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Race Report Contest #4 - Here we go again...

OK, little late starting this one, but it's on!

Race reports should be submitted here according to these rules. You might want to read the rules. rules are an important part of any contest. Did I mention there are rules?

Tags: contest, race, report

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Permalink Reply by Pigtails on November 18, 2009 at 5:01am

Ah, I think this goes here then.

Stopping by the sand on a chilly evening.

(image: Alan)

How much it is, I do not know
The dollar's in the sand there, though
I do not mind stopping a spell
To sort the golf balls from the dough.

My little bike, it looks all queer
The only bikes are CX here,
On the golf course racing slow
The funnest racing of the year.

I give my sand-filled glove a shake
Not grabbing the beer was my mistake
But shortly I'll go grab that too,
Then thunder off for racing's sake.

Racing's lovely, payouts are deep.
And I have bills n' beers to keep,
More sand to ride before I sleep,
More sand to ride before I sleep.

(I you're not a poetry fiend...)

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Permalink Reply by Beth Hamon on November 18, 2009 at 7:51am

If I were a judge, this one would win. Brilliant!

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Permalink Reply by Ben on November 19, 2009 at 5:29pm

My name is Ben POpper and I support this entry

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Permalink Reply by Pigtails on November 19, 2009 at 5:54pm

(he's cute)

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Permalink Reply by holly on November 19, 2009 at 7:29pm

Julie - this rocks :)

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Permalink Reply by kenneth fetsurka on November 18, 2009 at 7:42am

USGP Mercer Cup day 2 C mens race:
man was it muddy out there just walking over to get my race number from the parking area. went back to my rental car, which is a whole nother story in itself since my friend who was gonna give me a ride got the flu at the last minute, and got into my telltale skeleton skinsuit and extra gear for the arm up lap i was about to do. as soon as i got on the course in the off camber section i busted my ass and went down in the mud haha, great start right? pre-rode the course and it was hard pedaling just on the flat sections but onto the start of the race!

had a call up in the middle of the pack and had an ok start but i dont have much of a killer instinct since im a pretty laid back guy but didnt get caught up in to much trouble in the first turn. the course went right into the off camber section pretty much which while still super muddy was pretty much a running section. was battling it out with a couple guys and was passing people in the back and making my way up for the first lap and was behind one guy the rest of the race. man was it muddy, did i say that yet?? on the flat gravel road section i was bunny hopping to get some of the mud buildup off my bike but that didnt help much. the race went like that for 2 more laps and i passed that guy that was in front of me in the 2nd half of the last lap and thought we were gonna sprint it out to the line but the next class of racing was about to start so they stopped us right before the finish line. i was kinda bummed about that but glad to finish ahead of him and then i saw that a lot of people DNF'd or DNS's so that was a good sign. the highlight of the race for me?? i finally didnt get lapped! my girlfriend came along with me so she took some pictures, check some of them out:

and the aftermath:

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Permalink Reply by judi lopresti on November 18, 2009 at 2:56pm

HOLLA!

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Permalink Reply by Mabh on November 19, 2009 at 5:25am

ok, its half race report, half waxing affectionatley about cross...
and its my entry to a be-an-Olympic-journalist-contest, so if you like it and would like to help me get to said contest's finals, vote away! (Voting also gives you the chance to win an ACer laptop / Panasonic Digital camera...

yee old link:
http://journalismdream.theglobeandmail.com/entry_article.asp?id=953

yee old text: (yes my real name is Amanda)

Included in Entry Fee: Bruises, Broken Bikes, Bliss.
Amanda
Montreal , QC
Its possibly the most ridiculous sport known; take a half-mountain, half-road bike, ride it through mud, sand, up un-rideable hills, down traction-less pitches; periodically jump on and off to stumble over barriers. Do this as fast as humanly possibly, for 45 minutes or so. To make it interesting, do it in the most inclement weather Autumn has to offer: rain, snow, snowy rain, and rainy snow. Cyclocross.
Born of the boredom of professional European road riders in the early 1900s, cyclocross was a way to squeeze out a few more races at the absolute end of the road season.
With curiosity and incredulity I began to race ‘cross in 2003. My bike was two sizes too big, I literally had no idea what I was doing, my flimsy gloves could not even hope to keep my hands warm in Quebec’s frigid Fall - and I loved every bruise-inducing minute of it. By far, the most impressive element of my newly discovered sport were the people, a motley crew of mountain bikers, the odd roadie, and casual cyclists with a screw loose, all who refused to let October’s winds give way to November’s snow and the retirement of our bikes for the long winter months ahead. Far from the cut-throat competitions we’d experienced all summer, we stumbled, slid, and cut in front of each other with child-like glee, at the end of the race fixing each other’s bikes with a passion only bike nerds can embody.
October 29, 2006, the Quebec Championships at the Chutes de la Montmorency Parc. It was snowing. Apples in the orchard we were to race through had become round red marbles hiding like slippy mines in the matted grass. There were no change rooms nor shelter from the elements, so we warmed up as best we could and drenched ourselves in embrocation. Within less than a lap my hands were essentially frozen and braking was a distant memory. Only half in control, I flew though a swampy wooded section up a hill, and as if by magic floated off my bike – landing in time to jump over the barriers. Next the descent down a switchback of icy gravel, then sand, and the applesaucing of a few apples in the orchard before one nearly unseated me. My heaving lungs and screaming legs demanded I stop, so I kept going. After 45 minutes, every one of us was crimson; desperately glad and sad that it was over for another year. The medals ceremony was held in the park’s tiny broom closet – all 20 of us crammed in from the cold and waning light. Not glamorous, nor my best performance, but it was and remains sport at its purest – a group of dedicated, hard-working athletes breathing life into an otherwise ordinary day. Despite all the dirt, broken bikes, and bruises, cyclocross is for me, “the beautiful sport.”

