Cyclocross Racing - Superior and Tacchino Weekend

Tacchino was a great course last year, IMO. been reworked a bit for this year so should be equally challenging. Superior I didn't do last year... found some pics but that's about it. Anyone have any insight? I think I saw BF resident RyanD in some pics. it's our first weekend racing in november temps. below freezing for the early races on saturday.

finally i get to race in something more than short sleeves.

Superior is fast and not super technical. There are a few good turns in the back section, but the majority or the race is more powerful. The mulch pile was ride-able. There were a couple of brutal hills. Well, brutal when you were on lap 5 at least.

I won't be at either race. Richmond for a polo tournament.

my photos from superior are here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ryandudek/sets/72157602593834654/

that tattoo fairy has been visiting you a lot since last year's race.

I won't be at either race. Richmond for a polo tournament.


Ooo polo. Whats the schedule look like for the tournament? Im going to be in Richmond some this weekend, I might have to come by.

I'll be at Tacchino freezing my ass of in the Cs.

B's at Superior, C's at Tacchino.

Can't make it Saturday but definitely heading to Tacchino for some ciclocross action on Sunday.

you're after the suitcase of sausage. you can't deny it.

Finally got around to registering for Tacchino. 7th row starting spot woo!!!

you're after the suitcase of sausage. you can't deny it.

Despite being a vegetarian ...

If it's the first preme, I'm redlining the opening lap, grabbing said suitcase and quitting the race on the spot.

Despite being a vegetarian ...

If it's the first preme, I'm redlining the opening lap, grabbing said suitcase and quitting the race on the spot.

excellent. and then you give me sausage handups for the rest of the race. brilliant.

how do you tell what row you started in?
also, the email said they were doing call ups for all races. how deep will they call up?

^^^typically the first two rows

I'll be at Tacchino in the C's (one day, one day I will be in a higher category!). Did the race last year - hard but lots of fun. There are good opportunities for climbers in this race, and the downhill sections are ripping fast. Try not to lose your concentration laughing at the guy in the turkey outfit. Leesburg is a nice town to visit afterwards.

how do you tell what row you started in?
also, the email said they were doing call ups for all races. how deep will they call up?

the new mabra trend is to attempt to line up the whole damn field by order of registration after they call up the first two rows by series standings. The last few races ive seen them label each starting grid with a series of numbers. You are required to line up in the grid that corresponds with your bib number. :cry:

You can tell what row you are going to start on by seeing how many people are reg'd before you sign up. So if you see there are already 60 people signed up for a race have fun starting in the 8th row.

i skipped Superior. Instead I glued tires on for my buddy who is a first time tubular user and he won the dang C race after finishing no better than 20th all season!

I will be at Coppi on Sunday sucking in the B series. I am definitely at the end up my season mentally. :(

he won the superior race today? yeah, he was killing it. he rode the absurd wall of a mulch pile on the first lap.

i typed a reply and lost it. anyway, tough race, but fun. i ended up 7th of a rather small field. it was nice to have the masters race first because we got to warmup on course all the way up to the start time. i did 3 laps before the start. rode the mulch every lap during the race, but we had a good groove in it so it was no big deal. i rode pretty well... passed three on the last lap which always feels good.

see (some of you) at tacchino tomorrow. you'll find me by the bbq;)

he won the superior race today? yeah, he was killing it. he rode the absurd wall of a mulch pile on the first lap.

yeah he won and he said he was way out in front and couldnt believe it. he is a pretty good mtb racer but hadnt had any success in cross before today.

Do they do call ups in C too? That would seem pretty over the top. I know we didn't have call ups for C at Urban Cross, and there were not many call-ups in the other fields. At VT, we really did not need them (and it was VACX, not Mabra).

Tacchino used to be on Thanksgiving day weekend, is there anything up there that weekend? I raced in Hendersonville today and it was 23 degrees :eek:

mabra championship in taneytown maryland

Do they do call ups in C too? That would seem pretty over the top. I know we didn't have call ups for C at Urban Cross, and there were not many call-ups in the other fields. At VT, we really did not need them (and it was VACX, not Mabra).

they dont do call ups for C they line everyone up by order of registration

they dont do call ups for C they line everyone up by order of registration

Sometimes they do. Whirlybird and Mercer had C call ups and then they may do with order of registration for everyone else. Either way it's too late to worry about it.

