Schoolyard CX

Race report and Photos by Shawn Lortie

(November 5, 2011) Brighton, Colo.-A cold windy morning eventually gave way to a warm afternoon as racers tackled the Schoolyard CX course out on the plains of Brighton Colorado. With more midweek snow, the ground still held plenty of moisture, making for slow, power sapping races throughout the day.

The course was filled with unavoidable mud bogs and long rugged straights across soft ground that kept riders grinding away without any chance for a rest. The short steep climb from the start line was the only climbing involved, but it was a slow and painful grind for most. At the top of the climb lay multiple traverses across the small plateau with a couple barrier obstacles thrown in along the way. From there it was a drop down to the fields below where the only thing to do was put your head down and power through the wheel sucking terrain.

In the Women’s Open race, Rebecca Gross (Tough Girl) took the win over Catherine Johnson (The Service Course), with Lisa Hudson (Feedback Sports) taking the last spot on the podium. With the tough conditions, bigger gaps than usual occurred in all classes, and it was not uncommon for each rider to be on his/her own for most of the race.  Adding to the physical suffering, the mental challenge of grinding out 45 minutes on your own in the mud and wind made for truly hard racing. It was impressive to see these ladies push themselves through these conditions.

In the Men’s Open race, Danny Summerhill (Garmin/Chipotle) and Allen Krughoff (Boulder Cycle Sport) took control of the front of the race from the gun. Russell Stevenson (unattached) and Chris Case (Feedback Sports) followed close behind. “I heard that the races had been seeing really large gaps so I planned to head out hard in the beginning and try to stretch out a lead, expecting to either have Danny on my wheel or be riding behind him.” Said Krughoff.   And stretch it out they did, as the two pulled away from the chasers and began the battle that lasted to the end.

Behind the two leaders, Bryan Alders (Epic Endurance Cycling) had powered up to join Case and Stevenson in the chase group as Summerhill and Krughoff tried to work things out at the front. “I caught Danny on the final lap on the top plateau and had been feeling really strong through this mud bog area so I attacked him through there. We caught a lapped rider on the next corner and Danny punched it on this spongy section that was total kryptonite for me - every line felt slow - seated/standing, left/right, no winners except to keep on tractor pullin' through there.” Krughoff said after the race.  And that’s how it finished, Summerhill by ten seconds over Krughoff, with Russel Stevenson winning the battle for the third spot.

For full results, see ACA Results