2014 Cross at the Beach, Cyclocross Long Beach

Cyclocross. Southern California. October. Hot. Dusty. Sweaty. Thirsty. Fast.

A little background for the non-locals, those who are unfamiliar with the Long Beach course. It is an old course, used every year, sometimes more than once a year. In fact you might say it is older than old, you might say it is ancient. I feel justified in using that word by the simple fact of all the gopher holes pock marking ElDorado Park's grassy slab. There are so many holes across the landscape that it had to have taken multitudes, and generations of the furry creatures to make them all. There is no better way around them, no smoother path, and so you bump and grind your way from one turn to the next. If dentists gave out warnings for cyclocross courses, this would, no doubt, be the very first to receive the honor. In fact I think it just might be wise to wear a football mouth guard. In some ways the holes are comparable to cobbled roads, and there is only one way to ride those - attack them, full speed ahead. That is exactly what those who win at Long Beach are able to do better than their competition. 

Alright then, here is the Flickr album link; a selection of one-hundred seventy-five pics this time. One of the larger albums, but still only a quarter of the photos from the day's action.