Today I got to see a part of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships that took place between 1 and 2 February 2020, in Dübendorf, Switzerland. This is a brand new sport to me, have never seen a competition or heard of it. It's a very strange one for me, to be totally honest, I don't see the point in it or I'm too comfortable to enjoy it, all I see the mess they have to face. But let's take one step at the time.
Races typically take place in the autumn and winter (the international or "World Cup" season is October–February), and consist of many laps of a short (2.5–3.5 km or 1.5–2 mile) course featuring pavement, wooded trails, grass, steep hills and obstacles requiring the rider to quickly dismount, carry the bike while navigating the obstruction and remount. source
If you think this is just bad organizing, it's not. This is hot the slope should look like as this is an obstacle game. These guys are racing facing the worst and the most difficult obstacles. Today I've seen them navigate through the muddy slope, trying to find some solid ground which was basically impossible. They tried to ride at the side of the slope, extremely close to the spectators as that was the only part that looked solid enough for them not to sink.
There are steep hills where it's impossible to use your bike, so they were forced to pick up their bikes and carry it on their shoulder and when a rider falls and the slope is narrow, they all fall.
It's a crazy race to say the least and needs focus and determination if you want to win. It's an endurance sport in my opinion. At the end you're fully covered with dirt, including your face.
Watch the video above to see how a race looks like, from the outside of course. When I'm watching sports events I'm always trying to put myself in their shoes and see if I would do it or at least try it out myself but this is a big NO! there's not money in the world that would convince me to do this, not for one minute :)
What about you? Would you try it out?