Cyclocross Comes to the New Jersey State Fair

By Buck Walters (of MidAtlanticCross.info)

The exciting sport of cyclocross, normally reserved for the bike racing off-season, is coming to the New Jersey State Fair in Augusta this summer. Local bike club Skylands Cycling will be hosting a full slate of "summercross" races on Friday night, August 11, 2006 under the lights in the demolition derby area of the Sussex County Fairgrounds. With a $1500 prize list, the event is expected to draw some of the sport's top names.

The Sussex County Fairgrounds is the home of the Augusta Cyclcross Series, a group of four races held each November for local and regional riders, in which riders race modified road bikes on varied terrain around the perimeter of the fairgrounds. The summer event, unlike the series, will be held inside the grounds, in a confined area directly in front of bleachers seating over 1000 people. The serpentine course will be approximately one kilometer.

Because the course area is totally flat, organizers plan to create some terrain variation. "We'll bring in as many machines as we have to," said event "dirt manager" Bill Stroud, of Stanhope's Bill Stroud Excavating, Inc., "and dump trucks full of dirt." Possible terrain features include table tops, banked 180 degree turns, and steep "run-ups,' which force riders to get off their bicycles at high speeds. "It's going to be exciting," said Stroud. "I can't wait."

The schedule of events will include races for masters (riders over age 45), women, kids, and "B" riders, in addition to the elite competitors, over the course of three hours. Entry for the public will be included in the fairs $10.00 general admission, and competitors will get free admission to the fair. "The New Jersey State Fair is attended by hundreds of thousands of people," said race organizer Bob Cary. "We think this is a good opportunity to provide some great entertainment for fairgoers, give the sport of cyclocross some exposure, and, most importantly, have a blast racing under the lights on a summer night."

Cyclocross originated in Europe as a way for road racers to stay fit in the off-season. It has evolved into to a specialized sport of its own, and is the fastest growing discipline in bike racing. Attendance at the Augusta fall series has more than tripled in the past three years, and events around the country have experienced similar growth. The cyclocross national championships, held in Providence, Rhode Island in December, attracted well over 1000 riders, despite a nor'easter that dumped significant amounts of snow before and during the races.

The tiny Sussex County town of Augusta is a hotbed of bike racing. In addition to cyclocross races, the Sussex County Fairgrounds is host to a series of Tuesday night road races from April through July. The series will enter its 12th year in 2006. Just around the corner from the fairgrounds, Skylands Park is also the scene of many bike races, including July's Firecracker Criterium, the SeasonXtender Series, and the Sussex Bike U19 Training Series. These two venues, along with nearby Stokes State Forest, are the sites of two annual stage races, the Can-Am U19 Challenge and the Giro del Cielo, three race events for kids and women only.

"This is a great area for cycling," says Jason Ziegler, owner of Sussex Bike and Sport in Sussex. "Bike racing enjoys tremendous community support." No wonder the locals have been so successful in statewide competitions. Skylands Cycling racers earned 16 different state championships in 2005, in road racing, cyclocross, on the track and on mountain bikes, as well as a couple of medals in national competition. "It's the culture," says Skylands president Kevin Kielty. "Bike racing has been big around here for a long time."

Skylands Cycling was named USA Cycling's best new club in 2003, and Club of the Month in July, 2005. With 175 members, the club welcomes new riders, especially those under the age of 19. Information about membership and the club's programs is available on its website.