I’m heading up to Belgium in the morning, Koksijde to be exact and i can’t wait. It’s the World Championship CX event and I’m going to be one of 50,000 drawn in to this small coastal town from all four corners of the globe for what looks like is going to be an event to remember. With that amount of people due to be watching I’m not too sure what to expect. Some photos have been sent down the line to me and I’m posting them up here :
Elation with a capital E ! That sums up my first experience rubbing elbows with the CX world at my first cyclo-cross event.
It’s been 6 months since I’ve had my Specialized Crux cyclo-cross bike. I’m totally into it. I love the ride. Hanging in the drops astride the flashy red frame, receiving nods of recognition if not yet, total acceptance from the Paris ‘peloton.’
I’ve had a number of confused looks though from tourist cyclists who stop and ask me what kind of bike it is that I’m riding. I’ll explain that it’s a cyclo-cross bike. It looks like a road bike, but has some things in common with a mountain bike including the knobbly tires and wide cantilever brakes. Beneath me it is a dynamic, responsive, versatile ride that is as happy on the road as on paths and trails.
Perhaps it is time to do some research and learn more about what cyclo- cross is.
Monday mornings are the best time for me to take some time in my local café with the local vibes and get real over a cup of coffee. This particular morning I surfed the net for more information and inspiration about my bike. I soon found myself deep into bucket loads.
One tidbit I’d like to share is this old footage of cyclo-cross racing from the 1940′s, shot in Montmartre in the streets where I ride. It blew me away…it’s totally awesome.
Cyclo-cross on “La Butte” drew in crowds of over 100,000 spectators, so what happened to the popularity of this sport ? Major question mark.
My colleague, Jean-Louis, a renowned podiatrist and marathon runner, told me that cyclo-cross racing events were broadcast on French National TV until close to 20 years ago.
Next on the net I came across CX Magazine which helped fill in some gaps about the sport. As well as being a print and digital publication they have a great website with a whole list of resources, including final results from the latest cyclo-cross competitions. The front page featured the recent American National Championships held in Madison, WI. I got a glimpse of the top American women riders, Katie Compton and Kaitlin Antonneau among others.
Race conditions at the Nationals ? ”Play-Doh on top of ice.” What other sport gets to have so much fun ? I decided then and there I wanted to get closer, find out more.
A couple of google searches later and I learned that a UCI Cyclo-Cross World Cup event would be held in Liévin a town in the North of France in a couple of weeks time. A few more clicks into my i-phone and the train and hotel were booked.
And here I am, I can barely believe it. A little over an hour TGV ride from Gare du Nord and I’m in Lens, the neighboring city to Liévin.
This ex coal mining region has had to reinvent itself more than once over the last hundred years. The brutality of two world wars and the disappearance of its main industry have left it looking sad around the edges. It has its charm. For the record, Lens has a large, successful soccer team based here which makes for good company during the dreary, grey northern winters.
On arrival at the train station I take in a big bowl of air. In a very odd way I feel the urge to lift my bag from the ground and sing the theme song from Laverne and Shirley as I skip off to my hotel. Milwaukee-Lens. Not a clue what the connection could be. Anyone ?
Arriving at the event which is basically a large park at the end of a lane I immediately realise that riding in the woods around Paris is light weight stuff compared to the course that has been laid out for this international event.
As if the ups and downs and ultra tight turns weren’t enough, the organisers have added a couple of man made obstacles !
There are 4 races planned for the day. First the Juniors, an uneven mix of a few young girls thrown in with a batch of boys racing together. Character building to say the least. Then, there’s the Under 23′s men and finally the Elite women and then the Elite men. The course laps run about 3 km in length with the Elite women racing for 40 minutes and the Elite men an hour.
The Juniors and Under 23 race on a blanket of frost, ‘givre’ en francais, making for a beautiful, skittish surface. The early crowds forming are made up of curious locals, cycling fans and die hard CX fanatics, many of whom have travelled down from the Netherlands and Belgium where I’m told that ‘cyclo-cross’ is close to religious.
The names of the cyclists the fans support mean little to me at the moment. I nod with curiosity when eyes light up to the sight of Nys, Stybar, Pauwels, Vos and Van den Brand. I’m sure it will only be matter of time before I am …speaking Flemish. I’m beginning to get hooked !
The riders are off ! The fearless Juniors tear into the course leaving me breathless. I feel surges of adrenalin rushing to my head. This is not a sport for the faint hearted. It turns fast with slips, tips and spills and there are no exceptions even for the front runners. It’s incredibly physical and the bike handling skills of these young riders marks me.
