Zachary Schuster
Frederick Derocher of West Allis competes in last year’s race on a redesigned course.
The first time Zach Schuster witnessed a cyclocross race — at the 2013 Cyclocross National Championships at Verona’s Badger Prairie Park — he was hooked. “I really enjoyed watching it, and that’s how I got into the sport,” Schuster says.
Now in his fourth season as a local cyclocross rider, Schuster will be both a participant and a staff volunteer at the fourth annual Trek CXC Cup at Trek Bicycles headquarters, 801 W. Madison St. in Waterloo, Sept. 17-18. Local, regional and international riders will be among the estimated 750 competitors in a field that includes such elite athletes as defending world champion Wout Van Aert and 12-time reigning national champion Katie Compton.
The event serves as a warmup for the two U.S. stops on the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup circuit organized by the Switzerland-based Union Cycliste Internationale: CrossVegas in Las Vegas on Sept. 21 and Jingle Cross in Iowa City, Iowa, on Sept 24.
“We got really lucky that we have the world coming to Waterloo,” Schuster says.
That all sounds great, but what is cyclocross? Well, it’s practically the official sport of Belgium and involves riding on pavement and off-road terrain marked with obstacles along a short course, requiring participants to dismount and run while carrying their bikes. The sport developed in Europe as a way for road racers to stay fit during the fall and winter.
“I always struggle to describe it,” Schuster says. “I’ve heard it called steeplechase on wheels, but I think it’s more like cross-country on bikes.”
In recent years, the sport has gained popularity in the United States. Madison East High School alum Emma Swartz represented Team USA in January at the first-ever U23 Women’s World Championship cyclocross race in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium, finishing 32nd out of 43 riders.
Last year, the Trek CXC Cup debuted a redesigned course that riders say increased both the fun and difficulty factors.
Watching the weekend’s action is free, and avid spectating is encouraged. The pros race both days, with the women at noon and the men at 1:15 p.m. Colectivo will provide complimentary coffee, too. An activity area for kids will be set up, as will a mini race course. Trek will be running a free kids race on Sept. 17 at 11:30 a.m.
Schuster likens the vibe at cyclocross competitions to that of ultimate disc. “You get involved in the sport because it looks like fun,” he says. “But you keep going back because of the people.”
