What is cyclocross?

The sport of cyclocross is a mixture of mountain biking, running and traditional road bicycling. The race takes participants over a variety of surfaces, including grass, pavement and sand. The courses include obstacles that riders cannot pass, forcing them to carry their bikes.

Races can last anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour, depending on the level of the competition, with most elite races tending to favor one-hour competitions. Riders travel the terrain and perform two initial laps. After these initial laps, an average time is taken, and race officials use that time to decide upon the number of remaining laps.