This is a flat venue, very flat indeed. Some may be tempted to call it a “grass criterium”, but I assure you that until there’s a ‘cross race where the entire field can sit on at leisure, arriving at the finish en masse, and riders who haven’t put their nose in the wind all day move up on the last lap and crash everyone trying to squeeze into gaps that aren’t there; there’s no such thing as a “grass criterium”. Rest assured we’ll make a fun to ride course, the highlight of which may be beach, which has dense sand that takes a lot of power to ride through.
The course is divided by a stand of trees. The East side will contain the paved S/F stretch, the double pit, and some open field field riding with mostly longish, straightish stretches. The Western side has the sand, and will take in the tiny bit of relief between trees for some technical prowess.
Note on the pit: I’m sorry the pit wasn’t up to snuff at Finn Hill…we ran out of time to make it right. Here at Lake Samm it will be done right: 50-70 meters, 3 meter riding lanes on either side, 6 meters for mechs, bikes and wheels. It is important that equipment is placed in the 6 meter center of the pit, not scattered everywhere.
We’ll be expecting some good head to head racing.
See you Sunday.
RMc.
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Bring the sand! I’ll be warming that up on the New Brighton Park course in B.C. on Saturday. Looks like a similar waterfront setting:
http://www.johnirvinephotography.com/CXnewbrighton/
Sounds like fun. Should be super fast the way cross should be. Not super lame like putting a hundred 180 degree flat or off camber turns like someone else did last week!
Sounds fast, I also like the fact that the cat 4 doesn’t have to start at dinner time. Thanks MFG!
Excited for something new and refreshing!!….tired of the steep long run-ups! If I wanted to run that much I would of joined a trail running team. Look forward to another great race by the folks at MFG!!!
I am already salivating to ride it!!!!
Gosh Darn, some of you sound like little baby’s. If you don’t like run-ups, off camber or 180 degree turns then maybe you should stick to riding your road bike on the Burke Gilman. Stop your crying and get out there and kick some ass!!!!!
Cyclocross = run-ups and 180 off camber turns. Dito to that, Gearless!
Cyclocross also should involve high speed and the big ring. Not Screwing around in a maze like a bunch of friggin lab rats. I heard lots of the 1/2s bitching about this as well. Just saying Crossvegas and Gloucester don’t need to rely on a billion hairpins to make it interesting. I guess if you want to wait for a bunch of nacys drop their foot around every corner while they go .5mph you should have been very happy last week.
time trials=big high speed
crits =big ring high speed
cross= bike handling at any speed
obviously the above poster is a cat 1/2 roadie who relies on only one weapon, on the bike speed. See you when it gets muddy, or maybe not.
Don’t like run-ups? Put your bottle cage back on and stop whining!
Actually I only mountain bike. Come see me on any Wednesday Worlds and find out!
The was one of the best courses we have seen out here in a while. My hat is of to Rich for a beautiful par course. I con only hope that the rest of the mfg races are this good.
I agree. THAT WAS AVESOME. Good flow! I ate crap in the sand and still had a blast!