Dr. Wahner's Cyclocross Racing Team Blog....

October 18th & 19th

The weekend of racing provided action in two great local events. On Saturday we drove to Delaware to contest the Granogue Cross and on Sunday we raced in Ludwig’s Corner, PA in the Wissahickon Cross. The weather both days was cool, dry, & windy which translates to fast racing. These races offer something for every type of racer as each course serves up different challenges.

The Granogue course is on an estate in horse country just over the line in Delaware. It has a long climb topping out with a twisty loop around a watch tower, followed by sharp turns on downhill, off-camber sections & also featured two short but sharp riding/run-up hills depending on strength and position.  

The Wissahickon Cross takes place on horseback riding grounds with long open windy stretches, a long twisting rideable sand pit, sharp short hills and the infamous “Spiral of Death”. The spiral is cinnamon bun shaped and winds its way clockwise inwards to a u-turn in order to wind back out in the opposite direction. The promoter made the spiral “more deathy” this year which meant wider turns & higher speeds.

Large fields of 80+ riders each day meant a good start was crucial to achieving a top finish. Saturday started in a “corral” assembly area which means we all make a dash to line up in the front row and since each row has only 8 slots, well let’s just say the actual race start is the second mad dash of the day! After blasting off the line Barry & Paul found themselves in the top 15 entering the funnel down section into the woods. The ensuing 40 minutes were spent chasing the leading riders as gaps opened depending on the strengths of each rider. Some are better climbers and some are faster in the technical sections so you make time where you can. We both rode OK with Dr. Barry nipping Paul at the line to pick up a nice 9th place.

Sunday was a fun day for our DrWahner.com team as we both raced & contributed prizes for other races. It was good advertising for the practice as the event is well organized and fun. The higher level races draw lots of spectators, food vendors and usually a local brewery sponsor which adds to the race excitement. It is not unusual to see a rider or two take a ‘handup’ of the much desired thirst quencher on the way past the beer tent.

As for the racing, we both rode well and had a lot of fun on the course. The sand pit while long, was rideable (albeit slowly) but that combined with the sharp rises really determined the strongest riders. The wind also played a role as it was better to ride in a small group so as to have some shelter on the long open stretches. We both had prime start spots and so hit the first technical sections in good position. Four riders worked their way off the front early on while the rest of us settled in for the chase. And chase we did as the quartet stayed away and left the minor placings for the rest of the field. Small groups dominated the action as the field spread out on the course. Paul found himself in a group of five to fight out the remaining top ten spots but a fall on a tight uphill section with less than a lap to go spelled the end and so he settled for 10th place. Dr. Barry rode well to finish in 14th.      

Dr. Barry made use of his chiropractic skills over the weekend while adjusting riders on the Cyclocrossworld.com/Cannondale team riders. Jeremy Powers, a professional rider with Jelly Belly, soloed off the front to pick up an impressive win while National Champion & teammate Tim Johnson swept the rest of the field to finish 2nd. Dr. Barry has worked with the two riders in the past to help them achieve top results, including the win in last years edition of the Wissahickon race, and will work with them several more times this year in their hunt for podiums nationwide.

Stay tuned for more racing action!  

Barry and Paul

DrWahner.com Cyclocross Racing Team

September 27 & 28

Weekend #2 started with the Phelps School Cross in Malvern PA. It is always nice to have a short drive to get to a race. This was the race of the day as far as the quality of the riders in the field. Some real fast, very experienced riders showed up for this one. The previous evening’s rain made for a combination course – very fast in long, flat sections with some very slick grass turning to mud off camber turns and hills. The long uphill section on the back side of the course would prove to be the undoing of more than a few riders.

In ‘cross you don’t win the race at the start but you can certainly lose one if you don’t start fast. We both got caught behind a rider who had difficulty clipping into his pedals after the start whistle, so that meant we would be chasing the front riders for the rest of the race. Slipping, sliding & sprinting our way throughout the 45 minute race we managed to finish respectably with Paul in 16th and Dr Barry a few places further back.

Not too bad in a fast field of 60+ riders. This was a tough course to find a rhythm and neither of us felt like we were on top of our game. There is always the next race!

On Sunday Paul traveled south to horse country in central Maryland to contest the Ed Sander Memorial Cross. Heavy rain greeted the riders as we pre-rode the course and warmed up for our respective races. Paul entered the 35+ division to join close to 70 riders in what would turn into a difficult, muddy race. Just the way a true ‘cross racer likes it!

