For 25 years, as a racer and as a filmmaker, I’ve been inspired by the US National Cyclocross Championships. My first experience with the race was in 1993, in Tuolumne, California. It was unforgettable for many reasons, all of which still exist every time I make it back to the big race.
Namely, there is crowd presence and excitement unmatched by other events throughout the season. Also, there is pride on the line and racers seem to dig deeper than at any other race. I’ve always seen beauty in the mix of prideful battle and and a lot of watchful eyes. This year the championships in Reno, Nevada, were as good a display of the two as I’ve come to expect. In both the women’s and men’s elite races the final laps included a rush of drama, with victors only finding certainty once they crossed the line. The local crowd was decently large and by all accounting the online audience was bigger than ever (even Wout van Aert, the reigning World Champion, tweeted his enthusiasm for the online live feed from his home in Belgium).
With each year I attend the National Championships, I am more impressed by the speed of the riders, both elite and amateur. I think speed is beauty, and with that equation in mind I set out to make some photos that represented the massive effort, and technical prowess, of the racers. In the captions below I’ve offered my insight to the community of racers and the big race itself. Thanks for the opportunity.
Brian Vernor is a filmmaker and photographer living in Los Angeles. His credits include the cyclocross film Pure Sweet Hell (2004), along with feature photo stories in Outside, Bicycling, and NEON, among others. This is his first contribution to CyclingTips. Find more of his work at www.brianvernor.com and @vernor on Instagram.
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- Tobin Ortenblad, mid-flight, landed in fourth place in the elite men’s race, a “disappointment” by his measure, but regardless of missing the podium, people all around the course were calling him “The Future.”
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- Paul Sadoff and his Rock Lobster Cycles team is one of the only regional teams with a large presence at Cyclocross Nationals, fielding racers in most categories from juniors to elite women and men.
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- I’m guilty of loving the underdog. Ellen Noble made the crowd light up on the final lap of the elite women’s race, clawing her way to within four seconds of race favorite and leader, Katie Compton. She finished the race with a smile.
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- I can’t argue with her record. Katie Compton is simply dominant, and if you watch her race it is no mystery why. Besides unmatched flatland power, her lines through the technical sections of the course weren’t the safest lines, but they were definitely the fastest. Here she is emerging from a hard left switchback on the inside hot line.
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- A crowd is an essential part of a cyclocross race. I’ve always loved that on-display aspect of cyclocross, every small victory and failure is likely seen by your peers.
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- Justin “Papa” “Bigfoot” Robinson has represented the US in the world championships as an elite many times over the years. He has competed at every US National Championships since 1992, and in Reno he laced up the spikes for the men’s single-speed race.
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- The start of the U23 men’s race was tight and fast, with the ever present chance of a crossed wheel.
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- The course in Reno was mostly dry.
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- My first National Cyclocross Championship race was in 1993, and I raced the junior event along with 24 other kids. There were no age or gender specifications other than being a junior. I had a long ponytail and more than one spectator thought I was a girl. In 2018, Tydeman Newman powered his way through the junior boys 15-16 category without confusing any spectators.
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- There are only two ways over the barriers in a cyclocross race — Stephen Hyde runs while Jeremy Powers flies.
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- The elite women ripped the hairy descent on the backside of the course. Top men and women racers had several crashes on this section during pre-ride, but in the finals they rode hard and clean.
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- The pros are always said to “make it look easy,” but I think there’s not a moment on the course where they aren’t hanging it out there, scaring themselves into every advantage earned.
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- Emily Kachorek always seem to be smiling out there on course.
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- The old “tire tread on the sole” trick, one of the tried and true cyclocross-specific gear modifications. Also, the “B” on the forefoot of the sole is for distinguishing the multiple pairs of shoes most pros have. Tobin Ortenblad says he can’t tell the difference between pairs but he still doesn’t want to mix them up.
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- According to Chris McGovern (Tobin Ortenblad’s director), the Intercomp Racing tire gauge is the only tire gauge worth using. Rally car drivers and overlanders the world over agree.
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- Racers are notoriously picky about their gear, if not downright superstitious. Tobin Ortenblad went as far as designing and manufacturing his own toe spikes in three profiles, each for a different dirt condition.
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- I nearly fell on my face clamouring to get this ill-exposed photo of this junior racing in the under-10 category just before the elite men’s race. I hope he races with his tongue out, full stoke, the rest of his life.
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- Cyclocross is fast and sketchy looking when you’re up close to it. I enjoy the opportunity of watching a live broadcast on TV, but nothing makes me feel the reality of ripping descents on skinny tires like being right there, in-person, on the inside of the inside line.
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- Jeremy Powers is a fun rider to watch in a race. I think that’s because he never hides his effort, and a good pain face reminds us what it really feels like out there on course.
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- If you look down the line of a long sand pit you’ll see a lot of wagging hips and popping knees, as riders wiggle their way in an attempt to keep forward momentum. Most riders cleared the sand pit without dismounting, but it was a big energy sap each lap on course.