The men’s podium at the Providence Cross Fest, presented by Interbike

 While certainly not a new category, cross does seem to be steadily gaining consumer momentum as evidenced by the number of product introductions in the category and the growing quantity of racers. A good cross race has a certain epic quality to it, and a spectator element that is very appealing.

As I watched hundreds of riders compete on both sides of the country it occurred to me that cross events are helping accomplish the following…

Encourages more riding participation

Both events showcased race categories far beyond the elite men’s and women’s categories and included all sorts of enthusiast flights and even opportunities for children to get out and compete. I even saw a few costumed riders at Spooky Cross. Many riders told me that they are new to cross, and are riding more because of it.

Promotes use of cycling product

I was blown away by how much gear racers were using to participate at these events.  And I’m not just talking about cross bikes (although there were plenty) but trainers, racks, apparel, helmets, sunglasses, tubes and tires, heart rate monitors and more.  Many participants that I spoke to mentioned that they had just purchased new product to get ready for the race, and particularly forNew Englandretailers, late season sales are a beautiful thing. And of course cross season goes through the fall and into the winter months.

Cross exposes new eyes to cycling

while many spectators at both events were there to support a family member or friend racing, there were many more that were just there to enjoy the race. And what’s not to love? With speed, strength, endurance, grass, mud, obstacles and the occasional sand pit, cross is a great spectator sport and can help even non-enthusiasts get fired up about cycling.

More riders, more product sales, and an exciting way to introduce the non-ordained to our sport – sounds like the growth of cross is just what the industry needs.

Hats off to GSD events and Rock and Road Cyclery for making these events happen, and for all of the event promoters out there creating cross races across the country.

July 26 (Boulder Colo.) The rush is on for entry into the biggest cyclocross race in the U.S. CrossVegas registration opens on August 1st at Noon Eastern Time for all categories. Categories include Elite Men, Elite Women and the Wheelers & Dealers presented by Mountain Bike Magazine race for bicycle industry members attending Interbike.

The 2009 edition of CrossVegas is scheduled Wednesday Sept. 23rd in Las Vegas following the first day of the Interbike show. Heading into its third year, CrossVegas has become a fixture on the U.S. cyclocross calendar attracting almost 10,000 spectators to the stadium setting of Desert Breeze Soccer Complex in Las Vegas.

Exclusive online registration is at BikeReg.com. Registration is limited for each category to 100 racers and is expected to fill rapidly.

In addition to competitor registration BikeReg.com will offer general admission ticket sales for the event. An admission of $8 per person has been created this year to cover the expense of fencing mandated by park authorities. “We’re victims of our own success,” explained CrossVegas co-promoter Brook Watts. “There have been serious traffic hazards created by fans parking in adjacent businesses and jaywalking major thoroughfares. As a result the fencing was required to mitigate the traffic issues as well as control fans hauling in prohibited beverages.”

Food and beverages sales, including beer, are available at CrossVegas beginning at 6:00 pm. In addition, Interbike will again provide a free shuttle bus throughout the night from The Sands Convention Center. “It’s the best bargain in Vegas,” explains Watts, “what else can you do in Las Vegas for eight bucks?”

Avoid the crowds at the gate and purchase tickets in advance for pick up at the Will Call window at the event or at the CrossVegas booth at Interbike.

The Wheelers & Dealers presented by Mountain Bike Magazine offers divisions for Men, Women, Media, Manufacturer, Retailer, Distributor and Advocacy. New this year will be Wheelers & Dealers number pickup at the CrossVegas booth at Interbike on Wednesday allowing racers a chance to avoid the rush at race time. In addition, the Wheelers & Dealers start time has been bumped to 7:00 pm to give racers and fans more time to get to the event after the show ends.

CrossVegas 2009 promises a great show for racers and fans alike. “If you’ve been to CrossVegas you know what an incredible show it is. If you’ve never been then you’ve got to come see the biggest race in the U.S. ” Watts concludes.

