*** Wenatchee Valley gets taste of latest cycling craze - cyclo ***

Wenatchee, Washington -- 11/01/2004
Every year it seems some local individual or group steps up to
offer something new in the way of sporting events or other
physical activities.

Gold’s Gym has even challenged Wenatchee to be the fittest city
in America. While that’s a lofty goal that can never truly be measured,
countless residents in the area seem to be up to the challenge.

After all, how many new ideas have failed to become annual events?
Not many, that’s for sure. The latest rage? Cyclocross, a cycling
sport that fuses on- and off-road racing.

When organizers of the Inland Northwest Cyclocross Series
approached local NORBA pro racer Jason Jablonski about
putting together an event in the valley, he jumped at the chance.

And last weekend, a few locals got a taste of what cyclocross is
all about. The first half of the race was held on the Eastmont Junior
High School grounds, the second at Leavenworth’s Ski Hill.

“It was kind of nice to get out and try something different,” said
Ted Finegold of Wenatchee, an experienced cyclist, after
completing his first cyclocross race.

Cyclocross has gained enormous popularity in Europe over the years.
Now it’s starting to catch on in the U.S., particularly in Spokane and
Seattle, two of the nation’s fastest growth areas in the sport. And the
weekend’s solid turnout gave hope of future races in this area.

“I thought if I got 20 people I’d be happy ... I got 27,”
Jablonski said.

Cyclocross is a sprint race that calls for the use of road bikes
with mountain-bike style brakes and wider, knobier tires.
Distances are different at every event, which are all based on time.

Racers go as hard as they can for 50 to 60 minutes, generally
at a pace of 5 to 7 minutes per lap for the front-runners. Plenty
of twists, turns, climbs and descents make it a grueling workout.

“When you’re done, you’re done,” Jablonski said.
“You’re ready to take a nap.”

There are even obstacles to deal with. In the case of the East
Wenatchee course, it was a wood board (about two feet high)
at the base of a climb, over which racers had to lift their bikes
and run up the hill. Some chose to carry the bikes, others just
pushed them.

“It’s faster to hold it over your shoulder, but if you push it on
the ground, it’s more friction, Jablonski said, noting strength to
be more important in cyclocross races than in other types of
cycling events. “It’s a different kind of race.

“Guys who excel at this are more powerful, stronger.”

Many of the competitors lifting and carrying the bikes were
experienced riders, competing for points in the series, which
has more than a dozen stops throughout Washington. Among
the locals on the tour is 42-year-old Ron Snyder of East Wenatchee,
who races in the master’s category.

“I’m trying to make it all the way through the season this year,”
Snyder said of his third time around, noting it’s tough to find
time to train and make all the races. “It was a lot of fun.

“This is where we practice every week ... this is our home turf.”

Most of the locals took with them loads of traditional bike-racing
knowledge, but for many cyclocross was a whole new experience.
Take Stephen Ettinger of Cashmere, one of the event’s youngest
competitors, for example.

“He goes and does some of the NORBA races with me,”
Jablonski said of Ettinger. “He’s only 15, and he’s already
placing in the top 20.

“In a few years, Stephen could be
one of the top junior racers in the nation.”

But Ettinger said it was much different from what he’s accustomed
to and admitted he’d have more learning to do if he wanted to pursue
the sport. Still, he’d be willing to try if future events are held
nearby.
For now, Ettinger said he’ll stick with mountain bikes and his dream
of making the U.S. national team.

A lack of cyclocross experience made Finegold an oft-teased target.
His bike had flat pedals, instead of the typical clip-in style, causing
him
to run the risk of losing his footing. But he managed to get through
Saturday’s race unscathed and carried a smile most of the way, so
it couldn’t have been that bad.

“I don’t have a cyclocross bike, and I didn’t want to
not be able to get out of my pedals,” the first-timer said.

Finegold said his only disappointment was that there weren’t
more locals in the event. He may yet get his wish. If the Inland
Northwest Cyclocross Series stays interested, who knows where
it could go? Jablonski’s already looking forward to it — and with
high expectations.

“Honestly, next year I’d like to get 40 to 50 racers,”
Jablonski said.

By Eric Gordon World sports writer
http://www.wenworld.com

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