Waterville Vally Cyclocross!

Reposting this from the one and only Dr. Dawn (formerly the Ask the Doctor Doc at Velonews) Richardson!

Please repost:

Waterville Valley Cyclocross on Saturday September 19th has an equal prize list for the elite women and elite men!!!!!

Many of you aren't old enough to remember the stone age more depressing for women's cycling than it is now. In the early 80's I won both an apron and a gift certificate to a beauty shop for podium appearances. I was also told twice by early 80's sponsors that they only financially supported "elite" riders. When I asked what "elite" was and they said cat 2, I said "well, I am a cat 2." What they meant was they supported cat 2 men. Oh.

Fast forward to the late 90's and Gerri Moriarty's Cycling Made Real women's development program. It filled New England women's senior and masters racing fields. I had the opportunity for a second go at cycling thanks to Gerri, went to cat 2 again in my late 30's with the opportunity to race for Patrick Rowland and Eric Fleming on Verizon Wireless my last 3 years. This was a redeeming experience after what I'd been through in the 80's.

My other half, Curtis Boivin, is the Waterville Valley Cyclocross race promoter and I promised him if he builds it they will come. He's putting up the same prize money for elite women and elite men. I'm asking female cyclocrossers to make a statement and support the race. I bet we can have a fuller field than the elite men and send a message to race promoters that women's cycling is worth supporting.

Waterville Valley Cyclocross benefits the Waterville Valley Foundation:

http://www.watervillevalleyfoundation.org/

The venue is in Waterville Valley Town Square, and includes the Pond Loop cross country ski trail as well as a pass right through the Zamboni slushie ice dumping field next to the town hockey rink. That's right, crushed ice on a cyclocross course in September!!! Good times.

Golden Eagle Lodge (I live on the 6th floor) in Waterville Valley is right on the race course, is a race sponsor and offering a reduced group rate:

http://www.goldeneaglelodge.com/

It has 1-2 bedroom condos that sleep 6, so you can pack your favorite pre-race breakfast ritual food in a cooler and cook for yourself before the race, and/or stay over Saturday night for Sucker Brook Cross in southern NH on Sunday. We also have several restaurants at every pricepoint that are right on the race course. As part of a rental you'll get a Summer Unlimited Pass. This will get you in White Mountain Athletic Club, clay tennis courts, boat rentals, downhill MTB lift ticket, etc. If you don't feel like racing but your friends do, bring your MTB-we have great XC MTB trails.

The town is really into the race and sees it as a marketing opportunity for outdoorsy athletic types like us. I can tell you that on any winter Saturday or Sunday I see about a dozen bike racers sitting by the fireplace at the cross country ski shop a block from my house. This is a perfect weekend to bring the whole family, it's a beautiful fun family-friendly venue. There is a kid's playground right next to the race course.

We're scheduled the day before Sucker Brook 'Cross and are hoping that we can stay on the cyclocross calendar for this September weekend with them indefinitely.

Curtis is doing all the heavy lifting promoting the race, so drop him a line and let him know you appreciate the support for women's cycling. I'm working on some of the "flair" and am hoping to get a beer tent at the Zamboni slushie zone. I'm also hoping for podium girls and throwdown interteam paddelboat race challenges on Corcoran's Pond.

Please pass the word and put Waterville Valley Cyclocross on your cyclocross race calendar.

Thanks

Dawn Richardson

P. S. One of my favorite New England crit sprinters from my era, Laura Kibelsbeck Summers, brought up the issue of babysitters. The Waterville Town Rec Department maintains a local babysitter list, so if you need a sitter so you can race, I'll connect you with a local babysitter. Been there done that-I got a local sitter at Road Nationals one year.