Seventy-plus racers came out to the inaugural edition of the Dirty Wooden Shoe on Saturday. The challenging course proved itself and kept the racing exciting. Thanks to all of the volunteers, racers and spectators that made this event a great success!

Photos are available here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/run4central/sets/72157622510660280/

Complete series standings for the SCHEELS Central Iowa Cyclocross Series are at bikeiowa.com/cross.

Dirty Wooden Shoe - 10/3/2009
Whitebreast campground - Knoxville, Iowa

CX3
1  Carl Buchanan       WATERLOO        IA Rasmussen Death Squad 5000
2  Daniel Galles       IOWA CITY       IA Colorbiotics
3  Richard Wince       WEST DES MOINES IA Rasmussen Death Squad 5000
4  Steven Robinson     DES MOINES      IA ALL9Yards.com Cycling Team
5  William Greenwood   IOWA CITY       IA Bikes To You / World of Bikes
6  Adam Price          DURANT          IA Iowa City Cycling Club
7  Dennis Grelk        DONNELLSON      IA Unattached
8  Jeremi Walker       IOWA CITY       IA Unattached
9  Kyle Williams       IOWA CITY       IA Iowa City Cycling Club
--- Total  9  ---

Masters 35+
1  Chad Vande Lune     DES MOINES      IA All9Yards.com Cycling Team
2  Steven Bullerman    WATERLOO        IA Bike Tech Racing Club
3  Paul Deninger       IOWA CITY       IA Zoom Performance Racing
4  Norbert Koenigsfeld CEDAR RAPIDS    IA Atlas Cycling
5  Andy Zeiner         Des Moines      IA
6  Steve Fry           Des Moines      IA
--- Total  6  ---

Masters 45+
1  Todd Gillihan       CORALVILLE      IA Team Skin
2  Jim Robidoux        POLK CITY       IA ALL9Yards.com Cycling Team
3  Gerry Voelliger     BETTENDORF      IA DICE
4  Michael Shumway     WEST DES MOINES IA Zoom Performance Racing
5  Thomas Laughead     WEST DES MOINES IA Unattached
6  Kim West            DES MOINES      IA All9Yards.com Cycling Team
7  Randy Catron        URBANDALE       IA DMOS/RDMB Race Team
8  Paul Buchanan       WATERLOO        IA Bike Tech Racing Club
--- Total  8  ---

CX4
1  andrew fagersten    IOWA CITY       IA Bikes To You / World of Bikes
2  Steve Reynolds      ALTOONA         IA ALL9Yards.com Cycling Team
3  Jason Plunkett      WEST DES MOINES IA Rasmussen Death Squad 5000
4  Patrick Riley       Des Moines      IA
5  James White         WINDSOR HEIGHTS IA ALL9Yards.com Cycling Team
6  Chris Cornelison    WESTDESMOINES   IA DMOS/RDMB Race Team
7  Nickolas Chamberlin Ames            IA
8  herb hollwager      DESMOINES       IA ALL9Yards.com Cycling Team
10 Vance Fletcher      CHARITON        IA DMOS/RDMB Race Team
11 Thomas Behne        Iowa City       IA
12 Steve Clark
13 Scott Sumpter       ANKENY          IA MOB Racing
14 Mike Clark          IOWA CITY       IA World of Bikes
15 Robert Moural       Des Moines      IA
16 Paul Jensen         ALTOONA         IA ALL9Yards.com Cycling Team
17 steve flood         DES MOINES      IA Rasmussen Death Squad 5000
18 Kurt Benson         DESMOINES       IA Unattached
19 TJ Davis            Norwalk         IA
22 Tim Tripp           Pella
23 Marvin Van Wyk      Pella
24 Paul meyermann      Ashland         Ce
24 Perry Leysens       JOHNSTON        IA DMOS/RDMB Race Team
24 Cris Guevara        Des Moines      IA
--- Total  23  ---

