Quick heads up that the Ride with Rendall cyclo-cross clinic will not be at Britannia Beach on Wednesday evening.

Visit the Ride with Rendall forums this evening to find out about the new location.

When I find out, I’ll post here as well.

So you’ve got a few races under your belt and you’re feeling pretty good – don’t let your season end after Nationals. Come to Belgium and keep your season going. Your form will still be hot so why not get
some extra racing in.

Maybe you’re thinking of competing in the Masters World Cyclo-Cross championships in Mol? Maybe you need a few extra UCI points to make it onto the elite World’s team? No better place to get the experience and points you need than in Belgium during December and January.

Are you convinced? Perfect. Now all you need is a place to stay. Well, keep reading:

House located in Blauberg, Belgium – excellent location in the heart of the Belgian cross scene (just ask Sven Nys and Niels Albert who live nearby). Lots of great training roads and trails. Easy drives to all the races – furthest we drove last year was 90 minutes.
House has all the amenities a bike racer needs – huge garage (lots of room to clean and work on your bike), laundry facilities, large kitchen, comfy living room for relaxing and rehashing races.
Sleeping arrangements are two to a room. House sleeps six.
Self-service house – just like being at home.
Grocery store next door. Bakery down the street.
Tuesday and Thursday group rides of 100 plus riders – route goes right past the house.

You will need to arrange your own transportation. There will be people with cars but, transportation cannot be guaranteed.

This is a great opportunity for masters and elite racers interested in getting some additional ‘cross races in once the domestic season has ended. Length of stay is flexible – come for a week or two or even a
month.

Come and stay in Blauberg. Race cyclo-cross. Meet racers from all over the world. Get muddy. Have fun.

Imagine the stories you can tell your buddies.

For house location details, follow this link:
http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?formtype=address&country=BE&addtohistory=&a\
ddress=&city=Blauwberg&zipcode=

For more details, email me.

I stayed at this house for two previous trips to Belgium. We’ll be staying here again this winter.

Are you looking for the latest results from the Ottawa Bicycle Club cyclo-cross series? Look no further – click here and click 2008 Results.

Do you have a race report to post but don’t have a web site – no problem – send it to me and I’ll post it on the Race Reports page. Check it out – Sheri Jay sent me her race report from the race this weekend. As well, I’ve posted my race reports from racing at Catamount, VT.

My pal Sheri Jay is a huge cyclo-cross fanatic. She has embraced the sport of ‘cross with her whole being and is really getting into the training and racing. Last year was her first season racing ‘cross. I remember seeing her before the race – she was pretty nervous but excited to give it a go. That first season wasn’t easy – racing ‘cross on a mountain bike and trying to figure things out. But Sheri stuck with it.

This year she has an even stronger drive – soaking up all she can about ‘cross. She has taken every ‘cross clinic she can, asks lots of questions and really is having fun doing it. I love seeing this kind of drive and passion. Reminds me what I love so much about cyclo-cross – it really does bring out the best in people.

Sheri participated in the Ride with Rendall cyclo-cross immersion clinic over the Sept. 19 – 22 weekend and raced her first race of the season yesterday at Britannia Beach. Here is a clinic report followed by a race report from Sheri:

Glen Rendall held a Cross “Immersion” Clinic on Sept 19-22nd to help people prepare for the fall Cross Season. I have to say this was an incredibly comprehensive clinic as it ran for 4 days and covered 3 different OBC racing venues. Friday night there was a skills evaluation and then Glen went right into teaching at Britania. The Saturday class was also at Britania folowed by Sunday in Almonte for a more technical skills session and Monday at Mooney’s Bay where we had the pleasure of working in the sand. There was a great turnout of all different skill levels. We worked on every skill imaginable and I left on Monday feeling confident in my technical skills. Glen really put a lot of time and effort into this clinic and at every session had set up barriers and flags to mimic real race situations.

Yesterday was the first OBC Cross Race at Britania and I felt calm and confident after so much practice with Glen at this exact venue. When the race started all the skills and learning kicked in and my racing was much improved from last year. Actually I realized I really didn’t have a clue what I was doing last year. Yesterday’s conditions were very wet and slippery due to all the rain we have had and there were a lot of slide outs in both races. As usual there was a huge turnout of every age, skill and bike imaginable. I most enjoy watching the children giving it a go. A reporter friend of mine came out to one of Glen’s classes and her take on Cyclocross is that it is like being a kid again so maybe that is what we all love so much about this sport.

Thanks so much Sheri for the clinic review and race report. Much appreciated. If you see Sheri out at a ‘cross race – don’t be shy to stop her and say hello – you won’t find a more friendly person out there racing her bike. Wow – gotta love this Ottawa ‘cross scene – so solid.

Check out race reports for the stories of the day.

Another excellent day at the Catamount park. Good organization. Challenging course. Lots of spectators. Top notch announcers. Smiling faces. Fun times were had by all.

We made it home this evening at around 10:00 – not to bad considering my race ended at 3:15. We had an easy drive home – fueled by Moe’s and Sbucks.

An excellent weekend and a great way to kick off the cyclo-cross season. I’m pretty happy with how I’m riding right now and I’m stoked to see how I improve as we settle into the season.

The bikes worked out great. Clothing was good. Nutrition was spot on. Recovery was good (I actually did a cool-down both days and remembered to drink my recovery drink). Discovered a new favorite Clif bar flavor: Banana Nut Bread (try it – you won’t be disappointed).

So now it is time for bed. Hope you had a good weekend as well. Looking forward to hearing about the OBC race.

See you on Wednesday at Brittania Beach for some skills and drills.

Seize the day.