The course was very fast in sections but the real challenge came in the wet, muddy turns as well as the mud bog and short but steep run-up. A special feature of this race was the “Party Zone” on the back side of the course. The zone was perched atop a steep, slick hill that you had to ride to remain in contention. Loud music and a beer garden attracted many fans who gathered to watch the carnage. Cow bells and cheers greeted Paul each lap as he rode up the hill (albeit slowly) but woe be the rider who succumbed to walking as he was jeered by the amped up crowd.

Paul started well and moved up throughout the race despite four falls on the slick downhill corners. If you race hard you run the risk of coming off now and then. Halfway through, Paul went into the pit to switch to his backup machine as his primary race bike had become loaded with mud and was no longer shifting gears efficiently. He then continued his ride towards the leaders but ran out of laps (read: I was out of gas) but picked up a very fine 4th place for his efforts. As a bonus, he later found out he had finished 1st in the 45+ group.

A special thank you goes out to Jan of the C3 Solay team for his assistance in cleaning my race machine and offering it to me for the last lap of the race! This was an unexpected but not unheard of offer of assistance in the close knit world of ‘cross.

Stay tuned for next weeks report. We are ready to go after the extensive cleanup required from a weekend of racing. That mud gets everywhere!

Barry

DrWahner.com Cyclocross Racing Team

October 4th

Saturday brought beautiful weather & an early rise for Paul as he traveled south to contest the “Breast Cancer Awareness Cross” in Hagerstown, Maryland. This race was the second in the MABRA series which takes place in and around the DC area. Paul raced in the Masters field of over 50 starters on a course which contained a challenging sand pit, a short but steep hill that had to be ridden to contend for the top places and the usual twists and off camber turns to test all of the rider’s skills.

The race became selective early on and within 2 laps it became a two man race when Paul chased down the early leader. Some trading of the lead took place but Paul had to chase back on a few times as he lost time in the trickier sections. Paul put in a fierce attack on an uphill section on the last lap in a bid to win the race. While he gained a quick lead, the move was brought back and he had to settle for a very fine 2nd place. He did however finish first in the 45+ division thereby solidifying his place atop the standings as he also took the top 45+ finish the previous Sunday.

Thank you to the race organizer for a good course & the announcer who mentioned the DrWahner.com team many times during the race. Good day with a top result.

October 5th

Sunday the action was closer to home with the “Hillbilly Hustle” in Elmer NJ. This is a local race that draws quality starters. On this pancake flat course with not much room for passing, the selection happens early on as 25 riders lined up on the front row to dive into the woods a scant 30 yards later. One of two things can happen in this event. Either carnage as everyone knows you must hit the funnel down in the top 10 to have a shot or you back off so as not to crash. Both Dr. Barry & Paul chose the safer route in their respective races and so spent the entire race chasing the front. We both rode hard and did our best to achieve a top 10 and an 18th place. We will leave you guessing as to who did what.

Dr. Barry always races aggressively but had to back down a bit as a raccoon ran out in front of him on one of the laps! There are already enough obstacles in a ‘cross race so to meet angry wildlife while racing, well, lets just say it was a surprise.  

Thanks for reading & stay tuned for more racing action!  

Barry and Paul
DrWahner.com Cyclocross Racing Team

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Sept. 22, 2008

Cyclocross season kicked off on September 20th & 21st with two races in the Mid Atlantic Cross Series. Saturday was the Nittany Cross on the Penn State campus in Fogelsville, PA and Sunday it was the Charm City Cross in Baltimore, MD. Both races were well organized and had large, strong fields.

The weather was not typical ‘cross weather. Sunny, warm and dry are not the norm for this race discipline as the race take place rain or shine. Dry courses lead to very fast racing and these races were no exception to that rule! Even the obstacles in a ‘cross race –such as barriers and sand pits- did not slow the action.

Paul showed great form to finish 4th & 6th while I was happy to take a 9th place on Saturday and 13th on Sunday. 104 riders lined up in Baltimore so there were a lot of riders out there!

It is early in the season. We both have great base training miles in our legs so with some specific interval training and additional racing; we are hoping to compete for some podium spots in the coming weekends.

Stay tuned to this column for recaps of our weekend racing action!  

Barry