Keep
your number!
The WCA Cyclocross Series is
experimenting with issuing permanent cyclocross numbers. This
reduces the cost to race organizers, lightens our ecological
footprint (Tyvek doesn't grow on trees!), and may make registration
flow more quickly.
You can help us by bringing your
number to each race. We've purchased enough to allow for a
few spares, but don't want to run out before the end of the
season!
Questions? Contact Heidi wcatech@earthlink.net
GDVC
Rider Involved in Tragic Accident
Gregg Bednorski,
a well known category 1 racer who raced for Great Dane Velo tragically
was killed September 18 while riding his bike near Wausau. Gregg
was universally liked and respected by the bike racing community
in Wisconsin. Gregg is survived by his wife, Tammy, and his two
young children. Funeral services are Monday September 22 @ Peterson/Kramer
Funeral Home 1302 6th Street Wausau 54403 (715-845-6900). Visitation
is @ 4pm service is @ 7pm.
WCA
Treasurer, Amy Miller, Remembers Gregg Bednorski
We
[Amy and her family] were lucky enough to have spent last Saturday
with he and Tammy. Racing at Chequamegon after recovering from major
back surgery, he had a very successful race. (As did Tammy after
having their second child Adam just over a year ago.) We ate a great
meal together cooked by Dale Carson: grilled salmon and steak, vegetables
and rice. Gregg said it was the best meal he’d had in a year.
We’ve known Gregg and Tammy for over fifteen years. When he
spoke everyone listened, especially our son Simon. Gregg took him
fishing over the years, mainly up at Chequamegon. It is the few
trips out with Gregg that Simon remembers when the “fishing
tales” come out (not the hundred-plus with Todd). Gregg had
many talents and shared them all generously. The Miller family and
the cycling community deeply mourn his death.
Bike
racers invade Wisconsin for Jonathan Page's Planet Bike Cup
on September 27 and 28 in Sun Prairie
An impressive field of racers
will take to the speedway at Jonathan Page's Planet Bike
Cup on September 27 and 28 at Angell Park Speedway in Sun
Prairie, WI. Top racers from throughout the Midwest will contest
the amateur events and will be joined by elite riders from
throughout the Midwest as well as from California, Oregon,
Colorado, Canada and Switzerland.
The elite men;s field will be headlined
by Planet Bike's Jonathan Page, a multiple national champion
and the 2006 world silver medalist who is fresh off a win
at the Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival. Also in attendance will
be Olympic mountain bike participant Todd Wells (GT) along
with a strong group of racers with international race experience
including Jonathan Baker (Vitamin Cottage) and Canadian Derrick
St John (Jet Fuel Coffee). Added to the mix will be top Wisconsin
series racers as well as several Swiss racers which should
make for an exciting event for all the cowbell ringing fans.
The elite women's field will feature former US national
team member Sarah Kerlin (HRS/Rock Lobster) and Canadian national
team member Natasha Elliott (EMD Serano/Stevens). In addition,
top riders from Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska
will be in attendance vying for the same prize money as the
elite men. Top local favorites include 2007 Wisconsin cyclocross
champion Kristin Wentworth (Planet Bike) and Junior National
Champion Anna Young (Planet Bike) who will be looking to use
their home course advantage to take the win.
Pre-registration is available on BikeReg.con until Thursday,
September 25 at 11am Central Time. Race day registration is
also available starting at 8am, Day-of registration will incur
an additional $10 fee so register now. For more information
on the race weekend visit www.madcross.org.
Save
the Date: October 17 for Bike Fed Gala
It’s back and it’s
better than ever. The fall gathering of peeps who believe
Wisco is a great place to ride and want to make it better
still: the Saris Bike Fed Gala is October 17 from 6-10pm.
Get your car pool on and get yourself
to Madison for a look inside Saris, a chat with Christian
VandeVelde and a shot at some wicked good auction items. Warning:
some items are priceless and reserve prices will be in effect.
There’s no way you are going to win the ride in the
Liquigas Team Car at the Giro unless you can write a check
with a few 000s. Or win the new Schwinn Paramount built by
Richard Schwinn himself for less than a few 000s---and remember.
It’s not just for a good cause, it’s for THE cause.
Be there…it’s only
$35 to get in and only 000s of dollars to get out! For info
please see www.bfw.org.
Ben
Turner of Cycle-Smart to lead Cyclocross Clinic in Chicago
Chicago Cyclocross Cup is proud
to present the first annual cyclocross clinic on Saturday,
September 13 at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT).
The clinic will be lead by Coach Ben Turner of Cycle-Smart.
Ben who will be teaching the techniques and strategies needed
for a successful cyclocross season. Ben is the current manager
of CLIF BAR Development Cyclo-Cross Team, the top under-25
development cycling program in the country.
The schedule will be as follows:
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (Beginner New crosser/less than 1
year experience)
1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Advanced/1 or more years of cross
racing)
The cost of the clinic is $45
advance registration and it includes lunch, premiums, USA
Cycling insurance, and Hammer Nutrition samplings. On-line
registration premiums include Cycle-Smart “Solutions
for Cyclo-Cross” DVD for the first 10 registered ($30
value), second group of 10 will receive other products ($30
value). In addition, all online registrants will be entered
into a drawing for a cyclocross bike fit courtesy of Cycle
Smithy of Chicago ($100 value). Other premiums will be raffled
off throughout the day. On-line registration is open at www.sportsbaseonline.com.
