Cyclo Claus 2009

Christmas time cyclocross races are a tradition in Europe, but around here they are few and far between, so when I heard that there was going to be one more cross race in Louisville this year, I was excited about doing it.

Cyclo Claus 2009 was a first time event put on by one of the new local bike shops. It was a pretty low key event, which I actually like more than some of the bigger races they have around here.

Winter has finally arrived here in the Ohio valley, and the last two days were pretty typical December days for around here - cold, rain, and some
sleet, so needless to say the course was a wonderful mix of puddles, mud, and slick grass (I think that I ran more in this race than I have in months). The course was a lot of fun to ride, especially the corkscrew design they included. The other thing about the weather is that it seemed to keep a lot of racers away (Kate was openly questioning my sanity as we pulled into the park where the race was held). You can see the course conditions in the first picture.

When I went to sign in I asked how many people had registered for the race and was told a total of 3! My first thought was "Great, I have a shot at a podium finish." However, when start time rolled around, there were only 2 of us standing at the line, but two other guys who had done an earlier were convinced to race again.

The other registered racer took the early lead while I was in second. About a third of the way into the first lap, I passed the other rider and took the lead (I should make it clear that while we were "racing" the whole spirit of this event was for fun). I continued to build a lead for the rest of the race and ended up "winning" (if it can be called that). The highlight of the race was the bottle of beer that I was handed on one of the laps to drink. So, in the end, even though I ended the race muddier than I have been all season, and with frozen toes, it was the most fun I have had at a race in a while (and no, not just cause I won).