Complete information at: www.crossvegas.com

About Cross Partners LLC
Cross Partners LLC is a Boulder Colorado based group headed by Chris Grealish and Brook Watts that stages international cyclocross events including CrossVegas. The team has a combined 40 years experience creating and managing cyclocross events at every level.

Public day registration isn’t open just yet, but if you’re a retailer, you can go ahead and register to attend here. Retailer badges allow access to all four days of the event – both trade-only and public. Find info about OutDoor Demo East here at the main Interbike website.

I had the pleasure of attending the Philadelphia International Cycling Championship this past Sunday, June 7.

It seemed that the entire city embraced this race; I’ve never seen a sporting event touch so many in one community. It was the 25th edition, and an estimated three hundred thousand people lined the streets and outpoured respect and excitement for the field. Andre Greipel and Ina Teutenberg, both of Columbia-Highroad took top honors in their respective divisions, but in my opinion that was only part of the story.

In business we know that which gets attention gets done, and the 2009 event was a model of this persistence. Due to the recent economic upheaval, this years race almost didn’t stage, however local banks and casinos, along with the mayors office made sure this PA classic stayed alive. Mayor Michael Nutter was omnipresent, thanking all who took part for attending this marquis event, understanding that the race is special and important for his city.

And what a legacy to protect – while it was amazing to see the pros in action, ride the course in the Fuji-Servetto team car, and spend time with the great people of ASI (Fuji’s parent company) camped on top of Manayunk Wall (special thanks to Pat Cunnane, of ASI, and his entire crew for their hospitality), my favorite moment came courtesy of a two year old boy. His grandfather held him up to give the youngster his first glimpse of a peloton – I’ve rarely seen such an expression of unadulterated joy. The grandfather explained to me with pride twenty four years before he had taken his daughter to see the race as well, and he shared that she gave him a similar smile.

Pastimes are really shared history – common bonds of lessons and love shared through generations. Sports seem to offer this special link, but in America rarely is cycling mentioned in this context. But maybe if more cities take Philadelphia’s lead cycling may indeed become a great American pastime.

Andy Tompkins

Bob was an awesome guest as we talked about a variety of subjects. We were able to coax some old ’88 Giro memories ofu the epic snowy Gavia Pass stage. Great stuff. Definitely worth a listen.

Check it out on iTunes or at www.the-spokesmen.com .

While I can’t claim that Steve and I were friends, at a previous employer of mine we sponsored his mtb racing career and I was able to speak with him fairly regularly and met him at a few races during the season. Eventually, he purchased a shop in his native Davis, California, and he became a customer of mine, too. Always a great person, very professional as a representative of our brand, appreciative of our sponsorship and a fast and savvy racer. When I heard of his passing, I dug through my pile of memento jerseys and photo albums to find the items in the two photos accompanying this post.

The photo of me with him was taken circa 2000 when he was dividing his time between his mtb racing career and doing a few choice road races for the old Prime Alliance team. We were at the USPro race in Philadelphia in the photo. I don’t remember how he did there, but as you can see in the photo of the jersey, he had just won back the stars and stripes jersey as NORBA National champ.

The bike community lost a great man and racer. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends at this time.

A memorial service is planned for Saturday at 1 pm in his hometown of Bend, Oregon. Information about the service, a memorial ride and memorial fund that has been set up can be found over at VeloNews.

I was up there for two reasons, one was to attend and present at the annual Bicycle Leadership Conference on the topic of social media marketing. I’ll be posting about that soon. The other reason was to meet with members of the industry to see how things are going and to try to capture some interesting video interviews with my new good friend, videographer/producer Markus Neuert of Cyclefilm.

So in the first of many videos we’ll be posting up, here’s one that ties both reasons together as we checked in with Levi Leipheimer about his use of Twitter.

Follow us on Twitter:
Levi: @levi_leipheimer
Me: @interbike
Cyclefilm: @cyclefilm