Brazen Dropouts build change, fun into Sun Prairie site

Madison-area cross race to feature new clinic, kids and beginners races

_{By Andrew Hellpap}                                                                      

_{spindailynews@gmail.com}

_{Racers returning to this year's Sun Prairie Cyclocross Sunday, Oct. 21 race won't be surprised, but there will be a few changes to the scenery.}

_{Brazen Dropouts, a Madison-based cycling club and amateur race team, will again be holding the race at Sheehan Park, 925 Linnerud Drive, but the course will no longer circle the ball diamond as it has in years past, according to Paul Roltgen, Dropouts race director. Instead, the course will meander around the lower ball field parking lot.}

_{Roltgen has been directing races for years, including when Brazen held a race at Badger Prairie, which is also the site of the 2011 and 2012 USA Cycling cyclocross national championships. The 1.7-mile Sun Prairie course, with its sweeping corners and short hills was designed with a purpose, he said, while still keeping the course's main feature, a sled hill run-up and bobsled-like downhill with banked corners.}

_{"The fun factor. Our team has 15-plus years of experience putting on CX (cyclocross) races, this course will be laid out for maximum fun and will look and feel like a professionally run event. We have great food, energetic spectators and in general a cool vibe," Roltgen said.}

_{2011 saw about 250 race entrants, and Brazen brass hope to continue the trend of strong attendance, Roltgen said. He hopes the race can draw 300 people this year with the addition of the kids and beginners races, in addition to the cyclocross clinic put on by Brian Matter. Matter is a local elite-level mountain bike and cyclocross racer. As of Oct. 18, Matter is leading the deeply talented Wisconsin Off-road Racing Series (WORS) Elite Males overall season category, according to the WORS website.}

_{"I really want it to be a place where folks give CX a try for the first time, once they start they are hooked," Roltgen said.}

_{Sun Prairie Cyclocross}

_{Where: Sheehan Park, 925 Linnerud Drive}

_{When: 9 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.}

_{Event flyer: http://www.wicycling.org/media/raceflyers12/2012%20CX%20Flyer.pdf}