There doesn’t seem to be a moment when the riders can switch off. It’s constant action from super fast accelerations to quick decelerations to moments when riders are jogging or climbing obstacles with their bikes on their shoulders. Now I know why my Crux has an ergonomic flattened top tube !
There are over 200 competitors from over 19 countries as far away as Japan and Australia. The American contingent racing is fairly small, although I’m glad to see that Katie Compton, 8 times National Champ, will be participating in the Elite women’s race.
Walking around I can sense a feeling of welcome and connection between competitor and spectator. Fans walk amongst the team HQ motor homes where they have the chance to get close to their heros, check out the bikes and chat with riders, their mechanics and team staff. It looks and feels like one big family reunion even if I personally still feel like an outsider, a cousin twice removed, but who cares ?
The reality of the images I have seen online only 2 weeks ago is here live in front of my eyes and going so fast …
The Elite women line up for their race and I know already that any idea I had of one day racing at this level needs a reality check. ”No pain no gain?” Here’s my expression for today: “No way José!”
That said, I know my competitive side will get the better of me if I keep hanging out around these events. I would seriously have to rectify my poodling around the woods in Paris to get fit for this kind of riding.
Another grand moment today was getting an inside the scene perspective of cyclo-cross racing. I feel lucky to have had the chance to meet Balint Hamvas, a maistro photographer from cyclephotos who filled me in on a bit of the history of the sport as well as giving me a few tips on taking photos of the races.
I learned that cyclo-cross was created as a way for road racers to keep up their fitness during the winter and has been around since the early 1900′s.
Balint tells me that the course at Liévin along with today’s weather is no where as challenging as the races that are often held in very harsh winter conditions with riders coming up against a lot of mud, snow and racing through sand on some courses.
I’m shocked to hear that events are only cancelled when the temperature gets down to -15 C !
Here, Balint is dressed for the job and already covered in mud from crawling around the course taking photos. His motto: Always be prepared ! He has a book coming out this spring. I’ve ordered a copy, I can’t wait to see it !
As an uninitiated spectator, I felt that keeping up with the racing was not an easy task.
Here’s what I made out. Each lap often brings in a new set of riders. With the leaders catching up to the stragglers it’s hard at times to tell who’s in the lead. I had to rely on the noise levels of the hundreds of spectators flanking the course to give me an idea of what was going on.
Keeping up with the French commentary blasting out across the course was also a challenge. Give a French man a microphone and a PA system…Boy, you better be sure you’ve packed the Asprin !
Catching up with the race at the finish line I was taken in by the many emotions radiating from the ladies; joy, fatigue, discernment, disappointment, satisfaction… And to know that they will all be doing it again next weekend !
I managed to get a few words with Katie Compton who bravely placed 3rd behind Dutch compatriots Daphny Van den Brand (2nd) and Marianne Vos (1st) despite crashing on a turn. Watching her move forward through the field after her fall I was amazed at her tenacity and strength to get right back in there and fight. A real champ.
Katie explained to me that the race conditions at the Nationals in Madison were tough and muddy in comparison to Liévin. She also told me how tactics don’t play a part for cross races in the same way that they do for road racing. In CX, each rider rides their own race with everybody wanting to win, whereas in road racing there is more of a team strategy.
I learned that she’s a mountain bike champ who rides road and track during her CX off season. Wow !
She spoke with excitement telling me that ‘cross’ is the fastest growing cycling discipline in the States right now with interest in road racing slipping in the other direction. Interesting !
Putting Liévin behind, Katie will start to prepare for Koksijde, Belgium where the World Championships are to be held in 2 weeks time. With a mischievous grin she defined the awaiting sand course as, “a beast.”
Katie has 2 World Championship silver medals from 2007 and 2010 so clearly she is going for gold in 2012.
Before dashing to get my TGV back to Paris I had just enough time to see a few laps of the Elite men’s race. Everyone seemed a lot more pumped up for this event, competitors and crowd alike. The speeds the men were reaching especially into the turns blew me away. ’Ongeloflik’! Brilliant!!
I reached out to cyclo cross and feel like I’m being pulled in by a big, warm hand.
I think to this story there is no end, it’s just the beginning…
A few days have now passed since my trip to the Liévin World Cup CX event and I’m still buzzing from the experience.
I’m working on my detailed post and still sorting through the many photos I took. I’ve managed to get a few up on my new Flicker account but there’s a lot more to come. Looking though my snapshots has been so much fun especially because this is the first time I’ve photographed a professional sports event.
