Join us lakeside at Campground Grebe for two days of CX racing, good vibes, SoCal Winter at Lake Casitas Recreation Area in Ventura December 9-10th!

EVENT DETAILS: https://bit.ly/CACXRidersGuideLakeCasitas

RACE REPORT BY RIDECX.COM 

RACE RESULTS:  SATURDAY 11/25 & SUNDAY 11/26

Haidet, Tupaz dominate Turkey Trot weekend  
SoCalCross 2023/24 season races 1 & 2 a success in Costa Mesa 

COSTA MESA, California, December 2, 2023 – Race #1 and #2 in the 2023/24 SoCalCross season are in the books, following a successful Turkey Trot weekend of cyclocross racing at Estancia Park in Costa Mesa. Turkey Trot Cross benefitted two local charitable organizations, the Costa Mesa Alliance for Better Streets and Save Our Youth Community Center.

Clear, windless skies and mild temperatures greeted the racers on both days in Costa Mesa, leading to “just right” conditions with dry terrain all day. “I’m delighted to return to Costa Mesa”, says Series Director, Dorothy Wong. “This is a great venue with a variety of terrain, perfect for beginner and elite ‘cross riders alike.”

Both days kicked off with free “getting started” clinics to introduce new riders to cyclocross, with more than 20 in attendance. These free clinics will continue for the remainder of the racing season, kicking off at 8am on each race day and concluding with the start of the 9am first-timers one lap race.

In the Elite Men’s category, Lance Haidet (L39ION of Los Angeles) took home the win on both days, setting the fastest lap and fine-tuning his form in one of the final races before the USA Cycling cyclocross national championship, in which Haidet and others will square off against the last 3 defending champs – Curtis White, Eric Brunner, and Gage Hecht.

On the Elite Women’s side, Shantelle Tupaz (Sycip Devout Coffee) dominated the field with an impressive performance to take the win on Saturday. She then doubled up on Sunday – incredible for a rider with a ‘cross racing age of just 18.

The Southern California Prestige Series of Cyclocross (“SoCalCross”) announces the upcoming “Lake Crossitas” race weekend at Lake Casitas Recreation Area (Ventura County) to be held December 9-10, 2023. 

The Lake Crossitas weekend combines two days of cyclocross racing with group camping at the Lake Casitas Recreation Area. Racers, family, and friends can set up camp and roll right to the starting line, as the race course runs through and around Campground Grebe. A nearby camp store and showers, plus drive-in sites with fire rings and picnic tables make camping easy for racers.

Continuing on Crossitas weekend are free beginner cyclocross clinics hosted by RideCX.com. Each clinic starts at 8am, lasts one hour, and is timed to get riders to the start line for the 1 lap first-timers race at 9am. The clinic is the perfect introduction for new riders; covering basic techniques, registration, rules, and other tips to take the intimidation out of bicycle racing for first-timers.

With superstars Wout van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel, and Tom Pidcock all recently announcing their Winter cyclocross schedules, interest among new riders in the sport at the amateur level continues to grow.

Race details and pre-registration (including camping options) are available at https://www.bikereg.com/socalcross-ventura

WEEKEND RACE DAY SCHEDULE ONLINE: https://bit.ly/crossitas-schedule

Beyond racing, campers can enjoy walking and biking around scenic Lake Casitas, taking a day trip into nearby Ojai, or exploring the Los Padres National Forest on the way to and from the race venue.

Lake Casitas Recreation Area is conveniently located just a 20 minute drive from Ventura or Ojai. Participants interested in arriving car-free from the Los Angeles Metro area can take the Metrolink train to the Ventura East station, then ride approximately 20 miles via the Ventura River and Ojai Valley trail systems to reach the venue. 

Following the Crossitas weekend, SoCalCross plans 3 additional race weekends with 6 more race days this season:

• SCPS 5/6: Santa Cross Weekend (Woodland Hills) December 16-17, 2023
• SCPS 7/8: CXLA Weekend (Los Angeles) January 6-7, 2024
• SCPS 9/10 SCPS FINALS (Woodland Hills) January 13-14, 2024

All racers and spectators can stay up to date via the SoCalCross’ Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for event updates. 

SoCalCross, founded in 2005, hosts cyclocross racing throughout Southern California. RideCX is an online retailer offering cyclocross specialty parts and accessories at https://www.RideCX.com.