Circle of what?

(right, Blueprint of circle of death planned for Trashmore Cross Sunday. Photo by JB.)

How is it that I had never heard of “circle of death” until like yesterday? This term is of the interdisciplinary sort, encompassing an old movie, a three-way tie, a drinking game, antithesis of circle of life, a Soviet air maneuver, a child’s bike game.

Circle of death in cyclocross I just learned is the concentric circles staged on flat sections of courses to test technical skills and to get you dizzy. I remember rolling through one at Ironcross prologue. I did wonder how it is that we moved toward the center of this no-exit maze and still managed to get out without intersecting lines. I knew the sense of the thing but knew not its name.

I will see up close how it’s designed this Sunday. Hosang is adding one to the Trashmore Cross course, scene of this year’s VA State Cross Championships.