Cyclocross, anyone?

There are basically two types of bicycles used for competition here- the road bike and the mountain bike (MTB). Grudgingly, I would say the MTB is the most popular amongst the two and the reason, IMO, is that it is easier to ride (more and easier gears and its more upright position) than a road bike.

BMX and track cycling are also disciplines that are an off and on thing, mostly off because of venue. We used to have great track cyclists (Enoy Delica and Rene Mier) in the past but there has been no action in the Amoranto Velodrome in quite some time. Amoranto is now a venue for religious gatherings.

Then a few years back, a new bike came out, clearly the child of the road and the MTB, and they call it a gravel bike. The frame is basically a road frame that can fit bigger diameter tires. Just like MTB, the first gravel events were held in the US, until the UCI created its own World Championships to the dismay of the gravel purists.

However, there is another cycling discipline that has been around for more than a century and it’s called cyclocross (CX). The CX bike looks like gravel with wider tires and before disc brakes, used center pull brakes for better mud clearance. The CX bike also has a higher crank position and the rider is more upright than a roadie.

A professional cyclocross race is more like a road criterium, and lasts for about an hour. The race is held in a circuit that is between 2.5-3.5km long. The number of laps is determined after the start of the race, based on the time of the first few laps.

The cyclocross circuit includes pavement, grass, sand and mud. Its route also has short steep climbs and short steep descents in which some are cambered. It also has lots of u-turns on the flats. Some races include a flight of stairs and a two 16in high barrier, four meters apart, that riders either dismount or bunnyhop over.

Running and walking are also part of the race if the climb or downhill are two dangerous to ride. There is also a pit stop where a mechanic is waiting to replace malfunctioning or a muddied bike.

Since the race is just short, it is so intense. Positioning is more important than drafting because of the narrow course. Actually, bike handling skill is at a premium in CX vs road. If you are afraid to crash, then you can’t do CX. That’s why most Tour riders avoid CX events.

Lately, CX has gained attention because the two of the best one day riders in this generation originally started in the mud. Matthieu Van Der Poel and Wout Van Aert, who are inarguably the two best riders in the pro peloton are also the of the best CX’rs in the world.

Since 2015, the rainbow jersey has either belonged to MVDP or WVA. Except in 2022 when a Briton, Tom Pidcock won. However, MVDP has 6 to WVA’s 3.

CX events are raced from November to January, a typical off season for the roadies. But because of the success of MVDP and WVA, roadies are now doing their early season training earlier.

I think that CX can be developed here in the Philippines more than road racing. We may not have autumn or winter but CX events during hot days, I’d welcome them anytime.