That old maxim about “if first you don’t succeed?” Well, there’s a reason people say it. On the third day of festivities out at Jingle Cross Rock—the race weekend’s sole UCI C1 event, it turns out—aggression came out even earlier, and made for a very different race. Would fortune favor the bold? You’ll just have to watch and find out.

Starting to get a little CX-y out there after long dry spell. Big climbs, hard descents, a little bit of mud—or at least slick-ness—I’m into it. Without the wind, things might have unfolded a little more actively, but plenty of riders still rolled the dice, both with attacks and innovative cornering techniques.

A certified World Championship™ course at the Derby City Cup, and man did it ever deliver on Sunday. Brutally technical sand and stair sections broken up by speedy, fluid flats with an almost rhythmic feel led to yo-yoing and a a few lovely displays of prowess.

Still, the rubber band would eventually snap, and some surprising names would find themselves on the unhappy side of that divide. Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean their races are over, but maybe the riders who’ve made split will have something to say about it. Excitement down to the line, I guarantee.

Nice to be back in the more-or-less present, reporting on part of the Cincy3 (or Cincy-ish) cyclocross races this past weekend. Grass looked moist and healthy, though we’re still lacking a properly muddy race so far this season; with some notoriously greasy venues coming up, that may not be a problem for long.