Lars Boom & The 2010 Cyclocross Season

I spent some time this afternoon sprinting around the Laguna Seca Raceway track with a past World Champion of Cyclocross Lars Boom(Rabobank). Lars was in town doing some publicity work for Rabobank, and he was kind enough to take part in the twilight track circuit race we have once a month at Laguna Seca Raceway, this week hosted by Ghost Tree Racing club. Lars was throwing down some serious flyers in the Circuit race and he looks very ready for the Tour of California. He did mention that this was his first trip ever to California and he was enjoying the people and places. However he did say he felt a little jet-lag and he hopes to snap out of it before Sunday's first stage of the T.O.C. I was able to ask Lars a few quick questions on Cyclocross, as a past World Champion I really wanted to hear his thoughts on some Cyclocross related subjects. The 2010 NCNCA Cyclocross Calendar is already coming together. I must say that the upcoming season is going to be excellent for racing and there will be changes on the schedule that will shake things up just a little for Nor-Cal racers. One thing that all NCNCA racers can count on is some great racing week after week from mid September to the end of January. Also, please keep checking back to this site each week for 2010 schedule updates and other NCNCA Cross updates. I do recommend you keep a constant check to Andrew Yee's CX Magazine web site for daily updates on the great sport of Cyclocross and all things related. Please read on for a few quick thoughts on Cycloross from World Champion Lars Boom, who has been training and riding in Nor-Cal getting ready for the Tour of California...

Boom on Cross Courses: The harder the better! I showed him some of the brutal hills on the Laguna Seca Cross course I used 2 years ago, and he loved it. He muttered that Cross courses should be so hard that riders should feel trashed and fully spent after the competitions. He asked if it was muddy for the races, and he seemed genuinely disappointed when I said it was dry and fast in Nor-Cal for most Cross events except for late season races.

Boom on Sand Riding: Sand is fun! He likes natural sand sections and thinks beach sections or natural sand pits are first class. Man made sand pits can be hazardous.

Boom on Bunny Hopping: It is what it is! If there is a section that requires bunny hops, so be it. He said all racers should be able to handle their bikes and bunny hopping is a skill that should be practiced. He did say hopping is awesome for the fans, but he would not like each and every course to have sections that have boards or obstacles that require this move.

Boom on Run Ups: Bring it on! Run ups are part of the game of Cyclocross. If a venue has this option then it should be used in competition. Running in Cyclocross is very traditional and should be part of the sport in the future as well.

Boom on His Future in Cross: As of now his future is the Tour of California! That is his focus. So it seems to me he will be spending a little more time on the Road bike then his Cyclocross bike.

Lars Boom is a great race animator. He would always challenge Sven Nys and Bart Wellens and the rest of the Belgium Cyclocross stars. I admire him for his fight on the bike. I personally hope he steps back into the ring when the Cross season kicks up in the winter. Lars Boom definitely will have a impact in the racing if he decides to race Cyclocross full on in 2010.