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Permalink Reply by Joshua W McCarrel on November 22, 2009 at 9:51am

Big day for Team Clammy Chamois today at the UTCX State Championships. Not only did Clay Adair take first, but by doing so became the "C" category state champ! This entitles him to all kinds of rights and privileges in the state of Utah. Amnesty on overdue library books, he can bump the line at In-n-Out Burger, and we are negotiating a meeting with Clay and former Utah Governor/Crazy Old Lady....Olene Walker.

Perhaps no one was more upset.....I mean excited for Clay than Pat Davis, who flatted early on and DNF'd. In fact, as a team we came down with a bad case of DNF. I was looking for Hamilton in the pack on the second lap, and found him standing on the sidelines ringing a cowbell. Another victim of the Heber Goathead. Prodigal Son/Unofficial teammate Wes managed to finish despite flat tires, finishing on his singlespeed "B" bike.

Honestly, it's like the Thurgood's are the only ones I can count on. Oh wait, Brad pulled off a finish in the Men's C's then got Tonya Harding'ed on the first lap of the Juniors. Another kid took him out and Clammy Chamois took our third DNF of the day. The highlight of my race was the bacon handup on the backside of the course. I missed the first one, got the second one. As a long time fan of bacon, I was excited at first. I did however learn a lesson about eating cold bacon from a stranger when you are already on the verge of puking in a CX race. It's not a good idea. Avoided puking, but just barely, and was still reeling when, on later laps, they were offering doughnuts. Other handups included hot dogs, and beer. Keeping it classy at the state champs.

So, the tally goes, one state champ and three DNF's, it was time to celebrate, or drown our sorrows depending on who you are.

Mmmmmmm Brats. A big pat on the back goes out to me for killing it with the Brats today. Colossimo's sausages, cooked in Guinness Extra Stout, then finished on the grill. Carmelized onions reduced in the same stout, Kraut, mustard. It felt like I should be ashamed. But I wasn't. Good thing we had killer Brats and Hot Cocoa because it was colder than a stepmothers heart. The C race was the warmest part of the day. Each subsequent race dropped at least 10 degrees. Maybe not the day to decide to stick around for the A race.

During the ladies race something caught my eye. Somebody was racing in a plaid mini-skirt. That seemed pretty rowdy, but then after the ladies race, she changed into something a little more comfortable.

Thank you Mistress Julie, may I have another!To the uninformed(me), this is Mistress Julie. Yes that is a Bullwhip. Yes she does know how to use it. Let's just say that everybody that raced after the women had a little extra motivation.

The skies continued to darken, and the snow began to fall. By the time the Men's A's rolled around the Heber Rodeo Grounds had become a winter wonderland. At least it felt like it.

Over the course of the hour, the leaders shed hangers on and soon it was just Bart Gillespie, Ali Goulet, and Eric Rasmussen. These guys were turning in five minute laps. Conditions made the course change on every lap. For the most part, Rasmussen and Goulet sat on Gillespies wheel. Gillespie, who had just returned from the La Ruta race in Costa Rica looked great until the final lap. Still in a pack as they left the race track for the grass and barricades I wasn't sure if Gillespie cracked, or if Goulet just hit the nitrous. Rasmussen was able to hold onto Goulet, and they soon had about a four second gap on Gillespie coming to the last runup and the home stretch. It was thrilling to watch. It's good to know, that everybody can be beaten. I found myself muffling my cheers for Goulet(Roger Gillespie was standing next to me). But you have to take your hat off to a guy that has worked that hard to beat his nemesis.

Congratulations to all the winners today, especially Clay. But if he ever changes teams, I am filing a formal petition to have him forced to upgrade.

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Permalink Reply by Miguel Rosales on November 23, 2009 at 12:23pm

Where the hell is Wyoming???
You know ... that square state north of that other square state ... what's it called??? California east ... no wait ...Colorado.
Least populated state in the union at just over 500,000 people in a state that consist of almost 100,000 square miles
And yes we race CX here in Cowboy Country - weapons of choice ... steel, aluminum, titanium and carbon fiber war ponies.
Laramie-CX race series race #3 - November 22, 2009 held in balmy Wyoming weather (33* at time of start but factoring in the wind -18mph out of the SSW = you do the math!).
24 brave souls lined up to battle on a challenging 1.3 mile course.
Yea 24 is a small turnout in some books - if I wanted to race with 100 other masochists I'd drive down to Boulder/Denver and spend $100 (gas, food and entry fees) just to get pulled after being lapped half-way through. I'd rather burn a $50 bill, take a kick to the nuts and call it an even wash - but that's me.
No official sanctioning body, no fancy snow-fence with sponsor logos all over it - just show up with $10 - sign a waiver and make sure to grab a cup of hot coffee after the race to warm the body and soul.
I'll let the pics do the talking - you know that whole pic is worth a thousand words concept.
If you're wondering - I'm the guy in the red spider-man knickers who always has a great start and then proceed to drop from the top 5 to the bottom 5 (or 2!).