While trolling the video sites for interesting cyclocross clips, I’ll occasionally come across something pretty good that I may have missed in previous searches. The An Hour in Hell documentary is a good example of this.

The “Cyclocross Crash Bloopers” video, however, is almost impossible to miss if you are search the word “Cyclocross” on YouTube, since it is typically the first or second item in the results. And its popularity is undeniable. In addition to maintaining a four-and-a-half-star rating, it has been viewed nearly 70,000 times. The next-most-viewed cyclocross video is the excellent trailer for Pure Sweet Hell, with less than 37,000 views.

Even if you extend the definition of “cyclocross” to include Lance Armstrong’s unintentional ride across across a field after dodging the crashing Joseba Beloki in the 2003 Tour, today’s video still wins the popularity contest, because “Lance Armstrong’s Incredible Shortcut 2003″ has only managed 32,000 views.

As an interesting side note, it’s worth pointing out that the poster of “Cyclocross Crash Bloopers,” 49-year-old jfw100, has been unable to come close to replicating its success with any of the nine other cycling-related videos he has posted, the most popular of which has logged less than 2,000 views.

I have resisted positing this video up until today. Maybe that’s because I get little creeped out by “crash” videos in general (although the crashes here are pretty tame). Or it may be that mildly annoying Benny Hill Theme Song soundtrack.

In the end though, I decided that posting this video would not only be a deserved recognition of its undeniable popularity and cultural significance, but it would also free me to once again search for “cyclocross” on YouTube without have to ask myself why I hadn’t yet gotten around to posting this ubiquitous clip. So it is with these dual motivations of altruism and selfishness that I bring you “Cyclocross Crash Bloopers.”