I love the rough-and-tumble outer shell of the otherwise cuddly sport of cyclocross. With it’s usually grueling weather, tough courses, and party-like atmosphere, the sport’s promoters revel in its rowdiness.
The first ‘cross race of the season was named Pain on the Peak and this weekend, racers will head south on Saturday to the Rickreall Rampage and then out to Gresham for the Battle at Barlow on Sunday.
The Rickreall is sponsored by Veloshop and it’s being held on a working farm in the Willamette Valley, just west of Salem. In addition to a perfect warm-up for the opening of the Cross Crusade in Portland next weekend, organizers promise “a bonfire and shenanigans, so be prepared to grin excessively”.
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