Opening up the scrapbook, Part 4

Here's this week's installment of my best shots from years past.

Kurth, Luzadder take elite honors in Yorktown CX race

Here's the wrap-up for Saturday's CX elite races at Yorktown. Look for at the usual outlets later today or tomorrow. Big props to my teammates Scott Hallberg, who won our Cat 4 35+ race -- I was ninth -- and Mike Minichello, who took first in the Cat 3 35+ race.

For the second week in a row, two Marian University students dominated the elite fields at Planet Adventure’s Lion of the Den cyclocross race in Yorktown Saturday.

Jackie Kurth, who finished third in last week’s Planet Adventure race, overcame some early crashes to beat second-place finisher Janelle Renschler of the Speedway Wheelmen by more than a minute. The two had been racing neck-and-neck for the early part of the race, but Kurth pulled away right before the third lap.

“Janelle had a blip on the course, so I took advantage of it,” Kurth said. “I put the hammer down and was able to settle in.”

Kurth said she was able to take additional time out of Renschler on the many hilly sections of the course as well.

Bob’s Red Mill racer Nicole Borem rounded out the women’s podium.

In the men’s field, Weston Luzadder, riding for the elite Nuvo Cycling Team, won by nearly a minute over J’s Bikes Andrew Boneff. Speedway Wheelmen racer Josh Prater finished a strong third.

Luzadder, who finished fourth last week, allowed Boneff to set the tempo for the first lap, then attacked immediately after.

“He was going pretty hard that first lap,” Luzadder said. “When we hit the pavement, I decided to go for it and see what cards he was holding.”

Boneff wasn’t able to match Luzadder’s sudden acceleration, allowing the Marian student to open up a sizeable gap.

Marian’s Josh Johnson and Katie Antonneau won their respective elite races the week before on a course just a few short pedal strokes off the Marian campus. Planet Adventure will return to the course Nov. 19 for the second of three races this season.

For full results or to register for the Nov. 19 race, visit Planet Adventure’s website, www.planetadventurerace.com.

New gigs

Now that the International Mountain Bicycling Association has granted Brown County State Park singletrack its coveted "epic" status, Dirt Rag magazine has asked me to write a destination feature that'll run sometime next year. This will give me an excuse to drive down there in the next week or so and get my ass kicked on those amazing trails. If you've never ridden BCSP before, you're missing out; that singletrack is by far the best in the state and just as good as anywhere east of the Mississippi.

I'm also going to be writing a series of articles and gear reviews for a cool new web shop called GloryRoadCycling.com. Check them out when you get a chance.

Opening up the scrapbook, Part 3

Here's this week's installment of my favorite photos I've taken over the years. Feel free to comment.

Elite Wrap Up - Major Taylor Velodrome CX Race

Updated: This also posted on Cyclocross Magazine's website and PelotonStar.com.

Major Taylor Velodrome has seen its share of cycling triumphs, but on Sunday, the racing action happened off the famed track.

Marian University, which operates the velodrome and surrounding park property for the city of Indianapolis, held the first of three cyclocross races for this season. To no one’s surprise, two young stars from the collegiate cycling powerhouse dominated the elite fields.

Josh Johnson won his seventh-straight off-road event, winning by more than 90 seconds.

“I managed to get the hole shot and immediately get a gap,” Johnson said. “I decided to put on the gas. After about 20 minutes, I was able to settle in … and try to conserve energy.”

The race between the next three combatants was much closer. After spending the bulk of the race seemingly glued to one anothers’ wheels, BikeReg.com’s Fredrick Rose pulled away from Nuvo’s Eric Anderson and Marian’s Weston Luzadder over the back part of the course to finish on the second spot on the podium.

Katie Antonneau, who rides for Cannondale Powered By CyclocrossWorld.com when she’s not competing in a Marian skinsuit, continued her strong cyclocross season, beating her teammate Coryn Rivera by nearly two minutes.

Despite it being her home course, Antonneau said she’d only ridden it the day before. Her bike-handling skills helped her navigate the tricky technical course, and she was able to power up the hillier sections other riders were forced to run.

“I thought it was a pretty good course for me,” Antonneau said.

Next up on the Planet Adventure race calendar is the Lion of the Den event in Yorktown, Ind. To register, visit planetadventurerace.com or truesport.com.

 

Lifehacker.com used one of my photos!

Check out the link here. I took the shot at the Morse Lake Triathlon two or three years ago; it's not one of my better ones from that day, but I'm glad someone liked it enough to use it.

