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Campus Criterium Coverage

Easter Weekend Racing - Jordan win's Campus Crit Cat 1/2/3

Jordan outsprints Brandon for the Campus Crit Win!
Jordan stayed near the front for the entire Campus Crit

Jordan at Ken Woods
All photos courtesy of Anthony Kwan at the Minneapolis Musette

We went hunting for bike race glory, instead of Easter Eggs this weekend. Jordan found his, winning the Cat 1/2/3 Campus Criterium at the University of Minnesota. It was a Flanders versus Grandstay battle, with Jordan out-sprinting Grandstay's Brandon Krawczyk.

Saturday was the Ken Woods Road Race, where Jordan made the winning break. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to spin his 52x14 junior gearing the 43mph needed to stay with the break in the tailwind section. He regrouped with the chase, and finished a respectable 11th. He also survived a near crash when Gregg Brandt went down in a violent echelon twitch.

He was hungry for redemption Sunday at the Campus Crit. Being Easter, turnout was a bit light, with Synergy and GP noticeably absent. About 30 riders towed the line, with Grandstay and Flanders each having 4 riders. Grandstay's Dan Casper was definitely most aggressive rider of the day, getting away in solo and duo moves numerous times. Each time, Flanders, with help from a few others, chased Casper down.

Casper still found the strength to keep the field stretched out in the final laps, with teammate Ian Stanford taking over in the last couple laps. Jordan maintained excellent position near the front, and led the field into the final U-turn before the finish.

Hot on Jordan's wheel were Krawczyk, followed by Flanders teammate Mike Woell. Krawczyk clipped a pedal in the u-turn, and had to dig to get back to Jordan's wheel. Jordan surged through the curve to the finish line just enough to hold off Brandon, with Woell finishing 3rd. Both Carla and I were there to witness the amazing finish. We were definitely beaming with pride!

Prior to the start of this road season, Jordan had expressed his desire to upgrade to Cat 2, and I was against it. I didn't think he was ready. I'm definitely eating crow. I very proud of you Jordan!

For Sale: 2009 Time Edge Pulse Carbon Road Bike 59cm - $2500

I am selling my Complete 2009 Time Edge Road Bike with Dura Ace 7800 Group, Bontrager cockpit, and Mavic Askium Wheelset. The bike is in excellent condition, and perfect working order. Never been crashed, used for 1 season. No pedals included. Bike comes as pictured above.

Price:$2500/firm.

Includes:Frameset: 2009 Time Edge Pulse Carbon Frame Size XL (59cm)
Fork: Time Carbon Fork w/Carbon Steerer
Component Group: Shimano Dura Ace 7800 10-speed
Crankset: 175mm 53/39
Cassette: 12-25
Wheelset: Mavic Askium w/Continental Ultra Sport Tires 700x23
Bars: Bontrager XXX Carbon 44cm
Stem: Bontrager XXX Carbon 14cm
Seatpost: Easton Carbon
Saddle: Fizik Arione K:ium
Bottle Cages: Bontrager Carbon (2)
Computer: Shimano Flight Deck Wireless

Geometry Chart (Size XL)

Additional pictures

j.cullen@sbcglobal.net

Minneapolis Musette

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Durand Road Race 2011 - BRRRRR!

Jordan in an early 4-man breakaway with Dylan Knutson, Jens Brabbit, and an IScorp rider
Photo courtesey of Anthony Kwan @ Minneapolis Musette

Waking up to 2-3 inches of wet snow on the ground, strong winds, and 30deg temps was sure to be a death blow to turnout at the 2011 season opener Durand Road Race. The only thing that would keep Jordan and I from racing was the race being cancelled, so we made the annual trek. I was impressed with how many showed up! Even better, the roads were completely dry.

Jordan lined up with the Cat 1/2/3's with MBRC/Flanders teammates Adam Gorski, Mike Woell, Nick Kimpton, and Mark Skarpohl. Their field was plenty strong, with a full complement of IS Corp, GrandStay, Synergy, and GP riders. Jordan and his team rode a great race, but IS Corp took complete control of the race, putting all 5 of their riders in the winning break. Timmer was the only one to survive their onslaught, taking 4th place. Jordan drew out a group of 6 chasers on the penultimate lap, but the break was long gone. He rode valiantly, and finished 10th. Well earned!

I raced Masters 40+, whose field was most affected by the weather. So much, they combined us with the 50+. There were maybe 15 starters, and the racing was pretty civilized for the first 2 of 4 laps. We still managed to drop about half the group, including arguably the strongest rider in the race, Mike Johnson, who had a mechanical.

