2010 CRC Creek Cross Recap

Do I see a new Jake The Snake there?

Hopefully everyone's caught their breath by now after Sunday's 2010 Creek Cross CX race in Solon. Results were posted early Tuesday on Chagrin River Cycling's (CRC) site.

The weather couldn't have been better for a cross race. Sunny, cool, and little-to-no wind.

Winding through the Bartels' grassy property on the southeast corner of Richmond and Solon roads in Solon, the roughly 1.25-mile course led riders through a sinuous snarl of seemingly endless switchback turns.

With mostly dry conditions and no run-ups, riders faced only two back-to-back hurdles, a 10-yard heap of deep, wet gravel, and quick narrow tree-weaving. The spiraling course initially funneled everyone into a tight squeeze around a stack of hay -- a rabbit hole, or eye of the storm, if you will -- before spitting everyone out onto the bulk of the course.

To make things interesting, each race began with a chaotic Le Mans-style start, in which riders set up their bikes about 200 feet ahead of the starting line -- and upon "Go!" everyone ran to retrieve their rig and proceed down the course.

Here's the Category A guys at the start:

Thanks again to CRC and The Bartels for hosting the race, and to Lynn Marut for officiating. Stay tuned for more race info at Northeast Ohio Cyclocross Series.