The Crusades have begun (Alpenrose)

In the Pacific Northwest when it comes to cyclocross it is all about the Cross Crusades in the Portland Area. The first race at the Alpenrose Dairy was dry and twisty. Overall there were 1506 racers, and in my race the Category B men there was 117 racers.

I started 6 rows deep, which meant I had to work way harder than I wanted to just get around most of the folks in front of me. While moving up it became impossible to tell who was leading the race as we overtook most of the singlespeed field that they had sent out 3 minutes before us. The course suited me well as I am pretty good at turning and making attacks off of turns. Besides a few close calls with some over zealous single speeders that I was passing the race went smoothly for me, although we never got a bell lap to let us know we only had one more lap so all of the sudden people were stopping in front of me and guy was waving a checkered flag. In the end I found out that I got 7th which is great for this next week as I now get a call up and get to start in the front row. Hopefully I can make something of this. Other friends did well in the B's with Ryan Garner finishing 16th and getting a call up and Wes Ciprioti coming in at 51st.

In the singlespeed race Luke Demoe moved up pretty well and finished 10th earning him a call up for the next race. In the Men's A race Andrew Bennett finished 30th. In the Women's A race Lindsey Jones finished 18th. In the Men's C race Eric Taylor finished 34th.