I had never seen a cyclo-cross race before. Here’s what I learned.
1. Don’t try to take Dirt’s vuvuzela away from him.
2. The mud pit with ankle deep mud so thick and disgusting that many chains were dropped and at least one spoke was broken — they like it that way.
3. The man dressed up like a pig handing out prizes to the riders during the race — absolutely normal.
4. The hill that went straight up for 75 yards, (yeah, seriously) — the racers ran up the hill either pushing or carrying their bikes and then at the top where any regular person would collapse and ask for a beer, they ran alongside their bikes then threw themselves onto the saddle without looking. I believe it’s called a Leap of Faith for more than one reason.
5. The ambulance standing by wasn’t there for decoration.
6. At the beginning of the course there were several barriers that the racers dismounted their bikes to leap over and then repeated the Leap O’ Faith maneuver.
7. Assuming they survived these obstacles their reward was — another lap.
8. Winners in the various categories received Fat Tire Beer. It’s beginning to make sense to me now.
It was quite something.
ann
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