Tim Allen, the King of Queens of Cross

Tim Allen (Feedback Sports) wins 2012 Queens of Cross open race

[updated 10/16/2012]

If the Queens of Cross event had a tagline, it could be: “have your fun and race it too.”

On Saturday Tough Girl Cycling Team presented Queens of Cross for the second year. A USA Cycling event, racing commenced in Golden, Colorado at 8 a.m. with the juniors and concluded in the late afternoon with the men’s cat 3 race.

An exhibition, one-lap “Drag Race” set off just after noon with a dozen riders dressed in drag theme. The best drag costume rider won two new cyclocross tires.

A bit of silliness lingered in the form of dress adjustments when the men’s open race contenders lined-up. By the thirty second warning any remaining silliness had vanished. The pack of nearly thirty riders containing the combined open and 35+ categories churned out plumes of dust as they started down a straight-away and headed to the back side of the course for an initial partial lap.

The Queens of Cross course included two hill ascents on each lap. Tim Allen leads

The riders handled a mixture of straight-aways and S turns with a set of barriers on the back side and returned past the finish line to climb a short, steep hill before descending into a field of straights and turns that led to an off-camber section and the rest of the back side of the course.

Tim Allen (Feedback Sports) took the lead on the first trip up the hill and never lost it. He crossed the finish line over a minute faster than second place finisher, Russell Harding (Natural Grocers). After the race Allen likened the bumpy trails to a mountain bike course; he imagined riding his mountain bike while carrying speed through the loose, sandy earth in the corners.

Queens of Cross also featured a senior woman’s first-timer race. These ladies toughed it out just like the more seasoned riders on the 2.7 kilometer course in 86 degrees Fahrenheit and 5% humidity.

The senior women’s open race also ended with a solo winner, Lara Kroepsh (Boo Bicycles).

Lynn Bush founded Tough Girl in 2005 and remains the team manager.