New Year's Resolution, Indiana Cup Finale, IN State 'Cross Champs

ILLINOIS: Chicago


New Year's Resolutions - CX Bike Race from Kyle Bainter on Vimeo.



Indiana Cup Series Finale
By Robert Annis for Planet Adventure

The curtain fell on the inaugural Indiana Cup Series Saturday, as two consistently strong elite riders took their final 2011 victories in Zionsville.

Rain turned the Traders Point course into a massive mudfest, but Biowheels’ Gerry Schultz was able to pull out an impressive victory in the elite women’s race, winning by more than three minutes over her closest competitor, Bob’s Red Mill rider Nicole Borem. Sarah Fredrickson of BikeReg.com took the last spot on the podium.

Borem’s second-place finish was good enough to squeeze her past Team Indiebike’s Sierra Sebequist to capture the overall elite women’s title.

Fred Rose of BikeReg.com continued his consistently strong season with a big win in the elite men’s race. Rose crossed the finish line nearly a minute in front of RGF Solutions’ John Gatch. Bob’s Red Mill rider Ray Smith took third.

J’s Bikes’ Andrew Boneff came in fifth, good enough to claim the elite men’s series crown over Corey Swihart and Rose.

In other categories, two Shamrock Cycles’ riders parlayed dominant seasons into series victories. Rebecca Zink won the Women’s Cat 3/4 crown, while Will Sherman took the Cat 3 Masters title. Ben Freas of MOB Squad took the Juniors crown, while Team Nebo Ridge rider Scott Hallberg captured the Cat 4 title. Men of Steel Racing’s Chad Tieman won the Cat 3 Open series.

For more details on the Indiana Cup series, visit IndianaCXCup.com. Details on the 2012 series will be revealed later this year.

In addition to the cyclocross series finale Saturday, Planet Adventure launched its newest venture, the Indiana MTB series, sponsored by Gray Goat Sports. Gunner Dygert and Janelle Renschler took the elite wins in the series’ inaugural races.

The next race is slated for April 14 at Winona Lake, near Warsaw, Ind.

Already one of the largest cycling promoters in the state thanks to its success putting on road and cyclocross races, Planet Adventure seeks to expand on those triumphs with the new mountain bike series. Event Director James Nichols promises competitors will love the new series’ chip timing – allowing for quick and accurate results posting – and multiple single-category races.

“This series was designed with racer experience as top priority and launched only after we determined we had the best technology, schedule, resources and staff available,” Nichols said. “It will continue to evolve and improve as mountain-biking trends change, and we receive valuable feedback from our racers.”

Fourteen events are scheduled for 2012, including four June Wednesday night races in Indianapolis. The series will reward strong, all-around riders; courses will range from .5-mile short-track dirt crits to longer cross-country races to relay events, as well as a few surprises. Nichols said most event weekends will include a time-trial element as well.

For more information, check out the series’ website, www.indianamtb.com.

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IN CX Championship Wrap-up
By Robert Annis For Planet Adventure

Bargersville – Strong fields of athletes turned out Saturday at the Planet Adventure-Gray Goat Sports Indiana State Cyclocross Championships, all hoping to be crowned the best cross racers the Hoosier state has to offer. Battling near sub-freezing temperatures; a muddy, rutted course; and each other, the winning riders definitely earned their titles.

Sierra Siebenlist of Team Indiebike p/b Angie's List hadn’t been on the top step of the podium since the Traders Point race in October, but on Saturday, she unleashed a monster effort that a strong Nicole Borem couldn’t match. Siebenlist rallied past leg and hand cramps during the race to steadily pull away from the Bob’s Red Mill rider, beating her by 37 seconds to earn the elite women’s state championship. Speedway Wheelmen’s Jannelle Renschler was third on the day.

Despite leading the Indiana Cup Elite Women season standings, Siebenlist admitted to a “few bad weekends” here and there, and wanted to pull out a big win to boost her motivation heading into nationals.

“My goal was to start strong and hang on,” Siebenlist said. “I went hard and set the tone (for the race).”

After the race, Siebenlist credited her mother, a former bike-shop owner in Iowa, for serving as her mechanic and pit crew.

In the elite men’s race, NUVO’s Eric Anderson continued a string of strong performances to earn the state championship. Anderson was part of a four-man lead pack for the first four laps, until he attacked during the fourth lap and pulled away.  A strong Jonathan Card was second, more than 40 seconds back, and Specialized Michigan’s Tom Burke rounded out the podium.

“There was a short uphill section where I was getting some traction and the others were struggling a bit,” Anderson said. “That’s where I went and just held on. … It helped we were riding on virtually the same course as last week.” 

Anderson, who won the masters state title last year, is having his best cyclocross season ever and hopes to carry his form into the Masters World Championship in Louisville next month.

The day’s entire results can be found at www.indianacxcup.com.

The Indiana Cup series concludes New Years Eve with the season’s second race at Traders Point. That same day, the Indiana MTB series will officially launch with its inaugural dirt crit. For more details or to register, visit www.planetadventurerace.com.