Cross-WORD Cross!

2009 Masters Track Champ

Every year for five years running!

Since 2011, Cyclisme road/criterium star,
Master's Track Champ,
and team sponsor,
Randy Word,
has promoted a cyclocross race at Pat's Acres in Canby, Oregon.

It's called The Cross-Word CX Challenge.
(see flyer here)
(see results here)
Check out Yung Pine Blog on "Canby Crossword" (here)

Randy started racing in the 1980s with the Raindance Velo team, and traveled with Brad Gebhard, and Mike Shepard.
Though Road racing might be what Randy is best known for, Randy is also an aficionado of many disciplines of racing.

Randy's knee at PIR.

In fact, he races motorcycles and karts too. On his motorcycle in 1999 Randy Won the Open Supersport Expert class. That's 170mph dragging your knee on the ground.

Thus the connection with Pat's Acres, a local kart racing venue. Randy met Chris Egger, the owner, in 2007, when Randy's son Ethan took up kart racing.

Cross Word is an especially fun family event that features guest appearances at the kiddies race by Darth Vader and Spider Man.

Spider man and his spider fans throw webbing, at ya!

Randy Word came to Cyclsme Racing programs back in 1996 following years of training with Oregon Stars,
Danny Knudsen and David Auker.

Two venerable Cyclisme Lore mercenaries.

Activist

Davidsons.

Dad, 

Brad 

is glad 
Phote Credit: Christopher Garvey 2015

he had
some time to race cyclocross 
this year.

Brad is not doing too bad, 
either.
Catted up from the C's in September,

Brad Davidson was able to experience racing near the front for the first part of the Cross Season, and has not moved back in the pack much in the new upgraded category of Bs.

In his zeal and focus, Brad has even stepped up to advocate within the peloton for positive changes to the rules effecting new racers like himself.

Take a look at a few of Mr. Davidson's words:

Brad Davidson - October 9, 2015 at 4:01 PM

Unlike the Crusade call-up points schedule which is apparently fixed-depth, the upgrade points schedule varies by race type and field size:
http://www.obra.org/upgrade_rules.html#cyclocross
... but yeah, it would be nice if the upgrade points list existed somewhere outside Candi's spreadsheet, like maybe at the bottom of the user page where it lists your category?

Not sure it'd help the immediate issue though, which stems from folks earning call-up points and then getting upgraded. There's been a lot of list chatter about the whole upgrade/series points/call-up issue with no clear solution other than just drinking a beer and trying not to think about it too much.

Brad Davidson - September 30, 2015 at 3:31 PM

I don't think a rule change is necessary. I get why promoters want to do things like leader jerseys and series podiums - it's fun to be recognized and rewarded for your skill - but look at how that's worked out for GPRM. I'm just a lowly B newbie, but it feels like everyone who's received a leader jersey in a lower category has been upgraded in short order - sometimes before they even get a chance to wear it in a race.

The long and short of it is that you don't get to win much, and I think that's how it's intended to be. Just a few podiums and you are kicked up to the next category. If you're good, and racing even half of what's available in the Portland metro area, that can happen in just a week or two. If promoters kept that in mind, it might feel a little bit less like folks are getting punished for their success.

Category B has been pretty good to me so far, all things considered. I've been doing better in the weekly series than at Cross Crusade, where (unless you have a call-up) much is dependent on when you're picked to line up. Lots of crashes and early-race slowdowns if you're at the back of the chute. Even so, there's been some fun back-and-forth battles with folks, people are starting to recognize me and come up to chat after races, etc. At this point I'm hoping to spend a year or more in B to build some sort of continuity. I've got another 2 years before I'm eligible for any of the Masters 35+ categories.

Smooth!

Ben lifts.
See Ben lift.

See Ben lift in the style of Cleen and jerk.

Sunday, see God.

See Ben win the sprint.

Be 
strong 
and 
courageous, 
for 
your work 
will be 
rewarded.  
2 Chronicles 15:7

Fergus, Mickey and Ben meet at RCB.

 
Of course, intensity  

Early appeal for Justice.

this big might just help you meet your maker prematurely.




Steep climbing to Fairmont Loop made Sunday a soul burner of Biblical proportions. 

Willy anaerobic.

Meeting at River City Bicycles at Noon, Mickey led the climb up the team's traditional, "Paris Robaix," but Ben retained the sprint sign on Fairmont. A week later it was Tony Escobar.

Boys sit out a lap

Justice "Jetty" Spears made an early appeal for preeminence when the climb was still on Montgomery, but had to run with his bike when the slope hit SW Upper.

Fun on Fairmont Loop.

First lap around Fairmont was spent teaching Jetty the pace line, 
then 



Ben and Fergus gave a more advanced lesson on the second lap.

Ben is taking the team in hand, and shaping a racing machine. 

Fall is the power season.

Warrior in Pidgeon.

Ball hollow halves.

One leg hollows on the ball.

Good form 

is 
fundemental.

Especially with Olympic lifts

Victory arrives in push press preparation.

like
Cleen and Jerk.

Lighter weights
and

Tony is getting ready.

compartmentalizing the movement into separate practice routines, is key.
Before the big  
January Team miles of Rocky Rabbit Winter Training,
a little weight lifting is great.

The training regimen in this video is ideal.

Tony's hang cleen quick.

Joshua is fast.

Leg speed and power are the building blocks of a fast bicycle racer's engine.

Climbing hills, and spinning on stationary rollers are just part of the Cyclisme Racing Program's recipe for winter season preparaton.

Fall season power comes first.

Ben Waters boil in 2015!

Ben Waters is just getting started.

Sprint savant, Ben Waters  
won the OBRA Cat 4 Track BAR 2015. (see) 
Jaden Salama finished Second in Junior BAR! (see)

Ben Waters and Jaden Salama.

For a few Thursday summer nights at Alpenrose, and summer Saturdays too, combined with Junior, Jaden Salama, Ben Waters was a lurking terror of the Cat 3/4/5 packs.
Eventually the dynamic duo's alternated attack fusion of off the front power, was slashed by OBRA when they "Catted up" to the next pack up "Cat 3," just Ben Waters.

Ben Waters leads out and wins another point!

A natural sprinter who loves to wait.

The combination was split up and all Alpenrose Velodrome Category 4 Men's

Salama, Waters, and Bergmann approach Olympic Sprint.

TRACK FANS EVERYWHERE
were dismayed.





Nobody deserved Cat-up more!
'
Waters immediately began to instigate attack after attack before the best of the next pack up. He even attacked for the finish line, and won! It was a sight to see.

He began to win in the Match Sprint on Friday Nights! In the July Series Ben Waters finished an amazing 6th overall.
His pure sprinting style was complemented by his Kilo and 4k form.
 

Salama was left alone with the 4s.

In the State Champ Kilo for Cat 4s, Cyclisme finished Silver and Bronse with almost identical times.

2	5561	Jaden Salama	Word-RCB by Cyclisme	01:22.57
3	5456	Ben Waters	Word-RCB by Cyclisme	01:22.68