If you’ve got some legs on ya, maybe you’ll end up with one of these beauties. See you there.

A friend in the comments asked about cross racing in Colorado, so I thought I’d take a quick moment to direct ya’ll over to CX Magazine’s nice National Cyclocross Racing Calendar. This is a pretty handy resource from this up and coming mag, so make sure to check it out. While you are over there, don’t forget to subscribe to the print edition.

On a completely unrelated note, there’s this Monday treat:

Muck with it and the top spot on the podium isn’t even an option. For some it’s magic socks, a lucky pair of shorts, or cycling cap. For others, it’s how you prepare: your training, tire choice, tire pressure, saddle and bar tape color, toe spike length, or choice of eyewear. Tweak or forget any of these seemingly minor variables, and you’ll get lapped. It’s true.

For me, it’s what I eat right before the start of the race. Well, it’s what I eat or drink. What hits my blood stream in that t-minus 30 minute zone helps win or lose the race. In cyclcross it’s especially important because towards the end of your 45-60 minutes of racing you probably start to get tired. At that point, you physically fall back on your ritual food and hope for the best. It’s physical and emotional insurance. Get it right, and everything else just falls into place.

I’ve seen people wolf down all kinds of shit before the start. A sandwich, energy gels, energy blocks, candy, bananas, beer, flat soda, coffee, espresso, cold pasta, hot apple cider, and more. I personally have tried all of those, and have found that time and time again there is one option that settles my nerves like no other.

I had a good race about three years ago. It wasn’t a cyclocross race, and it was in the middle of the summer, but I’ll always remember it. I rode to the race on my surly cross check with fenders and a bent rear wheel. On the way I stopped at the local coffee shop to get some caffeine before the start. Caffeine itself is less of a ritual for me, and more of an addiction. These days I always need a coffee before I ride, so on some level I ride more to drink more… to ride more. I find this to be true for many cyclists.

Anyway, I had a macchiato. Two shots of espresso, marked with a bit of foamed milk. It’s very good. Not necessarily a wise choice for a hot mid-summer race warm up, but very good. After the break, I continued riding to the venue thinking about how heavy my legs felt.

I won the race. It’s the only race I’ve ever won, and it happened because of that ritual macchiato.

To this day, I enjoy a drink like that before nearly every competition. I don’t ever win, but it is calming and makes me feel like I could. It resets all the poor decisions and makes up for the on-the-couch training program that dominates most of my year.

Without the ritual, I’m racing on eggbeaters with bare feet. With it in place, I care far less about how muddy it is and how bald my tires are. I care less about where I line up at the start, and how cold I might be during the race. I don’t obsess about the warm up. I’m able to clear my head, ignore all the little details and focus on having a great time. That’s the best way to kick ass.

Slam a flat coke while shivering in your station wagon and putting on dry socks before the start. Pound four shots of homemade espresso out of a baby food jar on the line. Find your jam, it’s important.

1 Niels Albert (Bel) Palmans-Cras
2 Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Fidea Cycling Team
3 Sven Vanthourenhout (Bel) Sunweb-Pro Job
4 Radomír Simunek (Cze) Palmans-Cras
5 Sven Nys (Bel) Rabobank
6 Bart Wellens (Bel) Fidea Cycling Team

1 Niels Albert (Bel) Palmans-Cras 59.29
2 Sven Nys (Bel) Rabobank 0.18
3 Bart Wellens (Bel) Fidea Cycling Team 0.59

-

Lille, Belgium, February 2, 2008

1 Niels Albert (Bel) Palmans-Cras 56.34
2 Bart Wellens (Bel) Fidea Cycling Team 0.31
3 Sven Nys (Bel) Rabobank 0.32

“Those youngsters in front, they just have what it takes, and clearly they didn’t wait for us.”

WHAT: 2008 Cyclocross World Championships

WHERE: www.WCSN.com/cycling

WEBCAST SCHEDULE:

Event: Date: Start time (all times Eastern):

Junior Men Sat. Jan. 26 6 PM

Under 23 Men Sat. Jan. 26 7:30 PM

Women’s Elite Sun. Jan. 27 4 PM

Men’s Elite Sun. Jan. 27 5:30 PM

From cxmagazine.com

Found on veloreview.

The Portland Single Speed Collective (PSSC) dutifully presents the Official UnOfficial World Championship event for single speed cyclocross racers. Held in tandem with a Cyclocross Crusade race , the SSCXWC is a two-day event including a time trial qualifier on Saturday and the Grand Boucle on Sunday. Festivities to follow each day.

Saturday 11 November 2007: Single Speed Cyclocross Time trial. Perhaps the only TT with intermediate time bonuses, creative racers will benefit using their skills in Sketchy Aero Bar descending, Saddle-less riding, saddle-less aero bar riding, silly steep climbing, bunny-hopping a 6-pack barrier or bunny-hopping with a 6-pack, derby and others.

Sunday 12 November 2007: The Big day. The Championships will be a one hour cross race in the notorious Estacada Timber Bowl. Mud guaranteed, rain highly likely, more spectators than a Belgian Cross race and almost as much beer. Laps will roll through the beer garden and crowds will be heckling. Only one man and one woman will leave as the Single Speed Cyclocross World Champion.

Prizes: Vanilla Bicycles has signed on as a major sponsor. Expect a custom built Vanilla for the winner as well as a custom World Champion stripe Speedo and a custom designed tattoo.

The Cross Crusade is the largest cyclocross series in the nation, often drawing over 700 racers. The courses are world class, the organization is superb and the Cross energy of Portland is second to none.

Registration is available online through BikeReg.
Check back often at www.sscxwc.com