You Got Me

Ladies and Gentlemen (and cyclocross racers, who are often neither), DDCX HQ are fresh off of interstate adventures enjoying the creative endeavours of one Mr Parbery and MWMTB's NCXS rounds. We entertained old friends, attempted to make new ones via megaphone 'encouragement' and generally turned ourselves inside out against the best CX racers in Australia.

It would be bereft of me not to mention that Duggan didn't mechanical for the first time in a number of years. Make sure you congratulate him... and then ask how many times his chain dropped on the second day. Jez and Spiro looked impecable on the bike, but for different reasons. New recruits to Team #FYC Jenny and Karen suffered through our poor jokes and still managed to race very well against a very talented field, but more importantly have a blast doing so.

But this means it's our turn next... and it approaches quickly!
The skinny...

• What is the National Cyclocross Series (aka NCXS)
• Elite registration is already open - you will need a CA/MTBA/BMXA licence**.  If you have a DDCX Season Pass you are racing B unfortunately (rules are rules). Entries will close a week before hand. You will be warned.
• Support pre-registration  - this will open about a week beforehand. We will provide a lot of notice via the normal social media channels. B Grade will sell out as it did for our last round, we just upgraded a few people who we felt were ready for A to fit everyone in and that can't happen this time. Open will very likely sell out too. Priority will be given to interstaters as they are coming a long way. This means if you snooze, you will lose. We are serious. If you have a tanty on the day, Erle will just laugh and point.
• As this is 'the big show' we have some additional staffing requirements and if you have even as little as 2 hours on the day to spare we would love your help. Email ddcx.volunteers@gmail.com to let us know what time you can spare.  The best part is that you will get to work with our normal volunteers who are as sparkling examples of humanity as you are ever likely to meet.
• We have some quite interesting race timing/results options planned. More on that to come...

**Don't be afraid though, I can assure you that if you've raced A grade at DDCX you can handle this. The racing all the way through the field is excellent.

By now I'm hoping you are all aware that the DAY BEFORE is Australia's first National CX Championships? Really, you aren't? Well... now you are. Word is the perennial DDCX favourite Lewis Rattray will be in attendance! He is coming in hot off of an extended northern hemisphere training camp (or belgian beer drinking, pub bike riding holiday if instagram is to be believed).

If you don't fancy your chances against Paul vdP, AJ, Lewi, Rowena, Lisa, Blakey or one of a number of new faces who have shown their skills at races this year you should still come on down to Cranwell Park as I've seen a draft of the course and this is not only a chance for you to see Australia's best racers drifting their tubs around corners, it's an amazing course.  It's a short ride (or drive) from the CBD, there's delicious food in Footscray to pick up, and more coffee/food on site. Do yourself a solid and make the time to come out and cowbell the riders towards the first ever national champions jersey. It's a historic moment and from what I saw in Sydney the racing will be great.

Further out on the horizon more details of the Victorian State CX Championships have also been announced. You can find them here, and yes it seems like BMX tracks are this years velodromes. but who can complain when it means more radness for everyone?

And that's all the news that's fit to blog... I'm getting a bit Big Kev about all these upcoming races...

All photos are courtesy of FameAndSpear who has been following the NCXS this year and capturing some great shots of the good times that accompany it