Ronde Van Oakkenberg cyclocross race in Tulsa (Update)

Cyclocross action from October practice session.

This is a reminder about the Ronde Van Oakkenberg cyclocross race scheduled for Sunday, November 15th.

The Crybaby Hill jazz ensemble will be performing.

Soundpony will be providing free beer on the Oakkenberg while it lasts. Due to licensing requirements, the free beer must remain outside the lodge.

There's a cash bar inside the lodge, and it will feature Chef's Award Winning Chili, Pork Sliders, and accompaniments from 2:30 to 4:30. Domestic beer is $3 per bottle. Imported is $4 per bottle. They'll have coffee and hot chocolate too.

Doubleshot Coffee will be providing coffee on the Oakkenberg also. Don't miss this!

The awards ceremony will be inside the lodge following the last race.

Malcolm McCollam sent this list of 10 reasons you should consider being a participant or spectator:

1. Euro-style course with tough climb (the Oakkenberg) that will test every part of your game.
2. Amazing views of downtown Tulsa.
3. Support joint efforts of local clubs - Bicycles of Tulsa, 918XC and Tulsa Tough Racing.
4. Spectator zone at top of the Oakkenberg.
5. Warming hut at top of Oakkenberg (okay, maybe that's a stretch - but there will be tents and a fire pit)
6. Free beer for spectators at top of Oakkenberg furnished by Team Soundpony, fueled by the Soundpony Lounge.
7. Free food in lodge from 2:30 - 4:30 (chili, award-winning pulled pork sliders, cole slaw and more by Post Oak chef)
8. Drawing for Stevens Cross frame (for participants only)
9. Beautiful facility I'll bet you didn't even know was 10 minutes from downtown Tulsa.
10. Last chance to race before Oklahoma State Championship.

There's more, but you'll just have to come experience it to see.

Ask Dr. Wally

This is Wally's November column from the Red Dirt Pedaler's newsletter.


Dear Dr. Crankset

What is cyclocross racing? There's talk of it growing in popularity but I've never heard of it until recently. What gives?

Newbie in Nowata


Dear Newb,

If you're the kind of rider who enjoys cold, wet weather and copious amounts of mud, you just may like riding in cyclocross. On the other hand, if you're the type who'd rather stay indoors with a hot drink when the weather turns foul, you may like watching those other fools race in such conditions. Cyclocross events are usually no more than an hour, so they're not too hard on spectators even in bad weather.

Cyclocross courses are short and include both paved and off road sections, barriers that require dismounts and running, and sometimes water crossings or even stairs. A skilled racer will barely slow down as he dismounts, runs and jumps over barriers, and remounts to continue. They make it look easy. It's not.

For competitors, the races begin as a mass start that quickly devolves to an individual time trial. Slower racers struggle to avoid getting lapped, and if it's muddy, everyone struggles to stay upright in slippery conditions. It's difficult, exhausting - and a whole lot of fun!

There are events nearly every weekend somewhere in the area. Better yet, most are open to anyone who wants to compete. Local events generally allow mountain bikes, but it's best to confirm this with the race organizers.

Dr. Wally

This just in...

Via Cycle South Dakota:

Viagra may be placed on the banned drugs list.

Yep, that's right. Apparently it has a performance benefit (besides the obvious one) in that it permits greater blood flow and therefore greater oxygen carrying capacity. Follow the link to the full article on WWOS.COM.AU

I know. I know. There's a strong temptation to indulge in some cheap humor over this. It's hard, very hard (oh damn!) to resist. I mean, if we simply rise to every sophomoric joke about those little blue pills, we richly deserve some stiff punishment. So I beg of you, all of you reading this, to refrain from making fun of something as serious as abusing Viagra in cycling. It's so wrong. Most of us know the satisfaction that derives from pushing to the very limit when climbing a steep hill, our breath rasping in and out, and forcing the pedals around again and again and again as we try to reach the pinnacle, knowing that the sense of anticipation is best felt and most intense just before that climactic moment. We collapse exhausted across the handlebars, drenched in sweat, deflated, and satisfied at making yet another conquest. Who needs Viagra for that?

