Interbike CX Report

OK, I wasn't there ... but maybe some of you were. So post your favorite 'cross products from the show in the comments here.

Here's a link to start you off: Velonews (Patrick O'Grady)

Be Careful Out There, Kids...

I just heard from Paule Bates and he sent a message that Julie Barrot was struck by a car last night. The dynamic Roaring Mouse duo was out doing intervals in an office park when some dude in a Lexus nailed Julie from behind right before Paule's eyes.

"She had just finished an interval and was about 30' in front of me and cruising in the bike lane at about 18-20 mph. A driver in a lexus drove into the bike lane and hit her directly. I looked up in time to see the impact and Julie flying through the air. To date, this is the most horrific thing I've ever seen and continues to loop in my mind."

Anyhow, she's gonna be all right, though she was out like a light and apparently Paule thought she was a goner. He also said her helmet was destroyed and probably saved her life.

After all was said and done she didn't break anything and has some deep bruises and soreness - she's a tough cookie. Good thing, too, because I'm gonna ask Julie to feed me at the next Pilarcitos race...

Get well soon Julie!

Those Pesky License Cats

So I was re-reading the USCF post on license categories, and I started to think: What are promoters doing to handle this? So I went to look at all the reg. notes for various races (Surf City, Pilarcitos, US GP etc) and found this:

- Most races are still organized as "A", "B" and "C" events. Even the US Grand Prix maintains this format.

- If license categories are acknowledged at all, it's in the fine print and the cat. assignments are fairly loose (for example the Gloucester USGP lists A masters as cat 1-3; juniors are cat 1-4)

- You still need one of those UCI stinkin' badges to race the elite event at US GP.

So, what's different from last year except for the extra printing on your license card??

Hydrate or Die

With hot weather here in the early season don't forget to hydrate for races. Don't need water for a short race? Remember Lance Armstrong in the 2003 Tour lost almost 10 lbs -- and the stage win -- due to dehydration in a 1-hr time trial. So follow these tips.

- Hydrate before, during and after an event. If you don't have handups available for the race, make sure to drink extra in advance. And good re-hydration afterwards will improve your recovery.

- Don't just drink plain water. Plain water alone will not replace the electrolytes lost when you sweat, but will dilute your blood with extra water. For best fluid balance drink a sports drink with significant sodium (500-700 mg per liter, or 125-200 mg per 8 oz). The electrolytes and carbs also improve absorption compared to plain water.

- If you can't stomach the sweetness, you can dilute the drink but make sure to add back sodium to get the right balance (1/4 tsp of salt per liter should be plenty). Or make your own low-sugar beverage with a home brew of Crystal Light (diluted to taste) and 1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt per L.

- Pay attention to the heat. Stay in the shade. Wear sunscreen. Call your mother. (That last point isn't about hydration, but you should follow it anyway.)