Juniors
1  Tyler Rushing       Johnston        IA
2  Zach Vander Horst   Pella           IA Iowa Ortho
3  Jacob Vander Horst  Pella              Iowa Ortho
--- Total  3  ---

Women 1/2/3
1  Robin Williams      IOWA CITY       IA Iowa City Cycling Club
2  Lisa Vetterlien     Des Moines      IA Kenda
3  Darcy Sanford       NORTH LIBERTY   IA Team Skin
4  Cassandra Kessler   IOWA CITY       IA Team Skin
--- Total  4  ---

Women 4
1  Cindy DuBois        ANKENY          IA DMOS/RDMB Race Team
2  Julie Vardaman      Ames            IA
3  Kristen Burgess     URBANDALE       IA Unattached
4  Nancy Leysens       JOHNSTON        IA DMOS/RDMB Race Team
5  Michelle Pohlmeyer  URBANDALE       IA DMOS/RDMB Race Team
6  Rebecca Fletcher    CHARITON        IA DMOS/RDMB Race Team
7  Maria Ruhtenberg    DES MOINES      IA Punk Rock Cycling
--- Total  7  ---

CX 1/2/3
1  Tony Nichols        URBANDALE       IA Rasmussen Death Squad 5000
2  John Bailey         DES MOINES      IA Zoom Performance Racing
3  Camden Kirkpatrick  URBANDALE       IA Rasmussen Death Squad 5000
4  Nathan Kullbom      IOWA CITY       IA ATLAS/ECOLIPS
5  Kyle Sedore         Des Moines      Ia
6  Matt Gumm           ANKENY          IA All9Yards.com Cycling Team
7  Lane Anderson       ALTOONA         IA All9Yards.com Cycling Team
8  Robert Versteegh    ANKENY          IA Zoom Performance Racing
9  Jerome Rewerts      NEVADA          IA ALL9Yards.com Cycling Team
10 Jeremi Walker       IOWA CITY       IA Unattached
11 Brent Hauser        STATE CENTER    IA Colorbiotics
--- Total  11  ---

ELKHART—Iowa Orthopaedic took three racers to the flatest section of road in central Iowa for the second edition of the Elkhart Time Trial series. With a better than expected turnout, 30-second start intervals were used to get all of the racers in before the sun went down.

Lee Current rolled out of the start house just after 7 p.m. looking to set a fast time.  Moving quickly across the flat course, he came through to finish just under 19 minutes at 18:57, an average speed of 23.6 mph. Current’s performance marked an eight second improvement over last month.

Thirty seconds after Current took the course, Jacob Oyen took off on a season’s best performance coming to the line in 18:21. His time was fourth fastest in his category with an average speed of 24.38 mph.

Both Current and Oyen competed in the Eddy Merckx category, which limits the riders access to aero equipment.

Rick Gritters was the last of the Pella riders to take to the course. Gritters, using his streamliner recumbent, put down a blistering pace, averaging 28.67 mph and tied the fastest time of the night at 15:36.

The team will take the following weekend off in preparation for the Memorial Day weekend bike races on the east coast of Iowa.

IOWA CITY — A soggy weekend of racing provided a unique challenge to Lee Current as he raced the Iowa City road race and the Old Capitol criterium.

Scattered showers make for a scattered peloton
The road race kicked off the weekend of racing for Current as he rolled up to the start line. With rain falling off and on most of the day, the course would prove to be exceptionally challenging given the conditions.

At the end of the first of three laps, Steve Reynolds (all9yards/Bike World) made his move to separate the field. Current missed the break, and spent the remainder of the race bridging the smattering of riders.

Current caught the tail end of the lead group as they started the third and final lap when another attack was made. Spending time between groups, he made caught on to a small group to make their way to the finish. Current finished the day in 28th.

A slippery Sunday
The Old Capitol criterium has been a racer favorite for years however, this year the racers were greeted with rain showers holding on from the previous day.

