Some of the most epic races, and most memorable cycling victories come to life in the worst possible conditions.
Winter weather is definitely creeping closer to reality, and this weekend could feature some classic Cross conditions as the Sagebrush Series and the Santa Rosa Series race on Saturday & the CCCX Series and Sacramento Series go off on Sunday.
Northern California is not known for adverse Cross racing conditions like the Northwest, or the East Coast. Yet on occasions the sky's can open up and rain, sleet, snow, and showers, can overwhelm venues and produce epic days of racing that never seem to leave ones memory.
As the conditions get tricky and trails get slick or sloppy, bike handling comes into play far more then a sunny day race on fast roads and hard-packed trails. Riders who can keep producing power while navigating testy terrain are the stars of Cyclocross when conditions are at their worst. Winter racing requires proper tire choices, equipment overhauls each week, and most of all a hard nosed rider who is not afraid to get cold, wet and covered in mud.
It is still early enough in the Cross season that the odds are favorable racing will not turn into complete chaos on course with mud and water being the main ingredients of the race route for the day.
Yet this could be the first weekend of the 2010 Cross season where the days are cold and conditions resemble that of the frigid dark days in Belgium, where Cross is King and the racers fight it out each weekend to raise the level of sport for all.
Just maybe this weekend we will see a little rain to make things slightly more interesting when riders hit to course!
