Haskell Does the Madison Cyclocross Weekend, Nets Three Wins and a Giant Pumpkin.

In case you haven’t heard, Madison, the capitol of Wisconsin, is a hot bed of Midwestern cycling. This medium-sized city hosts numerous road racing events as well as the most difficult Ironman in the country. Having tasted its road race offerings, Team Get A Grip Cycles cyclocross sensation, Devon Haskell, made the trip from Chicago to see if their cyclocross scene was just as sweet. Here is her take on how the races unfolded:

Day 1 (Hosted by the Brazen Dropouts Cycling Club)

“I got a good lead in the 3s and tried to conserve a bit of energy… for the 1-2-3s which was right after(wards). In the (second race), I got another good start and was up front from the get-go. Kristin (from Kenda tire, who won the last Wisconsin race) came around me on lap two and I tried to just stick with her…At the end of lap two, it was just the two of us. As we came around a tight turn with lots of mulch, Kristin's wheel slipped out and I came to a halt trying not to wipe out myself. I started up again and had a little gap. I went hard to see if I could keep the lead and held on for a W”

Day 2 (Hosted by the Capitol Velo Club and Homegrown Racing)

“I decided to just do the 1-2-3s today. It was a rainy day and our race was near the end of the day, so the course was one big mud pit! Yay for getting muddy! I got off to another good start and by the end of lap one it was me and Kristin again. An unfortunate turn in the mud let me get a bit of a lead and I open it up on the next lap. Then I slid out on the third lap and the gap slimmed down quite a bit (i was also beginning to feel quite tired). But, I managed to hang on for the next couple laps for win number three of the weekend! I won a giant pumpkin!”

Editors note: Devon is over the age of twenty-one, so race organizers should feel free to give her beer as a prize. Her team mates will have no trouble drinking it, especially those who live in the building next to hers.

Photo courtesy of Renee Calloway at madcross.org.

Velonews report on Badger Cross.