Ever wonder what goes on in the pits during a pro cyclocross race? Watch as the support crews swap tires, de-ice pedals and keep their athletes rolling through at top speed. The riders pass by the pits twice per lap, giving them the opportunity to swap bikes frequently if necessary. And as early as Saturday morning, some thought they might be switching bikes every half lap to battle mud accumulation. Fortunately, things cleared up for Sunday and the mud remained mostly frozen, but with temps hovering just under 20ºF, frozen pedals were perhaps the biggest issue.
Interestingly, several of the pro men we spoke to said they’d likely run file treads if it stayed frozen, even if there was snow covering the dirt and grass. And sure enough, about half way through the race, eventual winner Stephen Hyde yelled out to “get the files ready” on one pass through, which is what you’ll see his team doing at the end of the video. On the next complete lap, he grabs that bike and takes it all the way into victory lane (check out the bike here). Filmed at the 2017 USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championships race during the Elite Men’s field in Hartford, Connecticut.