On the same day a Bike Swap will
be held and information can be found by visiting http://www.swapandhop.com/swap.html
The clinic is presented by Cycle
Smythe, Cycle-Smart, Hammer Nutrition, IIT (Illinois Institute
of Technology), Lavazza, Pony Shop (Chicago) and SunRingle.
The series kicks off with Race
#1 on Sunday, September 21 at Jackson Park in the City of
Chicago.
Further information about the
clinic and series can be found by visiting www.chicrosscup.com
About Chicago Cyclocross Cup:
the Chicago Cyclocross Cup was started in 2004 by a group
of ‘crossers from local teams that had a strong desire
to race in their neighborhood. They spoke to other people
who had similar goals and before you knew it a series was
born. While the series will vary from year to year, you can
expect great new venues with spectacular support and all the
fun that you expect at a ‘cross race. The goal of the
group is to create a series that a rider can enjoy great competition
and lively courses. (http://www.chicrosscup.com)
The
Story Behind WIBIKELAW.COM
 I
think there is a saying about lawyers that says something
like “you hate them until you need one.”
Dan Goldberg just might be the
guy you need, although we hope you don’t. Goldberg (IS
Corp) is the brain behind WIBIKELAW.com a new website advertiser
on WCA. Like a lot of WCA riders he is a full time professional
and unassuming behind his blue and white kit.
Goldberg started bike racing in
1968 when he was 10 years old and practicing law since 1983.
So why did he start the website?
“Much of the development
of the website comes from being out on the road on group rides
and running into situations where laws were unclear or misunderstood.
There are always questions about cyclists’ rights to
the road, interactions with police or group riding considerations.
The questions always pop up, so that’s why the website
came about. Plus, riders have been involved in accidents and
don’t know their rights or how to be treated fairly.
Rather than trying to get these questions answered on the
road, the website is designed to be a tool in getting the
information riders need,” says Goldberg.
Goldberg’s first bicycle
accident case was in 1986 and since then he has represented
hundreds of cyclists. Being a competitive cyclist gives him
a perspective that proves valuable in these cases. His goal
is to resolve claims smoothly and effectively so that the
riders can take care of their expenses, get their bikes replaced
or repaired, and move on with their riding.
Goldberg designed the website
to be a one-stop site for cycling information -- especially
from the legal standpoint. On it you’ll find information
such as what to do after an accident, what to do about traffic
tickets, or what to do when your bike gets damaged. Insurance
issues are also confusing; from crashes to airline travel
issues. People are often surprised to hear that even roof
rack mishaps may be covered by insurance.
I’ve also included local
rider resources. There’s a list and description of local
group rides. There’s also a marketplace section in which
cyclists can post free listings to buy or sell bikes or cycling
items. There’s a growing cycling links section. Each
section is going to get better as people contribute information
about rides, events, activities. It’s a great hub for
the local cycling community.
Clearly, no one seeks a bike accident
but what can one do if they are in such a situation? According
to Goldberg “it’s important to gather witness
names and have the police called to the accident scene to
investigate. It’s also a good idea to seek medical attention
as soon as possible. A person should make certain to take
photographs of cuts, bruises and other signs of injury. Get
a picture of your bike before anyone works on it. Don’t
ever give a voluntary statement to an insurance company. I’m
always a phone call away and my consultations are free.”
So what are some things that riders
can do to avoid an accident?
1) Ride like drivers are trying
to hit you. They really are not, but many of them are distracted
so you are better off aiming to make eye contact to know if
they see you before you make a move—even IF you have
the right of way. In the game of car vs. bike, you’ll
lose every time if you want to push your luck or make assumptions.
And for you young folk out there, ask anyone over 40 what
ASSUME really means.
2) Make yourself seen by wearing
brightly colored clothing, especially at dawn and dusk. Get
a blinking light for the back of your bike if you ride in
early spring, late fall, or if your group rides go past dusk.
3) Avoid high-traffic areas if
possible; it’s just too dangerous. You’ve got
car doors opening, slow riders weaving in and out of traffic,
and too much traffic.
4) Drive your bike. Riders have
duties too. Avoid sudden lane changes and intersection “roll
throughs.” And never, ever assume drivers will avoid
you. One of the worst offenses a rider can make is rolling
past a line of cars waiting to make a right turn. By law,
you need to take your place in line, maybe not behind the
car but behind the one that is last in line. By zooming to
the front of the line you are ensuring that you’ll startle
the car at the front of the line making a right turn. Capice?
Don’t think you’re innocent…we’ve
all seen enough stupid rider moves (and made them ourselves)
to pretend we aren’t part of the problem.
Safe travels, all.
New
Policy on Upgrades
USAC has announced an ew policy
on category upgrades. The new policy can be seen at http://www.usacycling.org/forms/USAC_rulebook.pdf.
In brief, the upgrade requirements
for road and CX have been changed significantly and it's the
RIDER'S responsibility to know the rules. The essential differences
compared to last year are:
- There is now a tiered scale
of points based on how many participants were in the race.
In some cases, this will make it easier to upgrade, especially
in classes with small fields, but it will take more races
to do so as the points are fewer.
- If road races do not meet
the distance requirement to be considered a road race, they
may still be long enough to be considered a criterium or
circuit race. In that case there is a different points table
to use, but points would still be available.
- The parameters for upgrading
from 4 to 3 on experience alone have been modified.
Please consult the rulebook and
if you have questions contact Heidi Mingesz or see an official
at an upcoming race.
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