I attacked a few times during the 3rd lap, but every time, Birchwood strongman Mike Stensrud brought me back. After the climbs, we were down to 7 riders. I attacked again, and brought Mark Mlinar, Kent McDaniel, and Greg Tischler with. This left Stensrud chasing with Frank Lowry, and my new teammate Dave Herbert in tow. We had a gap, but it wasn't growing.

In the tailwind leg, as they drew down on us, I gunned it again, taking only Mlinar with me. We worked well together over the rollers, and slowly grew our gap. We kept working all the way to the corner before the finish. Mark being a good sprinter, I needed to get my timing right to beat him. I jumped at about 200m and held on for the win. Mlinar was gracious after the finish, as always. Well done Mark!

A few moments later, teammate Dave Herbert was able to out sprint Frank Lowry to win the 50+. Congrats Dave!

Results

I definitely owe my race win to teammates Bill Morice and Dave Herbert, who did a great job of keeping me out of the wind. Thanks guys!

1st Annual MBRC Training Camp

(Back Row - Mike Dietzman, Jeremiah Sagel, Dave Zimmermann, Dan Stocker, Dave Herbert, Jack Stack, Steve Gaertner, Merrill Lutsky, Chris Doig, Jordan Cullen, Chris Morley, Dave Grey, Todd Thurmes, Bruce MacGibbon, Jim Cullen) (Front Row - Gordon Wright, Linda Sone, Jaakko Mursu, Mike Woell, Andy Cragg, Tom Pletcher, Adam Froemming, Jim Flanders, Scott Flanders, Nick Kimpton, Ann Van Bellinger, Teresa Moriarty, Kristin Smith, Bob Scanlon, Bill Morice, Laura Krueger)

MBRC held training camp this past weekend in the beautiful bluffs of the Root River Valley. The weather was perfect, and a great time was had by all. We're ready for the MN racing season to start!

Hillsboro Roubaix - Jordan's Last Cat 3 Race

Nick Kimpton pulling the Cat 3 field, and sheltering Jordan, into the finishing circuit. 2nd Place - Cat 3 - Awesome Trophy!

We heard Hillsboro Roubaix was an awesome event, and it did not dissapoint. 65 degrees and sunny, moderate wind, on narrow, rolling, and winding country roads. Rough roads, but no gravel. The finish circuit has brick pavers, ala Snake Alley style, hence the name Roubaix. On top of a great course, the organization of the race was impressive. Corner marshals everywhere, awesome trophies & payouts. A true community event!

Jordan finished 2nd out of over 100 starters in the Cat 3 race. Teammate Nick Kimpton was instrumental in Jordan's success, with a massive pull into the finishing circuit to setup Jordan. 25-30 riders made it to the final circuit, with 14 sprinting it out for the win. Jordan had the victory in his sights, but was just beaten to the line by 29 year old Mark French. Awesome, considering Jordan's junior gear restriction.

Jordan has now officially upgraded to Cat 2 on the road. Congrats!

Ridley Poster Boy

Great shot from 2010 Cyclocross Nationals on the X-fire page in the 2012 Ridley Cyclocross Catalog!

Spring Training in Arizona

Jordan leads the Cat 3 field in the Tumacacori Road Race
On the Mount Lemmon Climb in Tucson, AZ

It's been a long, cold winter. For the 2nd year running, Scott Flanders and his family hosted us for a week of warm weather training in Sierra Vista, AZ. Tom Pletcher and Steve Gaertner were there too.

Jordan decided to test his legs in a tough road race south of Tuscon, called the Tumacacori Road Race. The course is a 6 mile circuit, with 500ft. of climbing per lap. It featured 3 steep 20% ramps in a row, that wore on the riders over the course of 10 laps.

Jordan raced the cat 3 field with 21 starters, and rode patiently. I watched from the feed zone at the top of the last climb. He was always near the front, and started attacking past the halfway point of the race. 6 laps in, it was a 4 man race, with Jordan making the selection. However, the temperature had climbed to 80deg, and Jordan faltered in the unfamiliar heat. He struggled through the last 2 laps of the race, and finished a courageous 10th. Very proud of you Jordan.

The rest of our trip, we rode with Scotter and Pletcher. The 3 of them put me into the hurt locker for most of the trip. I was pretty beat down by the end of the trip. We climbed Mount Lemmon twice, which ascends 6000ft from the desert floor over 25 miles. Jordan completed the climb in under 2 hours. It took me quite a bit longer. At the top there is a Cookie Cabin in Summerhaven, which serves cookies the size of a pizza, as a reward for making to the top.

8 days, 29.5 hours, 490 miles, 31,000 feet of climbing. A big thanks to Scott Flanders and his family for the hospitality!

