Dear Reader
I have been fortunate as an amateur cyclocross racer to get to race cross in a lot of different regions. Alpen Rose Dairy in Portland, the Cincinati 3 day, Madison Nationals were all amazing in their own right. Look Park is one of my favorite venues. Right here in the Mid Atlantic Charm City is easily among the 3 best events in the country. DCCX is a personal favorite, and again an incredible race and experience. I firmly believe that every cross racer should experience Gloucester CX at least once... It's something that as a cross racer, you need to put on your bucket list.
All that said, I have always believed that Providence Cross- Roger Williams Park, is the best of them all. Last year, they had some growing pains. This year, was amazing and for me cemented the race as the best in the country. The course was technically challenging. Slightly altered race categories from your normal series resulted in huge fields and the classes were DEEP. The competition was incredible. Driving home I-95 last night, knowing my results were completely unimpressive, I was stoked with the racing, the course, and how much I had to turn myself inside out all three days. Thank you Providence.
I'll also say that I'm stoked to be apart of the cross community. The large community as well as my own Mid Atlantic and our compound even. We took care of each other, cheered for each other, and our little C3 Twenty 20 Cycling- Joe'e Bike Garage-Bike Line-Wooden Wheels camp site was a pretty joyful place where lots of laughter, support, friendship and post race master's recovery drinks were shared. BEST WEEKEND OF CROSS EVER.
for those readers that like the traditional race reports, they are at the bottom. Photo Blog Start in 3...2...1:
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| On Friday as we were setting up camp, this guy was pulling in next to us, and hit my car with his trailer... |
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He was unaware hit hit me, but we stopped him, got him to drop the trailer and back up.
No Damage to the car, and frankly it was pretty much all smiles.
His face turned green, but alas no damage, all was good.
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Benny the Jewlar and Craig on the front row of the Madison!
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| Look serious |
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| Now Smile! |
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| Our Compound was running pretty deep. |
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| Katie said the La Vie Claire Kit made my butt look big. Mark McCormick complimented my kit during the madison. I've going with age over beauty on this one Miss Compton! |
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| The Fabulous Vanderbacon Boys at your service. |
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| Craig and I got to race together a lot this weekend. that was awesome. |
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| On Saturday. Diane forgot her kit and was afraid she wouldn't get to ride. I went down to the vendor area and found a kind man selling cycling clothing. I said to him, "I need xsmall shorts, and a small jersey in the ugliest thing you have." Take a moment to really bask in the awesome ugliness of that kit. |
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| Jenn was blaming "the blondes" for getting her into trouble this weekend. Beth and Diane welcomed her to the club. Nick was speechless. :-) |
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| As long time readers know Monk is still recovering from a knee injury and can't race cross at this time, she and Beth Did the Mini Grand Fondo on Sunday Morning. Monkey grabbed Ted King's wheel at the start and stayed on it for the first few miles. On the way home she commented that his wheel was the only wheel she'd ever followed that was better than Mark Wise's. I told her Peter Sagan thought so too. "WHAT !!??" she said. She laughed, as I explained who Ted King the Pro Tour Rider was... |
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| Monkey and Beth after finishing the Mini Grand Fondo |
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| Anne ROCK throwing down some watts... |
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| Jimmy (MAUER) ROCK throwing down some ZZZZZZ. |
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| Scotty Freakin' Roberts- best line of the weekend "my call up was so bad, when I got staged, I didn't have to roll forward" Raced his face off all weekend. He's a crosser... |
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| Monkey Selfie in the pits... |
Doughnut Watts are totally a thing:
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| ROCK and ROLL THRILL MY SOUL ! |
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| Damn, that's a fine looking couple. Freakin' fast too! |
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Brett finished off the his Holy week this weekend. 6 cross race and an Afghan Whigs show in 9 days.
All Killer no Filler... |
Anne ROCK attacks the stairs/flyover with style...
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| Sauny workin' pit for Benny... |
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| One last shot of the compound. |
FRIDAY
The Madison of Cyclocross. I was teamed with my brother Craig, or as Ryan has dubbed him 'Fake Fatmarc" (that was a pretty good cheer/heckle). The race is a two person cyclocross relay for an hour. Already stoked to be racing with Craig, we had Fergie in the pits coaching us. As Craig finished up his first lap Ferg says," oh that's a good start, he's going good... this is good" Craig and I both rode well. I was riding the flyover after the stairs on the backside, and flubbed that a bit on the final lap. Cost us a spot. We finished stoked. As fun as the course rode, it raced even better.
SATURDAY
I got called to the line #84, row 10. I was looking to battle, have a clean race, and leave it all out on the course. That's what I got. Craig is a faster starter than me, and I tried to stay on his wheel during the first lap. The chaos of the large field was exploding in crashes all around us. After the race we would both comment how when we were on each other's wheel the thought was "no one is getting this wheel" Craig and I raced in the same group all day. On start of lap 3, I went to the front of the group and put in an attack and strung the group out a bit. We moved up and picked up a few more guys. Final lap, we come the the final section of the course and hit the spiral rectangle of death, I surge one last time, and pick of two riders who were just off our group. Craig chases me in, I'm stoked..
SUNDAY
We sat around our compound extra early as Diane and Beth did the mini grand fondo that rolled out at 7:00am. As the camp filled up, we all lamented that three days of racing in a row was- really hard- maybe stupid. Brett (our awesome teammate) just smiled, as he was finishing up his 6th race in 9 days having raced the holy week. Called to the line lucky #84 again. I wasn't as fresh as Saturday, but mentally was on point. We got a good start, as the argy bargy seemed to be a little better... First lap Sunday was the fastest lap I rode all weekend. I was hurting on the 2nd lap as I wondered if I over-started.., "Keep fucking fighting", I said to myself. I wasn't jumping out of corners like I was the previous two days. Oddly, on the final lap, I got a weird second wind. Craig and I were riding the same group again, but a reverse of Saturday (him up front, me tail gunning). I rode up to him. We started to take turns pulling each other and talking each other up in the the last lap. Half a lap to go and I stacked it hard catching a rutt on a fast downhill. Hardest cross crash ever. I luckily didn't take him down, but I was pretty rattled and a few riders came by. It took me a bit to get my whits about me, and in the final section Angelo passed me. I dug deep and snuck around him before the pavement and held him off to the line. That crash hurt. I hate screwing up on the last lap, but I was really happy with my effort...
still stoked from my racing...
wonderful weekend...
thanks for reading.
respect
Vanderbacon
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