The New York Times covers rapid growth in domestic cyclo-cross racing

You know something is popular when the New York Times finally gets a hold of it.

Photo courtesy of the New York Times

The article documents the significant growth of cyclo-cross over the past few years:

“We’re seeing a cyclocross phenomenon of sorts in this country,” said Stuart Thorne, a former professional cyclocross rider from Wenham, Mass., who now runs the online publication CyclocrossWorld.com. “A race in Oregon last month drew nearly 1,000 cyclocross racers, which was one of the biggest showings ever.”

About 40,000 cyclists registered to race in a cyclocross event last year, according to USA Cycling, a Colorado Springs organization that sanctions competitions. That’s up from 17,000 registered racers in 2004.