Halloween Cross at Washington Park

The second annual Washington Park Halloween Cyclocross Race was held under blue skies and 60 degree temps. This race was the fifth of eight races in the Wisconsin Cycling Association cyclocross series. The race is put on by the Velo Trocadero cycling squad as a fundraiser for the team and also supports the WCA and the Matt Wittig Memorial Fund (Matt was a very talented and kind racer who was killed in a crash earlier this year). The race went without a hitch and saw the largest number of racers in any Wisconsin Cyclocrosss race to date with 194 racers. Many of the
194 racers were donned in Halloween costume.

The race is a challenging course with a hill run up and a bumpy lunar landscape section which took it out of you lap after lap. Washington Park, where the race was held, was laid out by famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead, who also built New York's famed Central Park.

C Men, C Women and Juniors photos
B Men and 40/50+ Men photos
A Women, B Women and 30+ Men
A Men

Photos by Paul Matsushima

Race officials have announced that TIAA-CREF will be the Premier Title Sponsor of the TIAA-CREF Coralville Jingle Cross Rock, a USCF sanctioned cyclocross event to benefit the Children's Hospital of Iowa.

"We are excited to have TIAA-CREF as our Premier Title Sponsor, said Race Director John Meehan. "TIAA-CREF has been a strong supporter of cycling and has stepped to the plate once again to help bring this great event to our riders. We thank TIAA-CREF's commitment to cycling, the community, and the Children's Hospital of Iowa."

Also announced was the planned appearance of 2004 U.S. Olympic Cyclist Jason McCartney of the Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team at the event. McCartney, a native of Coralville Iowa, will be racing in the TIAA-CREF Coralville A race at the Jingle Cross Rock on Sunday, November 27th, 2005. Information on the race can be found at the official race website - Jingle Cross Rock

Chicago Cross Cup - Challenge Park

The Challenge Park course this year was super-tight with some singletrack, including an opening section with three log hops and a cement foundation ride.  The course also included a short section with a one-lane bridge.

Photos by Paul Forsythe
Photos by Paul Matsushima

2005 Estabrook Cyclocross

Overnight rain left Estabrook Park with just a touch of mud to make the cyclocross race course a little more challenging.  The cold breeze just added to the cross like conditions.

C Men and C Women Photos
B Men and B Women Photos
A Women and 40/50+ Men Photos
A Men and 30+ Men Photos - taken by Garett Kipp

Photos by Paul Matsushima

Chicago Cross Cup reminds riders of Category Rules

In the model of fair sportsmanship, a bicycle racer should always race in his or her appropriate category. The Chicago Cyclocross Cup follows this tenant (Rule 1G2) from the official USCF guidelines:

More info at Chicago Cross Cup