With the '05 road season a distant memory, diehard (some say foolhardy...) racers look for new methods of self-torture. The Iron Cross III cyclocross race, held in the Michaux State Forest, PA, is one of the most ingenious, and diabolical methods we've seen. Pez-Man Nate Deibert was there, and lived to tell the tale.
Raceday: Oct. 16, 2005
Longest cyclocross race, what? I thought cyclocross was a timed event. Yes, cyclocross normally is a timed event, but Iron Cross, now in its third edition, is like a cyclocross race on steroids. This race is based on the Three Peaks Cyclocross race held in England, http://www.3peakscyclocross.org.uk/.
So, what exactly is the Iron Cross? It’s a bike race that is designed to be cyclocross bike friendly, if not favor a cyclocross bike over a mountain bike. The race is 62 miles long and has an accumulated elevation change of 6,500ft. The course consists of some paved road, dirt roads, single track, a few unrideable sections, and it all starts and ends on a traditional cyclocross course with barriers and all.
Nate leading the chase group trying to put away the mountain bikers before the singletrack.
In the previous two editions, mountain bike pros like Chris Eatough and Jeremiah Bishop have taken the honors on their mountain bikes. This year, the organizers made a few changes to cater the course a little more to the guys on cyclocross bikes. It seems to have worked since there were only about three or four mountain bikes in the top 10 and the top three were all cyclocross bikes.
How did I end up doing this race? Well, it’s close to home and it’s something I’ve been wanting to try since its inception, but for the last few years I’ve been focusing my cyclocross season the Mid-Atlantic Cyclocross Series and didn’t want to miss any races for fear of not accumulating any series points. This year things have been different. After doing a few long distance mountain bike events in Spain, I figured this would fit right in with all that.
The day before the Iron Cross, I did a traditional cyclocross race at the same venue and the weather was sunny and unseasonably warm. When Sunday morning rolled around it had cooled off but the sun was still out and things seemed like they would be ok. Wow was I wrong about that. I got my stuff together, a couple of energy bars, some gels, a bottle of mixed Gatorade and a bottle of water, some small tools, two tubes, and my mini pump. I was rolling around in my PEZ gear, with my nice warm vest on and my arm warmers. I had knee warmers on but at the start I took them and the vest off thinking it would warm up as the day went on.
Nate on part of the "Run Up from Hell”.
There were 95 of us on the start line and when the organizer said, “GO!”, we took off up the gravel road as if it were a short race. We hit the cyclocross course and coming out of the barriers, I was in second position. As we went out onto the long course, Andy Applegate (Easton/KONA) started to pull away and another guy came from behind me to try to go with him. I looked over my shoulder and saw a group of about 8 to 10 guys coming so I let up a little until they bridged up to me. In the group were my coach, Mike Kuhn (VisitPA.com), and a good friend of mine Ray Adams (VisitPA.com).
When we hit the first climb, which started as pavement and then turned to dirt, we started setting a pretty good pace, trying not to let Andy and the other guy get out of our sight. I started feeling like my rear tire was going flat and decided that if it was, the best thing I could do was get up the road as far as I could before having to stop to change the tube. I mentioned this to Mike and as I road off the front of the group Ray came with me. Luckily, it turned out I wasn’t losing air and Ray and I started working together to get away from the group behind us. We got away but after a long downhill section, they were right back with us. We got out on the road and a few guys tested the group again but nothing happened until we hit the next hard climb.
The next climb was a steep, rather long, paved climb that the guys on the cyclocross bikes tried to take advantage of and put it to the mountain bikers in the group. It seemed to work, and as we hit the top, the group was reduced to five. We hammered across the next dirt road section riding a decent pace line trying to close the door on the mountain bikers before we hit the first singletrack section.
The podium: 1st Andy Applegate (Easton/KONA), 2nd Ray Adams (VisitPA.com), 3rd Andy Gorski (North Hills Velo).
In the singletrack section, Mike came past Ray and I to get a 30 second gap. When we exited this part, Mike sat up and waited for his teammate Ray. The two of them got an initial gap of 20 seconds over me and Andy Gorski (North Hills Velo). We worked very hard, each taking turns pulling, trying to get Mike and Ray back but we wouldn’t see them again until the “run up” from hell.
The run up from hell is where my problems started. I’m not sure how long this hike-a-bike section was but it was almost a straight up wall at times. My calves were screaming as we slogged our way up it. It was very deceiving too as Andy Gorski and I could see Mike and Ray just ahead of us but when we got to the top, they were gone.
