USA Cyclocross Nationals Report From Bend Oregon

The USA Cyclocross National Championships are taking place on the "West Coast" for this season, and next year as well. I am positive that this will be the largest contingent of Nor-Cal racers ever making a pilgrimage to the USA Cross Championships to compete for the coveted Stars & Stripes winners jersey. Bend Oregon is where Nor-Cal is guaranteed to have a impact on the racing and hopefully some of this regions strongest riders will bring back the precious Gold Medal. Northern California riders have always played leading roles in different divisions over the years at past National Championship Cross events. I truly believe that with the tremendously large number of Nor-Cal riders signed up for the racing, the podium positions will be filled with multiple riders from this area. Gold Medals are very hard to come by, as there is only one race winner for each division. Yet the podium placings should have numerous representatives from Nor-Cal. Most likely a few lucky riders will reach the top step of the podium and bring back the Stars & Stripes jersey home to the NCNCA region. Murray Swanson sent a few photos today from Bend, and gave a strongly detailed overview of the course where champions will be crowned. Please read on for Murray's course report from the USA Championships...

Murray says-

We took a quick walk around today until our wee feet froze! It looks like a fun course mostly flat and wide open in the first part with some swooping up down 180 turns and off camber challenges in the second part. The reports of 1ft snow are exaggerated - there's 4-5 inches snow and it's minus 14 deg tonight but local forecast has it warming thru the rest of the week to 36 on Sunday. Snow has been mechanically blown off the course on the grass parts towards the Brewery. The ground doesn't feel super hard underneath here, but there is a tricky runup before turning back onto the start/finish straight which you can neither ride or run up easily due to snow and camber with a tricky off camber remount.

On the waste ground towards the pits it is quite frozen and they may not be able/intending to move snow off there due to rough bumpy ground. Local bike shop guys told us the organizers plan to salt the slightly uphill start/finish roadway for safety. First turn will be interesting with hard left over full size curb into a narrow turn between some sapling trees.

Checkout the steps in the brewery area - 23 of them - hope they put down some carpet or similar as the edges are real sharp if you should slip.
Bend is beautiful. The Deschutes Jubelale is tasty! Tomorrow we pre-ride.

Thanks for the course report Murray and good luck to everyone who has at it !!