For those of you who have been under a rock, the world seems to be getting either seriously wet and quite floody or firey and rather hot. This week saw Louisville, Kentucky take the brunt of Mother Nature’s wrath and oh boy did it make for an even greater Cyclo-Cross World Championships

Following worrying forecasts from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) the organisers of the UCI Cyclo-Cross world championships in Louisville, Kentucky had to rearrange the races scheduled to ensure all of the events could be held on Saturday.

It was feared the projected high water levels in the Ohio River would cause Beargrass Creek to flood the low-lying areas of Eva Bandman Park in Louisville, in the early hours on Sunday morning and that water level will continue to rise causing any events held on Sunday to be ruined. The organisers and volunteers did a sterling  job to ensure flood defences were reinforced and the crowds were able to attend all the races on Saturday.

The impending floods, the snow and the slowly thawing concrete-hard-icy ground made for a mouth wateringly wonderful day of CX. The kind of conditions that make racing hard and unpredictable but don’t overshadow the power and skill of the riders to the extent where it becomes a farce. The racing was hard-fought and the winners more than worthy of their rainbow stripes. As they say, a picture tells a thousand words, so the full races are shown below for your cross delectation. Take some time to watch these, they are great and as the announcers say, we get to see someone who is possibly the greatest bike rider of all time… yes they even say she could be better than Merckx!!!!!

Men’s under 23 race

Elite Women’s race

Elite Men’s race

Let us know what you thought of the racing and the season ahead…

Stevie