Bart Wellens racing in the States this year

He's won Worlds (twice), Belgian nats (three times), and the World Cup, Superprestige, and GvA series. He is a cyclocross living legend, Sven Nys's biggest rival. This fall, he's racing in the United States. 

And Mr & Mrs Arkansascyclocross.com will be there! We were already looking forward to the USGP weekend in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, but now even more. We'll be sure to take plenty of photos, which you'll see here.

In the meantime, the Cross Monkeys are working hard to make this year the best Arkansan cross season yet. Check the race calendars using the links to the right. And remember that summer is the time to lay down some base mileage.

America, here we come!

The Off-Season

The 2011/2012 cyclocross season promises to be a great one, with eight races already on the Arkansas race calendar and plenty more to come. By my estimation, there will be at least six races in the Little Rock area, five in the northwest, and four in the Memphis region. There will be multiple clinics, practice sessions, a night race, and other special events. Be sure to watch this space for details.

A little further afield, Louisville will be hosting the masters world championship race next January, and in early February 2013 will be hosting the big one, the World effing Championships.

In the meantime, here's one of my favorite race vids from the last year. Belgian national championship race from January 2010.

Worlds

Annual tradition: Wake up early on a Sunday morning, watch the world championship race, then go for a ride.  Thank goodness for cyclingfans.com!

Women's race starts at 4am CST.  Will Katie Compton break the jinx and finally win?  She's been dominant this year.

Men's race starts at 7am CST.  Stacked field, as always.  It's a strong U.S. team consisting of Jonathan Page and the Big Green Machine: Tim Johnson, Jeremy Powers, and Jamie Driscoll.  I'd love to see one or more of those guys crack the top ten.

Hope everyone is enjoying the great weather we've been having.  Get out and ride!


Das Pro B-Roll Part 4 - St Wendel from Twenty Pound Skull on Vimeo.

Your New Year's Barrier CX podium

It was a cold blustery day, but the fireplace was glowing, and spirits were high. Pizza from Vino's made it all worthwhile.

Noah Singer not only came in second in the men's A race (Nate Rice taking revenge for the Arkansas state championship race) but also posted a nice write-up and photos on his blog: noahsinger.posterous.com, with Ryan Johnson rounding out the men's A podium.  This year was great; just wait until fall!

Boyle Park cyclocross race in less than a week!

From this morning's Democrat-Gazette

Cross returns to Little Rock! Beat away those mid-winter blues with some bike wrestling at Boyle Park; the New Year Barrier CX Race takes place next Sunday.

ArkansasCyclocross previewed the course on Saturday, and Trevor has put together another great course, this time at Boyle Park in the heart of Little Rock.  Be prepared for some vertical gain.  If you weren't at the Turkey Burn, this is your chance to enjoy some tough, fun, grass-roots cross racing.  There will be a beginner's clinic, a kid's race, and a big fire burning at the pavilion, so bring the whole gang!

As a reminder, here's the Turkey Burn coverage courtesy of Bully Otter Sports.  [If you don't want to watch a couple slightly embarrassed guys blathering on about how fantastically great cyclocross is, you can pause at three-and-a-half minutes.]

Arkansas Cyclocross Series: Episode 5 from Bully Otter Sports on Vimeo.

If you've gotten this far and are still reading, be aware that there are some exciting developments in the works for the 2011/12 cross season. Even if you aren't yet ready to jump into a race, drop by Boyle and see if cross might be your thing. It could give you some motivation to keep you riding through those long, hot, humid days of summer.

Happy New Year from arkansascyclocross.com!

It's been a breakthrough year for cyclocross in the Mid-South.  Let's make 2011 even better!

Remember that it's only a couple more weeks until the New Year Barrier CX Race.  Trevor has put together another great course, this time at Boyle Park in the heart of Little Rock.  If you weren't at the Turkey Burn, this is your chance to enjoy some tough, fun, grass-roots cross racing.

There are two Euro cross races this weekend, one on Saturday and one on Sunday.  They each start at 8am Central, and you can find live streams at cyclingfans.com.  As I've said before, it's a great way to start the day and get some extra motivation for your weekend rides.

Have fun and be safe out there!

Superprestige Diegem

The last two laps of Superprestige Diegem from earlier today. Great, great stuff!

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