Wisconsin cyclocross shifts to the Mitchell Park Domes

After a powerful dose of mud and Belgians hit Sun Prairie, cyclocross racing in Wisconsin settles into the start of the regular season at the annual Cross the Domes in Mitchell Park on Saturday.

Paired with the neighborhood "Clarke Square Moving" festival, the cyclocross carnival will be augmented by dance demonstrations, a kids bike race, a bike maintenance workshop and outdoor games. Money generated by the race and festival will be used to install speed bumps and bike lanes throughout the neighborhood of Clarke Square to make the community more bike and pedestrian friendly.

"We hope that this event will get residents thinking about creative ways they can incorporate exercise into their every day activities," said Jessica Herzog, a community organizer at Journey House, one of the agencies coordinating the activities.

"Mitchell Park is a great asset to the local community as a venue that everyone can use for free recreation, and we hope to reinforce this to our neighbors in Clarke Square," she said.

The My Wife Inc. team will host the races, sponsored by Braeger Mitsubishi.

Cross the Domes is the first race of the year in the Wisconsin Cycling Association series. Sponsored this year by Crank Daddy's, the series has expanded to 15 races.

The course laid out in the shadow of the domes utilizes the hilly terrain, the grassy park and even the sand volleyball court. Spectators will have a great view of the high-speed racing (well, at least for some).

"Mitchell Park has a great mix of terrain to make a challenging and fun cross course," said Mike Heenan, a My Wife Inc. team leader. "If you stand by the Domes, you can see nearly every part of the course."

The junior races start at 9:30 a.m. The women's elite race starts at 1:45 and the men take the course at 2:45.

Planet Bike Cup: Belgian Bart Wellens put on a great show in Sun Prairie during his slog to victory Sunday in the second day of the US Gran Prix Planet Bike Cup. Ryan Trebon took the win on Saturday, on a much different course.

Katerina Nash topped the women's field on both days.

Proving that cyclocross is a truly visual sport, Focal Flame Photography has a great collection of shots from the high-level racing. CyclingDirt has its usual comprehensive collection of videos and post-race interviews.