Bikes and Beats

jennlevo:

When the cyclo-cross season started back in September, Jade Wilcoxson’s name was not on anybody’s list of possible candidates for the US team that will compete at the world championships next month in Louisville, Kentucky. Wilcoxson, a first-year road pro who had never before raced a full season of cyclo-cross, had not even submitted her own name to USA Cycling for Worlds consideration.

But a season of consistently improving ‘cross results for the Optum Pro Cycling rider, capped by an improbable second-place finish in the Elite women’s race at the US cyclo-cross national championships last weekend, earned the 34-year-old a coveted starting spot at the first-ever cyclo-cross world championships in the US.

“That was crazy,” Wilcoxson said of the moment she found out she’d made the Worlds team. “It’s unbelievable, really. I’m still pretty shocked about it and incredibly excited. Who knew that my first time wearing a USA Cycling kit would be at a world championship event.”

(via crossfix)

Helen Wyman, seven-time British National Cyclocross champion, addresses the lack of  participants eligible to head to world’s in Louisville, due to a simple rule issue.

In cyclocross, there is a UCI rule in place to ensure that the elite men’s field has huge strength in depth, giving the top riders from each nation a set goal to aim for. UCI Rule 9.2.045 states that each federation shall be required to include the top three riders from its country in its worlds selection, as long as they are in the top 50 in the UCI ranking published after the national championships:

Each federation shall be required to include the following riders in their Men Elite’s team, as long as they are in the top 50 of the UCI Cyclo-cross Classification as published after the national championships in Europe:
federation with a selection of six riders: its first three ranked riders;
federation with a selection of five riders: its first two ranked riders.

This rule shall not apply to riders who have failed to fulfill their obligations under the regulations. In the event of a dispute on this issue, it shall be the responsibility of the National Federation to decide whether the rider will be selected.

For a non-Olympic discipline I believe this is an excellent rule as it ensures that the top athletes of the sport are represented at the ultimate event in cyclocross.

Unfortunately there is no such rule for the women.

A simple change, which would cost nothing, and would be another step towards equal treatment of men and women in cycling.

jennlevo:

She steadily worked her way through the field, riding her own race, until she caught the audacious Duke with just under a half a lap to go; Duke latched on to her wheel until they hit the finishing stretch of pavement. Wilcoxson powered away from Duke on the tarmac, taking silver by a comfortable margin.

“My bike was so gunked up with mud that I couldn’t shift into my big ring, so it was a little ring sprint,” she said. It would turn out to be the second fortuitous advantage of having just come off the track, another cycling discipline she has started just recently. “All week on the track I’ve been hating this cadence, 120 rpms! But I had to use it today.”

She crossed the line over a minute behind Compton, but put in such an impressive ride that people immediately began wondering if she had any chance of garnering a discretionary selection for the U.S. team at the cyclocross world championships, which take place February 2-3, in Louisville, Kentucky.

Nicole Cooke’s full retirement statement on her website is worth a read. After an 11 year pro career, she departs from the sport happy, but makes note of those who have robbed her and others of victories, prize money, and equal treatment. She blames the UCI for the crumbling of women’s pro cycling, citing them as too busy dealing with drugs and scandal to develop the women’s side of the sport.

It’s amazing to read accounts like this of strong women who have been in the sport over the years, and see them speak up at the problems and inequalities that exist, leaving the next generation of pro female cyclists hope for the future.

I went to the Pedal Power training camp last year and it was a total game changer for my race season.  Great routes and coaching, combined with amazing accommodations and mountain climbs in Arizona, you can’t go wrong here.

They do 3 weeks of camp, 2 co-ed, and 1 women’s week.  Check out more on their website, there’s tons of info on the routes, FAQs, and what to expect.

But trust me, if you go, you will have ALL of the fun!