Gotta go see what the wife's doing. Later.

This just in...

General Motors has bought Specialized bicycles!

Found via Commute by Bike.

Link to original article in San Jose Journal.

Does this mean that a new GM SUV will come with a mountain bike and rack as options? How about a Chevy Impala SS with a road racer on top! Not that I can afford it, but what about the Cadillacs used by Rock Racing? If I read their website correctly, Rock Racing is on DeRosa's. I wonder if there's any problem with that.

I wouldn't be surprised if this is another effort to 'green up' their image.

More on this as it develops.....

Tulsa Tough Website Goes Live

Malcolm McCollam just announced that this year's Tulsa Tough website is live. There's lots of good information about the races, the tours, kids events, the festival, and more.

Please note that the race prize list has doubled this year to $150,000!

...and they've added a forum. How cool is that!

www.tulsatough.com

Website design by:
New Medio
301 East Archer
Tulsa, OK 74120
918.592.0884
www.newmedio.com

Tour de Cow Town - Alleycat and Swap Meet

It's billed as the 834th annual Tour de Cowtown, which could mean this is the longest lasting bicycle event on the planet. Or possibly these guys have vivid imaginations.

On Saturday May 17 2008, in celebration of Bike to Work week, Kansas City will have an alleycat race and a bicycle swap meet.

Link to KCBikeFed
Link to Acme Bicycle Company

There's the LCI part of me that recoils from the usual behavior found in alleycat races, where breaking traffic law is normally part of the competition. Since the death of Matt Manger-Lynch in the Tour da Chicago alleycat racing has received a lot of media attention, and as can be expected, much of it is negative. My feeling is that alleycats are an endangered species, not due to police action, motorist outrage, or political pressure, but because the inevitable crashes will eventually result in lawsuits against organizers.

But despite that, I find the idea of trying to ride across town as quickly as possible an intriguing one. Alleycats are for younger, faster riders, however. A slightly overweight middle aged guy like me would be hopelessly outclassed...and hopelessly lost!

Biased? Not us!

MSNBC picked up an AP story about Floyd Landis and his last chance hearing before the Court for Arbitration in Sport scheduled for tomorrow in New York. Now, the headline would make you think that the taxpayers are paying for Landis' defense, but that is simply not true. That means it is false. That means the headline is a LIE. Now, if I had written this, I'd prefer anonymity too, just as the writer who penned this article seemed to prefer.

(Photo credit: Kevork Djansezian/AP)

The truth of the matter is that we taxpayers support the USADA, which may spend that $2 million in pursuing this case. That's a big chunk of their annual budget, but should Landis' be denied a chance to clear his name because of budget constraints? That seems to be the implication here. It costs too much to allow Landis an appeal, therefore he shouldn't be heard. I never knew that justice, right and wrong, or having a day in court were subject to a corporate balance sheet. Too expensive? Too bad. Appeal denied.

This case is 'de novo' meaning that it's a do-over for everyone involved. Rather than an appeal based on previous decisions or perceived errors, this time it starts from scratch. Also, this one is not open to the public, so we'll have to wait for news to trickle out.

(excerpts follow)


Taxpayers footing bill for Landis’ Tour defense Court fees may cost Americans $2 million in cyclist's effort to restore title

(LINK)

Cyclist Floyd Landis will make his final appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in New York on Wednesday in an effort to regain the 2006 Tour de France title he lost because of a positive doping test.

The final step in the Floyd Landis doping case will take place in New York, America’s most expensive city, and once again, American taxpayers will foot part of the bill.

The 2006 Tour de France winner, who was stripped of his victory last year, seeks to have his title restored by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. It’s the final step in a series of appeals that have cost upward of $2 million, a good portion of which has been paid for with federal funds.

