Just watched the preview.  Way fewer turns that I would have expected.  

Where is the sandpit going?  Is it going to be in that opening in the woods where it seemed that the videographer went off to the side.

Check the rwgps or the map on the tech guide - the guy filming actually walks the bike thru the sand pit section, you can see the sand mounds on the video (I presume the mounds were still work in progress)

Too early yet, but so far somewhat matching what we experienced in 2017, there's rain forecasted for Tuesday and specially Wednesday and then cold but clear Thursday and Friday. 

Turns out, it could be a day for your thermal skin suit.

I had looked at the average high for December 9 in Hartford.  I believe it's around 44 degrees.  I was hoping for a traditional December 9 in Hartford.  Cool and dry.  If it's in the 20s, the course should be hard and fast, provided there aren't ruts galore from the forecasted rain.  

So far it looks like 40s ish for Dec 9th

The forecast will keep changing, but as we get closer, it gets accurateish -- it no longer mirrors 2017.

That said, with rain expected Tuesday, Wednesday, some Thursday and Friday, gonna suggest that all of us come ready for our worst versions of the ghosts of Supercross and Mercer Cup. 

Hope your running is on point. The course will barely be ridable.

The forecast I see has PM showers Tuesday, rain Wednesday, and thursday and Friday dry.

My running is behind schedule this year, but I did run in heavy rain last week.  
I'm bringing toe spikes for sure.

sunny day friday! but wood chips at that start seem so grass roots 

https://www.facebook.com/CooperriverCX/posts/pfbid0k5TkdVCPDT117ACME7ySpc7Rs4kJQZpn8MsRQK9UqM9t8F4E92J3qLsfVztmGPYRl

Yeah, I noticed that, woodchips can be a little unpredictable, so maybe dangerous at the start? guessing what's below is likely worst, they'll likely be well padded by the time we race on friday.

eloy said:

Yeah, I noticed that, woodchips can be a little unpredictable, so maybe dangerous at the start? guessing what's below is likely worst, they'll likely be well padded by the time we race on friday.

the important thing is,... WE'RE RACING ON FRIYAY!

THAT'S RIGHT! LFG!

from all the stories and news articles popping up, i think everyone still has PTSD from the last nats at hartford...

I think we had a flyover in the same spot in 2017. It allows spectators to enter the venue from the parking area without crossing the course. Probably will be open by the time you guys race. 

Looks like a power course  with a several run ups that will become bottlenecks for the first lap. The course is not super technical, although the bumpy woods section could become a challenge if it's particularly muddy. I suspect the sand will be a non-issue its its wet and packed down. 

remember you don't race the course. You race each other

wishing i’ve converted my van dessel to single speed and racing saturday too 

An official preview from usac - shows conditions yesterday, we’ll see how much will it dry up for tomorrow — might be super heavy mud today, mud conditions might be way worse tomorrow 

the flyover is part of the track now, it’s descent looks sketchy AF

https://youtu.be/sMdHvwXGC0A

The projected high temperature in Hartford on Thursday is 51, though it may have been 57 last night.  The temperature is projected to drop to 32f by tomorrow morning, but rise to 45 by 2pm.

Hoping it dries out.  Not ready for all the running people must have had to do yesterday.

I do hope it dries out, not yet sure, specially as people ride on it all day.

So far, this reminds me of the last Mercer cup. Rained Thursday and Friday, the mud had thicken by Sunday as it warmed up, and it was hell. Pit bikes and crews were needed not just to be competitive, but to even finish a lap or two.

We'll see tomorrow. It wont be cold for our races, there will be lots to take in, so let's enjoy, it will be fun.

Maddie Monroe out there doing 12 minute laps, Lizzy Gonsalus, 13 minutes laps, both have pit crews 
https://twitter.com/one2go_results/status/1600856307472695297?s=46&t=naInB8gwTsLBlXS6iU4Yow

In the collegiate division women raced over an hour lapped!
https://twitter.com/one2go_results/status/1600854390289887232?s=46&t=naInB8gwTsLBlXS6iU4Yow

these racers are probably faster than any of us 

got two laps in… the track is crazy heavy tractor mud in sections, maybe some power hardcore riders can ride thru some portion of those sections, else, there’s no fínese, just off and run…

some crazy deeeeeep ruts, if you get in one fully commit

the levy hill is run up, ride down, run back up, run down 

it won’t get better, drier, or whatever tomorrow.

 this will possibly be the most physically demanding event we will ever do.

makes sense, since we started the season in the mud.

@eloy are there several washing stations available?  
I'm worried about wrecking my bike on the warmup.
I'm bringing rain clothes and winter shoes regardless.  

Yes there are power washers for everyone, two I think, At the edge of the pits. they get busy after the open course slots. Give yourself ample time. You are correct, your bike will get crazy dirty, almost wrecked, on recon.

the pits have many many power washers but only the going races are allowed.

The ground around the power washers is crazy deep mud wet, bring boots to navigate.

Depending on conditions, if anything like today, I might not pre-ride tomorrow.

Just warm up & let’s go! Gonna be the hotness.

James Reeder said:

makes sense, since we started the season in the mud.

Yes! Although this is a different monster.

How was the monster?

Cyclocross Masters National Championships. A monster report.

TLDR: A dropped chain in the first half a lap killed my chances of an ok result… JP did an AMAZING job in the pit to keep me rolling pro style. Chain had never dropped before, but that was the card on the day. 

