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Why might cyclo-cross riders need to carry their bicycles during a race?
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Individual Neutral Athlete Gleb Syritsa, a Russian passport holder, cycling past Les Invalides during the men's road cycling individual time trial at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
In cyclo-cross, riders are often forced to dismount and carry their bicycles because the race takes place in rough, challenging terrain that is frequently impassable while mounted.1
Courses typically feature a variety of obstacles that necessitate carrying the bike, including:
- Natural barriers such as ditches, mud, fallen trees, and streams.1
- Man-made obstacles like fences, gates, and flights of stairs.1
- Artificial hurdles added to courses that lack sufficient natural difficulty.1
Additionally, riders may need to switch to a spare bicycle if their current machine becomes too heavily weighted down by mud accumulated during the race or if they encounter mechanical issues.1