...But it will still be costly, and a good chunk of the cost will be footed by USADA, which gets about 70 percent of its $12 million annual budget from the federal government, and the rest from the U.S. Olympic Committee.

When all of USADA’s expenses are added up, it’s possible prosecuting the Landis case from start to finish could eat up between 5 and 10 percent of the agency’s annual budget.

...CAS, largely bankrolled by the International Olympic Committee and various sports federations, will pay for arbitrators — including one from New Zealand and one from Paris — to travel to New York for the hearing.

...In the past, Landis and Suh have said they have little concern over depleting USADA’s coffers, because it’s their belief USADA runs an unfair system that is rigged against athletes.

“Everyone talks about how much money has been spent on this case, but they had twice what we had,” Suh said in an interview last September. “They had more experts at their beck and call. They spent much more than we did. That’s always been part of the system, that they’ve always had more resources than the athlete. This is the first time it’s even been close.”

News of Landis Appeal...

I know, I know. Some of you are sick to death of cycling and doping, so I'll keep this very short. If you remember the hearing Floyd Landis had last summer, you'll recall that despite the shortcomings of the French testing lab, they still found Floyd guilty. Then the panel went on to say that if these sloppy procedures weren't corrected, someday, somehow, someone would have to be presumed innocent.

Well, it's happened. USADA had its first ever loss before the Court of Arbitration for Sport in a case involving sloppy lab work. Sound familiar? It's the same argument that Landis is making.

Now, I promised to keep this short, so if you're interested just follow the link...

(LINK)

Tulsa Tough News

This is good news for women's bicycle racing in Tulsa! The Tulsa Tough is the premier regional racing and touring event, combining several races for the go-fast crowd with two tours for us more sedate types.

Malcolm McCollam posted this to the Tulsa Wheelmen last week. I intended to post it here and received his permission to do so, but as is often the case in our chaotic household, family intervened and I simply forgot all about it. Mea culpa...................Ed

For those not on USA Cycling's distribution list:

Tulsa Tough was recognized as one of the top events in the U.S. this week when USA Cycling awarded NRC status to our Women's Pro 1/2 race. The Tulsa Sports Commission & Tulsa Wheelmen, co-promoters of Tulsa Tough, sought this designation for the women's field only. Tulsa Tough overlaps the CSC Invitational in Arlington, VA, which annually attracts the top men's teams in the country. We saw an opportunity for Tulsa Tough, however, and decided
to more fully develop the Pro 1/2 Women's event. It is a testament to our staff and volunteers that after only two years we have achieved this status, and are excited about taking Tulsa Tough to the next level. Read more, below.

