I think some folks would be a lot less butt-sore if guys like them supported the discipline more than just when Nats medals were on the line.

Maureen Bruno-Roy and Adam Craig pretty much just do single-speed worlds and there is little complaining.  Same goes for when Chris Jones and Julie Krasniak won.  

Forget SS... In some circles its CROSS that is the "cute" novelty.

Kabush only does CX for "fun" and routinely shows up to scoop nationals.

Or how about the current CX world champ?

CX has a large enough talent pool that very few non-specialists can compete. It certainly helps to be a "non-specialist" who used to be a World Champion specialist

Jeffrey White said:

I think some folks would be a lot less butt-sore if guys like them supported the discipline more than just when Nats medals were on the line.

Of course, sport is sport. Follow the rules and win.

Jeffrey, I would like to point out/remind everyone that Etheridge did not do a single master's race all year, and then went on to race master's 35+ Nats. So he did the very thing he was complaining about in the SS race to the master's.

He disagrees with you right there in the interview.

As Marc said, Etheridge did the same thing by racing Masters at Nationals...except he isn't good enough to medal in Master's Nationals. That's why he races singlespeed in the first place.

Jeffrey White said:

He disagrees with you right there in the interview.

I know he was asked the question, but what he disagrees to in the answer doesn't address the master's issue. Lets take a look at the question and the answer again:

CXM: What about the other opinion though, you race your local scene in the Elites and you show up and race Masters here? Isn’t that the same thing? What if you don’t have tough competition in your hood? You just kill everyone on the singlespeed and you think, why don’t I just race the Elites? It’s harder locally, and then at Nationals I’ll drag out my singlespeed.

CE: I don’t see anybody doing that. Nobody does that. It would be one thing if you actually did that, but nobody does that. The race wouldn’t be here if people did that. There wouldn’t be a singlespeed race if people didn’t race singlespeed all year long.

His answer, "I don't see anybody doing that..." is in response to the magazine's second part of the question. It's unfortunate that they were asked together, because they are two totally diff't questions. When he says, "I don't see anybody doing that," he can't possibly be referring to racing elites all season then just doing Master's at nationals, because that would make no sense. He just did that.

He's referring to the proposition of SS dudes, choosing not to race SS locally because of weak competition, instead racing elites locally, then building the skills/fitness needed to race SS at Nats. To THAT point, he answers.

He NEVER addresses the "elite all season, masters for one race at nats" question.

Regardless, bigger to me, is that you don't appear to recognize the hypocrisy of his choices related to his views expressed in this interview.? His criticizing SS "one-timers" while being apparently okay with doing that very same thing in the Master's field. He, on a pro team, doesn't race masters all year, and then shows up to race master's at Natz.

Or maybe I'm missing your point? Not sure here.

Maybe USA cycling needs to make a rule here too, "pick a single championship race, that's all you get folks."

Etheridge is totally off base. Putting aside the absence of logic in his position, given that he raced Masters at Nationals, he is a professional, if not elite, cyclist.

As a pro he simply has no business complaining about other pros showing up to do a race he has declared his own unilaterally by virtue of "rules" that he alone is aware of.

Part of being a pro is being gracious in defeat as well as victory. Pro is doing your talking with your legs, not complaining in front of a mic or on social media, advocating exclusion of those who bested you without grounds.

What is he really espousing, that pros race SS all year? I suspect not, because if they did they would be no less better than him at those races, than at Nationals. If they did show up regularly, he would not have a pro contract or a job with Raleigh.

It seems that what he is truly lamenting is the knowledge that he is simply not the best. When he is removed from the normally shallow pool he has chosen to swim in and gets in deeper water with bigger fish, like Lindine, he gets eaten. And let's consider who is complaining about. No offense to Justin Lindine but he is not going to be winning ELite Nationals any time soon. 42 year old Myerson? Really?

It would seem to me that someone who raced Master's Nationals would have a better understanding of what Nationals is about. It is about testing yourself against the big fish widely acclaimed to be the best and seeing how you stack up. Not limiting number of riders able to compete, despite the fact that they are eligible to compete under the rules as written, as opposed to those written only in Craig Etheridge's head.

Anyone who goes to race at Nationals in the Master's ranks as a hot shot local racer has to know that they will be racing against former World Champs and Worlds medalists (Myrah,Webber,Tilford...Ned Overend for God's sake) who are essentially in the industry and/or coaching and are still full time bike racers, if no longer pros. It is about trying to be competitive with them and crown the actual Champion of the WHOLE country.

To those of you who know me, it probably comes as no suprise that my unsolicited advice for Mr. Etheridge would be TALK LESS,THINK MORE and RIDE (a helluva lot) FASTER.

Related, but not really. I'm hoping many KCC regulars can find it in their budget and schedule to contest Master's nationals in the next two years when they are here in our region-ish.

Jim is spot on about the competitive-ness of nationals. Consider the fact that the nearly unstoppable local/regional racers like Roger Aspholm could "only" manage 5th place at Nats; Al Donahue another force was 12th in the 35+ category. Even more dramatically there's a local CRCA guy named Dan Larino who placed top 10 (beating Eric Ragot fwiw) at HPCX both days and the best he could muster was 41st place in the 40-44 category.

Anyway, I'd be psyched to watch/cheer on KCC in Asheville and Hartford. Keep training folks!

This is borderline internet troll-y, but I was wondering if anyone, maybe Myles, has extra insight here.

