least as long as Belgians continue to dominate the sport, it seems likely sponsors will continue to flood Belgian cyclocross with money.

And then what? The sport, as it has done more than once in the past, will find a new center of gravity — Switzerland, the Czech Republic, maybe even the United States.

Is its future nothing but roses and daffodils? Probably not. Cyclocross may yet have to face its own doping ghosts, of the past or a still hidden present. Good riders will struggle to find support. Old stars will retire. Popular and historic races will fail financially and disappear from the calendar. But the sport will find new heroes — van der Haars and Owens and van der Poels — to take their places. New and dramatic races will become the stuff of legend, just as Ronse and Namur and Louisville, Kentucky, have done in the past few years.

Cyclocross, a sport with more than a century of history, has seen times of abundance and times of privation. It endured two world wars. It has embraced new technology even as it holds fast to its roots. In the past decade it has entered a new era of global appeal, one emphatically capped by the successful world championships in Louisville not two weeks ago.

My prediction: cyclocross, in all its muddy glory, is here to stay.

Crossland, on the other hand, is closing up shop (and maybe headed for a little vacation in the Swiss Alps). VeloNews will still bring you all the race action as the two big series wrap up, but this is the final edition of my column for the 2012-13 season. Before I go, allow me to say two big thank yous. First, thank you to all my loyal readers, especially those who sent in questions for me to answer this season. And, second, thank you to VeloNews.com editor Brian Holcombe, for giving me this platform to talk about ‘cross. Launching this column was his idea, and it’s been both incredibly fun and incredibly gratifying for me to write.

Thanks everybody. See you out there in the mud!

Jeremy Powers, on regrets:

Nationals. The big one. As long as I’ve been racing nationals, it’s always been the one event where you can’t predict the weather. It’s the one event where the course conditions are always constantly changing. More than anything, it’s the one event where the winner always deserves it.

The facts are there. Only five men have won nationals in the new millennium: Tim Johnson, Jon Page, Todd Wells, Ryan Trebon, and me. It’s an extremely hard race to win, because it’s one day, one hour. Lots can happen.

Jon came away with another one to add to his collection this year and my congrats go out to him on riding a great race.

My race at nationals is one of two disappointing days for me this season. I came into nationals fit. I was leaner and putting out more power than the previous year. Despite that, the story is simple: I didn’t have it on the day.

I could make excuses… and I have to myself, believe me, but there isn’t a real “he was sick” or “he crashed” excuse there. I just didn’t have it. I tried to peak too many times throughout the season. I tried to be “perfect” too often, which in turn just made me lose my sharpness and dulled the snap in my legs, leaving me without the killer instinct to repeat. I think of it like a seesaw: the rest, recover side was really high and the training, sleeping, and living like a monk was buried in the dirt on the other side.

Seesaws work better when they’re more in balance.

I took a lot notes of how I felt after that day — what I would do the same, what I would do differently, and how I’ll change a couple of things going into the 2014 edition in Boulder, Colorado.

I told Luis Lemus, my 20-year-old Jelly Belly teammate and the reigning Mexican road race national champion, last year that there’s never bad days when you’re national champ. You may have hard times and you may lose the national champion designation next year, but you will always be a national champion.

I wouldn’t give up any of the podium places or wins from this season to have won nationals. I wouldn’t give up any of the wins — not the ones from August or the one from this weekend in Tokyo. One result doesn’t define my season and I’m not going to stop racing any time soon. With this season in the bag, I’m already planning for next year, with or without the stars-and-stripes. My excitement for racing hasn’t ever been higher.

There are a lot of things to be thankful for this season, and once the smoke from nationals cleared out of my ears, I was able to tell myself that I gave the season, from start to finish, August to February, 110 percent. I’ve got absolutely no regrets.

Thanks for reading and hope you enjoy the episode!

Jeremy

Editor’s Note: Disc brakes are here for cyclocross in a big way. Nearly every manufacturer is offering at least one disc-ready frame and many of the sport’s heavyweights are adopting the technology for 2012-13. We’ve been proponents of disc technology for ’cross for years and over the coming weeks, VeloNews.com contributor Michael Robson will explore the burgeoning arena of ‘cross-specific disc brakes, from the new gear to tips on getting your disc set-up dialed.

As the cyclocross season draws to an end and it’s time to sum up our Fall of Discs series, there are some salient points and observations to be made. There’s no doubt discs in ‘cross are here to stay and here in the U.S. we are leading the charge, but the progression has been slow due to a standoff between riders not wanting to adopt the technology until there’s more equipment on the market and the industry not making equipment until consumers are ready to buy. Even so, this season has seen some modest but significant advancement. Here’s a quick rundown of what we’ve learned and what I think might be in store for next cyclocross season.