Malcolm McCollam
Tulsa Tough Event Director

* More than $1.2 million is again up for grabs to elite-level cyclists as USA Cycling announced its 2008 National Racing Calendar (NRC) on Wednesday. Entering its 12th season, next year's NRC features 35 events across 23 states and will again crown the nation's top domestic individuals
and teams. Of those 35 races, 31 of them will feature women's events while 28 will include men's racing. Beginning February 19 with the Santa Rosa Women's Grand Prix in California, the 2008 NRC lasts seven months before concluding with the Priority Health Grand Cycling Classic in Grand Rapids, Mitch., Sept. 6-7. The season-long calendar will once again feature the top
Pro-Am races in the nation as both professional and club-level teams will compete in all disciplines of road racing including criteriums, multi-day stage races, circuit races, road races, time trials and omniums. Seven events are new to the NRC including three women's-only events - the Santa Rosa Women's Grand Prix, the Susan G. Komens Cycle for the Cure and the Tulsa Tough Ride and Race. Men will see one new race on the NRC in 2008 with the addition of the Cox Charities Cycling Classic. Other new additions which will feature both men's and women's fields include the AT&T Austin Downtown Criterium, the Louisville Metro Police Foundation Criterium and the Priority Health Grand Cycling Classic. Also included on the 2008 calendar
are four past NRC events that weren't a part of the calendar last season including the Tour of Utah and the Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic. Two events that were a part of the USA Crits SE Series in 2007 - the Sunny King Criterium and the Nalley Historic Roswell Criterium - return to the NRC as stand-alone events for 2008. Of the 35 races on the 2008 NRC, 18 are criteriums. The calendar also features 10 stage races, four circuit races, one women's road race, one women's time trial and one omnium. A total of $688,000 is on the line for the men, while the women will be competing for a combined prize list of $523,000. The 2008 NRC also includes three internationally-sanctioned women's events by the UCI - the Tour de Leelanau in Traverse City, Mich. on May 24, the Mt. Hood Cycling Classic in Oregon, May 13-18 and the Commerce Bank Liberty Classic in Philadelphia on June 8. The men's portion of the Tour de Leelanau is also sanctioned by the UCI and therefore will again be part of the USA Cycling Professional Tour. The three UCI women's events, as well as the Nature Valley Grand Prix, the International Tour de 'Toona and the Presbyterian Hospital Invitational Criterium, have been designated as Category-1 events - the highest ranking a race can receive from USA Cycling. With a $50,000 prize list for men and $25,000 on the line for women, the Presbyterian Hospital Invitational
Criterium offers the richest single-day purses. The richest men's stage race is the $75,000 Tour of Utah, while the International Tour de 'Toona tops all women's stage races with a $57,000+ prize list. One noticeable change to the NRC model is the absence of six USA Cycling Elite National Championship events. Removed from the NRC for 2008 are the men's and women's road, time trial and criterium national championships - a decision made primarily because of the advantage given to clubs and teams with a greater number of American riders on their rosters.

2008 USA Cycling National Racing Calendar:

2/18: Santa Rosa Women's Grand Prix - Santa Rosa Calif. (Circuit Race)*
3/15: Sequoia Cycling Classic Time Trial - Visalia, Calif. (Time Trial)*
3/16: Sequoia Cycling Classic Criterium - Visalia, Calif. (Criterium)*
3/29: Susan G. Komens Cycle for the Cure - Macon, Ga. (Criterium)*
4/3-6: Redlands Bicycle Classic - Redlands, Calif. (Stage Race)
4/13: Garrett Lemire Memorial Grand Prix - Ojai, Calif. (Criterium)
4/19: Sea Otter Classic - Monterey, Calif. (Circuit Race)
4/30-5/4: Tour of the Gila - Silver City, N.M. (Stage Race)
5/3: Sunny King Criterium - Anniston, Ala. (Criterium)
5/4: Nalley Historic Roswell Criterium - Roswell, Ga. (Criterium)
5/8-11: Joe Martin Stage Race - Fayetteville, Ark. (Stage Race)
5/13-18: Mt. Hood Cycling Classic - Hood River, Ore. (Stage Race)
5/17: Bank of America Wilmington Grand Prix - Wilmington, Del. (Criterium)
5/24: Kelly Cup - Baltimore, Md. (Criterium)
5/24: Tour de Leelanau - Traverse City, Mich. (Circuit Race)*
5/26: Tour of Somerville - Somerville, N.J. (Criterium)
5/30-6/1: Tulsa Tough Ride and Race - Tulsa, Ok. (Omnium)*
6/1: CSC Invitational - Arlington, Va. (Criterium)
6/8: Commerce Bank Liberty Classic - Philadelphia, Pa. (Road Race)*
6/11-15: Nature Valley Grand Prix - Minnesota (Stage Race)
6/18-21: Tour de Nez - Reno, Nev. (Stage Race)**
6/21: AT&T Austin Downtown Criterium - Austin, Texas (Criterium)
6/28: Cox Charities Cycling Classic - Providence, R.I. (Criterium) **
6/29: Manhattan Beach Grand Prix - Manhattan Beach, Calif. (Criterium)
7/3-6: Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic - Fitchburg, Mass. (Stage Race)
7/19: Wells Fargo Twilight Criterium - Boise, Idaho (Criterium) **
7/21-27: The International Tour de 'Toona - Pennsylvania (Stage Race)
7/30-8/3: Cascade Classic - Bend, Ore. (Stage Race)
8/2: Presbyterian Hospital Invitational Criterium - Charlotte, N.C.
(Criterium)
8/3: Hanes Park Classic - Winston-Salem, N.C. (Circuit Race)
8/13-17: Tour of Utah - Utah (Stage Race)**
8/16: Louisville Metro Police Foundation Criterium - Louisville, Ky.
(Criterium)
8/24: Chris Thater Memorial - Binghamton, N.Y. (Criterium)
9/1: US 100K Classic - Atlanta, Ga. (Criterium)
9/6-7: Priority Health Grand Cycling Classic - Grand Rapids, Mich.
(Criterium)

