In Cyclocross, there are many levels of competition, drunkenness and sanity, but it all kind of works together like a family. Superprestige is the eldest child: Harvard educated, hard working and serious, but knows how to have a little fun on the weekends. The USGP is the middle child: a little bit off it’s rocker every once in a while, doesn’t always know how to behave in public, but really looks up to eldest child as a role model and gets to play with the big kids some times. That leaves the Single Speed Cyclocross World Championship as the idiot brother.
When you tell someone about Cyclocross, you want to shock them a little bit and tell them all the ridiculous and awesome things about the sport. You tell them, “It’s a bike race on a super hard track and you have to jump over things and wade through kneed deep mud and people hand you beers and throw things at you and it’s cold and wet and raining and you’re heckled by everyone at the race.” What you’re really describing to them is the SSCXWC. It’s one hot mess of booze, lycra, and insults. It’s my favorite race of the year. (see above photo)
( Above Photo : The Thunderdome from SSCXWC 2009 PDX, riders were pelted with marshmallows on their way through the gauntlet )
This year’s SSCXWC happens in a week’s time in L.A. of all places, right on the heels of Cross After Dark, on a legitimate UCI course. Weird. Seriously though, it’s everything you ever hoped for and more. Haven’t found out if anyone is streaming it online yet, but I’ll let you know when I do. Until then, here’s a video from lasts year’s race, all shot from above.
