Nationals day 5- the finale

Hard to really covey how good a day this was for the team. Usually , the scene in the pit watching an elite race is watching your riders go by and wondering how long they might last before being pulled. Seldom do riders from small independent teams finish on the lead lap at the nationals but today three of our four riders made the cut and then some.

Clementine Nixon rode to 11th place in the women's elite race- her best finish ever and well within the time limit to be on the lead lap.

Max and Andy had starting positions pretty far back in the field but rode strongly to keep on the lead lap. Max finished a career best 13th and Andy finished 27th. Dean Poshard had to start in the very back and at over 50 years old , the writing was on the wall that he would not make the cut but he did get credit for 40th and rode nearly half the race.

This concludes a week of truly great racing and some heroic rides by this small scrappy team. I am really happy I made the trip to witness all the events and also super happy to have this group of amazing athletes on the team. We will be back next year - maybe even stronger.
 

Nationals day 4- juniors

Today was all about juniors racing and the large fields bode well for the future of the sport in a way that the current elite fields do not. Not only are these juniors numerous, they are ripping fast-I was impressed at the speed and skill level of everyone I saw out there in the 13-14 and 15-16 age groups. First off was Kai Yee who had the distinction of the last callup in a huge field. He rode all the way up to 47th with a show of strength and finesse. 

Right after the 13-14 race there was a real downpour and the course changed dramatically. With the wetter conditions racers in the 15-16 group were pitting and having more mishaps out on the now slick course. In this field starting 58th was Reid McGlaughlin. He rode very strongly all the way up to 31st place. This was only a 30 minute race and Reid has been racing in A category races that are typically an hour so this short sprint of a race might not have played to his strong suite- still, he did really well.
 

A day to remember

After a pretty full day at the course the team along with Andrew Yee of CX Magazine went to a pizza place to refuel and celebrate two major achievements on day 3 at Joe Creason park. We ordered what looked to be way too much pizza but by the end of dinner it was all gone except for one last piece. It was a good thing that the house was about a 1/2 mile walk so that we didn't all feel to bloated to sleep. 

On most of these nationals trips we arrive with not much in the way of expectations, only wanting to participate and represent our unique flavor of the sport and of course all the people who got us here- big shout out to Billy Rickard of Sightline Construction, Voler, Easton sports, Bell, Pasta, etc. , Chris King , HRS , all the volunteers at Surf City CX , Jim Gentes , so many really great people. I'll compile a complete list when this weekend is done. 

There's still two more days of racing and six more of our team going out on the course. We have already racked up a very successful nationals but it isn't done yet.
 

Nationals day 3 part 2

As if the day could not get better.....it did !  The riding of Max Judelson and Kailin Waterman in the single speed category was inspirational.  Max went to the front and drilled it and separated a group that would eventually determine the podium. Max rode to third and a bronze medal, bested only by two of the biggest stars in American cyclocross- Kerry Warner and Lance Haidet. Kailin was on the very last row but probably past a third of the field and finished 47th. It was a great outing . Max's attacking was relentless and he beat all the riders that had beaten him on Wednesday. Tomorrow the juniors ride and we are expecting some rain- this will be some really epic conditions for

racing.

 

Nationals day 3 part 1

Team history was made early this morning- Clementine Nixon who just joined the team last August won the national title in the women's 35-39 age group. She rode a heroic race at the front, had a crash on the limestone stair approach but recovered quickly and chased down the two riders ahead of her.

After that Clem put in a punishing last lap and finished of with a long sprint to win by about 4-5 bike lengths with the only rider who could stay close. It was a great race with lots of tension and drama. The whole team is very proud of Clem and virtually walking on air right now. Later today Kailin and Max will be racing single speed- a group that has always suited both of them. It will be great to watch. 
 

Nationals dat 2

 

Thursday was Masters racing starting with Andy Wulfkhule. After being sick off and on for much of the winter but still rode to 13th place in the 40-44 age group.

Dean Poshard had a last row start in the 50-54 age group but passed some riders and finished on the lead lap, not an easy feat in a field of nearly 70.

Kailin Waterman had the very last callup in the men's 45-49 age group but rode a strong race to finish 26th. 

Tomorrow will be newcomer Clementine Nixon's nationals debut with this team- but not her first time at the nationals. Single speeds will be tomorrow as well with Kailin and Max- should be exciting.

Nationals day 1

Only one guy racing today from the team but he made it count. Max Judelson rode to 4th and a podium in a 45 min. race that saw him lead from the gun and get a group well clear of the rest of the field. 

Getting a podium at the nationals is a really big deal for the team but Max seems to do it every year. 

 

2023 Nationals team roster

 Maybe you might have been wondering if the team is still in effect since the reporting has been absent so far this season. Well, the team has been indeed racing with some impressive results which will be reported later. Tomorrow some of us will be flying or driving to Louisville, Ky. for the 2023 CX nationals. This year will see more racers than we had last year but still a fairly small group. Newcomer Clementine Nixon will be racing in our kit at the nationals as she has been since the beginning of the season. Here's the roster:

Junior men 13-14      Kai Yee

Junior men 15-16     Reid Mclaughlin

Maters men 50-54    Dean Poshard

Masters men 40-44  Andrew Wulfkhule

Masters men 45-49  Kailin Waterman

Masters men 35-39  Max Judelson

Masters women 35-39  Clementine Nixon

Single speed men   Max Judelson , Kailin Waterman

Elite men        Max Judelson, Andrew Wulfkhule, Dean Poshard

Elite women    Clementine Nixon 

Non-championship relay team - Andrew Yee , Kai Yee.....rest TBD.

There are some real possibilities with this group and I will be reporting from the field. The Louisville mud is legendary and I'm sure it will not be anything less than horrific this weekend. We will have a full pit crew to help keep all our team riding in the slop. Racing will start this Wednesday .......stay tuned.