Annual MCF Awards Party - Sunday, January 23rd

Click the image below to view a larger version of the flyer.

RSVP to j.cullen@sbcglobal.net with name and number in your party.

Complete list of award winners

Photo Finish

The sprint for 5th place at nationals (L-Jordan Cullen, R-Curtis White). Teammate Curtis White edged out Jordan by a mere inch. What an exciting finish!

2010 Clif Bar Devo Team

Left-Right: Jordan Cullen-15, Kolben Preble-17, Curtis White-15, Zane Godby-16, Zack Gould-15, Bjorn Fox-17, Mitch Hoke-22 (not pictured - Spencer Downing-15)

Jordan finishes a courageous 6th at CX Nationals

Bad luck prevented Jordan from making the podium at CX Nationals. He flatted his front tire just after the pit on the first lap, dropping out of the top 20 before he could ride back around to the pit to switch bikes. From there, he mounted a courageous chase all the way into a photo finish sprint for 5th place. Clif Bar Devo teammate, Curtis White, edge Jordan for 5th by just an inch.

Jordan took the result like a champion. He knew it was just another race, and didn't let it take away from all his other successes this season. I am so proud of him.

Race announcer, Dave Towle, was so impressed with Jordan's ride, he even mentioned it at the podium ceremony. Thanks to everyone for all their support this year, including his Clif Bar Devo Team, Ridley USA, and Lazer Sport. They made his success this season possible.

Jordan's Post B Race Quote in the Bend Bulletin

“It was so much better than (earlier) this morning,” said Jordan Cullen, 15, of Hudson, Wis., who won the men’s 10-29 race on Wednesday. “There’s no ice. It’s pretty good, actually.”

Cullen offered some advice for racers this week.

“Just chill, don’t panic,” he said. “If you fall a few times, don’t freak out.”

Killer B Winner

Non-Championship Killer B Podium

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

Cyclocross Nationals starts off with non-championship age graded races to afford riders the opportunity to dial in the course and equipment. They do a podium ceremony, but no medals or jersey is awarded. They are called the B races, which some racers call the "Killer B's" as a sarcastic reference to their less serious nature.

When we got to the course, it was an absolute hockey rink of glare ice. They delayed the racing 60 minutes, and amazingly, by the time Jordan's race started, the ice was gone, and it turned to greasy mud.

Jordan's race included racers aged 10-29. Jordan did the race strictly to get a good look at the course at speed, and was not in it for a result. Turnout was lighter than past years. I assume this was due to riders having to deal with the seeding Time-trials, and difficulty in getting to Bend early enough to race on Wednesday.

Jordan's stiffest competition came from an 18 year old from New Mexico. Jordan led the race to get the best look at racing lines, and did so without burning any matches. He was all smiles from start to finish, and was very excited to unexpectedly win the race.

The Midwest dominated the Killer B races. Sarah Huang of Kenosha, WI won the Women Open, CJ Faulkner and Christopher Fisher from the Twin Cities went 1-2 in the 30-39 race. Chris Smith and Jared Roy went 8-9 in the 40-49. Nice work everyone!

Jordan's championship race is on Friday. Good luck Jordan!

Top of the Stair Run-up

Leading through the greasy mud.

Down off the Fly-over "Sky Bridge"

A Subdued Victory Salute

Jordan goes 2 for 2 at Portland USGP

Day 1 - Jr 15-16 Winner
Portland USGP Day 1 Jr 15-16 Podium: Jordan Cullen - 1st, Colin Dunlap - 3rd (not pictured - David O'Brien - 2nd)
Day 2 Jr 15-16 Winner
Portland USGP Day 2 Jr 15-16 Podium: Trevor Schauer - 2nd, Jordan Cullen - 1st, Avi Mahan - 3rd

Jordan posted wins in both days of the final USGP in Portland. Jordan raced Cat 2/3's at the other USGP's, but the categories in Portland were such that the only race he was qualified to enter was the Juniors 15-16. Most of the kids in his race will be going on to Bend this week for US Cyclocross Nationals, so it was still a good test for Jordan.

Rain all week long made for a muddy first day. The Juniors raced with the beginner and master women, but started behind them. It took the entire first lap for Jordan to work his way through all the women. Once he got a clear track, his gap to the chasing juniors opened quickly. By the end of the race, Jordan was more than 2 minutes clear of 2nd place. Way to go Jordan!

Day 2 was a much dryer affair. Once again, the juniors had to work their way through the women, and the faster course leveled the playing field a bit. Oregon native Trevor Schuaer was able to keep pace with Jordan for most of the first lap. Eventually, Jordan was able to get away, and then focused on practicing switching bikes in the pits. He won day 2 by around a minute or so. Nice work Jordan!

