Cross Crusade kicks off Sunday

Mud and friends: just two of
many reasons to love cyclocross.
(Photo © Jonathan Maus)

Prepare yourselves. The Cross Crusade — the world’s largest cyclocross series in terms of participation — kicks off this weekend at Alpenrose Dairy.

The event is going to be insane. Last year they had over 800 racers at Alpenrose and I have a hunch they’re going to hit 1,000 this time around. From pros to average Joes, ‘cross racing has something for everyone.

You can sense the excitement for ‘cross throughout the city. At his recent skills clinics, local racer Erik Tonkin says he had upwards of 160 people; many of them first-timers.

A scene from Alpenrose in 2005.
(© Jonathan Maus)

Even if you don’t race, most of the fun is just being there. There will be an expo area (one local company will serve Belgian waffles with Nutella!), lots of interesting people, and tons of up-close racing action.

By the way, here are some great, local ‘cross blogs you should check out (if you haven’t already):

• Laatste Ronde – The blog by “obsessed” cross racer Brooke Hoyer.
• Race Cyclocross! – Home of the CPQ interview series.
• Racing with K-Man – The work of OBRA insider T. Kenji Sugahara.
• Plus One Lap – An online cyclocross magazine with a focus on light weight tips.

Stay tuned to BikePortland for special coverage, photos and reports throughout the cyclocross season.

Thanks to a partnership with Kona Bicycles and Sellwood Cycle Repair, I’ll be racing on a shiny new rig. I’ll see you out there!