The quick stupid long version:

• Looking at Strava, chain dropped 5 minutes 25 seconds in
• Ran about 2 minutes to the pit 
• During that run I quickly became dead last, the race fast moving away
• Before the race, JP mentioned he'll heckle on the run up and then head to the pits, glad he told me, because it let me plan what to expect... racked the crux, jumped on the van dessel... and bolted
• "Look at you on that clean bike!" someone cheered me on
• Took a moment, but I started passing riders
• Other than the deep muddy and run sections, the course is crazy town fast 
• The van dessel might be old, but oh wow it rips!
• Figured JP would put it all back together
• He did in a huge way!! 
• Half a lap later, he was screaming that he was ready
  
• The exchange was mega pro, JP even coached me as I approached "just drop it"
• He fixed the chain and whatever had happened, but also set it perfectly for remount, pedal in the right place, gear, etc... 
• so.much.hotness!
  
• Back on the crux for the levy hill run ups
  
• The rest of the race is a bit of a blur... 
  
• Trying to describe what I remember here...
• I pass one or two more riders, but it is getting harder to catch and pass anyone
• Still, I am getting close to multi-year nemesis turned friend Barry Jones, he is my carrot
• JP screams: "Canti bike ready when you want it"
• We exchange one last time, this time he has another helper, it all looks so stupid awesome sharp and pro, exactly as we have seen it on the tv a million times
• Barry pitted too, he is about a turn ahead -- 5 seconds, maybe 10
• I see him ahead as I hit the start/finish straight...
• He is given the bell...
• However, I am asked to stop, and will be scored 1 lap down
• The announcer gives me a shoutout "Eloyy Aenzola, from Brooklyn NY"
• I am somehow the first rider to finish their race
• Usually I'd find comfort knowing that I didn't actually get lapped by Myerson
• In reality, I am gutted and bummed to be a few seconds from the lead lap. 
• Honestly heartbroken even as I type this. The hangover is real.
• It would have meant the world to make the lead lap. 
• All motivation for next season

A few post race notes:

• There's always plenty to improve, still, my planning and training went well, my race HR was solid, maybe the best of the season, hell I started 6 or 7 row and somehow managed my best 1 minute power of all 2022... (before the pm tracking stopped from the exchanges) -- it takes work to get to this place, and ended with nothing much to show for it "we will never be here again"
• Even true on the road: the faster the race or course, the harder it is to drop or catch anyone. Gaps stay when fast.
• Plus this is CX Natz, even in the best circumstances, most everyone is faster than me
• On post race conversation with JP and James, I think we came up with the chain of events that caused, well, the chain to drop: the bumpiest moment of the track is slightly downhill,  I shifted to try to pass riders, but then had to avoid that same traffic, and backpedaled to put my favored foot forward to navigate the bumps, and that was the race
  
• Somewhat proud that I kept moving forward, stayed optimistic, and did not give up or get frustrated
• I changed the brake cables on the Van Dessel a week or so ago, setting up cantis is an art, and these worked as good if not better than the discs -- locking the rear canti and skidding to make the flyover turn was so much fun!!
• A super shout out and forever gratitude to JP @mugwump -- thank you! Having you in the pit amidst the chaos kept me moving forward, and gave my race a sense of purpose. Also, the bikes were so perfectly setup! Definitely a highlight.
• One last funny bullet, on the first run up scrum, trying not to get a mud thread on the face, I half stumbled and dropped my glasses, it was easy to grab them and put them back on... that's how slow the back of the pack was at that point, and how steep that thing is!!
• Post race got some amazing Hartford pizza!

I am not ready, but CX Season is over. Let us go in peace. #lifedeathcyclocross 

(Photo by Tori Hernandez)


(by Pete the Photographer)


(by James)


by me...

Great report. Looking forward to James and JP’s reports. 

Nothing good from me.

I was feeling my fitness was pretty good overall.  Put in some of my best 5m and 20m efforts of the year in the past few weeks, as well as preparing for accelerations by sprinting up short, steep hills a good bit.  I was feeling I could do ok overall, better than my start position.

But the rain and the fact that the race is on a flood plain worried me.  I could see the track was softening up on Friday morning.  I was pretty close to skipping pre-riding, which I had contemplated on Thursday, in favor of just putting in a quiet roll on the road, but a friend said, 'the course is ok.  Just walk around the deep mud on a warm-up lap.'  that sounded like a good idea.  I strapped on a fender, put on my winter boots and headed for the course.  The steep run-ups were ok.  But walking through the deep mud, just walking, was hard.  My feet were sticking in some of the mud walking and my wheel got stuck on the last deep mud section (I wasn't carrying my bike to see how deep the mud really was).  Oof.  My bike needed a cleaning.

There was a long line at the neutral power washers.  So I went to the team area, see if some mechanic wasn't busy and would let me use their washer.  No luck.  I went back to the neutral line.  It was even longer.  I think I probably waited over 40 minutes to get to a washer.  Made some friends.  But it was cold and depressing.  #cyclocrossequity

Even bikes with disc brakes looked like they were overwhelmed with mud.

And I got back to the car to change at about 1pm.  And I was cold and a bit hungry and not looking forward to pinning up, changing clothes, changing wheels and heading back to the course.  I was too focused on the thought that my bike would get so mucked up on the first lap that I wouldn't be able to finish without cleaning off the bike.  And it weighed on me.

I crumpled.  Didn't put on my number, didn't start.  Regretted it.  The course seemed to harden up a bit after my race started, and more for Eloy's race.

Kudos to those who raced it.