On Cyclocross and Las Vegas

US Dominance at Cyclocross Worlds

This weekend was the greatest showing ever by Americans at Cyclocross Worlds. With Jonathon Page taking Silver in the Men’s Elite final after riding a dominant race, Katie Compton taking silver in the Women’s race, and Danny Summerhill taking silver in the juniors, it was the greatest weekend the United States has ever had in any world championship event. All three were in contention for the victory until the bitter end. All three over came poor staring positions due to their respective rankings.

Page came back from an incredibly disappointing early season as he found himself in early October with an injured shoulder from a fluke accident which resulted in surgery. Without the ability to race and earn UCI points until December, it was a miracle that Page was able to get to the front of the race as early as he did on Sunday.

Compton similarly lacked UCI points which put her farther back on the starting grid. She too overcame the poor starting position to dominate the race. With more experience racing at the top levels, Compton should be able to become America’s first women’s world champion in cyclocross.

Even more exciting is the UCI’s confirmation that the United States will host a world cup race next fall. The world cup season will kick off in the United States in October.

They don’t ride bikes in Vegas except inside the Aladdin.

I was in Las Vegas this weekend for meetings for the commercial real estate trade association I am the president of here in Boise. The weather was perfect with temperatures in the low 60’s. We were staying out at the JW Marriott Resort which is on the northwest side of Las Vegas in Summerlin. While the roads in and around Summerlin are posted with bike lanes in the western hills above Las Vegas, I only saw three cyclists in four days. Of course all three were bundled up like it was a snowy day in Belgium. What a bunch of little girls.

The only other cyclists I saw were the pedicab drivers and garbage guy inside the Aladdin who rode their cab and garbage bikes through the streets of the Aladdin’s “bazaar.” Although there is talk of having a criterium in conjunction with Interbike, I just don’t know where you would have a criterium in the vicinity of the Strip. I guess they could race up and down the faux Champs d’Elyssee entrance to Paris, I just don’t know where they would go when they turn left. Now, you certainly could set up an awesome cyclocross course in and around the construction sites along the Strip. Maybe an indoor cyclocross course starting inside the Bellagio, heading through the construction site to the south and then racing into the Monte Carlo and back again would be the perfect course.