CrossVegas changes course while becoming Southern Nevada fixture

By BETSY HELFAND LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

9 years ago

Racers compete in the 2015 CrossVegas, an international CycloCross event. (CrossVegas)

A group of racers make their way through a sandpit during the 2015 CrossVegas, an international CycloCross event. (CrossVegas)

A competitor races during the 2015 CrossVegas, an international CycloCross event. (CrossVegas)

Findlay Prep guard Markus Howard (second from right) averaged 15.0 points, 2.0 assists and 2.0 steals in five games with the USA basketball U16 team that won a gold medal over the weekend in Bahia Blanca, Argentina (courtesy USA Basketball).

For the 10th year, CrossVegas will grace Las Vegas, impressive longevity for a cyclocross race held in a nontraditional environment.

The Clark County commissioners thought so, too, recognizing CrossVegas for its 10 years in Las Vegas on Tuesday morning.

Cylocross is a type of road bicycle racing that involves some elements of mountain biking and dirt racing.

This year’s CrossVegas will take place Sept. 21 at Desert Breeze Soccer Complex. It’s the biggest cyclocross race in America and the first race in the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup, meaning it will attract racers from across the world.

“I think it says a lot about how much CrossVegas has grown in 10 years,” race organizer Brook Watts said. “It’s a bit unusual for a sport like cyclocross taking place in this kind of climate, and I know that what I wanted to do was show the world that a sport like cyclocross can be practiced in any location, regardless of climate.”

This is the second year CrossVegas will be a World Cup event, and Watts expects racers from at least 21 countries. There are nine events, and just two — Las Vegas and Iowa City, Iowa — are in the U.S.

Watts said participation in the event over the past 10 years has gone from almost 100 percent U.S. riders to 50/50.

The sport is especially popular in European countries such as Belgium, France, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands. Three races will be in Belgium, two in the Netherlands, one in Germany and one in Italy.

But though its stronghold is in Europe, Watts said the sport is also gaining popularity in places such as the U.S., Canada, Australia and Japan.

This year, racers will compete on a redesigned course. Watts described the ending as a “cliffhanger sprint section.”

“We have made some major modifications over the years. This I would say is major modifications intended to make it much more difficult for the racers and much more spectator friendly,” Watts said. “I describe it sometimes as taking a deck of cards and throwing it up in the air and completely rearranging.”

Betsy Helfand can be reached at bhelfand@reviewjournal.com. Follow on Twitter: @BetsyHelfand