Jinglecross is now one of the marquee cyclocross events of the season and every year we look forward to making our way to Iowa City for this incredible event. Now in it's second year as a UCI World Cup this race has gotten bigger, better and more competitive. The best part of all is it's still a dang good time!
Friday night race under the lights. She has been to this event many times and the long road trip was well worth the effort. "Jinglecross was an absolute blast. It had been raining all week so the course was a beautiful muddy mess." said Laurel.
Due to collegiate racing commitments on Sunday, Laurel could only fit in the Friday night race. "It was dark and cold when the race started, but the crowd and the Jinglecross atmosphere really lit the place up. I had a front row call up; even lined up next to Helen Wyman who made some Dirty Dancing movie references I did not quite understand!" laughed Laurel. We may have to check in with Helen a bit later on that one.
Laurel led the first half lap and as you might expect during a muddy race the bobbles, crashes and mishaps would take their toll. On the final lap she caught up to friend and former teammate KK Santos (Amy D Foundation). "We raced the last half lap very aggressively for that coveted top ten result. KK and I rubbed elbows through the corners and it came down to a sprint. I was fortunate enough to edge her out." said Laurel. "Afterwards we laughed about our on-course shenanigans. I am really excited about a positive trend of my racing and each race is getting better and better!"
Laurel will be racing for Marian University next weekend followed by a visit to Boulder, CO. for the US Open of Cyclocross.
ingle Cross is also a weekend Lance Haidet looks forward to racing each year. "As always the spectator turnout was huge and running up Mt. Krumpit each lap was basically like racing through the center of a rave. As a racer, it is a pretty awesome experience to have such huge crowds cheering which gives you a split second of relief from the suffering." said Lance. He loves the Jinglecross course for the super challenging elevation changes, running sections and ripping descents. And, in this year’s case, he was gifted with some truly proper cross conditions. Lance went on to say, "It was awesome to be able to test the mud skills this early in the season. I am definitely hoping get more of this 'cross weather throughout the season."
The Saturday’s World Cup was not Lance's best showing. Typically a good starter, he was never really able to find any openings to move up. With the mud, course difficulty, and depth of the field, Lance found himself in damage control for most of the race. "I had nothing," said Lance. "I think at one point I was able to make my way up to 27th position or so, but my legs and back were toast. At least the one positive takeaway was that my barrier hopping skills were on point!"
Sunday's race started off much better for Lance. "I had a solid start, was feeling strong flighting for top 15, and my back pain was finally manageable. Unfortunately on lap seven, moments after passing the pit, I put the hammer down on one of the muddy straightways and tore my rear derailleur off my bike. I was forced to shoulder the bike for the next half lap, and by the time I was able to reach the pit I had lost too much time and was pulled at the end of that lap. Obviously, I wasn’t happy with my result, but in hindsight, I am satisfied with how I was racing."
Lance and James Sullivan head to the left coast for the West Sacramento CX Grand Prix followed by the US Open of Cyclocross in Boulder, CO.
Rider Tire Selection and Pressure
Laurel Rahtbun (Fri.)
Front: PDX / 23 psi
Rear: PDX / 24 psi
Lance Haidet (Sat.)
Front: PDX / 21.5 psi
Rear: PDX / 22.5 psi
Lance Haidet (Sun.)
Front: PDX / 21 psi
Rear: PDX / 22 psi
Donnelly Professional Cycling Team Sponsors
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Team Schedule
Rochester Cyclocross – Rochester, NY
RenoCross – Reno, NV
Trek CXC World Cup – Waterloo, WI
Jingle Cross World Cup – Iowa City, IA
West Sacramento Grand Prix – Sacramento, CA
US Open of Cyclocross – Boulder, CO
Cincy CX Festival - Cincinnati, OH
Silver Goose CX Festival - Midland, ON, Canada
Major Taylor Cross Cup - Indianapolis, IN
Resolution Cross Cup - Garland, TX
Ruts N Guts CX – Broken Arrow, OK
USA National Championships – Louisville, KY
UCI World Championships – Bogense, Denmark
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Lance Haidet
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