A Belgian rider won the first jersey awarded at the 2012 Master’s World Cyclocross Championships, in the 30+ race this morning in Louisville. Sven Van Eyndt won the race over Thomas Tucker, Jamis, by 3 seconds. It was close all day.

The course is completely frozen ruts. They removed a lot of the hill sections and moved the ribbons over on some of the straights to allow riding to occur. There were still a ton of riders falling and flatting.

Ned rode his qualifying race and finished 3rd. The course was a real mess when they rode. Deep ruts, all frozen. I can’t see the course changing much before 11 am tomorrow, with the lows in the lower 20’s tonight. I pre rode 3 or 4 laps and felt pretty comfortable handling my bike. I’d rather have it more predictable, but it is cross and you have to be good at everything to be good at it.

You can click here to see the full results.

Sven led from start to finish, but not without some challenges.

Sven and Thomas racing. The ruts you see here might as well be cement.

There is just a little water left on the course from yesterday, enough to freeze Catherine's derailluer cable.

Okay, I pinned my number on the National’s Jersey that I got last week in Madison. This is only the 2nd I’ve ever worn a Master’s National Championship jersey other than when they’ve given them to me at the awards podium. (In Providence one year, they had a revenge race on Sunday after the Elite race and lined up all the National Champions up on the first row.) But, it is the Master’s Worlds and it is here in the US, so I think it’s appropriate and probably the right thing to do.

I’m heading over to the course before 9am to ride a lap and see if they’ve remarked it again. As of this moment, I really don’t have any idea what course I”m racing in 3 hours. I assume it is going to be the same course that the 30+ guys raced at 1 yesterday, but I really don’t know. It got down to under 20 again last night, so it’s definitely going to be frozen at 11am. At least I think it will be. The worst case scenario would be if the sun came out and melted the top of the ruts and put some slime on top of frozen mud.

I think I’m good on the course however they decide to run it. I would have rather had it like it was during the qualifying races (a muddy slogfest) because that took a ton of power and it was way more predictable. Unpredictable race courses sometimes produce unpredictable results. But, it is what it is. And it is cold and frozen as of now. Better get out there for a little while.

Numbers pinned, ready to race.