The eight-race Verge MAC Cyclocross Series kicks off this weekend with the UCI-C1 Cyclocross at Granogue on Saturday and the UCI-C2 Wissahickon Cyclocross on Sunday.

Granogue promoter Tom McDaniel is excited about the field for this year’s races. "This is the best field we’ve had at Granogue and Wissahickon for several years. Geoff Kabush is coming, (Ryan) Trebon and (Barry) Wicks are coming, and so are Tim Johnson and both Todd and Troy Wells."

The women’s field is equally strong. Two-time U.S. national champion Katie Compton will face Canadian champ Lyne Bessette, who won both races last year, and and U.S. mountain-bike champ Georgia Gould — the 2005 MAC series winner. It will be the first time the three women have raced each other, according to series officials.

For more information, see www.BikeReg.com; click on the "Verge MAC" icon.

Page doing PT, riding trainer
Jonathan Page is undergoing physical therapy and riding a trainer after successful surgery to reattach two severed tendons in his separated left shoulder.

According to his wife, Cori, posting on Page’s website, thejonathanpage.com, the surgery took longer than expected because he had severed two tendons, not just one. "And they were the two most important ones, too," she added.

Page spent a half-hour on the trainer on Tuesday and is getting regular massage, Cori wrote. "Hopefully, all of this will help him recover faster and fully and it certainly helps him be more comfortable," she added.

New brew celebrates Boulder Cup
Cyclo-cross and beer go together like — well, like cyclo-cross and beer. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that Boulder Beer Company, has announced the limited release of "Cyclocross Ale," brewed to celebrate the Boulder Cup Cyclocross race scheduled November 5 in Boulder.

The brew sports a specially designed label by Boulder graphic artist Keith Harper that features a cyclo-cross racer and the landmark Boulder Flatirons rock formations.

Boulder Beer Company president Jeff Brown described Cyclocross Ale as "a full-bodied, deep ruby red ale, aggressively hopped, and brewed with dark caramel malt. This assertive, high gravity brew will warm your toes on a cold day, making it a perfect fit for an aggressive sport like cyclo-cross. Cycling events are a natural fit for us, it’s a lifestyle that a lot of us embrace – we even named one of our beers ‘Singletrack.’"

Cyclocross Ale will be available for sale in 22-ounce bombers at the Boulder Beer Company Pub, 2880 Wilderness Place in Boulder, November 3 and 4, and will be available on tap at the pub that first night only.

Pub-crawlers can meet the racers during a pre-race party scheduled for 6-10 p.m. November 4 at the pub. The event is a fundraiser for the Fast Freddie Foundation, started by three-time U.S. road champ Freddie Rodriguez to support youth cycling programs nationwide. Rodriguez is slated to be at the event, and a portion of the proceeds will benefit a Boulder area charity. The evening will include a raffle for merchandise, including a bicycle.

For more information on the Boulder Cup, see www.dbcevents.com. For more on the Boulder Beer Company, see www.boulderbeer.com.

Another big crowd expected for Cross Crusade No. 3
Another huge turnout is expected at Horning’s Hideout in North Plains on Sunday for round three of Oregon’s River City Bicycles Cross Crusade series.

The season-opener two weeks ago at Alpenrose Dairy attracted a record field of 798 riders, organizers said. And last weekend’s event at Hillsboro Stadium wasn’t far behind, with 753 cyclists, despite cold, rainy, and muddy conditions – to wit, "perfect" cyclo-cross weather.

For more information, visit www.crosscrusade.com.

New series running in Washington state
A new Washington-state cyclo-cross series is off and running — the CycloCrazed series, which kicked off October 7 in Winthrop with the Sun Mountain Methow Cross, continues November 5 with the Viking Cross at Western Washington university in Bellingham.

The series concludes November 25 with the Huffy Cross at Lake Padden Park in Bellingham.

Each race benefits a local cycling-related non-profit group, from collegiate cycling to community bike shops, organizers say.

For more information, see www.cyclocrazed.com.

Kansas City hosts Boulevard Cup
The Kansas City ’cross season continues on Sunday with the Boulevard Cup, the first race of the 2006 Maxxis Midwest Cyclocross Cup.

The race will be run on a fast, open 3.4km course on the rolling terrain at Wyandotte County Park, the venue for the 2007-2008 cyclo-cross national championships.

Host teams include kcbike.com, KCOI-Boulevard Racing and SKC Racing. A hospitality tent, courtesy of title sponsor Boulevard Brewing Company, will offer food and drink provided by kcbike.com and Boulevard Brewing. There will be a kid's race, a costume race in honor of Halloween, and a prize raffle with merchandise from sponsors Boulevard Brewing, BikeSource, Maxxis and Voler.

For more information, see www.kcbike.com.

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