Riley Amos (Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli) and Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) on a mission in Fayetteville to earn as many UCI points as possible and secure two starting spots in the Paris Olympics. © 2024 Bill Schieken At a CXD Trek Bikes team dinner the other night in Fayetteville, Arkansas, a group of athletes, friends and family got into a lengthy discussion about rider selection for the mountain bike cross-country race at the upcoming Paris Summer Olympics. Although this conversation went on for a while and really got into the weeds concerning the selection process, I wa ..read more

With the 2024 edition of Paris-Roubaix looming, I have been reminiscing a bit about prior editions. In 2023 I had a particularly memorable day having had the good fortune to chase the race around Northern France with my CX travel companion Geoffrey Tercelin (Yefri photos) and true expert driver, Simon Duquesnoy, who has been featured in national media for his sector-hopping skills. In a typical year I consider a successful day out to be two or three spots photographed. Last year, however we made it to six(!)* Granted, it was a bit more stressful. A lot more stressful really, but it was well wo ..read more

On July 28 and 29, Elancourt Hill, the highest point in the Paris region of France, will host the mountain bike events for the 2024 Summer Olympics. Everything that happens in a UCI XCO race from now until someone lights the flame in Paris focuses on getting to the start line of France's own Mount Trashmore (Elancourt Hill is a former sand quarry and was used as a landfill until 1975). Same photo, different kit. It’s not a Fayetteville MTB race until Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) flies over my head. © 2024 Bill Schieken This brings us to Fayetteville, Arkansas, and the sec ..read more

The U23 men’s field climbs to the highest point on the Orange Seal Pro Cup track. © 2024 Bill Schieken The soil in Temecula Valley is a decomposing granitic, sandy loam, which provides the 1,300 vineyard acres and the one bike park hosting a UCI mountain bike race, a well-draining soil conducive to producing world-class wine and miles of post-rain hero dirt. Although I didn't have time for a winery stop on this trip, I did get to see a weekend full of top-notch short track and cross-country mountain bike racing at one of the best tracks in the nation. Jenn Jackson (Liv Factory Racing) race ..read more

The sold-out 600 rider field leaves Turkey, Texas at the start of the Valley of Tears. Emily Newsom’s crash can be seen on the right. © 2024 Bill Schieken Picture two cow fields bisected by a hilly road. In a non-peer-reviewed study, I've concluded that those are the essential building blocks for any Spring Classic. Belgium's famed Koppenberg cobbled climb is between two well-used cattle grazing hot spots. Liege-Bastogne-Liege's Cote de la Redoute is also watched over by resident bovine spectators. Similarly, Hall County, Texas, home of the Valley of Tears gravel race, features race-changing ..read more

Does Joris Nieuwenhuis make the All Cyclocross First Team? Listen to the latest CX Radio to find out. © 2024 Bill Schieken On the latest episode of Cyclocross Radio, the Media Pit discusses last weekend’s Middelkerke and Lille races before getting down to the serious business of choosing the All Cyclocross First Team. As a first-time endeavor, we had to set some ground rules, like how many people are on the all-cyclocross team (we decided it’s three), before debating our selections. The CXHAIRS Bulletin is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider be ..read more

When I think about the Elite Women’s race at Cyclocross Worlds during my time as a cycling jouralmalist, close, thrilling races are what come to mind. The first Worlds race I ever wrote about was the bonkers last-lap thriller between Sanne Cant and Marianne Vos at Bieles in 2017. The second was the battle between Katie Compton and Sanne Cant in Valkenburg that we all thought was going to be the one where Compton finally did the thing. Those were followed by Sanne Cant’s nerve-wracking last-lap in her win at Bogense, the Alvardo sprint win at Dubendorf in 2020, Lucinda Brand outdueling Annemari ..read more

I spent most of the Elite Men’s race today workshopping openings for this race report. I kept coming back to, “What else is there to say about Mathieu van der Poel?” Perhaps the best I can do is outsource it to another pretty good cyclocross racer, Sven Nys, as translated by our friends at Cyclocross24: "He transcends our discipline. He is someone that e… Read more ..read more

Cyclocross races themselves are short and intense, but the international season is more of a marathon than an all-out effort. There are big races, classifications, and jerseys to win along the way, but if the World Championships are a rider’s ultimate goal, having an effective plan to peak at the right moment is a must. Few riders in the professional ra… Read more ..read more

Results from Saturday’s races in Tabor are below. Elite Women Read more ..read more