On Thursday night, in the middle of the 2013 Cyclocross World Championships week in Louisville, KY, over one hundred singlespeeders gathered to celebrate the spirit of cyclocross in a fashion that strayed far away from any USA Cycling or UCI regulations or last-minute flood-related changes and embraced the unpredictable and dangerous. The event? The Raleigh Singlespeed Derby, promoted by Brian Segal.
A flaming barrier, blow-up dolls and doughnut handups made for unregulated fun. ©Brian Nelson
A slippery, off-camber singletrack in complete darkness, a flaming barrier, a fog tent and generous offering of bourbon shots greeted racers willing to brave the frigid temperatures and falling snow. Held just a few miles from the UCI Cyclocross World Championships, the event drew out visiting Masters racers, locals, a unicyclist and even a film crew from Belgian television channel, Sporza.
We’ve got a few photos of the nighttime cyclocross race, “won” by Cyclocross Magazine’s chief sandbagger John Proppe, via photographer Brian Nelson:
