MARK YOUR CALENDAR:
This year’s Pangorge is Nov. 12. Interested racers can sign up as part of a two- to three-person team or solo. Visit pangorge.com to learn more and register. To learn more and register for the cyclocross event, head to usacycling.org/register/2016-2770.
The man behind the Pangorge adventure triathlon wants the event to be more than the combination paddling, trail run and mountain biking race he created three years ago. Race director Andy Dodson foresees the traditionally intermediate/advanced one-day event growing into a weekend-long celebration of all the recreational opportunities available in the Tennessee River Gorge.
This year’s addition of the independent PanCross cyclocross race, he says, is just the beginning.
“I’m really excited for it,” Dodson says. “Cyclocross always has a great crowd, and they have a lot of fun at their races. It’s an excellent spectator event.”
Jim Farmer, head of local cyclocross team Privateer CX, says Tennessee RiverPlace – an event venue located at the foot of Elder Mountain which serves as the starting and ending point for Pangorge participants – provides the perfect location for a cyclocross race.
As a past president of the North Chick Creek Conservancy, he says he’s also happy the race affords the opportunity to support an organization dedicated to conservation. Race proceeds benefit the Tennessee River Gorge Trust, which is dedicated to preserving the green-carpeted canyon carved through the Cumberland Mountains by the Tennessee River.
“We saw it as a great opportunity for us to get a cyclocross race in and maybe introduce it to some folks,” says Farmer. “We like what they [Tennessee River Gorge Trust] are doing.”
The cyclocross race is planned to be the perfect jumping-off point for someone brand-new to the sport. Farmer says cyclocross can be as serious or as lighthearted as you want, which is a big part of the appeal.
“I actually just got back from a race in Atlanta where I got my butt handed to me. I finished dead last, but I still had a great time,” he says.
In cyclocross, a timed dirt bicycle race over obstacles, beginners race for a shorter amount of time than more experienced riders. The competition is heavily segmented by experience, age and other factors.
While specialized bikes exist for cyclocross, they aren’t necessary, meaning competitors can race on their mountain bike if they prefer.
“We were all beginners at one point,” says Farmer. “I think people will find how easy it is to immerse yourself and race.”