*Women Only
**Men Only

Monday Musette...

BRAIN (Bicycle Retailer And Industry News) is always an interesting site to read.



Trek's John Burke Tells Industry that Advocacy Is the Future

MARCH 26, 2007 -- TAIPEI, Taiwan (BRAIN)--Trek's president John Burke told Taiwan's leading manufacturers they must shift a portion of their marketing and research budgets toward advocacy and promote the bicycle as a solution to fast-emerging worldwide problems.


Burke, speaking before a meeting of Taiwan’s A-Team, said a convergence of global issues positions the industry as a solution to obesity, traffic congestion, urbanization and air pollution.


Several factors, such as the rise of obesity levels in the United States and the escalating medical costs in Western Europe, make this a critical time to push cycling forward as a solution. “The U.S. is a microcosm of what is going on and the U.S. government can’t solve it. This is an epidemic,” he said.


Burke said that over the past 20 years the industry has focused on product innovation and marketing, but now it’s time for the industry to shift that focus over the next 20 years. “The bicycle industry is sitting at a place in history where we are at a crossroads,” he said, adding that bicycle advocates are the industry’s unsung heroes.


Burke urged the industry’s leaders to work harder to create a more bicycle-friendly world, to get involved with government leaders and to take greater responsibility for promoting cycling in their home markets. “The industry should try and change the world,” he said.



Christine "Peanut" Vardaros

Christine competes in professional racing in Europe, something many of us dream about, but know in our hearts that it's totally impossible. She has a wry sense of humor. I like that! On the other hand, she could just be completely out of her mind. I like that possibility too!

...my race ended only after 45 minutes. Just as i was putting my hand back on the bars after taking a bite to eat, I was sideswiped like a perfect 7-10 split, giving its "bedposts" nickname a whole new meaning as i smacked the pavement in a tuck/cover fetal position. They say that people become religious just before they think they're going to die, but not me. Instead of thinking, "Holy S_ _ _" my thoughts were more like, "F_ _ _ ME! As i hung out in the fetal position, bodies and bikes piled on top of me like a roller derby. The screams of terror combined with the screeching sound of metal sliding on pavement was just awful.

When I thought it was over, I waited an extra five seconds with my head covered - just in case. Well, good thing i did that because there was a second wave of carnage upon me! (I learned this little five second rule from a Freshman year teacher in University. Since most of the other students who were attending school in NYC were not from NY, he taught us to wait five seconds AFTER the light turns green before crossing. I'm sure he saved a few lives in addition to mine yesterday. How did i apply it to bike crashes? I don't know. My mind is not quite normal i guess.)

I stood up and took a few seconds to assess the damage. Torn jersey, shoe covers, knickers, socks - oops, should check the helmet. Missing skin: ankle, knee, elbows, butt cheek. Painful areas: shoulder, ankle, knee, ego. I was ready to continue but my bike was not. A girl's handlebar lever was weaved into my wheel. A mechanic finally untangled it so I went to get on the bike only to find that one side of the handlebars was hanging out with my front wheel. Game over.

...That night, I was barely able to sleep due to the pain. I heard it's even worse the second day! Just can't wait!