Cyclo-cross requires competitors to navigate tight turns, steep climbs, gravel, sand and sometimes dismount from their bikes to climb over obstacles. Idaho Vandal Cycling tested its skill in the sport Saturday at the Sky ranch in Moscow.
The sport itself was created in the early 1900s, and the first race,was held in 1903 in France.
The races that IVC is involved in last 55 minutes, and require a lot of endurance. The club is growing but always hope for new members to come and discover the sport, club president Birk Roseman said.
“We encourage anyone to come out and give the sport a shot. It only takes a helmet and bike, most of the time we can find someone a loaner bike,” Roseman said.
The IVC fared well in competition Saturday, closing the day with several top team and individual finishes.
The women competed at 10:30 a.m. against riders from Whitman and Gonzaga. Missy Thompson finished second overall behind Zephyr Sylvester of Whitman. Roseman said Andi Oden was battling for third overall but crashed on the second to last lap and couldn’t recover. It was the second time this season that the women’s team finished in second place.
The men competed later that day. Idaho fielded six riders, Boise had two and Whitman had only one rider. Idaho flourished and first place came with ease. Brian Morra led by a large margin for the majority of the race and easily won. He was followed by Boise State’s Nick Bell and fellow Vandal Ian Engerbretson. Other IVC members in the top ten included TJ Anderson in fourth, Aaron Buckley in sixth and Pete Hailwood rounded out the field in eighth.
In the end it was a very successful day for IVC, Roseman said, and he was pleased with the effort that his team put out.
“It was a great day of racing,” Roseman said. “We had three spots on the podium, and if Andi hadn’t crashed we would have certainly had a shot at four spots.”
IVC is currently participating in the 10-race Inland Northwest Cyclo-cross Series, which has become the Northwest Collegiate Cycling Conference’s qualifying series for USAC Collegiate Nationals.
“Right now the collegiate side of the Inland Northwest Cyclo-Cross Series is in its infancy,” Roseman said. “But it’s where the bids for nationals are coming from, so hopefully the interest will build as the seasons go on.”