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Countdown to Nationals The
2006 California Giant Berry
Farms USA Cycling National Cyclo-cross Championships will be held December
15-17 at Roger Williams Park in
Providence, R.I. Many riders from the area will be traveling east to take
part. Find out more about the race and the racers that will be taking part
right here at MadCross.org, In addition, MadCross.org will also be your
site for news from Providence so you can find out how all the locals are doing
and get all the latest gossip and news. Riders
to Watch. |
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Midwesterners take charge at NationalsOn Friday Minnesota's Linda Sone (Hollywood/Silver Cycling) finished in a strong 2nd place in a fast women's 35-39 race. Dage Selander (Alan) just missed the podium with a 6th place finish in the 50+ race. Bob Downs (Planet Bike) made it into the top 15. On Saturday Sarah Huang (Kenosha Velosport) brought home the national championship title in the Girls 10-12 race while Katie Antonneau (IS Nova) and Samantha Schneider (Endeavour) brought home silver medals in their races. Bjorn Selander (Alan) finished 3rd in his first year as a U23 racer. Tristan Schouten (Trek/VW/Michelin) was the top Wisconsin finisher in the Elite Men's race. On Sunday, in the B Men's 35+ Brian Conant (Training Bible) finished in 2nd place. Tristan Schouten (Trek/VW/Michelin) raced to a top 10 finish in the Berry Cup. Strong finishes were put in by all the area riders on a fast course in Providence, Rhode Island. Jonathan Page to Ride NationalsDecember 13, 2006Jonathan Page is planning to race in the National Championships this Saturday in Providence, RI. This will be his first race after dislocating his shoulder in a spill during the warm-up of the first World Cup race in Aigle, Switzerland, this past October. His return to racing was not expected until mid-January, but the former national champ will be arriving stateside this Friday. Page has been training on the road for a few weeks now, and has had some training in Switzerland as well. Jonathan is without a team for 2007, and would like to have a good result to ensure his cyclocross career can continue. Page was second in last year’s nationals. Courtesy of Cyclo-cross.info. Midwestern Racer DinnerInterested in getting together with other riders from the area in Providence for Nationals? Would dinner at about 7pm on Saturday night work? If so, email and I will try to coordinate a gathering if there is interest.. Angelo's Italian restaurant seems like an affordable option and is only a 1/2 mile from the Westin. That is nice and walkable for those staying at the host hotel. City of Providence and the Westin Providence prepare to host California Giant Berry Farms NationalsNovember 19, 2006Cyclo-cross returns to the City of Providence in December when thousands of racers, fans, and spectators descend upon the Westin Providence and Roger Williams Park for a weekend of world-class bike racing. What makes it world-class could be the roster of top-level racing talent arriving from points scattered about the country; or it could be the Westin Hotel and its touted "efficient service" (efficiency IS, after all, the language of cyclists); or it could be the city that is home to Johnson & Wales, RISD, and Brown, whose academic influences ripple throughout the city's remarkable restaurants, public art displays and even the Mayor's office. When the 2006 California Giant Berry Farms USA Cycling National Cyclo-cross Championships take place the weekend of December 15-17, you can bet that the experience will be nothing short of sensational. "The City of Providence is thrilled to once again host the Cal Giant Cyclocross Nationals," said Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline. "Last year, the excitement of the sport won our city over with a tremendous weekend of competition for our legions of winter sports fans. We eagerly anticipate the return of world-class athletes and another festival of premium cyclocross." Roger Williams Park will once again become the make-or-break battleground for national champions to defend or lose the Stars-and-Stripes jersey. Current national champions Todd Wells, his brother, Troy, Katie Compton, Dale Knapp, and Maureen Bruno-Roy (among others) will need to hold off attacks from opponents, some of whom may have an axe to grind following poor performances at last year's event. When the day is done, racers and their supporters, friends and fans can retire to the plush trappings of the Westin Providence. "We're trying to create the experience like you're arriving home," said Cullen McKain, sales manager at the Westin Providence. "We have a custom scent called 'White Tea' that helps guests to relax, restore and rejuvenate when they arrive through the front doors. For weary cyclists, we also have an indoor pool overlooking the city on the eighth floor plus there's a hot tub in the pool area overlooking the city skyline. Better yet, the Westin is the first hotel nationwide to become 100 percent smoke-free, which should ease cyclists' tension even more." Rooms are still available at the Westin Providence at special rates exclusive to the 2006 Cal Giant Cross Nats. Information is available by visiting http://www.cyclocrossnationals.com/lodging.htm Be advised that rooms are selling out quickly. For general hotel information For things to see and do in Providence, visit: www.providenceri.com or Providence Warwick Convention and Visitors Bureau About The Westin Providence: Located in the center of one of New England's most historically significant cities, The Westin Providence offers much more than just a place to rest your head. Within walking distance of world-class shopping, theatre, major sporting events, historical sights, and an array of local attractions, The Westin Providence is itself a landmark of warm hospitality and luxurious accommodations. About California Giant Berry Farms: California Giant Berry Farms grows and ships over 14 million trays of berries annually. From its nurseries to state-of-the-art cooling facilities, the family-owned company controls every aspect of its strawberry