With the Tour de Gruene, Wurstfest and Halloween all falling on the same weekend, it is difficult to believe other events were happening in town.
But behind the Comal Cemetery in Cypress Bend Park, 130 cyclists from across Texas and beyond came out for the WurstCross-O-Ween, the third weekend stop of the 2010 Texas Bicycle Racing Association (TXBRA) Texas Cup Cyclocross Series.
Cyclocross is not your typical bike race. In fact, it is atypical of most any sport. The sport’s origins extend to before World War I, when European cyclists wanted a way to train for races in the autumn and winter. They would ride across fields and obstacles that required a more rugged bicycle than used for road races.
“Before WWI they would race each other in country roads, and during WWI they used more ruggedly built bikes capable of riding through fields and rough terrain,” said Tobin Behling, an organizer for the Wurstcross.
What they developed were bicycles that look much like a road bike, with drop-down handle bars and a narrow profile. They also were similar to mountain bikes, with large, knobby tires, cantilever brakes and enough clearance on the frame to pack in mud and dirt without slowing down the ride.
At Cypress Bend Park, the course winds up the side of the main field, back down part of the park’s main entrance, and zig-zags around the pavilion and back along the edge of the Guadalupe River. The course is complete with small walls, steep uphill turnarounds and sharp downhill turns. Often riders have to dismount and run, hike or jump with their bikes thrown over a shoulder to avoid a crash, then hop back on. Spectators bang cowbells and bike frames encourage the racers.
“We use every bit of the park we can,” Behling said.
The competitors pay a registration fee and entry fee to each race they compete in, which is pooled into a cash prize for the winner. There were nine races throughout the day with various men’s, women’s and junior categories, plus a costume lap for Halloween.
“I made second in the men’s 3/4 race. Almost made my money back, unless you count the drinks and the bikes, I’m way behind,” said Robert McGuire, here to compete from Austin.
McGuire, like more of the competitors, said the sport’s obscurity doesn’t deter him from staying competitive and having fun.
“We’re pretty accustomed to not much coverage, but I’ve raced all kinds of bikes — road, mountain, triathlon. Cyclocross is definitely one of the funest,” he said.
The popularity of cyclocross has steadily risen over the years, and the Wurstcross itself has been held almost every year since 2003. Still, the low profile means a low budget; there is very little advertising or sponsorships.
“Carlton’s sausage here in town, that’s our only sponsor,” Behling said. “We try to do it as low-budget as we can.”
Rey Madolora, who took first place in the men’s 3/4 race, said he would expect the sport to grow in popularity because it is so spectator friendly.
“Cross is the most spectator friendly bike sport, if you compare it to other bike sports, like the Tour de France, where people camp out and then wait all day by the road to see all the cyclists ride by in ten seconds. I love racing cross because it’s such a spectator sport. Here you can see them come by one spot, and walk over to the wall and see them come around the bend,” he said.
The next cyclocross tournaments in Texas are at the Z Boaz Park in Fort Worth Nov. 7, and the Cyclocross Scuffle in Richard Moya Park in Austin on Nov. 14.
