Sea Otter Classic

Front page of the Monterey sports page!

Mountain bike racing is alive and well! That's the feeling you get after spending the weekend at the Sea Otter Classic in Monterey. Full fields, hundreds of athletes and a well attended expo. But, where are all the roadies? Fields were less than half full at the most and the courses could handle a lot more athletes (unlike the cross country mountain bike courses, in my opinion). I'm guessing here but I think athletes shy away from this event because they don't see the full picture. Firstly, roadies have become "spoiled" competing for cash. What a silly notion for an amateur/ hobbyist! If roadies looked at running, triathlon or even mountain bike racing events they would see that only Pros compete for money. Secondly, someone has to pay for the groundwork that creates the fun that is Sea Otter. $45, in my opinion, was a better value than an industrial park crit. It was a privilege to race on the Laguna Sega track!