Cycling Blogs - Claire Cannon

Wisconsin takes the win for the fourth year running. Colorado riders Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Gary Fisher) and Alison Dunlap (Luna) took home first-time wins in the pro races this year at the Iceman Cometh, while Wisconsin brought the greatest depth and breadth of field to win the Midwest Regional Championship for the fourth year in a row. “We didn’t have a full roster this year and quite a few of our racers were unable to make it due to illness or other issues, but Wisconsin riders probably had an advantage when it comes to racing experience,” said Don Edberg, director of… more »

The forecast says that the Iceman Cometh gently this year with no snow on the horizon and temperatures in the low 50s. However, the race on Saturday in the northern Michigan destination of Traverse City will be anything but placid. Over 4,000 racers are registered, and the pro fields for both men and women are as stacked as they’ve ever been. Despite only a handful of national events in the region over the last decade, the racing scene in the Midwest is raging. The Midwest state series are cued and ready to settle the Midwest Regional Championships (http://usmtb.org/) on Saturday,… more »

Nearly 700 racers and as many spectators braved crisp fall temperatures at the season finale of the 2009 Wisconsin Off Road Series, held this weekend in Sheboygan, WI. Jenna Rinehart of Mankato, MN (Specialized) and Cole House of Oneida, WI (BMC Racing) took home the top honors, and substantial payouts, from the Wigwam MTB Challenge Belgioioso Pro/Cat 1 races. The men’s field blazed off the start line to contend for a Sprint Prime that was awarded nearly a quarter mile up the road. In that first sprint, Cole House surged to a 15-second gap, collected the prize, and hit the… more »

Most people don’t travel to a four-star resort for the dust, but when racers in the Wisconsin Off Road Series descended on The Grand Geneva in Lake Geneva, WI this weekend for Treadfest, the dust was really flying. Warm, dry weather in September left the technical, twisting singletrack dry and loose, and local organizers Club Tread pulled out all the stops with added sections of technical riding for the experts. With only a week to go before the Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival, the tenth race in the 2009 WORS series drew multiple regional stars, including Kim and Brian Eppen (Mercy… more »

The Reforestation Ramble, ninth race in the 2009 Subaru-sponsored Wisconsin Off Road Series, was held on Sunday, August 30 outside Green Bay, WI. Steady rainfall on Saturday afternoon caused race officials to close the course to preview, but Sunday dawned with sunny skies and perfect conditions on the sandy trails. At the end of the 36 mile race, WORS 2008 Overall Series winner Jesse Lalonde (Gary Fisher 29 / T6 / BKB) took home the victory in the men’s field and Lori Sable (Twin Six) enjoyed her first visit to the top of the WORS ladies podium. The distance at… more »

The Trek Border Battle, eighth race in the Wisconsin Off Road Series, was held on August 16 at White Tail Ridge just outside River Falls, WI. The Border Battle also appeared on the Minnesota State Championship Series calendar and pitted Minnesota and Wisconsin riders against one another. Racers in the Wisconsin series won the traveling trophy at the 2008 Battle, and Minnesota brought a stacked field for the rematch. With early forecasts that called for rain, racers were expecting a "mudder". However, after heavy early-morning showers, the skies cleared and the course was soon mostly dry with only a few… more »

The battle for the top spot in the Wisconsin Off Road Series is still undecided after Sunday’s Alterra Coffee Bean Classic, seventh race in the twelve race series. In striking contrast to the 2008 season, when Jesse Lalonde (Gary Fisher 29 / T6 / BKB) dominated the WORS men’s Elite field with an undefeated record, racing in the 2009 series heated up early with strong finishes by younger brother Mark Lalonde (Planet Bike / GT / T6) and Sheboygan racer Brian Matter (Gear Grinder). After race seven, Matter looks like he has the legs to win the overall, with four… more »

The Subaru Cup, fourth race in the Wisconsin Off Road Series, was held last weekend in Mount Morris, WI. The Legacy Cross Country race alone served as a qualifier for the USA Cycling National Mountain Bike Championships. The Stage Race, which fell in the middle of the American Mountain Bike Challenge calendar, included the Legacy Cross Country race on Saturday, followed by the Outback Super D and Impreza Short Track on Sunday. The challenging terrain and technical singletrack at Nordic Mountain once again attracted Pro and Cat 1 racers from throughout the Upper Midwest, as well as from far away… more »

It’s been Brian’s vs. Lalonde’s in the Men’s Cat 1 races this year at WORS, America’s largest state mountain bike racing series. As reported on VeloNews earlier this week, the third race in the Wisconsin Off Road Series was a three-way battle for the top spot between brothers Jesse and Mark Lalonde and Sheboygan racer Brian Matter. A Triple Crown winner in 2004 and USA Cyclocross National Team member in 2009, Matter (Gear Grinder) powered to the top spot this Sunday at the WORS Trek Big Ring Classic in Wausau, WI. Heavy rains the 24-hours before the race left the… more »

Last Sunday, May 31, at the WORS Crystal Lake Classic, 2008 WORS Overall Series leader Jesse Lalonde (Gary Fisher 29r/T6/BKB; #1, above left) again sprinted to the finish line, this time with 2004 Triple Crown winner and 2009 USA Cyclocross World Cup Team member Brian Matter (Gear Grinder; #124, above right). After a grueling 33-mile race, the two finished nearly 5 minutes ahead of the rest of the Belgioioso Pro / Cat 1 field. While Lalonde set the pace on a rigid singlespeed for much of the race, Matter was first to cross the line. "Crystal Lake has some of… more »