Dave Eckel
Instead of hanging up the bikes for the year, Team Wisconsin took to the trails, grass, mud, and sand and had a great cyclocross season. With representation in nearly every category, there was a Team Wisconsin jersey everywhere you looked this fall.
After coming off a successful mountain bike season, Tim Racette started in the 4s. Once he figured out the different style of racing, he won consecutive races using a combination of technique and power at Kletsch Park and the Cam-Rock mud fest. Racing in the 3s from then on, Tim improved each week, peaking with a top ten finish at the Hales Corners state championships after riding seconds from the lead before he was tripped up by a mechanical.
John Reynders and Doug Bailey also represented in the 3s all year. Doug had a top ten at the No Good Double Cross and both are hoping to parlay the fitness gains from extra racing this fall into strong road seasons in 2011.
In the Masters 45+ category team leader Dave Eckel rattled off one top ten after another this season, with top five finishes at Sheehan Park in Sun Prairie, Cam-Rock, and Grafton Pumpkincross. Dave peaked at Jingle Cross in Iowa, showing excellent results of 6th, 10th, and 11th over the three day festival. Dave finished 6th overall in the WCA standings for the year, a testament to his strong, consistent racing all season.
Tyson Hausdoerffer was new to cyclocross but an experienced mountain bike racer who joined the team while the season was already underway. He took to cyclocross naturally, though, consistently placing in the top ten. Tyson’s strong season saw him finish 5th overall in the WCA standings in the highly competitive Masters 35+ field.
Mark Norton had his first season Men’s elite field. Struggling at first with the high level of racing, Mark recovered to finish with top ten at Badger Prairie and Kletsch Park. He also ended the year on a high note with a 9th place finish in a strong State Championship field in Hales Corners. Mark finished 8th overall in the WCA Category 2 rankings for the season.