Yikes! Like a game of 'chicken'. Looks like the other dude was falling into the oncoming Trebon.

In any event, the course set up and conditions are to blame...riders coming from opposite directions should not be able to ride the same line.

Maybe they ran out of stakes and course tape? 8-)

Whatup Chris!
Actually, that other dude is a good friend of mine. Shhhhh. I feel inexplicably bad for his luck.

Honestly, it looks as if the course tape may have come un-done. My other buds who went/raced/watched in KC said that particular section was a popular section for people doing the same thing...e.g. going hot through that section and sliding into the tape. I wasn't there so I do not know what was up but a fairly simple bobble it seems turned disastrous given how hot the other side was coming down.

Yup. I wasn't there either, but you can't fault a rider for seeking out the best line. I've done plenty of tape stretching on muddy tracks looking for a few inches of firm ground.

That's a course design problem. If the course doubles back like that there really should be some space so that this doesn't happen.

It was bullet proof frozen mud ruts, and they just kicked you around. I don't think anyone would try to go thru the tape on purpose because you couldn't get back. But the section on the left was coming off a slight downhill, and if you missed the line then it would just throw you. It was also hammered there because that was a main pass through area for spectators to cross the course.

The course needed a good gap in between those sections.

Clay

Doesn't look like he had an actual "loss of conciousness" as reported, which is good!!!

ac2 (in euro mullet and rather short cycling soks)

(oh... and short finger road gloves for cross.)

Whow! I was there (did the race, not witnessing the crash) and I was concerned myself on each lap because I worried that the downhill section (the part that Trebon is on) would have riders flying into the uphill section. I never would have guessed that the uphill riders would go off course to hit the downhill riders... but damn that course was rutted and VERY hard to keep a line. Personally, that section should have been changed on Saturday, at least 100ft of it.

Kris Thompson

I was right there. It wasn't that the rider who hit Trebon was looking for the best line ... that particularly section was very greasy and that rider was going into that section 2- or 3-wide and was pushed off the good line that was on the far side and he's basically sliding on the frozen mud to the near side. The group just in front did the same thing and that's when the course tape was tangled and ripped. I'd say about 60% of the course was doubled back on itself -- bet they won't be doing that again next year.

if you look carefully you can see the rider on the left is just putting his foot down to keep from going over and that puts his shoulder over on the other side

Jeez. yeah that was bad.

yo bro....sick vid. I was there and have blogged some of my own video at http://addictedtobicycles.blogspot.com/

check out "even the pro field stacked it vid"...this is the same exact section on lap one going out on the lap. you will see a shit pile of riders crossing into the on coming lane where Trebon got racked....that was one of two sections which were just nar nar that day. The previous day the ENTIRE COURSE was like that, when I raced...it was brutal, not even racing, just surviving...see you at CULT CROSS this sping!

Yea, what lg said! I "rode" that section during the 40-44 Masters the day before as well as that morning in the SS race, and riders were crashing coming both ways every time. It was just really shitty timing for both guys, and neither are to blame.
Here's my report from the weekend, complete with the pathetic level of customer service afforded this "rookie" by USA Cycling: http://fastforwardsports.wordpress.com/