USCX SERIES ROUND 3: Charm City, Baltimore MD

USCX Series Round 3 - Baltimore Recap

We arrived in Baltimore hoping for wet conditions, and while we had a bit of slick terrain on Saturday, the hot 80+ degree weather dried out the course quickly. The pre-ride conditions were nothing like the race itself, which turned out to be super hot, humid, and hilly—challenging for all riders.

Caroline fought hard on Saturday, pushing herself onto the podium. Kerry also delivered a strong performance, finishing in 4th place.

Sunday brought cooler temperatures and slightly wetter conditions, making the course more technical. Unfortunately, Caroline had to pull out early due to severe ankle pain, which had been bothering her all week. She managed to push through the discomfort on Saturday but wasn’t able to continue on Sunday.

Kerry had a great start and secured another solid top-5 finish. Both riders are now headed home for a short recovery before the final round in Madison.

Kerry is currently ranked 3rd in the USCX Series standings. 

Kerry and Caroline.

Rochester Cyclocross is a staple on the US Racing calendar, often regarded as a classic. The organizers consistently do an incredible job creating a course that is both physically demanding and technically challenging, closely mirroring the European style in terms of difficulty and race dynamics.

It was another fantastic weekend for the team. Our teammate Denise Watson raced in the 50+ category and dominated, winning both days.

On the first day, Kerry and Caroline fought hard, both finishing just shy of the podium with 5th place finishes in a highly competitive field. It was a great effort, with both showing strong form.

Day two saw Caroline pushing for a podium spot, holding her position until 2 laps to go. She managed to drop her group and secure an impressive 4th place finish. Kerry was in contention for the win but was set back by an unfortunate mechanical issue. He rejoined the group in a dramatic effort, giving everything in the last half-lap and finishing 5th.

We’re incredibly proud of the team’s performance and excited for the next round in Baltimore!

Cross time!

Groove Off Road Racing kicked off the USCX Series with a stellar performance at the first round in Roanoke, VA.

On Day 1, Caroline Mani started strong and powered her way to another podium finish. Kerry Werner, returning to cyclocross, also made his mark with an outstanding second-place finish, showing he's hungry for more this season.

Day 2 brought continued success. Caroline fought hard to extend her incredible podium streak to 12 in a row at Go Cross, a testament to her resilience and determination. Kerry once again put in a commanding performance, securing another second place.

Groove Off Road Racing proved to be the best team out there, with our veteran riders showing they’ve still got what it takes. We’re incredibly grateful for the unwavering support fro

HAWAII 70.3

Our ambassador and part of the Blue family, Periklis Panousis, having a great day out on the Chinook G2!

We received the below email from Periklis about his experience on the Chinook. It’s great to hear it in his own words how much he is enjoying riding the Chinook G2.

“Just a word to tell you how grateful I am for getting me such an amazing bike. I love climbing hills on it!

All the best and with appreciation,

Periklis”

Blue ambassador Michael Sabrin

Memorial Day Austin Texas at the Cap Tex Tri Michael took first place in his age group posting a super fast bike leg on the Triad Elite. In Michael’s words:

Blue,
Thank you again for all your help. I had my first race on the new frame yesterday here in Austin at the Cap Tex Tri and got 1st in my age group! Got compliments on the bike and crushed the urban technical bike leg at 22.7 mph average. Y’all are awesome and I love riding your bikes.

Thanks Michael for sending the photos! Glad to have you as part of the family.

More from Maddie Fisher’s European World Cup Campaign

As I followed the wheels of my teammates blindly through the Zolder pre-ride, I nearly

rode into the drop-in of the sand hill with a nasty unpredictable rut. My teammates rode down it

unstably and blindly, just managing to stay upright. Locking sight with the descent from the back

of the group took me by surprise. I stopped just in time to catch myself, just before I would have

to commit. I moved to the side thinking I was lucky to have caught myself. My coach and

teammates looked for me at the bottom, but I was still stuck at the top. I told myself I was ready

and everything would be fine, but my body was frozen. I was scared of it, the possibility of a bad

wreck, the rut, the crowd judging me. “I can’t do it,” I motioned down to my coach.

Having no choice but to ride it, I blinked away nervous tears. I heard a voice next to me,

“it's okay to be scared, you can do it.” I looked over to see a stern looking spectator motioning to

me. “But you have to commit from back there,” he pointed up the hill. “Once you get your wheel

over the edge, you commit.” I looked at him with a nervous expression. “You just have to get

your wheel over the edge,” he said gently to me. “Now go.” I thanked him and walked my bike

up the hill. Taking a deep breath, I knew I had to accept the fear and then let it go. Taking a deep

breath, I clipped in, and approached the long, steep rut. I Inhaled. I peered over the edge from my

bike. I Exhaled. I decided to commit. “Now let go,” the spectator whispered to me as I crossed

the edge. With one foot out, I made it. Though it wasn't the smoothest, I laughed it off and took a

deep breath. “That wasn't so bad.”

Experiencing the kerstperiode was just like hitting the rut, committing and letting go of

your fear. We raced many technical courses all of which had extremes. Some courses you dove

headfirst into deep sand and others you trudged through thick cowfield mud. At Mol, our sand

skills were put to the test. Just trying to keep your momentum was a challenge in itself, though

being hunted down by Lucinda Brand was terrifying. Then we had Loenhout, which was the

exact opposite of Mol, racing through knee deep mud and running about half of the course. After

that came Hulst, again, completely different. Sharp, steep downhills. I remember wrecking into a

post so hard I almost broke a few fingers and landed myself in a Belgian hospital for hours. We

ended the block with Baal, a sketchy, rutted permanent course. After each race I took away the

same thing, you need to commit. Whether it was sand hills, mud bogs, or steep descents, you

needed to commit and ride it like you owned it.

Seven races, fourteen days. Ten athletes in one house. One washer and dryer machine.

Racing everyday or every other day was completely mind bending. I was told to keep everything

organized and in order. I quickly realized my coach was right. This made racing seem like “the

easy part.” After racing and organizing over and over again, I established and perfected my pre

and post race routine which was half the battle of having a successful race. Walking away from

this block, I subconsciously created many healthy habits that I continue to keep doing even after

this racing block ended. The kerstperiode was fast and furious. Just like riding the rut, you didn’t

have time to think. You were already committed, looked forward, and rolled from race to race,

doing what needed to get done with the least amount of stress possible.

Overall, if I had to describe the racing during the kerstperiode I would say it was gnarly,

humbling, inspiring, and just plain out hard. While reflecting on this block, I realized what it

takes to be a cyclocross racer: having courage, having a willingness to suffer, having a curious

and open mindset, being organized, being humble and having gratitude. I've realized that

European racing is just like riding a rut, picking the line, hitting it with confidence that it will

take you where you need, and exiting with more speed and a smooth line. Even though this kind

of racing was extremely difficult and taxing, its true to say that I miss it already. I am eagerly

looking forward to the next season of cyclocross.

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