An American 'cross revolution

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Racers under pristine New England weather.(Image credit: Russ & Nancy Wright)

The US Cyclo-cross team stunned the world by taking three silver medals at the world championships this year. While remarkable, the medals won in this year's 'cross worlds weren't the first big results for the US in cyclo-cross. In 1999, Matthew Kelly won the gold in the junior men's race and Tim Johnson took bronze in the Espoirs. The next year Walker Ferguson took silver in the juniors, and the women have been competitive for years - Alison Dunlap and Ann Knapp scored top ten finishes for several years. Does this year's haul signal a new era in American cyclo-cross? Racer and writer, Peter Hymas, explores the potential for a US 'cross explosion.

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"I'm hopeful and also realistic," said Myerson. "One thing in particular won't make a huge difference, but it will have a tangential impact regarding putting ‘cross on the radar with media coverage and ‘cross riders getting more respect. I have a list of things that are going well, and this year's performance is a function of the positive direction the sport has taken and a commitment to future success."

Cyclo-cross is certainly on the way up in America, but it isn't to the level of Europe just yet, and any rider worth their salt must become an expatriate in order to have a career in the sport, and the riders who do get respect from the Europeans. "Jonathan Page is so popular [in Europe]. He's embraced cyclo-cross while other Americans haven't been willing to take a risk or make a switch to a European base for the season. He's said, ‘I want to be a cyclo-cross rider' and is the first American to make a full-on commitment to Euro cyclo-cross.

Regional differences frequently became an issue. Says Myerson of that particular generation of cyclo-cross, "People would come to nationals and bitch about courses. There was an attitude that their respective region, whether New England, Northern California, the Northwest, was the only region that mattered. And there was also this discussion about how we should emulate ‘Euro ‘cross', but there's no such thing as ‘Euro ‘cross'. In Europe, cyclo-cross varies by region just like in the US. Switzerland isn't Italy, Italy isn't Belgium."

Multiple high-profile events was the key to maintaining cyclo-cross' popularity. "The demise of the SuperCup would not leave the sport empty handed," said Myerson. "We [weren't] dependent on one series. Individual promoters gained experience which parlayed into UCI sanctioned events. Now with the USGP, there's a ProTour of cyclo-cross. It's basically an American World Cup on top of the NRC events."

Being able to see the sport in photos online was important, but the video revolution was also an important tool to get people hooked on the sport. "People have picked up videos. My company has a DVD that teaches 'cross, and is used by people without coaching resources. We've been doing the sport for decades in New England and there's a body of knowledge and experience which mass media is assisting in spreading nationwide. Earlier generations utilized the Simon Burney book [Cyclo-cross: Training and Techniques, 1990], but it's better to see something in motion."

As 'cross catches on nationwide, the inevitable regional rivalries creep in, but in 'cross, the competition is good-natured, and also essential to the future of the sport. Colorado based announcer Dave Towle says, "There's a friendly, yet competitive, rivalry with other regions of the country. Colorado has been dismissed, but two of the world championship medals were won by Colorado riders. If you look nationwide, more often than not there's a Colorado rider on the podium. People back East still try to claim riders such as Todd Wells and Marc Gullickson as their own, but they've been in Colorado for years."

"Every region has its heroes, such as the Northwest with Dale Knapp, [Barry] Wicks, Ann Knapp. The Northwest takes pride in its kookiness. In Boulder, Colorado it's more straight-up athletic..." But the competition ends at the finish line in most circles. "It's still a welcoming group with people who are willing to give you a wheel or even a bike at a race if necessary. It's like the old days of mountain biking. And we're not just producing racers, we're generating programs."

When asked about his favorite ‘cross scenes nationwide Towle says, "I'm a fan of the underground. Places like Southern California, Georgia... the mid-Atlantic." And Towle is not alone in his fondness for the US scene. According to Towle, Danish professional Joachim Parbo, who spent some of his season racing in the U.S. said, "It's cooler over here [in the US], everyone gets it. I don't smell like cigarettes after racing. The quality of fan is different over here; they're more likely to race and understand what we're going through and appreciate our effort."

News that there may be a World Cup round in Providence, Rhode Island this fall is another indication of the growth of 'cross in America. Trebon thinks this will give the Europeans a chance to experience the same challenges he's faced in the past two years. "It will be interesting for the Europeans to see how much it sucks to travel with as much shit as we do. The Europeans never fly with equipment. The riders fly to races, but the bikes and equipment are transported by truck."

With local 'cross races around the country drawing hundreds of competitors, UCI races cropping up like mushrooms, and a World Cup potentially on it's way to US soil, the numbers are coming close to hitting road racing figures. Yet, the American 'cross team had to pay their own way to the world championships - something unprecendented in European teams. "Europeans are absolutely amazed that our athletes are not funded by USA Cycling," said Myerson. "[Cyclo-cross] is important enough to European cycling federations that they spend the money."

But because USA Cycling is dependent on International Olympic Committe (IOC) funding, and cyclo-cross isn't an Olympic sport, the American federation's support has been limited and not nearly on par with the way the European federations support their athletes. "It's my opinion that we sell a lot of USA Cycling licenses for people who only race ‘cross, or who focus their seasons on ‘cross," explained Myerson.

"Cyclo-cross is generating revenue which should come back to the sport. USA Cycling has instituted categories for cyclo-cross, perhaps there should be a dedicated cyclo-cross license. It would provide a sense of the population who view cyclo-cross as a primary discipline and act as a means to trace funds coming into the sport. As a coach, I see more and more clients are coming aboard specifically for ‘cross training."

British musician Brian Eno once remarked, "While only a few thousand people bought a Velvet Underground record upon their initial release, almost every single one of them was inspired to start a band." Quite similarly, cyclo-cross has an uncanny ability to evoke passion and transform that spirit into initiative and action. The early generation of American 'crossers such as Laurence Malone, Clark Natwick, and Joe Ryan sparked a movement in the 1970s, manifested approximately 30 years later a with a hat-trick of American silver medals at a single world championship weekend.

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