2006 Cyclocross Race Photos
Hup United Oregon
Cross Crusade #1 - Alpenrose Dairy - 10/1/2006
The first race of the Cross Crusade series kicked off under sunny skies and in dry conditions. The course was super fast and not too technical because of the dry weather. Almost 800 racers showed up for this first race of the series.
Alprenrose Photo Album
Battle at Barlow - Sam Barlow High School - 10/8/2006
Presented by Veloce Bicycles, the Battle at Barlow took place under cloudy skies and the occasional light rain sprinkle. Both Dan and I attended this school, but this time, only Dan and the other riders got to experience the torture of the cross country trails. The course featured long sections of flat grass, gravel and pavement, with off-camber turns and some horrendous barrier sections mixed in. The photos are pretty bad, but check out the two barriers placed in the middle of a huge downhill section, followed by the steepest uphill you'll see on any 'cross circuit.
Battle at Barlow Photo Album
Cross Crusade #2 - Hillsboro Stadium - 10/15/2006
Race #2 in the Cross Crusade series was held in the rain. This was the first non-dry race of the season, but everyone seemed to handle it fairly well. There were a few crashes, and Max got a flat about as far from the pit as possible, which ended his race day. Zac won by a fairly large margin, and will either move up to A's or get heckled unmercifully. Your fearless photographer raced at 9am in the beginner class, and now has an increased understanding of the effort these guys put out. Good job guys!
Hillsboro Stadium Photo Album
Cross Crusade #3 - Horning's Hideout - 10/22/2006
The Horning's Hideout cross race was held under sunny skies. Rain the previous week left a few corners and wooded sections a bit muddy, but overall, the course was dry and fast. A few serious crashes left a bit of a dark spot on the day, but none of our heroes suffered any calamity. Well, Mechanical Max got his wheel banged up the first time over the barriers and continued the race with only a front brake. Maybe this will get him a bit closer to getting his new 'cross bike.
Horning's Hideout Photo Album
Cross Crusade #5 - Barton Park - 11/05/2006
Everyone was excited to race in the rain and mud today. The new team kit arrived, so everyone was sporting some nice Belgian blue. It rained the entire time, which wasn't particularly fun for the photographer, but it wasn't too cold, so no one complained too much. One benefit of all that rain was that bike cleanup after the race was a lot easier. Lots of rain means lots of puddles. After the race, everyone just headed to the closest puddle for a quick bike wash. Everyone finished, no one had any mechanicals, and the embrocation kept everyone warm all day long.
Barton Park Photo Album
Cross Crusade #6 - Estacada Timber Park - 11/12/2006
OBRA Championships
A brief break in the rain allowed everyone to stay dry and fairly comfortable for this week's race. This was just about everyone's favorite course, flat and fast. There was enough mud to keep most corners slick and treacherous, but there were very few crashes. Shortly after the race ended, the rain moved back in.
Estacada Timber Park Photo Album
USGP - Hillsboro Stadium - 11/19/2006
This was the final stop in the Crank Brothers US Gran Prix series. The non-Gran Prix races were held earlier in the day, and everyone was hoping that the weather reports of rain starting later were dissapointed. Steady rain made for a muddy course. For spectators, it was great, but for the racers, it was just a mess. Adding to the miserable conditions, the race was cut short in order to accomodate the USGP schedule. But great racing later on more than made up for all the strange happenings earlier in the day.
USGP - Hillsboro Stadium Photo Album
Kruger's Farm - 12/3/2006
It's the last race of the year, and the "B" class race became the "All-Max" race. Thick mud and cold temperatures kept a lot of the regulars from racing. No one wanted to race for 45 minutes and then spend 2-3 hours cleaning up afterwards. Max had to race because he just got his new Moots cross bike. There were a few HUPsters in the "A" race later, but the photographer couldn't stick around that long. So you only get a few pre-race shots of those guys.
Kruger's Farm Photo Album
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