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If I were to start talking about cyclocross most people would imagine competitors racing in the cold, wet, rain, and snow with crazed fans cheering them on. Las Vegas then probably isn't the first place that comes to mind for a cross race, but over the past few years Cross Vegas has established itself as the season opener of the discipline. And with this growing reputation the race has also attracted more and more top competitors. This year's Elite rider roster almost read like a who's who of the sport, all coming to Sin City to test their mettle on a hot dry course.For those of you that are still new to the concept of cross, or CX for short, it's basically an event that's a cross between road riding and cross country racing. Competitors race road bikes with knobby tires and cantilever or disk brakes up and down hills and over obstacles including barriers and stairs. The season runs through the fall and winter, often when the streets are too wet and the weather is too cold for traditional road racing. The sport is nothing new, it's been around for over a hundred years, and probably even puts into question the story of the first mountain bike. Think about the fact that over a hundred years ago people raced knobby tired 29ers down gravel roads and through farmers fields, and some of them even had flat bars. It makes for some interesting thoughts...Sometimes things go wrong... Troy Wells of Team CLIF Bar misjudged the spacing on the barriers and didn't get his second bunnyhop in time.