The 2017 UTCX season wrapped up Saturday with a fine race at Barnes Park in Kaysville. Participation numbers were high for the final race of the season no doubt augmented by the mild weather. I have occasionally heard flat non-technical cross courses described in a pejorative way as grass criteriums. The Barnes Park race is indeed a big grass criterium with a lap distance of just under 3 km and a couple of deep sand sections. Even though this is probably not my favorite format for a cross race, every now and again, it is absolutely the best. It is very satisfying to ride a cross event with the throttle wide open for extended periods, especially as a contrast to those really slippery days in which you never really run at full power.
No cross course is perfect. Barnes Park has some problematic transitions between grass and sidewalk with a chain link fence along the sidewalk. I saw a very ugly crash into the fence. It has always featured a transition from the west side to the east side of the park via ascent and descent of short cement staircases. The worst part about the transition is a dismount on concrete. (Presumably, a top tier rider could ride the stairs without dismounting, but I did not see that guy). Logistically, the stairs might be tough to avoid, but if it were my race, there would be no dismount on a paved/cement surface, period.
Oh, and the sand. It was tough. I am not a huge fan of sand or mud, but I am realistic enough to understand their place in cross. The sand works well in the context of the Barnes Park race, making it much harder than it would be otherwise.. I feel like I was about average in the sand, but the people who could really ride it well were at a significant advantage.
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