- Nov. 19, 2007
- TCB Cyclocross - CLIF BAR Kids’ Clinic Thoughts from Troy
Those of you out there who follow the cross season likely already know that the TCB Cyclocross riders do a lot more than just race their bikes. Sure racing’s a big part of the overall TCB Cyclocross effort (check out some race videos of the TCB guys in action at the Verge cross series), to teaching little kids how to rip it up on a cross bike, the TCB riders are out there doing a lot of good stuff.TCB Cyclocross rider Troy Wells just sent this report my way from the Clif Bar Kids’ Camps at the Louisville USGP:
As I sit at my parents house in NY the day before the second round of the USGP of Cyclocross that will take place this weekend in Trenton, NJ, I would normally already be at the venue but due to the fact that I’ve been feeling a little under the weather for the past week and a half I have decided that it may be more beneficial to rest up at home and travel down to Jersey tomorrow morning. The one thing that I will miss out on today is the chance to take part in the Clif Bar Kid Clinic put on by Ben Turner Clif Bar Development team manager and Geoff Proctor USA cycling Cyclocross coach. At the 1st round of the USGP’s in Louisville, Kentucky I had the opportunity to lend a hand and what I witnessed was quite astonishing. We split the 30 kids into different groups 6-10 year olds and 10-14 year olds. Geoff and Danny Summerhill worked with the 6-10 year olds. Ben and I worked with the 10-14 year olds.
We started off with the basics and then we asked the kids which parts of the course they would like to go over and practice. Of course they picked the 3 hardest parts of the course—a long sand pit, barriers, and the green monster which is a man-made set of stairs on to a table top and then you drop down about 6 feet on a ramp. Watching the kids drag their 30 lbs bikes up this green monster that was at least double the size of them was a show of determination. Ben and I looked on as they would remount and go down the ramp without even having their feet on the pedals. Next up was the sand pit, which I would say was about 30 meters long and full of deep sand. It was actually tough to ride if you didn’t choose the correct line. When we began not one of the kids was able to ride it but within about 10 minutes every single kid was ripping it up in the sand pit it was rad to see.
It is incredible to see what kids can accomplish in such a short time with just a little bit of direction.
See you at the races!
-Troy
- Posted by:
- Le Sensation American
- Category:
- Events, Team Clif Bar
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