Powers chats with fans and editors and was in good spirits after his long day in the saddle

Jelly Belly’s Jeremy Powers said it was the the block headwind that made stage four so hard, and with only four to battle to the finish they were ultimately swept up by the field. The young cyclocross superstar went with Lars Boom from the first kilometer, he is good friends with the Rababank rider and trusted that it was the right move. They tempoed up the first climb of Sierra Grade and …

Before you pose wearing these duds, you get to drink in the crowd on the final straightaway…

We were fortunate witness Telenet Fidea’s Zdenek Stybar seal his perfect season of cyclocross from a great vantage point. I can’t imagine how special he must have felt performing-then-delivering in front of his home crowd. What a race!

(Photo courtesy of photopress.be & Telenet Fidea Team)

 
Zdenek Stybar (CZE) was the fastest man when it counted on Sunday and made history for SRAM by winning the 2010 Men’s Elite World Cyclocross Championships! Stybar capped a great season, and was certainly one of the favorites leading up to the race, wrapping up the World Cup overall title just last weekend. Certainly there were no guarantees and the 24-year-old had all the motivation he needed, twice finishing second on this same stage (’08, ’09). The course would certainly challenge any componentry with ice, …

 
Zdenek Stybar (Telenet Fidea) tears up the course in Hoogerheide, finishing 2nd, and securing his first elite Men’s World Cup overall title (photo: McKenney)

SRAM equipped racers continue the winning in 2010 by taking three cyclocross World Cup titles in Hoogerheide, Netherlands.  Teammates Zdenek Stybar and Tom Meeusen  (Telenet-Fidea) piloted their Red equipped Ridley X-Nights to the Elite and U-23 titles and Daphny Van den Brand (ZZPR.nl/Destil) locked up the women’s title on her Force equipped Merida.  All …

Cyclocross World Cup and World Championship contenders Daphny Van den Brand (ZZPR) and Zdenek Stybar (Telenet-Fidea) took wins in the cold conditions of Turveren, Belgium, this past Sunday. Stybar rides SRAM RED while Van den Brand won on SRAM Force. Stybar also rides Zipp 303 wheels.

The compact and powerful Van den Brand, the current Dutch National Champion, has likely taken over the World Cup Points lead from Katie Compton, who also rides SRAM. Van den Brand rode aggressivel and won by nearly two minutes.

Stybar won by a …

Katie Compton and Zdenek Stybar have put SRAM at the top of the UCI Cyclo Cross World Cup this season. Katie is leading the World Cup since race 1 and has a 10 point gap on fellow SRAM rider Daphny Van den Brand. Styby is equal on points with current World Champion Niels Albert. Albert will wear the World Cup leaders jersey this weekend in Zolder, as he has won 3 World Cups this year compared to Stybar’s 2 wins.
Katie and Zdenek will continue the battle for the World Cup in Zolder …

Daphny Van den Brand (Ned) from Team ZZPR has won the Womens UCI World Cup race in Kalmthout, Belgium riding the 2010 SRAM Force.  The new SRAM Force has undergone significant race testing including riding the entire Tour de France, but Daphny’s win in a World Cup race takes Force to the next Level. Daphny has been riding SRAM since we began on the road around 3 years ago, she has consistently won major Cross races and World Championship medals during this time. 
Daphny defeated current World Champion Marianne Vos …

Katie Compton’s (Planet Bike) talent on a cross bike is undeniable, the Planet Bike rider and six-time U.S. Cyclocross National Champion (consecutive) again rode away from her competition this past weekend and the Nationals in Bend, OR. She granted me a few minutes to talk about her race, the conditions on the day, and her equipment. The not shy once you know her world beater is one of the nicest and most geniune people you will ever meet. She is managed by her husband, Mark, who is also …

2009 Men’s Cyclocross National Championships podium – Johnson, Trebon, Page, Wells, Powers

U.S. Cross Nationals in Bend, OR, featured moderate temps and ground that was a combination of ice, mud, grass, with conditions changing every lap. Huge crowds lined a classic cross course that most felt would benefit the more technical rider.

The 2009 version was expected to be a duel for the ages with past and present national champions on hand. Five-time winner Katie Compton (Planet Bike) was a favorite and expected to repeat despite a recent cold. The men …

I was fortunate enough to bump into a four-time U.S. Masters Womens Cyclocross Champion in Bend, OR, today when she stopped by the SRAM tent to thank Jose from SRAM NRS, who helped her before her win on Friday. Julie Lockheart has been racing for many years with great success and is a perfect example of the dedication and committed atheltes you can find at the grassroots of cycling, something we at SRAM strongly support.

“Quick, simple, easy to shift” is what Julie said when asked about her SRAM componentry, …

Jeremy Powers (Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld.com) was not to be denied at day two of the Stanley Cup USGP in Portland, OR. And again it was Todd Wells (Specialized) demonstrating that perhaps he is the man to be beat at next weekend’s Nationals, surviving all but one of the countless attacks from Powers and his Cannondale teammate Tim Johnson. Powers said he rode his own final lap and knew it would come down the final extra long paved straightaway, where he went around yesterday’s winner with ease, celebrating 50 meters from …

Former National Champion Todd Wells (Specialized) put himself in the right places at the right times and held on for a suffer-filled but satisfying victory at day one of Portland’s US Gran Prix of Cyclocross.

Wells said he suffered way more than he wanted to when lanky but powerful Ryan Trebon (Kona) was drilling the pace early. Trebon was looking to take advantage of the race traffic that held up his long time nemesis Tim Johnson and his teammate Jamey Driscoll (Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld.com).

A leading group of four grew their …