Doge

I just drove some 9 hours back from kid's collegiate race at 8:30AM. His 4th cx race, got 13th. Goal was to finish, so that was good. Really no expectations.
He did some jump and landed and wacked his seat off to a 45 degree angle so I got to do a pit change. That was exciting. And I love pressure washers.

I have to expect some others are there the rest of the week.

redlude97

nice! I've gone OTBs and spun my bars 30 degrees and tried to reset them by hand to no avail which meant running to the pit mechanic

Carcosa

Happy to hear your son is getting out there.

Just watched men and women's SS races. Solid battles for the podiums in both!

Doge

U23 winner is new to cross this year.
I think he started last month.

Jakedatc

being an XC mtn biker was useful on that techy course plus he had the engine to keep constant pressure on. It would have been a good last lap if Gage hadn't flatted and been in that group still.

Doge

Was he in front before the flat?

No doubt both the engine and technical skills help. Those two racers have been knocking it out since U15/16 in road. I have not seen Gage in MTB XC.
As I had pointed out in another thread (with much disagreement) the top roadie junior kids tend to have much skill coming into cross. I hear it is track that builds it, or cx, or MTB, or crits. The skills for that course, to jump the little stream, run up the Belgium stairs and run over the barriers were what the fastest were doing, but I was just there Wed. So I thought fitness combined with the experience of knowing what to do was the biggest factor.

Carcosa

How about those elite races?

Katie Compton is a beast. Nuff said.

The Hyde and Jpow battle was awesome.

Doge

Any good picture and video links? I have seen few.

Carcosa

Here is the full livestream from yesterday:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjTk...ature=youtu.be

Jakedatc

There is the whole stream from sunday Just watch it all so many good races.

You can't compare what the juniors were doing vs the U23 and Pro's.. top pro's were riding everything except the cement stairs and the hill

Blevins being able to hop 3 cement stairs almost every lap was a huge advantage.. top 5 in U23 were hopping the belgian stairs. Running vs hopping the normal barriers seemed to be a wash since the run into it was really short and slippery.

Gage was in the front group when he got a flat and came back from wayy back to get 4th after a long run to the pits. One would think he would have had something to say in the final lap.

Blevins bunny hop.. that is seriously bold when flats were a game ender.
https://mobile.twitter.com/flobikes/...42957622071296

Doge

Do you think a more experienced rider would not hop that due to risk?
He is new to it.

Jakedatc

I'm not sure if many others have the background to know they can do it confidently enough to risk it. Hell even lots of Euro pro cx guys don't ride barriers. He didn't do it every lap.. he ran them if someone was in his way. BMX guys have crazy hops.

Like in any race.. you pick your spots where you can get an edge and that was one of his this race.

Doge

Separate issue. Some ITT guys also have crazy hops. I don't see it as skills as much as engine and tactics. Knowing when to do what, matters.

Jakedatc

What? never seen a TT racer jump a road bike up a 24" set of stairs like a BMX rider..

Perhaps go back to ranting about power meters... CX is not your strong suit

boostedcvc

Looking at the video and pics, was KFC running a MXP tubeless setup?

Doge

Well yea. I'm new. But it is not skill as much as experience that I see as the difference here. I got to see road juniors (2015,2016,2017) that could do this stuff - Costa, McNulty, Blevins, Holec, Nsek bros, Hecht, and I'm leaving some out. They like to go around riding Sagan style one wheel, then no hands, then jumping and spinning and can jump any of those that the pros did I saw in Reno. Gage was not really a show boat kinda kid. He was/is just good. But those skills are common to elite juniors. The question is should they do it. That is where those new to cross don't know. But this idea that they can't is just not true.
McNulty is a TT guy and can do that. Chris and he crashed at U23 roads on the finish - DNF. That wasn't lack of skill any more than Sagan and Cav crashing. But in both cases it was experience.

Jakedatc

I doubt that she isn't riding tubulars.. Bike check says he switched to Donnolly's but these look like Challege Tubs according to the article she has been running those from last year


https://www.bikerumor.com/2018/01/12...clocross-bike/

Doge

This is a problem with USAC in general, not just cross.

Maybe he declined, had school to do. If not, silly list the U23 nats winner is not there.
U23 MEN
Eric Brunner (EVOL DevoElite Racing; Boulder, Colo.)
Maxx Chance (EVOL DevoElite Racing; Boulder, Colo.)
Grant Ellwood (Boulder Cycle Sport; Boulder, Colo.)
Gage Hecht* (Alpha Bicycle Co.- Vista Subaru; Parker, Colo.)
Spencer Petrov (ASPIRE Racing; Mason, Ohio)
Denzel Stephenson (EVOL DevoElite Racing; Boulder, Colo.)

https://www.cxmagazine.com/2018-usa-...kenburg-roster

Jakedatc

"U23 National Champion Chris Blevins (Specialized; Durango, Colo.) automatically qualified for the World Championships with his win on Jan. 14; however, the athlete declined the invitation."

Doge

Thanks