Andy Applegate leads through the barriers.
From the top of all the hiking sections we started riding our two man pace line again but slowly my cramps started to get the better of me. I had been constantly taking in water and Gatorade the entire ride with a periodic gel pack but my legs just seemed to get worse. In fact, I was the one reminding everyone in the early break to remember to eat and drink.
My cramps went from bad to worse, as now it wasn’t just my calves but my hamstrings too. Slowly Andy road away from me as I started to hold back a little in order to limit my losses. When we hit the next long climb Andy rode out of sight and I was on my own. Afterward I concluded that maybe my cramps had to do with the cold weather. It got colder as the day went on and I think my blood just wasn’t getting out to my muscles. Not to mention that it was the first real cold day for me since, well, umm, February.
I was out on my own now and somehow I felt like I was starting to bonk. I still can’t figure this one out as I had been eating and drinking the whole time. This is the worst bonk I’ve ever had because I started to feel like I was going to vomit. I’m not sure how but I kept going with my feeling of vomiting and my cramps.
Andy and Nate on the 'cross course.
The desire to puke eventually went away. I thought maybe things were getting better and then my curse of the year struck me - just into the last true singletrack section, I flatted. I stopped to change the tube and that’s when three guys on mountain bikes passed me. I got going again and shortly thereafter a group of two cyclocrossers and another mountain biker joined me. I rode with them until we hit the last hike-a-bike section followed by a climb. Somehow, even with all my bodily troubles I got away from them.
I rode out the last dirt road and hit the final couple of miles on the pavement. I thought I was in the clear and that I would be able to hold them off. Boy was I wrong as I suddenly started to go flat again. Now I had another tube with me but I decided that since I was on pavement with only a few miles to go that it was faster to ride out the flat than to stop again and change it. I was almost right. The two cyclocrossers caught me on the pavement and the mountain biker caught me just before the finishing circuit.
Nate rolls into the finish on his second flat.
It was a lot of pain and suffering, but it was a great time. I really can’t complain with finishing 11th of 95 considering the adversity I was up against. Would I do it again? You betcha! Hopefully I’ll be doing it next year and I’ll have a little better luck and maybe even hit the podium. This year’s podium was rounded out by Andy Applegate (Easton/KONA), Ray Adams (VisitPA.com) and Andy Gorski (North Hills Velo). Congratulations guys, you deserve it.
IRON CROSS RESULTS
1 Andy Applegate (Easton / Kona) 3.57.40
2 Ray Adams (VisitPA.com MTB Team) 2.37
3 Andy Gorski (North Hills Velo / Vinerbikes.com / NetApp) 14.06
4 Mike Kuhn (VisitPA.com MTB Team) 10.44
5 T.j. Platt (Dirty Harry's / Skin Squared) 12.23
6 Garth Prosser (Cannondale) 17.37
7 Steve Gayner (Team Wisconsin) 20.20
8 Joey Riddle 21.17
9 Les Leach (Wissahickon Cyclery) 22.36
10 David Fahnestock (LSV/Kelly) 23.27
11 Nathan Deibert (EVO Racing/PezCyclingNews.com) 24.28
Nathan Deibert is a 28 year old American cyclocross and road fanatic. Drop him an email at Nathan@pezcyclingnews.com
Gratuitous Sponsor Plug Thanks to: Mike Kuhn: My coach for the last 4 years and counting. If you're looking for a great coach in the central PA area or around the world, send him an email: kuhndog1@earthlink.net,
Holmes Cycling and Fitness: The best bike shop in all of central PA. They’ve got everything you need from serious race equipment to great recreational equipment. Check them out at: www.holmescycling.com
My Parents: for being supportive through all the years of chasing the dream.
Roadside St. 14 When you start each new Giro you understand you’re a year older. You feel a stranger to the village approach and for a moment ... More....
Professional cycling has, over the years, attracted only a few documentary film makers. A few, such as Jorgen Leth’s “A Sunday in Hell,” have even ... More....
I’m just digging out from a few days at the BMC training camp, and while I won’t be reporting on doing Jaeger-bombs and Redbulls with Cadel & George, ... More....
As the final Madison got underway the arena was packed to the rafters, all the talk of Six Days in crisis forgotten for now. The finale was ... More....