Current made his way to the line for the Cat. 4 race. After a slow start he climbed his way up through the pack just in time to get caught up in a mid-race crash. Missing out on the field sprint, Current grouped up with other crash victims and chased the field to come through in 17th.

The race team team will take a short break before heading to regional races on Mother’s day weekend.

DUBUQUE — The first criterium is in the books as the race team took two to the bluffs of Dubuque for the Eagle Point Criterium.

Lee Current kicked off the racing on the winding one mile course in the the cat. 4 race. With the race staying together most of the way, the peloton kept things in order as they made their way to the finish. Staying in the group to the finish, Current came through in seventh in the field sprint.

Jacob Oyen toed the line for the cat. 3 race next. A small group of just 14 riders joined him for the 20 mile race. After a quick start the attacks began with four riders getting up the road just a few laps into the race. As the peloton struggled to work together, the gap steadily increased through the course of the race. The lead group lapped the main field on the last lap and Oyen caught a tow to the line to take sixth.

The racers head to Iowa City next weekend for the Old Capitol Criterium and Iowa City Road race.

ELKHART — The Iowa road racing season is finally underway after many early season weather delays. Mother Nature cooperated long enough for the racers to head up to the five-race Elkhart time trial series for the first test of the season.

Averaging 26.10 mph, Rick Gritters put down a time of 17:10 over the mostly flat course.  Although he was the only person in the recumbent class, his time was good enough to place him sixth fastest for the night. Gritters also put out a call to open the class up to anything that is pedal powered. His call was answered by the race organizers and he looks forward to new challengers.

Lee Current has built a solid foundation for the start of his season with a time of 19:05. Current’s time placed him fifth in the Eddy Merckx category which restricts riders to using non-aerodynamic equipment.

The racers have a short break before heading up to Dubuque for the Eagle Point Criterium this weekend. Mother Nature will continue to harass the riders with the forecast calling for rain. The adverse conditions look to make the race interesting for the riders and exciting for the spectators.

ALTOONA—With the cyclocross season well underway, the team has been busy racing around the midwest.

Fleener races in Chicago cyclocross series
Kyle Fleener came away with a victory at the Prarie ‘Cross race in  Prarie du Chien, Wisc. early in the season. The following weekend he placed second in the Carpenter Park cyclocross race. After a weekend off, Fleener took another second place at the St. Charles cyclocross race.

Vanderhorst at Cross Out Chrons
Dave Vanderhorst made the trek to Newton for the ‘Cross out Chrons race at the beginning of October. The challenging race was a benefit for Chrons disease. Vanderhorst placed 13th on the hilly course in Newton.

Oyen at Iowa cyclocross state championships
The state championship race, benefiting the Iowa SIDS foundation, was a relatively flat and fast course in Altoona this past weekend. After 30 minutes of racing, Oyen found himself battleling with Dave Mable (all9yards.com) for the final two laps. After playing possum most of the way to the finish, Oyen outlasted Mable and crossed the line in sixth.

DES MOINES—Dave Vander Horst and Jacob Oyen kicked off the cyclocross season at the Capital City Cross race in McRae park.

Oyen made the trip to Des Moines on Saturday for the first race of the year, and his first cyclocross race ever. The quick start on a relatively difficult course proved to be challenging however, Oyen finished seventh out of 21 racers.

Vander Horst joined Oyen for the race on Sunday. The technically challenging course provided a lot of excitement with some fast sections and some really slow technical sections. Vander Horst opted to race in the CX4 category instead of with the masters. After battling with some park equipment while crossing the sand pit, he placed 11th out of a 26 man field.

Oyen came in eighth after going toe-to-toe with Dave Mable (all9yards.com) for most of the race.

The team is headed to Newton next weekend for the Cross Out Chrons race.

ST. LOUIS MO.—Steve Reynolds showed the fruits of his labor in St. Louis with two top five finishes at the four-day Gateway Cup.

