By Dave Iltis
November 8, 2015 – The Rocky Mountain Cyclocross Championships will be held on December 5, 2015 in Longmont, Colorado. The race is in it’s 3rd year (the first year it was called “Altitude Adjustment Cross and was held the week before the Boulder National Championships), and is shaping up to be the perfect regional championship event. The winners of each category will be crowned Rocky Mountain Cyclocross Champion for their category and receive a custom jersey.
We caught up with event organizer Brook Watts and asked him to fill us in on the race.
Cycling Utah: Tell us about the course. What are the highlights? How selective will it be?
It’s no secret I love soccer complexes so I selected Longmont’s Sandstone Ranch Park with its combination of cultivated grass plus native “high desert” grass as a venue. There’s a nice dirt climb followed by a paved descent, a sand pit, lots of twisty & tight turns and plenty of pure power sections through grass. The start finish is paved so it really is a great combination of features. I don’t know I’d say it favors any certain type of racer, maybe it’s the ideal combo of skill plus “peak of season” fitness.
CU: Is the event a USA Cycling Regional Championship?
Yes, the bragging rights of Rocky Mountain Cross Champion are up for grabs along with a custom jersey. And of course the ranking points will be high since the fields will have lots of talent and highly ranked racers to lift the ranking for all finishers. That’s important if you’ve got Ashville in your sights in early January.
CU: While it’s still early, who do expect to race in the pro men and pro women categories?
That’s a good question, I think a lot of the Colorado based pros will be present, and that will make for some fun spectating but I don’t have any commitments yet. The real action will be the other categories, especially some of the younger categories and the masters. That’s some of the toughest racing in our region.
CU: What are some of the highlights of the race and the race weekend?
The highlights are the level of race production and the quality of the fields. That will make it a very special race worth traveling for. Whether you are preparing for the national championships, or maybe winding down your cross season, it will offer the toughest competition of 2015.
CU: Where can people stay in Longmont? Is there a sponsor motel?
We’ve got a special rate available at Spring Hill Suites that’s just a few minutes away from the venue. It’s close to shopping and dining so it’s very convenient. Link: http://bit.ly/1HGsXEF
CU: Tell us about event promoters Without Limits Productions.
I partnered with Without Limits Productions because they are really professional in how they produce events and the level of service they provide racers. They have top notch on-site check-in and number pick-up, and chip timing for fast and accurate results. They always make sure there’s a number of food trucks and other vendors at the course. These are the things that make for a fun event. When you combine that with the challenging but fun course I’ve designed the result is a really cool event that’s worthy of traveling for.
CU: Is there anything else you’d like to add?
No goat heads, that’s a plus for any race in our region. Finally, it’s easy to reach from I-25 if you’re traveling from Utah. Just head east on I-80 and turn right at Laramie toward Fort Collins then south on I-25!
Event Details:
December 5 — Rocky Mountain Cyclocross Championships, Longmont, CO, Colorado welcomes the best from Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Arizona, and New Mexico to battle it out for the title of Regional Champion. Held at Sandstone Park, the battle ground consists of tight grass, fast flowing pavement, sidewalk transitions, run ups, and even more grass to showcase those off camber technical skills. The Championships are open to racers from across the region. Start order is based on USAC ranking. Winners of each category receive a Rocky Mountain Cyclocross Champion jersey., Brook Watts, 303-684-9170, [email protected], withoutlimits.co/#!rocky-mountain-cross-championships/c1kjf
