Fain Park Mud Cross

The cyclocross Gods smiled on the Bamacross race #6 at Fain Park in Montgomery over Thanksgiving weekend. Whether any cross racer will admit it or not, we long for the brutal conditions that the sports riders in Europe face. We long for the rain, snow, wind, and cold. We want the conditions to be raw. It helps separate the racers from the wannabe’s.



Starting Thanksgiving night and continuing through Sunday’s Masters Race, 2+ inches of rain turned the fairly timid Fain Park course into a monster. The winds kicked up, and the temperatures dropped. The ditch crossings turned into tricky watery traverses or peanut butter thick mud. The 2 run-ups turned into mud slicked slip and slides, and the bog on the back of the course turned into a quad burner with a water crossing that could swallow a semi-truck.



The team relished there opportunity to get the seasons first taste of true cyclocross weather. 5 races in sunny temperate weather is for the roadies, we wanted, no feigned, for this weather, and we were not going to let our opportunity go to waste.



The tone for the days races was set on the very first lap of the very first race. It was going to be a slow, back breaking, quad burning slog around the course. Larry started things off and showed the way in the Master’s race coming home in 5th. Mike and Zach then took their turns with Zach coming home 2nd in the Junior’s, and Diesel coming home 6th in the CX4/5. Both Larry and Diesel decided to relish the epic conditions and doubled up to race with Chris and Mike in the CX 3/4 race. Chris lead the way in 12th, with Larry close behind in 13th, Mike finished in 17th, and coming home dead last, racing for the love of the sport, Diesel.



Lots of mud and lots of fun. We will probably never get all of the mud out of our clothes, or our bikes. The series season finale is in Cullman this Sunday, so come on out and cheer us on.

Stacey Davis, Womens CX4 Cyclocross State Champion

Alabama's state cyclocross championships took place at a new course under the lights in Anniston, AL. Our very own Stacey Davis, mashed the competition, and brought home the state championships in the women's CX4. The field was the most competitive to date. Stacey took control of the race early, never looking back. 3 was a charm for Stacey, pacing herself to her 3rd victory in as many weeks.



The guys on the other hand put up the good fight but could not match Stacey's victory. Larry, doubling up, finished in 4th in the Master Men's race, and put in a solid top 20 in the men's CX 3/4 race. Mike Herring also doubling up, finished 9th in the Master's race, and also put in a solid top 20 in the 3/4 race. Chris Leven rocked out with a 15th in the men's 3/4 race. Zach Davis finished 5th in the Juniors race. Lastly, the Diesel, had the dubious distinction of being the team's Lantern Rouge, pulling up the rear with a 20th place finish in the 4/5 race.

We apologize for the lack of race photo's. It is incredibly difficult, to ring a cowbell, hold your drink, hand out water, scream your head off, and take photo's. With 2 races to go, to team is in a dog fight for a top 5 finish in the team standings, and in bitter battles to stay in the top 10 in points in the Women's CX4, Juniors, Men's 4/5, and Men's 3/4. Check back for an update after the Montgomery Race at Fain Park.

Half way home.....

Nothing compares to racing at home. You get to sleep in. The walk back to the course was longer than the drive over. You get to have your family, friends, dogs, and other team members there to cheer you own. You get home earlier and it is just a more relaxed atmosphere.



The fall foliage made a beautiful back drop for a fast and intense race. This was the inaugural race at Heardmont Park, and by far the most technical that we have raced this year. It was a tight track with several tight switch backs, several dry creek bed crossings, a sand pit, and a Belgium inspired up hill spiced with barrier crossings. The difficulty of the course never allowed for big gaps in the races. You were always within sprinting distance of the racer in front of you, and there was always someone lurking behind you waiting to pounce and take your position.



The team had another very successful weekend of racing. Stacey Davis went back-to-back and won her second race in 2 weeks. Zach came home with a 4th place in the juniors race. Mike “Diesel” Garner came home in 10th, and Josh Powell coming out of his summer slumber came in 13th in the Men’s CX 4 race. Larry Stanley and Mike Herring put up the good fight in the Men’s CX 3 race coming in 15th and 21st respectively.



The team now gets a much deserved week off to rest, heal, and fix anything that they may have broken. The focus then changes to the State Championships under the lights in Anniston, November 22nd. The only thing that the team would love better than having all their fans out there cheering them onto victory would be the cyclocross weather that has been avoiding us all year.