As an asthma sufferer myself, I'm sympathetic, to Katie Compton's plight, but there are well established, legal and effective ways of dealing with both exercise and allergy-induced (mold was apparently a culprit earlier this winter for her) asthma.

This kind of reminds me of a few years back when Compton suffered from debilitating and mysterious leg cramps. We haven't heard of her cramping problems in a few years. I used to get them myself a fair amount, they were more like a burning muscle tearing sensation, than a fatigued hamstring cramp or side stitch, and were indeed debilitating.

I don't know something just seems off about all this. I mean, something is obviously wrong, no one, when they are expected to podium wants to be in the back half of the field. I just don't understand why she can't be treated for her asthma and get on with it already.

I just don't understand why she can't be treated for her asthma and get on with it already.

I have a theory. Ask me next time we ride together. 

now, what is up with the UCI Channel commentator referring to "tall aerodynamic socks"? he said the same on Vos, hilarious

Has anyone else watched this preview ride of the Worlds course? I think it's probably difficult with the camera angles to get a real idea of the elevation changes but I'm not really understanding what makes this a Worlds course.

http://www.cxmagazine.com/video-cyclocross-world-championship-tabor-preview

jim_nelson said:

Has anyone else watched this preview ride of the Worlds course? I think it's probably difficult with the camera angles to get a real idea of the elevation changes but I'm not really understanding what makes this a Worlds course.

http://www.cxmagazine.com/video-cyclocross-world-championship-tabor-preview

Agree. 100%. This course looks easier than all but one or two races we've done this year. Pros will swear up and down that camera doesn't do Euro courses justice, and I've become better at recognizing what might be extra challenging even with the "flattening" effect, but on this preview. PUHLEEEESE.

Agree 100% with Eloy too. I think when American's go on and on about the challenges of a Euro course, they are necessarily influenced by their competition. Sure there are definitely some course out there with scary drop offs, epic runs, miles of sand, etc. But put a typical New England/Mid-Atlantic field on so many of the courses out there and I'm thinking they would sing a different tune.

It's like because for one of just a handful of times all year, they are "little fish in a big pond," so being pushed through even a basic turn at 9/10 to 10/10 of their ability levels changes their perception of that same turn that they normally take at 6/10-7/10 domestically because they are so much better than most.

Racers make races, regardless of the course. Tabor will, first of all, be covered in snow/ice. That, along with the most hyped up field of the year, should be enough for great racing. Not all courses have to have crazy sand like Koksidje or mud slick death descents like Namur to produce worthy winners. I went to WC in St. Michelgestel in 2000 and watched Groenendal blow away the field on totally flat course. Wasn't disappointed at all.

Different types of coursses give someone other than usual suspects a chance of winning. Video struck me as a very American friendly course. High speed, big power will be rewarded. Think Stybar or Trebon at his best. Throw in ice/snow and it will be test of who can go full gas without making mistake, where one mistake may make it impossible to get back to front.

To mezn a big part of cross is being able to be good on all types of courses and weather. From flat and wide open (think T-Town in 100 degree heat) to climbs of Granogue to snow like Highland Park a couple years ago or KC Nationals or the rooty descents or 15 degree cold as many have seen at Limestone, you have to overcome and find a way to be successful, whatever the course brings.

Tabor is just different and rewads a different skill set. We, who love and regularly watch races from Europe, have become so accustomed to Belgian style races, we are lead to believe that nothing else is worthy. If you look deeper into the results, I think you find that as the season winds down and courses get more frozen and or snowy, icy different riders begin to get results. Historically Czechs, Poles and Swiss who are largely absent from the top end of the results, begin to show. It's just that they are comfortable in those conditons due to where the come from.

I think Tabor is an example of that kind of racing. With many of the US riders being residents of New England or Colorado, it can only help. Ask Tim Johnson and, I think, Danny Summerhill who both medaled there. There is room for all types of courses to produce a worthy winner. Enjoy watching the races!

Damn, thanks guys. Great insight from everyone on this. Absolutely, as Jim and Eloy point out:

"The racing will probably make it a world's course."

Looking forward to watching.

It'll be fun, this is the course of Powers best euro finish (6th or 7th watch video above) and there's a clear changing of the guard in the men, and perhaps something similar in the women, as Vos and Compton both faltered last weekend, while Nash appears to be in her best cyclocross form ever.

Hey kids, check out Mike Garrigan's FB page. He's posted a couple of course preview rides. Pretty cool stuff.

It'll be fun, this is the course of Powers best euro finish (6th or 7th watch video above) and there's a clear changing of the guard in the men, and perhaps something similar in the women, as Vos and Compton both faltered last weekend, while Nash appears to be in her best cyclocross form ever.

I consider Nash part of the old guard...but when we see Elle Anderson, Ellen Noble up front? Then we'll have our own "young guard" in charge. In the next couple of years probably.

It seems Vos is suffering classic overuse injuries. I mean fer chrisssssakes, she races almost as much as Vlad, (and many more disciplines), it's surprising it didn't happen earlier. Compton, well, jeesh. Nothing she does can surprise us...well, if she actually had some good race starts, that would be surprising. SNAP.

Just in: Montreal and Cross Vegas will be World Cup stops for next season.

Just in: Montreal and Cross Vegas will be World Cup stops for next season.

Montreal?  Those long loops up Mont Royal will kill on knobbies.

I love that World Cup action is coming...I just have a hard time getting pumped about it being Cross Vegas.