Sometimes they do. Whirlybird and Mercer had C call ups and then they may do with order of registration for everyone else. Either way it's too late to worry about it.

oops sorry. i was talking about mabra and the dc area. ive been to races in pa and nj that had my preferred scrum start in the C this year.

the email for tacchino said they woudl be doing call ups for all categories. i really kind of hate how its done by registration, but also camping out at the start isn't fun either.

camping out is less classist ;)

truth. cross racers of the MABRA, unite.

this race was tough/fun. that back end would not quit.

Scrums are much faster! Call ups take too much time, as do registration line-ups. Pity I'm built more like a Rucby back than a Forward.

Came home and found dents in my ankle, knee and shoulder. Those will heal. The one I just found in my top tube will not! DOH!

Pictures of 3/4 race here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/picturesoflily/sets/72157609876011594/

wow dude that sucks!

superior was a much tougher race, IMO. good to see you folks today.

i liked the new course today

Great race out in Leesburg today - totally different course than last year, but the back section was crazy amounts of fun if you stayed on your bike. Another good race put on by the crew at Squadra Coppi.

Hey Lith, thanks for the support today. I was hoping to stick around and give and the 3/4s some good support as well, but it was a little cold for my family so we headed out beforehand. Hope you had a good race out there.

heckling is so much fun when you are yelling nonsense. i think we started yelling quotes from anchorman ("I DONT KNOW WHAT WE'RE YELLING ABOUT")

I had a blast today. I've been fighting a cold the last few days and that combined with today's tough course made me feel AWFUL, like...worse than I normally feel while racing cross. But I managed to hold on and finish (in 47th, I'll take it), despite my urge to give up every time I passed that opening by the lap cards.

What really made the day for me was cheering friends on in the 3/4 race. It was great.

the great lake they call gitche gumme? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Superior)

Kudos to the Coppis and Leesburg Parks and Rec.. Great course.

Here are a couple videos I shot at Tacchino:

http://vimeo.com/2332692

http://vimeo.com/2332635

I didn't shoot any at Superior because it was super cold and there wasn't a huge turnout. The course at Superior was pretty grueling, one giant fast descent followed by a long, bumpy, slow climb. I think about 20 people started the C race. I got boxed in pretty bad at the start and was about 10th or so, then proceeded to crash trying to ride the freshly raked mulch mound. I rode with a guy from PVC for most of the race and we worked our way up to 2nd and 3rd. He dropped me on the last half a lap by about 15 seconds and I finished up in 3rd.

I registered the day of the race at Tacchino so I was fully expecting to start just about dead last. I was pretty surprised to hear my name during the call ups, but I wasn't complaining. The course was a lot of fun and was changing every lap. I think the ground was still frozen when we started our race and was starting to thaw out. Certain turns got more slippery every lap. I hovered around 10th place for most of the race. On the last lap I was riding with 3 other guys and crashed entering one of the steep climbs. I'm pretty sure the two guys behind me went down too (sorry guys). I was able to remount pretty quickly but could never get back on the wheel of the guy in front. Ended up in 9th.

i crashed in the same place as the guy in your 3/4 video. such a random place to go down. i got two dollar hand ups from the turkey!

Yeah, both Saturday and Sunday's races were fun, despite me sucking. I'm in the same boat as Lithuania, I'm pretty cooked mentally.

I felt like Saturday's course was super hard. Nothing too technical about it, just lots of hills and power sections. Lap times were fast too. I got double lapped by the winner of the A race, my buddy Steevo. :rolleyes:

Was alittle annoyed that I was listed as "unknown" in Tacchino's results but I guess that's what I get for sucking so badly!

^^^that circuit on saturday was very short so there was even less recovery than usual (not that you ever truly recover). i really loved the whoop-dee-doo downhill section after you made those turns through the trees.

i really loved the whoop-dee-doo downhill section after you made those turns through the trees.

Agreed, the first half of a lap with all the descending was amazing until the climbing started. The fast parts were suprisingly smooth compared to the rest of the course, it felt like a roller coaster.

Kudos to the Coppis and Leesburg Parks and Rec.. Great course.

yep - fun course! :)

I have Tacchino podium interviews up. Well, at least from those that responded (ahem) ^^^^

They are here: http://cxhairs.wordpress.com/