The popularity of cyclo-cross in the Pacific Northwest has long been known, but after the opening race of the Portland, Oregon 'Cross Crusade, it has reached legendary status. The Oregon Bicycle Racing Association (OBRA) announced that its opening race in the series netted a whopping 1,078 registrants for the October 7 event at the Alpenrose dairy. The event smashed last year's record of 750 racers, solidifying its status as the largest one-day cyclo-cross race in North America as well as the largest participatory cyclo-cross bike racing series in the world.
Promoter Brad Ross said, "We are excited at the success of the race series." Brad continued. "We are also proud of that the U.S. Grand Prix of Cyclocross has again chosen our series as the finale for the series. We have truly become one of the hotbeds of cyclo-cross in the world." In its 16th year, the River City Bicycles Cross Crusade offers 16 classes of competition, from elite men and women to masters and junior categories. Races vary from 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the class.
