By Bill Schieken, Cyclocross Editor
The fourth installment of Urban Cross at Ix took place November 15 in Charlottesville, Virginia. The course winds itself around the decomposing hull of the former Frank Ix & Sons textile mill. Built in 1928, the mill, which specialized in unfinished silk and satin, shuttered its doors in 1999. The factory is the centerpiece of a historic reuse development still in the works. Until that project is complete, it continues to be the site of a cyclocross event that is different than any other on the MABRA calendar.
The race is a points event for MABRA and the Virginia Cyclocross Series, VACX. Looking at the start list, the fields were weighted a bit toward the VACX side with many MABRA regulars deciding to take the weekend off and not make the trek to Charlottesville. Of course, this also meant that many looking to pick up points in the series race were keeping their cards close to the vest, checking the pre-registration list frequently and waiting until the last minute to decide whether they would make the trip.
After the MABRA series visited downtown venues in Baltimore and D.C., traveling to Charlottesville for an "Urban" cyclocross race seems a bit peculiar. But the industrial setting that presents riders with a mix of asphalt, concrete and a large brick structure in the middle of the course do the name justice.
Elizabeth Harlow with the Ix factory as background.
In the early races, in which the fields tend to be a bit larger and the riders not as experienced, the start is a key factor in having a successful day. About 100 yards into the race is a quick off-camber turn with a steep embankment. The three days of rain that fell on the course before Sunday meant that this shady section stayed slick throughout the day. If you were not in the top ten to fifteen places in a large field, your race came to a stop at this point as bottlenecks plagued all fields except the men and women's elite races and the men's masters elite race.
Men's field easily through the tricky start.
After making it through the off-camber bottleneck, riders raced down to a wooden staircase that, despite being covered this year with grip tape, remained a tricky obstacle that upended many riders that came into the section a little too hot. After the staircase the course had several short punchy climbs and off-camber descents interspersed with long straight sections. This meant that there were equal opportunities for riders with technical and power abilities to showcase their skills. The course also featured a sand pit that the promoters labeled "the litter box." Unlike the many run-ups caused by slick conditions, the sand pit was a non-factor in most categories. It could be traversed at speed. A little burst on the downhill descent allowed most riders to get through the pit without even having to pedal.
The elite men and women lined up in unseasonably warm temperatures. The winners from both fields entered the race with stated goals clearly in mind. Jennifer Maxwell (ATAC Sportswear/Bike Rack) made the trip from D.C., despite racing the day before in a USGP event in New Jersey, to win the race and make a run at the overall MABRA series point lead. Jared Nieters (Haymarket Bicycles/HomeVisit) wanted to win the race so that his ailing father would have some good news to keep his spirits high.
For Jared, the winning move may have happened before the race started. "Pre-riding the course was crucial this weekend," Nieters explained. "There were a number of tricky turns and a few hazards that were difficult to see. During my warm-up I picked a few lines that were away from the dominant paths that had developed and I think that really contributed to my success."
Unlike last week's Tacchino race that involved several teams making strategic moves throughout the race, Urban 'Cross was a straight forward affair. Nieters said that the race really shook out on the first lap. "A few riders had trouble in some of the technical sections, but I was able to keep my nose clean," he recalled "I was concerned on the second lap when I saw Greg Wittwer and Dave Weaver (ALAN North America Cycling) working together, but it seemed like the gap continued to open, so I just focused on riding hard in the sections where it was safe, and riding clean where the lines were a little bit more tricky."
Sticking to that plan, Nieters was able to open up more than a minute on his pursuers to take the win and deliver some good news to his dad. Weaver slotted in for second place with his teammate Wittwer coming in third. Continuing a solid first season in the 1/2/3 category Adam Driscoll (Adventures for the Cure) placed fourth.
Maxwell was chased around the course for the remainder of the day by C3-Athletes Serving Athletes' Lenore Pipes and Elizabeth Harlow. That pair finished second and third, respectively.
Dave Fuentes (Battley Harley Davidson/Sonoma), kitted out in The Bike Lane colors for this race, continued his winning streak in the Men's Masters Elite race. Keith Rohr (Adventures for the Cure) took home top prize in the Masters 3/4 race and eighteen-year-old Tyler Karnes won the Mens 3/4 race for the second week in a row.
The MABRA 'Cross Series has a big weekend coming up with the Howard County Double Cross. With the season quickly coming to an end and points races still up for grabs, these races will be hotly contested. Saturday is Schooley Mill Cross and Sunday it is Rockburn Cross. Hup. Hup.--
photo credits: Bill Schieken.
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GamJams Cyclocross Editor Bill Schieken races for Route1Velo/Arrow Bicycle. He is also the editor of In The Crosshairs.
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