Kris Schamp
Hello, fellow OBRA racers!
With the support of our longtime presenting sponsor Bike N Hike, and right before cyclocross season kicks in, we are bringing back the summer edition of the Kruger's Kermesse CX Farm Crit, loved by many for its unique race format and its equally unique farm setting.
Like in years past, the course will include a mix of fast, hard-packed farm roads, some grassy sections and some sprinkles of gravel. Everything will be 100% rideable and, unlike cyclocross, there won't be any barriers or obstacles where you have to dismount. In a nutshell: the course will be ton of fun - for novice racers, seasoned pros, and everyone in between - and a perfect segway into cross season!
Here are a couple important updates I sent:
1) Race course
The course will be very similar - if not identical - to the course we ran at the spring edition, back in May (basically the reverse loop of the 2011 course). The clockwise loop is about 2 mile long, features about 80 ft of elevation gain per lap, and has great flow. The course consists of 80% farm roads with a couple grass sections (along the parking lot). There are no paved sections! All along the course, there will be plenty of room to pass riders.
2) UPDATED Race Schedule and Bib Numbers
Like at previous Kermesse editions, the first race will start at 10am and we will wrap up the regular races at 2pm. This means that we are not following the regular cyclocross schedule! Also a heads-up that this time around we will have the Singlespeed riders race with the Men B/C and Clydes, so Cat A racers can double up on racing for a super CX workout. We will also use custom bib numbers, which you will receive at the race. Like in cross, your bib number will go on the left side.
3) Return of the Kruger's Farm Team Relay!
After all the team relay fun we had a couple weeks ago at the Short Track Series Finale, we decided to keep with tradition and finish the day at Kruger's Farm with a FREE, fun and exciting 30' relay race on a super-compact farm crit course, featuring up to 15 teams of 6-10 racers. For more details and to sign up your team, just shoot me an email.
4) Bike/tire choice and mechanical support
While racers will be allowed to race any type of bike, we recommend to ride a bike that can accommodate "beefier" road or cross tires. If you can't decide, feel free to come pre-ride the course the day before the race. We plan to have the course set up on Saturday by 2pm. And on race day, the awesome crew of Bike N Hike will be present to provide free mechanical support and exceptional customer service (look for the orange Bike N Hike Tent).
5) Kiddie races, live band, yummy food & organic ales
Throughout the afternoon, racers and spectators will be able to kick back on the concert lawn, located behind the farm store, right next to the start/finish area. Starting at Noon, local bluegrass musician Eliot Chamberlain and his band will be performing live music. We'll have organic beer on tap and gourmet food (roasted corn, woodstove pizza, grilled burgers & ribs, etc), catered by Kruger's Farm Market and their concession stands. And as usual, we'll organize a FREE, fun kiddie race for the little ones (start at 11:45am). After the team relay, we'll wrap up things with awards (custom medals for the top-3 finishers in each category) and a free raffle among all present racers.
That's it for now. I plan to send out another email with final updates the days before the race. If you have any questions, just shoot me an email.
Looking forward to seeing you at Kruger's Farm!
~Kris
Kris Schamp
Portland Racing
PS: we are still looking for a couple hands to help out with course set-up, registration, lap counting, and course marshaling. If you are available and like to help out (in exchange for a free race entry!), just reply privately to this post.