It’s not the first time I’ve provided pictures for Cyclocross Magazine‘s online coverage of an event, and I don’t think it will be the last. These guys do a great job covering everything in cyclocross and do it in a way that just seems right for the sport. Cycling caps (caps not hats) off to them, and continue to do the great work.
It was a blast covering Bilenky Junkyard Cross, and something I’m looking forward to in the future. Who knows, maybe next year I might actually race it too. We’ll see.
Back in December, a bunch of crazy kids came together to put on the Bilenky Junkyard Cross in Philadelphia. This isn’t your normal cross race though. Instead of racing around a sports complex, or through the woods, riders were challenged with navigating a course filled with junked autos and spare parts. There was a Dodge Neon flyover, a double car barrier, a tire bridge, and a teeter totter over some agriculture tires. Riders of all kind came out, and the bikes were just as diverse. Mountain bikes, cross bikes, single speeds, fixed gears, a BMX with a side car, a tall bike, and even a bike made out of a car door. Since it was not a normal race, I decided to go black and white. Don’t fret, all the color shots are in the gallery as well.
The course was just behind Bilenky Cycle Works, and Stephen Bilenky was nice enough to let me poke around and get some shots inside the shop.
Swashbuckler Cross is always a fun time. I mean, how often do you get to race around the grounds of the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire? Throw in a beer from the Swashbuckler Brewing Company and turkey leg afterwards, I don’t know what more you could need.
The course has some very unique features, besides the setting itself. Besides a twisty course running over grass, gravel, and road, the promoters added a flyover that was taller and steeper than Charm City’s. Back for the second year were there whoops and the dreaded trip through the jousting pits. About two thirds the way through the race, you funnel down through the shoot leading to the jousting pit, and then make a left to head to the corner gate. The sand is some of the deepest you’ll find in the Mid-Atlantic area. Some chose to run, while others were able to ride once the ruts were worked in.
If you are near southeastern PA around Halloween for 2015, put Swashbuckler Cross on your calendar!
On a whim, I decided to reach out to VeloNews, since I did not see any coverage of HPCX on their site. After a few email exchanges, they let me know what they were looking for, and I just had to follow through. I was very excited to get my galleries posted on one of the top cycling sites in the United States. Many of those pics have then been spread around social media by racers, teams, and their sponsors. The feedback has been great, and I’m motivated more than ever to keep getting my work out there.
Next up will be Swashbuckler Cross in Mannheim, PA, on November 1st. From there, I’ll be heading to the New York City Marathon on November 2nd.  Go to the Upcoming Events section to see where else I’ll be in the near future.
Check out the galleries below, and keep an eye out for future work with VeloNews.
If you have been racing in Lancaster County and the surrounding area, you’ve probably seen the distinctive kits of the Swashbuckler Brewing Company Cycling Team. Almost completely black with red and yellow accent stripes, the crest of the Swashbuckler Brewing Company is front and center with crossed sabers and a frosty mug. This band of rowdy pirates sponsor the Turkey Hill Country Classic, Historic Marietta Criterium, and the upcoming Swashbuckler Cross. When they aren’t racing, they enjoy kicking back mugs of Swashbuckler Brewing Company‘s many beers, like Capt’ Rude’s Blackwater Stout, Scotland’s Terror Scottish Ale, and Sharkbait Witbier. The brewery is located on the grounds of the Mount Hope Estate & Winery, in the heart of the PA Renaissance Faire.
Come out to the Faire on Saturday, November 1st for Swashbuckler Cross. Bring your bike and be ready for a fast and fun course with an epic section of sand through the jousting pits.
Laura Van Gilder (Mellow Mushroom) took the win ahead of Cassandra Maximenko (Rare Vos/Van Dessel/Powerbar) on day one of HPCX. Van Gilder rode a smart race, spending more time on Maximenko’s wheel than out front in the wind. As the pair reached the bottom of the climb to the finish, the Mellow Mushroom rider opened up the sprint that has brought her so many wins on the road, and crossed the line with arms raised in celebration.
Van Gilder and Maximenko got off to a fast start, taking Nikki Thiemann (Team Rare Disease) with them. The trio were able to open up a small gap on the field, with Jessica Cutler (Jamis Bikesport/WA Bike Law) leading the chase behind. For Cutler, her time at the front of the chase was cut short by a rolled front tire. Luckily, it was near the pits and she didn’t lose too much time on the field. Elizabeth White (UVM Cycling Team) kept up the chase with Brittlee Bowman (House Industries/Simple Human/Richard Sachs) Rebecca Gross (Vanderkitten), and Vicki Barclay (Stan’s No Tubes).
