Cyclocross Season preview.

As winter approaches, cycling fans seamlessly switch focus from the clean, neat and tidy sport of road racing to its quick and dirty winter counterpart of cyclocross where racers often cross the finish line completely covered in mud, with only the whites of their eyes shining through.

For those who are not familiar with cyclocross, it is similar to a steeple chase, but contested with road-style racing bicycles equipped with thin knobby tires._ The courses vary from 2.5 to 3.5 kilometers in length and consist of both pavement and dirt.   Periodically the riders are forced to dismount and jump over manmade barriers or run up small hills while shouldering the bike._ The women’s timed event lasts forty minutes while the men’s is one hour.

Originally created in the early 1900’s as an off-season activity to keep road racers in shape so they avoid the dreaded five to ten kilo weight gain over the winter, cyclocross has since taken on an identity all its own.   Many athletes are now growing up to be cyclocross specialists, using road or mountain bike races strictly as training – completely opposite of years past.

Christine Vardaros reveils more in our pre-issue.