"The Grand is a great race," said Scott Shelman of Sugar Bottom Bikes. "It was my favorite course last year.
"It’s not your typical open field grass course, with its almost single track feel through the wooded area, and not as much sand as you would think for being at a sand volleyball place.
?
"It’s a good mix of power and bike handling, with lots of acceleration areas in the twistys and a few long straight power sections on the opposite side."
Challenging but not scary
"I have only done a few cyclo-cross races," said Angy Snoop, "and The Grand was a perfect beginner course: pretty flat and not too technical.?"
"I'm a big wuss and fear anything but flat riding, but this course had enough to keep it challenging -- a board on the uphill to ride over, short up/down hills to the levy, sand pit, long start/finish straight stretch -- and not scare me away from trying.