production to ensure superior quality and supply to its customers. Based in Watsonville, California, California Giant produces strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. The company's operation encompasses all aspects of growing, handling and shipping of fresh berries. The management and employees know the future depends on the actions of today and places concerns for the environment, food safety, excellent quality and service at the core of their business. For more information visit www.calgiant.com. About Roger Williams Park: Known as the 'Jewel of Providence,' the award-winning Roger Williams Park attracts more than 2 million visitors per year. Cited by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as one of America's premier urban parks, Roger Williams Park was designed by Horace Cleveland. Roger Williams Park is located just south of downtown Providence, the capital of Rhode Island. About USA Cycling Recognized by the U.S. Olympic Committee and the Union Cycliste Internationale, USA Cycling promotes American cycling through its 60,000 members and 2,500 annual events. USA Cycling associations include the BMX Association (BMX), National Off-Road Bicycle Association (mountain bike), U.S. Cycling Federation (road/track), the National Collegiate Cycling Association and the U.S. Professional Racing Organization (professional men's road). For more information visit www.usacycling.org or contact, USA Cycling Director of Marketing and Communications, Andy Lee at 719-866-4867. About the New England Cyclo-cross Association: The New England Cyclo-cross Association is the committee formed specifically to promote the 2006 California Giant Berry Farms USA Cycling National Cyclo-cross Championships. Headquartered in Lexington, Mass., the core members of this committee have experience promoting five national championships and dozens of national caliber events. |
US Cyclo-cross champs start this weekendDecember 12, 2006The 2006 USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships will kick off this weekend with a record-breaking 1,940 entrants. Held for the second year at Roger Williams Park in Providence, Rhode Island, riders will fight for 28 national titles. As a testament to the ever-increasing popularity of the sport in the U.S. The entry numbers represent a 14-percent increase over the 2005 edition US Cyclo-cross Championships and a 41-percent growth compared to 2004. Racing starts Friday with 14 master national championships. Saturday will include junior racing, the U23 and collegiate women's events, the U23 men's contest and the elite men's race. Competition will close Sunday with the collegiate men's and elite women's races. Two non-national championship categories - the class-B events and the Pro-Elite Cup - will also be contested Sunday. Defending elite and two-time Cyclo-cross National Champion Todd Wells (GT/Hyundai) will face US National MTB Cross-Country Champion Ryan Trebon (Kona). Trebon recently dominated the US field by winning the 2006 U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclo-cross series (USGP). USGP overall runner-up Tim Johnson (Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld.com) will also present Wells with some tough competition, as will perennial 'cross powerhouses Adam Craig (Bend, Ore./Giant) Mark McCormack (Foxboro, Mass./Clif Bar), Barry Wicks (Corvallis, Ore./Kona), and three-time National Champion Jonathan Page (Cervelo). Page is normally the dominator in US Cyclo-cross National Championships races but the rider from the Northeast who focuses on European competition has been sidelined with a shoulder injury and his form is unseen. So even though Wells is the defending champ, a top-ten finish for Trebon at last weekend's Superprestige in Belgium suggests he will be marked as the man to beat. Two-time winner and defending elite women's National Champion Katie Compton (Spike/Primus Mootry) will face an 81-rider field. To take the win for a third year in a row, she'll need to be stronger than other primary contenders like Ann Knapp (Seattle, Wash./Kona), Dorothy Wong (Altadena, Calif./Figueroa Farms-Redline-MS Society) and Georgia Gould (Ketchum, Idaho/Luna), who is the reigning Mountain Bike National Champion and second-place finisher in this year's USGP Series. Event Schedule Friday, December 15 7:30: Open Course 8:30: Master Women (40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55+) 9:30: Master Men (50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65+) 10:30: Master Women (30-34, 35-39) 11:30: Master Men (45-49) 12:30: Open Course, Awards 13:00: Master Men (40-44) 14:00: Master Men (35-39) 15:00: Master Men (30-34) 16:00: Closed Course, Awards Saturday, December 16 7:30: Open Course 8:30: Junior Women (Under 12, 13-14, 15-16, 17-18) 9:30: Junior Men (10-12, 13-14, 15-16) 10:30: Women (U23, Collegiate) 11:30: Junior Men (17-18) 12:30: Open Course, Awards 13:00: Men (U23) 14:00: Elite Men 15:00: Closed Course, Awards Sunday, December 17 7:30: Open Course 8:30: Women Category B 9:30: Men U35 Category B Race 10:30: Men 35+ Category B Race 11:30: Men (Collegiate) 13:00: The Giant Strawberry Cup 14:00: Elite Women 15:00: Closed Course, Awards The Westin Providence Extends Special Event Room Rates until Dec. 7 PROVIDENCE, R.I. (November 30, 2006) The Westin Providence has graciously increased availability and extended the deadline until December 7 for its special event room rates for the 2006 California Giant Berry Farms USA Cycling National Cyclo-cross Championships. So far the Westin has sold out f rooms set aside exclusively for the event and has deemed it necessary to add to an already brimming number of rooms earmarked for the weekend. "The Westin recognized the enormous popularity of the event," said Lyle Fulkerson, operations director. "The response has been well beyond expectations and as a result, the Westin approved an extension of rates contracted especially to accommodate racers for this national championship event." Rooms at the special event rate are selling quickly and are available based on first come, first serve. For more information, visit http://www.cyclocrossnationals.com/lodging.htm |