Six Day racing comes to Berlin for the 99th time on Thursday, 28th January, 2010 with the great tradition of winter track racing in Germany in a ... More....
American Classic spent the last couple of years reworking their line up and the 420 Aeros are the latest to leave the bench. Take a look at the new ... More....
A couple years in the making, Pez head up to see arguably the top custom builder on the planet. We hit Serotta's NY shop, take a peek at their ... More....
You’ve still got today and all of tomorrow to ‘git ‘er done! Your holiday shopping that is… and armed with the complete set of 4 gift guides ... More....
If the stocking's not full - somebody's not doing their job. Good thing we're here to help with a big ol' bag full of the kind of stuff we'd love to ... More....
Winter riding is almost upon us - except for you lucky Aussies - and that means less riding outdoors. But with an indoor trainer and a Netflix ... More....
Many ergogenic aids, both legal and illegal, have been touted as the magic bullet that will improve cycling performance. What about something that ... More....
Having goals is one of the important first steps in achieving your dreams. They can be small goals or they can be big goals, but without them you’ll ... More....
Is cycling your religion, or at least one of them? If so, you’re not alone. Many people define themselves as “spiritual,” even if they don’t practice ... More....
Post-Giro Roadside: I love Scotland; but there’s no Gazzetta in the morning, most of the coffee tastes like John Wayne brewed it beside the ... More....
Sunday July 20th 1969; that’s 40 years ago now but I remember it clearly as the day that I first became aware of professional bicycle racing – I was ... More....
Roadside Recap: As we make our merry way through the rounds of the PEZ Looks Back, Ed is up for his retrospective on the Tour that was. As the ... More....
Coming on four years ago, Saul Raisin was one of THE big things in US pro cycling. Top 40 in a hard Tour de Suisse and mountain king at the Tour de ... More....
The last time we spoke to Garmin's Steve Cozza was after the 2008 Paris - Tours; where he produced another solid performance from a consistent and ... More....
Just about to start his second season with Cervélo - thanks to strong Classic rides and his first Grand Tour finish, in the Giro - Englishman, Dan ... More....
In October, nine-time Tour de France rider Frankie Andreu announced that he would be Director Sportif of the Ohio-based KENDA Pro Cycling p/b ... More....
With so many (too many?) others looking back to best-of-2009 or decade highlights, why not look ahead? A new decade beckons, after all, so who better ... More....
We first talked with Lostende Bike Tours owner and avid cyclist Allan Reeves about his Pyrenees Cycling Challenge, from the Atlantic to the ... More....
So, riding in Texas is mostly flat, with only tumbleweeds and armadillos to avoid right? Well, not exactly. You see, Austin is situated in what’s ... More....
Roadside St. 14 When you start each new Giro you understand you’re a year older. You feel a stranger to the village approach and for a moment ... More....
Professional cycling has, over the years, attracted only a few documentary film makers. A few, such as Jorgen Leth’s “A Sunday in Hell,” have even ... More....
I’m just digging out from a few days at the BMC training camp, and while I won’t be reporting on doing Jaeger-bombs and Redbulls with Cadel & George, ... More....
Race report: Alejandro Valverde stayed upright to seal his Vuelta victory – the first Grand Tour win of his career. On such a short stage, ... More....
Race Report: Today David Millar won his 5th stage in all his Vuelta’s, he was given one of the swords that Toledo is famous for along with the ... More....
The loss of Franco Ballerini is not one that will be forgotten anytime soon. The sport's best are at a loss and two of the greatest riders of our ... More....
Updated! Hallelujah, they're racing in Qatar, and I just got back from celebrating with every other New Orleanian on Bourbon Street. There's ... More....
It was a dark Sunday morning in Italy when the news services announced that Franco Ballerini, ex-professional, former dual Paris-Roubaix winner and ... More....
The maracas shake, 'Cara mia, mine !' blasts from the PA. Bang! The little cannon fires and the hall fills with smoke. Yes, this is the right place, ... More....
When the K-Mart Classic of West Virginia stormed through the state in the mid-90s, it opened awareness as to just how great the bike riding is in ... More....
After riding the final 17 sectors of Paris-Roubaix yesterday, and typing to you with still swollen, sore, and blistered hands, I understand to my ... More....
![](javascript:showpic("http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/photos/tech/amclass/amc420alarge.jpg",900,698);)
![](javascript:showpic("http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/photos/tech/serotta/meilarge.jpg",2000,1244);)