The first day of the four day cup series started with the Tour de Lafayette, a flat and fairly fast course. Lee Current, the only team member that made it for the race, made a break for a mid-race prime, but was unsuccessful. Current finished 46th out of the 90 competitors.

Reynolds joined Current for the Emerson Motors Criterium on Saturday. The one mile figure-eight style course proved to be exactly that, fast and crazy. Steve Reynolds showed his strength and placed third. Current suffered a puncture with only two laps to go. Disappointed, he was forced to call it day early.

Sunday’s Giro Della Montagne proved to be the hilliest of the four days of racing. Current was caught up in an early race crash, but made it to the wheel pit for a spare wheel. Reynolds finished the day 21st and Current was just behind in 33rd in the large pack of racers.

Monday’s final day of racing at the University City Loop helped put the exclamation point on an outstanding weekend. Reynolds placed 5th and Current followed through in 39th.

For most of the team, the racing is now complete for the 2008 season. Some will opt for the final Elkhart Time Trial and others have started to gear up for cyclocross season.

ELKHART—Jacob Oyen led the Eddy Merckx category at the fourth edition of the Elkhart Time Trial Series with a time of 18:02.

Oyen rode his fastest time trial of the year, with an eight second improvement, on a night when conditions were near perfect. Averaging a blistering 24.8 mph for the 12 kilometer course, he was 1:21 faster than his closest competitor.

There is now an 11 point difference in the Eddy Merckx category between Oyen and the season-long leader, Jerome Rewerts (all9yards.com). The final edition of the race series in September should prove to be exciting as the two racers go head-to-head for the top spot in the category.

The race team is making their final preperations for the State Criterium Championships in Pella on Aug. 23. The race will mark the end of the Iowa road racing calendar.

OVERLAND PARK, KAN.—Jacob Oyen had three top 15 finishes at the three-day tour of Kansas City.  The tour, known for it’s challenging and technical courses, provided Oyen the opportunity to race in a large field.

Kansas City Kansas Criterium
The Friday night criterium in Kansas City kicked off the weekend of racing with a four corner crit. The course included a technical descent as well as some field splitting climbs. Oyen, riding without any teammates, spent most of the race staying out of trouble at the front of the pack in the smallest field of the weekend with only 54 riders.

As the race progressed, different teams tried to split up the race unsuccessfully. With the field together going into the last lap, Oyen started to move toward the front. As the sprint unfolded coming out of the last corner, the sea of riders parted as Oyen opened his “magical cloak” and surged to the finish taking fourth.

Cliff Drive Classic
The Saturday circuit race in this historic part of Kansas City also brought challenging weather conditions for the 20-mile race. With some heavy rain falling before the race, the 82 racers were unsure of the course conditions as they started.

As the riders eased into the racing action, the elements proved to be the deciding factor in the race. For the riders that stayed upright, the road conditions brought an additional challenge. Construction on the bottom side of the course reduced visibility and coated the riders with a layer of mud and grime.

With the race half-over, Oyen found himself off the front after leading the pack up the challenging goose-neck hill. After being caught, Oyen rested up for the final build up to the finish. With a massive acceleration up the final climb, Oyen placed himself in 12th for the finish.

Overland Park Grand Prix
The relatively flat and fast figure eight style course in the old part of Overland Park proved to be the most exciting race of the weekend. With an average speed around 25 mph, there was no room for error.

Shortly after the race started, two riders rolled off the front and put a considerable gap on the field. The peloton had a difficult time organizing themselves to chase which resulted in many crashes. The two leaders were also pushing the pace hard enough that one crashed out, leaving a solo rider off the front with only a few laps to go.

The field chased feverishly, but it proved to be unsucessful as the peloton was treated to a field sprint. As the riders setup for the sprint, Oyen lined himself up in the top 15 to make his move in the last two turns. As the sprint unfolded the tempo kept increasing before Oyen put the power down to come through in 11th.

The racers now have a two-week break before the Iowa racing season comes to a close with the State Criterium Championships on August 23 in Pella.