Cyclocross is simply gritty. From the actual dirt that racers and their trusty steeds pick up to the looks on the racers facers to the loud cheers that the audience shout, it's all about grit. Determination, too.
A good cyclocross race has an interesting course, mud, water, beer, money and cowbells. Always more cowbells.
Chicago Bandit Cross is a series of three events in the alleycat style put on by amateur racers for amateur racers in the spirit of fun. Cyclocross can exist in no other way. There's a certain amount of insanity involved -- it's tough on everything.
I watch cyclocross with open eyes. It's a sport that completely intrigues me and allures me. I watch it like watching gritty film noir, with a hard pounding soundtrack playing in my mind. The racers deserve nothing less and as it goes on, my voice gets louder and louder, as if to match the look on my friends faces as they pass me by, lap after lap.
This isn't the first time we've featured cyclocross. We've featured it before -- the Chi Cross Cup. Chicago Bandit Cross however is a different but similar beast. The second stage went down this past Saturday, in Humboldt Park.
Everyone who raced said it was one of the hardest races they'd ever done. But they had so much fun. And they'd do it again. And again.
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