Cyclocross racing comes to Polson

POLSON — “Good job, Lance,” Brian Campbell said as he pulled his daughter, Lyndsy, in for a hug, jokingly referring to cycling phenomenon Lance Armstrong.

She had just completed the women’s cyclocross race, which consisted of six laps at the Polson Cross Rumpus cyclocross race last Saturday.

With exhaustion on her face, the Polson native smiled.

Lyndsy won the women’s race and it is only her first year racing. After competing in her first race in September, she was hooked.

Cyclocross isn’t a normal bike race. Riders have to navigate around a 1.5-mile course that includes hills, barriers and picnic tables.

From the start line, racers rode through a straightaway before hitting a gravel road. Along the river, riders traveled through a trench then criss crossed in a “W” fashion before hitting one of the tougher parts of the course. After dismounting their bike, riders shouldered the weight up a steep hill and immediately hopped back on to “take the plunge,” as course-designer Matt Seeley said. The plunge was a steep drop where riders leaned back on their bikes so they didn’t face plant into the ground. Riders had to orient themselves quickly to power up a hill that led to the flattest part of the course.

From there, riders rode through the bull-riding chutes, rode around three barrels in the arena and rode up and down a ramp in the grandstand. Four picnic tables preceded another straightaway that led to two 18-inch high wooden barriers that racers had to jump over after getting off their bike or the finish line if it was the end of the race.

However, the toughest part of the course was the wind.

“It was hard,” Lyndsy said. “It was really tough going into it. Those barriers were also tricky, getting on and off your bike.”

Seeley was in charge of the course and spent many hours working on the design.

“I think the course turned out very good and the weather was great except for a pesky wind,” he said. “I had lots of positive feedback on the venue, the food and the fun day.”

Thirty-nine racers showed up to participate in three races and three kids took part in the one-lap kids race.

The men’s master A race had 19 racers that started out at a fast pace in the Montana