As Thiemann slipped off the back, White was able to bridge up to the lead group. Shortly after, Van Gilder and Maximenko increased the pace were able to open the decisive gap. The two rode together smoothly as White continued to chace, while holding off her own chase group.
When the leaders arrived at the bottom of the hill on the final lap, it was Van Gilder that opened up the sprint first, coming around Maximenko on her left. Though she has a good sprint, she was not able to speed up fast enough to keep Van Gilder’s wheel. The Rare Vos rider had to settle for second, and White rolled through shortly after to round out the podium.
Almost on queue, as soon as the men lined up to start the KMC Cyclocross Festival, the skys opened up. Surprisingly, the course stayed tacky, instead of turning to sloppy mud. Riders were able to keep upright for the most part, and even enjoyed catching air off the box jump.
The men’s raced played out in similar fashion to the women’s, with Powers making his move and holding the lead all the way to the line.
The rain continued coming down, alternating  between downpours and misting. The course held well, turning into tacky mud, not sloppy wet mud. Zach McDonald (KCCX Cyclocross Team p/b Challenge Tires) went to the front from the start, but it didn’t take long for Powers to pass his former Rapha-Focus teammate. Tim Johnson (Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com) wasn’t about to let Powers go and made his own move. Johnson was able to get within about ten seconds of the national champion, but was never able to close the gap.
Lukas Winterberg (Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com), who was filling in for the injured Ryan Trebon, rode in chase with Stephen Hyde (JAM Fund/NCC) and Ben Berden (Raleigh/Clement), while Cameron Dodge (Pure Energy/Scott Bicycles) and Jamey Driscoll (Raleigh/Clement) were just off the pace. The chasing pack was whittled down to just Winterberg and Berden fighting for the final podium spot.
As Powers crossed the line with one to go, the skies opened up, and it began to pour once again. Neither Powers, nor Johnson let up, and the two rode a flawless final lap to finish on the first two steps of the podium. Winterberg was able to edge out Berden and probably would have caught Johnson if there would have been one more lap. Dodge was the best of the rest to round out the top 5.
My first trip to Rhode Island also happened to be my first UCI event in New England. The KMC Cyclocross Festival took the sport to another level compared to other pro cyclocross events I have been to, save for the World Championships in Louisville, KY. Three flyovers, some stairs, barriers, and a box ramp that some people were jumping. Day one turned from dry to wet as the day went on. With a top notch field for the women’s event, including reigning 10-time national champion, Katie Compton.
Kemmerer leads the way early in the race.
Arley Kemmerer (PB2 Pro Cycling) took the holeshot, and led a strong domestic and international field out onto the course as the rain began to fall. Following behind, Rachel Lloyd (California Giant/Specialized), Gabby Durrin (Team Neon Velo), Courtenay McFadden (GE Capital/American Classic), and Helen Wyman (Kona Factory Racing), kept their eye on Compton, waiting for the move. It happened before the end of the first lap, and the national champion never looked back.
Lloyd, Wyman, and McFadden chase Compton.
Lloyd, Wyman, and McFadden organized the chase group, but it was soon apparent they were racing for second place. Compton continued to extend her lead, even with the changing conditions on the course. A second chase group of Durrin, Kaitlyn Antonneau (Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld), and Meredith Miller (Noosa Professional Cyclocross) joined up and worked to bridge the gap to the next group. Miller, with 11 stitches in her knee from a crash last weekend at Gloucester, left the group in an effort to move up on her own. McFadden, on the other hand, lost contact with her group and started to drift back.
Compton takes the win.
On the final lap, Compton had plenty of time to zip up her jersey, sit up, and salute the crowd as she crossed the line for the win. Mean while, Lloyd was able to open up a gap on Wyman, and crossed the line 33 seconds later. Wyman rolled through another ten second behind. McFadden was able to hold on to fourth and Miller came in fifth.
It wasn’t just the pros that had fun on the course at Charm City Cross. Here are shots from the men’s and women’s amateur races, including the shot that won USA Cyclings Photo of the Month for October. My Thru-It-All Cycling teammate Seth Gunderson received the best hand-up a cycling father could ever ask for, a high five. His son also competed in the kid’s race that day.
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