A few pics from Trek CXC Sunday

[earlfoss]

I took these yesterday. I am no professional photographer, but whatever.
http://s17.postimg.org/bw8n84pb3/IMG_2714.jpg
http://s17.postimg.org/upug54nj3/IMG_2715.jpg
http://s17.postimg.org/kh1yzazhb/IMG_2716.jpg
http://s17.postimg.org/w7fwgos9r/IMG_2720.jpg
http://s17.postimg.org/wlh8gacdb/IMG_2727.jpg
http://s17.postimg.org/cfibv563j/IMG_2729.jpg
http://s17.postimg.org/t4jrr22ov/IMG_2731.jpg
http://s17.postimg.org/st2beam8v/IMG_2733.jpg

[Mzilliox]

sometimes i feel like my cross bike is a bit small, then i see these guys racing and their bikes look tiny, so alls good. nice pics, thanks for sharing!

[JStonebarger]

Wout made it look easy.

Any one who has the chance, make it to Jingle Cross in Iowa City this weekend for the World Cup.

[chiasticon]

sometimes i feel like my cross bike is a bit small, then i see these guys racing and their bikes look tiny, so alls good. nice pics, thanks for sharing!Wout has a ridiculously large drop for a cross bike. it's a straight up pro road bike fit. he's also 22. my old man back can't put up with that craziness!

[zank]

man, I so wish I could go to Vegas and Jinglecross. What a week it will be.

Thanks for the pics!

[earlfoss]

Wout sat in for a few of the opening laps and then fired up the afterburners. It was impressive to see him operate in person.

There were a few little bunch-ups and bottlenecks in the first couple laps on some tight, uphill areas. He had zero issue switching up his line or maneuvering out to a plan B situation.

It was entertaining seeing the speed and finesse with which the top 10 of that field handled the course. Those guys are on a whole different level.

[JStonebarger]

+1. Watching the elites warm up on the backside at the logs: Some made a big point to hop up the two steps, some taking them very quickly. The amazing thing, though, was that the best pros -- Wout included -- could dismount and remount so smoothly that running the steps was hardly a disadvantage.

[benb]

Looks like the weather was nice and dry?

Trek was really making a big deal of this.. we even got a catalog themed for the race sent to us in the mail and I think they sent me email basically soliciting people to come watch the race... sorry a midwest trip was not in the works.

[JStonebarger]

Sadly, yes. Dry and warm.

I wonder if Trek is thinking of making this a World Cup in years to come. Assuming Jingle Cross in Iowa City isn't an every year thing, Trek CXC is timed perfectly to coincide with the trip over for Cross Vegas.

Trek CXC might not quite be World Cup material yet, but every year Trek does more with it, and since it's their own back yard there's pretty much no limit...

[gavingould]

the course, IMO, was much improved over the last couple years and the addition of the elite-only sections was a strong positive choice. some rain would have made this course something else!

haven't been able to make much of an edit yet due to post-race hours spent in the car and a regular day job, but here's two:

http://instagram.ford1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/t51.2885-15/e35/14374336_946613488801473_2124336720_n.jpg
Wout van Aert at the log steps

http://instagram.ford1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/t51.2885-15/e35/14369029_883704738432144_1987350719_n.jpg
Ellen Noble descending in the woods

i'm in one of earlfoss's shots there at the finish...
looking forward to Jingle.