Steve Tilford

Procrastination is normally not a great trait. It usually ends up a little less good than addressing the issue in a timely manner. I tend to procrastinate. Not always, but most of the time. I tend to procrastinate to leave options open. When you make a set decision, then all the other options are off the table.

USAC procrastinated last week. Or way before. To ride the World Cups in Las Vegas or Iowa City, if you weren’t in the top 50 in UCI points, or on the podium at Worlds, or some other unrealistic boundary, then you had to petition USAC to ride. A discretionary form. I filled one out, along with a bunch of other guys, I assume.

You had to do it three weeks ahead of time, to be notified 2 weeks before. I got an email from them less than a week before the race saying sorry, we just used the current (last years) UCI points and went down the list. I very much doubt all those guys sent in the discretionary form.

It was pretty unfair. Come on, they went down to something like 117th in UCI points. And the same 16 riders get to race both the World Cups. These are last year’s point, mind you

The deal is that there is something around 5 guys that should be racing both the races. The other 11 guys, all good, have no chance of finishing in the top 20. The best US rider in Cross Vegas last night was Jeremy Powers, our National Champion, at 18th. Belgian riders finished 13 guys in the top 16.

So, the guys that are 8th American and back aren’t contending. I’m not saying that the process was that flawed. I’m saying that USAC was super lazy. They didn’t have their meeting and go over the names. The didn’t take into consideration home court importance.

Brian Matter wasn’t in the top 16. I think he was the 18th US rider on UCI points. He has been stellar at Jinglecross the last 10 years. And he is from the Midwest. But, he didn’t get a slot. It is just wrong. Why not spread the wealth? They didn’t because of laziness or because they ran out of to make a fair selection. Procrastination.

I procrastinated working on cross bikes this past week. I’ve been too busy riding singletrack, swimming with Tucker and hanging with friends. The cross bikes just stayed in the van. Last night I put new cables on Catherine’s bike and got it up to speed. I just had to put race wheels on my bike and lube the chain. I have another day to dial it in. This is going to be one of those weekends. WIsh it was the Bora Epic.

Okay, the gang is eating breakfast, so I have to go. I’m all packed up and heading to Iowa City when we’re done. It is about 7 hours. It will give me time to sort out the weekend, brain-wise.

Taking the plunge, in the swamp, after the wood fired sauna.

Tucker is way more interested in going for a run/swim than fixing Dennis’ van door.

I’m not sure what many or most of the big cross races in the US tend to have terrible weather when they occur. The two times they held Nationals in Kansas City, it was bad. The Worlds in Louisville had to be moved up a day because the course was going to be flooded and now the World Cup in Iowa CIty.

It has rained so much here in Eastern Iowa, they are asking for volunteers to help fill sandbags. While driving here from Cable Wisconsin yesterday, there were whole valleys that had completely be underwater the day before. It is amazing. And it hasn’t stopped.

Yesterday it rained maybe an inch or two in less than an hour. It was a typhoon. And it started again in the middle of the night and now it is nearly 9 am and it is still raining. The races start today at 9, so it is going to be a sloppy, mucky mess for many riders.

Then, it is supposed to heat up. The high tomorrow for the World Cup is supposed to be in the upper 80’s. Man, those Euro guys are going to hate that. Not that it will stop them from sweeping the top 15 places.

There is a lot of relief in the course here. Mt Krumpet it is called and there are lots of ways to get up and down the thing. Up it usually involves some running. Down, bravery or your butt. There is so much ribbon on this course it is impossible to tell what course is what. It is supposed to stop raining after noon, so I’m going to wait until the UCI pre-ride at 5 to go out on the course. The race is at 9 pm tonight.

I won Jinglecross the 2nd year they held the event. My friend, Shadd Smith won the first one I believe. Shadd was third the 2nd year, behind me and Jason McCartney. Jason was already a professional road rider and went on to a long European road career. He is leading a gravel road fondo here tomorrow morning.

The course has so much tape and looks so professional. They really did an amazing job transforming the Iowa CIty Fairgrounds into a World Cup. John Meehan is amazing.

Personally, I haven’t really clipped in for any type of cross since I fell at Nationals last January. Of course I’ve ridden the bike a ton, but not a step of running, mounting or dismounting. But, you have to start somewhere. It is going to be a blast. Cross, at night under the lights, with 1000’s of screaming fans is very, very hard to beat.

I’m only hoping that they keep the race flatter tonight, without a crazy amount of running in mud. If that occurs, I will be hobbled for Sunday’s UCI, which is way more important. Either way, I’m not going to survive the 80% rule.

Okay, I need to wonder downtown Iowa CIty some and find some breakfast. It is a fun college town with a lot going on. It still isn’t too late to jump into a car and watch the best riders in the World ride around on grass/mud, late tomorrow afternoon. It is going to be a zoo.