Weekend Forecast: NCC Hydra Cross
Some folks may be jumping on the I-91 this weekend for the Green Mountain Stage Race, but this author is getting off the highway a bit earlier for Hydra Cross.
After all, the cyclocross season already started last weekend at Blunt Park! Hydra Cross will be the second race in the River Valley CX series and has been a staple in the New England cyclocross scene for a few years.
This race is perfect for those, like myself, who are jumping out of their seats to start racing, but it’s also a great race for first timers. There will be an intro-clinic at 8am where local NCC racers will spend 45min introducing cyclocross skills. It’s a perfect way to dip your toes in the water and soak up some valuable tips. Following this clinic, there will be novice/cat4 races for men at 9am and for women/non-binary at 11am.
New England tends to have a lot of stoke around cyclocross, which in turn has me buzzing with excitement for the weekend. Here’s what’s in store:
Weather
Last ‘cross season’s weather was oppressively hot and dry. The heat didn’t feel like it let up until as late as Really Rad and NoHo (LATE). Courses were so dusty that a couple of racers were spotted racing in n-95 respirators early on.
I will be cautiously optimistic and say that this weekend’s forecast is looking appropriately hot for this time of the year. The sun will be out and the real feel will be 81°F during the afternoon races. There will be some rain on Friday, but this will likely dry out by race day and leave some sections pretty dusty.
Course
Hydra takes place in Pulaski Park which overlooks the Connecticut River in Holyoke, Massachusetts. I’m always impressed with how well races like NCC Hydra Cross and Cooper River Cx are able to fit so much course into so little space.
The course has not changed much since 2019, so we will go off of the Strava KOM segment titled “Hydra Cx 2019”. The first half of the course is very tortuous and filled with fun off-camber sections. You start off by the American Legion at the north side of the park in a section called the “Legion Shelf.” This section gets its name from a significant bump that spans the width of the park, effectively a shelf, that you ride up about 20 feet after the whistle blows (and then a few more times later in the course). After the shelf there is a steady uphill to the hole-shot…all ‘cross starts are jarring, but this one is special. After the million and one turns, the course turns around at the southern tip of the park where the organizers deliver a pretty painful uphill. It may be only about 50ft of climbing per lap, but you’ll feel it here. Part of this climby section has a good stretch of pavement where you can drop some watts to catch the next group or lose a foe.
The second half of the course has much fewer corners and is very fast. It features barriers and, arguably, the most decisive part of the course. I’m referring to the last corner before the finishing straight. This is a steep, off-camber 180 that goes around a patch of evergreen trees with big roots. Two lines typically form: high and tight vs low and fast. Do you go for the high and tight line that is definitely shortest, but takes you over some gnarly roots? Or do you go for the low and fast line that is much smoother, but is longer and requires you to put down some watts as you punch out of the exit?
Overall, this is a classic “grass crit” with a million turns that will reward those carrying roadie fitness into the season. Last year, most racers in the Elite fields finished about 8-9 laps that were about 5:30-6:30min long. While the more novice categories were completing about 6-7 laps and seeing lap times of 6-7min. If conditions stay as dry as they were last year, lap times/numbers should be similar.
Gear
Although there will be some precipitation on Friday, I’m willing to bet that the ground will be dry on race day. Even a little dusty in some sections like the final turn. File tread tires with some nobs on the side will likely be the move. I’d leave rain gear at home.
Although I don’t think it will be face-melting hot this weekend, I will still be storing a stash of ice socks in my cooler. I’ve been burnt before at this race and suffered some dramatic heat exhaustion symptoms mid race (ask me about it in person). So learn from my mistakes and be equipped to face some heat and sun. Bring your insulated bottles of ice water, fans, and spf 50+ sunscreen. Anything you can do to stay hydrated and cool in the event that temps get hotter.
Hangs/Vibes
If it’s not clear already… CROSS IS HERE! Which means that the vibes are forecasted to be incredible this weekend in the home of American cyclocross: New England.
Where should you spectate? I think staying near the announcer, Jake Kravitz, in the northern part of the park will be your best option for the first lap. You’ll hear some great announcing, see the chaos of the hole-shot, and then can move over to the barriers or final corner. This part of the park is where the American Legion and Thai Chili Street Food Hub food truck will be selling beverages and food.
Spectating towards the southern part of the park is also a great idea as it has open views of the bottom of the course. There are fewer trees providing shade here, but this area features a playground and Feldman Spray Park for our smaller spectators/racers. Didn’t get your zoomies out on the course? There is also a pretty sick skate park here as well.