My mom’s over from Atlanta holding down the fort and getting in some good quality time with Kate while I bustle around preparing for the CX World Championships this weekend in Koksijde, Belgium. I’m not getting as much as I’d like on the bike but my yoga class and trips to the pool are still keeping me sane and relieve any guilt I tend to harbour about not staying on top of my fitness.
I was drawn to Liévin mainly to see how the women navigate the cyclo cross bikes in a race. Yet, I was taken aback by the power and speed of the Elite men’s racing. Phenomenol.
To give you an idea of the intensity and speed of the racing from a rider’s point of view I’m sharing this video that I came across. Shot with a Go Pro camera by Swiss rider Christian Heule, his video shows how awesome Cyclo Cross racing can be…Way to go Chris!
Here’s a photo I snapped of Christian where you can clearly see the Go Pro on the bars of his Cannondale.
I was excited to see a few riders at the event on Specialized Crux bikes, albeit pumped up versions of my own Crux. But Zdenek’s new ride just blew me away. AND IT’S BRIGHT PINK ….. ROSA !!!!!!! Kissing Cousins..
Check these out !
I’m writing this post on the TGV back from Lens where I’ve been up for the day experiencing my first Cyclo Cross event. What an amazing day..
With four races running more or less back to back, featuring over 200 hundred riders from 19 countries today’s event was action packed day. My head’s still spinning from trying to keep up with the intensity of the racing, especially the Elite Men…they are FAST !
I’ve been taking photos, talking to regulars on the pro circuit including American Champ Katie Compton and ace cyclo cross photographer Balint Hamvas…I’m having a BLAST discovering the CX world! I’ve received a warm acceuil thus far from the people I’ve met.
What an exhilerating and exhausting day. Vive the train ride home to gather my thoughts. I will be posting a longer piece on today in Liéven but in the meantime, here’s a sample of some of my photos. Enjoy and à bientôt !
Here I am in beautiful autumn weather posting for the first time from beneath London skies. Today’s lazy Sunday morning calls for a gentle rise from the wool with head still spinning from 2 days of swaying to Northern Soul and melodies of sweet laughter in honor of a good friend’s birthday.
I couldn’t think of a better recovery than a warm-hearted bike ride, my first mini cycling adventure across the deserted streets of the West End on a rented Barclays “Boris” Bike.
Boris, for those who don’t know is London’s Mayor. He is not only instrumental in bringing the bikes to the city but apparently a keen cyclist.
The birthday boy, an authentic Londoner has allowed me to set the maps aside and is the guide for the day.
Destination Look Mum No Hands. This is a spot I so thoroughly enjoy hanging out in. It’s becoming my regular ‘cuppa’ when I’m on this side of the channel…Rose Bakery…rue des Martyrs-Paris, eat your heart out !
London’s largest bike café is found heading east out of the West End and caters to more than just the city’s hipster cycling crowd. With its high ceilings and large windows, the lofty space is buzzing on this particular morning from the charming blend of early doors bikers winding down after a Sunday club run, families feasting on delicious breakfasts, catching up after a week of minute to minute urban agendas, city singles and couples, heads buried in lap tops and the weekend papers and surprisingly what looks like a knitting club ! How fun!!
The mixed crowd fuses harmoniously and there’s certainly nothing intimidating about the place, unlike certain Paris establishments where intimidation can be worn thick !
It’s mid-Fall and the wooden tables outside are a delight to sit at and soak up the East London vibes. Everything on the menu is home made with mostly organic ingredients. I ordered some carrot cake and Earl Grey tea which was excellent. I’m wondering what they put with the leaves to make the Bergamote taste so delicate and lovely ?
The birthday boy went for porridge, apple cake and fresh orange juice. Both being ‘gourmand’ we found it hard to refuse a tasting of the coffee on offer. Flat White for monsieur, Cappuccino for madame. Check out LMNH’s great coffee here.
There’s a bike repair shop inside the café, open every day including Sunday and plenty of places in the courtyard to lock up bikes. They will even lend you locks if you need one. Cool !
Despite the staff not knowing where the nearest Barclays docking station was (we found one 30 seconds back down Clerkenwell road going west) the whole ambiance here is thoughtful and efficient, whilst remaining laid back.
The only bémol I’d give LMNH is the state of the restrooms. Both WC closets are slightly grungy and in need of refurbishing. Each time I come here there only seems to be one operating at a time. Ok there’s worse in certain Paris cafe’s where the famed Turkish toilets or starting blocks can shock the uninitiated tourist but come on LMNH sort out your loos !
Overall it’s a great place. A pit stop for cyclists of various persuasions and hopefully an inspiration for the non cycling clientele to saddle up and get into biking !
