| Cyclocross (or cyclo-cross) is a kind of bicycle racing. | | | | biking. But cyclo-cross bicycles are similar to racing |
| Races occur usually in the the fall and winter (the | | | | bicycles: lightweight, with skinny tyres. They need to |
| international season is September-January), and | | | | be lightweight because competitors need to carry |
| consists of numerous laps of a small (2-3km) course | | | | their bicycle to get over barriers or slopes too steep |
| with pavement, wooded trails, turf, steep inclines, | | | | to climb in the saddle. The sight of competitors |
| and obstacles necessitating the rider to dismount, | | | | struggling up a muddy slope with bicycles on their |
| leap the barrier and remount. Races for senior | | | | shoulders may be the traditional image of the sport, |
| categories are generally between 50 minutes and an | | | | although unridable sections are actually a very small |
| hour long, with the distance differing depending on | | | | fraction of the race distance. |
| the ground conditions. The sport is administered by | | | | Compared with some other forms of cycle racing, |
| the Union Cycliste Internationale; it began in the | | | | strategies are fairly straightforward, and the |
| 1940s and the very first world championship was held | | | | emphasis is on the rider's cardiovascular endurance |
| in Paris in 1950. The sport is strongest in the | | | | and bike-handling skills. |
| conventional road cycling nations (and especially so in | | | | A cyclo-cross rider is allowed to change bicycles and |
| Flanders). | | | | be given mechanical assistance throughout a race. As |
| Cyclo-cross has some noticeable parallels with | | | | the rider is on the course gumming up one bike with |
| cross-country mountain bike racing and many of the | | | | mud, their pit crew can work quickly to clean, repair |
| best cyclo-cross riders are also stars of mountain | | | | and oil the spares. |