Change of focus

When braking was on the rim that area was the focus of our attention. Rims needed to be true, cantilevers needed to be dialed and there was a voodoo art to getting straddle cables just right.

Now the action is all down by the hubs. Rotors should be clean, bedded, true, and shimmed out so each of a rider’s wheels is quickly interchangeable. Calipers need to be adjusted and have appropriate pads installed. Light rotors are great for racing but more susceptible to heat and heavy rotors are, well, heavy. There’s a fair bit to know, but the good news is that most of the knowledge base transfers directly from mountain biking.

Watch your fingers

I was working on a disc bike last summer and I let my right pinky stray a little to close to a spinning rotor. I barely noticed when the end of my finger was neatly chopped off right through the nail due to the surgical precision of the slice, but I felt it in the morning. Lesson learned.

Make it up as you go along

The expense involved with making the switch to discs can be quite a roadblock for some, so riders need to get creative. Frames need to be purchased new, but drivetrain and components can be transferred over from old bikes and re-used.

Building up a quiver of wheels doesn’t have to break the bank. Spare mountain bike hubs can be rebuilt with tubular rims or riders can just repurpose mountain bike wheels for reliable tubeless setups. I saw all manner of adapted wheelsets this season and even took to building some experimental sets. There are no rules here; just do what you can with what you have.

There was steady improvement

From hydraulic adapters to better cable-actuated calipers, brakes improved markedly as 2013 approached. Shimano, Avid (owned by SRAM), Hayes, and TRP introduced lighter calipers with better performance and several of the hydraulic converter options like TRP Parabox proved to be quite competitive, too.

Discs changed the way we ride

Only a little bit, but it is noticeable. To an extent in ‘cross you can only brake as hard as your tires can tolerate, but I found myself braking later into corners, safe in the knowledge that something would actually happen. I even incorporated little moto tricks like feathering the rear brake to pull the bike into corners.

The sensitivity and modulation aspects open up a whole new world of bike handling. I was in the unique position of swapping between a disc and a cantilever-equipped bike in one race this season and when measured side-by-side, lap-by-lap, the difference was pretty amazing. The disc bike felt heavier and was more work to spin up, but had fantastic brakes. The canti’ bike was light, fast, and didn’t stop worth a damn. Once the disc bikes are as light as the current canti’ rigs, it will truly be game on, and it’s close already.

U.S. Nationals was a revelation

Disc brakes had their first real high-profile challenge in the soupy conditions in Verona, Wisconsin. Certain conditions creating a specific consistency of watery mud wreaked havoc with disc brakes. Brakes needed to be adjusted every lap and some riders blew completely through their pads before the end of the race. The backlash and I-told-you-so were deafening. Chronic pad wear turned out to be the Achilles heel of discs; we’d seen it in mountain biking and knew the problem existed, but this issue was cast into sharp relief as the snow melted and the Verona course loosened up.

I carelessly voiced my unmitigated frustrations to Lennard Zinn and he interpreted my tirade as a defection back to cantilevers, but nothing could be further from the truth. I still stand firmly in the disc-brake camp, but as with everything, they are fallible. Manufacturers will get to work on ’cross-specific pad construction (SRAM already has) and there will be another performance jump.

For the record, I have ripped through cantilever pads and shredded the brake tracks of a pair of Zipp 303s in similar conditions. At least with discs all the wear points are cheap and replaceable.

Euros declined to ride discs

It could be tradition, it could be a weight issue, but one thing is for sure: the conditions seen in Verona at nationals are pretty normal in Belgium. They race in runny, disc pad destroying mud all the time. Maybe it’s an equipment issue. The Belgian team (including women, juniors, and espoirs) arrived in Louisville for worlds with something approaching 300 pairs of wheels, some of them Shimano workhorse hoops like C24 and C35 that might be several years old. It would be a huge undertaking to replace all those wheels, not to mention frames and componentry. I know the European riders have been testing and experimenting with discs. Zdenek Stybar raced a Specialized Crux disc a few times this season. My guess is we’ll be seeing more discs on the other side of the puddle next season.

It’s going to get better, a lot better

Next cyclocross season will probably see the greatest leap forward so far. SRAM has production hydraulics nearly ready to go and I would find it very hard to believe that Shimano doesn’t. I suspect by late summer we’ll be seeing some pretty amazing new disc equipment appearing on the market. There will almost certainly be more and better wheels to choose from and based on the fact that earlier this season I built up a set of disc hoops that are 1180 grams and bombproof (more on those later), they will be light enough to catch the eye of the most ardent weight weenie. Frames will get lighter, as will components — late last year I got my Moots PsychloX disc rig to just under 17 pounds, within a quarter-pound of its cantilever sister.

Final word

Bikes are going to get lighter and faster and the brakes will be awesome. I can’t wait.