Lake Placid Van Hoevenberg XCO World Cup Preview Lap

Rained a bit, so I got a deceptively muddy trip around a course with a lot of pedaling, a very fast-direct descent, a traverse, a party-mode berm run, and a cyclocross finale. Look a little better with the pros racing it than with me.

[@DeanWhitney-y5c]

Probably one of the most "real" pre-rides I have seen. Love your commentary.

[@howtheracewaswon]

I wish it were a little less "real", honestly. Had been hoping to get in a few reps on several of the interesting sections to highlight different line options. Only one feature was dry enough to half-execute the idea: instagram.com/p/DAZrfymu9x8/

[@fructufructu]

I think it might be the least technical circuit of the World Cup in years (old school XC style).

[@howtheracewaswon]

yes and no. It doesn't have any do-or-die "pucker" features, but now that it's 95% dry and running fast, the descents are hitting speeds where one small mistake can snowball into unrecoverable *very* quickly. Also what I mentioned during the woods section of this video holds true: there are seconds out there for the taking for the riders who can stay off the brakes . You could tell the first group from the rest of the field almost by sound alone, because of how little time they spent scratching speed.

[@mogulmayhem]

Come ride Vermont. We'll do tunnel ridge.

[@howtheracewaswon]

machine-built is generally not my favorite, but I can keep an open mind

[@mogulmayhem]

@@howtheracewaswon imagine a 6 mile long pump track with 110 berms.... I'll see you in Rochester, VT. If you go into the bike shop, ask for Doon.

[@var67]

How the "race" was "won".

[@an33nielsen52]

Are you gonna be racing the pros to show them how the race was won?

[@howtheracewaswon]

that would be *extremely* uninteresting, I think. But IDK, with a UCI license might theoretically be possible…