Boulder Cyclocross Series #4

Report by Eddie Clark

Krughoff takes classy win and Abel emerges victorious.

(Nov 28, 2010) WESMINSTER, Colo.—The fourth of the five race Boulder Cyclocross racing series was held on a new course at the Westminster City Park.  Like the previous day of cross racing, abundant sunshine and blue skies were enjoyed for the first half of the day.  However, by the time the Open Men’s race started, clouds were rolling in and temperatures dropped drastically as a cold northern wind steadily picked up in intensity for the last half of the day.

Similar to the Boulder Cup race, the parcors contained a significant bit of riding on grass, except this was the good grippy kind of grass which allowed racers to take sharp corners significantly faster without fear of sliding out.  About 10 percent of the course was on dirt and gravel around a small lake, and the start/finish sections were on wide open pavement.  Notably, the course designers sent racers up two very long leg burning sections of concrete stairs that had everyone shouldering their bikes twice per lap.

Men’s 35+ racing saw a slight reversal on the leader board with Ward Baker (Justins Peanut Butter) taking the victory over Michael Robson (Moots), and Mike Hogan taking third place.

Team Tough Girls’ Margel Abel skipped Saturday’s race, and her fresh legs in the Open Women’s race had what was needed to propel her to the front of the race.  Abel slowly grew her lead over the others, and took the win with time to spare at the finish line.  Behind her, a tight race ensued between Karen Hogan (Justins Peanut Butter), Becca Blay (Pactimo), Lisa Strong (Hudz/Subaru), and Crystal Boni (Blue Sky Velo).  On the third lap, Strong crashed on a gravel corner losing a couple positions, and never quite regained her momentum.  In fact, Hogan also slid out in the same corner on the very next lap, but landed on her feet and didn’t lose any positions while Blay continued her march to close the gap to Abel.  By the finish, Hogan would pass Blay in the last lap to claim second, and Blay put in one last hard effort on the finishing stretch to claim third place over Boni.

The Open Men’s race also had a much different face than the previous days racing, although it was essentially the same instigators who would stretch the peloton out from the front of the race.  Like Abel, Allen Krughoff (Boulder Cycle Sport) skipped Saturday’s race, and showed up with fresh legs that saw him take a very clean classy win over a very fast field of professional men that even contained Goergia Gould who was racing for training. 

Once again at the start, Brady Kappius showed some real speed and was instantly battling in the top five with Krughoff, Dwight (Boulder Cycle Sport), the duo of Jonathan Baker and Matt Pacocha (Hudz/Subaru), and Chris Case (Feedback Sports).  By the third lap Kroghoff had gotten the course dialed and was gaining valuable seconds over his competition with every lap.  “I think I had the perfect line through the stairs by making one wide sweeping turn through both sections.  I also got the fast downhill figured out and went full bore down it on every lap", said Krughoff of his victorious race.

“There weren’t really any tactics, we were just following wheels out there”, said Pacocha who finished fourth to Dwight.  “You’ve got to hand it to Allen; he’s riding really well, and was a bit faster through the corners today.  I was able to gain a little time on the open power sections, but it wasn’t enough to bring him back” said second place finisher Jonathan Baker.

More results at the ACA.

More photos here.

Darron Cheek took the 45+ race.	Lisa Strong had an unfortunate slide out in the Women's Open race.	Becca Blay put in another good ride for the weekends cross racing.
Margel Abel took a well earned win in the Women's Open race.	Karen Hogan powering through the last lap to claim second place.	From the start, Krughoff had the field strung out.
A mix of top pros run the stairs.	Krughoff and Kappius taking the downhill at full speed.	Still hammering, Krughoff and Kappius kept it pinned in the first half of the race.
An OCR junior getting a taste for speed in the Open Men's race.	National Super D champ Mike West likes having fun and jumping bikes, even if it's on a carbon cross bike in the Open Men's race.	Jonathan Baker lays down the wattage trying to reel in Krughoff.
Another view of the long stair section that set racers legs on fire.	A Clif Bar junior puts it to the grown men in the Cat3 race.	Mitch Westall brought home the single speed win for Gates Carbon Drive.