Southern Cross Report and Photos

The Altona Bike Enthusiast Society (ABES) put on a great cyclocross race this past Sunday with Southern Cross - a fast and wild ride featuring some nasty head-winds, a steep climb, and a deep and treacherous sandpit. This was my first year riding Southern Cross and I have to say it was awesome. Colin and I rode out on our motorcycles, which gave us an early indication that the wind was going to be brutal. I didn't get a chance to pre-ride the course, but it didn't end up mattering much as the route flowed really well and I wasn't hit with too many nasty surprises.

The nice thing about getting into a sport for the first time is that you have a lot of 'firsts' early on: first race, first time finishing in the top half, first time in the top 20, etc. This race was no different, as it was the first time I placed in the top 15, finishing 13th in the men's B race. The key for me was the bane of many others.. the sandpit. I saw a lot of guys get bogged down halfway through or flip over their bars. I'm not sure why it was different for me, but the sandpit was the one place I could consistently make-up time. Plus it was just super fun to ride through. Unfortunately I'll be missing Crosstastic but I'm feeling good about the last few races of the season. Who knows, maybe if I'm lucky (or nobody else shows up to race) I'll crack into the top 10 before the end of the season.

The A race was awesome to watch as usual. I can tell it's getting late in the season because the quality of light has changed. There is no warm yellow hazy light as the sun gets low anymore. Instead it's turned clear and blue with harsh shadows. Winter is coming for sure.

Here are a few photos from the day. Sadly I forgot to bring spare memory cards (seriously..) so they are almost entirely from the A race.

I wish I was doing this when I was a kid..

Amazing volunteers who made the day run perfectly.

One of the best things about cross - all about having a good time.

Thumbs up during a warmup lap.

They started in pretty much the same order they ended.

This was a cool addition as well - bunny hopping over a railway tie right at the start of s small climb. I can't believe I didn't blow a tube here.

Is it just me, or does Ian look freakishly like Johan Museeuw when he races?

This was a fun and tough punchy climb.

Johnny with the pain face.

The peanut gallery

Hal winding through the curvy section before the climb.

There was only one really small section with mud, but it was deep enough to be a bit risky.

These barriers suited me better than Menno Cross, but it's still something I've got to practice before running them like this.

The infamous sand pit...

This guy (I believe his name is Terry) ate it so hard right in front of me. I hope you got all the sand out of your ears.

And finished off with a sprint. Awesome.

All these photos are available in higher resolution should anyone want. Just leave a comment and I can email them to you.