NCCX Ambassador: Marcos

Timothy Hopkin • October 18, 2024

NC Cyclist Goes Above and Beyond in Response to Tropical Storm Helene

two young men are hold drop bar bikes while running over small barriers in a grassy area. There are plastic stakes with event tape to mark a course.

Editor’s note: The idea of creating a more formalized NCCX Ambassador program has been in the back of our minds for a while. We see the enthusiasm and support from racers across the NCCX community regardless of status and value the big and small ways every one of each of  you share your love for cyclocross. Obviously when we started planning for the Fall 2024 season, we had no idea how Tropical Storm Helene would derail a lot of the preparation for the season. While some of our plans for the season are now a little delayed, we still want to feature our first class of NCCX Ambassadors (and more of you, stay tuned!).



A male and female cyclist in kits that say

Marcos joined us in 2023 and quickly dived into all things CX! We knew that he was a great fit because of his enthusiasm, involvement, and leadership in the cycling community.


We’ll let Marcos share more about why he races CX:


“As a nature addicted constant mover who is all about anything on two wheels, I've been riding for a couple of decades as a way to stay fit, mentally well, and in tune with my local community. A 2023 injury that cut my road season short was the catalyst for my first season of cross. I started that season out of physical shape and cycling form and ended it in a completely opposite way. I was hooked on how varied and fun the racing was while still being about as hard as I've ever gone on a bike. CX resurrected me as a racer in '23 and this year is all about giving back and going even harder! Can't wait to see everyone at barriers and lining the sand pits!”
two bike racers ride their bikes through the woods
a view of a pick up truck bed filled with staples like bottled water, diapers, and food for hurricane victims

While Marcos was initially ready to jump into the 2024 season, a pre-season accident, ironically while practicing cyclocross skills, took him out with a few broken bones. Then Helene hit WNC, but nothing was going to stop Marcos. Despite still recuperating, Marcos jumped into rescue and recovery immediately, with cycling friends and others, to reach the most vulnerable in our area.  


However, his service isn’t done. Marcos and his wife Amanda need some support to continue to meet their own housing and utility expenses, while not backing down from continuing to source and deliver needed supplies and resources (like heat/power via generators and small heaters, fuel, adequate clothing, and food) into areas of WNC that are predicted to be without power until spring 2025! 
A small group of people stand behind a car with a open back door showing collected supplies for hurricane survivors

We applaud Marcos for spreading that love into the hills and hollers and forgotten spaces in the mountains of our state, as well as look forward to welcoming him back to racing when the time is right. We know our CX Fam spread all across the state will be eager to see him hitting the cx scene in a few more weeks. In the meantime:


Support Marcos and Amanda's Mountain Relief Efforts

Rock Creek Rumble 101

March 17, 2025
What is the Rock Creek Rumble? It’s a youth-only cross-country mountain bike race for ages 10-18. Get all the race details here and register on BikeReg here ! What is a race age? The race age is your age at the end of the year – ex: if you are 15 now but turning 16 this year, your race age is 16. Learn all about that here! What category do I race? Categories are decided on race age, except for the older categories. There will be two race category options for Junior Men and Women 15-18 years of age. The OPEN category is for faster more experienced racers. The regular category is for new and developing racers. You can only register to race in one category, not both. Is there on site registration? No, registration is online only and closes on Wednesday, March 19. Can I pre-ride? Pre-ride will be open Friday, March 21 from 1pm to 7pm. There will also be pre-ride Saturday at 7:30am-9:30am and 12:50pm-1:50pm. Packet pick-up : Riders and coaches can check in and get race numbers/coaches pre-ride plates starting at 1pm on Friday. All riders accessing the course must check in prior to riding. What’s the course like? The course is a mixture of grass start/finish/feed zone, double track, and single track, with lots of areas for passing as well as using your cornering skills! The course has multiple line options for riders depending on age/skill level, and is very fun to ride! What’s included? All racers will be professionally timed, with results submitted to USAC. Riders will also receive a discount for a Sunday ride pass at Ride Rock Creek! Top three in each category will get some fun awards from Ride Rock Creek. We’ll also have an announcer, food trucks, coffee trucks, and more fun! Can we camp? Yes, camping is allowed for this event! Spaces can be reserved from Ride Rock Creek here . Can coaches/parents pre-ride? Yes, coaches/parents can pre-ride but must sign up in advance and submit the required waivers at registration. Other things to know: Cell service at the race venue is limited depending on carrier. Public wifi is available at the park shop. Team area will be available for teams or large groups to set up near the start/finish area. If you set up tents, please stake/weight them.

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