Two-Wheel Action Invades Jackson Park
If you want to get a taste of cyclocross, head to Jackson Park this weekend.
Leigh Wills
Jackson Park is a hotbed of two-wheel excitement this weekend as cyclocross has drawn hundreds of riders to the Henderson County park. The riders are participating in the UCI-North Carolina Grand Prix over two days at the park off Glover Street.
Never heard of cyclocross? Apparently it's a sport that's growing in popularity, according to the North Carolina Cyclocross website. Held during the fall and winter months, the sport is often known as the steeplechase of bicycle racing. Riders are put through the paces on all types of racing, including road racing, criterium racing and mountain bike racing. It is a timed event that's held over a course that's anywhere from 2.5 kilometers to 3.5 kilometers in length. The riders race multiple laps over a variety of terrain, like asphalt, grass, dirt, mud, gravel and sand.
Indeed the event at Jackson Park was impressive to watch as the course took riders all across the park and over its terrain and rolling hills. One of the most exciting areas to watch is "the wall," an incredibly steep hill near the tennis courts that the riders must pedal their way up multiple times over the course of a multi-lap race. Most riders make it up the wall without much problem, a few barely make it, and then there are the handful who don't quite reach the top before they have to dismount. Another area of the course features two barricades that require the riders to quickly dismount and carry their bikes while jumping the barricades.
Even more fun to watch are the spectators, many of them excitedly clanging cowbells as their favorite riders speed by. The event continues Sunday, and is an entertaining way to spend a day in Jackson Park.
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