This past weekend, October 15 – 16, was NYCROSS.com’s Uncle Sam Cyclocross Gran Prix held at Prospect Park in Troy, NY. This is one of my favorite ‘cross races. First, it’s only 20 minutes from home. Second, it’s two days of racing. Third, each day is always a well designed and fun race course. Utilizing the whole park, each day’s course had many of the same features, but each day was different enough to not get boring. Each day had a run-up that you could actually shoulder your bike and run. Each day had a fast entry into the barriers. And each day had tight, twisting turns, and fast stretches both on and off pavement.

The best new feature of the courses was on day 2, Sunday. Day 2 incorporated a set of stairs that transitioned from a stretch of pavement back to the grass. It was a fast entry into the dismount and then an immediate 90 degree turn to the 5 stair run. Back on the bike and to the tight, twisty sections of the race course.

This was my third year racing this weekend long event, and each year the event gets bigger. More entries into the races and more racers in their first cyclocross season. It’s good to see this kind of growth in grassroots cyclocross racing.

Next up for me is the Saratoga Spa:Cyclocross in Saratoga Springs, NY. The Spa:Cyclocross race is Sunday October 23 and will be held, for the second year, on the ground of the legendary Saratoga Race Course.