Cyclocross Nationals at Night

I have been in Austin the last few days to race at the Cyclocross National Championships. I brought my camera with the intention of trying to shoot cyclocross in a way that it hasn’t been shot before.  

The night after my preliminary non-championship race on Wednesday, and after dinner and a few beers, I returned to the course around 10pm. The sky was clear and the moon was going to be near full. It was also really cold and windy, my legs were tired from racing, and I really wanted to get off my feet and go to bed. 

But I started walking the course, and shortly afterwards, the moon came up and lit many of the features on the course. It was surreal to be out there alone at night, on a silent, empty course that is generally reserved for crowds, chaos, and cowbells.

It took around 3 hours to walk and photograph a complete lap from start to finish between the course tape. I used a normal lens set at about the same height that your eyes are while racing to create a racers’ view. 

My championship race is at 2:30 today. It’s still cold, and my legs are still tired. But I’m looking forward to getting out there for a few more laps before putting my bike away until Spring.