|
THE LEGENDARY “GRANOGUE
‘CROSS”
The “Queen of the MAC” Kicks-Off 2007 MAC Season |
October 9, 2007; Wilmington, Delaware, USA: When the MAC Cyclocross
series starts its internationally-ranked series on October 20;
nearly 500 racers will be chasing the Holy Grail of Mid-Atlantic
dirt racing -- the coveted Pink Flamingo trophy signifying victory
at the legendary “Granogue ‘Cross”. Held on
the front yard of the sprawling hilltop estate of one of America’s
richest industrialists, the picturesque Granogue course is universally
recognized as one of the best anywhere. From sticky mud to high-speed
asphalt, Granogue’s catalog of course obstacles includes
everything except a killer rabbit. “Our race course is
no flat-ass Belgianesque wanna-be,” says Granogue’s
quirky promoter, Tom McDaniel, “It’s a full-on American
cross with monster hills and all sorts of excellent stuff like
that.” McDaniel fondly remembers the first time CyclocrossWorld.com
founder Stu Thorne saw the property, “He was just getting
out of his car, and he looked at me wide-eyed and said ‘It’s
a cyclocross playground!’”.
The race’s history only adds to its legend. It was here
last year that Katie Compton made her UCI debut. That debut
culminated several months later in a silver medal at the World
Championships for the affable Compton, who grew up just a few
miles away and graduated from nearby University of Delaware.
On the men’s side, it’s easy to list the top elite
riders who have competed at Granogue. “All of them, every
year” laughs Verge MAC Media Director Ken Getchell. “Every
domestic-based pro comes to this race every year. There are
too many points, and there is too much prestige for them to
miss it.”
While the course and competition at Granogue are legendary,
it is the superb assistance McDaniel receives from the Delaware
Cross Coalition of Delaware (DCCoD) that enables this race to
achieve that status. The DCCoD, an unofficial group of racers
from various clubs, are willing to go to extraordinary lengths
to grow the sport of cycling in Delaware. What is most remarkable
is that the McDaniel and his fellow DCCoD “moose”
don’t just organize the race -- they improve and grow
it every year. It takes an incredible amount of time and effort
just to stage a world-class event annually, but it’s exponentially
more difficult to improve a world-class event every year. Yet,
that’s exactly what the DCCoD does. As McDaniel says,
“Every member of the DCCoD exudes excellence and dedication.”
On October 20, the legend of will grow again as the racers from
around the world compete with America’s greatest cyclists
-- and new names are entered into the history books as champions
of the Granogue ‘Cross. For more information about the
Granogue ‘Cross, including directions and pre-registration,
see BikeReg.com. While there, don’t forget to also enter
the following day’s Wissahickon UCI C2 Cyclocross, the
second round of the 2007 Verge MAC Cyclocross Series. |
|
WHITMORE’S LANDSCAPING SUPER
CROSS PULLS OUT A “PLUM”
Television Package Signed for New York’s Only UCI Cyclocross |
| |
Myles Romanow, the promoter of the Whitmore’s Landscaping
Super Cross Cup to be held on October 6 and 7 in Southampton,
New York, has announced that his race will be broadcast this
year by the Plum TV Network in 2007. Launched in 2004, Plum
TV is the cable television network for America’s most
influential communities. Those communities, where America’s
Corporate and Cultural leaders live, work or play, include Vail,
Aspen, Telluride, Sun Valley, Miami Beach, Nantucket, Martha’s
Vineyard and the home of the Whitmore’s Landscaping Super
Cross itself: The Hamptons. With a potential audience of 14.2
million cable television viewers, and millions more on the internet,
Plum TV celebrates the communities in which it is based with
programming that is relevant to the interests of the influential
people who work and vacation there.
It’s only natural that Plum TV would be drawn to the one
of the most influential sporting events to “happen in
the Hamptons”. Romanow and his team from the Hampton Velo
Club have built the early season race over the past decade to
the point that it now claims to have the richest prize list
for any Women’s Cyclocross in the world. The weekend event,
which is the only UCI-sanctioned cyclocross in the state of
New York, also boasts International Men’s fields that
are the envy of most promoters.
This year’s Whitmore’s Landscaping Super Cross Cup
cyclocross bike races will be held rain-or-shine with a clear
view of the Atlantic Ocean on October 6 and 7 at the Southampton
Youth Services Park. For rider information and pre-registration,
see BikeReg.com. |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