Racing Sunday

I'll be racing -- or rather riding short distances between falling down -- at 11 a.m. Sunday at the Major Taylor Velodrome. If you're in the area, come out and watch the action!

Charity Bike Ride for Fallen Police Officer Slated for Saturday

Friends and family of a fallen Indianapolis police officer organized a charity bike ride this weekend, with proceeds benefitting a foundation named in his honor.
Registration for the inaugural Officer David S. Moore Warriors on Wheels Bicycle Ride starts at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the Bike Line, 6520 Cornell Ave. There will be two rides - one, an approximately 4-mile family-friendly affair on the Monon Trail and a longer route leading to Crown Hill Cemetery and back, said race organizer Brad Bolling.
About 100 riders are expected. Cost is $10 for an individual and $20 for families. All proceeds will go to the David S. Moore Foundation, which gives financial support to local groups helping the community.
Moore, IMPD's Rookie Officer of the Year in 2004, was tragically killed after suffering multiple gunshot wounds during a traffic stop near 34th and Keystone Avenue.
"We're doing this to celebrate Dave's life," Bolling said. "Any officer killed in the line of duty understandably deserves accolades, but Dave was the real deal. As a rookie and throughout his career, he was a hard charger, constantly working. He was a guy you could always count on to be there for you … the best of the best."
After the ride, participants are invited to the Broad Ripple Brew Pub for dinner, although dinner is not included in the entry. T-shirts and stickers will also be available for purchase before and after the ride.
This article also appeared on the INDYCOG site.

Updated: Peloton Star and Cyclocross Magazine post my latest article

The great PelotonStar.com -- probably the best place to go on the web for Midwestern cycling news -- and Cyclocross Magazine -- the only place to go for all the latest in the world of CX -- posted my latest article, a profile of local racer Rebecca Zink. Zink is an up-and-coming racer here in Indy, who won a national championship in mountain biking and a state championship on the road earlier this year.

My friends at Cyclocross Magazine will probably post the profile later today, so keep an eye out if you want to read the same article twice, and Planet Adventure will post it on their website soon.

Opening the scrapbook again

Here are a few other old images. I'll continue to post photos about every week or so. I should have some new articles to post fairly soon.

Opening up the scrapbook

Every week, I'm going to post a few of my favorite photographs that I've taken over the years. Some of these were taken in conjunction with articles I was writing at the time, while others I snapped while on vacation or just out and about.

Signed my first ongoing client Friday!

Met with the guys from the Planet Adventure race series yesterday. I'm going to do a biweekly newsletter and some PR work for them. Keep an eye on their website and your e-mail in-box, assuming you're signed up. Best part of the deal? Free races!

If you're a business with an outdoor or travel focus, contact me and let's talk!

A few of my favorite shots from the 2011 National Collegiate Cycling Championships

Niki Dallaire profile in Cyclocross Magazine

Here's my latest publication, and one of my new favorites. It's an inspiring story about a Louisville CX racer who managed to overcome a near fatal traffic accident to dominate last year's OVCX series. 

 

 

Mayoral candidates answer my questions on bicycling in Indy

A while back, I came up with some bicycling-related questions for both Indianapolis mayoral candidates. You can find their answers here on the INDYCOG website.

Marian University wins 2011 Collegiate Track Nationals, Indianapolis collectively yawns

I covered the 2011 Collegiate Track Nationals for USA Cycling last month. You can find my coverage here. (I'll post some of my favorite photos from the event sometime next week.) Afterward, I wrote this post for Indy Cog about Indianapolis' continued apathy toward cycling, even with one of the top collegiate teams in the country in our back yard.

So ...

what do you want to see and read on this blog? How I can I make it interesting for both potential employers and folks who -- for some insane reason -- are interested in what I have to say?

The Huffington Post did an article on me last month

The Huffington Post's unemployment columnist journalist Arthur Delaney wrote a profile of me last month.

National Geographic Traveler, July/August 2007

It's only about 300 words, but getting into a National Geographic publication is one of the biggest thrills of my career. I hope to get a few more articles in there before I'm through.

Brown County Breakdown article in NUVO

Here's my latest article, a short preview of the Brown County Breakdown mountain biking event happening this weekend. I'll be covering it for XXC Magazine as well.

New website

This is my new freelancing website. I'll be adding links to my recently published work, as well as scans of some of my favorite clips. If you need an article written -- especially with an outdoor, travel or cycling theme -- feel free to contact me.

Cylocross Magazine, Issue 12 clips