We were back in town for second round of the 2021 Focus Crossfire Cup, in Park 24/Tampawardli/Ellis Park aka "Not the Circus"in the Adelaide CBD. Not the Circus has been the scene of biblical (Mud! Hail! Flood! Fire! eg epic 'Cross) weather over the last 10 years but once more this winter were we treated to quite a sunny morning with a light sprinkle of rain that only really fell during the women's race, as customary.
It was an interesting field that took to the boards of the Adelaide Superdrome on Tuesday night as Round 2 of the Seight Sprint Wars got underway on a chilly Adelaide evening. With most of the SASI Endurance squad and a few Podium Potential Academy riders thrown into the mix with the SASI Sprinters and other local Track Sprinters, it was one of the largest fields seen at a Sprint Wars event. This was always going to throw up some unconventional and close racing!
Port Adelaide Cycling Club opened the 2021 AusCycling National Cyclo-Cross series with two rounds at the Adelaide Super-Drome with dry, warm and dusty conditions continuing into our 'winter' season. The addition of new 'Stairway to heaven' stairs in Foresters' Forest stormwater bund, combined with loose and sandy conditions yeilded 'tricker and harder than it looked' racing.
The first round of the 2021 'winter' season returned to Port Adelaide to race adjacent the Port Canal. In previous years at 'Goonbag park' we've been treated to a slick and slippery course, but with an absence of rain we were treated to a Sunday dusty sand bowl - and three-corner jacks that hadn't softened up yet. The off camber sections were tricky nevertheless as tyres cracked through the hard crust to uncover soft sand and even more three-corner jacks!
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After a year or so hiatus, what better date to recommence the Star Wars themed Seight Sport Sprint Wars than on May the 4th (Be With You). With an interesting mix of experienced and first timer Elites and Juniors incorporating a smattering of ‘not-the-usual-suspects’ endurance riders, it was sure to be a fascinating night of Match Sprinting.
What a fantastic way to spend Easter Saturday! Cross Hot Cross was a fantastic family friendly event with over 70 riders from 5 - 62 years old competing in unusually hot conditions.
The biggest question in the car park this morning was by how much Chris Harper (Norwood) would break the course record. Conditions were near perfect, overcast, a little humid with a light southerly and only a slight chance of getting pooped on by a Corella, so little surprise that the course record and a number of PBs fell.
Sunday mornings. Reserved for sleeping in, late breakfasts and lazy mornings spent in PJs. Or, if you're not right in the head, you get up at dawn to punish yourself in the race of truth!
Day one of the split-round SA State CX Champs was held on the 16th August in 'Not the Circus' in the western Adelaide Park Lands. With state gongs for J19, U23, Elite and all Masters Categories on offer (including the 'baby masters' age category, 'Expert') the field was stacked across many age groups creating some big fields in wave-starts, despite a number of juniors away racing their State ITT champs up at Mypolonga.
With over 150 racers enjoying some unseasonably warm winter sun the heat was certainly on across many grades with close finishes in many categories.