2011 POINT SERIES
September 25, 2011
Al Quaal
Ishpeming
October 2, 2011
Iron Cross, Neganuee
Negaunee
October 9, 2011
River Park BMX Track
Marquette
October 15, 2011
Keweenaw Cup: Day 1
Downtown Hoedown
Copper Harbor
October 16, 2011
Keweenaw Cup: Day 2
Top of the World Smackdown
Keweenaw Mountain Lodge,
Copper Harbor
Oct. 29, 2011
Choco-X
Harvey / Marquette
November 12, 2011
U.P. Cyclocross Championships
Tourist Park, Marquette
Race start times*
Women B, Men C: 1 p.m.
Women A, Men B: 1:45 p.m.
Men A: 2:30 p.m.
* The first race of day 2 of the Keweenaw Cup (Oct. 16) will start at 11 a.m.; subsequent times to be adjusted accordingly.
Pernsteiner and Juntti are Queen and King of the Mud
November 03, 2009
Cyclocross racers were not disappointed this past weekend at the annual Choco-X cyclocross race hosted by the Choco-Ace Cycling Team at the Mahaney Training Center. The course, which was suited to a power rider, left nowhere to hide: a wide-open field with a steep hill looming in the distance wore on the spirit of racers lap after lap. Midway through the course, a well-engineered and well-irrigated multi-tier mud pit that grew deeper, colder and muddier as the day wore on awaited riders and attracted onlookers. Rideable by some, a pair of log barriers strategically positioned in the woods removed almost any opportunity to recover.

The kid's race was contested by only two riders: once again Finn Whalen edged his sister, Ella, to the line. Finn has earned a substantial lead in the overall standings, with Chase Juntti holding onto second by a thin margin over Ella.

Having scared her opponents into submission with the scariest Halloween costume of the day, Christina Bennett opened an early lead in the women's race. Though it looked promising for Bennett even heading into the final lap, series leader Andrea Pernsteiner was able to pour it on to claim her fifth straight victory in the UPCROSS series. Nicole Alexander crossed the line second, moving Christina down to third. Amy Michaels took forth, giving her enough points to hold onto third place in the overall standings, just three points ahead of Bennett. Pernsteiner further solidified her lead in the series and Alexander has a good hold on second.

In the B race, series leader Colby Lash wasted little time in moving to the front, where he comfortably remained for the remainder of the race. The race for second was a tight one, with Garrett Laforce, Mike Sauer, James Bialas and Nevin Brownell fighting it out to the bitter end. With the exception of first place, which appears to have Colby Lash written all over it, second and third place in the B division of the UPCROSS series are still wide open with just one race left to contest and only twenty points separating second and fourth.

Jeff Juntti turned on the diesel in the A race and motored away from the competition to take his second victory of the season. Series leader Tyler Jenema finished a solid second and added further buffer to his already healthy lead in the series. Jesse Bell, who had nearly forgotten about Chocolay-Ace rider Wes Pernsteiner -- competing in his first A race of the season -- was nearly pipped at the line, but managed to hold on to third. Dave Grant rounded out the top five for the day.

After the carnage had ended, a few "A" riders were dragged out of the mud pits before they were lost forever. Racers feasted on CX cupcakes, brats and hotdogs as the sun disappeared, not to be seen again until May, as one spectator quipped.

Thanks to hosts Mary and Tom for a perfect day of 'cross racing.

The UPCROSS series concludes on SATURDAY, November 14 at Tourist Park. With double points on the line for the UP State Championships, almost anything can happen in the overall standings.

Full results are now online: check out the Results page for details.

Race photos:
Men A & B - D. Loy
Men A - N. Alexaner
Women, Men B - C. Schmidt
 
 
This Sunday: IRONCROSS
November 03, 2009
This might be an off-week for UPCROSS racing, but if you can't get enough cyclocross, you're in luck: Blindstoker Productions is bringing cx racing to Old Town in Negaunee this Sunday.
CATEGORIES     Start Time     Duration
Youth (under12) 1:00pm         20min+ lap
Women             1:45pm         30min+ lap
Bee Men            2:30pm        30min+ lap
Eh Men             3:15pm         50min+ lap

For further information on the IRONCROSS course and directions on how to find it, visit the blindstoker web site.

UPCROSS Calendar Set
August 10, 2009
Thimbleberries are coming on, and that means two things: thimbleberry daiquiries and cyclocross season is just around the corner. Daiquiri season won't last long. Fortunately, you've got nearly two months to get your fill of cyclocross. Here's the lowdown for the 2009 season:
Race #1
Sun., September 20, 2009
River Park BMX Track; Marquette, MI
Race host: Chocolay Ace + Sisu Cycles Cycling Team
$10/race; no charge for kids <12 racing in kids race.
All race proceeds to go to KMK / UPCROSS
Race #2
Sun., October 4, 2009
Al Quaal; Ishepming, MI
Race host: Blindstoker Productions
$10/race; no charge for kids <12 racing in kids race.
All race proceeds to go to: Range Mountain Bike Club
Race #3
Sun., October 11, 2009
Fit Strip; 7th Street Cemetery; Marquette, MI
Race host: MGH ER docs
$10/race; no charge for kids <12 racing in kids race.
All race proceeds to go to KMK / UPCROSS
Races #4 & 5
Sat. & Sun., October 24 & 25, 2009
Keweenaw Cup; Copper Harbor, MI
$20 includes dinner & music; second race $10/race; no charge for kids <12 racing in kids race.
Race host: Red Jacket - Blue Sky Health Cycling Team and Keweenaw Trails Services
$10/race; no charge for kids <12 racing in kids race.
All race proceeds to go to Copper Harbor Trails Club
Race #6
Sun., November 1, 2009
Choco-X; Harvey / Marquette, MI
Race host: Chocolay Ace Cycling Team
$10/race; no charge for kids <12 racing in kids race.
All race proceeds to go to KMK / UPCROSS
Race #7
Sat., November 14, 2009
U.P. Cyclocross Championships; Tourist Park; Marquette, MI
Race host: KMK
$20 includes end-of-season jamboree; second race $10; no charge for kids <12 racing in kids race.
All race proceeds to go to KMK
The Crossbar: Parcours at a Glance
January 7, 2009
Using (not-so) complex numerical modeling methods, the pain genome of each race course has been analytically reduced to a series of lines compressed into a single bar. The decryption key is as follows:

Green: grassy sections
Blue: water/mud hazards
Brown: singletrack / two-track
White: snow, ice, zamboni shavings
Red: blood (or likihood of shedding it on wooden barriers)
Black: pavement

logo_tmp ntn kmk cycling Red Jacket - BlueSky Health xmatic the bike shop