As for the Barclays experience, this went fairly smooth. The tough, sturdy beasts resemble very much their Parisian cousins les Velibs. I was pleasantly surprised to see that they are not as heavy as they look and I love the basket space in front of the handle bars complete with bungee cord, making it easy to strap in my bag.
Navigating the terminal at the bike station wasn’t totally straight forward as I wasn’t given a code to release my bike, having put in my credit card details.
The slight panic was dispelled when I called the information number given on the terminal and a kind lady who picked up immediately got me sorted out in what felt like less than a minute.
Pedalling on the ‘wrong side’ of the street didn’t phase me too much although London’s famed traffic was clearly having a Sunday morning lie in ! Slaloming through the bemused tourists heading into the British museum provided the only real sport for the day !
It’s great fun exploring a city on two wheels. Places open up in a way they don’t by foot and certainly not by car or bus. In fact riding around on a Barclays bike feels like I’ve been issued an Access All Areas VIP pass for the day.
It’s not only the freedom that I love but the total lack of constraints that biking in the city offers. The spontaneity behind pulling up to places of interest and popping in at whim has given me a new definition for being a tourist at large.
Having had an amazing day cycling around London, I thought I’d put together some ideas for casual users of the hire bikes like myself on how to make the most of the experience. I hope my tips are useful to you.
I found this video below that explains how the Barclays Bike Hire system works.
Top Tips for Hiring a Barclays Bike
Eye up the bikes in the docking stations before getting a ticket.
Look for one that has a saddle at about your correct height. At this point you can check that the quick release found at the bottom of the seat post stem is not stuck and allows you to not only adjust the saddle height but closes tightly to avoid any nasty surprises when riding.
A quick check to see tires are pumped up. If not, choose another bike.
Once you have your ticket from the terminal you have 10 minutes to start your ride before the ticket becomes invalid. The free 30 mins begins the moment the bike is pulled from its dock.
On releasing a bike beware as they do need a bit of a tug.
Give the wheels a spin to make sure they rotate freely.
Check brakes and see that the gear shifter works before moving off.
Make sure you know how the bell works. Sounds obvious but it’s not!! Our guide couldn’t find his and believe me you will want to know where to find it if needed…
Best to pull away in gear no 1 or 2, being the easiest and then quickly get a feel for the difference between the 3 gears.
When returning a bike, check that the green light on the dock lights up indicating the bike is properly docked.
There seem to be a good number of docking stations near quiet side streets. For those unsteady drivers, one of these stations would be worth checking out and spending a minute or two getting used to the bikes gears, brakes and general handling before heading off onto busier roads.
I think it’s great that the bikes have have a dynamo system that runs the lights even in daylight. Make sure that you check to make sure they are working properly.
If you are on a group ride and have never ridden on the left side of the road assume your own responsibility whilst riding and don’t be led by others who might not be totally aware of what’s going on around them or understand the rules of the road.
Never go down the left side of a bus or truck especially at stop lights. Large, high vehicles turning left might not see you and on turning cause an accident.
It’s not a good idea to jump stop lights. It’s DANGEROUS. And Londoners appreciate it if their code de la route is respected. Riding on the sidewalk is a ‘no no.’
On returning a bike to a docking station if there are no free docks then you have 15 mins to find another station BUT you must insert your payment card to be credited the extra minutes. The terminal will indicate to you the nearest station with space.
30 minutes on a Barclays bike can get you a fair way in London. Docking stations don’t quite jump out at you here like they do in Paris and coming across one is not always that straight forward. So you might need to preplan a Barclay’s adventure depending on your travel agenda.
Oh…and one Smart Trick ! As I am not the most time aware person the birthday boy suggested I put my phone onto timer mode with an alarm set 5 mins before the free hire period is up.
There are phone apps available which help to take some of the pain out of the equation. iphone users could try the Cycle Hire app, Android users the Cycle Hire widget that apparently works on European hire schemes as well as in the US. Neat !
These apps are clearly evolving so will only get better. We just got our heads around things by using the docking station terminals that are full of information including maps and bike availability across the city.
I still haven’t quite figured out London in comparison to Paris. The bike culture that seems to be everywhere in the city is only part of the buzz I feel here.
London definitely has an expansive element. Paris is so incredibly quaint and charming that its beauty hits me on an eternal scale. In London, however, there’s an energy that is beyond compare and I love the fact that it’s dynamic and diverse. I find myself gravitating more and more to all of London’s eccentricities.
One thing is for sure I’LL BE COMING BACK.
If anyone has more ideas for coffee stops in London or more thoughts on the Barclays bike hire then I’d love to know.
I’ll be posting soon about the Paris Vélib bikes so stay tuned !