Monday, we are driving to Bend, OR for the US Cyclocross Nationals. Jordan races on Friday. Good luck buddy!

Jordan goes 3 for 3 at Jingle Cross Rock

Jingle Cross Rock 3 Cat 2 Podium: 3rd - Weston Luzadder, 1st - Jordan Cullen, 2nd - Dave Staab

Jordan completed his sweep of the Cat 2 races at the 3 day Jingle Cross Rock on Sunday. However, it was not easy. Jordan got the hole shot, only to slide out in a muddy turn, and slip back to 4th. He regained the lead late in the first lap, only to miss a turn, crashing through the course tape, and getting tangled. He slipped all the way to last in the Cat 2's.

From then on, he rode like man possessed. By the end of the 2nd lap, he had caught the lead group of 2, Weston Luzadder, and Dave Staab, who were 2nd and 3rd on Saturday. He kept charging, and by the end of the 3rd lap, he had a 15 second gap, and drove all the way to the finish for his 3rd win in a row. Dave Staab won the sprint for 2nd, to reverse the other 2 podium positions from Saturday. Great rides by everyone.

Jordan wins Cat 2's at Jingle Cross Rock 2

Jingle Cross Rock Day 2 Cat 2 Podium: David Staab - 3rd, Jordan Cullen - 1st, Weston Luzadder - 2nd

Jordan rode a virtually flawless race today to take the win in the Cat 2's at Jingle Cross. Today's course was a tough one, with a long steep runup Mount Krumpit, and a challenging fast downhill. Jordan had a good start, and took the race lead about half way through lap 1. He led a strong group of 4 riders, including Chris Wallace, Weston Luzadder, and Dave Staab.

Chris Wallace went to Cyclocross worlds for the past 2 seasons. Luzadder is a former junior national criterium champion. Dave Staab has been tearing up the Cat 1/2 scene in Madison, WI including a 3rd place finish last week in the WI State CX Championships, where Jordan finished 11th.

By the end of the 2nd lap, Jordan was alone with a 10 second gap, and it grew from there. He finished 45 seconds clear for a well earned victory. Congrats on a great race Jordan!

Jordan Cullen wins Cat 2's at Jingle Cross Rock 1

Jingle Cross Rock #1 Cat 2 Podium: Hollywood Henderson - 3rd, Jordan Cullen - 1st, Jason Rassi - 2nd

Cyclocross under the lights is a unique experience. The cold, windy, weather added to the experience at Jingle Cross Rock 1. Thick peanut butter mud over the top of rock hard frozen ground made traction unpredictable.

Jordan had a front row start, and went for the hole shot, but Hollywood beat him to it. Jordan quickly took over the lead, only to roll his front tubular tire, and go down towards the end of the 1st lap. He quickly remounted and rode to the pit for his spare bike, and just held onto the lead.

He built up a good gap on 2nd place, only to fall on the off-camber downhill, sliding under the fencing, and dropping his chain. This gave the chasing group of 3 or 4, including Hollywood, a chance to catch up.

Jordan re-found his rhythm, and opened up the gap again, winning by several seconds. He showed real tenacity out there, and was rewarded with the victory. Congrats Jordan!

MN State Cyclocross Epic

Jordan making the pass on the downhill.
Winning the Clydesdale Race!
Photo compliments of Dave Gabrys

The term "Epic" was over used, but what other word describes racing in 6 inches of wet slushy snow?

This was to be my last race of the season, in the Clydesdale division (> 200lbs). We started about 1 minute after the elite women, and caught the tail end of their field right away. Donimator took off like a rocket, earning the whole shot while the rest of us were getting in each others way. I picked my way around people to make it up to Donimator's wheel. Bill Kuster joined us briefly, but he was on his 2nd race of the day, and dropped off the pace shortly thereafter.

We caught the leader of the women's field, Jeanne Fleck, early in the 2nd of 4 laps. I was simply following Donimator's line, who was much faster than me through the turns and technical stuff. I thought about trying to pass him on the straights, but there just wasn't much room, so I just did my best to follow his pace.

Half way into the last lap, I made my move around Don. My gears were frozen, so I couldn't really just drop the hammer. By the time we reached the top of the stairs, he had bridged back up to me, only to endo on the downhill, sealing my victory. Thanks for the great battle Don!

Jordan raced the Cat 1/2's. His starting position was OK, but he chose to ride instead of run the first part, then he fell. By the time he got rolling, he was way back in 20th spot or so with little to no room to move up. He stayed tough, and slowly worked his way up. 12th or so after the 1st lap, 6th after the 2nd lap, eventually moving up to his final position of 4th. Way to be tenacious Jordan!

Results can be found here.