Nittany Cross

A proper cyclocross course should force a rider off of their bike, or at least force them to do something other than ride around on grass 3-4 times a lap. Very frankly, any course with just a one or two sets of barriers and a lot of turns around some fields is well, a grass crit. Sandpits and challenging off camber sections are a great example of  obstacles  that forces folks to ride differently and use skills other than being able to go fast around some soccer fields. Grass crits are fun, but really not my favorite version of cross.

doing what I do best: standing around and yelling non-sense

Heavy rains and wet weather in the Mid-Atlantic resulted in a muddy and super fun Nittany cross. This weekend's wet weather made for a course that was much different that what was offered the past few years.

Mr. Yozell did a great job with course design, as he always does,adding the new wooded section with the log, (Sunday's course) was genius. The conditions turned what I would normally describe as a drag race, into an awesome, hard, fun cross weekend. Let me say that while the past few years conditions may not have been my favorite, the promoters did a great job  and the course is always fun...

Saturday was more of a classic mud race, Sunday was much faster with a few big mud bogs - 2 that  were good runs, 2 that were good rides. Both days were super fun.

My races went well. I had fun, and battled with my groups. My results weren't stellar, but shit in that master's group I'm pleased .  I'm happy to battle in the groups. Last year I came out of Nittany feeling completely defeated, demoralized and unprepared. This year, I feel considerably better, and most importantly  I beat crossresults.com race predictor both days which is a total win.
In other new, my long lost cousin: Joyce VanderBeken had a good weekend on the results front.

It's good to be racing cross...

respect
fatmarc

thanks to heather, joe mallis, and scott for the pictures and videos