Cyclocross - CX and SSCX races and training

the guys from CXHairs have launched a new mailing list, which will be behind a paywall soon, but currently isn't. IMO it's brilliant, and I'll be paying for it, and not just because of their take on Denise Betsema

DENISE BETSEMA: Not really a name people are unfamiliar with, but one that always gets a strong response every time she’s mentioned. If you’re not sure why, here’s the quick run down (you can always Google for more): Betsema tested positive twice, in early 2019, for a banned anabolic steroid. She claimed the substance was part of a contaminated supplement provided to her by a Belgian pharmacist and that she had no idea she had ingested it. A normal suspension for a similar positive test is four years. Betsema surprised everyone by showing up and racing at Zonnebeke on January 25, 2020. UCI released a statement basically saying “the case was resolved by acceptance of consequences in accordance with the WADA code.” Betsema maintained she “never intended to use doping” and claimed she was innocent. She received a six-month backdated suspension from April 2019 to October 2019. For those unfamiliar with the cyclocross calendar, this is a time period when cyclocross races are not happening. For all intents and purposes, she served the suspension during the offseason. Our journalistic take on Betsema is that we will talk about her because she’s racing and her participation affects the race. Our editorial take on Betsema is that we don’t think she should be racing, competitors are responsible for what goes into their bodies no matter the intention, and the ban was not close to long enough.

https://www.cxhairs.com/2020/12/01/the-cxhairs-bulletin/

I've also been going back and watching the Sveness series and they're so fucking good. GCN really need to cough up and pay to have them made as highlights for their race coverage

https://vimeo.com/148756834