And just like that...BAM!...a few leaves popped here in Boulder in early September. Right during our 90 deg swelter. An indication that even the leaves just can't wait for their favorite time of year. The time they get to be their truest selves in all their yellow, orange and red glory. Yes, cross season is back...

The summer was a great one with lots of epic rides. The Butter ride, the Rapha Gentleman's Race and tons of great MTB exploration in our beautiful state. But of all the experiences, riding with our Boulder Junior Cycling kids and getting them re-convened in late August/early September to re-orient themselves with their cross machines....all 83 of them this season (below is just one subset of the team)...has been yet again the highlight of my sporting experience. We're changing the bike driving skills of legions of kids. So proud...

September also meant some awesome new changes with the Boulder Cycle Sport Ambassador team...mainly around our equipment. After 5 years on Ridley frames, we were excited to get our bodies on top of these fine machines from Focus. The Mares 0.0...complete with dual thru-axles, complete SRAM/Zipp drivetrain and cockpit and naturally back again with Clement rubber. Absolutely incredible machines...

Wheels, wheels wheels. Always the toughest part to nail down but the team was able to get everything dialed: Zipp 303 rims, Sapim spokes and DT 240 thru-axle hubs. But the most important part is the build and we trusted that to no one other than Zach Edwards of BCS who personally built more that 30 wheels for the Ambassador and BCS/Yoga Glo professional team. Crazy dedication and we are indebted...

Before the season got underway in earnest in September, I was honored to play the role of coach along with Jeremy Powers and John Verheul at Frank Overton's FasCat annual cross camp. We held it at Oskar Blue's Hops and Heifers Farm which was an awesome venue to teach folks the beautiful sport. We even conjured up our own mud to work on bike driving skills in various elements....

Finally the season got underway with the Kick It cross in Castle Rock. Super hard slap in the face but I felt I performed well with a 9th in a decent field. No training done in September at all...save for fun miles done in August. No intervals...just blissful dirt roads and miles. 

The well known Boulder Cup weekend came WAY early this year with rumors that a certain Sven Nys would show up given his 'proximity' to the venue being in Vegas and all for Cross Vegas. But alas, we were not blessed with his presence but had a great time on yet another insanely hard course set up by Chris Grealish and Joe DePaemelaere. Here I am bombing the stairs with Shawn Hadley, MTB stud and what I'm finding to be as another good guy master. We're having great fun this season slaying each other. 

Some days you feel great and put your best foot forward to race, others you just train through. The Xilinx race was just that...slipped pedal at the start, some bad tactical decisions and then the mind said: this is dumb, just train and go shred. And alas, that's what happened. In this shot I actually yelled to the great Mr. Shawn Curry to 'get ready!' and I hucked that roller every lap. Schoolboy fun. Finished the race with some fun training. 

The rest of September played out super fun. Felling better with a podium appearance at the Green Mountain Sports cross in Littleton....and in each race, having fun by pulling wheelies across the line....

So, back in to the thick of it. Zero training, only racing thus far, having IMMENSE fun and enjoying this community we have. Let's hope October brings some good weather and start to make those dirt parking lot criterium heroes second guess why they are doing cross 'this late in the season.'

Bring it, October.