Race Reports: Larry, Diesel,

Spooktacular in Tuscaloosa

The team ventured down to Tuscaloosa this week for the aptly named Spooktacular Cyclo-Cross Race. With Halloween less than 48 hours departed, the course was still in it's costume, and handing out plenty of tricks, and one big treat for the team. We were treated to a tombstone barrier crossing, plenty of ghosts and goblins, spider webs, the occasional body part, our first steep run up of the year, a wall crossing, and tight twisty single track. The tricking started early on during the warm up laps when Zach flatted and Mike G. destroyed a chain guide. They exercised there demons by the time the racing started, and both of them finished without incident. Zach rode an awesome race and brought home a well deserved 3rd place finish in the Juniors race. Mike G. fought off a stomach bug and dehydration to finish 11th in the men's CX 3/4.
The next race tested the team as a whole. Larry and Chris both started fast with Larry leading into the first set of barriers. As the field began to string out, signs of the tricks the course was playing became evident. Flat tires, and lots of them. Larry was bit on the rear tire, Chris had a rear tire go down only to double flat on the next to last lap, and Mike Herring not wanting to be left out had a front tire flat. The flats ravaged the field. Mike G. and Zach manned the pits for what seemed to be a constant stream of CCR riders coming in. Both scavenged parts off of there own bikes to get the team back into the race. Larry's perseverance paid off with an 11th place finish. Mike Herring brought home a 14th place finish, and Chris rounded it off in 17th.
CCR's treat for the day came in the women's CX4 race. After being teased for riding her mountain bike instead of her cross bike, Stacey promptly went out and destroyed the women's CX4 field and won. Stacey navigated the course without a problem and made her victory look easy.
The team will be back in Birmingham this week racing at Herdmont Park. Come on out and cheer us on.

Reports: Larry, Diesel

CCR Storms Prattville

We play with enthusiasm and recklessness. We aren't afraid to lose. If we win, great. But win or lose, it is the competition that gives us pleasure. -Joe Paterno

Team CCR saddled up this week and hit the road for the 70 mile ride south to Prattville, AL. For most of us, this was the first time we had ever been to Prattville. We had heard stories that the Prattville track was wicked fast, and she lived up to her reputation.

The Prattville course is built for speed. It is a perfect blend of long straight speed alley’s, tight technical turns, a technical decent through Kudzu and the climb out, and the sand pit. It is a course that made you trust your instincts, your ability, and your equipment in order to be successful.

As will be the case at every race this season, the C race kicked things off. Mike Garner and Zach Davis had the un-nerving task of setting the tone early for Team CCR. The key to the day’s success for both riders was staying out of trouble. Both missed the crash in the fourth turn, and spent the remainder of there race riding smart and protecting their position. Once again both captured lightning in a bottle with Zach finishing 4th in the Junior race, and the Diesel bringing it home in 6th in the Cat 4 race.

Team CCR then sent out their hammers. Larry Stanley, Chris Leven, Mike Herring, and Stacey Davis boarded the pain train for their 45 minute ride. For the men, they were racing against a stacked deck. There are several riders in the Cat 3 class that should be running higher up, but our boys never waivered. Stacey’s group was a 2 horse race. Stacey got behind early, never throwing in the towel and just destroyed 3rd on back. Exhausted and relieved, Larry brought home 10th, Chris brought home 15th, and Mike Herring followed it up with a solid top 20 effort. Stacey, smiling from ear to ear, finished in 2nd.

Another solid outing with 4 top 10's. Watch out T-Town. Here we come..........

Race Reports: Stacey, Diesel, Larry,

Enjoy some more pictures of our excursion southward.

Zach Davis cruises to victory at Dead Dog 8.

While most of us were laying around last weekend resting up from Avondale, our Junior rider Zach Davis, went and raced his mountain bike at Dead Dog 8. Zach riding on a newly updated course at the Trussville Sports Complex, annihilated his Junior class and cruised home to victory. Zach was so fast that even the camera man could not get his picture till he was on the podium. Congratulations to Zach for a well deserved and hard earned victory.

CycloCross Season Kicks Off at Avondale

The 2008 Alabama Cyclocross Series got under way Sunday at Avondale Park in Birmingham. The Avondale course according to most, is one of the most difficult in the series. It races around what used to be the Birmingham Zoo, and an amphitheater that hosted groups like the Allman Brothers in the 60's. The grueling course contained some very technical sections consisting of rocky decents, off camber turns, tight switch backs, cobble paths, and the stairs. The stairs are crazy hard. They are inconsistent from step to step and really test your mettle.



Team CCR sent 3 rookies and 3 veterans into the first race of the season. The first race of the day for CCR was the "C" race. This race was a combination of CAT 4/5 and Junior Classes, and also had all 3 of our rookies. After 30 mintues the dust settled and our 3 rookies were now veterans. Zach Davis brought home 3rd place in the Junior Class, Mike Garner brought home a 9th place in the 4/5, and Mike Herring battling through a list of mechanicals brought home a hard fought 17th in the 4/5 race. Stellar results from the rookies.



We then unleashed our veterans, who proceeded to build on the foundation laid by the rookies. The "B" race was made up of all the womens categories 1-5, and the mens Cat 3/4 race. After 45 minutes of mind blowing, soul searching pain, Stacey Davis brought home the best result of the day for CCR coming home 2nd in the Womens Cat 4 race. Larry Stanley followed up with a 9th place in the 3/4 and Chris Leven battling the mechanical gremlin that was in Mike Herrings bike finished 19th.



Four top 10's to kick off the last racing series of the season was an incredible effort. It is nice to have a little momentum going into the Prattville race.

Race Reports: Larry, Stacey, Chris, Diesel